Workout April 2015 by Script Media

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April 2015

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

Bodypower Expo set to be biggest and best

Nutritionist calls for junk food at till points ban By Christina Eccles THE government should make the deliberate placing of unhealthy foods at retailers’ till points illegal, according to a nutritionist, who claims having crisps, sweets and chocolate displayed in such prominent positions is undermining the public’s efforts to be healthier. Mel Wakeman, a senior lecturer in nutrition and applied physiology at Birmingham City University, has sent letters to stores including Marks and Spencer, Asda, Sainsbury’s Local and WHSmith, urging them to follow the example of Aldi, which banned all confectionery from their checkouts in January, following a trial of displaying healthier options of fresh fruit and nuts. She explained: “If the government has banned cigarettes from being on display, it’s about time the same principle was applied to unhealthy snacks which we can see are having a direct impact on our NHS services. “As a nation we should be reducing much of the added sugar in our diet but we need help to do this. Being constantly tempted to pick up junk food at the checkout is undermining our efforts to be healthier. “The UK is in a captive junk food market and stores need to have more social-

ly responsible marketing policies that don’t encourage unhealthy impulse buys.” Mel has received responses from Marks and Spencer, Asda and WHSmith, but is yet to receive a reply from Sainsburys. She added: “WHSmith said they train their staff to never offer promotions repeatedly to regular customers or to anyone who has made it known they do not wish to be advised about such promotions. Can someone tell me how a WHSmith cashier would keep track of if a customer is regular and if they have previously requested to not be told about unhealthy till point promotions? “We need the government to better protect the future of the British public and for the facts about obesity to be realised. “Children and teenagers are now consuming around 40 per cent more added sugar than the daily recommended allowance and we’re now seeing diabetes, high blood pressure and signs of heart disease in young children.” What do you think? And what role does the fitness industry have to play when it comes to educating members about nutrition and healthy eating? Contact us via Facebook or Twitter or email your views to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk

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Over 80 health, fitness and nutrition exhibitors will be showcasing their businesses at the upcoming Be:Fit London show. The show takes place from May 1-3 at the Business Design Centre in Islington and will also include the chance for visitors to take part in the latest fitness classes from the likes of Barry’s Bootcamp and BOOMCycle. There will also be inspirational talks from leading experts including Olympic athletes Becky Adlington and Denise Lewis and live demonstrations in The Total Greek Yogurt Kitchen with celebrity chef Sophie Michell.

THE countdown has begun to the 2015 BodyPower Expo, with a record number of fitness enthusiasts already purchasing advance show tickets. With the audience set to break the 70,000 barrier and the show occupying new, bigger halls in the NEC this year, 2015 is being billed as the biggest and best event to date. CEO and founder Nick Orton said: “My business talks are called “Think Big” and that’s exactly what we had to do when I started BodyPower with my team. We’re now the fifth largest consumer event in the UK, and I believe that we continue to improve the show year on year. “We go to great lengths to ensure our visitors come away from the show inspired, and I think the show creates a really unique atmosphere that is driven by the enthusiasm of our visitors, the quality of our exhibitors and by the countless stars that come to the show.” Current Mr Olympia Phil Heath, Mr Olympia 212 Flex Lewis, Commonwealth gold medallist Zoe Smith and worldfamous wrestler Hulk Hogan are among those set to attend. Look out for our full preview coming up next issue.

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Industry veteran Shaun retrains as personal trainer By Olivia Taylor A FITNESS industry veteran has retrained as a personal trainer at the age of 52 to offer his knowledge and expertise to the people of Harrogate. Shaun Hallett first started working in the fitness industry in 1983 and since then has worked his way up the ladder, with corporate and managerial roles at leisure centres and football clubs. In the summer of 2014, Shaun retrained as a PT and gained qualifications in nutrition so he could give clients all round advice. He said: “One of the real motivations to actually do it was that I wanted to start enjoying my job again. I’ve never really had a role where I make a direct impact and it’s really stimulating. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.” Shaun’s original plan was to target a more mature audience but his clientele ranges from the ages of 18-60. He added: “It hasn’t quite worked out the way I planned it to, but these things never do. There is no set formula.” Shaun's clients are given the opportunity to train in a gym environment or at home and with his social media account and website crammed full of information on training and diet, they are given the knowledge as well as the results. Shaun added: “Personal training is like any other thing, if you’re professional and knowledgeable, people will

Shaun Hallett stay. I’ve seen the industry evolve. Nobody used to have any idea about using weights, they were just for the big guys, but I like to show ordinary people the importance of lifting.” Shaun has also become a valued ambassador for ptonthenet.com – a website that allows personal trainers from across the world to share their knowledge with each other. He added: “They wanted an ambassador and amazingly they picked me. I’m really enjoying it. It’s been really exciting so far.”

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: ce@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

TRIBE Team Training’s UK partner FitPro has selected a group of fitness professionals to become the brand’s first UK master coaching team. The six ambassadors, from FitPro’s trainer team and health clubs where TRIBE Team Training has been trialed, underwent intensive master coaching in all five of the small group personal training programmes at FitPro’s headquarters in East London. Coaching director at TRIBE Team Training, Sue Richard, said: “Our research, education and development team ensure all TRIBE programmes, which are put through a rigorous trial process before being released every seven weeks, reflect the latest research and industry trends. Our coaches meet with each team member on a regular basis so they can apply the coaching system and tailor the programme to suit each individual client.” Advertising Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry

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Sales manager: Daniel Lloyd Tel: 01226 734699 dl@scriptmedia.co.uk Assistant sales manager: Chris Hartley Tel: 01226 734709 ch@scriptmedia.co.uk

Editorial Group Editor:

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Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Editor: Christina Eccles Tel: 01226 734463 ce@scriptmedia.co.uk Reporter: Olivia Taylor ot@scriptmedia.co.uk Group production editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

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Gym installs new ‘green’ kit to create electricity GYM users at K2 Crawley have been doing their bit for the environment after the club installed a ‘green’ range of cardio machines on a 12 week trial basis. The gym – operated by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Crawley Borough Council – has installed 10 SportsArt ECO-POWR cardio machines including two treadmills, two cross trainers, one pinnacle cycle, two recumbent bikes and three upright bikes. The cycles are all self-generating and require no electricity to operate, while the treadmills and cross trainers are carbon footprint-conscious and use far less electricity than traditional machines. Freedom Leisure centre manager Nyssa Jackson said: “We love a new idea here at K2 Crawley and the Eco-Powr range seems both novel and practical. “The idea is simple: the bikes are plugged into a power outlet and the human energy expended during a workout is captured and converted to electricity which we can use to power other aspects of K2 Crawley: it’s a brilliant idea.”

Wellness centre opens at Village’s Spa Hotel By Christina Eccles THE SPA Hotel at award winning Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire has opened a new wellness centre, where visitors can gain advice on everything from food allergy testing to weight management programmes. Spearheaded by John McIlwham, Ribby Hall Village’s senior manager for health, safety and wellness, the project has been in the pipeline since the hotel opened in 2011. Working with Wellness International, The Wellness Centre aims to help clients identify and understand any underlying health issues and its specialist team of doctors, physiotherapists, personal trainers and lifestyle coaches will stay with the client beyond the initial assessment. John explained: “Looking after our visitors holistically has always been of paramount importance. “When we opened The Spa Hotel back in 2011 I envisaged we would one day offer dedicated wellbeing packages and therapies and taking the time to find the right expertise to partner with us was fundamental. “I’m therefore delighted that we’re now working with Wellness International Ltd. “In today’s often manic world we

Adrian Lofthouse, director of operations – Wellness International Ltd; Tricia Kalloo – CEO of Wellness International Ltd; Lorna Macleod – SPA manager at Ribby Hall Village; John McIlwham – senior manager, health, safety & wellness at Ribby Hall Village; Wendy Griffin, nutritionaltherapist, Wellness International Ltd. want to encourage our clientele to be mindful of their health and wellbeing, and we firmly believe with the combined expertise of our highly trained therapists together with the clinical and expert nutritional advice provided by Wellness International Ltd, that our all-new wellness suite is the perfect place to provide this. “This is an extremely exciting time for The SPA Hotel and it’s wonderful to be able to offer our spa clientele something new and extremely beneficial to their holistic health for 2015.”

Spa manager Lorna Macleod added: “There’s a direct correlation between what we eat, the appearance of our skin and also our overall health and wellbeing. So not only are we providing our spa guests with the facilities to take time out and hit the pause button on their daily routines, we are also encouraging them while they are here to explore and learn more about their overall health and wellbeing, and how our spa treatments and new nutritional packages can deliver measurable health benefits.”

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Clubbercise hosts event CLUBBERCISE has held its biggest ever event in Newcastle, as part of Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign. The lights were turned off, the volume turned up and BBC Apprentice star Katie Bulmer-Cooke got the 300 strong crowd in the mood for a party with a club-inspired aerobics session. Event organiser Kerry Nesbitt said: “Clubbercise is different from anything else in the fitness industry, it’s all about the experience. The unique atmosphere of a nightclub, teamed with high energy, easy-to-follow routines with glow sticks. We felt that it fitted perfectly with what the This Girl Can campaign is all about.” An artist’s impression of how the £4m sustainable sports centre may look.

Sports centre planned for Penryn Campus PLANS for a new £4m sports centre for students, staff and the local community at the Penryn Campus have been announced by the University of Exeter, Falmouth University and the Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union. Subject to the necessary planning consent, the new facility will include a 700sqm four-court sports hall, which will be suitable for hire as a multi-use venue, a 350sqm gym with up to 90 stations and a 150sqm fitness studio and changing rooms. The building will also be sustain-

able and it is hoped that a 50-place nursery will be incorporated into the design, subject to additional funding being agreed. Sport and recreation manager of the Penryn Campus Fitness Centre Simon Court said: “A quarter of our existing gym members are local residents with no other connection to the universities and we will continue to offer external memberships with our relocation to the new Sports Centre and increased capacity. “The new sports hall will also be

accessible to local groups, subject to the timetabling of student-related activities, and in particular, during the five months outside the academic year when students are off campus. This is good news for sport, for Cornwall and for us all.” Following a four-month design and build tender process, Midas are the preferred contractor. Subject to successful negotiations over the design detail, specification and cost, and planning consent, it is hoped that construction will begin in the summer.

‘Fairway Fit’ challenge GOLFER Ian Poulter’s IJP Design brand is challenging people to get ‘fairway fit’ in 30 days. The concept is suitable for both golfers and non-golfers and involves completing a series of daily exercises in the timeframe, designed to achieve results while also promoting a healthy lifestyle. Participants can download the Fairway Fit calendar and take part in the challenge alongside IJP Design ambassadors, who include top 20 ranked Ladies European Tour star Hannah Burke and 2013 Wales Senior Open winner Phil Golding.

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Kids aren’t doing enough exercise, research claims By Christina Eccles

Tracy Davies

Tracy wins Gym Ironman event SUPER fit gym member Tracy Davies has added to her achievements by winning another fitness event. Tracy – a member at Fitness First Clapham Junction – won the Gym Ironman event held at Wildmoor Health Club and Spa in Stratford Upon Avon. The event, attended by competitors from all over the UK, saw entrants competing in a series of punishing disciplines without any recovery including running, rowing, treadmill, cycling, bench press, shoulder press, bench jumps and sit ups.

Tracy, who won last year’s Ultimate Gym Athlete (female) and Fit Brit run by Men’s Fitness magazine and Fitness First, set a course record, after working with World Gym Challenge founder Sean Blyth as her coach. She said: “I’m over the moon to have got first place after preparing specifically for three months with Sean. “Working hard to achieve a good time has seen me train continually in the gym with this as my focus and I smashed my PB by 1 min 45 secs. This was the event I wanted to win as I came second last year.”

MANY children aren’t exercising enough, according to research commissioned on behalf of Tom Tom, which revealed 80 per cent of parents with kids aged five to 18 say their children do less than the NHS recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day. Results showed 96 per cent of parents surveyed consider physical activity important for the overall development of children and 72 per cent agree that kids should start to be physically active before their fourth birthday. However the survey also revealed that there are several barriers to achieving this. Cost was cited as the biggest barrier by 32 per cent, along with laziness (26 per cent), lack of time (25 per cent) and lack of facilities in the local area (16 per cent). The research coincides with the launch of TomTom’s Be Active programme in the UK, which will see the company supporting Kid’s Run Free, a charity that organises fun running activities for kids in local parks and schools to help instill active lifestyle habits at a young age.

Co-founder of TomTom, Corinne Vigreux, said: “The long term health benefits of being active from an early age are well known. “Research also shows that the more physically active children are, the better they do academically. “So, we are proud to launch our Be Active programme in the UK and to support Kid’s Run Free. “We are committed to helping this worthy cause grow and expand across the UK to help get more kids moving and have fun doing it.” Founder of Kids Run Free, Martine Verweij, added: “Having TomTom as a national sponsor is an amazing opportunity for us. “We are passionate about getting children active and have found TomTom to value this same passion. “Together we will bring more running events to children across the country, either in their local communities or directly into their schools giving them more opportunity to engage with sport and physical activity on a regular base. “We want children to learn that sport is fun and help them to become happier, healthier and more confident children and take this into their adult lives.”

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3d Leisure invests in concept LEISURE management contractor 3d Leisure has partnered with London based PT studio W10 Performance Gym to assist with its current operations and future roll out plans. The investment from 3d Leisure has come at an exciting time for W10, which aims to expand the brand to open four clubs over two years. Founder and coach at W10, JeanClaude Vacassin, said: “We are extremely pleased to be working with 3d Leisure who will be assisting us with our future development plans. “We currently have a very successful programme running at W10 with extremely happy members who are seeing results coming through sooner than they ever expected. “ We have ambitious plans for 2015 in which we aim to roll out the next W10 site in central London offering the same personal service and results based training methods that we currently employ. “It was essential for us to partner with a company that shares our vision on how fitness services can be delivered in a personal and results based way.”

PT Nick opens studio to meet one-to-one training demand By Olivia Taylor EXPERIENCED personal trainer Nick Lane has recently opened his first studio after seeing a demand for more one to one training in his local area. NLFitness opened its doors to the public last month following a successful open day, which attracted just over 100 people. Nick said: “We’re quite a small facility, so it was really nice to get that kind of support. Opening this place has always been something that I’ve been keen to do. ” The 1,000sq. ft. personal training studio is located in Tavistock and gives members the correct tools and guidance they need to make a healthy change to their lives. Nick added: “The main reason I started the company was to see people coming and changing their bodies. They just turn up and put the work in, everything else we do for them.” Nick, who is qualified in fitness and nutrition, trains people from all walks of life from teenagers to pensioners. He added: “We’re about getting normal people in and training them like athletes.” The team at NLFitness concentrate on the one to one and small group training elements. The facility provides personal training, group train-

NLFitness opened its doors in Tavistock recently. ing and evening and morning fitness classes to its members. Nick added: “We want to give the gym a community feel, so that when people do train with us they can support each other. “It’s a lot more one to one work with

more of a focus on performance and movement. Training doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous, it can be fun and exciting. “We want to teach people how to do the basics, but how to do the basics well.”

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FitPro LIVE 2015 set to ‘redefine limits’ FITPRO LIVE is returning to ExCeL London this July, with an educationfocused event designed to inform and inspire the industry. This year, the two day event coincides with FitPro’s 25th year and will include workshops and masterclasses written and presented by leading educators, covering everything fitness professionals need to know for the year ahead: from the very latest in 2015’s top trend – bodyweight training – to new group exercise programmes from MOSSA, ViPR and TRIBE Team Training. Leading experts will also cover ways to treat clients based on their individual needs to develop specialist knowledge. Other sessions will put delegates through their paces with Olympic lifting and mind/body fusion masterclasses and there will also be business workshops on topics such as capitalising on social media and running an

online business. Presenters at the event will include star of The Apprentice Katie BulmerCooke, fitness media and branding expert Jon Lipsey and founder of Smash the Fat, Sam Feltham. Exhibitors will also showcase the industry’s latest products and services in the LIVE zone. FitPro co-founder and director Jane Waller said: “FitPro LIVE is continuing its heritage of providing instructors and personal trainers with the latest knowledge and access to world-class educators within the fitness industry. “In 2015 we are also capitalising on the success of last year’s larger event, which saw 2,500 individuals attend to ‘break the rules’, by focusing squarely on education. “As a solutions provider for clubs, centres and fitness professionals, we are keen to provide a rich vein of educational information that PTs and instructors can tap into.”

Hotel wins prestigious award Worthing Leisure has signed up its 10,000th FIT4 gym member – Sam Baker. To celebrate the milestone, Sam was awarded a complimentary FIT4 membership by coun Clive Roberts. Chief executive for South Downs Leisure Duncan Anderson said: “Watching the leisure venues move from strength to strength with new facilities and equipment and now reaching 10,000 members has been a truly remarkable achievement which has bucked the national trend in fitness. I am also excited to announce that as from May 1, Worthing Leisure will officially become a trust and its name will change to South Downs Leisure.” Coun Clive Roberts is pictured with 10,000th member Sam Baker.

THE Gleneagles Hotel has picked up an award at the prestigious Tatler Spa Awards 2015. Honoured alongside five other world-class spa resorts, The Spa by ESPA was singled out from 67 nominees as the perfect place to relax, unwind and revive.

General manager of The Gleneagles Hotel Bernard Murphy said: “We are thrilled to have won the Tatler Spa Award 2015 Mojo Makeover Award. “It’s a fantastic honour for both The Gleneagles Hotel and its hardworking team of spa and wellness professionals.”

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Pontypool gym looks to expand following rise in membership By Christina Eccles

Cycling stars including Olympian Laura Trott (pictured above) came out in force to support the 2015 launch of the Matrix Fitness Pro cycling team. The event, held at Staffordshire University, saw the full complement of riders in attendance, along with team manager, Stef Wyman, plus representatives from the team’s backers, including title sponsor Matrix Fitness. Stef said: “We are starting with a fantastic line-up of riders this year. Motivation is high as the riders are keen to get out and race and they are all more than ready to take on the challenges ahead. With both experienced riders and new talent on board, I truly believe that we will be able to make our mark in pro territory.”

Training provider recognised LIFETIME Training has scooped the Training Provider of the Year award at the TES FE Awards. The Bristol based training provider has 7,000 learners in the fitness sector alone. Managing director – active leisure division at Lifetime Training Michelle Hyatt said: “This award win is a real step-up for Lifetime.

“Winning a national award of this stature showcases our continued commitment to both our employers and our learners and recognises the abundance of successes we’ve achieved for them to date. We plan to maintain this momentum by strengthening our team, improving our customer resources, and building on our bespoke services.”

A GYM in Pontypool is looking to expand after seeing its membership almost double in less than two years, following a major refurbishment. Fighting Fit Gym, a registered charity which opened just under a decade ago, is now hoping to spread into a purpose built new gym – almost in touching distance of the existing facility – to help accommodate the 500-plus people who use it every week. Secretary Jo Draper said: “Space in our existing facility is extremely scarce. “To meet our charitable objectives, we have to create a larger space to be able to keep our prices accessible, while providing a facility and a level of service that ensures we remain a sustainable business. “Operationally, this will provide a new safer space for our existing members, with people signing in to the existing gym and walking 25m down to the new building.” Facilities at Fighting Fit currently include three fully accessible floors offering a family and female-friendly fitness room, weights and training

room and dance studio. Classes include Taekwondo, kick boxing and metabolic conditioning classes, while the studio is also used by other organisations such as Bron Afon Housing Association, which runs an access to work group. Since the refurbishment, the gym has taken on two full-time strength and conditioning and fitness instructors, two part-time front of house receptionists and a team of nine volunteers including martial art instructors. The original premises were refurbished with the aid of more than £61,000 from the South East Wales Community Economic Development programme in April 2013, with SEWCED now also lending its support to the club’s latest expansion plans. Jo added: “The SEWCED award was the anchor in securing all the funding required in our previous capital works, the projections and targets for which we achieved within half the allocated time. “We have great plans for our centre and aim to continue to bring affordable and accessible recreation to people in the Pontypool area.”

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Welcome to WorkOut Weigh In – it’s your chance to have your say and share your views on industry issues. You can email us at ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.

This month’s top Tweets... @LKB_PR: It’s great to see @Bootcampukcom and @Kettfusion in the March issue of @WorkOutUK alongside other great fitness brands and fab content.

Picture of the month

DON’T forget you can also keep up to date with all the latest news on the 2015 National Fitness Awards by following us on social media. Like the Workout Facebook page at www.facebook.com/workoutmagazine or follow us on Twitter @WorkOutUK or @FitnessAwards You can also find out more about the event – and enter your club online – by visiting the dedicated awards’ website www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk

@CreateabilityUK: Cutting from @WorkOutUK on our redesign of #Cwmbran Stadium which will bring ‘new revenue and activity to the centre.’ @DazFitUK: Nice review for @Kettfusion in @WorkOutUK. Well done Michael. @GregDalg: Always look forward to workout arriving each month @WorkOutUK #workoutmagazine #gym

Over on our Facebook page we were getting into the St Patrick’s Day spirit by encouraging clubs to send us pictures of their themed events. One gym taking part in the celebrations was The Fitness Factory in Stourbridge which held a St Patrick’s Day Zumba session, attended by over 25 members. Participants dressed in green and joined instructors Gemma Calvert and Diane Wassell in an Irish inspired class, dancing to songs by the likes of Westlife, U2 and B*witched.

A Bannatyne’s gym member from Inverness has celebrated his 50th birthday in style with a charity night to raise money for Children with Arthritis. James Macdonald, who is himself an arthritis sufferer, raised more than £6590 for the charity after organising a fundraising night to celebrate turning 50. General manager Gary McRobert said: “We were more than happy to help James advertise his fundraising event. James is a popular member of the health club and his determination to raise money for a cause close to his heart is something to be admired.”

Editor’s Comment

@FitnessAwards: We’re looking for previous NFA winners and finalists to appear in @WorkOutUK. If you have a story from your club, let us know more! @_ActionPR: Great to see you today @WorkOutUK so excited about the NFAs now, we hope your afternoon proved successful! @aperformanceuk: Thanks @WorkOutUK for the coverage about our recent projects at Sheffield Hallam University and Wakefield College.

IT’S hard to believe we’re already on the April issue of the magazine – this year seems to be going so fast – and plans are well underway for the 2015 National Fitness Awards, with the event shaping up to be the biggest and best one yet. Nominations opened just over a month ago and it’s been great to see so many early birds getting their entries in. It’s been particularly encouraging that many of the nomination forms we’ve received so far have been from clubs which are new to the awards. It’s always nice to see some new faces there on the night, as well as the great clubs which enter year on year, so we’re happy to see the word is continuing to spread around gyms about the benefits of getting involved. If you’re entering this year and haven’t before, we’d love to hear more about your gym and why you’re putting yourself forward for an award. Or if you’re a past NFA winner or finalist,

tell us how winning or being on the shortlist has boosted your business and what your plans are for the coming months. We’ll be profiling a selection of these clubs over the next few issues, so if you’re interested in taking part, get in touch. In other news, I’m still working my way through trying 30 new classes for the 365 Challenge feature we covered in the magazine a couple of issues ago. So far, I’ve taken part in everything from KETTFusion to a barre class, but still have a way to go to reach my target before the end of the year. So if you’re running an innovative class at your gym or have any ideas of something I could try, then send some details over and I’ll look at trying it out. I’m hoping to also pick up some inspiration at the upcoming BodyPower Expo, where there’s always plenty on show for visitors looking for

Christina Eccles the latest products or trends. With the event now just a few weeks away, we’ll be including a preview in the next issue of Workout. If you’re exhibiting there, send us your news and you could appear in our feature – and we’ll look forward to catching up with many of our readers there.

This month’s hot topic: @fitnessgarageuk: We recommend any gym to enter @FitnessAwards 2015, we've gone from strength to strength since winning! #sheffieldissuper @ActivelifeH: @WorkOutUK Looking for a Leisure Attendant/Fitness Instructor... Interested, send your CV to ollieactivelife@gmail.com

With BodyPower Expo now just weeks away, organisers are gearing up for another busy event. What are you looking forward to seeing at the show this year? Send your answers to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll print the best responses next issue.

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Annual awards get off to a flying start

Fitness experts Katie Hanson and Nicola Stubbs will be putting participants through their paces at a three-day bootcamp in North Yorkshire later this month. Taking place at Camp Katur glamping village in Bedale, guests will take part in a combination of military fitness sessions, team games, runs and hikes, as well as nutritional talks and relaxation sessions, all happening against the backdrop of the rolling Yorkshire countryside. Katie said: “Exercising in the great outdoors is a great way to stay inspired and motivated, and with the facilities on offer at Camp Katur, we are looking forward to keeping our activities varied and exciting for those who up for the challenge of taking part in our boot camp.”

Gym Nut offers online workouts A NEW app on offer to everyone from fitness junkies to beginners is set to hit the online market. The Gym Nut concept mixes the online idea of social media with fitness, giving users the opportunity to get results with online workouts. The app also gives users the chance to get inspired from other trainers and like minded people on their ‘social feed.’ Workouts can be bought from the

online market place or designed by trainers to suit your body and needs. One of Gym Nut’s founders, Hassan Ahmed, said: “We're on a mission to redefine the boundaries associated with training, particularly online. “Our app makes online training affordable, social and easy – ultimately making it possible to provide each person with personalized training, and more importantly, the results they want to see.”

THE 2015 National Fitness Awards have got off to a flying start – with clubs from the North East down to East Sussex already submitting their entries. The NFAs are now in their sixth year and celebrate excellence and achievement from all corners of the fitness industry. The awards, organised by Script Events in partnership with Workout, recognise clubs of all shapes and sizes and with trophies up for grabs in over 20 categories, there’s something for everyone. Already this year, we’ve seen an influx of entries from clubs new to the awards, as well as past finalists looking to replicate their previous successes. Awards’ director Judith Halkerston said: "It's been a bustling start to the awards with entries beginning to arrive as soon as nominations opened. “Many of the gyms that have got their entries in early are 'new faces' to the awards with a decent show from

past entrants too. It's all looking good for another excellent year for the biggest and best free-to-enter awards in the industry." Taking part in the National Fitness Awards is easy – and it’s free to enter. Clubs simply visit the dedicated website www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk and fill in the online nomination form for any categories they wish to put themselves forward for.

Paul Russell’s FitBox studio recently celebrated its fifth birthday.

PT gym offers ‘personal and effective’ training By Olivia Taylor AN independent PT gym in Bracknell is branding its offering to members as training that’s both personal – and effective. Paul Russell’s studio FitBox celebrated its fifth birthday in February after opening in 2010 when Paul saw a gap in the market for a small group training club that was both practical and accessible to all. Paul said: “I wanted to offer something to members that was industry current and allowed them to learn.” Since opening, the gym has proved popular, with a loyal member base attending classes and small group training sessions on a regular basis. Paul originally saw his clients in a gym but decided to break away from the club in the summer of 2009. Tired with being a ‘conveyor belt’ personal trainer, he began training his

clients outdoors. Paul added: “It all went very well until the clocks went back, then it would get to four o’clock, get dark and become hard for us to see each other.” To this day Paul still lists the clocks going back in 2009 as one of his inspirations for starting The Fit Box and to celebrate the gym’s birthday, he and 20 of the club’s members headed to a restaurant for a meal. He added: “When I got there they’d all put a big five balloon on the table, that's when it hit me, how much it all means to me. I never thought it would go this well. We're not chasing members for a quick sign up; we're offering them a family atmosphere.” How are things going at your gym? Let us know more about your business by emailing details and pictures to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and your story could appear in a future issue of the magazine.

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Expert Lolita to lead Pilates workshops

Core Gym has more than 200 pieces of equipment.

A SCOTTISH Pilates studio will be hosting a weekend of workshops later this month, giving fans the chance to learn from renowned expert Lolita San Miguel. Known as a first generation Pilates teacher, Lolita received her first certification from Carola Trier, Joseph Pilates’ first disciple to open a studio. She is one of only two known practitioners to have been officially certified by Joseph and Clara Pilates.

Budget gym opens its doors By Olivia Taylor AN independent gym tailored towards offering members low cost, high quality fitness has opened in Bradford. Core Gym opened its doors to members in January, with a membership price of £17.99 per month and over 200 pieces of equipment. Core Gym managing director Andrew Wilkinson said: “Opening a gym has always been something I’ve felt passionately about. “I’m excited to bring a budget gym to the area that features high-end equipment normally found in elite fitness clubs. This way members will experience the best, for less.” The gym has installed over 60 items

of cardio equipment from the Life Fitness Integrity Series, Elevation Series and Activate Series. This includes PowerMill, FlexStrider, Lifecycle GX group exercise bikes and Discover SI tablet consoles. For building balance, stability and power, members have access to over 20 pieces from the Insignia Series and Signature Series, including Cable Motion, Benches and Racks. Core gym also offers members a functional training rig and a class timetable featuring the likes of HIIT, kettlebells and virtual cycling. Andrew added: “Since opening everything has gone very well. The members are coming in thick and fast so it’s just a case of trying to keep that momentum going.”

The low cost facility offers members a functional training rig.

The workshops will take place on April 25 and 26 at Bälans Pilates in Perth. Owner and lead instructor Joakim Valsinger said: “It’s an absolute honour to be working alongside such a well respected and highly regarded Pilates elder. I am currently attending her two-year Master Mentor Program in Florida and I am due to graduate as a Second Generation Pilates Instructor in August.” Northampton Leisure Trust’s Sport, Play and Health Development team has received a prestigious award from Sport England’s leading national quality scheme, QUEST. The team was named Second Highest Scoring Sports Development Team 2014 at the QUEST Awards, presented at the QUEST and NBS Conference in Loughborough. Managing director at Northampton Leisure Trust Ian Redfern said: “We are very proud to receive this award. QUEST is a very demanding process so to be recognised as a top-scoring sports development team is a fantastic achievement, and really reflects the hard work of our whole team to continually improve the service we offer.”

Precor launches new service PRECOR is launching a video on demand service which will allow members to select music and entertainment to complement the intensity and duration of their workouts. Preva On Demand provides an extensive menu of music and entertainment videos from YouTube, designed to motivate and inspire exercisers while they work out. The playlists include pop, rock, country and a wide variety of other music genres. Users select their genre and workout intensity level. Director of interaction design and development at Precor, Dave Flynt, said: “Preva networked fitness

already provides differentiation for operators, but the introduction of Video On Demand, free of charge through all P80 consoles, will give them an even greater edge. “If an exerciser has to fumble around looking for interesting content it takes away from the quality of their workout and can lead them to quit early. Connecting with exercisers through content is likely to encourage them to work out longer and more frequently, so we have created ready-to-go video playlists all in one, easy to find place for inmotion exercisers to discover and enjoy.”

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FIT4IT Hybrid Gym in South Yorkshire is renowned for helping members achieve results with their group training sessions, Workout reporters Dominic Musgrave and Olivia Taylor sampled the sessions for themselves...

Strength Crew and ladies’ group training at FIT4IT in Tankersley has had some great successes since it was launched.

Intense training sessions act as a catalyst for duo By Olivia Taylor and Dominic Musgrave ON January 6 I arrived at FIT4IT hybrid gym in Tankersley with a ‘what have I let myself in for’ feeling, as I queued up outside the studio, ready to start boot-camp. The idea of the boot-camps were to allow me to slowly ease myself in to Katie’s group training sessions I was due to start. The 45-minute circuit consisted of weights, cardiovascular, and functional exercises from squats to push ups and Russian twists. Participants spent 30 seconds on each station and 10 seconds off, so its safe to say that after two minutes I was red in the face and ready for a break, but when I looked up and saw everyone else powering through the pain it inspired to push on. After the session I went to the consultation room with Katie for the dreaded weigh and measure, after I knew what my weight and measurements were it allowed me to focus on bringing the numbers down. When it came to exercises every boot-camp session involved something new whether that was an exercise or a new piece of kit, but on my part each session consisted of more of the same, me red faced after two minutes, counting down the seconds till I could get a drink. But I could feel my fitness improving, my legs and arms becoming stronger and my technique getting better, now I actually looked forward to going to the gym. Two weeks passed and it was time to

start group training, when I arrived on Tuesday evening I was greeted with a collection of like minded ladies in the gym’s ‘Buzz Bar’. Katie talked through what we should do to get the best results possible –exercising at home, diet and supplementation, she then sent us into the gym and showed us an example of a home work out and sent us on our way, with our new found motivation and fitness regimes at the ready. The group training gave me the skills and knowledge to be able to actually use the machines and do the exercises correctly, for maximum impact. If I felt I was doing something wrong Katie was quick to show me the correct technique, allowing me to feel the burn. The sessions were three times a week and they were tough especially at seven o’clock on a morning but after each one passed I felt a great sense of achievement, and I’m sure all the other ladies did too. And because I knew everyone felt the same as me it made me want to do well, I actually wanted to stick to the diet plan and do the home work outs. I finished the Challenge last month, the final weight and measure was nerve-racking but I’d actually lost half a stone, and I had a combined inch loss of 20 inches. Today I make a conscious effort to exercise three times a week and make healthier choices, and most of that is down to starting my challenge at FIT4IT. Olivia Taylor

FOR the past couple of years I had toyed with the idea of rejoining a gym again, having given up my membership several years ago when my children were born. I like to think that I keep myself pretty fit thanks to running at the weekend, and my diet’s not too bad, but as I was on the slippery downhill slope to 40 I wanted to hold off the ‘middle age spread’ for as long as possible. And, after a fairly relaxed Christmas period, the idea of a disciplined month taking part in Strength Crew seemed like the perfect catalyst to kick-start my healthier plan for 2015. Run by personal trainer Adam Copley, the small group sessions have been designed to make personal training affordable for those people who perhaps would never have considered it before. It was a great way for me to meet like-minded people too, and the banter made the sessions fun and time fly by. Training consisted of three intense hourly sessions per week, focusing on a different section of the body to work on. Being out of the regular gym routine meant that my body ached pretty much for the whole month, but it was the kick up the backside I needed, and the perfect way to get me back into regularly going to the gym again. I particularly enjoyed the variety to the workouts, and Adam, who remained unbelievably patient with me throughout, clearly explained each exercise to the group beforehand, which muscles in the body we

would be working and the benefits of doing so. And for the final part of the session he would set up a small circuit of exercises to ensure every ounce of energy that I had was completely used up. I have to admit that there were a couple of Saturday mornings where I did feel quite sick at the end, but no pain no gain! Adam also gave us nutritional advice and healthy eating recipes to follow, as well as educational articles on a variety of subjects to help us continue our training at the end of the month. Before and after pictures meant that my progress was tracked during the month, and the results that I achieved were amazing. Trousers and jeans that were quite tight around my waist before taking part in Strength Crew suddenly fitted comfortably, and my upper body shape has also changed dramatically, with T-shirts now tight around my arms. But for me the change was more about the way I feel – healthier and fitter in myself, and determined that because I had felt so good for a month that I was going to keep it up. I’ve noticed my posture improve while running too, and those aches and back pains that you get from sitting at a desk all day seem to have eased. Strength Crew was an ideal way for me to get back into the regular gym routine again, and I’ve not looked back since completing the challenge. Dominic Musgrave

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Exigo UK launches website to offer brand insight

The nation’s best male and female weightlifters and para-powerlifters will be returning to the Ricoh Arena in June to compete for the coveted title of British Senior Champion, as part of a long-term partnership between British Weight Lifting and the venue. Competitors at the 2015 Championships will include current Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Zoe Smith (pictured above) and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Ben Watson. CEO of British Weight Lifting Ashley Metcalfe said: “The Ricoh Arena provides our athletes with practice and warm-up facilities that are undoubtedly the best we’ve used for a domestic competition and we are aiming to build on last year’s impressive ticket sales to develop the competition even further and grow the wider interest of the sport.”

EXIGO UK has launched a new website, which will offer Exigo international distributors and UK partners a clear insight in to the brand identity and serve as an invaluable sales and educational tool. Since 1995, Exigo has been at the forefront of equipment manufacturing and has fast become a leading global manufacturer and supplier of strength and functional fitness equipment. Managing director Darren Golden said: “This year we are investing heavily in to the business, and to support the new website we have bought key personnel to the company and increased the size of our production plant. “We are a family owned and run business and extremely proud of our British heritage and commitment to excellence.” Business development manager Craig Young added: “We are really

excited about the new website launch and looking forward to building Exigo’s position within the European market place, both as a manufacturer and a brand of choice. “The timing couldn’t be better as we prepare to exhibit at the Industry’s largest International show, FIBO 2015. “This will be the third successive year that we have exhibited at FIBO and we are seeking new partners and distributors within countries where we currently have no presence.” 2015 is also landmark year for the company as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. A and D Sports was established in 1995 with the key focus on manufacturing boxing and fitness equipment under the brand names Fit Box and Fit Equip. In 2011, the company opted to re-brand and the Exigo brand was born. For more information visit www.Exigo-UK.com

FitPro appoints head of Centre’s £1m revamp commercial development to include a new gym MIDDLETON Pool and Fitness Centre in Newport Pagnell is undergoing a £1m makeover including the addition of a new gym. Work at the centre, which is managed by Places for People Leisure on behalf of Newport Pagnell Town Council, is being carried out by leisure design and build specialist Createability. It will see a 200sqm fitness suite, complete with Precor CV equipment and Matrix strength kit, built on to the side of the building, along with brand new dry side changing facilities. A temporary fitness suite, with 30 pieces of gym equipment, has been set up in the Tickford Community

Centre nearby and usage is growing daily. Managing director of Createability Ian Cotgrave said: “The new fitness suite will cater for the residents of Newport Pagnell and the surrounding area. “With the temporary gym already proving a hit, expectations are promising for the new purpose built facility, which is a very welcome addition for the community, helping to secure the long term future of the leisure centre.” Work is expected to finish later this month and the local community can sign up to the gym for £16.99 per month or buy into a gym and swim all inclusive membership for £22.99.

FITPRO has appointed a head of commercial development to progress strategic plans and drive sales performance throughout the company’s varied business areas. With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, Terry Gibbs has worked his way from gym instructor and personal trainer, to managerial and directorial sales roles, as well as undertaking sales consultancy work with local authorities, trusts and private clubs. In his new role, he will focus on managing commercial business activity and identifying and securing new business. He will also build and consolidate relations with key accounts and corporate groups, as well as supporting the development of the marketing strategy. FitPro’s founder and chairman Brent

Terry Gibbs Hallo said: “He's the perfect candidate to help develop our new small group training programme, TRIBE Team Training, as well as pushing our MOSSA group X programmes, core gym floor products and events like FitPro LIVE so that we can achieve even greater market penetration.”

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Therapist’s unique one-to-one yoga classes changing people’s lives By Olivia Taylor

A Sheffield councillor has skated into action to encourage more local women and girls to get involved in sport and physical activity. Coun Isobel Bowler, Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member for culture, sport and leisure, took part in an ice skating lesson at iceSheffield to show her support for the national This Girl Can campaign. As part of the campaign, she was guided through basic figure skating moves by top coach, Nancy Pattison, alongside a group of local people who are learning the sport.

Centre celebrates first birthday OVER 4,600 people from all over London flocked to the London Aquatics Centre to celebrate its first birthday. To mark the occasion, operator GLL hosted a day of taster sports sessions including its unique Extreme Aqua Splash water assault courses, swimming competitions and synchronised swimming, diving, sprint challenges

with England Athletics, yoga and water polo. Special guests on the day included Aimee Willmott, Commonwealth Games medallist and London 2012 Team GB swimmer; and Jade Johnson, Commonwealth medallist in the long jump, who attended to join in the celebrations and meet the crowds for photographs with the London 2012 Olympic Torch.

A YOGA therapist from Warrington has been helping people turn their lives around with her unique one to one classes. Lynsey Muskett first started doing yoga from home 10 years ago on DVDs and has since progressed; gaining her yoga qualifications in 2012 and now teaching from her home studio. She said: “When I went to my first yoga class the instructor thought I’d done it before. I started teaching friends and family for fun.” Lynsey pushes the fact that yoga can be helpful for anyone – there’s no set criteria to the kind of person that can come to a session. She added: “Now I get clients come to me and they laugh, they cry. It just allows them to feel like a big weight has been lifted from their shoulders.” The Hatha yoga Lynsey teaches is more fast paced, allowing her clients to get an all round workout and keeping their body healthy, as well as their mind and soul. Lynsey’s clients are often referred with stress and mental health related issues, including one client – Jo Joyce – who had been in a constant battle with depression for 26 years. Once she was introduced to Lynsey’s yoga

Lynsey Muskett therapy she began to get better. Jo added: “My sense of well being and clarity of mind is at a level I have never achieved with any other therapy. I only wish I had been introduced to yoga therapy years ago, better late than never. “It has unlocked and released negative energy that has been trapped inside my body for years.” Lynsey added: “I can’t stress enough how yoga is an overall life enhancer, helping people improve their health mentally, physically and emotionally. And that’s what I’m about, helping people become happier and more confident.”

Jockey to headline Flame conference WORLD leading jockey AP McCoy has been announced as the headline speaker for this year’s ukactive Flame conference. Throughout his career, he has ridden more than 4,300 winners and picked up accolades including being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2010. ukactive CEO David Stalker said: “I

am absolutely thrilled to welcome AP McCoy to deliver the keynote speech at Flame this year. “His career-spanning endurance, drive and dedication coupled with the wisdom and good humour for which is he known, is a perfect fit for our conference. This sets the tone for a conference agenda that inspires, challenges and delights.”

Openings keep énergie Group’s plans on track TWO new Fit4less clubs have opened in Preston and Wallington – keeping the énergie Group’s ambitious growth plans of 36 new openings this year on track. To create Fit4less Preston, a 10,000sqft warehouse has been transformed into a state-of-the-art gym featuring the latest in Precor cardio equipment, an extensive free weights area and 7m rig. Franchisee Peter Bleasdale said: “We are extremely excited to bring Fit4less to Preston where there is already a good mix of fitness facilities but we believe Fit4less has the potential to firmly make its mark on the area. “Fit4less brings a personality and

personal approach in supporting its members plus the backing from an established brand like Fit4less allows us to hit the ground running and maximise in each area we operate.” Wallington offers equally high end equipment and studio space – over a 7,000sqft location – and replaces the rig for a TRX A Frame. Franchisee at Fit4less Wallington Mala Edwards added: “We have had a strong response to the opening with over 1,300 members sign up during presale and within the first week of opening. This is exactly what the area needed and the location has proven extremely popular with our members for its ease to get to and park.”

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Group exercise specialist launches insurance policy LES Mills UK has introduced a new insurance policy for fitness professionals; designed specifically for UK based, self-employed fitness instructors and personal trainers. Covering them for a wide variety of classes and activities, instructors can purchase their policy via a dedicated website and cover starts immediately, with all certificates and documents sent direct by email. Instructor experience director JeanAnn Marnoch said: “We’re thrilled to have worked with InEvexco to introduce Les Mills Insurance to the industry, it’s just another way we are supporting Les Mills instructors in their health and fitness careers. “Purchasing insurance is like buying a life vest in that you buy it hoping that you never have to use it, but it offers peace of mind to know it’s there. “Les Mills Insurance is offered at a

highly competitive price to all fitness instructors and personal trainers.” Les Mills Insurance UK’s TRIBE policy is designed for Les Mills certified instructors and for all other instructors and personal trainers at level two and above there is the Les Mills Instructor policy. Managing director of InEvexco, Mark Clayton, added: “We are very excited about our partnership with Les Mills UK, a brand that we view as being the leading name in group fitness within the UK. “We believe that the backbone of a good partnership is a common goal and vision, and we strongly feel that Les Mills UK share that belief. “Having worked on other online insurance solutions in different industries, we can see the potential in combining a high quality insurance product and online system with such a strong brand as Les Mills.”

David Selkirk has joined Oldham Community Leisure’s executive management team as head of facilities. Bringing with him a combination of local authority, trust and private leisure sector experience, David (pictured right) previously worked at Parkwood Leisure for nine years as a general manager and assistant regional director. He said: “I believe that delivering value for money and a great customer experience is essential if you want to achieve customer retention and attract new visitors. Consistency, excellent staffing and clean, well-maintained facilities are all critical to achieving this and I will be focusing on these elements.”

Eye-catching posters have been displayed around Winners 2000 Fitness in Newton Abbot.

Operator to sponsor awards Club promotes successes with posters LOW cost operator The Gym Group will be a sponsor of the inaugural Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger Awards, taking place on London’s South Bank on May 14. The awards have been established to raise the profile of women’s sport, with The Gym Group sponsoring the ‘Sporting Role Model’ award, which

will recognise an elite athlete or team who has used their influence to raise the visibility and increase the impact of women’s sport. Chief operating officer Jim Graham said: “In recent years, women’s sport in the UK has been incredibly successful, with high profile athletes and teams changing public opinion about the role of women’s sport in society.”

AWARD winning independent club Winners 2000 Fitness has been promoting its National Fitness Awards’ successes by proudly displaying eyecatching posters throughout the gym. The club – in Newton Abbot, Devon – has won several awards over the years at the event, including twice scooping the coveted National Gym of the Year trophy – and is hoping for

more success again in 2015. Site manager Dean Turner said: “We are really proud to have won awards for the past three years at the National Fitness Awards, as we know how good the opposition are. “All of our awards are up on display for our members to see our achievements and as a reminder to us to not get complacent and to keep getting better.”

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Take a moment to be mindful at active-net

Inclusivity is the bedrock of Speedflex experience IF you ask the average gymgoer his or her opinion of high intensity interval and resistance training, the chances are they would list high impact and pain. They may also comment that it is the preserve of the very fit. The ever growing band of Speedflex disciples would disagree. There is a quiet revolution occurring in every Speedflex centre across the country. High intensity interval training is no longer the preserve of the super fit. A typical Speedflex session can, and does, include anyone from the regular gymgoer, the busy professional, the overweight individual, the pensioner, the professional sportsman, the MS sufferer, the list goes on. The innovative technology of the Speedflex system has enabled the creation of a truly unique environment. Joining Speedflex has been an eye opening and rewarding experience for some. Keldine McIntosh, a member at Speedflex Newcastle, said: “For me

personally, moving on from two years of illness, a final diagnosis of MS and through the doors of Speedflex was a massive self-set challenge. “Since October 2014, thanks to the superb staff at Speedflex and the multitude of benefits I have gained from the training regime, my life has been transformed beyond recognition. “I am currently attempting to train five times per week, driven by the knowledge that I will experience a substantial uplift in both health and spirit.” Speedflex provides all of the benefits of high intensity interval and resistance training without any of the negative aspects usually associated with it. Regardless of who is in the session, individuals are guaranteed a safe, fun and effective workout. The Speedflex Trainer is always there to guide and encourage, there is no eccentric loading on muscles, and no impact on joints. The short sessions are always monitored and regular health assessments complete the Speedflex experience.

THE organisers of the upcoming active-net will be offering delegates a keynote session with a difference. Deniz Paradot, mindfulness coach and founder of the ‘Be’ School of Health, Happiness and Wellbeing, will kick off the event, taking place later this month, with a keynote on Integrating Mindfulness in Business. He will enlighten delegates on ‘The Way of the Chimp’, his stress management and employee wellbeing training programme. Mike Hill, active-net organiser and managing director of Leisure-net Solutions, said: “Interest in mindfulness is growing as we all seek ways to cope with the challenges and complexities of our times. “Mental health problems are on the rise, and stress tops the league of reasons for long-term sickness absence. “Paradot’s keynote will give our delegates something different from the norm and help them think more clearly about how they do business and manage their work/life balance.” active-net, now in its second year, will take place on April 29 and 30 at imago Burleigh Court and Holywell Park, Loughborough.

Mike Hill

Fitboxvirtual’s platform means gyms can introduce Les Mills Virtual group exercise classes.

Technology allows clubs to introduce virtual classes Online yoga provider Yoogaia.com has launched Curvy Girl Yoga, a special yoga class aimed at larger women who still want to be flexible, strong and toned. The company plans to open up yoga to those previously intimidated by the traditional image of lean, long limbed experts. Participants of any level can tune in, complete a class and receive individual tuition from leading larger yoga expert Charlie Merton in the comfort of their own home. Charlie said: “For long enough, real women have been made to feel inferior and inflexible in the yoga world due to the stereotypical images of long lean yoga experts in the media. I can prove that bigger can actually be better in some poses, and you don't have to be thin to be flexible and strong – we believe fit is more important that being thin and this class will help to spread this positive message.”

FITBOXVIRTUAL has launched a state-of-the-art technology platform for fitness clubs to introduce Les Mills Virtual group exercise classes. The technology allows the digital classes to be scheduled by the gym and played out via a digital video player to video projectors. Club managers can use the scheduler to set up their weekly virtual class timetable and once classes have been scheduled, the timetable info is sent to the Fitbox Player, a digital video player installed in each studio. The classes will then play out automatically according to the timetable

set. As an additional feature, clubs can also utilise FixboxVirtual On Demand; a wall-mounted touchscreen, allowing members to select classes, for a time that suits them – reducing the need to turn up to preset sessions, as virtual classes can run any time when studios are vacant. Laura McStay of Les Mills UK said “We’re delighted to be working with FitboxVirtual, and their highly knowledgeable team to develop this easy-to-use product, which gives clubs the opportunity to become more innovative.”

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Advertiser’s announcement

GYMetrix has developed a new metric that, for the first time, gives operators a true understanding of how much it costs to service customers equipment needs.

The true cost of service – cost per hour used Rory McGown What is this new metric? It’s called the Cost per Hour Used for gym equipment, and while it may not sound very exciting, the insight this metric provides will certainly make operators sit up and think. For the first time, we are able to give owners and operators a true picture of how efficiently they are buying equipment for their customers. It goes beyond simply looking at how much equipment costs but makes this relative to how much has been supplied and how much customers are using it. It enables us to quantify the cost of operators buying more equipment than they need, and shows how this reduces their profitability.

How is it calculated? The average cost per hour used for each piece of equipment is calculated using the following key data: The list price of the equipment, a five year depreciation period, the number of items the operator has been supplied and customer demand for that kit. Using our research, we can see how each piece of equipment on the gym floor is used, and combining it with the cost of the equipment, we can calculate what it costs operators per hour. What does this mean for operators? The better a business controls its costs the more profitable it is and the higher cost per hour used for equipment, the lower the profitability for operators. Now operators can understand the true cost of providing excess equipment to their customers, and it enables them to benchmark how efficiently they are buying or leasing equipment. Is there a relationship between cost per hour used and the GYMetrix curve? If we look at the two graphs we can

see there is a direct relationship. In the beginning as the gym adds more of an equipment type, the cost per hour remains constant. This is because if there is twice as much equipment, there will also be twice as much demand so the average cost per hour will stay the same.

been met, the cost per hours used rises very sharply as customer demand does not increase – many operators without data on the level of customer demand are at this point on the graph, buying too much equipment and pushing up their average cost per hour used.

However, once the GYMetrix curve hits the point of diminishing returns the cost per hour starts to rise, because now if twice as much kit is added customer demand will not double, it increases but a decreasing rate. Then after the third point when all of the customer demand has

Which pieces of equipment have the highest Average Cost per Hour Used? The cost per hour used is affected by not only the list price of the equipment but how much has been supplied and customer demand for it. For example, a Crosstrainer generally costs 10 times as much as a bench, but because on average across all of our studies, they are oversupplied they have a cost per hour used 23 times as much as a bench! It seems that equipment suppliers

have a tendency to oversupply the expensive cardio kit and undersupply the cheaper equipment. Until now there has not been any mechanism to counter this. When more equipment is bought than is needed to meet customer demand, the cost per hour rises sharply and the operator’s profitability falls sharply, but the equipment suppliers’ profits rise. What should operators do to reduce their Average Cost per Hour Used? The goal is not to drive the cost per hour used as low as possible as this would undoubtedly mean poor service for customers. The trick is treading the fine line between not buying too much kit and buying enough to provide a good service to customers. To do this operators need to know the customers demand levels for the equipment.

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Operator lowers its swimming prices in response to survey By Christina Eccles A CHARITABLE trust has reduced its swimming prices to encourage local people to get back into the pool. In response to this year’s Active People Survey from Sport England, which showed an overall fall in sports participation and an eight per cent decline in the number of people swimming each week, tmactive has reduced the cost of swimming for people who pay by direct debit or anually, with an unlimited swim and spa membership going down in price by nine per cent. The trust runs Larkfield Leisure Centre, Angel Centre and Tonbridge Swimming Pool on behalf of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. tmactive chief executive Martin Guyton said: “Our figures echo the national average – swimming has long been the nation’s, and our, most popular sport. This is the first time we’ve ever seen a drop in the number of people swimming with us. “Our key objective as a charitable trust is to get more people, more active, more often and make a real

difference to the health and wellbeing of the local people whom we serve. “We believe that, as a trust, it’s our responsibility to try and improve national activity averages at a local level, so we’ve made the decision to reduce our swim prices for regular swimmers at a time when many leisure centres are increasing their costs. “We are rewarding consistency and commitment in line with our desire to get people to commit to regular activity. Swimming is one of the most easily accessible, low-impact sports and a great all-round exercise – as an industry we need to capitalise on this and make it as accessible as possible to all our users.” Jennie Price, Sport England’s Chief Executive, added: “I’m very concerned about the drop in swimming, which dominates the overall picture.” Is swimming a big draw at your centre or have you noticed a decline in the number of people using your pool? What can the industry do to encourage more people back into swimming? Send your thoughts to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and we’ll print the best next issue.

An inspirational teacher who dropped four dress sizes is now helping to inspire others to follow in her fitness footsteps. Charlotte Hall (pictured above), who is a member of Hillsborough Leisure Centre’s Fitness Unlimited gym, shed four stone through regular gym sessions. She’s now set up a Slimming World group to help other people lose weight through exercise and healthy eating. Charlotte said: “It has been a long but worthwhile journey. I have learnt so much and want to share this knowledge and help other people, which is why I’ve set up the group. There’s all these fad diets out there but the key is simply eating the right food and moving more and I’m excited about working with Hillsborough to help spread this message.”

Centre installs coffee franchise DOWNHAM Health and Leisure Centre has installed a Costa Coffee franchise; making it the fourth 1Life centre to have one. The Costa Coffee partnership is the result of an initiative between 1Life and TSA (Three Services Automatics), with other franchises available at centres in Dunstable, Tiddenfoot and Loddon Valley.

Head of food and beverage at 1Life Theresa England said: “We wanted to be able to provide our centre visitors with a coffee shop solution that offered a quality product that was backed by excellent service. “For our clients the Costa Coffee franchise offers a recognised brand that is aligned to our vision of providing customers with excellent service.”

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Sean Kelly with founder of LFX Graeme Hinde.

Olympic swimming coach offers advice to leisure industry By Olivia Taylor A TOP Olympic swimming coach is showing gyms how coaching skills from the pool can be applied to the leisure industry. Director of performance at Stockport Metro High Performance Centre, Sean Kelly, has recently branched out from the pool, appearing as a speaker at a series of conferences, including operator networking event LFX. And he believes that giving business people the tools to think like athletes and the ability to indulge in some ‘me time’ can be beneficial to their work. He said: “If they apply the principles I teach them to their work then they can get a great result. Have 30 minutes to yourself, away from work, put your feet up, you might have a good idea.” Sean who retired from swimming in his teens after suffering a bad accident, started his coaching career in Australia 22 years ago and since then

has seen his athletes gain Olympic success. He added: “When I retired from swimming I fell out with it. I hated it, I wouldn’t watch it. “But then I saw a job as a swimming coach whilst working at a vineyard in Australia.” Sean spends 30 hours a week with his team, teaching them everything from how to put their goggles on, through to taking them on to their first big win. He added: “I’ve been doing it for 20 years, and it isn’t the medals, it isn’t the glory, the kudos or the respect. It’s the relationship with the athlete, that look of ‘we did it.’” Stockport Metro owe a lot of their successes to the support they’ve received from operator Life Leisure. Sean added: “We get a large amount of support from Life Leisure. The town of Stockport needs to recognise that they have done a lot, they’ve supported us consistently. I really do work with some world class people.”

Ashdown Park Hotel is runner-up LUXURY Sussex retreat Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club has been awarded Spa of the Year runner up in the Kerstin Florian 2014 awards. The awards celebrate spas and therapists throughout the country that stock and utilise Kerstin Florian products. General manager Ben Booker said:

“We are very proud to be announced as a runner up in the Spa of the Year awards and we want to thank Kerstin Florian for giving us this national recognition. Our country club facilities are second to none – our staff are incredibly attentive, our treatments are relaxing and rejuvenating and we use only the best products for both men and women.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Life Fitness equips UK’s first ‘football hotel’

Gym reaping rewards of Spartan Rig installation A GYM in County Durham is reaping the rewards after installing an innovative piece of kit from Fitness Warehouse. Spectrum Leisure Centre in Willington has been using the Spartan Rig as the centrepiece of the gym for members to utilise and enjoy a range of workouts. The rig allows users to exercise with kit such as battle ropes, kettlebells, medicine balls and monkey bars, meaning clubs can successfully use it for both one to one and group training sessions. Leisure manager Ian Hirst said: “The

feedback we’ve had from our members has been extremely good. It’s an excellent bit of kit. “I wanted something different that nobody else had, something that screamed this is what you want.” Fitness Warehouse has been helping the club get the most out of the kit by providing them with support throughout the process; from initial enquiry through to installation. Ian added: “Their customer service has been fantastic, they were there every step of the way. It’s nice to meet people who aren't too pushy and know the industry.”

SUPPLIER Life Fitness has been chosen to equip the UK’s first ‘football hotel’, run by former Manchester United team mates Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. The four-star Hotel Football welcomes football fans, families, tourists and business users and is located opposite Old Trafford football ground. Facilities include a state-of-the-art gym, equipped with kit including strength training pieces from the Optima Series; group exercise bike Lifecycle GX, the Activate Series Treadmill and the Elliptical CrossTrainer. Life Fitness account manager – private sector James Ferguson said: “We’re very excited to be part of this high profile project which is creating something unique and vibrant for the hospitality sector. “The installation of Life Fitness Optima Series Strength Training Equipment was an ideal choice for Hotel Football as the range blends reliability and style. “The versatile machines simplify strength training so guests can meet their fitness goals through self-guided workouts with no personal trainer needed.” Hotel Football also offers matchday hospitality experiences, the UK’s second Café Football and a five-a-side rooftop football pitch, with panoramic views of the city.

The Lifecycle GX was one of the pieces of kit installed at Hotel Football.

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INDOOR CYCLING AND ROWING

Spinathon raises more than £3,000 for charity OVER 100 energetic pedal pushers raised over £3,000 by taking part in a Spinathon at Finlake Health and Leisure Club in Devon. The event involved cycling to energetic music for 12 hours and money was generated through entry fees, sponsorship, a raffle, cake sale and donations. Funds were raised for Volunteering In Health, a local charity which supports elderly, frail and isolated adults. Charity manager Michelle Willocks-Watts said: “The day could not have happened without the extremely generous support of Finlake Health and Leisure Club, who not only hosted the event and supplied instructors who helped throughout the day; but gave amazing raffle prizes including a year’s membership to the leisure club. “We already have our 2016 spinathon date booked and are looking at working closely with Finlake Health and Leisure Club over the coming months.”

Lifetime Training to deliver courses for Impulse Leisure By Christina Eccles LIFETIME training is delivering bespoke group cycling courses for operator Impulse Leisure, focusing on developing the skills and confidence of Level Two and Level Three instructors and personal trainers to enable them to deliver a quality cycle-based workout. The course has been designed to give fitness professionals the potential to develop a new revenue stream either as a freelance instructor or by increasing their class portfolio as an in-house instructor. The REPs accredited course includes information about the role of group studio cycling in group exercise, as well as biomechanics, riding positions, safety, set up, planning classes, practical teaching skills and selecting and using music effectively. Group training/HR administrator for Impulse Leisure Teri Waller said: “Lifetime Training was Impulse Leisure’s ‘go to’ provider, primarily because of our already established strong links and successes in respect of apprenticeship programmes. “We had found the quality of their apprenticeship support services and training delivery to be of a very high standard, and this has been further endorsed by the recent success of the bespoke, industry-accredited Group Cycling Qualification, delivered in-

The course aims to develop the skills and confidence of Level Two and Level Three instructors and personal trainers. house by Lifetime. “We will continue to work in partnership with Lifetime Training in the delivery of our apprenticeship programmes, and would highly recommend their training services.” The assessment throughout the training includes both practical observation and paper-based evaluation. Commercial course developer at

Lifetime Training Matt Metcalfe added: “At Lifetime Training we are always wholly focused on the quality of the learning experience for our course participants. “For this reason, our Group Studio Cycling course includes practical teaching with continuous assessment. This approach allows us to cover more content with more practice time and experience for our learners.”

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Fitness Hub and CrossFit LGC raised money for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.

Hertfordshire gym raises £2,000 with row-a-thon event By Christina Eccles A HERTFORDSHIRE gym and CrossFit centre has hosted a 24-hour charity row-a-thon. Inspired by one of their members to host the event, Letchworth based gym, Fitness Hub and CrossFit LGC, organised the challenge to raise money for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. The gym asked for 48 volunteers in total, so that each person could row for one hour over the 24-hour period. The event was set up in the style of the Oxford versus Cambridge Boat Race to provide some friendly competition and camaraderie. The event kicked off at 10am on Saturday morning and saw people row through the night to finish at 10am on Sunday morning. The total distance rowed was 567,812m; the equivalent distance from Letchworth to Dundee. Gym owner and head coach Michael Draper said: “The team and I have been blown away by the support

shown by everyone involved in this event. “From those who gave up their time to row, those who supported from the sidelines and those who raised money for such a worthy cause. “As a community gym it warms my heart to know that so many people are willing to volunteer their time to raise much needed money for a really worthy cause. “The rowing machine is a tough beast to master and rowing for an hour is no easy feat so I’m proud of everyone who took part.” The event was held on behalf of a local 16 year-old girl who is receiving treatment from the children’s cancer unit at Addenbrooke’s hospital. To show their support, two of her friends decided that they also wanted to take part and raise as much money as they could to help out children in a similar situation. The two girls rowed together on Monday afternoon and managed to raise £400, with the event in total raising over £2,000.

Pulse has supplied new kit at Total Fitness’ new health club in Wrexham.

Indoor cycles among £1m refurb OVER 35 indoor cycles were among the range of new kit supplied by Pulse to Total Fitness’ new health club in Wrexham. The install is part of a £1m refurbishment of the site and also includes a new functional training area, hydrotherapy pool, training pool, café, large modern male and female changing rooms, sauna and steam rooms and a six-lane, 25m main pool. As well as the indoor cycles, Pulse has installed a comprehensive range

of its Series One Fusion Cardio and Evolve strength equipment, along with plate loaded machines and bespoke functional training rigs. Managing director of Pulse, Chris Johnson, said: “To date we’ve supplied equipment at 14 sites in the Total Fitness portfolio. “We’re so pleased to be expanding into even more of their clubs with this latest install at Wrexham and to be working with a brand that truly values customer experience.”

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Free app tracks improvements on your phone

Kit rental is a valid alternative CAPITAL outlay on equipment is increasingly becoming a challenge, not just for independent operators who are financing gyms with their own money, but also for larger operators who have to maximise revenue and minimise capital expenditure. With such a growing following of group cycling classes, a group cycling class is an ever increasing essential element for any fitness establishment. Increasingly, the rental of fitness

equipment in general is seen as a valid alternative to leasing or buying equipment. With less capital outlay and a more flexible approach, it can increase membership and revenue without barriers. Ten bikes and an instructor bike can cost as little as £192.50 per month and you don’t need to worry about servicing or repair. For more information visit www.servicesport.co.uk

CONCEPT2’s new monitor, the PM5, has received a free firmware upgrade to allow it to talk wirelessly to smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth. Users who download Concept2’s free app ErgData can now track their improvement on their phone, as well as send their data to Concept2’s Online Logbook. You can also display your heart rate on both the monitor and the app if you have a Bluetooth heart rate belt. The PM5 has been on sale since October, and is now the only choice of monitor on all new Concept2 Indoor Rowers and SkiErgs. As well as Bluetooth, it has a number of other new features, including a backlight and USB connectivity as well, so even without a smartphone, users can store their workouts on any USB stick. Managing director of Concept2 Ltd, Alex Dunne, said: “One of the big advantages of the increased connectivity of the PM5 is that it means smartphones and tablets effectively become a second touchscreen colour monitor. “ErgData already brings extra feedback to the user that they can't get on

the Performance Monitor. “Now that it’s easy for people to store and track their times on their phone, we expect this to be a very popular feature, especially in a gym environment.” For more information, visit concept2.co.uk or call 0115 9340 140.

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Expresso HD represents Wattbike to launch future of indoor cycling innovations at FIBO REPRESENTING the future of indoor cycling, the Expresso HD range incorporates virtual reality trails, tracks and games. The Expresso HD Bike connects wirelessly to the cloud through exclusive eLive software which enables riders to save their rides, challenge their ghosts and virtually compete against others from around the world on live leaderboards. Users can also log in and monitor their progress via computer or mobile using “My Expresso” and become part of “Team Cardio”; an online community where riders can compete in exciting challenges, keep track of their workout history and earn lifetime achievements. Riders are also encouraged to stay connected with Facebook, Twitter and MyFitness Pal ride sharing, a rider referral programme and ghost challenges which display past workouts on screen. The Expresso product line includes the HD Upright, HD Recumbent and HD Youth. Each of the models includes a 23” state-of-the-art HD display, delivering stunning graphics to bring workouts to life, keeping members engaged and motivated. Each model is supported by a topof-the-range hardware system designed to withstand any environment while delivering high-quality graphics and unrivalled processing power to enable continuous software

updates. In addition, the Expresso range includes motion control handlebars to allow users to steer and change gears and active resistance to provide them with a more realistic cycling experience. To help tackle a variety of children’s health issues and the growing childhood obesity epidemic, Expresso has committed to two exciting projects in the USA which promote regular youth participation in exercise. As part of these initiatives, Expresso is working with the Harvard School of Public Health and YMCA USA, to offer children and their families access to Expresso HD Youth bikes in order to improve their health and fitness. For enquiries about the Expresso HD range, contact React Fitness on 020 7272 0770, email info@react-fitness.com or visit www.react-fitness.com

WATTBIKE will be launching its latest digital innovations at FIBO – the powerapp and powerhub – as well as revealing its updated Power Cycling Software. The launch of the Wattbike powerapp enables users to view and analyse their workouts on iPhone and Android mobile devices. This coincides with the introduction of the powerhub, a digital platform which will serve as a cloud based session log and provide extensive analysis of data from training sessions in order to track improvements. Commercial director Richard Baker said: “There has been a rapid shift in the industry as the value of

technology has been recognised, whether it’s members using their own wearable tech to monitor performance, or the expectation that a facility will provide this service, operators understand the power of continual feedback to motivate exercisers and ultimately to boost retention. “These unique digital training solutions will significantly enhance the experience of any rider of any ability. By transferring data seamlessly from the Wattbike to the powerhub, riders can not only analyse their session but also share through social media channels helping riders build a training community (and healthy competition).”

The 2015 British Rowing Indoor Championship has taken place at the Olympic Velodrome in London. Organised by British Rowing and run on Concept2 Indoor Rowers, competitors ranged in age from 10 to 84. The Men’s Open event was won by British world champion Moe Sbihi in 5:45.4, just ahead of his GB team mates Will Satch and Sam Townsend.

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INDOOR CYCLING AND ROWING

Life Fitness’ Row GX Trainer

Rower launched at IHRSA

Star Trac and MYZONE have staged a successful Spinning Showcase in Blackpool in tandem with the International Fitness Showcase. International instructors and gym owners flocked to the Spinning and BoxMaster zones to take part in lectures, workshops and high energy rides. Riders were put through their paces and were monitored with live feedback from MYZONE, while Optimum Nutrition and KoKo Dairy Free kept the group refuelled throughout the weekend. Star Trac’s education and development manager Sarah Morelli said: “We are delighted with the feedback from the delegates who went away with new ideas and education credits for attending.”

LIFE Fitness has launched the new Row GX Trainer at IHRSA 2015 – a rowing machine that gives exercisers the feeling of a natural rowing motion for a challenging full body workout. The product can be used for both individual and group training sessions by users of all experience levels and can also be stored vertically when not in use to create more floor space in training areas. President of Life Fitness, Chris Clawson, said: “The Life Fitness Row GX Trainer is for facilities that want to add a whole-body cardio

option for exercisers, enhance small group training or create dynamic high-intensity interval training spaces. “Its water resistance feature provides the natural feel that Life Fitness products are known for, and its adjustable resistance settings make it accessible for all fitness levels. “The addition of the Row GX Trainer strengthens our product line up even further, and provide facilities with a versatile option to keep their members engaged in popular fitness trends.”

Matrix to expand presence Tamara becomes an ambassador in Irish market with deal MATRIX Fitness UK has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Podium4Sport to expand its presence in the Irish fitness market. The partnership will see Podium4Sport provide sales, customer service, and technical support for Matrix’ complete range of commercial cardiovascular and strength ranges, including the award-winning IC7 Indoor Cycle powered by the Indoor Cycling Group. In addition to supporting existing Matrix customers, Podium4Sport will

also operate as a distributor for Matrix’s portfolio of products and applications across Ireland. Managing director at Matrix Fitness, Jon Johnston, said: “Podium has built a strong reputation in the Irish market for its expertise and ability to deliver innovative fitness and sports solutions. “We are looking forward to working closely with them to deliver excellent products and services, which will ultimately benefit health and fitness operators throughout Ireland.”

RUGBY star Tamara Taylor has become the latest Wattbike ambassador. Tamara, who played an instrumental part in England’s world cup winning squad, is the second English rugby player to have joined the British brand this year after Leicester Tigers and England forward Tom Youngs announced his ambassador role last month. She said: “I’ve been using Wattbike for the past few years and it’s played a big part in my training and recovery. “In fact the whole of the England women’s squad use the bikes, so it feels like the perfect match for me.”

Tamara Taylor

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UK FITNESS SCENE

How do you define functional training? By Mark Laws, Jordan Fitness UNLESS you have been living under a rock for the last 10 years you will be familiar with the term ‘functional’. It is commonplace within the fitness industry for fads and trends to come along which every trainer and his dog will buy in to, they then preach to anyone who will listen about how great this recent finding is... until the next one comes along. These fads and trends usually tend to disappear as quickly as they arrive, yet 'functional training' is one of the most widely used terms within the industry in the last decade – which is a strong clue to the fact that functional training is not a fad or a trend, and it is certainly not going away. However, despite the fact that functional training is NOT going to disappear any time soon, there is a huge problem – functional training is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted terms, so why all the confusion? The cynic in me is suspicious of the fact that because the term itself is so popular that people will use it to relate to their own training methods/style, therefore making themselves look more appealing to prospective clients who may not know any better. 'Emotional contagion' – it's not the next blockbuster movie from Hollywood, instead it is one of the most powerful human instincts which is almost impossible to ignore – otherwise known as the 'bandwagon' effect. Every trainer wants to label themselves as functional, every gym wants to provide functional classes, and every manufacturer wants to produce functional products... which is brilliant, if only they were all delivering on their promises. It seems that the issue lies in the confusion of what actually IS functional and what isn't. Common (mis)belief is that to be ‘functional’ you should perform all exercises standing on a BOSU or lying on a stability ball – training sessions are beginning to resemble circus tricks rather than more familiar strength training. Before writing this piece I

Mark Laws took a step back and asked myself what functional training meant to me. I have also spent a lot of time discussing this matter with other coaches who are all specialists in certain fields. So here it is, the definitive answer. It turns out functional training is all about MOVEMENT. The true definition of functional training is simply to 'enhance your ability to execute the movements required during your day to day lifestyle'. Whether you are a professional athlete, a bodybuilder, an accountant or a housewife then you will have certain requirements of your body in order to deal with the specific rigours of your daily life. The human body is an incredible machine, capable of the most unbelievable feats. However, it is limited to a small number of movement patterns. Every movement that we perform throughout every minute of every day falls into one of the following eight categories: push, pull, squat, lift, rotate, smash, carry/move a load and finally gait/locomotion. Whether it's kicking a ball, opening a door, picking up a piece of litter or doing the gardening your body will be working within at least one (often more) of the aforementioned movement patterns. We are all limited to the same number of movement patterns, but the intensity and range of movement required can vary greatly. For example an Olympic sprinter attempting to

break a world record and a retired pensioner walking to the shop to get a newspaper are both executing the gait/locomotion movement pattern (moving their body from A to B), but the intensity and range of movement required by each person are worlds apart. Here lies the trick in performing a truly 'functional' training session. Firstly you need to analyse the movements and combinations of movements which you (or your client/athlete) require to perform their daily tasks, then you need to think about the intensity and range of movement. In my opinion the intensity and range of movement of the training should be equal to or greater than the daily requirements. The reason being you want to start to find daily living easy. No more groans and grunts when getting up off the sofa or tying your shoelaces. If your training is at an intensity lower than your daily requirements then the risk of injury will always exist, but it can be reduced by exceeding these levels (exceed them gradually and sensibly – doing too much too soon can also increase risk of injury). If you want to be a really good functional trainer, then you need to analyse the demands of your clients’/athletes’ needs, taking into consideration which movement patterns they use most, whilst also highlighting any imbalances. Never do anything just for the sake of it or because you saw it on the internet. If you are wanting your personal sessions to be more functional then think about what you do for a living and what hobbies you have, and start to think about how you can replicate the movements your body requires. Don’t just listen to someone telling you to stand on one leg on a stability ball with your eyes shut because that’s their interpretation of ‘functional’. I teach functional fitness workshops on a weekly basis so if it’s something you are interested in learning more about then feel free to get in touch. Even if you have questions then I am more than happy to answer them – if you don’t ask you don’t get! Email marklaws@jordanfitness.co.uk A new fitness scheme has been launched in Sheffield which encourages mums to get into shape while spending time with their baby. The six-week pilot scheme – Small Sparks Mummy and Baby Group – has been launched by Sheffield City Trust at Hillsborough Leisure Centre. The weekly circuit-based training sessions feature a safe, soft-play area in the middle of the sports hall where mums can leave their babies while they exercise around them. Lynn Hird, who is the postnatal qualified instructor for the scheme, said: “Mums often think that fitness is off-limits to them after having a baby, but that’s not the case. We’re working to change that way of thinking and this new scheme is about supporting mums to get back in shape whilst still spending time with their little ones.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

PT Alex uses his life experiences to shape career By Diane Inglis WORLD-CLASS downhill mountain bike racer, Alex Holowko, has used his own life experiences to shape his new career as a personal trainer. A recent health scare in which he was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia, coupled with his experiences as an overweight teenager, has made him value his good health and fitness even more. Now Alex, 24, who lives in Cheshire, is still focused on his sport as an elite athlete but is also determined to help others achieve their own goals of fitness and good health. He has completed qualifications in personal training and nutrition and is offering his services to anyone committed to improving their own fitness. He explained: “Obviously there are lots of personal trainers out there but as an elite sportsman myself, I am coming at it from a different angle. “I am working with clients who really want to up their game and get their health and fitness back on track. “Many of my clients have been very athletic in the past but have let it go due to family and work responsibilities. “Stress is also another factor that can hamper athletic performance along with poor nutrition.” Alex’s aim is to look at all aspects of his client’s lifestyle to devise a person-

Alex Holowko al programme, tailored to fit in with their lives and help them achieve their own goals. He then works with them on a regular basis with training sessions at Cheshire Personal Training gym in Stockport. He added: “In order to get the best results, it has to be about more than just having a weekly session in the gym. It has to be a real commitment and I enjoy seeing the results, which can happen very quickly indeed.”

Treadmills used for fitness tests OVER 1,000 active personnel from Lancashire’s Fire and Rescue Service have completed their annual fitness test on specially adapted Pulse series two treadmills. Pulse installed treadmills from their Fusion Cardio range into every fire station in Lancashire and six further treadmills in the Fire Service Training Centre at Euxton, Chorley in May last

year. The treadmills were modified by Pulse free of charge to allow all firefighters to complete their yearly assessment on the equipment. Head of product design at Pulse Fitness, Darren Clowes, said: “As a British company we’re proud to be supporting one of our country’s top performing Fire and Rescue Services.”

Celtic Leisure has launched a new ARNI stroke rehabilitation community programme. New to Wales, ARNI is an innovative rehabilitation programme that helps stroke survivors and individuals with neurological injury through gym or studio based functional training sessions. Celtic Leisure manages eight leisure centres in Neath Port Talbot and will offer ARNI training throughout the borough. David Francis, Wales’ only ARNI trained instructor, previously ran an independent short-term trial with clients before teaming up with Celtic Leisure to launch the programme. Health and fitness coordinator at Celtic Leisure, Anthony Williams, said: “There is a real care gap for stroke survivors, and Celtic Leisure, teamed with local ARNI trained Instructors, aim to assist health professionals in giving clients the highest chance possible of returning to independence.”

41 Power plate

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VIBRATION TRAINING

Rugby stars use vibration training as part of regime SOME of Britain’s strongest and toughest rugby players have been using vibration training as part of their workout regimes. Mark Bitcon, performance manager for the England rugby league squad and director of performance for Wigan Warriors, swears by Power Plate whole body vibration training. Every player uses it to prepare for peak performance by firing up their muscles ahead of training and competitive matches, easing out muscle cramps at half-time and the end of a game and boosting rehabilitation after injury. Mark explained: “Power Plate has transformed my training, recovery and rehab programmes for the players. “Before a match, all the lads use Power Plate for pre-activation work to warm up and fire the muscles ready for action and most will use it at half-time and after the match to stretch deeply. “The vibrating plate amplifies whatever exercise you’re doing, so typically you can achieve the effects

of a 10-minute warm–up or set of exercises in three minutes. “Saving that time makes a huge difference to our preparation and means the entire squad can use Power Plate quickly and effectively.” Mark favours the column-free Power Plate pro5HP as it is portable and can be taken wherever the team goes. For away matches he loads it onto the team bus, sets it up in the changing rooms on match day, and even uses it in hotel rooms with players who need extra time on the plate, especially if they’re coming back after injury. He added: “The Power Plate pro5HP is ideal for athletes on the move. I can set it up in one minute and the column-free design and large plate means the guys have 360 degree movement and plenty of space to perform a full range of static, dynamic and plyometric exercises. “It really is a very versatile piece of kit which I count as essential to rugby training.”

Wigan Warriors player Lewis Tierney.

Power Plate – a ‘must have’ for every gym AS one of the most versatile pieces of equipment on the gym floor, Power Plate provides a range of solutions including active ageing, functional training and women’s wellness, plus preparation and recovery for athletes. By combining its bespoke programming with training from Power Plate master trainers, gyms and clubs can deliver solutions to people as diverse as new mothers and the elderly, beginners and elite athletes, fitness fans and people living with disabilities. Leisure centres and gyms must be able to cater for a wide range of members, and personal trainers are increasingly working with special populations. Power Plate is an asset to gyms as

one machine can be used in multiple ways to support a myriad of protocols including strength, stability, flexibility, rehabilitation, falls prevention, explosive power and endurance. As well as being used as part of a client’s core exercise regime, Power Plate is a valuable tool to pre-activate muscles before a workout and to offer a deep stretch and massage at the end of a session. Senior vice president, Performance Health Systems, Matthew Pengelly, said: “In a given day a gym instructor will see many people with varying needs and they are adept at adapting exercises to suit each individual. “Power Plate has an infinite number of options available simply by varying the frequency of the vibrations and

tailoring the exercises to meet the needs of the member. “Power Plate is highly adaptable, creating a dynamic environment on which an infinite number of exercises and movements can be performed. “In addition, by varying the frequency of vibration stimulus, Power Plate can be used to elicit specific responses across different components of a session, from flexibility to strength and also massage, empowering the trainer to be able to meet the needs of every member, every time.” A number of leading gym groups already use Power Plate including David Lloyd, Virgin Active, Everyone Active and Pure Gym. Those that position Power Plate near their functional training zone are

also seeing an uplift in use by people trying integrated fitness training by incorporating Power Plate with other training modalities such as ViPR, kettlebells and suspension training. This creates a challenging programme solution that can help engage and retain clients. To really get the most out of Power Plate, gym instructors and personal trainers should train with a Power Plate master trainer to develop and refresh their skills. Sharing key techniques with members will ensure they make the most of their time on Power Plate and others in the gym will follow their example to include vibration training in their programmes. For more information visit Powerplate.com

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VIBRATION TRAINING

Top-of-the-range VG Evo now Train like available from React Fitness a pro ... THE new VibroGym Evolution is now available in the UK from distributors, React Fitness. The VG Evo is the latest, top-of-therange model from VibroGym International. A European manufactured, premium vibration training machine with smart applications, state-of-the-art electronics and unique upper body vibration training device. The newly developed, technologically advanced VG Vibrating Handgrips offer an extremely versatile upper body workout offering progressively increasing resistance combined with vibration, for quick effective results. The Vibrating Handgrips can also be detached and used independently as vibrating dumbbells, on or off the machine, giving even more training options. Training software embedded in the sleek touch screen display provides a highly intuitive menu with access to hundreds of videos, a wide range of programmes and movement library for every fitness level. Integrated “Cardio Colour Control” software accurately monitors training intensity and displays it in colour on the display when using a Blue Tooth heart belt. The innovative design of the VG Evo, built entirely from precision cast aluminum, ensures a perfect harmonious vibration and enhanced performance.

In Europe, the rapidly expanding franchise, Lifestyle Ladies has partnered with VibroGym International and is exclusively buying the VG Evo. Their current programme is to exchange their existing 1,200 vibration plates with VibroGym machines in over 150 of their studios. VibroGym is also the official supplier of McFit, a leading chain of European fitness studios, who use the VG Professional machine in all their virtual vibration classes.

React Fitness, UK distributors for VibroGym products, believe this is by far the best vibrating platform that VibroGym International has ever produced, outperforming any vibration device currently on the market. It sets a new standard in our industry. Try the machine at FIBO 2015, Hall seven, Stand A07 or for more information contact React Fitness on +44 (0)20 7272 0770; email: info@react-fitness.com or visit www.react-fitness.com

WIGAN Warriors’ director of performance Mark Bitcon has shared with Workout six of the key exercises his players perform on Power Plate. Where a weight is specified, users should use a weight according to their ability and check with a trainer if unsure. Jump and Squat: Jump on the plate and drop into a deep squat, then jump back off, 3 x 5 reps, 2 min rest. Weighted Press up with feet raised on step/hands on Power Plate: Keep your feet on plate and hands on floor, 10kg-20kg disc on back, 3 x 6 reps, 2mins rest in between. Dumbbell hang clean and press: Use 8kg-25kg dumbbells, 3 x 5 reps, 2mins rest in between. Barbell step up jumps: Use a 20kg-40kg barbell, step onto the plate and drive up into a jump, 2min rest in between. Barbell rotations: Use a 20kg-40kg load and perform barbell rotations with both feet on the plate. Have 1 min rest in between. Step, fix and drive off plate This is a jump and side step on the plate done at speed – great for change of direction and general agility.

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MEMBERSHIP MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication Kirklees Active Leisure added eyeQ last summer.

Operator reaps rewards of adopting eyeQ tool KIRKLEES Active Leisure has been reaping the rewards since becoming an early adopter of Gladstone’s new business intelligence tool, eyeQ. As a Gladstone customer since 1997, the operator was already using a wide range of the company’s products across its 14 sites, before adding on eyeQ last summer. Business improvement officer Ashleigh Grailey said: “What appealed to us most about eyeQ was the opportunity it offered to create custom reports to fit the unique needs of our business, as well as the option to pull real-time information when required, thereby removing the delay in providing figures that could affect a business decision. “The biggest benefit so far has been the ability to closely monitor income using custom reports, saving on staff time.

“In the past, when site managers came to submit their weekly income reports, they had to work through a list of information and pull it into a report format. “Now, they simply have to open a spreadsheet and eyeQ will populate it with the information exactly as they require it. The workbook option also enables us to dig deeper into this data and find specific customer records that we need to investigate. “Using the Custom SQL option within the Query Builder, our IT team is now in the process of creating custom reports covering all areas of our business, from income monitoring in specific areas to membership gains and number of customer visits. “Once these are complete, the need for our operations staff to run and format individual reports should be entirely removed.”

Campaigns prepare gyms for notoriously quiet summer period ARE you prepared for those quieter summer months where your prospective members seem more interested in their summer holidays than joining your club? CFM campaigns typically add 200 to 500 new members to what is a notoriously quite period for clubs across the UK. These campaigns increase secondary spend at the club with supplements and PT sales increasing, as well as giving your club a huge boost of awareness in the community leading into the autumn. Our Memberdrive campaigns help clubs with all the advertising, the sales staff, the materials, the design, the telemarketers, the corporate and guerrilla marketing initiatives, and the experience to enrol between 200-500 new members on Direct Debit memberships, without you having to outlay a penny. CFM are also National Partners in Change4Life which means we capture

members you wouldn’t normally reach. Your club will be aligned in the community with a national brand which has been researched to be one of the most recognisable consumer brands in the UK today. These campaigns can add an average of £30,000.00-£100,000 in additional profit through membership revenue. If you would like to boost both your membership and importantly your net profit this summer, without having to dip your hand in your own pocket, then give us a call on 0115 777 3333 and press option one. Call now to have a chat about your club and how we can help make this the most profitable summer you have ever had. P.S. don’t just take our word for it, check out our YouTube channel by searching for CreativeFitnessMkt to see what hundreds of clubs have to say about CFM.

By Dave Wright WHEN owning or running a club, there are some things that you can’t control (such as car parking/ new competition and council road works) and most things that you can. Worrying about what is outside your circle of influence will not get you anywhere, but focusing on those things that you can control sets great health clubs apart from normal ones. And there is a simple formula that can be applied to almost any health club around the world that can greatly affect the outcome of its success and as basic as it sounds, it’s offering a facility that is clean, safe and friendly. Clean: This might seem obvious, but is often overlooked by many clubs around the globe. Not having dust accumulate on your machines or rubbish on your floor is one thing, but the whole clean `feel’ of the club from the posters that you put on your walls, the state of the carpet and ceiling, ripped upholstery, chipped paint from equipment, the staff uniforms and presentation and the uncluttered layout of the facility are other things to consideration when making your club clean. Safe: A safe environment – from the equipment to the prescription of exercise, is a unique selling point that our industry has. The skills and expertise of trainers should fast track customers to results without injury. In today’s day and age, with the influx of high intensity training and cross fit boxes opening up every week, clubs need to be extra vigilant to prevent injury as not only does this affect your reputation, but it also protects your revenue for those members that stop paying due to not exercising. Smart operators use technology and tracking tools to gain strong feedback (both in real time and historical) to better advise and coach for results. For example if you are pushing someone in a HIT training session to 90 per cent intensity, but have no way of knowing what that is then that can be seen as almost reckless. In addition to this, do you or your staff have the confidence to be able to correct bad form in your club? If someone is doing a lat pull down wrong will you go up to them and help correct it? Often some clubs take the view that this crosses to the realms of ‘personal training’, however in reality it sends a message to other members in the club that this is a facility that does not care about safety and subsequently results. As the old adage goes ‘an activity done 90 per cent correct could be 100 per cent wrong.’

Friendly: Many clubs ‘claim’ that they are the ‘friendliest’ club in town but fail to say hello and goodbye to every member who walks in and out of the gym. The By Dave Wright health club industry needs to take a leaf out of the book of the hospitality industry where their main focus is to serve and greet customers. Of course in America where a lot of earnings are made through tips, there is no wonder the service is often tremendous, but it shouldn’t stop there. When was the last time that you were truly ‘happy’ with great service? Do you and your staff have the ability to start a conversation with any customer irrespective whether it’s the first time you have met them? Knowing your members names is one thing, knowing and remembering what interests them is another. Technology can once again amplify this offering as you can easily use the technology of your membership management system to take notes on conversations so that you don’t have to remember every single name off heart. Body language and eye contact is an easy communication strategy to provide a friendly atmosphere. When you and your staff walk through the gym do they achieve eye contact with every single person that they pass? If not, try it and you will change the atmosphere in a matter of days. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication and often the simple things in life are the cheapest and most effective. Sometimes mission statements can be very complicated and hard to remember, however if you and your staff stand by a belief of being clean, safe and friendly then everything you do should centre around supporting this philosophy. You may not have the newest equipment with the expensive-to-run swimming pools, but if you are clean, safe and friendly then members should have no reason to look anywhere else. Dave Wright is the CEO of CFM, a global company with offices in the UK, Australia and North America that has served the international fitness community for over 24 years; focusing on either getting new members and/or keeping existing ones. Dave is also the owner of 11 health clubs across two continents, a board director of UK Active, founder of IOU (Independent Operators Unite) and the creator of MYZONE. He may be contacted on Dave.Wright@cfm.net

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Retention guru Paul launches new app OPERATORS can now access retention advice on the go, thanks to the launch of a new app by retention guru Dr. Paul Bedford. The app, available for Android and Apple, will offer news, an advice page, a forum for operators to discuss retention issues and access to his blog. Users will also be able to watch exclusive videos and his keynote presentations at conferences around the world, as well as being able to book tickets for the Retention Convention on May 14 in Birmingham. Paul said: “Tickets for our

Retention Convention are selling fast, but followers on the app will be able to watch one of the day’s sessions for free. “I have been working on the app for some time now. It is an ‘in your pocket’ guide to activities and information on how to improve member retention – something no operator can afford to ignore in this age of exceptional choice. “The app should prove a useful tool to health club owners, operators, managers, and in fact any fitness industry professionals looking to improve health club member retention.”

How to track your new members HOW easy is it for you to compare how many new members you have signed up compared with this time last year? How many are Direct Debit and how many are cash customers? Most importantly, what is the visit pattern to your club of these new members? With Ashbourne’s Dashboard+ system, you can find out the answers to all these questions and more at a glance, with NO data input required. It’s easy to track attendance patterns – as soon as a member swipes in using the Ashbourne system, a low/medium/high risk traffic light status is shown against them, based on their visit pattern across the last

two months. If new members are not green, ie visiting regularly, during their first few weeks of membership, then of course you need to be on this straightaway. The at-a-glance Dashboard+ screen makes it easy to identify them so that you can you track and nurture your new members, helping to ensure they remain good loyal customers. Dashboard+ is part of Ashbourne’s All-Inclusive service – Direct Debit membership and all the software you need to run your club, all for just a fixed fee per member per month. For more information visit www.ashbourne-memberships.co.uk or call us on 0871 271 2088.

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Call handling remains vital, study claims By Christina Eccles CALL handling is still a vital part of customer service, according to new research, which has revealed one mishandled call is all it takes to damage a company’s reputation in the eyes of a customer. A survey by call answering services provider alldayPA asked 1,000 people their thoughts about call handling; discovering the majority of those who took part are ready to make significant assumptions about a company from the evidence of a single phone call and how the call handler delivers a polite and effective service. Over 70 per cent indicated they’d assess a company’s ability to deliver high-quality customer service on the evidence of a phone call and one unsatisfactory phone call is enough for 71 per cent to view the company concerned as ‘poorly run and managed.’ The findings also suggest consumers are more likely to choose to communicate by phone when they are unhappy or need help. When they do make a call, a ‘human voice’ – and not voicemail or an automated system – is important to 71 per cent, with 68 per cent pointing to unhelpful and impolite handlers as the most ‘annoying’ aspects of a poor call handling service. The research also highlights the degree to which an individual call handler’s performance can shape – for good or bad – the consumer’s per-

ception of the skills and expertise of a company’s entire workforce. Over 70 per cent of respondents said they’d evaluate whether or not staff were ‘capable’ and knew ‘how to do their jobs’ on the evidence of a recent phone call. Board executive at alldayPA, David Joseph, said: “The research underlines what most consumers already know, which is that every phone call makes an impression, and, therefore, companies need to make every call count. “Consumers choose to make a telephone call for a very specific reason which, as the research demonstrates, is typically because they have an issue they feel can only be resolved by talking to a real, live representative of the company.” “It’s a tough call, particularly in cases where the caller is dissatisfied or angry. However, for the period of time the customer is on the phone, the call handler is the most important person on the company’s payroll. “With so many other newer, and more fashionable, communication technologies battling for budget, the phone has become less of a priority for many companies. “It’s one of the reasons why companies don’t see a problem in allowing their least engaged employees to answer and deal with phone calls. But, as the research shows, that’s an error in judgement which could have costly, long-term repercussions on the company’s relationship with their customers.”

USN launches indulgent guilt-free protein mousse USN, leading supplier of sports nutrition, has launched Protein Mousse, an indulgent guilt-free dessert. Available in three flavours, the product helps to support the maintenance of lean muscle and is the ideal dessert to support your fitness challenges. High in protein and low in fat, USN Protein Mousse has been formulated to support your body with essential amino acids while you sleep. It’s sucrose-free and high in calcium and phosphorus, which contributes to a normal energy-yielding metabolism, as well as its support in maintaining bones and teeth. Similar to that of other desserts but without all the additives, USN Protein Mousse is rich, thick and creamy and has all the great taste of a naughty treat but without any sucrose. USN’s new Protein Mousse is packed with 15g of high quality dairy protein and since it takes longer for the body to digest and metabolize protein, more calories are burnt processing them. Priced at £26.99, each tub consists of 16 servings and is available in

three different flavours, Peach and Mango, Café Latte and Strawberry White Chocolate. As each serving contains a slow release of protein, it’s ideal to consume between meals as a snack, post workout boost and even before bedtime as it not only satisfies your appetite, but also supports your body’s nutrients to help recover faster. USN Protein Mousse is available to buy from www.usn.co.uk, selected Superdrug stores and independent health stores.

Joanne Green chose weights over cardio exercise classes.

Joanne ditches cardio classes and tries her luck at bodybuilding By Olivia Taylor AN Irish mother-of-two who scrapped cardio exercise classes for weights is now trying her luck at body building. 36-year-old Joanne Green started exercising after her second child was born and enjoyed it so much, she went on to get qualifications in gym instructing and personal training. She now has clients of her own and teaches classes at her local gym. Joanne said: “It’s not work, it’s a passion. It makes me feel so good seeing my clients and what they’ve achieved.” Just over 10 years ago, Joanne was working full-time as a dental nurse, but she's now training five times a week and eating five meals a day in preparation for the IFBA UK Finals in

Newcastle on June 14. Her previous successes include being named NIFMA overall female in October 2014 and coming second at IFBA last November. She added: “When I started training with weights I saw a real change in my body, so when I saw the competition I thought I’d give it a go. I couldn’t believe that I actually won. “It’s hard work not drinking, eating five meals a day but it was worth it in the end. “I enjoyed every minute of it, now I’m just looking forward to the finals.” Have you or any of your members achieved competition success? Tell us more about it and send us your pictures to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and you could appear in a future issue of Workout.

GLL is to open East London’s first ever indoor trampoline park this summer at Barking Sporthouse and Gym. Operated by GLL under their consumer brand ‘Better’, the new facility will offer 2150 sqm and a 125-person capacity of safety-padded, interconnecting trampolines for non-stop freestyle trampoline workouts and play. Air bag pits, football and rope swings will also be available, as well as a number of fitness classes. Director of development for GLL Chris Symons said: “The new park is an exciting new project for GLL and the only offering of its kind in East London. Our mission at GLL is to help get more people, more active, more often and trampoline play is a unique, safe way for everyone to have fun, while at the same time gaining significant health and fitness benefits.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Advertising campaign leads to record sales

The three-year contract involves the continued installation of Life Fitness equipment at 75 Nuffield Health wellbeing and fitness centres.

Life Fitness in Nuffield deal LIFE Fitness has extended its longterm partnership with Nuffield Health, following the renewal of its preferred supplier contract for a further three years. The new agreement involves the continued installation of Life Fitness equipment at 75 Nuffield Health wellbeing and fitness centres and a further potential 200 corporate sites across the UK. The partnership will also lead to Nuffield Health’s HealthScore app tracking all of the user’s activity on the fitness machines, so gym members will be able to focus on their workouts while the app analyses their activity data to provide tailored health actions. Nuffield Health’s experts can also access members’ activity data via the

HealthScore app and provide personalised training programmes, based on the results, back to the member. Managing director, Wellbeing at Nuffield Health Dr Andy Jones said: “Our partnership with Life Fitness will enable further integration of digital technology with virtual and face to face services, enabling us to deliver fitness and wellbeing programmes to our members in a way that will make it easier for them to understand, improve and maintain their health.” The process for implementation has already begun, with Nuffield Health fitting out its City gym in London with the equipment last year. The operator will use the site to test the function of the consoles and different ways for the user to connect to the devices.

A NEW year advertising campaign by the énergie Group has delivered record sales for the company, which signed up over 17,000 members in the first eight weeks of the year. énergie’s Big Scary Gym marketing campaign used YouTube as a platform to target a growing online video audience and included a larger than life personality, based on the stereotype many have about gymgoers, and his arch nemesis énergie Guy. The Big Scary Gym character is played by actor and TV Gladiator Dan ‘Warrior’ Singh who has also recently starred in the hit US series 24. The core message from the group is designed to promote the fact their

clubs aren’t scary places and encourage those who may be nervous to take those first steps through the doors. Group operations manager Griff Shortt said: “January and February are key periods for people joining clubs to start their New Year’s resolutions and the Big Scary Gym campaign ‘hit’ at a peak time for new joiners that we believe helped to influence the ‘tentative’ market. “We strongly believe in promoting our facilities to people of all shapes, sizes and abilities and encouraging them to make the first move, which can often be a frightening proposition for somebody that has never been to a club before.”

Boutique studio opens in Soho A BOUTIQUE personal training, Pilates and sports therapy studio has launched in London’s Soho, successfully utilising MYZONE technology to track clients’ progress. Owned by husband and wife team, Brett Durney and Sandra Calva, Urban Cave offers exclusive one to one Pilates and personal training complemented by physiotherapy, chiropractic and sports massage services. The studio, which caters for just two clients at a time, launched in January and currently runs about 80 one to one sessions a week.

The owners decided to incorporate MYZONE into the offering after using the product in a former business. Brett said: “We know from our previous experience that we can train people much more effectively using MYZONE. It gives us the ability to set realistic targets at the beginning of a session, such as the number of calories burned or MEPs, and we can also use it to promote clients’ results after their workouts on social media, which helps promote our work.”

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Centre to undergo revamp SWAN Pool and Leisure Centre is undergoing a £2.6m transformation, following an investment by Aylesbury Vale District Council and a £500,000 grant from Sport England. The project – which started in February and is due to be completed in January – will modernise the facility, managed by Everyone Active, and improve the quality of leisure services in Buckingham. Improvements will include an enlarged and updated gym; a new two-storey RockBox climbing facility and a refurbished and extended changing village with a separate dry side changing area. Everyone Active general manager James Ewart said: “Swan Pool and Leisure Centre is a much loved but tired facility. This project will transform it into a welcoming, inspiring and sustainable space with top-class facilities and new activities. “We hope the refurbishment will encourage participation across Buckingham in a range of sports and healthy activities.” Everyone Active hopes the new facilities at the centre will increase its membership base to 1,600.

Health scheme celebrates 10 years of transforming lives By Christina Eccles AN award-winning scheme which has transformed the lives of thousands of patients in South Yorkshire with chronic health conditions is celebrating its 10th birthday. Sheffield City Trust’s Exercise Referral Scheme uses physical activity to help people manage conditions including coronary heart disease, muscular skeletal diseases and respiratory illnesses. The scheme was launched by the trust at Concord Sports Centre in March 2005 and over the last decade has expanded across five venues in Sheffield and now operates in two city GP surgeries. A team of 10 Exercise Referral and Cardiac Rehabilitation instructors work one-to-one with individuals who have been referred by their GP. Patients receive a 12-week tailored physical activity programme, which includes activities such as low-impact circuit training. About 60 per cent of patients continue with exercise at the end of the 12 weeks. Group exercise referral manager Dave Birds said: “We’re dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the local community. The success of our Exercise Referral Scheme is just

Steve Brailey, chief executive, Sheffield City Trust, and the trust’s group exercise referral manager, Dave Birds celebrates 10 years of success for the Exercise Referral scheme. one example of how we continue to achieve this. “Through the support and encouragement of our staff, patients become dedicated to continuing improvements in their health and lifestyle. “Many go on to become Fitness

Unlimited members or take part in fitness sessions such as Silver Circuits – a class tailored to allow older people to work out with others with similar conditions and abilities – and many who have been through the scheme get involved with social events.”

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

Sports nutrition store adds three new recruits to team THE UK’s largest independent sports nutrition store has boosted its team with three new recruits. Bart Ratus has joined Cardiff Sports Nutrition as sales manager. He takes responsibility for all sales, stock management and the procurement of new brands, as well as managing the wholesale side of the business. Ben Sherwin has come on board as social media manager, while Ash Evans has been appointed as online and in store sales and customer service assistant.

His responsibilities will include picking and packaging of the online orders and coordinating shipments with the couriers, as well as assisting with in store sales and customer service. Owner and director of CSN Marc Robinson said: “Our growth over the last year really displays how far we have come. “I am really looking forward to working with the new recruits and seeing what they can bring to the company.”

Jon Williams, Darren Campbell and William Watkins, MD, Radnor Hills.

Companies join forces to launch new sports drink A NEW isotonic sports drink has hit the market, thanks to a collaboration between Radnor Hills Mineral Water and Pro Athlete Supplementation; a company created by elite sports nutritionist Jon Williams and Olympic Gold medallist Darren Campbell. Jon was previously Darren’s nutritionist and when Darren retired from athletics, the pair decided to set up a business designing and manufacturing sports nutrition products. They then saw an opportunity to develop a ready to drink isotonic; approaching Radnor Hills to help bring the product to market. Jon said: “Based on research showActress and TV personality Caroline Quentin has become the new patron of Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease. Caroline will be supporting the charity’s campaign to improve diagnosis rates, which is launched at the start of Coeliac Awareness Week on May 11. The campaign, which will run throughout 2015 and 2016, will highlight the most common symptoms of coeliac disease and help people to seek further information from a dedicated website established by the charity.

ing coconut water (naturally high in potassium and low in sodium) to be equally effective for hydration as isotonic, we have created an isotonic formula that provides energy and hydration without adding excess sodium to the athlete’s diet. “We believe we have also produced a drink that is more suited for consumption during training and competition. Our teams and athletes all said they wanted a lighter less sickly isotonic than currently available, and PRO ISO is just that.” PRO ISO sports drinks come in Forest Fruits, Orange and a zero calorie version PRO ZERO.

Isotonic sports drink iPro Sport has become the official hydration partner for Beeston Hockey Club. The deal will see iPro Sport, which currently has deals with sports clubs in football, cycling, rugby and cricket, supply its sports drinks to the Nottingham-based club to aid the hydration process for its players. Marketing director for iPro Sport, Lisa Marraffa, said: “Beeston Hockey Club is one of the most successful hockey clubs in the country, so it seemed a natural partnership when it came to moving the iPro Sport brand into hockey – a new area for us. We very much look forward to what will hopefully be a long and successful partnership.”

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PRODUCT NEWS

BalletBeFit helps members plie their way to a better body

Jordan Fitness kits out new Bannatyne sites JORDAN Fitness has kitted out newly refurbished Bannatyne Health Clubs in Manchester and Darlington. The Bannatyne Group has invested £700k to refurbish clubs such as Whitworth Street and Quay Street in Manchester with a state-of-the-art functional training area. Jordan worked with Bannatyne’s from inception to installation to turn a tired looking area, which encompassed a few functional training products, into a functional training zone. North West regional manager at Bannatyne Fitness, Graham Hill, said: “Bannatyne Fitness is a growing company which continually strives for excellence in its health clubs. “Continually investing in the latest equipment is hugely important because it ensures that members are always able to access the very best and most up-to-date fitness technolo-

gy to help them achieve their personal fitness goals. I am certain that members will enjoy the new, enhanced facilities.” As part of the continued investment into their existing facilities, Bannatyne Health and Fitness have recently tasked Jordan Fitness to revamp the mezzanine area at their Darlington site. General manager Sue Stockdale added: “Functional training is the way that the industry is progressing and focuses more on training movement patterns rather than isolating individual muscle groups. “We are always looking for new ways to help our members’ progress and reach their fitness goals, and we are looking forward to seeing how the new equipment will benefit them.” For more information visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk

KETTFusion instructors urgently needed KETTFusion is a dynamic fitness class that fuses lightweight kettlebells with martial arts moves and is in such high demand that more instructors are urgently needed. Since launching the class last year, the popularity of KETTFusion has swept across the North West of England and is now increasing in popularity in other areas of the UK. Unfazed by the rise in popularity, founder and lead instructor, Michael Ross, said: “When I created KETTFusion I knew I had the winning formula as the class combines a strength and conditioning class with a cardio session, but in a new and unique way. “Gyms have been using kettlebells for years now, incorporating them into a class environment, but I’ve found that it’s the martial arts exercises that clients really love as it’s not a sport that they’ve been exposed to. KETTFusion gives them the chance to learn a new skill within an environment that they’re already used to and feel happy in.” As well as running instructor training courses across the country this year, Michael has also pledged to run free KETTFusion classes in your facility so that you can see first hand how

BALLETBEFIT is a dance inspired body-toning class that combines core-strengthening moves with intense cardio exercise that will keep members coming back for more. Created by classically trained dancer, Rachel Withers, this 60minute class is guaranteed to help members define, strengthen and streamline muscles to build a stronger, leaner, fitter body. It’s even been designed to cater for different age groups. Start Young is for children aged five to 13, Stay Young is for adults and Feel Young is for older adults. Originally launching in 2012 and with qualified BalletBeFit instructors across the UK, Rachel felt it was time to concentrate on gyms, leisure centres and fitness facilities to get this class added to their timetable. She said: “As a discipline, ballet has to be one of the hardest to conquer but offers some of the best physical

and mental benefits. “Ballet is often something that we try as a child but fail to fall in love with, which is why I wanted to create a class that would appeal to everyone of all ages, shapes and sizes. “BalletBeFit provides just the right amount of poise, elegance and grace you’d expect from ballet but with a hit of cardio blasts to provide an effective full body workout.” Minimal equipment is needed so set up and break down times are kept short and sweet to ensure your studio timetable flows from one class to the next with limited disruption to other instructors. Instructor training courses run throughout the UK, with the next three taking place on April 17 and May 17 in Rippenden, Yorkshire and April 25 in London. For further information visit www.balletbefit.com or email info@balletbefit.com

One-stop shop launched GRANGE Europe, a leading manufacturer of hygiene products and known primarily for its hygiene company brand, has launched WetwipesWarehouse.com – a one stop shop to make life a little easier when it comes to staying hygienic, clean, and compliant. WetwipesWarehouse.com stocks the award-winning Wipepod along with the full range of Hygiene Wipes, as well as Grange Europe’s innovative Hygiene Monitors. A range of hand dryers and hand washes are also available, including Biodrier and Germstar products. WetwipesWarehouse.com also offer a completely bespoke customisation service for most of its products, meaning your facilities are on brand all the time. Managing director Jonathan Bradford said: “We have spent a great deal of time and effort into creating a website that is easy to use, convenient

and looks good. “We’re very pleased with the results. It’s now easier than ever to order your hygiene products online.” For further information, contact Jonathan Bradford on 0845 370 0030.

Ken shares advertising and marketing tips in new book

it motivates and encourages members into the gym and into the studio, time and time again. This free class can be attended by your gym and studio instructors, to get a feel for the class structure and movement patterns, or can be attended by your members. You can then listen to their feedback, gauge their reaction and then decide which instructors you’d like to send to a one-day training course. For more information on KETTFusion and the different instructor training options, visit www.kettfusion.com

FITNESS industry veteran Ken Heathcote has launched a new book focusing on low cost marketing and advertising – revealing top tips for gyms on how to promote their businesses successfully. His latest publication – Low Cost Marketing and Advertising; How To Promote Your Business Successfully – delivers easy and effective ways for gyms to get members through their doors – and crucially keep them – without spending a fortune. Broken down into useful sections, the book is packaged in a bright, easy to read format, making it easy for busy fitness professionals to dip in and out of. Billed as “A book about ‘what to do’ and equally ‘how to do it’”, this is a must read for any gym owner looking to stay ahead of the game – without breaking the bank. To purchase a copy of Ken’s book for

the special price of £14.95, including P&P in the UK, visit www.kenheathcote.co.uk and quote “Workout.”

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58 INSURANCE

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