Work Out September 2011 by Script Media

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September 2011

The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine

‘Independent gyms are the future’ By Christina Eccles A SUCCESSFUL personal trainer has claimed independent gyms are the future of the fitness industry because of their commitment to achieving results and top levels of service. James Ferguson works as a trainer at W10 Performance in London’s Ladbroke Grove and says that since working – and training – in independent clubs, he would never go back to another style of gym. He said: “Sometimes it’s difficult to train where you work so I am always looking for other independents to train at. “Commercial gyms are very sterile – all flash machinery but no substance – and the big gyms think they can win people over with their equipment. “In small, independent clubs the customer does come first. They have to think about their members a lot more because it is the only way they can survive. “The smaller gyms have to work harder and I think they do care more. Their culture is that people talk to each other and help each other out.”

James, who himself lost five stone before falling in love with fitness and deciding to work in the industry, also said he believes independents are leading the way because they don’t see membership as a numbers’ game, looking instead at the long term picture of keeping members happy and helping them achieve their goals. And he added that his first job working as a trainer for a chain of gyms was the worst he had ever had because the emphasis was on sales over service. He added: “Many bigger clubs look at it as a numbers’ game rather than focusing on service. Most small gym owners don’t go into it looking to make money, they do it because they love it and that comes over to the customers. “I would never go back to a commercial gym.” Do you agree with James’ comments on independent gyms? Contact Workout’s editorial team by emailing ce@whpl.net or calling 01226 734463. You can also keep up to date with the latest news by following us on Twitter @WorkOutUK

No 216 £3

Rioting forces clubs to close

Excitement is building for the second National Fitness Awards, which promises to be even bigger and better than last year. Following a successful debut last November, the awards are returning with more categories and a new venue – The ICC in Birmingham. The event will be hosted by Katherine Kelly, best known as Coronation Street’s Becky McDonald, and takes place on Friday November 25. For more on the awards and a first look at this year’s judging panel, see inside.

A NUMBER of gyms were forced to close when rioting spread across the streets of London. Several gyms shut to ensure the safety of staff and members, including two Fitspace clubs in Woolwich and Islington, situated near to where trouble had flared up. Manager Roy Spencer said: “Woolwich was really badly hit – one of the shops on the high street was on fire for about 14 hours and others were ransacked. We closed the Woolwich club early at 7pm on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and at the Islington club we did the same on Monday and Tuesday. It was a precautionary measure to make sure staff and members were safe.” Roy added thankfully neither club was damaged but as one is glass fronted, they didn’t want to take the risk. He added: “In Woolwich we’ve got a team of 10 and eight of them are girls so security was a big concern. “We had one or two complaints from members but put signs up explaining it was for everyone’s benefit.” Other closures were also reported on Twitter, including several Fitness First, PureGym and Virgin Active clubs.

Special 80-Page Leisure Industry Week issue

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Gyms unite against development By Dominic Musgrave GYMS in a North Yorkshire seaside town have joined forces in a bid to persuade the local authority not to put a facility in a new development. Several sites in and around Scarborough hope to persuade the borough council that there are already enough gyms in the area without them creating one at the planned leisure and sports village. Nick Ingham, who runs budget gym Compass, told Workout the multi-million pound development aims to re-establish a base for football in the town after the previous club folded. He added: “It will be a massive facility for the area, but it could also be a massive threat to gym owners like myself, and we fear that some may go under. “We hope to prove to the council that there are already enough wellrun gyms catering for all needs in the town without a new one opening. “All of the existing ones have really upped their game after hearing the news, and the council don’t really do a great job of running their existing site.” Nick opened his gym three years ago after spotting a niche in the market in the town following a visit to a

Compass owner Nick Ingham (centre) with instructors John Sharp and Josh Coulson similar facility in Ireland. Prior to that building or high end ones. he had a nine-year stint in the Navy. “Having always been a no contract He currently has approximately gym we were talked around by CFM 1,300 members - a figure that was sigand they talked us around. It took me nificantly boosted when he introa while to agree to it but they really opened my eyes to them and brought duced contracts last year. in 250 members. “I like to think of ourselves as an “We have given people the option, affordable luxury,” he added. “Prior to but those that have signed up to one us opening almost all of the other have said that they have done so gyms were either traditional body-

because it will make them go. Thirty people also signed up to our £300 for three years contract, which worked out at just over £8 a month. It gave us the cash in hand straight away.” Nick says he is in the early stages at expanding the business outside of Scarborough, and is looking into the possibility of opening a small gym in a shopping centre.

Come and see the WorkOut team at Leisure Industry Week – we’re on Stand H50

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Personal trainer Ed Gration, right, joined a group of soap stars to cycle non-stop from the set of Emmerdale to that of rival show Eastenders. Team Emmerdale raced over 200 miles from Yorkshire to London, raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer support. Look out for next month’s Workout where Ed (pictured here with Emmerdale star Rik Makeram) will be revealing how they got on.

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Neale gives free memberships to armed forces By Christina Eccles

Millionaire Mo weighs into gym market STAR of the Secret Millionaire Mo Chaudry has taken over a former Esporta Health Club in Stoke on Trent. The entrepreneur – who is chairman of Water World tropical aqua park – was a member of the club and when hearing it was due to close, decided to take it on himself. He explained: “As a member of the club for more than 11 years I was extremely disappointed when the news broke of the closure, I had been exploring opportunities to develop my own health and fitness business for a while and my plans were well advanced but the

prospect of owning and operating a club that I personally have many connections to seemed a natural business opportunity.” The new club will retain all of its existing staff and freelancers and is due to re-open later this month. Mo added: “I will be making a significant investment in the club to create a prestigious facility that offers the best fitness equipment, personal lifestyle service and family social environment in Staffordshire. I am 100 per cent committed to developing the best health and fitness club in the area.”

MEN and women serving in the armed forces have been rewarded for their bravery with free membership to an independent gym. Krunch Gym in Waltham Abbey is offering all military personnel free use of the club, to reward their bravery and give something back to the community. All prospective members need to do to take advantage of the offer is produce a valid ID card on entrance to the gym. Owner Neale Cranwell said: “The idea came to me while I was watching the news. I noticed there is not really much that is given back to the armed forces and heard talk of them being given free membership at local authority gyms. “It made me think that I could offer it too.” Neale also said it can be difficult for servicemen and women to find a gym that suits their needs, as they are often away for long periods of time and may not get the benefit of signing

up for full membership. This offer allows them to come and go as they please and Neil told Workout some have also brought friends who are not eligible for free membership, meaning the gym benefits from their payments. He added the offer has been well received by people in the armed forces and also his other members who are happy to see the gym supporting a good cause. He has also mentioned it to friends who are gym owners and hopes they and other clubs consider doing the same thing. He added: “All gym owners are trying to make a business survive, but at the same time, giving away a few free memberships is not going to make us sink or swim. “There are things these men and women do every day that none of us would want to do. So let’s give them something back.” Are any other gyms doing something similar? Let Workout know by contacting our reporter Christina on 01226 734463 or email ce@whpl.net

Fitness challenge gives £15k boost to fallen soldier’s family A CHARITY fitness challenge at a leisure centre in Sidcup has raised more than £15,000 for the family of a soldier who died after being injured in Afghanistan. More than 200 challengers and their supporters descended on the David Lloyd leisure club to take part in the fundraiser, which honoured Private Daniel Prior of second Battalion The Parachute Regiment. The event involved Bexley Police officers and civilians taking on paratroopers from Pvt Prior’s regiment in four one-hour classes designed to test fitness, dance moves and sense of humour.

Doctors, lawyers, teachers, social workers, dancers and MPs from the local community also took part, plus two former world boxing champions – “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon and Richie Woodhall. General manager Lauren Mortimer said: “When we were approached to get involved with this event, we felt incredibly honoured to be able to lend our support for a fallen hero. “We are delighted that the event raised so much money and I am very grateful to the club’s teams for helping to make the event such a great success.”

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National Fitness Awards: the decision is theirs ... Enter our awards now TIME is running out to put your club in the running for a National Fitness award. The cut-off point for entries is Friday September 9, when the Workout team will then have the tough job of deciding who makes the shortlist. The awards are free to enter and more information can be found on our website www.nationalfitnessawards.co uk where you can also make a nomination. Booking are now also being taken for the awards ceremony and dinner – the ultimate end of year party for the fitness industry where the winners will be announced and receive their trophies. The event takes place on Friday November 25 at the ICC in Birmingham, hosted by Coronation Street favourite Katherine Kelly. To book your place contact event organiser Liz Lee on 01226 734459 or email ll@whpl.net

THE judges with the tough task of deciding who takes home a 2011 National Fitness Award have been revealed. The awards, organised by Workout, reward excellence and achievement in the fitness industry and this year’s event takes place on November 25 at The ICC in Birmingham. Nominations have been flooding in from clubs around the UK and once the shortlist has been drawn up by the Workout team, a panel of six experts will decide this year’s worthy winners. The judges are: Winner of The Biggest Loser and Workout’s newest columnist Wil Graham. Top fitness model, personal trainer and healthy eating ambassador Carly Thornton. Business development manager at the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management Ian Wakefield. Founder and managing director of The Leisure Database Company David Minton. REPs registrar Jean Ann Marnoch. Public affairs advisor and former CEO of the Fitness Industry

Carly Thornton

Ian Wakefield

Association Andree Deane. National Fitness Awards’ organiser Liz Lee said: “The judging panel for this year includes well known and respected figures from the health and fitness industry. “Members of the panel from last year, Ian Wakefield and Andree Deane, are joined this year by David Minton and Jean Ann Marnoch, together with Carly Thornton, and Wil Graham. “Together their experience represents every aspect of the industry and we are delighted to welcome them as judges for the second year of this fabulous event, which recog-

nises and pays tribute to those clubs and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment in their chosen field.” With prizes up for grabs in 18 hotly contested categories, the awards represent every part of the industry – from the best independent clubs, to local authority leisure centres and specialist gyms such as ladies’ only and combat facilities. Individuals will be recognised for their contributions as well, with trophies for best gym based personal trainer, member achievement and lifetime achievement also handed out on the night.

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Lisa gets in the swim for charity AN independent gym owner from Oxfordshire is taking on her biggest challenge yet – a charity swim across the English Channel. Lisa Auchinvole has taken on the epic task as a personal challenge and to raise funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a condition which her friend’s son suffers from. Lisa, who owns TFD Health and Fitness, hopes to raise £10,000 when she completes the swim later this month and has received support

from famous faces including Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies. When Workout spoke to her, she had already reached 60 per cent of her £10,000 sponsorship target – having received backing from companies including The Recycling People, RJC Construction in Wantage and Gladstone MRM, as well as encouragement from members. She said: “I have got a sponsorship form in the gym and the members have been diamonds. Not just

because they want me to do well but they have also found it inspiring for themselves.” The swim can be anything from 25 to 30 miles in length, depending on the conditions on the day, and Lisa is aiming to complete the challenge in 12 hours. To prepare, she has been training for the last year – starting off swimming alongside members at the club’s pool before progressing into lakes and then the sea.

This is not the first time Lisa and her members have done something for charity. A Zumbathon in June attracted about 200 people, raising money for Help for Heroes, and one member has raised over £25,000 by taking part in various challenges. Anyone interested in supporting Lisa can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/lisaschannelswim and look out for the October issue of Workout, where we will be finding out how she got on.

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UK FITNESS SCENE Popular Waterloo Road actress and fitness fan Holly Matthews is taking part in The Great North Run to raise funds for Meningitis UK after her baby daughter contracted the disease at just 12 weeks old. In a special feature for Workout she reveals more about her interest in exercise and why she believes gyms should get behind their members’ charity challenges.

Holly urges gyms to get behind members’ charity challenges

Holly Matthews

What inspired you to get into fitness? I have always been interested in keeping fit. Partly to do with being an actress and wanting look the best I can, but also just wanting to be fit. I did dancing as a child and always went to the gym with my dad. I find working out at the gym pushes me much more as I'm working around other people. What sort of exercises do you like? I do a lot of running, but I don’t actually love running. I get bored very easily with exercise and find circuit training or classes a lot easier than doing one thing for a long time. Running challenges me though. My favourite classes are body combat, yoga, or a high impact aerobics. As you can see I need variety in my workouts! Why did you decide to take part in the Great North Run? I did the Great North run last year, but found out I was pregnant a week before, so had to walk a lot of the way, so this year I wanted to challenge myself. I knew it was a great way to get fit and get myself

back to my pre-pregnancy body. Then my baby daughter Brooke contracted the deadly virus, meningitis and after she recovered I knew I wanted to do something to raise awareness. Coincidentally I also had meningitis at the age of 7, so it is a cause close to my heart. I will be running for Meningitis UK and hoping to raise as much money as I can.

members to take part in challenges such as this? I think it's very important as the challenge of the run can really encourage you to keep up your fitness. I guess the added pressure of knowing that everyone is sponsoring you and expecting you to finish something, is a great incentive. Plus the charity element is great and should always be encouraged.

How have you been preparing for the run? I have been trying to run at least 5k four times a week. I will be upping this to 10k nearer the race time. I'm also trying to do some gym workouts to make sure I'm working out my whole body. I could be doing better, but I'm getting there.

How can a club help a member who wants to take part – perhaps through training tips or maybe organising a fundraising event to raise money for the cause? I think it would be fantastic if gyms encouraged their members to take part in fundraising events. They could even get a team for that gym and pick a certain charity they would all run for. That way members could meet other members and spur each other on. They could have meetings to help with ideas for fundraising and challenge each other to run faster and further. There is so much scope for something like this in gyms and it would be a great community feel.

How has your gym helped you with this preparation? Well I use my local gym a lot – Village gym in Coventry – and often do a run on the treadmill. I do classes at the gym too. Why do you think it is important for gyms to encourage their

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Refurbished gym’s got the wow factor ... By Christina Eccles THE gym at Imperial College London has been re-opened by Olympic champion Tim Brabants following a major refurbishment to improve facilities. British sprint kayaker Tim officially launched the new Energia gym – situated in the university’s flagship sports centre, Ethos – following its complete transformation. The layout of the club has now been reconfigured and boasts state of the art equipment from Matrix Fitness, designed to enhance members’ experience and complement core services such as personal training and health checks. Tim said: “This gym really has the wow factor and is far more impressive than where I used to train as a student. From a medical perspective encouraging staff and students to do more cardio exercise is incredibly important for general health and wellbeing. The fact that students can come here for free really is fantastic –

you never know who is going to be next to you on the treadmill at the university gym – it could be a champion of the future.” Ethos is based in South Kensington and currently open to 10,000 students and 3,000 staff, as well as 400 private members. In addition to the gym, the centre houses a 25m swimming pool, sauna, steam room and spa, three squash courts, a five-badminton court sports hall, climbing wall, exercise studio and sports injury treatments. Head of sport at Imperial Neil Mosley added: “We are delighted with the new gym space and equipment here at Imperial, and are looking forward to the return of our students in October, when it will get a true test of resilience, simply from the sheer numbers we expect to use it. “The superb quality of the Matrix products and the investment in the new gym demonstrates our commitment to developing sport and encouraging active lifestyles across the University.”

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Darren follows American dream A VISIT to an American gym and a chance meeting with Mr Olympia, Jay Cutler, inspired the owner of a new club in Wigan to start his own business. WN Fitness has been open about a month and owner Darren Halliwell has already successfully signed up 100 members. Darren, who previously worked in telecoms and IT, has always been interested in keeping fit. But visits to Golds gyms in California and Las Vegas – and bumping into bodybuilding legend Jay who was training there at the time – encouraged him to think about creating his own club, based on the American model he admired. Darren explained: “I’ve managed a few large companies and always been a bit of an entrepreneur, but my sec-

ond love has always been training. I thought it would be good to try and utilise some of my business knowledge with something I like to do.” Darren told Workout, when he walked into the American gyms he was impressed with the way they looked from the outside and the fact they concentrated on a fairly small catchment area – providing good quality equipment, a friendly, personable service and a ‘community’ feel. He has now tried to replicate this in his own club – and believes it is working. He added: “With the layout and colour schemes, the American clubs were my inspiration. We have also got a really good location at a busy cross roads and so far, everybody loves it. “It’s going really well. We have about

100 members, which is more than I thought we would have at this time.” Supplements sales have also been strong, with Darren again following the American way of making sure the products – supplied by BodyTemple – are visible to people passing by. This has also led to him signing up new members, as people have come into enquire about supplements they have seen in the window, had a look around the facilities and signed up. The shop is also the first – and last – thing which members see, because they have to pass through it to enter the gym and on their way out, creating the opportunity for secondary spend. When kitting out the club, following recommendations from friends, Darren spoke to Rick Fowler, sales manager at Service Sport in Bolton.

Rick then provided him with a range of equipment including two treadmills and cross trainers from Life Fitness and a Vibromaster vibration training plate, plus a half day training course to help him get to grips with how the plate could be utilised in the club. Jordan Fitness was also brought on board, providing Darren with the club’s weights and racks. The equipment supplied by Service Sport is guaranteed for 12 months but after that Darren will be taking a servicing package, as he feels it is important for everything to be in full working order for his members all the time. The long term aim is to open more clubs and Darren is considering either doing this himself or eventually franchising the model.

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‘More personalised’ exercise package proves popular A NEW small group exercise class has been developed by Power Plate, which gives gyms the opportunity to increase revenue and clients the chance to get more personalised attention from their trainer. Power Up is the first package of its kind available in the UK and classes are designed to accommodate up to eight clients using four Power Plate machines – meaning clubs can effectively double their potential revenue per machine. Gateshead Leisure Centre is the first fitness facility in the north of England to launch the class. Manager Brian Hewitson said: “We were looking to introduce something new into our fitness class timetable and Power Up seemed to fit the bill. “The Power Up concept has revolutionised group training sessions. Our members love the fact they’re getting personalized attention, even though it’s a class environment. It definitely helps to keep them motivated, and encourages them to exercise more, in a friendly and social environment.” Clubs taking part receive a new 25 minute class each quarter, with a DVD and exercise booklet which teaches the trainers how to deliver it. There is also the option to have a Power Plate master trainer visit to provide further training.

Rates blow proves a blessing in disguise for gym owner Shaun By Christina Eccles A CHORLEY gym owner has spent £250,000 transforming his business after discovering that his business rates were being doubled. Shaun Ginger, who runs Astley Fitness Centre, was furious to discover his business rates would double to more than £23,000 last year. After applying to the town council he has extended his gym and has changed the use of the first and second floor dance studio and female changing rooms into four one-bedroom flats. Shaun has also created a further four flats, which he already had planning permission for. There is a waiting list for them once complete. He said: “At the time when I found out about the rates increase I was fuming, but in a way it has been a blessing in disguise, and I am really happy with the way things are going. “It was disappointing originally to lose the two floors, but when the work is completed it will mean that we have doubled the size of the

Shaun Ginger at his newly extended gym gym space, which is the bread and butter of the business. “It has also meant that running costs such as insurance have been reduced. “Once we have the work completed I want to really push the gym for the next 12 months because nobody can do it like yourself. It will mean that we get everything running properly again.”

And by coincidence a chance conversation has led to him purchasing a second site in the town, where he shortly plans to open a dance studio after going into partnership with two of his instructors. Shaun added: “One of my members is a structural engineer, and in passing he was telling me that he had done a survey on a building 100 yards from the gym that had been derelict since 1989. “We went and had a look at and it was in a bit of a mess, but we decided it was too good an opportunity to turn down so we are turning it into Fallerys Dance, Fitness and Fun. “Classes are massive at the moment, especially for children with the likes of Glee and The X Factor, so some of the things we will be running down there will include street dance, cheerleading, jazz and salsa, as well as karate and judo. “The beauty of opening something like this is that we don’t need to kit it out like a gym, but we will be creating a cafeteria and chill out area.”

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A family-owned Barnsley gym is still going strong after almost 30 years. Workout visited Superbodies to find out the secret of its success.

How ‘proper’ gym holds its own against big brands By Dominic Musgrave LES Neild has run a gym in Royston on the outskirts of the South Yorkshire town since 1983, moving to its current location in the former Wesleyan Church building five years later. The former bodybuilding judge has been joined by his son Darren, himself a bodybuilder, and his partner Alison King, with the team also including female personal trainer Mel Schofield. Alison told Workout how they manage to compete against some of the larger corporate brands. She added: “We consider ourselves to be a ‘proper’ gym where people can come in and pay for a single session or for a week or month and, unlike some of the larger gyms we don’t have a contract scheme in place. “We try to keep it informal and, although some of our equipment may be a bit older than you may find at other larger gyms, we find that people will come to us if there is a specific part of the body they want to focus on. “We also have the knowledge and experi-

ence of competing if that is something a person wants to get into, and Mel is on hand to offer nutrition and dietary advice also. “Inductions are free here and once a person has been coming here for a while we look at putting a programme together for them.” The gym has a close relationship with Miss UK and Miss Great Britain winner Linda Gartside, and also attracts several top level competitors. Alison added: “We watched Linda compete at an event and got in touch with her to ask her if she would be willing to visit us for an open day. “She is such a lovely down to earth person and has a great story that our members can relate to. We have a few ladies who come and train here, and Linda is proving that with work you can be a successful lady bodybuilder in what has traditionally been seen as a man’s world.” Superbodies also boasts its own separate boxing area and a downstairs heavy weights area separate to the main gym. A variety of supplements and protein drinks are also available, which act as a secondary income for the owners.

Les Neild and his son Darren with Alison King, Mel Schofield and bodybuilders Gary Noakes and Linda Gartside.

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Dolphin Fitness Club started life in the 1930’s as a gym for residents of London’s exclusive Dolphin Square complex. Since then it has grown to become one of the capital’s premier fitness facilities. Christina Eccles took a look around.

Addition proves a talking point THE latest addition to the club is GRAVITY training, which Richard told Workout has proved extremely popular with members looking for a new challenge. The club charges £20 per session and members can book in blocks of 10 – either for one-to-one personal training or small group sessions. To help them get to grips with having something new at the club – and to promote it – Richard has positioned one of the machines in reception alongside a looped demonstration video. He added it has become a great talking point for people who are intrigued and want to find out more and other clubs could benefit from doing the same, rather than just installing the machines into their studio without really explaining to members what it can do for them.

Pulling together TEAMWORK is a vital part of keeping the club running smoothly and it tries to cross-train its staff wherever possible. One example of this is having fitness instructors working on reception so that everyone gets to appreciate each other’s roles and pull together as a strong team.

Square gym becomes an all-round experience DOLPHIN Square was built as a residential site in the fashionable area of Pimlico in 1936. Forming part of the original complex was a small health club – comprising a squash court and gym – which was subsidised by residents’ rent payments and a nominal monthly fee. About six years ago, it was bought by an investment company, who decided to bring the club up-to-date by upgrading existing facilities such as the swimming pool and adding in new ones including a new gym and exercise studios. Club manager Richard Comley joined the team in 2007, with the task of promoting what was now a top-of-the-range health club to a wider audience. And new sales and marketing campaigns worked – seeing membership numbers rise from

600 to today’s figure of almost 3,000. Richard explained: “Everyone had misconceptions about what Dolphin Square was so we had to create a new brand identity to show that it was open to everyone, not just residents. But Westminster has strict regulations about how you can promote your business so we had to be quite covert.” Richard added the club’s marketing campaigns have moved with the times, using new promotional platforms such as social networking sites and sidestepping price wars by highlighting its facilities as a ‘refined fitness experience’. Leaflets have also been regularly sent out in the local area and promotional teams hit the streets up to six times a month to get the word out. He added: “Our marketing campaigns have changed hugely. We

have tried price-led offers such as discounted joining fees but then moved away from that to selling the quality fitness experience as ‘affordable luxury’. “We know who our core customers are. We just need to find what would encourage them to visit the club.” All members are encouraged to feel part of a ‘club within a club’ and mix with like-minded people who share the same interests. Anyone from a squash enthusiast to a triathlete can find their place in the gym and regular member evenings are held to encourage interaction and generate feedback. “We try and make feedback specific to certain areas, for example the studio or the gym. As the manager I can’t deal with everything at once so we try to focus on one area at a time.”

Kids’ issue proves a tough balancing act THE club is also hoping to tap into the family fitness market by offering buggy classes in the local park and kids’ swimming lessons. But Richard added it can be tough balancing the interests of

people who want to bring their children to the gym with those who don’t. He added: “We have to be really careful as we have got members paying who want to come for a relaxing experience but also some

who want to bring their kids. “We manage that by having specific kids’ times. “It is a constant challenge but we believe we have a social responsibility to provide exercise to future generations.”

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Ex-Marine Barry lands Be the Boss grant to open gym Leisure Connection has a new marketing and communications manager Mary Rodger. Reporting to head of retention and marketing, Mary will be responsible for the delivery of the marketing and communications strategy and plan for the entire estate of 70 venues, as well as developing and delivering a strategy for internal communications. She said: “I am very excited to be working for the market leader in outsourced leisure and working with the teams both on a national and regional level to further grow and develop our offering within the marketplace.”

New centre takes eco friendly approach A NEW leisure centre in North Lincolnshire is doing its bit for the environment by introducing a range of eco friendly features. The Pods has recently opened at a cost of £21m and many sustainable ideas have been incorporated into the build including grey water recycling, a bio-mass boiler and drainage systems. The landscape also includes a 1500m lagoon with aquatic plants, new native trees, shrub and wildflower planting plus new bat roosts and bird nesting boxes. Other features at the club include a Life Fitness gym, an eight-lane 25m swimming pool, a smaller training pool, two exercise studios, six court sports hall, a café and a crèche.

A FORMER Royal Marine has received ‘Dragons’ Den’ style funding to open his own gym. Barry O’Connell, a former Royal Marine PTI, has been awarded a £25,000 grant by the British Legion, which has launched a Be the Boss scheme for ex servicemen and women looking to set up their own business after leaving the armed forces. Barry has used the grant to open State of Mind Fitness, a personal training gym in Hammersmith, West London and has equipped the cardio area with SCIFIT equipment. Part of the grant funding was needed for the cardio equipment in the gym and Barry has chosen to start with two pieces of SCIFIT kit – the AC5000 Treadmill and SXT7000 Elliptical. He said: “The treadmill is used the most and everyone who uses it comments on what a great piece of equipment it is. It’s really simple to use and the intuitive console enables the operator to easily select their programme choice and the fact that you can exercise on a decline is a fantastic feature as it ensures “I can offer fitness for all – even those who are very de-conditioned or recovering from injury.” State of Mind Fitness has been a huge success for Barry and he was recently featured in an article within the Sunday Express, which has brought in a significant number of new

clients – so much so that he is looking to expand the gym to include more SCIFIT equipment. He added: “From start to finish I have been 100 per cent satisfied with everything SCIFIT has offered from sales, to customer service to delivery and installation and now to quality. I am already starting to plan my additional cardio requirements with SCIFIT and they’ve been great at helping with space planning. “From a business owner’s point of view, I’ve been really impressed with the fact that the treadmill and elliptical fit in without limiting space for other pieces of equipment. When I was initially looking for CV equipment I found lots of other brands to have bulky and less attractive looking kit in comparison to the SCIFIT models.”

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With the show now just weeks away, excitement is building for the annual Leisure Industry Week. Portfolio director Jonny Sullens explained how plans are going and what visitors can expect to see this year.

Leisure Industry Week: where innovation meets inspiration How are plans shaping up for this year’s show? Excellently! With just weeks until the show, we’re hearing some really exciting plans about what our exhibitors are going to be offering. If you’re looking to refurb and kit out your gym, we’ve got some of the latest fitness equipment being showcased throughout the event so come and have a try. What can visitors expect to see? We’re excited to welcome plenty of new health and fitness exhibitors as well as lots of returning favourites. To see all of these key fitness industry suppliers showcasing their products side by side is really rewarding. A huge part of LIW is always the face-to-face networking opportunities on offer. The third annual LIW Fitness Industry IOU Party, supported by Workout and produced by LIW, FIA, CFM and MYZONE, will be held on the evening of Wednesday September 21 in the Hilton Metropole, Birmingham. Hosting the largest gathering of independent operators in the UK, this party will celebrate the buoyancy and optimism of the health and fitness industry in addition to providing a fantastic opportunity for attendees to network with their peers.

As far as educational content goes, there will be absolutely loads on offer. Leisure Net Solutions have organised a two day seminar programme tackling some of the biggest issues currently faced by the leisure industry. These sessions take place on days one and two of the show and a full timetable with speaker biographies can be found on the LIW website. What changes/improvements have you made and why? For the first time ever, LIW is running accredited CPD sessions which is very exciting. At only £10 a session, it’s a great way to top up your skills and enhance your gym’s offering. This year we’re introducing the CPD Masterclass and Seminar Theatre Powered by Skills Active and sponsored by MYZONE and Quick Energy. These officially accredited sessions offer a taster of the latest training programmes and products from companies including Jordan Fitness, Physical Company, Gymstick International, Escape Fitness, Premier Training and Keiser. What are you most looking forward to this year? From a business perspective, I’m really looking forward to the CPD ses-

sions mentioned above. It will be great to see so many leading providers demonstrating what they do best. From a more informal standpoint, the IOU party promises to be a fantastic opportunity for hardworking operators to let their hair down and have some fun. We’ve also launched an LIW Smartphone app to help visitors to plan their day – I can’t wait to have a play with that! Why do you think the show continues to remain popular with visitors and exhibitors year on year? Because we make a conscious effort to keep up with existing industry trends as well as promoting innovation across the leisure industry. This year our tag line is LIW: where innovation meets inspiration, I’m confident that this sentiment will be echoed throughout the show. General show information: Venue: NEC, Birmingham Dates: September 20-22 2011 Registration: register for the show for free at www.liw.co.uk

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28 A university-based gym is leading the way when it comes to customer satisfaction – aiming to offer students and external members everything they need to reach their goals under one roof. Christina Eccles paid a visit.

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Gym offers a lesson in customer care WITH QMotion choosing not to tie members into long-term contracts, the focus has to be on service and results – otherwise they simply won’t come back. The club is situated on Queen Mary, University of London’s campus in Mile End, just a stone’s throw from where all the action from the 2012 Olympics will be taking place in less than 12 months’ time. QMotion has been open for almost three years and prides itself on members’ results and achievements, which could be anything from losing weight to increasing fitness levels or taking part in a gym-based challenge, such as a recent powerlifting competition. Membership and sales co-ordinator Nick Walkley said: “At university, the gym can be so many things to peo-

ple. We want to offer an alternative university life and a place for everyone, with a focus on a healthy lifestyle.” With staff having a couple of years’ experience under their belts of setting up a club and running it, the focus can now be on retaining members and keeping them satisfied as well as attracting new faces through the doors. Nick added: “Now rather than just opening a gym, we know how to develop it and can set performance goals. We are always thinking about how we can be the best health and fitness club we can be. “The difference between us and high street gyms is that our memberships are flexible. Students have come in September and bought three months’ membership, but have

ended up buying three three months’ membership to last them the whole year. Profit is not our main focus and we are a very service driven gym. Private members pay £41 per month and we have never discounted our prices. We are proud of what we have got. For us it’s all about how we can be the best Queen Mary can be and we try to improve each year. 2000 people live nearby. If we are not busy, we are doing something wrong.” Staff training and development is high on the agenda at the club, with instructors encouraged to be role models which members can look up to. Sporting and fitness facilities at QMUL are currently moving closer together and the gym is looking at how it can help improve the university as a whole. Many of the staff also look to take on additional training,

meaning they are well qualified and up to date with all the latest industry developments. “One of our fitness instructors is doing the Great North Run and I’m taking part in a triathlon – everyone is training for a goal. Instructors are encouraged to be role models for people and every month, we focus on one of the fitness instructors and their goals in the club. “That’s a procedure we follow. If we are setting goals for people, we have to have our own. You can’t tell someone to do something that you can’t do yourself. The trainers each month are also given a topic to read about and we are always looking to progress. There are a lot of trends in the fitness industry, but I think the hardest thing is giving people the honest advice which they need.”

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Sites unite for fitness challenge A FITNESS challenge at 13 Everyone Active sites around the country has helped the clubs to engage with members and the wider community while also motivating staff. The local authority leisure centre operator teamed up with indoor bike specialists Trixter to launch the first Everyone Active Xdream Challenge. Throughout the month-long competition, participants set lap times on the bikes which were added to a national leaderboard. Over 2,000 people competed in the men’s and women’s events to win a six-month membership to Everyone Active and a day out with World mountain biking champion Tracy Moseley and World BMX champion

Scotty Beaumont. Over the course of the challenge, two clubs had more than 500 people take part, equating to around 20 per cent of club members at each site. Regional director Duncan Jefford said: “The bikes’ technology allowed us to get people involved and competing all over the country, getting them talking and excited about getting active.” The lap times from all the clubs were posted on social media sites Facebook and Twitter, increasing member and potential member engagement and spreading the message outside the walls of the clubs. To encourage more people to enter,

everyone who took part was also entered into a draw to win a Trixter Xdream bike worth almost £6,000. The challenge culminated in a race night held at the Everyone Active leisure centre in Watford where the six fastest men, women and teams raced each other to decide the overall winners. Running alongside this was a staff challenge, with colleagues from individual clubs competing against each other in teams to win places on the day out with pro riders. The club that got the most people involved in the challenge also won a £500 colleague night out and the scheme has proved so successful, Everyone Active has decided to make it a regular event.

Star Trac to showcase latest releases LEADING fitness equipment company Star Trac will be showcasing its two newest releases at this year’s Leisure Industry Week, giving UK operators their first chance to experience them in person. The Spinner Blade and the Leverage range of strength equipment were previewed globally at IHRSA in the United States earlier this year. Managing director for Star Trac Europe Matt Pengelly said: “As a company it’s exciting to be launching new products – especially when you can really make an impact with both a cardio and strength offering. The response at IHRSA was enthusiastic so we look forward to hearing what

our UK operators have to say about them.” The Spinner Blade is the latest in a long line of high performance Spinning bikes from Star Trac. It features an iconic aluminum frame design, which offers both a lower overall product weight and superior rust resistance. The handlebars and seat settings have vertical fore/aft user adjustment to ensure each user gains the optimal experience, while the patent-pending taper fit bottom bracket and pedal system increases the strength and reliability of the bike. The Star Trac Leverage range is set to redefine the plate loaded strength

training category, offering enhanced design and features, from stainless steel knurled grips to shock assisted seat adjustments and user pre-stretch settings. By utilising multiple levers and cams, the Leverage range provides a one-of-a-kind plate loaded experience, creating a unique lifting profile for each movement, which in turn maximises the mechanics of the human body. Matt added: “LIW is a great place to launch these products as we can introduce our existing customers to these new additions, as well as showcase our entire range to potential customers. We look forward to another great show.”

Chain achieves Code compliance DAVID Lloyd Leisure has become one of the latest organisations in the fitness industry to achieve compliance with the FIA’s Code of Practice. The quality assurance scheme is a set of performance standards covering health and safety, staff training and customer care. Facilities which comply with the code have to demonstrate a commitment to a high level of standards in health and safety for staff and members, have all staff trained to the standards recognised by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), ensure members are given adequate inductions and that contracts are fair and in accordance with the office of Fair Trading guidance.

Million milestone ONLINE network payasUgym.com has reached a milestone one million gym searches. The website allows customers to search for gyms in London and choose pay as you go passes from over 100 clubs in all price ranges. Co-founder Jamie Ward said: “We give our customers the flexibility to search a vast range of gyms from selecting specific facilities to simply looking for the cheapest. Gyms are welcoming new customers every month that have found them through payasUgym.com.” The company now plans to launch in Manchester and Birmingham later this year.

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Scottish gym says thanks with 21st party By Dominic Musgrave A GYM in Scotland is throwing a party to mark its 21st birthday and say thank you to members for their support. The Picture of Health club and spa, situated at the Best Western Keavil House hotel in Fife, turns 21 on September 24. To mark the occasion, the club is putting on a day of free celebrations for members, which includes an evening party in the hotel, an afternoon high tea for older members and a disco and sports’ day for the kids. Leisure manager Jill Saunders said: “We felt it was about time we said a big thank you to our members. The whole day is complimentary, which we felt was important in today’s climate. We are a real family club and wanted to do something special for the people that have

stayed with us.” As part of the birthday celebrations, the club is searching for local people who also turn 21 on that day. The first 21 to get in touch will be entered in to a prize draw to win a year’s free membership and an overnight stay at the hotel, while the other 20 will be given a birthday gift of three months’ free membership. Children taking part in the fun day will also be releasing 21 balloons, all of which will contain a prize for each lucky person who finds one. Jill added: “Everywhere is doom and gloom at the moment and at a time when people are having to watch what they spend their money on, giving something back to them can go a long way.” The club has also recently benefited from an upgrade so the open day will also be a chance for it to show off the refurbished facilities.

Matrix Fitness has a new addition to the team, Brian Thompson. Brian joins as strategic development manager (international) and will be responsible for managing ongoing relationships with both UK and international key accounts, as well as identifying new opportunities for growth. He joins Matrix following 13 years at Technogym UK, where he held various roles including senior national account manager and UK hospitality sales director.

New course designed to boost sales and encourage expansion PREMIER Training International and Fit Biz Builders have teamed up to offer a new course for its students and graduates. The 12-week business, sales and marketing course has been designed to boost sales and encourage business expansion and is delivered over an e-learning platform for one hour a week. Global marketing director Victoria Branch said: “We’re pleased to be

working with Fit Biz Builders. “The team has been able to offer a fantastic programme to our students and graduates, which sets out the essential foundations for setting up and running their own fitness business. “This programme will provide innovative sales and marketing tools, which will help launch a new business and indeed drive an existing business.”

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Mike after completing a challenge at last year’s LIW

Mike ready to take on record attempt at LIW ENDURANCE athlete Mike Buss will be taking on a new world record attempt at this year’s LIW. Following his success at last year’s event, this time Mike is taking on the Iron Soldier Powerbag Challenge as seen on Sky Sports Soccer AM – attempting to complete the challenge continuously throughout the whole first day of the show. Mike is hoping to raise over

£10,000 for Help for Heroes and visitors will also be given the chance to take on the challenge themselves for a £5 donation, which includes free entry into a prize draw. The challenge is being supported by Jordan Fitness, which has donated £1,000 to the cause, and Sky Soccer AM presenter Helen Chamberlain who will be attending LIW to cheer Mike on.

Riders get in a spin for charity MYZONE, Star Trac and Nuffield Health joined forces in London to host the largest-ever public Spinning event. More than 600 people visited Montgomery Square in Canary Wharf to take part in one of the eight 45 minute Spinning classes running throughout the day. Each participant wore a MYZONE heart rate belt, which accurately tracked their heart rate, calorie expenditure and effort during their session. These statistics were then displayed for everyone to see on a 10ft screen – helping to motivate the riders to further maximise their own potential and control their riding effort. Creator Dave Wright said: “This

Spinning event has given us the perfect opportunity to soft launch the MYZONE software system, and monitor first hand the difference it can make to the effort people put in to their workout. “It’s important for gyms and fitness facilities to provide accurate real-time monitoring to their clients, whilst offering them rewards for their effort. “Unless you are working with a personal trainer, it’s hard to put 100 per cent into each and every workout, but with MYZONE you’ve got to increase your effort to reap the rewards.” Riders who took part in the event helped raise over £3,000, which will be donated to Help for Heroes.

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Swansea’s new budget gym proving popular By Lauren Bates A NEW budget gym has opened in Swansea, filling a gap in the market for a low-cost fitness facility in the area. Memberships at Simply Gym cost from £15.99 a month and the club is already proving popular – with members queuing since the early hours for the official opening at 6am. The gym is run by Bay Leisure, an independent, not-for-profit trust which operates Wales’ most visited leisure attraction, the LC. Chief executive Richard Proctor said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by how positive everyone’s feedback has been so far. The East of Swansea was really in need of a quality, low-cost fitness facility and Simply Gym has filled that void. “In the current economic climate, we are aware that many people are cutting back on their spending to try and save money, however, staying fit and healthy is a must and we’re enabling people to stick to a healthy lifestyle without breaking the bank.” Features at the club include over 100 pieces of high-tech cardio and resistance equipment from Technogym, a ladies-only area and personal training sessions.

Club funding HEALTH and fitness provider motive8, has won funding to set up a gymnastics strength and conditioning club for young adults aged 14 - 25. The funding comes from Sportivate – a £32m Lottery programme that gives young people access to six week courses in a range of sports. The programme is aimed at those who are not currently taking part in sport in their own time or are doing so for a very limited amount of time. The club will also support them to continue playing sport in their community after the initial six weeks is up. The gymnastics club will be delivered by motive8 coaches at Richmond Upon Thames College.

UK FITNESS SCENE For anybody who’s seriously overweight, plucking up the courage to attend a gym is an intimidating prospect. Here Workout’s newest columnist, winner of The Biggest Loser 2011 Wil Graham, explains why and what the industry can do to help.

Does your gym weigh up? EXERCISE, in most cases, can play a vital part in helping people to lose weight and change bad habits, but do gyms do enough to ensure those suffering with obesity know they’re welcome? As somebody who’s been there, done that – and got the 5XL t-shirt to prove it – I’m not so sure… In December 2009, I weighed in at 29 stone and six pounds. I was helpless, hopeless and hungry and I genuinely believed that life for me was destined to follow a cycle of eat, work and sleep. Dieting was a way of life, and I was rubbish at it. I had every good intention, I even had a gym membership – and the card looked lovely in my wallet. But I never actually attended the gym, despite having a direct debit for the membership and paying for it every month. I always had a ‘reason’ for not being able to make it. Work was too busy, I was too tired, I’d get up early the following day instead or my legs were strangely aching so I needed to rest them properly. Anything and everything was higher on my empty list of priorities than the gym. In truth though, I was scared of what – and who – the gym might contain. Now I enjoy the gym, I wish I’d found out about the benefits of exercise so much sooner. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing and I wish I’d known years ago that gym experiences can really be positive. If I’m honest though, I also wish I hadn’t wasted my money on something I never used. People join

Wil Graham gyms to benefit from membership, but the only thing that benefited from my membership for years was the gym’s bank balance. That was my choice, my fault, my mistake – but maybe gyms can take steps to reduce the chance of other people losing out in the same way I did. I’m not saying for a single second that I was a victim of anything other than my own bone-idleness… I do feel, however, that the difference between a wellequipped studio and a fantastic gym is one that acknowledges a duty of care to its members. All of them. Membership after-care and follow-ups can make all the difference to some people. Someone who’s overweight and shy might

still be ready to make a change in their own life; feeling like they have a personal relationship with their local gym could really help. Regular assessments also go a long way, as do classes specific to nutritional support and wellbeing. Some gyms have ‘ladies only’ spaces, which offer a safe and social environment to entice exercise. It might not be feasible or realistic to expect a space for obese people to work out together, but acknowledging that different groups have different needs is a step in the right direction. The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) data indicates that one in every four adults is obese. Government reports predict that 60 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women will be obese by 2050 if no action is taken.* Gyms can make a difference to this statistic by thinking of fun, inviting and innovative ways to welcome and retain obese gym-goers (who might not stay obese for long). From the perspective of someone who’s felt unwelcome and unworthy at my local gym, I can say without doubt that gearing consideration towards the overweight consumer has the potential to make a real difference to bigger waistlines as well as profit margins. Share your thoughts on this article, as well as ideas on future articles with me on twitter @wil_graham – all comments are welcome. Source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en /Publichealth/Obesity/index.htm

Exercise advice for cancer patients THE Register of Exercise Professionals has welcomed the publication of a report advising all cancer patients to exercise for at least two and a half hours a week. The report, published by Macmillan Cancer Support, highlights that advice to rest and take it

easy after treatment is an outdated view.

conditions someone may be facing.”

REPs registrar Jean-Ann Marnoch said: “This report confirms what we, as exercise professionals, have known for a long time; regular exercise has far-reaching long-term health benefits regardless of most other

She added the organisation has been working with SkillsActive and healthcare professionals to ensure fitness instructors are qualified to meet the needs of patients with conditions such as cancer.

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Fashion fitness ... by Matthew Januszek WE live in an increasingly competitive market when it comes to all aspects of life today, whether it’s a job interview, buying a new home, or even dating, what we wear can seriously affect the way we feel, and more importantly, it can affect the way others feel about us. A study in America showed that when meeting someone for the first time it generally takes that person four seconds to form an opinion of you. Industry experts such as Darrell Fincher and style guru Clinton Kelly agree with this and highlight the fact that what you wear is an important tool in conveying your message to the rest of the world and this applies to the world of fitness also. It all comes down to colour – the colour of the clothes you wear. Colour psychology is the term given to the emotions a human being feels when they are looking at a specific colour. These principles can be directly attributed to the clothes you wear. For example, black is the colour of power and authority, whereas red is the most emotionally intense colour. There have even been studies to show that weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms, because, scientifically, people are more productive in blue rooms.

Matthew Januszek Similarly if we look at the dynamics of a workout, say with a personal trainer and their client, having the client train on orange or yellow mats encourages energy, courage and happiness which can lead to a much more productive workout; whereas the PT would demonstrate on a black mat to differentiate the roles and relationship between them but also to project authority and strength. If we apply the principals discussed about that four second rule, and think about that in terms of what motivates us when we work out. When clients walk into your gym what do you think they’re

thinking about? Perhaps it has nothing to do with the gym itself, perhaps they’re just thinking about how quickly they can get their workout over with so that they can go home and do something else. But imagine how much better it would feel if they were to walk into your gym and feel inspired, energised, excited about working out and determined to give 100 per cent to their time in the gym. All of this can be achieved by ensuring that your gym is offering a complete solution that ensures both a productive and challenging workout to your clientele by reinventing your space. To do this you need solutions in the following areas: Equipment – integrate colourful functional and versatile equipment to keep members interested. Stimulating space design – members react to their surroundings, motivate them and stimulate their senses. At Escape Fitness we offer all clients a full design and colour advice service that means you can make the most of the space you have. Our industry experts understand the principles of space layout and re-energising facilities, so that you don’t have to. At Escape, we want to help you transform the way your members exercise.

Apprentice Philip launches new product STAR of The Apprentice Philip Taylor is launching his successful BodyRocka fitness product into gyms, following success selling it through retailers. The product was first created as part of a task on the hit BBC show and since then, Philip has used his engineering background – plus advice from industry experts such as personal trainer Kathryn Freeland – to develop it further. Body-Rocka is now on sale in Argos and John Lewis as something fitness fans can use to work out at home or take with them when they are on the go. But Philip told Workout, he now wants to roll it out into gyms, which could use it either as a stand alone piece of equipment on the gym floor or as part of an exercise class. He added: “This is where we want to get to. Bodyrocka isn’t a fad or a gadget. It’s a serious product. “When we did the show, we had a prototype. Afterwards we took it away, reduced the size and added features to make it more versatile. “I want it to become the standard piece of equipment that people use in gyms.”

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How personal trainers make it difficult for themselves? PERSONAL trainers who offer short blocks of sessions are stuck in the past and should be signing clients up long-term to improve their health, it has been claimed. Personal trainer Erak Simsson told Workout he is shocked at the number of trainers who are still selling blocks of five or 10 sessions – something he was doing years ago – and believes it’s time they moved on. He said: “Why are personal trainers still stuck in selling blocks of five when they could be selling more? They are underselling themselves and need to package their services more. “If someone comes to you and wants to lose two or three stone, it’s going to take them about six months. My take is that the client knows that as well, so why not tell them upfront it’s going to be six months and get them to sign up for a long term commitment? “Trainers are making it very difficult for themselves and doing their clients a disservice.” Erak also runs a one day workshop for trainers who want to improve their business skills and is achieving great success with a new recruit at his studio in Salisbury, and has sold £5,000 worth of business in less than one month.

And he claims his continued success is down to the fact he knows he is offering a valuable service, how to package it attractively and what to charge. He added: “We are doing well because we target our audience, stand behind what we believe in and package it. With Coach Me Slim and Trim, they are buying into something more tangible rather than the tired model of five or 10 sessions, which I was doing 10 to 15 years ago. “Trainers need to seek some business coaching advice on how to package their programmes and give them an appropriate price tag. “In 2000 I was charging £35 per hour for a personal training session. In 2011 there are still some trainers charging that. “I have raised my prices by at least 20 per cent but do not sell hourly packages – I sell a whole programme so people look at that rather than an hourly rate. “As personal trainers, we know we are good. Let’s not be scared of asking clients for a commitment that’s going to cost them.” Do you agree with Erak? Send your views to ce@whpl.net or contact our editorial team on 01226 734463.

Erak Simsson

Hotel plans gym boost By Lauren Bates THE Park Inn by Radisson St. Helens Hotel is to undergo a major refurbishment, gaining a new gym facility and doubling the size of its existing fitness suite. The 1,000-member gym has invested £90,000 in the latest Precor equipment, including treadmills and crosstrainers. The gym will also feature two designated exercise areas, one for cardio and one for resistance, plus refurbishments to the swimming and spa pools. Fitness manager Nicki Williams said: “The intention of the refurbishment is to bring the gym and the hotel back to its former glory, and the new Precor equipment will help to establish it as a progressive and modern hotel.”

LIW hat-trick SOFTWARE provider Gladstone will launch a hat-trick of products at this year’s LIW, including the first iPhone booking app for the health and fitness industry. The app will allow members to make bookings via their phone, but will also offer additional publicity for operators as it will link to Facebook – allowing members to tell their friends what they’ve booked and where. The company will also be using the show to launch a Learn 2 Swimcourse management module and a contact manager tool, which will become a core part of Gladstone’s Plus2 software.

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Kids Fitness in association with

LazyTown creates package to attract young people GYM owners and personal trainers have been given the opportunity to reach out to young people by partnering with the biggest-selling children’s TV brand in the world, LazyTown. Kidzmove has been created especially for the fitness industry by the LazyTown team and FitPro as a complete package for operators and instructors who want to work in children’s fitness. The programme includes instructor inspirations, training courses, qualifications and music, as well as LazyTown branded marketing materials which clubs

can use to promote the sessions. Global commercial director of Fitness Professionals Andy Jackson said: “KidzMove is all about getting kids excited about playing, dancing, running, having fun and moving. It will be a massive boost to the fitness industry as we play our part in improving the nation’s health. “Plus with KidzMove, health club operators and instructors can broaden their appeal by leveraging the power of the LazyTown brand, making KidzMove an incredibly effective revenue generator.”

Magnus Scheving (‘Sportacus’ in LazyTown)

Supporters in sports bra call

New campaign aims to get families active FAMILIES have been urged to get involved in a new campaign designed to get parents – and their children – more active. Fit For Sport is working in partnership with Change4Life on the really big summer adventure, which aims to inspire families to have an energetic adventure together. FFS is supporting the campaign by distributing activity and healthy eating guides to parents at kids’ activity camps, which cater for 54,000 three to 12 year olds annually at over 40 leisure centres and schools in southern England, during the

school holidays. CEO and founder of Fit For Sport Dean Horridge said: “As a nation we really need to get better at attacking the UK obesity crisis. “Nine out of 10 of our kids risk growing up with dangerous levels of fat in their bodies; organisations in the leisure industry have a responsibility to provide families with the necessary resources and knowledge to live healthier lifestyles. It is campaigns such as Change4Life’s really big summer adventure that will significantly impact upon the future health of our nation.”

A CAMPAIGN has been launched to make sports bras a compulsory part of PE kit in all UK schools, with supporters saying it could encourage more girls to take up sport. Scientists at the University of Portsmouth want to educate young women about the importance of breast support and bra selection for everyday use and sport. And led by expert Dr Joanna Scurr, a research group is working with Sweatshop, the UK’s largest independent running retailer, to look into the benefits. Dr Scurr said: “Many young women don’t understand the implications of making the wrong choice when it comes to breast support. Our research demonstrates that the correct bra reduces breast movement and associated pain and may reduce the risk of long term breast sag. Giving girls the right information at an early age can improve their body image and even encourage greater take-up of sport at school. “Mouthguards are a compulsory part of PE kit for schoolchildren when playing hockey and rugby and I want to see sports bras for girls become the same.”

Has your gym launched any initiatives to attract younger members. Let us know on 01226 734463 or email: ce@whpl.net

Interactive area targets young fitness fans A LEISURE centre in Wolverhampton has opened a new interactive area, especially designed for younger fitness fans.

Wombourne Leisure Centre’s iActive room includes Pulse’s Active Wall, Active Floor and dance mats, which aim to add a new dimension to car-

diovascular training. The bespoke room was officially opened by the Chairman of South Staffordshire Council, coun Robert McCardle.

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Face recognition first for Hull gym owner By Christina Eccles GYM owner Alan Milburn has become the first in the country to install new face recognition technology into his clubs. Alan owns two independent gyms – health club LaVive in Cleethorpes and budget offering Quick Gym in Hull. He installed the Accuface technology into his Hull gym about two months ago, with the Cleethorpes club following on a couple of weeks later. The system works by initially taking a photo of each member and assigning them with a PIN code. Each time someone visits, they stand in front of a screen, which recognises if their face corresponds with the image and that they have the correct PIN. If it’s a match, the turnstile gate opens to let them through. When Alan spoke to Workout, he said the new technology is working out really well – saving him time and money and eliminating any problems he previously had with people trying to share membership. He said: “At the Hull club, we already had a turnstile system with a PIN code, but it was easy for members to give their friends and family

their PIN and share membership. I’m very happy with it. It’s stopped people sneaking in.” Installing the system in to his Cleethorpes club has also enabled Alan to do away with the reception desk, freeing up some additional space, which he plans to turn into a restaurant for both members and non members to use. Less staff and areas to man is also saving him money and he has been able to pass this saving on to members by reducing his prices. And he added that although, at first, a few members were a bit reluctant to embrace the new system, they have been won over when they have seen how simple it is to use. He added: “Some people embrace change and others hate it. But this keeps costs down and membership prices have gone down instead of up. “The other club in Hull has always been a budget club and we have never had receptionists there. Over there, the customers have embraced the system much more.” Would you consider doing something similar at your club? Let us know by emailing your thoughts to ce@whpl.net or contacting the Workout newsroom on 01226 734463.

Over 80 per cent live within two miles of a swimming pool OVER 80 per cent of the UK population live within two miles of a public or private swimming pool, according to the 2011 State of the UK Swimming Industry report. The report, compiled by the Leisure Database Company, details up-todate facts on the 1,905 pool facilities at private health clubs and the 2,769 pool facilities at public sports centres.

It revealed in the 12 months to March 31 2011, the number of swimming pool facilities at private health clubs took a small dip but they were offset by the increase in pool facilities on offer at public sector sports centres. Over the year, 37 new swimming pool facilities opened with 10 opening at private health clubs, and 27 opening at public sports centres.

Former footballer and TV presenter Bob Wilson on his recent 500-mile charity bike ride around UK Premier League stadiums.

Former goalkeeper opens building after £3.3m refit By Lauren Bates

help promote county sports.

VETERAN TV presenter and football legend Bob Wilson has reopened a University of Derby building, following a £3.3m refit giving it one of the county's most advanced gyms.

University vice-chancellor professor John Coyne said: “This is the latest in our ongoing efforts to improve the University's sports provision, following the new allweather sports pitch at Derby and our Buxton site's Harpur Hill centre. Kirtley will be a real boon to sports and fitness academia at Derby, our Team Derby sportsmen and women, and the wider Derbyshire community.”

Facilities at the gym – which is housed in the university’s Kirtley Building – now include a physiology laboratory, research and consultancy room, Technogym equipment, a free weights area and ‘virtual’ personal trainer devices. As well as being used by staff and students, the University has opened up the gym for use by its community sporting partners to

University managers will assess the level of use by external clubs, staff and students for 12 months before considering opening up some gym sessions to the public.

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UK FITNESS SCENE In the second part of Workout’s chat with fitness consultant Pete Scott, he explains how you can help your instructors become more savvy about selling ...

Helping your instructors get more savvy about selling ... NEXT up on the list is creating a vision with your team. I personally like to do it with my entire team in a business training session. It’s an information gathering session too. It is your chance – without the fluff –to ascertain what each of your fitness staff are passionate about in the industry and where they want to go professionally. Most importantly, it will be their chance to be listened to and respected. The chances are that every one of your fitness team is in the industry to advance on some level. That advancement will require them having a continual better business mind and as a manager or leader, you are the perfect person to coach them to success “no pressure.” Now you have your fitness team’s visions noted down and discussed, this is your opportunity to start bridging the gap between helping people in a holistic manner and selling memberships/products for income. We mentioned earlier that every time a new member joins a gym, it is another person committing to their health goals. In actual fact, just for fun with my last fitness

Trust wins new contract to promote programme LEISURE trust and social enterprise Tone has won a new contract to coordinate and promote the Walking for Health programme in the Mendip area of Somerset. The company, which already operates two successful schemes in the area, won funding to support its existing health walks programme as well as help develop new ones. As part of this, Tone will provide a scheme co-ordinator who will recruit, train and support a team of volunteers to lead the walks and create new ones. Health development officer Melissa McCarthy said: “We’re very proud of our track record in Taunton Deane so it’s fantastic to be able to take this experience into a new area of the region. “As a social enterprise our remit extends beyond our portfolio of leisure centres, so programmes like this allow us to get into the community and engage with those that might choose not to visit the gym to get their physical activity.”

Pete Scott team to help eliminate the negativity around selling, we ran an exercise of going round the room and every person giving a health or fitness benefit of joining our gym. We kept going until we reached 742 benefits and then we only stopped because we had other work to do. However, for the very few negative associations my team had around sales

beforehand, we had just created 742 empowering beliefs about signing people up to a gym, not bad if you ask me. We then did a similar exercise around the nutritional supplements we sold and came up with another very long list. However, the overall point here is that fitness instruction and hitting sales targets go hand in hand. Each time we educate a member about how their body works or motivate a new prospect enough to want to go for their fitness goals it can be linked to providing a solution which comes in the form of a sale. The debate around fitness instructors not being able to sell is an irrelevant one because they do it all the time without even realizing it. So the problem is not in the selling, it is in the cultural belief of selling. Fortunately, just like any belief, with the correct nurturing, patience, drive and desire, you can replace this negative with an empowering positive. After all, we are actually selling health and at least 741 other benefits anyway, so I am certain you can get your fitness team fully onboard and business ready!

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Internet helping Aimee spread the word TO build up the business, Aimee has been creating a strong online presence with her own website, blog and social networking pages. When she first started out, she used the internet to generally raise awareness of the brand, but now she is more well established, is looking to do more targeted marketing. She added: “Twitter’s been really good. It’s free and easy and I can do it at home. “It makes the business human as people can chat to me on there in real time. It’s a bit of a unique tool which I can use to engage with people who are potential clients and business partners. It’s really useful. “There are a lot of gyms which are Tweeting but they should all be on it. It doesn’t take long to pick up followers, it’s free and keeps people engaged. “I did my website myself and I’m really proud of it. I’ve had a lot of positive comments and people saying they have seen it and want more information. “In today’s world, people can access the internet on their phones wherever they are and if you are not on there, you risk losing out. It doesn’t take much to do a website or have a presence online. “Without it are not really giving yourself a fighting chance.”

When Aimee Rogers was made redundant, she took it as the chance to learn something new. With a passion for fitness and a desire to be her own boss, she launched her personal training business at the beginning of this year. Here she shares her story with Workout.

Mother, baby and business doing well AIMEE’S previous job was managing the exercise referral schemes for Sheffield Council, giving her useful insight into the industry. Alongside that she had also built up several fitness qualifications – and was eager to put them to good use – so took the plunge and started the ball rolling to create Revitalize Fit late last year. She explained: “I spent the last part of my pregnancy doing my website and necessary forms. I had the baby in November so it took a back seat for a couple of months and I started working with clients in January.” Aimee admits she was worried whether people would be able to afford personal training in a difficult economic climate, but the business has gone from strength to strength. She has appeared in articles in national newspapers and even been mentioned on Twitter by Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis as a successful small business start-up. She added: “In this climate, it was one of my concerns. But I’ve been surprised at how many people have bought my services – people still want to use personal trainers. “I’ve been going wherever is most convenient for the client at the minute, training people in their houses and local parks. A lot of personal trainers operate out of a set location so it’s nice to have that change of scenery. “The gym suits some people but it’s nice to be able to offer another alternative of exercising outdoors.” With a qualification in nutrition and weight management, Aimee has also been working hard to help clients discover the benefits of eating healthily. “It’s about educating the client. It’s not just that one hour they do with

you, it’s about making sure they are eating properly the rest of the time. “Food diaries are great because people know they have to write down what they eat and show it to me. That encourages them to think more about what they are eating.” Instead of taking body measurements, which clients may be uncomfortable with, everyone is encouraged to take front, side and back pictures and repeat at regular stages to get a visual reminder of how far they’ve come. And Aimee added that for people who feel intimidated by the traditional gym environment, she is providing the perfect solution. “I’m doing well because it’s just me. There is no ‘scary’ gym for them to walk into full of people who know what they are doing so it’s a lot less intimidating for people. Sometimes people who have weight to lose, don’t

feel comfortable in the gym environment. “A lot of people I’ve worked with say they get the impression in a gym that everyone is watching them. They need that extra bit of confidence to reassure them that what they are thinking is normal and everyone feels the same.” The future is looking bright for Revitalize Fit and Aimee told Workout she is looking forward to what’s to come. “I’m very excited. It’s nice to be in control of everything myself. I’ve had to learn new skills such as marketing and promotion and have been doing a lot more networking. “I hope to keep building up the business and see where it takes me. It’s exciting having that flexibility. But I know I’ve got to work at it. It’s not going to happen unless I make it.”

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Gauge movement, engage members By Dave Wright THE product we sell – ‘fitness’ – is an intangible experience. The member doesn’t get to take the treadmill home, so the satisfaction reaped from a gym membership is about the immediate endorphin hit, and a belief in the long term payoff of exercise. This is not new for those that are savvy – and patient – but for the most part it is a long reach. It takes faith. Soon after attending the gym the member forgets about the satisfaction that was provided from the endorphin hit – it was short lived. This intangibility and forgetfulness causes a problem for achieving customer engagement, so these members typically become high maintenance to retain. Tiring stuff. What we need is a method of ensuring ongoing engagement. The downward spiral As an industry we are very good at many things; we pick great locations for our facilities, we are exceptional at lead generation and we are experts at the selling process – but retaining members is our Achilles heel. According to IHRSA, the fitness industry’s retention rate sits at about 40 per cent a year. In real terms, this means that of 1,000 people who are members of a club, only 400 of those will still be members in a year’s time – a pretty atrocious metric compared to most businesses. So why do we have such trouble retaining members? It is due to two things; 1) lack of results for the member 2) members becoming disengaged with the experience. These two issues, of course, go hand in hand. What usually happens is the discipline of ‘attendance per month’ and ‘effort per session’ drops as the member is tempted to cuts corners. They do this simply because the initial burst of adrenalin that got them into the gym has now worn out, and the benefits of exercise seem such a long way away. The member doesn’t have the education or the embedded beliefs to uphold a medium term outlook, let alone a long term one. And as for an endorphin hit, well, chocolate can provide that much more easily! After this drop off in attendance and effort, the results slow down even further, and the cost of membership then exceeds the benefit. At that point it becomes really hard to maintain the gym routine, attendance essentially falls all the way to zero visits per month, and payments cease about three months after. That’s it, end of story. This downward spiral all starts with the initial lack of discipline and motivation that allowed the critical success factors of attendance’ and ‘effort’ to drift. There was no alarm system, there was no coach re-

Dave Wright energising the member. The member no longer had the sales adrenalin in their system and neither did they have the faith in the medium term benefits. So they saw a short cut, lost interest and let their critical numbers of ‘attendance’ and ‘effort’ fall off the page. The spiral is hard to stop. Consider this: if a member’s attendance and effort drop off, but the club doesn’t notice it, did it really happen? If your annual retention rate is even anywhere near the IHRSAreported rate then the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Motivation boils down to this In his keynote address on the science of motivation at the 2011 IHRSA convention, Dr Daniel Pink delivered the following standout message; ‘if you can show somebody, be it your child, your student, your gym member, anybody, that they are making progress, then there is nothing more you can do to motivate them.’ Members want clubs to encourage routine. They don’t need the end benefit of a dress size continually sold to them; they simply want to be encouraged to uphold a routine.’ Consider then that the most effective thing a club can do to stop the inevitable downward spiral is to show ‘progress with the process’. If you can achieve early wins and show the member they are making headway, making progress, then as Pink says, ‘there is nothing more that you can do to motivate them.’ Showing members that they are progressing not with their end result (i.e. dress size or blood pressure) but with their attendance, their workload and their output, is extremely motivating in both the short term and the long term. Of course, in the long term the ‘end game’ of dress size or lower blood pressure needs to be delivered upon, but focusing on the process – on the controllables – empowers the member and enables them to engage. How to show ‘progress in the process’ There are various ways of monitoring

and, importantly, showing members and clients the ‘progress in the process’. Some will work for certain members and clients but not others – it may be a case of trial and error to discover what works best for your business. The program card The old program card appears to be an obvious tool, however it has one major drawback: it requires the member to fill it in. This perceived inconvenience prevents most people from using it, thereby preventing any tracking taking place or any progress being shown. Thus the downward spiral begins. The leader board Another option is to have a notice board in the reception area featuring a table of members who attended the gym more than eight times the preceding month. In one column show how many sessions they have attended for the year, and in another column place a rolling 12-month average. Targets can be set for all members, with new members being given the target of making the leader’s board, thereby encouraging them to focus on the process. The annual counting tally focuses on ‘progress with the process’. Maintaining anything above an average of eight is admirable, and proven to limit attrition. The VIP subsidy Consider implementing a ‘VIP subsidy’ scheme. Members who join up on the VIP deal could pay £35 a month, but if they attend a minimum of eight times a month they would receive a £5 per month reimbursement, making their membership £30 a month – a huge £60 per year saving. It may appear to be throwing good money away, but if you trial it and measure the average length of stay the value should become apparent. Is 14 months x £35 better than 21 months x £30? You do the maths. The tech option A technological option is MYZONE, a heart rate monitor that tracks and collates the physical activity of your members, uses wireless technology to store the output data in a ‘cloud’, and provides the member and the club with an accurate way of tracking physical activity. The memory chip it uses also works outside the facility, effectively acting as a log book of members’ activity. Targets can be set around effort level, duration and visits per month, enabling you to show members and clients their ‘progress in the process’. Regardless of the system you implement in your facility or with your clients, our core business is ‘attendance’ and ‘effort per session’. If we can master that, then retention takes care of itself.

‘We are over the moon to have been involved in such a prestigious install’ A DELEGATION of 47 Chinese Olympic weightlifters have just arrived at Bangor University to start a pre-Olympic warm-up session. Bangor University, in collaboration with Ray Williams of the Welsh Weightlifting Federation, are hosting the Chinese team so that they can acclimatise to the UK well in advance of the London 2012 Olympics. Absolute Performance has been working very closely with Ray to specify and supply the equipment for

the team – no mean feat in what have been very challenging timescales. 13 Olympic platforms have been installed at Bangor along with other ancillary items like chalk bins and Olympic bars. Ray, a former Commonwealth Games Olympic Lifting gold medallist, and the Welsh Weightlifting Federation are delighted that the world’s greatest weightlifters are training in Wales and it’s hoped that the visit of the Chinese will inspire a

new generation of champion lifters. And that’s mirrored by Absolute Performance – ‘We are over the moon to have been involved in such a prestigious install.’ For more information contact Absolute Performance on 029 20 65 11 36 or email info@aperformance.co.uk

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IOU INTRODUCTION After two successful years, Independent Operators Unite (IOU) is returning to Leisure Industry Week even bigger and better than ever. The event is designed to bring independent gym owners together for a day of informative seminar sessions, discussions and networking opportunities where they can share their stories of running a club and get to know their fellow operators. The event was thought up by Dave Wright from Creative Fitness Marketing (CFM) who spotted an opportunity for independents to form a collective voice and has gone from strength to strength each year. This year’s IOU takes place on Wednesday September 21 on the second day of LIW at Birmingham’s NEC.

MYZONE Who to contact: Phil Williams, marketing director How to contact: 0115 955 6667 Email: phil.williams@cfm.net What we do: MYZONE is an innovative heart rate based system that uses wireless and cloud technology to accurately and conveniently monitor physical activity. Focussing on rewarding effort rather than fitness, MYZONE can help anybody regardless of age, size or ability to lead an active and fulfilling life. MYZONE offers revenue generating opportunities for clubs, and improves the health of their communities by encouraging exercise and providing measurable and reportable data for every user. Simply, MYZONE is the “pinnacle” of customer interaction, enabling clubs to have relevant discussions with members about their activity levels 365 days of the year. What we can do for independent operators: Offer you a one-stop powerful solution for the three R’s of your business; Recruitment, Retention and REVENUE.

TGS Who to contact: Tom Stillman How to contact: Tel: 07971 739049 Web: www.totalgymsoftware.com Email: tom@totalgymsoftware.com What we do: TGS Group create gym management software with live KPI reporting, membership retention, marketing, EPOS links with collection houses, Wi-Fi, CCTV systems, turnstiles, access controls, biometrics and websites. Intelligent and affordable fitness management technology that really works. What we can do for independent operators: We offer a member discount program on all products and services. Just get in touch with us to make your business fitter and more profitable.

FIA Who to contact: Richard Blackmore, FIA sales and membership director How to contact: Tel: 0207 420 8560 Email: Richard@fia.org.uk iou@fia.org.uk What we do: The Fitness Industry Association (FIA) is the trade body which represents every reputable organisation in the health and fitness industry and works to ensure the IOU representation continues to grow and that independent operators have a voice. We currently represent over 2800 health clubs, gyms and leisure centres, 700 of which are independent operators. What we can do for independent operators: FIA/IOU membership offers independent operators, as a collective 'independent group', the exclusive opportunity to benefit from purchasing discounts on supplements, equipment, training, marketing as well as access to documents such as employment contracts, risk assessment forms and legal pre-activity questionnaires. If you are not an FIA member you will not be able to access any of the IOU offers from the listed suppliers.

DAVE WRIGHT Improving IOU for 2011: Dave Wright on this year’s event “This year’s sessions are based on feedback from the IOU Linked In forum. So this was voted for by independent operators directly and are based around secondary spend, legal implications, internet marketing, low cost clubs and contracts. The real thing to watch out for this year is the keynote session by the international guru Thomas Plummer. The writer of four famous best-selling books on running health clubs, this will be Plummer’s first time presenting in the UK – so an absolute privilege for independent operators. We are once again anticipating over 300 independent operators and it’s free for any independent operator in the UK.”

SERVICE SPORT Who to contact: Rick Fowler, sales manager How to contact: Tel : 0845 402 2456 e-mail : rick@servicesport.co.uk website : www.servicesport.co.uk What we do: Our mission is to supply fitness equipment parts and service independently throughout the UK. We offer technical support and advice that will give an impartial view to maintaining both resistance and cardiovascular equipment produced or distributed in the UK. We have now built on our reputation as a service company providing a high quality service to numerous prestigious customers, including health clubs, universities, colleges, corporate facilities and hotel chains nationwide. What we can do for independent operators: ServiceSport can offer all IOU operators the opportunity to add a Vibromaster machine to their facility. For any IOU member the price is £2995 + vat instead of the usual cost of £5995 + vat. This can also be taken on rental for £130 +vat per month. This is for a limited time only so contact one of the ServiceSport team to take advantage of this offer.

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JORDANS

DEBIT FINANCE Who to contact: Mark Jordan / Ryan Jones How to contact: Tel: 01908 422000 Email: sales@debitfinance.co.uk Web: www.debitfinance.co.uk What we do: With a history dating back to 1975, we have been providing a specialist service efficiently collecting Direct Debit payments for thousands of facilities and clients across the UK, enabling clients to maximise income and reduce the strain on in house administration resources, therefore, leaving you free to concentrate on your core business. We are fully aware that every client has their own individual needs; therefore, when you outsource your Direct Debit collections to Debit Finance Collections Plc we provide a tailor made solution encompassing all the key processes. DFC’s highly skilled team and innovative technology allow it to efficiently work with organisations of all sizes including independent owners. The systems dovetail seamlessly with existing in house systems and structures. What we can do for independent operators: As part of Debit Finance Collection’s commitment to IOU and independent operators throughout the UK we are offering a 40 per cent saving on the cost of our online direct debit portal, FASTDD.

Who to contact: Zak Pitt, sales director How to contact: 01945 880257 Email: sales@jordanfitness.co.uk Web: www.jordanfitness.co.uk What we do: Having been around for over 20 years, Jordan Fitness is the name behind many of Europe’s leading fitness equipment suppliers. Jordan Fitness specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of commercial quality functional fitness equipment. What we can do for independent operators: From first concept to delivering quality functional equipment and education for your fitness facility Jordan Fitness will help you create a fully functional training environment that produces results for you and your customers. Exclusive offers available for IOU independent operators.

THE IOU PARTY

SPORTSOFT Who to contact: Paul Duncalf How to contact: +44(0)1423 873873 Email: sales@sportsoft.co.uk Web: www.sportsoft.co.uk What we do: SportSoft has been in business for 20 years and is a leading supplier of leisure management software and membership systems to fitness clubs, hotels, schools, colleges, universities and local authority leisure centres. What we can do for independent operators: IOU members receive up to 25 per cent discount on software.

ACTIVE IQ

To celebrate the industry and enjoy a fantastic evening of networking opportunities, the annual IOU party, is being opened up to the entire fitness industry at the Hilton Metropole on Wednesday September 21 from 9pm until late. The party will include the following: Unlimited free drink Champagne reception and bowl food from 8-9pm (sponsors and their guests only) Business networking areas Live band DJ The party will once again be funded by sponsorship, ticket sales, Creative Fitness Marketing and LIW. It is a non-profit making event and our way of recognising the hard work that independent operators put into their business and the integral part they play in our industry.

DAVE WRIGHT ON IOU 2010 Who to contact: Our customer services team How to contact t: 01480 467950 e: info@activeiq.co.uk

What we do: Active IQ is the UK’s leading Ofqual approved awarding body, covering health, fitness, sport and recreation. With a mission of providing the active leisure sector with qualifications which are fit for purpose, dynamic and supported by innovative resources, Active IQ deliver more than 45 accredited qualifications from Entry Level to Level four, as well as being the exclusive distributor of the highly-acclaimed NASM courses. Active IQ has over 350 approved training providers nationally and internationally. For more information visit: www.activeiq.co.uk What we can do for independent operators: IOU members that are considering internally training their own staff to nationally accredited standards can become an approved Active IQ centre.

Dave Wright on last year’s event “2010 was once again a well-attended day that consisted of a lot of panel discussions that certainly caused some interesting debate. “This year is going to consist of direct experts in their fields and the sessions will be short and punchy. “The great push this year is that the sessions are going to be within the show, so that independent operators will be right in the middle of the show. “In addition, the largest free industry party for independent operators is going to be held at the Hilton NEC so that people won’t have to travel that far for the party. It’s going to be absolutely huge!”

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CFM

SEMINAR ONE

Who to contact: Chevy Kelly, managing director How to contact: 0115 955 6667 Chevy.Kelly@cfm.net What we do: CFM have been driving traffic into health and fitness clubs globally for 21 years, converting large scale awareness campaigns into bottom line profits. CFM's six week campaign utilises tried and tested marketing techniques to attract hard to reach populations in your market. With no outlay and no risk to you, CFM are the only company to put their money where their mouth is (and it’s a big mouth!) and simply take a commission on results! Could you handle 250+ new members in off peak times, £50,000.00 or more in bottom line profits and a long-term legacy of positive awareness? What we can do for independent operators: As co founders of the IOU, CFM will pay 50 per cent of all IOU/FIA memberships for one year, for a client’s individual club, from the commencement date of the promotion.

10.30-11.15am Through the door and into the till – innovative ways to generate new members and boost secondary spend Graeme Hinde Drawing on his years of experience and network of contacts Graeme will tell you what some of the 'big' operators do to generate more revenue from their members. Graeme will explain how independent gym owners should consider themselves as 'landlords and shelf-stackers' based on a principle that worked for one of the UK's wealthiest retail and fitness entrepreneurs. Using real, current examples Graeme will help you to create your own action plan so that you return to your club with a purpose.

ENDSLEIGH

EZ-RUNNER Who to contact: Clayton, Shez or Stefan How to contact: 0844 847 5827 Email: info@ez-runner.com Web: www.ez-runner.com What we do: Ez-Runner provide cutting edge management solutions for all sectors of the leisure industry, using both on-site and web-based solutions to match your business needs. What we can do for independent operators: Ez-Runner are offering IOU members an exclusive software package for £99 per month. Here’s what you get: A complete management software package including bookings; one user licence; and 365 days a year support cover including updates to the latest version.

Who to contact: Account executive Andy Lyons How to contact: 01242 866789 Mobile : 07917 145401 E-mail : sports@endsleigh.co.uk Website: www.endsleighbusiness.co.uk/health-fitness What we do: Endsleigh is one of the leading sports and leisure insurance intermediaries. We work with specialist insurers to provide comprehensive and competitively priced insurance solutions tailor-made for independent gym operators across the UK. What we can do for independent operators: Endsleigh can offer members of the IOU a guaranteed saving on their insurance premium of up to 50 per cent. Our dedicated sports team are on hand to provide expert advice and support to independent gym operators on all insurance-related matters, including health and safety and risk management. We also provide a full claims management service and support.

ASHBOURNE

SEMINAR TWO 11.30-12.15pm Step Toe through Your Club's Legal Minefield David Stalker Due to the Corporate Manslaughter Act, health club owners can be held liable for injuries that occur in their club if they don’t have the right procedures in place. The CEO of the Fitness Industry, Dave Stalker, presents a frank, to the point session on the Code of Practice, what is needed, how to put it in action and an exact blueprint that independent operators can use to ensure that they do not fall foul of their corporate responsibilities.

Who to contact: Grant Harrison How to contact: 0871 271 2088 Email: memberships@ashbournemanagement.co.uk Web: www.ashbournemanagement.co.uk What we do: Hundreds of clubs outsource payment collection to us: our constructive approach to defaulters achieves exceptional results. We can save you time, money and stress – why not try us? What we can do for independent operators: GymBase helps you recruit new members. Personalised high-impact email campaigns mailed on your behalf to a database of targeted, optedin people in your area. Sustained campaign available for IOU members + money-back guarantee.

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AIQ ACADEMY

FASTER GLOBAL Who To contact: independents@fasterglobal.com How to contact: Tel: 08455 191 615 Email: independents@fasterglobal.com Web: www.fasterglobal.com FB: facebook/fasterfunction Twitter: @fasterfunction What we do: We provide ground breaking functional education and CPD to the health and fitness industry, with a flexible approach to learning. We incorporate the latest concepts and perspectives of functional analysis and human biomechanics, challenging conventional attitudes and practice in personal training with new thinking in exercise, injury rehabilitation, management and body conditioning. What we can do for independent operators: 50 per cent off Faster’s two day advanced functional trainer course worth 16 CPD points. Choose from AFT Assess and Solve or Skills and Techniques. Non-members £167, IOU members £83.50. Email independents@fasterglobal.com and quote 'workout2011' for course details.

Who to contact: Mark Davies How to contact Tel: 01480 410333 Email: info@activeiqacademy.co.uk What we do: Active IQ Academy provides eLearning for the active leisure sector and is ideal for employers seeking flexible, cost effective training methods. Our eLearning library includes units for fitness instructing, personal training, customer service, leisure operations, leisure management and more. New to the library is specialist eLearning for exercise referral, exercise for the management of low back pain, and exercise and nutritional interventions for obesity and diabetes. What we can do for independent operators: Ask about our FREE IOU member demo plus special discounts with units of eLearning from just £19. visit www.activeiqacademy.co.uk

PHYSIQUE SPORTS

SEMINAR THREE 2pm-2.45pm What is Social Media and how can it help your club? Matt Bradney Many companies spend a fortune on building their brand, but then completely ignore their online reputation. They think that just having a website is all you need to increase awareness and to attract new customers, but this is not the case. Your potential and current customers are on social networks talking about your business right now, so you should be engaging with them and developing one of your most important tools – word of mouth.

DIRECT FITNESS

Who to contact: Sales team How to contact Tel: 01282 856830 www.physiquesports.co.uk /index.asp What we do: Physique are the UK’s leading supplier of new and re-manufactured fitness equipment and are able to offer flexible tailored finance solutions to all businesses both established and new. What we can do for independent operators: An alternative solution to finding state of the art current fitness equipment that looks like new. We will also offer you bespoke finance solutions on lease/rental purchases and huge savings off. To find out more contact our sales team.

SEMINAR FOUR Who to contact: Marc Heywood/ Lisa Harvey Vile How to contact: Call 08450568999 Email: info@directfitnessuk.com

What we do: Direct Fitness have been part of the fitness industry for 10 years, growing stronger each year by constantly moving with the times. We have served pretty much every area of the fitness industry and have evolved into what we believe to be the most innovative and customer friendly used equipment supplier in the UK. Through various avenues we secure large stock of end-oflease and trade out fitness equipment. This could be anywhere from a low use club/local authority/school/large chain etc. We provide equipment to trade and end users alike and even rent products to people ourselves, who might otherwise would be refused by banks and funders. What we can do for independent operators: Direct Fitness are a massive believer in good quality independently operated clubs. We feel they allow variety in the market place and strong customer service alongside the personal touch for gym users. We offer increased discounts and payment plans for IOU members to encourage change within clubs and allow growth wherever possible.

3pm – 3.45pm Global trends in the Fitness Industry that will change the game. Thomas Plummer An industry legend of helping independent health clubs around the globe build and run better health clubs. In his first session ever in the UK, this keynote session draws on Thom’s 30+ years of pertinent experience in the fitness business. Talking about the emergence of low-cost clubs in America, to the new training techniques that allow independent operators to compete in today’s society. The writer of the most sold books in the fitness industry on running health clubs, it is an absolute honour and a privilege to have the legendary Thomas Plummer at this year’s IOU at LIW.

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CLUB MANAGER

SEMINAR FIVE 4-5pm The IOU Annual Club Owner Forum

Who to contact: Wayne Heath How to contact: Tel: 01245 352 000 Web: www.clubmanagercentral.com Email: info@clubmanagercentral.com What we do: “I chose ClubManager as my software provider. ClubManager is amazing, allowing me to spend much more time on my business and enabling me to grow to a stage where we’ve opened another gym.” Chris Elms – Elms Fitness Group What we can do for independent operators: Free: first three months usage. Free: training with best practice guides. Free: set-up.

INDEPENDENT INSURANCE SERVICES

Once again a closing session debating the trials and tribulations from independent operators around the country sharing their experience and lessons learnt from running their own independent health clubs. Be it small to large and old to new, this is a unique panel selection of IOU members that can add value to the group. Designed to be a ‘starting block’ for total room participation, this open discussion will also focus on the best bits from the sessions of the day along with discussions about contracts and ways that the IOU can be improved for the future.

PHYSICAL COMPANY

Who to contact: Neil Adebowale and Frank Adebowale

Who to contact: John Halls, sales and marketing director How to contact: 01494 769 222 www.physicalcompany.co.uk john@physicalcompany.co.uk

How to contact: Phone: 01189 875100 Email: neil@independents-ins.com web: www.independents-solutions.co.uk What we do: As a leading specialist broker within the health and fitness industry for over 10 years, Independents Insurance Solutions have supported the IOU from the outset. Since the launch of IOU, we have demonstrated the exceptional value that we can bring to numerous independent operators. “When IOU was launched, there were a few companies that put their hands up to commit their support to the independent operator. Frank and all the guys at Independents Insurance Solutions were one of those initial companies and I know that they have been successful in helping hundreds of independent gyms (including all mine) with not only fantastic prices, but also a terrific service.” Dave Wright, Creative Fitness Marketing, Feelgood Fitness and IOU Founder What we can do for independent operators: IOU Special – Our scheme now offers a substantial discount for IOU and FIA members and also an additional discount where the Health Commitment Statement is used.

SEMINARS 2010

What we do: Physical Company is a market leader in the provision of forward thinking fitness equipment to fitness professionals. With over 20 years in the industry we have all the knowledge in house to help you create functional, innovative training spaces within your facilities. Also, as a certified Skills Active training provider we can keep all your staff up to date with the latest exercises trends. We can provide training from our purpose built training studio or we can come to your venue. What we can do for independent operators: To help support IOU members we will provide a 10 per cent discount off all Physical Company fitness equipment and training.

CLOCK SUSHI Who to contact: Chris Gledhill How to contact: Tel: 0117 911 3859 Web: www.clocksushi.com/gym Email: chrisg@clocksushi.com

Last year’s IOU seminars proved a great success and visitors enjoyed presentations and debate on topics including sales and marketing and secondary spend.

What we do: Clocksushi Teams for Gyms online booking is designed for independent operators. Gym members can now book group classes and affiliated individual personal trainers online. Our system is easy to set up, can handle thousands of your bookings each month, and is quick for members and PAYG customers to use. What we can do for independent operators: Reception isn't tied up taking phone calls, bookings and numbers can be tracked easily by the gym owner; members are able to place bookings more easily, and more often. Contact us now to improve your revenue and retention: your gym could be taking bookings online next week.

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WORKOUT

KETTLERCISE Who to contact: Adrian Burton How to contact: Tel: 01282 698698 Web: www.kettlebellseminars.co.uk Email: adrian@kettlebellseminars.co.uk What we do: Providers of the World’s leading body transformation group fitness class 'Kettlercise'. What we can do for independent operators: Delivering a true 360° business solution to independent operators. To download your Kettlercise business blueprint go to www.rkps.org and see how much more revenue you can generate by following the Kettlercise system.

IOU PARTY LOOk BACK

Who to contact: WorkOut team How to contact: Website: www.workout-uk.co.uk What we do: Workout is mailed out directly every month to 11,368 key decision-makers in the fitness industry, made up of gym owners and health club operators. What we can do for the independent operators: We provide the independent operators with news, features, case studies and showcase the best products and services in the industry to make sure their gyms are a success.

J ANSELL Who to contact: Craig Smith How to contact: Tel: 02072516821 Web: ansell.co.uk/Fitness.aspx Email: enquiries@ansell.co.uk What we do: We are the original fitness industry insurance brokers providing a cost effective, comprehensive package designed especially for the industry. Backed by a household name insurer you can be sure of quality and financial security.

One of the highlights of previous IOU events has been the evening party, which give independent operators the chance to network and share ideas in a more informal setting, as well as the opportunity to meet others working in the fitness industry.

NATIONAL FITNESS AWARDS

What we can do for independent operators: No call centres; just experienced professionals who understand your business and the protection you need. FIA members benefit from additional premium discounts. We have the flexibility to cover most types of gyms or health clubs.

IT’S IOU PARTY TIME 2011

Who to contact: Event organiser Liz Lee How to contact: Tel: 01226 734459 Email: ll@whpl.net Website: www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk What we do: The National Fitness Awards celebrate excellence and achievement in the fitness industry. Organised by Workout, this year’s ceremony takes place on November 25 at The ICC in Birmingham, hosted by Coronation Street star Katherine Kelly. What we can do for independent operators: The awards are free to enter and give you the chance to shout about the achievements of your club. Attending the event is also a great way to reward members of staff for their hard work and acts as an end of year party which the whole industry can enjoy.

Following a day of seminars and informative discussion, the IOU party will give the entire fitness industry the chance to network with each other and celebrate their achievements. This year’s party takes place at the Hilton Metropole on Wednesday September 21.

56 & 57 IOU DPS

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WOMEN ONLY ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

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WOMEN ONLY

Alesha helping clubs to engage female members

Alesha Dixon

A PARTNERSHIP with Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon and classes such as Zumba are helping LA Fitness clubs to engage more with female members. The star acts as a brand ambassador for the chain, also helping to develop classes such as the successful Alesha Dance Fusion sessions. National fitness director Mark Talley said she fits well with the ethos of LA Fitness because she is a healthy role model who is passionate about health and fitness And he told Workout although the operator doesn’t specifically try to be female focused, the relationship with Alesha and a varied class timetable

are helping to attract women through the doors. He said: “We don’t consciously try to be female focused – our service model is based on giving every member one to one attention. “But we have got a lot in our clubs that does tap into the female market, especially around our class timetable. “Zumba continues to fly, as does our Alesha dance fusion class. “I think Zumba will continue to be, in terms of demand, the biggest driver for most operators for the next 12 months at least. “It hits the spot with a female audience.”

Michele reaches her first finals at the age of 47 A LADIES’ only gym owner has successfully qualified for the finals of her first natural bodybuilding competition, following six months of intense training. 47-year-old Michele Elizabeth – who owns Felines in Burton – has qualified for the British Natural Body Building Federation Miss Figure finals, which take place in Glasgow on September 18. Michele beat competitors 20 years her junior at the Central Championships to gain one of just two places awarded for the national finals. She said: “I took up bodybuilding to challenge myself to achieve a lean, toned physique – to be the best that I can be and to show local women of all ages that whatever they are aiming for fitness wise, it is possible to achieve it through determination, healthy nutrition and the right types of exercise. It’s been really hard work, but I have enjoyed the structure

and the discipline and I am thrilled to have qualified for the nationals. – I am fitter and healthier than I have ever been. “Many people wonder why I have taken up such an extreme sport; however the Figure category is by far the most feminine section as it concentrates on body tone rather than muscle mass. Womenonly gyms often have the reputation for only being for older, overweight ladies but all round the country there are others like me training seriously in the same safe, fun environment and achieving great figures.” In the final, Michele will compete against regional winners from the North, South, Central, Welsh and Scottish Championships. Workout will be following Michele’s progress in the competition. See how she gets on next issue.

Bid to get women to pick up their hockey sticks THE England Hockey Board has launched a new campaign, which aims to increase the number of women playing the sport. Back to hockey targets all women who have previously participated in the sport either at a recreational or competitive level and aims to inspire them to pick up their hockey sticks and ‘relearn, refresh and replay’. The scheme offers six to eight-week blocks of informal 60-90 minute sessions focusing on refreshing skills, fun and fitness in a social setting. It is hoped the programme, which will be offered in hundreds of clubs and leisure centres across the country, will encourage over 15,000 women to get back into the sport over the next three years.

60 WORKOUT LOGO

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