Work Out January 2011 by Script Media

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January 2011

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

Industry’s best are honoured at awards

Locker thief banned from every gym By Christina Eccles A MAN has been banned from using any gym or leisure centre in England and Wales after being caught stealing from lockers in clubs across London. 48-year-old Steven Lawani has been served an anti-social behaviour order – which bans him from clubs – following a conviction for attempted burglary. He appeared at Wood Green Crown Court and was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for 15 months, after pleading guilty to the offence at a leisure centre in Haringey. The ASBO was also served to stop him stealing from lockers in gyms and leisure centres, with the ban being sought by an officer from Islington Police’s anti-social behaviour team, who provided evidence of Lawani’s history of over 10 previous convictions in which he committed similar offences across London. The ASBO prohibits him from entering any gym, leisure centre, swimming pool, sports centre, or spa health club and from possessing any membership cards for such premises. PC Graham Burke, from Islington ASB team, said: “There is a substan-

tial amount of evidence which shows Lawani has targeted gym lockers in sports establishments all over London for years. “These personal thefts are particularly distressing for victims, and I hope this ASBO will help protect London's gym goers and their property.” Islington Police has also given out advice to gym owners who may be concerned about how to protect themselves from similar incidents occurring in their clubs. PC Burke added: “We advise staff in gyms or leisure centres to look out for people who make multiple visits during the day without doing much or any exercise. “Thieves will generally strike when there is no one about and therefore tend to loiter in a manner different to a genuine gym user. A tactic for some thieves is to follow genuine users in from the car park, locate which lockers they were using, then break in and come away with the person’s car keys. Gym users should be advised not to take valuables to the gym if this can in any way be avoided.” For more see page three.

No 208 £3

ALMOST 500 people attended the first ever National Fitness Awards, which recognised the best of the fitness industry at a glittering ceremony in York. The awards – which took place at The National Railway Museum – were organised by Workout and hosted by Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies. Several hundred entries were received, with the worthy winners decided by a panel of judges including Sharron, fellow Olympian Jennifer Stoute and Andree Deane. Winners on the night included Club Kingswood which was named national gym of the year and lifetime achievement recipient Jim Charles.

Industry stalwart Jim Charles has been rewarded for his achievements throughout a career spanning over 50 years. Bodybuilder Jim – pictured here with wife Val – picked up the Lifetime Achievement trophy at the first ever National Fitness Awards, receiving the prize from Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies. The event took place at the National Railway Museum in York.

National Fitness Awards director Andrew Harrod said: “It was a fantastic event and just what the industry needed. We are already thinking about the next awards and plan to come back even bigger and better in 2011.” For a full round up of the evening and list of winners see our awards special starting on Page 34.

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VAT increase Members stay loyal may put gyms to ladies-only gym out of business By Christina Eccles

By Louise Cordell THE New Year’s VAT increase could put gyms across the country out of business, according to club owner Rod Price. Rod, who owns the Body Concept gym in Thetford, has spoken out about his concerns that the move could push membership numbers lower than ever. He said: “The last year has been hard enough with the recession. “Membership has dropped and our fear is that the VAT increase will make it even harder – it’s going to be tough. “It is going to be a case of holding on as hard as possible, but I think that there will be a lot of gyms going out of business in the next year.” The Body Concept club features a gym with cardiovascular equipment and specialist weights area together with a supplement shop and shake bar, however Rod is concerned that the facilities will not be enough to keep members coming when money is tight.

He has introduced a range of competitions and challenges to try and keep people interested, but at the same time has been forced to increase membership fees to survive. He added: “We are doing all we can, but ultimately gym memberships are a luxury and when times are tough they are one of the things that have to go. Unfortunately it has reached the point where we are having to put up our fees – even though we have managed to keep them the same for many years up until now – it is just a matter of survival.” Another blow for the club has been the fact that a nearby local authority gym, which will avoid the VAT increase, has opened in competition and is attracting prospective members with lower prices. Rob added: “The only silver lining is that generally our members have been understanding, especially as our regulars know that we have always done our best to keep costs down – they know that we are only making changes now as a last resort.”

A GYM in Watford is seeing off the competition by offering the only female-friendly facilities in the area. Femme Fitness, owned by Jodi Pyle, has to compete with many gyms in the town, including budget clubs which are able to offer much lower prices. But Jodi told Workout that being the one ladies only club in the area means that they will always have a loyal membership base. She explained: “There are loads of gyms in Watford but they don’t seem to affect us. Women will always come here because it is women only. “They are not going to leave us to go to others because they are mixed gyms. “It is not easy in today’s climate and it’s not going to get any easier. I think next year will be a struggle but we have got a good product.” Since taking over the gym in 2008, Jodi has totally revamped it – improving run down equipment and introducing an extensive class timetable.

Popular classes include Zumba, Spinning, pole dancing and burlesque and the club also offers beauty treatments and spray tanning – creating a complete package for busy women who want to take some time out. She added: “I always envisaged that we would be a haven for women to come to. “Women don’t often have time for themselves but some come in here for a sauna or beauty treatment or just a coffee because they like the atmosphere. “I want women to feel better about themselves and be more than just a fitness club.” Having a beautician on site also gives the opportunity for both businesses to cross sell and Jodi is planning to expand on this in the future with the introduction of a new diet club, developed by a qualified nutritionist. Women taking part in the diet package get half hour gym sessions included and Jodi hopes that once people have been in for these taster sessions, they will consider taking out full membership.

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Steven Lawani, pictured left, is one man you do not want in your gym ... He has been served an ASBO banning him from using any gyms or leisure centres in England and Wales for five years. The ASBO was given to stop him stealing from lockers.

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New Welsh gym with a difference By Christina Eccles

Pop queen Madonna has celebrated the opening of her first gym by joining members for a fitness class. After posing for photographers at the opening of her Hard Candy Fitness Centre in Mexico, she swapped her stilettos for trainers and joined members for the exclusive training session. The fitness fan now has plans to roll the brand out to major cities around the world.

John lays down fitness challenge A PERSONAL trainer is encouraging people to take on his New Year fitness challenge to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. John Hill, from Cradley Heath, is organising a fitness programme, which involves taking part in three one hour sessions per week for six weeks, with a proportion of the cost of taking part going to charity.

Cancer Research UK area volunteer manager for the Black Country Leonie Hudson said: “We’re very excited about John’s fitness challenge. “He is bubbling with enthusiasm and creativity and his sessions are a fantastic way for people to get fit while raising funds to help beat cancer.”

Harold keeps in the swim NEW Park Leisure Centre in Leicester is home to Britain’s oldest lifeguard and members enjoy his lessons so much he now has a waiting list. Harold Williams, who is 78 years old, currently has no plans to retire and believes he should stay working as a lifeguard and assessor for as long as he is able to. Harry said: “I’d always loved

swimming and when I left the Marines I got a job working with less able people and I would take them swimming. “I decided that if this was what I wanted to do, I would do it properly and get all the qualifications I could get. “So I started taking the awards and have been doing them ever since, I even train other people in the courses now.”

MIXED Martial Arts, strength training and an OAP fitness class all form part of the offering at a new gym in North Wales, which hopes to bring something different to the area. FlexTech Gym in Colwyn Bay opened about a month ago and already the word is spreading among local people. Fans include players from Colwyn Bay FC who are training at the club and player/manager Dave Challinor, who also attended the official opening. The gym is also being supported by two MMA champions, who have started training there and will be offering classes in the New Year. The gym – whose nearest competition is a local authority leisure centre – is also offering pay as you go workouts and classes, which are proving popular with those who want to come in and try out the facilities without committing to a membership contract. Owner Paul Edwards explained: “A lot of the gyms around here charge induction and joining fees. We don’t charge any of that and people are quite surprised by it.”

Paul originally comes from a rugby playing background but after being forced to retire through injury, decided to set up the gym with two partners to get back into fitness and give something back. Advertising in the local paper, word of mouth and walk-ins off the street have all proved valuable tools to get people into the club – and although Paul is prepared for a slow footfall in December, he is hoping for success next year. As well as the introduction of MMA classes, the gym has other big plans, which include expanding the class timetable, attracting fitness champions and encouraging more women into the club. Paul added: “We have got two MMA champions on board who are going to organise classes. But instead of them being MMA fighting, they are going to adapt to offer what people want and make it more of a fitness class. “We would also like to get a few more champions in and I would really like to push the women’s side of it and show them that it doesn’t have to be bodybuilding, weights can be used for toning.”

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Leisure centre introduces inclusive fitness session A LEISURE centre in Wolverhampton has launched an inclusive fitness session aimed at people with a disability. The sessions take place at Blakenhall Community and Healthy Living Centre, which has an extensive range of fitness equipment and a number of adapted machines – enabling disabled people to enjoy a full body workout. Wolverhampton City Council's sport development officer Marcus Asbury said: “The session has proved very popular among people with a disability as it gives them a chance to take part in exercise which they may otherwise not be able to do. “Disabled people can feel intimidated in using an open gym, particularly if they are new to that sort of environment. These inclusive sessions give them the opportunity to exercise as part of a small group and build their confidence and knowledge before exploring other gyms.”

Luxury fitness camps for 2011 AMAZING Retreats has launched luxury fitness camps for 2011 as part of its range of Themed House Parties. The parties give guests the opportunity to stay in a property while learning a new skill or participating in activities. The monthly weekends during 2011 are female- only camps – with mixed and male-only camps on the agenda for next summer. Sales and marketing controller Stewart Moore said: “Our aim is to create the ultimate in luxury fitness camps, with the best UK trainers and nutritionists at our Amazing Retreats across the country. “Our initial fitness camps will be hosted at Plas Cilybebyll, our stunning period property in South Wales, and we are looking at replicating the concept across our unique property portfolio.” Each day consists of varied exercise from Zumba to Boxercise and aqua aerobics as well as diet advice from top nutritionists.

How Ashley’s gym has carved out a niche By Christina Eccles MODERN, well-maintained facilities and a high level of service are keeping members happy at an independent gym in Ruislip. Optimum Gym has recently benefited from a refit which includes a new, customised sign and coloured lighting in different areas of the club. The gym has about 350 members and owner Ashley Roberts revealed to Workout that they remain loyal because of the great service they get and the fact that facilities and decor are always well maintained and regularly updated. Ashley took over the gym two years ago and since then has made

many changes – including the refurbishment. He said: “I have made loads of changes to spruce the gym up. I love the gym and want to keep it all updated whenever I can. The advantage of having one club is that I can try things out. “The members love it and appreciate that personal touch. “It also gives a good impression to new people coming in that the gym is well run and well maintained.” Ashley added that his biggest competition comes from local authority leisure centres but feels that the gym has carved out its own niche, which helps it to stand

out from the crowd. He added: “I think we have found a niche. There is always room for smaller independent clubs if they are well run and well cared for.” Members at the club are also taking part in a 1000m rowing challenge, which Ashley said is a good way of keeping them motivated and achieving their fitness goals. Plans for 2011 include a marketing push in January and February to increase memberships – with Ashley taking out advertising in the local press and encouraging existing members to spread the word about the club to family and friends.

Clubs enter budget chain market TOPNOTCH Health Clubs has joined forces with Fitness4less to enter the affordable health club sector. Topnotch will be opening its first two Fitness4less Clubs in Nottingham and Cardiff early next year – with an ambitious rollout planned

throughout 2011. Operations director Steve Bradley said: “We studied the affordable health club market closely and felt that Fitness4less offered an outstanding product, a great brand and therefore the best opportunity for us to expand into this exciting

new sector. “Partnered with Fitness4less we believe that we can utilise our existing skills, knowledge and expertise in order to provide members with everything you would expect from a traditional gym but at a budget price.”

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Three cheers for ‘next big thing ...’ GYMS up and down the country have been urged to get involved in the ‘next big thing’ to hit the fitness industry – Cheerobics. The class, which incorporates cheerleading moves into a high energy workout, was developed by cheerleading coach Jessica Rossi as a way of keeping her squad fit. But after more people became interested in getting involved, she realised it had potential as an exercise class as there was nothing similar out there. After getting Cheerobics endorsed by SkillsActive and recognised by REPS, Jessica is now hoping to train up other instructors and spread the word about the latest fitness craze to hit the UK. She said: “Ever since launching Cheerobics in 2005, as an expansion of Space City Zoo Cheerleaders, my intention was that we would bring a new angle to cheerleading, gaining recognition as a genuine fitness activity. “Along with thousands of other UK cheerleaders, I know that cheerleading is a fun, challenging way to keep fit, and now with the endorsement of Cheerobics with SkillsActive and REPs, we have made cheerleading available to everyone.” Gyms are also being targeted, with Jessica looking for clubs which want to add something new to their class timetables.

Jessica Rossi

Ripped members bare all for charity calendar THE members at Ripped Gym in Harlow have stripped off in aid of charity. The Ripped 2011 Charity Calendar was the idea of owner Michelle Meade who said: “With the majority of our members being male it seemed a good idea to help a charity surrounding men’s issues and highlight a problem that's not widely discussed – prostate cancer. “I asked a few of our members if they would consider getting their kit off for a charity and with all the profits going to prostate cancer and it

didn't take much persuasion. “All the guys in the calendar have really stepped up to the mark and we can’t thank them enough for all their help in raising the profile of the charity and of course some much-needed funds.” The Calendar will go on sale on December 13 priced at £5.99 and will be available from the gym and local stores. If anyone wishes to purchase a calendar they can do so by calling the gym on 01279 433 043 and all profits go directly to Everyman, Prostate Cancer Charity.

She added: “This is definitely something which gyms can get involved with. I have been trying to get in touch with some of the major chains as I think Cheerobics can complement what they are already doing. “The great thing about this programme is that it targets three different types of people. “The cheerleader or ex-cheerleader who wants to keep fit; someone who doesn’t like working out in the gym; and everyone who has had a dream of being a cheerleader. “This is exactly what gyms need and the next big thing.” But Jessica insisted that it is not just the big chains who can benefit from this and that the the classes would work just as well in smaller clubs. However, she stressed that any gym who wants to offer Cheerobics, must ensure the people teaching the classes are fully qualified and that the club has sufficient space to hold a class. She added: “Cheerobics is for all shapes, sizes and fitness levels and something that all gyms can get involved in. “They would need a dance studio and we would supply the pom poms and the staff training. But people who want to become an instructor have to train and pass exams. “I want to make sure that every person teaching is qualified and safe.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE Kerry Katona has become the latest celebrity to release her own fitness DVD. The exercise routines featured in the Real Fitness DVD have been followed by Kerry herself – with the work out set out in stages from 25 minutes to an hour. Kerry said: “I’m delighted to be releasing this fitness DVD, I have struggled with my weight over the last few years but this year I have stayed totally focused on maintaining a healthy body and mind.”

Bolton club tries Fusion line A BUDGET club in Bolton has become one of the first sites to try out a new cardiovascular line from Pulse. The Fusion line has been installed into the Helio Fitness club, along with

resistance and free weights equipment, also from Pulse. Owner Neil Henshaw said: “It really is a revolutionary product line and we are excited to be one of the first sites to embrace it.”

Fears for facilities amid cuts By Louise Cordell COMMUNITY sport and fitness is being threatened by cuts to council funding according to industry expert Craig McAteer. The Sporta chair has claimed that with local authorities around the country facing budget cuts of 28 per cent over four years, public leisure services may now be in the firing line. He said: “We are concerned that discretionary services such as leisure centres may be seen as soft targets by hard-pressed councils. “Any closures or cutbacks in service would be a huge loss to communities around the UK. “Not only do our clubs provide a range of affordable and accessible health and fitness facilities for people unable to afford private health clubs and sports centre, but they also reinvest in service development - providing an innovative range of community outreach programmes.” Sporta members operate major facilities, including swimming pools, gyms, stadiums and sports grounds. However, they also run community programmes including Exercise on Prescription schemes, UK Fitness Network collaborations, Active Leisure projects to tackle childhood obesity and the Dynamic Ladies of Greater Manchester African women’s football team. Craig added: “Councils who currently run their own sports and leisure services would be well advised to consider the not for profit model our members have pioneered over the last ten years. “The model is based on effective social enterprise and it can enable tax saving and the reinvestment of surpluses also leads to income generation and development opportunities. “There is also enormous potential for community leisure centres to do much more. “As independent local centres they are engaged with their communities and well placed to create community hubs, tailored to the needs of their areas. “Many are already in partnership with a range of local projects, as well as supporting local sports teams and budding Olympic and Paralympic stars. “They are willing and able to host, collaborate with and support the wide range of small community and voluntary organisations that are expected to form part of the ‘Big Society’.”

Health MOT keeps members coming back NUFFIELD health and fitness centres have found that offering a health MOT to members can result in a higher retention rate. The centres, which offer integrated health, fitness and wellbeing, are attempting to change the way that people look after their health. The approach is to keep members motivated and educated in order to improve their overall fitness in the long term and this has led to good results in engagement and retention. Recent figures show that 70 per cent of customers who have been given a health MOT have retained their membership, compared with

53 per cent of those who did not have one. The clubs have also found that women are more likely to take up the offer of a health MOT, supporting previous research that found that women are more likely to be proactive in managing their health compared to men. The Nuffield Health's MOT is a 12 point health assessment performed by a clinically trained Senior Wellbeing Advisor at one of the centres. It measures body mass index, resting heart rate, cholesterol, aerobic fitness, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, posture, sleep, hydration and waist to hip ratio.

The results help to generate a health score and personalised action plan so that members can reach their individual goals and improve their score. The health score is measured out of 100 and the higher a person's score is, the healthier they are. A Nuffield spokesperson said: “We understand that everyone's health goals are different, but by educating our members and providing continuous health advice and support we aim to improve not only our member's health but the health of the entire nation.”

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Angela vows to keep up VAT fight By Louise Cordell GYM owner Angela Lee has pledged to keep on fighting after handing over a national petition to Downing Street asking to remove VAT for gym members. Angela, who owns The Ladies Club gyms in Southampton and Winchester, has been lobbying the government to make club memberships cheaper for people around the UK. Her aim is to persuade the government to make exercise more accessible for everyone by making memberships cheaper - leading to a healthier nation and reduced pressure on the NHS. She said: “As gym owners we are continually given the message that people should be exercising more, but we also know that our members are worried about the price of membership. “I want to be able to attract new members and promote a healthier lifestyle, and if VAT is removed we can help more people.”

Angela Lee The issue is now particularly relevant to the club, which went independent at the beginning of November, leaving the Gymophobics chain.

This has let to a great response from members who all signed the petition in the gym and were keen to get on board. Angela’s aim is now to keep the issue at the forefront of people’s minds by reminding them what is at stake. She said: “We are going to keep up the fight. We will certainly not be letting things lie just because we have completed this petition it is important to keep trying to move things forward. “We have been in close contact with our Winchester MP who has been really helpful and has backed us all the way. “Apparently we need to be focussing on the European parliament next, so it is unlikely things will happen fast, but we will keep plugging away. “It has also been great to see how keen our members are to get involved, obviously it affects them and the prices they will pay, but they also want to support us and the clubs.”

Relocation for Keiser KEISER UK has opened a new Performance Centre and Showroom in Tetbury, following relocation from Birmingham. The centre is fully kitted out with cutting edge testing equipment, seminar and training room and a fully equipped gym. Keiser UK managing director Tim Colston said: “Keiser UK has grown its presence within the UK marketplace over a 10-year period. The move to our new facilities in Tetbury reflects our confidence in both our products and the local area. The new venue, the most impressive in the South West, offers strength and conditioning coaches and their athletes, the opportunity to host their own programmes or to receive the latest information from our extensive projects.”

Charity Hydrospin OVER 200 participants took part in a charity Hydrospin session at a leisure centre in Nottinghamshire. The event took place over two days at Dukeries Leisure Centre in Ollerton and Abbots Bromley School for Girls in Staffordshire – with participants taking part in sessions using the Hydrorider Aqua Bikes. It was organised by Ryan Graham, who runs Staffordshire-based company Hydro Fitness Solutions to raise funds for the Adult Intensive Care Unit at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.

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Latest site opens in Nottingham THE Gym Group has opened its latest site in Nottingham, with membership priced at £15.99 per month. The club has over 190 pieces of equipment and members also benefit from being able to join up online. To minimise the environmental impact of the club, over 70 per cent of the equipment is also energy efficient and the lighting and shower systems operate on timers CEO John Treharne said: “We are absolutely delighted to have opened our doors to the Nottingham public. I am extremely proud that yet again we have managed to source premises which are located in the city centre and are therefore easy to access for the general public.” The group already has sites open in Brighton, Birmingham, Guildford, Hounslow, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Vauxhall and West Hampstead. Plymouth, Southampton, Bristol and Leeds will open in early 2011.

Ronnie ready for BodyPower EIGHT times winner of Mr Olympia, Ronnie Coleman, will be joining visitors at next year’s BodyPower Expo, organisers have revealed. Ronnie will be hosting two 40 minute talks at the show, where he will be sharing his own personal accounts of bodybuilding. He will also have his own stand, giving visitors the opportunity to have pictures taken with him. Marketing director Ollie Upton said: “We are delighted to have Ronnie confirmed as a guest at the show. His achievements in the world of body building are unsurpassed and he is an icon. We are certain that guests will be queuing up to meet Ronnie in person, gain insight into his successes and maybe even share a few catchphrases with him.” The event takes place on May 21 – 22 at the NEC, Birmingham.

Susan Spinks

Zumba helps gym get back in shape A NORTH East gym owner has beaten the recession by introducing Zumba classes into her club. Last year, First Step 2 Fitness in Darlington was struggling in a tough economic climate – with gym membership and class attendance both dwindling and owner Susan Spinks wondering how to improve the situation. An internet search led her to Zumba and after becoming impressed with how the craze had taken off in America, she decided to qualify as an instructor and introduce the classes. Zumba as taken off so quickly that the gym now holds four classes per day, as well as external sessions in local halls, and has extended the capacity of its studio from 25 to 110.

Even the traditionally quieter day time classes are doing well – each attracting between 25 and 50 people. Susan explained: “Last year when the recession was bad, membership was going down and the classes were getting empty. “I did an internet search and Zumba came up so I booked on a course. The gym has now completely changed. Introducing Zumba has definitely worked well.

attracting people of all ages, sizes and fitness levels because it is so fun. She added: “People like the music and the fact they are working all over but it is just like dancing. We also include a lot of different music from Portugal and Spain.” The club has recently gone one step further by capitalising on members’ love for Zumba to raise money for charity.

“If you are struggling, this is the next big thing. It’s been around in America for the last few years and it’s not going away.”

About 75 people took part in a four-hour Zumba marathon, where they paid £10 to join in and were sponsored to take part.

Those who want to join in, have the option of pay as you go or taking out a membership package which includes all classes.

Future plans at First Step 2 Fitness include putting a more sophisticated lighting system into the studio to give the classes a nightclub-style environment.

And Susan added that Zumba is

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13 Olympic silver medallist Heather Fell joined staff and members at David Lloyd Leisure’s new Exeter club for its official opening. Heather, who competes in the modern pentathlon, currently trains in both Exeter and Plymouth for her five diciplines – fencing, swimming, pistol shooting, running and riding. Greg Fanning, centre general manager, said: “We were really pleased to have Heather Fell present on our opening day – she is a true inspiration to sports people in the area and the most fitting name to introduce members to their new club.” Facilities at the new centre include indoor and outdoor tennis facilities, indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, a range of classes, a fitness area and gym and a dedicated area for children’s activities.

Chain secures funding for expansion By Louise Cordell A CHAIN of budget gyms has secured £20m of funding to expand to 50 sites within two years. John Treharne, CEO of The Gym group and former England squash player, set up his first club in 2007, inspired by international operators with low-cost modles. The concept has been a success and the no frills chain currently has 14 sites and a turn-over of £7m, which is expected to double next year. It has now attracted £8m from social investing venture capital firm

Bridges Ventures and a £12m revolving credit facility from HSBC to help drive growth further.

ditions mean that new sources of funding remain limited for many businesses.

The Gym clubs claim to offer membership costs that are three times cheaper than the average midmarket gym at £15.99 a month and there are also no membership contracts and sites are open 24 hours a day.

“The fact that we have secured substantial financial backing at this time is testament to the robustness of our business model.

John believes that these factors have attracted a new type of customer and around 40 per cent of The Gym’s 50,000 members have previously never been to a health club. He said: “Prevailing economic con-

“The funding will allow us to focus on bringing affordable gyms to more consumers across the UK and we are on target to reach a total footprint of 50 gyms by 2012.” The Gym clubs have also been designed to meet ethical targets and over 70 per cent of the equipment used is energy efficient, the joining

process is totally paperless and they feature sensor controlled lighting, showers, WCs and hand basins. Anne-Marie Harris, investment director at Bridges Ventures, said: “Our decision to back The Gym centres on its vision to bring accessibility, affordability and flexibility to the health and wellbeing sector. “This has been a winning formula and in a very short space of time, The Gym has established itself as a successful business idea that addresses an important social need amongst traditionally excluded groups.”

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Philippa is targeting the over 50s By Christina Eccles A GLOUCESTERSHIRE personal trainer has launched a new service dedicated to getting the over 50s fit. Philippa Morgan created Older, Wiser, Fitter to appeal to older people who want to keep fit but who may not feel comfortable in a traditional gym environment. 55-year-old Philippa told Workout that as someone who falls into that age bracket herself, she is able to identify with her clients and help them to find exercises which suit their needs. She explained: “I don’t really like going to gyms and they can be quite scary places. My experience of personal trainers and staff who work in gyms is that they are usually quite young and sometimes older people need to work with someone who has that experience of being older and more challenged.” Philippa has so far been working mostly on a one to one basis, but would also like to introduce some small group work as she feels that clients would benefit from the extra support. Popular exercises include running, cycling and walking, as well as resistance training, and she said that the key is finding something which clients enjoy. She added: “If people don’t enjoy something, they won’t do it. But I am giving them more information to add value to the walk or cycle they do enjoy and make it more of a workout.” Philippa also revealed her advice for

Staff and members from énergie Fitness raised over £1,000 for Children in Need by taking part in a 24 hour spin-a-thon. The event took place at Midsummer Place Shopping Centre in Milton Keynes and raised £1,405.11 for the charity.

Philippa Morgan gyms who want to attract more older people through their doors. “Older people need to do more resistance training and it would be nice, especially for women, if they could feel happier going into a free weights section in the gym.” Plans for next year include introducing more group work and circuit training classes, as well as continuing with exercising outdoors. Philippa has also recently completed a course in Cardiac Rehab and revealed she would like to work with cardio patients and get involved in a GP referral scheme.

Front of house manager Jason LombardJordon said: “It was really tough but we’re so pleased we raised such a huge amount. Thank you to all who came down to support us and of course to those who donated.”

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‘Superhero’ Simon in site launch By Christina Eccles

Gravity UK has been named International Distributor of the Year at the Worldwide Total Gym Convention. The Gravity Training System can be used for group classes, personal training and post rehab to maximise revenue and offer more variety for members. The award was accepted by Gravity UK partner Greg Sellar and operations executive Kelly Edwards at the event in Naples, Italy.

£1m funding for bid to keep older people active FUNDING worth £1m has been earmarked for a major project created to help keep older people active. Community groups in 30 areas across the country can bid for money as part of the Active at 60 scheme, which aims to help older people make the most of their later lives. The project forms part of the Government’s Big Society plan and will help older people who are most at risk of loneliness and social isolation. Minister for pensions Steve Webb said: "Older people have never had a more important role in our society but people making the transition into retirement can lose their social network as they move out of employment and settle into a different routine, particularly those who have an illness or disability. “We hope Active at 60 will make a

real difference to the quality of life of those approaching retirement or who have just retired, by helping them get out and about in their communities, improving their wellbeing and preventing the risk of social isolation as they grow older." The Big Society aims to transfer power to local communities to give organisations and voluntary groups a greater role in their community. Each local community organisation within the selected areas will recruit at least one Active at 60 community agent who will volunteer their time to help motivate, encourage and organise people within their own communities to become more active, physically, socially and mentally. Groups can bid for grants of between £250 and £3,000 and the projects are expected to start in the new year.

PERSONAL trainer Simon Lovell has launched a new website in order to share his expertise with the industry. The site – www.fitnessmarketing heroes.com – is aimed particularly at personal trainers and smaller, independent clubs who need help and advice on the most effective ways to market themselves. Those who sign up pay a monthly fee to access the website’s content and on the site, Simon will be sharing his top tips on everything from ways to improve a fitness induction to closing a sale – using tools such as interactive, online videos. Simon – who is the author of celebrity favourite The Lunch Box Diet – is also aiming to make the site as fun as possible by depicting himself as a cartoon superhero, determined to help other trainers to maximise their potential. He explained: “I have been in the industry working as a personal trainer for the last eight years and my passion is for helping other trainers to do really well. I have always had a bit of a knack for marketing and I want to help the smaller clubs and personal trainers to build up their business.” Simon is also gearing up for another new venture – a five star luxury health and fitness retreat which he

is launching at Bovey Castle in Devon. The retreat, which costs participants about £2,000 for five days is aiming to be the most high end product on the market – aimed at those with a high disposable income who want to kick start a lifestyle change. And Simon added that one of the main things which makes it stand out is the fact that experts also concentrate on each person’s psychology and the deep rooted reasons why they aren’t exercising instead of just giving them workouts to do. He added: “Having the psychology sessions makes a massive difference. Sometimes people are covering things up and this helps to rebuild them from the grassroots. “Our follow up programme is also essential to make sure people are putting in place what they have learned. “We want them to consistently achieve results and make a long lasting change.”

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Members boost charity with Roman theme

Fitness expert Dean Hodgkin has made a presenting comeback at an event in aid of autistic children. Dean, who currently works as a consultant to fitness franchise brand, The Energie Group, appeared at the Masterclass For A Cause event in Boston, USA. He said: “I felt truly honoured to be invited

and it is such a worthy cause – so although I am officially retired from presenting on stage, I felt I just couldn’t refuse. The good news is that over 200 participants turned up to dance themselves happy on a Friday evening and raised over $3000 in the process. It’s nice to know the fitness community has the power to give back.”

MEMBERS of a gym in Swindon have raised awareness for a local charity by dressing up to take part in the town’s Christmas lights switch-on. The group – who train at Slinn All Stars Gym Club – dressed as Roman centurions to accompany Santa’s sleigh at the town centre event. They got involved after being approached by the event’s organiser, who spotted the team running the Swindon Half Marathon – complete with Roman fancy dress and pushing another gym member who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis around the course in a wheelchair. The team took part in the half marathon in order to raise the profile of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, which has a therapy centre round the corner from the gym. And when asked to take part in the lights switch on, staff and members were delighted to accept in order to heighten the profile of the centre even further. Owner Clare Slinn explained: “We try to do as much as we can for charity and our members are more than happy to get involved.

“Challenges such as the half marathon also give members a purpose for their training and more of an incentive. And it makes it more fun because it’s something they can do as a group.” The gym specialises in personal training but also attracts people who come in for pay as you go classes. New developments for 2011 include introducing a residential bootcamp. What has your gym done to raise funds for charity? What are the benefits of getting members involved in this type of event? Let us know by emailing ce@whpl.net or contacting the Workout editorial team on 01226 734463.

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General manager Anthony Williams, gym member Rhys Morgan, gym member Tom Hong, fitness instructor Ian Llewellyn

I Love Pumping logo prompts charity effort By Christina Eccles PRODUCING a new logo for its branded merchandise has led a gym in Swansea to organise a special charity fitness challenge. Burns Fitness initially created the ‘I love Pumping’ brand as a quirky slogan to appear on teeshirts, which were sold to members as a way of increasing revenue through secondary spend. As the merchandise became popular, the gym decided to expand on its success and give something back by donating 20 per cent of the proceeds to the British Heart Foundation. The charity loved the idea – and logo – so much that they have asked the gym to organise an I Love Pumping fitness challenge – with all the proceeds going to the cause. The gym will now hold an event in February – which coincides with BHF’s Red for Heart month and 50th anniversary – to promote the benefits of exercise for a healthy heart. General manager Anthony Williams said: “The original idea was to increase secondary spend and use the brand for our gym.

“We bought 100 tee-shirts and most of them went in a month, where before we used to sell five or six a month – the brand proved to be popular with members. “We want to promote the benefits of exercise and the challenge is also a good way to inspire members. “We have done a lot of charity fundraising – such as a Santa fun run – which also helps people with their training.” Anthony is now appealing for other gyms to get involved and hold their own challenges, in order to raise as much money as possible, and he has already approached all the clubs in the local area. He added: “As it is the 50th birthday of the heart foundation, the aim is to get 50 gyms involved, each with 50 of their members. Each gym can then design their own challenge incorporating 50. “All who take part will receive an ‘I Love Pumping’ tee-shirt and charity pack. Gyms can even have the tee-shirts made bespoke to their brand colours and logo, helping to promote their facility whilst helping charity.”

New partnership marks launch by releasing balloons FITNESS First marked its new fundraising partnership with Asthma UK by releasing 100 green helium filled balloons from its support centre in Poole. Members of staff each made a donation to be able to release a balloon – kick starting the gym chain’s 12 month fundraising calendar. Each one also contained an added bonus of a two-day guest member-

ship for whoever finds it and for the founder of the balloon which travels the furthest, a Bodyfirst package with four weeks membership and three personal training sessions. Along with other fundraising activities, Fitness First has already managed to raise over £3,000 for the charity, which takes it closer to its target of £100,000 to be raised by October 2011.

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Member retention is an ongoing battle for many gym owners. In the first of a regular column, retention expert Guy Griffiths shares his top tips.

How to make sure a member journey stays on right route A MEMBER journey is for life, not just for the induction. Research shows that the induction is a major factor in retention, but the ongoing journey is also critical. Many consider the journey to be the induction process, or first six 12 weeks after joining. When considering your member journey, you should start from the day a prospect first makes contact and plan right through to what happens after the member leaves. If you like, split it into stages, but take in the whole membership lifetime. Have a few standard new member journeys, for example based on previous workout experience; ‘brand new gym user’, ‘new experienced member’, and ‘returning member’. Each journey should have a number of contact points or milestones to check the member’s progress. Check the member is coming as many times a week as they pledged to and support them with their goals. Think from your

members’ viewpoint when planning your member journeys. It’s more important to ask your member what kind of journey they would like as they join or renew their membership. Building a bespoke journey around the member (or adapting one of your standard journeys) will help their buyin and show your commitment to helping them toward their fitness goals. Some new members won’t know what they want; ask if they want to choose the standard journey, and they will generally be happy. Your ongoing journey may also differ for different members, based on membership type, for instance. A common milestone for ongoing members is the exercise programme review. The standard eight-12 week programme review does not work for everyone, but is a good contact point, and you should adjust the timeframe for your average member. Rather than an exer-

cise programme review, try a general review, and again, ask each member when they would next like to check their progress, review their goals, and perhaps modify their exercise programme. Getting their buy-in to the process and tailoring it to them will help them agree to the review, and help to motivate them. Finally, know where members can drop out of the journey, and plan to catch them, or get them back on track. At any point in time you should be able to say where the majority of your members are on the journey; if you can’t, then you need to redefine the journey. Start with your new and returning members, and then move on to those members who are due a review. Next issue Guy will be looking at social media for member retention. Guy Griffiths works for GG Fit, an independent consultancy that helps clubs to focus on member

Guy Griffiths retention by working with staff, systems and processes. www.ggfit.com

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Boot camp with luxury touch TV nutritionist Amanda Hamilton and Gladiator Ali Paton have teamed up to launch a new five star bootcamp in Scotland. The pair launched the venture after spotting a gap in the market for a camp where participants achieve great results, but in a more luxurious setting to some of the more ‘rough and ready’, basic options already out there. The camp takes place at Cameron House on Loch Lomond and will combine a range of both outdoor and indoor physical activities, spa treatments, healthy meals and nutritional advice from Amanda herself. Technogym’s Wellness management system will also be used to help participants monitor their progress. Amanda explained: "We've had so many saying that they'd like us to do a bootcamp, but not one that involves bunk beds and being shouted at, so we thought we would create a new experience at one of our favourite five star venues, Cameron

House on Loch Lomond." Amanda – who has given nutritional advice on BBC television and radio and GMTV as well as on her own website www.amandahamilton.co.uk – told Workout that when planning the bootcamp, it was vital that equal importance was placed on both the fitness and nutrition side to achieve maximum results. As well as working out, participants are educated on nutritious food options to help them kick start a healthier lifestyle. And she also offered her tips to gyms or personal trainers who want to offer nutritional advice to their members but aren’t sure where to start. She added: “It is a huge subject. Don’t make it overly complex and provide a support structure. “Bootcamps are good for that and they also encourage a change of habit, which can be developed in the long term. “The bootcamp offers a complete solution and we want it to be inclusive and good fun.”

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How would your holiday postcard shape up? By Dave Wright, Creative Fitness Marketing IF you were ever stuck on a deserted island for a month and were only allowed one postcard per week from your club, what would be on that postcard that would tell you how your business was going? If you know the answer to that, then you are defining the KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) for your club. Basically, the vital statistics that determine the health of your business. Although KPIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are used in almost every single industry, many club owners are not that familiar with the term, nor do they run their businesses by them. However, the interesting thing is that we actually indirectly offer them to our members through the means of fitness tests and reassessments (ie. weight, measurement, blood pressure etc) which show membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; key statistics that will indicate whether they are getting results or not. And the more detailed the statis-

tic, the clearer the picture that we get and the more helpful it becomes. As an example, if the only figure that a member used was what the scales said, they may have put on weight and got disgruntled, but not realize that muscle weighs more than fat and not known the fact that they had dropped a dress size. The same goes with a health club in that if you only look at the cash in the till at the end of the day but don't realize where it came from it won't give you a great picture about your business. So here is a basic list of some good KPI's that you could use in your club: 1. Membership sales (number), cash taken, gross value etc. 2. Membership enquiries (source of the lead) 3. Closing rate of membership enquiries 4. Monthly direct debit sales 5. Supplement sales 6. Clothing sales

7. PT sales 8. Other sales 9. Total secondary sales (adding numbers 5-8) 10. Total cash takings 11. Gym visits 12. Average secondary sales per gym visit 13. Number of members who have visited 2 x per week or more. 14. Total amount of current members 15. Average length of stay at the gym If by looking at these questions you know the answers straight away and then can see what they would look like on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis, then you are a significant step ahead of the rest of the industry. But bear in mind that good kip's are not the silver bullet to your business, they simply show you the warts, bumps, bruisers and scratches. What you do with that information will then be up to you.

Dave Wright But if you establish what needs to be fixed and then fix it ... you can go on holidays content with the odd postcard in the mail without sticking your head in the sand! Happy holidays!

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Giant outdoor gym offers taste of the Olympics A GIANT outdoor gym created to offer St Albans residents a taste of the Olympics has been opened in Verulamium Park by top British gymnast Daniel Keatings. The adiZone has been designed and developed by adidas and the Great Outdoor Gym Company and is inspired by sports which feature in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It includes a basketball, football and tennis area, a climbing wall, an outdoor gym and a freestyle area to encourage dance, aerobics, martial arts and gymnastics. Daniel, who will be representing Great Britain at the 2012 Games, said: “This is such a great facility. I really think I would have benefited from one of these when I was younger.” The adiZone is free and open to the public all the year round - it is hoped it will be an easy to use facility for people of all ages and sporting abilities. Coun Anthony Rowlands, portfolio holder for sport and leisure for the District Council, said: “The adiZone is a fantastic facility that will help people to keep fit and

Daniel Keatings demonstrating what is possible at the adiZone hopefully inspire some residents to become our sporting stars of the future. “Despite the Arctic conditions the launch was a great occasion with lots of enthusiastic young children,

talented teenagers and a number of Councillors flexing their muscles on the imaginative collection of apparatus. I urge local people to go and join in the fun.” The council is now planning to

develop a number of different activities and programmes at the adiZone and is offering support to local clubs and trainers who are interested in delivering activities at the gym.

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Machine nets interest from top clubs AN innovative machine which helps users to recover from injury has been snapped up by some of the UK’s top football clubs for use in their gyms. SIRA – which stands for Sports Injury Rehabilitation Assistant – is the first powered stretching machine of its kind in the world and has captured the interest of Premiership team Fulham, who have installed one of the machines to form an integral part of their state-of-the-art fitness facilities. The company behind the product, Sportfit, has also signed up to provide Wigan FC with a SIRA machine and is currently in talks with other clubs. Sportfit co-director John Lockwood said: “We’re delighted that SIRA is gaining recognition amongst some of the UK’s, and even Europe’s most respected football clubs. SIRA could be of huge benefit to any sports club, especially in terms of measuring injury rehabilitation, which is how it will be used, and indeed, is currently being used at Fulham. “SIRA is the first, and most advanced method of electronically measuring flexibility, which is something sports professionals have been

Fulham first team coach Eddie Niedzwiecki on the SIRA machine at the team's gym trying to do for a number of years. An athlete’s flexibility can be measured to an extremely accurate degree when fit, and these figures can then be used as a benchmark when the same person is recovering from an injury. “It’s designed to rehabilitate injuries, condition numerous muscles, ensure stretching is evenly balanced and it keeps your muscles in equilibrium. In short, there is no other machine like it in the world, and it’s great that these high profile names in sport have recognised its value.”

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

A Stockport health club is making sure its members have no excuse for unhealthy eating – by opening up its own cafe and restaurant – Workout’s Louise Cordell found out more.

Kingfisher swoops for portion of food market THE Kingfisher Health Club has recently celebrated its ninth anniversary and owner Alan Marsh is keen to make 2011 its best year yet. The club is located in the Grade Two listed Houldsworth Mill in Reddish and features facilities including a gym, spinning and aerobics studios, an indoor pool and sauna. However, from January it will be offer members something more, in the form of a cafe/restaurant offering lunches and evening meals, taster sessions and recipes for a special ‘meal of the week’. Alan said: “We have never provided food before, but when we thought about it, it seemed like a no brainer. “It is a chance for us to give our members good quality and affordable meals and also secondary spend for us – I think it will do well as a standalone business. “If we want to help people change their eating habits them we need to offer them options and this will allow us to do that. “We will let people know the calorific value of the food so that they can make informed choices this means we can provide a range of healthy food and treats.” To tie in with this new development, the club has also hired a nutritionist, who will be providing eight week, one to one nutritional courses. Members will be able to sign up to get a personalised eating plan and to learn all they need to know about what food will help them reach their health targets. Alan added: “These nutritional classes were something that we felt we needed to offer as part of a full

health package, if we want our members to get results. “Our personal training packages have always been popular and people being educated about this element of a healthy lifestyle is just as important.” These are not the only new ideas being implemented at the Kingfisher Health Club for 2011. The gym is refurbishing its men’s changing areas with new showers and lockers and is now planning on launching new advertising schemes in the New Year, despite having increased membership numbers for the last two years just through word of mouth recommendations. Alan has also decided to redesign the club’s website to branch out into social marketing, including Twitter, in order to improve com-

munication with potential customers. He added: “I think it is important to keep on top of things and it is exciting – and challenging – to keep all the plates spinning. “We have been doing lots of reinvesting to keep things fresh and members can see that, so we have

been getting lots of great feedback. “As independent operators we need to exceed our members expectations, keep things affordable and ensure there is lots on the calendar to keep people interested. “At the end of the day you have to make your own luck.”

Free membership for the forces For the last two years, the Kingfisher Health Club has offered free membership to members of the armed forces. Soldiers from a local regiment have recently returned from Afghanistan and many are members, with some even starting rehab at the club after

being injured while on tour. Alan is now urging other clubs to get involved and run similar schemes. He said: “I think it is really important to give back to the community and this is something that all gyms could easily do and that makes a real difference.”

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