The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineOctober 2012 No 229 £3

Gyms celebrateas NFA shortlistis revealed

Foundationto honoursuccess ofits athletesTHE GLL Sport Foundation is hon-ouring the success of its sponsoredathletes after they picked up atotal of 14 Olympic andParalympic medals.

This year, the scheme, whichprovides support and fundraisingfor sporting stars to achieve theirdreams, saw over 50 athletesselected for Team GB andParalympics GB – many of whomtrain at GLL operated venuesacross London and the South East.

Success stories include champi-on boxers Anthony Joshua andNicola Adams – who both pickedup golds – and judo silver medal-list Gemma Gibbons.

GSF patron Sally Gunnell said: "Itis fantastic news to have so manyGSF athletes selected. It is vitalthat our athletes receive the sup-port required to achieve theirsporting potential and theseresults prove the point.

“I know from personal experi-ence that many young athletesstruggle to meet the costs associat-ed with increased training andcompetition to reach their sport-ing dreams. It is also vitally impor-tant that there are support mecha-nisms and legacy programmes inplace for the next generation ofsporting stars and our local com-munities; we are working hard toachieve this."

A Worcester gym welcomed a specialguest when pop star and TV presenterOlly Murs popped in for a chat. Olly visit-ed Worcester Pool and Fitness Centre tointerview member – and X Factor contest-ant – Gathan Cheema, for spin off show,The Xtra Factor. Scenes were filmed in theclub for the ITV2 show and during thevisit, fitness fan Gathan and Olly werealso put through their paces by teamcoach Vince McCumisky.� For full story see page 20.

By Christina Eccles

GYMS from Aberdeen down to Cornwallare celebrating after being chosen asfinalists for the 2012 National FitnessAwards.

The awards, which are now in theirthird year, reward excellence andachievement across the fitness industryand are organised by Script Events, inpartnership with WorkOut and headlinesponsor Servicesport.

Almost 100 clubs have been shortlist-ed this year across 18 categories – rang-ing from regional gym of the year tobest rehabilitation, combat andstrength training facilities.

Trophies are also up for grabs toreward individual achievements, withdedicated categories for best gym basedpersonal trainer and member achieve-ment, as well as the coveted lifetimeachievement award, the winner ofwhich is unveiled on the night.

In each category, the finalists will nowaim to impress a member of theWorkout team, who between them willbe visiting all of the clubs on the short-list.

Event director Judith Halkerston said:“We had hundreds of entries this yearwith the majority being of a very highstandard. It was a long, difficult process

choosing the shortlists but we are confi-dent that we have picked the right ones.

“The WorkOut team has started visit-ing clubs and we’ve already been as farnorth as Inverclyde and as far south asFalmouth.

“By the end of October we will havetravelled thousands of miles and will beready to send our detailed reports toour panel of six, independent judgeswho will have the tough task of pickingthe winners.”

Trophies will be handed out at a glit-tering ceremony on Friday November30 at The Athena in Leicester, hosted bypersonal trainer and TV personalityCharlotte Ord – giving the entire indus-try the opportunity to celebrate theachievements of our winners and markthe end of another successful year inbusiness.

“This year is the third National FitnessAwards and we are confident that theawards ceremony will be bigger andbetter than ever.

“It’s an impressive venue and we areworking hard to ensure that the eveningwill not only have all the excitement ofthe winners being announced but willalso celebrate excellence and innova-tion in our industry.”� Look out for the full shortlist and allthe latest NFA news inside this issue.

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By Christina Eccles

GYMS could play their part in theOlympic legacy by providing opportu-nities for the whole family to exerciseand try new sports, according toOlympic rower Greg Searle.

Greg, who has competed in fourOlympic Games, spanning a 20 yearperiod, most recently picked up abronze medal at London 2012 in themen’s eight.

He spoke to Workout at LeisureIndustry Week, which he was visitingas part of his role as an ambassadorfor Precor, revealing the part hewould like to see the fitness industryplay in engaging more people inphysical activity.

He said: “The Olympics has inspireda generation to be fit and healthy.Potentially, kids want to be Jess Ennisor Laura Trott.

“It’s particularly important to me asa father. I have two children, Josiewho is 11 and Adam who is nine, andthe sporting opportunities for Adamare much greater.

“If part one of the legacy was toinspire, then part two is to provideopportunities for a generation – andthat’s where gyms and leisure clubscan play a part, alongside many otherplaces.”

Greg also works with charity AccessSport, which gives young peopleopportunities to play sport who oth-erwise wouldn’t have them.

And he added that as many parentswant to spend leisure time with theirkids, it would be good to see morehealth clubs introducing activities for

children so the whole family couldvisit the gym together.

He added: “My kids can’t go to thegym with me, so if I go to the gym Ican’t be with them. It would be greatif there was something they could dothere.”

Now the Games are over, Greg saidhe was looking forward to spendingmore time with his family and settingsome new goals to work towards.

He added: “I’m now enjoying theaftermath of the Olympics, learningthe lessons from them and sharingthe experiences with corporate audi-ences, schools and other groups.

“I am immensely proud that we as anation could do it right and it felt verygood to be on that giving side andproviding that pride.”

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AdvertisingSales and marketingdirector:Tony Barry

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

Field sales executive:Chris HartleyTel: 01226 734709ch@scriptmedia.co.uk

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

Chief reporter:Christina EcclesTel: 01226 734463ce@scriptmedia.co.uk

Reporter:Helen WilliamsTel: 01226 734694helenw@scriptmedia.co.uk

www.workout-uk.co.uk

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Gyms ‘can playtheir part inlegacy’ – Greg

Greg Searle with reporter Christina Eccles.

Personal trainer and TV personality Charlotte Ord was one of many visitors to the Workoutstand during Leisure Industry Week 2012. Charlotte, who will be hosting this year’sNational Fitness Awards at The Athena in Leicester on November 30, popped by the showat the NEC in Birmingham to pick up a copy of the latest issue of the magazine.� Look out for the next issue of Workout when we will be including a full round up of LIWnews.

A NEW report has revealed the pop-ularity of the ‘green gym’ – withmany respondents saying they pre-fer working out outside.

Almost half of consumers ques-tioned for the report into outdoorfitness said they prefer to exerciseoutdoors, with people in the 65–74age group being the most keen.

The report, commissioned by LIWand produced by Leisure-net

Solutions, also revealed operatorsare embracing outdoor fitness, with100 per cent of those questionedstating they plan to introduce out-door fitness classes within the nextyear.

At present, more than half (55 percent) provide classes themselves –either directly or by working withthird party providers.

Outdoor workouts preferred

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Girl power on showat independent gymBy Helen Williams

WOMEN from across the country bat-tled it out in Swindon to be namedBritain’s Strongest Woman, with thefinal held at an independent gym inthe town.

The 2012 finals took place at ProStrength and Fitness Gym and deter-mined who would go on to competein the world finals in Finland nextyear.

16 competitors from as far afield asScotland competed against eachother in events such as a van pull,farmers walk, log lift, deadlift and thefamous atlas stones.

The women ranged in age from 16to late 40s, with two grandmotherseven taking part. Dozens of peopleturned out to cheer on the competi-tors.

Gymnastics coach Sarah Windo, ofChiseldon, was the only local com-petitor. She said: “I only startedStrong Woman last year after myboyfriend got me into it. I used to be aswimmer, then I played hockey andthen I had a baby, but I have alwaysenjoyed lifting weights.

“They have got some really good

girls here and the number of competi-tors is steadily growing each year.

We do everything the men do butthe weights are a little bit lighter,obviously. It’s really challenging, butin a functional way, and I am quitecompetitive, so I enjoy it. My bestevents are the carrying ones, and myworst is the deadlift.”

Co-owner Richard Scott added: “Wepromoted the event via forums,Facebook and word of mouth and got

a really good response. “We have one of the largest ranges

of strongman equipment in the coun-try, so our good reputation helped getthe interest going.” � Have you held any events or com-petitions in your gym? Let us knowhow you got on by emailingce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contactingour editorial team on 01226 734463and you could appear in a futureissue of Workout.

The Britan’s Strongest Woman event attracted competitors from across the UK.

Free accessto facilitiesoffered incampaignSOUTHWARK Council is offeringfree access to its sporting facilitiesthroughout October andNovember as part of the Give it aGo campaign.

The London 2012 inspiredsports coaching and exercise ses-sions will be available at the Deaffootball club, BrimmingtonCommunity Football Club,Waterloo Netball Club, DulwichTable Tennis club, London Irish(Rugby) and London South BankUniversity Multi-Sports club.

Abdul Wuraola, head coach ofDulwich Table Tennis Club, one ofthe participating sports clubssaid: “We are really looking for-ward to offering free activities aspart of Give it a Go as we feel it isa great opportunity to get peopleinto the sport that haven’t playedbefore or haven’t played sinceschool.”

The London wide programme isfunded through the FreeSportstrand of the Mayor’s SportLegacy Programme and coordi-nated by PRO-ACTIVE CentralLondon and Southwark Council.

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Serena turns herlife around withhelp from centreBy Christina Eccles

A HASTINGS leisure centre hashelped a member turn her lifearound – spurring her on to loseseven stone and qualify as a fitnessinstructor.

21 months ago, Serena Berrettweighed just over 20 stone, butafter promising her dying friendshe would stop smoking and loseweight, she was determined toadopt a healthier lifestyle.

Her first step was to join theFreedom Leisure SummerfieldsLeisure Centre where she started toattend its Aqua Fit sessions.

Alongside her Aqua Fit regime,Serena followed a Slimming Worldplan and her hard work, plusencouragement fromSummerfields’ staff and othermembers, kept her motivated andon the right track.

Now after losing nearly sevenstone and dropping six dress sizes,she has trained as an Aqua Fitinstructor – helping others toachieve their own fitness andweight loss goals.

Serena explained: “I went toclasses two or three times a weekand gradually my confidence grew.

“The team at Freedom Leisurewere lovely – never judgemental orcritical of my huge size: they werethere to help me from day one andI still trust their advice and guid-ance, nearly two years later andseven stone lighter.

“Aqua Fit is the ideal exercise formuch larger people: the water sup-ports much of your weight whileyou can submerge some of theworst bits of your body in thewater.

“It was my saviour and now Iwant to encourage others to takethe plunge.”

Serena now runs four Aqua Fitclasses for Freedom Leisure – two

at Summerfields and two at BexhillLeisure Pool. She is also qualifiedas a gym and boxercise instructorand is now working towards a per-sonal trainer qualification.

Summerfields Leisure Centremanager Paul Wilson added:“Serena is a great success story andit turns out she’s a natural instruc-tor.

“Her experience of a great weightloss journey, gives her uniqueempathy with others looking tolose weight here.”

Then and now: Serena Berrett.

Ben Bloodworth (left), Fresh Fitness personal trainer, with manager Mark Belton.

Sky’s the limit for gymSTAFF and members of Fresh Fitnessgym in Skegness took the plunge andcompleted a sky dive to raise over£600 for RAF Benevolent Fund.

Those taking part did a tandemjump from 15,000ft, free falling up to120mph for 60 seconds before theirparachutes were released, takingthem back to 40mph where theycould enjoy magnificent views on theway down. Some took the chance toguide their own parachute to the

ground.The event took place at the airfield

in Hibalstow, north Lincolnshire, andwas organised through a companycalled Skydive.

Fresh Fitness congratulated all staffand members and manager MarkBelton said organisers did a great jobin rallying the troops. He added: “Itwas an amazing experience - therecouldn’t be a better way to raisemoney for a good cause.”

A LUXURY health club and spa hasinvested in its fitness facilities toensure guests receive a five starexperience.

Seaham Hall Hotel and SerenitySpa in County Durham has refur-bished its fitness suite to includeover 30 pieces of equipment fromLife Fitness, as well as a dedicatedbreak out area for free weights,core strength training and stretch-ing.

Managing director BarryDonaghey said: “Seaham Hall Hotelis the ultimate venue in the heart ofthe North East. It already has a fan-

tastic reputation as a leading fivestar hotel and spa and we are cur-rently building on this, enhancingthe already outstanding facilitieswith £1m of investment over thenext 12 months.

“One of our first investment proj-ects has been the gym – expandingit to include a new weights room,and equipping it with the very bestequipment.

“It is just one part of our commit-ment to providing our membersand guests with the very best fivestar facilities and we hope theyenjoy it.”

Club set for £1m investment

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David Lloyd launcheshigh street studiosBy Christina Eccles

DAVID Lloyd Leisure is targeting UKhigh streets with the launch of a newconcept, which gives fitness fans flex-ible access to exercise and nutritionalservices.

The operator is due to unveil threeDavid Lloyd Studios this year inPutney, Winchester and centralLondon, following a £500,000 invest-ment.

The aim is to give time-pressed cus-tomers of all fitness levels easy accessto exercise with expert support as partof their daily routine.

Flexible payment options will beoffered, with customers able tochoose from blocks of three or 10 ses-sions, or pay monthly.

Services will include:� Personal training with REPs regis-tered instructor level three trainers.� Group training.� Lose and Shape Up – a 12-weekspecialist course, including nutrition-al guidance, to help clients loseweight and tone muscles via a ‘wholebody’ approach.� Exercise classes – high-energy cir-cuit or TRX classes for different levelsof ability.� Running clubs with various routesplanned to start and end at the stu-dio.

� Physiotherapy.� A retail area with sports productsfor sale, such as nutritional supple-ments and exercise equipment.

Head of sports, health and fitnessRob Beale said: “We are very proud tolaunch David Lloyd Studio, an excit-ing, innovative concept designed tooffer David Lloyd Leisure’s servicesand expertise in a flexible, accessibleformat that makes it as easy as possi-ble for clients to achieve their healthand fitness goals.

“With the ever-increasing demandsof today's busy world, we recognise

that it can be incredibly difficult forpeople to make time for regular exer-cise, but we know how essential this isfor their long-term health.

“David Lloyd Studio will enablethem to slot fitness into their dailyroutines, whether it’s during a shop-ping trip or on the way back from theschool run, and with no membershipfee required.

“We are also delighted that ourplanned investment for David LloydStudio in retail locations will boostlocal economies and enhance thevitality and viability of town centres.”

David Lloyd will open three new Studios in Putney, Winchester and central London.

Chain offersWii sessionsto over 50sOPERATOR Freedom Leisure has beenoffering the over 50s the chance toembrace technology and get active,with a new scheme which providestraining sessions on the Nintendo Wii.

Freedom Leisure ran an initial blockof 28 training sessions across 15 hous-ing schemes in Sussex, showing resi-dents how to operate the Wii and playthe games.

The sessions culminated with aninter-housing scheme final held atSummerfields Leisure Centre, a sitemanaged by the not-for-profitprovider.

Over 50 residents attended the eventand competed in Wii tennis and bowl-ing. The sessions and the eventproved so popular that a further blockis now being rolled out to more hous-ing schemes.

Group sports development managerRichard Bagwell said: “As a communi-ty leisure provider we work hard toensure we are providing opportunitiesto all corners of the community, espe-cially those who may find it harder tovisit one of our centres.

“The Wii scheme allows us to engagea hard to reach group and offer thema fun and rewarding way to stay activeand socialise. The ‘competitive final’provides us with a way to get theminto our centres and introduce themto other activity options too.”

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Something to be proud ofBy Matthew Januszek,Escape Fitness

I HAVE loved every minute of theOlympic and Paralympic Games.

I’ve cheered the successes and feltthe disappointments and, in theoffice the excitement has been a con-stant murmur in the background.

Now it’s all over, I have been think-ing about how the legacy of theGames is going to affect the healthand fitness industry, how we can keepthe excitement bubbling and how wecan use that excitement to get morepeople to engage in sports and activi-ties.

Part of the organising committee’svision was to ensure people wereinspired to get more involved and toencourage people to continue to beinvolved in sports for many years tocome. Is this vision realistic? Some ofour customers have seen an increasein membership and member engage-ment but, what else can we do as anindustry to keep people inspired?

One idea that caught my attentionwas School Games (www.yourschool-games.com). This is an initiative tomaximise on the inspiration of theGames in schools and motivate youngpeople across the country to take partin more competitive school sport withinter-school sporting competitions –maybe even creating futureOlympians. Is this an idea that couldbe used in gyms across the country? A

little healthy, friendly competitionbetween members and gyms could bea good thing.

The UK has a passion for sportalready and part of the plan from theGovernment’s point of view was to‘harness the United Kingdom’s pas-sion for sport to increase grass rootsparticipation, particularly in youngpeople – and to encourage the wholenation to be more physically active.’

This new inspiration is great andevery gym and PT will be clamouringto capitalise on the Olympic Legacy –so how can you make sure you getyour piece of the action?

W. Chan Kim and RenéeMauborgne’s book, Blue OceanStrategy, talks about how some com-panies follow the same strategies astheir competitors – Red OceanStrategies, similar to bloody, sharkinfested waters. What they recom-mend to help your business grow andmake the competition irrelevant is tomake your company different insome way and create your own ‘blueocean’. How can you utilise theOlympic Legacy to create your blueocean?

Community sport is getting a fund-ing boost announced by the SportsMinister recently with a new initiativecalled ‘Places People Play’ to helpbring the sporting legacy to life in ourcommunities. The new funding willupgrade thousands of local sportsand facilities as well as protecting and

improving hundreds of playing fieldsacross the country.

Imagine how many hundreds ofpeople enjoy using those playingfields and use them for entertain-ment, taking part in weekend sportslike rugby and football, but don’t usea gym for training because it doesn’tinterest them.

These people could be a brand newaudience for you, you just need towork out how to capture them andcapitalise on the UK’s sporting pas-sion.

You could spend weekend afterweekend promoting your gym bystanding in a shopping centre andhanding out leaflets. But how aboutgetting out into those fields and offer-ing a group session at a low cost or for

free so that whole new audience canget a taste of what you can do forthem?

A TRX Suspension or Rip course onthe goal posts, a functional Move Itcourse at the side of the pitch – part-ner yourself with a local school, foot-ball team, rugby team or just decideto take your TRX on tour round yourlocal fields.

How can you provide a unique, funenvironment for them to work out inand improve their skills for their cho-sen sport and create a blue ocean foryou?

The CrossFit programme lends itselfto this kind of activity too. CrossFitsessions are designed to encouragepeople to compete against them-selves, each other and the clock, justlike the athletes who took part in theOlympic Games, and the intensity canbe scaled up or down depending onthe client.

You could take this out to the localuniversity or college and show thestudents how much fun proper, func-tional training can be – a whole newresource for new members.

However we make the most of theOlympic Legacy, making sure we ridethe crest of the wave right now isessential. How do you think we canhelp the fitness industry get faster,higher, stronger?

I would love to hear your thoughts.Please email me at marketing@escap-efitness.com

Matthew Januszek

Budget chain The Gym Group has become the only group operator in the fitness sector tocurrently be accredited by Investors in People, following a rigorous assessment process.To achieve the Kitemark, the company had to demonstrate the implementation, manage-ment and practice of processes and procedures that fully support staff training needs andcareer development. The Gym Group was especially commended for high motivation andenergy levels displayed by the staff team.

Members and staff inthe swim for charityMEMBERS and staff from Guildfordleisure facilities were among theswimmers taking part in a charityswim to raise funds and awarenessfor the town’s homeless communi-ty.

The group’s initial aim was toswim the length of the Channel atthe Guildford Lido, which would be676 lengths.

But on the morning, 56 swimmersgathered to smash that target andcover 1,801 lengths – equivalent tocrossing the Channel more thantwice.

Freedom Leisure season ticket

holders and members at the Lidoand Spectrum also dived in to helpthe cause.

Freedom Leisure area managerfor the Guildford region Steve Maysaid: “There was a great sense ofcommunity spirit and I’m proud tohave taken part as one of the swim-mers.

“We were only too pleased to helpby providing the Lido facilities: itwas a great event to host.”

The money raised will go to theGuildford Action charity, several ofwhose employees swam and sup-ported the event.

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Personal trainersadvised to ensureclients warm up By Helen Williams

FITNESS professionals have beenurged to ensure their clients prepareproperly before going running, afterthe Olympics sparked a fresh interestin the sport.

Just a month after the Games, a topphysiotherapist has reported thatGreater Manchester was suffering agrowing injury legacy – as new run-ners fell foul of poor preparation andbad technique.

David Roberts Physiotheraphy,which has six clinics in GreaterManchester, reported a 45 per centincrease in running injuries since theOlympics finished.

Incidents of muscle tears, pulledhamstrings and ankle sprains haveboomed as the achievements of MoFarah and Jessica Ennis inspired peo-ple to pound the streets near wherethey live.

David Roberts, managing director,whose clients include Andrew'Freddie' Flintoff, Ian Botham andLawrence Dallaglio, said: “TheOlympics inspired and motivated lotsof people to put on their trainers andget active. However, many people areforgetting to warm up, cool down andstretch before attempting a run.”

Dave reminded fitness professionalsto help clients prepare properlybefore exercising.

He added: “Warm up and gentlystretch for five to 10 minutes, focusingon lower leg muscles. Every workoutshould begin slowly, as this allows thebody to warm up further and decreas-es the chance of muscle strain.”

He added that runners should focuson keeping their feet and entire bodyrelaxed, avoid tensing or cramping

toes, and run at a pace that feels mostnatural.

“Whether it be hamstrings, quads,calves or any other muscle, strainsmay occur from not being flexibleand/or over exerting specific muscles.

“To prevent hamstring pulls, askclients to place one foot up on a chair,straighten their knee and lean for-wards at the hip. Hold for 20-30 sec-onds. For acute injuries, ice and anti-inflammatory medication can behelpful but always seek the advice of aqualified physio.”

Dave said a sports massage beforeor after exercise could help speed upmuscle recovery, relax tight musclesand help prevent overuse injuries.

He added: “Advise clients to viewthis as an essential part of preparationor recovery, rather than a treat.”

David Roberts Physiotherapy spe-cialises in physiotherapy, massagetherapy, strength and conditioningcoaching, Pilates, personal trainingand acupuncture.

David Roberts

Fit4less by énergie has launched its smallest gym to date, situated in Maidstone.The 3,000 sqft gym features all the latest technology and equipment including TRX, Precorcardio equipment, resistance machines, free weights, changing facilities and showers.Brand and marketing director David Beattie said: “Fit4less gyms are adaptable to thespace and the ‘small box’ concept is becoming increasingly popular for franchise investorsas well as the end user looking for a convenience and ‘on the doorstep’ venue to workout.”

Using yourknowledgeto improveexperienceBy Dave Wright

ALTHOUGH people are beginningto think that the fitness industry isin the business of renting out high-quality equipment... our greatestasset is not the equipment, but ourknowledge and we must realise thefact that we are in the business ofmotivating people.

However, it is very hard to moti-vate people if you actually don'teven know who your members are.Tracking and capturing data allowsa company to have relevant con-versations with its customers tohelp them achieve the calls thatthey want. As I have mentioned inprevious articles, customer experi-ence has four elements: The tangi-ble, the intangible, affiliation, andinformation.

Our industry has done a good jobwith the tangible. Many clubs havelovely locker rooms and wonder-ful, well maintained equipment.We know what to do with respectto the intangible – the ‘front desksmile', remembering members’names etc. Some clubs have alsomastered affiliation. Memberswant to be associated with GenesisGym in Wembley so much thatthey attend trade shows sportingthe famous ‘Bulldog’ T-shirt. Andthen there is information. We livein a universe of smartphones andtablets, but the fitness industry isstill using old remote controls.

Using an airline as an example,by and large, clubs pay attention totheir First Class (personal training)members, and their Business Class(group exercise) members, and lettwo thirds of their membership(their economy class) memberswander around on their own.

And we wonder why we havesuch atrocious attrition rates...What if you, the club operator,knew how many times your mem-bers exercised? How many caloriesthat they expended during eachworkout? What exactly do they eatand at what time of the day?

This information can’t be collect-ed face to face because labour isexpensive and monthly member-ship fees haven’t risen in the sameproportion. So how can we givemembers the right advice andincrease motivation if we don'thave good data? More than justtracking visits or sessions, captur-ing and analysing data enables you

to dig deeper and look at ‘effort’.For instance, one member mightgo through the motions four timesa week and expend 400 caloriesper visit, another might come tothe club just three times a weekbut burn 900 calories each time.1,600 calories versus 2,700, whichis something that number of visitsmight not suggest.

We need to provide immediatefeedback to members for effortexpended – a “high-five” for burn-ing 900 calories towards theirmonthly goal. That good feeling,that sense of satisfaction, allowsthe release of dopamine after exer-cise. It quickly becomes habit-forming, which leads to retention,which, in turn, produces morereferrals. We need to break downthe war – to attract, serve, satisfy,and hold onto members into bat-tles and then break down thosebattles into skirmishes.

That’s how members stay moti-vated across all fronts so that theykeep on keeping on... and there-fore our clubs make more money.� Dave Wright is the CEO ofCFM/MYZONE, a company withover 300 staff that have served theinternational fitness industry forover 21 years in 10 different coun-tries; focussing on either gettingnew members and/or keepingexisting ones. Dave is also theowner of 11 health clubs acrosstwo continents, a board director ofthe UK’s Fitness Industry, founderof IOU (Independent OperatorsUnite), an IHRSA presenter andthe creator and global distributorof a new monitoring device usedby clubs around the world calledMYZONE. He may be contacted onDave.Wright@cfm.net

Dave Wright

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Professional bikini and fitness model Michelle Brannan has revealed why she includes theVersaclimber as part of her training regime. Michelle, the first UK athlete to earn IFBBProfessional status through competing in the bikini class, uses a home model every day.She said: “I think the Versaclimber is sometimes associated with hardcore fitness regimes.But, really, it depends how you use it – it’s not just for bodybuilders and athletes. TheVersaclimber is really important in my training because it’s a complete body workout.”

Gym turns space intoPower Plate studioAN independent gym has turnedan unused space into a successfulPower Plate studio after spotting agap in the market for memberswho wanted a time efficient andeffective exercise class.

Fitness Factory in Stourbridgeoffered traditional gym facilitiesuntil the owner’s daughter, RebeccaWebster, used a Power Platemachine at a local studio and sawits potential.

Rebecca created the FitnessFactory Two Studio with threemachines and runs half hour class-es throughout the day and in theevenings, open to members andnon members.

She said: “The Power Platemachine not only helps clients to

achieve results, but it also helps usto achieve our business goals.

“Clients have grown steadily sincethe studio opened, although werely purely on word-of-mouth, sothe results definitely have to speakfor themselves.

“Seeing how sessions have a posi-tive impact on a client’s life is reallysatisfying.

“One of my clients is a runnerwho is consistently improving herpersonal best and another clienthas lost an amazing five stone. I amso proud to be a part of thisachievement.”

The gym and studio are provingso popular that there are plans tomove sites to have a more spaciousfacility.

Operator addsgym to groupof studiosBy Helen Williams

THE Core Fitness and WellbeingCentre in Falmouth has opened a newgym to complement its group exercisestudios.

Owners Helen and Tony Tite haveexpanded their operation over twofloors of The Old Post Office buildingand given the interior a major faceliftand re-brand.

Helen, who was instrumental inbringing Zumba and Booiaka to thesouth west, said: “We see this as a nat-ural expansion and the missing com-plement to our existing facilities. Agreat workout is the sum of manyparts and we are dedicated to provid-ing flexibility to clients to help themhit their individual goals.”

The new gym is supplied by Precorand Escape Fitness and includesstrength training and aerial suspen-sion equipment.

The kit includes two Concept 2 row-ers, upright bikes, treadmills, adaptivemotion trainers and two VibroGyms.

The functional training area hasFree Form, ViPR, Kettlebells,powerbags and Bosu, while the aerial

suspension studio offers four TRX,two Human Trainers, four silks foraerial Pilates, and aerial yoga.

Helen added: “We will expand thesuspension work into the main studioby Christmas where we plan to have10 TRXs.”

The main centre already has a polefitness studio, Les Mills classes andbootcamps. There are three therapyrooms offering acupuncture, cranialsacral therapy, cupping, sports mas-sage, and osteopath clinics.

Helen is a qualified personal trainerand exercise therapist and is known ingroup fitness for her ‘Baggy Tee Class,’which stipulates large T-shirts in theclasses ensuring everyone is equal.

She also has a fitness consultancystrand to the business which involvesworking with NHS clinical commis-sioning groups.

“We help develop and deliver fitnessservices in falls prevention, long termchronic health and neurological con-ditions. I liaise with Cornwall andIsles of Scilly Primary Care Trust, withthe mission to draw health and fitnesscloser together.”

MATRIX Fitness has announced a newbrand ambassador – Olympic cyclingchampion Dani King.

After previously riding for the VisionOne and Horizon Fitness-Prendasteams, also sponsored by JohnsonHealth Tech UK, Dani is currently partof the Matrix Fitness-Prendas cyclingteam.

She will now become an individualambassador, working closely with thecompany and its customers toencourage people to participate in anactive lifestyle.

The brand’s other ambassadorsinclude Dr Tim Brabants, JamesCracknell and Sally Gunnell. Dani King

Ambassador’srole for Dani

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15 Code locks 26/9/12 17:23 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE16If you’re fed up of reading about what the competition is up to, then it’s time to rampup your own PR machine. In the second part of a series, Cheryl Hersey reveals her tipsfor gym owners looking to gain news coverage for their clubs.

Smarten up to PR and raiseawareness of your clubPAID for advertising is one way toraise your profile but it is often heavi-ly relied upon by clubs as the primaryway to generate new sales leads.

Doing your own PR is the smart wayto generate awareness of your cluband it allows you to go into moredepth about what you’re offering andcommunicate your key messages. Allyou need to learn to get started is thedifference between a ‘news’ story anda ‘snooze’ story.

Look at your marketing plan anddivide your promotions into two cate-gories. The first is for activities with astraight sales message. These are‘snooze’ stories because they won’t beinteresting enough to grab a newseditor’s attention.

They can’t be used for PR so youshould continue to allocate advertis-ing budget to promote them. The sec-ond is for activities that have a widercommunity message – such as a freeopen day, the grand opening of aredeveloped space, the launch of anew and exciting class or session, afitness-based charity event, a visit bya well known personality, or a link upwith an NGB. It doesn’t matter ifyou’re holding the event with a viewto generating leads as long as it willbe of genuine interest to the commu-nity. These activities can, and shouldbe turned into ‘news’ stories and usedfor PR.

Start by working out who can helpyou promote your event, create yourown media list of local magazines,newspapers, radio stations and evenlocal organisations with a large fanbase on Twitter and Facebook.

Next, collate the key facts of thestory. Focus on the community mes-sages rather than the sales ones, forexample, talk about how there are freebadminton taster sessions for all,rather than how much it costs to takeout a rackets membership.

Always include the correct contactdetails so your media contacts canaccess further information if theyneed it. Put all the details on yourown website and publicise it on yoursocial media pages directing journal-ists there for more information. Now,send your fact sheet or news story toyour media list giving them plenty ofnotice – weeks not days! – to dosomething with the information. Ifyou have photos depicting your story,

send them with the information asthis will often boost your chances ofsecuring coverage.

If your story talks about an upcom-ing event make sure you arrange forphotos to be taken by someone whois handy with a camera. Local digni-taries, mascots, local kids having fun,all make great subjects for photos.

Send your photos to your media liststraight after the event and includeany key post event details such aswho attended and how much moneywas raised for charity. � Cheryl Hersey is a founding partnerof Action PR, a specialist agency sup-porting the health and fitness indus-try. For more information visitwww.actionpr.co.uk

Cheryl Hersey (centre) with the rest of the Action PR team.

Local people will benefit from a £1m investment into council owned sport and leisure facilities after Fusion Lifestyle was appointed tomanage all five of Braintree District Council’s centres. Fusion now manages Bramston Sports Centre, Bramston Sports Ground, BraintreeSwimming Centre, Braintree Leisure Centre and Halstead Leisure Centre and will take over the management of the new Witham LeisureCentre when it opens. Over the coming months, Fusion, alongside Braintree District Council, will begin work on a £1m investment pro-gramme into new and existing facilities throughout the district.Fitness manager John Bull is pictured with Coun Joanne Beavis, Tim Mills and senior fitness instructor Gareth Herd.

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UK FITNESS SCENE18With the spotlight focusing on the latest workout and diet trends, the industry couldbe overlooking a vital key in the quest for clients’ lasting results. Here personal trainerKatie Bulmer-Cooke explains why weight loss mindset is so important.

It’s all in your headTHE media and fitness industry areflooded with diets, and ‘the latest’workout trends, all making colossalclaims to transform your body dra-matically in minimal time, sendingthe consumer into a state of confu-sion and false hope.

They are led to believe that achiev-ing spectacular results is as simple asembracing new nutritional and exer-cise habits, and success is guaran-teed. However, the harsh reality isthat while many will make changes,they are unable to see them through,and pleasing results will remain apipe dream.

Post Olympics, the nation has beeninspired to reclaim their health andfitness, and we sit on the cusp of apotentially dramatic shift. Is this notthe time for the media to stop thrust-ing fad diets and quick fixes into thefaces of the public? By teaming upwith fitness professionals and nutri-tion experts we can establish a sus-tainable health and weight loss cam-paign that results in long term healthrather than a succession of disap-pointment and failure.

Weight loss defeat is not necessarilythe fault of the prescribed plan itself.There is a missing link, the numberone reason why we fall off the wagonand continue to live our lives as serialyo yo dieters. We have over-indulgedand mistreated our bodies for far toolong, and as we move forward in 2012we must start with the very founda-tion of triumphant weight loss, andconsider our mind.

Mindset is the key element in anyvictorious weight loss journey and tooverlook it from the outset will provedetrimental to the results achieved bythe consumer.

We have all experienced phases inlife where we feel completely ‘in thezone’ and no form of temptation canlead us off track. But this feeling isoften short lived, and we find our-selves back at the weight loss startline.

In order to stay goal focused, makeavoiding temptation easy, and beunwavering in our positive outlook, itis essential that we practice mindsettechniques as often as we dip carrotin humus and perform press ups.

While goal setting is a great way tostay on track and a positive outlook

on life are cited by the masses as thekey to success; alone they are notenough. We must implement strate-gies on a daily basis and begin to livein the present, as opposed to con-stantly looking ahead.

During my own weight loss journey,I applied three vital strategies thatenabled me to lose almost threestones in just 10 weeks; seeing meregain my pre-baby figure and slipback into my skinny jeans.

While my pre-baby jeans were mygoal, without embracing three vitalmindset techniques, I am confidentthat my success would have beenquestionable.

Technique one: SAT– Stop and ThinkIt is imperative to live in the moment,take each decision one by one, andmost importantly make consciousdecisions. Almost like stopping time,when asked a question such as,‘would you like a biscuit’ by a workcolleague, rather than allowing theeasiest, most natural answer to roll offthe tongue – stop – and think aboutthe answer you are about to give.

Technique two: PST– Positive SelftalkEmploy the art of positive self talk.This is a very simple technique thatinvolves talking to oneself internally.For example, while working out, wewill often find our internal voice say-

ing, ‘this is too hard, I can’t do it any-more.’ When we hear these words,they become our belief, so in order tocreate a positive belief and thereforeoutcome, we must create positive selftalk; telling ourselves that we can doone more rep, we can run an extramile, we can survive without a dietcoke.

Technique three: Be Inspired We must seek to be inspired by a rolemodel; someone like us, who hasachieved the success we aspire to,who has over come the barriers weface, such as child care, lack of time,full time work, and who appearsrelentless in their pursuit. We shouldobserve our role model’s lifestyle,regimes and ethos and use their suc-cess as a road map for our own.

Questioning ourselves regularly willreduce deviation from the road, forexample, ‘would my role model dothis? what would my role model do inthis situation?’

As fitness professionals it is essentialthat we spend time working with ourclients to establish their goals andcoach them through mindset tech-niques and how to apply them withintheir own personal circumstance, andrealise that the strategies we employmust not be generic and instead honein on the specific struggles each indi-vidual client faces.

Consumers should seek out advicefrom an expert in this field and iden-tify them as someone who has helpedprevious clients achieve their goals,not just in the short term, but estab-lished positive habits that havebecome permanent.

Consistent questioning, consciousdecision making and positive self talkwill all focus us in on the presentmoment, fuel our positivity fire andcreate the foundations for successfulfat loss. Practicing such techniques ona daily basis will create habitual life-long changes to enable the weightloss journey to no longer be an uphillbattle. � Katie Bulmer-Cooke was named UKpersonal trainer of the year 2012 andis creator of small group training pro-gramme, The Little Black Dress Club,which can now be found in 21 loca-tions in the UK and overseas.

www.katiebulmer.com

Katie Bulmer-Cooke

Tennis surge predicted after Murray’s winOPERATOR David Lloyd Leisure haspredicted a surge in children wantingto take up tennis as a result of beinginspired by Andy Murray’s US OpenChampionship victory.

The group already runs a successfulTennis All Stars junior coaching pro-gramme where 12,500 kids play thesport each week.

It now expects to see more children– and parents – on court.

Head of sports, health and fitnessfor children at David Lloyd LeisureSarah Hobbs said: “A high-profile vic-tory of a home-grown hero likeMurray is a wonderful way to createmore interest in tennis, particularly

among children who aspire to be liketheir sporting heroes, and whose par-ticipation today is key to tennis’sfuture development and success.

“We know that introducing childrento tennis at an early age in an interac-tive, fun and rewarding way isabsolutely key in securing continueduptake of the sport and maintainingtheir commitment.

“This is vital if we are to nurturetheir talent and, in the process, dis-cover some future stars of the game.Most importantly, we want to showyoungsters of all ages and abilitiesthat tennis is a fun and sociablegame.”

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By Lynsey Bradford

THREE months ago Dean Sanderswas living behind a bus shelter inBarnsley town centre, before a localgym offered to help him turn his lifearound.

Dean, 40, who has not had a job for15 years, had lived rough in a recessoutside the Lifestyles Fitness gym onShambles Street, which opened lastmonth.

But instead of turfing him out,chairman Carl Gripenstedt offered tofind him a house and gave him a job –and Dean has now moved into a ter-raced property in the town.

He said: “I’m excited and nervousbut it’s smashing and makes a changefrom where I used to live.”

The rooms are light and airy, and acanvas bearing inspirational mes-sages hangs in Dean's bedroom.

About £20,000 has been spent ondecorating the property, which wasempty and run-down. Interior design-er Laura Gibbon said she had tried tomake the home simple and function-al.

Dean had bedded down at the sideof the gym for about nine months. Hehad been staying at a hostel, followinga fire at his home on Doncaster Roadin 2008, but was barred after a drunk-en fight.

He is hoping to conquer his drugand alcohol problems, adding: “I’mlooking at some kind of rehabilitation

programme and hopefully some workat the gym.”

Lifestyles general manager ShaneWilliams added: “The company does-n’t want anything back from Dean. Heseems to think the house will betaken away from him if he doesn't fol-low the right path but it’s not condi-tional.”

UK FITNESS SCENE20

Pop star Olly has a workout at Worcester centreBy Helen Williams

POP singer and Xtra Factor host OllyMurs popped into Worcester Pool andFitness Centre to interview an XFactor contestant.

The Dance With Me Tonight singer –also a former X Factor contestant –caused a stir when he turned up witha film crew at the centre’s HarpersGym to interview singer and dancerGathan Cheema for the ITV2 show.

Gathan had told Twitter followersthat he was due to appear on the XFactor on September 15.

He revealed he had made it to bootcamp and was down to the last 23boys. Clips filmed at the gym werescheduled to follow on the spin-offshow. Fitness fan Gathan, a memberof Harpers for about a year, and pre-senter Olly were put through theirpaces by team coach VinceMcCumisky.

Health and fitness manager atHarpers Steve Taylor said: “Olly is afriendly, down to earth guy, and heand Gathan spent some time workingout in the gym and fitness studiowhilst the film crew were setting up.We managed to keep the visit reason-ably quiet, but it did get out onFacebook that Olly was coming.”

Olly tweeted to his 2,800,000-plusfollowers “More Xtra factor filming inthe morning...this time near

Worcester!”Gathan tweeted in reply: “Looking

forward to meeting you dude... kettle’sboiling!” while other fans asked himto reveal where he would be filming.

Worcester Pool and Fitness Centrehas a sister site, Perdiswell Leisure

Centre and Golf Course. Both are run by Leisure Connection

for Worcester City Council and offerextensive fitness and leisure facilities, including a 60-piece gymand over 25 classes a week atPerdiswell.

Olly Murs with health and fitness manager Steve Taylor (left) and in a workout withGathan Cheema (right).

Generous gym owner helpsDean turn his life around

Dean with Lifestyles Fitness general manager Shane Williams

£8m development opens with new featuresSTOCKPORT Sports village hasopened following an £8m redevelop-ment, with new features includingthe latest Life Fitness equipment.

Previously Woodley Sports Centre,the club, operated by Life Leisure, is

set to become a football centre ofexcellence for the north west andwill be home to Stockport SportsFootball Club.

Facilities include 12 different foot-ball pitches, five tennis courts, three

fitness studios and a 5,000 sq ft fit-ness suite. Over 100 pieces of LifeFitness cardiovascular and strengthequipment have been installed intothe club, including the new LifecycleGX group exercise bikes.

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COMBAT22

Independent gym owner and top MMA fighter Khalid Ismail has re-opened his clubin Chadwell Heath following a major refurbishment. Lions Den Gym Fitness Centrehas doubled in size to become the biggest martial arts facility in London, with a newfight zone, hammer strength equipment and strength and conditioning zone. There isalso a new fitness zone, additional rest and relaxation areas and a new women’sonly exercise suite, with a range of classes added to the timetable includingwomen’s boxing and Metafit. The new facilities were launched to the public at anopen day, which included free classes for visitors.

Gyms battle it outfor national titleSIX of the UK’s best combat gyms willbattle it out to take home a trophy atthe 2012 National Fitness Awards.

Clubs in Hove, Leicester,Huddersfield, Oldham, York andNewhaven have made the final short-list and will now be visited by a mem-ber of the awards’ team who will com-pile a comprehensive report on thegym, and its facilities – taking a lookaround and chatting to both mem-

bers and staff.The winner will be chosen by an

expert panel of judges and will beunveiled at a glittering ceremony onNovember 30 in Leicester, where allshortlisted clubs will have the chanceto celebrate their achievements.

In previous years, this award hasbeen won by SD School of MartialArts in Colchester and Ripped Gym inHarlow.

A NEW product has been launchedinto the UK market, designed for fansof combat sports.

The Nexersys iPower Trainer mixesmartial arts training with a highintensity interval cross training pro-gramme to provide an interactiveworkout.

Founder and CEO Terry Jones said:“The Nexersys was invented from adesire to mix innovative software witha total body workout in a single, revo-lutionary piece of equipment.

“We believe this has been created bypioneering an interactive product thatengages with users through tailoredtraining content and multi-playersoftware.

“The Nexersys is just the beginning.We are continuing to innovate with anaim to combine modern technologywith traditional fitness workouts.”

Re:creation Fitness will distributethe product in Europe, the MiddleEast and Asia.

New product for combat fans

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UK FITNESS SCENE24

THE commercial fitness equipmentbrand Ffittech has recently hit the UKwith a bang when they installed theirshowcase site in Nottingham.

H3 Performance is fully equippedwith Ffittech’s premium range ofstrength, cardiovascular and function-al training equipment.

This is owner Jez Kearney’s secondgym within the city and he is extreme-ly happy with the outcome. It hasenabled him to create the perfecttraining facility well within his budg-et.

Jez said: “I couldn’t quite believe theprices I received for the initial quoteand had to see the equipment formyself before the order. Needless tosay everything Ffittech state is trueand I now have a fully equipped gymat a fraction of what I was quoted byother brands.”

The Ffittech brand has been wellestablished in the fitness industryfor over three years now and was

designed to meet the growingdemand for quality fitness equip-ment at competitive prices, inlinewith the decline in the global econo-my.

Ffittech is rapidly becoming oneof the fastest growing brandsthroughout Europe supplyinghealth clubs in Portugal, Spain,Germany, Norway and France andnow they are looking to expand thissuccess throughout the UK.

Director of Ffittech UK Mark Bowkersaid: “We would welcome anyonelooking to invest in new equipment,to come and visit the Nottingham siteto see the quality that we have tooffer. This combined with the afford-able pricing, really makes Ffittechstand out from the crowd.”

Ffittech looks to be a brand that willquickly grow across the UK.

To see the full range of equipment visitwww.ffittech.co.uk or for further

information call 01157 529548.

Ffittech install showcasesite at Nottingham gym

Combining vintage and modernweightlifting exercisesBy Allan Collins

ONE question which seemed to be onthe lips of those that watched ourOlympic Weightlifting demonstra-tions or attended our vintage trainingREPs session at LIW this year was,“How do you combine vintage exer-cises with modern Olympicweightlifting exercises?”

Vintage exercises were commonlyperformed in the late 1800s and early1900s, as the era of fitness and exer-cise was increasing in popularity withproponents like Eugene Sandow.

Examples would include the onehand Barbell Snatch, Windmill,Turkish Get Up, Overhead Squat, theSide Press, the Bent Press, the TwoHands Anyhow, or the Get Up Sit Up.

Many of these drills focused on lift-ing a barbell with one hand, and assuch would require more lateral corestrength, lateral hip stability, gripstrength and wrist stability than simi-lar two hand variants.

Although sometimes performedwith Kettlebells, it is highly unusual tosee gym users performing barbell ver-sions of the Windmill, Turkish Get Upor Snatch.

But these were the original versionsand have several advantages andsafety benefits over their Kettlebellderivatives.

So what are the modern Olympicweightlifting exercises? Well, if youwatched the action from London overthe summer, you would have the ath-letes performing the two hand barbellSnatch and the two hand barbellClean and Jerk.

These entail lifting the weight abovethe head with two hands in one ortwo movements respectively. Becausethey are performed with two hands,these lifts enable significantly moreweight to be lifted.

These lifts have a great carryover toimproved acceleration, vertical jumpheight, relative strength and subse-quent athletic performance in manysports, which is why they form thecornerstone of strength and condi-tioning programmes.

So we use the two hand modern lifts(the Snatch and Clean and Jerk) as amore stable way of overloading thelifting, pulling and squatting muscles,allowing more weight to be lifted, butkeeping it more in the sagittal plane.

The vintage single hand lifts, and

presses will use much lower weights,but will allow greater single armstrength, grip and wrist strength, aswell as more lateral core and hip sta-bility to be developed.

They also provide more stress in thefrontal and transverse planes, allow-ing for development in all threeplanes of motion.

In addition, the slow tempo vintageexercises like the barbell Windmill,Turkish Get Up, and Get Up Sit Upwere the basic screening drills used invintage times to screen and developmobility, shoulder stability, core sta-bility, hip stability and propriocep-tion.

Although their use has decreasedover the decades, their benefits to the‘average’ gym user cannot be under-estimated.

I believe that correctly understoodand taught in a logical and progres-sive programme, all of these drills,both modern and vintage, can havean excellent carryover to improvingthe functional and sporting ability ofthe average gym user or athlete.

They also provide new and interest-ing ways to stimulate adaptations(improvements) through unusual lifts.

Jordan Fitness’ new digital instruc-tor courses on both Olympicweightlifting and vintage training willallow trainers to fully understand thecorrect way to coach and apply theseexercises within our functional train-ing philosophy.� Allan Collins is director of educa-tion at Jordan Fitness and author ofThe Complete Guide to FunctionalTraining.

Allan Collins

OLYMPIC medallist James Foad metyoungsters at a London gym, bringingalong his medal and chatting to themabout his experience of the Games.

James, who won a bronze as part ofthe Team GB men’s eight rowing crew,regularly trains at David LloydHampton through the British OlympicAssociation’s Passport Scheme, whichgives athletes access to David Lloydclubs as part of its Team FamilyInitiative.

He was one of 36 David Lloyd ath-letes selected for Team GB andParalympics GB and used the facilitiesat the Hampton club in the build up

to the Games for training and rehabil-itation for a back injury. He is nowawaiting surgery to repair two bulgingback discs.

General manager Sue Moss said:“James’s visit was the icing on thecake for everyone at the club who hasbeen caught up in the spirit of theGames – I have never seen so manyexcited faces!

“We are incredibly proud to haveJames at David Lloyd Hampton – anOlympic hero who is a true inspira-tion to us all – and look forward tocontinuing to support him in his row-ing achievements.”

James Foad at David Lloyd Hampton with Ellie Clover, 5, Thea Ballinger-Finch, 6, and KatieClover, 6. Credit: Professional Images

Olympic medallistmeets youngsters

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ACCESSIBILITY – FITNESS FOR ALL 27

Following an inspirational summer of sport, operators have been urged to think about how their facilities canbe enjoyed by as many people in the community as possible. Workout looks at clubs leading the way in thisarea, finds out about the latest guidelines and discovers how gyms can make fitness accessible for all.

THE success of Team GB andParalympics GB at London 2012 hasinspired a nation – but according tofigures, disabled people are still get-ting left behind when it comes tobeing involved in sport and physicalactivity.

Last issue, Workout reported on anumber of gyms which have suc-cessfully managed to capitalise onthe country’s Olympic fever – usingeverything from themed fitnessclasses to special membership offersto encourage more people to visittheir clubs and increase activity lev-els.

But despite the recent successes ofParalympics GB, according toresearch, the fitness industry is fail-ing to cater for the needs of disabledpeople, with many saying theywould like to do more exercise butare put off joining a gym by inacces-sible buildings and expensive mem-bership fees.

Leonard Cheshire Disability sur-veyed over 800 disabled people aspart of its Exercise Your Right cam-paign, which aims to support theUK’s sports facilities to be moreaccessible for disabled people.

The results revealed that while 70

per cent want to be more sporty andnearly one in two were inspired bythe Paralympics to get more active,only 15 per cent were gym members.

When asked why, over 50 per centof respondents said clubs are tooexpensive and 26 per cent said it wasbecause the facilities were not acces-sible enough.

Leonard Cheshire Disability cam-paigner Anne Taylor said: "It’s beeninspiring to see disabled people onthe TV as world class athletes duringthe Paralympics, but it means noth-ing if afterwards people can’t use agym.

“The true legacy of the Paralympicsneeds to be building a UK whereeverybody can take part in sport andexercise regardless of ability."

As part of the campaign and tohelp address these issues, a copy ofthe report will now be sent to gyms,sports facilities and sports retailers,with the Action for Access teamguiding operators on how their clubscan become more accessible.

As well as clubs coming under firefor their lack of provision for dis-abled users, the industry has alsobeen criticised for its online pres-ence – with an expert claiming fit-

ness websites are excluding theParalympians of tomorrow.

An e-accessiblity report byAbilityNet claims the country’s topfive gym chains are failing to addressthe needs of disabled people byignoring basic web accessibilityguidelines.

AbilityNet’s State of the eNationsurvey looked at websites from thepoint of view of disabled and elderlyusers’ experience when using arange of services online.

As well as a series of manualchecks, the sites are tested using themost commonly encountered accesstechnologies, such as screen readersand voice recognition software.

Only sites which meet the needs ofvisitors with a vision impairment,dyslexia or physical problems, suchas not being able to use a mouse,attain three stars or above

Four of the five sites surveyedscored the minimum one star, indi-cating that their sites are not acces-sible and do not meet minimumlegal standards.

Only one site managed a two starrating, suggesting it satisfies some ofthe legal requirements, but still failsto meet the minimum level required

by law.The report’s author, AbilityNet’s

head of digital inclusion, RobinChristopherson is himself blind.

He added: “Disabled people like tokeep fit too and for many whosemobility is compromised (like thosewith a visual impairment for exam-ple) a gym provides the ideal sup-ported environment in which to runor cycle etc.

“We all run the risk of acquiring adisability, albeit temporarily andoften exercise plays a vital role in ourrecovery. Imagine trying to join agym online when your arm is in asling, obliging you to complete yourmembership form with keystrokesonly.

“Perhaps you have abandoned thekeyboard altogether in favour ofvoice recognition, but the site hasn’tcatered for this technology and youare struggling to access the informa-tion you need to compare the localfacilities on offer.

“The law is clear on this issue. It isjust as illegal to bar disabled visitorsfrom accessing your goods and serv-ices online as it would be to keepthem out of your club in the ‘realworld’.”

Gyms ‘fail to cater for disabled’

Seat helps disabled peopleexercise on indoor rowerCONCEPT2 can now provide a rangeof products to help disabled rowersuse the indoor rower, including theIFI Accredited Adapt 2 Row SeatingSystem.

Designed to replace the existing seaton the rower they allow athletes witha range of disabilities to exercise onthe indoor rower.

The Complementary Seat is for eld-erly users, individuals with learningdisabilities, incomplete/low levelspinal cord injury users and thosewho suffer from Cerebral Palsy andDyspraxia.

The Postural Seat is for people withphysical and neuromuscular impair-ments who require a high degree ofpostural support, including spinalcord injuries and amputees, as well asthose suffering from Cerebral Palsy,Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’sDisease.

Both seats can be fixed in position

on the monorail by the use of clamps.Lumbar and lap straps are availableto restrain the rower whilst seated.Padding for pressure sore preventionis also available.

To order and for more details seeconcept2.co.uk/shop/department/adaptiv

A new platform lifthas been created toallow people withrestricted mobility toenter a swimmingpool independently.The result of anOlympic DeliveryAuthority competi-tion, Poolpod can beused by both wheelchair users andpeople who don’t usewheelchairs but needan alternative to aladder.

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ACCESSIBILITY – FITNESS FOR ALL28

By Christina Eccles

CHARITY Action on Hearing Loss hasurged gyms and sports clubs toensure they are fully accessible forpeople who are deaf or hard of hear-ing – and has created a set of top tipsto help them.

Under the Equality Act 2010, servic-es must make ‘reasonable adjust-ments’ to be accessible to people withdisabilities, meaning operators mustensure that people who are deaf orhard of hearing can enjoy the samelevel of service as other customers.

To help gyms cater for this section ofmembers, the charity has revealed itstop deaf awareness tips.

These are: � Ensure staff are trained in basic

deaf awareness.� Install a hearing loop in receptionfor hearing aid wearers, regularlycheck that it’s working and staff aretrained how to use it.� Make sure you have the person’sattention before you start speaking.� Places with good lighting (so thatyou can be lipread) and little or nobackground noise are best for conver-sations.� Face the person so you can belipread and speak clearly, using plainlanguage, normal lip movements andfacial expressions.� Check whether the person under-stands what you are saying and, ifnot, try saying it in a different way.� Keep your voice down as it’suncomfortable for a hearing aid user

if you shout and it looks aggressive.� Provide a registered sign languageinterpreter for people who communi-cate by British Sign Language.

Chief executive of Action on HearingLoss Paul Breckell said: “There are bighopes that the London 2012 Olympicsand Paralympics will leave a lastinglegacy and we hope that people withhearing loss will be given a sportingchance to excel or simply enjoy get-ting fit or participating in tourna-ments at their local clubs and gyms.

“It’s vital that venue managersrecognise their legal responsibilitiesand make the simple adjustmentsthat are needed to meet the individ-ual needs of sports enthusiasts withhearing loss.”

Gyms urged to ensurethey are deaf friendly

OVER in Luton, a new £26m sportsvillage is bucking the trend, havingbeen especially designed to meet theneeds of people with disabilities

Facilities at Luton Sports Village,operated by Active Luton, have beenspecifically planned ensure they canbe accessed by wheelchair users anddisabled people.

Features include:� Free car parking and dedicatedblue badge parking spaces.� Level access entrance with auto-matic main doors.

� Highly visible reception desk fea-turing a drop level section.� Wide corridors and accessiblechanging rooms, toilets and showers.� Wheelchair spaces in the specta-tors’ gallery.

The accessible changing rooms arealso located together for easier use bygroups and include a bed and hoist,with enough room for two carers andthe benches have been developed at450mm deep to allow easy transferfrom a wheelchair.

Leader of Luton Borough Council

coun Hazel Simmons said: “Our goalis to encourage as many people aspossible to get fit and develop health-ier lifestyles.

“We know that some people withdisabilities find it difficult to keepactive because of lack of suitablefacilities or inadequate access butInspire: Luton Sports Village has beenspecially designed so that people ofall abilities can easily move aroundthe building and can access all that ison offer at the centre.”

New village designed to meet needsOne of the changing rooms at Luton Sports Village.

CAMBRIDGE based Kelsey KerridgeSports Centre is working hard to caterfor members’ needs by introducing arange of new IFI accredited equip-ment.

The install will see a selection of kitfrom Cybex’s Total Access range madeavailable to gym members, includingthe Bravo functional trainer.

Gym manager MustafaUstamehmetoglu said: “The decisionto invest in inclusive fitness equip-ment is part of our long-term visionto deliver a facility that is accessibleto everyone, without any exceptions.

“It is an important step forward forthe centre and we are proud to be theonly gym in central Cambridge that

offers such equipment.” The centre offers members two

gyms – the Outlooks Gym, whichcomprises cardio and resistanceequipment, and a separate freeweights gym. Members can opt tojoin an individual facility or purchasea joint membership, giving themaccess to both.

Centre introduces IFI accredited range

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TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES 31In a fast moving world, technology is always changing and busy gym owners are constantly looking for the latestways to save time and make their lives easier. In a special feature, Workout looks at the newest ways clubs canmanage their memberships – and the companies helping them.

Dragons miss out on Gordon’sinteractive washroom ideaA COMPANY which unsuccessfullypitched its interactive media systemsfor washrooms to Dragon’s Den hasbeen offered more than £500,000 infunding by professional investors.

The business, Captive Media, hasalso sold over £100,000 worth of prod-ucts in six countries in Europe.

It has invented a computer gamethat men can play in the lavatories ofpubs, restaurants and hotels, and,says its founder, in anywhere withwashrooms – including gyms. Screensare installed above the urinals whichhave built-in control buttons andplayers participate by aiming at them.

The business also offers digitalwashroom media channels forwomen, such as ‘Eye Candy 4 Girls’and, now in development, ‘Loo Tube’– a channel bringing social media intothe washroom.

This was perfect fodder for theDragons, who took it in turns toridicule Gordon MacSween, one ofthe co-founders of the business,before telling him he wouldn't get apenny of the £250,000 he was after fora 10 per cent stake in the company.

Gordon told Workout from his standat Leisure Industry Week at

Birmingham NEC: “The Dragonsviewed our units as fun toys thatsome people might buy, rather thanhighly-targeted advertising platformsthat enable brands to engage with anotoriously hard-to-reach demo-graphic.

“The fact is venues buy our unitsbecause they offer a unique andmemorable way to communicate withcustomers.”

The BBC’s flagship technology pro-gramme, Click, has also given the firma ringing endorsement.

Captive Media’s interactive computer game.

A NEW website has been launchedwhich helps instructors to manageand promote their class timetablesonline.

www.classfinder.org.uk lists justunder 12,000 classes and over 2,000instructors and includes additionalfeatures such as a live class timetablefeature and email alerts, which aresent to participants if anythingchanges about their class.

The site was the brainchild of gymmanager Stuart Hay, who togetherwith his wife Anna – a personal trainerand class instructor – and technicaldirector Robert Corder developed theidea.

Stuart said: “The original idea wasmine and was born out of severalthings coming together. I was veryfrustrated at the pain of finding coverfor classes (and the disappointedmembers if you didn’t manage it orgot the cover wrong).

“I am also a big fan of group fitnessand wanted to make it easier forinstructors to advertise their classeson the web (as opposed to poster onlampposts).

“Rob and I have shared the invest-ment to get the site to the stage it isnow and Rob has offered a great levelof technical knowledge to support myknowledge of the industry.”

Timetablesite launch

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TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES32

HUNTINGDONSHIRE DistrictCouncil has launched a new intelli-gent sales system to simplify the salesprocess and help secure new mem-bers.

One Leisure, which manages fiveleisure sites in Huntingdon, Ramsey,Sawtry, St. Ives and St. Neots, is thefirst to launch Gladstone Health andLeisure’s Contact Manager sales man-agement software, having piloted thenew system over a three-month peri-od.

The council’s leisure systems coordi-nator Michelle Schwick said: “Thegreatest thing that Contact Managerwill do for us is save time.

“Our system before was very labori-ous and so it’s a delight to open a pro-gramme and see how simple it is touse. Contact Manager will give usmore time to sell more membershipsand is already becoming an invalu-

able addition to the team.”One Leisure is also investing in both

its sales process and sales team, grad-ually introducing sales staff to eachfacility to improve the customer expe-rience and ensure each prospect isoffered the most suitable package.

The software will assist with this,enabling the sales team to managetheir prospects throughout the salescycle and sales manager NadineThomson to produce sales forecastsand bookings reports.

Contact Manager also alerts thesales staff to new tasks that requireattention, acting like a diary.

Nadine added: “Outreaching is alsoeasy. With a template, emails and textmessages can be sent to multiplerecipients at the touch of a button.And I can run all reports I need fromone place, in real time.”

Council launchessales system tosimplify process

One of One Leisure’s five sites that has introduced new sales management software.

Mindbody simplifies fitnessMINDBODY’S fitness studio soft-ware is designed to manage all ofyour appointments, group and fit-ness classes, all online.

The largest provider of fitnessmanagement software in the world,Mindbody simplifies the business offitness with online scheduling andpayments, staff and customer man-agement, eCommerce solutions andmobile apps that cut administrativeoverhead and improve customerretention.

Managing trainers’ schedules, gen-erating payroll, tracking inventory,attracting and retaining members,and selling products and services

online are made easy with softwarethat’s scalable to the needs of a sin-gle trainer, single or multiple loca-tion studio or large club franchise.

Explore more atwww.mindbodyonline.com/fitness

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TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES 33

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TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTIVE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES34

By Wayne Heath, ClubManager

“CLUBMANAGER has saved me£1,000s of pounds in the first monthalone!” It is amazing how often newcustomers say this to me.

As a gym owner myself I fully appre-ciate how easy it is to get bogged-down with the everyday nitty-gritty ofrunning a club and as the CEO ofClubManager we have hundreds ofclub owners and managers coming tous saying exactly the same thing:“We've outgrown Excel”, “Using paperis a headache” or “Our old softwaresystem is no longer up to scratch”. Soif you're thinking the same thing thenyou're not the only one!

ClubManager is constantly beingupdated and has everything you needto effortlessly manage your membersand grow your club. Used by clubs ofall sizes throughout the world it inte-grates with what you already have – soit will work on your existing comput-ers, with your existing card and entrysystem and has full support for all themajor collection methods.

So there's only one thing you needto do – get started: www.clubman-agercentral.com

‘ClubManager hassaved me thousands’

Wayne Heath

Apps are provingpopular withgym membersTHE interest in new technologieswithin the fitness industry hasincreased dramatically over thepast few years.

The majority of gyms now havesome form of membership/book-ings management software toprocess payments, managecheck-in, track bookings etc.However, many of them may notrealise the additional advantagesthat their software can provide.

Web based or SaaS (Software asa Service) systems are now thede-facto choice in the market.Such software is constantly evolv-ing, adding new features andcapabilities on a monthly basis.With the mobile generation nowat the forefront of the target mar-ket the demand for booking andinformation provision has movedaway from the more traditionalclub website and into the realmof the App.

EZFacility launched its fullyintegrated App in early 2012.MemberMe is a mobile app thatprovides fitness businesses with aunique opportunity to engagemembers from the palm of theirhand. MemberMe allows gyms toeasily communicate with mem-bers on-the-go, keeping them

informed of the latest facilityupdates, current promotions andclasses available to book, rightfrom their phone. Having a smartphone app to complement a fit-ness business is game-changingand ultimately leads to highercustomer satisfaction andimproved retention for those thatuse such technology effectively.MemberMe is available to exist-ing EZFacility clients and can alsooperate as a stand-alone applica-tion for facilities not currentlyusing our scheduling and clubmanagement solution. In addi-tion to these features, theMemberMe App also integrateswith social media, allowing gymusers to update their Facebookstatus based upon a class book-ing.

In short, Apps are fast becomingthe communication medium ofchoice for members to interactwith their gyms on a daily basis.Those gyms that have embracedsuch technologies are rapidlyreaping the benefits. Increasedclass attendance, better retentionand an all round improved mem-ber experience. For more information visit www.ezfacility.co.uk

CLUBWISE has seen their member rewardsprogramme go from strength to strength asclubs implement this easy to market andeasy to manage scheme.

Enabling clubs to offer members a reduc-tion on their monthly direct debit for intro-ducing a new member, member rewards notonly increases new member sales, but alsoensures that retention rates are boosted aswell, as members lose the benefit if thefriend they introduce leaves the club.

Owners have seen as much as 30 per centof their new member sales coming from theprogramme and, as Declan Ryan fromActive4Less Stevenage says: “Over 20 percent of our monthly direct debit revenue cannow be attributed to Member Rewards.Brilliant!"

ClubWise have also seen that prospectconversion through this scheme is at 95.5per cent.

The fully automated process developed byClubWise also helps clubs to reduce theirmarketing spend as new sales in the club aregenerated by the members, who in turn thensave money on their membership.

And to help clubs get started, ClubWiseprovide training on how to make the mostfrom the programme as well as a marketingpack for clubs to use to promote thescheme.For more information, please call ClubWise on 0800072 6411

Rewards programmegoes from strengthto strength

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UK FITNESS SCENE36

Businesses areconfident in thefuture – claimBy Christina Eccles

SPA, health and beauty businesses areconfident about the future of theindustry, predicting higher estimatedrevenue for 2013, according toresearch by Groupon.

To mark the start of National SpaWeek, business owners were ques-tioned on subjects such as currentbuying trends, predicted areas forgrowth and what companies believedto be the most effective marketingmethods.

The results showed over two thirdsof spa owners had a positive outlookfor 2013 and were clear on what theyneeded to do to achieve growth.

Over a third cited marketing andpromotions as vital, while 23 per centsaid customer education was a keyarea that required attention.

Other key findings included: � Despite 57 per cent of spa ownerssaying they have felt no positive turnaround in their business since reportsof the economic recovery in 2010, 68per cent are confident their estimatedrevenue for 2013 will be higher than2012.� 57 per cent of spa owners describedtheir 2012 revenue as lower (15.9 percent) or having changed not thatmuch (42 per cent) compared to 2011.� 34 per cent of spa owners felt theinternet will have the most impact on

the future of their business.� Most spa customers are worriedabout stress and relaxation (40.5 percent) and back and sports injury pain(36 per cent)� 35 per cent believe marketing andpromotion and customer education(26.6 per cent) are the areas that needthe most attention in order toimprove product sales and retail man-agement.� 40 per cent would consider allow-ing clients a one off opportunity to tryout a product or service for free inorder to promote their service andincrease their customer base.

Managing director of Groupon UKand Ireland Roy Blanga said: “We’realready helping a lot of the UK’s spaswhen it comes to promoting wellness-related services.

“Our editorial team includes a sepa-rate paragraph in all health and somewellbeing deals, to give an overview ofthe treatment and what might beinvolved during the customer’s visit.

“The more the customer under-stands, the more confidence they willhave spending money on treatmentsthey know will be of benefit.”� Does your club include a spa area?How has business been for you thisyear? Let us know by emailingce@scriptmedia.co.uk and your storycould appear in Workout.

STUDENTS, staff and the local com-munity can all now benefit fromupgraded gym facilities at a club inTwickenham.

Health and fitness consultancymotiv8 was asked to look at the freeweight and cardio areas of the gym atRichmond upon Thames College afterthe club decided to improve its kitand layout to attract new members.

motive8 expanded the cardiovascu-lar equipment, adding three Star Tractreadmills, two upright bikes and twoadditional Octane Fitness cross train-ers, which sit alongside the existingunit.

Cardio theatre has also been

installed to enable users to watch oneof the three large, wall-mounted, flatscreen TVs while they work out.

In the free weights area, the compa-ny has installed two sets of dumb-bells; a chrome set of 1-10kg on an A-rack, and a rubber set of 12-30kg on athree-tier rack, along with free weightbench.

motiv8 MD Nick Sadler said:“Working with Richmond College wasa great experience. We’re excited tosee the development that’s takingplace in the education sector, asschools come to realise that adding agym means happier, more motivatedpupils.”

Gym opens at collegeThe upgraded facilities at Richmond upon Thames College.

A NORTH East leisure club is gettingin shape thanks to a £500,000 refur-bishment to improve its facilities.

The club at the NewcastleGateshead Marriott HotelMetroCentre is undergoing a majorfacelift, which includes a new saunaand steam room and the upgrading ofits dance studio, gym and swimmingpool. The leisure club – which is thebiggest of its kind in Marriott hotels inthe north – is used by both guests andlocal residents and the aim is toextend the number of members oncethe new look is unveiled.

The latest project marks the secondphase of upgrades, following the

replacement last year of the gym’s car-dio kit with state-of-the-art Star Tracfitness equipment, including Ipodconnectivity and 15 inch high defini-tion screens offering 20 different TVchannels

Hotel sales manager Lesley Johnstonsaid: “The leisure facilities at the hotelhave always been very popular.

“But hopefully this substantialinvestment will not only improve theexperience for our existing membersand guests but will also bring in newvisitors to see what we have to offer.

“We are really confident that thenew-look leisure club will be a hugeasset to the hotel.”

The Newcastle Gateshead Marriott Hotel MetroCentre.

Hotel enhances offering

A FAMILY who spent a combined 165years avoiding the swimming pool,have all overcome their shyness andlearnt to swim, thanks to help from aSheffield leisure centre.

Anna-Marie Evans, husband Johnand two sons, Towy, and Gethin, hadnever visited a pool together, let aloneattempted to swim in one. It all beganto change when Anna started to sufferfrom severe arthritis, which was lead-ing to weight gain and other healthissues. She visited her GP and wasreferred to Springs Leisure Centre.

She said: “I’d seen Springs LeisureCentre and thought it looked a friend-ly place so when my GP referred me Ithought I needed to give it a go thistime.

“My knees were so bad with arthritisthat I couldn’t manage the gym, sothey suggested I start swimming. Ittook me a while to learn, but soon I

was going three or four times a weekand loving it.

“I started making friends at the pooland was quickly seeing an improve-ment in my health, I was losingweight and my knees were gettingstronger.”

David Birds, GP referral manager forSheffield International Venues, whichoperates Springs, added: “Anna is agreat example of someone whose sit-uation can be improved with simpleand controlled exercise.

“We can’t believe how far she hascome since she was referred, losingover four stone and even swimmingthe length of the channel for charity –we’re all very proud of her.”

Following on from Anna’s success,her husband and sons joined her inthe pool for some lessons, with themnow enjoying swimming sessionstogether as a family.

Anna-Marie Evans with her husband John and two sons Towy and Gethin.

Family finally learns to swim

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PRODUCT NEWS38

THE 12th annual IHRSA EuropeanCongress will take place onNovember 1-4 at the Hilton Vienna,organisers have revealed.

The event features presentationsdelivered by executives from bothinside and outside the health clubindustry, providing thought-provok-ing commentary on trends shapingbusiness and the fitness industry.Networking icebreakers, focus groupdiscussions, and evening and lunch

receptions will provide the opportu-nity to build relationships with col-leagues from throughout Europe.

This year’s keynote speaker will beShaun Smith, who will reveal to dele-gates how to be bold in business andwin. Other event highlights include avariety of focused seminars, theopportunity to meet one on one witha range of industry suppliers and atour of some of the leading healthclubs in the city.

Keynotespeakerunveiledfor IHRSA

VIRGIN Active has opened the doorsto its flagship Classic Health Club at200 Aldersgate in the heart of LondonCity, boasting some of the mostadvanced equipment, new and inno-vative group exercise classes and out-standing facilities in a spacious, pre-mium setting.

UK head of fitness Alan Holl said:“Virgin Active Classic Health Club at200 Aldersgate raises the bar for amodern day health club offering. Wewanted to take our Classic brand andpush the boundaries to providesomething even better for our mem-bers.”

The large gym floor is home to someof the most cutting-edge equipmentincluding the Freedom Climber, arevolutionary rotating climbing wall

that providesthe physicalchallengesand the exer-cise benefitsof continuousclimbing andtraversing in a safe, low level environ-ment. It is being used by instructorsand personal trainers alike for func-tional climbing exercises and is alsopopular as a station within the excit-ing and stimulating circuit classeswithin the active functional zone.

Fitness manager Craig Mooresadded: “It has been well received byour knowledgeable members and hasbeen programmed into circuit classesand personal training sessions withgreat results.”

Flagship club boasts top equipment

FITNESS fanatic, yoga practitioner ordedicated sportsperson ... whateveryour workout regime, Vita Coco, 100per cent natural coconut water isyour perfect training partner.

A fast and effective way to keephydrated, Vita Coco Coconut Water isideal for use during physical exerciseto help power through any workoutand also offers excellent rehydrationproperties post workout, training ses-sion, match or class.

The coconut water used in VitaCoco Coconut Water comes fromyoung green coconuts and is full ofnaturally occurring potassium andfive essential electrolytes. With nocolourings, preservatives or flavour-ings and not produced from concen-

trate, Vita Coco Coconut Water offersa truly natural route to hydration.

Vita Coco 100 per cent NaturalCoconut Water is available in threesizes: 330ml, 500ml and 1l.

The 500ml sports pack is availablein natural and also two fruit flavours:pineapple and acai and pomegranate(produced by combining the 100 percent Natural Coconut Water with nat-ural fruit puree).

Strength and conditioning coachand founder of Reach RichardTidmarsh said: “Vita Coco is naturaland provides a performance boost intraining sessions and gruelling races –helping athletes’ muscles to powerthrough and avoid dehydration inevents where every second counts.”

Stay hydrated with coconut water

‘Engineers are company’sgreatest strength’GYM equipment experts, Northwickare taking the fitness industry bystorm with their pro-active approachto gym equipment maintenance,repair and inspection.

Their pay-as-you-go and monthlycontract, maintenance and inspec-tion programmes are geared to helpgym owners satisfy health and safetyresponsibilities, achieve maximumequipment life and retain membersby maximising equipment availabili-ty.

Northwick MD and chartered engi-neer Jon Isaacs said: “Northwick’sexpert team of engineers are thecompany’s greatest strength.

“We are all committed to creating aunique relationship with customers,built on trust, attention to detail andan ability to be a one-call service tomaintain and fix all makes and typesof equipment in a polite, efficient andtimely manner!”

Their approach is unique because

they establish why equipment prob-lems happen, helping customers topredict failures long before theyoccur. Northwick offers an expertopinion as to how best to prioritiseand schedule equipment repairs andhelp gym owners to differentiatebetween repair versus replacement.

Gym owners gain a detailed pictureof equipment condition, helpingretain members, manage cash flowand plan ahead for equipmentupgrades.

With over 5000 plus customers,Northwick is the UK’s No.1 independ-ent gym equipment specialist.For more information visit www.northwick.eu

FOLLOWING the launch of the firstrevolutionary Green System bySportsArt Fitness UK at LeisureIndustry Week 2012, the first UKorder has been placed for the newcardio system that turns human ener-gy into useable power.

The SportsArt ‘Green System’ uses a“pod” of elliptical trainers and cycles,attached to an inverter, that harness-es human-generated power from theexerciser and feeds this back into thepower grid as useable energy.

This energy then can be used tosave facilities thousands of pounds inenergy costs. This is claimed to be thefirst "plug and play" solution of itskind for health club owners who wantto offset power costs by freely har-nessing human energy.

From seeing the equipment and lis-tening to what was on offer withregards to the green credentials, thecustomer was very impressed and adecision was made to present pro-posals to their board to acquire theSportsArt Green System, which wasratified and initial orders placed (full

details to be finalised and released ata later date.)

The customer reported: “This greenequipment is one of the first steppingstones for us to introduce more traditional styles of renewable energy through energy efficient L.E.D.

“Lighting, Solar PV and Biomass andthis product sits with these technolo-gies in helping us help the environ-ment at the community we workwith.”For more information contact Mark Turneron 01282 779234 oremail.mark.turner@sportsartfitness.co.uk

SportsArt takes first UKorder for Green System

THE Bulgarian Bag is in a class of itsown when it comes to functional fit-ness.

Using gravity and inertia it helpsimprove muscular endurance, jointmobility, core strength, overall bodystrength and agility. This multi-angu-lar approach to training has beendubbed ‘Variable Angular Resistance’and really does give the body a fab allover workout. Traditionally hand-crafted in leather, the Bulgarian Bagwas invented by Greco-Romanwrestling coach Ivan Ivanov to helptrain Olympic wrestlers and improvetheir dynamic movements.

All exercises with the Bulgarian Bagare scalable so it can be used withany client regardless of their fitnesslevel.

Extremely robust, the Bulgarian Bagis perfect for one to one PT sessionsand group functional training classes.There are two ranges of Bulgarian Bagto choose from.

Our Professional range, perfect as apersonal bag, is made from leather tothe highest quality – a very stylishlooking tool. The new syntheticleather fitness bags have colouredhandles, are built to last and are morehygienic, making them a great bag foruse by lots of different members inclubs.

Each weight increment is a differentcolour, making weight selection quickand easy. Durable, versatile and

dynamic, Bulgarian Bag training is amust for any functional trainingfan.

For more information contact EscapeFitness on 01733 313535 or visitwww.escapefitness.com

Bag ‘a must for anyfunctional training fan’

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44 SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

Psychological benefitsof using Carb cycling

In the second part of her column, fitness model Carly Thornton explains moreabout carb cycling – and shares her tips on how to make it work for you.

WHEN you're on low calories all thetime, you get physiologically (hor-monally) hungry.

You also get cravings, which canbe different to physical hunger. Youtend to crave what you can’t have(carbs anyone?)

But if you use carb cycling, youknow you get to eat more every sev-eral days and you get to eat carbs.

So even if you do feel some hungerand cravings on the low days, it'seasier to hold out. This is how carbcycling helps most people withcompliance.

The end result is you avoidplateaus and falls off the wagon(overeating, binges, "unauthorized"cheating, etc)

Carb cycling and body re-composi-tion:A possible third benefit of carbcycling is that it may explain howsome people add lean body masswhile in a calorie deficit.

That's because when you're rais-ing calories every several daysyou're actually NOT always in adeficit, and your body is given morefuel on "high days", which could bedirected into muscle tissue forgrowth.

Being on low calories and lowcarbs 100 per cent of the time canbe a real drag on your workouts.Taking a periodic highercalorie/carb day works wonders toboost your training energy.

The extra fuel makes for moreintense training, and if you can trainharder, you can build more muscleand burn more fat.

What if carb cycling isn't workingfor you?If you've been carb cycling and itdoesn't seem to be working, it'ssometimes for the same reason as ifyou weren't carb cycling – you did-n't get your calories quite right andyou weren't in a deficit.

That's one reason I'm partial tocontrolled refeeds or "high carbdays" rather than free-for-all cheatdays. While the latter approachworks for some, "cheat days" canbackfire if you go overboard, and it's

quite easy to cut into (or erase) afew days of deficit with one giantbinge.

If you hit a plateau (no change forat least seven days), it's helpful tocount calories carefully and weigh/measure foods. Any time you arestruggling with results or simply justworking on the last few pounds offat in the stubborn areas, the atten-tion to detail at that point is moreimportant than ever.

Another thing you might want todo is start tracking a number thatmost people don't consider: yourweekly deficit (or weekly averagedaily caloric intake).

Add up your calories every day forthe entire seven day week anddivide by seven for a daily average.Then make sure you have an ade-quate weekly deficit to reach yourweekly goal.

Getting better results out of carbcycling may require being morestrict on the low carb days. Whenyou're carb cycling, in general, thewhole idea is that the low carb daysARE very strict "diet" days andsometimes with a fairly aggressivecalorie deficit – 30 per cent belowmaintenance (and sometimes peo-ple even push the envelope and goeven lower on low days, knowingthat they have a big refeed comingup)

Watch out – the scale plays trickson you when carb cyclingOne last thing to consider: supposeyou are trying to assess your resultsafter day four, wondering when it isgoing to start working.

One thing about carb cycling thatmany people don't account for isthe swing in body weight due toglycogen and water.

With three strict days of lowercarb, lower calorie eating, you mayactually have already accrued apound of fat loss. But then you carbup on day four. Your body composi-tion has improved, but the carb upmakes you gain total body weight(water and glycogen).

If you only judge your success bythe scale and if you only look atshort term (daily) numbers, you

may be misled into thinking youwere not successful when you reallywere.

For that reason, you must havepatience, watch the trend over timeand avoid getting obsessed withshort term fluctuations in bodyweight especially on high carb dayand/or the day after high carb day.

Once you have an understandingof all the above factors, and you'vebeen carb cycling without gettingweekly results, then do the samethings to break the plateau thatyou'd normally do – includingincreasing the calorie burn fromtraining/ cardio and/or decreasingthe calories.

The one thing you'd do that'sunique to carb cycling is on yourlow carb days, a tweak you mightmake to break a plateau is to simplymake the low days even lower incarbs (that means lower in calories,but you are specifically lowering thecalories from carbs... leaving theprotein, healthy fats and fibrouscarbs/veggies alone).

Carly Thornton

Carly’s calculator to get amazing resultsMEN

High day:Carbs: two to three grams per pound of body weight.Protein: one to 1.25 grams per pound of body weightFat: as little as possible

Low and moderate days:Carbs: 0.5-1.5 grams per pound of body weightProtein: 1.25-1.5 grams per pound of body weightFat: 0.15-0.35 grams per pound of body weight

WOMENHigh Day:Carbs: 0.9-1.0 grams per pound of body weightProtein: 0.75 grams per pound of body weightFat: as little as possible

Low and moderate days:Carbs: 0.2-0.5 grams per pound of body weightProtein: 0.9-1.0 grams per pound of body weightFat: 0.1-0.2 grams per pound of body weight

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46 SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

Lee competes with20 weeks’ training By Christina Eccles

HAMPSHIRE gym manager LeeAdams put himself in his clients’shoes when he took up the challengeto become a competitive bodybuilderin just 20 weeks.

The health and leisure club manag-er at Clublife Health and Fitness @The Langstone, made the statementthat you could take anyone out of thegym floor and get them stage readywithin 20 weeks naturally – as long asthey were dedicated to both theirtraining and nutrition during theprocess.

Lee set himself the goal – despiteclaims from clients that it couldn’t bedone – and by changing his diet and

training regimes, managed to reachhis target in 17 weeks.

He said: “I felt quite passionatelyabout this and so set out, tentativelyat first, to piece together my plan ofaction, in terms of training and nutri-tion, to reach my target of stage readywithin 17 weeks.

“I started the process at 79.9kg and12.6 per cent per cent body fat. Ibecame stage ready in 17 weeks andweighed in at 69.5kg and five per centbody fat on show day.”

Upon reaching his target weight,Lee competed at the BNBF SouthernChampionships in Bognor, havingchanged the way he exercised toinclude less frequent, but more highintensity training, sticking to a clean

diet and controlling his carbohydrateintake.

And he told Workout that he reallyenjoyed the whole experience, whichhas also made him think differentlyabout how he trains clients in theclub.

He added: “I loved the whole experi-ence and learnt so much on my fit-ness journey.

“Now I have experienced competingI hope to continue and show myclients that application and adoptionof a lifestyle change can make such adifference.

“The lifestyle itself is a lot cleaner –it’s made me feel more healthy andconfident.”Lee Adams

Bodybuilder qualifies for Vegas again By Adam Guest

A BARNSLEY bodybuilder has stackedup the points to compete in a LasVegas competition for the third yearin a row.

Kizzy Vaines, 33, has been compet-ing in events since May to earn aplace at the Olympia show inAmerica, which was taking place justas Workout went to print.

Recently, Kizzy competed at an

event in Florida finishing fourth, giv-ing her enough points to enter theevent, which Hollywood star ArnoldSchwarzenegger won six times in arow.

Kizzy will be taking part in the fit-ness category which is judged in twoparts.

Her husband and coach Phil Vainessaid the first part comprises a bikiniround in which competitors arejudged on their low body fat, lightly

toned physique and their body shape.They are also judged on their hair,make-up and bikini.

Kizzy will then perform a dance rou-tine incorporating splits, high kicksand press-ups.

To make sure she is in peak condi-tion, Kizzy is on a strict diet of turkey,sweet potato and broccoli.

She said she is looking forward tothe event and has had to put in a lotof hard work to earn a place.

A NEW product has been launched atthis year’s Leisure Industry Week,which makers hope will compete fora slice of the £200m vitamin waterand enhanced water drinks market.

Vitamin rich water, Vitzer, will beavailable in three flavours – red berry,lemon and lime, and apple and pear –all sweetened with Stevia extract, anatural leaf which offers a zero-calo-

rie sweetness.Actress Gemma Merna will act as a

brand ambassador and face of thebrand, appearing on the productphotography, which emphasises thedrink as a natural, guilt-free pleasure.

Director at Natural Drinks IanMinton said: “We recognised there’s awide market out there of 18-30 yearolds who lead a busy lifestyle, appre-

ciate the importance of eating anddrinking well, as well as stayinghydrated, but crave something moreexciting than water.

“As a result, we are delighted toannounce the launch of Vitzer, a greattasting drink that can be enjoyedguilt-free with zero sugar, zero calo-ries, zero carbs and the additionalbenefit of multivitamins.”

Actress Gemma Merna is the face of the brand.

Hollyoaks actress launches drinkThe England rugby team acted asguinea pigs for a new organic beetrootdrink, Beet It, said to boost oxygen lev-els and increase stamina. Produced byJames White Farm Pressed Fruit Juices,the drink is a combination of freshbeetroot juice (90 per cent) and applejuice and is said to be the latest ‘super-fuel’ for athletes. It is also the secretweapon of four-time Paralympic medalwinner David Weir – the ‘Weirwolf.’Simon Lee, pictured, handed out sam-ples to visitors to Leisure Industry Weekat Birmingham NEC.

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MAINTENANCE

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SOFTWARE

MANAGEMENT

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UPHOLSTERY

Marketingsystem tobe rolled outTHE owners of an independent gymin Kettering have created a new gymmembership marketing system, whichthey are now planning to roll out toother clubs.

Karen Paterson and Antony Lucchesifrom The Nautilus Natural FitnessCentre are releasing the system underlicense to other clubs after achievingsuccess with it themselves.

It is aimed primarily at independentclubs and has been developed specifi-cally to overcome the current prob-lems affecting those operators – andboost both sales and retention rates.

Karen said: “Industry experts whohave viewed the system have beenvery impressed and predict that thesystem could prove to be revolution-ary in respect of how independentclubs market themselves for the fore-seeable future. We are very excitedabout the launch and feel confidentthat it will work as successfully forother clubs as it has for us.”

� Look out for more on the gym’s newsystem in a future issue of Workout.

KAY Illingworth of Club Diet Plate Ltdwould like to apologise unreservedlyto Virgin Active for an advertorialwhich was placed in the Septemberedition of WorkOut.

We did not mean to misrepresent orsuggest that we were working withVirgin Active as one of their suppliers.

Advertiser announcement

Star Trac has appointed a new member ofstaff, Josh Taylor, as Spinning product spe-cialist. In addition to his ongoing role atMad Dogg Athletics, Josh, who has 16 years’experience as a master instructor, will beexpanding his scope of responsibilities toallow the company to deliver a broaderrange of services to its customers. CEO ofMad Dogg Athletics John Baudhuin said:“Josh’s experience and passion for theSpinning programme has made a tremen-dous impact on our growing global commu-nity. Josh has been an important part of theMad Dogg Athletics team, and I look for-ward to his expanded role of better inte-grating product development, program-ming, education, technology and marketingfor the Spinning brand.”

Fitness enthusiastshead for ‘ultimatesporting weekend’SPORTEX Festival adds to the everevolving line-up as the excitementbuilds for the ultimate sporting week-end.

Manchester’s EventCity will playhost to a weekend of unmissablesporting entertainment acrossOctober 20-21 and is set to open itsdoors to thousands of sports and fit-ness enthusiasts.

New feature areas announcedinclude:� Manchester Phoenix Sledge Hockey� Segway Sheffield � University of Salford Fencing Club� Baseball Softball UKDon’t miss out on the North’s largestsports exhibition. Book your placenow if you’re interested in sports and

fitness focussed individuals, or if youwould like to be part of any of the fol-lowing events:� The IFBB British Grand Prix andUKBFF British Championships� The SportEx Badminton Classic� WMKF MAI National Circuit� The Neil Adams Judo Classic� Manchester’s Strongest Man andWoman� Jason Baird’s Ultimate FormsChallenge

If you need more reasons to attend,SportEx is the perfect networkingopportunity.

Get face to face and engage withlike-minded people.

For more information visithttp://www.sportexfestival.co.uk/

New appointmentat gym chainAFFORDABLE gym chain, Pure Gym,has appointed a new chief financialofficer – Adam Bellamy.

Adam joined the company in midSeptember, in which the companyopened four new clubs, bringing itstotal to 33.

James Jack, who has been financedirector of Pure Gym since the open-ing of its first clubs in 2009, will stepdown upon Adam’s appointment butwill remain closely involved as adirector and shareholder of the com-pany.

Adam said: “Pure Gym has demon-strated a proven record of success inopening and managing affordable fit-ness clubs and in a short period oftime established itself as marketleader. I am excited to be a part of thefuture success of this revolutionarybusiness.”

£8.9millionpools revampFOREST Hill Pools in London has re-opened following an £8.9mredevelopment to improve its facili-ties.

Features now include a 25m lengthswimming pool, 16.7m length learnerpool, state-of-the-art fitness suite, twostudios and a cafe.

Fusion Lifestyle, who currentlyrun a number of Lewisham sportsand leisure facilities will take over the day-to–day running of thenew centre.

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