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March 2013
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
New categories and venue for Fitness Awards By Christina Eccles CHANGES including a new venue, an additional category and a revamped website are all set to ensure the 2013 National Fitness Awards will be the biggest and best yet. Nominations are now open via the new look website – www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk – and gyms up and down the country have been urged to nominate themselves, a member of staff or club member they feel deserves to be recognised for their achievements. The awards are organised by Script Events in conjunction with Workout and headline sponsor Servicesport and are now in their fourth year. With more than 20 categories including best regional gym, best local authority/leisure trust facility, best health club, gym team of the year and best strength training facility, there is something to suit operators of every shape and size. Those who have been in the industry for less than two years can enter their facility in the best newcomer category, while individual trophies can be claimed for best gym based personal trainer and member achievement. And following 2012’s record breaking
National Fitness Awards, this year the event has got even bigger with a brand new category up for grabs which will recognise the best functional training gym in the country. Event director Judith Halkerston said: “Every year the awards grow in stature, in nominations and in the number of guests who join us to celebrate all that is good about the fitness industry. “Our challenge this year is to improve upon what was a superb event in 2012. We are already working hard to achieve this and have received some very strong nominations. “Check out our new, improved website www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk and start preparing your nomination now.” Once nominations have closed later in the year, all shortlisted clubs will be visited by a representative from Workout who will compile a detailed report, which will be passed to our expert judging panel to decide the winners. Trophies will then be handed out at a glittering awards ceremony and dinner, which this year will be held at The Palace Hotel in Manchester on December 6, hosted by television presenter and fitness expert Caroline Pearce.
No 234 £3
New fitness festival for Guildford
Model and aspiring personal trainer Jase Dean has revealed why support from local businesses, including the independent gym he trains at, has been so crucial to his success. Workout met ‘Team Dean’ to find out why the relationship between Jase, Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club and Affordable Supplements is shaping up to be a winning combination. Full story, Page 3.
A NEW one-day festival is coming to Surrey Sports Park in Guildford this summer, giving keep fit fans the chance to take part in large group classes, led by the UK’s best instructors. The first Fitness Festival takes place on Saturday, July 6 and will include sessions in popular activities such as Zumba and Les Mills Body Combat, Pump, Balance and Attack. Each of the classes will be able to hold over 200 people. UK master Zumba trainer Caroline Parsons is the first headliner to be announced on the main arena stage. Having taught the Zumba programme since 2007, Caroline has trained over 2,000 instructors and presented at large fitness conventions all over the world. Also on show will be the latest technology, techniques and trends from the fitness industry and a dedicated Fitness Retail Village offering clothing, equipment, accessories and supplements from leading fitness brands. The festival is expected to attract over 1,000 fitness enthusiasts over the day and early bird tickets have already gone on sale. More activities will be announced over the coming weeks.
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‘Team Dean’ help model Jase ahead of competition debut By Christina Eccles A TEAM of experts including staff from an independent gym and the boss of a supplements company have been helping model Jase Dean get in shape – and potentially take the fitness industry by storm. Along with Jase, manager at Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club Pete Todd, personal trainer at the gym Craig Bower, managing director of Affordable Supplements Anthony Millar and sports massage therapist Cliff Wright form ‘Team Dean’, a group of specialists in their fields who all have the common goal of helping him prepare for his first competition and make a name for himself as one to watch in the industry. Jase, who will be making his debut at the Miami Pro Championships next month, initially got into modelling by accident after helping a friend out on a photoshoot. But after being approached by photographers interested in working with him, he started to take it more seriously and upped his training regime to ensure he would be in the best possible condition for his shoots. He started working out at Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club, where Pete spotted his potential and offered to help with his training. Since then, the partnership has gone from strength to strength, with Jase – who also works as an electrician and fits his visits to the gym around his day job – regularly working out with personal trainer Craig and gaining advice from him and other gym staff. Pete explained: “Jase really puts the
work in. To tie down a job and do this takes massive dedication. But it’s also down to the team around him. “We offer him free full peak membership at the club, where we have top of the range equipment and staff, and if I can help him in any way with my experience in the industry then I will, as we do with all our members. “Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club is a community hub and if anybody wants to get out and do something, we will help.” Jase has also received support from another local company, Affordable Supplements, who have been helping him with advice on nutrition and conditioning, as well as providing him with products from their own brand supplements range, Affordable Specialised Nutrition. And support from his ‘team’, has been vital for Jase as he takes his training and diet to the next level in preparation for the competition. He added: “I’m a local lad and it suits me to train here. The team are all my friends and I know I can trust their advice – I’m learning something every day. I feel really lucky and am progressing well. The next step is to compete.” Jase’s profile was also recently boosted with an appearance on prime time TV dating show Take Me Out, where he set the record for having the highest number of girls wanting to go on a date with him at the end of the final round – 23 out of a possible 30. In future he hopes to build up more contacts in the fitness industry and eventually would like to study to become a personal trainer himself.
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Manager of Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club Pete Todd, Jase Dean, managing director of Affordable Supplements Anthony Millar and personal trainer at Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club Craig Bower.
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John’s innovative idea takes fitness outdoors By Christina Eccles INNOVATIVE personal trainer and fitness equipment designer John Fortey has designed a mobile functional gym which allows him to take his training outdoors – believing this way of working out is the next big thing. Essex-based John has created a fold away frame for his truck, which can hold up to 10 TRXs, a pull up bar and Olympic rings. He has been using the truck – fully branded with his Innovation Fitness company logo and contact details – for bootcamp sessions and one-toone personal training sessions in the Colchester and London areas, utilising a range of outdoor spaces including car parks and industrial estates for his workouts. He explained: “I’ve been personal training for about 12 years and have been gym based, but found it could be limiting as to what you can do as a trainer. I wanted to be more outdoor based and thought of getting the truck.” The truck also has space for a full set of kettlebells in the back, which he incorporates into his sessions, and his latest kettlebell design has also been picked up by Escape Fitness, with plans to include it in one of the company’s upcoming product catalogues.
John Fortey’s truck that he has turned into a mobile functional gym. Although John only launched the concept at the beginning of this year, he has already received great feedback from clients who are enjoying this unusual way of training. And he told Workout, his aim is now to promote the idea to a bigger audience, eventually considering a franchise option to create a fleet of
mobile gyms. He added: “I wanted to stand out rather than competing in gyms with other personal trainers. “This has always been my style of training – I used to compete as a strong man – and clients love it. It’s so different to what they can do in a gym.”
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Legend Chris to champion city’s cycle scheme CYCLING legend Chris Boardman has signed up to champion a new scheme in Liverpool, which is set to be the biggest of its kind in the UK outside London. The Liverpool City Cycle Hire Scheme is due to launch this summer and will give a range of people – from commuters and shoppers, to tourists and students – the opportunity to hop on a bike to travel through the heart of the city. Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for transport, coun Tim Moore, said: “We’re really excited about this scheme. “We hope to see a future where hundreds more people are using bikes for their trips around the city, driving up health and fitness levels and reducing congestion and pollution. I’m delighted that Chris shares our vision and has made a commitment to work with us to help make it a reality.” It is expected the scheme will be launched with 300 bikes before being expanded over 18 months to 1,000. Stations will initially be located in the city centre and eventually extended to outlying suburbs.
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Staff at Klick Fitness Aintree wearing their Valentine’s Day t-shirts (above left), while Fit4less Hartlepool held a successful singles night.
Gyms get all loved up for Valentine’s Day By Christina Eccles GYMS around the country have been feeling the love by holding events and promotions to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Several clubs did their bit to promote the occasion by encouraging members to take part in themed classes and gym sessions to mark February 14 – for many the most romantic day of the year. Among them was Fit4Less
Hartlepool which held a successful singles night, while Klick Fitness Aintree also got into the Valentine’s Day spirit by organising a gym challenge to win a special prize, which included a 30 minute massage and bottle of sparkling wine. The challenge was promoted via social networking site Facebook, the gym’s tannoy, in club interactions with members and by gym staff who were all wearing self-made Valentine’s Day t-shirts on the day.
General manager David Melling explained: “We had two focuses – one was group training orientated and the other one-on-one. “Group training challenge was 90 second ski hold with bum below or level with knee height. One-on-one challenge was 18kg steelbell pick and throw, 20 reps in 90 seconds.” Everyone who completed a challenge was given a raffle ticket, with the lucky winner drawn at the end of the day.
Further south, Castle Sports Centre in Taunton was another gym which got involved in the celebrations, running a special promotion where any couples signing up for joint membership from February 14 to 28 got the rest of the month free. Have you held any themed or charity events at your gym? If you’re a club with a story for us, e-mail details and an image to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and you could appear in a future issue of the magazine.
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Last issue we reported on a new REPs’ campaign to encourage the public to check the credentials of their personal trainers. Here’s what our readers had to say...
Unregistered instructors ‘putting clients at risk’ – your response I FULLY agree far too many "PTs" are fraudulently taking people’s hardearned cash and giving poor, often unqualified advice and tuition. But there are many quality training providers, and we at GB Fitness are one of them, who take our role very responsibly and train our students to a very high level, including insisting on full written exams, as well as practical assessments to evaluate competency to pass or not (we do not pride ourselves on how many pass, rather those that do are worthy of doing so!) Many previously "qualified" trainers study with us to improve their knowledge and skill base, along with many elite athletes – people who want the very best of education and welcome a stricter evaluation procedure. All of our PTs are insured, most through Fitness Professionals, and many have won awards for their outstanding professionalism and results! Cain Leathem I ACTUALLY agree with the essence of the article; there are unqualified and perhaps even ill-equipped individuals who are providing a wide range of fitness services and advice. However, I take issue with the implied message and specific statement those individuals who are 'not registered with REPs' are automatically to be deemed unqualified and ill equipped, and further, are putting the unsuspecting public at risk. It is not compulsory to join REPs to work as an instructor, and therefore, non-inclusion in the list cannot definitively lead to the conclusion that anyone not on the list is unqualified. When REPs launched, I remember being quite excited that I would finally be recognised for my achievements professionally, but on close inspection, quickly deduced that they were interested purely in a paying membership scheme, and their criteria for inclusion was not discerning enough to warrant or justify my join-
ing. I am of this opinion still, but hope that one day, a complete register of fitness providers will exist, rather than professionals. This could be facilitated by linking the list with insurance for teaching any form of dance or fitness. By including providers, it would be more informative for the public, as those without formal qualifications would be included and therefore be seen to have perhaps experience but not qualifications. Sometimes, experience surpasses qualification. Gina Fry MANY PTs have first class qualifications and provide an excellent service to clients but choose not to be part of REPs. But just because they choose not to be part of REPs, REPs feels they are entitled to slate them off and cause doubt over their first class qualifications and to claim these trainers are rogue trainers is just beyond belief. That this organisation who claims to represent the fitness professionals has actually stooped so low as to put a knife in the back of hard working, qualified PTs who choose not to be part of this register is unbelievable. Whether a PT is REPs registered or not has no bearing on the quality of service they're going to be giving. This depends upon the individual PT’s commitment to their client and there is no evidence that just because I pay an annual membership fee to a register that I'm performing better than the PT who doesn't. And to suggest that these trainers are responsible for a decline in gym attendance after the first six months is madness. I looked at a selection of PTs employed in my area by both independent and mainstream national gyms, the majority of them are not REPs registered, but the gyms feel satisfied that they perform their duties to clients in a safe and professional manner and therefore are very happy
to promote them and lease floor space to them. Even though these PTs are not REPs members, the gyms are satisfied with the quality of their qualifications and they did not need a register to tell them this. Now according to REPs this should not be happening and these gyms should not be employing them as "these are rogue trainers." I've met some dreadful REPs registered PTs and I've met some amazing non REP member PTs over the years. Competency and commitment are up to the individual and how serious they take their profession. Ongoing professional development can be obtained through many avenues and not just from attending courses. Jock Maclean WHILE I agree wholeheartedly with Jean Ann I also would like to add a slightly different viewpoint. Unregistered does not always mean unqualified. There are many, many highly experienced, fully qualified instructors who are not registered with REPs as their qualifications are deemed to be 'old'. Despite the fact that they were valid at the time of issue and when supported by relevant CPD. In most cases these instructors are far more valuable to the industry than newly qualified instructors, with very little experience... who happen to have new qualifications that give access to the REPs. I have been working actively in the fitness industry since 1987. Throughout this time I have forged links with like minded professionals across the UK most of whom have been teaching for more than 15 years. Given that the REPs was only established in mid 2000's and they have set rules as to what they will and won't recognise as a valid qualification the majority of old school fitness professionals are refusing to join a register which does not recognise the wealth
of experience they offer. It may surprise you that I own one of the few REPs Test Centres so I can actually see things from both perspectives. I would venture that the bigger problem in this industry is the sharp rise in licensed products such as Zumba, Bokwa, Boaika, Street Fit to name a few where individuals with no previous qualifications simply show up for a day’s 'training' then legally teach classes to the public who are dazzled by the marketing. REPs have absolutely no power over these instructors as they are not REPs members. There is no easy answer to all of this but to mislead the public into thinking that any instructor who is not on the REPs must therefore be unqualified is not doing REPs any favours. Fiona Brown WHILST I do wholeheartedly agree there are many unqualified gym instructors and personal trainers working within the fitness industry when they should be qualified to the level required, and that customers are not getting the quality of service they are paying for, for Jean Ann to suggest that programme delivery by personal trainers or gym instructors who are qualified but not REPs members will be mainly ineffective is ludicrous and beyond belief! Clients must ask to see qualifications of their potential instructors, we could also ask who are REPS? What statutory body do they belong to? I am supportive of any framework that informs and educates the general public with regard to the minimum qualifications required of instructors within the fitness industry, however what qualifies REPs and why are they so closely linked to Skills Active, an employer led body who have consistently lowered the standards of the fitness industry since their inauguration. Jay Kostyszyn
REPs provide professionalism and protection WHAT is crucial to understand is that REPs has been set up with the aim of professionalising the industry and providing protection to the public by allowing them to receive an agreed level of instruction when exercising. This is above all else our aim and leads the decisions we make in consultation with the industry. While REPs recognises there are personal trainers and other exercise professionals with ample qualifications who have chosen not to join the register, there are also those that set themselves up as fitness professionals with inadequate or no qualifications at all. Therefore this does not detract from our mission to drive up standards, safety and industry credi-
bility. The register does not claim exclusivity to qualified instructors; it simply provides the public with a comprehensive list of exercise professionals who meet the industry agreed standards and hold the relevant qualifications. Unfortunately the variety of qualifications within the exercise industry has previously been somewhat confusing for the public, a problem REPs sought to rectify. By providing one simple register, the public, employers and medical profession can now be sure due diligence was undertaken to check professionals meet the required standards. Each year we reject many hundreds of applications to register when the applicant does not hold qualifica-
tions that meet these standards and therefore cannot gain entry onto the register. On top of this the register provides a formal accountability not previously guaranteed, as all REPs members sign up to a Code of Ethical Conduct upon which they can be found in breach and removed from the register. Our concern is for the consumer and their ability to make an informed decision about their instructor or personal trainer; now they can simply ask if they are registered. REPs is a part of SkillsActive, the government licensed Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Wellbeing. As part of the SkillsActive charity, REPs is not for profit. I hope this clarifies that our charges are in
place to allow us to operate towards our overall goal and not based on making profit. The industry standards we refer to have been set and agreed by industry leaders including SkillsActive, employers, awarding organisations, training providers, REPs members and experts. REPs is not at liberty to change those standards (they are reviewed periodically by the industry and this does usually result in change). REPs can only accept those that can provide evidence that they meet the standards, agree to sign up to a Code of Ethical Conduct, have adequate insurance and agree to stay current by continual professional development. Jean-Ann Marnoch Registrar, Register of Exercise
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Louise Damen, Alastair Crew and coun Frank Pearson.
Runner opens city’s second studio LONG distance runner Louise Damen joined Mayor of Winchester, coun Frank Pearson, for a workout at the official opening of the city’s new David Lloyd Studio. The pair were put through their paces by personal trainers at the club – David Lloyd Leisure’s second high street studio which aims to give time pressed clients easy access to exercise
and nutritional services. Manager Alastair Crew said: “I am looking forward to bringing this new studio concept to Winchester. I am excited by the positive response we've received so far and my team and I can't wait to start helping the people of Winchester move towards their fitness goals."
Big splash as diving boards arrive at aquatics centre THE next phase has been reached in the construction of the Aquatics Centre at Aberdeen Sports Village, with the arrival of the centre’s Olympic standard diving boards. The delivery of the 40 tonne three, five, 7.5 and 10m boards means the centre, which includes a 10 lane 50m pool and a 25m pool with full elite diving facilities, is on schedule for opening in early 2014. Chief executive David Beattie said: “The arrival of the boards marks a significant development to the interior of the building and highlights the progress being made at the centre. “At Aberdeen Sports Village, we are dedicated to ensuring everyone is free to enjoy sport at every level, so we are thrilled to be able to provide a facility that will offer high quality swimming and diving facilities to both members of the local community and top quality athletes. “The boards will mean everyone from world-class divers, training for future Olympics and Commonwealth events, to children from local schools learning to dive for the first time will be able to use and benefit from the
David Beattie, chief executive at Aberdeen Sports Village with Aberdeen’s Commonwealth champion and three-time Olympian, David Carry. facilities. The Aquatics Centre will be one of only two Olympic standard facilities in Scotland, making it a real asset to the people of Aberdeen and the North east.” The Aquatics Centre is a joint project between the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen City Council and sportscotland.
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Adventure and Obstacle Racing – a competitor or competitive advantage for fitness clubs? By Dave Wright ADVENTURE Racing and Obstacle Racing is becoming big business around the globe. It has been on the scene for a couple of decades now but in the last few years a new type of Adventure Racing called Obstacle Racing has been introduced and the UK is literally going wild over it. Crawling through mud, jumping through fire, running through electrical wires, carrying logs up hills all in the name of friends, fun and fitness. Some of the biggest events like Tough Mudder, Mucky Races, Edura events are generating tens of thousands of entrants per event and the number of events on the calendar around the UK is multiplying each month. Due to the dramatic rise in popularity, fitness clubs are now taking notice. By understanding why members are craving these experiences and determining ways to support their members who enter these events many clubs are making these races a key competitive advantage for their facility. The key attraction to these events seem to be: The sense of achievement – there is a finish line which can only be reached through hard work and determination. The unexpected variety and creativity of the events (unlike marathons, triathlons or some gym exercise routines). The need to train across a variety of disciplines to perform well (.ie you need to be strong to climb a wall, fit to run the distance and explosive to
Dave Wright jump through fire). The motivation to train across a variety of disciplines to survive (for the above reasons). The excitement of completing adrenalin pumping obstacles, which creates memorable “I have to do that again” experiences. The camaraderie felt from completing these challenging races as a team without the long term weekend commitments required compared with regular team sports. Some common ideas clubs are using to link their business to these events include: Having a community events board listing the upcoming adventure races in the local area. Signing up members to the event as part of the club’s social calendar under the club’s name. i.e The club promotes the events to members, signs them up, collects the money and provides team t-shirts to participate on the day, with pictures and
reports being posted on Facebook, community board and newsletter. Trainers using these events as goal posts throughout the year for clients. Giving them something to train for to help increase their motivation and ensuring they train for strength, power and endurance which generates ultimate results. For members already signed up to the event, clubs provide specific training programs to get the members race ready. Visit corporate businesses and enroll them into the event as a team building activity and the corporate clients train with the facility in the lead up to the event. Club hosts an adventure race in the local area as part of your social activity (speak to your council/lawyer before committing to this idea) Hosting mini obstacle challenges or races as part of your eight to 12 week challenges. Sometimes a club’s greatest challenge is to make exercise more motivating, exciting and engaging, so that your members stay longer. Adventure Racing is a great tool to help solve this problem. Dave Wright is the CEO of CFM/MYZONE, a global company with over 300 staff that have served the international fitness community for over 23 years; focusing on either getting new members and/or keeping existing ones. Dave is also the owner of 11 health clubs across two continents, a board director of ukactive, founder of IOU (Independent Operators Unite), an IHRSA presenter and the creator of MYZONE. He may be contacted on Dave.Wright@cfm.net
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Swimming technology introduced DC LEISURE has received funding from Sport England to offer new Swimtag technology at three of its leisure centres. Swimtag will be available at Victory Swim and Fitness Centre in Norfolk, Alton Sports Centre in East Hampshire and Alfreton Leisure Centre in Amber Valley. Created by 222 Sports Limited, the training aid records the number of lengths completed, split times, stroke rate and stroke type, allowing users to set personal goals and follow training plans and engage with other swimmers through challenges, competitions and via social networking. The technology will also provide DC Leisure with an insight into pool usage, meaning the operator can monitor who is swimming, when and how often.
Members in charity vote DAVID Lloyd Leisure has chosen Together for Short Lives as its charity partner for 2013. To select a winner, members and staff were asked to nominate their favourite charities before voting on a final shortlist of candidates. Chief executive Scott Lloyd said: “Children and families are at the core of David Lloyd Leisure’s offering and it is very appropriate that we will be supporting Together for Short Lives, a remarkable charity that’s making a real difference to so many. “We look forward to involving our clubs, colleagues and members in a variety of fundraising and awareness initiatives to support this very special cause.”
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Regular gym visits keep May feeling young By Gail Robinson AN 88-year-old gym member has revealed why regular trips to her local club keep her feeling young. May Douglas, who has a replacement hip and knee, uses her mobility scooter to get from her home to Bannatyne's gym in Dodworth, near Barnsley, five times a week where she joins in aqua fit and tai chi classes. She says not only does the regular exercise keep her feeling young, but the many friends she has made amongst staff and members has been a life saver. May said: “You are never too old and everyone can do something. Whatever people's age they should give it a try, it has completely changed my life.” May joined Bannatyne's with her husband Robert, but says it was after his death five years ago that the gym really began to play a vital part of her life. She added: “If I didn’t come here I would be stuck at home staring out of
the window. But instead I have a regular routine and when I get here so many people know me and talk to me that I never feel lonely, everyone here is so kind – it's quite lovely.” May is such an institution at the gym that staff and members mark her birthday and even check on her wellbeing if she fails to turn up for her classes or if the weather is bad. “When it snowed heavily, Mel the manager sent some staff round to my house to make sure I was all right and to ask if I needed any shopping doing. “Aqua and tai chi are both different, they both help keep me going and I know I would slow down if I did not keep up the gentle exercise." Bannatyne's manager Mel Weatherhead added: “Everyone thinks the world of May and we do keep a eye on her and her welfare because she is such a wonderful lady. She is an absolute inspiration to people of all ages.” How does your gym support older members?Let us know by emailing ce@scriptmedia.co.uk
May Douglas
GLL awarded contract to run centre LEISURE provider GLL has secured its first management contract in the Midlands. The operator has been awarded a 10 year contract by Rugby Borough Council to run the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre – a new build opening in July this year which will replace the ageing Ken Marriot Centre. Facilities will include a 25m, eight lane swimming pool, a studio pool with moveable floor, a fitness suite, feature climbing wall, six court sports hall and a coffee shop. GLL will also be responsible for the
management of the adjacent 400m rugby/athletics track. The contract begins on April 1 and the first task will be to find premises to operate from in the period before the centre opens. The closure period is needed to allow safe demolition of the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre and final completion and commissioning of the new leisure centre, including staff training. Managing director of GLL Mark Sesnan said: “We are delighted to have been invited to work in partner-
ship with Rugby Council and are committed to providing first class leisure and sporting facilities to local residents. “We believe our experience – GLL now operates more than 110 public leisure centres across England and Wales – coupled with our status as a ‘not for profit’ social enterprise means we have both the operational skills and community focus that will enable us to deliver top quality leisure services and encourage increased participation from local residents regardless of age or fitness levels.”
A group of Scottish fitness instructors are combining their talents to launch the first in a series of dedicated days aimed at fans of group exercise. Throughout the day, the instructors will be delivering classes including kettlebells, Metafit, Cardio40, circuit training, Bootcamp, Pilates, C40 Toning and Boxercise, with each session lasting for 30 to 40 minutes. The event, which is also open to other instructors looking to try something new, takes place on March 30 at the KA Campus at St Mathews Academy in Saltcoats, Ayrshire . The group are also looking to host more similar events later in the year.
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WestEnd creator reveals idea behind the concept By Christina Eccles THE creator of hot new class, WestEnd Workout, has revealed more about the concept and why it could be a great fit for gyms looking for something different to add to their timetables. Created by professional dancer Laura Colenso, the 45 minute cardiofocused class teaches participants routines set to tunes featured in popular shows from the world of musical theatre – including classics from Flashdance, Footloose, Dirty Dancing and We Will Rock You. Laura, who performed for 12 years in musicals all over the world – including a stint in Mary Poppins in London’s West End – originally started up the class for professionals who wanted to learn new choreography. But she soon found the sessions were attracting non dancers who were interested in West End music and dance and wanted to learn more. She now teaches a weekly class at London’s Central YMCA, which started off as a separate session but has now recently been added on to the club’s timetable so members can attend as part of their membership. Laura said: “I originally set up as
Laura leading a class WestEnd Dance for professional dancers. I didn’t expect the class to become full of non dancers but people were interested in West End choreography and music so I adapted the class for that. It’s 45 minutes of non stop movement with just a quick water break so it’s really high energy and a lot of fun.” Sessions run in 10 week blocks and over that time everyone in the class learns a routine choreographed to 12 songs from the shows. According to Laura, sticking with the
same moves for a few weeks works well as it gives participants the chance to perfect them. Also by the time the 10 weeks is up, they can see definite improvements from where they started, which is good for monitoring progress and helping motivation. She added: “People love it. When they come back for a third or fourth week and can master that step you can see their determination.” With shows such as Strictly Come Dancing making dance popular,
Laura told Workout eventually she would like to see the class rolled out into other gyms, providing a fun – yet effective – workout option for members. And she added that for clubs looking for a new style of class, to deliver WestEnd Workout, there are no large cost or space restrictions to contend with. “I teach the class in front of a mirror but I don’t think that’s absolutely necessary. I just think it gives it more of a ‘West End’ feeling, as it helps you concentrate more on your performance. “I would have to hold a training session because each routine has to be choreographed, but I don’t think it would need to be taught by a dancer as it’s more of a cardio style workout. An instructor who enjoys dance and who already teaches something like Zumba would be perfect. “I’m really pleased with how it’s going. At first I didn’t realise there was such a hunger for this kind of class, but it attracts people of all ages and both men and women. “For the person who doesn’t want to go to the gym and run on a treadmill but who does want to sweat and get a buzz out of it, WestEnd Workout is the class for you.”
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Girls’ programme is a success for Freedom
Wattbike Power Cycling group classes are being held at Nizels.
Bikes installed in suite WATTBIKE Power Cycling group classes are now available at Nizels Golf and Country Club in Kent, following the installation of a new training suite containing five of the bikes. The classes allow each participant to train at the optimal level for their personal fitness but still within a group environment. During a session, each person’s live data is shown on a large screen display, which motivates and encourages them through the workouts.
Group fitness manager at operator The Club Company Dawn Davies said: “The Club Company ethos is to provide an exceptional experience to our members. Wattbike enables us to fulfil this aim and with Power Cycling we can offer an unrivalled indoor cycling experience. We’re looking forward to offering a range of fitness testing, 1-2-1 training and group classes to members in our dedicated Wattbike Power Cycling zone at Nizels Golf and Country Club.”
THREE Freedom Leisure sites in Mid Sussex are achieving success with an activity programme aimed at teenage girls. Girls Get Active, an initiative developed and introduced by the operator a year ago, has been running at The Dolphin in Haywards Heath, The Triangle in Burgess Hill and Kings Centre, East Grinstead. It comprises seven or eight week courses that run just after school during term time, targeted at girls aged 11-18. Sessions include boxercise, aerobics and Zumba and are designed particularly to appeal to non sporty girls. Freedom Leisure’s community sports development officer in MidSussex Holly Sutcliffe explained: “Girls Get Active provides a much needed exercise programme for teenagers that is not based on sport or competition. “The classes we run are more commonly associated with adult women but by tailoring the sessions carefully, we have shown that teenagers can benefit hugely from the weekly sessions.” Each course attracts between 40 and 60 girls and are subsidised – initially by Sportivate and now by the Affinity Sutton Housing Association – which enables Freedom Leisure to run each session for just £2 per person. Holly added: “We are seeing num-
Holly Sutcliffe bers holding up very nicely and now the novelty has worn off, I’m confident this is a very viable and valuable programme to get teenage girls back in to fitness. “The main aim is to get girls active and give them a positive attitude to their fitness and wellbeing. “We are also seeing significantly raised confidence levels, social groups forming and an all-over sense of enjoyment and relaxation among the girls. “Given that this age group is experiencing the ups and downs of adolescence, school life and exams, these additional lifestyle and self-esteem improvements are particularly pleasing.” Other Freedom Leisure sites are now looking to adopt the Girls Get Active programme following its initial success at the three clubs.
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UK FITNESS SCENE About 6,000 visitors attended the opening of a redeveloped leisure centre in Surrey to see how an £11m investment has improved the facility. Workout reports.
Celebrations at Westcroft Leisure Centre’s open day where visitors were able to see the redeveloped swimming pool and gym.
Westcroft’s refurb is worth the wait WESTCROFT Leisure Centre has been closed since October 2011 to allow the extensive redevelopment work to take place. And it seems it was worth the wait as thousands of visitors – plus a few special guests – flocked to the open day to see the finished club and discover the wide range of activities which are now on offer. The multi-million pound refurbishment, funded by Sutton Borough Council, includes upgrades to the eight lane 25m pool, expansion and modernisation of the 160-station gym, a new day spa and library. The centre – managed by Everyone Active on behalf of the council – also includes the third Everyone Active School of Dance, following the success of the concept at fellow EA sites,
Fareham and Spelthorne leisure centres. South East regional director at Everyone Active Duncan Jefford said: “Sutton Council has done a superb job renovating Westcroft Leisure Centre and we are delighted to be managing the facility. “Huge amounts of work have gone into this project which will bring first class sport and leisure facilities to the borough. Westcroft will give local people all the facilities they need to achieve their health and fitness goals while also providing space for them to enjoy some much-needed relaxation time.” The open day provided fun for all the family, with highlights including water based activities in the pool with breaststroke silver medallist Michael
Jamieson and Women’s GB water polo captain Fran Leighton and gymnastic workshops with Olympic bronze medallist Kristian Thomas. By the end of the day, 3,000 people had signed up as members and 1,200 people also registered for swimming lessons. And to date, 23,500 people have registered for an Everyone Active card, which allows casual use at the centre. Duncan added: “A huge thank you to everyone that helped make our open day a success. The public loved engaging with the athletes and celebrities who did a fantastic job of highlighting the superb facilities Westcroft Leisure Centre has to offer. We expect to see membership levels grow even more over the next six months.”
One of the open day’s star guests was Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff. She took time out from judging a Strictly style dance competition to answer Workout’s quick questions on the growing popularity of dance classes in gyms... What are your views on dance classes in gyms? I think it’s great that gyms are running dance classes; they’re the perfect combination of exercise and fun and all ages can join in. Everybody enjoys dancing to their favourite songs so dance classes are a good way to encourage people to get more active. It trains your mind as well as your body and gets you in unbelievable shape. What do you think about the Everyone Active dance school and the benefits of making dance classes available for kids and adults? I think dancing is the best form of
Strictly Come Dancing professional Kristina Rihanoff with her dance partner Ian Waites. exercise for children and adults because it’s a fun way to get active. No child wants to go the gym and
workout at the age of five or six, but all children love to have a little wiggle to their favourite music so dancing is a great way to encourage them to exercise. For adults, it’s something a bit different and exciting, and dance classes are always very sociable. You can see what great exercise dancing is on Strictly – we all lose weight during the show. That’s why dance schools such as the one at Everyone Active’s Westcroft Leisure Centre are so important. Boys and girls can come along for fun and then if they really enjoy dancing they can start training more seriously.
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Stoke Mandeville Stadium has become the permanent home of Paralympic mascot Splashy, which has been donated following London 2012. After taking up residence in Lloyds Banking Group’s head office after the Games, marketing director, Eva Eisenschimmel, has now handed over Splashy to a new permanent home where he can be enjoyed by visitors to the stadium.
Challenge founder launches fitness comparison site FOUNDER of World Gym Challenge Shaun Blyth has launched a new website to help gymgoers monitor their own progress and compare fitness levels with others. www.compareyourfitness.com allows people to input data into certain tests and challenges and upload results into leader boards. Challenges can last up to a year and people can enter them as many times as they like – helping users to monitor their own progress as well as seeing how others are doing. To ensure fairness, those who complete the challenges must ask friends, family or their trainers to upload the results on their behalf. They can sign up for a six month free trial period, after which membership to the site costs £5 per month. Sean said: “I am a member of the Responsibility Deal and have made a pledge to get people more active – this is my initiative to see results. “My pledge is to make the public fitter, stronger and faster. It won’t be for everybody, but as you can’t enter your own results, it will generally be selfregulating, especially as the aim is to
compare your fitness from when you first started. If your friends are inputting false information, what exactly does that prove to you? “I am anticipating abuse on the system with some crazy results – but that is not the issue – it’s about you and about your results which are genuine – the member needs to appreciate this.” Although Sean is excited about the project himself, he told Workout he had tried to enlist the support of a group of personal trainers – but they weren’t as enthusiastic as he had hoped. He added: “I really tried to engage personal trainers into being role models into this project through a very successful Facebook group I was a member of, but the overriding response I got was our clients are really not into performance, they are more lifestyle coaching people who need to look better and feel good about themselves and be more ‘lifestyle active’. “My target audience is those who want to be fitter, stronger and faster and have the results to prove it.”
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Why cardio may be bad for many gym users ... By Allan Collins I KNOW. Nothing like having a controversial title to really set the cat amongst the pigeons (and have all the cardio bunnies scream at me next time I’m in the gym!) But we have a serious problem at the moment, that nobody is really addressing, and it all stems from a lack of principles (or at least a lack of application of principles). I love this rhyme: “Methods are many, principles are few. Methods always change, principles never do.” The principle in this case is overload. Any fitness professional knows it, but many are not applying it. Let me give you an example – Bob walks into a gym and wants to get fitter. Bob gets told to start off on a cardio programme – starting off at 15 minutes and building up to 30 minutes of running on a treadmill. After six weeks he gets injured. The reason is overload, or rather excessive overload. Should Bob be able to run for 30 minutes on a treadmill three times a week? Yes. Will running for 30 minutes on a treadmill three times a week improve Bob’s cardiovascular fitness? Yes (probably). Is starting at 15 minutes and building up to 30 minutes not an appropriate starting point and gradual progression? Yes it is. So what’s the problem? Well although the programme may be appropriate overload for the cardiovascular system, it is not for the musculoskeletal system – it's excessive. In 1994 there was some nice research (by Jones et al) which showed that the intensity required by the average sedentary person looking to improve their CV fitness will likely cause an excessive structural overload (on the joints and connective tissue) – in fact a 50-90 per cent injury rate in the first six weeks of training. The programme may be appropriate for the CV system, but the weaker structural system is the weak link in the chain that will break with thousands of repetitions of the same movement (like running). Also remember that this was 1994, and
Allan Collins activity levels have for many dropped since this research was done. So what is the answer? Well rather than performing 100s or 1000s of repetitions of the same movement pattern and stressing certain joints, we perform a functional programme (split across the eight or so human movement patterns) with varied functional equipment, designed to gradually increase the load on the musculoskeletal system (and strengthen it), whilst still providing an overload to the cardiorespiratory system (if correctly programmed) and also working on any biomechanical issues that would be assessed by a qualified trainer. We understand that just “moving” isn’t the important factor with getting results (beginners or not); trainers need educating on what type of functional equipment is most suitable, how to integrate them together, and the knowledge to assess and apply these exercises correctly so you don’t injure your clients. Our new digital courses are a way to help increase the knowledge base of fitness professionals, so that they learn in a cost-effective, time efficient way, so that their programmes can all be focused on “results based training.” Allan Collins is director of education at Jordan Fitness and author of The Complete Guide to Functional Training.
Agency staff trial MyZone MARKETING agency Big Wave Media is trialling the MyZone fitness system to increase the physical activity levels of its staff. Managers at the company are hoping that by tracking their physical activity using MyZone, the team will become more conscious of their fitness. Employees have each been given a heart rate monitor to wear while they’re exercising and when it is brought into the office, it wirelessly updates workout data on to the
member of staff’s profile. Managing director of Big Wave Media Mark Lee said: “We work very closely with the leisure and fitness industry and are always keen to keep up-to-date with products our clients are using. We hope to use the system to set fitness challenges for our staff, with rewards for reaching targets. The incentives will introduce an element of competition and encourage employees to take part, keeping our team fit and healthy.”
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Sheffield International Venues operates some of the city’s most impressive facilities – all tasked with getting local people healthier. Christina Eccles paid a visit to Ponds Forge to find out more about SIV’s successful Fitness Unlimited offering and why every member is treated like a champion.
The gyms at Ponds Forge (above) and Hillsborough Leisure Centre (above right)
Value for money remains at SIV’s core TRAILBLAZING the low cost concept, SIV was offering monthly membership for £19.99 and no contract at the start of the new millennium – long before the rise of budget clubs. And value for money is still a core part of the operator’s objectives, with members now paying between £23 and £39 a month for Fitness Unlimited membership, giving them access to a range of world class facilities in nine venues across Sheffield, including the English Institute of Sport, Don Valley, Ponds Forge and the multi award winning Hillsborough Leisure Centre. As well as being able to use all of the venues, Fitness Unlimited members can also benefit from a free options scheme, allowing them to choose extras such as a personalised workout programme, nutritional advice session, fitness test or a half hour personal training session at no extra cost. Last year, just over 100,000 of these PT sessions were delivered across the sites, showing the popularity of the idea. Group fitness manager Peter Clark said: “The financial climate has been a challenge and the key for us has been making sure we offer value for money. “We have grown to 20,000 members in a recession, which speaks volumes
about what we are doing. But we never take that for granted.” Getting the balance right between offering high quality facilities for elite athletes – Olympic champion Jessica Ennis trains at EIS – and making sure these same facilities feel accessible and inclusive enough for local people to use can be a challenge, but over the years, getting to know each centre’s customer base and realising how valuable their feedback can be has been key. One example of this is a recent project at Hillsborough Leisure Centre, which is currently undergoing a revamp to include new state-of-theart Technogym equipment and increased class capacity, following feedback from customers. Comment cards, an online feedback facility on the Fitness Unlimited website and member forums every six months all provide platforms for members to have their say – and help staff to see what’s working and where improvements could be made. SIV’s director of operations Lorenzo Clark added: “Hillsborough Leisure Centre has always been a hugely popular facility and this investment is part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a sustainable venue featuring the highest standards and level of service for our customers.
“Listening to the people who use our venues is very important to us and the consistent feedback we’ve had is the need to increase the size of the gym area and class capacity, so we are delighted to be able to make this significant investment.” Being seen as a middle market proposition – neither a budget offering or a top end health club – could have also presented difficulties. But by choosing to invest heavily in the best equipment and staff – additional funds to pay for upgrades are generated through conferences and events – SIV has managed to carve
out a niche as a brand which offers great facilities at an affordable, family friendly price. And although having elite athletes such as Jessica using their facilities has helped raise the profile of the clubs, Peter told Workout that while it’s great the professionals choose to train there, the ‘average’ member is just as important. He added: “We have a great relationship with our elite athletes who will spend time with the community, but it’s not much use if people just come here to watch an event. We actually want them to take part.”
Fitness Unlimited facts
Fitness Unlimited started in 2000 with four venues in Sheffield – Ponds Forge, Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Don Valley and Concord Sports Centre. There are now 20,000 Fitness Unlimited members over nine sites. There are still about 300 founder members who joined when the scheme was launched 13 years ago. Across the sites there are 283 classes per week, used by between 4,000 and 5,000 people. The most popular classes include the Les Mills series, indoor cycling,
Pilates and Zumba. Hillsborough Leisure Centre was voted best leisure centre in the UK for an unprecedented four years running from 2005 to 2008 at the Flame Awards. Exercise referral manager David Birds was named best gym based personal trainer at the first National Fitness Awards in 2010. Six GB athletes who train at EIS Sheffield secured medals at London 2012, including the city’s very own golden girl, heptathlete Jessica Ennis.
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Are you flogging beef or horsemeat? By Chevy Kelly THIS last year has left me feeling cheated. I have learned that Jim should have been fixed, Lance Armstrong had me for a dope, the bank mis-sold me their PPI, and if that wasn’t enough I found out that I could have been feeding my family Mr Ed on the weekend. Let’s face it, in many areas of life things are not what they seem. This leaves us as club operators with an issue. With every little dent to consumer confidence our customers are immediately suspicious that we are feeding them bull too. So what’s the answer? Well its not just advertising the best personal service I am afraid. It’s just not a USP anymore. Don’t get me wrong you should live by it in what is a ‘service industry’, but if your members have used any other gym (or indeed service) in the market they have been thrown that line before. It is a real box ticker on any marketing piece, from a restaurant to an airline but seldom followed through to
the extent that it is marketed. Marketing that you have the most/ best/ latest equipment, although it really helps, is not a pure success strategy on its own either. For the small percentage of people that know what they are doing then great. Remember this however, millions of people bought bricks around the world last year. Did they want bricks? Hell no! They wanted a house! Most people don’t come to your club seeking specific equipment they come to achieve a result whether it be physical, emotional or both. So that’s it then! To instil consumer confidence it has to be the tangible results of others that have gone before. Evidence, Evidence, Evidence. Your current members are literally a mine of marketing gold! I love walking into a club that proudly displays their member journeys on the walls of the club close to reception or near a seating area where new members can glance over them. If you think of your members right now, whether you are a personal trainer or a health club I am sure you can think of at least five to 10 members from different walks of life who
Chevy Kelly had different fitness goals that would be proud to share their journey. Most would love to be up on your wall, or on your leaflets, or in a local newspaper editorial.
From a member who needed to lose two stone for a wedding, to the one going in a marathon, the strongman, or the one that literally had to do something immediately or the doctor said they would die early. You should try and have a photo and a story on the wall to cover as many different member journeys as possible and refer to them in marketing material and in your club tours. The more stories the better. Socialproof (evidence) is powerful because people feel their stories are unique only to them. If people can believe that other people like them have gone before and had success, it creates trust, creates value, is motivating and brings down intimidation barriers. Just ask the bloke called Robert Cialdini who marks Social Proof as one of the Six Key Elements in his book The Science of Persuasion (great read!) Show off all the great things you have achieved for your members and you will be giving real evidence that you are serving them Rib Eye and not the loser of last year’s Grand National. Chevy Kelly is managing director of CFM.
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Wattbike powers ahead with major installs
Ella Henderson
Step into spring with Vitality PLANS have been unveiled for the 2013 Vitality Show which is celebrating its 14th birthday this year. Highlights of the event will include a partnership with the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, which will see a variety of sporting activities made available for guests to try during their visit. X Factor singing sensation Ella Henderson will also be performing live at the show, taking place at Earl’s Court in London from March 21-24.
Cain Leathem
PT Cain takes on charity bike ride FOUNDER of GB Fitness Cain Leathem is undertaking a charity Route 66 motorbike ride to raise money for injured soldiers. Cain is self financing his trip and that of his pillion soldier, with all the money raised going directly to charities Combat Stress, The Forces Children’s Trust and Bike Tours For The Wounded. To sponsor him visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/cainleathem
WATTBIKE, the indoor cycle trainer endorsed by British Cycling, has powered ahead with installations across the major health and fitness operators over the past 12 months. Virgin Active launched their flagship Classic Club at 200 Aldersgate with Wattbike Power Cycling, a suite of eight bikes and a large screen display, enabling members to train at the optimal level for their own personal fitness within a motivating group environment. Head of fitness at Virgin Active Alan Holl said: “Health club users have become more sophisticated trainers in recent years. “They push themselves harder, are more technically knowledgeable and demand the best available equipment. Wattbike’s pedigree as a training device for elite athletes makes it a natural choice for use by our members and personal trainers.” At the turn of 2013, Everyone Active
installed Wattbikes at four locations to broaden the appeal of clubs to the burgeoning cycling and triathlon markets, while David Lloyd Leisure recently chose Wattbike for the opening of its new high street PT Studios in Putney and Winchester, citing the products’ flexibility as a key influence on their choice of indoor cycle trainer. The studios utilise Wattbike for fitness testing, functional training and 1-2-1 coaching, delivered by Wattbike-accredited personal trainers. Wattbike’s commercial sales manager Richard Baker added: “Wattbike’s increasing presence at the largest brands within the health and fitness sector is testament to the quality of product and service delivered by our team. From Olympic and World champions through to the dedicated gym member, we’re providing the very best training solution for all.” For more information visit www.wattbike.com
World champ backs campaign TWO time world squash champion Nick Matthew has got behind a new campaign to increase participation in racket sports. England Squash and Racketball’s The Big Hit targets the 18-35 age group and will include free taster sessions, a female only fitness programme and ‘play it’ sessions for reg-
ular players to create a friendly and social sporting environment. Already a mass participation sport, with more than 500,000 regular participants, ESR’s aim is to make squash and racketball one of the top five choices for informal sports participation in England.
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Centre reaps benefits of system installation FOLLOWING the installation of a SportsArt Green System at Spectrum Leisure Centre last December, the centre has reported that the system is now paying dividends in the first three months. The new power-generating gym equipment uses its members’ exertions to produce power. At Spectrum, a ‘pod’ of 10 SportsArt elliptical trainers and cycles attached to an inverter uses the power from exercise, harnessing this and feeds it back into the power grid as useable energy. This energy is then used to save facilities thousands of pounds in energy costs over the year. Ian Hirst, chairman of Slam, the charity that runs the Spectrum Leisure Centre said: “This is very exciting as we were the first centre to purchase the new SportsArt Green System and can state that this has been a great success. We can report energy savings of £600 over that short period of time. “At the centre, we strive to provide innovation in the way that we operate and constantly look to reduce our carbon footprint where feasible. The new SportsArt Green System has provided that technology to assist us in supporting the environment plus the community we serve.” Managing director of SportsArt Fitness Mark Turner added: “One of the biggest costs to any leisure centre is electricity and the new fitness machines and system are the perfect
The new Bodyflex facility on Olympus Retail Park in Quedgeley.
Gym celebrates anniversary with eco-friendly site move way of tackling those bills. “SportsArt Fitness designed and built the Green System and we are now at a point where these machines are viable and proving to be environmentally friendly, energy efficient and providing gyms with considerable energy cost savings. “With Spectrum Leisure’s testimony to energy savings, we believe this will now encourage other gyms and leisure facilities to consider the SportsArt Green System as they look for increased efficiencies by reducing operational costs.”
A GLOUCESTERSHIRE independent gym has celebrated its 10-year anniversary by moving to a new eco-friendly site. Bodyflex was previously based at a former RAF site in Quedgeley, but owner Marcus Pillinger has recently re-opened a newly-built facility situated in the popular Olympus Retail Park. The green site includes an efficient heating system, energy-saving LED lights and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery unit. The club has also been equipped with a range of Cybex cardiovascular and strength equipment, including total body Arc Trainers from the
new 770 cardio range, 625 series upright and recumbent bikes, plate loaded training equipment and Olympic incline and flat benches. Marcus project managed the build himself and said he is delighted to see the new gym up and running. He added: “Having started the build in 2010, the new Bodyflex site has been a long time in the making. “Already the feedback from our members has been fantastic and the Cybex equipment has been very well received.” The club will also include a new studio space, which is expected to open later this month.
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Associations join for new initiative ukactive and the Sport and Recreation Alliance have joined forces to help national governing bodies of sport understand the public health agenda and the importance of supporting inactive members of the community to participate. As the first step, ukactive were invited to appear at an Alliance Divisional meeting to present on the shifting public health landscape. The organisations are also working on a Memorandum of Understand which will align their objectives and see them working increasingly in partnership in the future. ukactive CEO David Stalker said: “The NGBs who are represented and supported by the Alliance already have a strong presence in local communities, with the facilities and ability to get people active. By forging a working partnership between ukactive and the Sport and Recreation Alliance we hope to be able to share some of our knowledge of public health delivery, specifically how to target inactive populations and maximise local engagement in sport and physical activity.”
Jordan helps to create training environment By Christina Eccles INDEPENDENT operator MiGym.com (CrossFit Chelmsford) has created an exciting new training environment, thanks to help from functional fitness specialists, Jordan Fitness. The gym – designed to be a revolutionary concept in functional group training, personal training and CrossFit – is aimed at people who feel they are not getting the desired results from a traditional gym environment. Staff strive to increase group participation and make exercise engaging and fun, with nearly 1400sqft of open plan training space, including a range of functional equipment such as Olympic training discs, kettlebells, slam balls, sandbags and punch bags. As well as providing equipment, the company also helped owner Rachel Young by offering additional support via the company’s new Results Based Training service. The three key stages of the RBT process are Evaluate – selecting the type of area clients need for their business needs; Enhance – helping clients choose the right equipment, flooring and layout; and Engage – providing supportive marketing materials to enable clubs to get their
The new gym created by Jordan Fitness. members excited about the new changes. Director of education Allan Collins explained: “For Rachel's new venture, we really wanted to show how our new Results Based Training service could assist her in making her vision a reality. “Jordan Fitness advised her not only on equipment selection, but also layout and other operational suggestions to allow Rachel to maximise the effectiveness of the facility for results and
profit. Rachel is very much aware of the importance of education in the delivery of a new and exciting fitness brand, and we have supported her in working to set up something not seen before in the UK. “The facility will be a fantastic place for both clients and progressive trainers, who are looking for something exceptional. “I foresee this type of facility will become a template for many others to follow.”
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Changes can affect insurance IN the current economic conditions, many gyms are looking at different ways to both cut costs and increase revenue. Some ideas we have seen are reducing staff numbers, opening 24 hours, leaving the gym unmanned for periods of time and introducing outdoor activities such as military style boot camps. These changes need to be thought through in some detail as they can have a substantial effect on a gym’s insurance arrangements. So, if these options are on your agenda ask yourself: With less staff can customers still have proper inductions and ongoing support to ensure they are undertaking exercise safely and effectively? With no staff what security procedures ensure no one steals equipment? In the event of an injury how is help summoned and by whom? How do you defend yourself against a spurious claim when there are no witnesses? With outdoor activity does the instructor continually update risk assessments as the environment is constantly changing? For more information contact John Ansell and Partners on 020 7251 7474 or visit www.ansell.co.uk
Raising finance and profiles by offering retail bonds By David Walker THE success of many gyms and health clubs is often dependent upon their ability to attract and maintain members, whilst developing a positive brand reputation and experience. By offering Retail Bonds to members (and others), businesses can enable members to be directly involved in the growth and development of their gym or health club whilst receiving a return on their investment. Retail Bonds are an unsecured debt of the issuing company i.e. a loan from the member to the gym. One of the great advantages of the Retail Bonds is their flexibility – subject to certain key legal requirements, there is broad scope for the issuing company to decide their terms e.g. the repayment date, interest rates, and how interest will be paid. For example, gift vouchers for use at the gym could be offered as all or part of the interest coupon attaching to the Retail Bonds. Many companies are experiencing a sustained period where bank lending has been difficult to obtain – at least on terms that are acceptable. Retail Bonds can be used as an alternative way of raising finance; either instead of, or in addition to, bank lending. Some other benefits of raising funds
David Walker by issuing Retail Bonds include: The ability to raise funds without incurring the costs, delay and dilution associated with an issue of shares. An increase of general marketing profit and brand awareness. Other companies who have carried out issues of Retail Bonds include The King of Shaves, Hotel Chocolat and John Lewis. Ultimately, the size of the database of potential subscribers for Retail Bonds will be an important factor in the success of a Retail Bond issue. The database of members, which many gyms and health clubs have, makes Retail Bonds particularly suitable for this sector. The terms of the Retail Bonds will need to be set so as to be commercially attractive to potential subscribers and, therefore, the interest rate attaching to the Retail Bonds may need to be more attractive than can currently commonly be found at UK
high street banks. To date, the rate of interest offered by companies who have carried out Retail Bond issues has been between 6 per cent and 7.5 per cent (gross) per annum. Another key term will be the period of time before the Retail Bonds are repaid. Again, this can be decided by the issuing company and there is discretion as to what this term will be. Commonly, however, companies have chosen repayment terms of between two and four years. The process of issuing a Retail Bond is relatively simple. The issuing company, with the help of its advisers, will prepare and publish an invitation document or information memorandum which explains to potential subscribers the terms of the Retail Bonds themselves, provides information on the issuing company or its group of companies, and invites them to apply to subscribe for Retail Bonds. Applications are often made online and dealt with by a registrar. The success of the Retail Bond issues to date, coupled with the potential investor base in the form of members, would suggest that the Retail Bonds could be a useful and significant fundraising and marketing mechanism for the leisure sector in the future. David Walker is a corporate partner at law firm Memery Crystal LLP.
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Leasing allows the industry to grow SAVVY business owners see leasing as a tool to develop their businesses, fund new equipment and stay ahead of the game. They know that leasing is one of the most affordable ways to ensure their business thrives – even in these difficult times. Put simply, specialist funders like Shire Leasing enable businesses in the fitness industry to sell or buy expensive gym equipment that would normally require a large and significant upfront cash payment. With a lease agreement, that initial expense is removed – instead a smaller, more affordable payment is made each month. Regional manager at Shire Leasing
Guy Lewcock said: “Shire offers more than just finance for equipment. We're well established in the leisure and lifestyle industry so we really understand our clients’ needs. “This means we're able to create a solution that's right for them and right for their customers. For gym owners, it means they can invest in the equipment they need at an affordable rate, and monthly payments make it really easy to budget for the capital expense. “When they look at how many memberships are needed to cover the monthly cost of the equipment, leasing becomes a really viable option.” For more information call 01827 300357 or visit www.shirefunding.co.uk
Successful start to year for Harlands JANUARY was a boom month and lots of new memberships were signed up. Much of Harlands’ business is delivered to companies who don’t sign members to a contractual period but there is still a vast appetite by both health club operators and the general public for the benefits of contracts. Many of these memberships sold on contractual agreements will at some stage during the year be broken. There is little point in having contractual agreements not to enforce them yet many businesses don’t do
enough to maximise revenue. There is no stigma or embarrassment in selling contracts and enforcing them; many businesses many times larger than any health and fitness operator uses a revenue model which relies on contracts and you need look no further than the mobile phone market. What is critical with contracts is that the terms are fair and the initial sale was not in any way misleading. For more information visit www.harlandsgroup.co.uk
System can be accessed anywhere ONE of the hardest parts of owning a club is collecting monthly fees, especially when members default. The administration of payments can take up a disproportionate amount of time and yet without them a club would cease to be able to function. Debit Finance Collections have been providing specialist collection services to the leisure industry for many years and have tried and tested systems that help clubs to not only ensure direct debit collections are made but also to save on administration costs. FastDD is a system that integrates seamlessly with a club’s existing website and allows easy online joining options, direct debits to be taken and non-payments monitored. There are many clubs around the country who have benefitted from the FastDD system.
Core Fit UK use the online joining that FastDD provides them with as a way of marketing the company. Director Henry Cleminson said: “Every time someone contacts us about the club we send them an email with the online joining information included. We also use it on Facebook and Twitter and I use it in all of my marketing emails. The results have been staggering.” And the system can be accessed from anywhere resulting in fewer hours for owners in the back office. Gary Lockwood of 24/7 Fitness added: “The FastDD portal makes it easy to make updates to membership details anywhere – giving us more time at home and less time in the office.” If you are looking for a system to increase revenue, link in seamlessly with existing systems and free up management time, look no further than Debit Finance Collections.
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INSURANCE AND FINANCE
Smart handling of secondary spend A POTENTIAL financial nightmare for gyms is the efficient handling of secondary spend transactions. Margins are often attractive and therefore secondary spend is to be encouraged. But your members don’t like carrying cash around the club and taking payment efficiently can be a challenge. Help is at hand from Ashbourne who are installing touch-screen till systems in a number of clubs. These allow members to purchase any items, either using cash or card, or, better still, without using cash at all. Everything is collected through a Direct Debit agreement set up for each member, separate to the one used to collect their monthly membership. This is given an agreed ‘float’ level, so that a fresh Direct Debit pay-
ment is only taken once a member’s balance drops to an agreed level. Spend patterns can be tracked for each member, allowing targeted promos to be run. To find out more call Ashbourne on 0871 271 2088.
Is insurance for gyms necessary? YOU may be aware there are specialist insurance brokers offering specialist insurance policies designed for health clubs and gyms but do you really need them? In short, are they necessary? The answer is a resounding yes! It is very likely certain types of claims that occur within a health club or gym would not be covered by a conventional business insurance policy. The following examples highlight this risk very clearly: A locker is broken into and a member’s property is stolen. A member brings a claim against the club where they are injured dur-
ing a class because there has been insufficient warming up or cooling down. A member is injured during a running group session away from the club. A member or a visitor suffers an injury following a massage (or other treatments) at the club. A gym user accidentally drops a free weight on another gym user and you are held liable. At Independents we only arrange insurance for you that is designed to cover the risks an operator faces. And, crucially, it needn’t be expensive. For more information call 01189 875100 or email info@independents-ins.com
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UK FITNESS SCENE
CFM CEO re-elected to
represent operators By Christina Eccles
Speaker Dr Adrian Brown, Mytime MEND consultant Dr Paul Sacher, Mytime health division manager Annie Holden, Mytime Active chief executive Steve Price, health director Mytime Health James Watkins, keynote speaker Professor Greg Whyte and senior manager: adult treatment services Nathan Moore.
Professor makes health everybody’s business OLYMPIAN, sports scientist and celebrity trainer, professor Greg Whyte, was the keynote speaker at a dedicated health conference in London. The event, Improving Health and Wellbeing: Everybody’s Business was organised by charity Mytime Heath. It brought together about 100 health professionals and stakeholders from England and Wales with the aim of generating discussions and debate around community healthcare services. Professor Whyte, whose achievements include coaching comedian and author David Walliams to swim
the English Channel said: “It was great to be around so many like-minded people, all with a passion and drive to improve the health of the nation. “Mytime Health’s event really captured the challenge we have ahead of us, pulling together pragmatic and solution focused approaches that really place the community at the heart of services moving forward. It’s about developing workable, flexible strategies and it’s great to see companies like Mytime Health really taking their responsibility seriously, demonstrating a true commitment to reducing health inequalities.”
CFM CEO Dave Wright has been reelected as an independent operator representative on the ukactive board of directors. Dave is one of five directors who have joined the board for 2013-2016, tasked with helping the organisation lead the physical activity sector over the next three years. Dave said: “I am delighted to be elected for another three years to the board of ukactive. There has been a lot of democratic change over the past three years and I will continue to be a strong voice for independent operators on the board.” The other appointments are: Operator – multi-site: Andy McCabe, operations director, GLL. Martin Seibold, UK managing director, Fitness First. John Treharne, CEO, The Gym Group. Supplier – educational Nigel Wallace, client services director, Lifetime. ukactive CEO David Stalker added: “I am delighted to welcome our new board members and I look forward to working closely with them over the next three years. “Following a successful organisational rebrand in 2012, we enter this period with renewed focus and ener-
Dave Wright gy for the challenge of getting our message of more people, more active, more often across to policymakers, businesses and consumers. “There has never been a more important time for the physical activity sector to demonstrate its ability to work together to improve the health of the nation. “I feel confident that our board represents a very strong mix of individuals from across the sector, bringing decades of experience and insight to the table to help us achieve this vision.” The board members will attend four board meetings a year, be ambassadors at ukactive events and spokespeople for media opportunities.
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UK FITNESS SCENE
Charlotte Thomas and Debbie Fleming with members of The Fitness Academy.
Gym owners join forces to open exercise studio A NEW exercise studio has opened in West Yorkshire, which is aiming to tap into both the adult and kids’ fitness markets. The Fitness Academy is a partnership between Charlotte Thomas – who owns LMMMA martial arts club which specialises in children’s fitness – and owner of Attitude Fitness Debbie Fleming, who teaches adult classes such as body combat and boxercise. The pair opened the studio, situated north of Leeds, at the beginning of January, after relocating from smaller premises and Debbie said that so far things are going well. She added: “This is our second studio. In the old one, we were restricted
because it was so small but this one is about three times the size of what we had so our class sizes have increased.” Popular workouts include body combat and abs class, plus Charlotte’s ‘Little Ninjas’ class for the kids. The studio also offers a range of functional kit such as punchbags, TRX and kettlebells, as well as personal training packages. A special offer of 10 classes for £10 has also been encouraging people through the doors, as well as an attractive membership price of £25 a month. And Debbie added that as well as aiming to offer something new in terms of the workouts available, one of the studio’s biggest positives is its
community feel. She added: “We are based just outside the city and have a close knit community feel – everyone socialises together.” Future plans at The Fitness Academy include building up the class timetable, potentially introducing Body Attack sessions and a dedicated kettlebells class, as well as trying to build relationships with local schools to teach sessions to more children. Have you recently opened a new gym? If so, we would love to hear how it’s going. Send us details and a picture to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and you could appear in a future issue of Workout.
Nuffield invests £8m in its facilities NUFFIELD Health has invested almost £8m to further improve services in its Fitness and Wellbeing Centres. The six-month project has seen a vast overhaul of facilities, equipment and the addition of medical clinics in many of the centres. Wellbeing membership has also been introduced, which gives people one to one support from a health mentor and four individual sessions with either a physiotherapist, physiologist, personal trainer or nutritionist. Key investments include £1m spent at the Surbiton club on new changing rooms, the installation of a sauna in the female changing room, a brand new gym floor, functional training area and complete refurbishment of the bar area. Nuffield Health managing director Laura Kerby said: “Our commitment to helping people to improve their health and fitness is our priority. “We are confident that our state-ofthe-art facilities coupled with the very best expertise of our health and fitness professionals will ensure our
The team at Nuffield Health Surbiton including Olympian Colin Jackson and general manager Vinny Barrett. members have the best chance to achieve their health and fitness goals. “The industry is constantly evolving with a bigger and better common theme. At Nuffield Health we pride ourselves on making sure members
have the right environment, as well as the best facilities and services. Our Fitness and Wellbeing Centres range in shape and size, but they all have the common thread of teams that care.”
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Brand signs team deal
SPORTS nutrition brand Optimum Nutrition has signed a supplier deal with the GB Bouldering Team. The deal will see the company work closely with the athletes and performance team, providing products to develop tailored nutritional programmes. Strategy director at Optimum Nutrition Toby Gordon Smith said: “We’re delighted to be working with the GB Bouldering Team on their nutrition strategies. “Climbing is one of the UK’s fastest growing recreational sports and requires enormous commitment, strength and endurance. Adequate fuelling and proper recovery are crucial.” ON’s current sponsorship portfolio includes England Rugby League, Aviva Premiership team Saracens, Scottish Rugby and Irish Heineken Cup Champions Leinster.
Film partner SUPPLEMENT company LA Muscle has teamed up with Twentieth Century Fox as the official partner of the new Bruce Willis action film A Good Day to Die Hard. The Die Hard partnership will see the LA Muscle group promote the movie through print advertising, social media. LA Muscle’s own literature and The Active Channel, reaching millions of health and fitness enthusiasts. LA Muscle’s managing director Feroz Sadique said: “LA Muscle’s brand image has always been exciting and cutting-edge. “A Good Day to Die Hard shares the theme of excitement and action and is the perfect partnership for the LA Muscle Group.”
Anthony launches diet e-book and reveals his Dragons’ Den ambition By Christina Eccles PERSONAL trainer Anthony Chapman has launched a new diet ebook – and revealed his ambition to take the business plan on to TV’s Dragons’ Den. Anthony, who runs Pro Active studio in Barnsley, has created the book – called Photo Diet: How to Diet Using Your Smartphone – to provide a simple method for people looking to lose weight and improve their eating habits. The book encourages people to become more accountable for their food choices by taking photos of everything they eat. It includes information and handy tips on meal plans and ratios between food groups to keep users on the right track with portion sizes. Anthony has been using this method with his own personal training clients since Smartphones first became popular, after finding people could cheat with the written food diaries he previously encouraged them to fill in. By asking clients to send him a picture of everything they were eating, Anthony could then use the information to find out what they were doing right – or wrong. He said: “I used to use a pen and paper before but then a lot of my customers started getting iPhones. “I noticed their food diaries were not always adding up so I started to get them to take pictures of every meal.
“Straight away I could find out who was sticking to their diets and who wasn’t.” As an extension to the e-book, Anthony is now preparing to launch a new website where people will be able to sign up to receive his personalised nutrition advice. Membership will be split into different options where people can send him a week’s worth of meal photos at a time and get a weekly email, or a more comprehensive service where he monitors the photos Monday to Friday and replies to them each day. He added: “My vision is that the site will become my main job and source of income and I will be more selective with my personal training. “This method is really easy. I’ve been a personal trainer for 10 years and the diet industry is very complicated – it confuses me and I know what I’m doing.” Anthony has been testing the website on a group of ‘guinea pigs’ over the last few months and has achieved some great results with clients – the best being a one and a half stone weight loss in 28 days. And he added that once the site is up and running, he would like to push the business forward by looking for investment – even considering entering TV programme Dragons’ Den. He added: “Because I know it works and is a really effective way to get people results, I am confident about it. Eventually I want to do it on a bigger scale.”
Anthony with Jodie Marsh, who recently visited the studio to film scenes for her latest TV show.
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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION
Ex-Olympic athlete Jenny reveals her diet secrets
AS A former Olympic athlete and TV Gladiator, celebrity fitness expert Jenny Pacey knows the importance of a healthy, balanced diet. In a special feature for Workout, she reveals her own three day food diary, as well as her top nutrition tips to pass on to your members.
Monday: Breakfast: Lemon juice and hot water with morning supplements to begin the day, followed by oats with goat’s milk, strawberries, a handful of blueberries and mixed nuts. 30 minutes after breakfast: Protein shake, cup of Red Bush tea. Snack: Apple, with peanut butter spread onto slices, cup of Green tea. Lunch: Two grilled organic turkey steaks, four egg whites (one yolk) omelette, with chopped pepper and two chopped beef tomatoes, cup of Red Bush tea. Snack: Nakd Bar, satsuma and peppermint tea. Evening meal: Baked fresh salmon with olive oil roasted vegetables (seasoned with Duns river seasoning and rosemary) including asparagus, sweet potato, courgettes and leeks. 30 minutes before bed: slow release (casein) protein shake. Within 30 minutes of finishing a workout, the body is replenished with a protein bar, banana and amino acids. Tuesday: Breakfast: Lemon juice and hot water with morning supplements, followed by oats with goat’s milk, strawberries, chopped nectarine and mixed seeds. Scrambled eggs (four whites and one yolk) and a cup of Red Bush tea (always include carbs and protein with breakfast) Snack: Pear with a handful of raw nuts and goat’s yoghurt. Lunch: Four oatcakes with cottage cheese, ham slices, a handful of spinach, chopped tomato and cucumber, cup of Red Bush tea. Snack: Protein shake, Nature Valley bar, peppermint tea. Evening meal: Grilled large Fillet Steak with olive oil roasted vegetables
Jenny Pacey (seasoned with Duns river seasoning and rosemary) including pepper, sweet potato, swede and butternut squash. 30 minutes before bed: slow release protein shake and ZMA. Within 30 minutes of finishing a workout: Protein bar, banana and amino acids. Wednesday: Breakfast: Lemon juice and hot water with morning supplements, cottage cheese mixed with oats, ground almonds, nutmeg, a scoop of protein powder, chopped strawberries and goat’s yoghurt (mixed together in a bowl), cup of Red Bush tea. Snack: Two oatcakes with peanut butter, a Kiwi fruit. Lunch: Savoury protein pancake: 1/3 cup of oats, plus four to five egg whites (optional scoop of protein powder) make one large pancake, top with turkey slices, tomato and cottage cheese. Snack: Nature Valley bar and a handful of edemame beans. Evening meal: Two grilled pork steaks, with salad including fresh uncooked spinach leaves, chopped avocado, pepper, apple, balsamic glaze and flaxseed on top. 30 minutes before bed: slow release protein shake, ZMA. Within 30 minutes of finishing a workout: Protein shake, banana and amino acids.
Five food rules: Complete protein such as fish, eggs and meat (which contain all amino acids the body needs) should be included as part of every breakfast, lunch and dinner (and snacks if desired). Incomplete proteins e.g. nuts/ cottage cheese/ yoghurt/ seeds, should be included in every snack. Try to eat oats, fruit and vegetables as your carbohydrate source with each meal, eating only vegetables as carbs in the evening. Include good fats from avocado, olive oil, oily fish, nuts and seeds daily. Always drink two litres of water a day. Find your balance and do not live by extremes. Eat every two to three hours (so you do not experience extreme hunger followed by binging on sugary processed foods). Eat clean/unprocessed foods and healthily five to six days a week and then enjoy what you like one to two days a week – this will actually fire up your metabolism. Recommended supplements: Morning: Multi Vitamin, Omega essential fatty acids (great for hormone regulation), ClA Pre post training: Amino acids To maintain protein intake: protein shakes and bars ( I always carry a bar with me incase I become really hungry or unable to eat as planned) Go for around a 30g protein hit. Before bed: A slow release casein shake is consumed to help muscle repair and recovery overnight. Fast facts: Jenny is a retired Olympic athlete turned TV presenter, the UK’s leading fitness celebrity and expert, a model and TV Gladiator Enigma. Height: 5,11 Weight: 66kg Age: 29 Training: five workouts a week including Olympic lifting, HIT circuits, yoga, sprints, plyometrics, kettle bells and cross fit. Diet: six to seven meals a day, 2,0003,000 calories a day.
A first for high protein diet meals Legend reborn GREAT tasting, all natural, convenient, high protein diet meals for sports and fitness. Performance Meals are based on clinically tested research that clearly indicates high protein meals help to maintain a lean, toned body. High protein meals are also suitable for building muscle mass and strength and are especially useful in the repair of muscle after exercise. These are complete real food meals, containing no additives or preservatives. High in protein, with a minimum of 40g protein per serving, low fat, low salt and ready to eat. The unique air and watertight sealed pouch ensures the ingredients are kept fresh and keeps the all-impor-
tant nutrients locked in during cooking. Performance Meals have a shelf life of 12 months and have no special storage requirements. No fridge needed. Simply display alongside existing sports nutrition products. Visit www.performancemeals.com for more information. Trade customers can order direct from www.performancemealstrade.com
WARRIOR Blaze Reborn builds on a legend. The original Blaze was a hard and fast thermogenic beast, a fat burner so powerful you could rely on seriously rapid results. Blaze Reborn now has even more incredible ingredients, in even greater dosages, to make it better than ever and beat every other fat burner on the market, ever produced. The new Warrior Blaze Reborn is an awesome fat burner that’s proving just as popular as the original and is working so well for hard training individuals. Contact Bodybuilding Warehouse for trade prices on 0161 236 1588 or email Trade@bodybuildingwarehouse.co.uk
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B-FIT bursts onto the BodyPower scene THE UK’s biggest fitness weekend is set to join the BodyPower Expo in May 2013. B-FIT is the perfect addition to BodyPower, the UK’s largest sport, fitness and nutrition expo. A weekend that will showcase the UK’s fitness scene as it is today and for the future; delivering a fantastic, energy fuelled experience for a 40,000 strong crowd. B-FIT is a vibrant, interactive feature located within BodyPower, catering for professionals and enthusiasts. For the fitness professional, Friday’s industry and preview day will offer a programme of interactive workshops, seminars, accreditations and exercise masterclasses. These will ensure instructors, speakers and other industry professionals are up to date with the latest industry genres and trends. B-FIT will also offer fitness professionals business and marketing
advice to ensure their practical skills are balanced with sound business acumen and the ability to create a brand or business. Saturday and Sunday will focus on the fitness enthusiast and consist of a high level and multi activity weekend of classes, workshops, seminars and networking. In line with current trends within the fitness industry, B-FIT will also offer a variety of workshops and seminars within the realms of functional training. B-FIT will aim to educate all visitors on the benefits of functional training. Sessions will be provided by renowned training providers such as Premier Training International and Fitpro and will include conditioning, balance, strength and endurance training. Whether you are looking to keep fit, get accredited or simply try something new, B-FIT has something for you.
A fitness first for Llantristant and Life Fitness Lifescape™ A NEW 95-station gym has officially opened at Llantrisant Leisure Centre – the very first site in the UK to install Life Fitness Lifescape – as part of a £2.8m investment by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. The development forms part of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s wider £6m refurbishment programme to provide premier leisure facilities across the county borough. Life Fitness Lifescape engages users in a truly personal experience, bringing workouts to life through immersive outdoor adventures, with ondemand content that enlivens every session. The new design of Llantrisant Leisure Centre also includes signifi-
cant energy-saving measures such as LED lighting, PIR-controlled switching, heat recovery air conditioning and ventilation systems. This will significantly enhance efficiency and will improve the leisure centre’s carbon footprint. For more information visit www.lifefitness.co.uk
Virgin Active has appointed a new chief marketing officer across its portfolio of over 100 health clubs. Brian Waring’s role will be to lead marketing and build both the brand and business in the UK.
Ralph Scholz has become FIBO’s new event director, replacing Olaf Tomscheit who is leaving Reed Exhibitions Deutschland after this year’s show to take up new career challenges. Ralph took over management of the trade show on January 1, working with his predecessor for a transitional period.
Introducing the Fit Group THE Fit Group is an independent organisation formed as a collective of “best in class” suppliers to provide choice and best value to gym operators. If you are a gym owner or manager and are looking for a place where you can purchase everything from studio bikes, functional training equipment,
servicing, nutrition supplements, merchandising, martial arts, lockers and much more all under one roof then why not check out www.thefitgroup.co.uk or call us on 0845 1263107 to learn more.
Core bags in their own league WHEN it comes to functional training equipment, the Escape Fitness Core Bag is in a league of its own. It is the perfect training tool for use in one-on-one PT sessions, small group training sessions and with the nights starting to stay lighter for longer, can even be used outdoors. Whether you’re a club or PT targeting professional athletes or fitness beginners, the core bag is up to the challenge. Using a Core Bag is unlike “traditional” weight training, it enlists the use of stabilising muscles, teaching the body to use a high level of coordination and power to achieve the workout movements. It is the complete functional fitness tool, a welcome bonus to any facility looking to boost their free weight area. The bag itself, available in five different weights, has a smooth vinyl fin-
Boost your membership referrals
ish to avoid abrasions to arms or the body and has additional handles to help create more varied workouts. The colour coded bags mean it is easy to identify the weight you need and lends itself perfectly to a busy studio environment. For more information visit www.escapefitness.com/corebags or call 01733 313535.
Functional first for Arena ARENA Health and Fitness Club has become the first gym in Ireland to offer an innovative new functional training system from Life Fitness. The club, situated at the four star Grand Hotel in Malahide, County Dublin, is giving hotel guests, members and non members the chance to participate in interactive group sessions on Synrgy360S, a piece of kit which has become the focal point of the gym’s new functional training space. Manager Suzanne Byrne said: “We
are continually committed to providing the best facilities and services to each and every client and are always looking for new ways to help them achieve their personal health and wellness goals. We are incredibly proud to be the first club in the country to have Life Fitness Synrgy360S and are excited about the exercise options it opens up to our customers.” Synrgy360S has been supplied by FITTR, Life Fitness’s chosen distributor in Ireland.
SOCIAL Referral Online allows your newest member/customer to spread the word about your business to as many of their friends as they want in two easy steps, harnessing the true power of the internet and social marketing. Club manager at Westside Health and Fitness Club Duncan McSporran said: “We are a 1,400 member health club in Stamford centre; the club has been going for 16 years. “We introduced SRO to increase guest traffic through the club, within the first six-month period of using the system we had 300 10-day guest passes of which 90 members have joined. “With our average gym membership price being £35 a month (12 month
terms) we have generated £3,150.00 on our monthly Direct Debit. Equating to £37,800 p.a. “In my opinion Social Referral Online is the best marketing spend that we have invested in out of all the marketing tools we have used throughout the 16 years.” To request a free demo call 0845 838 0520 or email hello@talktwenty1.com
Gym does its bit for the environment STAFF at award winning Ladybird Fitness in Wigan have been working hard to look after the environment and they contacted Workout via our Facebook page to let us know some of their green ideas. The team said: “All the rubbish at Ladybird Fitness is recycled by the team, everything is washed and put into separate bags and our maintenance man takes it to the correct recycling points.” “We also recycle all magazines, newspapers and cardboard. We are doing our bit to look after the environment.”
The Ladybird Fitness team.
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DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTIONS
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CLOTHING AND MERCHANDISE
RECRUITMENT
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