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The UK's No 1 fitness industry magazine
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The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineOctober 2015 No 265 £3
Embrace trendsin technology,operators told
InnovativefacilitiescelebrateshortlistINNOVATIVE gyms from allaround the UK have been cele-brating making the shortlist forthe 2015 National FitnessAwards.
Clubs from as far afield asBelfast, Jersey, Cornwall andAberdeen will be battling it outfor awards this year, with over20 trophies up for grabs.
Winners will be announced ata glittering ceremony on FridayDecember 4 at The Athena inLeicester, which will be hostedby Olympic bronze medallistswimmer and commentatorSteve Parry and fitness entre-preneur and star of TheApprentice Katie Bulmer-Cooke.
Steve said: “It’s fantastic to beinvolved in the National FitnessAwards this year. I’ve spent mylife trying to achieve in theworld of sport and completelysubscribe to healthy lifestyles.For that reason it will be greatto see the leaders in this greatindustry.”
Tickets for the awards are nowon sale.
Visit www.nationalfitnes-sawards.co.uk to book yourseats and turn to our specialNFA feature, starting on page53, to find out more about thisyear’s event.
Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesleywas among the special guests celebrating theopening of an exclusive new gym inManchester. Elite personal training serviceUltimate Performance has launched in thecity following successes in London, Marbella,Hong Kong and Singapore. UP chief executiveNick Mitchell said: ”Opening up our first UPgym in England, outside of London, was a nobrainer for me. Manchester is a vibrant andenergy led city, and to set up in such anevocative site on the Manchester skyline asthe Granada building is an added bonus.”
� For full story see page three.
By Olivia Taylor
OPERATORS have been warned toembrace trends in technology in orderto attract and keep members.
Making your website mobile friendlyand giving members the opportunity topurchase wearable technology from youwere just two of the tips that IHRSA’sEuropean director Hans Muench gave todelegates during a presentation atLeisure Industry Week.
Industry professionals were told toprepare for the surge of technologyalready on its way, with predictions of550 million people owning wearabletechnology by 2017.
Providing members with the opportu-nity to buy wearable technology withinthe gym and offering them advice onhow best to utilise it was a simple andeffective tip given to listeners.
Hans said: “Things have changed sincethe internet, everything is a lot moreaccessible. You don’t have to invent stuffyourself, find something that’s workingwell in another industry and duplicatein our industry.”
According to Hans, with a growingnumber of the population using smartphones, making your club’s websitemobile friendly is essential when itcomes to attracting new business, as is
having a presence on social media plat-forms.
He added: “Being savvy on socialmedia is no longer an option, it’s a must– something that we have to do.”
In a seminar focusing on internationaltrends and their impact on the UK mar-ket, Hans also told the audience to beaware of cheaper alternatives to exer-cise; from budget gyms to low cost fit-ness apps that can be a cheaper andsometimes just as effective way of exer-cising.
He added: “Expensive and exclusiveclubs aren't necessarily doing it betterthan the budget gyms.”
Hans also encouraged fitness profes-sionals to focus on member interaction,making sure that all members areacknowledged and made to feel wel-come in the club.
“Meaningful interaction between staffand members is something that we needto do, and a lot of clubs have lost that,even if it’s just a connection by sayinghello or smiling.
“Provide unique connections to makepeople think it’s not only about the price– prove there’s other tangibles involved.”� Look out for more LIW news nextissue and if you were at the show, let usknow your highlights by [email protected]
UK FITNESS SCENE 3
AdvertisingSales and marketingdirector:Tony Barry
Sales manager:Daniel LloydTel: 01226 [email protected]
Field sales executive:Jennifer WardTel: 01226 [email protected]
Sales apprenticeEmma HebdenTel: 01226 734707
EditorialGroup Editor:Judith HalkerstonTel: 01226 [email protected]
Editor:Christina EcclesTel: 01226 [email protected]
Reporter:Olivia [email protected]
Group production editor:Dominic MusgraveTel: 01226 [email protected]
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Personal training gym opensin Granada Studios buildingBy Christina Eccles
FITNESS fans in Manchester can nowenjoy working out in a new bespokepersonal training gym situated in thefamous former Granada Studiosbuilding.
Ultimate Performance has taken up5,000 sq ft of space and equipped itwith the most modern fitness equip-ment from companies like Watson(UK), Canadian firm Atlantis and LifeFitness.
UP chief executive Nick Mitchellsaid: ”Our culture is providing peoplewith the opportunity to gain maxi-mum results in minimum time.
“We are the only international per-sonal training business in the worldand will be expanding into Americaand the Middle East after Manchester.
“The Granada base is, however, tem-porary and we will have purpose builtheadquarters in Spinningfields in thesummer of 2016.”
To make the gym stand out from the
crowd, Nick has also launched a com-petition to commission a uniquepiece of art work from students inManchester to enhance the walls ofthe club.
He added: “We wanted to integrateand interact with the community andthis will also help showcase a very tal-ented student’s creativity.
“We have asked the ManchesterSchool of Art, which is part ofManchester Metropolitan University,to get students to submit their pieces,one of which will be selected tobecome a visual centre-piece in thegym.”
During his career as a trainer, Nickhas worked with an array of profes-sional athletes and competed instrength and conditioning competi-tions himself.
He has also helped film and popstars change their physiques in recordtime and is now looking forward tohelping people in Manchester achievetheir health and fitness goals.
He added: “I have taken people withuntrained bodies under my wing forthree months and they have ended onthe front pages of the highest circulat-ing fitness magazines.
“There are many reasons why peo-ple want to get fit and look good.What we set out to do is offer the bestadvice and best equipment so peoplecan achieve that goal.”
Emmerdale actress Gemma Atkinson with UP personal trainers at the opening of the gym.
EQUIPMENT manufacturer and sup-plier Precor and creators of theSpinning indoor cycling programme,Mad Dogg Athletics Inc. haveannounced an exclusive worldwideagreement that will see Precorassume all commercial Spinner bikeproduction for an entirely new line ofSpinner indoor cycling equipment.
Incorporating the strengths of bothbrands, the new range of indoorcycling products will include newengineering and design componentsco-developed by Precor and Spinning,as well as new technologies and edu-cational elements to bring customersan enhanced Spinning experience.
CEO of Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc.
John Baudhuin said: “We wanted tofind the best partner to serve ourglobal dealers, education representa-tives, clubs, gyms and studios, as wellas the worldwide Spinning communi-ty.
“Over the past 30 years, Precor hasbeen recognised consistently for itstop-rated customer service and quali-ty, and also for the reliability andintegrity of its cardio products.
“Considering these factors, as wellas the global reach the company hasas part of Amer Sports, Precor is theideal strategic partner for our brandmoving forward.”
The companies will announce a newline of Spinner bikes in late 2015.
Firms join to produce new kit
UK FITNESS SCENE 5
Staff from Bracknell based gym Absolutely Fitness have taken time out to volunteer for agood cause. 15 staff volunteered at Norwood–Ravenswood village, home to 130 peoplewith learning difficulties set in the backdrop of the Berkshire countryside. The teamformed a party which redecorated three of the residents’ rooms, as well re-painting out-door furniture in one of the 13 care homes on the site. Club manager Jack Bishop said: “Weare delighted to have continued to uphold our company values and would like to thank allthe staff that volunteered their time to help Ravenswood Village to continue to deliverhelp to those that need it.”
THE Verulamium Spa at EveryoneActive’s Westminster Lodge LeisureCentre has partnered with luxuryFrench skincare brand Caudalie.
The spa will offer the brand’s luxu-rious Vinothérapie treatmentsexclusively in St Albans and the sur-rounding area.
General manager of the
Verulamium Spa, Victoria Batey,said: “We are very proud to beworking with Caudalie. We havealways offered something very spe-cial here at the spa – it’s a hiddenOasis here in St Albans – and wewanted to offer our discerningclientele something they cannotfind anywhere else in the area.”
Spa launches Caudalie treatments
By Christina Eccles
A BOUTIQUE fitness business is gear-ing up for an eventful 2016, withplans in the pipeline to open moresites and further grow the brand.
BOOM Cycle offers its innovativegroup cycling classes across two clubsin London’s Holborn and Shoreditch,with big ambitions for the comingmonths to spread the word even fur-ther.
CEO Rob Rowland said: “It’s been afantastic year. We’ve seen an averageof 167 per cent growth in our Holbornsite and 78 per cent growth across thewhole group from 2014.
“The exciting thing is how much fur-ther we really feel we can push thebrand and there are so many moreopportunities for further growth.
“We’re working on some more sitesfor 2016 as well so it should be a verybusy but exciting year.”
Rob also told Workout why hebelieves niche independent operatorssuch as BOOM Cycle are doing so wellat the moment, with many successful-ly carving out an identity in anincreasingly competitive marketplace.
He added: “I think it’s for two rea-sons. Firstly the good operators haveworked hard on their offering and
communicating this clearly to theconsumer and providing a good expe-rience, consistently. And secondly theconsumer market is now understand-ing the offering and the advantages ofboutique studios – we provide fitnessexperiences far beyond what a gener-al gym can provide and all with nocommitment.
“We were the first ones on the blockand started with so little money andeven less experience so we’ve learntthrough a lot of mistakes. We are stilla small team but are putting all thoseyears of lessons into practice andthat’s showing in our huge growth inthe past year. But we’re not done yet,we still have some exciting plans inthe pipeline and are looking forwardto a big 2016.”
Boutique businessto open new sitesand grow brand
Boom Cycle
UK FITNESS SCENE6
Entrepreneur to discuss theimportance of social media By Olivia Taylor
THE importance of social media andmarketing will be the topic of fitnessentrepreneur Katie Bulmer-Cooke’sseminar at the first National FitnessConference, taking place in Leicesterahead of the 2015 National FitnessAwards.
Since appearing as a candidate onThe Apprentice last year, Katie hasproved herself to be an inspiringspeaker, addressing a range of differ-ent fitness and business delegates.
She will join other industry expertsincluding retention guru Dr PaulBedford, the ‘father of fitness’ KenHeathcote, CEO of CFM/MYZONEDave Wright and LFX founder GraemeHinde at the conference, which takesplace at the National Space Centre inLeicester on Friday December 4. Katiewill also be hosting the awards in theevening at the nearby Athena, along-side top Olympic swimmer SteveParry.
She said: “The conference and host-ing the awards are the biggies for methis year, I’m really looking forward tothe events.
“I’m really enjoying speaking, I’vebeen in the industry for 13 years so Ifeel like I’ve got a lot to offer.
“I was there once and I’ve made alot of mistakes but I’ve got a fewthings right too. 13 years of hard workhas paid off.”
Katie will be advising delegates onhow to use social media to promoteyour fitness business – an area whichshe has vast experience in.
She added: “It’s so important to havea different presence on social medianow more than ever. We need to dosomething different to make peoplenotice and stop focusing on what ourcompetitors are doing.
“You’ve got to be on social media,it’s not going anywhere it’s only goingto get bigger.”
As well as being involved in the con-
ference and awards, Katie is alsokeeping busy with her own fitnessbusiness and is set to expand hergroup exercise ‘Good to Glow’ con-cept, which allows fitness fans toburn calories by following an upbeatchoreographed routine incorporatinglights and glow sticks.
Instructors can also get involvedwith the programme, with trainingcourses on offer.
She added: “It’s a really nice feelingseeing people getting involved with it.I enjoy giving instructors the platformto be versatile.”
As well as offering people in theregion the opportunity to come to herexercise classes, Katie also providesthose further afield with a range ofsuccessful online training options andhome workout DVDs.
She added: “I love working with allthe people in Sunderland, but to beable to connect with a bigger geo-graphical audience is amazing.
“To know there’s people in Australiaand Thailand watching my DVDs anddoing my online programmes iscrazy.”� To hear what Katie has to say abouthow you can market your businessand gain new fans via social media,make sure you come along to theNational Fitness Conference.
For more details or to book yourtickets visit www.nationalfitnesscon-ference.co.uk
Katie Bulmer-Cooke
An adventurous personal trainer has com-pleted a charity skydive to raise money fora local charity. Alex Seckham, who ownsPursuit of Healthiness, raised funds forSamaritans of Barnsley; taking on the chal-lenge after being inspired by some of hismembers who volunteer for the cause. Hesaid: “I wasn’t nervous one bit when com-ing to do the jump. Even with my legshanging off the plane, I just couldn't wipethe beaming smile off my face. The wholeexperience was amazing and I would highlyrecommend to anyone.”
UK FITNESS SCENE8
By Christina Eccles
THE team behind a successfulScottish gym is preparing for thelaunch of its second club, which isshaping up to be even bigger and bet-ter than the first.
The new site in Kirkcaldy follows thesuccess of Gym 64’s flagship club inDunfermline, which has been short-listed for Regional Gym of the YearScotland at this year’s NationalFitness Awards.
The new club, which opens its doorsthis month, boasts an array of kitfrom Matrix Fitness, an on-site hairand beauty salon, a protein/cafe barand a steam and sauna area, withcapacity for up to 4,000 members.
Regional manager Scott Wallacesaid: “We have been doing pre-salesfrom 10am until 3pm on Saturdayand Sunday and from 2pm to 8pmMonday to Friday and we’ve alreadysold 70 memberships. Things aregoing really well.”
Group exercise will also be a bigdraw at the new gym, which will offerover 200 classes per week.
The facility will house five studiosincluding a purpose-built functionaltraining studio and a Les Mills studio,which can accommodate up to 80people and offer some of the brand’smost popular classes such asBodyPump, Grit and CXWorx.
Scott added: “We want to give peo-ple something of at least the samelevel as what we have got at the otherclub, if not higher quality.
“Existing members for a few extrapounds a month will be able toupgrade from £39 to £45 to use both.”
The club will celebrate its openingby officially launching its new Les
Mills classes at an event featuringinternational master trainers LyndseyMorrison and Matt Molloy.� How are things going at your gym?If you’re looking to expand or intro-duce something new for 2016, we’dlove to hear from you. Contact us [email protected] or on Facebookor Twitter.
Team’s second gym to beeven bigger and better
The new Gym 64 facility in Kircaldy.
Trust revealssponsorship SHEFFIELD City Trust hasannounced a major, multi-venuesponsorship deal with the northof England’s biggest car super-market.
The SCT Group has secured atwo-year partnership with TheCar People, which has a 10-acreshowroom in Sheffield, as well assites in Manchester andWakefield. As part of the sponsor-ship, The Car People will beexposed to millions of customersacross SCT’s portfolio of leisurevenues including Ponds ForgeInternational Sports Centre, theEnglish Institute of Sport Sheffieldand iceSheffield.
BODYLIMIT Gym in St Albans hashosted its second charity personaltraining weekend, raising moneyfor Rennie Grove Hospice.
The weekend saw all of thegym’s personal trainers offer theirtime free of charge. People takingpart booked a 50-minute PT ses-sion and made a donation toRennie Grove instead of a pay-ment to the trainer.
The club is also planning morecharity events for the autumn, aswell as a charity calendar, whichlast year raised over £1,000through sales.
Charity event
UK FITNESS SCENE10
Improve efficiencyto grow your clubBy Denise Williamson
FOR club managers, the primary goalis to increase profitability for theirfacility and this can be achieved in anumber of ways.
Whether this be a gym, health clubor sports centre, expansion shouldalways be the number one goal andthis can be done by increasingturnover, growing your customer baseor providing a better customer experi-ence for current members, to improvemember retention.
Improving efficiency should play akey role in the expansion process byensuring your facility’s existinghuman and physical resources areused to their maximum potential andto identify new means of revenuegeneration.
Like in most leisure venues, particu-larly larger facilities, efficiency can bea major challenge, which can often beneglected due to the already highdemands on staff and other physicalresources.
However, for a business to grow it isimportant that all processes withinthe club are streamlined wheneverpossible to ensure full capacity can beachieved across all areas within thefacility.
For most clubs an effective alloca-tion of training space and equipmentcan often make the differencebetween a high-flying venue and onestruggling to break even. It is impor-tant that records are kept to be able topinpoint periods when a training stu-dio is sitting empty or a sports hall is
only half full. This can then give managers the
option to offer additional sessions orclasses, or even allocate the space toan external party such as a personaltrainer or class instructor. They cangenerate additional revenue, whilstoffering something new for members.
Furthermore, a scheduling system,which identifies unused rooms, canalso reduce energy costs and alloweasy class timetable creation, reduc-ing the demands on staff and creatinga more efficient and profitable envi-ronment to work in.
A few tips to improve resource allo-cation and increase club capacity areas follows:Improve transparency of resources Ensure an inventory or system is inplace to allow all members of staff totrack the availability of all the spaces
within the facility. Booking softwarepackages are available which canforecast the amount of resourcesneeded for each fitness class or activi-ty taking place within the venue,allowing all resources to be trackedand audited throughout the day.
Have a clear process in place for roombookingTraining all workers on how to use thebooking system will ensure that allstaff members can see the room avail-ability for the whole venue and beable to allocate spaces effectivelywhen need be, improving servicequality for members.
Secure recordsEnsure all member records are keptup to date and secure. These are agreat way to provide an insight intoyour customers for marketing pur-poses and identify opportunities foradditional spend.
Simplicity is keyBy being transparent and flexible,leisure facilities should meet theneeds of all stakeholders, improvingthe experience for all its staff andmembers. A simple room bookingand resource allocation system willstreamline processes for all andensure that the venue operates at fullcapacity.� Denise Williamson is managingdirector of scheduling software spe-cialists, BookWise Solutions. For moreinformation visit www.bookwisesolu-tions.com
Denise Williamson
AN intense 12-week rugby themedfitness course, which has alreadyhelped 76 Warrington men lose atotal of 93 stone, is set to launch afemale only version of the pro-gramme.
Fit to Tackle for Her will follow thesame format as the men’s course,which aims to improve the healthand wellbeing of people who don’tusually exercise by challenging themto take part in three physical activi-
ties every week and helping them toimprove their diet.
More than 70 women have alreadyregistered for the free programmewhich is run by LiveWire andWarrington Wolves.
The fitness teams at the organisa-tions will challenge the women tothree sessions a week covering allkinds of physical activity includingTouch Rugby to improve theirstrength and to help them shed the
pounds.Senior LiveWire advisor for exer-
cise, Neil Morley, said: “The pro-gramme has been a tremendous suc-cess and has proved popular withnot just men but also their femalerelatives which led us to set up Fit toTackle for Her.
“The women have now got thechance to compete with the menand prove that they can be just assuccessful.”
Women to take on the boys in rugby challenge
BRITISH Weight Lifting is launch-ing The Powerhouse Games – a newelite team competition which willbe held on December 5 at the REPTheatre in Birmingham.
The one-day event will combine aUK coaching conference, includinga host of highly respected speakers,with a team weightlifting competi-tion showcasing the power of theelite male and female British ath-letes in the sport.
British Weight Lifting chief execu-tive Ashley Metcalfe said: “BritishWeight Lifting is always looking fornew ways to improve fan experi-ence and engagement, and we seeThe Powerhouse Games as the per-fect opportunity to do just that.
“We anticipate an exciting eventwith a lively atmosphere and plentyof athlete-supporter interaction.
“The event will appeal not only toour core weightlifting fan base, butby hosting it on a Saturday night ina city centre location we hope toattract general sports fans lookingfor an entertaining night of elitecompetition.”
Powerhousecompetitionis launched
BRITISH fitness fans ran the equiv-alent of 794,133 London Marathonson treadmills and crossed theEnglish Channel 158,692 times onrowing machines in 2014, figureshave revealed.
The data from tracking firmGymetrix with additional statisticsfrom Precor, has been compiledand analysed by ukactive andreleased to mark National FitnessDay. It also shows that last year, the11,171,062 hours spent in the gymusing treadmills, stationary bikesand resistance training meant Britscycled around the Earth’s circum-ference 743 times on bikemachines.
In addition, data from parkrun,which organises free weekly 5kmruns on Saturday mornings inparks up and down the country,found that its average 45,000 week-ly participants clocked up over 1mhours of running time last year.
Data revealsfitness feats
UK FITNESS SCENE12
A team from Core Health and Fitness, plus their customers and distribution partners, have taken on an epic charity challenge. The 18strong group cycled 75 miles per day from Buckinghamshire to The Cotswolds and back, raising over £2,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
PLAYERS from a North East rugbyteam have given the thumbs up to theregion’s newest spa – and launched apackage aimed at Rugby World Cup“widows.”
Members of the Newcastle Falconstook time out to check out the facili-ties at the Spa at Ramside, the multi-million pound spa which recentlyopened its doors at Ramside HallHotel, County Durham.
The visit coincided with the launchof the spa’s Scrum Diddly Umptiouspackage – aimed at providing somerest and relaxation for anyone whosepartner will be glued to the RugbyWorld Cup.
The afternoon package includes adrink on arrival, use of the spa facili-ties for up to three hours and after-noon tea and costs £47 on Monday to
Thursdays and £50 on Friday.Spa director Jill Russell said: “We
were delighted that the Falcons cameto try out the spa and to help launchour Rugby World Cup package.
“This is a great offer for individualsor for a group of friends who mightwant to get together and enjoy anafternoon of spa treats away from therugby.”
Rugby stars give new spa thumbs up
Newcastle Falcons players enjoy the facilities at the Spa at Ramside.
DANCE fitness workoutClubbercise has joined forces withStreet Step to support young peo-ple into work.
Launched earlier this year as partof the Street League charity andsupported by their founding part-ner, Barclays, Street Step is a socialenterprise that works with 16-24year olds who face socio-economicbarriers, to help build their confi-dence and enable participants todiscover employment opportuni-ties.
Clubbercise will be delivered aspart of Street Step’s employabilityprogramme as many key employ-ment skills can be learnt and nur-tured using the Clubbercise for-mat, such as: body language, com-munication, first impressions,building self-confidence, overcom-ing nerves and working well withothers.
Clubbercise co-founder, ClaireBurlison Green, said: “We’re reallyexcited to be part of the Street Stepinitiative and love how the classwill be used to build confidencebut also give them the key skillsneeded to make it in the industry.
“We recently partnered with theThis Girl Can campaign so haveseen first hand how positiveengagement and reinforcementmakes a huge difference to peo-ple’s lives.”
Clubbercisejoins withStreet Step
UK FITNESS SCENE 13
Five questions to answerwith your marketing ...By Dave Wright
ALTHOUGH the different forms ofmarketing that may have evolvedover the years – be it from push topull, print to digital etc – there arefundamental principles you mustaddress to make sure your messagedoes not go to waste.
So before you sign anything offmake sure you answer the followingfive basic questions with your mar-keting.
These five questions are the What,Why, When, Where and How of yourmessage.
What? What is the offer that you are tryingto advertise?
This is the crux of what you wantyour message to portray in the mar-ket place. It may be a speciallyreduced joining fee, a time free peri-od, or a certain discount on themonthly dues.
Why? Why are you offering what you are?
This naturally follows on from thewhat as you are looking at a justifi-able reason for your message. In a
campaign, this builds the urgency ofthe offer and answers the scepticismthat people may think as to why youare offering what you are.
This might be the fact that it is aNew Year celebration, or that thegym is under new ownership.
Where? This needs to answer where the clubis located or where you want peopleto meet for a pre-sale etc. It soundssimple, but many times, clubs getexcited about the catchy phrase oftheir marketing and accidentallyleave off the club’s address.
When?When also covers the time frame ofwhat you are offering. You may wantto tell the public you have limitedmemberships available or simplythat they need to call when you areopen (hence including your openinghours).
This also allows you the ability toapply some form of urgency to yourcampaign to entice people torespond within a set time.
How? Once people understand the what
and why of your marketing, theyknow where and when to obtain it,they would need to know how theycan obtain it.
This may be a coupon thatencourages the prospect to bring into the club on a particular day orthe club’s phone number for themto call.
As you can see, it all is very simple,but prior to putting any advertisingto the market, if you quickly checkthe What, Why, Where, When andHow, it will remind you to get backto the basics of your marketing andadvertising objective. � Dave Wright is the CEO of CFM(Creative Fitness Marketing), CEOand creator of MYZONE®, owner ofthe Feelgood Fitness & VoyageFitness Club Chains, a former BoardDirector of UK Active and founderof the IOU. With offices in Chicago(US), Nottingham (UK) andMelbourne (Oz), Dave’s companieshave worked directly with over 5,000health clubs across 30 differentcountries, encouraging people to bemore and stay more physicallyactive.
He may be contacted [email protected] Dave Wright
UK FITNESS SCENE14
By Christina Eccles
ASPIRING gym owners have beengiven the opportunity to open theirown facility for a fraction of theupfront cost, thanks to the launch ofPerfect Gym.
Perfect Gym is offering 20 licencesto open a gym under the brand, withlicensees able to access over £80k ofset up materials including fitnessequipment, IT systems and sales andmarketing resources.
Perfect Gym will work with thelicensee to create their ideal club at avenue of their choosing, with thosesigning up benefiting from a packagewhich includes essential IT systemssuch as a front of house membershipsystem and direct debit collectionsoftware and all the latest fitnessequipment for no upfront fee.
CV and strength equipment, as wellas free weights and indoor cycles, areincluded in the package and allequipment comes in excellent condi-tion from Pulse resale with a full serv-ice history.
For added piece of mind, the licenceincludes a maintenance contract forall the equipment.
Perfect Gym will also provide a cen-tral website with a personalisedonline brochure as well online joiningand session booking capabilities.
All Perfect Gym facilities benefitfrom a strong visual identity andready to go artwork for signage andsales and marketing, also savinglicensees money on design costs.
Perfect Gym director Jamie Mairsaid: “Perfect Gym has been designedto empower PTs and fitness entrepre-neurs to open their own fitness facili-ty.
“By removing the funding barrier weare helping PTs get to market for afraction of the cost.
“With assets for just 20 sites avail-able we are expecting a high level ofinterest which will see all the facilitiesopening over the next few months.”
Having set up his own club, Fithubin 2012, Jamie is well aware of thechallenges of opening your own facili-ty.
He added: “I was lucky enough toreceive fantastic support from a rangeof companies including Pulse Fitnessand I wanted to create a solution thatwould make it easier for other fitnessprofessionals to realise their dream ofhaving their own gym.”
Licence holders simply pay onefixed fee for the equipment and sys-tems once their facility is operationaland is generating revenue.
Whilst the licensee is responsible for
the venue, Perfect Gym professionalsare on hand to provide site findingadvice and planning assistance.
Jamie added: “The PT will knowtheir own local area, but we will visitand advise on feasibility of particularvenues to ensure they have the bestpossible chance of success.
“The Perfect Gym model works withvenues from 1,500sqft right up to5,000sqft so finding the right venue isvery achievable.”
Perfect Gym to bring 20 newfitness facilities to market
“The Perfect Gymmodel works withvenues from 1,500sqftright up to 5,000sqft sofinding the right venueis very achievable.”
A typical layout of a Perfect Gym.
UK FITNESS SCENE16Last issue, expert Deniz Paradot revealed more about Mindfulness and why it’s so important to practice in our dailylives. In the second part of Workout’s special feature, he reveals his practical tips on how to introduce Mindfulnessinto work, life and exercise.
How to introduce mindfulnessinto work, life and exercise IT all comes down to one thing: weneed to train our brains to focus onthe present moment and weed outdistractions.
As with any exercise, the more wepractice, the stronger we become.
There are a number of ways toachieve this focus, and we can andshould practice any of these exerciseswhenever and wherever we feel theneed:1. Mindful breathingBringing awareness to the breath ini-tiates a calm and clear state of mindand regulates shallow breathingcaused by anxiety. Take a few minutesto pay attention to your breath. Sitcomfortably, close your eyes andnotice your breath. Without force,inhale fully, feeling the coolness ofthe air enter your nostrils, notice howyour belly expands and contracts asyou exhale completely. Practice thiswhenever you feel anxious and needto find clarity, calm and focus.
2. Body scanningBody scanning helps release tension,quiet the mind and bring awarenessto your body in a systematic way. This
exercise can be done lying down,standing or even sitting. With youreyes closed focus on the toes of theleft foot, noticing any tension,whether they are cold, tingling, hot –any sensation. Focus your attentionhere for a few breaths before movingon to the sole of your foot and doingthe same. It’s all about noticing sensa-tion, honing your awareness to thepart of the body you are focusing on.Repeat the process as you travel fromyour foot to your ankle, calf, knee andthigh. Bring your attention to yourright foot and repeat the process.Continue up to your hips, lower back,stomach, chest, shoulders, each arm,hands, neck and head — maintainingyour focus on each body part and anysensations there for a few moments.Breathe into any areas that are hold-ing tension and try to release it withyour exhale.
3. Internal and external messagesPay attention to the tone of yourinternal dialogue as well as the wayyou communicate with family andfriends, as this reflects, maybe evenshapes, your state of mind more than
you might think.Notice yourthoughts and emo-tions, but don’tjudge them orbecome attached tothem. Instead, letnegative thoughtsgo and choose tothink and speak inpositive terms ofwhat you want toachieve.
4. Intention and visualisationElite athletes have been using inten-tion and visualisation to enhancetheir performance for decades; wecan apply this technique to our wholelives not just our workout routines.It’s important to set the intention forwhat you want in your life as being apart of your life now, not tomorrow ornext year. Whilst visualising what youwant to manifest, be completelygrateful for what you already have inyour life, then set your intention toachieve what you desire. Too oftenpeople tend to think of what theydon’t want to happen in life for exam-
ple, “I don’t want to put on weight.”Don’t give creative power to doubt,fear or any other life-drainingthoughts. Instead, frame yourthoughts and intentions with a posi-tive approach: “I am going to enjoymy body and care for myself usingEattitude (mindful eating) and exer-cising mindfully to be happy andhealthy in myself now.” When we payattention to the present moment, thefuture takes care of itself.
Practicing the techniques above,before or after a meeting or whenyou’re struggling with a project or acolleague, helps to detach your mindfrom distractions such as fear orunhelpful emotion and focus on thetask at hand. Over time you’ll be ableto call upon these practices easily toreturn to a state of calm, clarity andinsight.� Look out for the third part of theseries coming up next issue whereDeniz reveals how to implementMindfulness into a gym routine, plussome useful tips to pass on to yourmembers. For more information onThe Way of the Chimp programme,visit www.human-business.co.uk
Deniz Paradot
UK FITNESS SCENE 19
Sheffield City Council leader Julie Dore traded the town hall for the sports hall when shetook part in a netball session as part of the This Girl Can Campaign. The session took placeat the English Institute of Sport Sheffield and as well as taking part, Julie spoke to otherplayers – who work at EISS – about their participation in sport and why they wouldencourage others to take up physical activity. General manager of EISS, Paul Hudson, said:“It was great to see Julie join the netball session and we hope it inspires other women andgirls to give it a go. It was about demonstrating that sport is not just about elite success,but everyday women like Julie enjoying physical activity.”
By Christina Eccles
AN official opening event has cele-brated the completion of a £3m proj-ect to transform Eldon Leisure, fol-lowing the public opening of the newfacilities in June.
The works were completed in justover six months and include a neweight-lane tenpin bowling centre andfully licensed café bar, state-of-the-artnew fitness gym and studios, indoorVertigo Adventure Climbing Arenaand Jungle Jack’s Adventure Soft PlayArea with adjoining café.
Eldon Leisure, situated in INTUEldon Square Shopping Centre inNewcastle, is managed by local chari-ty North Country Leisure, part of theGLL group, who took over in July 2014as part of an asset transfer arrange-ment from Newcastle City Council.
The opening was attended by arange of people who all played a partin bringing the project to a successfulcompletion, with Roger Tames, chairof the NCL Newcastle Board of volun-teer trustees, carrying out the officialduties on the day.
He said: “Everybody who comes intoNewcastle City Centre can see thetremendous redevelopment under-way in Eldon Square but they mightnot be quite so aware that insideEldon Leisure the changes are just asspectacular.
“This official opening should remindeverybody that although our end ofEldon Square is still a few monthsaway from completing a fantasticmakeover, here at Eldon Leisure we’realready open for business and excitedabout a new era for one of the City’smost valued facilities."
Event marks project’s completionDignitaries celebrate the official opening of Eldon Leisure.
20
Welcome to WorkOut Weigh In – it’s your chance to have your say and share your views on industryissues. You can email us at [email protected] or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.
This month’stop Tweets...
Editor’s comment
@ChristinaEccles: Great to meet@BradyPoppinga @L_I_W. Lookout for news on his latest venturecoming soon in @WorkOutUK!
@James_Foley_007: Great to see@chicotimechico @Block_Fit at the@WorkOutUK stand @L_I_W ...thanks for the photo@ChristinaEccles :)
@Rookery_Spa: We are thrilled toannounce that after winning lastyear, we have been shortlisted forBest Hotel Facility in the@FitnessAwards 2015
@clubzestfitness: @WorkOutUK@FitnessAwards Zester's areshowing their support! #mem-berlove
@followthechimp: Picked up mycopy of @WorkOutUK from@L_I_W great to see the mindful-ness article
@GymcoBelfast: Check out@WorkOutUK September’s editionfor a feature on GymCo Belfast.Thanks to @OliviaGTaylor for theeditorial.
@DFC_Neil: Fantastic to see thiseditorial for @247Gym in@WorkOutUK this month #innova-tive @debitfinance #valuedclient
@Burlexercise: Check us out in@WorkOutUK this month! With acheeky discount on our trainingdays too!
@Oomph_PT: Check out the#GT30 write up in @WorkOutUK@dwsportsfitness @BSNsupps_UK#bsn #personaltrainer #grouptrain-ing
@thinkfitnessgym: Leicester herewe come! #TF4L been shortlistedfor #nationalfitnessawards Club ofthe Year! @MYZONEmoves@WorkOutUK
Picture of the month
Staff at Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa sent the England Rugby World Cup team on their way to Twickenham from their official team base.The club in Surrey – a past National Fitness Awards’ finalist – wished them luck for the tournament, with general manager Julian Tomlinand chairman of Exclusive Hotels and Venues Giuseppe Pecorelli pictured with head coach Stuart Lancaster, players and staff.
WHEN was the last time you learnedsomething new or pushed yourselfout of your comfort zone?
For many operators, the day to dayrunning of their businesses can be allconsuming – and it can be very easyto say you haven’t got the time toattend an industry event or that it’stoo expensive to book on to an educa-tional course.
But in today’s fast moving world –and in the face of ever increasingcompetition – it’s more importantthan ever to keep up to date with newtrends, listen to other people in yourfield – and in other industries – andtake advantage of networking oppor-tunities to ensure your club moveswith the times.
In recognition of this, we’velaunched the National FitnessConference with the aim of providingan affordable, valuable event for for-ward thinking gyms who want toimprove their businesses – withoutbreaking the bank.
The event will take place in Leicesterprior to The National Fitness Awardson December 4, and with speakers asdiverse as Katie Bulmer-Cooke, Dr
Paul Bedford and Dave Wright, plus arange of top exhibitors showcasingtheir latest products and innovations,it’s shaping up to be a great value formoney day at just £35 per ticket.
Find out more or book your place atwww.nationalfitnessconference.co.ukor look out for the next issue wherewe’ll be including a special confer-ence feature, revealing the full line-upand agenda for what promises to be amust-attend event.
The value of education and net-working was also recently demon-strated when we visited a refreshedLeisure Industry Week at the NEC.
Over the two days, the Workoutteam enjoyed meeting many visitorsin our popular trade lounge area,spoke to lots of exhibitors on theshow floor and attended some greatseminars.
Look out for show news in this issueand plenty more to come next monthin our LIW review feature – and we’realready looking forward to seeing howthe event progresses further for nextyear.
With events like the National FitnessConference and Awards, LIW and
many others in the calendar, there areso many opportunities for the indus-try to work together, learn from eachother and drive up standards acrossthe board, which can only be a posi-tive for all of us.
So if you aren’t already playing yourpart, what have you got to lose by get-ting involved?
Christina Eccles
Excitement builds for National Fitness AwardsOver on Facebook, excitement isbuilding for the National FitnessAwards.
Here are just a few of the commentswe’ve received so far from our short-listed gyms...Catherine Barker: “Very proud thatPink Ladies has been shortlisted forthis year’s Fitness Awards, a truly fan-tastic event. Words can not say howwe feel. Proud to be an independentgym, full of amazing people.”Bubalu Bristol: “Absolutely stoked!Thought it was a wind-up when thecall came in!”The Strength and Conditioning
Institute: “We are so excited!Absolutely delighted to be shortlisted,and this really is the icing on the cakefor us in what is turning out to be themost incredible year for The SCI. Wecannot wait to share more of our jour-ney with the judges when they visit.Thank you!”Mike Hind: “We're going to make thisso special. It’s what we have beenworking towards since the 28thNovember 2014... just hope you haveenough tables.”Rockets Health and Fitness Club:“Good news! Rockets have beenshortlisted for the customer service
award in the National Fitness Awards2015! That makes two years on thetrot! Exciting times!”
UK FITNESS SCENE22Children’s inactivity has been high on the agenda in recent months, with figures revealing the number of childrenachieving the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day is at a record low. A second pilot scheme ofFit for Sport’s Engage to Compete programme has proved a hit with both children and teachers, as well as creatingsuccessful partnerships with leisure operators and local communities. Workout found out more.
ENGAGE To Compete increases chil-dren’s participation in physical activi-ty and competition while simultane-ously engaging adults and leisureproviders.
Fit For Sport provides training, sup-port and mentoring for school staff –including classroom assistants, play-ground supervisors and lunchtimeleaders – to enable them to deliveractivities at playtime, lunchtime andafter school.
The Engage to Compete programmebrings structure, focus and new ideasto schools.
As such, it’s an important tool in thefight against childhood obesity andgives vital support to help schoolsimplement effective activity pro-grammes.
The Engage To Compete project ranfrom January to July 2015 in 44schools across Sandwell, Birmingham
and Tower Hamlets, London. A totalof 14,525 children took part and 590teachers, PE co-ordinators, lunchtimesupervisors and support staff weretrained.
Focusing on activities that helpbuild ‘physical literacy’ – such asthrowing, catching, running andjumping – Engage to Compete devel-ops co-ordination, agility and fitness.
The programme incorporates activi-ty throughout the school day andengages all children – not just thesporty ones.
Typical activities include hula-hoop-ing, bean bag throwing, skipping, ballchallenges and games to supportteam skills.
Engage To Compete engages adultsand leisure/community providers inthe local area through hosting inter-school Legacy Games Days and com-munity events. These partnerships are
vital to ensuring the raised level ofactivity remains into the future.
Community partnerships wereformed with Sandwell Council, TiptonSports Academy, West BromwichLeisure Centre, Black CountryCommunity Sports Partnership,Portway Leisure, London Sport, GLL,Mile End Sport Centre and PoplarPartnership.
Head of sport and community par-ticipation at GLL, Phil Lane, said: “FitFor Sport is a valued partner for GLLand the Engage To Compete pro-gramme has proved to be an innova-tive way to engage primary schoolpupils in fun activities with a measur-able outcome.
“The large number involved in theLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets isa great start and we’re looking tobuild on its success.”
By training staff, engaging with par-
ents and creating better communitylinks with local leisure providers,Engage To Compete becomes embed-ded in the local areas to give it thebest possible chance for continuinglong into the future.
The future looks bright with figuresfrom the first pilot conducted inManchester and Somerset in 2014show that one year on, there is an 85per cent retention and continuationof the programme.
CEO and founder of Fit for Sport,Dean Horridge, added: “The resultsfrom our second Engage To Competepilot fills me with confidence that wehave the right tools, skills and part-ners to deliver, monitor and improvephysical activity in junior school chil-dren.
“I honestly believe this programmecan help make physical illiteracy andinactivity a thing of the past.”
Pilot scheme proves a hitFit for Sport’s Engage to Compete programme has been successful with both children and teacher, as well as creating successful partnerships with operators and local communities.
UK FITNESS SCENE24
By Mark Laws, Jordan Fitness
A LONG term study was conductedon 30,000 men aged between 35 and64 who worked for London Transportin 1950.
The hypothesis was that physicallyactive men had lower incidents ofCHD and related illnesses than physi-cally inactive men.
So the study looked into the medicalrecords of bus/train/tram drivers(who sit all day) and conductors (whostand all day).
To cut a long story short, three inevery 1,000 drivers suffered fromCHD, whereas only two in every 1,000conductors suffered from CHD.
Seems like a small difference but forthose who remember studying mathsat school you will recognise that thedrivers are 50 per cent more likely tosuffer from CHD than the conduc-tors…and that is HUGE.
The conclusion of this, and manyother similar studies from all aroundthe world, is that employees in posi-tions that require higher physicalactivity have lower rates of heart dis-ease.
Armed with this information whatdid we do? We spent the next 65 yearsdeveloping gadgets to do our work forus and minimise the amount of phys-ical exertion we had to do.
Now conditions such as obesity andType 2 Diabetes are at their highest,people are fatter and weaker thanever before.
You can sit and argue that this is nottrue until you are blue in the face, butwhile you are sitting and arguing I amwalking around looking at the statewe have gotten ourselves into – and Iam not going to accept that the gen-eral population is healthy.
So what can be done about it? Thereare two options, we can carry on asbefore and hope things get better, orwe can make some changes.
For nine years I worked on my feetall day every day and felt great.
For the last two years I have beenpredominantly desk bound and havefelt terrible – tired, lethargic, head-aches, back-aches…I could feel weak-ness oozing through my entire body.
Last week I moved my computeronto some Plyo boxes (benefits ofworking for a fitness equipment man-ufacturer) and I feel alive again. Mytwo years of bad habits sitting downhave been undone in almost twoweeks of standing up.
If we have known about the benefitsof standing vs sitting for so long thenwhy do so few people do it?
Standing up at a desk to work is nota new phenomenon that I am claim-ing to have invented – Winston
Churchill had a stand up desk whichhe used to write at, as did ErnestHemingway.
Numerous studies have of coursebeen conducted regarding stand updesks with some really interestingresults – reduced symptoms of backpain, reduced symptoms of arthritis,increased calorie expenditure,increased productivity and reducedblood sugar levels are just some of themain benefits of standing up.
The problem we face is the excusespeople come up with as to why theyCAN’T stand – “my feet will hurt”, “myback will hurt”, “I won’t be able towork properly” etc etc etc – well asalways I aim to lead by example andafter two weeks of standing up from
9-5 here are my conclusions…I don’t get tired in the afternoons. I
sleep like an absolute baby everynight. I wake up feeling fresh beforemy alarm. I get more work done. I amhappier. I am more alert and mostnotably my backside has turned tostone…which has made me strongerand faster. Maybe your job is busierand more stressful than Churchill’s.
Maybe you have won moreNobel/Pulitzer prizes thanHemingway. Maybe sitting at yourdesk has made you stronger andhealthier than ever before.
In those cases you may be just fineas you are.
However for the majority of us itmight just be worth working reallyhard to find an excuse to spend acouple of hours on our feet now andthen. Ever heard the analogy aboutthe woman who didn’t realise herhusband was an alcoholic until oneday he came home sober?
Well maybe you don’t realise howbad sitting has been for you until youstand up for a few days.
Remember – if you do what youhave always done, you will have whatyou have always had.� For more information [email protected] orvisit www.jordanrbt.com to see acourse schedule.
Stand and deliver…
Mark Laws
AT LIW, Rubicon Sports launched theXPT – the ultimate training partner.
This power rack combines thedesired benefits of free weights withthe safety of machine weights byincluding a patented quad lock brak-ing system with a unique linear guid-ed barbell.
The barbell is incorporated into therack but unlike a Smith Machine itenables vertical, horizontal, diagonal,lateral and rotational bar movement
and this engages all muscle groups asin free weight training.
The patented quad lock braking sys-tem incorporates two levers on thebar. These are closed by the hands asthey grip the bar and when breakingis required, simply opening the handautomatically releases the lever andengages four solid steel locking pins,catching and stopping the bar in anyposition.
The XPT was designed by Brady
Poppinga, a Super Bowl winner withthe Green Bay Packers, to enhance hisown top end speed, power and explo-siveness at the end of his career.
He used it very effectively to doJump Squats amongst many explosivemovements and found he reduced his40yd sprint times even after he was 30years old. This had the effect of pro-longing his career by a few years.
For the health club market, it is justthe right machine for the free weight
area. As well as being able to enjoythe benefits of explosive movements,the gym owner need no longer worryabout the safety aspects associatedwith free weight training,confident/secure in the knowledgethat the XPT has the patented quadlock braking system.
To see a YOUTUBE video of the XPT inaction visit www.rubiconsports .co.uk
or for more information email [email protected]
Rubicon Sports launches XPT – the ultimate training partner
UK FITNESS SCENE26
Everyone Active hosted a day of exciting activities at all their centres to encourage mem-bers, guests and colleagues to get involved in the most active day of the year. On NationalFitness Day – September 9 – local communities had the chance to participate in an activi-ty challenge held in clubs. They were challenged to cycle, run and row at least 1km oneach activity, as well as being encouraged to swim as many lengths as possible in 30 min-utes. Participants were asked to donate a minimum of £1 to take part in the challenges,which went directly to the Anthony Nolan Trust.
A LEADING South West health cluband spa is to benefit from a majorextension, adding further to itsaward-winning facilities.
theclub at Cadbury House inCongresbury will gain a new quietand relaxation area, sun deck, outsidesauna and hot tub, plus eating area,thanks to a £350,000 investment.
Opening in early 2016, guests andmembers will be able to enjoy theviews over the North Somerset coun-tryside while in the winter, thosebrave enough will be able to enjoy theoutside sauna as well as hot tub,adding to the atmosphere and ambi-ence of the club.
General manager Jason Eaton said:“We’ve seen a steady rise in thedemand for spa days as theclub has
become the venue of choice for thoselooking for pamper day or weekend inthe region.
“Add this to our 4,000-strong mem-bership means we are able to extendour offer here further.
“We’re constantly looking at ways inwhich we can improve what we pro-vide our guests and members and theoutside area plus quiet zone havebeen something we’ve been missing.
“We’ve also had a lot of feedbackover the years asking if we were evergoing to provide and outside area soit’s great to respond to that feedback.
“By continually improving membersand guests’ experience is what sets usapart from all other health clubs.
“All being well, we plan to open thisnew area in the New Year 2016.”
Health club and spa tobenefit from refurb
Jason Eaton, general manager of theclub at Cadbury House.
Ray Thomson (seated on the floor, right) with class members.
New survey revealsrise of gym selfiesONE in three young consumers haveadmitted to taking gym selfies,according to new research from TheGym Group, which shows how socialmedia plays a part in fitness motiva-tion.
The operator surveyed a nationallyrepresentative UK poll of more than1000 consumers and a sample of itsmembership base to understand howpeople see fitness as part of theiridentity.
The findings revealed 38 per cent ofpeople aged 18-29 say they havetaken a gym selfie as social mediaaccelerates an appetite for exercise.
More than one in three youngBritons (37 per cent) say they follow
health and fitness accounts and half(52 per cent) say that posting theirown sporting progress, or seeing theirfriends’ fitness updates (54 per cent)motivates them to keep fit.
COO of The Gym Group, JimGraham, said: “It is great to see thatyoung people are increasingly inter-ested in sport and fitness and thatsocial media can be a useful tool forinspiring people to lead healthy andactive lives.
“While conversations about sportand fitness are booming online, themajority of people are most motivat-ed by getting out there and exercisingwith a friend or working towards acertain goal.”
Industry veteran Rayshares his tips forstaying successfulBy Olivia Taylor
A FITNESS industry veteran hasshared his secrets on how to stayenduringly successful.
Harrogate based Ray Thomson start-ed working in gyms 41 years ago andis still running one of the most popu-lar fitness classes in the area after 25years.
He said: “I’m still as fit and as keenas I was back then, that’s part of thereason why the class has been goingfor 25 years. In our industry you reallycan see whose job it is and whosepassion it is.”
Ray is a firm believer in education,making sure he keeps himself up todate with the latest fitness trends bygoing on relevant courses wheneverhe gets the opportunity.
He added: “The changes in theindustry have been massive, we’vegone from literally having two gymsto 50 gyms in the area. Instructorsneed to be more a lot diverse now.”
The fitness instructor believes hehas got better at teaching as he hasgrown older and spent more time inthe industry.
He added: “As you become moremature you get a better understand-ing of the industry and of people’sabilities, this has helped me become abetter instructor.”
Ray’s classes get up to 60 people inattendance and he believes they’re sopopular with the community becausehe makes sure everyone feels wel-come and enjoys themselves.
He said: “I make sure I speak toeveryone that walks through the door,and we do fancy dress classes wherepeople can win cash prizes – it’s like amini party.
“You need to be aware of what’sgoing on in the environment aroundyou. You have to engage people tocome along. It’s so much fun. I love itand I’ll continue forever and a day.
“My enthusiasm for the industry isstill there and it always will be.”
UK FITNESS SCENE28
Mark and Kelly Harding with Adrian Waite, chief executive of Barnsley Business and Innovation Centre, which ran the competition withthe Barnsley Chronicle.
By Mike Cotton
A REVOLUTIONARY new brand ofhealthy foods free from wheat, dairyand gluten has won the BarnsleyChronicle's Barnsley Means BusinessCompetition.
FitEx has won a year's free officespace and advertising worth up to£10,000 after coming out top in thesearch to find the most promisingentrepreneurial start-up business inBarnsley.
The firm aims to be a householdname among people looking for awide range of foods from gym-target-ed protein bars to supermarket readymeals which will always be free ofwheat, dairy and gluten and manu-factured using only natural ingredi-
ents. “When I buy anything I always read
the nutritional information on thelabel,” said Mark Harding, who is run-ning the business with his wife Kelly,29.
“I want people to pick up FitExproducts and know they don’t need toread the label, they’ll just know it’smade with healthy, natural ingredi-ents.”
The first product to be launched willbe a protein bar – the first samples ofwhich were made by a Barnsley bak-ery on FitEx's behalf with nuts andseeds milled in the Hardings’ kitchen.
“The timing literally could not havebeen better for us,” added Mark, 34.
“We avoid wheat, dairy and glutenin our diet, and we go to the gym five,
or maybe six times a week. So weneed this sort of product to supportwhat we do in the gym.”
He said the only possible alterna-tives available at the moment are soyabased products which the couple alsotry to avoid overeating.
“I read a lot of entrepreneurialbooks, and it's simple really – ifthere’s a product that you need, and itdoesn't exist you know you’ve got aproduct that can be successful.
“Winning the competition will giveus the boost we need to get the mar-ket penetration we need much quick-er.”
Mark and Kelly are now arranging tomove into their new office at BarnsleyBusiness and Innovation Centre atWilthorpe.
Healthy foods brand winsnewspaper’s competition
PULSE has created a new fitness facil-ity at a prestigious Manchester hotel.
The gym at The Spa at The Midlandhas been fitted out with the highestspecification from Pulse’s cardiovas-cular and strength ranges.
The installation includes theConsole Six, an 18.5” android tablettouch screen which comes attachedto the Fusion Cardiovascular rangeand incorporates market leadingtechnology to allow members toexperience digital TV and radio, aswell as full internet browsing withsocial media access while they work-out.
Pulse also installed a free weightsarea and bespoke functional trainingrig, with users also able to benefitfrom innovative member manage-ment software Smart Centre.
Group leisure and spa manager forQHotels, Dave Heap, said: “Our new
spa is a premium facility so werequired a fitness facility to match.Pulse’s market leading technologyreally exceeds expectations.
“We are also extremely confident in
the support that Pulse provide whichincludes training and an extensivewarranty. They’re dedicated, support-ive and they’ve helped add value toour hotels.”
Pulse kits out prestigious Manchester hotel
The new gym at The Spa at The Midland.
UK FITNESS SCENE30
Advertiser’s announcement
Get back to basics
What’s your primary service?I’m constantly astonished by thenumber of health and fitness opera-tors who think that good service isdefined by the amount of contactthat their staff have with their gymmembers. In fact customers usingequipment that they do not own is aservice and all gyms are sellingequipment availability. When equip-ment is undersupplied and cus-tomers cannot get on it becauseother customers are blocking themfrom using it, this is bad service. Ifcustomers can easily get on theequipment that is good service. Eachand every person who buys a gymmembership is paying to shareequipment with other customers.
This has been proved, not only byour own research in hundreds ofgyms across the UK, but also byother studies. TRP’s biggest researchstudy of the health and fitnessindustry asked 10,000 memberswhat they thought of their currentgym; what they liked, disliked, whatfrustrated them, motivated themand kept them coming back. Itfound that members who have tofrequently queue for equipment andfound it annoying, were 50 per centmore likely to cancel than memberswho do not.
Earlier this year, Listen360, part ofRetention Solutions, presented thefindings of its analysis of feedbackfrom over two million members, oneof the largest studies of its kind inthe fitness industry. The datashowed that detractors, unhappycustomers, the single biggest causeof complaint was to do with equip-ment, when asked what theythought about their club.
What about other factors?Friendly staff, good customer serv-ice, spotless facilities etc. can allhelp to attract and maintain mem-bers, but at the end of the day peo-ple join a gym to use the equipment.That’s your primary service. Still notconvinced? Well what would happenif you halved the equipment in yourgym? How would this impact reten-tion and membership? Undoubtedly,it would have a dramatic impact –members would get annoyed that
they couldn’t access the kit, cus-tomer satisfaction would plummetand members would leave. It doesn’tmatter if you excel in everything elseyou do, if members can’t get on theequipment they want to use, theywon’t be happy. Similarly, if you thenreturned the removed equipment,customer satisfaction wouldincrease and you’d attract newmembers.
Interestingly, we are consistentlymeasuring lower customer satisfac-tion among male gym members,which shows that men are lesshappy with the availability of equip-ment than females. Looking deeperinto our research, we can see this isbecause freeweight areas - generallymore popular with male members -tend to be less well catered for ingyms than cardio equipment, whichare more popular with females.Essentially, this means that femalesare getting a better service in gyms
than their male counterparts whenwe view the service being sold istime sharing equipment with othercustomers.
Similarly customer satisfactionscores fall in gyms busier Januaryperiods when gyms get busier andcustomers cannot access the equip-ment and also satisfactions scoresare generally lower in the busy peakperiod in the evening than they arein the quieter parts of the day,because the service customers arereceiving is lower, they can’t accessthe equipment that they want, whenthey want.
Measure and manage itOperators who don’t understandthat equipment availability is theirprimary service, don’t measure it.And if they don’t measure it, theycan’t manage it. Without the facts,operators are effectively workingblind unable to make the informeddecisions needed to improve thecustomer experience and grow theirbusiness. Our studies measure theavailability of equipment on yourgym floor, identifying unnecessarywaste and where you need to investin more kit to meet customerdemand and improve service.Clients who have measured thisavailability and acted on our recom-mendations have seen quantumleaps in customer satisfaction. Butthe benefits extend well beyondimproved Net Promoter Scores toincreased retention and a growth inmembership. Equipment availabilityis the primary service that all gymsare selling and therefore the mostimportant factor in customer satis-faction. Given that customer satis-faction is the leading driver ofgrowth, operators need to appreci-ate the importance of equipmentavailability, once and for all, if theywant to succeed.
Rory McGown
Operators need to understand the core service they are offering if they want to satisfy customers, improveretention and grow their business.
UK FITNESS SCENE 31
Advertiser’s announcement
Seminars mark launch of Les Mills’ newgroup cycling programme – SPRINTDID you know the average clubcycle studio sits dormant forupwards of 80% of the day. Doesyours?
The market is changing. Exercisespaces are shifting. Despite theirhigh cost, small boutique gyms witha single activity are becomingincreasingly popular and people aremoving away from typical, multi-purpose fitness centres.
Boutique cycling facilities have hitthe UK hard and are rapidly stealingmarket share, reflecting the trend inthe US where they are turning overmore than £300,000 annually from asingle 100m2 studio, and experienc-ing thousands of attendances aweek.
What would attendances like thismean to your business?
Don't get left behind; find outhow you can lead this trend in yourarea.
Attend the Les Mills InsightSeminar: Indoor Cycling; themissed opportunity.
“Indoor cycling is an area that’s
getting a lot of air time but don’tpanic…there is an opportunity forclubs operating in the traditionalfitness space, said Martin Franklin,CEO of Les Mills UK. “In fact, thereare five key areas that clubs canfocus on to beat the boutiques andwe will be sharing our insight at ourforthcoming seminars taking placenationwide from September.
“The insight seminars mark thelaunch of Les Mills’ new groupcycling programme – SPRINT.
“The 30-minute class incorporates
high-intensity interval training(HIIT) techniques and is a fast,high-energy work out that will leaveparticipants wanting more.
As with all Les Mills programmes,SPRINT is backed by science andthe HIIT workout is based on thesport of high performance cyclesprinting, giving participants ashort, sharp workout.
Short bursts of intensity followedby short periods of active recoverywill push participants harder thanother cycle programmes within the
market and help the class achieveand smash their fitness goals faster,all led by highly engaging and moti-vating Les Mills instructors.
Martin added: “Obviously it’s greatto be able to launch a brand newprogramme into the market place.
“This development is hot on theheels of the success of LES MILLSGRIT™, our HIIT programmewhich is proving extremely success-ful for clubs which have launched itonto their timetables.
“We believe SPRINT will help ourpartners tap into a young, ‘millenni-al’ audience and those who areincreasingly time poor.
“Instructor training begins inOctober and spaces are expected tosell out quickly as there is a greatdeal of excitement around thislaunch.”
Les Mills SPRINT will join the fam-ily of other indoor cycle pro-grammes that Les Mills offers itsclub partners; RPM™ Virtual andthe TRIP, which is part of theIMMERSIVE FITNESS™ offering.
Register today to secure your place at a Les Mills Insight Seminar. Simplysearch for Les Mills UK at www.eventbrite.co.uk or for more information
about SPRINT email [email protected]
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING 31
The new outdoor training space features nine SYNRGY BlueSky training stations.
University transforms outdoortraining with new installationA COLLABORATION between the University ofNottingham and Life Fitness has seen the creationof a new outdoor training space featuring nineSYNRGY BlueSky training stations.
The 1.7m outdoor active trail represents the con-tinuing investment into sport by the university andextends across five sites on the University Parkcampus.
The installation features two stations of BlueSky14, one BlueSky 10 station and six BlueSky two sta-tions. It was unveiled during Freshers’ Week whenover 34,000 students and staff were on campus forthe start of term.
As an induction to the new outdoor training facil-ity, the university’s sport and fitness team held a
day of 30-minute training tutorials to introduceusers to fun, energetic workout sessions featuringcircuit and interval training and fun challenges.
UK vertical sector manager at Life Fitness, CraigCocking, said: “Our partnership with the Universityof Nottingham has been hugely successful and fol-lowing installations at their indoor training facili-ties earlier this year, helping them take functionaltraining outdoors has been very exciting.
“The introduction of this innovative and versatileoutdoor training system delivers limitless optionsand creating this inviting and inspirational exercisespace with SYNRGY BlueSky will help students aswell as local people to enjoy fitter and healthierlifestyles.”
Members at Whitehaven Sports Centre can now benefit from a new dedicated functional training zone, designed to rein-vigorate the club’s membership offering and tap into current trends. The club has converted one of its squash courts intothe new zone, which is open to all pay as you go and direct debit members who can use it as part of their gym routine.Specialist functional classes and small group personal training are also on offer, with exercise referral clients also bene-fiting from the new space as part of their sessions in the club.
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING 34
Dynamax Inc promotesFergus to global seniorvice president position INDUSTRY veteran Fergus Ahern hasbeen promoted from global sales andmarketing director to global seniorvice president at Dynamax Inc.
This means that, while his responsi-bilities will encompass the entire UKoperation, sales and marketing, hewill now oversee the entire globaloperation.
Dynamax was founded in 1985 bytwo sports coaches, who created amedicine ball to fit the needs of theirathletes, which was both durableenough to withstand the high impactof training and soft enough not toinjure the hands.
Already a popular choice withCrossFit-affiliated boxes, the emer-gence of Dynamax into the globalcommercial fitness market will bespearheaded by Fergus, supported bya newly appointed international com-mercial and education team.
He said: “I am very proud to be lead-ing the extension of the Dynamaxbrand into the global health and fit-ness market.
“The intricacies of its design andmanufacturing process combinedwith proprietary Velocity MovementTraining methods make Dynamax oneof the best functional training toolsavailable.
“I’m looking forward to introducingthe business to new UK, US and inter-national partners and developing theeducation strategy to support ourexisting customers and distributors.”
Fergus Ahern
STRENGTH and conditioning equip-ment specialist Absolute Performancehas worked with professionals acrossall sporting disciplines from elite per-formance directors and coaches, topersonal trainers and gym owners.
As an independent company AP canoffer products for a variety of budgetsranging from premium IWF accredit-ed Werksan to their own APFunctional Training Series.
Whether creating a training facilityfrom scratch, refurbishing or needinghelp to source equipment, AP ensurescustomers get the best solution fortheir needs.
Absolute Performance managingdirector Tony Buchanan said: “Our APFunctional Training Series of equip-ment has proved extremely popular,because they are cost-effective and
for example, the training rigs are cus-tom designed and made-to-measurefor each facility.
“The rigs are also versatile, can haveequipment add-ons and if wallmounted save valuable trainingspace. When used with elite APHeavyweight flooring the trainingarea has a highly durable surfaceenabling a wide range of trainingexercises and options.
“The ability to also brand trainingequipment with facility colours andlogos definitely helps to create thattruly motivational training facility forgym members, students, professionalsporting teams and rising sportingstars alike.”
For more information go to www.aperformance.co.uk
or call 029 2036 2664.
Functional training solutionsby Absolute Performance
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING36
FITNESS instructors from EveryoneActive have broadened their skills bycompleting Lifetime Training’sFunctional Resistance Trainingcourse.
The REPs accredited one-day courseis designed to provide the sciencebehind functional training, examiningits role for fitness professionals, theo-ry and movement patterns as well asproviding functional exercise pro-gramming.
Group training manager at EveryoneActive, Harvey Gosling, said: “Safe andappropriately designed functionaltraining is hugely effective for peopleof all ages and abilities – and it’s funtoo.
“We invest in the latest functionaltraining equipment at all our centresso it’s essential that our fitness moti-vators keep learning the latest tech-niques as part of their professionaldevelopment.”
Instructors broaden skillsby completing course
Instructors from Everyone Active have completed Lifetime Training’s Functional ResistanceTraining course.
PHYSICAL Company is launchingits own line of Titan Bags, devel-oped in conjunction with WildTraining founder and personaltrainer James Griffiths.
Described by James as a five-mode system, Physical CompanyTitan Bags have been designed withtwo pairs of handles.
One pair is on the body of the bagand the other as detachable d-ringson each end. The stitched-in han-dles allow for excellent control anda firm grip while performing arange of exercises such as powerlifts, cleans, snatches and highpulls, where the bag should be keptstill in the hands.
The detachable handles make thebag effective when used in wide-swinging, halo-style exercises and
other swing based rotational move-ments.
James said: “For a long time I had-n’t really wanted to use sand orBulgarian bags in both my owntraining and for my clients as I hadbad experiences of sub-standardbags that would easily tear, weren’tshaped correctly and didn’t havethe right handle configurations toallow the wide variety of exercisesthat we use at Wild Training.
“I relished the opportunity towork with Physical Company todevelop the Titan Bag and havingbeen involved from the early stages,I know they have been designed tothe point where everything I wouldever want to programme with themcan be done comfortably and effec-tively.”
Physical Company launchesown line of Titan Bags
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING 37
The new outdoor training space features nine SYNRGY BlueSky training stations.
University transforms outdoortraining with new installationA COLLABORATION between the University ofNottingham and Life Fitness has seen the creationof a new outdoor training space featuring nineSYNRGY BlueSky training stations.
The 1.7m outdoor active trail represents the con-tinuing investment into sport by the university andextends across five sites on the University Parkcampus.
The installation features two stations of BlueSky14, one BlueSky 10 station and six BlueSky two sta-tions. It was unveiled during Freshers’ Week whenover 34,000 students and staff were on campus forthe start of term.
As an induction to the new outdoor training facil-ity, the university’s sport and fitness team held a
day of 30-minute training tutorials to introduceusers to fun, energetic workout sessions featuringcircuit and interval training and fun challenges.
UK vertical sector manager at Life Fitness, CraigCocking, said: “Our partnership with the Universityof Nottingham has been hugely successful and fol-lowing installations at their indoor training facili-ties earlier this year, helping them take functionaltraining outdoors has been very exciting.
“The introduction of this innovative and versatileoutdoor training system delivers limitless optionsand creating this inviting and inspirational exercisespace with SYNRGY BlueSky will help students aswell as local people to enjoy fitter and healthierlifestyles.”
Members at Whitehaven Sports Centre can now benefit from a new dedicated functional training zone, designed to rein-vigorate the club’s membership offering and tap into current trends. The club has converted one of its squash courts intothe new zone, which is open to all pay as you go and direct debit members who can use it as part of their gym routine.Specialist functional classes and small group personal training are also on offer, with exercise referral clients also bene-fiting from the new space as part of their sessions in the club.
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING38
By Christina Eccles
THE team at a specialist functionaltraining facility in Letchworth is cele-brating a successful first year in busi-ness.
The brain child of personal trainerMichael Draper, Fitness Hub andCrossFit LGC became Hertfordshire'svery first gym and combined CrossFitbox when it opened its doors in 2014– and the business has been goingfrom strength to strength ever since.
With a focus on training muscles ina functional way, Fitness Hub has
been taking members back to basicswhen it comes to training, using a lotof bodyweight techniques and func-tional training kit, such as theCrossCore 180, kettlebells, tyres,ropes and the prowler.
Michael explained: “When peopletrain at Fitness Hub their eyes areopened to a completely new way oftraining.
“For years people have been goingto the gym to slog it out for an houron the cardio machines, with a fewexercises on the fixed weightmachines thrown in, so we're always
really excited to show them a newway of moving that will help them intheir everyday lives.”
Functional movement is at the heartof everything the team do at FitnessHub.
Mobility is a big focus for theinstructors at the gym and is some-thing they teach their members tocontinue at home.
As well as a timetable bursting withclasses that focus on functional train-ing and functional movement, theinstructors also take each memberthrough a functional training pro-
gramme when they attend their gyminduction.
This includes everything from ropesmashes and prowler pushes to bearcrawls and tyre flips.
Michael added: “It’s important forour members to learn how to moveefficiently and effectively at the sametime as working towards an end goal.
“We really focus on community spir-it at Fitness Hub as we want it to be afun training environment for every-one who comes in, from advancedCrossFit members to absolute begin-ners.”
Facility celebrates successful first yearFitness Hub in Letchworth has been taking members back to basics when it comes to training since opening last year, using a lot of bodyweight techniques and functional training kit.
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING 39
By Christina Eccles
TRX UK has welcomed global head ofhuman performance Chris Frankel,plus a host of elite strength and con-ditioning professionals, to the LomaxPT Studio in Chelsea, for an exclusiveseminar focusing on developing ath-letic performance with TRX.
As part of the company’s expansionin the UK, Chris, who is the creator ofTRX’s workout programmes andtraining protocols visited London toshare his expertise with industry pro-fessionals. Attendees included theBritish Army, the LTA, Super League
rugby clubs and Premier League foot-ball clubs, as well as leading trainersfrom a number of key TRX accounts.
With more than 25 years’ experienceas a professional sports coach, train-er, educator and an establishedauthor, he shared his learnings fromworking with elite athletes, as well ashis work with the US Marines, Navy,Army and Special Forces on how tomaximise use of the TRX to deliveragainst a host of conditioningrequirements. Over the two days, aseries of discussions and interactivesessions took place concentrating onthe importance of movement based
training for performance and durabil-ity; mobility training on the TRXSuspension Trainer; training clientsfor optimum performance and train-ing high performance athletes andmilitary personnel.
Chris said: “I have thoroughlyenjoyed my time in London. We havehad some incredibly knowledgeable,experienced trainers and passionateTRXperts in the gym.
“The seminar enabled me to sharesome of the innovations in our train-ing programmes that will underpinour new range of educational courses,launching in the UK over the next few
months.”TRX senior director EMEA Alan Holl
added: “It’s been great to be able toget Chris to London to share the latestinnovations in TRX training with keyfigures from UK elite sport and thefitness industry.
“We will shortly be making a num-ber of announcements about our neweducational plans in the UK and aswe start to communicate this it isimportant we begin to share this con-tent with key influencers.
“The two-day seminar in Londonhas allowed us to do just this withsome great feedback.”
Chris shares latest innovations at TRX seminarTRX global head of human performance Chris Frankel at the two-day event at the Lomax PT Studio in Chelsea (left) and Chris Frankel shares his expertise (right).
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING40
THE Courtside Sports and FitnessCentre in Milton Keynes has recentlytaken delivery of their brand newGym Gear Spartan Rig.
The re-developed facility now tar-gets both class and personal trainingsessions as they have moved away
from being a traditional CV andstrength station gym.
This approach now ensures that thefacility is able to compete on a newlevel against the chain gyms whichhave rapidly expanded in the localarea.
The rig has been supplemented byadditional items such as a Gym GearFull Power Rack alongside a widerange of free weights and functionaltraining equipment.
For more information visitwww.FitnessWarehouseUK.com
Spartan Rig whips up a storm at Courtside
FROM its origins in rehabilitation,functional training has evolved tobecome central to any mainstreamgym workout.
It uses multiple muscle groups inan integrated way and is an inclu-sive form of exercise that is suitablefor everyone, from complete noviceto professional athlete.
It can be tailored to directly sup-port the movements required forany number of individual sports and
lifestyles.Exigo’s MFS and Club Series func-
tional training rigs and equipment,cater for every aspect of functionaltraining and for every type and sizeof gym facility, whatever your space.
There’s a choice of 21 standardpaint colours, plus other colours onrequest, along with a superb rangeof accessories. Our in-house designteam can help you to bring all yourideas to life by producing a full con-
cept gym design.Exigo rigs are designed and manu-
factured in our own UK factory toISO 9001 standards. When com-pared to cardio equipment, theyoffer low running costs, low mainte-nance costs and are guaranteed tomeet the latest expectations of yourgym members.
For more information and to request ournew brochure visit www.exigo-uk.com or
call 0870 850 1822.
Exigo: the experts in functional training equipment
Six gyms which place functional training at the heart of their offering will battle it out to be named the country’s best at the 2015National Fitness Awards. Shortlisted in Functional Training Gym of the Year are Banks O’Dee Sports Club in Aberdeen, Surrey Sports Parkin Guildford, DMC Fitness in Glasgow, The Strength and Conditioning Institute in Kent and Gym 360 in Peterlee, as well as last year’s win-ner FSI Gym in North Shields (pictured) who will be looking to retain the title. The trophy will be handed out at a ceremony on December4 at The Athena in Leicester.
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING 41
Cybex agrees exclusivitydeal with Jordan FitnessCYBEX International has signed anexclusivity deal with functional fitnessspecialists, Jordan Fitness, to providetheir customers with the best in freeweight and functional training equip-ment.
The deal seals a long term relation-ship with the two companies whohave traded for a number of years.
Rob Thurston, Cybex commercialdirector UK, said: “It was importantfor us that we found the right partnerto ensure our customers benefit fromthe same quality and functionality asthe rest of the Cybex range.
“With Jordan Fitness we know thatnot only are the products going to fit
our customer’s requirements, theirservice and fulfilment levels are alsosecond to none.”
As part of Jordan’s new customisa-tion service they will be producing allrelevant storage systems in the Cybexrange of colours, utilising their newPowder Coating facility at the JordanHQ.
Scott Lamber, global trade salesmanager at Jordan Fitness, added:“Cybex are extremely well respectedaround the world, so it’s a massivecompliment that they have chosen topartner with us. We very much lookforward to working together on a larg-er scale than ever before.”
Rob Thurston and Scott Lamber.
Interlocking mats featureon three areas at LIWTHIS year's Leisure Industry Weekwas different, but the fundamentaldemands of leisure service operatorsremains the same.
Facilities continue to adapt to theforever changing sands of time andchanging landscape of the industry.
So solutions that are fit for purposeand have a degree of flexibility arepopular.
The IDASS interlocking mats wereon three LIW feature areas; grouptraining used firm mats, which werecolourful and provided some give;around the pool, rubber mats wereused for durability and we had a smallweights area by the Jordon Trainingzone.
Interlocking mats were on the wholeof the Physical Company stand, wherethe need was for a weights and afunctional zone so rubber and firmmats were used. Rugged Interactivehad their interactive lighting systemwhich uses IDASS mats.
IDASS also had their printable mats,with their 360 degree pattern, using a
large format flatbed printer any art-work can be printed on the blackmats.
Interlocking mats are loose laid soyou have flexibility to grow or changeyour floor. You have a high qualityfloor with the flexibility to change.
It was a successful LIW for IDASSthis year and we hope to see the showflourish and meet many more cus-tomers in future years.
If you would like a sample pack of IDASSmats, just e-mail [email protected]
with your postal address.
A successful gym in Tonbridge, which specialises in strength and functional training, ismoving to a new state of the art development to allow the team to expand the business.Moving to the new Blossom Bank premises will enable The Strength and ConditioningInstitute to double in size. The new facility will include an 800 sqft dedicated functionalconditioning area and a 1500sqft strength training section. Director and head coach AlexShoebridge said: “We opened in 2012 knowing there was a gap in the market for a worldclass training facility offering the quality of information and training that The SCI hasbecome known for. The last three years has absolutely proven that, and we’re delighted tobe expanding the business on such a scale.”
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING42
WHEN kitting out a gym or functionalspace, nothing’s more important thanmaking sure you have the right kit foryour needs.
With space and cost being a hugefactor, being able to customise yourset up can be a huge advantage,allowing you to incorporate as manywinning features as possible into onereliable piece of equipment.
Wolverson Fitness are one of theUK’s leaders in creating fully cus-tomisable bespoke rigging and stor-age solutions, offering a wide range ofoptions including full paint jobs andlogos, and a component design sys-tem which allows for virtually anyexisting set up to be combined andexpanded. All metal work has a widerange of colour and finish optionsavailable (including galvanised ormetallic coats).
Wolverson offer a huge range of wallmounted or free standing options,and awkward spaces are no problem.
Whether you have a £20k or £1kbudget, they can create a solution tomeet your exact needs, drawing on
years of design and installation expe-rience across the country, such as thisrope attachment rig recently installedat Deeside’s Number One Health andFitness.
For a non obligation quote for buildingyour dream rig, call Wolverson Fitness on
01922 618 780, email [email protected] or visit
www.wolverson-fitness.co.uk
Get the right kit for your gym’s needs
SINCE it first launched in 2013,KETTFusion has increased in popu-larity due to the functional trainingnature of the class.
Fusing together two proven fitnessdisciplines, KETTFusion offers some-thing that has never been seen in theindustry before – the use of light-weight kettlebells, interspersed withmartial arts exercises performed totribal rhythms.
Already a huge hit in the North-East
of England and incredibly popular ingyms such as Life Leisure and HattonHealth and Fitness, Michael Ross,founder and creator of KETTFusion isstruggling to keep up with demandaround the rest of the UK.
He said: "Everyone who has evertried a KETTFusion class absolutelyloves it because it gives a full bodycardio, strength and conditioningworkout in just 60 minutes.
“People turn up and get involved,
get their heart pumping, burn calo-ries and work up a really good sweat.The perfect ingredients for a success-ful fitness class."
This year has been a busy one forthe team, with class demonstrationstaking place at The Scottish Fitnessand Nutrition Expo and LIW and fur-ther demos booked at ProjectFit inNovember and FitJam in January.
For more information visit www.kettfusion.com
KETTfusion demonstrates class at LIW
Jordan Fitness light up new look showONE of the highlights of this year’sLIW was the Functional Fitness Zonepowered by Jordan Fitness.
The area wasn’t just loaded with thelatest in functional training equip-ment but also crammed with some ofthe best coaches in the industry.
The Jordan Training Academy pulledsome of their biggest names out ofthe hat, such as Stephen Aish, RachelFrance and Ben Coomber, whoutilised the area and equipment toput on engaging and informative ses-sions throughout the show. Topics
covered included Biomechanics,Olympic Lifting, Mobility, NLP, HIITRig Training and a Q&A session withBen Coomber in which he encour-aged questions on absolutely any-thing.
Tracy Sollitt, whose training teamfrom Village Hotels took full advan-tage of the free sessions, said: “All ses-sions were extremely well receivedand all tutors were clearly an inspira-tion to my coaches.
“I personally observed the sessionsand was really impressed by how the
tutors interacted with my team. “They broke each element down to
make them easy to understand so myteam could take pearls of wisdomaway with them rather than drowningthem in indecipherable knowledgebombs.
“My team haven't stopped talkingabout the experience.”
Further information on functional trainingequipment and education from Jordan
Fitness can be found at www.jordanfitness.co.uk
www.jordanrbt.com or call 01553 763285.
INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SOLUTIONS44
Simon Whitnall
New toolkit launchedfor personal trainersA NEW online toolkit has launched tohelp personal trainers grow their busi-nesses.
GetPTfit is the brainchild of personaltrainer Simon Whitnall, who is alsocaptain of the England Touch Rugbyteam, and Chris Mitchell, an experi-enced marketing professional.
The toolkit helps personal trainerspromote their business, increase theirincome and motivate their clients.
Features include: � Professional online presenceincluding website, online bookingsand payments, client app and onlinestore.� Business promotional tools includ-ing listing in a dedicated PT directoryand promotion of fitness classes local-ly.� Additional income generation via
online bookings and payments, onlinestore and remote training.� Motivating clients remotely withregular engagement between sessions.� Online remote training enabling PTsto manage unlimited clients and sharefitness and nutrition plans.
Simon said: “Personal trainers oftenwork long unsociable hours and haveto become an expert in every aspect oftheir business, not just the personaltraining they enjoy but also sales, mar-keting, accounts, promotion, tax andfinance.
“Chris and I have combined ourknowledge of the fitness industry withmarketing and branding experience tocreate an affordable online platformthat helps personal trainers betterengage with their clients and growtheir businesses.”
AN enhanced active rewards pro-gramme is set to shake up theindustry, by enabling members toearn rewards through being active –and in particular through joining agym.
Fettle works in partnership withUK insurance companies and theirclients and upon joining, people areinstantly rewarded with member-ship to the gym of their choice.
Fettle pays the operator directlyand people are not restricted to cer-tain options. Members are rewardedfor personal improvement, progres-sion and commitment – regardlessof their starting level of fitness. Theywork towards their own person-alised goals, earning credits which
can be exchanged for rewards oftheir choice.
The Fettle platform also offersmultiple benefits to operators;introducing new members includ-ing those who previously might nothave considered them gym users.
Fettle also funds up to four yearsof membership, more than twoyears longer than the average lengthof stay.
CEO at Fettle, Brent Kelly, said:“Fettle is the biggest serviceenhancement the leisure industryhas ever seen. It’s a revolution inactive rewards and it will dramati-cally impact the way in which mem-bers engage with their own fitnessjourney.”
Fettle funds gym membership
INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SOLUTIONS46
CFM, MyZone and 3-1-5 Health clubin Lancaster have teamed up tolaunch an innovative campaign in theLancaster area.
500 local residents of the area whoare currently classed as inactive andde-conditioned will have the oppor-tunity to participate in a three yearstudy and be inspired to the benefitsof active living.
3-1-5 will offer participants a 50 percent reduced rate membership toaccess the club as well as a MyZoneactivity monitor belt; the only tech-nology in the market which individu-ally monitors and motivates theclient.
£1m+ over the three years is beinginvested into this project in order tooffer these benefits and ensure thatclients complete the journey with tan-
gible results. It has been proven that clients who
invest into their own health and aremonitored and motivated have a farhigher success rate that whenenrolled in a project that is free andhas no accountability.
The drive to work together on thiscampaign came from the UKactivereport ‘steps to solving inactivity’which found that Lancashire had anational rank of 90 in terms of its levelof inactive people, out of 150 localauthorities and that 30 per cent ofpeople in Lancashire were classed asinactive.
If you would like to find out more about aCFM Memberdrive campaign to help you
get more members please call on 0115 777 3333 and press option one or
email [email protected]
Lancaster gym teams upwith CFM for campaign
PHS launches activeageing strength andbalance solutionPERFORMANCE Health Systems haslaunched a strength and balance solu-tion with adapted software specifical-ly developed with age-related needsin mind.
The Active Ageing Solution compris-es a Power Plate my7 adapted withsoftware and four preloaded pro-grammes designed to help older peo-ple enjoy independent living forlonger by addressing risk factorsbrought on by sedentary ageingincluding loss of muscular strengthand balance and reduced mobilityand range of motion.
The programmes are activated viathe touch screen embedded into thePower Plate head, enabling users towork independently or with supportfrom a carer or instructor. Interactivevideo coaching gives clear guidanceand coaching points to ensure correctform.
Head of corporate wellness, elderlycare and medical at PerformanceHealth Systems Chris Brown said:
“Our Active Ageing Solution is bene-ficial for anyone over the age of 55,regardless of their level of fitness ormobility. One Power Plate can cater tothe needs of many older people at agym, care home or day centre. “Weoffer a complete solution, combiningspecific programming, accredited
staff training and education, acces-sories, measurement and monitoringtools, specifically developed to alignwith NICE QS 86.
“Any facility seeking to offer a fallsprevention service can rest assuredour Active Ageing Solution can helpachieve evidence-based outcomes,grounded in improving functional,independent daily living and qualityof later life.”
INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SOLUTIONS48
By Christina Eccles
INNOVATIVE operator EveryoneActive has launched a series of digitaldevelopments to help its clubs stayahead of the game.
Developments include the newEveryone Active app, an interactivewebsite with online induction andactivity hub facilities and the intro-duction of tablets in centres.
The app is tailored to each of the102 centres that Everyone Active cur-rently manages across the UK, somembers can access centre specifictimetables and are able to click andbook activities and classes.
It also keeps members updated withlocal centre news as well as marketingoffers and a host of other centre-spe-cific information.
Everyone Active managing directorDavid Bibby said: “The app is going topropel Everyone Active into an evenmore dynamic and interactive digitalsetting.
“We hope it will encourage moremembers to achieve their recom-mended 30 minutes of exercise, fivetimes a week by keeping themengaged, motivated and connected,both in and outside the centre envi-ronment.”
The new Everyone Active website isan interactive interface that allows
customers to access their own userprofile and complete their inductiononline, through a simple and uniquefive-step process.
Anyone with an Everyone Activecard now has access to their person-alised Activity Hub in which they canview their timetable and managetheir bookings as well as set theirgoals, seek training and nutritionadvice and sync this with any activitytracking device they use.
The site also ensures that usersreceive updates and news regardingonly their chosen centres and, as thesite is fully mobile, members willalways be kept fully informed withreal-time updates.
Group marketing manager StephHibbert added: “Time is of theessence for most of our members andwe were keen to create online plat-forms that offered a quick and hassle-free solution to carrying out an induc-tion, making bookings and accessinginformation.
“With over 50 per cent of our mem-bers visiting our site on their mobilesand this only set to increase, makingthe site fully mobile was a keyrequiremen.
“What’s more, the site encouragesusers to be social, allowing them toeasily share content and activityupdates on social media sites. We
have a huge community on Facebookand Twitter with 76,931 Facebooklikes and 36,749 Twitter followers, sothe social element of the site was keyfor us.”
To further enhance the digital offer-ing, tablets will now also feature in allcentres to allow both existing andprospective members to access the
online services in-centre.The tablets can also be used by fit-
ness motivators and sales staff tointroduce new customers to the facili-ties. Self-service kiosks, allowingmembers to manage their own book-ings and payments, will reduce queu-ing time and further improve cus-tomer satisfaction.
Operator leads the way withnew digital developments
INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SOLUTIONS50
Joined up online solutionsfrom Ashbourne at LIW ...AS the huge circular graph-ic on the Ashbourne standat LIW 2015 illustrates (seepicture), online member-ship solutions need to bepart of a complete joined-up process that engageswith your members atevery point of the mem-bership journey.
Your members expect tobe able to join online, bookclasses on their phonesand receive ongoing infovia an app about promo-tions and new develop-ments in your club.Integrated versions of all ofthese services are availablefrom Ashbourne.
And just as your mem-bers can experience aseamless online journey,so the interaction betweenall the Ashbourne servicesfor clubs is fully integrated too.
A great example of this is our newonline PAR-Q form – each of yourmembers can complete this on-screen while in your club and then‘sign’ the form by matching it to theirswipecard/ fingerprint/ RFID used forentry control.
No paper form to print, fill out andthen file. Retrieval of each member’sPAR-Q details is easy, as it is linked totheir online profile.
All these Ashbourne interactive serv-ices are linked up: DD collection serv-
ice; Entry/access control + turnstile;EPOS till system; KPI dashboard;tracking and retention tools (text oremail targeted members direct fromour system); and our new Scheduler+facility and staff scheduling package.
As well as being fully joined up,something else these services have incommon is that they are all availablefor just one small fixed fee per mem-ber DD per month.
For more info visit www.ashbourne-memberships.co.uk or call Ashbourne on 0871 271 2088.
HARLANDS Group is a well-estab-lished BACS Approved Bureau cur-rently collecting Direct Debit pay-ments across a wide range of indus-tries, with a range of products to suitany business requirement.
BACS require all companies accred-ited to become a Bureau provider topass the most stringent and rigoroustests. You therefore have peace ofmind when allowing Harlands Groupto collect on your behalf and can alsofeel comfortable that we will provideyou with a reliable and trusted serv-ice, bringing a host of benefits:� Collections can be made on yourbehalf regardless of whether you haveyour own BACS originator status.
� Ours is an entirely flexible serviceto meet your demands.� Our pricing models assist compa-nies with high volumes, and there areno hidden charges.� There is no expensive account setup charge.
Once accepted by Harlands Groupyou undergo no further BACS regis-tration process.
Harlands Group aims to take thestress out of the Direct Debit collec-tion and administration process andpay your money into your bank reli-ably and efficiently. We offer a rangeof services adaptable to your needs.
For more information call 01444 449157 orvisit www.harlandsgroup.co.uk
Products to suit your requirement
It’s not all about the size of the dumbbells?SO what have you planned for yournew gym business or refurbishmentof your existing gym?
New gym kit, new free weights, newcardio kit, new lockers; well the listcould go on.But have you stopped to think aboutthe things that make the business runsmoothly?What will save your business money?Think about getting time back in yourday-to-day routine, allowing you tofocus on outreach marketing to growyour paying members, who will enjoyyour club’s amazing facilities.It is the perfect time to plan how youcan make some big changes, whichwill benefit both your members andyour bottom line to achieve yourfinancial goals.Would you like an integrated softwaresolution that saves you time each dayor are you going to be juggling
spreadsheets and paper or wrestlewith that old software system you’vehad for years?Would you like to have up to date KPIdashboard (Key PerformanceIndicators) so that at a glance you canmake important business decisionsevery minute of the day?Would you like to know the status ofall Direct Debit or Standing Ordermembers every time they walk in theclub – have they paid this month?Would you like to have retention toolsso you can keep your customers pay-ing you for longer?
ClubManager can answer all ofthese questions and a whole lot moreincluding advice on dumbbells as wealso know about those to.
To find out more contact Wayne atClubManager on 01245 807 360, visit:
www.clubmanagercentral.com or [email protected]
SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION52
Steam cooked chicken filletsusing Gold Standard NutritionTHIS recipe was submitted by DrEmma Kirke.
To stay up to date with her recipesvisit @DrEKirkeOstm on Twitter andwww.medicinalkitchen.wordpress.co.uk.
This recipe is made using GoldStandard Nutrition Steam CookedChicken Fillets. Easy, nutritious andwith a great taste, this dish is a uniquetwist on a very basic dish.
Ingredients:1 Gold Standard Nutrition Steak
Cooked chicken fillet.A large handful of spinach.
Half an avocado.1/8 cup of grated goats cheese.A few dried porcini mushrooms (if
you wish).1 tbsp coconut oil.Beetroot slices, sun dried tomatoes
and a few black olives have beenadded to this version, but this isoptional depending on macroallowances.
Method:A very simple recipe, not only is thiseasy to make, it looks pretty impres-sive and has an amazing array offlavours.
Place your spinach on your servingplate ready to wilt.
In a frying pan cook your defrostedchicken in a tbsp of coconut oil.
Sprinkle a little garlic powder ontothe chicken before you flip it over.
Turn the heat from medium to lowand while this is cooking, slice the
half avocado.When the chicken has cooked
though, lift it out of the pan and sliceit width ways too.
Pop the plate of spinach in themicrowave for 30 seconds.
Place the chicken and avocado ontothe spinach once wilted in an alter-nate pattern, starting with a layer ofchicken.
Lightly sprinkle with cheese andthen place under the grill to melt.
Add the porcini mushrooms andserve.
If you want to add a little cauliflowerrice as a bed under the chicken likeshown in the photo feel free. It addsextra flavour and a great texture to thedish.
SPORTS nutrition companyMultipower has become the titlesponsor of Fit Brit 2015 – Men’sFitness’ challenge to find the fittestathletes in the UK in Fitness Firstgyms.
The challenge, which saw over 4,000entrants in 2014, is a test of strength,agility and endurance over a series ofnine gruelling exercises.
Entry, at all Fitness First gymsnationwide, runs between August andOctober with the final taking place onNovember 28.
This year’s event will see the intro-duction of two new categories, the
Team and Masters (over 40) sittingalongside the established Elite andAmateur categories.
Marketing manager at MultipowerUK, Shân Savage, said: “The Men’sFitness Fit Brit Challenge is the per-fect partnership enabling us to fuelsome of the fittest men and women inthe UK.
“Following our launch of a marketleading range of premium proteinpowders earlier this year we’re in aposition to offer a full nutritional sup-port package to help people pushtheir limits, overcome their bound-aries and achieve their goals.”
Multipower announcedas Fit Brit title sponsor
Crossfit athlete Will Kane performing a Goblet Squat – one of the exercises in thechallenge.
UK FITNESS SCENE 57
Kettlercise® teams upwith Fitness FiestaA FITNESS Fiesta weekend is all aboutbeing happy and healthy with theemphasis always being on enjoyment,with fun, motivational exercise andrelaxing classes to stimulate both themind and body and leave you feelingboth invigorated and relaxed at thesame time.
Various sports and spa weekends areoffered at various dates and locationsthroughout both the UK and theAlgarve.
Fitness Fiestas offer something foreveryone and are for all levels frombeginners to real enthusiasts being ableto enjoy a whole weekend of fitness andfun with top international fitness pre-senters that entertain and motivate.
For the very first time this year,Kettlercise were approached to be a partof the jam packed fitness timetable and
join their prestigious presenters.Within a day of the October dates
being announced Kettlercise classeswere fully subscribed and another datewas very quickly added.
Co-founder of the Kettlercise pro-gramme, Guy Noble, said: “Kettlercisecontinues to go from strength tostrength but even we were surprised athow quickly the Kettlercise classesbooked out. Myself and our regionalKettlercise instructors are delighted tobe a part of the presenting team and forKettlercise to be on the exercise classtimetable. Because Fitness Fiesta eventsare attended by enthusiasts and fitnessprofessionals it’s a really great opportu-nity for people to try out a class.”
For more information email [email protected]
or call 01282 698698.
RBS delivered a nationwide CyclingChallenge in aid of Sport Relief.
The challenge consisted of a number ofevents as listed below:� London to Edinburgh road cycling chal-lenge – circa 120 riders cycled fromLondon to Edinburgh over five days.� One day road cycling challenge – anumber if riders cycled one stage of theroad event.� Half-day cycling challenge – a numberof riders cycled half a stage of the roadevent.� Static cycling challenge – across 39office based locations employees partici-pated in static cycling challenges.
Nuffield Health supported this event byproviding training programmes, preparingriders for the challenge ahead. Six mas-sage therapists and two physiotherapistswere provided at each destination of theroad cycling event to support recovery forthe cyclists; and in partnership withServicesport, in excess of 50 bikes weredelivered to all of the office locationsaround the UK to facilitate the officebased cycling challenges.
Corporate wellbeing account director atNuffield Health Lee Grimes said:“Servicesport currently provide servicingand asset management for our entire con-sumer and corporate estate consisting ofcirca 300 clubs nationwide.
“They are a valued partner of NuffieldHealth and were keen to take on the diffi-cult logistical challenge of delivering bikesto all of the RBS office locations in supportof Nuffield Health. Their contribution tothis event was invaluable. With carefulplanning and prompt delivery and collec-
Cycling challenge helps charity
TICKETS are now on sale for the firstNational Fitness Conference inLeicester, organised by Script Events inpartnership with Workout and headlinesponsor Harlands Group.
Taking place on Friday December 4 atthe National Space Centre, speakerswill include fitness entrepreneur KatieBulmer-Cooke, retention expert DrPaul Bedford and industry guru KenHeathcote, who will advise delegates onhow to boost their businesses – withoutbreaking the bank.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy ahealthy networking lunch and chanceto look around stands from speciallyselected exhibitors who will be show-casing their latest products and innova-tions.
Tickets cost just £35 each.Book your place at
www.nationalfitnessconference.co.uk or [email protected]
Conference ticketsnow available
tion from their professionalteam this event was a greatsuccess.”
For more informationvisit
www.servicesport.co.uk
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Features coming up in forthcomingissues include ‘Training and
Recruitment’, ‘Indoor Cycling andRowing’ and ‘New for 2016’. If you
would like to contribute [email protected]
CLOTHING & MERCHANDISE
POINT OF SALE
A new protein and health supplements range has been launched; the brainchild of two for-mer international swimmers, Lee Forster and Charlie Turner. All Neat Nutrition’s productsare GMO free, and have been responsibly sourced – the protein is sourced from grass fedcows – using 100 per cent natural flavourings. Charlie said: “Over the years we competedas international swimmers, we tried a whole range of different products allowing us tosee the gap in the market for a range that is simple and pure. We therefore set out to cre-ate back-to-basics products, containing only clean and effective ingredients that are easyto understand.” The products are available online and in London based gyms Lomax,Equinox and Core Collective.
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HYGIENE
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UPHOLSTERY
MARKETING
DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTIONS
HYGIENE FLOORING
FLOORING
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INSURANCE
MANAGEMENT
FINANCE
SOFTWAREHYGIENE SOFTWARE
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