Workout August 2016

August 2016

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

Boxing legend in conference key address

By Christina Eccles BOXING legend Ricky Hatton will inspire delegates at the 2016 National Fitness Conference, Workout can reveal, closing the event with a keynote speech filled with top tips for success.

Four-time world champion Ricky has successfully swapped the boxing ring for running a gym; now owning his own independent club and training the next generation of enthusiasts through his Hatton Academy.

During his talk at the event, he will be encouraging delegates to be the best they can be; revealing the most valuable lessons he has learned along the way in both sport and business and how operators can apply them to create their own world class clubs.

National Fitness Conference director Judith Halkerston said: “Ricky was a brilliant addition to the awards in 2014 when he co-hosted the ceremony – he loved mingling and meeting our guests as much as they loved chatting with him. And we are delighted that he has agreed to be one of our keynote speakers at this year’s conference – with a lot of hard work and dedication he has made the transition from boxing champion to

successful independent club owner and we are excited to welcome him to the event.”

Sponsored by Harlands Group, The National Fitness Conference, which is now in its second year, takes place on Friday December 2 at Leicester Tigers Stadium.

Other speakers will include star of The Apprentice and award winning personal trainer Katie Bulmer-Cooke – who will be presenting on all things social media – and popular fitness industry presenter Dean Hodgkin, who will reveal more about the rise of the boutique business model and the lessons to be learned from this type of club.

The latest trends in technology will also be discussed by an expert panel representing different parts of the industry and throughout the day, delegates will also get the chance to benefit from valuable networking opportunities, speak to leading suppliers in a dedicated exhibition area and enjoy a healthy lunch. n Tickets for the conference are now on sale at a cost of £30 each or two for £50. Book your place or find out more at www.nationalfitnessconference. co.uk or contact our events team on events@scriptmedia.co.uk

No 275 £3

Latest craze inspires Pokérun

Actor Will Mellor has urged the fitness industry to get behind a new campaign to encourage more disabled people to become more physically active. The Together We Will campaign looks to address the low number of disabled people who regularly take part in sport or exercise, as highlighted in the most recent Sport England Active People Survey, and get them – plus their friends and family – involved. Eight National Disability Sports Organisations are working together with the English Federation of Disability Sport to deliver the three month campaign, with backing from Sport England. Full story, Page 3

FORWARD thinking operator Virgin Active has tapped into the latest craze by launching the world’s first Pokémon GO inspired training run.

The 5k Pokérun, which started and finished at Virgin Active, Walbrook, in London was led by a personal trainer and saw participants taken via multiple PokéStops, providing opportunities to capture Pokémon on the go.

Master trainer at Virgin Active Walbrook Obi Stanton said: “At Virgin Active we’re always looking for ways to get people into fitness.

“With Pokémon GO fever sweeping the nation, we thought we’d create an opportunity for those that love Jigglypuff as much as jogging to work up a sweat whilst boosting their Pokémon numbers!

“We hosted a world first 5k where fans of the phenomenon were guided to the best Pokémon hunting spots in the city whilst being put through a gruelling routine of press ups, burpees and planks by a Virgin Active personal trainer.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

Actor Will ready to spread campaign message

By Christina Eccles THE FITNESS industry has a vital role to play in helping to spread the message that physical activity is for everyone, according to two of the supporters of a new campaign.

Well known actor Will Mellor and mum-of-four Amanda Worne, who was left in a wheelchair following a cycling accident, are supporting the Together We Will campaign, which aims to get more disabled people, plus their family and friends, involved in physical activity.

The campaign shares first hand experiences from people with different impairments or health conditions about why being active is important to them, as well as useful information and support from the National Disability Sports Organisations involved about how and where people can begin getting active.

Will said: “I’m proud to be part of this campaign which helps to encourage disabled people to be more active. It’s about everyone coming

together to have fun and become healthier.

“My sister had Marfan’s syndrome which affected her physically as well as with her learning. She sadly passed away in 2013, but I recall fondly how much we loved being active as a family together.”

Both Will and Amanda told Workout they would like to see – where possible – clubs offering mixed classes where able bodied and people with disabilities can exercise together, with Amanda also suggesting offering more accessible saunas and steam rooms, perhaps enabling wheelchair users to transfer to a shower chair, so they are able to use these facilities and benefit from the heat and steam.

She added: “It’s so important I do as much as I can to help promote fitness and activity to disabled people.

“It was before my accident but it’s even more important now.

“The fitness industry has a massive role in making people feel they are welcome in the industry.”

Will added: “You can’t cater for

Matrix secure Wasps’ deal MATRIX Fitness has become the official equipment supplier for rugby union team Wasps.

Through the partnership, Matrix will supply an extensive range of advanced fitness equipment including CV kit with live data functions, plate-loaded weights and Olympicstandard free weights.

The installation will be used for strength and conditioning training as well as injury rehabilitation and prevention programmes.

Wasps’ head of strength and conditioning Dan Baugh added: “We are extremely excited about our part-

nerships with Matrix, having swiftly made a positive impact with continuous work on their products to ensure they are at the cutting edge of the fitness world.

“A lot of the CV technology comes from Formula One, so it will be interesting to see how we can tailor and interpret that technology to achieve the greatest benefit from a rugby perspective.

“The Matrix equipment is versatile, high performance and durable and we are looking forward to working alongside such an innovative partner.”

Together We Will: The launch of the campaign everyone all of the time, but if they could keep it in mind to be more accessible, that would really help.

“We want to get that message out to let people know there is an activity for you – there’s something for every-

body. [Physical activity] can make a huge difference. If you can get out there, there’s a world you didn’t even know about.

“If the industry really got involved, that would be fantastic.”

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 Advertising

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Editorial

Official media partner of ukactive

Group Editor: 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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UK FITNESS SCENE

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Julie enters a half marathon after joining gym and losing 10 stone

By Christina Eccles

AN inspirational member has lost over 10 stone and found the confidence to enter a half marathon after joining her local gym.

Julie Palmer was an unhealthy 25 stone two years ago but decided to overhaul her lifestyle and joined Sandwell Leisure Trust facility Tipton Leisure Centre.

Since then she hasn’t looked back – and is even in training for the Birmingham Great Run half marathon in October.

She explained: “I have tried various diets before and lost a couple of stone, but the gym exercise and fitness classes have really made the difference this time and changed my life.

“I cannot be more grateful to the staff at Tipton Leisure Centre (especially instructor Samantha Murray, who took me under her wing), as they encourage and push me all the time, keep me on the straight and narrow, but most importantly, have made me feel like I belong there. They have helped me to believe that I can do anything I want to do.”

Samantha added: “Julie’s weight has dropped dramatically since I met her, so now my role is to keep her motivated and not let Julie revert to her old ways.

Julie Palmer and instructor Samantha Murray.

“I recently convinced her to try a few fitness classes, like low impact Aquafit which is where most overweight/self conscious people will start, but she now attends Kettlebells plus she has just signed up to Bootcamp, which is a massive statement about her confidence as it will really test her fitness levels and mind-set.

“I’ve also encouraged Julie to open up to me more and review her diet,

because she still has challenges with food and doesn’t intake many vitamins or protein, so for her to continue losing weight or even just maintain good health she needs to mentally battle food.

“Julie still fears if she buys a normal shop she could still eat the lot in one sitting, so she plans meals day-by-day and her exercise and fitness regime complements this and really helps her diet.”

Everyone Active has appointed Stephanie Heath as fitness product development manager, to ensure that Everyone Active remain at the forefront of fitness and activity innovation. Stephanie will be responsible for the development, planning, implementation and review of new programmes and products as well as the review and ongoing evaluation of existing products. She will also support the regional fitness teams in the commercial delivery of existing in-centre and online products including group exercise, small group training, personal training and the Everyone Active Fitness Journey. Managing director at Everyone Active, David Bibby, said: “We are very pleased to have Stephanie join our team and believe she has all the qualities to continue driving our business and success.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

New class promises an exhilarating workout

More than 1,000 participants in 58 UK locations had support from clubs around the world for the Raising the Titanic event.

A NEW dance fitness class has launched, promising to deliver an energetic and exhilarating workout.

Bounce DanceFit is a 45-minute high-energy dance workout set to a mix-tape of hip hop and house music and combining different styles of street dance.

Since launching 10 months ago, Bounce DanceFit has over 300 instructors teaching the class in 15 different countries and demand continues to soar.

Creator Franco Conquista said: “There are so many dance fitness classes on the scene now but I wanted to create something that hasn’t been seen before.

“Until now, contemporary dance has been limited to dancers only, but with the right choreography, the right music and the right teaching skills, there’s no reason why contemporary dance can’t be enjoyed by the masses in gyms up and down the country and around the world.”

Fitness enthusiasts from around the globe join to raise £11,250 FITNESS enthusiasts around the globe came together for a fundraising event in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, organised by three friends whose lives have been personally touched by the illness.

Lift for Cancer, set up by Scott Britton, Sean Downs and Peter Williams, recently held its first event Raising the Titanic, where over 1,000 participants in 58 UK locations – plus support from clubs as far afield as Australia and the USA – lifted just over 16,000 tonnes.

While they didn’t lift the full weight of the Titanic, a group of 12 lifters – including the organisers – broke

the Guinness World record for team deadlift, setting a new record of 752,140kg in 12 hours.

Scott said: ”Raising the Titanic was a great success. We had amazing responses from lifters all across the UK and eventually we raised £11,250.

“We had a goal of raising £10,000 and were amazed and very proud to have beaten the target in our first ever event.”

The trio already have plans in the pipeline for future events, including Row the Nile, where participants will combine with the aim to try and row in 24 hours the total length of the River Nile.

Organisers of an award-winning light and sound spectacular have awarded £10,000 to a range of local projects in Highland Perthshire – including an initiative which delivers yoga classes for the elderly. The Enchanted Forest Community Trust has awarded funds to Highland Perthshire Yoga and Wellbeing, enabling the business to run six months of classes for older people. Acting chairman of The Enchanted Forest Ian Sim said: ”Last year more people visited The Enchanted Forest than ever before. That means we were able to fund a host of exciting local community projects. We’re delighted that our show helps make all of these projects possible, and visitors should feel proud that, just by visiting the show, they have done their bit to give back to the community and benefit the local area.”

Photo credit Angus Forbes

UK FITNESS SCENE

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Swimming pond installation celebrates a successful year

Physical Company Apex ambassador Dame Kelly Holmes.

Chain rolls out Apex gym floor sessions at 12 sites BUDGET health and fitness brand Fitness4Less has introduced four Physical Company Apex gym floor sessions into 12 of its sites.

50 staff across 10 Fitness4Less sites and two Topnotch Health Clubs in the group have completed the Apex training, with clubs rolling out the Ignite, Agility, Strength and Core sessions.

Operations director at Fitness4Less, Steve Bradley, said: “Apex is absolutely perfect for us as it reinforces our friendly, nonintimidating gym atmosphere.

“The sessions will provide something different and innovative that members may not have tried before. But they will not just be a novelty: these are tried and tested sessions which are highly effective.

“The first-rate training from

Physical Company has equipped our instructors with all the skills they need to deliver these top quality sessions.

“Furthermore, the progression and regression options will ensure every member – from beginners to more experienced gym enthusiasts – can take part and be challenged by these sessions to bring about the fitness benefits they’re looking for.

“There is still a fear factor on the gym floor among people who don’t know how to use kit properly so this will help greatly.

“Apex will go hand in hand with our new Gym Intros and workshops which are the focus of our summer marketing campaign and gives us a perfect platform to introduce new kit, new concepts and new ways to work out.”

THE UK’s first ever public swimming pond installation, Of Soil and Water: King’s Cross Pond Club, is celebrating a successful first year.

Overseen by Fusion Lifestyle, and developed by Argent, the natural bathing pond provides a natural swimming experience as well as a giant art installation in the heart of London.

The pond, which is 40m long and surrounded by wild flowers, grass and deck chairs welcomed over 20,000 people in 2015. The pond also includes access to changing rooms, padlock lockers and hot showers

as well as lifeguards on duty during opening hours.

Commercial and operations director at Fusion Lifestyle Penny Arnold said: “The installation has been a huge success and provides a unique, accessible and affordable swimming experience to the local community.

“The innovative plan to create something so natural in such an urban environment was something we were incredibly excited to be a part of and the benefits it has brought to the area in the past year is testament to the quality of its creation.”

A charity fitness event held in the sports hall at Bebington High Sports College, Wirral, has raised £1,000 for charity. The Bop for the Babies Fitathon was held to raise money for the Arrowe Park Neonatal Unit. Personal trainer Gemma Corcoran, who participated in the fundraiser, said: “The event was a huge success and we managed to raise £1,000 which will be well used to support the babies in the unit and their families.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Gym for people with special needs opens thanks to donations

By Gail Robinson

The team at BH Live centres across Bournemouth and Portsmouth is sporting a dynamic new look to reflect its mission to inspire more people to get more active. Designed and manufactured by sportswear brand, Viper 10 Sportswear, the new uniform also bears the distinctive orange and black logo and colours of BH Live Active. Head of marketing and communications Matt Goode said: “Our BH Live Active portfolio and team is growing fast – with new centres, more activities and more people coming along to sessions every week. We wanted a uniform to make our team look good, feel great and proud to be here.

This is to inspire our customers and to show that when it comes to being more active, we really do mean business.”

CIMSPA and FitPro join forces CIMSPA and FitPro have teamed up to offer CIMSPA members a comprehensive range of insurance products underwritten by AVIVA. The insurance provided by FitPro can be accessed by all qualifying members, but is designed specifically to appeal to fitness and exercise professionals – from those working in conventional gym environments

through to yoga, Pilates and exercise to music instructors.

FitPro’s insurance expert Darren Orton said: “FitPro’s pedigree in providing customers with the best insurance available in the UK is well known. We are excited to assist CIMSPA by providing this insurance offer, backed by AVIVA as the number one insurer in the UK.”

A GYM for people with special needs, which was funded by donations, has opened in Barnsley.

Fitness trainer Colin Dobson, 43, launched a Crowdfunding campaign in March after his gym, the Personal Training Studio, started doing sessions for people with disabilities and proved so popular there was a three-month waiting list.

It took just five weeks to raise more than £21,000 and Colin has gone from having to turn clients away because of lack of space to being able to offer help and hope to even more people.

Colin runs the gym on Wharncliffe Business Park in Carlton with his best friend Jamie Pearson.

Alongside their usual work, the lads provide subsidised health and fitness sessions to special needs clients who can’t train in a mainstream gym because they find it too difficult or uncomfortable.

The campaign was originally for £6,000 target, but the £21,000 raised, combined with other investments, meant they could go ahead with their ambitious plans and take over the neighbouring unit.

That unit, called Seven Fitness has

been transformed and now fully equipped.

Colin said: “It’s all happened so fast because the response from people was simply fantastic.

“Before we only had the room to offer around three sessions a week for special needs clients on a oneto-one basis, we’ve now gone up to 18 sessions.

“We have also launched some group classes for youngsters aged 16 to 25 with Down’s Syndrome and they are absolutely loving it.

“The NHS, care homes and community groups often do not have the facilities or a big enough space to offer exercise to those with disabilities or special needs such as autism or cerebral palsy or if they do it is basic classes, nothing dedicated or targeted.

“Sensory overload is a huge barrier to using a public gym, these clients need specialist calm one-to-one sessions.

“In an environment like this it is just me and them and I am delighted with the way all our clients are benefiting from coming here to workout with us.

“And it is amazing to be able to say we can now take on new clients again.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Firm helps gyms save money and look after the planet

By Olivia Taylor

Natalie Lynn Lichtenbert

Gym top to raise funds for charity

FITNESS professional and animal lover Natalie Lynn Lichtenbert has collaborated on the design of a charity gym top to raise funds for Elephants for Africa.

A large percentage of the profit from the sales of the t-shirts will be donated to the charity, which will be using the money to fund vital elephant research in Botswana.

Natalie said: “I wanted to design something for Elephants for Africa because I am fascinated by their study of male elephant behaviour and it’s my way of getting involved to help save these beautiful creatures.

“It’s a great product that helps protect our great elephants.”

AN innovative company is making a name for itself in the sector by saving fitness facilities money while making them more environmentally friendly.

Pure World Energy was founded in 2013 with a mission to save clients money – and look after the planet – by using state of the art technology to manage energy more efficiently.

Since launching, the company has gone on to work with a range of different gyms and leisure centres, helping them reduce their energy bills.

One success story is a partnership with WheelPower, the national charity for British Wheelchair Sport and owners of Stoke Mandeville Stadium, to install technology and resources which enabled the Buckinghamshire leisure facility to gain long-term control over its energy expenditure without the need for capital investment or additional resource.

As part of the project, two Capstone 65 Gas Turbines were installed in a combined heat and power (CHP) system.

Projections by PWE confirmed the CHP units had potential to provide 70 per cent of the energy required for the stadium and deliver up to £24,000 in annual financial savings.

Director of operations at PWE Steve Bambury explained: “Our review of

Simon Wright Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s energy usage highlighted that utility costs were the second biggest operating cost to 1Life.

“Having experienced inflated costs over the last 10 years, the need for on-going proactive energy management was essential for the operator’s long term control of energy

consumption and costs.”

Four months after installation, PWE delivered an energy saving of 10.14 per cent on electricity and 15.71 per cent on heat.

Steve added: “1Life benefit from the financial savings as soon as the project is implemented and signed off, and on projects such as CHP installations where PWE fund the scheme in full, the return on investment is immediate with ongoing monthly savings delivered.

“Initiatives funded by 1Life are agreed with a return on investment target of two years and whilst payback will not be achieved for two years, savings are made immediately.

“Energy-saving technologies employed by leisure operators looking to reduce utility expenditure and improve their green credentials are becoming increasing in popularity.

“Irrespective of cost or level of sophistication, having an energy strategy is key to successfully managing energy consumption and costs.”

PWE CEO Simon Wright added: “It’s a really simple idea, you wouldn’t go on holiday and leave the heating on for two weeks, what we’re doing is the same principle.

“We’re not asking any of our clients to take risks, we take the risks. We’re showing people that they have the control to control their energy.”

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A weekend-long festival has taken place in Leeds – celebrating the best of the city’s health and wellbeing offering. Workout’s Christina Eccles and Lucy Dickinson went along for a day of fitness fun.

Leeds festival weekend keeping the city active THE Leeds Yoga and Wellness Festival brought visitors together for an action packed itinerary showcasing some of the best independent health and fitness businesses the city has to offer; letting locals know exactly how many different activities they have access to.

The brainchild of Holly McFee, who owns Leeds’ based yoga studio Yoga Hero, the festival is now in its second year and is going from strength to strength.

Holly explained: “Doing classes at different studios and meeting people, it became clear to me that the people of Leeds were not sure about how much was on their doorstep; from physio to massage to different types of yoga, fitness and healthy food vendors.

“To help people become healthy and well with these fabulous independent fitness people, I thought

it was a good idea.

“The first one was going to be an urban retreat day with yoga, food, some dance and optional massages, but as I started talking to people it was clear it would have to be longer than a day.”

From those initial ideas, the festival was created, with the word ‘festival’ being chosen over ‘retreat’ as it suggests more of an informal and relaxed event where people are welcome to drop in and out as they please.

Holly added: “Last year was a similar set up. It was a really lovely event with a family feel.

“It went really well, so we decided to put it on again this year.”

For 2016, the festival has grown in size. It started on Friday evening with either a rocket yoga or yoga essentials workshop before two full days on Saturday and Sunday.

Throughout the event, visitors could choose one of two activities to take part in per time slot, with sessions on offer including everything from HIIT to climbing to salsa, as well as several different yoga classes.

Festivalgoers were also encouraged to socialise in a chill out area where they could explore the stalls on offer and enjoy a healthy brunch and snacks throughout the day.

Holly added: “It’s great the way it’s grown. This year we were offering family activities, which is reflective of what’s happening in the studio with us offering pregnancy yoga and mum and baby yoga. It was nice because there was something for all the family.

“I’m really happy it was so well received and we had more people coming through the doors. We’ve had really good feedback from vendors, instructors and people who

attended.”

Holly also believes the festival is a great way for some of the city’s independent health and fitness businesses to come together and spread the word about the importance of keeping active – and hopes next year to include even more of them as Leeds’ fitness offering continues to grow.

She added: “We are all in it to help people be the best they can be and the fittest and happiest. We can all work together, not against one another. That’s a big motivator behind doing the festival – having fitness businesses working together.

“People are being more active and realising that to be fit doesn’t mean going for a run every day. I’ve nothing against running – I run myself – but there are so many different things out there and many more ways to get fit and happy.”

Great way to try lots of activities ...

FROM high energy HIIT to a chilled out brunch, complete with mindfulness colouring books, everything about this festival sounded appealing.

And after studying the line-up in advance online, it soon became clear it would be a challenge to pick our day’s activities as we wanted to have a go at them all!

We attended on the Saturday of the festival, looking forward to an active day trying out both activities we knew we enjoyed, plus some new ones we were less familiar with.

Our day kicked off with a fun HIIT session from local business We Are Wellness, which involved 30 minutes of HIIT, followed by a

stretching session to invigorate and relax.

After the HIIT class, we moved to a 90 minute Ashtanga primary series class, led by Holly, and although we are both fairly inexperienced at yoga, this session was expertly broken down to ensure that participants of all levels felt comfortable with the poses.

Following the two morning sessions was brunch – a delicious feast prepared by local business Cafe 164 designed to be healthy, nutritious and energising.

Here we enjoyed a menu of almond, cacao, berry and banana smoothies, banana and nut bars, fresh seasonal fruits with homemade granola and mini nibble pots of sweet potato, spinach, quinoa,

roasted fennel and cherry tomatoes.

After a well-earned lunch break, our afternoon class was a toe tapping, salsa taster session where we were led through some basic moves by teachers from Salsa Rocks for almost two hours of dance fun.

The whole day was really enjoyable, with a laid back, chilled out and friendly atmosphere, and attending the festival was a great way to have a go at lots of different things under one umbrella.

It’s really encouraging to hear that plans are already being discussed for the event next year and how to incorporate even more activities and local businesses – we’ll be first in the queue for tickets!

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UK FITNESS SCENE Gyms around the country have been reaping the rewards of getting involved in the National Fitness Awards – reporting positive press coverage, boosts in staff and member morale and a renewed interest in their group exercise offering. Workout found out more.

A seniors’ class at Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre.

Gyms reaping rewards of NFAs involvement IN what is always a hotly contested category, seven gyms from as far afield as Wrexham, Hertfordshire and the North East were named as finalists for the Group Exercise Gym of the Year award at the 2015 NFAs. And a few months later, many of them have experienced a boost in business as a result of making the shortlist.

Ayesha Mir is group exercise manager for Fitness Unlimited, the Sheffield fitness scheme which operates at six sites including finalist Hillsborough Leisure Centre.

She said: “It was fantastic recognition for the success of our Fitness Unlimited gym and the classes and sessions we run to improve the health and wellbeing of people across Sheffield.

“Being nominated was a great way to benchmark ourselves against the UK’s best and demonstrate to existing and new customers the quality of our facilities and our innovative approach to group exercise.”

Classes are also proving popular with members at another finalist – Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre in St Albans – which has recently launched a series of senior sessions aimed at older customers.

Group exercise co-ordinator at Westminster Lodge Chris Dennis added: “These classes aim to help over 50s keep fit and healthy and everyone is welcome with absolutely no restrictions on fitness or ability. Feedback has been really positive with attendees commenting on the friendly, social atmosphere, as well as the progress they have seen in their health and fitness.”

Westminster Lodge has also announced plans to install a Hot Yoga studio, opening in

September, making the club the first in the area to run this type of class, and Chris told Workout, the team is hoping new developments such as this will help them to go one better at this year’s NFAs and bring home a trophy.

He added: “We received some great local press coverage from our nomination, which demonstrated to the local community that Westminster Lodge is a fantastic facility for group exercise, and encouraged more people to come and try the activities we have on offer.

“We were also able to display our finalist certificate in the centre, which really shows off how impressive our facilities and offering are to our members.

“While we did not win the Group Exercise category last year, we were delighted to be involved with the National Fitness Awards, and we hope the exciting new developments will stand us in good stead for the award this year!”

Meanwhile, in Lancashire, two past NFA winners have been working hard to continue pushing the boundaries when it comes to group exercise.

St Peter’s Leisure Centre in Burnley scooped three awards at the event last year – including the group exercise trophy – and since has been working on its timetable to include new sessions such as 90 minute class Ball Breaker, which is split into three 30 minute blocks based around HIIT training, weight training and an ab workout.

New parents are also enjoying a 45-minute Spinning class which allows them to bring along their baby, with reduced class sizes and lower level music to create a more family friendly atmosphere.

Health and fitness manager

Elaine Adams Gilligan said: “Group fitness is at the core of our fitness offering and we aim to provide a wide range of classes for everyone. We pride ourselves on being innovative and are always conscious of living up to our 2015 National Gym of the Year.

“Our team reviews each class monthly and every three months new ideas are incorporated to keep things fresh. We like to push everyone beyond their limits for both new exercises and more advanced athletes.”

The Health Club at Ribby Hall Village in Preston is also a previous NFA winner and, according to staff, continuous investment over the years has been key to its success; bringing a larger choice of studios, instructors and innovative fitness classes, including recent additions aerial Pilates and Barreconcept sessions.

Brand manager Charlotte Gili-Ross added: “Entering and attending the NFAs really is a key date in the health club‘s diary.

We never like being runners up and we’re so keen this year to win back our previous titles!

“The health club team work tirelessly to ensure that all members enjoy their membership to the maximum and this, alongside our continual reinvestment in new facilities and group exercise classes is relentless.

“Entering the NFAs enables us to reflect on what we’ve achieved over the previous 12 months as we’re always looking forward to what’s next to improve and perfect.

“Such reflection also boosts morale and everyone involved thrives on such positive energy.

Yes, we’re entering the awards again this year – you’ve got to be in it, to win it!”

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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...

Picture of the month

@_activenet: Thanks to ‪@ WorkOutUK for active-net16 review, lots of buyers and suppliers already committed to ‪http://www.active-net.org @_Leisurenet: Thanks ‪@ WorkOutUK for article on ‪@ CBCleisure partnership with us and ‪@Lesley_at_NS – a very successful pre sale. @escapefitness: The evolution of strength training – a great collaboration between Escape and ‪@thefitwriter read it here ‪@WorkOutUK @Thirty_36_Six: Weight lifting on the rise across all age groups! (July’s ‪@WorkOutUK) – health benefits are huge! ‪@ GBWeightLifting @TheWorksFitness: Thank you ‪@WorkOutUK for the great article. ‪#gym ‪#workout ‪#fitness ‪#results ‪#fitfam @ScriptMktgSols: Closing date for ‪@FitnessAwards nominations is fast approaching! Enter now to prove your gym’s the best in the business! @ChristinaEccles: Very excited to be taking part in ‪#ShineWalk as part of team ‪@itsyoursole! Bring on the training and fundraising!

Ladies from a Barnsley gym are hoping to cause a sensational splash with their new charity calendar. Tracy Gibson and her pals from her aqua aerobics class at the Metrodome will pose in their swimming costumes to raise money for Weston Park cancer hospital. Tracy said: “We’ve all met through attending the class, and we’ve become really good friends. We were messing about and having a laugh posing and someone said ‘you should do a calendar’ and so we decided to do it. We all picked Weston Park because we know friends and people who have had dealings with Weston Park. Unbeknown to us, Weston Park is the Metrodome’s charity and we have now got their backing.

We’re not skinny ladies, and some don’t want to pose on their own so there will be some group photos.”

Editor’s Comment IT’S that time of year again where we’re urging you to take a moment to reflect on the achievements of your club and the improvements you’ve made in your business over the past few months.

In less than a month, nominations will close for the 2016 National Fitness Awards – the industry’s biggest free to enter awards’ scheme – meaning now is the time to get to work on those nominations.

When you’re operating a gym, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-today running of the business and forget just how far you’ve come.

But entering schemes like the NFAs is a great opportunity to sit back and think about the hard work of your staff and the difference your facility is making to the lives of members and your local community.

Already this year we’ve received some really high quality entries from clubs all around the country and it seems the NFA message is spreading wider than ever in 2016.

Responding to feedback from clubs,

we’re thrilled to announce our new Regional Gym of the Year Northern Ireland category – more details on Page 48 – as we look to include as many clubs as possible in as many different areas.

It’s also been great to see lots of new entrants who are putting themselves forward for an award for the first time.

So whether you’re a past winner looking to defend your title, a previous finalist aiming to go one better and pick up a trophy or a club which has never been involved before, we’d love to hear from you.

Tell us what makes your club special, how you go that extra mile for members, and what top quality service you provide and you could be in with a chance of collecting an award at our glittering awards’ ceremony on December 2 in Leicester.

Past winners such as The Strength and Conditioning Institute, who you can read about on Page 32 have reaped the rewards of entering their club and you could do the same.

Christina Eccles But you’ve got to be in it to win it, as they say, so head over to www. nationalfitnessawards.co.uk and enter your club now. You really have got nothing to lose.

Good luck!

This month’s hot topic:

Look out for some exciting updates on social media over the coming weeks where we will be revealing more about the 2016 National Fitness Conference and Awards. Follow us on Twitter @ FitnessAwards or @FitConference or visit the Workout Facebook page to make sure you’re up to date with all the latest news!

What is the biggest trend you’re currently noticing in your gym? Let us know what your members are loving – and what’s working well for you.

Send your answers to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll print the best responses next issue.

Follow us on Twitter @WorkOutUK or contact us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/workoutmagazine

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£350,000 extension opens at popular health club and spa

Air Fitness is a 40-minute class with a suitably retro playlist.

A POPULAR health club and spa has officially opened a new £350,000 extension.

The new development at theclub, Cadbury House in Congresbury, North Somerset, includes a quiet and relaxation area, sun deck, outside sauna and hot tub, plus eating area.

Group general manager at theclub Jason Eaton said: “Demand for weekend spa breaks, mother and daughter pamper days, hen weekends plus on going improvement of the facilities for our members has resulted in the opening of this

FITNESS fans in Ayrshire are enjoying an innovative class which takes them back to the golden age of aerobics – but with a few new twists.

Air Fitness is an aerobic and tone session, which uses the classic aerobic curve – build up, maintenance and cool down – to deliver a 40-minute class with a suitably retro playlist.

During the maintenance section, experienced exercisers use very light hand weights to increase the intensity of the session and after the cool down, clients take to the floor for some core work and toning.

Classes take place at The Studio Fitness Boutique, led by instructor Louie Fecou, who said: “The Studio has a very flexible program, and that’s

Everyone Active has raised £115,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust after choosing the cause as its charity of the year. As part of the initiative, Everyone Active ran nationwide activity challenges at all their centres around the country for members, guests and colleagues.

Throughout the year, activities included triathlons, the Swimathon, gym challenges, group exercise sessions and other fundraising events. Continuing its pledge to raise funds, the operator is hoping to raise another £135,000 this financial year to reach a target of £250,000. To help raise this money, centres will be taking part in national campaigns and events including fundraising activities centred around National Fitness Day in September.

Class uses classic aerobic curve with a few twists

important in keeping the schedule fresh. We tend to avoid jumping ship from fitness trend to trend, by cementing our most popular sessions in place.

“When we get the opportunity to try something new, we launch the class and announce a four week block. If it’s successful we extend that class’ run.

“We have a very popular morning schedule. Our daytime classes are made up of Pilates, Zumba, Fitsteps,Core Training and Yoga.

“In the evening, we have more intense sessions such as FBX and Circuit training. The secret is to invest in your clients and give them what they want as much as possible.”

fantastic new extension.

“Over recent years we’ve also had a lot of people ask if we had plans to provide an outside area.

“It’s therefore great to respond to that feedback and provide what our guests and customers have been asking for.

“There is nothing quite like this in the whole South West and increases the appeal of visiting or becoming a member here at Cadbury House.

“Continually improving members and guests’ experience is what sets us apart from all other health clubs.”

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New class aimed at youngsters

GROUP exercise phenomenon Clubbercise is getting younger people moving with its new class.

Specifically targeting the 11-16 age bracket, Clubbercise U18 is a new workout designed to be safe, engaging and entertaining for young people.

Borrowing the signature characteristics from the original adults’ class, Clubbercise U18 will feature flashing LED light glow sticks and disco lights.

The routines consist of easy-tofollow aerobic and street dance moves and to appeal to the youth market, classes include a more modern soundtrack, with a focus on the latest chart hits, and more interactive elements.

The Clubbercise team is also currently developing a family-friendly class for parents and their kids, which is being trialled in Liverpool by instructor Jo Parry.

Paddy Kenny and Mark Hodgkinson on the new gym floor.

Paddy reopens gym after £500,000 refurbishment ROTHERHAM United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has unveiled the results of a £500,000 investment at the town’s Bannatyne Health Club.

Paddy, who is a member of the club, cut the ribbon to reopen the new gym floor, following the investment by the Bannatyne Group, which is currently undertaking a refurbishment programme at all of its 66 health clubs.

Improvements include the creation of a new functional training area, featuring an Omnia 8 rig, and an upgrade to the club’s technological offering with the installation of virtual class studios, MYZONE heart rate monitors and the Bannatyne app, which allows members to keep track of their fitness progress, complete challenges on their smartphone and book classes.

There has also been further investment in updated cardiovascular equipment, including SkillMills, Watt Bikes and WaterRowers.

General manager Mark Hodgkinson said: “It was great to have Paddy cut the ribbon to officially open our new and improved gym floor.

“The refurbishment is fantastic and I’m sure our members will love the finished result.

“In addition to the new equipment, we’re also launching a new range of fitness classes, including virtual fitness and spin classes.

“I’m also really excited to see how our members will use the results monitoring equipment. We’re right at the cutting edge of enabling members to incorporate technology into their exercise program to achieve the best possible results.”

Gym owner and National Fitness Awards’ judge Steve Johnson is celebrating success at the NABBA World Championships in Brazil where he came second in his category. Steve, who owns Tops Fitness and Rehabilitation in Wakefield, competed in the Masters Over 50 category and was awarded second place behind winner Jose Bispo. Steve said: “I am immensely proud of this achievement although it is one off what I aimed and dreamed of. Jose Bispo was awarded the win and I can say it was an honour sharing the stage with another bodybuilding legend. I can honestly say the whole event and Brazil itself was the best experience of my life and memories that were made will last forever.” Steve is now focusing his efforts on his next show, Mr Universe, in October.

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Awards recognise work of country’s leading lifeguards

By Christina Eccles THE country’s top lifeguards – and the centres they work in – have been recognised for their commitment to drowning prevention at the Royal Life Saving Society UK and IQL UK Awards.

Held at Staverton Park in Daventry, the awards were presented by Di Steer, CEO of RLSS UK, RLSS UK president Peter Moyes and Martin Symcox, director of IQL UK. Among this year’s winners were Lifeguard of the Year, Kelli Smith, who rescued a student who had stopped breathing from the bottom of the pool at Derwen Swim Centre and Julie Lane, who received Special Recognition for Outstanding Contribution to Lifesaving in the Community after 40 years dedicated to drowning prevention.

There were also awards for the winners of the IQL UK Lifeguard Triathlon; the UK’s biggest lifeguard competition.

The winners were: n Single Site Approved Training Centre: Plymouth Life Centre. n Multi-Site Approved Training Centre (two to 15 sites): Glasgow Life. n Multi-Site Approved Training

Centre (15+ sites): 1Life Management Solutions Ltd. n Trainer Assessor of the Year: Donna Bristoll. n National Trainer Assessor of the Year: Graeme Morgan. n RLSS UK Lifeguard of the Year: Kelli Smith. n RLSS UK Lifeguard Team of the Year: Plymouth Life Centre. n Special Recognition for Outstanding Contribution to Lifesaving in the Community: Julie Lane. n Lifeguard Triathlon Male: Craig Scott and Phil Maynard. n Lifeguard Triathlon Female: Lizzie Shaw. n Lifeguard Triathlon Top Facility: Guildford Spectrum.

Martin said: “There is some fantastic water safety work going on in swimming pools across the UK and the awards are a great opportunity to give operators and individuals the recognition they deserve for the vital role they play in keeping the public safe.

“The judges were impressed with the calibre of entries and we’d like to congratulate all winners of this year’s awards.”

Paul “Silky” Jones with children from Springvale Primary School in Penistone.

Boxing champ gives exercise and heart health tips on school visit A FORMER world champion boxer has visited a school in Barnsley to teach children the importance of exercise and heart health.

Former world light middleweight champion Paul “Silky” Jones, who is ambassador for Yorkshire-based national charity Heart Research UK, used the fitness skills he learned as a boxer to teach youngsters at Springvale Primary in Penistone how to keep active and look after their hearts.

The children did skipping sessions with the former champ as well as hearing during assembly all about

how important it is to keep active and play sport.

Springvale head teacher Andy Platt said: “We were thrilled to welcome and work alongside Paul Silky Jones at Springvale Primary School.

“Fostering an enthusiasm and positive attitude towards living a healthy lifestyle and taking regular exercise is a value we hope to instil in our pupils.

“Seeing a professional champion boxer demonstrate his skipping skills and share his abilities with us was a motivating experience and could spur on our young generation.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

‘Murray effect’ sees surge in youngsters playing tennis

The £5m redevelopment includes the restoration of the City Pool and Turkish Baths.

Plans for historic site’s restoration submitted THE transformation of Newcastle City Pool and Turkish Baths has taken another step closer with the submission of a planning application to Newcastle City Council.

The £5m redevelopment of the historic site proposed by Fusion Lifestyle will bring the City Pool and Turkish Baths back into use as a modern facility while retaining the distinctive neo-Georgian features of the 1920s’ building.

The plans include the restoration of the City Pool and the Turkish Baths which will incorporate a spa.

There will also be a range of health and wellbeing facilities including fitness facilities, exercise studios and treatment rooms.

The submission of the planning application follows a six-week public

consultation process when hundreds of people visited a public exhibition at Newcastle Civic Centre and gave their feedback online.

Chief executive of Fusion Lifestyle, Peter Kay, said: “Feedback on our vision for the future of Newcastle City Pool and Turkish Baths has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re proud to have created some innovative plans which will take this wonderful building into the future.

“The building has been empty since 2013 and we can’t wait to bring it back into use for new users and those who grew up visiting the City Pool and Baths.”

If plans are approved, work is expected to begin later this year and the facility is set to open in spring 2018.

ANDY Murray’s recent successes and the British team’s Davis Cup win has inspired more children to pick up their tennis racquets and head out on to the court, operator David Lloyd Leisure has claimed.

David Lloyd clubs have seen a 12 per cent increase in the numbers of children aged five to 13 signing up as racquets’ members and a further 13 per cent increase in the numbers enrolling in its All Stars’ tennis lessons since this time last year; suggesting more youngsters are keen to follow in the footsteps of their sporting heroes and become the tennis stars of tomorrow.

To further encourage young people to play the game, David Lloyd Clubs are supporting the Lawn Tennis Association’s Tennis for Kids

campaign, which sees 35 David Lloyd Clubs offering a free six-week tennis course for five to eight year olds in the weeks running up to the school holidays.

Group racquets manager for David Lloyd Clubs David Bulgin said: “Andy Murray was a David Lloyd Club member during his childhood and we sponsored him when he was an up and coming teenage player, and so we are immensely proud of all he has achieved. He truly is an inspiration for the nation’s children.

“Tennis is not only great for general fitness and agility, it’s also good for self-confidence and social skills. It’s fantastic to see so many youngsters moving away from their laptops and technology and taking up this fun and social sport.”

New £7.5m centre opens THE NEW £7.5m Tewkesbury Leisure Centre has opened to the public – providing the local community with the latest fitness kit and facilities.

Funded by Tewkesbury Borough Council, the new centre will be managed in a 10-year contract by operator Places for People Leisure.

Features include an enhanced Amateur Swimming Association teaching programme, group exercise classes and a 60-station fitness suite with top of the range fitness

equipment. Another addition is the inflatable aquarun; a floating assault course which will be available for swimmers to use during splash sessions and also to hire for children’s parties. To encourage children to be more physically active, children under eight can also swim for free.

General manager Matt Cotton said: “It’s fantastic to see the local community using and enjoying the wonderful new facilities that the centre has to offer.”

UK FITNESS SCENE An independent club in Leeds is shaking up the market by claiming to be a gym which sells health rather than memberships. Christina Eccles took a look around.

Every member at Primal Gym in Leeds gets an initial assessment and quarterly review, while friendly competition is also encouraged.

Gym aims to fix ‘broken’ fitness industry by providing tools to achieve results AT the end of 2014, Primal Gym entered the sector with a bang, with an initial marketing campaign branding the fitness industry ‘broken’.

And their mission is a simple one.

To fix this by providing the tools every member needs to achieve results.

Director Darren Faulkner explained: “We want to actually cure people so they’re not just going from gym to doctor. We want to be a gym that sells health rather than memberships.”

To get their fitness journey off to a flying start, every member gets an initial assessment and quarterly reviews, including goal setting, fitness testing and body fat percentage analysis.

Friendly competition is also encouraged, with members joining Team Lion, Bear, Wolf or Rhino when they sign up; giving them the option

to go head-to-head in monthly team battles.

In fact, the team is so confident that Primal Gym will become a place where people enjoy coming to rather than seeing the gym as a chore, they offer a points system which rewards people for going to the gym more often – and gives them money back when they reach their targets.

Director Craig Megretton added: “We believe we have developed a product beyond what we originally envisaged.

“Our first piece of marketing said ‘the fitness industry is broken’. We’re trying to build a reputation for doing something different.”

The club’s location at Leeds Dock – just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Royal Armouries and many local businesses and apartments – puts them in a great position to

attract new faces through the doors.

But this gym is all about retaining them, with member challenges and community events such as its urban obstacle course Primal Stampede giving them extra reasons to keep coming back.

Darren added: “We are very much results orientated. I would say we have a more loyal community here than most gyms would ever experience.

“We’ve built a fantastic community and are like a big family.”

One effective way the gym measures progress is by using coloured wristbands, which members wear to highlight to instructors the areas where they may need more help.

Wearing these bands tell the coaches what a member’s weakness is, for example squats, meaning that during workouts or group classes,

instructors are able to regress or modify the movement slightly to make it more suitable.

The challenge then is for a member to improve in these areas and eventually give the bands back.

Education is also key to this club’s success.

As well as the fitness facilities, the building also includes the Primal Academy where trainers are educated.

And although the gym works with elite athletes, celebrating the success of the ‘everyday’ member is just as important.

Darren added: “We’re like a sports facility of excellence for ordinary people. When they improve their performance, we want it to be just as celebratory.

“We’re helping people to open their mind about what they can achieve.”

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Popularity continuing to grow ...

In the second part of a feature, the experts at Escape Fitness reveal more about the evolution of strength training – and why its popularity is continuing to grow.

Positive Role Models In the past, we took our sporting inspiration from athletes, and had to wait until they graced our TV screens or newspapers. As little as five years ago, strength training had very few visible role models. Hollywood gave us its share of muscular men.

But any female looking for weight training inspiration had to be content with Sarah Connor doing pull ups in Terminator.

Strength sport was only thinly covered by media (which is why we have a generation who associate the Christmas TV schedule with World’s Strongest Man!) Strength and muscle was “Arnold Schwarzenegger” and that’s about it.

We were due an update Fast-forward to the current day.

Anyone looking for muscular inspiration is spoiled for choice. The sports purists amongst you have strength athletes to look to: stars like weight lifter Zoe Smith and strongman Eddie Hall.

The big screen is celebrating muscular bodies like never before, thanks in part to the current craze for superhero films. Celebrity coverage of red carpet events still focuses on people’s diet and exercise regimes. But reports of endless cardio and semi-starva-

tion diets are fading. In their place, we hear about the deadlift numbers of petite female celebrities. Actresses display toned delts and rounded biceps with pride. The most prized type of celebrity body is changing.

And it’s shaped in the weight room, not on the treadmill.

Some of the biggest stars of today are vocal about their love of strength training. It’s impossible to ignore The Rock! Yet this new breed of muscular men and women are appealing, aspirational, and human. Muscle is no longer a freakshow.

Public Support For Fitness Who can remember a time when fitness, strength, and muscle was so celebrated? Society is encouraging us all to be more active. Being stronger and more muscled is an accepted part of that.

Sport England’s “This Girl Can” campaign captured the hearts and minds of women, men and young children. And who could have predicted the success of British Weight Lifting’s “Golden Chance” female-only initiative?

At the sharp end of strength training is the competition scene. Here, too, we see an astonishing rise in popularity and participation. Let’s not forget that the first women’s bodybuilding

contest was as recent as 1977. The first Ms. Olympia contest was in 1980.

Less than 40 years later, and women think nothing of asking “do you compete”? Competing in bodybuilding’s various categories isn’t just accepted, it’s almost expected. In 2013, the BodyPower exhibition saw female entry numbers double for “Physique of the Week”, and a 25 per cent increase in powerlifting.

10 Reasons To Support The Popularity Of Strength Training n Men and women of any age can start weight training. n Training with weights tends to give people an incredible boost in confidence. n Strength training can reduce your risk of diseases like type two diabetes. n Building muscle supports metabolic rate, helping you manage your weight. n Weight training burns calories whilst you do it – and afterwards. n Using weights sculpts your body to create the shape you want. n Weight training boosts mood and is a tool against anxiety and depression. n Training with weights reduces the risk of osteoporosis. n You will learn what your mind and body are capable of. n Weight training can have a cardio-

Matthew Januszek vascular benefit too.

Strength and fitness will always be a fascinating topic. For operators and other fitness businesses (including personal trainers), the key of course is to stay on top of trends as they develop. Together, we can shape the evolution of strength sports and help make this great industry even more successful. n Keep an eye out as this is the beginning of a series of strength related articles that we’ll be producing over the next few months.

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

Matrix board takes workouts off the floor WORKOUTS can now take place off the floor, thanks to the Johnny G In-Trinity Board by Matrix – a unique elevated fitness board and training programme that builds strength, balance and flexibility, co-ordination and agility.

Taking inspiration whilst stretching by a riverbed in Brazil, founder Johnny G realised that being able to reach under the ground would expand movement and enable deeper stretches.

This led to the development of In-Trinity.

In-Trinity breathes new life into traditional practices such as yoga, Pilates and martial arts, whilst promoting physical and mental wellbeing for all fitness levels.

The boards can be used for group training or in workout sessions for individuals, making for a highly versatile piece of equipment.

In-Trinity master trainer Charlotte Roberts said: “In-Trinity’s elevated platform gives access to the area beneath the board, enabling new movements and deeper stretches that

challenge the user.

“This elevation also gives a unique opportunity to work with or against gravity, creating resistance whilst also facilitating movement.

“But the greatest feature of In-Trinity is its versatility – whether your goal is to build strength or improve flexibility, work alone or in a group environment, In-Trinity will help you to achieve those goals.

“And to support this, In-Trinity instructors can develop a personal programme to help you to elevate your training, practice and deliver the workout that suits you.”

In-Trinity instructors are currently teaching balancing Energy Yin and Yang classes within health clubs and studios across the country.

Each board is supplied with a set of sticks and straps to further enhance training versatility and the In-Trinity storage rack accommodates five boards, pairs of sticks and straps to aid transport between studios.

To learn more about In-Trinity visit http://tinyurl.com/Intrinity

New partnership with association announced TECHNOGYM has announced a strategic partnership with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning research and education.

The collaboration will result in a series of educational health and wellness resources, which will be available to Technogym customers and master trainers, as well as to the industry overall, and will incorporate the NSCA’s peer-reviewed scientific research and principles.

President and founder of

Technogym Nerio Alessandri said: “Technogym is proud to partner with the NSCA making an impact on strength and conditioning as a practice and a profession.

“Our goal is to support our customers and drive the industry through invaluable education, content and solutions.

“Core to this is enabling the personal trainer network that is on the frontlines training end-users on equipment.

“It is crucial trainers are educated and certified to provide professional and optimal training experiences.”

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National Fitness Award winning gym The Strength and Conditioning Institute is enjoying success after spotting a gap in the market for a facility which focuses on this type of training – and gets results. Club owners Alex Shoebridge and Martin Shyvers revealed more to Workout.

Going from strength to strength ...

What inspired you to open the gym?

As self-employed National Level Strength Coaches, we reached a point where our schedules were so full we had to turn away work. Having our own facility would enable us to bring our skills and expertise to a larger audience and offer them a wider range of services.

We saw a gap in the market for a training facility offering high quality personal training along with individual nutrition plans, containing equipment informed by and designed around the latest advances in fitness science. We’d seen that the ‘one size fits all’ approach to training was failing, and we knew how to change it.

As well as training and rehab, we also wanted to heal metabolic damage caused by fad diets, and help people to rebuild healthy relationships with food.

How are things going?

Pretty amazingly! We are just over halfway through our 12 months as title holders of Functional Training Gym of the Year. We were also a finalist in the Regional Gym of the Year (South), which places us in the top six gyms in the entire region. Further recognition has come in the form of the Kent Excellence in Business Awards, where we have been finalists in the Start Up Business of the Year category in 2014 and 2015… And we’re not yet four years old!

Our current rating on Facebook is 4.9 out of a maximum five, based on 70 reviews, and feature glowing terms and statements that we have genuinely changed lives. Clients include England Judo Commonwealth Bronze Medallist Jemima Yeats-Brown, and numerous amateur sportspeople.

Whilst figures from Sports England demonstrate a trend away from gym membership, we are bucking this trend in a serious way. In June 2015 The Telegraph noted that the popularity of running and fitness gadgets had caused the UK’s “gym bubble to burst”, yet we have more than doubled our membership revenue in

the past 12 months.

We are so excited about our on-demand online service, The SmartCoach. This project has been in the pipeline for a couple of years, and we are incredibly proud to offer something that is totally unique, and will allow us to change lives around the world.

Why did you choose to specialise in strength and conditioning?

First and foremost because it is a genuine passion of both of ours – and our coaching team – since childhood.

There’s nothing like working in a field that you genuinely believe in and can use to help anyone and everyone. All professional athletes would benefit from strength and conditioning training, but the benefits also extend to “normal” people, using it to make their lives better. Correcting the posture of office workers who sit at a desk all day for the long term, is one valuable example of how this training transfers to everyday life.

We have also seen a rise in popularity of outdoor events such as Tough Mudders. This has created a need for more functional training facilities, so that entrants can practice some of the skills these races ask of them.

Why do you think this type of training is so important?

We are advocates of functional training because it allows us to enhance clients’ muscular endurance, sprinting speed, anaerobic conditioning and pure strength simultaneously. Teaching clients to use groups of muscles together is far more transferable to sports and everyday life than traditional types of training, and we see excellent results in terms of improved body composition.

We don’t believe functional training is for a specific demographic; our clients range from a 77-year-old who has had a double hip replacement, to an England Judo Commonwealth Bronze Medallist preparing for her next competition, and everyone in between. We also use functional work

for sport specific training, and have worked with members of our local football, rugby and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu clubs to improve performance.

What is popular with your members at the moment – any particular workouts or classes?

One of our most popular services is our signature Eight Week Transformation programme, which is a completely personalised course of training programmes, nutrition and personal training which helps people transform their health, energy levels, hormonal health, fitness and physique over eight weeks. This is the ideal combination of an intelligent approach to adopting lifestyle changes with fast results.

It is the ideal kick-start for a healthier lifestyle, and our Facebook album of photos and testimonials demonstrates the success and impact on people of all ages.

Our group training, Strongman and Fitgirl, is also hugely popular, and is a great opportunity for our members to challenge themselves at new functional training workouts every week. The groups have a fantastic atmosphere, and the coaches certainly enjoy taking the classes as much as the girls and guys do attending.

Can you tell us more about your latest venture, The SmartCoach?

The SmartCoach is a bit like having your own miniature world-class training and nutrition experts living in your pocket. It is a revolutionary platform we’ve developed to deliver our world-class training and nutrition plans directly to smartphones, tablets or a desktop. There is seriously nothing else like it out there.

The website features more than 125 exercise videos, each with our voiceovers and teaching points explaining what to do. Each exercise and each delicious recipe has its own video to guide users through their plan. It’s just like having two award-winning coaches and a professional chef with you at all times, to keep you on

the right track. No PDFs, no generic programmes, and no calorie/macro calculations. No matter where in the world users are, they’ll have 24/7 access to 12 weeks of workout and nutrition plans on-demand via the Internet.

The SmartCoach combines our more than 30 years’ knowledge and experience as National Level Strength and Conditioning Coaches with cutting-edge training and nutritious recipes, to help people achieve their goals, change their lives, and dramatically improve their health, wherever in the world they are.

The SmartCoach is as close as you will come to a personal trainer and nutritional consultant, but without the huge costs associated with these services.

What did winning a National Fitness Award mean to you?

We started life in an old office building, where the attached garage formed our conditioning room and we couldn’t really comfortably accommodate more than a handful of people training. But the idea and the quality behind the business was absolutely sound … as confirmed just three years later when we were named Functional Training Gym of the Year!

We were absolutely thrilled – as our faces in the photos from the awards night will show! We had a massive year in 2015, having doubled the size of the gym, extended our coaching team and supported the Tonbridge Half Marathon. Last year saw the business seriously spread its wings, and the award confirmed that all the hard work, long hours and planning paid off!

We were also named finalist in the Regional Gym of the Year South category at the same event, which includes London. To be named as one of the top six gyms in the entire region – including our huge capital city – is something we are immensely proud of. It certainly puts us on the map.

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Gym owners Alex and Martin and, above right, the gym.

‘Holding an NFA title also helps us secure new business. Like many industries, awards are given much consideration and weight by clients, and it helps us reassure new and prospective clients of our quality and experience’ Continued from Page 32 How have you capitalised on your win over the last few months?

We have shared the news far and wide, with local and industry media, our local MP, our partners, and – most importantly – our members.

We’ve secured numerous pieces of coverage as a result, and have used the accolade in everything from our Facebook cover photo to our email signatures – we are incredibly proud to be number one!

Holding an NFA title also helps us secure new business. Like many industries, awards are given much consideration and weight by clients, and it helps us reassure new and prospective clients of our quality and experience. Our new service, The SmartCoach will benefit hugely from

the accolade.

There are so many self-proclaimed coaches and trainers popping up all over the Internet offering different advice and courses. For us to be able to underline that our content comes directly from two National Level coaches who have been recognised as number one in the UK gives us an edge, and ensures that clients around the world can completely trust our programmes and guidance.

Why would you urge other operators to enter?

Starting a business is a huge undertaking. And running a successful business is even more so! Being recognised makes the stress, the investment, the long hours, the teething problems all totally worthwhile, and reminds you every day that your

skills and vision are special, and that’s what you set out to share with your staff, clients and the public. We’re in an industry that has a direct impact on people’s health and lives. If that’s not worth celebrating then what is?

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

We’ll be launching the second phase of our SmartCoach home training programme and then gearing up to release gym-based training programmes on the website in January 2017.

We continually grow our library of healthy cooking videos on this platform by adding a new recipe every single week – and this will continue throughout 2016 and beyond.

Partnering with a local chef allows us to offer meals which are delicious and

accessible, but still based entirely on our knowledge of healthy nutrition.

We don’t let The SCI sleep, and continually look for valuable additions to our equipment inventory.

We’re always looking to improve, and deliver additional value to our members.

We are also planning a schedule of seminars, which are a superb way for us to share knowledge – both with clients striving for improved health, and other trainers looking to take their careers to the next level. We have developed content through our online coaching and e-book projects, and the first seminars will be delivered in 2017.

By raising the standard of coaching in the South East in this way, seminars will contribute to establishing the SCI as an industry leader.

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STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

You can flip a tyre; you can do so much more with a TIYR. The tyre may be a great strength-training tool, but old tractor tyres just aren’t suitable for the gym. So Escape Fitness has replaced the tyre with the TIYR – a smooth, colourful (and clean) alternative. With a specially reinforced base section, the Escape TIYR has been made to last.

Featuring handles on both sides the TIYR is a great tool for solo and pair-based routines, from toe taps and push ups to flips and deadlifts, it’s an essential part of a strength-based workout. The TIYR is available in four weight options, from 40kg to 100kg, and is available from Escape Fitness now.

For more information visit www.escapefitness.com

Three new weight plate sets give more scope to enthusiasts PHYSICAL Company has introduced three new sets of weight plates to extend its range.

The plates are designed to improve power, range of movement, strength and athletic movement and can be used for group training and personal training, as well as on the gym floor.

The new additions to the range are: n The Fractional Weight plates – featuring a 51mm bore hole and available in 0.5kg, 1kg and 2kg weights, making them ideal to help with a gradual increase in strength. n The Olympic Rubber Bumper

plates – available in 5kg, 10kg, 15kg, 20kg and 25kg, allowing for a challenging and progressive weight training programme. n Olympic Rubber plates – ranging from 1.25kg up to 25kg. The commercial quality plates come in a stylish range of black and grey tones and feature a three handle hold design, allowing for easy manoeuvrability.

Physical Company managing dir-

ector John Halls said: “These new plates give plenty of additional scope to fitness enthusiasts, gyms and trainers by offering more flexibility in terms of incremental weights, floor-protecting coatings and tactile designs.

“They will fit Olympic and traditional bars and we anticipate this new selection of weight plates will prove equally popular with PTs, studios and larger gym chains.”

New kit for centre

THE latest in strength and functional training will be on offer to members at Worthing Leisure Centre, which is being refurbished later this month thanks to an investment of over £150,000.

Operator South Downs Leisure is improving the fitness facilities to include new state of the art cardio equipment and a functional training rig from Pulse Fitness, plus a range of Technogym pure Strength equipment in the weights room.

Facilities manager at Worthing Leisure Centre Mike McGinley said: “We are building a gym we are proud of and that our customers will be keen to use, working in partnership with Pulse Fitness and Technogym, who have been chosen to kit out the gym and weights room respectively with all new, state of the art equipment.”

Could you be a 2016 winner?

THE country’s top strength training gyms have been invited to prove they are among the best in the business by entering the 2016 National Fitness Awards.

Previous winners in this category include Ripped Gym and Elite Gym (pictured) who have been recognised at the awards for their

efforts in providing the best equipment and environment for strength training enthusiasts to work out in.

Sponsored by Cybex, nominations for Strength Training Gym of the Year can be made via the website www.nationalfitnessawards. co.uk until the closing date of August 22.

UK FITNESS SCENE

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As the recently appointed CEO of Transaction Services Group Europe – the parent company of leading direct debit billing solutions providers including DFC and Harlands Group – Roger Bracken is enjoying his new role. He spoke to Workout about his appointment, what trends in technology the group will be looking to capitalise on over the coming months and why he’s delighted to support the National Fitness Conference and Awards.

Andy teams up with institute

TOP tennis star Andy Murray has teamed up with one of Scotland’s leading innovation centres to highlight the potential of technology to provide more efficient and effective health and care services in the UK and across the world.

The Digital Health and Care Institute’s project portfolio is worth over £4m and includes over 100 projects engaging more than 50 companies, 15 of Scotland’s Universities, 25 third sector organisations and more than 1,000 members from over 20 countries.

Building on his personal interest in digital technologies to improve and monitor health and wellbeing, and with his recent experiences of working with start-up companies in the health, sport and wearable technology markets, the star’s involvement will raise awareness of DHI’s work with international digital health entrepreneurs and investors.

Andy will also promote skills, educational and career opportunities in this emerging market for young people and plans to also work with the NHS across the UK on campaigns addressing childhood obesity.

Why Roger is loving life in this exciting industry ROGER told Workout his new role is “fantastic” and that he really enjoys working in such an exciting industry.

One of the reasons for this is that it allows him to connect with operators in various parts of the fitness sector; taking the headache out of payment collection and allowing them to focus on the most important part of their businesses – their members.

He said: “Our mission is about reducing the friction around payments that sometimes sits between the gym and the member.

“We can help gym owners improve their bottom line and reduce work from their back office; allowing them to spend more time with their members.”

Independent operators are among those valued customers, with Roger adding that for many independents, the reason they went into owning a gym is to help people – and they can offer a service which helps them do just that.

He added: “That segment is a hugely important segment in our market. Our proposition is all about helping them run their businesses.

“Most are so passionate about

health and fitness and want to be at the front of house, on the gym floor with their members.”

For Harlands Group in particular, how to fully embrace the latest technology will be a focus over the coming months, with Roger predicting a rise in popularity in areas such as biometrics and the ability to better connect with members via digital communications.

He added: “There’s some interesting work around helping people pay through a blend of digital communications. We expect to be doing a lot more of that.

“We’re keen to talk about innovation. It’s an interesting area for us. Because we’re part of a larger group, it’s helpful as we can share best practice in other parts of the world and can look at how they are using the data they have to hand.”

Both Harlands Group and DFC are also involved with sponsoring categories at the 2016 National Fitness Awards, with Harlands also delighted to be the headline sponsor for the National Fitness Conference for a second year, where topics discussed will include the latest innovations in technology, industry

Roger Bracken innovation and social media.

Roger added: “The events are a great opportunity for us to connect with many of our clients as they have got a very broad reach.

“These events tick a lot of boxes for us and we’re delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor.”

Proud instructor Richard wins award A SHEFFIELD based exercise instructor has been honoured for his commitment to improving the lives of people with chronic health conditions.

Richard Archer, who helps run the Exercise Referral Scheme at Concord Sports Centre, was named health and wellbeing champion at a special awards event hosted by operator SIV at Sheffield City Hall.

Through the Exercise Referral Scheme, patients with conditions

such as coronary heart disease, muscular skeletal diseases and respiratory illnesses are referred by their GP for 12-weeks of low-impact physical activity with specialist instructors like Richard.

At the end of the programme, Richard is influential in encouraging scores of patients to continue with exercise by joining SIV’s popular walking football sessions, which he runs at Concord.

Richard said: “I was honoured to

win this award and receive recognition for a fantastic scheme which helps makes such a difference to the lives of thousands of Sheffield people each year.

“I take great pride in working one-to-one with patients and supporting them to continue with physical activity at the end of the 12-week programme, whether Andrew Snelling, SIV’s Deputy Chief Executive & Director that be joining our walking footof Finance, Richard Archer, Health & Wellbeing Champion, ball sessions or taking up badand Peter Taylor, 7 Hills Leisure Trustee. minton.”

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37

An independent gym in Gloucestershire has celebrated its fifth birthday with a major investment and a local business award win. Workout found out more.

Rockets marks fifth birthday with investment RUNNING a busy gym can be an all consuming task for any operator and it’s not always easy to find the time to reflect on how far you’ve come.

But for Andy Griffiths, owner of Rockets Health and Fitness in Coleford, the club’s fifth birthday milestone was the perfect opportunity for him and his team to celebrate their journey so far.

He explained: “The last few years have seen the club progress 18 months beyond our current business plan due to the growth of the club in size, new members, retention and personal training.

“To celebrate our fifth birthday we made a major investment into our gym’s facilities with new equipment, again coming from the profits we had made from previous years, still following our business plan to grow the club without debt.”

The last few months have been particularly successful, with the gym

celebrating being a finalist at the 2015 National Fitness Awards and winning a customer service award in a local Forest of Dean awards’ scheme.

Being situated in the heart of a business hub, complete with other local companies such as a cafe, hairdressers and physiotherapists, also helps when it comes to increasing footfall through the doors – giving people more reasons to visit and creating a strong sense of community.

Andy added: “The last 12 months has seen us double the size of the club with the business hub next door and gym area.

“We have developed Mini Rockets; a programme to work with local schools for summer and half term camps, plus after school health and fitness camps, alongside working with our members and local children with group training sessions for

A group of members and staff taking part in Forest Warrior.

11-16 year olds.

“Next on the list for summer is our Mini Rockets summer camp plus members’ sports day where we are going to hold our very own old fashioned sports day for members to compete in.”

The club also believes strongly in looking after its members and focuses on building good relationships between customers and staff. This means the team feels comfortable making follow up calls to members they may not have seen for a while and staff have the confidence to approach people on the gym floor to see if they need any help or advice.

Andy added: “To start 2016, we improved and updated our programme when new members join to give personal training and regular reviews when people start at the club, so we give as much help, advice and support straight away in the first weeks and months when

new members join.

“As part of the membership, we offer a personal training package to start, plus free group personal training twice a week and affordable personal training packages.”

Staff also join members in local and national events like Forest Warrior, The Forest of Dean half marathon and other fitness events across the country and some clients feel so invested in the club, they have even attended the National Fitness Awards to cheer on the team – and hope to do so again this year if the club is named a finalist.

Andy added: “When coming up to our fifth birthday, we could appreciate what we have done in a relatively short time.

“When we look back over the five years, we’ve not stood still.

“We’ve grown every year and tried to reinvest back into the club.”

UK FITNESS SCENE

Swimsuit fears put mums off their stroke

By Christina Eccles

OVER half of British mums (53 per cent) have been put off teaching their child to swim – because of fear of being seen in a bathing suit – research claims.

New figures have revealed how body conscious the nation’s mothers are, with nearly 40 per cent saying they have avoided water related activities with their children because they involve being in swimwear.

The knock on effect has left 38 per cent of those surveyed expressing concerns that their child lacks confidence in the water – and one in 10 revealed their child cannot swim.

The study by Everyone Active, which is launching women only swimming lessons to encourage women and mothers to feel comfortable and confident when swimming, also found 67 per cent said they do not feel confident enough to wear a bikini.

Group swim manager for Everyone Active Jacqui Tillman said: “We are shocked by some of the statistics revealed by this research.

“We have ensured that swimming

provisions across our centres are not only exemplary but also create a secure and comfortable environment for female swimmers and their children.

“In an age obsessed with body perfection, we actively support and encourage the celebration of women of all body shapes and welcome them to our women only swim sessions if they feel more comfortable surrounded by other women, and can attend in whatever they feel happy swimming in.”

The survey of 1,000 mothers across the UK also found that only 31 per cent remember their own mother being confident in swimwear.

However, over half of those surveyed confirmed they did teach their child to swim, either alone or with their partner, but 38 per cent admit they never take their child swimming. n What do you think – and how can the industry help to change these figures? Send your comments to ce@ scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us on Facebook or Twitter.

British Olympic diver Tonia Couch has re-signed with Björn Borg for another year as women’s ambassador for sports and performance apparel and underwear. Tonia competes in both Women’s Individual 10m platform and Women’s synchronised 10m platform and has already picked up several medals this year. Björn Borg UK country manager Neil Smith said: “We are thrilled to continue working with Tonia Couch. She is an exceptional athlete with an exciting career ahead of her. Tonia’s vibrant personality and sense of style are perfectly suited for Björn Borg.”

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ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

Same space – great new look LEISURE design and build specialist Createability redeveloped wet side changing rooms at Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Kingston Upon Thames to provide a more family friendly and accessible environment.

The centre, which is managed by Places for People Leisure (PfP) on behalf of Kingston Council, underwent a complete refurbishment of its changing village, jointly funded

by Sport England and PfP to create bright, modern, functional facilities all within the existing changing space.

Managing director of Createability Ian Cotgrave said: “The wet side changing area was compact but the centre wanted to expand its swimming offering and so needed to upgrade its wet side changing facilities in order to maximise the area available without having to find additional space.

“After careful consideration of the design aspects and reallocation and installation of new fixtures, we were able to fit a lot into the limited space, including a number of individual shower cubicles within the main changing area, enabling customers to wash in private after their swim.”

Family Friendly Facilities The old changing areas were tired and didn’t comply with current standards. By reconfiguring the existing space, removing excess walkways, placing changing cubicles back to back, introducing more lockers and cubicles, including family, group and disabled booths, as well as additional toilet facilities the area has been transformed and capacity significantly increased.

In addition to individual shower cubicles in the main changing area design, the existing pool side drench

showers were refurbished to provide more privacy and accessibility.

Specific cubicles were installed for those with disabilities along with an ambulant toilet.

Contracts manager for PfP Leisure Marie O’Loughlin added: “The works have greatly improved the facility for our customers and enabled Places for People Leisure to further develop our swimming offer to the local community. The finished results are amazing and totally transform the area.”

The swimming pool remained open throughout the work with temporary changing facilities set up in the centre’s squash court and lockers in the gym and cafe area.

Ian Cotgrave provides top tips when designing wet side changing: n Increase changing facilities and utilise space efficiently by careful positioning cubicles back to back and avoiding unnecessary walkways.

n Maximise throughput and flow of movement by including large multi-person cubicles that can cater for both families and those with disabilities. n All areas need to comply with Part M building regulations for accessibility, however going above and beyond these can often help with ease of use. For example consider if a hoist is needed or if notices and signs should also be in braille. n Consider all disabilities when designing the space, from those using wheelchairs that need manoeuvrability and a 1.5m turning circle, to users that are visually or hearing impaired.

For example, to help the visually impaired use colours to differentiate apertures (a different coloured doorframe to that of the door) and for those with hearing impairments position easy to see flashing beacons as well as fire alarms.

PRODUCT NEWS

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Is your changing room ready for the new pound coin?

Installation continues ongoing partnership THE ongoing partnership between Life Fitness and the University of Nottingham has continued with the installation of premium training facilities at the new £40m David Ross Sports Village, which opens in September.

The new complex, as well as being a community hub, will provide the University’s elite athletes, sports teams and clubs with an extensive choice of innovative new facilities in a stimulating and inclusive environment.

Assistant director of sport, University of Nottingham, Marcus Spain, said: “The David Ross Sports Village will create a truly inspirational environment for our students and customers.

“The Life Fitness team

worked hard to create an exciting offer which delivers high quality equipment with cutting edge technology that is both simple and intuitive for users.”

The sports centre features a strength and conditioning suite on the ground floor, featuring Signature Series and Hammer Strength equipment in addition to a six lane, 80m sprint track.

On the second floor, a 240 station fitness suite has been installed, offering the full range of Life Fitness cardio equipment as well as Cybex SPARC trainers and SCIFIT inclusive fitness products to engage and entertain exercisers.

To find out more about Life Fitness visit www.lifefitness. co.uk

THE shape of today’s pound coin has remained the same for over 30 years, which helps to explain why there is £45m worth of counterfeit pound coins in circulation today.

To protect the integrity of the currency, from March 2017 the Royal Mint will introduce a new 12-sided pound coin that incorporates anti-counterfeiting technology. While the Royal Mint expects the new features to safeguard the coin against counterfeiting, it will come at a considerable cost to gyms, sports centres and local authorities that will have to upgrade or replace coin-operated equipment.

Many leisure facilities currently have coin-operated lockers in their changing areas, however some gym operators are switching from coins even before any upgrade is required. They are looking for a more convenient locker solution so users don’t have to worry about carrying change or wearing an uncomfortable wristband. Upgrading also prevents replacing lost keys and overnight ‘locker hogging’, as staff can easily access the lockers using a master code.

The current pound coin will be “demonetised” in the second half of 2017, following a period of six months of co-circulation with the new coin. Lock suppliers are encouraging customers to plan ahead for the upgrade process, as demand for new coin locks will be significant. Of course, those switching to keypad

locks don’t have to wait for the introduction of the new coin, and can beat the rush and any future changes by upgrading to digital or smart locks now.

To view Codelocks’ full range of access and locker locks visit: http://www.codelocks.co.uk/

Combat-MX launches to sell-out crowd WHAT do you get when you mix two of the most popular group fitness classes on the planet?

Kettlercise launches Kettlercise COMBATMX. Guy Noble from Kettlercise UK said: “It’s taken over four years to develop the NEW Kettlercise COMBAT-MX formula which is completely music driven and sits perfectly with our philosophy of delivering exercise that works with pre-choreographed workouts of 45 and 50 minute duration.

“We are entering an exciting new phase in group fitness. It’s no longer just about how good the workout is. We have to deliver an exceptional experience to the end user in a very compact timeframe. This is why taking

Kettlercise and blending with dynamic combat moves has worked so well.

“We launched to our initial Instructor base earlier this year with all of the initial dates being oversubscribed. “As we are now start to gear up for the launch nationwide we are showcasing the new program at Fitness Fiestas and Fit Camps in the autumn. We do have training dates available across the country later this year and are offering remarkable introductory packages to corporate partners wishing to be part of the Kettlercise next generation.”

To watch a preview or to book on to a scheduled course go to: www.kettlercisecombatmx.com, www.kettlercise.com or call 01282 698 698.

Flooring solution launched for group exercise activities PAVIGYM has launched a new flooring solution specifically designed for choreographic activities and group exercise.

The new PAVIGYM MOTION has been designed with a pioneering twin-action functionality.

The top layer is a combination of virgin rubber with a specific formula which improves the friction control, meaning better impact resistance but also better performance for all types of choreographed classes, avoiding incidents and joint damage of slipping or blocking.

Its bottom layer maintains all the benefits from the Air Flooring System Technology, where millions of micro bubbles of air absorb the impact and return the energy gradually, giving

more comfort during the activity.

CEO of PAVIGYM Marcos Requena said: “Our commitment is to create quality solutions with the best technical performance and elegant designs for clubs, but also taking care of users’ wellbeing and providing them the best fitness experience.

Now with PAVIGYM MOTION we are proud to have raised the bar even further.”

PAVIGYM MOTION is also 100 per cent recyclable while fulfilling all the technical requirements and aesthetic aspects for health clubs, including seven different colour options for intensive usage.

For more information visit www.pavigym.com

ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

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Top honours go to Badgemaster at The Professional Clothing Show ‘It fills me with pride to see Badgemaster’s great success at our 2016 awards. We had over 400 attendees from all over the World from large global companies, independent organisations and some of the industry’s rising stars from fashion designers to corporate tailors, who all play a part in ensuring the professional clothing industry remains cutting edge, competitive and customer focused’ NAME badge manufacturer, Badgemaster, scooped three highly commended awards at the Professional Clothing Awards; Best IT Innovation and Website, Made in the UK, and Best Manufacturer/ Distributor.

Celebrating their achievements, Badgemaster was centre stage receiving the awards from Olympic star and TV presenter Sharron Davies at the glamorous event in London.

Co-founder and Managing Director, John Bancroft MBE describes his pride and delight at the achievements of their 100+ team.

He said: “To receive these awards is a great honour – for our team, our clients, and for the local community in Nottinghamshire. To be globally recognised for ur achievements is one of the great landmarks in our journey to deliver unparalleled products and service for our customers.”

Award One. Best IT Innovation and Website Badgemaster.co.uk launched their new site with many innovative features earlier this year, providing enhanced services to customers to

help them access highest quality, personalised badges with the famous Badgemaster price guarantee easily and efficiently.

Bespoke badge design, helpful product information, expert advice and instant price quotations are part of the Badgemaster.co.uk experience. Badgemaster customers can now place orders online giving them the fastest, the most accurate and the most economical way that there is to order a name badge. With an average of 50 new enquiries and over 200 orders a day, the website is a key part of Badgemaster’s customer service, helping 27,000 customers, and an estimated 5,000,000 people wear Badgemaster’s name badges every day.

Award Two. Made in the UK Badgemaster, Europe’s largest name badge manufacturer, had its first factory in a small portacabin in Hucknall, Nottingham. 24 years later, the state of art purpose built 12,000 sqft facility still resides in nearby Newstead, Nottinghamshire today.

The company plays an important role in the local community, receiving

Governmental recognition for staff training and environmental responsibility; subjects close to the hearts of many of Badgemaster’s 100 + employees, who come from the local ex-mining community.

Badgemaster’s focus on British suppliers of the highest calibre has also earned the company the British Standards Institute Accreditations for Quality and Environmental Management.

Award Three. Best Manufacturer/ Distributor Badgemaster’s best in class reusable name badge, Instabadge®, was recognised for its quality and customer service benefits. It enables customers to create bespoke, professionally designed badges within their own premises. Its unique and innovative design enables customers to have almost all the quality and appearance of a professionally made ready to wear badge with all the economy and convenience of a reusable one.

Its benefits have been widely recognised, with already over 2,000 customers now enjoying the

Instabadge benefits. As well as being available from Badgemaster directly, it is also now distributed through corporate clothing companies, catalogue and office stationery suppliers.

Yvette Ashby, the publisher of Professional Clothing Director-e magazine and Director of The Professional Clothing Show and awards, was delighted to see these three important awards go to Badgemaster.

She added: “It fills me with pride to see Badgemaster’s great success at our 2016 awards. We had over 400 attendees from all over the World from large global companies, independent organisations and some of the industry’s rising stars from fashion designers to corporate tailors, who all play a part in ensuring the professional clothing industry remains cutting edge, competitive and customer focused.”

For more information about Badgemaster, call their customer services team on 01623 723 112, email customerservices@badgemaster. co.uk or visit www.badgemaster. co.uk.

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

A new healthy soft drink has launched, with the ethos of ‘Hydration for you. Nutrition for your Skin, Hair and Nails.’

Prir is available in three flavours; Orange and Passionfruit, Blackcurrant and Apricot and Elderflower and contains nutrients such as Vitamin B2, Selenium and Zinc. It will be available in Boots plus selected restaurants, hotels and fitness centres.

British Olympic hopeful Desiree Henry has become an ambassador for Kinetica Sports.

The 100m sprinter will be helping the brand inspire its followers with a targeted social media campaign, press activity and personal appearances, while

Kinetica will provide nutritional support to Desiree throughout her training and competition.

Brand coordinator at Kinetica Sports Catherine O’Connor said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Desiree, a dedi-

Nutritionist and superfood chef Juliette Bryant has released a new cookbook with a difference.

Divine Desserts – How To Have Your Cake And Eat It includes a range of recipes which are free from gluten, refined sugar and animal products.

Recipes include chocolate ice cream, triple layer cake and strawberry cheesecake and Juliette is now taking her Divine Desserts on tour with talks, workshops and demos which all include tastings from the book.

cated and ambitious young athlete.

“We are acutely aware of what it takes to compete at the highest level with the right nutrition playing a pivotal role and we are thrilled to part of the team supporting Desiree.”

Supplement company signs deal AN organic superfood sports supplement company has signed a deal with Whole Foods Market which will see its products stocked across all seven of the company’s London stores.

The deal marks a significant step forward for Motion Nutrition owners Joe Welstead – a former Commonwealth swimmer – and Charlie Matthews, who set up the company with the

intention of breaking into the sports nutrition market, fulfilling a need for a range of pre, mid and post workout hydration and nutrition made with purely natural and organic ingredients.

Joe said: “We are extremely excited about working with such an internationally renowned retailer in the natural food space, and feel this is the start of a strong partnership together.”

Latte latest for UFIT

Liberate Nutrition expands its range with new sizing DUE to the popular demand of the 500gm Breakfast Smoothie tub, “we’ve responded by introducing the new larger tub size” said Adrian Burton, managing director.

“Throughout our company we have strived to give our customers what they want and we want to continue to lead the way with specifically designed nutrition for women.

“Our aim is simply to supply you

with the very best supplements for the ‘woman on the go’. We all know trying to fit everything in can cause a challenge and sometimes people have a tendency to neglect themselves.

With Breakfast Smoothie we’re ‘bridging the gap so you can at least keep your nutrition on track’.”

For more information email enquiries@liberatenutrition.com, call 01282 698 698 or go to www.liberatenutrition.com

UFIT drinks have further strengthened their growing range of high protein shakes with their Iced Latte shake.

UFIT Iced Latte contains 22g protein, vitamins and minerals and 100 per cent Arabica Coffee to provide 113mg of caffeine for a natural ‘pickme-up’. UFIT also contains no added sugar and is low in fat.

Co-owner and marketing director Terry Adams said “Our aim has always been to increase category penetration by offering a range of products that are nutritionally superior, taste delicious and offer an accessible entry point for new protein users. We’ve been perfecting our Iced Latte variant for some time and we are extremely pleased with the final result.

“We’ve bought together two exciting categories that are seeing explosive growth. The coffee market is booming, as is the protein category and we feel our latest development will offer a real opportunity for both our existing and new retail partners to offer a product that a broad range of consumers will be able to relate to.”

For further information email info@ bodyshocker.co.uk , call 0121 709 0433 or visit Bodyshocker.co.uk

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Northern Irish personal trainer Scott McGarry accepting his award at last year’s NFAs.

New NFA category for Irish gyms

By Christina Eccles GYMS in Northern Ireland will now have their own dedicated category at the National Fitness Awards after unprecedented demand from Northern Irish operators to be involved in this year’s event.

Regional Gym of the Year Northern Ireland has been created especially for the 2016 NFAs, after personal trainer Scott McGarry picked up the first trophy for a Northern Irish club at last year’s awards – inspiring more clubs in the region than ever before to put themselves forward.

Sponsored by Hatton Academy, the category is open to any gyms in Northern Ireland which have been open for two years or more on the date of the 2016 awards – December 2 – and will recognise clubs which are excelling in all areas of their business including marketing, retention, customer service, community involvement and innovation.

Any clubs in Northern Ireland who

have already entered the awards this year will automatically also be put forward for this category and any gyms which want to enter this – or any of the other NFA categories – can do so via the website www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk until the closing date of August 22.

National Fitness Awards’ director Judith Halkerston said: “I am delighted that we have a new regional category – gradually over the years we have received more and more nominations from Northern Irish clubs and individuals and we decided that it was important to recognise the excellent work and initiative that is going on there.”

The 2016 National Fitness Awards, sponsored by ServiceSport, take place on Friday December 2 at The Athena in Leicester where trophies will be handed out in over 20 categories at a spectacular end of year party celebrating excellence and achievement in all corners of the industry.

Pedal power raises over £112k for fight against heart disease A 100-strong group of David Lloyd Club staff and members have rounded off a successful year of fundraising by pedalling 54 miles from London to Brighton in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Starting from Clapham Common, the team cycled from city to sea through beautiful countryside before finishing on Brighton’s seafront.

Funds raised by Team David Lloyd

have reached over £112,000 for the charity, since the partnership started in August 2015.

David Lloyd Leisure CEO Glenn Earlam said: “The BHF is leading the fight against heart disease and we are very pleased to be supporting its vital work.

“We are so proud to have raised £100,000 over our first year of partnering with the charity. Bring on year two.”

PRODUCT NEWS

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Hatton brand proud to expand Tom Burke JORDAN Fitness has been appointed as the inaugural official supplier of all equipment and accessories from Hatton Boxing.

In the new partnership, Jordan Fitness will supply the full range of Hatton Boxing equipment to its trade, independent facilities and distributor network; all equipment will also be available to purchase from the Jordan Fitness website and will be the sole boxing equipment range offered by the functional fitness equipment specialists.

Jordan Fitness will also be one of the first suppliers to offer Hatton Boxing’s new Pride in Battle range; developed by Ricky Hatton, the new range of boxing and leisure equipment has been designed for

ultimate performance, with each piece incorporating the best-inquality materials and manufacturing techniques to ensure maximum quality and durability. The full range includes gloves, punch bags, hook and jab pads, body belt and apparel.

Ricky said: “We are proud to announce our new partnership with Jordan Fitness and to further expand the Hatton brand into fitness.

“Boxing is no longer confined to the traditional boxing gyms; it’s becoming more accessible as a sport and as a means of fitness for both men and women of all abilities, and through our range of equipment, we hope to encourage

this further and establish the Hatton brand within the fitness industry.”

Managing director of Jordan Fitness Zak Pitt added: “We are absolutely delighted to partner with Hatton Boxing and be affiliated with such an iconic name in the world of boxing and British sport.

“The research and development that has gone into each product is second to none, and with the backing of such a credible figure in the sport, I’m sure our customers will be as impressed as we were with the quality and designs that Hatton Boxing’s product range offers.”

Hatton Boxing equipment and accessories are now available to purchase from www.jordanfitness. com.

Health club completes £400k revamp INDEPENDENT health club The Marlow Club has completed its £400k install of new state-of-the-art Core Health and Fitness equipment.

As part of the year long project, the venue has revamped its exterior and interior décor and layout and a dedicated cardio, HIIT, strength and group exercise area in the form of a new indoor cycling studio has been created. The installation includes new cardio, Studio 7 indoor cycling bikes, StairMaster’s New Airfit Upper Body Ergometer and Spartan Gauntlet and Nautilus’s Inspiration and HumanSport strength lines.

COO of RFL co Ltd Jon Williams said: “This was a huge decision for us as we needed to close our gym for three days because of the quantity

of equipment being moved around.

The decision to make the change was worth it more than I could imagine possible.

“The removal of our old equipment and installation was smooth and

effortless and the new equipment is fantastic. Our members have been raving about the change and how positive it has been.”

For more information visit Startrac. com or StairMaster.com

Jordan Fitness in two-year deal with Fit4Less THE Energie Group have signed a two-year exclusivity deal with functional fitness specialist Jordan Fitness to supply their chain of UK health clubs, Fit4Less.

Jordan Fitness will provide two to three Fit4Less gyms per month with free weights, functional training kit, flooring and studio equipment.

Operations manager at Fit4Less Tom Burke said: “Having worked with Jordan for some time, the decision was made to extend and make the partnership exclusive because of the quality and value of the product, the ability for Jordan to work with our brand and most importantly the service provided to the whole group.”

As well as providing a great selection of training equipment to the gyms, Jordan will also supply the facilities with their industry leading education.

Head of UK direct sales at Jordan Fitness Paul Ferreira added: “The exclusive deal has been brilliant for Jordan Fitness as it has been a great opportunity to offer all its services as part of one package to such a reputable company.”

For more information visit www.jordanfitness.com

Company in new venture with Club Kingswood CRAIG Young Consulting has embarked on a new venture with multi-award-winning independent Club Kingswood in Essex.

Craig Young Consulting provides dynamic fitness solutions to health clubs and gym operators throughout the UK and Ireland, and is the exclusive distributor for Training Wall, Grappler and Gym Wipes.

In collaboration with the gym specialists at Club Kingswood, the company has designed, supplied and installed a new bespoke BeaverFit outdoor functional training area.

The unique BeaverFit outdoor system incorporates TRX suspension points, chin up stations, battle rope points, wall ball rebounder and parallette bars.

It will also feature a 3.5m cargo net and rope climb, 5m monkey bar run, adjustable plyometric step, dipping station, core plate attachment, pull up wings and ladder bars.

The frame is galvanised and powder coated specifically for outdoor usage, and to withstand the harshest weather conditions.

Rubber flooring tiles with a thickness of 30mm were also supplied to cover the 60 sqm area, offering complete protection from the impact of free weights.

Club manager Alex Owen said: “Our members love the individual and group training sessions outdoors, particularly when the weather is decent.

We therefore, decided to capitalise on this demand by looking at investing

in some outdoor exercise equipment. Thanks to our collaboration with Craig Young Consulting, Trade Fitness Solutions and BeaverFit, we now have a fantastic, multi-function-

al floodlit area which can be used all year round.”

For more information email info@ craigyoungconsulting.co.uk or call 01978 812829

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