The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineJune 2013 No 237 £3

Independents inunique positionto shape future

Help us tocelebrateour 20thbirthdayWORKOUT readers are beingencouraged to get involvedand help the magazine cele-brate a milestone birthday.

Later this year, Workoutturns 20 years old and ourteam are planning a specialfeature to mark the occasion,which we would love ourreaders to contribute to.

As part of our birthday cel-ebrations, we are looking tohear from any gyms or per-sonal trainers which havebeen getting the magazinesince its launch in 1993, orfrom anyone who appearedin one of our earliest issuesto find out how you’re get-ting on 20 years later.

We’d also love to hear fromany other clubs who are cel-ebrating important anniver-saries in 2013 and whatyou’re doing to mark theevent.

Send us a few details aboutyour gym to ce@script-media.co.uk; contact us viaFacebook atwww.facebook.com/work-outmagazine or Tweet us@WorkOutUK

We’ll choose the best onesto appear in our special 20thanniversary issue, which willbe published later in theyear.

Taurus is the fittest sign of the zodiac, accordingto research from payasUgym.com, which claimsTaureans are more likely to keep fit than thoseborn under any other star sign. Based on researchfrom over 20,000 users, the site discovered peoplewere nearly twice as likely to participate in a fit-ness activity if they were a Taurean – like famoussporting stars David Beckham and Andy Murray –than any other sign. According to the figures,Geminis came in in second place, with Virgosnamed as the least fittest star sign.

By Christina Eccles

INDEPENDENT operators have thepower to shape the future of the indus-try, according to top American fitnessconsultant Thomas Plummer.

Thomas spoke to an audience of clubowners at the IOU event at this year’sBodyPower Expo, telling them they arenow in a unique position.

He said change within the industry isinevitable, but instead of having toreact to what the big chains are doing,independent gyms are now in a posi-tion to drive these changes forwardthemselves – if they get their businessmodels right.

He explained: “Change in the industryis not coming from where it used to be.

“Change used to come from the bigchains down. But now it’s not workingthat way, it’s coming from you – inde-pendent gyms and trainers.”

During the talk, Thomas urged inde-pendent clubs who want to improvetheir business models to move awayfrom the idea of constantly having tosell more memberships.

Instead he recommended they look athow to get more revenue from themembers they already have, by offeringdifferent levels of membership and per-sonalised training packages, helping

members to achieve results – and gen-erating more money for a club.

He added: “Think about not the num-ber of clients you have but how mucheach client generates for you. Trainingrevenue is where the growth is.

“Most of you are in business for theright reasons but are trapped by yourown business model.”

Something he believes could work forindependent clubs is a three tier mem-bership system, which provides differ-ent options to suit members’ needs.

The bottom tier costs the least permonth and provides basic access to thegym but with few extras.

The next tier costs more and givesmembers access to lower tier benefitsplus small group training, large groupteam training sessions or a combina-tion of both.

The top tier comes with the mostexpensively monthly fee and includesall of that plus a number of monthlyone on one training sessions.

Thomas also recommended encour-aging clients to train for a minimum ofeight times per month – believing thisis the number of visits someone needsto make to be encouraged to stay – andpay – longer.� For more on this year’s BodyPowerExpo, see inside.

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AdvertisingSales and marketingdirector:Tony Barry

Sales manager:Daniel LloydTel: 01226 734699dl@scriptmedia.co.uk

Assistant sales manager:Chris HartleyTel: 01226 734709ch@scriptmedia.co.uk

EditorialGroup Editor:Judith HalkerstonTel: 01226 734639jh@scriptmedia.co.uk

Editor:Christina EcclesTel: 01226 734463ce@scriptmedia.co.uk

Reporter:Dominic MusgraveTel: 01226 734407dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

www.workout-uk.co.uk

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Script Media47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS

CLUBS around the country are look-ing forward to this year’s NationalFitness Awards, with nominationsflooding in from operators keen to beinvolved.

Gym owners from all corners of theUK – including Somerset, Sunderlandand Sussex – have already put theirclubs in with the chance of scoopinga trophy and could be among ourlucky winners come awards’ night inDecember.

The awards, organised by ScriptEvents in partnership with Workoutand headline sponsor ServiceSport,are free to enter and recognise excel-lence and achievement in the fitnessindustry from gyms of all shapes andsizes.

And for those of you who haven’tsent in your nominations already,there’s still time to enter your club.

Just visit the dedicated website –www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk –choose a category and fill in theonline nomination form.

Event director Judith Halkerstonsaid: “We have had some very strong

nominations already and we aredelighted that so many gyms whichhaven’t entered in previous yearshave already put themselves forwardfor awards this time.

“And it’s looking as though we willhave entrants from the length andbreadth of the country like last year.Keep the nominations coming.”

Once nominations are closed laterin the year, the Workout team willdraw up this year’s shortlist.

All of our shortlisted clubs will thenbe visited by a representative fromthe magazine, who will compile acomprehensive report to be passedon to our expert panel of judges topick the winners. Trophies will thenbe handed out to the winning clubsat a spectacular awards evening, tak-ing place on Friday December 6 atthe Palace Hotel in Manchester.

This year’s event will be hosted bytelevision presenter, former TVGladiator and fitness expert CarolinePearce and promises to provide theperfect end of year party for the fit-ness industry.

Nominations flood in forNational Fitness Awards

The reception area at the Palace Hotel in Manchester.

Winners 2000 was named national gym of the year at last year’s ceremony.

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By Christina Eccles

OPERATOR Stevenage Leisure isrolling out the latest in technologyafter a successful trial saw customerfeedback comments soar by 500 percent.

The leisure charity, which works inpartnership with five local authoritiesto manage a wide range of health andfitness facilities, is placing CustomerFirst Solutions’ touchscreenSmartboxes in 13 of its sites acrossnine towns, after seeing customerresponses increase from an average of10 to 50 comments a month.

In just seven months of using thedevice, one of the clubs – KnightsTemplar Sports Centre – has alreadyimplemented several customers’ sug-gestions, including extending its offpeak usage to weekends, purchasingmixed martial arts kit and askinggymgoers to help redesign its new lay-out before a refit.

Centre manager Tom Galvin said:“It’s fantastic the increase in respons-

es we’ve seen since moving frompaper feedback. Previously just thepeople who wanted to make a com-plaint who would go out of their wayto pick up a comment card in recep-tion. With the new technology we arenow also hearing from the generallyhappy customers whose views are justas important.”

Operations director at StevenageLeisure Kieron Vango added: “Interms of quality it definitely gives usthe edge.

“By improving service and qualityand listening to our customers wehope to build our customer base andcontinue to provide the very highestof standards.

“The comment card system we usedpreviously was just messy and confus-ing. CFS has streamlined the entireprocess meaning less man power isneeded and we get regular clear anddetailed reports that we can quicklyact upon. The trial has been a hugesuccess and we look forward to rollingit out.”

Customers giventhe power toshape future ofleisure operator

Olympian Louis Smith and singer Jade Ewen (pictured above) joined International Zumbapresenter Vicky Zagarra to launch Zumba Fitness’ new initiative The Great Calorie Drive. Aspart of the scheme, the public has been urged to shake off calories in Zumba classes anddonate what they have burned via the Zumba app to the United Nations World FoodProgramme. Zumba will then donate the equivalent of the average amount of caloriesburned per class to WFP to help combat hunger around the world.

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Team GB beach volleyball players Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney.

Operator launchesOlympic inspiredVolleybody classDAVID Lloyd Leisure has become thefirst major UK health and fitnessoperator to bring Volleybody to itsmembers – a new high-intensity fit-ness programme inspired by theregimes of the world’s best volleyballplayers.

Founded on the scientific trainingprinciples of professional beach vol-leyball athletes, Volleybody is aimedat people with good levels of fitness,with the programme devised by theBritish Beach Volleyball strength andconditioning coach, Kate Eddy andLondon 2012 Olympic team ZaraDampney and Shauna Mullin.

The workout is an hour-long, sports-based fitness class which takes inspi-ration from three core moves during abeach volleyball game – defending,hitting and blocking a ball. Performedto music, the class uses a number ofpieces of simple equipment, such as

medicine balls and resistance tubesthat are used with a partner through-out the class.

Volleybody founder and managingdirector Katie Taylor said: “Werealised there must be a way of takingthe top volleyball players’ trainingprogramme and creating a version forthe average woman and Volleybodydoes just that.

"We are thrilled to be launchingVolleybody exclusively to David LloydLeisure members. This is a completelyunique class which will help every-body achieve a volley body in time forsummer."

Volleybody classes will soon beavailable to members at David LloydLeisure clubs in Kensington,Farnham, Milton Keynes, RaynesPark, Fulham and Chigwell, with awider roll-out planned later in theyear.

Freedom Leisure has become the first UK operator to offer Rock Box – a new indoor climb-ing experience from High Sports. The concept, which has launched at Freedom’s flagshipsite Guildford Spectrum, combines the key elements of indoor climbing with brightlycoloured structures, sound and lighting effects and interactive elements, all housed in aself contained area. Freedom Leisure area manager Steve May said: “Rock Box has greatpotential to add value to our leisure offering at Guildford Spectrum. I have no doubt thiseye-catching activity will gather momentum quickly. I like the versatility of the set up: wecan cater for individuals and team events, fitness classes and parties with the one installa-tion.”

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By Christina Eccles

THE world’s first Mobile CryotherapyChamber has launched, billed as arevolutionary new way to treat sportsinjuries and reduce recovery times,while also helping gyms to attractserious athletes to their facilities.

Developed by BOC, the UK’s biggestindustrial gases company, the treat-ment involves exposing athletes totemperatures of -135ºC for shortbursts in a nitrogen-cooledCryochamber.

Based on the same principles as icebaths, Whole Body Cryotherapy doesnot subject the user to the shock anddiscomfort of being submerged in icecold water. Instead users of theCryochamber – up to two at a time –move freely about in a dry atmos-phere for three minutes – less than athird of the time required with a con-ventional ice bath treatment.

The product was unveiled at rugbyleague side Warrington Wolves, whereplayers have been trialling the idea –with successful results.

Chris Baron, head of strength andconditioning at Warrington Wolvesand strength and conditioning coachat England Rugby League said:“Cryotherapy is a great tool in theenhancement of recovery for eliteathletes whether from competition oran exhaustive training session.

“Having access to the treatmentwherever we are playing or training isa major boost for us at WarringtonWolves.

“We have been trialling it for thepast few weeks and it simply repre-

sents a far more time efficient, con-venient and more comfortable alter-native to other cold treatments – andthe players prefer it. After treatment,players reported a greater feeling ofwellbeing and a better night’s sleeppost competition and training ses-sions.

“Cryotherapy has increased ourrecovery rate which in turn hasallowed us to return to training earli-er. At this elite sport level, the extratraining at higher intensity can makea significant difference to perform-ance and we are looking forward tobuilding it into our training routinesfor the rest of the season.”

Cryotherapy manager at BOC StuartAskew added: “BOC’s MobileCryochamber is a step change inimproving recovery times and sup-ports more intense training regimesfor athletes up and down the country.

“The chamber represents great valuefor money, allowing the treatment ofan entire squad for just one day’s hire,whilst hotels, leisure clubs and gymscan attract serious athletes throughadding it to their facilities.

“As the UK’s most experienced han-dler of cryogenic gases, BOC isuniquely placed to bring the benefitsof this revolutionary treatment in thesafest and most convenient way forcustomers across the UK sport,leisure and health industries.”

The Cryochamber can travel withteams to ensure they can receivetreatment quickly after a match orcompetition. It is operated by a dedi-cated specialist from BOC who is fullytrained in cryogenic gas handling.

Successful trialfor first MobileCryotherapyChamber

Warrington Wolves’ Richie Myler tests out the BOC Mobile Cryotherapy Chamber

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10

Welcome to WorkOut Weigh In – it’s your chance to have your say and share your views on industryissues. You can email us at ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.

IT’S been a busy month in theWorkout office as we’ve been prepar-ing for one of the biggest events inthe fitness calendar – BodyPowerExpo.

The team was down at the NECrecently for the show and as always itwas a busy and productive weekend,also providing a great chance to catchup with many of our readers.

For those of you who couldn’t makeit, this issue we have included around up of news from BodyPower, aswell as some handy tips to help inde-pendent operators improve theirbusinesses, taken from the IOU semi-nars held during the show.

After hearing him speak at LIW acouple of years ago, I was looking for-ward to seeing the return of Americanfitness guru Thomas Plummer whowas among the IOU speakers.

And drawing on his many years ofindustry experience, I was pleased tosee he provided some great news forindependent clubs, which you mayhave seen on the front cover – claim-ing those who get their businessmodels right, can be the future of thefitness industry.

But, while it’s always nice to catchup with regular IOU attendees, itwould also be great to see some newfaces at future events.

In a difficult climate, it’s moreimportant than ever for independentclubs to support each other and shareideas and free events like IOU are agreat way to do this.

Also this month, I try out my firstPowerhoop class as part of our newChallenge Christina feature – find outhow I got on on Page 32

We also explore the latest develop-ments in the world of technology –and what they mean for gyms – and Imeet independent gym owners Seanand Helen O’Reilly who kindlyshowed me around their club,Panthers Gym in Uxbridge for ourdedicated industry spotlight feature.

As always, we’d love to know whatyou think of this month’s Workout.Contact us by email or via our socialmedia sites if you would like to com-ment on a story you’ve seen in themagazine or tell us more about howthings are going at your gym.

Hope you enjoy the issue!Christina Eccles

Editor’s Comment

American fitness guruThomas Plummer told delegates at Bodypower’sIOU seminars that independent gyms will bethe future of the fitnessindustry. What do youthink?

Wayne Heath: “Withoutdoubt. Independent gymsare more passionate.”

Saturn Fitness andWellness: “Who are we todisagree with a guru? “However, he is right,independents are morecommitted, more motivated, have higherstandards and haven't gota big management overhead to cope with. Wecan make decisions fasterand treat our clients asindividuals.”

Panthers Gym: “Supportyour independent gym ... absolutely the

way forward!”

Scott James Hodson: “Only if theylearn to reach out and connect withmore people and not just sell to thefitness tribe.”

Brett Sanders: “In my opinion thisis definitely the direction the indus-try is heading. Very much agree.”

Coming up next month, we have agroup exercise feature ... what arethe most popular classes at yourclub?

Victoria Hudson: “Kettlebells! Andoutdoor exercises ... our ‘BarnoBootcamp’ in the park is really pop-ular!”

Fit In: “We have a WOW class ofthe month and at the moment itlooks like it's going to be GroupKick. Hot Yoga is also pretty hot atthe moment ...”

Christie Miller: “High intensityclasses are a massive success – circuits and fatblasters packedweekly.”

This month’s big questions put to our followers on Facebook and Twitter ...

‘Independent gyms: the futureof the fitness industry ...’

American fitness guru Thomas Plummer

This month’s question:

Almost 12 months on from London 2012, do you feel that the Olympic legacy has had an impact on your business?Did you notice an increase in new members post Games or do you think the opportunity to get the nation more active off theback of the Olympic buzz has passed?

Email your views to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or message us on Facebook or Twitter

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

Outdoor group workouts are proving popular with many gyms and trainers.

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Surrey Sports Park will host its first fitness festival in July.

By Christina Eccles

STAFF and members at Surrey SportsPark are gearing up for the club’s firstever fitness festival, created to show-case the wide range of facilities onoffer at the venue.

The one day event takes place onSaturday July 6 and will give fitnessfans the chance to take part in aseries of large group classes led bysome of the country’s top instructors,as well as the opportunity to lookaround a retail village displaying thelatest products to hit the market.

Health and fitness manager atSurrey Sports Park Joanne Wade said:“We hold a lot of sporting events herebut have never really celebrated whatwe do with the fitness and gym side ofthings.

“We started off quite small – wewere looking to showcase the classeswe do in the main arena – but it hasgrown to turn into a one day fitnessfestival.”

To stage the event, the club is work-ing with partners including EscapeFitness, MyZone and Reflex Nutritionand has managed to secure sessionsfrom master trainers representing thelikes of Les Mills, Just Jhoom andZumba who will be leading the class-es.

And with a range of sessions on offerthroughout the day, Joanne added shehopes the festival will provide some-thing for everyone.

She added: “The event is open toeveryone. From anyone who is inter-ested in taking part in a class, to thosewho teach classes and personal

trainers.“When we hold any event here, it

provides an opportunity for people tosign up for membership, but that’snot the reason why we are holdingthis event.

“We wanted to collaborate every-thing we do and showcase exactlywhat Surrey Sports Park is capableof.”

As well as Surrey Sports Park’s fit-ness facilities, which are used bymembers of the public and studentsfrom the University of Surrey, the sitealso provides a training ground forelite athletes including the Harlequinsrugby team.

It is hoped about 1,000 people willattend the festival and if it proves suc-cessful, staff are hoping to make it anannual event.

First ever fitness festival toshowcase venue’s facilities

Rugby team shows its support for charity ridePLAYERS from the Exeter Chiefsrugby team visited David Lloyd Exeterto lend their support to membersgearing up for the first Devon ClassicBike Ride later this year.

The race will start and end at theclub in Sandy Park on July 21 and willoffer participants three different

routes of 110 miles, 55 miles and 26miles, taking in the beautiful Devoncountryside.

The event will raise money for DavidLloyd Leisure’s national charity part-ner of the year, Together for ShortLives, with a proportion of the entryfee donated to the cause.

Event director Barry Clayton said:“This new and exciting bike ride isdesigned for all cycling enthusiasts,sportsmen and women who want totake on a challenge through the beau-tiful Devon countryside while raisingsome much needed funds for a verygood cause.”

Players from the Exeter Chiefs rugby team with David Lloyd members.

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THE National Fitness Awards’ bestgym in the country is urging otherclubs to get involved in the firstNational Lose An Inch Day, followingits own success with the idea.

Winners 2000 in Newton Abbot,Devon, was named national gym ofthe year at the 2012 awards, beatingoff competition from hundreds ofother clubs around the country.

During the judging process, the gymwas recognised for its commitment tosupporting the local communitythrough various events, with one ofits most successful projects a Lose AnInch In A Day workshop, which alsoran at sister clubs in Torquay andPaignton,

For the event, staff recruited about90 members from the three clubs andworked with them over a day, cover-ing lectures on nutrition, providingindividual plans and explaining more

about the science behind the trainingprogrammes which were recom-mended for them.

They then delivered an all day work-out, running for about 30 minutesevery hour for about six hours overthe course of the day. Members eithergained sponsorship or paid to enterand the money collected was passedto a nominated charity, a local schoolfor children with disabilities.

Now after achieving success withthe idea themselves, the club is aim-ing to roll it out on a bigger scale andis appealing to other operators to runsimilar events on a dedicated day –Saturday July 26.

Manager at the Newton Abbot clubDean Turner explained: “Rather thantrying to protect this approach andkeep it a secret, we want to share itwith everyone.

“Our mission statement is about

improving the quality of people’s livesand also being active in the commu-nity. We see this event, being run allover the UK on the same day, as usreally being able to reach out andmeet those goals on a much widerscale.”

For anyone interested in gettinginvolved, the team at Winners 2000will be on hand to offer advice onhow to set the scheme up in othergyms.

Dean added: “We will provide youwith all the paperwork you need, thedietary plans, the workout, all the sci-ence and backup information so yourmembers can understand theapproach and why it works. Plus thesponsor forms for those taking part.They can either be set a minimumlimit per person to raise, say £50, orthey can pay an entrance fee to takepart, say £30.

“I’ll talk to trainers and gyms or youcan even come to see me so I canexplain how the day runs. All we askof those who take part, is that theychoose a great local charity and let usknow who it was, and how much theyraised.

“Our aim is to build the number ofpeople taking part every year. Thereare so many people all over the UKfor whom weight gain is a real prob-lem, making them really unhappy andaffecting every area of their life. Itshouldn’t be that way and it doesn’thave to, and we see that as our job,our mission, to help people overcomethat. Hopefully they then go on tohave a long term relationship withtheir trainer or gym, and maintainthese gains for the rest of their lives.”� Any gyms interested in taking partcan contact Dean on dean@win-ners2000.co.uk or 01626 331224.

Award-winning gym urges othersto get behind weight-loss event

Adam Stansbury and Dean Turner, who ran the first Lose an Inch days at Winners 2000 last year, which included members from Winners 2000’s Paignton site.

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14Run by former TV Gladiator Helen O’Reilly and husband Sean, Panthers Gym has been keeping its loyal members –plus the elite of the bodybuilding world – in shape for almost 20 years. Christina Eccles took a look around.

� One of the keys to the gym’s longlasting success has been Helen andSean’s ability to keep up with thetimes and tap into new trends.

Recently they have noticed a shiftin secondary spend patterns, withmembers buying less of some typesof supplements, which they nowhave to pay VAT on.

To deal with this, the pair haveexpanded their offering, now stock-ing more items such as bars, flap-jacks and ready meals, which havebeen flying off the shelves.� Over the years, many famous faceshave popped in to train at Panthers,ranging from professional athletes,to bodybuilding champions and

actors working at nearby Pinewoodand Shepperton studios.

Past clients include athletes JohnRegis and Derek Redmond, swim-mer Sharron Davies, actor ShaneRitchie and several of Helen’s formerGladiators colleagues – with signedpictures of many of them adorningthe walls of the club.� Panthers gym is also known forholding regular education seminarsand is an IFBB/UKBFF centre ofexcellence.

The next round of courses takeplace later this month, focusing ontopics including nutrition, weighttraining and promotions and mar-keting.

At the events, delegates will be ableto hear from the likes of UKBFFpresident William Tierney, body-building champion Kerry Kayes andgym owner Sean, who is also theUKBFF education manager.� The club’s panther logo hasappeared in several guises over theyears – ranging from the cute, car-toon panther seen working out onthe exterior of the club, to the tattoostyle logo used on branded clothingworn by staff. � A challenging economic climatehas led to a change in how memberschoose to pay for their sessions andHelen and Sean said that over thelast 18 months they have noticed a

lot more people are either choosingto pay for longer term membershipupfront or pay month to monthwithout being tied into a contract.� The couple have owned a gymtogether for the past 18 years, withthis club having been open foralmost 17.

Their previous gym was situatedabout a mile up the road but whenthe chance came to move to biggerand better premises, they took theopportunity to relocate.� The gym has almost 900 membersof all ages, with a core group of oldermembers aged between 65-75 whocan regularly be found using theclub on weekday mornings.

Panthers Gym in short ...

BACK in the nineties, the gym’s co-owner Helen was better known as heralter ego Panther – one of the originalGladiators on the cult TV show – andthe inspiration for the name of theclub.

A former Miss Britain, Miss Europeand Miss Universe, Helen had alwayshad a keen interest in fitness, runningher own club – Workout World – inher native North East before meetingSean, himself a successful body-builder, and relocating further south.

Fast forward to the present day andPanthers Gym in Uxbridge,Middlesex, has become a well knownfixture in the local area.

Over the years, the couple have builtup a strong reputation, with the clubknown as somewhere which is able todeliver results, as well as providingthat all important personal touchwhich independent operators can doso well.

Sean said: “For many people, thegym is a place to make friends andthat’s how we have always had it. It’s

always been a very friendly club.”Retention is good – with some

members having been there rightfrom the club’s early beginnings – andreferrals have always been key toattracting new business.

Existing members are encouraged totell their family and friends about thegym and regular events such as quiz

nights and group trips to bodybuild-ing competitions around the country,where members are often competingand Helen and Sean regularly judge,help to create a strong sense of com-munity.

Helen added: “We have always reallyworked on our referrals. Some mem-bers have been here for 16 years and

tell their friends about us.“We have a referral scheme and an

end of year raffle. This year the prizeis a 50” TV.”

Members at the club range fromcompetitors looking to get in shapefor their next show to older membersin their seventies who use the facili-ties, not only for the health benefits ofexercising, but also as a place tosocialise and meet new people.

Fitness professionals are alsoattracted to the gym, with the pairregularly training existing personaltrainers who are looking to competeor want to gain extra knowledgewhich they can then pass on to theirclients.

Helen added: “We have found wecan mix everyone together. As long asyou have created a good environ-ment, you can have anyone from anywalk of life in the same fitness facility.

“Running the gym isn’t easy. It’sbeen a lot of hard work. But over theyears, we’ve always evolved – as theworld changes, you have to.”

Panthers Gym in Uxbridge, Middlesex, has become a well known fixture in the local area and regularly attracts visits from fitness professionals.

Panthers provides a personaltouch and delivers results

Helen O’Reilly and husband Sean.

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UK FITNESS SCENE16

By Christina Eccles

AN ONLINE platform has been creat-ed to enable gyms around the worldto share inspirational stories abouttheir successful community projects.

Gymtopia is the brainchild ofOxygen Consulting’s managing direc-tor, Ray Algar, who came up with theidea after a conversation with thepresident of Brazilian gym chain,Companhia Athletica.

Richard Bilton told him about aproject going on in his clubs wheremembers bring in their old, unwant-ed gym shoes, which are then cleanedup and donated to a local charityhelping under privileged kids to getinto sport.

Speaking to Richard made Ray thinkabout how much the project couldgrow further if other gyms knewabout it, so he set up the site –Gymtopia.org – so clubs worldwidecould share ideas and examples oftheir community work.

He explained: “I believe Gymtopiacan help clubs to connect, engageand strengthen communities.Connected, more engaged andstronger communities matter becausethey can achieve amazing things andit helps to bring clubs and communi-ties closer.

“Companies spend considerable

sums of money trying to buy theirway into a community, but it is apointless exercise because genuinecloseness has to be earned, notbought. Gymtopia will provide the‘social proof’ that clubs really do careabout their communities.”

Clubs interested in getting involvedcan visit the Gymtopia website andcomplete a free registration. Onceregistered, they can then submitdetails of their community projectand photos.

Examples of UK based ideas includeone by low cost operator The GymGroup, where new members have theoption upon joining a club to make aone off donation to the company’scharity of the month.

Members decide how much todonate, which is added to their firstmonth’s gym payment, and the opera-tor now collects £5,000 - £7,000 everymonth for its chosen charities.

Ray added: “Health clubs are inher-ently good businesses that are in the‘transformation’ business so doingwider ‘social good’ fits perfectly withtheir higher purpose.

“Members will enthusiastically sup-port projects, staff will be proud oftheir club and external stakeholderssuch as the community, charities, thepress and media see a club using itsinfluence to enrich more lives,

beyond those of its members. Theclub’s reputation is raised and triggersa ripple-effect that extends farbeyond the club walls.”� How does your club support thelocal community? Let us know bysending details toce@scriptmedia.co.uk and you couldappear in a future issue of Workout.

New website enables gymsto share inspirational stories

Ray Algar

Successfulstart fornew gymA HUSBAND and wife team whospotted a gap in the market for aladies only gym have opened theirsecond site in Coventry.

Sukhi and Maya Sandhu openedBodyworx Gym for Women in earlyApril, with the club getting off to asuccessful start – signing up over100 members in the first week.

Maya explained: “Before goinginto business with my husband Iworked in a ladies-only gym andwhen it closed down, I saw theopportunity of tapping into aready-made audience by openingmy own ladies only club.

“With the help of the local resi-dents, news of the club began tospread before we even opened andthis excitement spurred us on tocreate the best facilities for ourclients.”

The couple spent over £140,000overhauling a former police sta-tion, with facilities at Bodyworxincluding a custom built sauna, afully equipped gym kitted out withStar Trac Cardio and strengthequipment and a Power Plate pro7machine.

Maya added: “The feedback frommembers has been amazing; thewomen love the extras like thesauna and beauty facilities.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE 17As the world’s biggest free running organisation, Parkour Generations has seen anincreasing demand for Parkour as a fitness workout. Here director Dan Edwardesexplains more about the company, the training available to fitness professionals andwhy gyms should consider adding Parkour to their timetables.

What is your background?I started training in martial arts whenI was eight. I was always looking tomake myself faster, stronger, tougher,more skilled and more capable ingeneral.

As I grew up I began to add otherelements to that training and alsothrew myself into academic study,particularly of history, philosophy, lit-erature and, eventually, Oriental stud-ies at Cambridge University.

After I finished my degrees, I movedto Japan to study an ancient fightingart and it was while living there I firstsaw Parkour in the movie Yamakasi byLuc Besson which starred the Frenchfounders. I began training prettymuch immediately with two friendsin Japan, when there were very fewpeople in the world practising and itwas still a truly underground move-ment. I was hooked from day onebecause it was like I had discovered ahuge gap in my own personal traininghistory, and this required a whole newlevel of functionality and capabilityand tested me to my limits – andbeyond. I loved that, and still do.

Soon after I met the French practi-tioners and began training properlywith them, and the rest is history...

Where did the idea for the company comefrom?Parkour Generations arose out of thecombined thoughts and efforts ofmyself, Francois 'Forrest' Mahop andStephane Vigroux. At the time,Parkour was highly inaccessible, terri-bly misunderstood and poorly por-trayed. We wanted to create a vehiclethat could correct those problemswhile spreading and maintaining theoriginal spirit and uniqueness of theart. We decided to focus our effortsand PKGen was born.

Can you tell us more about how theParkour Fitness classes work?Parkour is based on the basis ofhuman fitness and uses your body asit is meant to be used – fully andcompletely. So the body respondsvery well to the natural method oftraining we use.

Classes involve a wide variety of fit-ness and strength training that looksat the body from a holistic and func-tional point of view. And the mind isnot left out either, as our physical andmental fitness are closely interlinked.We require people to put their entireself into the training and that focusand attention to detail brings aboutenormous benefits.

How does the training programme work?The Parkour Fitness SpecialistProgramme is a certification pro-gramme for people who are profes-sional PTs already or wish to becomeso. It is centred around explaining

true functional training and giving thestrength and fitness training elementsof Parkour to those who wish toinclude it in their coaching paradigm.There are different levels in the pro-gramme with a series of CPD bolt-oncourses to do as well which providefurther specialisation in a specificaspect of the training methodology.

How popular has it been so far?Very. PFS was launched at the AsianFitness Convention in 2012 where itliterally stole the show. The hundredsof fitness professionals there immedi-ately saw the benefits and uniquechallenge of this training method, aswell as the accessibility and adapt-ability of the knowledge to any situa-tion. Functional training like thisdoesn't require huge amounts ofexpensive equipment or gadgets orgimmicks – it's just you, your bodyand your environment – and con-stantly varying challenge.

Why do you think gyms or personal train-ers should look at delivering this type ofsession to clients?Because it works. Because it's how wecan access our true natural potential,which is so much higher than mostpeople believe. It's an engaging, chal-lenging, unique way to develop amaz-ing physical and mental strengths,and it's also incredibly good fun – youwill rediscover the innate love ofmovement and discovery you pos-sessed as a child and learn to benefitfrom that as you were meant to.

If gyms or trainers want to set up a class,what do they need to consider? PFS is incredibly flexible in how andwhere it's applied, that's the pointand the beauty of it. It doesn't require

any specific equipment and is per-haps best applied in the outside envi-ronment where there is endless varsi-ty of terrain to adapt the body to intraining.

However it also works very well inan indoor/gym setting and benefitsbest from having a variety of pieces ofequipment that can be used as obsta-cles and provide challenges. Manygyms already have equipment andinternal architecture that can be usedfor the training methods, which ispart of the knowledge conveyed in thePFS courses. Of course, the morespace and equipment available formovement-based training, the better.

If the room is totally bare there arestill many things that can be done;but to get the maximum benefit forclients it's best to have some obsta-cles to provide extra challenge. Forthis we have created a range ofindoor, modular equipment that canbe varied in its configuration eachsession to provide new challengesand drills each time. This equipmentis unprecedented and unique in itsdesign and fits the PFS courserequirements perfectly.

What are your future plans? PFS is now launching in the UnitedStates and Central/South Americaand rolls out in the UK this summer.The demand is high and tutors arestill quite thin on the ground, so we'relooking to expand the delivery pool tomeet the international demand. Wehave no doubt it will go on to initiatesome really positive changes in thefitness industry and get people backto simple, natural, functional trainingand moving as their body wasdesigned to move – and unlockingtheir true potential.

Training the bodythe natural way ...

Parkour Generations’ director Dan Edwardes.

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UK FITNESS SCENE18

The new coaching team, from the left: Joe Rees (assistant padel coach – Chigwell), Ryan Wyatt (assistant padel coach – Bushey), JoseMaria Landeta (padel coordinator) and Tom Murray (padel manager).

OPERATOR David Lloyd Leisure hasappointed a top coaching team to fur-ther promote its padel tennis offering.

Tom Murray, Britain’s number tworanked padel player, has beenappointed padel manager to overseethe programme for the group, which

has invested £350,000 in six courts atits clubs in Chigwell and Bushey.

Product development director HazelGeary said: “Padel is a fast, sociableand fun sport for the whole family,which has proved incredibly popularat our Chigwell and Bushey clubs.

“We recognise the huge potential forpadel here in the UK and our contin-ued investment in facilities, pro-grammes and a top coaching teamdemonstrates our commitment tobeing at the forefront of its develop-ment.”

Operator boosts its padel tennis coaching team

CUSTOMER experience training pro-gramme Bee has launched a newonline learning facility, which aims tohelp fitness facilities improve the waythey interact with members.

Bee Learning, created in conjunc-tion with Active IQ, features six, 15-minute online training modules,focusing on everything from non-ver-bal communication and body lan-guage to managing your own commu-nication style and creating positiveattitudes in the workplace.

The modules are interactive, with

participants taking part in activities tohelp get the message across to alllearning styles. Staff will be able tocomplete each module in their owntime throughout the course of a year.

Programme director and mastertrainer Dave Monkhouse said:“Without doubt, getting customerservice right is still the biggest chal-lenge facing the leisure sector.

“Launching BEE Learning meansmore companies will be able to gainaccess to this unique and highlyeffective approach to customer expe-

rience training, which will help us tomake a real difference to service lev-els within the sector.”

Modules will be specifically tailoredto each organisation and includestheir mission, vision, values and serv-ice standards.

The system also features an admintool, so employers can see the per-centage of staff that have completedeach module at any given time andview the scores they have achieved inthe online test, which features at theend of each session.

Online facility helps facilities interact

THE UK’s first National ClubFitness challenge is launching nextmonth, helping clubs to betterinteract with members while unit-ing for a good cause.

The concept, which organisershope will raise over £10,000 forHelp for Heroes, provides mem-bers with an opportunity to com-pete in a series of fitness chal-lenges against both fellow mem-bers in their club and with those inother clubs around the country.

The event runs throughout July,with participants able to take partin four different challenges – Stepup Snowdon, Row Dorney Lake,Hold Tower Bridge and LuckyDips. Results and rankings canthen be displayed online or in thegyms, helping members to seehow well they have done and howtheir club compares to others tak-ing part. The National Club FitnessChallenge is run by Fusing Fitness,which has developed a user-friendly PC, Tablet or iPad inter-face to allow members to enterand compete easily. Clubs interest-ed in taking part can emailinfo@fusingfitness.org to receivefurther instructions and posters.

Challengelaunches

Liverpool Football Club is giving fans the opportunity to go behind the scenes at its firstteam training ground Melwood for the first time – visiting areas including a state of theart gym. Fans will get to see where the players train and work out, as well as having thechance to be photographed with the European Cup, which the team won for the fifth timein 2005. After the tour, the experience finishes with a return trip to Anfield on the officialLiverpool team bus.

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UK FITNESS SCENE20

Activate your RAS andstay ahead of the gameBy Dave Wright

DEATH by a thousand cuts is usuallythe best way to describe the failing ofa health club.

It’s not necessarily a ‘sudden’ failurelike crashing a car, but one that dete-riorates over time and then one day aclub realises that there is not enoughmoney to pay wages and has nomoney to inject back into the busi-ness. It’s a harsh reality to many clubsaround the world today.

The ironic thing about failure in ourindustry is that it seems always theobvious path to everyone else apartfrom the person who it affects themost – the owner. So what do you do?

It’s simple... step up and take action.You see for years I’ve said that if youwant to improve your business by 10per cent then you follow the best inyour industry – but if you want toimprove your business by 110 percent then you follow the best insomeone else’s industry. But you needto ‘open your eyes’. You need to acti-

vate your RAS – your ReticularActivating System. You see your RAS islike a laser beam focus or filter inyour neurology. The fact that you areexposed to thousands of bits of infor-mation every second, the brain electsto ignore those bits of informationthat are deemed irrelevant to you sothat your head does not explode! So ifyou are ever looking for a red car,then all of a sudden you notice redcars everywhere... you have just acti-vated your RAS to ‘look out for’ redcars. The same goes with improvingyour health club. If you ‘take notice’ ofall the marketing ideas, the customerengagement tricks, the retentionstrategies that big organisations areusing to try and keep your customthen you can learn and then hopeful-ly adapt and apply to your club. Iassure you, you will survive.

So with that in mind I’ll ask/ men-tion a few questions/ comments:� How do budget airlines make theirmoney?� Why are so many budget airlines

going bust?� What are the big successful airlinesdoing to compete?� Who is ‘winning’ the war betweenGoogle/ Apple and Windows?� How are they using technology toengage with you?� Why if there is a recession going arepeople prepared to pay a lot of moneyfor coffee?� What are the food companies doingto make you buy their bad food?

These are the types of questions thatyou need to be asking yourself everyday. If you think that as of tomorrowno other member will join your club,what would you do to survive?

And if you take action as if that isgoing to be the case, maybe, justmaybe, you will activate the RAS thatis in us all and there will be no ‘sur-prises’ if you realise that your busi-ness success is under threat and thatyou can stay ahead of the game.� Dave Wright is the CEO ofCFM/MYZONE, a global companywith over 300 staff that have served

the international fitness communityfor over 23 years; focusing on eithergetting new members and/or keepingexisting ones. Dave is also the ownerof 11 health clubs across two conti-nents, a board director of ukactive,founder of IOU (IndependentOperators Unite), an IHRSA presenterand the creator of MYZONE. He maybe contacted onDave.Wright@cfm.net

Dave Wright

President of Life Fitness Chris Clawson has been named as a finalist in the Ernst and YoungEntrepreneur Of The Year 2013 programme in the Midwest. The award recognises out-standing entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and success in areas such as innova-tion, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communi-ties. Chris said: “This recognition is a reflection of our company’s resurgence in not onlyexecutive leadership, but also industry leadership.“Awards will be handed out at an event on June 27 at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago.

CHARITABLE trust Aquaterra’sSaturday Night Project has been cho-sen as one of three causes to benefitfrom Waitrose’s in-store CommunityMatters scheme.

The project was established to cre-ate more activities in the London bor-ough of Islington for 13-19 year oldsand takes place on the last Saturdayof each month at the Sobell LeisureCentre.

Those attending sessions can takepart in a range of activities on offer –

both sporting and non-sporting.Chief executive of Aquaterra Antony

Kildare said: “I am delighted that thesuccess of the Saturday Night Projecthas been recognised and selected as aworthy contender by Waitrose to ben-efit from its innovative and high pro-file Waitrose Community Mattersscheme. The funds raised will help usto continue to support and deliverthis innovative project, thereby posi-tively engaging with young people liv-ing in and around Islington.”

Project chosen as one ofWaitrose’s three causes

If you’ve got a story for Workout email Christina Eccles at

ce@scriptmedia.co.uk

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BODYPOWER REVIEW22

Thousands of visitors flocked to the NEC for this year’s Bodypower Expo, where they could meet the elite ofthe fitness world and pick up tips on how to keep their businesses in great shape. Workout takes a look at theshow in pictures...

Simple steps can boost yourbusiness, operators toldBy Christina Eccles

FOLLOWING simple steps such asgetting to know your target market,taking pride in your brand and pro-moting members’ achievements canall help independent clubs to boosttheir businesses, according to amarketing expert.

Managing director of CFM, DaveWright, spoke to a room of inde-pendent operators at the IOU eventat BodyPower Expo, presentingthem with a series of top tips fromaround the world on how to maketheir clubs more successful.

He explained to delegates thatoperators should always ensure theyare providing a facility which isclean, safe and friendly and insteadof thinking about increasing pricesto create more revenue, shouldinstead focus on encouraging exist-ing members to spend more – andspread the word about their clubs.

He said: “There are three ways aclub can make more money;increase your prices, increase thenumber of members or increaseyield per member. Clubs should belooking at how they can maximiseyield per member.”

Dave’s tips included researchingwhat market leaders in other indus-

tries do to stay ahead of the gameand seeing how their actions couldbe applied to your business.

He added: “If you want to improveyour business by 10 per cent, followthe best in your industry. If youwant to improve your business by110 per cent, follow the best inanother industry.

“Your competitors are not just theclubs in your market. It’s anyonewho can take that discretionaryincome. There are so many peoplevying for members, you have towork with staff to establish whatsets you apart. Dazzle your mem-

bers – try and do something whichis over and above. Our value propo-sition to the public is not our bricksand mortar or our equipment – it’sour expertise.”

Dave’s other top tips included:� Know your market. Most mem-bers will typically come from a 10 to12 minute commute range, soremember this when consideringwhere to market your club.� Get to know your members andlet them get to know you. Log usefulinformation about members whichhelps staff to strike up relevant con-versations and deliver helpful train-

ing advice. Wear name tags so theyknow who’s who in the club.� Sell extra services – look at stock-ing products such as own brandprotein, which members can’t buyfrom anywhere else.� Celebrate your club’s success.Contact local media with membersuccess stories or to let them knowabout any events or competitionsyou are holding in your gym.� Collect good testimonials – anduse them. Potential members will beencouraged by success stories andpositive experiences from yourexisting members.� Become the expert in your mar-ket. Offer expert comment to yourlocal newspaper or radio station.� Reward referrals and customerloyalty. Give out prizes for the mostmember referrals – and don’t forgetto say thank you to members forstaying with you.� Give out guest passes and con-nect with other local businesses tocross promote. One idea is to leavesome passes in a local estate agentto be given out to people new to thearea so they can try your facility.� Use social media. Engage withexisting and potential members viasites such as Facebook, Twitter andYouTube.

CFM/Myzone’s Jonathan Monks and Dave Wright at BodyPower.

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UK FITNESS SCENE24

Right Directionswants industrystaff to join itsQuest team By Christina Eccles

RIGHT Directions is looking for expe-rienced leisure industry staff to joinits team of Quest assessors and mys-tery shoppers.

Industry professionals working atcontract manager level on site or sen-ior manager level at HQ can apply tobe assessors, while centre managerswith at least five years’ managementexperience can put themselves for-ward to become mystery shoppers.

Right Directions’ managing directorand Quest operations directorCaroline Constantine said: “We arelooking for individuals with passionand commitment to both the industryand Quest.

“Quest is no longer just an audit socandidates need to be knowledgeableenough to offer practical, achievableguidance to the centres they visit,helping to encourage best practiceand drive up standards.

“If your site has scored ‘excellent’ inQuest you could be an ideal person tooffer advice to others as a Questassessor. You learn so much when youare out visiting leisure centres – whereelse can you get CPD and get paid forit at the same time?”

CEO Of Abbeycroft Leisure WarrenSmyth is a serving Quest assessor andmystery shopper.

He added: “I have been involved inQuest since its inception in the 1990s,as a client and more recently as amystery visitor and assessor, and havewitnessed first hand how its develop-ment has assisted with improvingstandards in the leisure industry andnow enables organisations to trulydemonstrate continuous improve-ment.

“My role as a mystery visitor andassessor, seeing a wide range of bestpractice that develops my own ideasand thinking, has enabled me addvalue to my own organisations, andthe learning development I haveundergone personally has assisted mewith my own career development byunderstanding how the principles canbe applied to shape change andachieve results.”

Successful candidates will undergofull training for the role along withongoing CPD training days each year.

Assessors and mystery visitors arethen sent an allocation list of upcom-ing assessments allowing them to pickand choose the sites most suitable forthem to visit.

Fitness expert, National Fitness Awards’ host and former TV Gladiator Caroline Pearce haslaunched a new fitness DVD. Total Cardio Burn: Three Body Blasting Circuit TrainingWorkouts is made up of three 20 minute sections. Each circuit involves rotating strengthexercises for lower body, upper body and abdominals (twice through) followed byCaroline’s secret ingredient to get heart rates racing and metabolism fired up.

The new coffee shop at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre.

A NEW coffee shop has opened atBradley Stoke Leisure Centre, as partof the club’s refurbishment pro-gramme.

The shop is the result of a partner-ship between operator CircadianTrust and SOHO Coffee Co, which ismaking its first entry into the leisurecentre market.

Director of commercial develop-ment for Circadian Trust Ben Beasleysaid: “We are always seeking ways we

can improve our leisure centres andthe overall customer experience andoffering.

“Developing a partnership withSOHO Coffee means we are now ableto offer our customers a recognisedregional brand offering high quality,ethical catering.

“As a registered charity our commer-cial activities are key in generatingsurplus which is then re-invested forpublic benefit.”

New coffee shop opens atrefurbished leisure centre

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UK FITNESS SCENE26

TWO staff members at a Manchestergym have raised funds for Cash forKids Day by completing a charitytriathlon.

Jon Doherty and Rob Schofield, whowork at PACE Health Club at RadissonBlu Manchester Airport, took part inthe triathlon as part of a challenge toraise £100,000 for the StarlightChildren’s Outpatients Department atWythenshawe Hospital.

The challenge, held in partnershipwith KEY 103 radio, the founders of

the Cash for Kids charity, saw Rob andJon swim 1.5km, followed by a 40kmcycle ride and a 10km race.

Club manager Craig Ramage said:“We take an active interest in thecommunity and look to support localinitiatives wherever possible, be itraising money for a local charity orhelping local residents to get moreactive and achieve their health andfitness goals. We’re proud to have sup-ported Cash for Kids Day and thinkJon and Rob did a fantastic job.”

Duo complete triathlonin aid of kids’ charity

The Radisson Blu Manchester Airport team which completed the charity triathlon.

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TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT 27

THE latest advancements in personaltraining and exercise correction arecoming from Intelligent TrainingSystems and their IntrinsicBiomechanical exercise correctionprogrammes.

Used by professional sports people,recreational athletes and the nation’sworkforces, the programmes are co-sponsored by the ACSM, endorsed byACE and REPs – enabling the distribu-tion of the education internationallyto the US, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

Intrinsic Biomechanics is a sciencefocusing on the musculoskeletal sys-tem and its capacity to performmovement.

Unlike extrinsic biomechanics,which focuses on the movementitself, intrinsic biomechanics is thejoint-by-joint, segment-by-segmentassessment, identification and correc-tion of biomechanical flaws, asymme-tries and dysfunction within an indi-vidual’s musculoskeletal structure.

The model utilises a three phaseprocess that objectively identifies bio-mechanical flaws and assigns correc-tive exercise techniques: normalise,stabilise and functionalise. Once anindividual has successfully movedthrough each phase along the ‘healthcontinuum’, he or she will have thecapacity to deliver efficient move-ment with less pain and risk of injury.

The model is taught through a seriesof education courses. There is also asoftware platform that enables peopleto screen themselves and apply cor-rective exercise techniques.

For more information visitwww.iMoveFreely.com

Company introduces latesttraining advancements

Right Directions Management is expanding its team to meet the demand of new business.Four new members of staff have started work for the company, which assists operators increating environmental and health and safety management systems, as well as managingSport England’s quality scheme Quest and ukactive’s Code of Practice.The new roles include two new quality and health and safety managers, with new startersincluding Sue Popham (pictured).

YMCAfit has recently appointed fournew regional managers as itexpands its programme into threenew regions in the UK: Sheffield,Bristol and the North East.

Robert Hall has been selected asthe Midlands regional manager,Christine Minchella will be respon-sible for the north and Roy Scott andLesley Smith will manage the southeast and south west respectively.

The regional managers will beresponsible for ensuring the pro-gramme delivered in their region

meets the specific needs of the indi-viduals within it.

Head of YMCAfit Denise Page said:“Moving into new regions marks anexciting new era for YMCAfit. Overthe past three decades we havegrown and developed our courses tomeet the changing needs of the fit-ness industry.

“We are delighted to be in a posi-tion where we can expand our pro-gramme and deliver the same excel-lent level of service to more fitnessprofessionals in the UK.”

Four managers appointed

OLDHAM Community Leisure hasbrought its sales and membershipteam in house to help push forwardthe trust’s commitment to getting thelocal community more active.

According to head of customer rela-tions, Peter Howson, outsourcingsales does have its benefits, such asaccess to expertise with less riskattached.

But he claims that the upsides ofhaving an internal sales team meantthe switch was always on OldhamCommunity Leisure’s agenda.

He added: “Many leisure trusts useexternal sales teams as they don’thave the expertise in-house.

“I was brought in to head up cus-tomer relations and also use my sales

and membership experience to estab-lish and drive a new OCL sales team.Bringing it in-house means we canreact quickly and effectively to everynew opportunity and broaden theteam’s remit to focus on much morethan simply selling memberships.”

The trust’s new membership manag-er, who previously worked for theexternal sales company used by OCL,is now in post, and the rest of thefour-strong team will start later thismonth.

As well as the core business of sell-ing memberships, the team will alsopromote a range of non-gym activitieson offer across OCL’s centres, includ-ing the football skills programme,Striker 9.

Trust brings sales andmembership in-house

Firm promotes two membersLIFE Fitness has promoted two mem-bers of staff – Jason Worthy and KyleMillroy.

Jason will take on the role of manag-ing director for Life Fitness UK andKyle, operating out of the Life FitnessBenelux office, will become managingdirector for the distributor business.

Vice president of international busi-ness Frank van de Ven said: “LifeFitness has an exceptional talent basethat drives us internationally. Thesechanges reflect the hard work of bothand signal a renewed commitment tothe growing strength of the industryin both regions and globally.”

Jason Worthy

LEISURE Connection’s sales founda-tion course has received full endorse-ment from the Institute of Sales andMarketing Management.

Leisure Connection is the onlyleisure management company toreceive such an endorsement and theonly sports, leisure and health cluboperator in the industry to offer thecourse free to employees

Training and development manager

Claire Owen said: “We are delighted toobtain full endorsement from theISMM and look forward to developingindustry-leading membership salesteams.

“Our industry has for many yearsrecognised and demanded formalqualifications from fitness team, life-guards and catering teams, so it isonly right that we extend that profes-sionalism to our sales colleagues.”

Full endorsement for course

27 31/5/13 09:02 Page 1

TECHNOLOGY28When it comes to booking restaurants, hotels and holidays, searching the internet for the best deals and reviewshas become a must do for savvy consumers. Now with similar websites hitting the fitness industry, the public hasmore choice – and power – than ever before. Christina Eccles investigates the latest developments in webtechnology – and what they mean for operators.

ONLINE review and comparison siteshave been commonplace in manymarkets for years – and now the fit-ness industry is starting to tap intothe trend.

Trailblazers such as PayasUgym.com– where consumers book day passesfor gyms listed on the site withouthaving to commit to full membership– are going from strength to strength,and hot on their heels, are a new gen-eration of fitness related sites.

These sites, which allow consumersto do everything from book theirplace in a fitness class to uploading areview of their latest gym visit, aregiving consumers more choice thanever, while potentially opening up theservices of gyms and PTs to a muchwider audience.

One individual achieving success inthis market is Essex-based personaltrainer Brett Sanders, who is on a mis-sion to drive up standards in the fit-ness industry.

When Brett found himself betweenjobs, a conversation about where totake his career next led to the creationof his latest venture – fitness industryreview site GymBuzz, which launchedearlier this year.

He explained: “The place I wasworking at closed down and I was dis-cussing with my family how great itwould be if there was a website whereI could put my details on and peoplecould find me.

“I had designed websites in the pastand thought it was something the fit-ness industry needed.”

By visiting the site, gym users andPT clients can leave comments abouttheir experiences and a star rating ofthat business, with GymBuzz also act-ing as a useful directory in the firstinstance for those looking to find alocal club or trainer.

Brett added: “Maintaining high stan-dards in the fitness industry is hugelyimportant to me and that is our over-arching mission for the site – as wellas helping people to find gyms andpersonal trainers that meet theirneeds.”

In today’s fast moving world, theability to find and book classes onlineis also proving popular with busy fit-ness fans and new concept FitnessFreak is bridging that gap betweenconsumer and club.

Launching initially in London, userstype in their postcode, details of whenthey want to work out and what typeof class they wish to try and the sitedoes the rest – matching them withsomething suitable from its databaseof listed classes and booking a ses-sion.

Another new site to hit the market ismi fitness directory, which is aimingto provide a one-stop shop for every-thing fitness related and a platform

for independent businesses to pro-mote their services.

The site includes details of anythingfrom local gyms to equipmentproviders and supplements compa-nies, with businesses paying an annu-al fee to create an online profile.

Users are able to search for an activ-ity or club, as well as being able toleave feedback once they have visitedthe establishment.

Founder Nicholas Kyriacou added:“After receiving constant leafletsthrough the post and seeing smallnewspaper ads regarding new fitnesscentres or services, we decided thatcomparing the cost and time of thou-sands of leaflet drops or small limitedspace adverts in the local newspapers,a platform for all independent fitnessoperators for £49.99, which provideslocal exposure all year round, wasneeded.

“Registering will expose businessesto a wealth of potential clients both intheir local area and around the coun-try at a minimum cost. The addedbenefit of a radius filter enables usersto scale down their search to the near-est mile. As a result, new clients willbe able to find business members atthe click of a button, in a way they’venever done before.”

However, although Brett added thatthe vast majority of feedback he’d hadfrom operators about Gymbuzz wasexceptionally positive, a few gymowners did raise concerns thatincreased exposure online wouldleave them more open to the impactof negative reviews about their clubsor services.

But Brett told Workout he has reas-sured operators that the site is closelymonitored to ensure the reliability ofposts – and once registered, gym own-ers get the right to reply to commentspeople post about their facility.

He added: “Our desire is not only tobuild a good website but to improvethe service across an entire industry.

“I have been in the fitness industryfor the past 12 years and am passion-ate that our site can hold gyms andpersonal trainers more accountable tothe services they offer.”

Online review sites givegyms a wider audience

Sites are giving customers more choice than ever. © Scanrail – Fotolia.com

Brett Sanders

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TECHNOLOGY30

Technogym’s new range ARTIS has been officially launched at London’s historic HogarthHealth Club, giving members access to the latest in interactive technology. The rangeincludes cardio, strength and functional equipment and has been created with experts inthe field, including a collaboration with Loughborough University. It is also fully integratedwith the Technogym Ecosystem: a platform of interconnected products, services, contentand programmes that allow operators to manage their members’ Wellness lifestyles wher-ever they are, in and out of the club. Thanks to this open platform, clubs will be able tooffer their members Wellness on the Go by connecting with them anywhere in world viathe mywellness key, mobile phones, tablets, smart TV, or PCs.

THE latest in exercise technologyhas helped gymgoers in Sheffieldreach a major fitness milestone.

More than 200 members of FitnessUnlimited at Hillsborough LeisureCentre burnt a total of 129,000 calo-ries in one week by taking part in aspecial exercise challenge usingTechnogym VISIOWEB cardiomachines.

As part of its refurbishment earlierthis year, the venue installed theinternet enabled machines to pro-vide an integrated, interactive, andpersonalised training experience formembers.

Members can also benefit fromthe Challenge app which collects

individual results and informationfrom the equipment and helps peo-ple keep track of their workoutsthrough an online cloud storagesystem at home or on a smart-phone.

Fitness Unlimited corporatehealth and fitness manager PeterClark said: “Improving the healthand wellbeing of people in Sheffieldis a key priority for SIV, so it’s greatthat our investment in equipment isachieving such fantastic results formembers.

“The Technogym equipment hasadded value to the customer experi-ence allowing members to person-alise their training sessions.”

The gym at Hillsborough Leisure Centre.

Machines help gym membersreach a fitness milestone

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TECHNOLOGY 31

ClubManager can createnew members for youCLUBMANAGER has recentlylaunched a brand new add-on to theiraward winning software solution.

Managing director Wayne Heathexplained: “We pride ourselves onproviding industry-leading, affordablesolutions that allow gym owners togrow their businesses.”So what is the new product all about?During the sales process the newmember can automatically spread theword about your business to all oftheir friends through the power ofsocial media, such as Facebook andTwitter.

This simple and easy approach aspart of the joining process withinClubManager now allows your club toinstantly gain referrals via all forms ofsocial media at the most importanttime: when a new member is the mostenthusiastic about your club.Can it work for existing members?Without doubt it’s a great tool for

member reten-tion as well, byallowing theteam to getout on thegym floor andtalk withmembers andspread theword throughFacebook and Twitter at the click of abutton.What about results?Well if you look at 100 new referralsgenerated with a current close rate of35 per cent based on £30 per monthprice membership on Direct Debit,that’s an increase of £1,050 permonth. That really speaks for itself forthe club's bottom-line.

To find out more contact Wayneon 01245 807 360,

visit www.clubmanagercentral.com or email wayne@clubmanagercentral.com

boditrax: everybody – track your journey …BODITRAX is a cloud hosted bodycomposition and motion trackingtechnology solution that helps clubsengage with new and existing mem-bers to support their fitness journeyand prove the efficacy of personaltraining by setting goals and trackingprogress.

Using advanced bioelectrical

impedance technology and securecloud hosting, boditrax helps fitnessprofessionals create and manage con-fidential personal profiles and is idealfor GP referral and short term fitnessprogrammes, marketing and reten-tion. Boditrax is used by Government,NHS, F1 teams and public and privatehealth and fitness clubs.

Boditrax is delivered via a monthlylicence connecting simple web basedsoftware to a range of body composi-

tion monitors, motion trackers andyour clients, with price plans to suitorganisations of every size. Boditraxdevelops your client offer and gener-ates revenue through charging forscans and motion trackers. To see how boditrax will add value to your

organisation visit www.boditrax.com or call 0115 721 0760.

Use our FREE software tomanage your membershipsTO run your club successfully, youneed good recruitment and retentiondata.

But what you don’t need is to beporing over spreadsheets when youcould be engaging with your cus-tomers out on reception or on thefloor of your club.

Ashbourne has designed all itsmembership management software tobe quick and easy to install and use.Even better, all our software is free –there are no monthly fees or upfrontcharges.

The Membership Validation Systemprovides just the right amount of use-ful info about each member, with noneed to update it manually.

Via a broadband link you can viewAshbourne’s exact payment status ofeach of your members 24/7. Membersenter your premises using aswipecard (we’ll even give you thefirst 500 personalised cards…) linkedto these records. If their payment isnot up to date, this is immediately

flagged up and you can then takeappropriate action.

As part of MVS comes some sensibleretention info, such as recent non-attendance and an alert of member-ships expiring in the next 30 days.

As well as the MVS package,Ashbourne can also provide otheruseful free software to help yourecruit members and run your clubefficiently:To find out more call 0871 271 2088 or visit

www.ashbournemanagement.co.uk

31 31/5/13 08:49 Page 1

32Women in Barnsley have been twisting their way to fitness, thanks to a hot new class taking place in the town.Christina Eccles joined in the Powerhoop fun.

Sarah hopes to spreadthe Powerhoop wordWHEN Sarah Winfield was looking fora new class to teach, she initiallythought of Zumba.

But after realising there were alreadymany instructors taking sessions inthe local area, she widened her searchfor something different – and discov-ered Powerhoop.

Billed as a revolutionary fitnessproduct, 200,000 Powerhoops havebeen sold in Scandinavia since 2007,with the craze now spreading all overEurope.

Although the concept is reminiscentof the hula hoop sessions many peo-ple enjoyed as children, Powerhoopsare designed to provide more of anintense workout and are larger,weighted – available in 3lb, 4lb and5lb sizes – and more padded thantheir lighter, plastic counterparts.

With over 400 certified instructors,the concept is certainly catching onin the UK fitness market, and thanksto Sarah, many women in Barnsley

are enjoying the benefits – fromstronger core muscles to slimmerwaists – that regular sessions canbring.

She said: “I’m also a dance teacherand professional dancer and whatappealed to me about Powerhoopwas that you can choreograph yourown routines.

“Once people come, they get thePowerhoop bug. It’s such a nifty pieceof equipment – so simple, yet soeffective.”

Sarah teaches three classes a weekand also sells Powerhoops for thosewho want to practice in between.

Each class costs £5.50, includinghoop hire, or £4.50 if you bring yourown, with many of her customerschoosing to purchase one – meaningthey get the class cheaper and cankeep on hooping at home.

Class sizes are also relatively small,so everyone who comes can get thebest experience possible and Sarah

has time to give them tips on how toimprove.

She added: “Each class usually con-tains about 15 people, which meanswe can concentrate on the technique.

“I was going to split into two classes– beginners and intermediate – butit’s nice to keep people together andshows people who’ve just started howthey can progress.”

Sarah has been qualified for about ayear now and as the only Powerhoopinstructor in Barnsley, is carving out asuccessful niche for herself.

Her sessions currently take place indance studios and church halls, butshe told Workout she would also liketo hear from any local gyms lookingto add Powerhoop to their timetables.

She added: “I’m now interested inteaching more classes and spreadingthe word about Powerhoop even fur-ther. I really enjoy teaching it – andlove seeing people when they’ve gotthe hang of it.” Sarah Winfield

Class takes you back to your childhoodAS a child, one of my favouriteactivities was hula hooping, so Icouldn’t wait to give the grown upversion a try...

And with the benefits of aPowerhoop class including toningcore muscles, reducing lower backpain and stiffness and burning up to360 calories per hour, it soundedlike the perfect workout to gainresults, while also having a greattime. When I arrived at the venue – alocal church hall – I found I was thefirst member of the class there,which gave me a good chance tochat with instructor Sarah aboutwhat the session would involve.

After filling me in on what I couldexpect, she helped me to pick theright Powerhoop, with us agreeingon the 4lb version to start with, withthe option to go down to 3lb if I felt

like I needed something lighter.By now, everyone else had arrived

and it was time to begin the hourlong class with a warm up, whichincluded moves such as jogging onthe spot and grapevines whilerolling the hoop from side to side.

Next we got to grips with the hoopby using it for some weight basedexercises, before progressing tohula hooping with it around ourwaists.

Many members of the class hadbeen coming for several months soalready knew how to do this andmuch of the room could confidentlykeep their hoops moving for theentire duration of a song.

As a beginner, I couldn’t managemore than a few seconds before Idropped it and had to start againbut as I carried on, I could see glim-

mers of progress as each time I heldit up for slightly longer than the last.

For me the showstopping part ofthe class was the finale, which saweveryone ‘hoop’ their way throughWhigfield’s ‘Saturday Night’ whilealso including the actual dancemoves to the song – a great insightfor a beginner as to what practiceand perseverance can achieve!

We finished the class with a cooldown and some stretches and atthat point, I was already hooked onthe Powerhoop experience – plan-ning to attend the following week totry and improve my technique.

Having never taken part in a classlike this before, I wasn’t really surewhat to expect but I certainly wasn’tdisappointed.

Sarah was a helpful and motivatinginstructor and gave me plenty of

tips on how to get the best out of theclass.

And while the group of 10 peoplewas small enough to mean everyonecould benefit from one to one atten-tion, it was also big enough to createa great atmosphere – with all theladies friendly and encouraging tous ‘newbies’.

Afterwards I felt I’d had a reallygood workout without even realising– and my aching muscles the nextday proved that point!

But despite the minor aches andpains, I really enjoyed the class. Somuch so, I’ve already signed up fornext week’s session.

Hopefully I’ll only get better withmore practice and I’m determinedto perfect that ‘Saturday Night’ rou-tine as well as the rest of the group.So watch this space...!

Christina (third from the right) gives Powerhoop a try at a class at a local church hall.

challengechristina

Christina put to the test...

32 31/5/13 10:16 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE 33Balancing triathlon training with a full time job is all in a day’s work for fitnessmanager Claire Bloom. She spoke to Workout about how she combines her twopassions, her recent competition successes and why support from the club she worksin, its members and her sponsor has been so vital.

Triathlete Claire jugglesher fitness manager jobwith punishing scheduleCLAIRE, who works at David LloydLeisure in Chigwell, trains to betriathlon fit six days a week, with ses-sions lasting anything from one tothree hours.

Add to this the classes she teachesto members at the club and the resultis a hectic and punishing schedule,which needs to be carefully plannedout.

She explained: “Balancing my train-ing with my job is extremely difficult.I am a fitness instructor and teachnine classes a week from Monday toFriday which means by the time Istart my triathlon training in theevening I've already done at least twohours’ exercise.

“It’s a constant battle to avoid com-plete burnout and means I am alwaystraining on fatigue. I think my coachstruggles with it more than I do!”

Claire’s training includes three runsessions, three swim sessions, twobike sessions and three condition-ing/GRAVITY sessions.

She has been a big fan of GRAVITYsince discovering the kit at an eventfour years ago and has since built upa great relationship with the brand,which also now sponsors her.

She added: “I attended a fitness con-vention and tried a workout – I loved

it from the first time I went on it. Eachyear I have attended the conventionsince, the first session I book into isGRAVITY, even though I am now atrained instructor on it.

“I begged the head of group exercisefor David Lloyd, Rob Beale, every yearfor us to get it. The club where I workwas the first club to get it – we werethe trial club for the company and it’sbeen a resounding success.”

Since taking up the sport, Claire hasachieved great success with triathlon,with her achievements including fin-ishing sixth in her age group in the2011 World Triathlon Championshipsand eighth in her age group in lastyear’s European Championships.

She is now gearing up for her nextcompetition – the 2013 EuropeanChampionships in Turkey – whichtakes place later this month and toldWorkout so far her training is goingwell, with support from her gym andsponsor helping her along the way.

She added: “My club and the mem-bers are fantastic. My achievementsin triathlon came so quickly (andwere such a surprise to me) that it hasinspired many of our members totake up triathlon. We also run atriathlon event at our club now whichis well supported.

“GRAVITY has paid for my tri suit –triathlon is an expensive sport so I’mgrateful for the help – and I’ll beproud to display the logo when Icompete in Turkey.”

Best eversales forwebsiteWEBSITE payasUgym.com hasannounced record quarterly salesfor the first three months of 2013 –exceeding £100,000 of gym passsales per month for the first time.

The rapid growth of the servicefollows a partnership the companysecured at the end of 2012 withTesco Clubcard to offer gym passesto the 16m people that use theretailer’s loyalty scheme.

Co-founder Neil Harmsworthsaid: “We have proven that there isa significant lead generationopportunity for operators willing tooffer a broader range of gym passesin order to increase their footfall. In2012 we found that 92 per cent ofpeople using the service were newto the gym they used whichdemonstrates our ability to provideour partners with a valuable sourceof genuinely new customers thatthey can go on to convert into fullmembers where appropriate.”

Neil new MDNEIL King has been appointed MDof Leisure Connection.

Neil brings 22 years experience tothe role gained from Fitness Firstand more recently Sport andLeisure Management’s brandEveryone Active where he held theposition of commercial director.

Neil said: “I have been impressedwith the progress which I haveseen at Leisure Connection inrecent months and I am delightedto be joining the business at such apivotal moment.

“Leisure Connection has animpressive team and a wide rang-ing and diverse client portfoliowhich forms an excellent founda-tion on which to continue to buildthe business.”

Claire Bloom

33 28/5/13 11:52 Page 1

34 Jacobs Ladder 28/5/13 11:38 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE 35

By Christina Eccles

A MEMBER who turned her lifearound with the help of a local club islooking forward to a new career in thefitness industry, after passing herNVQ two gym fitness instructorexams.

After years of bullying left her with aweight problem and very low selfesteem, Nikki Bailey turned to train-ers at The Triangle Freedom LeisureCentre, who helped her to lose theweight and boosted her confidence.

Since making her own transforma-tion, Nikki has raised over £6,000 forbeatbullying.org and the local chil-dren’s hospice by running sponsored10ks and half marathons.

And after gaining a love for fitness,she decided she would like to trainwith Freedom Leisure to become aninstructor at The Triangle to help oth-ers achieve their goals.

Nikki said: “Everyone at The Triangle

was so encouraging and their belief inme gave me the confidence to studyand sit the exams.

“The Freedom Leisure team hasgiven me so much more than a certifi-cate and a qualification: they haveconfirmed that in the end you cancome through adversity. I know whatit feels to lack confidence and look inthe mirror and not like what is look-ing back. I have been on that journeyand am living proof that weight canbe lost, bullies can be beaten andthings can change for the better.”

Centre manager at The TriangleStuart Smith added: “Nikki has shownherself to be a great ambassador forweight loss, exercising and turningnegatives in your life into positives.

“She is naturally very personableand generously encourages others inthe gym: I’m sure a very rewardingcareer in fitness lies ahead for her andwe were only too pleased to supporther progression.”

Nikki wants to helpothers after passinginstructor exams

Nikki Bailey

Town’s leisure operator launches 10k raceOLDHAM Community Leisure islaunching a 10k race later thismonth, following on from the suc-cess of last year’s Oldham HalfMarathon.

The race will take place onSaturday June 23, starting on theHigh Street in Oldham town centre.

The route will take the runners

through the Shaw area of Oldhamand back to the town centre.

Senior health and physical activitydevelopment officer at OCL andrace director Alan Keane said: “Wehad such a fantastic response to ourhalf marathon, the next logical stepwas to add a shorter race to the cal-endar to give more people the

chance to get involved. “It is also a good opportunity for

runners to raise money for charity ifthey want to be sponsored to com-plete the race.

“The new 10k will also be the idealtraining event for people planningto run the half marathon inOctober.”

Anytime Fitness is set to open its newest club in Crawley town centre later this month. The 3,200 sqft gym will feature Precor equipmentand showcase the brand’s latest innovation, the AMT with Open Stride. Franchisee James Ussher said: “I love sport and fitness and wantedto start a business in this arena. Anytime Fitness is a fantastic brand and the company are extremely proactive. There is a great sense ofsupport and community coupled with the ability to expand in the future with further clubs. The Crawley site is the first of a cluster groupof clubs that I am seeking to open over the next five years.”

35 28/5/13 11:38 Page 1

GOPROTEIN – the company thatbrought you the Go-Pro-Station andthe recently launched Goprotein 25gprotein porridge – has recently cele-brated the brand’s second birthday.

Head of UK sales Nick Mills said: “Ican’t believe it’s been two years sincewe installed our first Go-Pro-Stationand we now have over 200 installed inthe UK, Ireland and Holland.

“I have to say a big thank you to theGoprotein team, all the gyms thathave supported us, from quality inde-pendents like Roko, NMAPerformance and Interim to name afew and national chains like Nuffieldand Harpers (Leisure Connection).”

Nick puts the success down to anumber of factors.

He added: “We listened to what thegym operators had to say and alsowhat their customers wanted.

“Operators wanted increased sec-ondary spend and better margins,while their customers were telling us

they wanted the convenience of afresh shake of the highest quality thattasted great but had less sugar thanbottled drinks. We have a great inhouse product development teambehind us and a special thank you hasto go to my colleague, managingdirector Dr Kees de Nijs, who has for-mulated simply the best tasting prod-ucts in the market today…at leastthat’s what our customers tell us.”

Goprotein is part of the Be-WellNutritional Group who have beenmanufacturing and developing sportsand food supplements for over 28years for many world champions andOlympic athletes.

For more information contact Goprotein on 01778 560868,

email: trade@goprotein.comor via www.goprotein.com

36 SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

Owner finds out moreabout legend’s rangeBy Christina Eccles

INDEPENDENT operator Sam Smithhas met with Ronnie Coleman to dis-cuss stocking the bodybuilding leg-end’s supplement range in his club.

Sam, who owns Rigs Fitness nearBirmingham, met Ronnie during hisrecent visit to local supplementswarehouse, BodyShocker in Solihull,to find out more about his SignatureSeries range and how it could work inhis gym.

Sam said: “I stock some of the majorbrands, USN/Reflex/Kinetica, but Ialso like to champion smaller inde-pendent brands that I really see mak-ing an effort to ensure their ingredi-ents are top notch.

“I went to see Ronnie Coleman andhis new brand Signature Series as Iwas interested in stocking the brand.

“I've seen, read and heard goodthings about the brand and like thefact that Ronnie has a vested interest-ed in Signature Series doing well andis not just an athlete endorsing theproduct.”

Sam, who is also a qualified sportsnutritionist, also explained why offer-ing diet and supplementation adviceis an important part of the service heprovides to members – and whychoosing the right products is key tothis.

He added: “I think tailored nutritionplans are a much needed addition for

anybody looking to reach a fitnessgoal.

“Although most members will knowwhat is good and what is bad to eat,having their nutritional needs out-lined in one easy to use plan acts as aconstant reminder and prevents any'mini relapses' or setbacks.

“We also offer supplements throughthe gym and have access to over 200top products. I don't always advocatethe use of sports supplements with atraining programme, and think all toooften they are used when not neces-

sarily needed. “However there are a lot of occa-

sions when I'll recommend certainproducts, normally if a member issuffering with their muscle sorenessand needs a recovery supplement, orif they don't receive enough vitaminsand minerals through their diet andneed a nutrient rich supplement.

“As we don't rely on supplements asa main source of income at Rigs, I'mable to recommend them only whenthey are needed, and not just becauseI'm interested in selling.”

Ronnie Coleman with Rigs Fitness owner Sam Smith.

PERFORMANCE Meals enjoyed a suc-cessful BodyPower Expo – giving outover 1,500 samples and selling over4,000 Performance Meals.

Performance Meals are high proteindiet meals for sports and fitness. Theyare sold in vacuum sealed pouches,require no refrigeration – simply storeat room temperature for up to oneyear.

Performance Meals contain all natu-ral ingredients and no preservatives.Every meal has a minimum of 40gprotein and are low in fat.

If you are interested in stocking con-tact info@performancemeals.com fora trade information pack. This is a realfood product and not a supplement.

Successful showfor Performance

Goprotein celebratesits second birthday

AN independent gym inHertfordshire is holding a specialfree talk for health conscious mem-bers of the public, featuring glutenand coeliac expert Dr Tom O’Bryan.

The seminar, which will focus ongluten sensitivity with or withoutcoeliac disease, takes place atOdyssey Health Club in Stevenageon Sunday June 23.

Dr Tom to speak at free seminar

36 28/5/13 13:49 Page 1

37 Prolab 31/5/13 09:05 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE38

So what does the futureof fitness look like?By Allan Collins

IT is always interesting to try andguess which direction an industry willtake, and predict what trends will bepopular. As Steve Jobs said, “you cangive customers what they want, butour approach is to figure out whatthey’re going to want before they do.”So here are some thoughts on what ison the horizon for the fitness indus-try:

1. IntegrationThere are lots of ways of engaging infreeweight and functional training(olympic weightlifting, kettlebells,rigs, strongman training etc), but thekey for trainers is to elevate yourunderstanding above what everybodyelse is doing to see how to integratethese different forms together. Listenand learn from different experts.Rather than simply copying them,integrate the exercise and methodsinto your own system and with trial,error and experience, use what worksand ditch what doesn’t.

2. The mindUnfortunately in relation to gettingresults with clients, the mind and aclient’s emotions is the last thingmany trainers consider. As our knowl-

edge of fascia increases (such as theimportance of self-myofascialrelease), more and more trainers arelearning about the link between thefascia and visceral (internal organs),and emotional connections. Are cer-tain muscles, long and weak or shortand tight because of emotionalissues, or are certain postural devia-tions due to stress? Understandingand helping clients to address emo-tional barriers will help trainers to seemuch quicker and more effectiveresults with both dietary and exerciseprogrammes that they are imple-menting.

3. New technologyNew technology is a big potential areafor any industry at the moment. Newapplications and online platforms willcontinue to fall into three main cate-gories – information, communicationand automation.

Clients have access to informationon how to use equipment (with newtechnology like augmented realityapps), or platforms that allow thesharing of information – from trainer-to-client, or from trainer-to-trainer.There is also the aspect of how tocommunicate with your clients,members, employees or other trainers– and hopefully social media will start

to be used for more communicationbetween people, rather than justshouting into the web about howgreat you are, or what you ate forbreakfast! Automation of processes isstill a huge potential area for manyfitness businesses – from self-employed trainers to the larger clubs– and tools like MyZone are fantasticfor showing how technology can beused for both increased results andprofit.

4. New researchUnfortunately the research into theeffectiveness of many types of func-tional training (sandbags, ropes etc) islimited to non-existent. Even kettle-bell research is scarce at best, andthat has been around for many yearsnow. Hopefully as more higher educa-tion facilities invest in functionaltraining areas and equipment, theassociated research undertaken atthese facilities will justify what practi-cal experts already know – that thesetools are great for getting results.

Sometimes new research precedespractical application though, and agood example of this is the researchinto BAT (Brown Adipose Tissue) andits stimulation by cold therapy. Onlynew technology showed us howapplying cold to the upper back, neckand chest has the potential for facili-tating fat loss without the use ofphysical activity, dietary interventionor drugs. This is a great tool for ath-letes, bodybuilders or anyone elselooking to decrease body fat stores.

Good luck in the future and we willsee if these predictions come true....� Allan Collins is director of educa-tion at Jordan Fitness (www.jordanfit-ness.co.uk) and author of the newComplete Guide to FunctionalTraining.

Allan Collins

By Matthew Januszek, EscapeFitness

ASK yourself the question; what is itthat you want from your club andmembers?

You want to attract more members,right? Then you want them to renew?You want them to spread the wordand tell their friends? You want themto stay longer, take part in more class-es and visit more often? You wantyour club to be high up their list ofpriorities so, instead of the gym beingan afterthought, they make time tovisit? Ultimately you want your clubto have the X-Factor, the “Apple, orAmazon, of the fitness world.”

These are currently unstable times.At one end of the market we have wellrun, wonderfully efficient clubs whoare driving down costs, and passingthe savings on to members, and giv-ing individuals lean, mean clubmachines.

At the other end of the spectrum wehave the niche, boutique clubs whoseexpertise is specialisation – thinkBoom! Cycle, for example. The “bou-tique-ification” of the industry is flex-ing its muscles. While all of this ishappening, the number of healthclubs is also increasing.

The combination of market diversi-fication, innovation and falling pricesmean times are tough. As it stands,mid-market gyms are in danger offalling between two stools, too expen-sive to be cheap and too broad to bespecialist.

So how do you react? The key is not to fight the fight on thegrounds of price. The facts are that noone is leaving a club because they arehaving too much fun, making toomany friends or getting in too good ashape! When was the last time amember of yours failed to renew theirmembership because they were look-ing too good?! They’re leavingbecause they feel they can get whatthey’re currently experiencing for lessmoney or, they are prepared to digdeeper for something more specialist.

The demand is out there, it’s just acase of reaching out, creating a buzzand supplying what people want.

Members want results and motiva-tion, so let’s concentrate on givingthem that. Research tells us that a

stimulating environment, a socialexperience and motivating healtheducation are three of the main moti-vators that keep members comingback for more. They want to have fun,make friends and get in shape.

With the rapid expansion at bothends of the industry the time to act isnow. As I’ve said, these are uniquetimes, big names that have dominat-ed the market are no longer aroundwhile we’re all getting accustomed tonew players that, six months ago,none of us had heard of. The dangerof simply being reactive, rather thanproactive, could have serious reper-cussions.

So how do you go about creating thatunique experience to differentiate youfrom your potentially business threateningcompetition?

Creating a sense of community,where members have fun andsocialise is an important factor, so toois your team of staff.

Group exercise with a variety ofclasses and equipment plays a hugepart in determining whether a poten-tial member will join a club as thevast majority of people prefer to workout in a group, rather than individual-ly. If you can harness the power ofsmall group training then member-ship becomes about friendship andhaving fun, rather than just exercis-ing, which is so often associated withhard work. Members then feel a com-mitment to one another, instead ofjust to themselves. Building this sense

of loyalty between members can onlyhave a positive impact on retentionfigures.

An IHRSA Member Survey from afew years back found that the numberone factor influencing a member’sdecision to join a club was“Professional staff and knowledgeabletrainers”. We know that memberswant results and so a team of trainersthat are educated and trained on theequipment is vital to ensuring you areproviding the best level of service.

It’s also vital that you communicatethis message effectively too. Design isan important part of communication– just think of Apple – to ensure that afacility captivates the audience andimparts that feeling of brand loyalty.We must also be informing members,and future members, what it is we doand believe in, how we do it, why wedo it and offer a compelling case as towhy we’re the best choice for them.By targeting customers in this wayyou start to dominate your market asprices are justified due to equipmentexcellency, supported by high classtraining in an environment thatinspires.

The beauty of a changing industry isthat opportunity awaits and gettingahead of the crowd can be a richlyrewarding experience, but only if youact today!� If you have any thoughts on thechanging nature of our industry thendrop me a line at marketing@escape-fitness.com and let me know whatyou think.

What do your members want from you?

Matthew Januszek

38 31/5/13 08:50 Page 1

39 Iso2 28/5/13 13:37 Page 1

PRODUCT NEWS40

LIFE Fitness has announced its searchfor the world’s best personal trainersto watch, in partnership with theInternational Confederation ofRegisters for Exercise Professionals.

Now in its third year, the programrecognises and rewards trainersaround the world that embody thesame passion and commitment tohealthy lifestyles on which LifeFitness prides itself. Nominations willbe collected throughout this monthand the top 10 finalists will competeduring a live global competition laterthis year to determine the winner.

Life Fitness president Chris Clawsonsaid: “Worldwide, the personal train-ing profession is booming as new

audiences recognise that professionalfitness expertise will help peoplemaintain motivation and achievetheir goals.

“The first ever Personal Trainers toWatch workshop event will bring theworld’s top trainers together on aglobal stage to learn new tips andtechniques from each other as we cel-ebrate their accomplishments.”

Prizes for the winning trainerinclude $5,000 USD toward his or herpersonal training business and a per-sonalised award plaque.

Exercisers, personal trainers and gym owners can visit

www.LifeFitness.com/PersonalTrainers to nominate a trainer for the award.

Life Fitness launches searchfor the world’s best PTs

FUNCTIONAL fitness specialists,Jordan Fitness, are assisting profes-sional boxer and current WBO lightheavyweight world champion, NathanCleverly, in his training to step hiscareer up a level to become an elitefighter.

Retaining his title for the fifth time,he recently demolished opponentRobin Krasniqi at Wembley Arena indefence of his WBO title.

Nathan now has a unification boutwith IBF champion, Bernard Hopkins,set firmly in his sights in a fightplanned for the end of the year.Jordan Fitness is assisting with sup-plying a range of training equipmentto help him reach elite status.

Sales director Zak Pitt said: “We areextremely proud to be assistingNathan with his strength and condi-tioning training and delighted that hechose us in his quest to step his,already glittering, career up even fur-ther.

“That choice is testament to thegreat reputation our equipment has

for delivering results. “We wish Nathan all the very best

with his forthcoming bouts and theplanned unification fight at the end ofthe year.”

For more information visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk

Boxing Cleverly withJordan Fitness

Gold Standard Nutrition enjoyed a successful debut at this year’s BodyPower Expo – shar-ing their stand with some of Europe’s strongest men who shared their experience of usingthe product. The company is celebrating an incredible first year – with positive feedbackfrom both end consumers and stockists – and is now in the enviable position of having awaiting list for new stockists. If you feel your business would benefit from stocking thisfantastic product, don’t delay.

To become a stockist give Gold Standard Nutrition a call on 01757 211 740.

VISALUS is now America’s numberone health management platform.

In the last four years, ViSalus hasgrown to have over $1b dollars insales and over 2m people take the 90day challenge, becoming bigger thanestablished brands like Slim-Fast andWeight Watchers.

ViSalus have a patented mealreplacement formula that uses a Tri-Sorb protein blend that means youlose weight while building lean mus-cle mass.

Customers taking the Vi-shakesreport they never feel hungry andactually have an increase in energy.This is because more of the proteinand nutrients are absorbed into thebody without all the calories and salts

associatedwith normalfoods.

ViSalus havea uniquepropositionboth in theproduct andthe businessmodel so youcan choose tojoin as a cus-tomer or promoter.

As a promoter you can earn repeatmonthly money with no expensive upfront fees, no minimum order quanti-ty, no ongoing fees and no need tocarry stock.For more information visit www.vi- biz.com

ViSalus becomes America’snumber one platform

Best product awardfor wipe stationPATRONS will take notice of thisbright free standing dispenser whenthey enter a gym or fitness club.

Solid, rotationally molded plasticmakes this a perfect receptacle forhigh-traffic areas and can be movedeasily to anywhere in the gym.

Designed for heavy use and han-dling but light enough to carry, it isalso very easy to load and empty.

The Wet Wipe Dispenser holds rollsof up to 1,000 anti bacterial wipes.The Hand and Handle wipes cleanand disinfect common gym surfacesbut are also sensitive enough to useon hands.

The Hand and Handle can be brand-ed with a gym’s name and logo.

The station won best new hygieneproduct at the 2013 Cleaning Show.

For more information visitwww.addgards.com

Product review – Battle RopesIF you are looking for a piece ofequipment that people of all ages andabilities can benefit from then yoursearch is over. Escape Fitness battleropes are fun and dynamic andappeal to all.

An effective tool to train forendurance, power and core stabilityand excellent for anaerobic workouts,they are the perfect universal trainingtool because of the simplicity of theexercises that can be completed.

Available in two grip widths, thedesign means they are extremelydurable and suitable for use in ahealth club or outside as an additionto a group circuit or in boot campstyle workouts.

They are ideal for any club lookingfor something a little bit different tochallenge their members or to intro-duce into small group workouts.

They are hugely popular with bothprofessional athletes and fitnessbeginners looking to develop explo-sive power and endurance; for exam-ple, boxers, mixed martial artists and

rugby players. They are great when combined with

kettlebells, Bulgarian Bags and Steelor Sand Bell to make the ultimatefunctional training zone.

For more information visit www.escapefitness.com/battleropes

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VENDING

AN innovative new snack product haslaunched on the fitness market.

Initially showcased at the recentBodyPower Expo, Protein Bites is ahigh protein crisp which delivers anutritious and convenient high ener-gy snack that is easy to eat pre or postworkout or at any time of the day.

The impressive nutritional benefitsof the product: 20g protein, 9g carbsand 3g fat makes it a serious proposi-tion in the protein market; currentlydominated by nutrition bars andshakes and with an RRP of £1.75, itrepresents a competitive price point.

Available in a choice of two savouryflavours: Sweet Thai Chilli and SourCream and Onion with no more than142 calories per pack, it’s a tasty, fill-ing and guilt-free option.

Developed and manufactured in theUK, Protein Bites is aimed at a wideaudience from health consciousadults to the many of us balancingwork, family life and activities whoneed a healthy and great tasting snackon the go.

We will be announcing stockistsshortly and welcome enquiries fromthose interested in stocking the prod-uct.

For trade enquiries contact Andrew Coulson on

Andrew@proteinthruinnovation.com

Protein Bites: a crisp newway to eat protein Carly Thornton and Nathan Harman

Carly wows the crowdsat BodyPower ExpoLEADING fitness model CarlyThornton wowed the crowds whenshe appeared at this year’s BodyPowerExpo.

USN ambassador Carly appeared onthe company’s stand during the showat the NEC, enjoying chatting to visi-tors and posing for photos with fans.

She said: “BodyPower was epic. Iwas on the USN stands where we hadour own stage and gym kitted with allCybex equipment.

“Throughout the day we had photostaken, had one to one interviews togive people advice on nutrition andtraining and generally have a greattime with the public.

“I am so proud to be part of such anindustry where people who are pas-sionate about health and fitness allcome together in the same room andfeed off each other, it's so motivatingand inspiring. Cannot wait till nextyear!”

KEISER UK has been recognisedwith a top award, which celebratesoutstanding customer service sup-port among Keiser distributors.

The Number One Top Distributor

Award for 2012 was presented to

managing director Tim Colston by

Keiser Inc. founder and engineer,

Dennis Keiser.

Keiser UK wins service award

VICE President of Gaspari Nutrition,Liz Gaspari, has created a non-profitorganisation, with a mission to fund ahospital in Kabul to provide medicalcare for Afghan land mine victims.

As part of the Liz GaspariFoundation, she will also be support-ing BRAVE – a campaign which pro-vides educators with tools and knowl-edge and supports pro-active effortsin confronting bullying.

Liz said: “As a first-generationAfghan-American, this foundation isimportant to me including the BRAVEcampaign.

“Kids in schools need us to do ourpart, making sure children have sup-port, knowing their worth which helpsthem achieve their goals.”Liz Gaspari

Liz createsfoundationfor Afghanhospital

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