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21 YEARS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
November 2014
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Don’t compete on price urges trainer James By Christina Eccles UNDERSTANDING quality over quantity is important when it comes to your membership; inspiring the community and networking are among the habits of highly successful gym owners, according to an independent operator who practices what he preaches. Personal trainer James St Pierre owns Chelmsford-based studio Unique Results and in the face of strong competition from Virgin Active, Fitness First and three local authority clubs, has managed to build a thriving business with 275 members. At this year’s Leisure Industry Week, James spoke to other independent operators; advising them how to make their business stand out in a crowded marketplace and revealing his seven important tips for success. The first being understand your why – the reasons behind setting up your business and what you want it to stand for. He explained: “145 health clubs have closed in the last year. As a gym owner, I don’t want to be one of those statistics. “You have to have a dream lifestyle, which your job or business is going to facilitate. What do you want to do out-
side work that motivates you?” James’ other tips are: Network – he holds regular events such as a quarterly workshop with the local running club. Inspire your community – get behind charity events and community projects. Quality over quantity – when it comes to your membership, don’t ‘stack them high and sell them cheap’. Be unique – never compete on price. Instead focus on promoting the things you do differently. Educate yourself and your team – look at areas such as professional development and improving customer service. Results and review – James has a board on display in his club detailing goals set and goals achieved to inspire members and help them monitor progress. He added: “Your message needs to be strong enough to repel the people you don’t want and attract the people you do. To do that, you have to know who you are. “Ferrari in a recession doesn’t lower its prices. Don’t budge for short term gain. Be firm; if you value what you do, then people will value it as well.”
No 254 £3
New format revealed by LIW organisers
The UK’s largest dance event is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015 by announcing a range of new features for both professionals and dance fans. Move It will take place from February 13 to 15 at London’s Olympia with highlights including celebrity performances from the likes of Strictly Come Dancing professionals Robin Windsor and Kristina Rihanoff, over 200 dance classes to try out and exhibitors on show from dance schools to fitness brands.
ORGANISERS of Leisure Industry Week have revealed plans to evolve the show into a health, wellbeing and fitness focused event for 2015 and beyond. Details of the new format will be announced in the coming weeks following industry consultation, which included independent research in conjunction with ukactive, focus groups with key exhibitors and buyers, and a dedicated 'evolution hub' at this year’s show to gain feedback from visitors. Event director James Samuel said: “We’re excited to build upon the success of the show and reach out to new audiences with market leading products, high quality educational content and relevant networking opportunities. “We look forward to announcing further plans for LIW in the coming weeks and working with ukactive and the wider industry to ensure LIW remains at the heart of the active leisure sector.” For a round up of all the highlights from this year’s Leisure Industry Week, see our review feature starting on Page 43
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Finding a niche and being savvy is key to success, claims entrepreneur By Christina Eccles FITNESS entrepreneur Katie BulmerCooke has revealed how finding a niche for your fitness business – and being savvy when it comes to promoting your brand – can lead to success. Katie, who specialises in women’s fitness, particularly in the pre and post natal fields, has been achieving great results with her venture, The Fit Mummy Manual, created in partnership with fellow fitness professional and ‘fit mummy’ Kelly Rennie. The concept includes a book, DVD and online course, designed to help new mums increase their fitness – and confidence levels – and copies have been sold as far afield as the USA, Mexico and France. The profile of the Fit Mummy Manual was further raised when the pair sent a copy of the DVD to The Duchess of Cambridge when she was pregnant with Prince George and got a letter back from her team thanking them for their gift, an endorsement which they could then shout about via their website and social media. Katie said: “The Fit Mummy Manual is doing really well. It came from thinking about mine and Kelly’s customers’ needs and how we can meet them.
“The big highlight was when we sent one to Kate and got a letter back from the palace thanking us for sending it to her.” “We didn’t have time to train any more people in person, so to be able to we had to do things differently. The solution was to do something online. “The big highlight was when we sent one to Kate and got a letter back from the palace thanking us for sending it to her. It was really good PR and we got in magazines as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Straight away this elevated our profile.” Katie will also be among the speakers at the upcoming LFX conference where she will be sharing some of the secrets of her success with delegates at The Metrodome in Barnsley on November 27. She added: “My talk is going to be about how I started in the industry and made a success of my fitness business. I want people to go away with things which they can then implement into their own businesses.”
Katie Bulmer-Cooke
Council awards firm five-year deal ASHFIELD District Council has awarded Everyone Active a five year extension to its operating contract, allowing them to continue operating six leisure facilities in the district. The initial contract was awarded in 2002 and since Everyone Active took over management of the facilities participation levels have increased. There were more than 1.4m visits across the six sites in the last year; double the amount of customers
recorded 12 years ago. The number of people enrolled on swimming lessons has also grown with approximately 3,100 taking part per term. Area contracts manager for SLM Simon Fearn said: “We have greatly enjoyed working with the members and colleagues in Ashfield and are very pleased to have agreed the five year extension with two years still remaining on our current partnership.”
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www.workout-uk.co.uk
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Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Editor: Christina Eccles Tel: 01226 734463 ce@scriptmedia.co.uk Reporter: Olivia Taylor ot@scriptmedia.co.uk Group production editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk
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NRGym given accreditation for kit range Dancing on Ice star Dan Whiston at the charity event at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Charity Zumbathon helps hospice DANCING on Ice star Dan Whiston recently hosted a charity Zumbathon at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, raising a grand total of £2,318.87 for Brian House Children’s Hospice Over 200 people attended the four-hour event including celebrity friends Karen Barber and Hayley Tamaddon. Six other Zumba instructors joined Dan, each taking 30-minute sessions. Dan said: “It was a fantas-
tic night and I am so glad we held this in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. “The setting was perfect and we really had that sprung ballroom floor bouncing. “I'm delighted that with everyone's support we were able to raise so much money for such a worthwhile cause. Loads of people are asking when the next one is so I'm sure it's something we will look to do again because it was such a great night.”
INDEPENDENT Yorkshire club NRGym has gained industry accreditation – becoming one of only 17 gyms in the country to be certified Hammer Strength Training Centres. The Life Fitness Hammer Strength accreditation happened completely by accident when a representative from the supplier came to visit the gym – a renovated mill in Keighley – and was astounded by the quality of equipment. Co-owner Rousel Chowdhury, who runs the club alongside business partner Nick Hindle, said: “Nick and I have always wanted the accreditation and when the Life Fitness guy came he was so blown away with what we’d done without his help. It was such a shock, we really thought there was a catch. “It’s been very humbling for members to be recognised, as we see it as something the whole member base has achieved, rather than us, as an independent gym. They are also very happy for myself and Nick as it speaks volumes of our promise of continual growth and investment. For us it’s just so rewarding and amazing to be recognised by one of the world’s leading equipment producers.” The gym is the second in Yorkshire to get the accreditation and will now be used as a showcase site to promote the equipment to other operators. The club boasts over 50 pieces of
NRGym owners Rousel and Nick. Hammer Strength kit, ranging from leg machines, to chest machines and squat racks. Gaining accreditation has been one of the highlights of a successful year for the pair – who last year were shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the National Fitness Awards. They are now gearing up to refurbish the gym’s large functional area early next year, as well as continuing a successful initiative where members can vote for new pieces of kit they want the most – and the club purchases the most popular every six weeks. Rousel added: “Our members pay for a service and we want to go above and beyond that service. We’re always reinvesting into the gym, it’s our ethos.”
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UK FITNESS SCENE
An innovative card scheme launched last year is working well for operator Oldham Community Leisure. Workout takes a closer look at the project – and discovers what other clubs could learn from its success.
One of OCL’s clubs which is using the Oldham Active card scheme, Saddleworth Pool and Leisure Centre (left) and chief executive Stuart Lockwood.
Innovative card scheme proving successful THE Oldham Active card, launched by OCL in July 2013, offers locals up to a 50 per cent discount on Pay-AsYou-Go prices. It costs £2 to buy and is free for some concessions. Since its inception, OCL has registered more than 15,929 customers onto the scheme, as of April 2014, which – combined with pre-paid memberships – means the trust currently holds participant data on 24,000 customers – translating to 9.6 per cent of the Oldham population. As well as discounts on standard prices, cardholders enjoy discounts on café products at Oldham Sport Centre, access to online fast-track bookings and exclusive promotions and benefits. The card is promoted at point of sale within facilities, heavily marketed on the web and via social media. However the best marketing method to date has been staff. Reception
teams, customer contact teams and lifeguards ask a simple question: Would you like to save some money on your activity? People rarely say no! The simple setup allows customers to get a card there and then, and start saving. Earlier this year, The Leisure Database Company analysed the Oldham Active Card scheme and found it has achieved a 5.9 per cent penetration into the Oldham borough wards, with the highest penetration rate currently within Saddleworth South and Chadderton North. Oldham Active Card users visited over 205,603 times between April 2013 and April 2014. Chief executive at OCL Stuart Lockwood said: “For the first time we have a real insight into our customer base other than those with pre-paid memberships. The card enables us to know who our customers are, so we
can tailor our services accordingly. For example, we know the highest single mosaic type to hold an active card, at 13 per cent, is Asian identities, so we have instigated womenonly sessions for the pools at Chadderton and Glodwick, and also in our gyms. “As operators of council-owned facilities we have an obligation to demonstrate how well we are serving the community. The fact that we now have data on over 85 per cent of all our visits means we can provide our partners with valuable data about key target groups and how well we are serving them. “At our biggest site, the majority of cardholders are from concessionary groups. It’s reassuring for the council to know their chosen operators are succeeding in serving those who would otherwise be less likely to use non-subsidised facilities. Data is very
powerful, but without such a highly representative sample size it would lack integrity and that is key for us.” Head of customer relations Peter Howson added: “Card holders have to renew every 12 months, which ensures we always have fresh details. “This data will now feed into OCL’s marketing strategy for 2014/15 enabling us to target individual groups and areas within the borough. “Rather than a blanket marketing campaign across different mediums we can segment our customers to ensure the correct information is sent to people who may be interested. “The data collected also provides us with intelligence on who customers are, their age, ethnic origin and their postcode, and allows us to understand in detail what they are doing within our facilities, so we can formulate patterns around usage and customer types.”
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Gym members and staff to pose for charity calendar By Olivia Taylor
DS Fitness is the only health club in the country to offer MOSSA’s Group Blast programme.
Class change reaps rewards INDEPENDENT gym DS Fitness is achieving success with its MOSSA group exercise classes – becoming the only health club in the country to offer the provider’s Group Blast programme. The Barrow based club, which opened in 1999, wanted to differentiate itself from chain competitors in the area, so in 2013 its founder and group exercise instructor, Diane Singleton, changed the programmes to MOSSA. She said: “We had used the same group exercise provider since we opened but all the other clubs in the area were offering the same classes. I realised that we needed something
fresh and of a higher quality. I trialled MOSSA’s programmes because of this desire to differentiate our offering and when I experienced them I loved them more than our existing ones.” The single site club took on MOSSA’s Group Power, Group Kick, Group Ride and the R30 home workout programme at the end of 2013 and is leading the way by also offering Group Blast. Diane added: “I have never looked back. MOSSA offers us so much more than other group exercise providers. “The high quality resources in the marketing pack sells what the instructors are presenting so I get more for my money.”
A CHARITABLE gym in Burnley has roped 20 of its male members and staff into posing for a charity calendar set to be released in December. The men taking part have been given 12 weeks to get themselves in shape and prepare for the photo shoot which will take place this month. The team from Fitness Factory is no stranger to raising money for charity, having also taken part in the Tough Mudder challenge back in August, raising about £1,000. Personal trainer at the club Jacqueline Cougill said: “It’s an idea I’ve been toying with for a while. “There’s 20 lads taking part and they’re all taking it very seriously actually.” The photos of the boys will be taken at the gym, and they’ll be dressed up as firemen, policemen and sailors. Jacqueline added: “They’ve had some really wacky costume ideas they'll end up dressed as The Village People. They didn’t take much persuading, they were straight in.” The men competing range from body builders to athletes and strong men competitors aged between 18
“Cancer Research is a charity close to everyone’s heart, it’s a good charity.” and 40. The calendars will be sold at £5 each and people are already coming in to pre-order their copies, with the club planning to donate the proceeds to Cancer Research. Jacqueline added: “Cancer Research is a charity close to everyone's heart, it’s a good charity.” The gym is also shortlisted for a National Fitness Award in the Budget Gym of the Year category and will battle it out with other finalists to be crowned the country’s best low cost gym at the ceremony in Leicester on November 28. Is your gym doing anything to raise money for charity? Get in touch with our editorial team and you could appear in a future issue of Workout. Email ot@scriptmedia.co.uk or Tweet us @WorkOutUK
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Centre takes delivery of treadmills THE Kings Centre in East Grinstead has become the first site in the UK to take delivery of Precor’s latest product, the new Next-Generation Experience Series Treadmill. The leisure centre, run by Places for People, has undergone a major refurbishment undertaken by leisure design and build specialist Createability, including the removal of the café and atrium areas to create a 65-station, 2,782 sq ft fitness suite featuring the new treadmills. UK sales director at Precor Jez Whitling said: “The Kings Centre has experienced a complete transformation and has gone from providing 20 stations to 65. “It now showcases state-of-theart fitness equipment, including the new Next-Generation Experience Series Treadmills, and provides fantastic facilities for the community.”
Team rated ‘excellent’ FUSION Lifestyle’s sports and community development team in the London Borough of Hounslow has achieved an ‘excellent’ rating in an assessment from Quest. In order to achieve Quest Plus, the team went through a tough two-day process. Head of sports and community development Dan Reynolds said: “This is a fantastic result for our sports and community development service and demonstrates the commitment and hard work from the team and our partners.”
Muscle Unit gym owner Robert Taylor with members Chelsea Dyson and Matt Kavanagh.
Robert wins Mr Britain title at national championships By Alison Burkinshaw MUSCLE man and independent gym owner Robert Taylor has been named Mr Britain after triumph at the UKBFF bodybuilding national championships. Rob, owner of the Muscle Unit gym in Carlton near Barnsley, has been training as a body builder since leaving school. The 27-year-old came first in the north east championships three weeks ago, going on to win in the
British finals. He said: “These are the first competitions that I've entered so I'm really pleased with the results, I can't believe it.” Rob only began training for bodybuilding shows this year after the birth of his son Cruz. He suffered a virus only a week before the north east finals and lost more than 20lbs of muscle mass. He added: "My eyes were blood shot and I had no energy to do anything. I said we've come this far let's get the
job done so I managed to carb up and pull myself to a reasonable weight and win the show." After that show he took four days off before throwing himself into preparation for UKBFF Britain – and it paid off. Another member of his gym Chelsea Dyson, 20, was placed fourth in the bikini category in the competition. The marketing manager came second in the north east championships three weeks ago.
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www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk
Welcome to WorkOut Weigh In – it’s your chance to have your say and share your views on industry issues. You can email us at ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.
This month’s top Tweets... @HallWhittlebury: Our Leisure Club is proud to be finalists at the @FitnessAwards in the category Best Hotel Facility of the Year!
@ChristinaEccles: @OliviaGTaylor and I enjoyed catching up with everyone after @L_I_W at the @MatrixFitnessUK party in Birmingham :-) @Burlexercise: Great day @L_I_W meeting so many fitness pros! Now reading @WorkOutUK on the train back to London!
@fitnessgarageuk: A couple of fantastic memories from our first 10 months, very proud to be finalists @FitnessAwards #sheffieldissuper
Impact of being a winner Over on Facebook, we have been discussing The National Fitness Awards and the impact which being shortlisted – or winning an award – can have on gyms. Here’s what some of you had to say... Andreas Michaelas: The team at Life Leisure Houldsworth Village are delighted to be recognised as a contender for the Strength Training Gym of the Year at this year’s National Fitness Awards. Being shortlisted has already helped us gain a fantastic reputation amongst the weight lifting fraternity in the North West and has really put the spotlight on the British Weight Lifting Weight Lifting Academy based at the centre. We and our members are incredibly proud to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award and to stand alongside some of the best strength gyms in the UK. We continue to grow by the day and continue to attract numerous international athletes to the centre and our programmes, in addition to attracting new people to the sport of weight lifting. With the expertise from British Weight Lifting our members are really seeing the benefits that specialist training can add to their gym programming and many are changing and improving their goals as a result. Natalie Jane Ellaway Summers: We are a stand alone rural-based functional venue, changing peoples lives daily, one workout at a time. To be recognised and shortlisted for this is as rewarding as watching my clients progress whether it be regaining move-
Picture of the month
Lucky Burnley Leisure member Andrew Hill walked away with a car worth £10,000 following a prize draw competition. The promotion was open to all members and was organised as a retention tool and to say thank you to members for staying fit and healthy with the operator in 2014. St Peter’s Leisure Centre manager Scott Bryce said: “We shortlisted 30 members at random who were all invited to the event. Each of the 30 members also received a free month and gift so were all winners. The car was drawn by the mayor on the evening and Andrew was delighted.” Andrew is pictured here with head of Leisure Gerard Vinton and the Mayor and Mayoress of Burnley. ment after stroke related illness or helping people get stronger for their individual lifestyles.The feel good factor of this and then being recognised nationally within the fitness industry are the same. Jonathan Walker: Winning last year’s Regional Gym of the Year North award gave us a fantastic platform for growth. We’ve upped our game again and focused on improving every area of our business. We’ve modernised our brand, refurbished the gym – upgraded
flooring, equipment and look and feel, and extended our opening to 24 hours. We've introduced a unique Gambaru food range, opened up a new ladies section, and grown our community focus inside and outside – which includes launching an awards programme in local secondary schools. Yes we are dead proud to be short-listed again and can’t wait to celebrate with everyone else on the 28th November.
Editor’s Comment IT’S been a hectic few weeks for the Workout team with Leisure Industry Week and visiting our National Fitness Awards’ finalists seeing us cover thousands of miles around the country. We’ve spent the last month out and about; looking around every club on the shortlist, meeting members and staff and seeing first hand some of the great work going on in these gyms. Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome you gave us, for putting so much effort into your nominations – and for the endless supplies of much needed tea and coffee! As this issue goes to print, all of the reports we’ve written up are in the hands of our judging panel who have the extremely tough task of picking our winners. The standard has been incredibly high this year and we’re all looking forward to celebrating with everyone on November 28 when the best of the industry will be crowned at this year’s awards’ ceremony. If you haven’t booked your tickets yet, there are less than 20 tables avail-
able, with over 600 tickets sold already. So if you want to be there, don’t leave it until the last minute to book your place! We’ve also recently enjoyed three days at the NEC for LIW 2014, which once again proved to be a busy show for the team. It was great to meet so many of our readers, try out the latest kit on suppliers’ stands and sit in on some interesting seminars, some of which you can read about in this issue. Next issue, we’ll be including a special Challenge Christina where I reveal how I got on trying out four very different mini workouts at LIW – some of which I can’t wait to have another go at. Along with many of you, I’ve also been enjoying following fitness entrepreneur Katie Bulmer-Cooke on our TV screens. This issue she tells us more about why finding a niche and focusing on your marketing can help fitness businesses stand out. And I’m looking forward to speaking to her again about her latest venture
Christina Eccles over the next few weeks. As ever, if you have a story for us, we always love to hear from our readers. Next month, we’ll be discussing trends for 2015 – let us know if you have any predictions on what’s going to be popular next year or you think you have the next big thing at your gym. We’ll look forward to hearing from you!
This month’s hot topic:
Industry guru Thomas Plummer claims the industry is afraid to change – but needs to do so to survive. What do you think? How are you evolving your business to keep up with the latest trends and stay ahead of the competition? @KatieFordPT: Great article by @WorkOutUK mag with @AdamCopleyPT & @Snooch2TheNooch about the three Peaks! Top guys!
Send your answers to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll print the best responses next issue.
Follow us on Twitter @WorkOutUK or contact us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/workoutmagazine
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Warehouse Gym owner Andy Peacock.
Andy celebrates shortlisting with special offer for clients INDEPENDENT gym owner Andy Peacock is celebrating his National Fitness Awards’ shortlisting with a special offer for PT clients. To mark his achievement of being shortlisted for Best Gym Based Personal Trainer at this year’s NFAs, Andy – who owns Warehouse Gym in Honley, West Yorkshire – is offering locals a discount of £100 on his personal training packages, as well as wearing a specially branded awards’ T shirt with pride around the club and out and about in the local area. He said: “It’s great to be recognised out of so many other great personal trainers, so I want to promote it with-
in the club.” Andy will find out on November 28 if he has scooped the trophy, along with other finalists at the glittering event at The Athena in Leicester, which will be hosted by Ricky Hatton and Caroline Pearce. It will be the third time he has been shortlisted after the club made the finals for Regional Gym of the Year North in 2011 and 2012 and he told Workout that he’s looking forward to being a part of this year’s event. He added: “I’m an experienced National Fitness Awards-er. It’s an honour just to be attending the awards again.”
An excited gym member is celebrating after winning a brand new car in a member referral competition. Horizon Leisure Centres have been running the competition to win a Suzuki Alto SZ at their Havant Club, which was won by 18 year old Connie Llewellyn, who managed to refer the most number of friends and family to join the new gym by the closing date of September 30. Horizon chief executive Howard Broad said: ‘‘Membership sales for the new gym have exceeded our expectations and referrals from members are a strong endorsement that we have provided a great value for money facility which they are happy to recommend to their friends and family. The competition to win a car was part of our strategy to help showcase the fantastic new gym and to provide one of our members with a chance of a lifetime to win a spectacular prize.’’
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Final results
In the lead up to Leisure Industry Week, almost 50 teams from across the industry took part in a month long MYZONE challenge to determine the country’s fittest workforce – including a team from Workout. Here’s how we got on ...
Belting challenge that no-one wanted to lose WHAT do you get if you combine the competitive nature of people working in the fitness industry with the latest technology allowing them to measure and quantify their exercise levels? The answer; a team challenge which no-one wanted to lose ... The name of the game: for one month, each team of seven participants would record all their physical activity wearing a MYZONE belt and upload their effort points via the hub provided. The team with the most points at the end of the challenge would be crowned the winners, gaining the glory of being named the country’s fittest company. UK and Ireland director at CFM – the authorised distributor of MYZONE products – Jonathan Monks explained: “Everything we do at MYZONE is centred around the use of game and social based functionalities to make exercise fun and motivate sustained exercise behaviours. “So the LIW challenge represented a great opportunity for MYZONE stakeholders and leading industry professionals to practice what we preach, and arrive at LIW in great shape.” The challenge also provided a great opportunity for the clubs taking part to put themselves in
their members’ shoes to see how engagement tools such as MYZONE can be a useful way of encouraging customers to be more physically active. Jonathan added: “The challenge really demonstrated the power of social accountability and highlighted how club operators can leverage such accountability to engage members into regular exercise habits. “Operators are forever promoting fitness based club challenges that unsurprisingly only engage a small percentage of fit, lower risk members. MYZONE however provides an accurate and inclusive effort based metric (MEPs) that enables all members regardless of size, age, gender or fitness ability to compete on a level playing field. “Rewarding effort for all physical activity, regardless of what fitness equipment is being used, both inside and outside of the club, provides a platform to harness the growing wearable technology space with a flexible solution that has been designed with club operators and trainers in mind. “We’d like to thank everyone for taking part, putting the effort in, and look forward to hosting further industry challenges in the future.”
Following a month-long battle, B Physical in Derbyshire were named the winners; clocking up a very impressive 82,188 points and retaining the title they won last year. Team leader Barry Thraves added: “My team gave their all for 30 days. Normal life was put on hold and Mepping was given priority over family, friends and work. “We started fast out of the blocks and broke the other teams at the earliest point, sounds brutal but very effective. We had a game plan and stuck to it.”
How team spirit spurred our ‘super seven’ on in month-long match By Christina Eccles AS part of the challenge, Workout’s ‘super seven’ of Michael, Tony, Dan, Chris, Olivia, Ben and myself took part in everything from a Clubbercise class to a lunchtime game of tennis, BodyCombat and Zumba sessions to five a side football, between us enjoying a huge range of activities and collating those all-important effort points. Before we started the challenge, finding out we were going to be up against so many teams – particularly as many of them were gyms whose participants would be incredibly physically active as part of their jobs – was a daunting prospect.
But we all pulled together and gave our best efforts, finishing a respectable 30th out of 47 teams and clocking up 17,119 points. Personally, I really enjoyed taking part in the challenge and found wearing the belt a great motivational tool. Even on the days you don’t feel like going to the gym, knowing that I was part of a team spurred me on to do some activity, as did the thought of knowing I would be writing this the following month and didn’t want us to finish last! According to the final figures, a massive 1.1m MEPs were earned during the challenge; equating to 3,928 points per person – and highlighting how much effort every team put in.
From taking part myself, it’s also easy to see why MYZONE is such a useful engagement tool for clubs and why wearable technology is becoming so popular within the industry. It’s great for motivation, easy to use and most importantly, fun. A big well done to the winners B Physical who totted up a mammoth score of over 80,000 points – I have no idea how they managed that but would be interested to find out the secrets to their success! If the challenge is repeated next year, the Workout team will be back with the aim of bettering our score. Next time we may even be eyeing up a top 10 finish!
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SkillsActive launches largest ever fitness workforce survey
Barnsley bodybuilder Daniel Luke.
Training pays off as Daniel triumphs at competition By Ashley Ball BARNSLEY bodybuilder Daniel Luke has triumphed in a top competition. Daniel has always been a fitness fanatic but decided to go into bodybuilding after gazing at other bronzed Adonises featured in magazines while in the gym. He entered his first competition last year but was judged to be too lean to claim a trophy. A year of intensive training followed before Daniel managed to wow the judges in London last month to return home with a number of titles from the Miami Pro event. He said: “The feedback I got last
year was that I was too skinny but to come back and give it another go in 12 months. “I had to look at my training and make it more intensive and eat more calories and it has all paid off. "This year my conditioning was better and I was a lot fuller. "Getting jeans to fit is a new challenge for me and at first I struggled with losing the social life but I've figured that out now." Daniel also works as a personal trainer passing on tips to clients. He now intends to join the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion Inc, who have competitions at the O2 Arena in London and also in Las Vegas.
EMPLOYEES in the sector have been urged to share their thoughts as part of the industry’s largest Working in Fitness survey. The survey is open to the fitness industry’s entire workforce, covering a host of key issues including training, career pathways, earning potential and professional development. It has been launched by SkillsActive, the Exercise, Movement and Dance Partnership and REPs, with support from Sport England, and will remain open until November 28. SkillsActive CEO, Ian Taylor said: “I am delighted that SkillsActive is working in partnership with the Exercise, Music and Dance Partnership on the WIF survey. “Our shared commitment to establishing a further understanding of the intricate details of this sector will serve us well into ensuring that we can continue to offer individuals, training providers, awarding organisations and employers within fitness the best information, advice and guidance across major topics.”
CEO of the Exercise, Movement and Dance Partnership Daran Bennet added: “We are pleased to be partnering with REPs and Skills Active on this extensive piece of insight. “Gathering the thoughts and feelings from a vast array of fitness professionals is going to be extremely enlightening. “The WIF survey will aid us in expanding and growing both capacity and quality in our dynamic, inspiring sector. “We’re certainly looking forward to the results and the positive outcomes that follow. I urge all those who love working in fitness to complete the survey to help improve your sector.” Employees can complete the survey by visiting www.snapsurveys.com/ wh/s.asp?k=141293050621 and the full report will be available early in 2015. Will you be taking part in the survey? We’d love to hear your thoughts about working in the fitness industry. Send your comments to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or Tweet us @WorkoutUK
Fit For Sport has joined forces with Saban’s Power Rangers emPOWER programme to launch a fun fitness guide for children. Through Power Rangers emPOWER, the Rangers educate teachers, kids and families on how to put the Power Rangers’ core values of teamwork, confidence, health and physical activity into action.
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The new Heros gym opened by Ben Tansley offers members an extensive range of Life Fitness and Hammer Strength equipment.
Kings Lynn gym moves to larger premises By Christina Eccles AN independent gym in Kings Lynn has relocated to larger facilities – partnering with Life Fitness to offer a greater range of equipment. The new Heros gym offers an extensive range of Life Fitness and Hammer Strength equipment featuring pieces from the Insignia, Integrity and Elevation ranges. Members also have access to Hammer Strength Motion Technology Selectorised equipment, HD Elite and
Hammer Strength Plate Loaded equipment. The gym, opened by local entrepreneur Ben Tansley, has relocated to the larger facilities after two years in business and following major renovation work, its new site was transformed from an old laser quest facility into a large, open plan downstairs gym with two levels overlooking the main floor. As well as a fully equipped gym, the club also offers a class studio, spin studio, a dedicated high level boxing training area, supplement shop, café
BMF takes training model indoors BRITISH Military Fitness is taking its successful training model indoors to encourage more people nationwide to keep fit and healthy all year round. To counteract the limitations of darker evenings on a full timetable at its 140 outdoor locations, BMF will run indoor classes at 14 locations across the UK including Manchester,
Edinburgh, London and Birmingham. Managing director Rob Love said: “We appreciate that exercising outdoors on dark and cold nights can bring a stop to someone’s normal routine. “The indoor classes will mean people can maintain their exercise regimes all year round.”
and sports massage facilities. Ben said: “Heros Gym is well-known in the local area for its expertise in mixed martial arts and boxing. In our new location, we can offer a far greater range of facilities and it has helped us broaden our appeal to the local community. “Choosing a range of high quality weight training and cardiovascular equipment from Life Fitness ensures we cater for both athletes as well as beginners, giving them a first-class training experience to keep them
engaged and coming back for more.” Account manager – private sector at Life Fitness James Ferguson added: “Working with Heros Gym on its exciting renovation project has been extremely rewarding, especially as the gym is located just a short distance from the UK office of Life Fitness in Ely. Through close consultation, we have helped Ben and his team design a first-class facility that is inviting, challenging and helps members reach their fitness goals and we wish them every success for the future.”
Bronze award for Fusion Lifestyle FUSION Lifestyle has been awarded Bronze for “Best National Chain” at the fourth annual Health Club Awards. The event took place at the National Motor Cycle Museum in Birmingham during Leisure Industry Week. Regional business manager
Francois Smit said: “It is fantastic that Fusion Lifestyle has been recognised with a national award. “We are dedicated to providing an excellent service to our members and users, so to be given this accolade as a result of their votes is a huge compliment to the hard work and commitment of our staff.”
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An evolution on the gym floor? By John Halls LONG gone are the days where free weights, benches, racks and CV machines create the basis of any gym floor configuration. Instead, today’s modern fitness facilities have experienced an explosion of innovation and style. State-of-the-art materials and technologies have been utilised to create a whole new generation of equipment that appeals to all ages and all genders. To top it off, lifestyle trends, social interaction and advances in smart technology have firmly placed fitness as a staple to a growing population. Fitness never stands still and this couldn’t ring more true than in the ever expanding functional training sector. Over the last few years the rapid expansion of functional training has been driven by its key benefits, which quite simply evolve around the training of muscles to help us perform everyday activities safely and efficiently. Facility owners are waking up to this trend and as a result, functional playgrounds are popping up across the UK, eating up gym floor space and challenging the fixed-resistance zone’s square footage. Previously our customers typically devoted up to 80 per cent of their gym floor to CV and free-weights, now they are designing spaces with up to 40 per cent functional areas which comes at the expense of the traditional CV areas. Agreed, fixed pin-loaded machines
appeal to both experienced and inexperienced enthusiasts alike. After all they are easy to use without supervision and are arguably safer in comparison to the dynamic un-marshalled functional playground. Here it appears movement doesn’t have boundaries, and the benefits and gains in strength, balance and joint health can be substantial. Regardless, in their own right both sectors continue to adapt, evolve and attract their own crowds. However, if you look hard enough you won’t be surprised to see a firm divide between the two zones. On one side you have your fixed resistance gym devotees, on the other, your new-age functional supporters. Not many of which are yet prepared to make the jump from fixed resistance machines to using functional equipment. As much as this may not be a concern in many gyms, there are opportunities to blur the line. Up until now, this has been achieved through instructor led small group training sessions that make use of the various types of functional equipment. Another is with the use of touch screens and smart technology to give pro-active members the chance to learn the right technique before testing a new piece of kit. Commercial giants LA Fitness, for example, have been working closely with us by investing in their member support technology by creating a comprehensive video archive to empower their members to learn new
functional exercises using the latest kit. There are, however, bigger changes afoot and this is where it gets really interesting. A third option and a new generation of equipment that strikes the perfect balance between functional and fixed weight resistance is something not yet seen in the UK until now. We’re talking about equipment that allows members to access a functional workout but without the need to be taught complicated techniques. Equipment that retains the safety of a variable resistance station but reaps the benefits associated with functional resistance training. A new era of bodyweight resistance equipment is about to enter the market. International players Total Gym have created their aptly named Elevate Line, a range of single-station machines that have been designed to be simple, safe and approachable. This presents members with the opportunity to jump on without guidance and experience the benefits of functional resistance training using only their bodyweight. Many more big names will undoubtedly follow – it’s not often that a new market opens up right before you. For the facility owners out there, this is the time to open your eyes, consider your customer’s journey on the gym floor and build bridges to aid progression from one zone to the other. John is sales and marketing director at Physical Company.
Keiser UK has appointed Neil Troutman as their new master instructor. Neil who has over 20 years’ experience in the health and fitness industry working as a global master trainer, will focus on building a team of master instructors to help deliver Keiser’s M Series and Air training courses. In addition, he will be developing a portfolio of training and educational material with Keiser. Commercial director at Keiser UK Nick Startin said: “By recruiting a master trainer of Neil’s calibre, Keiser UK can enhance the quality of our training and education for instructors in the UK. In this way, we can highlight how Keiser’s relentless pursuit of engineering excellence can benefit their class participants and PT clients.”
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Companies join forces to launch packages EQUIPMENT providers Matrix Fitness have paired up with marketing consultants Emerald Frog Marketing to offer customers a range of marketing options and packages as part of its total service solution. Each package, from social media support to the development of strategic marketing plans, can be combined to create a launch package to suit the specific marketing needs of each individual fitness facility. Alternatively the Matrix ‘Loyalty’ option has been developed to provide a range of packages that assist with
customer engagement; essential for attracting and retaining members. Head of UK marketing at Matrix Fitness, Gemma Bonnett said: “Time and time again we are approached by customers who are in need of support to drive sales while they focus on their core activity, but want to avoid the fixed costs associated with an inhouse resource. “Our alliance with Emerald Frog Marketing lets them do exactly that, by enabling customers to access the skills they need to fit their budget and goals.”
Rebecca Adlington OBE with youngsters at the event at Hornchurch Sports Centre.
Medallist leads cheering at Legacy Games Day By Olivia Taylor DOUBLE Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington OBE led the cheering as hundreds of Hornchurch schoolchildren attended the Legacy Games Day at the Hornchurch Sports Centre – organised by Fit For Sport and Everyone Active. The Legacy Games aim to give children the opportunity to engage with new activities and sports, emphasising fun participation and movement rather than the competitive side of the event. Earlier this year, the Legacy Games Day won the coveted ‘Inspired by 2012 Mark’ from the Cabinet Office and the ‘Shaping the Future Generation’ ukactive FLAME award.
The Hornchurch event was the seventh in the Legacy Games Day series and the first in the UK to feature new children’s programme BORN TO MOVE, devised by Les Mills. Everyone Active is the first operator to get behind BORN TO MOVE, which comprises a series of activity and fitness classes for children and young people aged two to 16 with ageappropriate moves and music. Les Mills’ master trainer Bas Hollander said: “Children were born to move and we need to keep them moving, the context of the Legacy Games Day was perfect for Les Mills BORN TO MOVE and I’m delighted that Hornchurch Sports Centre is one of the first centres in the UK to run our classes.”
Retail giant Sports Direct has chosen Gladstone Health and Leisure as the software supplier for the roll out of its health and fitness clubs sportsdirectfitness.com. The three-year contract will see Gladstone assist the company’s roll out of sites, which so far includes 13 former LA Fitness clubs, as well as gyms above its stores. Head of leisure at Sports Direct Winston Higham said: “With Gladstone’s experience and their help and support we were able to move each site over to our systems on the day of the handover, and so from day one our health clubs were using the Plus2 Membership Management system and members were booking classes online via Connect. Gladstone also provided onsite support and training for each site on its first day of trading on our new system, which was supported with web sessions, specifically recorded to suit our operations.”
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Basildon Sporting Village has been awarded £100,000 by the Amateur Swimming Association.
Village named a beacon site BASILDON Sporting Village has been named an official beacon site by the Amateur Swimming Association. The Everyone Active site has been awarded £100,000 worth of funding to help nurture the next generation of elite aquatic athletes and to develop swimming and increase participation at entry level. The funding will be given in installments over the space of four years and will be used to train existing pool staff to work as elite coaches. The swimming timetable will also be
extended, with more time allocated for elite swimmers and new sessions added for disabled athletes. Professional swimming coach and Olympian Doug Campbell has been appointed by the centre to deliver the beacon programme. Everyone Active general manager Tom Fletcher said: “We put in a bid for the capital grant and Beacon status in partnership with Basildon Council and Basildon and Phoenix Swimming Club and are thrilled we were successful.”
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NATIONAL FITNESS DAY
The industry came together on Friday September 26 to encourage the public to become more active as part of National Fitness Day. In a special feature, Workout reveals how it went and takes a look at the event in pictures ...
Thousands back National Fitness Day by joining events “We could not be happier with how National Fitness Day went. This was about removing barriers and making physical activity enjoyable and open to everyone” THE physical activity sector used National Fitness Day, organised by ukactive, as a unique opportunity to build relationships with new customers, while connecting with their existing members. Thousands of people visited gyms, leisure centres and parks nationwide to take part in free Power half-hour exercise sessions. There were also mass participation live events in three cities; London, Birmingham and Bristol featuring Les Mills BODYCOMBAT and SH’BAM group exercise classes. CEO of ukactive and director of National Fitness Day David Stalker said: “We could not be happier with how National Fitness Day went. “This was about removing barriers and making physical activity enjoyable and open to everyone. “What we saw was engagement and enthusiasm from our industry in something that can make a genuine difference. “Importantly we also saw excitement and energy from the many people that came along to one of our three live events in city centres or had the chance to take part in an activity in their local area.” Working with National Fitness Day sponsors Sanofi, operators were invited to take part in the National Fitness Day Sanofi Challenge – to put on the most innovative, fun, biggest, creative and most exciting Power Half Hour they could.
They were encouraged to enter for a chance to win a team dinner to the value of £500 and Sanofi will also make a £500 donation to National Fitness Day charity beneficiary Teenage Cancer Trust on their behalf. Basingstoke Sports Trust was crowned the winner; running four demonstration fitness classes in Festival Place Shopping Centre. They also offered five 30-minute classes to shopping centre visitors, as well as free seven day guest passes to reinforce the message that exercise is for all. David added: "Basingstoke Sports Trust went out on a limb, using National Fitness Day as an opportunity to truly engage the public by taking over a shopping centre. “The pictures captured the energy and enthusiasm that is at the core of the National Fitness Day ethos. “Well done to the team!" Other operators getting involved included Burnley Leisure, where the highlight of the day was a High Intensity training session held in the busy town centre, with a number of staff taking part. Leisure facilities general manager Neil Hutchinson added: “I was keen to support National Fitness Day and as it was my idea to hold a session in the town centre I went along and took part in what was a tough lunchtime workout. “I will definitely look at how we can build on this and have a bigger event next year.”
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Overcoming the fear factor to sell more memberships By Dave Wright THE great thing about the industry is that whenever members come to their club to train, they all have the same intention to achieve their own individual goals. Status and corporate hats are left outside, whether they be doctors, bouncers, or solicitors. Members acclimatise to the environment accordingly and find their own comfort zone. This feeling of acclimatisation is the feeling of adapting and gaining familiarity to this environment. Humans are creatures of habit and when they do not feel familiar with their environment, they become confused, irrational and react in different ways. Have you ever rearranged some of your equipment and had to deal with the ramifications from existing members who feel ‘disoriented’ to what they may have been used to for years? So if an existing member can feel disoriented and uncomfortable just from you moving a piece of equipment around, this may put into perspective how a new person feels when
they walk into your club for the very first time. Let’s face it; a fitness centre for a new person, not wearing gym attire, who may be a little overweight, is one of the most intimidating environments. This element or fear factor when people enter your club is a big barrier that will need to be broken down so that you can encourage them to make a rational comfortable decision as to why they should join your club. The best way to overcome this fear factor is to apply the principle Feel, Felt, Found to reducing barriers and making people feel at ease. You are empathising with the prospect as to how they feel now, telling them that many other members felt like that when they started, but what those members found, and what they will find too, is that it is only normal to feel that way. Here is an example. “Mrs Jones, when you first walk into any gym, the first thing you will think of is `Wow.. what am I supposed to do with all that!!!’, don’t worry, it is right to feel like that, many of our members felt like that when they first walked into
Dave Wright the gym, but what they found, and what you will find too, is that we have a person who spends over an hour showing you how to use the equipment until you feel comfortable using it by yourself. Is this personal programme something you feel will make
you more confident exercising here?”… As you can see, you are reassuring the prospect the fact that it is only natural to feel the way they do. When they feel that this is normal, and you provide a solution, it will calm their nerves and they can begin to focus more on what they want to achieve and how your club will help them towards this goal. What this ultimately means to you is that you will have a better relationship with prospects that will result in a higher closing percentage and more gross sales. 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
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Recruiting and training the right people in your gym can be an important factor in its success. Olivia Taylor found out more – and spoke to clubs leading the way in this field.
‘Having a great team isn’t just luck’ STAFF training and development – if done successfully – can give your club a strong gym team, which can result in happy members. But what are operators doing to ensure they get this right? At the recent LFX conference at Leigh Sports Village, speakers included chief executive of Trafford Community Leisure Trust Bernie Jones, who explained more to delegates about an innovative recruitment model implemented by the trust. The bespoke PROfile system focuses on individuals’ personal qualities and attitudes, rather than skills; getting rid of specific job roles and offering hardworking employees perks and rewards. He explained: “When recruiting we are looking for people with the right attitude and behaviours. “In most cases we can usually teach the skills and knowledge they need to carry out the tasks required in their job. But teaching someone the right attitude is much harder. “Our staff retention levels have improved, but much more importantly at a time when significant competition has come into the area, we have still managed to increase our income by significant margins.” Lee Watts, owner of National Fitness Awards’ Best Gym Team finalist LFWFitness4All in Colchester, makes sure each potential employee has the right attitude to help members on their fitness journeys. He added: “I choose people very carefully to join the team. They need to have the right ethos, the right work ethic, and be driven by the need to help clients achieve their own goals.
“There are no egos in this gym, and this is important to getting the teamwork right. If we are all serving the clients and doing what’s best for them, which after all is why we are here, then decisions are easy to make.” St Peter’s Leisure Centre in Burnley – also shortlisted in the Best Gym Team category – believe some of a club’s best staff can be people who started off as customers and have at least seven of their existing instructors who were members at the gym. Manager Scott Bryce explained: “Members have the passion, commitment, drive and interest and upon being mentored and encouraged these members can become very successful employees of the fitness team.” Leisure facilities manager at Burnley Leisure Neil Hutchinson added: “Having a good team in most cases is the difference between the success and failure of a project or business. Having a mixed team is important as different strengths and qualities are required in different areas of the business and on different projects. Whilst empathy might be needed to deal with a staff welfare issue sorting out an emergency will require someone who is quick and decisive. “For Burnley Leisure having a great gym team means that retention of clients is excellent. Members trust our team which means making any changes to our programme is easy and painless. “Our team is so strong that whenever we have open days or master class events they are sold out within days. “It’s worth remembering having a great team isn’t just luck they need to be trained, nurtured and supported to get the best out of them.”
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Finding Mr or Mrs Right? LSFPT and Xercise4Less are just two of the biggest names recruiting on the UK’s newest job website for the fitness industry. Viamia.co.uk abolishes old-school ‘classifieds’ by revolutionising the way companies advertise their job vacancies online. Director Mark Robinson said: “We give businesses a platform in which they can create their very own digital job posts. “These can be individually tailored to promote a brand and reflect a company’s ethos.” By attaching photos, videos, staff success stories and links to websites and social media, Viamia allows employers to attract a new talent pool yet to be accessed by the use of traditional methods. Mark added: “Businesses are nowadays finding themselves having to put as much effort into recruiting staff as they do in finding customers. “Companies are often criticised for not having a ‘face’, but by adopting a more personal approach, and by engaging with job-seekers directly, our clients can charm the most sortafter individuals to work for them instead of their competitors.”
Viamia is not necessarily just for job seekers, but for any professional wanting to create opportunities for themselves. Ditch outdated paper résumés to build an electronic version that can include a video CV interview, testimonials, personality tests, and search through hundreds of jobs and training courses, for free. Mark added: “Not only does it allow candidates to showcase a wide range of their achievements, but the extra information allows employers to make far better informed decisions when it comes to inviting candidates for an interview – saving them time and money. “We also invite training providers to join us to promote their qualifications to professionals seeking CPD, employers wanting to develop their team, or individuals with a desire to train to work in the fitness industry.” Viamia aims to become the definitive fitness training course directory by offering training providers the same digital benefits as their other clients, increasing their exposure on the internet and attracting new students.
The Tribe’s growing at Les Mills UK LES Mills UK has appointed four new members of staff. Justine Williams joins as product manager to head up the new Les Mills’ BORN TO MOVE programme; Dave Alstead has been recruited as customer experience manager for the North West; Natalie Prescott joins as head of product sales and Steve Tansey has come on board to fill the
newly-created role of tribe trainee, based at the HQ in London. CEO Keith Burnet said: “It’s great to see the Tribe growing and likeminded people coming together to work towards the same goal – to make the world a fitter planet. “We are building a strong team in the UK and it’s a seriously exciting time.”
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The Value of Visualisation MAPS and charts have been in existence for centuries and the human body in all its shapes and sizes has also been the source of inspiration for many artists and medical illustrators. As with any educational chart, the reliability and accuracy of the information portrayed is of paramount importance in order for it to be a useful reference source. Chartex, one of the UK’s leading chart designers for anatomical, health and fitness instruction charts, consults with highly knowledgeable specialists in the fields of medicine, physiotherapy, fitness and sports science when designing their range of charts. This ensures the quality of information and the way it is portrayed is suitable for use by professionals, lay people and students alike. How to use charts in a gym environment is fundamental to their inclusion in that facility. A
good instructor will be able to relate to the information on the charts and use it to reinforce an exercise movement and explain in easy to understand language why a particular muscle or group of muscles is being trained. The client will appreciate the time spent and the knowledge the instructor is showing when using visualisation to educate. Charts that contain sound instructional information give the trainer the opportunity to interact professionally as they guide their client through their training programme. Give your gym that professional look and back up the spoken word with charts that educate and help retain your customers’ interest in keeping fit and healthy. For more information visit www.chartexltd.co.uk or call 01793 530880.
Lifetime: Creating opportunities for growth By Nigel Wallace, client services director, Lifetime Training
could deliver on all three and lead the industry in its transformation.
THE sector has hit a plateau and is struggling to take that all-important next step that will dramatically increase the numbers of those taking part in regular physical activity. Despite the clear need for people to be active the industry, whilst providing good support to many, is failing to grow. The active leisure industry will no doubt – and in fact needs to – morph and re-invent itself but first there are three clear challenges that businesses need to ensure they overcome. Firstly, the sector needs to provide more support to inactive people to encourage them to become and stay more active. Secondly, the breadth and depth of skills across both employed and selfemployed personal trainers need a real boost to optimise their potential and impact. Thirdly, we need to ensure operating facilities are guided by skilled and trained managers. It is an accepted fact that the best facilities have the best managers. Sounds easy. But where to start? Together with Lifetime Training, you
We have recently launched our new Certificate in Physical Activity Coaching, specially designed to equip health and fitness professionals and others with the skills they need to engage less active people in conversations about becoming and staying more active. The latest collaboration with FitPro’s PTA Global programme sees Lifetime Training deliver its bridging and advanced courses here in the UK. This programme accelerates PTs to a new level in their business acumen, their technical understanding and their ability to manage the client experience. Lifetime Training has also been trialling several management training programmes and now launches a condensed Level Three Award in Leadership and Management. This course is built around sector need, aligned to industry practice and very accessible; offering a pathway to developing a more professional and profitable sector. For more information visit LifetimeTraining.co.uk or call 0870 120 1207.
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Kettlercise revamps its fitness system and ‘shifts it up a gear’! KETTLERCISE, the kettlebell group fitness program, has just launched what the company claims is ‘its biggest change to its training system’ since its initial launch in 2009 with its new Kettlercise program, Genesis. Managing director of Kettlebell Seminars Ltd and co-founder of the Kettlercise system Adrian Burton said: “When we started to put the new Kettlercise Genesis Program together we had to look at three vital elements. The clients had to be able to achieve results from the new system and that was no easy task to further improve on what the initial Kettlercise program did in the area of body composition changes. The gyms and fitness professionals needed to
deliver a class that’s fresh, fun and exciting in a safe effective environment to both new members as well as keeping its excellent retention rates to existing members and class attendees. “Thirdly, the fitness market has changed a lot in the last five years with its competitiveness for group fitness and we felt that with Kettlercise being market leader in the kettlebell training sector that there was an even bigger opportunity to deliver greater class options giving the gyms and fitness professionals even more choice with class timetables.” The program has been developed specifically to give new and existing instructors even greater flexibility to Jo Monkhouse, pictured left, has joined the Leisure Net team as a data insight manager, supporting clients to maximise the outcomes of the data they generate. Jo will be advising Leisure-net’s existing and new clients on collecting, managing and cleansing data, plus segmenting data for marketing campaigns. Joint director of Leisure-net Solutions Mike Hill said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Jo to the Leisurenet team. “Her vast experience in the industry will ensure our clients get the very best of out of the data we collect and this is an excellent opportunity for us to improve the offer we make to the sector.”
Courses rolled out for 2015 THE Institute of Health Sciences is now enrolling for our UK Certificate Training Courses in Dietary Counselling and Health Wellness Coaching which are starting in January 2015 in London and Manchester. This is an industry recognised qualification ideal for personal trainers and other fitness professionals wanting to ensure the nutrition advice they are giving is scientifically accurate in order to advise clients in formulating healthy eating programmes with a focus on, weight loss, maximizing physical performance and optimising health. At IHS, we believe that a healthy, nutritious diet and health promoting lifestyle is the key to long-lasting health and vitality, and that every individual should aim for
optimum, not average, health. There is a distinct and very real need for nutrition and health experts who have been trained using the functional medicine and health and wellness coaching models. Flexible study and payment options available, contact us for more details. UK open days: Manchester: November 10: 7pm- 9pm Manchester Conference Centre, Sackville St, Manchester M1 3BB London: November 11: 7pm - 9pm University College Hospital Education Centre, 1st Floor West, 250 Euston Rd, London NW1 2PG. Sign up through our website: info@ihsuk.com or call: 0845 568 7000
now deliver both 50 minute and 30 minute express class options. The new system has also been broken down into eight modules which means that as an instructor providing classes you can now remove certain modules to fit your time constraints. The full 50-minute class can still be the main program but Adrian believes ”the new system gives instructors even greater flexibility whilst still retaining the original Kettlercise core values”. The program begins to be rolled out across the instructor network later this month and is now included in the Kettlercise Instructor Course Training system. To book see Pages 32 and 33 or call 01282 698698.
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Industry meets for annual summit OVER 400 key industry figures are expected to gather in London next month for the annual ukactive Summit, which will this year focus on steps to solving inactivity. Among the speakers will be shadow secretary of state for health Andy Burnham and Public Health England’s director of health and wellbeing professor Kevin Fenton, with the event on November 13 chaired by The Guardian and Observer’s health correspondent, Denis Campbell. ukactive CEO David Stalker said: “This Summit is the pinnacle of 12 months’ work moving the conversation on physical activity to the top of the government’s health agenda. “In a year of unprecedented crosssector engagement, the presence of this incredible line up of speakers is an indication that leaders are acknowledging the impact physical inactivity has on lives as well as the nation's purse strings. “The Summit is a unique opportunity for delegates to capitalise on the current momentum as we move into the next phase of delivering on our collective mission to improve the nation's health through physical activity."
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Positive feedback in Quest survey LEADING sports and leisure industry quality scheme Quest has revealed it received positive feedback and high satisfaction rates from a recent annual client survey. According to the survey, 98 per cent of sports development teams and leisure operators are satisfied with the value Quest assessments has brought to their business and 99 per cent were satisfied with the assessment process. Other findings included: 96 per cent were satisfied with the communication of the administration team. All customer satisfaction levels across all areas of the Quest experience were 86 per cent or higher. 73 per cent of respondents said the compulsory Health and Safety Declaration had improved health and safety compliance across the industry – up four per cent since 2012. Quest operations director Caroline Constantine said: “We are delighted with the results of the survey. “The Quest team in the office, the assessors and the mystery visitors all work extremely hard to deliver a good service and these great results reflect that effort.”
‘Healthy clubbing’ revolution grows BACK in April 2014 just after they launched to the industry Clubbercise had less than 10 instructors in the UK … fast-forward six months and they’ve now trained over 100 instructors and are already expanding into Europe. Clubbercise is an easy-to-follow dance fitness class taught in a darkened room with glow sticks and disco lights to a backdrop of banging club anthems from 90’s classics to the latest chart hits. The Clubbercise team is dedicated to maintaining training and quality standards so that no matter
where in the world participants attend their classes they get a very similar experience. In order to book onto the course instructors must either have an ETM certificate or pass their pre-course assessment process to ensure they can teach safely and competently. The course is a one-day intensive workshop but like their classes it has an element of fun and entertainment running through it. The whole ethos of Clubbercise is to bring a nightclub experience into the fitness world, so it’s all about showing participants a great time
in a safe environment. After completing the training licensed Clubbercise instructors get ongoing support to help them continually improve and grow their classes, plus they are regularly asked for feedback which helps drive the programme forward. There’s also a charity element to the training, Clubbercise donate to Oxfam every time an instructor completes the course to help provide safe drinking water for 10 people in need. For the latest training dates check out clubbercise.com
Finalists are named in training awards
Exciting time for Phil FREEDOM Leisure has appointed Phil Edwards as area manager for Woking Leisure Centre, Pool in the Park and 13 Woking Borough Council pavilions. Phil has joined from Everyone Active where he was general manager for three years, most recently at Harrow Leisure Centre, Weymouth Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre, Brickfields Sports Centre and Plympton Swimming Pool in Plymouth respectively. He said: “It’s an exciting
time to join Freedom Leisure as the business is growing quickly and it will be very rewarding to be part of its development. “The Woking contract is particularly enviable as it has two excellent sites which have undergone modernisation work and are attracting industry awards for their high standards. “The council is pro-active and keen to see further progress and I’m pleased to be invited to be part of the continued development across the borough.”
THE finalists have been announced for the Active Training Awards, which celebrated performance and commitment in vocational training and development within the physical activity sector. The awards are run by ukactive in partnership with CIMSPA, and sponsored by Active IQ, with trophies handed out at a ceremony on November 27 at the Crowne Plaza in Marlow, following an afternoon training workshop. Finalists include: Supplier Learning and Development Provider of the Year: Life Fitness Technogym Schwinn Apprenticeships and Traineeships Provider of the Year: Babcock International ICON TRAINING Lifetime Training Large Training Provider of the Year: Future Fit Training Ltd Lifetime Training Babcock International ICON TRAINING Premier Training Les Mills UK The Training Room Interim COO at CIMSPA Tara Dillon said: "I have been really impressed with both the calibre and enthusiasm of the entrants.”
Fit For Sport has strengthened its management team with two new appointments. The organisation, which currently works with 250 schools and engages with 75,000 children on average each week, has appointed Anita De Villiers as head of children’s experience to ensure Fit For Sport’s programmes and activities both in and out of schools remain innovative, progressive and fun. Also joining Fit For Sport is Jack Shakespeare taking on the role of head of training and development. Jack will be driving fit for sport’s children’s activity programming, ensuring quality across national delivery. He also leads the Fit For Sport training academy, responsible for the quality of delivery of its vocational training and CPD programmes.
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What to buy for the PT who has everything? By Mark Laws, Jordan Fitness I WAS fully aware that the lifespan of a personal trainer was short – the number in my head has always been that the average lifespan is around 18 months. This number is from a document I read several years back so I am fully aware that it is a rough ballpark figure. Recently I saw another statistic from an education provider estimating that 90 per cent of newly qualified PTs leave the industry in between six and 12 months. Having made it to almost 10 years in the industry I would like to think that I am doing ok, although I know I have a long way to go. This leads me onto one of the fundamental errors a lot of personal trainers seem to be committing – complacency. During my 10-year journey I have gone through three distinct phases in this exact order; 1) I knew I had a lot to learn 2) I thought I knew everything 3) I realised I would never know everything but endeavoured to develop myself as much as possible. Only when I entered phase three did good things start happening for me. You see, the key to success, I believe, is continuously expanding your knowledge and learning
from your mistakes. The world has changed a lot in 10 years and whether we like it or not the internet (in particular social media) have given us all a platform from which to preach our views and a captive audience waiting to ‘like’, ‘share’ or ‘comment’ with their own opinion. Some people use this for good, some people use this for evil. But the major crime is that too many PTs appear to be getting stuck in phase two of my timeline – never have we had access to so many self-proclaimed ‘experts’ and ‘specialists’. As a child I had a board game called ‘Othello’ (if you don’t remember it, Google it). On the outside of the box the slogan read “A minute to learn. A lifetime to master”. What this means is that you can be playing the game immediately – almost within a click of your fingers. There is no need to know all of the deeper strategy to start having fun and you can even get some early wins under your belt. But, the more you play, the more you’ll realise that thinking deeply about the game will help your performances. Eventually, you’ll be desperate to master the strategies that will help you succeed … consistently. Investing time and money into
your education doesn’t guarantee success, but NOT investing in education will guarantee a lack of success. Before we know it Christmas will be upon us. If you know a PT who already knows everything and you are struggling to get them something useful …maybe you could send them our way to find a little gift to enhance their knowledge and help them to become more successful. Email marklaws@jordanfitness.co.uk for information on any of our workshops/certifications.
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Businesses urged to act now on pensions SMALL businesses in the health and fitness industry have been urged to act now in order to meet pension auto-enrolment deadlines. 28,000 businesses have been automatically enrolled in workplace pensions since the scheme began two years ago, but with the deadlines for businesses employing fewer than 50 people on the horizon, millions more must prepare now, according to national financial adviser Lighthouse Group. Businesses with 49-30 employees must be ready for their automatic enrolment staging dates of between August-October 2015, while those with fewer than 30 employees will begin staging as early as June 2015 if selected by the regulator for the early staging trial run, or otherwise from November 2015 through to 2017. However, The Pensions Regulator estimates that as many as 20 per cent of small employers are unaware of their staging dates. CEO of Lighthouse Group Malcom Streatfield said: “Although a staging deadline of next year may seem like plenty of time to prepare, the fact is that pensions enrolment takes a great deal of work. Employers must ensure all personnel data is correct and that their payroll system is capable, as well as choosing their pensions provider. “While The Pensions Regulator has sent letters to all businesses with dates coming up in the next 18 months, many business owners will have filed them away and maybe forgotten about them. We urge all employers to check their pensions obligations immediately and begin preparations as soon possible.”
New health club offering ‘a different approach to what most gyms do ...’ By Olivia Taylor
Indigo launches two new rigs BUILDING on the success of the popular Multirig system, Indigofitness have designed two new rig series to cater for the varying needs of every user and facility. The Infinity Series is constructed using connectable ‘cells’, giving you the option of having as few or as many cells as you wish and therefore creating any sized rig you desire. The cells can be connected using any combination of pull up bars, wings and monkey bars – allowing you to get creative and design a rig that really does meet your exact needs. The Spider Series attempts to maximise your available floor space by lifting the whole thing in the air. With
just eight legs the spider covers an area of 7sqm with a suspended interconnected monkey bar bridge structure, giving you a fully function rig and allowing you to use the free space underneath. Smaller ‘spiders’ are available and there is also a ‘half spider’ variety that can be bolted to a wall. Both series feature the ‘slot-drop’ system designed to take a wide range of accessories and attachments. Our rigs are manufactured to order in our own factory right here in the UK. Custom colours and finishes are available including a galvanised option for outdoor use. Call 01455 890 100 or visit indigofitness.com for more details.
A NEW health club has recently opened in the centre of Christchurch which equally combines health, fitness and well-being all under one roof. The Urban Health Club boasts a chiropractor, a massage therapist, a physio therapist, two studios and a fully equipped gym, complete with functional training facilities. Owner Manoj Patel said: “I wanted to merge both health and fitness together. The club has been a couple of years in the making. “My background as a physiotherapist has been the reason for combining the two together as a joint package of care for our members.” The club has an urban feel to it with an exposed ceiling and branded equipment and a busy class timetable boasting 165 classes a month, with plans in the pipeline to include condition specific classes such as cancer rehabilitation sessions. Manoj added: “We’re constantly developing new classes, meaning we’re giving a really good quality service. Members aren’t just a number to us.”
The club officially opened last month and has got off to a good start, thanks to its accessible high street location and the range of services on offer. Manoj added: “We think health, well-being and fitness should be all in one. It’s a different approach to what most gyms do.”
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Innovation: the never-ending key to a successful fitness facility By Matthew Januszek, Escape Fitness
Competition winner Jonathan Pomey with Xercise4Less COO Stuart Perrin.
Gym chain rewards dedicated Jonathan AWARD-WINNING budget gym chain, Xercise4Less has rewarded one of its most passionate customers, having handed over the keys to a brand new 14 plate Volkswagen Polo to thank him for getting into gear encouraging others across the city to get fit. The prize was awarded to the gymgoer who achieved the most membership referrals across the summer. The competition was open to members of all 23 sites and was won by Jonathan Pomey, a member of Xercise4Less in Bristol. During the completion, which ran from May 1 to August 22, participants were able to track their progress on the Xercise4Less Facebook page and received weekly leader board updates via email. Xercise4Less’ chief operating officer Stuart Perrin said: “At Xercise4Less we are all about rewarding our members, and this competition was an excellent way for us do this whilst raising awareness of our gym chains. “Our Bristol site is proud to boast the winner and this goes a long way to show the loyalty and dedication of our local members. Jonathan did a fabulous job and gained an array of new membership referrals and we’re pleased to see him drive off with this prize.”
I AM always interested in what successful businesses do differently from the mediocre ones, so an article in Inc. Magazine caught my eye recently. It included a list of successful businesses and, as I worked down the list, I noticed that none of these companies were successful because they invented the thing they are best known for. Google didn’t invent the search engine. Facebook didn’t invent social networking. Amazon didn’t invent e-commerce. Coca Cola didn’t invent cola drinks. Apple didn’t invent the personal computer, MP3 player, smartphone or tablet. And McDonald’s didn’t invent the hamburger. These businesses didn’t come up with entirely new ways of doing things. Instead, they looked at what was already there and took an innovative approach to it, greatly improving things for the customer in one way or another. Companies often take an existing idea that works and try it for themselves. But too often, they roll out a poorly executed version of that idea. They are simply imitators, and not very good ones. So innovation lies between invention (which is actually quite rare in business) and imitation (which is all too common). Apple are great innovators because they look at existing technology, watch how others struggle to get it to work, and then step in to create their own version. They always greatly improve things in both design and the user experience. The McDonald brothers changed the way that hamburgers were made and served in the 1950s. They came up with new processes to create a model of efficiency and
Machine proves a HIT with Grant Advertiser’s announcement MY name is Grant Davison, I have a personal training studio and recently had a HIT machine installed. Having worked in the fitness industry 12 years I have seen many weird and wonderful pieces of fitness equipment from power plates to VIPR tubes, but never have seen a machine with such versatility as the HIT machine. I have a plethora of clients all with unique goals, fitness levels and injuries. I have a 71-year-old male client who is riddled with arthritis in his joints, he has very limited range of movement especially with his shoulders. Since installing the HIT machine James can perform exercises which were impossible to him before, be it an isolation exercise such as a shoul-
der press and even compound movements like clean and jerk. I have female clients who love the idea of HIIT sessions but have tried classes such as insanity and have enjoyed the intensity of the workouts but have found the wear and tear it has taken on their bodies has put them off going back. Due to the HIT machine’s concentrically biased movements I have found it to be a great tool to perform HIIT in a safe, controlled way and in conjunction with the polar H7 heart monitor they can get a detailed analysis of their workouts sent straight to their phone. I can't recommend it highly enough to personal trainers and clients, there is something for everyone with the HIT machine. For more information visit www.hitmachine.co.uk
Matthew Januszek
Most coaches and trainers are naturally creative and so there likely won’t be a shortage of ideas if they have time to work on them. Finally, there is the customer intimacy approach, where the business is obsessed with getting close to a niche group of customers and delivering for them. This is clearly something within reach of gyms, because our market is diverse and has many categories on which to base a targeted approach. An investment in staff is also needed to make sure that everyone is capable and empowered to deliver satisfaction to that customer niche.
consistency that has lasted because it works. Choosing your focus for innovation Usually, innovation is done with an overall theme or strategy in mind. In ‘The Discipline of Market Leaders’ by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema, it is suggested that there are three strategies for innovation from which businesses can choose. The first is operational excellence, which is about being incredibly efficient so that you can deliver what people want at a competitive price. This is what McDonald’s and Wall-Mart have done so well. I can imagine scope here for gyms to come up with streamlined processes where competing on price is essential. Next we have product leadership, where the business focuses on creating great products. It’s essential that time is set aside for this, like the way that 3M give every employee ’15 per cent time’ where people are encouraged to come up with new ideas.
Many businesses don’t take the bold decision to create a focused strategy. Yes, it is possible to have an element of all three, but choosing a clear strategy often opens the door to better results. Getting inspiration for innovation Whatever strategy a gym opts for, the process of making it happen starts with looking closely at what is happening now. Walk around your gym and look at every aspect of it from the perspective of operations, product or customer. When you put your business under close scrutiny, there won’t be a shortage of inspiration. You will also be inspired by what other fitness establishments are doing. If you are an independent what can you learn from the big players? If you are a chain what can you learn from the independents? (This is why no gym manager should only ever work out at his or her own gym.) Of course, inspiration has to be backed up with hard work to put something concrete in place. But with a tight strategic focus as the foundation, every business can achieve greater competitive advantage and sustainable success.
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LEISURE INDUSTRY WEEK REVIEW Leisure Industry Week 2014 returned to the Birmingham NEC from September 30 to October 2, providing three days of networking, live demonstrations, education seminars and new product launches. Here Workout rounds up some of the show’s highlights.
LIW activity at an all-time high THIS year’s LIW welcomed over 80 new exhibitors and unveiled 150 new products from across the sector, with many exhibitors drawing large crowds to their stands. Event director James Samuel explained: “Once again we had a great show with some very positive feedback from across the industry, both exhibitors and visitors, which is always fantastic to hear. “Wednesday was, as ever a hugely popular day from start to finish with so much activity going on across the hall; from early morning workouts, the VIP Programme, networking sessions and a constant stream of demonstrations.” Activity was at an all-time high this year with over 120 live demonstrations and the introduction of LIW Early Morning Workouts on exhibitor stands, from the likes of TRX, Power Plate, Cybex, Star Trac, Life Fitness, Fitpro, Octane Fitness, Wattbike and Matrix. The Outdoor Area of LIW also proved popular, with highlights
including displays from Parkour Generations, who were at the show to launch MOV’, their new range of group exercise programmes based on parkour styles. Education was, as ever, high on the agenda at the show. Over 250 sessions were on offer to visitors, as well as a new ‘silent disco’ implemented this year, with headphones provided to delegates to ensure talks were uninterrupted by activity on the show floor. James added: “With so much happening it’s hard to pick my highlights but I enjoyed the Luke Lancaster, Young Pioneers education session where Luke discussed the important role sport has to play in combating bullying in children. “The Women’s Sport Trust session on the LIW Live Stage with Sally Gunnell and Dani King was great to see and as always the live performances and demonstrations made for a constantly active show floor. “Ahead of this year’s show we
Show highlights included an interview with Olympians Sally Gunnell and Dani King on the LIW Live stage. jointly commissioned some indeexciting time for the industry to pendent research with ukactive help shape the show so that we can which gave some great insight into continue to grow on what was a what the industry wants from really successful 2014 event and future industry events. reach out to new audiences with market leading products, high “It was clear that as an event, LIW quality educational content and has health, activity and wellbeing relevant networking opportuniat its heart and this must be a ties.” focus moving forwards. It’s an
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LIW-launched ebook downloaded by hundreds of owners LAUNCHED at LIW, Ashbourne’s free ebook, “100 Ways To Attract More Members … and Keep Them for Longer” has already been downloaded hundreds of times by gym owners keen to pick up some useful recruitment and retention tips. Grant Harrison, Ashbourne UK and Ireland accounts manager and author of the ebook said: “People were leafing through printed copies we had on our stand at LIW and finding tips they could put into action straight away. “This was great endorsement that these really are proven practical ways to gain more members without needing to spend a great deal on marketing and advertising.” Grant has been part of the fitness industry for 15 years with roles such as personal trainer, membership sales expert and has even owned and run his own club. With Ashbourne, he now assists over 1000 clubs with their membership management and club software. With pressure from national chain clubs increasing it is essential for independent club owners to be one step ahead in their marketing. So to obtain your own copy of ‘100 Ways to Attract More Members...’ go to the ebook page on the Ashbourne website www.ashbourne-memberships.co.uk
‘Disabled people work out and work in gyms’ By Olivia Taylor OVER 80 disabled fitness professionals from the Sport England InstructAbility programme attended this year’s LIW, sending out a clear message that ‘disabled people work out and work in gyms.’ The programme, created by Aspire spinal injury charity and YMCAfit has enabled over 100 disabled people to qualify as gym instructors. National InstructAbility project manager, Hilary Farmiloe, attended LIW in 2013 and realised that more needed to be done to promote inclusion. She explained: “I am constantly working in partnership with leisure operators who provide placements and employment for disabled gym instructors. I see first hand how they are working to make facilities inclusive, so it came as a shock to see very little of this represented at LIW last year.” This year, however, was a different story. Gym instructors with a wide
range of impairments talked to exhibitors and other visitors; people with visual impairments spent time discussing the importance of audio technology with equipment manufacturers and TRX Training took a group of wheelchair users through a range of exercises on their suspension and rip training equipment. The highlight of the day was a unique ‘Wheelchair Pull-up Challenge’ where crowds gathered to watch the event, staged by Matrix Fitness, as part of their ‘Magnum Mayhem’ showcase. Dan Edwards, a personal trainer, who was working on the Matrix Fitness stand also took part in the wheelchair pull ups and raised the challenge further when he competed with a 20kg weighted chain around his shoulders. Dan added: “It was great for people to see that a wheelchair is no barrier to being in the gym or being an instructor. “LIW was fun, informative and exciting and now we are
planning how we can make an even bigger impact next year and what other industry events we can support.”
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The Workout team also enjoyed a busy three days at LIW; attending seminars, networking with visitors and exhibitors and spreading the word about the magazine and National Fitness Awards. Editor Christina also took part in a special challenge feature where she tried out some of the latest kit on offer at the show. Look out for the full story coming next issue.
Successful show for FitQuest AS THE show that launched MIE Medical Research’s new measurement tool in 2013, LIW 2014 proved to be just as successful for FitQuest. During the show, 122 attendees experienced FitQuest for themselves, with over 62 per cent achieving a Fitness Quotient of over 100, the benchmark figure for average fitness levels. Data taken at the show demonstrated that women performed better when it came to core balance and lower body endurance, whereas men proved that they dominated upper body endurance, upper body strength, explosive power, lower body strength and speed ability. Using this information within a gym environment, personal trainers will be able to create a training regimen that focuses more on strength training for women to improve upper and lower body strength, or suggest specialist classes such as indoor group cycle or abdominal focused exercises for men to improve core strength and lower body endurance. For more information on FitQuest visit www.mie-uk.com
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Show highlights
Life Fitness stand, above, and the Matrix stand is pictured top.
Visitors to LIW were also able to enjoy demonstrations and workouts from a range of brands taking to the show floor. Among the most popular was the Tabata Group Exercise Arena, which introduced the new Tabata Body and Tabata Cycle workouts, powered by ICG, while the LIW Live Stage played host to demonstrations from Piloxing, Clubbercise, CobraFit, UniKurve, Wild Training Systems and D2F Battle Ropes. The STA Swim Zone was also a central feature. This included a synchronised swimming display from Zoe Cooper, former British champion and star of Britain’s Got Talent and ITV’s Splash.
The Matrix Fitness stand hosted Marco Sorenson and Alex Albon of the Lotus F1 Junior Team along with an impressive display from Doug Edwards, acrobat personal trainer Life Fitness impressed with the launch of SYNRGY BlueSky, its first small group training system designed for outdoor use. Throughout the show, the Life Fitness team showcased the versatility of the functional training rig with high energy demonstrations across the 12 body weight training stations. Cybex launched the all new Eagle NX, a 12 piece strength range which impressed on stand alongside Cybex's Big Iron rack and lifting platform, Bravo functional trainer and 790T treadmill with enhanced speed and incline features, bikes and the Arc Trainer. Physical Company unveiled the Total Gym Elevate Line, a range of body weight resistance, single-station machines, as well as the SandRope from Hyperwear, which acts like a battlerope but features sand inside that moves freely to challenge the user further. Precor explained the three-year research project behind the development of the brand’s latest treadmill, the new NextGeneration Experience Series Treadmill. The product was designed based on feedback from an extensive study of operators, exercises and service technicians. The latest treadmill incorporates a new motor drive system and a 'Active Status Light' to alert facility staff of its operating condition.
Foundation first ACTIVE Tameside has been named as the first recipient of the Refer-all Foundation – it was announced at LIW – receiving a threeyear exercise referral software licence worth £6,000. The leisure trust, which manages nine centres in the Tameside area, will also receive set up, support, training and regular software updates, access to a dedicated account manager and the Refer-all team of experts, who will assist them to guide their programme. Chief executive of Active Tameside Mark Tweedie said: “The Refer-all Foundation is an amazing opportunity for us to bring a brand new programme on board at Active Tameside. The new exercise on referral programme will be the first of its kind in Greater Manchester. By using the technology supplied by Refer-all we can develop communication with GPs and clinicians and track the data properly to ensure that the programme works effectively and efficiently.”
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Operator upgrades at five sites amid indoor cycling boom INDOOR cycling is booming for operator New Forest Health and Leisure, which is improving its class offering and upgrading equipment across each of its five sites to cater to demand. Totton Health and Leisure now has a designated studio offering indoor cycling and is equipped with 37 Schwinn AC Sport and AC performance +bikes.
Applemore Health and Leisure has also benefited from a new studio, equipped with 25 AC Sport bikes and over the next 18 months, the three remaining centres, New Milton, Ringwood and Lymington will also be replacing their old fleet of Schwinn bikes with the new models. Health and fitness manager at Totton Health and Leisure Toby
White said: “The customer feedback has been excellent and they are really appreciating the investment in the new bikes. “We are averaging about 400 indoor cycling class visits per week at Totton and this is similar across all our venues, therefore, indoor cycling represents an integral part of our group exercise programme.
“It's not just down to having great studios and bikes but also to a very talented team of indoor cycling instructors and keeping the classes as authentic to road cycling as possible.” The operator is also gearing up for a busy start to 2015, with other plans on the horizon including launching Les Mills programmes into all the leisure venues.
WaterRower continues its charge ... HAVING successfully bedded-in with Virgin Active and Fitness First, WaterRower are continuing their strident charge in commercial fitness with the inclusion in the Bestin-Class project with David Lloyd Leisure. Not only that, but they continue to feature in David Lloyd’s Orange Theory Fitness sites with the second and third clubs in Aldgate and Enfield opening soon.
The circuit-based group fitness phenomenon from the USA uses the WaterRower M1 HiRise rowers as an integral aspect of the training programme. UK commercial sales manager Ben Rymer, believes that the huge increase in the popularity of rowing as a category has really helped their cause. He added: “Clubs who would previously view rowing machines as a
purchasing after-thought now see the WaterRower as a high-value addition to the cardio floor.
machine.
“You only need look to the variety of bike options on your average gym floor.
“The WaterRowers unique styling, and smooth, realistic simulation attract the very same members that are using cross trainers and treadmills, not just the members doing a 500m warm-up before lifting weights, or competitive rowers.”
“It’s impossible to cater to all consumers with one type of rowing
For more information visit www.waterrower.com
“Gym owners are increasingly more savvy to the different needs and tastes of their members.
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Bringing elite to the gym floor WATTBIKE has installed a Performance Zone at Nuffield Health’s flagship London City gym; bringing elite performance training to the gym floor. Featuring a suite of Wattbikes and a large screen display to track members’ key fitness metrics, gym members will benefit from a raft of new features recently introduced to the Wattbike including live training zones and new Power Cycling Studio Edition software. General manager at Nuffield Health City Gym Adam Hanover said: “We spoke to our members to understand what they wanted from their gym and the Wattbike was universally popular. “Our Wattbike Performance Zone caters for the competitive nature of City workers who love the data and interaction on the large screen.”
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49 Visitors to Leisure Industry Week got the chance to try out the latest products from Star Trac, including the Spinner NXT Black Belt. The company also participated in the LIW Early Morning Workouts, where early birds through the show doors could kickstart their day by joining in with an exercise class.
Centre’s £2m refurbishment completed FAREHAM Leisure Centre has unveiled the results of a £1.5m refurbishment project, which included installing the latest indoor cycling and rowing equipment into the gym. Products featured in the upgraded club include WattBikes, Trixter XdreamV2 bikes and Concept 2 rowers, with other improvements including the addition of two new strength
zones, refurbishing two swimming pools and the changing village and an extension to the health suite and relaxation area. The centre, operated by Everyone Active on behalf of Fareham Borough Council, celebrated its new look by hosting a free open day for the local community, which included guest appearances from double Olympic
gold champion Rebecca Adlington and Olympic diver and BBC Sports commentator Leon Taylor. Everyone Active contract manager Ian Cook said: “Re-investment is one of our core principles and we are thrilled with the modernisation and improvements made. “Fareham Leisure Centre is a much loved facility. However, some aspects,
including the changing and pool areas, had not been modernised since 1998 so the upgrade was much needed. The renovation has greatly improved the quality of leisure and relaxation facilities in the borough and we hope it will encourage even more members of the community to come, get active and enjoy down time.”
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The future of indoor cycling? THE Tour De France bike reinvents outdoor cycling on the gym floor, whether your members are beginners or seasoned cyclists The engaging, interactive console and the ability to experience a truly realistic outdoor cycling experience are the TDF bikes’ unique features Choose rides that you have either completed yourself outside using the i fit app from Freemotion Fitness, or you can select pre stages of the Tour De France or other
maps’ videos with google maps views on the console. As well as being able to see the street views, this bike also comes equipped with a motorised terrain replicating feature which seamlessly inclines 20 per cent and declines 10 per cent as the ride topography changes to simulate gradient. With 'drop handle' bars, combined with a 5:1 gear ratio and the carbon drive system delivers the quiet, smooth ride of a belt drive
but with the strength and efficiency of a chain drive to get as close as possible to an actual cycling feel. The TDF bike has been designed by Freemotion Fitness who collaborated with 'Giant' to get the best indoor bike feel yet. The TDF bike is distributed in the UK by Fitness Systems based in Bolton and is available to test in their showroom now. For more information call 01204 541710.
Partnership extended TRIXTER has extended its partnership with two-time World champion and 16-time British champion BMXer Scott Beamount for an additional two years. Scott – who is also ranked third in the world for mountain biking – has been working with the brand and using Trixter bikes to train for over 10 years. He rides the new XdreamV2 and uses the kit most days for interval training, sprint drills and recovery work. Scott said: “Trixter bikes are just so versatile. I have no doubt training on the kit has helped me get where I am today and I’m extremely hopeful that I will continue my good form in 2014 with the support of Trixter and Pulse Fitness.”
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Product wins Dani’s seal of approval OLYMPIC cyclist and Team Matrix ambassador, Dani King MBE, has officially launched the powerbased Matrix IC7 Indoor Cycle and Coach by Color Power Program to the UK market. The athlete, who launched the
product at Leisure Industry Week, has described the IC7 as the ‘most relevant, smoothest, static bike’ she has ever trained on. Head of marketing at Matrix Fitness Gemma Bonnett said: “The launch of the IC7 marks a significant leap forward in fitness
technology, and we are delighted that it has received Dani King’s seal of approval – her cycling credentials, including Olympic gold medalist, World champion, and World record holder, make her the ideal candidate to comment on our latest innovation.”
Pulse Fitness has been named exclusive distributor of Keiser products to the education, MoD and local authority sectors. The company, which acquired Trixter in 2013, will also have exclusive distribution of the M3x Indoor Cycle, which is a result of a product merger between Keiser’s award winning M3 Indoor Fitness Cycle with patented magnetic resistance and Trixter’s popular patented X-bars. Commercial director for Keiser UK Nick Startin said: “This partnership made complete sense for Keiser. The sectors that Pulse Fitness operates in complements our portfolio. “Education and the MoD are sectors we had identified as targets for Keiser and Pulse Fitness have a very strong presence in these areas. What’s more, Pulse Fitness have made big advancements with their technology in recent months and looking forward we see lots of synergy with Keiser equipment.”
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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION
£500 equipment for one lucky stockist AS a thank you to their stockists, Gold Standard Nutrition are working in partnership with Yorkshire Fitness Hire to give a stockist the chance to win £500 worth of free equipment. For a limited time only, Gold Standard Nutrition's Steam Cooked Chicken Fillets will be sent out in limited-edition white bags. They will still con-
tain the nutritious chicken fillets that you know and love, but for every 20 bags that are sold the stockist will earn a ball in the draw. After 100 balls have been entered, one will be picked at random to receive the equipment. It’s simple as that, the more limited edition bags you buy, the more likely it is that your gym will win the free gym
equipment provided by Yorkshire Fitness, a premier gym equipment company who supply everything from cross-trainers to rowingmachines. Keep an eye out for these limited edition bags and good luck from #TeamGSN. For more information call 01757 211 740 or visit www.goldstandardnutrition.co.uk
USN announces major relaunch of its brand USN has relaunched its brand with a refreshed new look to build a consistent global identity across all markets. The major investment in brand evolution will benefit consumers, as well as gyms, supplements stores and nutrition websites that stock the USN range. With a wide variety of nutritional supplements, USN’s re-launch will see a new logo and simple and clean design on packaging. This will not only strengthen the brand, but also enhance the shopping experience and enable new and existing consumers to easily identify the product that suits their own individual workout requirements. Managing director of USN UK Jason Oakley said: “USN aims to reposition itself towards inspiring consumers to challenge themselves, to go further, push harder and reach their personal performance goals, whatever they might be. We want to be involved in the positive impact our products have on their journey.” For more information visit ww.usn.co.uk
Next generation of protein snacks ARE you looking for that perfect high protein snack, pre or post workout? Look no further as NXT Nutrition have released their Protein Flapjacks, the next generation of protein snacks. NXT Nutrition’s Protein Flapjacks are a new take on the traditional protein flapjack. NXT's flapjacks are half coated in a layer of chocolate, contain real chocolate chips and are oven baked just like a homemade flapjack. The end result is a softer, great tasting,
high protein, energy sustaining snack. With over 18g of protein and a healthy serving of low GI carbs, they make an excellent pre and post workout snack. Available in two tasty varieties: Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Chip. NXT Nutrition’s convenience range offers a great, grab and go, option for your gym or shop counter. To become a stockist of NXT Nutrition today, email trade@nxtnutrition.co.uk or call 01733 232 994 (opt.2).
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Blue Sky thinking from Life Fitness SYNRGY BlueSky is the first small group training system from Life Fitness which is designed specifically for outdoor use. It offers 12 body weight training stations to create a fun, supportive and inviting workout environment for exercisers of all abilities. SYNRGY BlueSky combines the benefits of outdoor exercise – which is proven to enhance mood and energy – with one of the industry’s top trends, small group training. Ranked as a top 10 fitness trend by the American College of Sports Medicine for the past two years, small group training continues to gain popularity among fitness professionals and exercisers as a workout that encourages camaraderie, accountability and intensity, while still allowing trainers to offer individualized attention for continuous learning and progression. With SYNRGY BlueSky, gyms can now bring training programs outdoors with a product that is engineered to meet outdoor safety standards, withstand harsh weather conditions and provide a wide range of customisable configurations to fit a variety of spaces
Latest kit for luxury spa
LUXURY health and spa operator, the Reynolds Group have just opened their fourth site at the Reynolds Retreat at Borough Green. As well as the latest CV equipment from Matrix, with full TV and entertainment systems, the gym features the latest functional training equipment, created in a dedicated studio to allow ‘boot style’ classes and specialised personal training sessions. The functional studio offers and exercisers. Outdoor training is in huge a diverse training environdemand, and the stations and connectors on ment from rebounder trainer, SYNRGY BlueSky empower trainers to create fun, energetic classes that can incorporate cir- Kineses personal training stacuits and interval training. Thanks to numer- tion, punch bags and a Freedom Climber functional ous customizable options including 12 staclimbing trainer wall. tions and connectors, this small group trainFitness manager Natalie ing unit offers the versatility to keeps users Lane said: “We have expert engaged and allows for easy modifications to personal trainers including fit varying abilities. For more information visit www.lifefitness.co.uk some highly qualified master
trainers that will guide them through their journeys to a better lifestyle utilising all the great facilities include the Freedom Climber, functional training room, outside assault course and spa facilities.” The innovative approach means the gym can deliver and adapt to a wide range of training needs to create the ultimate private members’ experience. For more information visit www.revolutionaryproducts.co.uk
TGS: Making an Impact in the West Midlands TGS have recently completed a new 4,000 sqft independent gym, Ripped Fitness, in Wednesbury, Walsall. The gym showcases the full range of FFITTECH equipment including their signature Plate loaded machines, CV machines, Full Power Strength circuit and full range of free weights and accessories. TGS also supplied a full range of re-conditioned Precor Strength and CV kit to create a 2000sqft
ladies only gym on the first floor. This project is a great example of how a combination of new and reconditioned equipment can be used to ensure that a budget does not spiral out of control whilst still achieving that professional finish that will have customers queuing to sign up. TGS did not only supply some great kit, the project included gym design, planning and layout as well as full branding including gym logo, signage and merchandising.
TGS have recently partnered with Action Indoor Sports Group, supplying a full CYBEX equipment package to their latest site in Birmingham. This was a huge project as the former council leisure centre undertook a full overhaul. The gym was the last part of the project and TGS were able to deliver on a tight deadline and provide a cost effective solution. For more information visit www.ffittech.co.uk
Wolverson powers fitness battle THE continual growth of CrossFit in the UK reached new heights last month when 100 top European athletes took part in series of punishing WOD’s to find the fittest of them all. The event is regarded as one of the best on the UK scene, achievable only by using the best equipment, built to last when taken to extremes. Wolverson Fitness provided over £35k worth of equipment for the event. A formidable 26 man rig and an array of Olympic bars and bumpers allowed these athletes to leave nothing behind. Proving once again our products are at the forefront of functionality and durability. A spokesman said: “We couldn’t have delivered this year’s finals without them. So thank you once again
Introducing Organo Gold ...
for an extremely professional and helpful service.” CrossFit Oswestry calls our Bison bar the “personal record bar”, because every time it’s used a record falls.
ORGANO Gold produces a number of gourmet coffee and teas that all contain the active ingredient Ganoderma. Known in Chinese medicine as the “King of Herbs” it contains a number of active ingredients. Ganoderma is a nitrate donor which means it contains a lot of the chemicals which the body uses to make Nitric Oxide. As the Organo Gold products all contain 100 per cent certified organic Ganoderma, it makes it the perfect
pre-workout drink. Nitric Oxide is one of the most important molecules in the human body because it’s what signals the walls of blood vessels to relax. The result? Better circulation, better blood flow – meaning better oxygenation of the tissues, better recovery and less energy needed for the same result. To find out more contact andy@healthchoicecoffee.com call 07535-284888 or visit www.andygill.myorganogold.com
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MIRRORS
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HYGIENE
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62 INSURANCE
FINANCE
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CLOTHING AND MERCHANDISE
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