Workout April 2012 by Script Media

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April 2012

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

VAT on drinks ‘short-sighted’ claims supplier By Christina Eccles ADDING VAT to sports nutrition drinks is a tax on healthy lifestyles which could cause businesses to fail, a worried supplier has claimed. In the recent budget, the government announced plans to tax sports nutrition drinks – currently exempt from VAT charges – to bring them in line with regular sports drinks. An HMRC document, VAT: Addressing borderline anomalies, explains more – stating products affected will include protein drinks and workout recovery aids in liquid or powder form but not meal replacement drinks for slimmers and invalids. The move could potentially generate an additional £10m a year from VAT, but director of Affordable Supplements, Ryan Millar, claims with the current obesity crisis, it is ‘short sighted and naive’ and punishes people for being physically active. He added: “The more I think about it, the more it seems like a tax on lifestyle choice. I think we need to highlight the fact it is discriminate to tax a product on intended use. If I intend to use whey protein to slim I am exempt from VAT, but if I want to use it to recover faster from physical activity I should be paying

VAT? I think we need to highlight that physical activity is key to the underlying problems with the nation’s obesity, respiratory problems and heart disease.” Ryan has also written to his local MP Yvette Cooper and has urged others with concerns to do the same. In the letter he added: “The industry has already been severely hit by massive increases in whey prices since 2007 and as such, a further 20 per cent rise would have massive negative implications on profitability, resulting in the inevitable failure of many smaller business. “In this Olympic year what kind of message does this send out to aspiring athletes and people who generally want to improve their level of fitness?” The document admits the change “might lead to small increase in the prices of sports nutrition drinks which would lead to a fall in demand”, but claims the macroeconomic impacts are expected to be ‘negligible’. A consultation period is open until May 4 and the full document can be viewed at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/va t-con-4801.htm Ryan has also been continuing the discussion with others at http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/VAT-to-be-added-to-allSports-Supplements-m4748813-p3.aspx

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Awards night ‘set to be best one yet’

Boxer Amir Khan has signed a sponsorship agreement with sports nutrition company Maximuscle. The brand, part of the GlaxoSmithKline owned Maxinutrition group, will support Amir as he gears up for his next fight with Lamont Peterson in Las Vegas next month – and beyond. For full story see our dedicated nutrition and supplementation section starting on page 30.

PLANS are on course to make this year’s National Fitness Awards the best one yet. The event, which is organised by Workout and now in its third year, celebrates excellence in the fitness industry, with a range of categories open to operators of all sizes and from all corners of the UK. Nominations are already flooding in and you can nominate your club for free or find out more by visiting the dedicated website www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk The winners will be revealed at a glittering ceremony taking place at the Athena in Leicester on Friday November 30, where the whole of the industry will be invited to celebrate their achievements at the ultimate end of year party. Our judges with the tough task of picking this year’s winners include nutritionist and TV presenter Caroline Pearce and fitness model and healthy eating ambassador Carly Thornton. The evening will be hosted by gym owner and award-winning personal trainer Charlotte Ord.

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First seminar dates unveiled

INDEPENDENT gym owners looking to boost their businesses this year have been invited to a series of dedicated seminars designed to help them maximise the potential of their clubs. Secondary spend, social media, marketing and new classes and trends will be among the topics discussed at the first ever National Fitness Seminars – organised by Script Events in association with Workout – and taking place at venues up and down the country. The first event takes place at Bristol Zoo Conference Centre on May 24, followed by seminars at Avisford Park Hotel in Sussex on June 12 and the Hilton Hotel in Blackpool on October 18. Speakers will include a mixture of prestigious industry experts and successful independent operators who will be sharing the secrets of how they reached the top of their game. Several speakers have already been confirmed. These include: Social media expert Matt Bradney. Independent gym owner and creator of the Ultrasound lipo franchise Andy Peacock. Owner of Ladies Only Ltd in Rochdale Michelle Matthews. CFM CEO Dave Wright and MD Chevy Kelly. At the events, gym owners will also get the chance to network with each other and view exhibitions from a number of industry suppliers who will be showcasing their latest products and explaining how they can help independent operators get the best out of their clubs. Delegates will also be able to find out more about this year’s National Fitness Awards, how to enter and top tips on strengthening nominations to ensure the best chance possible of picking up a trophy. Event director Judith Halkerston said: “The National Fitness Seminars are an exciting new venture for Script

Celebrity Zumba instructor Tanya Beardsley led a workout at the first event at Ministry of Sound. Andy Peacock

Matt Bradney Media, publishers of WorkOut. We know there is loads of innovative work going on in gyms all over the UK and the seminars give independent gym owners the perfect opportunity to meet up, share their experiences and learn from each other. “Our mission is to bring together some of the best industry professionals to offer practical advice on how to maximise your gym's potential, improve the member experience and ensure your business reaches its optimum profitability.” More information and booking details for the conferences can be acquired by contacting the booking hotline on 01226 734475.

Club to host fitness parties ZUMBA Fitness has joined forces with iconic London nightclub Ministry of Sound to stage the ultimate in fitness classes. Zumba fans will be able to strut their stuff at regular nightclub fitness parties taking place at the venue, giving them the chance to experience a workout in a non traditional environment while helping the club to boost business at quieter times. CEO of Zumba Fitness Alberto Perlman said: “We are thrilled to begin offering Zumba fitness-parties

www.workout-uk.co.uk

Official media partner of the Fitness Industry Association

at Ministry of Sound. “Not only are Zumba classes the perfect complement to the nightclub atmosphere – lights, sound, heartpumping music – but nightclubs present tremendous job opportunities for Zumba instructors while helping nightclub owners to fill space during off hours. We are excited to introduce our instructors a new opportunity to market their classes to nightclub owners and this new partnership with Ministry of Sound is the perfect example.”

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Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Sales manager: Daniel Lloyd Tel: 01226 734699 dl@scriptmedia.co.uk Assistant sales manager: Danielle Hornby Tel: 07860 522 230 dlh@scriptmedia.co.uk Field sales executive: Chris Hartley Tel: 01226 734709 ch@scriptmedia.co.uk

Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Chief reporter: Christina Eccles Tel: 01226 734463 ce@scriptmedia.co.uk Reporter: Helen Williams Tel: 01226 734694 helenw@scriptmedia.co. uk

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Joseph Fearn hopes to roll out his Silksercise concpet into gyms.

Circus inspired class set for gyms By Christina Eccles

Joseph Fearn performing in a circus.

THE founder of an unusual new fitness class – based on the skill and technique of circus performers – has revealed plans to roll the concept out to gyms. Silksercise, an hour-long class where participants perform moves on aerial silks, was created by Joseph Fearn who wanted to share his own circus skills with the public after realising the fitness benefits of working out this way. Joseph said the classes are popular because they are so unusual – successfully combining performance techniques with fitness and fun – and he told Workout how operators

could introduce them into their clubs. He said: “The most important thing is the structural point of attachment. The classes use a rigged set of silks so there has to be a point to attach them to – possibly an exposed beam. “Floor space is dependent on how many silks you want. I use a studio that’s about 25ft x 25ft and I get 18 people in.” Joseph currently holds weekly classes at a studio in Birmingham and said they have been so well received, he is now looking to take the concept out to other gyms, first in the local area and eventually nationwide. As well as setting up more classes,

he has also started to develop an instructor training programme to ensure that his high standard of teaching remains consistent when the class is being taught by others. He added: “At the moment there is no set standard for instructors. What I’m trying to create will be a programme which will set the standard for movement and knowledge. “The long term plan is to roll it out to gyms.” Would you consider holding Silksercise classes in your gym? Let Workout know by emailing ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contacting our editorial team on 01226 734463.

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The new gym at On the Limit.

Closure forces Adam to set up on his own By Helen Williams WHEN Adam Bell’s place of work at Exclusively Ladies gym in Hertfordshire announced it was closing down, he took a major decision – to set up his own club. Adam bought one of the three sites that his old club owned. He said: “Exclusively Ladies was going into administration and we were told it was going to shut in two weeks. “I made the decision to buy the Tring branch and increased membership to just under 500 – it was 400 when I took over – and I also took it into profit.” Adam’s lease on the building was due to end last month and he decided to find new premises in a former warehouse. He added: “There was about 100 sq metres of gym space and I decided to expand to 500 sq metres. I replaced all the equipment through Service Sport and set about making a new and improved class timetable. I also opened the club up to mixed membership.” The new independently financed club, called On the Limit, is proving popular with locals.

Adam, a personal trainer as well as club owner, added: “In just a couple of weeks we managed to get 60 members. We’ve done it through leaflets, internal referrals and word of mouth. People have taken the time to come down and find out where we are so we’re feeling pretty happy. “We also get a lot of visitors who pop in and take information away. Of course there is competition, but we are catering for different niches.” The gym has a full cardio suite with bikes, steppers and cross trainers as well as an area for free weights and strength machines, studio cycling and an aerobics studio. Adam has increased the number of classes from three or four a day to seven, including boxercise, yoga and Pilates. “We try to create classes that both men and women will enjoy. We also do something called a ‘flash pass’ where the instructor around midday will decide what they are going to do, it could be say, abs, rowing or circuits.” The club offers a peak membership which is £40 a month or off peak which is £35. Now Adam has a new challenge – he and his wife are expecting a baby in June.

Firm celebrates supplier role TECHNOGYM celebrated its role as official supplier to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games at a spectacular event in London. The evening at the Italian Embassy was held to announce the company’s plans for 2012 and was attended by guests including Technogym president and founder Nerio Alessandri, LOCOG CEO Paul Deighton and CEO of the British Olympic Association Andy Hunt. During the event, Nerio emphasised his pride in Technogym’s position as

exclusive supplier for all athletic preparation centres for the upcoming Games in London. He also spoke about the company’s our Greatest Team campaign – designed to get more people active off the back of the Games – and announced two new Technogym ambassadors – reigning 400m Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu and T35 100 and 200m European number one and World number two Paralympian Sophia Warner.

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Trust renews commitment on anniversary By Christina Eccles NOT for profit trust Freedom Leisure is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a renewed commitment to providing the best service to both customers and local authority partners. The trust operates 34 leisure centres across the South East of England for nine local authorities, with a turnover of £34m and employing over 2,500 staff. Milestones over the last 10 years include: I 2002: Taking on the management of four leisure centres from Wealden Borough Council. I 2004: Millionth visit registered and teen membership ‘1418’ launched. I 2005: Contract commences to manage three leisure centres on behalf of Hastings Borough Council and Premier 60 Membership is launched for the over 60’s. I 2008: Contract to manage K2 Crawley, an official Olympic Training Venue, in strategic partnership with GLL commences. I 2009: Launch of award winning Friday Night Project, a scheme to engage teens in activity, run in conjunction with Sussex Police. I 2010: Freedom Lite Weight Loss programme launched in association with Pete Cohen. I 2012: Freedom Leisure retains the Wealden Contract and pledges £7m investment over the next 10 years.

And managing director Jeff Hart told Workout the company is now looking to build on this success in the future. He said: “We have done really well. Concentrating on the South East corner has worked well for us. We have found instead of going to chase contracts all over the country, we have made sure the service side is done as well as we possibly can.” Jeff also revealed why he thinks Freedom Leisure has performed so well over the years – citing the company’s staff as its best asset. Customer feedback and consistency between sites has also been important, with a whole range of feedback mechanisms – from mystery visits and peer visits between sites used to ensure they are as consistent as possible. Jeff added: “It’s all about people. We have managed to recruit and retain great people. We also have a can do culture, are not afraid to take risks and we really concentrate on the customer.” Embracing trends and trying new things has also helped the centres to keep up with the competition. New initiatives include giving youngsters a flavour of triathlon by hosting a series of eight events at Freedom Leisure sites across Sussex. In the run up to the events, the centres are also running kids’ triathlon training sessions to help children prepare for the race.

General manager Mick Daley, competition winner Nathan Padgett , ‘Captain Jack Sparrow’ and Capital FM DJ Simon Hirst.

‘Captain Jack’ helps open park THE Metrodome in Barnsley’s new £1m water park has been officially opened at an event attended by 600 VIP guests. Guests at the opening of Calypso Cove – including 10-year-old Nathan Padgett who won a competition on news website www.wearebarnsley.com – were entertained by a Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike and music from Capital FM DJ Simon Hirst. The newly refurbished venue

includes three new flumes, as well as Skull Falls, a 9m high skull that acts as a waterfall into one of the pools. Chief executive of operator Barnsley Premier Leisure Tim Wilson said: “We are extremely proud of the Calypso Cove water park development, the project was an ambitious one taking five months to complete and to see everyone enjoying themselves at the official opening was the icing on the cake.”

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Trainers launch online resource By Christina Eccles TOP personal trainers Simon Lovell and Justin Lord have successfully joined forces to deliver a range of online resources designed to educate people about health, fitness and nutrition. Simon, author of the popular Lunch Box Diet, and ‘This Morning’s’ health and fitness guru Justin initially teamed up to create IHealthPod.com – a series of free podcasts offering advice and tips on topics such as healthy eating and how to get the most from your workouts. The podcasts proved so popular the pair decided to take it to the next level by offering a live webinar – an internet based seminar – giving them the opportunity to further interact with users by providing them with useful content and a platform to ask questions, while at the same time using the session as a way of promoting the Lunch Box Diet. Simon explained: “We held the first one a couple of months ago and it worked really well as a selling tool. “The chances of converting a client are dramatically increased. “But the I Health webinar was not a Lunch Box Diet webinar. It was an I Health Pod webinar which pitched the Lunch Box Diet at the end.” Following its success, Simon and

Justin now hope to expand the idea by working with companies in the health and fitness sector – presenting an interesting webinar for them on a relevant topic and then promoting that company’s products at the end. Simon revealed possible link ups could include working with an equipment supplier to host a webinar on common exercise mistakes and then talking about different types of kit and why people should use them or talking about career choices in the fitness industry and case study examples before promoting a certain training provider and the courses they offer. He added the idea works well because him and Justin are seen as experts in their field and can offer interesting, informative content – instead of simply a straightforward sales pitch – which encourages people to want to join in. According to Simon, the live element of the webinar could also help companies to sell more products by putting a time limit on purchasing – making them more exclusive and encouraging people to buy on the spot rather than going away and thinking it about it. He added: “People are doing this in America really well but it’s just started coming over to the UK. Once you start, you realise how massive it can be.”

The owners of an award-winning independent gym have celebrated their achievements by putting up a plaque outside the club. Oxygen Fit in Barnet scooped newcomer of the year at the 2011 National Fitness Awards, organised by Workout. The club, owned by husband and wife team Neil and Emma Godly, already had its winner’s trophy, certificate and photos from the awards’ night on display but has now gone one step further by having the plaque especially made, which takes pride of place outside the main entrance.

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The new classes have attracted members to Chris Bowman Fitness.

Gym reaping the benefits of refurbishment By Christina Eccles A SCOTTISH independent gym is seeing the results of a major refurbishment – with new kit and the capacity to offer classes for the first time attracting members through the doors. Chris Bowman took over the gym at Craighelen Tennis and Squash Club about six months ago, renaming it Chris Bowman Fitness. Since then, Chris has been steadily making improvements, recently installing a range of equipment from Star Trac and Jordan Fitness, as well as a new upstairs studio for classes, which he says have all gone down well with members. He said: “The gym which was here before was very old and had been kitted out about nine years ago, so it really needed it.” Classes are proving a big draw at the club in Helensburgh near Glasgow – with popular sessions including Spinning and Thump Boxercise, as well as traditional favourites Yoga and Pilates.

And with no other local gym offering such a broad timetable, Chris told Workout they have taken off well. He added: “Classes have been a big selling point as the old gym didn’t offer them. We have also been holding classes at 9.30am, which has been good for targeting parents who are dropping their kids off at school. “We currently have 120 members and the idea is to get to 200 for next year. We also have non members coming in for classes.” Following a successful start, Chris has already started thinking about how he can build on this for the future. Plans in the pipeline include introducing outdoor bootcamp sessions, where he can also take advantage of the space offered by the neighbouring tennis court, and branching out to offer fitness sessions for children. Are you an independent gym in Scotland who wants to share your success story with Workout? Contact our editorial team on 01226 734463 or email ce@scriptmedia.co.uk

Staff and members at a Wandsworth gym have celebrated its grand reopening, following a £1m refurbishment. Improvements at Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing centre include a range of new equipment and classes, including a brand new fitness programme aimed at five-15 year olds. Sue Mitchinson, who has been a member of the club for almost 25 years, was invited to cut the ribbon at the launch where visitors were invited to take a tour of the new facilities and join in taster classes. Long standing member Sue Mitchinson is pictured with Nuffield Health’s MD of consumer wellbeing Laura Kerby.

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50-minute rowing class launched by champion A NEW exercise trend is coming to the UK, with the launch of an innovative indoor rowing class concept. The Indo–Row class has been developed by elite rowing champion Josh Crosby and premier fitness educator Jay Blahnik and uses machines by WaterRower. The 50-minute class encourages participants to work as part of a crew and involves a series of drills, starting at a slow and steady pace and building in intensity to test speed, stamina and determination. Josh said: “Until now, the rowing machine had been seen as the least sexy piece of equipment on the gym floor, but its health benefits are remarkable. “Indo-Row gives us the opportunity to educate gym goers about these benefits, as well as correct rowing posture and technique. “They soon discover that IndoRow is a fantastic fat-burning total body workout, which keeps them coming back for more.”

Operators encouraged to search for referrals By Christina Eccles

INDEPENDENT operators have been encouraged to look at new exercise referral opportunities, following changes to commissioning structures in the healthcare system. Clinical Commissioning Groups are lined up to replace Primary Care Trusts, bringing a number of key changes to the role of GPs in decision making and the commissioning of care – including the delivery of exercise referral schemes, weight management programmes and fall prevention courses. At a recent FIA focus group, representatives from the fitness industry and medical community met for a discussion at the Royal College of Physicians to determine how members of the physical activity sector can best place themselves to offer their services to the health service as these CCGs emerge. National clinical commissioning champion Dr David Paynton said: “We will see a shift in the way care is delivered from a hospital setting to the community, and delivery of physical activity can be a key part of this if the sector can pull together the evidence and demonstrate a tangible return on investment.” The FIA’s Joint Consultative Forum, which works to drive communication

and collaboration between the medical and physical activity sectors, is due to publish new professional and operational standards for exercise referral later this year. CEO David Stalker added: “We hope that these new standards will provide a minimum benchmark to improve the level of exercise referral which will hopefully in turn provide healthcare professionals with confidence to refer. “As Dr Paynton says, we need to be more convincing as an industry in demonstrating the health benefits of what we do and the longer term cost savings of investing in our services. “This shift in the process of commissioning care offers opportunities for operators of all sizes, including independent operators and personal trainers within a community, to build relationships with the local health care commissioners and be able to offer exercise referral and weight management services through the NHS.” CK Academy offers exercise programmes for patients through partnerships with local GPs and managing director Georgina Jupp added independent gyms should be looking to get involved. “This is actually one of the situations where independent operators are well-placed to offer their services because the commissioning consortia

David Stalker will now be organised locally – you have more chance of establishing a positive dialogue with GP consortia if you are already part of the local community. “You have to be in it for the longhaul though – it is a challenge and the strategies and structures are still in a state of flux; if you think you can have an exercise-referral scheme up and running within a couple of months, think again. “I would encourage independent operators to think outside the box about the networking opportunities offered by existing community projects, which may have nothing to do with exercise but that bring together different public agencies, and use these to build strong links over time.”

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Manager backs call for gyms to focus on results By Helen Williams THE manager of a Dumfries and Galloway health club has backed calls in Workout for gyms to focus on performance and results – rather than weight loss. Last issue we spoke to founder of World Gym Challenge Sean Blyth who urged clubs to use challenges to monitor members’ progress and focus on fitness rather than how much weight they have lost. Robert Meiklem manages The Barracuda Club, part of the Cairndale Hotel and Leisure Club and one of Dumfries and Galloway’s largest privately owned hotels. He has organised various fitness challenges for members including timed treadmill runs, a press-up challenge, and a ‘12 days of Christmas’ with a different task every day, like sit-ups, to keep members motivated. He explained: “We change the challenge every couple of months. We have a brand for our gym programme called Healthy Living and

we promote the latest activities via our bi-monthly newsletter and Facebook and Twitter.” The most recent challenge was a ‘bleep test’ which involved running continuously between two points on a 15-metre track. Around 70 members, aged from 16 to over 70, took part and everyone who completed the challenge got a free personal training session. Robert added: “The idea is to keep members’ interest and attention. The bleep test went down really well and members are still comparing their results.” He is now offering members the chance to take part in the ‘Tough Mudder’ challenge – a gruelling 12mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces where all proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior project. The club, which has boosted its members to 750 after running various successful schemes like Refer A Friend, has about 150 guests a month from the 92-room hotel but operates largely as an independent club.

Fans of Zumba Fitness got together in London for the first ever Zumba instructor conference, which gave them a chance to network and learn new classes. The three-day event was held for Zumba Instructor Network members and included the world’s first lesson of new class Zumba Sentao, which uses a chair for support and balance. Programme creator Beto Perez also led an epic Zumbathon which saw 3,000 people join the party and dance to high-octane Latin and international rhythms. The weekend was rounded off with a carnival party, with live music, flashing lights and costumes.

Town to get first low cost gym HUDDERSFIELD is getting its first low cost gym, offering membership from just £14.95 per month. SMART Fitness – situated in Huddersfield Sports Centre and operated by Kirklees Active Leisure – is due to open next month. Features include a range of Technogym equipment and a huge functional training area complete with TRX, dumbbells, free weights and benches. Members can also add bolt ons to their gym membership in order to

vary their training options, with studio classes and swimming available for £5 each per month Kirklees Active Leisure chief executive Alasdair Brown said: “The current gym at the Sports Centre has become hugely popular in the last few years and KAL has been looking to develop a new approach that will both keep current customers active and happy, while also attracting in new people to make use of the extended gym, at a very affordable price.”

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Guidelines offer gyms advice on children A NEW set of guidelines has been launched for FIA members who want to offer gym use and group exercise to children. The guidelines, which are available in the members’ area of the FIA website, cover areas such as appropriate insurance, risk assessment, advice on appropriate marketing for under 18s and the training and qualifications required to adapt exercise sessions to accommodate children. CEO David Stalker said: “Over the last few years, the FIA have received more and more enquiries requesting information to allow children into gyms. Therefore, working in partnership with other experts we have launched a competent set of guidelines for our members who would like children to take part in their gym based activities. “It is ultimately up to an individual leisure centre to decide if they allow members of the public under 18 to use their facility, however, at a time when child obesity is rife, we would encourage them to promote a healthy lifestyle to this age group by opening their doors to children and using these new guidelines to ensure a safe and healthy environment is provided.”

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Runner Andrew supports gym’s Biggest Loser event By Helen Williams A ‘BIGGEST Loser’ style challenge run by a Scottish gym owner has drawn support from ultramarathon runner and doctor Andrew Murray. Dr Murray, who is working with the Scottish government to promote the importance of physical activity, congratulated Think Fitness gym in Hawick for running the challenge, which is being followed weekly by the local paper, The Hawick News, over six months. Gym owner Greg Dalgleish came up with the initiative after seeing The Biggest Loser programme on TV. He said: “We wanted to start something along the same lines but not so much of a ‘boot camp’ approach. “That ‘no pain, no gain’ style was not for us and we needed something more realistic. “We advertised the challenge to everyone and now have 10 women taking part who each have a tailored programme.” The gym runs a weigh-in for the women every Monday and offers them healthy eating plans and a chance to take part in introductory

classes such as boxercise, all free of charge. Greg added: “A lot of them have never used a gym in their lives and haven’t done any exercise for years – one of the ladies is over 18 stone. But they have lost a lot of weight in the first couple of weeks.” He added he was pleased to have the support of Dr Murray, who was based in Hawick as a GP before moving to Edinburgh. Dr Murray hit the headlines last year after completing a gruelling challenge to run from Scotland to the Sahara Desert in aid of Mongolian charity The Yamaa Trust. He made the journey in just 77 days. He added: “Hawick’s Biggest Loser is definitely one of the best initiatives I’ve seen at a local level. I’m delighted to see the people of Hawick working together to lose weight, make changes to their lifestyles and start looking after themselves.” Dr Murray is highlighting the benefits of being active on a six-month secondment at the Scottish government. He will explore new opportunities to promote physical activity includ-

Andrew Murray ing looking at the role of GPs and other health professionals, and will promote the clear, simple message that getting and staying active will keep you healthy, and is for everyone. The 31-year-old has previously run in the Himalayas and at the North Pole.

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New £46.5m facility to be training site for Olympics A NEW multi-million pound sports complex, which includes a replica of the Olympic Aquatics Centre, has opened in Plymouth. The £46.5m Plymouth Life Centre will be operated by Everyone Active in partnership with Plymouth City Council and is an official training camp for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Everyone Active regional director Jon Senior said: “We are thrilled to be able to provide the local community with such fantastic facilities. “It’s great to know we will be helping some of Great Britain’s top sportspeople train for London 2012, while offering those same world class facilities to the public. “We hear so many stories about the drain that the Olympics is putting on the economy so it’s great to be part of a really positive facility that is truly giving something back.” Look out for more on the Plymouth Life Centre and a full round up of action from the official opening weekend in next month’s issue of Workout.

Only the strongest will survive... By Dave Wright I’VE BEEN to many bodybuilding competitions over the years to know the competitors that have had the ability, drive and determination to grace the stage have done so by facing some adversity and sacrifice and then they have been able to rise above it. That extra rep, or chicken and rice meal, or glass of water when everyone is out drinking all comes down to being the best that they can be to achieve the results that they want, whilst dealing with great difficulty. Rising above those challenges is what makes them a better athlete and competitor. The same should be said for gym owners. In an era of ‘budget, low cost clubs’ with rows and rows of equipment and members looking to ‘save some pennies’ to the ‘cheap gym’ across the road, then clubs need to rise above this adversity and prepare to compete. Now of course I don’t mean compete in price or facilities… but compete with the experience that your members get. And it all starts with asking yourself and your staff some

simple questions. Are the members getting their results? Are they being greeted when they arrive and when they leave? Are they training in the right intensity? Do they know why they are actually training? Are they training the right way to achieve their results? Do you really know them? Do they really know you? Some of the best clubs in the world that charge the highest prices are not the ones that have the newest equipment or the most showers etc – but it’s the places where people get results. And facts have shown in trends from the States that members will pay a lot of money for the club that will get them their results in the quickest amount of time. And just as a bodybuilder who knows that when he’s got three weeks left to a competition, he can’t afford to ‘lose his way’, neither can the members who train in our gyms when a new club opens up down the road for a cheaper price. You need to be better as a business and move to achieve that. And you can… because as the saying goes ‘it’s not the big that eat the small, but it’s the fast that eat the

Dave Wright slow’. So let’s be fast together. Dave Wright is the CEO of CFM/MYZONE, a company with over 300 staff that have served the international fitness industry for over 21 years in 10 different countries; 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 the UK’s Fitness Industry Association, an IHRSA presenter and the creator and global distributor of a new monitoring device used by clubs around the world called MYZONE. He may be contacted on Dave.Wright@cfm.net

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Fitness enthusiasts at a luxury health club and spa are increasingly seeking fun classes, relaxation and escapism rather than tough workouts and weight loss. Workout’s Helen Williams found out more.

Customers maximising stay by trying new equipment ... THE Club and Spa at Hoole Hall is tucked away within the Victorian walled garden of the 140-room DoubleTree by Hilton Chester hotel, and is used by about 1,700 hotel customers every month. During their stay, guests can enjoy the gym – which has the next generation of Technogym equipment – an open air Watsu pool, hydrotherapy pool and the only Dreamwave meditation suite in the UK. According to club and spa manager Darren Dixon, customers are placing a growing emphasis on wellbeing via relaxation and are trying a variety of workouts and equipment to make the most of their visits He explained: “We’ve found over the last 12 months that more of our leisure customers are wanting escapism and to relax. “Rather than going abroad, they are coming to the hotel and maximising their stay by making full use of all the facilities.” The gym has 52 classes each week including yoga, Pilates and zumba – double the number it was offering in 2010 – and a growing number of customers are ‘mixing and matching’ classes, for example going to a high

energy class followed by a stretch class. Darren told Workout he has also noticed a trend for female customers looking for conditioning and body shaping, seeking to achieve definition in their arms and abs rather than straightforward weight loss. He said one reason for this was more awareness of what was possible, generated by articles, TV programmes and fitness DVDs from celebrities such as Davina McCall. Making members feel welcome and keeping up with the latest technology are also important factors in the club’s success. Darren added: “As well as a mix of quality facilities and value add-ons – like a really good induction – customers also want a sense of belonging and caring in their club now. They will ask for particular instructors and trainers. “All our cardiovascular equipment includes integrated flat screen TVs, a choice of TV and music channels, and you can dock your i-Pod. We have a mix of cardiovascular machines, resistance-training circuit, free weights, and conditioning equipment.”

A fitness instructor at The Club and Spa at Hoole Hall.

Gym attracts cross section

The only Dreamwave meditation suite in the UK.

BEING part of a prestigious hotel means the club and spa attracts a good cross section of customers. Darren added: “Our visitors come from Liverpool, Manchester and North Wales, and many are drawn by Chester attractions like the aquarium, the zoo and the races. “We also have members from corporates like the Bank of America. From the hotel/day spa point of view, we have an increasing number of couples who want to do their own workouts and then meet up for dinner.” The bar and lounge area is where the club and spa meets the hotel and

the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill completes the indulgent experience. The hotel has recently celebrated another accolade when it was named the only UK establishment in a list of the world’s top 20 places to stay, as voted for by customers of online travel agent Travel Republic. The hotel’s general manager Tony Wright added: “We were over the moon to be recognised as one of Travel Republic’s top 20 worldwide establishments. Even more so as the accolade came from the people that matter the most – our customers.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Training GPs to refer to you By Nichola Curran IF you are looking for a new income stream then take some time to read through the following tips on how to get referrals from GPs, nurses, physios etc. What follows is a 10-step plan for you to adopt to increase your chances of developing partnerships and referral pathways: Step one: Familiarise yourself with how GPs are financially rewarded. GPs can sign up to something called the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOFs); it’s a voluntary reward and incentive scheme. When they reach certain targets, e.g. sign post smokers to cessation groups or record how physically active their patients are, they are financially rewarded. Scores are out there in the public domain and I would urge you to look them up and build them into your structured programme. Step two: Find out which conditions are most prevalent in your area. As stated in February’s article, you can go to the Public Health Observatories website (www.apho.org.uk) and look up the health profile of a particular post code; the profile shows how your area compares to the national average.

Focus your efforts on these conditions first. Step three: Talk to the practice manager. These are typically the people who hold the purse strings, not the GPs. Practice nurses are also a great way in as they see patients on a regular basis to offer lifestyle advice and will be more open to what you have to offer. Step four: Highlight the professionalism of your team. State the qualifications held by the trainers involved and the conditions they allow them to work with. Level three Exercise Referrals is the minimum requirement to be able to work with referred clients. If you are not familiar with the conditions covered there is a list of them on our website www.evolveleisure.co.uk Step five: Outline the programme and the results it brings. Show the client journey – what, when and where. Be clear on the results it will give, for example, a 12-week physical activity programme for adults aged 18 years + with Type two Diabetes to reduce weight and waist circumference, lower blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

Step six: Measure and Evaluate. Record data (biomarkers) on all those taking part. These will depend upon which conditions you’re going to work with, e.g. weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, depression scores, cholesterol levels etc. Decide whether to just measure at the start and end or include mid-way results too. Use the GPPAQ – it’s the GP’s equivalent of our PAR Q and forms part of their QOF targets so definitely worth using. Step seven: Signposting and exit pathways. Include signposting to other services such as smoking cessation groups. Will they filter into your mainstream membership? What is their next step? There must always be something for them to move onto once completed the programme. Step eight: Build links with physios. This could be a great referral pathway for you and a lot simpler than with GPs. Physios will want to see credentials of trainers and the Level four Back Pain course is perfect for this. Being able to speak to the physio on a clinical level is very important; understanding the assessment process and who you can and cannot help is essential to build trust.

Nichola Curran Step nine: Go and promote it! Step 10: Check out www.trainthenation.org Scott Hodson, has launched Train the Nation and needs your help to petition the Government to find ways for Local Authorities to work closer with fitness professionals to get Britain Active and deliver the Public Health Responsibility Deal. 10,000 names are needed so sign up today and let’s get our industry firmly on the map. Nichola Curran is director of Evolve Leisure and works with clubs, centres and fit pros who want to work with all types of clients, particularly those with medical conditions.

Match funding opportunity to activate the inactive

The luxurious Celtic Manor Resort has had a busy start to 2012 – refurbishing its two fitness suites at a cost of over half a million pounds. The refurbishment has seen the clubs install a range of new equipment, including a full range of Technogym Excite+ cardiovascular equipment and the supplier’s popular Wellness System, which allows members to have their own dedicated paperless training programmes. Olympic gold medallist Jason Gardener (pictured above) officially opened the refurbished facilities at Dylans Health and Fitness Club, with the second suite, Forum Health Club, opening later this month.

OPERATORS have been urged to take advantage of a new scheme which gives them access to match funding for training programmes. The programme, delivered by Sussex Downs College in partnership with the FIA, SkillsActive and the Sport and Fitness Employers Group aims to upskill workers and help staff to motivate inactive populations. Match funding is available on the following courses: L2 Award in Understanding Health Improvement. L3 Award in Adapting Exercise for Older Adults. L3 Award in Adapting Physical Activity for Older Adults. L2 Award in Community Activation.

L3 Unit – Enabling Individuals to Change Behaviour and Improve Health and Well-being while working as a Health Trainer. L3 Unit – Customer Service in the Sport and Active Leisure Industry. L3 Award in Adapting Physical Activity for Ante and Post Natal Participants. L3 Award in Adapting Physical Activity for People with Disabilities. L4 Certificate for the management of lower back pain. SkillsActive’s CEO Suki Kalarai said: “In these straitened economic times training budgets can often be the first thing to be cut so we’re especially pleased to be able help ensure those working in the fitness industry carry on learning.”

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20 SportArts

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UK FITNESS SCENE Flexible payment options and a successful fat loss programme are keeping members happy at an independent gym in Lancashire. Workout’s Helen Williams paid a visit.

Maggie Duckworth with gym manager Simon Dawes and instructor Alex Woodcock.

Fat loss programme is successful for Maggie MAGGIE Duckworth recently introduced the fat loss programme Biosignature Modulation at her Lancashire fitness centre – and she already has more than a dozen clients signed up. Maggie, who runs Intershape Fitness Centre in Colne, is one of the few people in the north of England who is qualified to practice this approach to weight loss. She said: “The system was developed by world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin. It’s a systematic approach to ‘spot reduction’ – losing unwanted body fat in specific locations.” The programme works by measuring 12 specific sites on the body. From the results, it is possible to work out what hormones need to be optimised and which supplements can be used to achieve rapid results in fat loss. An initial consultation including weighing, calipered measurements and hormonal profiling, costs £70. Mum to a 17-year-old daughter, Maggie has worked in fitness since leaving school but at the age of 30 embarked on a four-year degree in sports therapy at the University of Central Lancashire. She took over Intershape Fitness Centre, then called Natural Progression, two years ago. Maggie, whose partner is a competitive bodybuilder, added: “We have a smaller gym with a boxing academy, also in Colne, but we wanted to expand to keep the Intershape brand prevalent in Colne and really put our stamp on it. “When we took over what is now the fitness centre it was a bit tired and run down. We worked hard to get it into shape.”

The entrance to the gym at Intershape Fitness Centre in Colne and owner Maggie Duckworth tries out a piece of equipment. The fitness centre has a fully equipped gym, as well as a women’s only gym, and offers performance enhancing coaching, vibration training, TRX Suspension Training and personal training. It also houses an injury and rehabilitation clinic with two treatment rooms, offers discount supplements and accessories like lifting belts, and runs around 40 classes with the latest being Bokwa and pole fitness. Payment includes a ‘pay as you train’ option, membership of £32 a month or a £10 weekly pass. Maggie added: “That flexibility is important – I read somewhere that 15 per cent of the population don’t even

have a bank account. “The variety we offer is also in response to demand. We have two football teams in the area so the rehab clinic is important, and we also do a lot of functional training.” Women, she said, found it appealing that the centre was so female friendly and had social dimensions like a breakfast club and saunas in changing areas. The centre has 1,600 followers on Facebook and Maggie has found this a valuable channel for marketing. “We see the centre as being for everyone, men and women of all ages. We have put everything we have into it.”

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VIBRATION TRAINING

Power Plate International awarded REPs licence POWER Plate International has become become the first whole body vibration training manufacturer to achieve a REPs training provider licence. The licence, which covers all course offered by the Power Plate Academy, means fitness professionals can now earn CPD points when qualifying as a Power Plate trainer. Head of education Lars Harms said: “As a training provider it’s important we are affiliated with REPs as it shows instructors that we adhere to high standard teaching practices and it is important for instructors to have the opportunity to equip themselves with nationally recognised skills and qualifications. “The majority of instructors recognise the CPD points system and appreciate the need to continue their education and training, whether that’s as a Power Plate trainer, yoga teacher or exercise referral instructor. “Being able to award CPD points to those who pass our courses gives people an extra incentive to qualify as a Power Plate instructor.”

Rugby players benefit from using platforms By Christina Eccles A GROUP of French rugby players benefited from a sustained increase in power following vibration training on the Bodycore Pro platform, research has revealed. The research, commissioned by the French Rugby Federation and conducted by the Engineering Faculty for Physical Performance at Montpellier University, showed a development of power when plyometric training on the platforms, as well as an increase in strength and endurance Results also transferred from the laboratory on to the rugby pitch, with players having increased endurance capabilities during matches. There were also links between this increased endurance and the reduction/prevention of injuries, with the platforms, which work differently to traditional vibration training as they focus on large pure vertical movement only, found to be more natural in their movements. Dynamic activity distributes bodycore platforms to health and fitness facilities in the UK. Managing director Simon Wright said: “Bodycore platforms never exceed 0.9g, the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum speed for vibration training. During the Montpellier University

Research at Montpellier University showed a development of power from training. research programme the rugby players were never exposed to a g-force of more than 0.5g. Even so, the results were extremely positive. “That’s because the vertical drop, which ranges from 2mm to 30mm, accentuates the natural force of gravity. This vertical movement is proven to give the most effective results. It allows exercisers to carry load without risk as there are no lateral shearing forces on the joints. As such bodycore platforms lend themselves to any form of training already taking place in gyms. Exercisers can reduce the amount of weight they carry by up to

a third, perform the same exercises and still increase their strength and power, all in a quicker time.” During the experiment a force plate was added to the bodycore platform to measure the power achieved by the players and the reaction time and force achieved against the ground. Simon added: “The statistics, along with feedback from health clubs and their members, demonstrate that commercial operators can offer fast, effective and fun group or one-to-one functional training sessions that increase strength, power and overall conditioning up to 20 per cent faster.”

VIBRATION TRAINING

Small group training ‘great for retention’ By Christina Eccles SMALL group training can help independent gyms boost their retention figures by keeping members motivated, according to a gym manager who is running successful Power Plate classes in her club. Lichfield Health and Fitness Club has a room dedicated to vibration training, where staff run 14 classes a week, each holding four people. The room holds two Power Plate machines and during a class, two people are alternately on the plates while the other two are off them, doing work with equipment such as resistance bands and boxing gloves and pads. According to manager Jodie Morris, the classes have been great for retention – and results – with members enjoying the social side of meeting with the same group each time as well as the effects of the workouts. She said: “Most of the groups stick together, which keeps people coming in because they have that appointment. That’s really important for retention. “This is the way our club is going. Small group training is motivational and that interaction with the group and enjoyment factor keeps members coming back. We will probably follow this through [from the studio] in to the rest of the gym.” The club initially had to hold off introducing Power Plates because it is

The Power Plate room at Lichfield Health and Fitness Club. housed in a 200-year-old building, which couldn’t support the vibrations of some models. But the development of the Pro5 Air version solved that issue and the gym introduced two machines about two years ago, using them initially for one to one sessions before progressing into classes about six months ago. Jodie added she now plans to double the number of classes on offer, and advised other operators thinking of trying something similar at their

club how well it can work. She added: “If you have got plates already, this is the best way to utilise them to their full potential. “The level (of participants) really doesn’t matter. If you have a good instructor, they can adapt the class. But we know all of our members which is a massive advantage. “You have to persuade people to take part and encourage that interaction, but once they do, they are hooked.”

Payback in just six weeks with Gymkit UK’s Vplates FITNESS equipment specialist Gymkit UK have seen a rapid growth in the sale of their Vplate vibration range over the past 18 months. Many major club chains such as Energie Group, Village Leisure, DC Leisure, Parkwood Leisure and Competition Line have chosen Vplate over other recognised brands. Sleek design, quality of build and also fantastic value for money are making Vplate a serious choice for many savvy operators. The Vplate Pro is the cream of the crop, with twin motors, an industry leading warranty, and some unique features that many are saying set a new standard for vibration plates. Available in black, silver and now in ice white, the Pro comes with four pre-set personal trainer programmes. Each programme guides the user through a variety of exercises with on screen instructions for easy to follow workouts. The machines are also backed by the Vplate training academy, which runs REPS accredited training courses on site and which carry eight CPD points. Course director Dawn Fairey said: “The course is very practical. We show our students how to really make the most of the Vplates. How to integrate

G-Plate by POWRX

other gym apparatus such as kettle bells, resistance bands, med balls and TRX, so they create interesting, effective and challenging workouts for their clients.” The VPlate range is manufactured by GymKit UK, sister company to Health Clubs at Home Ltd. The company has one of the largest stocks of refurbished commercial gym equipment in Europe and are distributors for First Degree Fitness Fluid Fitness products, Teeter Inversion tables and Fit Interiors lockers systems.

WITH the recent advent of the new GPlate by Powrx, vibration training has landed for good. Features include: Adjustable air suspension – the GPlate has a three level adjustable air suspension, which means the user can choose a most tolerable vibration intensity and expect totally individualised training and significantly greater training progression. Whisper modus – due to the adjustable air suspension, the actual running noise of the machine has been reduced to almost zero. The 10 pre-set programmes are displayed in picture and text on an even bigger LCD display. Levels range from beginners to professional athlete. Wave modus – with this option the vibration frequency will change from a lower to a gradually higher setting. For more information contact 0844 330 1639 or visit www.powrx.co.uk

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ECO-FRIENDLY

When it comes to looking after the environment, some operators are leading the way, while others are still learning. In a special feature, Workout looks at how gyms can do their bit and why eco friendly measures can also mean big business for clubs.

Going green can save gym operators money

The 100 per cent airtight Extenzo stretch ceiling at Summerfields in Hastings.

AS well as being good for the planet, going green can benefit gyms for many reasons – from helping to educate members on how to improve their own environmental practices to actively saving operators money. One success story is not-for-profit trust Freedom Leisure, which achieved the Carbon Trust Standard in 2011 because of a continued commitment to looking after the environment. As part of this, all its centres have measured and managed carbon emissions to achieve a reduction of more than 4.2 per cent across the group in the past three years. Successful initiatives include the installation of LED lighting tubes, waterless urinals, optimum flushing toilets and Passive InfraRed sensors to control lighting in low usage areas. One of the ‘greenest’ sites is Summerfields in Hastings, which has seen a large reduction in carbon emissions since a refurbishment project improved its sustainabilty.

Replacing the pool ceiling with a new, 100 per cent airtight Extenzo stretch ceiling now allows air temperature to be maintained for a fraction of the previous energy cost. The centre has also fitted LED lighting tubes, which use one third of the electricity of the old sodium bulbs and last three times as long. Area manager Steve Parker leads on environmental policy and explained how the trust has achieved success in this area. He said: “Every Freedom Leisure site has an energy champion who looks after and manages the site environmental action plan and ensures a culture of optimising energy use. “We have ‘no shoes zones’ in the changing rooms. This reduces the need for intensive deep cleaning reducing chemicals, water and electrics. We have also put up signage around our centres asking members to let us know if we are wasting energy, if a shower is dripping or a tap is stuck for example. Continued on opposite page

ECO-FRIENDLY Continued from previous page. “We also aim to educate our customers about saving energy in their own homes. We have green tips on our notice boards explaining they can save energy and money, for example, the costs of using a tumble dryer and the benefits of natural drying.” Steve also told Workout how other gym owners can make improvements in their clubs – with anything from installing LED lighting into long use areas and changing shower heads to limit flows making a big difference. He added: “Clubs should ensure they know how much of each utility they use on a daily basis by monitoring and recording it. “Once they understand their usage they should operate the centre to the optimum for a 24-hour period. “This provides a bench mark to manage every day by. Set energy targets based on this and manage teams to achieve these targets. “Put in a traffic light system on your lights so staff don’t arrive and turn on all the lights in one go. Ensure you change your outside timers to reflect the clocks changing, changes in natural light levels and temperature rises.” Operators making successful changes have also stressed that measures do not have to be time consuming or expensive – and in fact they can even save clubs money. Steve added: “Green initiatives have

led to a saving of over £16,000 in 2011 in the Hastings, Rother and Wealden area alone. “In the same time period, savings of seven per cent on electricity, nine per cent on gas and four per cent on water were made across the group.” And at ladies’ only operator Ladyzone’s head office near Manchester, staff are doing their bit simply by recycling paper. The company joined the debate on Twitter adding: “We generate a huge amount of paper in head office so use a recycling company who pick it all up and turn it into loo roll etc... “It doesn't cost us anything and it does us a favour at the same time so it's win/win.” One organisation proving its eco friendly credentials is Oldham Community Leisure, which is working towards becoming the first leisure trust in England to adopt the Green Dragon Environmental Standard. The standard looks at the key principles of environmental management – continual environmental improvement, compliance with environmental legislation, pollution prevention and communication of environmental issues – and the process of improvement is being led by independent consultant James Foley of Your Consultancy UK. James said the trust was already doing well with the introduction of

“The cost of not embracing sustainable practices are severe, both from an economic and reputational perspective.”

FIA CEO Dave Stalker

Not just at home but in the gym FOR many years now our member sign-up process has been a fairly simple one with some key touch points – the main ones being club tour and walk-ins. But what about those who can’t come in? Are we missing a trick? That’s where the partnership between DW Sports and Ez-Runner begins… In 2008, DW Sports were looking for a more efficient sign-up process. EzRunner offered them the ability to sign their members up online allowing them to: Process a Direct Debit Online. Sign a ParQ. Agree the terms and conditions. Take payments. …All within five minutes, without the need for paperwork. Yes, the marketing strategy had to be tailored to the online service, but now you can target your prospects and gain their business 24/7. We are now in line with all the other businesses

cashing in on the online revolution. With the introduction of online memberships, does that mean we do away with a sales team? Absolutely not; as the saying goes “people buy from people”. But why can’t the sales team use the online sign-up process to make the whole experience that much simpler and quicker? With the current need for instant gratification, DW Sports operate a number of kiosks whereby the sales team, (once the pitch has been successful) will go through the process with the prospect, walk over to reception, take a photo, issue a card and get them on that treadmill! For more information contact 0844 847 5827 or email sales@ez-runner.com

If you held a Sport Relief event at your gym then Workout would like to hear from you. Email your stories and images to the team at ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or ring 01226 734463

Steve Parker

FIA CEO Dave Stalker

low energy lighting, a successful waste management and recycling policy and a sustainability award win for its flagship facility Chadderton Wellbeing Centre, all getting the process off to a successful start. Chief executive of OCL Stuart Lockwood added: “We recognise that our organisational activities, the services we deliver and the facilities within which we operate, have a significant impact upon the environment and we are committed to a process of continual improvement, embedded within our integrated Quality Management systems to create environmental improvement.” But gym owners who choose not to look at their environmental policies have been warned by the FIA that there could be strong implications for their clubs – with the association offering advice to those who are unsure how to get started. CEO David Stalker added: “The cost of not embracing sustainable practices are severe, both from an economic and reputational perspective.

“Many of our members are implementing green business plans and investing in environmental friendly practices as it is what is expected of them by their customers, society at large and investors – whether that is public or private sources of finance. “Some quick win initiatives include using green cleaning products, promoting energy awareness and encouraging customers to reuse their plastic water bottles. “However, it can’t stop at tactical interventions; operators have to examine every aspect of what they do and develop a culture that ensures that their staff keep this top of mind. “Advances in green technology mean new facilities are sourcing energy efficient infrastructure but there is always the option of following the concepts of supply and demand by reducing lighting and other stimuli outputs when there is lower demand. “Personally, I look forward to the day when my staff are pedalling under their desks to power their IT and lighting needs.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Extra P’s can be crucial By Chevy Kelly I HAVE just got a sense of how to turn 3,000 sq foot of floor space into over a million bucks (USD) annually, in a little fitness haven called Brick in Los Angeles, California, USA. Recently, I stepped off the plane in the US, with many UK industry colleagues, where the International Health Racquet and Sport Association (IHRSA) trade show was going on. Along with many of the crew that went to LA with the FIA group I had the chance to test out a lot of new kit at the show and was lucky to sample some of the gyms around town as well. There is no doubt that more than ever “High Intensity Functional Training” is the over riding phrase that is being banded around like nobody’s business. It was reflected in a lot of the new kit at the show as well. As a participant in this type of training myself (It may not look like it!) it was great when my colleague at CFM/Myzone, Steve Newell suggested getting down to a club called Brick for an early morning session. It was a cracker of a place and I knew from the moment I arrived we were somewhere great. Have you ever just walked into a restaurant, a car showroom, a hotel, an event or a generic music and computer shop whose name is also a fruit and thought…”These guys have really got something special here.” This was Brick all over. What is Brick made of? I might just dust off the old marketing

New water brand hits UK

A NEW pure water brand has hit the UK fitness market. Functional Water is microbiologically stable, has an optimal composition and is produced from 11,000 year old mineral water, using a unique electric and magnetic treatment method. Products include Oxysport, which can be used by bodybuilders and athletes with excellent results. Its composition is ideal to improve the quality of muscle tissue, to replace fluid and to restore pH levels to normal, all to aid recovery from exercise. Oxysport works as an ‘energy’ drink, but its positive effects are achieved not through chemicals, but more naturally, enhancing far better metabolism. Also available is SportpH, which increases the blood’s pH level, therefore enabling better oxygen uptake and enhanced, improved performance. The products do not contain any harmful or banned chemical and microbiological contaminants. For more information visit www.functionalwater.co.uk or call 07907461844.

text book to answer this one. Ever heard of the seven P’s of the services marketing mix? The four P’s are often talked about. Price, Place, Product, Promotion. The additional P’s are the Physical Environment, the Process and the People and in our game they often make the difference. Brick is a Cross-fit club. Whilst this isn’t a promotion for Cross-fit per se, it is a promotion for taking and/or creating some fundamentals and doing them well, which all clubs in any market can benefit from. It has hit its cap on membership but still do take income on pay per session and personal training. They also make money on secondary spend items including supplements, water and clothing. Physical Environment – When you walk through the unassuming entry you are met with a smile and a motivational atmosphere. Clean and slick, pumping music and plenty of banter amongst the trainers and the members. The members are having fun while working hard. An ambience of activity! (said like a true Tripadvisor amateur reviewer). What type of environment have you created in your club? Process – Our new visit and details are logged. Asked what our exercise history was and prescribed the best class. Like clock work the classes (full) rotate seamlessly on the hour. As we were 25 minutes early we were asked if we would like to purchase a pre workout drink, sit down and enjoy the free wifi and given a free towel. We

were introduced to who was taking our class. Ask yourself if you were to franchise your business would you have the systems and processes in your own club that a franchisee could easily replicate? People – These guys live and breath Brick. They love where they work, and if they weren’t trainers they were fitness participants. Even though they were tough trainers they had empathy with different shapes and sizes and personalities creating an inclusive environment. They were simply engaging and enthusiastic, results driven and most importantly had a sense of humour. Do your staff actively engage and inspire your members? Groundbreaking? Not necessarily. To me however, it was a lesson that if you do the basics well and choose the right people to do it, the rest will fall into line. I am under no illusion that Brick’s owner chose a great location with a mix of a low overhead/sq foot and good parking which all helps, however no longer is it a case of “If you build it they will come.” These days it is more “If you build it they will assess intimidation levels, own motivation levels, convenience, price, opening times and their own time to use it, they will check with spouse or pet that they would sooner be walking and of course your competition and then they MAY come…”. So when they do you better make sure you haven’t spilled your P’s! Chevy Kelly is MD of CFM/MYZONE.

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COMBAT

The newly-refurbished gym which is used by world boxing champion Nathan Cleverly.

Newly-extended club is a knockout Boxer signs deal with Jordan with its members Boxer Jordan Gill with Jordan Fitness director of education Allan Collins.

FUNCTIONAL fitness specialists Jordan Fitness have signed a sponsorship deal with young boxer Jordan Gill. Jordan, who turns professional this year at the age of 18, has already won a British title and will follow in the footsteps of his idol Prince Naseem Hamed by training at Sheffield’s prestigious Ingle Boxing Gym. Managing director at Jordan Fitness Emma Gosling said: “Jordan Gill already has 14 years of boxing experi-

ence and has an extremely promising career ahead of him. “Jordan Fitness is delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor Jordan with his training at Ingle Boxing. “We were impressed by Jordan’s boxing abilities, his unshakeable focus and drive, and also his outstanding academic accomplishments. “He will make a great ambassador for Jordan Fitness and a fantastic role model for young boxing enthusiasts.”

Franchise deals for Funky Pump AN innovative exercise class which mixes boxing moves with aerobic activity has taken steps towards becoming a national brand after securing its first franchise deals in Glasgow, Carmarthen and Llantrisant. Funky Pump Fitness classes are held in a nightclub setting – complete with a live DJ playing house music – and were established in Swansea in 2005 by young Welsh entrepreneurs Chris Ware and Jason Hole. The business has now grown to

over 35 classes a week in Swansea, Port Talbot and Llanelli and the first franchise was launched in September in Glasgow, closely followed by sites in Carmarthen and Llantrisant. Four more sites are planned in the next few months in Cardiff, Bridgend and Porthcawl. Jason said: “Now we have the franchise model in place we are ready to drive the business forward and continue to build on the brand. Our ultimate goal is to roll out Funky Pump across the UK.”

By Helen Williams WBO light-heavyweight world boxing champion Nathan Cleverly is among those who train at a newlyextended club in the south Wales valleys. Planet Fitness in Aberbargoed has a new 6,000 sq ft conditioning centre with an 18ft steel cage, 18ft boxing ring and full-size grappling area. The mixed martial arts conditioning centre has features such as a gladiator wall, power bands, hurdles and bungee. Owner David Jones said: “We decided to extend because there is nothing in this area, and we have a lot of fighters who were training, quite frankly, out of back street places. “There were also others who had to travel out of the area to go to specific classes.” Classes at the club include

The specialist area at Planet Fitness.

Zumba, Thai boxing and circuit training. The club has been in existence for 15 years but the expansion work was carried out around four months ago. There are now around 1,200 members with a 70/30 male/female split. The ladies’ suite has over 20 pieces of kit and includes a conditioning suite with Swiss balls, kettlebells, ab rollers, trx suspension, medicine balls and battling ropes. “We spent £60K on the work that has been done and really wanted to achieve the ‘wow’ factor – and I think we have done that,” said David, who is now looking for funding to add a mezzanine floor for Olympic lifting. He said the positive publicity surrounding Nathan Cleverly could only benefit the gym, adding: “He has been in FHM and Fighting Fit magazines.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

The new gym at The Full Contact Performance Centre and an artist’s layout of the site.

Good start for ‘marine fit’ gym By Helen Williams ROCHDALE residents are keen to get ‘marine fit’ judging by the warm reception to a new club, The Full Contact Performance Centre. The club opened early in March and quickly signed 250 members attracted by its mix of coaching in various forms of martial arts and its programme of strength, conditioning and fitness classes. Co-owner and head instructor Martin Stapleton has been in the fitness industry since 2006 when he qualified as a Royal Marines physical

training instructor, a course regarded as a world leader. Among other instructors is Simon Jackson MBE who teaches junior judo classes. He won gold medals in the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Paralympics and Bronze in the 2000 Paralympics. Exigo worked closely with the club on design and branding and provided a 3,000 sq ft grapple area with caged wall and wall pads, a 20-ft mixed martial arts cage, 20-ft competition boxing ring, and various punch bags. The brand also provided all benches and free weights, and re-conditioned CV equipment. Among highlights is a

four-lane sprint track and ‘intensity’ area with C2 rowers, ski-ergs, ropepulling machines, hand bikes and Jacob’s Ladder. The 16,000 sq ft club runs around 15 martial arts classes a week and ten fitness classes a week, including ‘marine fit,’ boxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Martin said: “We have a few amateur football and rugby players who want to take their game to the next level – and you can’t get that by just running on a treadmill. “There is also nowhere offering mixed martial arts between us and Manchester and we are in a good

location with plenty of space to expand.” The club promoted its opening with a Facebook campaign and a 20,000 leaflet drop. “We now have 800 Facebook followers and we’re planning two years ahead. We’re not in it for fly-by-night fads, because they don’t work,” added Martin, who offers a varied progamme including equipment like Kettlebells and Bulgarian bags. The club, which has one-month, six-month and 12-month membership options, also offers pay as you train sessions and martial arts only membership.

Scholarships to celebrate firm’s landmark birthday

A SWANSEA gym is celebrating the success of one of its personal trainers, who won gold at the Royal Logistic Corps Ski Championships. Anna Dupplow, a trainer at Simply Gym, won the medal after beating over 250 other skiers at the 2012 RCL Ski Championships held in Ruhpolding, Germany. Anna, who only started skiing about four years ago, is a member of the Territorial Army and skis as part of their team. She said: “I am so happy to have won the championships and to be a gold medal winner. I still can’t believe it. As a personal trainer I feel I can be an example to our members of how being dedicated and motivated to the sports you enjoy can enable you to achieve anything.”

PREMIER Training International is celebrating its 20th birthday by offering 20 free scholarships for people wanting to break into the health and fitness industry. The company, which is encouraging people to nominate their friends and family, will choose people with the best and most inspiring stories to win a place on its diploma in advanced personal training. The six-week course will be available at any of Premier Training International’s 30 venues throughout the country. CEO Debra Stuart said: “The popularity of personal training has been increasing year on year with more people choosing to enter this exciting and evolving industry.

“We want as many people as possible to nominate themselves or someone they know. “From school leavers, ex sporting stars and those who’ve left the forces and are looking to re-join civvy street, to your average person who’s tired of the corporate world and is thinking about a career change, what better way to celebrate our 20th anniversary than to open up our doors to 20 deserving candidates who might otherwise not have taken the plunge? “We’re really looking forward to seeing the entries come through and picking the most deserving candidates from across the country.” The winners will be announced on June 4, with courses beginning in July.

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Footballer reveals plans to expand online shop By Christina Eccles A PROFESSIONAL footballer has revealed plans to expand his online supplements shop and target independent gyms. League Two player Matt Fish owns MI Supplements with brother Adam and friend Ian Bengeyfield, starting the business as an investment for when his playing career is over. Matt, who has recently turned professional, previously played nonleague football, and at the same time qualified to become a personal trainer. He told Workout, when the opportunity came to get into the professional game he couldn’t turn it down, but wanted to keep a sideline business for when his playing days are over. He explained: “I wanted to stay in the fitness industry and hopefully build something for my future when my football finishes. “This is when I came up with the idea of starting my own online supplement company buying and selling products. “We are a year into starting and are going along nicely, considering we are running it part time. “Being in the football and fitness industry allows me to be in contact with many people who use supplements and promote our products and prices.” The business has got off to a suc-

Matt with business partner Ian Bengeyfield. cessful start, supplying directly to gymgoers and personal trainers and Matt added his aim now is to work more closely with independent clubs. He added: “We’ve grown through word of mouth, through friends and Facebook and now have a lot of regular customers through my PT work. We also sell to trainers who sell on to their customers. We are now looking

at independent clubs. “We want to aim towards the gym market and average gym user rather than bodybuilders because of the knowledge I have from personal training.” Matt is currently running the business from home but added eventually he would also like to get more stock and have dedicated premises.

Hopefuls buzzing over diet

Sports nutrition brand Maximuscle has agreed a sponsorship deal with champion boxer Amir Khan. The company will provide Amir with individually tailored nutritional support to complement his lifestyle, training and fight preparation for the next two years. Product and education specialist at Maximuscle Gareth Nicholas said: “Amir has an incredibly hectic schedule which means that for him, the nutritional support that he receives needs to be not only of superior quality, but must also be convenient and easy to use. After any tough workout it is important to get protein into the body as soon as possible.”

A GROUP of Britain’s Olympic hopefuls have been preparing for the upcoming Games by following a new diet, which involves taking a daily dose of honey. Three members of the GB canoe team, Jon Schofield, Liam Heath and Rachel Cawthorn, have been taking a spoonful of ultra potent Active Chilean Rainforest Honey each night before bedtime. According to researchers, the body burns more fat during the first four hours of sleep than it does during any other activity, including exercise. But foods rich in fructose, such as honey and dried fruits, may prolong the process if eaten the previous evening. If the new regime proves successful, more athletes in the GB Team are expected to follow. Expert nutritionist Clare Shepherd said: “These athletes will only benefit from its use in their preparations for the Olympics.”

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

The sale of nutritional products and advice can provide a useful secondary income for club owners and personal trainers. In a special column for Workout, trainer Steve Jack explains more.

Weight loss systems profits THE foundation of any health and fitness goal is achieved through effective programming – and the key foundation stone to it all is effective nutrition programming. The simple fact is abs are made in the kitchen, not the gymnasium. Nutrition accounts for 80 per cent of someone’s health and fitness goal – this is a huge statistic and one the health club industry sometimes pretty much ignores. Nutrition is the key foundation stone in weight loss hierarchy, however the challenge for many fitness professionals and certainly health clubs is that there is either a knowledge gap or systems gap in their approach with clients – or worse both. The bread and butter for any fitness professional or health club is having a repeatable system for helping clients lose weight, and lets face it this is the majority of the reason why people enlist our services or come to our facilities. The key point here is having a system, a proven repeatable way of doing this time and again that can give a guarantee on results. The second thing a fitness professional or health club needs is a delivery mechanism that can suit the needs of their client or member. This delivery mechanism needs to be adaptable according to the budget and personality type of the client or member. There are essentially three delivery

modalities for your expertise that both trainers and clubs can adopt to better serve their customers. 1. Demonstration of your expertise This would be developing training programmes your clients can access that allow them to not only do the exercise portion of your programming, but also access your nutrition programming as bundled into your package. This would mean from the nutrition side, a nutrition success booklet that goes through the elements and the steps of the nutrition programming step by step, as well as some face to face education. Now this demonstration of your expertise can be delivered privately one to one, or as part of a group, with group training templates, music, work rest protocols, but also nutrition protocols where trainers can leverage their time – and earn more money – by working with groups of people at the same time using functional training protocols, but the same nutrition system driving the member education. 2. Facilitation This essentially means facilitating people through behaviour change. Again this can be done either one to one or as part of a group. Once you have a nutrition system in place, you can work with groups of people taking them through the system step by step, solving issues, edu-

cating them of effective nutrition and how it links to health. Now the exciting thing about this for fitness professionals is that now with technology this can be done both live in a workshop series format, or equally, in an online workshop format. There are a number of trainers who, use power point templates, in depth nutrition education, videos of power points being delivered, access to customer manuals etc and a blue print to follow for trainers to be able to effectively work with groups of customers online walking them through health concepts and supporting them in their journey. 3. Explanation of your expertise Not everyone may want to work with a coach or trainer in order to achieve results. Many people would just like to access the content and work their own way through it in a self study programme. For these people you will want to create a product – a series of how to instructional resources that may include tapes, DVDs, a membership site or booklets – that take people through the process of your weight loss system. The beauty of this approach is that you don’t actually have to have any direct contact with people for them to access your material, and shipping and hosting content has never been easier these days with fulfilment

Steve Jack warehouses, online data storage facilities, or even easier for health clubs who have the capacity to hold stock. The key point is having the system developed as a self study programme opens up a new market and potential new set of customers. All this works fantastically once you have the foundations in place. Once you have the basis of your nutrition system, you can then adjust how you deliver it to your audience to reach more people and touch more lives. The latest thoughts on developing an effective nutrition system can be found on Steve’s website www.weightlosssystemprofits.com

New online course for professionals launched

Fitness model and USN ambassador Carly Thornton was among the guests at the recent IFBB/UKBFF Judges’ Seminar, held at an independent gym in Uxbridge. The seminar, which took place at Panthers Gym, explained new criteria and rule changes in relation to the competition. Carly said: “The seminar was extremely well organised and another positive step for the Federation as a whole.”

A NEW online course has been created for fitness professionals who want to expand their nutritional knowledge and skills. The certificate in Nutritional Advice for Physical Activity has been developed by Premier Training International and is Active IQ accredited. The course, which targets level two trainers, will explore a range of subjects relating to the components of food, from macronutrients to micronutrients, digestion, optimal sports nutrition and communication. Sales and marketing director at Premier Global Victoria Branch said: “We know that more and more people in the health and fitness industries are keen to develop their knowledge, skills and expertise. “However, with many already committed to client appointments and class instruction, flexible online courses such as this one offer the perfect solution. “They allow learners to progressively advance their individual careers, without impacting upon the client base and work that they already have.”

Victoria Branch

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Owner wants women to take part in 30-day trial By Christina Eccles A LADIES only gym owner is trialling a new weight loss and wellness supplement which will be unique to her clubs. Michele Elizabeth – who runs two gyms under the Felines brand in Burton on Trent and Sedgley – has been developing the Dream Figure product and told Workout she was ‘very excited’ by its launch because there’s currently nothing on the market like it. But before the product goes on sale, Michele is running a trial so women can sample it as part of a healthy eating and exercise regime – and she can monitor the results to see how well it works. She explained: “We are offering ladies the opportunity to come and take part in a 30-day trial where they must commit to the diet and exercise plans we give them and take the supplement daily. “We want them to record how they feel and we’ll be doing a weekly weigh and measure and offering additional e-mail and text support. Everyone taking part will be carefully monitored.” Michele, who took part in a figure competition for the first time last

year, said competing herself expanded her own knowledge and she was keen to share what she had learned with other women to help them lead healthier lifestyles. She added: “I learned so much when I was competing myself about nutrition and psychology and I needed to pass that on. “You can’t out train a poor diet – nutrition is at least 50 per cent of how you look. But sometimes ladies are guilty of saying ‘I’ve been to the gym so can eat whatever I want’ and reward their workouts with less healthy foods. “We are challenging that belief. We want to help ladies get out of this cycle and enable them to see that, if they can have discipline for 30 days, how it makes them feel to be in control and make the right decisions and choices.” Michele emphasised that she does not want participants to see taking the supplement as a ‘quick fix’. Instead she hopes it will encourage women to make time for workouts and healthy eating and use the product when they need a boost. “We are hoping through the process there will also be a lot of education going on. There will be a big emphasis on prioritising exercise and being

Power Plate recruits Amanda for scheme

Amanda Hamilton

NUTRITIONIST and TV presenter Amanda Hamilton has teamed up with Power Plate to offer clients a more well rounded approach to fitness and healthy eating. As the official nutrition partner for the brand, Amanda will be offering tips and advice to users through her online weight management programme – giving clients access to diet and exercise plans which combine healthy eating and Power Plate sessions to help them achieve their goals. The collaboration will also help clubs to generate useful secondary spend through Amanda Hamilton’s Pro-Affiliate Scheme. Affiliate studios can offer their members a free seven-day cleanse so they can trial the programme, as well as a discount on membership fees on sign up. Studios will earn commission for every client who takes advantage of this offer, creating an additional revenue stream. The Power Plate Studios in Harrods and Selfridges are the first to offer this new scheme, which will be rolled out across the UK in the coming months.

prepared with what to eat, for example, preparing lunch for the next day the night before. “We want them to take it for 30 days but after that hopefully they will be a lot better educated about exercising regularly and eating well.” The offer is also open to non members but Michele added gaining new memberships is not the reason for conducting the trial. “It’s all free. For 30 days, they will be a Felines member and we want them to come at least three times per week. “It would be a nice bonus (if they did sign up afterwards) but that’s not the drive for doing it.” Within a few days of starting to promote the offer in the clubs and online, Michele had already got about 10 ladies signed up, and she added as well as gaining useful research, she hopes the trial will also be fun. “We want to build a sense of community and for the women to share success stories and make it a positive thing. “It’s a proper trial – the results will all go towards making the product better. “It’s really exciting. It’s a huge thing for us as it grows the brand and is another step up for Felines.

Michele Elizabeth

Try our secondary spend challenge with a free station GYM operators are looking for innovative ways to increase profitable secondary spend and to improve membership retention and many have found the solution with the protein station from Go Protein. The revolutionary Go-Pro-Station is a new way to make and sell fresh whey protein and diet whey shakes and is installed for free. Head of UK sales Nick Mills is hearing operators telling him, it’s the most profitable secondary spend opportunity in supplements that’s come to the market in years. Margins are typically 80 per cent plus on shakes that retail for £1.50 and £2.00. Nick added: “The system has been designed by our own in house design team after extensive research and trials, specifically to store, blend and serve the best tasting and nutritious shakes available today. It’s a major breakthrough in the way protein shakes are made and served. “The Go-Pro-Station takes away all the hassle associated with blending protein shakes. It stores the product and allows you to blend fresh shakes in 10 seconds. “The eye catching unit looks great and drives incredible sales. Many operators have told us they have doubled and even tripled sales with the Go-Pro-Station, at margins that simply were not possible before.”

The company is so confident in the Go-Pro-Station that if it does not work for you within 30 days, it will give you your money back on unsold stock, no questions asked. For further information contact Go Protein on 01778-560868 or Nick directly on 07894-619686 or by emailing nickmills@goprotein.com

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PRODUCT NEWS

Gyms win with Your Zone VO2 metabolic assessments YOUR Zone delivers VO2 metabolic assessments to gym members at an affordable price. To have Your Zone in your gym is of no cost. Your Zone provides all advertising literature, pull up banners, posters and leaflets to put out on display for members. Gyms receive an income from having Your Zone on site, whether it’s one day, to one week with earnings ranging from £250 to a potential £750. Earnings over four visits a year

could range from £1,150 – £4,125. Why have Your Zone on Site? Generate extra income. No work involved for gyms. Bringing sports science to your gym floor. Advanced technology. Members find out unique information about their bodies. Helps members achieve their goals weight management / fitness / performance. For more information visit www.yourzonevo2.co.uk

Why install Wipepod? Platinum Hydrobuilder hits UK ARE you serious about improving cleanliness and hygiene within your facilities? If so, then the Wipepod could be exactly what you are looking for. Conceived from personal experience, the award winning Wipepod is the result of 10 years research and development. Inventor Jonathan was sick of having to hunt down the disinfectant spray bottle and paper towel in order to firstly, wipe off the sweat and grime of the previous user of the equipment and secondly, to ensure he left the equipment sweat and germ free for the next user. The Wipepod was released on to the market some three years ago and is now widely used throughout a massive range of different industries. The wall mounted Wipepod not only looks very professional, it looks at home in all environments and further enhances your organisation’s commitment to ensuring clients find the equipment the way you would like them to find it – germ free. For more information contact 0845 370 0030 or visit www.thehygienecompany.com

OPTIMUM Nutrition has launched Platinum Hydrobuilder – an all-in one muscle constructor with an easy mixing, augmented protein formula. Hydrobuilder is designed as an ideal complete post-exercise shake, helping to improve recovery and construct lean muscle with added creatine, taurine and amino acids. ON EMEA managing director Seb Mullin said: “Platinum Hydrobuilder is our latest and most advanced supplement for those pursuing ambitious muscle size and strength goals. “In this crowded marketplace we’re very proud of our reputation for consistent quality which is assured by retaining hands-on control over every step of the manufacturing process.” Platinum Hydrobuilder is available to buy from the ON store, priced at £43.99, and comes in two delicious flavours, chocolate shake and vanilla bean. For more information visit www.optimumnutrition.com

Chris to be keynote speaker FURTHER details have been announced for the FIA’s annual Flame conference, which takes place this summer in Sheffield. This year’s keynote speaker will be Chris Ryan, a member of the ill-fated Bravo Two Zero patrol in Iraq during the First Gulf War, who will share his story of escaping capture and trekking 200 miles through danger to safety. Customer experience guru, Shaun Smith will also be addressing dele-

Jordan Fitness launches new functional website FUNCTIONAL fitness specialists, Jordan Fitness, have launched a new website as part of their continued customer service investment programme. The site has been designed for the benefit of customers and distributors. With a wealth of full product information, it also contains stunning images, a social media feed and up to date news stories including new products and articles. The website is also the shop window for a bespoke new order processing and customer database system, which forms part of Jordan Fitness’ wider customer service and order fulfilment

strategy. Managing director Emma Gosling said: “Jordan Fitness is a leader in the supply of quality commercial grade equipment, facility design and training of correct techniques to get the most from our equipment. “The new website and in-house systems provide an enhanced experience for our customers and distributors. “We have comprehensive information on the website and an efficient order fulfilment system that will reduce overheads and keep our prices competitive.” To find out more visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk

gates, sharing his insights on how to turn a standard brand into a winning one. The event will be held at the Magna Centre on June 27, with the Flame Awards taking place that evening at nearby Ponds Forge. A golf day and pre-conference reception will be held the previous day at Tankersley Park Golf Club and Tankersley Manor.

Johnson Health Tech UK has promoted Chris Austin to the position of sales director. Chris, who joined the company in 2010, was previously sales director for Johnson’s retail sales division, responsible primarily for the Horizon Fitness and Vision Fitness brands. He has now been tasked with directing the commercial sales operations and developing the regional sales team, while also creating a unified sales approach across the two divisions of the business.

Firm launches new site THE creators of MYZONE have launched a new website to help customers get to grips with the benefits of using the product. The site www.myzone.org has been designed to ensure when users finish through the enquiry tab, they have followed the journey of how it can help them and their business. Creator Dave Wright said: “The science behind how MYZONE works is incredibly complex, however we

wanted to make sure our website was as easy to understand as our user interface and client software. Ensuring all areas of the MYZONE website were customer-focused made this process a lot easier. “Gym operators are busy people and want to be able to make informed choices. Viewing the products available and seeing how they can work for their business was a must for this site.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Sally Gunnell with Abbeycroft Leisure staff and representatives from Matrix Fitness.

Gold medallist opens new gym OLYMPIC gold medallist Sally Gunnell has opened a new quarter of a million pound gym at Abbeycroft Leisure’s Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre. Sally’s appearance was a highlight of the centre’s open weekend, during which the local community could try out the new gym facilities and classes. The gym, managed by Abbeycroft in partnership with St Edmundsbury Borough Council, features 110 pieces of the latest gym equipment from

Matrix Fitness. Abbeycroft’s fitness manager Matt Hickey said: “The new gym and Matrix Fitness kit is already proving a hit with members and was designed from their wish list of equipment. “As a leisure trust and social enterprise, Abbeycroft Leisure ploughs all profits made back into providing health and fitness and this has allowed us to provide this fantastic facility.”

Council agrees deal with SLM DAVENTRY District Council is to enter into a 10-year contract with SLM for the management of its leisure facilities. The company will take over the running of Daventry Leisure Centre,

Daventry Sports Park, the New Street tennis courts and sports pitches at Fishponds, Headlands and The Hollows. The contract is scheduled to start in July.

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CLASSIFIED EQUIPMENT

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CLASSIFIED EQUIPMENT

HYGIENE

FINANCE

BELTING

MIRRORS

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CLASSIFIED DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTIONS

LOCKERS

AUDIO VISUAL

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CLASSIFIED CLOTHING AND MERCHANDISE

SOFTWARE

SUNBEDS

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CLASSIFIED INSURANCE

SUPPS & NUTRITION

SUPPS AND NUTRITION

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MARKETING

FLOORING

TRAINING

MANAGEMENT

FOR SALE

WANTED

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What is Vintage Training? By Allan Collins VINTAGE Training is a relatively new term to many in the fitness industry, but basically describes the concept of physical culture that emerged in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Physical culture schools were founded in many countries including Russia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, England, America and Australia to name a few; these schools developing as a result of the growing issues stemming from the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent inactivity of proportions of the population (particularly the middle classes), which was leading to an increase in sedentary conditions and diseases (sound familiar?). Schools of physical culture became the template for today’s gyms and fitness centres, and the common tools used by many of these systems were the key ingredients in today’s concept of functional training, including dumbbells, barbells, ropes, kettle-

bells, medicine balls and Indian clubs. Combat training using boxing and wrestling still formed part of the fitness systems practiced. Eugen Sandow, one of the most famous vintage trainers, created the Institute of Physical Culture, a gymnasium for bodybuilders, in London in 1897; he trained King George V; he wrote a monthly magazine and a number of books; he invented patented exercise machines and had his own range of dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells; and he even produced his own fitness drink called Sandow’s Health and Strength Cocoa! His physique was considered the epitome of masculinity and strength, and he was photographed many times and replicated in statues, mimicking the ‘ideal’ male proportions of statues created by such classical artists as Michaelangelo. Over the years, the concept of improving health through lifting weights, demonstrating integrated strength and power with ‘feats of

strength’ and a principle of lifting weights through specific movement has come to underpin the basics of functional training. Rather than training by muscles (arm, hamstring exercises etc) all of these muscles would be trained if all the movement patterns were worked, therefore allowing the muscles to take care of themselves. The principles, equipment and methods that worked so well in improving the health, physique and performance of clients a hundred years ago can still achieve results in athletes today. Vintage Training is being incorporated by many trainers today with both unusual exercises, such as the Barbell Turkish Get Up, Windmill, one hand Snatch, Bent Press and Side Press. Dumbbell Dead Swings, Vintage Press, Vintage Supine Press, Get Up Sit Up and the two Hands Anyhow are further examples of how ‘old school’ exercises are gradually finding their way back into mainstream training because they are great

UPHOLSTERY

BADGES

SAUNAS

ID CARD SUPPLIES

Allan Collins for strengthening, mobilizing, working the core and fit into our concepts of modern functional training. Allan Collins is director of education at Jordan Fitness and author of the Complete Guide to Functional Training.

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