Workout June 2014 by Script Media

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June 2014

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

Public’s interest booming, event organisers claim By Christina Eccles THE public’s interest in the health and fitness industry is booming, according to the organisers of Bodypower Expo, who are celebrating a 15 per cent increase in visitor numbers to this year’s show. A massive 61,353 visitors passed through the doors during the three-day event – with over 1,000 key decision makers present on Friday’s industry and preview day alone. Fitness fans and athletes from all over the world descended on the NEC in Birmingham for the 2014 show, with ticketholders able to discover the latest products and innovations to hit the market; hear educational talks from a range of industry experts and meet and greet some of the biggest names from the fitness and bodybuilding worlds. BodyPower CEO Nick Orton said: “The continued progression of an exhibition brand like BodyPower requires a long term strategy and a constant desire to push the boundaries. “Our aim for BodyPower has always been to grow into the best expo of its kind in the world, accessible to all stakeholders within the health and fitness industry.

“As well as substantial investment year on year, maintaining the popularity and prevalence of a show like BodyPower requires months of researching the market to understand what the Expo visitor wants, what the fitness industry requires, and what the vendors need to achieve. “As interest in fitness and health peaks we are passionate about finding a prominent place in shaping people’s understanding and knowledge.” Plans have already been announced to expand the BodyPower offering for 2015, with the show occupying larger halls at the NEC to enhance the experience for both exhibitors and visitors. Organisers will also be returning to India with a show in March 2015 as the global portfolio continues to develop. Nick added: “The most inspiring element of running BodyPower is the awareness that thousands of people who attend get inspired to train and lead healthier lives, which ultimately shapes the future of the industry.” Look out for a round up of news from this year’s show in the next issue of Workout and if you were there, we’d love to hear about your highlights. Email ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Facebook and Twitter.

No 249 £3

Excitement growing for industry’s big night

Double Olympic gold medal winner Rebecca Adlington launched the fourth Schools’ Legacy Games Day, organised by Fit For Sport at the Everyone Active Basildon Sporting Village. The swimming sensation (pictured) joined in the mass warm-up before spending time with each group of children as they took part in a series of sports activities and games. Four more Legacy Games Days are planned for 2014 in St Albans, Spelthorne, Ongar and Hornchurch.

PLANS are taking shape for the 2014 National Fitness Awards, with gyms around the country already excited about the event. The awards, organised by Script Events, in partnership with Workout and headline sponsor Servicesport, celebrate excellence and achievement throughout the industry. Nominations are steadily coming in via the website – www.nationalfitnessawards.co. uk – with big news about the event coming up next issue. Event director Judith Halkerston said: “It may be almost six months till this year's National Fitness Awards but there is already lots going on to ensure this year's event is as special as ever. We have just finalised our judging panel which will be announced next issue and we are grateful to them all as getting the right people in this important role is crucial to the success of the event. And it’s great to see entries coming in – if you haven’t started on your nomination yet please give it some thought as the more comprehensive and informative your submission the more chance you have of being shortlisted.”

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First club owner caught without TV licence fined £750 By Christina Eccles OPERATORS have been urged to ensure they have a valid TV Licence for their premises, following the first prosecution case involving the use of an unlicensed TV in a gym. Sean Mitchell, owner of Superflex Gym in Wallasey, The Wirral, was fined £500 for the offence of using a TV without a licence on the business premises. He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £50 victim surcharge at the hearing at Wirral Magistrates’ Court. Any business that shows television programmes as they're being shown on TV, whether for customers’ use or in staff areas, must be covered by a valid TV Licence. If there is living accommodation on the premises where a TV is also in use, this must be covered by a separate licence. Those without a valid licence

are breaking the law and run the risk of a court prosecution and fine of up to £1,000 per offence, plus costs. Businesses found guilty are also required to buy a TV Licence at £145.50, or they could face a potential second prosecution. TV Licensing spokesman Claire Wotherspoon said: “We appreciate these are tough times for businesses, but to be fair to the majority who do pay the licence fee, we have to take action against those who watch TV illegally. “We regularly prosecute businesses caught using TV equipment, and as this case shows, the law applies to gyms in exactly the same way it does to any other business. “We’d rather businesses think ahead and check if they need a licence than risk being prosecuted. A licence costs £145.50 and can be bought in minutes online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/business.”

Gym opens in iconic building A NEW gym has opened in Birmingham’s iconic Fort Dunlop building. 24/7 Fort Dunlop is the second Birmingham facility for the national health club chain – and the fifth in its portfolio – and offers a 24-hour onsite facility for local residents and those employed within the building. As with the group’s other venues, the new club features a full range of cardiovascular machines; including Matrix Fitness treadmills, ellipticals and cycles, plus resistance equipment from Matrix’ Aura series, free weights, and a ladies only gym. It also runs studio classes and per-

sonal trainer sessions, with members having the option to use the nearby site in Bearwood too. Head of national sales at Matrix Fitness Andy Loughray said: “Research indicates that nearly 35 per cent of the adult population in Birmingham is physically inactive, costing the local authority over £22m per 100,000 people per annum. “As stakeholders in the fitness industry, this is obviously something that we are keen to help address, and we are delighted to be able to work together with the team at 24/7 Fitness to support healthier lifestyle choices for the people of Birmingham.”

A new community gym at one of Sheffield’s most-loved swimming pools has been officially opened at a VIP ceremony, attended by Team GB slopestyle skier, Katie Summerhayes, and the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, coun Vickie Priestley. The pair launched the Fitness Unlimited gym at Heeley Swimming Pool following an investment by operator Sheffield International Venues, which operates Heeley Swimming Pool on behalf of the charity, Sheffield City Trust. Chair of the trust Alex Pettifer said: “Investing in a value-for-money gym in Heeley was about increasing the opportunities for local people to improve their health. The gym has been open to the public for nearly a month now and the feedback we have received so far has been overwhelmingly positive.”

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New Ripped gym becomes official Hammer Strength training centre By Christina Eccles THE team behind multi award winning independent club Ripped Gym has opened a second site in Basildon, which has become one of Life Fitness’ elite Hammer Strength training centres. The new 12,000 sq ft site features over 80 pieces of Hammer Strength equipment including HD Elite Power Racks and V-Squat, as well as 27 Life Fitness cardio machines from the Integrity and Activate Series. The club, which aims to follow in the footsteps of its successful sister site in Harlow, was opened in memory of Ripped Gym owner Elvis Meade who passed away in January after a short illness. Joint owner of Ripped Gym Basildon Alper Kani said: “It’s a huge honour for us to become a Hammer Strength certified training facility and by displaying Hammer Strength’s official plaque we let our members know that we’ve selected the highest quality equipment on the market. “Since Elvis and Michelle Meade opened the first Ripped Gym in Harlow in 2008, the business has attracted a loyal membership base of amateur and professional athletes and we’re recognised for our passion

Ripped Gym’s second site in Basildon has become a Life Fitness elite Hammer Strength training centre. and experience as the authority in body building and power lifting. “Through our second gym in Basildon, we’re helping to inspire more people to reach their fitness goals and we’re looking forward to building on our success and opening

new sites in the years ahead.” Account manager – private sector, Life Fitness Lucy Day added: “The new Ripped Gym in Basildon is an excellent showcase for Hammer Strength equipment as it offers some of the industry’s most advanced per-

formance training. “We’re thrilled that Ripped Gym can enjoy the prestige of being an Official Hammer Strength Training Centre and it underlines their commitment to offering members elite equipment and facilities.”

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Tennis star helps operator launch its talent search By Olivia Taylor A NEW tennis coaching programme that seeks to inspire the next generation of tennis talent across Britain has been launched by operator Virgin Active. Developed in partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association, the Active Aces programme, which will be introduced across 21 Virgin Active Health and Racquet clubs, will serve up progressive, action-packed sessions that enable youngsters to benefit from expert coaching. The newly designed scheme takes budding tennis hot shots from aged three onwards through a series of different bands – from “tots” right through to “junior active ace.” To celebrate the launch, Virgin Active is also launching a talent search open to children aged between five and eight to find the ‘tennis aces of the future’. Youngsters will compete to win a unique prize: the opportunity of a three-year family membership, as well as coaching from Virgin Active, a racket and clothing contract with Wilson sporting goods and a once in a lifetime opportunity to play a game with tennis ace Laura Robson, who will help to judge the competition. Laura said: “Whilst I am extremely disappointed that I’m not going to be competing at Wimbledon this summer due to having minor wrist surgery, I am incredibly excited about focusing my energy on helping Virgin Active find and nurture the next generation of tennis talent. It is brilliant to see such a fantastic initiative which helps coach the young stars of the future. “As a child I was very fortunate to

Laura Robson launched the Active Aces programme for Virgin Active. have some incredible coaching support and guidance to help me to the top level, hopefully Active Aces will mean that there will be more opportunities for British youngsters in the long term.”

Technogym has been named as the official provider of fitness equipment for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Technogym equipment will be available for use at the fitness centres within the Athletes' Village, which will be home to 6,500 athletes and team officials from the 71 competing nations and territories at Games’ time.

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Leisure Industry Week and ukactive join to shape perfect event

Staff and members from Bannatyne’s Health Club in Ingleby Barwick.

12-hour spinathon raises funds for cancer charity MEMBERS and staff at a Bannatyne’s Health Club have completed a gruelling 12 hour spinathon to raise funds for a cancer charity close to their hearts. Middlesborough police officer Sharday Malik organised the event, which took place at the operator’s site in Ingleby Barwick, to support Hope for Holly; a charity set up by colleague Andy Gowland in honour of his daughter who was diagnosed with leukaemia aged three. Sharday and her team raised more

than £520.00 after completing the spinathon, which started at 8am and finished at 8:00pm. The money raised will be used to assist with furnishing a holiday home in Ribby Hall Village for families living with leukaemia. Club manager Tom Carter said: “We are very proud of Sharday and the team for their hard work to raise money for such a good cause. Hope for Holly is a wonderful charity and we are delighted we could assist with the spinathon.”

ORGANISERS of Leisure Industry Week, UBM Live, have joined forces with ukactive to create the industry’s biggest piece of independent research exploring what suppliers and operators want from the event moving forward. The organisations have appointed independent research specialists, Redshift Research, to compile a questionnaire which will aim to find out what key components the sector is seeking from the trade show. The survey will be emailed to all ukactive members and the LIW database – and will also be made available for anybody else to complete via the UBM Live and ukactive websites. LIW event director James Samuel said: “LIW has maintained its position as the UK’s leading leisure exhibition because we take on board feedback from exhibitors and visitors with the aim of growing and improving the

show year on year. “UBM Live has an ongoing agreement with ukactive and we are delighted to be working with Dave Stalker and his team on this project to evolve and enhance the LIW offering. “ukactive continues to be a valued show partner and we are now working with the organisation to facilitate conversations within the sector about what it wants a UK showcase to look like – in short this is incredibly exciting.” ukactive CEO David Stalker added: “We will be encouraging as many people as possible to complete the survey. All responses will be reviewed and we will aim to be in a position to share results at the FLAME Conference on July 2, 2014. “Once we know what the sector feels it needs from the event we will set about creating the perfect event, with UBM for 2015.”

£22m aquatics centre opens its doors ABERDEEN Sports Village’s £22m aquatics centre has opened its doors. With a 50m, 10-lane training pool and 25m pool with diving facilities, the Olympic standard centre has, from concept to completion, been three years in the making, and is now

open for all to enjoy. More than 1,000 children and adults have registered for the learn-to-swim and learn-todive programmes, which will take place in the 25m pool. The centre will also be open for public swimming at all times.

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Centre installs pop-up pool during upgrade By Christina Eccles EVERYONE Active has installed a temporary swimming pool at Fareham Leisure Centre to ensure all waterbased activities can continue without disruption while its £1.5m, six-month refurbishment project is underway. The operator worked in partnership with Total Swimming on the 18m long, 6m wide pool, situated outside the main building, with easy access from the centre and fully covered with its own toilet and changing facilities. Everyone Active area contract manager Ian Cook said: “Fareham Leisure Centre is one of the best loved health and fitness hubs in the borough with 18 local schools attending swimming lessons each week and a vast ‘learn to swim’ programme. “Thus Everyone Active and Fareham Borough Council felt it was important to make alternative arrangements for swimming while these important improvement works take place. “We’ve created a real buzz around the facility through communications and the response from members and the press alike has been extremely positive. “What’s more, installing the temporary pool has played a very important role in retaining members who may have been tempted to go elsewhere

The temporary swimming pool at Fareham Leisure Centre. had we not provided an alternative.” The main and teaching pool will be completely refurbished as part of the project and changing facilities will be transformed with new shower cubicles, toilets, benches and lockers.

The reception area will also receive a facelift and the exterior of the building will undergo some modernisation work. The project is due to be completed in September.

Charity wins contract to run BANES’ Passport AQUATERRA will deliver Bath and North East Somerset’s Passport to Health Exercise Referral Scheme for another 15 months in a move that will help to further increase physical activity levels and improve health for residents. Figures show that since it began running exercise referral five years ago on behalf of BANES Council’s Active Lifestyles and Health Improvement team, Aquaterra has delivered an 18 per cent increase in the number of participants continuing to be physically active three months after finishing. Head of operations at Aquaterra Jason Curtis said: “Aquaterra is thrilled and delighted to have the opportunity to continue delivering exercise referral in Bath and North East Somerset where we have a long history of contributing positively to the health and wellbeing of the community. “We are extremely proud of the results the scheme has already produced and look forward to welcoming even more local people onto the scheme and into our centres over the next 15 months.”

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Always one of the most hotly-contested categories at the National Fitness Awards, Newcomer of the Year celebrates the achievements of clubs just starting out in the industry but who are already achieving big things. Workout spoke to the three previous winners of this trophy to find out what winning meant to them – and how they capitalised on the success to push their businesses forward.

Oxygen Fit, winners of the first Newcomer of the Year category in 2011, with host Katherine Kelly (left) and 2012 winners The Warehouse Gym with Charlotte Ord.

Award celebrates gyms’ flying start THE Newcomer of the Year category was introduced at the second National Fitness Awards back in 2011 to celebrate the success of gyms open for less than two years which have got off to a flying start. The first club to pick up the trophy was Oxygen Fit in Barnet; an independent club owned by husband and wife Neil and Emma Godly. Following their shortlisting, the couple brought their whole gym team along to the awards’ evening in Birmingham where they were delighted to accept the accolade from the night’s host, Coronation Street actress Katherine Kelly. Emma said: “Best newcomer at the National Fitness Awards was absolutely incredible. Both our staff and members shared our pride and elation – it brought everyone together. “Local press did a write up, which expanded excitement in the area. Over two years later prospective members continue to comment on the achievement. “Our winners’ trophy will remain in prime position in the club, and without doubt the award adds credibility to our fitness business.” In 2012, functional fitness and weight training specialists The

Caroline Pearce present Rigs Fitness with the award in 2013. Warehouse Gym in Leicester triumphed on home turf when the event was held at The Athena. Managing director Lynton Dell added: “Being nominated for Newcomer Gym Of The Year after our first year of opening was a huge creator of publicity for us in the East Midlands. “With local papers and media covering the story this really did help us branch out to new potential clients. We also received post awards’ publicity after winning the category. “Having the ability to mention that you have been nominated and successfully won a sports award out of

hundreds of gyms across the country really does help promote your business. “Since winning the award we successfully got nominated for three categories the following year at the 2013 awards’ ceremony. The awards’ ceremony is a very prestigious event that me and the team definitely enjoyed.” Last year’s winners were Rigs Fitness from The West Midlands who were commended by the judges for the value they place on their brand and their belief in offering a different way of training to the local community. Owner Sam Smith added: “The award was a massive reward for all

the hard work and effort that had been put in by so many people to make Rigs what it is today. “Immediately after winning, we were approached by a number of local and national magazines and asked to write blog posts about our gym and being best newcomers. We simply made sure we spread the word as far as we could, and in doing so we received a massive amount of exposure in the right areas. We capitalised simply by telling the story of Rigs and the amazing first year we had had. “Being officially crowned as the best new gym in the UK gave us even more motivation to keep Rigs Fitness a success. We saw it as a beginning of the expansion of Rigs Fitness, as well as the end of a fantastic first year in business. The gym is buzzing, and all members are excited to train at Rigs, even more so now we are 'the best new gym'. “We saw an increase in memberships, an increase in exposure and interest in the gym by sports teams and even fitness equipment manufacturers, and an increase in personal trainers wanting to train their clients at Rigs. All of this adds up to the business performing better and allowing us to continue to improve Rigs Fitness and live up to our new title.”

Get your nomination in now for this year’s National Fitness Awards. Full category details are available online at www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk

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Ben Quilter ran two marathons in the space of a week.

Paralympic medallist completes challenge PARALYMPIC medallist and GLL disability sport officer Ben Quilter has completed his epic two-marathon challenge. Ben ran the Brighton Marathon and London Marathon just a week apart, after recently recovering from knee reconstruction surgery. He has raised £500 so far for chosen charities the GLL Sports Foundation – a supporter of young sporting talent in the UK – and Blatchington Court Trust, a charity working to promote the educational needs of young, visually impaired individuals under the age of 30. Ben said “My whole body ached, but that was to be expected. I found Brighton much easier with London hurting my tired body almost every step of the way.

“Running 26.2 miles was very different physically to a judo match, but I really enjoyed the challenge and pushing myself – twice.” Ben ran the Brighton Marathon in three hours and 47 minutes with Matt Barton, a childhood friend, and John Prescott, a British Judo medic for the visually impaired squad. Then just seven days later, he and Matt took on the famous London marathon, completing it in three hours 50 minutes. Ben added: “I don’t know if I will run two marathons in a row again, but I am certainly up for another challenge as soon as I have recovered from this one. “I now want to have a final push on the sponsorship front for my two chosen charities.”

A group of luxury London apartments have launched a campaign to help those on business trips maintain their fitness levels. Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living has introduced Business Balance, with the assistance of in-residence personal trainer Kathryn Tilbury, to help guests get in shape for summer. Guests will be able to benefit from sessions with Kathryn, who will devise a bespoke fitness programme, which can take place in the comfort of the apartments. Complimentary jogging maps will also be available for those who want to enjoy exercising outside.

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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. In the April issue of Workout, we asked what gyms were doing to encourage young people to be more active and utilise the fitness facilities available in their local communities. Here are some of your responses... YATELEYS Health and Fitness is a community gym situated within the grounds of a secondary school. Here we offer youngsters aged 13+ supervised gym sessions for a discounted price of £2.70. We also offer opportunities for children aged 11+ to participate in sporting activities normally only aimed at adults. In conjunction with Sport England we have obtained £2,800 worth of funding to make this possible. The scheme is called “Sportivate” and is a £56m Lottery funded London 2012 legacy project that gives more young people the chance to discover a sport they love. It gives children who may not be particularly sporty access to an eightweek programme of either Bootcamp, Spinning or Urban Rebounding. Due to the success, we are now running our sessions for a third term and plan to run more sessions throughout the year. All the children receive a free water bottle and for those old enough, can join our fantastic newly refurbished gym free of charge. We also support our Hampshire Talented Athlete Scheme which enables children on Hampshire’s register to free access to both the gym, swimming pool and sports hall facilities. These children are our future, and they deserve the very best start possible. Debbie Warne, sports and leisure manager, Yateleys Health and Fitness. I AM the director of Intoschool Fitness; we offer personal training and fitness classes to schools. I specialise in children’s health and fitness and started this programme five years ago with the aim to introduce fun fitness activities to under

This month’s top Tweets... @FitProLive: News about @KatiePiper_ coming to Live is on the front cover of @WorkOutUK magazine! Can't wait to hear her speak. @KateLPortman: Delighted to be included in this special body confidence feature in @WorkOutUK. Thanks guys! :) #bodyconfidence @POFbootcamp: Great review for our classes, thanks @WorkOutUK #pursuitofhealthiness Glad you enjoyed it! @gjce12: Nice article in the latest Workout Magazine this month on i-motion! @WorkOutUK @imotiongyms @TheCoreFBS: @WorkOutUK Thanks for the write up! Received our copy in the post today. Building work still going strong and excitement is growing!

avoid those periods. From customer feedback we feel further sessions would impact on their enjoyment of the facilities. We are keen to encourage children to access the fitness suite as it begins to ingrain the importance of fitness in their lives. Many of the children we inducted in our early years still use the facility now as adults. The concept of the teen gym clearly works and is something we hope to develop further with the introduction of circuit type exercise too to cater for the ever-growing number of children wishing to access at one time. Robert Watkinson, sports centre manager, Campsmount Fitness Club A teen gym session at Campsmount Fitness Club. 16s. Children that do not like competitive sports or aren’t particularly good at sports will inevitably drop out of exercise as soon as they leave school, although many try to avoid it sooner. In a survey I conducted it showed 97 per cent of children didn’t know how to stay fit without doing sports which is why I began this programme. I teach a variety of fitness classes to students during their PE lessons including: Spinning; circuit training and body conditioning Fitness classes are non-competitive, fun and social which is why they became so popular within schools. This encouraged even the most inactive children to exercise. Over the past five years my company has worked with over 5,000 children aged 11-16 and have made such a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. A high percentage of the students we have worked with have continued to exercise by participating in fitness classes or joining the gym. My team and I are dedicated to beating childhood obesity and will continue to introduce this programme to new schools.

Lianne Griffiths, director/personal trainer, Intoschool Fitness AT Campsmount Fitness Club we have been running a successful teen gym for a number of years. The facility is part of Campsmount Academy which includes a fitness suite, dance studio, sports hall, tennis courts and astro-turf. We run the teen gym on a Wednesday after school for two hours which is always run at full capacity. We also run one on a Saturday morning. We induct children from the age of 11-15 years. A screening form is completed by a parent prior to the induction and includes a section covering the child's behaviour whereby we have a three strikes you’re out rule to enable behaviour to be what should be expected in a fitness facility. Children would like to access the facility more. In fact I'm sure we would have a full teen gym after school every day if we allowed it. However with teen gym, interaction with our regular customers has to be monitored. Most are aware of when the children access the gym and try to

CONNAUGHT Leisure Centre in Aldershot, Hampshire has been running fitness training sessions for children over the last five years. The sessions are aimed at nine to 14 year olds with the view of getting them into regular fitness training. Sessions run three times a week under the close guidance of the centre’s fitness co-ordinator, Adrian Woolgar. Sessions are an hour-long and the participants go through a combination of gym work, outdoor workouts and team building activities. The centre has seen a continual upward growth from both children attending the sessions and parents joining the gym so that they can work alongside each other. With those reaching 16 joining as student members in their own right. Children are coming to us in all shapes and sizes, but with one common aim, they are all keen to participate and be fit in a friendly and welcoming environment. As with adults if they have a partner to train with then the session becomes a lot easier and along the way some firm friendships have been made. Chris Beckett, centre manager, Connaught Leisure Centre

Editor’s Comment WE always enjoy catching up with our readers and recently we were at BodyPower where we got the chance to meet lots of you in the Workout trade lounge. Each year it’s a busy, vibrant show and as well as chatting to visitors on the stand, it was great to walk around the exhibition and see the latest trends and products on offer; as well as attending some interesting seminars. Thanks to everyone who took the time to come and see us and look out for a show review next issue. Also this month I’ve handed over the

reins of our challenge feature to my colleague Dominic who braved the ever unpredictable British weather to try out a beachside bootcamp in North Wales. Turn to page 42 to see how he got on – and if you’d like to put us to the test, we’d love to hear from you. Next month, we’ll be celebrating our 250th issue, which is an exciting milestone for the magazine. Watch out for a few surprises on our social media sites and as always, if you have a story for us or would like to comment on an industry issue, let us know and you could feature in a future edition.

This month’s hot topic:

Women are 20 per cent more likely to take and share a ‘selfie’ at the gym than their male counterparts, but 30 per cent less likely to want to date someone they meet there, according to a survey by sports nutrition company Multipower UK. What do you think? And do you take ‘selfies’ in the gym?! Send your answers to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll print the best responses next issue.

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WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Take the weight off literally with Anti-Gravity exercise By Christina Eccles A GLOUCESTERSHIRE personal trainer has been using an innovative anti-gravity treadmill to help clients successfully address their weight management issues. For the last three years, Dan Fivey has owned an AlterG Anti-Gravity treadmill, which uses high-tech air pressure technology to allow users to ‘unweight’ themselves and walk or run at a fraction of their body weight – up to an 80 per cent reduction. This means a significantly reduced load on lower limbs and muscles – and is helping Dan’s clients achieve great results. He explained: “When people want to address their weight problem through exercise I immediately get them zipped in to the Anti-Gravity Treadmill. “As soon as their body weight is

“Being able to reduce the user’s body weight in precise one per cent increments is of huge value to those who want to lose weight.”

Personal trainer Dan Fivey and an AlterG Anti-Gravity treadmill which he uses with clients. reduced (I normally begin at 75 per cent), it’s like they get a new lease of life and they can immediately start to walk or run; then gradually over time I add more bodyweight back on as they get fitter.” The treadmill gives people the confidence that they can exercise again as it allows a slow introduction into fit-

ness by gradually increasing weight bearing. The weight bearing technology also means users can experience what it feels like to be their desired weight, providing motivation to help them achieve their goals. Dan added: “Being able to reduce the user’s body weight in precise one per cent increments is of huge value

to those who want to lose weight. “I have worked with one lady for just over two years and she has managed to lose almost 10 stone. “The treadmill was the perfect introductory piece of equipment that helped to build her confidence, continue with her exercise plan, and ultimately shed a lot of weight.”

Group of providers awarded East Sussex contract A GROUP of leisure providers headed up by not-for-profit leisure trust Freedom Leisure has been awarded a three-year contract to operate weight management services across East Sussex. Freedom Leisure will be working with Wave Leisure and exercise referral companies Zest People and Refer All to deliver the service. Called re:balance East Sussex, the 12-week weight loss programme is

designed to facilitate long term behaviour change and is available to residents of East Sussex with a BMI of 30 or over. Weekly sessions are run in small groups. The first hour comprises a group session covering a wide range of topics, self-assessment exercises, activities and skills development exercises. This is followed by a group exercise session.

Richard Bagwell, leading the scheme on behalf of Freedom Leisure said: “With 65 per cent of adults and 29 per cent of young people living in East Sussex deemed as overweight or obese, re:balance will make an important difference by helping hundreds of people toward long-term sustainable weight loss. “Freedom Leisure has extensive experience in delivering successful programmes for special populations

and working in partnership with Wave Leisure we are able to offer over 30 courses at our facilities across East Sussex. “In addition, by working with Zest and Refer All, we are able to provide an extremely comprehensive means of measuring and evaluating the success of the schemes as well as allowing us to offer a highly efficient and accessible method of online self-referral onto the programme.”

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Use the F word more if you want to improve retention – part one By Dr Paul Bedford THE F word here is the not the F word popularised by Gordon Ramsay and Billy Connolly… and me when I get frustrated! The F word to focus on to retain more members is frequency – frequency of visit. Recently the industry has been fixated on intensity of exercise to help members achieve their goals, which may be because the most commonly cited barrier to exercise is “I don’t have time.” But whilst these short, intense workouts can deliver results, one of the most cited reasons for dropping out of exercise is increased intensity. In fact research shows that as intensity goes up adherence goes down. Retaining members can make or break a business, and if we’re seeking to improve retention we must understand the difference between retention, attrition and exercise adherence. When I report on member retention I mean how long they pay for. Attrition is a measure of how many quit, and is not the opposite of retention. Adherence relates to how many sessions are completed against how many were planned. While the media are quick to discourage people from joining clubs in January, proposing they will have stopped by March, the data tells a different story. In fact 30 per cent more members quit in July than January. But remember, this is a measure of when they stop paying. When they stop attending is a measure of visit length – the gap between first and last visit. For a North American study we were able to plot the retention curve from joining to stop paying as well as the first to last visit. The outcome can be seen in the image above.

Pilot study (West South Central United States) measuring last visit and last paid. At 12 months 42 per cent of members were still visiting the club whilst 60.9 per cent were still paying. In the first few months of membership members stop visiting and quit very close together. As the months increase the gap between last visit and last payment grows. This could be for a number of reasons including that those who made it through the early months of membership believe they will get back into it in the future. Towards the end of the study the two curves come together again, which could be the effect of contracts ending, inhibiting subsequent visits. There is no one reason why people quit. However decreasing visit frequency can be used to predict member behaviour. You need to think of it as a cumulative effect, stemming from several factors: This results in reduced frequency of visits and a shift in mindset. Exercise causing discomfort and people avoid discomfort. People become bored and feel they are not achieving their goals. They begin to re-evaluate value for money. Daily hassles and irritations take on

an increased significance. They feel they are receiving low quality service. Frightening Facts: My Black Report, which includes interviews with 1,000 members who have been members of more than two clubs/facilities, shows that on average only one in 10 people are spoken to when they visit a gym, including “hello” and “goodbye.” The critical question therefore is whether consumers feel they receive a service or merely gain access to facilities? The data and the interviews show that interaction is key to driving visit frequency. Members want a sociable gym, but this doesn’t mean they want to socialise there. They want to be in a friendly and sociable environment. I advise operators to provide all new members with the option of a consultation session to discuss and establish their personal goals. This should result in a personal programme and follow up consultation which focuses on realistic visit frequency. By offering these basic services, members receive professional expert-

Dr Paul Bedford ise for their money and feel they are important and valuable to your business. It also allows us to discuss unrealistic visit frequency or achievement goals. These services are proven to increase retention, so you may need to revisit your business model and consider rewarding those who play a key role in retaining members as well as the sales team who bring in new business. Interaction on the gym floor encouraging, guiding and reassuring members should be the base level of service. Additional costs for this will be covered by your retained members. However, if this proves difficult, arrange for one person to be available at the busiest times so they impact as many people as possible. Dr Paul Bedford is the fitness industry’s leading authority on retention, attrition and customer experience management and the author of The National Retention Report. You can find out more at www.retentionguru.co.uk or by following @guru_paul on Twitter and look out for part two next issue.

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From popular functional fitness classes to a successful running club and family swimming sessions, the whole community is catered for at the award-winning St Peter’s Leisure Centre. Workout took a trip to Burnley to discover the secrets of the club’s success – and take a look at its latest developments.

The newly-opened Feelgood Factory at St Peter’s can be used by ladies of any age, ability or fitness level (left), while group exercise is also popular.

Innovation and a desire to lead help St Peter’s achieve success CONTINUOUS innovation and a desire to lead the way are a key part of the St Peter’s ethos – and this was recognised when the club scooped a trophy at the 2013 National Fitness Awards. Named Functional Training Gym of the Year, the club was rewarded for its efforts in this area, with judges particularly commending the team for the way they introduced a large piece of functional training kit as the centrepiece of their gym floor – and successfully made it appealing to different user groups. St Peter’s was the first club in the UK to install the full Synrgy 360x system from Life Fitness – complete with lighting and music to add to the workout experience – and has been using the kit for individual personal training, small group sessions and larger circuit classes. The kit was installed as part of an overhaul of the gym’s offering and has gone down well with both members and staff, thanks to clever programming and a drive to spread the word that it can be used by anyone, not just existing functional fitness fans. Facilities manager Neil Hutchinson explained: “We decided we wanted to do something different and found Synrgy and made it the focus of the gym.

“We decided we wanted to do something different and found Synrgy and made it the focus of the gym.”

St Peter’s was the first club in the UK to install Life Fitness’ full Synrgy 360x system. “It’s a ‘push’ trend, so we needed to educate people of the benefits of using it and show that it’s not just about high intensity exercise. “It’s been clear that programming, staff training and educating clients has led to much higher level of usage.” According to Neil, one of the leisure centre’s biggest assets is its team, with everyone from management, to the gym staff, receptionists and cleaners on board with what the club is trying to achieve in terms of making the local community more active and offering high levels of service. As part of this, the club holds weekly training where staff get involved in trying out various fitness sessions – whether they work on the gym floor or not – designed to educate them on the activities on offer and widen their product knowledge, which they can

then pass on to members, as well as helping them to increase their own fitness levels. Group exercise is also popular; the club was the first in the UK to launch with the BTS group exercise programme, now known as MOSSA, and is now a UK test facility, meaning the team gets to try out all the latest releases first. St Peter’s also holds a successful running group – and has seen a huge uptake from female members who feel more comfortable running as part of a group than going out on their own. Neil added: “When I came in, part of my role was to look at how the membership was performing. We scaled down the programme and concentrated on quality, focusing on staff training and group fitness – and we saw a massive rise in membership.”

Another recent development is Bank Holiday openings, which the club trialled over the Easter and May Bank Holiday weekends. It has also recently opened a Feelgood Factory; a dedicated ladies only 30 minute circuit, which can be used by members of any age, ability or fitness level. Neil added: “The Feelgood Factory been received really well. We achieved nearly 50 members in the first three weeks and had some positive feedback on health benefits from customers already. “The Bank Holidays were extremely busy, particular the group fitness classes; they were all full. “We did an offer on other activities which was basically £1 for everything ,which made sure everything else was very busy. We will certainly be doing it again.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Bolton gym named best performer by supplier By Christina Eccles

Professor Greg Whyte OBE is to chair the ukactive Research Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board. The move sees the sports and exercise science expert assume the steering role, working alongside a team of renowned academics who will guide the future direction of the institute, provide a sounding board for ideas and ensure the rigour of research and project design. He said: “I’m passionate about building the evidence base to inform the delivery of physical activity interventions to address the nation’s spiraling health costs and personal wellbeing deficit. There is no greater way of successfully driving this agenda than at grass roots level and I’m delighted at the opportunity to influence this from my position as chair of the ukactive Research Institute’s Scientific Advisory Board, alongside some of the most esteemed names in physical activity and health research.”

A GYM in Bolton is celebrating after it was crowned the top performing club in the UK – and the ninth best in the world – in a competition run by industry supplier Technogym. Over 20,000 people in 176 fitness clubs took part in the Let’s Move for a Better World campaign, which encouraged members to collect MOVES – Technogym’s unit of measure for movement – using its mywellness cloud platform. The most active club in each country – i.e. the one collecting the most MOVEs – could then win the chance to donate a Technogym Easy Line training circuit to a local school of their choice. 34 facilities took part in the campaign within the UK – together accumulating almost 10m MOVEs – with The USN Bolton Arena coming in first with over 2.3m MOVEs. The club’s commercial manager Gwyn Hughes said: “We upgraded our gym last December and January with a whole new range of Artis equipment. We’ve really bought into the Technogym concept – and wanted to buy into this challenge. “For the first few days we were just happy to be taking part and after the first week we were third or fourth. But when we found out we were then in first place, we thought now we’ve got

Commercial manager Gwyn Hughes and fitness manager Glenn Carroll. Photo credit: Bolton News to win this.” Following the news of how well the club was already doing, staff gave the challenge an extra push on the gym floor to try and motivate as many members as possible to take part and raise more points. The initiative also had the added bonus of helping to educate more people on the benefits of using the kit and why tracking their movements

could continue to motivate them even after the campaign had finished. Gwyn added: “That extra push proved enough to get us first place. It was a really positive experience and a really nice story for us, the school and Technogym.” The rest of the UK top three was made up of The Dolphin Centre in second place and 1610 Trinity Sports and Leisure in third.

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Leading where others will have to follow ... By Mark Laws, Jordan Fitness AS the dust settles on another mammoth BodyPower Expo I took some time to reflect on the event and see if I could learn anything from the experience. I learned that for one weekend a year it is acceptable for men to touch each other in the toilets, I learned that fake tan isn’t JUST for women and I learned that on the hottest weekend of the year it is still possible to get more naked people INSIDE rather than outside. From a professional point of view there was one other factor that really stood out – most people operate in small groups – and I believe this can be crucial for facility owners/fitness managers/personal trainers looking to enhance their product range. The industry is fully aware of SGT (Small Group Training) as a concept, but although it sounds good in theory I don’t believe we are anywhere near witnessing its potential. But having seen some eye-opening sights in the NEC this weekend, I have also had my faith in SGT restored. Human beings are simple creatures. We like what we like, and we try to avoid anything that is different from our ‘norm’. But how many of us are actually 100 per cent satisfied with

what we have achieved? I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of us are NOT 100 per cent satisfied – therefore it would make sense that we could do with a few changes to our routines. After all, if you do what you have always done, then you will have what you have always had. We launched a new product at BodyPower and it really was well received. ‘The Hub’ is the perfect solution for SGT. Not only can it be used to store four Olympic Barbells and six Olympic Weight plates, but it can be used for an unlimited number or workouts for up to eight people. We ran a series of eight minute high intensity circuits using ‘The Hub’ and they were some of the most enjoyable and eye-catching workouts we had ever done. Being able to use so many barbells as well as other products added a variety that has seldom been seen before with SGT. Just three of the eight minute circuits was enough to push even the best of athletes to the brink of their limitations. Our sessions ticked all the boxes – they were varied, challenging, enjoyable, time-efficient and most importantly of all they were perfect for small groups. Having spent three days observing the behaviour of the crowds at BodyPower I think SGT is something

Mark Laws that can be utilised by any facility and tailored towards their specific needs. ‘Emotional Contagion’ is the key SGT success. No, it is not this summer’s Hollywood blockbuster – it is in fact one of the most powerful human instincts that we cannot avoid, otherwise known as the ‘bandwagon’ effect. Human conduct spreads and as more people start to believe in something others will jump on the ‘bandwagon’. So for the mavericks and visionaries among you, act quickly to make sure you are seen as a leader and not just a follower – contact sales@jordanfitness.co.uk because ‘The Hub’ is the place to be.

Fit4less opens in Warrington A NEW Fit4less by énergie gym has opened in Warrington, offering people in the town an affordable way to workout. The 7,500 sqft gym features all the latest technology and equipment including TRX, Precor cardio equipment, resistance machines, free weights, changing facilities and showers. Owner Stuart Kelly said: “We are delighted to be opening in Bridge Shopping Centre and the response leading up to their launch has been overwhelming. After months of buildup we are happy to finally be opening and for customers to see for themselves what we offer. “Fit4less is very much a community gym and we pride ourselves of giving local people the best facilities possible at an achievable price that allows our customers to reach their goals.”

Focus take over FOCUS Hotels has taken over the management of the Tewkesbury Park Hotel, Golf and Country Club. The company will oversee a period of substantial long term investment by the hotel’s new local owners, the McIntosh family. They plan to revitalise the property, which includes leisure facilities such as a sauna, indoor pool, gym and squash courts, and re-establish it as one of the area’s finest.

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Centre gives former gym equipment to school MEETINGS and conference centre Woodland Grange has donated all of its former gym equipment to a local school. The venue in Leamington Spa, has given kit including rowing machines, cross trainers and treadmills to the gym at North Leamington School in Blackdown. Group operations manager for EEF Venues, the group behind Woodland Grange, John Turpin said: “Our recent £1m capital investment in our facilities included the replacement of gym equipment in our leisure suite at Woodland Grange. “We could have sold the old equipment but felt that it would be far better to put it to good use in the local community. “We are absolutely thrilled that our equipment has found a good home and that it is of benefit to the school.” Prior to donating the equipment to the school, the machines were serviced by local company, Newbody Fitness, who will service the equipment for the school free of charge for the next 12 months.

First active-net event gets industry talking By Christina Eccles OVER 140 key industry figures gathered at the Ricoh Stadium in Coventry to debate, do business and network at the first active-net event. Kicking off with a keynote speech, ukactive chair Fred Turok urged the industry to take charge and make the tough changes needed to deliver the shared goal of increased participation. He encouraged the sector to work more closely with local health practitioners to promote activity initiatives and stressed the need to persistently make the financial case for better public health. The theme of making substantial and tangible changes continued throughout the two-day event, with CIMSPA’s interim chief operating officer, Tara Dillon stressing the urgent need to invest in staff – the people who will truly drive physical activity forward. Leisure-net joint director and active-net organiser Mike Hill said: “Feedback has been exceptionally positive. Everyone loved the mixture of educational seminars and workshops combined with focused one-toone buyer supplier meetings. “What has been evident is how passionate everyone is about this indus-

ukactive chair Fred Turok delivered the keynote speech at active-net. try and how great the force for change is. We hope delegates left active-net 2014 with the tools to make those changes happen.” Joint director at Leisure-net Solution and event organiser David Monkhouse added: “active-net 2014 brought together the active leisure and university sectors with ukactive, sporta, CIMSPA and BUCS for great quality networking, high-level thinking, meaningful debate and real decision making on how to facilitate the changes needed to increase participation in physical activity. “Supplier feedback on the warmth of the leads picked up in their one-to-

one meetings has been outstanding and buyers have said it’s an exceptionally effective way to do business.” The active-net networking dinner featured presentations from ex-world karate champion and founder of Youth Charter, Geoff Thompson, and elite athletics international starter, Alan Bell. Delegates at the dinner raised £800 for Geoff’s charity, which aims to provide young people with an opportunity through sport, art and culture activity to develop in life and active-net has matched this sum. Next year's event will take place on April 29 and 30 at a venue to be announced later this year.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

The winners of the CYQ/BCS Fitness Trainer competition.

UK’s top fitness instructors revealed at national final THE winners of the CYQ/BCS Fitness Trainer competition have been revealed, following a final at the home of the FA, St George’s Park. 15 finalists competed in three categories to lift the coveted trophies in the competition, a collaboration with British Colleges Sport (BCS) and Burton and South Derbyshire College, with sponsorship from Technogym. The awards celebrate the excellence of fitness instructors and personal trainers educated within further education colleges across the UK and the final took place as part of the BCS College Sport Week.

Kathryn Ingles from Warwickshire College was named winner of the Level Two Fitness Instructor – Gym competition, Deborah Terry from Truro and Penwith College took the Level Two Fitness Instructor – Exercise to Music prize and Callum Green from South Downs College was awarded first place in the Level Three Personal Trainer category. As well as their trophies, each winner received a 12-month membership to the Register of Exercise Professionals and a prize pack from Central YMCA, including a selection of titles from Central YMCA Guides.

Online hub will help businesses connect with customers ... A NEW website has launched which will help businesses offering fitness, beauty and spa services to connect with potential customers. PamperPad users who are looking to build their fitness levels; discover the best hair and beauty salons in their area or pamper themselves with a spa treatment will be able to pick up deals and offers from local professionals and review the experience they receive via the website. Working in partnership with industry associations including ukactive, PamperPad members will be able to post images, prices and offers online to attract new clients; with personal trainers, class instructors, nutritionists and bootcamp owners already showing an interest in getting involved. ukactive spokesman Craig Samuel said: “PamperPad is a great way for fitness professionals to grow and shine in the industry. It rewards good, hard work and will help build the profiles of some of the best in the industry.” PamperPad’s dashboard feature will also offer members useful statistics to boost their businesses such as how many visitors have viewed their profile, the type of content which engages with them and how many referrals they’ve had as a result of being listed on the site.

Haylee Benton Creator Haylee Benton added: “For us, being able to offer the selfemployed fitness industry a chance to grow their business is paramount. “I know how hard it can be to get your name out there, specifically when the industry is so saturated. PamperPad will act as a shared platform bringing the public and industry together.” “We’ve had a great response to the website, which fills me with confidence that this is going to help a lot of self-employed professionals.”

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Advertiser’s Announcement

Boxing for Fitness accreditation developed by Ricky Hatton MBE History THE Hatton Academy was founded in 2012 by four-time World Boxing Champion Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton and fitness professional and longtime boxing for fitness trainer Jon Eade. The Hatton Academy is a multi-level boxing for fitness program designed to give group exercise instructors, personal trainers and fitness instructors the chance to use boxing skills as part of a training program. With the boxing experience of Ricky, and the fitness expertise of Jon, together they have managed to use correct boxing skills mixed with functional exercises to structure a training course like no other. The course is specifically designed to give the trainer all the boxing knowledge they need to deliver fun and effective boxing for fitness sessions without the need for contact. The boxing course is fully accredited by the register of exercise professionals and also Hatton Academy courses are the only boxing courses in the UK to be accredited by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Boxing fundamentals Boxing for Fitness This is the first level in Hatton Academy’s multiple level training systems and is an ideal introduction into the foundations of boxing for fitness with a basic approach to professional boxing training combined with functional fitness training. Outlined below are just some of the topics you will cover in the course. You will also be participating in a Hatton Academy boxing class designed by our master trainers. At Hatton Academy we believe that boxing is for everyone so we will be showing you a variety of different styles to cater for all fitness levels and specific populations. Why do the course The Hatton Academy course will help expand your knowledge and imagination when it comes to organising and instructing boxing and circuit classes while giving you the qualifications and accreditation needed to teach them both. Course outline Safety and injury prevention. Correct pad holding. Correct punching technique. Speed and power drills. Class structures. Punching combinations. How to instruct form and technique.

Personal training sessions.

Advanced boxing Advanced boxing for fitness The Hatton Academy advanced course has been designed to take personal trainers and group exercise instructors to another level of boxing for fitness. You will learn new combinations, routines and advanced techniques for your boxing sessions in this dynamic course created by Hatton Academy training systems. The Advanced course follows on from what you learnt in Boxing Fundamentals and is essential for all trainers wanting to expand on their knowledge of boxing for fitness. Course outline Advanced pad holding. Advanced boxing combinations. Advanced boxing punches and defence. Advanced exercise drills. Benefits of advanced boxing training. Safety and injury prevention. 30-minute master Hatton Academy class.

Elite trainer Hatton Academy Elite Trainer The Hatton Academy Elite trainer course is the most advanced boxing course of them all. Learn how to use modern techniques and advanced combination building like a professional boxing coach. This course is designed to give your PT or class sessions the wow factor. Impress your colleagues with your new skills, learn how to Block, sway, slip, shoulder roll and out the pocket Uppercut. You must have completed the Fundamentals and Advanced courses to a satisfactory level to take part in this course. Hatton Academy Elite course outline A 30-minute advanced Hatton ABC masterclass.

How to hold focus pads for advanced combinations. How to instruct and demonstrate defensive techniques. How to incorporate these movements into advanced combinations. How to identify incorrect techniques and correct accordingly. Super combination building with advanced technique.

Team Hatton Get ‘The Hitman’ in your corner The Team Hatton Instructor Network is a continuing education and marketing support program designed to make Team Hatton members successful in your club. The Team Hatton Instructor Network is comprised of the most elite Hatton Academy Instructors from around the world. Team Hatton members are the most

dedicated and prepared of all Hatton ABC Instructors. Benefits of joining Team Hatton New monthly Hatton ABC class formats. Access to Team Hatton online portal. Training via the member-exclusive online video portal that provides an array of training techniques, live class action and marketing tips to support and enhance instructors’ skill sets. Strategic marketing from one of the largest boxing companies in the world. Customisable marketing tools to bring in more business or map out a Hatton ABC campaign in your fitness facility. Online community-orientated forum with round-the-clock support, feedback, tips and leads from fellow Team Hatton members around the world.

For further information or to book call 01253 392802 or visit www.hattonacademy.com

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TECHNOLOGY

New technology can help build an overall picture of a member By Brian Firth, MIE FitQuest OVER the years, technology has helped shape the fitness industry. For operators it has enabled them to keep an eye on their members, assess the popularity of their classes and even predict trends. For the member, technology has enabled them to understand how their body works; how many calories they’ve burned, how many steps they’ve taken, even their average heart rate and perceived exertion rates. Some operators have even invested in technology that has helped to educate members on the importance of diet and nutrition by investing in body composition monitors, moving away from the figures on the scales and helping them understand that it’s what your body is made of that’s important. But now there’s a new wave of technology being developed. Technology that can help build an overall picture of a member and their fitness levels, technology that can pick up even the slightest changes in a short period of time. FitQuest was launched in the UK at LIW 2013 and has started to make its mark in a relatively short amount of time. In under four minutes the machine will measure human per-

Brian Firth formance over eight parameters; upper body strength, upper body endurance, cardiovascular strength, leg strength, leg endurance, leg speed, explosive power and balance. At the end of each test an overall fitness assessment is provided for the member and stored securely within the machine. Training staff can also gain access to the results, enabling them to assess the effectiveness of the training programme prescribed and adapt it accordingly.

The results can even be used to upsell other services, such as dietary and nutritional advice or a rehabilitation programme. As a measurement device FitQuest is moving away from monitoring weight, which can be influenced by so many contributing factors and body composition, which can be incredibly hard to change, especially over a short period of time. FitQuest measures your fitness levels, something that can change in a short amount of time. It gives realtime feedback and analysis on the programme that each member has been following. Not only does it demonstrate that their hard work and effort is paying off but it keeps them motivated to continue to use the gym and pay for additional personal training services. For operators to survive and offer a point of difference to their competitors it’s imperative to keep investing in technology that will not only motivate but retain clients also. As consumers, members are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of using fitness devices that provide them with instant feedback, but it’s important to educate them on how they can use this data to further enhance their health and wellbeing and make positive changes to their lives.

Innovative budget chain, The Gym Group, has invested in a virtual membership adviser at two of its city venues to help answer member questions and assist with new member applications without affecting staff levels. The interactive, life-size hologram has been installed on a trial basis at two clubs in Nottinghamshire and Vauxhall, London. If the feedback is positive, virtual membership advisers will be rolled out at the other 41 Gym venues across the UK. CEO John Traharne said: “The addition of a life-size hologram positioned at the entrance will provide members with an innovative means of sourcing information which is more interactive and personal than simply visiting our Frequently Asked Questions page on the website.”

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TECHNOLOGY

Operator Unleash the power of free weights launches new app By Rory McGown

DAVID Lloyd Leisure and Universal Music have joined forces to launch a playlist app. The David Lloyd Playlist, which is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices, enhances workout efficiency and enjoyment by matching a track’s beat with workout pace. The app gives both David Lloyd Leisure members and non-members access to thousands of Universal Music artists, with fully customised playlists updated weekly to keep fitness routines fresh and users continually motivated. Other features include storing playlists offline to listen to anytime and anywhere; creating personal playlists of favourite songs; automatic volume adjustment; and the latest news on fitness and nutrition from David Lloyd Leisure’s experts. Chief executive of David Lloyd Leisure Europe Scott Lloyd said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of this exclusive app in a joint collaboration with Universal Music, the market leader in its field.”

FREE weights are one of the most popular types of gym equipment today. In our equipment rankings, compiled from surveys with 20,000+ gym goers, free weights are men’s most popular and are also in the top 10 for women. In fact, our studies show that of all the complaints people have with gyms, the lack of free weights is the most common. We’ve worked with over 150 gyms and virtually every analysis we do reveals the gym has not enough free weights capacity to cater for their customers’ demand. Operators are reluctant to invest in more free weights because they’re scared of attracting those stereotypical meatheads who grunt and groan over heavy weights. Understandably, operators want their gyms to appeal to both men and women, but this shouldn’t preclude them expanding their free weights offer, especially when this is what their members want. We’ve returned to clients and remeasured equipment usage after a refurbishment, and wherever free weight areas have been expanded demand for that equipment has grown more than any other type. For example, demand grew by 75 per cent at Angel Leisure Centre, 92 per cent at Lagoon Leisure Centre, 123 per cent at On – X Linwood and by a massive 253 per cent at Glasgow

Rory McGown Club Scotstoun. This illustrates the huge pent up demand there is for this equipment that’s not being adequately catered for. Here are our tips for expanding free weights areas successfully and keeping members happy: Don’t place all free weights in one area. This results in a testosterone filled area in busy periods packed with male members, which deters females from using the space. Instead, split free weights areas up around the gym with spaces for light and medium weights as well as the area offering a full selection of weights. Our research shows that dumbbells of eight-18kg are the most popular. Shortages of these and benches cause most dissatisfaction among members,

so make sure you have enough. Limit your heaviest dumbbell to 40kg so you don’t attract the really big guys who can be intimidating to others. House heavier weights at the far end of the gym and use resistance equipment to act as a buffer between this area and the spaces where female members work out. Don’t locate cardio kit backing onto free weights areas, or locate mats or worse still, abductor and adductors facing the heavy weights section – female users won’t be happy. Locate the lighter weights area as far away as possible from the heavy weight section to ensure that women and those men who prefer lighter weights feel most comfortable. This will also prevent people from moving equipment such as benches and dumbbells between the areas at busy periods. Enforce the gym etiquette you expect. If you don’t want weights dropped, not put away and shouting then give staff the authority to reprimand members when necessary. Don’t be afraid to ban anyone who continues to flout the rules, you may lose one member, but will make others happier as a result. Rory McGown is the founder of GYMetrix, which provides accurate data on customer demand for gym equipment and customer satisfaction to allow operators to make informed choices about investment, gym design and instructor programming.

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TECHNOLOGY

ClubManager – creating new members for your club ... ClubManager has recently launched a new add-on to their award winning software solution. We spoke to founder Wayne Heath to find out more: So what is the new product all about? “During the sales process the new member can automatically spread the word about your business to all of their friends through the power of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. This simple and easy approach as part of the joining process within ClubManager now allows your club to instantly gain referrals via all forms of social media at the most important time: when a new member is the most enthusiastic about your club.” Can it work for existing members? “Without doubt it’s a great tool for member retention as well, by allowing the team to get out on the gym floor and talk with members and spread

the word through Facebook and Twitter at the click of a button.” What about results? “Well if you look at 100 new referrals generated with a current close rate of 35 per cent based on £30 per month Wayne Heath price membership on Direct Debit, that’s an increase of £1,050 per month. That really speaks for itself for the club's bottom-line. We pride ourselves on providing industry-leading, affordable solutions that allow gym owners to grow their businesses.” To find out more contact Wayne at ClubManager on 01245 807 360, visit www.clubmanagercentral.com or email wayne@clubmanagercentral.com

Kit equipped with the latest technology has been installed at Newcastle University.

Fitness suite’s upgrade leads to usage increase THE fitness suite at Newcastle University has undergone a major equipment upgrade, installing kit equipped with the latest technology, which has led to a 10 per cent increase in gym usage. The gym’s cardiovascular and strength equipment has been replaced with high tech Precor equipment, and Preva networked fitness technology, which is compatible with the university’s ‘Smart Card’ and allows students to log in to the Preva network, as well being able to use just one card to access the facilities on site. Facilities service manager at

Newcastle University Nick Beall said: ”One of the major plus points for using Precor was the RFID technology, as we wanted students to be able to use just one card to access all the facilities. “Our initial intentions with Preva networked fitness were to use it as a vehicle for students to monitor and record their workouts and training sessions. “However, we are now developing things further and are using Preva to create weekly, monthly and termly fitness challenges for members. Personal training staff and sports coaches are also using it extensively.’’

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TECHNOLOGY Advertiser’s Announcement

Manage clients’ progress on your tablet or Smartphone By Stuart Lindsay

Ejoin+ makes it easy to join ADD a ‘join online’ page to your website and make this available on a terminal in your club. Ashbourne have upgraded the online sign-up page available to clubs to use on their websites. Membership benefits and options are shown more clearly and the page can be fully personalised with your club logos and colours. The best moment to get someone to join is after a tour. Ashbourne offers a great value iPad stand for use in your reception area. Just supply the iPad to create a pro-

fessional touchscreen sign-up experience. With Ejoin+ you become a paid member immediately – the first month’s payment is by debit/credit card, with a Direct Debit set up for subsequent months. Ejoin+ is just one part of Ashbourne’s all-inclusive+ suite of club software – entry control, manager’s dashboard, class booking and epos system are all integrated into its direct debit collection service. Call Ashbourne on 0871 271 2088 for full details.

AS a personal trainer, I've never struggled to be organised, but using Active Toolkit means I now have more time to concentrate on improving my clients’ fitness and not waste time updating body weight spreadsheets, calculating body fat and producing reports—this online tool does it automatically! No more wasted time with spreadsheets and calculators There’s no need to mess around calculating anything yourself, I just enter my clients’ character measurements, hit save and this handy tool works out their body fat and weight for me. I can see at a glance what clients’ existing body fat is, what it was at the start, how much they weigh currently, and how much they weighed at the beginning.

Update clients’ progress with the click of a button With the click of a button I can add client sessions, add and track goals and track body fat, saving me loads of admin time. I can pull any information up quickly and easily whether I’m at home or in the gym. Automated professional digital reports Active Toolkit lets me instantly send automated reports to my clients’ inbox—combining all of their pooled information and showing how close they are to achieving their body fat goals—written in one sentence. Clients can see a graph showing their body fat progress, a photo from their first session and their most recent photo, created using the built in camera feature. Tracking client goals, body fat and weight has never been simpler. Thank you Active Toolkit.

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TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Sarah Tremble, winner Rebecca Maynard and Aaron Holgate. Philip Lawlor has joined Physical Company as marketing manager – with a focus on strengthening brand identity to drive the company forward. Working closely with sales and marketing director John Halls, Philip will play a crucial role in opportunities for rebranding Physical Company as well as assisting with product development and positioning. He said: “As marketing manager I will be looking at how we can develop the Physical Company brand over the next two years, giving them an identity which reflects the high quality range of innovative fitness equipment they sell, the quality of training and education they provide and their status as group fitness suppliers to major operators. I’m excited by the challenge and look forward to bringing fresh ideas to the company.” Bannatyne’s Health Club in Colchester has a new general manager – Nick Schofield. Nick joins the club with over six years’ experience in the industry and trained as a personal trainer while in the army. He said: “I have always been interested in health and fitness and I am grateful for my opportunity to continue doing what I love. During my time in the army I was able to keep active and stay fit, I am now looking forward to passing on my knowledge and experience to others.”

Rebecca wins award REBECCA Maynard, who works for The Activity Zone – Places for People Leisure in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, has received the Active Leisure Apprentice of the Year award as part of the Lifetime Learner Achievement Awards 2014, hosted at a parliamentary reception at the House of Commons. Single mum Rebecca always wanted to give her children something to aspire to. As a cleaner at a local leisure centre and someone who struggled with dyslexia, she felt worthless. Things changed when she met Sharon Bassindale, a Lifetime Training regional trainer, who believed in her. And Rebecca’s life has been turned around after she started an apprenticeship.

Rebecca has now completed her Fitness Instructor Level Two and Personal Trainer Level Three and works as a fitness instructor, class instructor and personal trainer. She said: “I now love my life and my job. My kids have a role model and I can be proud of my achievements. It has not been easy; I have had to work hard juggling jobs and kids and courses and meetings, but I have gained so much. “I feel that I am now worth something. Whereas before I felt useless, worthless, low, with zero confidence and self-belief – now all that has changed and the more I do, the more confident I grow.” For more information call 0870 120 1207 or visit www.lifetimetraining.co.uk

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Groundbreaking scheme boosted by new changes By Christina Eccles A GROUNDBREAKING scheme, which aims to get more disabled people working in the fitness industry, has received a boost from recent changes to Sport England’s national quality scheme, Quest. InstructAbility was set up in 2010 by the spinal injuries charity Aspire, in partnership with training provider YMCAfit, with a view to helping unemployed disabled people gain qualifications, experience and eventually employment as fitness instructors. The programme, which is funded by an £850,000 Sport England grant, includes an 18-day training course delivered by YMCAfit over seven weeks. The course leads to a CYQ Level Two Certificate in Gym Instructing as well as a CYQ Level Three disability and exercise qualification, and is followed by a 12-week work placement in a leisure centre or health club. As operator of the Aspire National Training Centre – an inclusive fitness facility in the grounds of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore – Aspire is ideally placed to oversee the scheme, as not only are around a third of its members disabled, but 60 per cent of its fitness staff are too. The charity’s role is to provide each student with a mentor; deliver community outreach training; and work with other operators to set up work placements. And InstructAbility has now received

Right Direction’s agreement with the ASA will bring all three industry awards together.

Right Directions to deliver ASA’s Learn To Swim accreditation Caroline Constantine a boost from Quest, the national quality scheme for sport and leisure, which has added a compulsory Community Outcomes module to its assessment process. Quest operations director Caroline Constantine said: “If a leisure centre can show it is supporting disabled people and encouraging them to participate in sport and fitness, this will certainly help them to achieve in our new Community Outcomes module. “One of the module’s key aims is to make sure Quest-accredited operators are reaching out to people of all backgrounds and levels of ability. “Taking part in an inclusive scheme such as InstructAbility and/or employing disabled staff is a great way for operators to demonstrate their commitment to this goal.”

Fit4Work offers training opportunities OLDHAM Community Leisure has launched a scheme to give career training and job opportunities to unemployed residents living in the town. The Fit4Work scheme offers unemployed individuals in the local area free training in careers such as swim teaching and pool lifeguarding, as well as a dedicated work experience

placement and a guaranteed interview for casual work as a minimum. The first two trainees to undergo the scheme are Shaun Slater, who is now working for OCL on a casual basis as a leisure attendant, and Joanna Tomlinson who has qualified as a swim teacher and is now regularly working with the company, teaching beginner swimming lessons.

Charity launches new deaf aware e-learning module THE UK’s largest hearing loss charity has launched a new deaf aware elearning module to support people working in the customer service sector. With as many as one in six customers affected by some form of hearing loss and a third of deaf people saying they actually avoid social situations because of communication difficulties, charity Action on Hearing Loss has partnered with specialist online learning provider Upskill People to develop the course. The charity’s head of sales and business development David Sloan said: “Over 70 per cent of hearing aid wear-

ers have told us that deaf aware staff would be the deciding factor in choosing one business over another, so it is crucial that organisations integrate deaf awareness into their current staff training and day-to-day culture. “With hearing loss expected to rise in the coming decades, businesses must change their attitude and reduce the daily obstacles that people who are deaf or hard of hearing face. “Small simple steps, as outlined in this effective online module, could make all the difference – not only to your customers, but also staff who have hearing loss.”

HEALTH and safety management specialist Right Directions, which already delivers Quest on behalf of Sport England and ukactive’s Code of Practice, will now co-ordinate the ASA’s Learn To Swim accreditation scheme for facilities offering swim schools. Right Direction’s agreement with the ASA will bring all three industry awards together, allowing operators to save both time and money by achieving their ASA Learn To Swim accredi-

tation and ukactive Code of Practice as part of their Quest assessment. Head of the partnership provider programme at the ASA Keith Sutton said: “This combined accreditation option has already had a significant amount of interest from many of our partners. It is a really exciting development and we hope to support providers to develop the quality of their learn to swim programmes, so that young people are getting a quality experience across the country.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Implications to the industry in the era of information By Dave Wright WE are in the information age. Anything and everything that we need to know can be accessed with a click of the button on a device in the palm of our hands. Successful training programs, nutritional plans, training tips and techniques and the type of knowledge that in less than a decade ago you’d need to have spent thousands of pounds on personal training or courses to learn is now just a click away. This rise in easily accessible information has implications for the industry as a whole. Some examples as follows: Serviced health clubs: You need to focus on bringing the ‘community’ aspect of running a club that cannot be achieved at home or in silo. Leveraging off the third most important need in Maslows hierarchy of Needs pyramid of food and shelter is the need for ‘belonging’. Group training, competitions and gamification all meet that need. High volume low price health clubs: Here lies a great opportunity because the customer is not needing ‘service’ as they have an idea of what they already want. However, you need to stay ahead of the trends in the industry and accommodate the equipment and environment that your potential members now thrive for. Personal trainers: You will need to be on top of the lat-

Dave Wright est studies and reports to try and stay ahead of your customers who can now check the accuracy and validity of what is said. You need to connect with your customers at a whole new level when you are with them making sure that the face to face encouragement and support is providing the motivation that they couldn’t achieve at home in front of a virtual trainer. There is also a massive opportunity for personal trainers to reach out beyond the four walls of the club and to use this information technology to gain clients through coaching and accessing their data irrespective where they train in the world. Membership salespeople: Need to focus more and more on good testimonies as the educated

consumer knows ‘what’ to do, ‘how’ to do it, but you can sell them the ‘results’ of those that ‘have’ done it. You also need to learn more yourself about the benefits of exercise and the latest trends so that you can overcome the objections that will be presented to you based on a more savvy consumer. So it doesn’t matter whether you sit in the low cost, mid-market, or high end section of the industry, whether you are a personal trainer or a gym instructor, sales person or marketer, customers are now more educated than ever before – so rather than focussing on the bricks and mortar, you need to focus not only on the specifics of what a customer wants, but most importantly, why they want to achieve them. And when you unlock the ‘why’ – you unlock the critical success factor in making people buy irrespective of what they can achieve on the internet. Dave Wright is the CEO of CFM, a global company with offices in the UK, Australia and North America that has served the international fitness community for over 24 years; focusing on either getting new members and/or keeping existing ones. Dave is also the owner of 11 health clubs across two continents, a board director of UK Active, founder of IOU (Independent Operators Unite) and the creator of the revolutionary industry tracking tool MYZONE. He may be contacted on Dave.Wright@cfm.net

Sheffield’s biggest health and fitness scheme has launched a new three-in-one exercise class. Fitness Unlimited has recently introduced Piloxing – an energetic fusion of boxing, Pilates and dance – to its class timetable. It has been made available to members at six Fitness Unlimited venues – Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Hillsborough Leisure Centre, the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, Concord Sports Centre, Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre, and Springs Leisure Centre. Corporate health and fitness manager at Fitness Unlimited Peter Clark said: “We’re always looking for new ways to engage more people in physical activity and bring our members classes we know they’ll love, so we’re really excited to have launched this fresh, innovative concept. Piloxing incorporates cutting edge research and fitness techniques to burn maximum calories, build lean muscles, and increase stamina. It’s already proving incredibly popular with our members and we can’t wait to show even more people what this class is all about.”

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CHALLENGE WORKOUT

Personal trainer Kelsey Marshall has set up a new twice-weekly bootcamp following requests from her clients who wanted to do more training outdoors. Dominic Musgrave spoke to her and tried out one of the sessions.

Twice-weekly bootcamp is open to all abilities ... BOOTCAMP on the Beach has only been running for a couple of months on the main beach, but has already proved to be a massive success. The hourly sessions take place on the beach in Abersoch, Gwynedd on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, and they regularly attract around 40 participants. Kelsey, who takes the sessions, qualified as a level three personal trainer last August having completed a qualification with YMCA Fit, having always had an interest in fitness. She told Workout it is something that she regrets not doing sooner. “I’d been a full-time mum and housewife and decided that now my children had grown up that it was time to concentrate on my career,” Kelsey added. “I’ve always spent a lot of time in the gym – four or five times a week – and before relocating to Pwllheli four years ago I had a personal trainer in Manchester. There was nothing like it down here and I used to go to the council-run gym and get infuriated by what I saw some of the instructors teaching people and not correcting techniques. “So much so that I used to go and offer people training advice before I was even qualified, which led me to thinking that perhaps I could do it as a career.” Now that she has her qualifications, Kelsey has several regular personal training clients and runs numerous

Bootcamp on the Beach regularly attracts around 40 participants. classes such as such as High Intensity Training, Circuit Training, Strength & Endurance and Body Definition from her studio, with the bootcamps the latest addition to her offering. Kelsey said the classes are open to all levels of fitness, and that working out on sand provides a host of challenges given that it is an ever-changing surface. She added: “A lot of my clients asked me about the possibility of training outside, which is something I’ve always really enjoyed doing as a keen runner.

“The benefits of doing something like this is that you don’t need to be a member of an expensive gym, all the equipment is provided for the sessions, and by attending a couple of classes a week you are working every single part of your body. “We try to make the training as fun as possible, and due to the everchanging surface of the beach you are shocking your system all of the time, which is good for your body. “It’s always good to mix up training too, rather than just go running, and with the bootcamps you get out of it

what you put in.” Kelsey hopes the Bootcamp on the Beach sessions will continue throughout the year, and says she is always making sure she keeps up to date with the latest equipment and techniques to pass on to her clients. “My incentive throughout has been for all my clients to get the most out of their exercise, by giving them qualified instruction, giving correct technique and form, enabling them to get the maximum benefit from their workouts and to reach their own individual goals.”

A fun-filled hour despite the wet weather I’VE been to Abersoch on holiday a couple of times before my recent visit, and the weather has always been warm and sunny. It was this time too, apart from the Wednesday morning when I had put my name forward to attend Bootcamp on the Beach for this feature. My wife thought I was mad for saying I would do it in the first place, given that I was meant to be on holiday, and as I looked out of the window an hour before the class was due to start and saw the rain pouring down I had to agree with her. I couldn’t bring myself to get out of the car 10 minutes before the class was due to start, but seeing the other people, predominantly women, avoiding the puddles as they trudged through the car park with smiles on their faces spurred me on. And I’m glad they did as within a few minutes of the class starting I’d pretty much forgotten about the wind and driving rain and instead was enjoying the breath-taking scenery.

After an intense warm-up the class broke into pairs and took it in turns to complete a series of exercises including burpees and press ups while their partner threw and retrieved a frisbee as fast as they could, which in the driving wind and cold rain was a hard enough challenge in itself. Some stretching exercises and a final circuit ensured that I was exhausted by the end of the hour class. Kelsey is always offering advice on techniques and words of encouragement, and her knowledge and enthusiasm shone through, even on a dull and dreary morning. As a keen runner, a class like this was something totally different from my usual routine of pounding the country lanes near where I live, and the wet sand certainly provided its own challenges. I ached for days afterwards so it must have done me some good, and it is something I would definitely do again when I am next in Abersoch. Fingers crossed the sun will shine on my next visit though.

Kelsey’s Bootcamp on the Beach was fun but exhausting.

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UK FITNESS SCENE

Gymophobics Redditch owner Zoe Cook with photographer Sharon Trueman.

Gym offers special package A LADIES only gym in Worcestershire is offering a special mother and daughter membership package, which includes a reduced membership rate and monthly incentives. Gymophobics Redditch steers clear of loud music and mirrors so that female members who don’t like some of the intimidating aspects of traditional unisex gyms feel more comfortable. At the end of the club’s three-month Mother and Daughter Summer Challenge, all those who have taken part will be fully assessed and the pair who have made the greatest achievement will win a VIP photo shoot at a professional studio with photographer Sharon Trueman.

Gym owner Zoe Cook said: “The rise in teenage obesity is often the result of less healthy diets and a lack of exercise. “We support all our members with healthy eating guidance as well as exercise plans based on our 30minute circuit. Plus, we always offer plenty of positive encouragement.” Manager Louise Walker added: “Being overweight impacts not only on health but on the person’s emotional wellbeing. “Obese children are often teased, leading to low self-esteem and depression. I hope more gyms across the country will look at ways to encourage young people to work out and get fitter.”

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

More dishes added to David Lloyd’s menu DAVID Lloyd Leisure has launched a new DLicious menu into its cafe bars, featuring a greater choice of healthy, balanced dishes designed to support members’ wellbeing. The menu, which has been developed by a dedicated team of chefs, nutritionists and health and fitness experts, is complemented by a bespoke children’s menu and delicatessen range. New additions include: Stuffed Red Pepper; Grilled Chicken Katsu; Lettuce Wraps (avocado or chicken wrapped in Gem lettuce mixed with cherry tomatoes, red onion, quinoa and coriander); and Smoked Mackerel Paté. David Lloyd Leisure’s group head of food and beverage Kevin Harper said: “We’re continually looking at ways to further improve and innovate our

England rugby star James Haskell.

Rugby star achieves success off the field with latest venture By Christina Eccles

ENGLAND rugby star James Haskell is also achieving success off the field with the launch of his latest venture; a training, nutrition and supplements brand designed to help everyone from elite athletes to general fitness fans achieve their goals. James’ Bodyfire range includes supplements Hades – a male pre-trainer and fat burner – and Hella, which is specifically designed for female users, as well as online training and nutrition programmes, devised by a top team of experts. His aim is to pass on the knowledge he’s learned as a professional sportsman to a wider audience, while also creating supplements products he is happy to use himself alongside a healthy lifestyle. James said: “I set the business up with a desire to dispel some of the myths out there about health, fitness, nutrition and training. “I’ve played rugby for the past 11 years all over the world and have worked with some of the best coaches

in their fields. “I’ve always led a healthy lifestyle and this was a logical step backed up by my rugby background.” The Hades supplement has also been commended by Men’s Health, while that and Hella have both achieved the Informed-Sport certification, making them suitable for use by professional athletes who have to undergo rigorous testing. The range, which is also being expanded to include a greens product, is currently stocked online but James added in the future he would like to expand the business; both in terms of the products available and where they can bought, including supplying to gyms. He added: “That would be the ideal scenario. As the business builds we want it to be seen in high street stores and gyms. As the business evolves, we are looking at some of our branding and how we can separate ourselves from other products on the market, pushing our key messages of confidence and clean living – and we want to see that in good gyms.”

Bodybuilding Warehouse has revealed its new breakfast menu of protein sports supplements. The products are part of the Premium Protein Range and include Protein Pancakes, Protein Hot Chocolate and Protein Coffee. Managing director of Bodybuilding Warehouse Kieran Fisher said: “With our breakfast range we have taken some of the most popular breakfast items and developed the ingredients to make them into a healthy food and drink options. “All of the products are designed to provide your body with optimum levels of protein to complement your workout to help it rebuild and recover.”

The new menu includes stuffed red pepper. food and beverage offering, which aims to support our members’ health and fitness goals and takes into account their very valuable feedback, and I’m delighted that our new DLicious menu offers an even greater choice of fresh and tasty dishes for the whole family to enjoy.”

Creative Nature a UK finalist A SURREY-based ethical superfood company has been named as a finalist in the search to find the UK's best small business. Creative Nature, which offers superfoods and raw, cold-pressed superfood snack bars was named Best Young Entrepreneur in the region in the 2014 FSB WorldPay UK Business Awards. Owner Julianne Ponan said: “I am thrilled to be chosen as a finalist for Young Entrepreneur of the Year. To have the fruits of all of my hard work and sleepless nights recognised by such a prestigious organisation as the FSB feels incredible. “When I took over at Creative Nature, the company was in losses and the supplier-distributor-customer chains had been severely damaged by the previous management team. “Instead of seeing this as a hindrance, I saw an opportunity to forge new, stronger relationships and push

Julianne Ponan Creative Nature into new markets, broadening the customer reach and building a strong brand from the ground up.” The business will now go onto the national final to compete for a prize of almost £10,000 as overall UK winner.

Scientifically advanced products BEAST Yourself sports supplements are without question the most scientifically advanced and highly dosed products available on the market today. Beast Yourself is very much a hardcore phrase for ‘pushing yourself hard’ which is exactly what your customers will be doing when supplementing with this range.

In this respect Beast Yourself perfectly encompasses not just the individual products, but also the nature of the person taking them. For the trade’s most attractive discounts, free samples and additional information please contact info@BeastYourself.co.uk Visit www.AffordableSupplements.co.uk for the full list of active ingredients and product write ups.

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PRODUCT NEWS

School gym installs kids’ functional training zone MAXIMISING space for new equipment has been an issue facing many gyms over the years, even more so now with the boom in new forms of functional exercises being demanded by members. The gym at Charlton Park Academy faced additional issues as it had to cater for exercises for special needs and wheelchair bound children and adults. With limited space with which to add a functional training zone in their gym, they have opted for a wall mount Freedom Climber, which offers climbing as a fun way to achieve a great total body workout, as well as an exciting programme of non-climbing functional exercises like the rotary pull downs, vertical burpees, lateral leg lifts. The Freedom Climber features newly developed attachment points built into the frame, to double up as a wall mounted multi exercise station using stretch bands and suspension bands. Head of P.E. and gym manager at the school Neil Collard said: “The kids really enjoy working out on the

climber rather than using the traditional equipment. They get a great workout without knowing it and it’s so much fun for them. It helps our special kids with other disciplines like coordination, flexibility and hand eye skills.” “It’s been a really good use of a corner wall space we were not using and now is the focal point of the kids gym.”

Machines added to line-up LIFE Fitness is expanding its Elevation Series cardio line-up with two new machines: FlexStrider, a variable-stride trainer, and PowerMill, a motor-powered climber. Both products are first-time offerings for Life Fitness and provide options for exercisers and facilities looking to address the trend toward high-intensity interval training and total-body cardio. President of Life Fitness Chris Clawson said: “Both FlexStrider and PowerMill answer the industry need for innovative products that can be used by a wide variety of exercisers – no matter their fitness ability. “These additions make our Elevation Series the most dynamic line-up in the industry, providing increased workout possibilities for the exerciser and expansive options for the facility floor.”

Both the FlexStrider Variable-Stride Trainer and PowerMill Climber are available with Discover Tablet Consoles, which offer the most cutting-edge technology in the fitness industry. For more information visit www.LifeFitness.com

Have you got the bottle? DEHYDRATION is the fitness enthusiasts’ enemy – one minute you are exercising and sweating, the next you can be suffering heat exhaustion and loss of strength. One of the best ways of ensuring plentiful pure water wherever in the world you may be is to always bring a Water-to-Go bottle with you, as it turns washroom tap water, pond or river water into healthy pure drinking water. It removes over 99.9 per cent of all contaminants including bacteria, chlorine and odour, whilst retaining the beneficial minerals like sodium and magnesium. There is no catch, just proven NASA technology providing fresh water for under 3p per litre. The filter system is contained in a 75cl re-usable plastic bottle, costing £24.95, that can be dishwasher cleaned. The filter (packs of two for £14.95) will each last around three months and individually purify a total of 200l water. 200l of mineral water bought in 50cl bottles would cost £400 – with Water-to-Go it costs only 1.5p per 50cl compared with £1.00.

Water-to-Go bottles are available direct or from sports and fitness centres who can have them branded in up to eight colours as a promotional tool. Bottles come in an attractive box measuring 9 x 8.5cm – so small that it can be used as a counter display next to the till. For more information email info@watertogo.eu, or call 01582 841412

Give your club the X-Factor THE Classic Steel Dumbbell Set from Escape Fitness has been designed for those who demand the very best in functionality, innovation and style. The dumbbell has integrated rubber inserts around the head to offer improved grip while also protecting the floor against damage from drops. The mild steel construction has the advantage of being odour-free while also looking bright and clean and helping to bring that touch of style to any facility. The X-Rack helps to support the sophistication of the dumbbell, making any free-weight area look clean and tidy and encouraging members to get involved. A multitude of different users can use the Classic Steel Dumbbell thanks to a weight range that spans 2kg to 20kg in 2kg increments. The complete set is ideally suited to clubs who are looking to support their brand message of style and elegance

in a functional and effective manner. For more information visit www.escapefitness.com

The future of freeweights Luke wins volunteering award is finally here … AN 18-year-old who has worked tirelessly to help thousands of young victims of bullying is the latest winner of a new volunteering award. Luke Lancaster overcame years of bullying to set up and run his own charity, Young Pioneers, which has helped young people combat bullying both in the UK and overseas. He has become the latest recipient of a Point of Light award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers. Jeremy Jenkins MD at SportsArt, which supports the charity, said: “We are extremely privileged to have adopted Young Pioneers as our official charity partner, and proud of Luke’s achievements in receiving this prestigious award. “Through our partnership with Young Pioneers, where we are the first fitness equipment supplier to commit to a donation being made from every

Luke Lancaster at The Big Bang show with SportsArt kit. sale of our equipment, we aim to help tackle the current obesity epidemic and improve the lives of young people across the UK. “Success can only be achieved through such a collaborative partnership, and it is something that SportsArt feels very passionate about through its affinity to Luke and Young Pioneers.”

JORDAN Fitness, the functional specialists, have introduced a new range of free weights products. The new Ignite range is available for pre-order now and can be in your facility in summer 2014. Not only are these products made from the highest quality materials, which make them durable and tough, but also the popular anti-roll design means you can perform a plethora of exercises… oh and they are extremely pleasing on the eye. A compact range of products with solid options of urethane or rubber and a unique anti roll design across the range. Sales director at Jordan Fitness Zak Pitt said: “Our new Ignite range epitomises our core values in terms of quality, durability and value for money, but also gives a glimpse of the

future in terms of innovation.” With this combination of good looks and functionality, Jordan Fitness have developed a wide range of new and exciting products, igniting a spark back into the fitness industry and helping your members to achieve their goals in 2014… in style. For more information on the Ignite range visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk/collections/ jordan-ignite-range or call +44 (0)1553 763285

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Houldsworth Village site is chosen as North West development centre Fitness Systems Ltd has expanded its sales team with the appointment of Paul Ferreira as area sales manager (South). Paul will focus on the public and private sectors by promoting the Freemotion and True Fitness brands and Fitness Systems’ unique ability to develop clients’ requirements in budget. Paul has over 15 years’ experience within the fitness industry working for LA Fitness, De Vere and most recently sales manager for Escape Fitness. Fitness Systems is still a family run business situated in Bolton. The owners have been involved in the manufacture and distribution of leading brand fitness equipment since 1982. Fitness Systems exclusively distributes Freemotion and True Fitness commercial products.

EQUIPMENT

LIFE Leisure’s Houldsworth Village site at Reddish in Stockport is to become the North West regional partner for the development of weightlifting in Britain. Following the success of British Weightlifting at London 2012 – where five British weightlifters made the Olympic grade – the governing body has been awarded funding by Sport England to continue the development of the sport. As part of this, the gym at Houldsworth Village will more than double in size to 740sqm and will be home to an elite Weight Lifting Academy for talented youngsters, as well as a programme to encourage the development of clubs in the wider region. As part of the investment, the site will also receive Olympic Legacy equipment used at the London 2012 Games, once it has finished its latest

international competition at this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. And as part of the partnership between a commercial venture, a leisure trust and a national governing body of sport, The British Weightlifting regional development officer post, based at Houldsworth Village, will be part funded by Life Leisure. The postholder, Andreas Michaelas will focus on increasing participation in Greater Manchester and improving the structure of other clubs in the region. British Weightlifting’s development and education manager Stuart Cummins said: “This investment in Stockport is an major step for us in working towards the vision of producing talented, national standard, weightlifters who can compete on the world stage. “The equipment we are able to

place at Houldsworth Village is of the highest standard and we’ve been impressed with Life Leisure’s drive and determination to make this a success both locally and for the wider region.” The development will also see the relocation of a specialist club – Arnies Weight Lifting Club – for disabled athletes to the site. The specialist equipment owned by Arnies will also be moved to Houldsworth Village. Life Leisure managing director Malcolm McPhail added: “We’re proud of having attracted an up and coming national governing body to partner us in the development at Houldsworth Village. “Seeking out such national and regional partners is very much part of our strategy of offering the best possible range of sports and services to all communities within our region.”

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EQUIPMENT

DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTIONS

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LOCKERS

MIRRORS

VENDING

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HYGIENE

MARKETING

AUDIO / VISUAL

UPHOLSTERY

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54 INSURANCE

FINANCE

CLOTHING AND MERCHANDISE

MANAGEMENT

SERVICING

WANTED

SOFTWARE

FOR SALE

LOCKS

55 Predator

28/5/14

10:05

Page 1

56 Cybex

28/5/14

10:05

Page 1