The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine August 2013 No 239 £3 Enter your gym in NFAs before it is too late Awareness week hopes to tackle obesity PLANS have been announced for a National Obesity Awareness Week designed to tackle the grow- ing public health problem of obesity. Announced by The National Obesity Forum, the week will run from January 13 to 19 2014, and will be co- ordinated and promoted by the Whitehouse Consultancy. The event will call for the public to join in a national New Year’s resolution to tackle obesity through small lifestyle changes including healthy eating and exercise. Organisers plan to enlist leading businesses, charities, celebrities, sportspeople, nutrition experts and chefs to support a programme of activities taking place during the course of the week. Chairman of the National Obesity Forum professor David Haslam said: “Our intention is that National Obesity Awareness Week will not be about preaching to people – rather, we want this to be a fun and informative week that will inspire action from government and edu- cate the public on the small changes they can make that will have a profound impact on their long-term health.” Strictly Come Dancing professionals Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite have teamed up with champion swimmer Mark Foster to launch new group exer- cise class Fitsteps. With instructors currently being trained up at workshops around the country, the class aims to offer a fun fitness session for any- one who loves to dance. This issue, Workout caught up with the trio, who revealed more about the Fitsteps concept and how gyms can get involved. *For full story see page 11. By Christina Eccles UK gyms have been urged to boost their businesses by entering this year’s National Fitness Awards, before it’s too late. The free to enter awards – organised by Script Events in partnership with Workout and headline sponsor Servicesport – are now in their fourth year and reward excellence and achievement across all sections of the fitness industry. Already gyms and individuals from as far afield as Falmouth, Swansea, Burnley, Stirling and London have put themselves in the running for an award, with some great entries received so far. But with nominations closing on Friday August 23, gyms who haven’t entered yet have just weeks to send their entries in, via the dedicated web- site www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk Event director Judith Halkerston said: “Once again, we are delighted by the response to the awards this year. “There is a pleasing combination among the nominations of gyms who are entering for the first time and those who are coming back either to defend their title or determined to clinch the category this time round. “Changes including a new venue, new categories and a revamped website are all set to ensure the 2013 National Fitness Awards will be the biggest and best yet.” Once nominations have closed, the Workout team will draw up this year’s shortlist, before travelling around the country to visit each of the shortlisted clubs – chatting to staff and members and taking a look at what makes the facility so special. Comprehensive reports will then be compiled and passed on to an expert judging panel who will have the tough task of picking the 2013 winners. Trophies will be handed out at a glit- tering awards’ ceremony on Friday December 6, taking place at The Palace Hotel in Manchester and hosted by top presenter, former TV Gladiator and fit- ness expert Caroline Pearce. Last year over 600 people attended the awards evening at The Athena in Leicester and following the event, win- ning clubs capitalised on their achieve- ments by publicising their win on mar- keting materials, with valuable local newspaper coverage and even on branded t-shirts for staff and members. ■ To nominate your club visit www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk You can also keep up with the latest by fol- lowing @FitnessAwards on Twitter.
Transcript
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineAugust 2013 No 239 £3
Enter your gymin NFAs beforeit is too late
Awarenessweek hopesto tackleobesity PLANS have beenannounced for a NationalObesity Awareness Weekdesigned to tackle the grow-ing public health problem ofobesity.
Announced by TheNational Obesity Forum, theweek will run from January13 to 19 2014, and will be co-ordinated and promoted bythe Whitehouse Consultancy.
The event will call for thepublic to join in a nationalNew Year’s resolution totackle obesity through smalllifestyle changes includinghealthy eating and exercise.
Organisers plan to enlistleading businesses, charities,celebrities, sportspeople,nutrition experts and chefsto support a programme ofactivities taking place duringthe course of the week.
Chairman of the NationalObesity Forum professorDavid Haslam said: “Ourintention is that NationalObesity Awareness Week willnot be about preaching topeople – rather, we want thisto be a fun and informativeweek that will inspire actionfrom government and edu-cate the public on the smallchanges they can make thatwill have a profound impacton their long-term health.”
Strictly Come Dancing professionals Natalie Loweand Ian Waite have teamed up with championswimmer Mark Foster to launch new group exer-cise class Fitsteps. With instructors currently beingtrained up at workshops around the country, theclass aims to offer a fun fitness session for any-one who loves to dance. This issue, Workoutcaught up with the trio, who revealed more aboutthe Fitsteps concept and how gyms can getinvolved.*For full story see page 11.
By Christina Eccles
UK gyms have been urged to boosttheir businesses by entering this year’sNational Fitness Awards, before it’s toolate.
The free to enter awards – organisedby Script Events in partnership withWorkout and headline sponsorServicesport – are now in their fourthyear and reward excellence andachievement across all sections of thefitness industry.
Already gyms and individuals from asfar afield as Falmouth, Swansea,Burnley, Stirling and London have putthemselves in the running for anaward, with some great entries receivedso far. But with nominations closing onFriday August 23, gyms who haven’tentered yet have just weeks to sendtheir entries in, via the dedicated web-site www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk
Event director Judith Halkerston said:“Once again, we are delighted by theresponse to the awards this year.
“There is a pleasing combinationamong the nominations of gyms whoare entering for the first time and thosewho are coming back either to defendtheir title or determined to clinch thecategory this time round.
“Changes including a new venue, new
categories and a revamped website areall set to ensure the 2013 NationalFitness Awards will be the biggest andbest yet.”
Once nominations have closed, theWorkout team will draw up this year’sshortlist, before travelling around thecountry to visit each of the shortlistedclubs – chatting to staff and membersand taking a look at what makes thefacility so special.
Comprehensive reports will then becompiled and passed on to an expertjudging panel who will have the toughtask of picking the 2013 winners.
Trophies will be handed out at a glit-tering awards’ ceremony on FridayDecember 6, taking place at The PalaceHotel in Manchester and hosted by toppresenter, former TV Gladiator and fit-ness expert Caroline Pearce.
Last year over 600 people attendedthe awards evening at The Athena inLeicester and following the event, win-ning clubs capitalised on their achieve-ments by publicising their win on mar-keting materials, with valuable localnewspaper coverage and even onbranded t-shirts for staff and members.� To nominate your club visitwww.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk Youcan also keep up with the latest by fol-lowing @FitnessAwards on Twitter.
Script Media47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS
Staff from Curves Wokingham met with Breast Cancer Care patron Geri Halliwell at TheHospital Club in London to celebrate the success of the club’s partnership with the charity.Geri attended an event at The Hospital Club in London to thank the gym for its supportand fundraising efforts. Since 2006, Curves Wokingham has raised £23,000 for the charity.Bev Gellard from Curves Wokingham is pictured with Geri Halliwell.
By Christina Eccles
OPERATORS have been urged toinvest in emergency equipment fortheir facilities after a survey revealedless than one in five gyms and sportsclubs have defibrillators.
The poll by defibrillator manufac-turer DOC UK claims just 19 per centof facilities are equipped with defib-rillators and out of those that do havethem, 57 per cent don’t know how touse the equipment.
Managing director of DOC UKVincent Mathieu said: “Gyms andsports clubs have a duty of care over alarge number of people who are oftenundertaking strenuous exercise.
“As a result it is vital that gymsinvest in defibrillator equipment – butalso that the equipment is used in anemergency.”
The survey also highlights somemisconceptions about defibrillators,which may be making operators hesi-tant about using them.
68 per cent of respondents said theywould be worried about accidentallyelectrocuting someone who was infact well, or being held liable shouldsomething go wrong – despite the factdefibrillators will only work on some-one having a genuine cardiac arrestand there have been no known inci-
dences of someone being sued forattempting to save someone’s life witha defibrillator.
Chief executive at Jubilee Hall Trustgyms and chair of the UK FitnessNetwork Phil Rumbelow added:
“While gyms are not a high riskenvironment, they carry a higher-than-average risk of having a heart-related emergency on-site.
“In the leisure industry, we con-stantly strive to raise standards, and Ithink that as a result there is a solidargument for gyms to be equippedwith defibrillators. I know that a num-ber of other leisure trusts haveinstalled defibrillators and successful-ly saved a number of lives, and wehave recently taken the decision toinstall the DOC UK so that each ofour four sites is now suitablyequipped.”
Gym operatorsurged to investin defibrillators
LOOK out for the next issue ofWorkout where we will be celebratingthe magazine’s 20th birthday.
If you’ve got a story you would likeus to include in this milestone issueor would like to send us a birthday
You can also connect with Workouton social media. Follow us@WorkOutUK or ‘like’ us at www.face-book.com/workoutmagazine
Workout celebrates 20 years
“It is vital that gymsinvest in defibrillatorequipment – but alsothat the equipment isused in an emergency.”
03 25/7/13 16:57 Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE4
By Christina Eccles
AN independent club, which is over30 years old, is pushing the bound-aries by installing a new range of techsavvy equipment.
The Hogarth Club in Chiswick haskitted out its gym with the latestARTIS range from Technogym, at acost of over £1m.
The equipment includes a completecardio line – treadmill, elliptical,vario, bike and recline – 19 strengthpieces, six functional stations andOmnia, a new group functional train-ing space.
Designed to offer members the lat-est technology, the kit is fully integrat-ed with the Technogym Ecosystem,an open platform which allows clubsto connect with their customers any-where in the world via a mywellnesskey, mobile phones, tablets or com-puters.
Managing director of The HogarthDan White explained: “Having a newplatform in which our highly qualifiedteam can help our members achieve awellness lifestyle is key to our ongoingstrategy.
“Like Technogym, we are champi-oning the benefits of promoting regu-lar physical activity, optimum nutri-tion and a positive mental attitude.”
As well as the popular gym, features
at the West London club include out-door tennis courts, patio gardens,indoor pool, squash court and bararea and lounge.
The facilities attract a wide range ofmembers, with famous faces workingout there including former interna-tional rugby player and TV personali-ty Matt Dawson.
And staff at the club told Workoutmembers have been really impressedwith the new look gym.
Operations director Ian Chaffey
added: “The technology behind theArtis gymnasium equipment allowstrainers and members to track andmonitor what they do in the club, athome or anywhere in the world.
“It is this additional capability thatenables us to stay connected beyondthe club and help us support the busyand stressful lifestyles our membersoften lead.
“Ultimately, we feel we have the besttools to help our members achievetheir exercise and wellness goals.”
Gym pushes the boundarieswith £1m worth of new kit
The new gym at The Hogarth Club in Chiswick.
Personal trainer and competitorMarina Cornwall won big at therecent European Powerlifting MastersChampionships. Marina – a trainer atFitness First in Portsmouth – won fourgold medals at the event which tookplace in Luxembourg. In a busy fewweeks for Marina she was also placedeighth in the world at another compe-tition – the World ClassicChampionships in Russia.
04 22/7/13 11:30 Page 1
05 Physique 22/7/13 13:35 Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE6
By Christina Eccles
TRAFFORD Community Leisure Trusthas welcomed its 20 millionth visitor,who was rewarded with a bundle ofprizes for being the lucky winner.
To mark the milestone, the trustorganised a presentation event forwinner Rita Blythe and her family atSale Leisure Centre, where Traffordcouncillor Jonathon Coupe and theleisure trust’s chief executive BernieJones presented them with a range ofgifts, including a lifetime fitnessmembership for the whole family, ayear’s supply of swimming lessons forRita’s four children and a course ofone-to-one lessons for Rita.
She said: “We recognise how impor-tant it is for the children to swim, butwith four children it’s quite expensiveto fund.
“We feel so lucky to be the 20 mil-lionth visitor and this package of giftsis fantastic and helps us so much – weare so grateful.”
Trafford Community Leisure Trust,who manages the borough’s eightleisure centres, two golf courses andSport Trafford department, was estab-lished back in April 2003 as a chari-ty/not for profit organisation and hasgone from strength to strength overthe years.
Coun Coupe added: “It’s fantastic tolook at the work the leisure trust does.It’s such a vibrant interesting compa-ny, from the bright, colourful andalways interesting literature providedto the marking of fantastic milestonessuch as this one.
“It’s remarkable to see how far theleisure trust has come in the 10 yearsand I’m sure they will continue togrow over the next 10 in much thesame vein.
“It’s truly important that the com-munity recognise and support localorganisations such as TraffordCommunity Leisure Trust andremember that their best interests arefor the community of Trafford.”
The Blythe family show off their prizes with Trafford councillor Jonathon Coupe and leisuretrust chief executive Bernie Jones.
Trust rewards 20millionth visitorwith gift bundle
Garstang Leisure Centre in Lancashire now has a brand new look, following a completeoverhaul. Wyre Council and Fylde Coast YMCA jointly invested £36,000 to refurbish the cluband introduce new facilities, including a purpose built weights room, new fitness equip-ment with built-in Nike+ interactivity, and refurbished interior complete with new lighting,mirrors and flooring. General manager Dave Sweetman said: “The introduction of the newequipment means that local people now have easy access to the latest state-of-the-art fit-ness training equipment and our friendly staff team are committed to working closelywith each customer so they can get the most out of this high-quality facility.”
06 22/7/13 11:30 Page 1
07 Vydex 23/7/13 17:12 Page 1
08 Fluid Rower 23/7/13 11:23 Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE 9
By Christina Eccles
TWO former gym managers haveteamed up to rescue the eastManchester club they worked in fromclosure.
The gym – previously Klick Fitness –closed in March as part of a CompanyVoluntary Arrangement, which sawoperator Fitness First disposing of itslowest performing sites.
Former managers Barry Cornwelland Sean Krool were so concernedabout the effect of the closure on thelocal community they approachedFitness First to buy the business, butcould not raise the £300,000 askingprice. Fortunately help was at handwhen Copenhagen based charteredsurveyor Charles Sherratt-Davies wassent to visit the site by its Danishlandlords, with a view to increasingthe chances of re-letting the property.
After chatting to Barry and Sean,Charlie was so impressed with theirattitude and hard work he wanted inas a partner.
He also persuaded the landlords tocontribute some money and theyhave also waived the rent to allowthem to get the business established.
Together they managed to getenough to lease essential equipment– decorating the venue and hand-building the lockers themselves – and
the club reopened in March as TickFit Gorton with 1,000 membersalready signed up.
Sean, who is training boxing cham-pion Anthony Crolla for the Worldlightweight title, said: “This gym is anessential part of the community. Wehave many regular, committed mem-bers.
“We do a lot with kids. It keeps themoff the streets and gives them some-thing positive to aim for. We promoterespect and manners.
“I came from a very poor communi-ty in South Africa. We were surround-ed by gangsters and drugs. This coun-try offered me a way out when I came
here 14 years ago, now I want to givesomething back. This is about peo-ple's lives. The gym gives them afocus, something to do and it's a wayto socialise all at the same time.”
Membership numbers have nowreached 1,850 – and every member ofstaff is paid the same, meaning Barryand Sean get equal pay with thecleaner.
Barry added: “This is not aboutmaking us rich. It's about workingtogether for the good of the commu-nity. The staff go way beyond the callof duty because they want to see itwork and the community has takenus to its heart for trying.”
Former managers joinforces to rescue gym
Sean Krool, Charlie Sherratt-Davies and Barry Cornwell.Ivan Horsfall-Turner has taken up hispost as the new Freedom Leisure man-aging director, replacing Jeff Hart whois retiring after 11 years in the role.Ivan – previously Freedom Leisure’sbusiness development director – willnow work closely alongside Jeff untilhe retires on September 30. Ivan said: “Ifeel privileged to be selected by theboard as Jeff’s successor and feel confi-dent that the strength and reputationof Freedom Leisure will combine tobring further growth and success in theleisure industry. Under Jeff’s leadership,Freedom Leisure has established itselfas a strong brand with excellent creden-tials and I am looking forward to lead-ing our team to take it forward andbuild on his legacy.”
09 22/7/13 14:59 Page 1
10 Fitech 22/7/13 12:06 Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE 11Dance fans can now shimmy and shake their way to fitness, thanks to the launch ofhot new class Fitsteps. Christina Eccles spoke to the celebrity team behind thephenomenon and found out why operators looking for the next big thing shouldconsider adding it to their timetables.
Celebrities’ hot newclass lets you danceyour way to fitness FROM working on hit BBC showStrictly Come Dancing, professionaldancers and Fitsteps’ founders IanWaite and Natalie Lowe realised howmuch the public love dance – so cre-ated a class which could bring themagic of the ballroom out of their TVscreens and into gyms and communi-ty halls around the country.
Teaming up with champion swim-mer and former Strictly contestantMark Foster, Natalie and Ian havedevised the content of the classes,with Mark offering support andadvice in his own areas of expertise,including fitness and conditioning.
The result of their vision is a classwhich blends authentic ballroom andLatin dance moves into a fun, effec-tive group workout, designed for any-one who loves dance and wants toimprove their fitness levels whiledoing something they enjoy.
Natalie explained: “We use a fewsteps from a number of the populardances that people will know fromStrictly.
“They are then blended into a con-tinuous workout, moving from onestep to another, one dance style toanother.
“But an ability to dance is not anecessity for class members by anymeans. No partners are required andnobody is going to mark you down ifyou get the steps wrong.
“My biggest reward with this is thatit’s not just about teaching one per-son to dance. It’s basically somethingthe whole demographic can do andgives people the opportunity to dosomething they have never donebefore.
“Dance can change people’s lives.It’s very rewarding, both for the per-son doing the class and those teach-ing it.”
To spread the word about Fitsteps,Natalie and Ian have been on anationwide tour, running a series ofinstructor days, alongside performingin their latest show StrictlyConfidential.
The sessions have proved so popularthey have already added more dateslater in the year for eager fitness pro-fessionals keen to become qualifiedFitsteps instructors so they can startteaching sessions themselves.
Once qualified, instructors benefitfrom ongoing support from theFitsteps team to help them build theirbusinesses, and apart from a space tohold classes in and a microphone, nospecialist equipment is required –making it easy for gyms to roll outsessions to members.
Ian added: "We went from hoping
people would come to quickly beingpleasantly overwhelmed by responseand having to explain that we weresold out.
“The interest and the commitmentout there have been huge so, evenwhilst still in the middle of our firsttour, we are putting together plans foranother tour towards the end of theautumn.”
Interest from operators has alreadybeen high, with Everyone Activebecoming the first to take on Fitstepsand planning to launch classes atselected centres following successfultaster sessions.
And Mark told Workout eventuallyhe would like to see classes takingplace in clubs of all sizes around the
country – delivering the many bene-fits of dance to as wide an audienceas possible.
He added: “Dance and Strictly havetouched so many people in differentways and from my point of view fromdoing the show, more than anything itwas great fun.
“I learned an awful lot and so manypeople said to me where can we dothat?
“We want to see FitSteps classesgoing on everywhere from the biggestcity gyms to small rural village andchurch halls.
“It is a fantastic way to get in shape.There is variety, versatility and plentyof enjoyment to be had along withgenuine total body benefits.”
Fitsteps’ founders Ian Waite, Natalie Lowe and Mark Foster.
11 25/7/13 14:35 Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE12
Edinburgh-based Westwoods Health Club has become the first gym in Scotland to installnew Swimtag technology, celebrating with a launch attended by Commonwealth goldmedallist swimmer Robbie Renwick. Swimtag users wear a wristband which tracks eachswim and counts number of lengths, strokes per length, lap times and calories burned.The information is then displayed on a website so people can see their swim and trackprogress. During the event, Robbie answered questions, led coaching sessions for adultsand children, signed autographs and posed for photos with fans.
Picture: Gavin Dougan.
By Christina Eccles
THE Royal Society for the Preventionof Accidents has partnered withleisure management company,Parkwood Leisure, to help maintainand enhance its health and safetypractices.
The two-year agreement will seeRoSPA deliver specialist health andsafety services for Parkwood Leisure,with consultants helping to increasestaff knowledge and understanding ofleisure safety risks, from those in cus-tomer-facing roles up to directors andsenior managers.
In a bid to ensure best practice andlegislative requirements are met,RoSPA will also review ParkwoodLeisure’s current policies and conducta health and safety audit of 15 othersites.
Additionally, all of ParkwoodLeisure’s 84 sites will become RoSPAleisure safety members, benefitingfrom expert advice via a dedicatedhelpline and access to the RoSPA
Infocentre – a collection of over28,500 accident prevention resources.
The company’s centres will also beable to keep up-to-date with the mostrecent changes in the leisure sector byreceiving a copy of RoSPA’s digitalLeisure Safety journal every threemonths.
Head of education and leisure atRoSPA David Rushton said: “We aredelighted to be working withParkwood Leisure.
“The company is showing a genuinecommitment to the safety of its cus-tomers and staff. RoSPA’s breadth ofexperience is unparalleled in theleisure safety sector and it is thisknowledge and expertise which willhelp Parkwood Leisure as it seeks toinvest in safety and risk managementfor the long term.
“With RoSPA’s help and guidance,Parkwood Leisure will strengthen thefoundations of its safety managementby actively involving staff in health,safety and welfare procedures and byidentifying potential safety hazards.”
RoSPA and ParkwoodLeisure work togetheron safety management
12 22/7/13 11:57 Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE 13
By Christina Eccles
INDEPENDENT gym owner AdamStowell has opened a second club inReading after deciding to aim for ashare of the budget market before thelow cost chains moved into town.
Adam launched Buzz Gym in May,following the success of his first clubAdvance Gym – a previous NationalFitness Awards’ finalist and winner ofthe Reading Retail Awards’ ServiceWith A Smile trophy.
The two clubs are very different,with Advance focusing on personaltraining and smaller group sessions,and Buzz aiming to deliver a premi-um product and levels of service, butat a recession-proof membershipprice of £19.99 per month, plus onlinejoining and no contract.
Adam explained: “The reason why
we have done this club is that weknew other gyms were going to comeinto town.
“We felt we could do a better job butknew a certain amount of memberswould leave (Advance Gym) for acheaper option.
“So we decided to do what we couldto keep members.”
Adam’s prediction that the budgetchains would come to Readingproved right, with two low-cost oper-ators moving in around the sametime that Buzz opened.
But after investing £1m in the club –and already attracting nearly 3,000members – he is confident they canwithstand the competition.
He added: “Within a 15-minute walkthere are five gyms, three months agothere was one.
“But I would rather know what I’m
up against and be able to deal with itthan be looking over my shoulder.”
Another benefit of opening up a sec-ond club, according to Adam, is that ithas also helped Advance to secure itsposition in what has now become acrowded marketplace.
He has recently launched a newmembership offer there to capitaliseon the club’s reputation for top quali-ty personal training, where memberspay £39.99 a month for a PT session –and their membership is free.
That price also includes member-ship at Buzz, meaning those who takeup this offer get the opportunity toalso use the new club at no extra cost.
Adam added: “What’s been reallygood is that by having this club, wehave really found our niche atAdvance. The two clubs have to worktogether – we are part of the same
company. There’s enough competi-tion without us being against eachother.”
After a successful start, Adam isalready thinking about expanding theBuzz model and told Workout thatonce they have settled in to Reading,he will be looking to secure more sitesaround the local area.
He added: “Advance Gym is veryunique and we would find it difficultto replicate.
“With Buzz, the concept is doableagain and we could go into anothertown.
“It’s gone much better than I expect-ed.
“I didn’t think after a month or twowe would be contemplating anothersite, but because of how smoothlythis has gone, I can see how we couldhave more gyms quickly.”
Adam opens a second gym toclaim share of budget market
The cardio and weights areas at Buzz Gym in Reading that has been recently opened by Adam Stowell.
13 23/7/13 16:01 Page 1
UK FITNESS SCENE14
The equipment at Eirias Events Centre High Performance Gym.
Successful gym open topeople of all abilitiesBy Christina Eccles
EVERYONE from elite rugby playersto community members and localschool children are enjoying the facil-ities at a successful gym in NorthWales.
Eirias Events Centre HighPerformance Gym opened in late2011, thanks to a partnershipbetween Conwy Borough Council andThe Welsh Rugby Union, and is thehome of the North West DevelopmentRugby Union Team, as well as beingopen to members of the public.
Equipment includes a six Olympiclifting station, 30m sprint track, Keiserbikes and a range of functional kit,
including kettlebells, powerbags andmedicine balls.
Membership of the club costs £45per month, with the price also givingmembers access to the council’s otherleisure centres, as well as a busy classtimetable, which is proving to be oneof its most popular draws.
Fitness instructor Martin Cormacksaid: “If you do the same classes eachweek, your body gets used to thesame kind of exercise.
“Every two to three months we lookat bringing in a different kind of classto offer something new.”
The gym has also been used by pro-fessional sports teams, such as theWakefield Wildcats rugby league team
and Wrexham Football Club, as wellas several international teams whoutilised the facilities during anInternational Rugby Union Series.
And according to Martin, althoughuse by elite athletes is an importantpart of what the club has to offer, it’salso vital, local people realise thefacilities are there for them to use too.
He added: “The gym has been donefor everyone. A lot of people thoughtit was just for rugby players so weoffered free taster sessions so theycould try the facilities out.
“We want to offer as much as we canto the public and we are always look-ing at different classes or challengesto introduce.”
The UK’s largest tennis operator David Lloyd Leisure has launched a nationwide campaign to get more children into tennis, followingAndy Murray’s historic Wimbledon win. As part of this, the operator hosted a Family Festival of Tennis in its racquets clubs open and plansto launch an ambitious outreach project to take its expertise to schools in the community. Chief executive Scott Lloyd said: “Murray’s vic-tory is the biggest boost yet for grassroots participation in tennis in the UK and provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to har-ness this inspiring achievement to encourage future generations to play.”
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15 Muscle Finesse 22/7/13 09:42 Page 1
16
Welcome to WorkOut Weigh In – it’s your chance to have your say and share your views on industryissues. You can email us at [email protected] or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.
IT’S hard to believe it was 12 monthsago since Olympic fever swept thenation and all eyes were on ourOlympic and Paralympic athletes asthey made us proud in London.
At the time, it was great to hear howgyms around the country had capi-talised on the buzz around theGames, launching special member-ship offers and in club events to helpget more people, more active andleave a lasting legacy.
But a year down the line, has theindustry managed to follow throughon the public’s initial post Gamesexcitement around fitness and physi-cal activity?
If London 2012 really did make adifference in your club – and is con-tinuing to do so – we would love tohear from you. Similarly, if you thinkthe event had no impact on yourmembership base or local communi-ty, tell us why.
One club which experienced Games’fever was Surrey Sports Park inGuildford, which provided a trainingbase last year for several teams in therun up to the Olympics andParalympics. Find out more abouthow the club is providing world classfacilities to all sections of the com-munity in this month’s industry spot-light feature on page 20.
Continuing with the Olympictheme, we also take a look at TheHogarth Club in Chiswick, which hasrecently invested over £1m in the lat-est equipment from Technogym – thecompany which kitted out theOlympic Village gym in Stratford usedby the athletes during their stay.
In other news, this month, we havealso been gearing up for our bumperSeptember issue, which will not onlycontain our Leisure Industry Weekpreview for 2013, but will also cele-brate Workout’s 20th anniversary.
Get in touch via email, Facebook orTwitter if you have a story you wouldlike to put forward for this milestoneedition and over the next few weeks,look out for one or two special birth-day surprises on our social mediasites...
Christina Eccles
Editor’s Comment
Many women aren't aware of resistancetraining benefits, a survey claims. Whatcan gyms and personal trainers do tochange this?
DJ Sweeting: “Tell them the best wayto get rid of cellulite is squats andreassurance that resistance trainingwon't make you massive.”
Laura Sherriff: “Educate and share ourknowledge but most of the time it'sthe media to blame!”
Project:me: “Good question. We find itcomes down to trust in our trainers.Once that is established the resultsspeak for themselves.”
Here’s what our followers have beenTweeting @WorkOutUK this month...Janice Starkey: “Just read the articleabout @piloxing in this month's issue,thanks so much for a fabulous, posi-tive write up about the class!”
TheFitnessFactory: “Front door of thegym open and the sun’s shining whilstdoing some light reading!@WorkOutUK #greatstarttotheweek”
Brendan Chaplin: “Check out@WorkOutUK this month for a cool
review on my mentorship programme#revamped”
Christina Eccles: “Can't believe@WorkOutUK is almost 20 years old!Look out for our special birthday issuein September.”
Carly Thornton: “Shouting out to allGyms!!! If you haven’t entered TheNational Fitness Awards, get entering,it’s an AWESOME event.”
National Fitness Awards: “Time is run-ning out to enter this year’s NFAs...read more about how winning canboost your club in @WorkOutUK ornominate via our website.”
BPL Metrodome: “We’re starting tolook ahead to this year's@FitnessAwards after a great win lastyear for the Metrodome! Should be afab night!”
Hannah Bryant: “@FitnessAwards@winners2000tqy @Winners2000Pgn@Winners2000Nwt. We will be enter-ing to hold onto our National &Regional Titles!”
This month’s big questions put to our followers on Facebook and Twitter ...
Making women aware of thebenefits of resistance training
This month, we asked our social mediafollowers how gyms can promote weighttraining to women.
This month’s question:
The Workout team is looking forward to the forthcoming Lesiure Industry Week. We would like to know what you are lookingforward to seeing at this year’s show.
Email your views to [email protected] or message us on Facebook or Twitter
Follow us on Twitter @WorkOutUK or contact us onFacebook at www.facebook.com/workoutmagazine
The Metrodome Leisure Complex Tweeted us to say how much they are looking forward to this year’s National Fitness Awards.
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UK FITNESS SCENE18
Gymophobics’ owner Zoe Cooke with TV presenter Suzanne Virdee at the gymothon event
By Christina Eccles
REDDITCH-based ladies only clubGymophobics has held its third annu-al annual Circuit for Life event, raisingover £2,000 for Cancer Research UK.
The 24-hour gymothon was sup-ported by television presenterSuzanne Virdee, who officially openedthe event at midday on the Saturday.
17 cancer survivors, both men andwomen, then completed the gym cir-cuit and were presented with a goodiebag, a glass of champagne and a spe-cially made Survivor Cup Cake.
The event was then opened to thepublic, with gym members, their fam-ily and friends taking part to keep thecircuit going for the full 24 hours.
The money raised included pro-ceeds from a tombola, cake and plantsale, book stalls, craft stalls and avariety of competitions.
Area volunteer manager for CancerResearch UK Susan White presentedGymophobics owner Zoë Cooke witha certificate, praising the club for itscommitment to fundraising over the
past three years.Susan said: “I would like to thank
The Fundraising Committee ofGymophobics and everyone whoattended and took part in the 24 hourcircuit for life event, for making theweekend such a huge success and soenjoyable.
“Gymophobics FundraisingCommittee are an absolute inspira-tion and we cannot thank themenough for their continued supportand dedication to Cancer ResearchUK.”
Zoë added: “I recently lost a closefriend to cancer so this year’s eventwas especially poignant. The commit-tee, members and staff did an amaz-ing job of organising everything anddespite the hard work we all had a lotof fun.”
In total the club has donated over£60,000 to the charity.
Zoe and the team have also beenrecognised for their charity work atThe National Fitness Awards, scoop-ing the trophy for CommunityInvolvement in 2011.
Annual gymothonraises more than£2,000 for charity
OLDHAM Community Leisure hasbrought its sales and membershipteams in-house for the first timeand recruited a new membershipmanager, Andy Bryan.
Andy previously worked forImpact Sales, the external salescompany used by OCL.
In his new role he will be responsi-ble for overseeing the managementof employees and resources withinthe sales team, to ensure OCL meetsand exceeds the needs of its
customers. Andy said: “I’ve been sub-contract-
ed to OCL for almost three yearsnow and have always felt part of the‘family’.
“Seeing the transformations somepeople go through after they’vejoined always puts a smile on myface and I’m looking forward tohelping facilitate the changes thatare planned over the next few yearsand to help Oldham CommunityLeisure reach its goals.”
OCL appoints manager and bringssales and membership in-house
James Cracknell OBE, Robert Bray, chief executive Edgbaston Priory Club, JonJohnston, managing director Johnson Health Tech. (Matrix), Sally Gunnell OBE andRichard Westwood, fitness manager at Edgbaston Priory Club.
OLYMPIANS and Matrix ambassa-dors Sally Gunnell and JamesCracknell have opened the new fit-ness suite at Edgbaston Priory Clubin Birmingham, following a dra-matic transformation.
The fitness suite, which includesa gym and exercise studio, featuresthe latest strength and cardiovas-cular equipment from Matrix andoffers those working out panoram-ic views over the grounds.
It is part of a multi-million poundredevelopment, which alsoincludes a six court indoor tenniscentre, new squash courts and arefurbished clubhouse.
Chief executive of Edgbaston
Priory Club Robert Bray said: “Therange and quality of the Matrixequipment on offer, combined withthe panoramic views over thegrounds, provides a very specialenvironment for members to workout in, whilst our dedicated fitnesscoaches will ensure anyone whowalks through our doors willreceive a tailored programme tohelp them achieve their personalgoals.
“We are looking forward to work-ing with Matrix in the future to trialnew technologies and fitnessequipment to ensure EdgbastonPriory Club remains at the fore-front of fitness training.”
Olympic duo open new suite
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With a successful, large-scale fitness event and an awards’ shortlisting under their belt, the team at Surrey SportsPark have seen 2013 get off to a flying start – and with more ambitious plans in the pipeline, this momentumshows no sign of slowing down. Christina Eccles took a look around.
An aerial view of Surrey Sports Park which has many world class facilities including a 50m indoor swimming pool, a two-lane 60m sprint trackand a climbing centre (right).
TOP squads including the Harlequinsrugby team, netball Superleague clubSurrey Storm and UK top five swim-ming club Guildford City have allchosen Surrey Sports Park to be theirpermanent training base, meaningyou never know who you might bumpinto in the gym.
Owned by the University of Surrey,the multi-million pound facility isdesigned to cater for all sections ofthe community and by offering arange of top quality facilities, man-ages to successfully meet the needs ofthe university’s students and staff,local people and elite athletes, who allhappily train alongside each other.
Health and fitness manager Joanne
Wade said: “Having teams likeHarlequins here adds to the atmos-phere.
“Every day is different – you neverknow who is going to be in.
“I like that variety and also the mixof sport and fitness together. Andfrom a team perspective, everyonegets on really well. One of the things Ireally love about working here is thepeople.”
The facility opened in 2010, replac-ing the university’s existing sportsfacilities, which although popular,needed to be bigger to cater to grow-ing demand.
Previously, the university’s sportingactivities available were also split over
two sites, so expansion had the addedbonus of being able to bring every-thing together into one place.
Head of operations Richard Beanadded: “The university had had a lotof success with participation fromstudents and with community use, sothere was a need to expand.
“We went for a new build as we hadthe land available and the old facili-ties weren’t DDA compliant.
“The original plan was to replicatethe existing facility but our vice chair-man’s dream was to also have a pool.
“From there, the vision sort ofexploded and it went from being auniversity centre to much more of acommunity facility.”
Having such an impressive facilityon its Guildford-based campus, alsoacts as a great selling point for theuniversity and Surrey Sports Park hasbecome an important focal point ontours for prospective students.
Richard added: “It has given us theopportunity to use sport to raise theprofile of the university. In all of theopen days, the Sports Park is a bigdriver and focus of the universitytours.
“One of our success stories is thatwe manage to be a multi-use facilityfor every level of sport.
“All our facility is designed to caterfor elite athletes but also for use byeveryone else.”
Multi-million pound facilitiescater for whole community
Surrey Sports Park in short...� One of the busiest periods in theclub’s year is September to Octoberwhen the students return to the uni-versity for the start of the new term.Last year, staff held about 1,200inductions in two weeks, but creat-ed a separate area for student mem-bership sign up to make the processeasier and minimise disruption forexisting members.� In the gym, classes are provingreally popular, with favourite ses-sions among members includingZumba and Body Pump.� Last year, the club was used as apre-Games training camp for sever-al Olympic and Paralympic teams.Teams which utilised the facilitiesahead of London 2012 included theGB Basketball squad, US Triathloncompetitors and the ChineseSynchronised Swimming team.� Members of the team recentlyattended the ukactive and MatrixFlame Awards in Telford whereSurrey Sports Park successfullymade the shortlist in theEducational Club of the Year –Universities category.� Functional training is also a big
hit with members and to encouragethem to try new things, the gym hasintroduced a large matted area forfunctional exercises and fast, smallgroup classes.� Plans are already in place to makeSurrey Sports Park even bigger andbetter. A further three footballpitches will be ready in about 18months, with planning consent inplace for two more. Eventually,phase two of the site will see anoth-er centre of a similar size builtalongside it, expanding the offeringeven further.
The gym’s cardio area.
SURREY Sports Park recently held theUK’s first Fitness Festival, which wassuch as success, plans are now beingdiscussed to make it an annual event.
Over 700 fitness fans flocked to thevenue for the festival, enjoying a dayof fitness classes, seminars and work-shops across four different arenas andstages.
Sessions on offer included Zumba,Bokwa, Spinning and Les Mills class-es, with top instructors and presen-ters – including UK master Zumbatrainer Caroline Parsons – on hand toput participants through their paces.
A dedicated retail village also gaveattendees a chance to grab someunique fitness bargains before BBC’sSo You Think You Can Dance? finalistLizzie Gough closed the festival with astreet dance master class.
Surrey Sports Park events managerRob Mitchell added: “People enjoyeda great party atmosphere throughoutthe day and despite the hot weathereveryone got involved and enjoyed areal good workout with some of theindustry’s leading names.
“We’re already planning for nextyear.”
Fitness festival a successMore than 700 people attended the UK’s first Fitness Festival.
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UK FITNESS SCENE22
By Christina Eccles
GYM owner Ray Allison has complet-ed an ambitious expansion project –almost doubling the floor space at hisCoventry club by adding a secondstorey.
Former competitive powerlifter Ray,who runs Fitness Factory with his twosons, has increased the size of thegym to 11,000 sqft, after noticing theclub was getting busier and busierand expansion was necessary to keepexisting members happy – and attractnew ones.
Expanding the club has allowed himto create a dedicated cardio and box-ing area upstairs and a vast weightssection downstairs, which includesover 30 pieces of Hammer Strengthequipment.
And he is already noticing a differ-ence, with membership up since thework took place.
He said: “We haven’t had a tremen-dous increase because we haven’treally advertised it yet, but I’ve
noticed numbers are up by about 10per cent. I’ve still got a few bits andpieces to do and then I’m planning todo an advertising campaign later inthe year. When that’s done, I’m hop-ing it will be up to about 20 per cent.”
Ray added current members are alsoreally happy with the changesbecause they can now get on theequipment more easily.
The refit has also helped the club toattract a wider female audience, whoprefer that the cardio equipment is ina separate area to the weights section,giving them more privacy.
Ray added: “My customers travelpast other gyms to get here and theyonly do that because the equipmentwe have is second to none.
“I’ve now got the gym somewherenear to how I want it. But I’ll neverstop spending money and keep fresh-ening it up.
“I’m really pleased with the way it’sturned out. It’s the best gym I’ve everbeen in – and I’m not just saying thatbecause it’s my gym.”
The refurbished Fitness Factory in Coventry.
Ambitious plansresult in gym’sspace doubled
LEISURE-net Solutions has launchedthe 11th Health and Fitness OmnibusSurvey – and is looking for operatorsto get involved by handing out thequestionnaire in their areas.
In a bid to make HAFOS 2013 themost comprehensive street-basedsurvey carried out to date, Leisure-netis hoping to question more than 1000consumers during September and islooking for clubs to help with the task.
Operators taking part will benefitfrom a community survey at a signifi-cant discount on the usual marketprice, as well as getting their resultsbenchmarked against the nationalbenchmarks that HAFOS establishes.
Leisure-net managing director MikeHill said: “Last year’s HAFOS revealeda dramatic shift in consumers’ per-ceptions towards this industry – forthe first time, the majority of the pub-
lic said they want to do more exercise.But our research also seemed to sug-gest we’re still not harnessing thisdesire or using it to its full potential.
“HAFOS 2013 will enable us to fur-ther examine exactly what incentivis-es people to exercise and so help usunderstand how we can attract moremembers through the door.
“One of the areas that this year’sHAFOS will focus on will be theattraction of low-cost or budget gymsto non exercisers; looking at whethera low entry point for joining gyms isgoing to bring in a whole new groupof members.”
Operators taking part in HAFOS2013 will receive up to 40 per cent offthe normal charges for a communitysurvey.
Results will be released inNovember.
Operators wanted to makesurvey most comprehensive
A member at The Triangle Leisure Centre has been inspired to train as a fitness instructorafter losing 12 stone working out at the club. Tim Best joined the GP referral programmeat the centre – operated by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Mid Sussex District Council – inMarch 2010. His programme worked so well that not only did he lose the weight, he wasinspired to join the industry himself to help others. In February, he qualified as an Aqua fitinstructor and is now working towards becoming a gym instructor, with plans to do anindoor cycling qualification later in the year.
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UK FITNESS SCENE24
By Christina Eccles
FORMER England cricketer MichaelVaughan is urging fitness profession-als – and their clients – to join him onan epic charity challenge.
Michael will be leading a team ofriders on a charity bike ride duringthe One Day Internationals betweenEngland and Australia later this sum-mer.
The team will travel 462 miles in 12days to raise money to improve chil-dren's lives through the power ofsport, with funds supporting theLaureus Sport for Good Foundationand Chance to Shine campaign.
Michael explained: “I’m an ambas-sador for Laureus Sport for GoodFoundation and I also support TheCricket Foundation and both organi-sations provide sporting opportuni-
ties for children in the UK.“I have undertaken a number of
charity bike rides for Laureus over thepast few years so it made sense toarrange an event around the One DayInternationals between England andAustralia.”
Michael has also enlisted some ofhis celebrity friends to join him alongthe way and added he would love tosee gym owners or personal trainers,plus their members, taking part orlining the route to cheer the teamalong.
He added: “We all have a passion forsport and keeping fit so it would begreat to have some fitness profession-als join us.
“I’m training hard to get fit ahead ofthe bike ride but fitness professionalsare already prepared. The ride isn’tgoing to be easy but we’re raising
money for a good cause and that willmake all the hard work worth it.
“Workout readers can sign up forthe ride by visiting www.chance-toride.co.uk and registering. We’rehoping to encourage at least 50fundraisers per stage to join me andsome of my friends such as AndrewStrauss and Victoria Pendleton as wecycle through England and Wales andwe would be delighted if Workoutreaders signed up.
“It would be great if gyms could pro-mote the ride by including the web-site link on notice boards or in theiremails to members.
“The exact route and schedule forthe ride is on the website so if mem-bers want to come out and cheer oreven fundraise along the route, thatwould be fantastic. All the proceedsare going to great causes.”
Ex-England captain wants peopleto join him on cycle challenge
Michael Vaughan with children at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Picture: Getty Images.
Nuffield toundertakeMoD testsNUFFIELD Health has partneredwith the Ministry of Defence toundertake fitness tests of prospec-tive new recruits for the RoyalNavy, Royal Marines and Royal AirForce.
About 13,300 tests will be run peryear, with 36 of Nuffield Health’sFitness and Wellbeing Centres,hospitals and medical centres tak-ing part.
The testing is administered byNuffield Health wellbeing advisersand physiologists who assess can-didates for the Royal Navy andRoyal Marines by asking them tocomplete a 2.4km treadmill run.Candidates for the Royal Air Forcealso undergo a body strength testof press ups and sit ups.
Unsuccessful candidates will beoffered the chance to increase theirfitness and will be given guestpasses and a training programmeto use the centres before a possiblere-test.
PLANS for a two-storey gym atShaw Lane Rugby Club in Barnsleyhave been approved by planners.
Agent Peter Thompson appliedfor the development on behalf ofDavid Clayton in April.
The idea is to provide somewherefor user groups, consisting mainlyof vulnerable people, to take partin activities to improve theirhealth, self-esteem and well being.
The plans show the gym willhouse a fitness area together with amulti-purpose social, learning andactivity area and a communitycafe.
New gymapproved
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UK FITNESS SCENE 25
How do we get more adultsto become gym members?By Matthew Januszek,Escape Fitness
ACCORDING to the recent IHRSAGlobal Report, the UK currently has7.6m people who are members ofhealth clubs, the third highest mem-ber rate in the world, behind onlyUSA (50.2) and Germany (7.9).
Third place in the league table is acommendable effort but, with a pop-ulation of roughly 63m, that meanssome 55m people are not walkingthrough the doors of UK clubs.
So, why is this? Is the product andservice being offered varied enough?Does it appeal to all or is it a case ofthose in the know excel, while thoseout of the loop simply pass by with noone reaching out? Does that meanthat the marketing is incorrect? Is thewill of those not involved simply notthere?
It would be a dangerous businessassumption to agree with the last ofthose questions. Looking back 12months and the Olympics took theUK by storm, quickly followed by theParalympics which demonstrated thatdisability is no barrier to getting, andstaying, fit. I have spoken before inthis column about the evolving land-scape of the industry and how it’s vitalto stay competitive by not fighting thecompetition on the grounds of price,how it’s more important to give peo-ple what they want: results and agood time.
Sections of society such as the elder-ly, or children, want to have a goodtime and are as in need of engagingfitness and workout opportunities asanyone else out there.
The IHRSA Annual Health ClubConsumer Report from last yearfound that the average age of a healthclub member, who uses a club a mini-mum of 100 days, is 42.9 years, whilea House of Commons report onPopulation Aging from last year statedthere are over 10m people in the UKover the age of 65, an 80 percentincrease since 1951. It would beunwise to think that those over theage of 65 are frail and housebound,
more likely they have an active lifeand have deposable income.
This again comes back to fightingthe competition on the grounds ofprice; don’t be afraid to charge for apremium service. Be proud of yourclub, the equipment you have, theexperience you offer and the level ofeducation and knowledge your train-ers have. And market that accordingly.Think about the services you provideand open them up to all, welcomeeveryone.
Think about how you name certainsections of your club, for example.Don’t give your free weight area anoverly aggressive name because thatmay have a negative effect on begin-ners and alienate certain sections ofyour membership. Removing barrierssuch as this opens the door for every-one to get involved.
With the barriers gone, creating thatall important sense of communitywithin your facility becomes a littleeasier. Think back to when you were achild and how you made friends withvirtually everyone. Creating that envi-ronment for children to socialisemeans you become the centre of theirplaytime. If you get them involved infitness now then that mindset will
stick with them for years to come.At the other end of the spectrum,
the elderly often venture to commu-nity centres for that feeling of com-panionship. Embracing that and pro-viding workout classes for this agegroup can result in your classes pro-viding that same service, creatingfriendships and ensuring they’re hav-ing a good time around a commonfocus.
Creating a playground for bothyoung and old means that workingout and staying fit is all about havingfun with a smile on your face. Putsimply, if people in your club arelaughing and smiling then they’llkeep coming back for more.
The more targeted your marketingis, the wider cross section of societyyou’ll be able to reach. The ‘one sizefits all approach’ doesn’t really wash,it’s important to be savvy and channelyour energies in the right direction.Specific marketing for specific socialgroups will result in a better outcomeand ultimately open your club up to awider demographic.
The best way to do this is to thinkabout what you’re saying. The term‘fitness’ is a broad one, maybe toobroad. The correct wording is a greatway to differentiate your offeringfrom that of the competition. Don’trun the risk of being grouped into ageneric ‘fitness’ club if what you’reoffering is genuinely specific and spe-cialist as you’ll end up being automat-ically compared to others on thegrounds of price.
If your message is then supportedby high quality, inclusive equipmentwith trainers whose knowledge meansthat no piece of equipment in yourclub is seen as intimidating thenyou’ll have the tools in place toensure that when an individual walksthrough the doors of your club they’llbe on to a winner. They’ll also besmiling when they eventually leave.� It would be interesting to knowyour thoughts on the issue of creatinga community for all in your club, letme know what you think at [email protected]
Matthew Januszek
A group of top Team GB athletes have joined forces with operator Virgin Active, as part ofa drive to encourage people to try new sports. 2012 Olympic silver medalist gymnast LouisSmith, boxing gold medalist Nicola Adams, taekwondo gold medalist Jade Jones andParalympic sprinter Sophia Warner make up Team VA. Throughout this year, each athletewill try a new sport as they take part in high profile events including PrudentialRideLondon and Bloomberg Square Mile Relay.
HARROW Council is offering freefitness training this summer in itsoutdoor gyms.
The council has recruited a teamof Outdoor Gym Activators – vol-unteer sports trainers who will behelping the community use theoutdoor gyms – to encourage peo-ple to become more active andmake use of the area’s outdoorspaces.
The Harrow Community Sportand Physical Activity Networkproject has been funded byHarrow Council and delivered inpartnership with Harrow PublicHealth, Harrow SportsDevelopment and StanmoreCollege.
Council infree offer
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UK FITNESS SCENE 27
Learning from the franchise modelBy Dave Wright
IN the best selling business book, “E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Failand What To Do About It,” Michael EGerber talks about how individualsmall businesses need to set up theirbusiness as if they were to become afranchise.
Franchise businesses are businessesthat have well developed clear sys-tems and processes that enable acompetent franchisee to pick up the“business in a box,” follow theinstructions and provide the sameconsistent product, service or experi-ence to customers as another fran-chisee would provide at a differentlocation. Subway, Starbucks andMcDonald’s are perfect examples ofhow a slick franchise looks and oper-ates – no matter where you go in thecountry you can expect and receivethe exact same product and service –every time.
The problem many independentclubs face is the success of the busi-ness relies on excellent people (usual-ly themselves) rather than excellentsystems. As a result if theowner/manager goes on holiday or isaway for a period of time, the systemsfall apart or are less effective in pro-ducing the same results or experienceif the owner/manager was present. Ifthis relates to you, perhaps it is timeto consider how to turn your businessinto a franchise model business.
Here are seven simple tips to setyour club up like a franchise:1) The instruction manualThe manual should cover everything,from how to open the doors throughto where to source the toilet paperfrom. The more it explains the lessyou need to be involved. Your manu-als will need to include the guidelinesand processes for all customer serviceelements – from answering the phonethrough to dealing with cancellingmembers.
2) Mission, Vision and Core ServicesHave a clear vision of what your busi-ness is and where it is heading. Areyou a high or low service facility, afunctional training or general trainingfacility, a high cost or low cost facility.Make your vision clear for your cus-tomers and staff, so they know whatthey are a part of and what they areworking towards.
3) The valuesIn line with your vision are the abovethe line and below the line values thatthe business and staff represent.Something as simple as being ‘clean,safe and friendly’ is an easy processand character for your club to standby.
4) The numbersSet out and identify your KPIs (KeyPerformance Indicators) so that youknow what you are looking at and
what you’re looking for. To identifythe numbers that are important toyou, imagine you are on a desertisland and are only allowed one post-card per week… the information thatwould be on that postcard to give youall the information about your busi-ness is a starting point.
5) Job descriptionsFrom reception staff through to themanager, a specific description ofwhat the job involves and how theirperformance will be reviewed. Havingclear expectations makes it easy tomanage, evaluate and identify possi-ble those that perform above or belowwhat is required and expected.
6) The key suppliers Work out a short list of suppliers fromeach different element of your busi-
ness. Then provide this in a contactbook for your manager and team sothey know who they should talk towhen sourcing quotes or informationfor a particular item.
7) The marketingOne thing that most franchise busi-nesses do well is the representationand consistency of their brandthrough their marketing and advertis-ing. Everything from name tags tologos should be consistent and iden-tifiable to their brand. You know whenyou have created a brand when youcan drop your logo and club addressfrom an advert and your marketknows that it’s your club.
Setting up systems in your club in a‘franchise like’ manner will not onlyallow you to create a professionalorganization, but it can allow you togo on holidays to ‘smell the roses’with absolute comfort that your clubis in good hands. That is in the handsof a system. � Dave Wright is the CEO of CFM andcreator of MYZONE, a global compa-ny with over 300 staff that have servedthe international fitness communityfor over 23 years; focusing on eithergetting new members and/or keepingexisting ones. Dave is also the ownerof 11 health clubs across two conti-nents, a board director of ukactiveand founder of IOU (IndependentOperators Unite). He may be contact-ed on [email protected]
Dave Wright
Sportsart Fitness has appointed Alan Ellis asmanaging director for its UK business. Alanjoins after seven years at fitness equipmentmanufacturer Cybex International UK, inwhich time he was promoted to nationalkey accounts manager and was central tothe sustained growth of Cybex in the UK.Alan said: “We have a great chance of cre-ating a major new player in the fitnessequipment market in SportsArt Fitness,building on the company’s existing positionwith a focus on delivering the same successin the UK that its other international terri-tories have achieved.Alan Ellis is pictured left.
CYBEX International UK hasinstalled a range of cardiovascularand strength training equipment atWaitrose Regional DistributionCentre in Leyland, Lancashire.
This is the second Waitrose facilityto be equipped by Cybex, followingan install in Bracknell in 2011, and isan extension of Cybex’s partnershipwith Nuffield Health, who will man-age the on-site gym.
Equipment installed includestreadmills, total body Arc Trainersand upright bikes from the 625series, Bravo functional trainer andstrength equipment from the VR1range. The gym is the latest additionto a growing number of corporatesites the company has installed withNuffield Health, which includesfacilities at Network Rail, DeutscheBank, and Lloyds Banking Group.
Cybex installs at centre
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Described as the world’s first virtual bootcamp, OSP Bootcamps are attracting people from all over the world totake part in dedicated fitness and nutrition ‘missions’, designed to get them in peak condition. Christina Ecclesfound out more – and joined the quest for the perfect beach body.
Bootcamps are centredaround specific goals FOUNDER Liam Sartorius, originallycreated the first mission – OperationSix Pack – for his own personal train-ing clients.
An eight-week plan, it includeddetailed workouts and nutritionaladvice to help participants get that allimportant six-pack, plus daily moti-vational tips and advice, via an inviteonly Facebook group.
Feedback from the mission showedpeople enjoyed the challenge – andwere delighted with the results –encouraging Liam to think about howthe concept could work long-termand benefit those in other areas,which he couldn’t reach out to withpersonal training sessions.
He explained: “I’ve been a freelancepersonal trainer since 2003 and themajority of what I was doing wasfocused around nutrition and weightmanagement.
“In March 2012, I launchedOperation Six Pack for my clients –the goal was to get a six-pack in eightweeks.
“I had no intention when I started,to run regular bootcamps but every-one loved it. Since then I’ve done oneevery month, each focusing on a dif-ferent challenge to keep people inter-ested.”
Each mission is centred aroundachieving a specific goal and, thanksto the different levels of workout pro-vided, are suitable for anyone fromcomplete beginners right up to thosewho are already physically active.
The nutrition plans are also devisedto deliver fat loss, with peopleencouraged to make healthy foodchoices and try out new recipes,many of which are shared with fellowparticipants via the Facebook group.
Liam added: “All the plans I designare based on clean nutrition, as most
people who do them want to loseweight.
“I’ve had some people who havebeen doing them from the start. Someare really committed and have seenamazing results.”
Thanks to the power of social mediaand recommendations, the word has
now spread far beyond Liam’s ownclient base, with people signing upfrom all over the world to take part inhis missions.
His most recent project wasOperation Beach Bum, a 28-day plancreated to help participants achievethe perfect beach body.
He added: “Most people say they arevery much alone when they do otherplans. If I see my clients once a weekfor one hour, what happens for therest of the week? The Facebook groupmeans I can keep an eye on them,keep them motivated and also answerany questions they have. They alsobenefit from social support from likeminded people.”
When Liam spoke to Workout, hewas gearing up to start his next mis-sion, Operation Summer Strip, withanother in the pipeline focusing onendurance and one introducing peo-ple to the Paleo diet.
On average about 80 people takepart in each mission – the most he’shad being 130 – but he said his ulti-mate goal would be to have 200.
He added: “It has grown bigger thanI expected it would and it’s also beena big boost to my income, as I runthem alongside my existing personaltrainer business.
“For me now, it’s about letting morepeople know about it and getting lotsof referrals. I’ve got no intention ofmaking the business huge but if I canget up to 200 on a mission, that wouldbe perfect.”
Experience has boosted my confidenceWHEN Liam invited me to take partin his last plan, Operation BeachBum, I was slightly apprehensive...
What if the exercises were too diffi-cult? What if I couldn’t follow thenutrition plan? How easy would it beto keep motivated without actuallymeeting my trainer face-to-face?
The mission of this 28-day groupchallenge was to sculpt the perfectbeach body, achieved through acombination of smart nutritionalchoices and workouts focusing ontoning and shaping the bum andthighs – ideal to help us all get inshape for summer.
The plan started on a Monday andthe Friday before, Liam emailed overeverything I would need, so I coulduse the weekend to prepare and readup on what I could expect for theduration of the challenge.
My pack included a useful list offood options, recipe ideas, a fooddiary – which I needed to fill in eachday – and a workout plan, split into
three levels – beginner, advancedand elite.
As it was my first mission, I decid-ed to play it safe and go for begin-ner, which meant my task by the endof the 28 days was to be able to do70 squats in 10 minutes (for elitelevel participants, this rose to 150).
Foods were also split into threecategories: Lean, Green, Marine;High Energy Clean and Dirty and wewere told to eat 35 blocks per week –equalling three meals and twosnacks each day.
The aim was to eat LGM foods for25 blocks, HEC foods for sevenblocks and Dirty foods for just threeblocks each week in order to max-imise fat loss.
We were also sent an invitation tojoin the Facebook group, whichwould prove a useful tool for us allas the weeks progressed.
I thought the Facebook groupworked really well, with many par-ticipants actively using it to post
recipe ideas, workout videos andencouraging words of support.
Liam also ran a popular weeklyHall of Fame where each Sunday, heasked people to vote for those whodeserved a mention for their hardwork during the week – anothergood motivational tool.
Being in the middle of a busy fewweeks myself and with weekendsfilling up with weddings, hen partiesand birthday celebrations, at times itwas difficult to stick 100 per cent tothe plan. But the workouts were bro-ken down into manageable chunks,which made them easier to fit in andsupport from the group provedinvaluable on ‘dip days’ when energylevels were low and it would havebeen easy to give into temptation.
The most useful part of the experi-ence for me was increasing myknowledge about nutrition.
Although, I would consider myselfto be a fairly healthy eater, I found Ilearned a lot over the course of the
month, pickingup some usefulrecipe ideas tomake my mealtimes more var-ied and gaininginspirationfrom whatother peoplewere postingonline.
Overall, Ienjoyed theexperience oftaking part and,collectively,feedback fromthe group wasthat people hadachieved somegreat resultswith this plan.
Along with my fellow bootcampers,I’m now looking forward to hittingthe beach more confidently thissummer!
challengechristina
Christina put to the test...
Founder Liam Sartorius and typical meals you can eat on one of his challenges.
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30
In the second part of Workout’s group exercise A-Z feature, this month we focus on letters I - Q...
The A to Z of group exercise
FITNESS First has launched a newgroup cycling class based on the train-ing techniques used by Olympic goldmedallist Victoria Pendleton.
Victoria Pendleton Pro Cycling isbroken down into three varying class-es; Individual Sprint focusing onspeed, Team Sprint to test power andKeirin to increase endurance.
Each 30 minute class has been creat-ed with Victoria and Fitness Firstinstructors to ensure the content istruly reflective of her training andcycling technique and sessions are setto some of her favourite tunes.
Victoria said: “I’ve worked veryclosely with the Fitness First team tocreate this class which is a great repre-sentation of both my training tech-niques and the performance intensitywhen racing. I am passionate aboutgetting more people fit and healthy sothis class is definitely a great way ofachieving this.”
I J– Indoor Cycling Just Jhoom!
INSPIRED by the glitz and glamour ofHollywood films, Just Jhoom! classesare proving popular at FreedomLeisure clubs.
The sessions incorporate Indiandance moves and Bollywood music toprovide a fun and effective workoutwhich capitalises on the popularity ofdance fitness sessions.
Just Jhoom! which literally translatesto ‘Just Dance,’ draws on a range of
dance styles from classical Indian toBhangra with some jive and jazzthrown in to mix it up.
Group exercise co-ordinator atFreedom Leisure, Yvette Meredith,said: “Dance fitness fans love JustJhoom!
“It’s seriously energetic, loads of funand very tongue-in-cheek. It focuseson raising the heart rate and burningfat.”K
LM
– Kettlebells
– Les Mills
– Metafit
FITNESS instructor Karen Casadeicame out of retirement to teach ket-tlebell classes because she liked theproduct so much.
She currently leads a weekly sessionat Penistone Leisure Centre in SouthYorkshire and also incorporates kettle-bell training into the bootcamp work-outs she delivers with fellow fitnessprofessional, Alex Seckham.
She added: “I believe in it 100 percent as a great tool to mix cardio andweights into a single workout.”
NEW technology from group exercisespecialists Les Mills has been intro-duced into two Sheffield gyms.
Les Mills’ Smartbar improves the useof barbell weight systems by allowingfast and seamless plate changeovers.
The new equipment was launchedat specially run classes at SIV’sHillsborough Leisure Centre andPonds Forge International SportsCentre, where 150 people tried themout.
Corporate health and fitness manag-er Peter Clark said: “Since the launch,
attendance at Fitness Unlimited BodyPump classes has increased by almost15 per cent.
“Everyone enjoyed the specially runlaunch classes and now customers arereally eager to use Les Mills’ Smartbartechnology in their workouts.
“The simplicity and effectiveness ofSmartbar’s design allow users to han-dle heavier weights and fatigue theirtarget muscles, which will maximisetheir workouts.
“It is a superb addition for ourmembers and instructors.”
group exercise A-Z part two
GROUP workout Metafit is goingdown a storm on Jersey where fitnessprofessionals Andy Glover and CatBoyle have teamed up to deliver theworkouts.
Created by a former Royal MarineCommando and a national gymnast,Metafit combines traditional body-weight exercises with the latest inter-val and Tabata techniques.
Cat and Andy started teaching inMay with two sessions per week,which has now grown to 13, withmore in the pipeline.
Cat explained: “What appealed tome about Metafit was the practical
and time efficient whole body workout that accommodates and chal-lenges all fitness levels and abilities.
“Andy and I felt very passionate thatwe wanted to give our customersaccess to the quickest workout ses-sion in the Islands, without having tojoin a gym, use equipment or be sub-ject to choreography and dance ses-sions. Our session numbers are keptlimited to 24 with both of us coachingbecause we wanted the sessions tofeel like group coaching, ensuring ourclients are continually improvingtechnique and we are there to regressor progress moves.”
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31
P – Primal Move Q – Qualifications
O – Outdoorbootcamps
Look out for next month’s Workout when we will be revealing part three of our group exercise A-Z, focusing onletters R – Z. If you have an idea for any of those letters, email details to [email protected] or contact usvia Twitter or Facebook.Advertising opportunities are also available – contact [email protected] or 01226 734699.
A MERSEYSIDE gym manager is run-ning successful outdoor bootcamps,which are proving popular with bothmembers and non members.
David Melling, who manages KlickFitness Aintree, runs hour-long boot-camps twice a week at nearby AintreeRacecourse – aimed at encouragingparticipants to try different types ofexercise and make working out fun.
He said: “The camp is designed to
train every body part using some ofthe famous sections of the racecourse.
“I use the Princess Royal stand forstair climbs and assault course obsta-cles. I use the Tatterstall Mound forhill sprints, tyre pushes and walkinglunges.
“We have two sections of open grasswhere I operate team games, core cir-cuits and upper body circuits withkettlebells or weighted plates.”
TO meet the demand for functionalfitness classes, Freedom Leisure isnow offering Primal Move.
The class encompasses fundamentaland functional movements whichmimic and support natural everydaymoves like bending, twisting, stretch-ing, turning, sitting down and stand-ing up.
Participants learn to move freely,with ease, strength, resilience andspeed. The class is set to music butthe instructor says very little, if any-thing. The warm up is done with noverbal instruction allowing partici-
pants to be fully in the presentmoment.
Fitness manager at Freedom LeisureSteve Collins said: “Primal Movebrings together a range of naturalmovements, many of which we dideffortlessly as children such as crawl-ing, squatting and rolling.
“The class combines elements ofyoga, martial arts and gymnastics in arange of easy-to-follow, free-flowingmovements.
“This not only benefits everydaymovements, it also enhances ability inother sports.”
N– NetballSINCE 2010, over 30,000 womenhave started playing netball againthrough England Netball’s awardwinning Back to Netball pro-gramme.
Sessions provide a gentle reintro-duction to the game for womenover 16 and are led by qualifiedcoaches. Anyone interested can justturn up, sessions are pay and play,and cover basic skills like passingand footwork, plus the chance toplay in a fun match.
Gyms interested in setting uptheir own sessions can get involvedby contacting their County NetballDevelopment Officer, via theEngland Netball website, who willidentify a coach to help to promotethe scheme.
Fitness professionals can alsoconsider undertaking their netballcoaching qualifications to enablethem to deliver the sessions them-selves.
EXCELLENT qualifications are neces-sary to keep the group exercise indus-try regulated, safe and effective,according to the experts at TheTraining Room.
Instructors must keep up their pro-fessional development by continuingtheir learning through CPD courses –and recognising trustworthy andresponsible training providers hasnever been more important.
Head of training at The Training
Room Lucy Jackson said: “Top qualifi-cations result in top quality personaltrainers and class instructors.
“Top quality instructors will deliverthe best possible group exercise ses-sions that will keep customers comingback for more.
“We immerse students in a profes-sional environment from the outset,helping them develop their employa-bility while they enhance their knowl-edge and experience.”
group exercise A-Z part two
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By Allan Collins
WHEN it comes to business andproducts, what sets your product orbusiness apart from the rest of thecrowd?
Some may say the best products orthe new innovative method of train-ing. Some may say staff. But, unlessyou have exclusivity, then products,methods, and education courses forfitness professionals are available toyour competitors as well.
Sometimes it can be the little thingsthat make the difference betweengood and amazing, in relation to howyour new class, service or product isperceived by your customers.
For example, on a recent trip toKuala Lumpur in Malaysia, I walkedthrough the park in the very centre ofthe financial district and spotted agreat example of this exact thing: howpaying attention to the small detailscan really pay dividends.
Practically in the shadow of thePetronas twin towers, this park is aperfect opportunity for financial highflyers to relax with a walk in nature ormaybe a run.
So what small detail would a for-ward-thinking developer do to make apark more accessible and specific forrunners or walkers? Well as the imageshown clearly displays, Kuala Lumpurstands apart from every other parkthat I have been to with a couple ofinnovative modifications: distancemarkings and specialised flooring.
The distance markings mean thatrunners can run laps and know exact-ly how far they have gone withoutGPS, Nike+ or any other electronicgadgets. Simple, low cost and just asmall consideration which makes thelife of active users just that little biteasier.
As you can also see from the image,they have also laid a different surfaceto run on, rather than the brick pave-ment to the side of it. Not only will itdesignate this “lane” as beingdesigned for walkers/runners, moreimportantly, it provides significantbio-mechanical benefits. This surfaceis designed to absorb stress, thusdecreasing the potential for stress-related injuries like shin splits whichare very common with runners. Whata difference this could make over fiveto 10 years to the active users of thispark.
That was the first thing I thoughtwhen I saw this – these two smallthings, that make this park stand outfrom the parks that I use for doing mysprint work in Bristol. Someone hadtaken a little bit of time to really thinkhow some small attentions to detailmay not only help the active users ofthis facility, but also maybe attractothers to use it for this purpose as
well. So, when you next implementyour new functional training area, orclass, or product or service, just take awalk in the park for an hour and reallythink what small attention to detailsmay make for their success.� Allan Collins is director of educa-tion at Jordan Fitness and author ofthe Complete Guides to KettlebellTraining, Functional Training andExercise Physiology.
UK FITNESS SCENE 33
What’s your difference?
Kuala Lumpur Park.
Allan Collins
Winners of ukactive and MatrixFlame awards announcedBy Christina Eccles
THE winners of the 2013 ukactive andMatrix Flame Awards have beenannounced at the Ball of Fire ceremo-ny in Telford.
The ball is the finale of the annualFlame Conference and attractedabout 800 people to The InternationalCentre in Telford.
This year’s winners were: � Leisure Centre of the Year: FarehamLeisure Centre. � Club of the Year (under 1,000):Spirit Health Clubs Gloucester. � Club of the Year (1,000-3,000):Chartham Park Golf and CountryClub. � Club of the Year (over 3,000): RibbyHall Village Sport and Leisure. � Corporate Club of the Year:WoodLand and Wellbeing Centre –Jaguar Land Rover. � Educational Club of the Year –Universities: Aberdeen Sports Village � Educational Club of the Year –Schools: Featherstone Sports Centre. � Future of Flame: Matt Briggs,Slimming World. � Spark of Innovation – Product:GYMetrix.
� Spark of Innovation – Programme:NK Outreach Team, LeisureConnection. � Health Club Operator of the Year:Spirit Health Clubs. � Leisure Centre Operator of the Year:DC Leisure.
ukactive CEO David Stalker said: “I’dlike to congratulate all our finalistswho prove year-on-year just what our
sector is capable of. “The standard was once again stag-
geringly high and every winner trulyearned their award. Exceptional cus-tomer service coupled with conciseoperational ability were prevalentright across the board. The sector isgetting better and better and I hopethis year’s winners inspire others tojust keep on improving.”
Approximately 800 people attended the Ball of Fire ceremony.
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UK FITNESS SCENE34
Beth Tweddle and Steve Parry with partners.
By Christina Eccles
OLYMPIANS Beth Tweddle and SteveParry joined representatives fromEveryone Active and Fit For Sport tolaunch a new initiative, which haspledged to get more youngsters intophysical activity.
The group visited the EveryoneActive David Weir Leisure Centre inCarshalton for the first Legacy Games– inspiring 1,000 seven to 11 year oldsin a day of sports and activity.
The Legacy Games aims to deliverthe legacy of sport that was promisedto children after London 2012. Aspart of this, Fit for Sport and EveryoneActive have pledged to work togetherto engage 500,000 children across theUK in sport and activity to encouragea healthy, active lifestyle.
The event was their first joint ven-ture and marked the start of thenational initiative.
CEO of ukactive David Stalker said:“The Legacy Games is an inspiringproject and I’m pleased to see twoukactive vanguard members joiningforces to deliver this legacy for chil-
dren’s sport.“There was a huge amount of energy
and enthusiasm from the schools andthe success of the day proves there isdemand for this programme.
“I wish Fit For Sport and EveryoneActive the best of luck as they roll itout across other areas in the comingmonths.”
Throughout the day, the youngsterstried out a range of activities, withBeth and Steve presenting medals atthe end of the day in a closing cere-mony.
Everyone Active South East regionaldirector Duncan Jefford added: “Itwas fantastic to see so many childrengetting active and being engaged insport at our David Weir LeisureCentre.
“Like everyone else I was excited bythe promise of a legacy of sport forchildren after London 2012. But thereality is, communities, councils,leisure venues and sports providersmust work together to make this hap-pen. Projects like the Sutton LegacyGames will send out a strong and pos-itive message.”
Olympians helplaunch LegacyGames project
Personal trainer Beki Johnson has tackled a Race for Life event with a twist –Powerhooping her way around the course. Hull-based Beki completed the 5k race in 47minutes, even managing to jog some of the way while still hooping. She added: “It wasvery tiring, and a struggle to keep it going towards the end, but it was a good day all inall. My next venture is performing at Hull Pride.”
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LOCKERS36
WITH thousands of lockers to man-age, luxury European health clubchain HealthCity were spending fartoo much time and money sorting outissues with keys – so they asked PaulRinket, an interior architect atTrivium Interieurontwerp, to look fora more convenient solution.
KitLock 1200 is an electronic lockdesigned specifically for securingchanging room lockers. Fitted in placeof a standard cam lock, it providessimple keypad access without thehassle of keys. Instead, access isgained by entering a four-digit code.
Members simply enter the code,lock and go, free to enjoy the gymwithout having to carry a key around.
Paul said: “I initially requested a
KitLock sample for HealthCity to try.“When it arrived, the lock took
about 10 minutes to install, this com-pared to 30 minutes for anotherbrand we tried.
“With so many lockers to update, wealso needed a lock with a sufficientlylong battery life; otherwise we’d becontinually changing batteries.
“The KitLock 1200 provides 50,000openings from just two AAA batteries,so it was perfect for our requirements.
“Occasionally a club member forgetstheir code, but getting access to thelocked locker is easy – a member ofstaff simply keys in a technician code,a process far easier than having toretrieve a master key, or break into thelocker.”
Kitlock 1200 removesthe hassle of keys
STYLISH Italian locker manufactur-er Fit Interiors adds pop iconMadonna to their growing list ofprestigious clients, with an order tofit out her new Hard Candy HealthClub in Rome.
The Italian locker designer is theonly truly global specialist lockermanufacturer in the world.Distributing in more than 15 coun-tries throughout Europe and theMiddle East, they will shortly set upa new showroom in New York aspart of their global expansion plan.
Fit Interiors export managerGiovanni Amati said: “We have beendesigning and manufacturing lock-ers for the health club industry formore than 35 years.
“We take pride in the styling anddesign of our lockers but also in thebuild quality.”
Fit Interiors, part of Gruppo P&G,have developed an enviable clientlist supplying major health clubchains, and most recently the newTechnogym Wellness Centre at theTechnogym Head Quarters nearRimini, Italy.
As part of the company’s contin-ued expansion programme FitInteriors appointed gym equipmentspecialist Gymkit UK as their newUK distributor this year.
Managing director of Gymkit UKHoward Braband added: “We aredelighted to represent Fit Interiors
in the UK. They bring with them awealth of experience in lockerdesign and changing room layout,with full 3D renders on request, anda huge range of locker designs andfinishes.”
Fit Interiors also offers a bespokedesign and manufacturing servicefor reception counters and loungefurniture, for a seamless style themethroughout – from reception andlounge to lockers.
Gymkit UK has itself secured anumber of prestigious clients in theUK already, supplying Harrods bossMohammed al Fayed’s new VIPhealth club in Essex, and a numberof sites for luxury hotel chainDeVere.
For further details contact free phone0808 256 2893,
visit www.fitinteriors.co.uk orwww.gymkituk.com
Fit Interiors supplies clubwith luxury Italian lockers
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37 Code Locks 22/7/13 09:57 Page 1
38 SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION
Guru and former athletejoin forces for new bookBy Christina Eccles
NUTRITION guru Patrick Holford andformer athlete and TV Gladiator KateStaples have teamed up to produce anew book, which focuses on fat lossand fitness gain.
Burn Fat Fast combines their expert-ise in nutrition and exercise to createa programme that aims to be enjoy-able and achievable for even thebusiest of people.
One of the central elements of thebook is Patrick’s alternate day lowglycemic load eating plan.
He said: “A significant misconcep-tion, and one that elements of thedieting industry has perpetuated overmany years, is that weight loss,weight gain and fat build-up is allfundamentally about calorie intake.
“At the root cause of weight gain,food cravings, diabetes and heart dis-ease is high insulin levels, which arethe result of eating too much sugarand carbohydrates.
“As well as causing weight gaininsulin actually switches off ‘skinny’and anti-aging genes, turning youinto a fat storer.
By eating both low GL and less everyother day you can switch on your'skinny’ genes and burn fat fast.
“The right kind of exercise – alter-nate day strength and cardiovascularexercise also switches on the skinny
genes and lowers insulin levels whichis so key to weight control.
“Kate’s exercises are so easy, power-ful and effective and, together withmy diet, it is a winning formula. Wehave many people losing a stone amonth, inches off their waist, with nohunger or food cravings.”
Kate added: “It’s a fact that most
people fail to follow conventionaldiets for very long and give up onexercise programmes all too quickly.But results breed enthusiasm.
“When people can see that whatthey are doing is working they'remore likely to keep it up and derivegenuine enjoyment and satisfaction.And Burn Fat Fast is all about results.”
Kate Staples and Patrick Holford.
A NEW information service haslaunched, which aims to cut throughthe confusion over dietary fats andoils.
Unilever UK has launched the FatInformation Service to help educatepeople about the role of fats and oilsin their diet.
The service also includes a websitecomplete with useful tips on how tomake well informed dietary choices.
FIS member Dr Emma Derbyshiresaid: "It is widely misunderstood thatfat is actually essential for good
nutrition. “Unfortunately however, most
Britons get far too much saturated fatin their diets which can contribute toraised cholesterol, obesity and otherrelated problems. When it comes tofat intake understanding the differenttypes of fats and getting the balanceright is key.
“As an expert panel and informationservice we aim to provide educationthat will allow people to makeinformed dietary choices and be ashealthy as possible."
Service aims to cut confusion
LACK of awareness about calorie con-tent could explain why dieters strug-gle to keep on track with their weightloss goals, according to a survey.
Research commissioned by DelMonte Naturally Light asked over4,000 people about their dietinghabits, revealing 90 per cent have noidea how many calories are in a rangeof everyday food and drinks andseven out of 10 do not know the rec-ommended daily calorie intake.
Three-quarters of those surveyedadmitted they are unhappy abouttheir weight and yo-yo dieted eachyear – with the average amount oftime spent on a diet 6.29 months ofthe year. Just one in four said they arehappy with their current weight andonly four per cent think they need togain weight. In contrast, 70 per cent ofpeople would like to lose weight, witha quarter of these feeling like theyhave a lot of weight to shift.
Nutritional therapist Juliette Grovesaid: “Diet fads come and go, but itseems that there is always a new wayto get thinner, which is why it maycome as no surprise that the averagewoman spends an alarming numberof years on a diet. By far the best dietis a sustained combination of healthyeating and exercise.”
Awarenessblamed forstruggles
Award-winning brand CoYo has expanded its offering to include a new ice cream range,following the success of its dairy free coconut milk yoghurt. The ice cream is made usingfreshly squeezed cream from the white flesh of a coconut, with no added sugar, preserva-tives or additives. It is available in four flavours; vanilla and nutmeg, raw chocolate, natu-ral and sticky date and tamarind.
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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION40
GREAT tasting, all natural, conven-ient, high protein diet meals forsports and fitness.
Performance Meals are based onclinically tested research that clearlyindicates high protein meals help tomaintain a lean, toned body.
High protein meals are also suitablefor building muscle mass andstrength and are especially useful inthe repair of muscle after exercise.
These are complete real food meals,containing no additives or preserva-tives. High in protein, with a mini-mum of 40g protein per serving, lowfat, low salt and ready to eat.
The unique air and watertight sealedpouch ensures the ingredients arekept fresh and keeps the all-impor-tant nutrients locked in during cook-
ing. Performance Meals have a shelflife of 12 months and have no specialstorage requirements. No fridge need-ed. Simply display alongside existingsports nutrition products.
Visit www.performancemeals.com Trade customers can order direct from
www.performancemealstrade.com
Convenient meals high in protein
PROTEIN First has developed a rangeof great tasting, functional, high per-formance foods with help from foodindustry experts and TeessideUniversity.
MD of Protein First Graham Woodsaid: “Our company has one philoso-phy, to only produce high perform-ance foods that taste great!”
The first products to be launched bythe company are a range of great tast-ing high protein ice creams. The icecreams are fortified with essentialvitamins and minerals and will beavailable in three delicious flavours,French Vanilla, Wild Strawberry andChocolate and Hazelnut.
Graham added: “The whey proteinisolate in our ice cream is an excellentsource of all the essential amino acidsand the richest source of branchedchain amino acids, which are particu-larly important for muscle protein
synthesis and has a BV1 of 159, ensur-ing it is rapidly digested and absorbedby the body, making our ice cream theideal protein supplement post exer-cise.”
Protein First has developed a widerange of new products and two fur-ther ranges are planned for launchlater this year. The Sports Group saidit is “The perfect treat”.
For trade customers please contactPeter on 07852 811 120,
GOPROTEIN is adding new sites.Head of UK sales Nick Mills said:
“We are experiencing increaseddemand with our factory and produc-tion lines at full capacity.
“With over 200 Go-Pro-Stationinstalled in the UK, Ireland andHolland, I have to say a big thank youto the Goprotein team, all the gymsthat have supported us, from qualityindependents like Roko, NMAPerformance and Interim to name afew and national chains like Nuffieldand Harpers (Leisure Connection).
“With another 50 installs alreadyplanned, it’s obvious gym operatorsare recognising the importance ofprofitable secondary spend opportu-nities.”
Nick puts the success down to anumber of factors.
He added: “We listened to what thegym operators had to say and alsowhat their customers wanted.“Operators wanted increased second-ary spend and better margins whilsttheir customers were telling us theywanted the convenience of a freshshake of the highest quality that tast-
ed great but had less sugar than bot-tled drinks.
“We have a great in house productdevelopment team behind us and aspecial thank you has to go to my col-league managing director Dr Kees deNijs who has formulated simply thebest tasting products in the markettoday…..at least that’s what our cus-tomers tell us.”
Goprotein is part of the Be-WellNutritional Group who have beenmanufacturing and developing sportsand food supplements for over 28years for many world champions andOlympic athletes.
Contact Goprotein on 01778 560868,email [email protected] or via www.goprotein.com
Goprotein adds new sites
BODYBUILDING Warehouse havelaunched new premium proteinmuffins.
Each muffin is deliciously tasty, lightand fluffy. They are filled with a gigan-tic 20g of protein each and are avail-able in Toffee Fudge or Spiced Appleand Raisin flavours.
Premium Protein Muffins are idealfor counter tops in gyms, shops andpetrol stations for people that want atasty protein treat on the go.
Want a quick snack – don't cheatyour diet for a chocolate bar, preventyour cravings and enjoy a great hit ofmuscle building protein.
Contact Bodybuilding Warehouse for trade prices on 0161 236 1588 or
GLANBIA Performance Nutrition andPhD Nutrition have become the latestadditions to The European SpecialistSports Nutrition Alliance.
Glanbia Performance Nutrition,which owns Optimum Nutrition, BSNand GNUK, manufactures and sellsnutritional ingredient solutions to thefood and supplement industries in130 countries worldwide, while PhDNutrition invests in innovative sportsnutrition products targeted at ath-letes.
The companies now join ESSNA’s32-strong membership of manufac-turers, distributors and supplierscommitted to meeting and upholdingEuropean Union regulations on the
content and labelling of sports nutri-tion products.
Chair Dr Adam Carey said: “We aredelighted that Glanbia PerformanceNutrition and PhD nutrition, both ofwhich are hugely respected, havetaken the decision to join ESSNA.
“This very much sends a message toother companies that we’ll bestronger together, working to makesure that as an industry we are meet-ing EU regulations that are designedto inform and protect consumers. Welook forward to further expanding ourmembership to aid the incrediblegrowth that our industry has and wehope will continue to see over thecoming years.“
AWARDING organisation CYQ hasadded a Level three nutrition qualifi-cation to its e-learning portfolio.
The new resource has been writtenby experts in the field of exerciseand nutrition and developed by ateam of online learning specialists.
It can be used to support learnersof the Level Three Award inNutrition for Physical Activity andthe Level Three Certificate inPersonal Training, allowing them to
study at their own time and pace.Senior qualifications manager Bev
Williams said: “E-learning from CYQis a fresh, inspiring and interactiveway to support course delivery andwe will continue to add resources somore of our learners are able to takeadvantage of this.
“This latest addition demonstratesCYQ’s ongoing commitment to pro-vide high quality and innovativehealth and fitness qualifications.”
Level three nutrition added
THE company behind a new kindof bread claims it could change theway people think about food andweight loss.
Protein Bread, which containsseven times as much protein asnormal bread, is made with whole-meal flour and took almost threeyears to develop, with the formulagoing through more than 80 recipesto perfect.
It includes more than 15g ofwheat and pea protein in everyslice – regular breads contain onlyaround 2g – and is also high inOmega three.
A spokesman for retailer
MuscleFood.com said: “Everyoneknows that a high protein, low car-bohydrate diet is ideal for losingweight and building muscle andthousands of athletes and keep fitenthusiasts try to maintain thistype of diet.
“But avoiding carbs isn’t easy, par-ticularly bread. So we saw a gap inthe market for a new kind of bread,one with a much lower carbohy-drate content than normal breadand a much higher protein content.
“We have already been amazed bythe demand for the product and wereally think it could lead to a revo-lution in weight control.”
Protein bread is in demand
40 25/7/13 14:41 Page 1
PRODUCT NEWS 41
WHEN Pam Martin-Davison took partin a local Kettlercise class she had noidea how the program would changeher life in just 14 short weeks.
Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritisthat causes severe muscle wastage, 15months ago Pam’s mobility deteriorat-ed so much that she could only walkabout 10 yards as her pain was sointense.
With the help of medication and apersonal determination to improveher health Pam took the decision tolose weight to see if this would help.Losing weight did improve the painbut her mobility wasn’t much better.
It was on a routine visit to the hospi-tal to see her consultant that she wasadvised that ‘muscle toning exercise’would help.
Having done a bit of research and
seeing a demonstration of Kettlercise,the consultant agreed with Pam thatKettlercise would be ‘perfect’ for hermuscle developmentand so on hisrecommendation she joined a localclass with local Kettlercise instructorJames Hemmings.
It’s just 14 weeks since Pam tookpart in her first Kettlercise class and ather last appointment her consultantwas astounded by the dramaticchanges. Not only to her physicalcondition but also to the rheumatoidmarkers in her blood – they werepractically zero – well 0.02 per cent tobe exact.
Pam’s consultant believes thatKettlercise played a ‘major part’ in heramazing progress aiding the regres-sion of the rheumatoid and redevel-oping her muscle mass.
Consultant astonished byresults of programme
FUNCTIONAL Fitness specialist,Jordan Fitness, has moved from ruralCambridgeshire to new headquartersin Kings Lynn, Norfolk, to accommo-date the success of their growingbusiness and allow for expectedfuture expansion.
The new premises, Jordan HQ, com-prise 94,000 sqft of combined officeand warehouse space, and alsoinclude a purpose-built design con-cept room – The Innovation Lounge –a photography studio and fully opera-tional gym showcasing the JordanFitness range. They will also house theResults Based Training Academy, arange of digital and face-to-face REPsaccredited courses for fitness profes-
sionals seeking to aid personal devel-opment and engage fully with clients.
Chairman Neil Jordan said: “With alocation that has excellent transportlinks and with much larger warehous-ing on-site, Jordan Fitness will pro-vide the very best service to our cus-tomers, stocking a greater range andvolume of products and resulting infaster delivery times.”
Visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk
Company moves to new HQ
Kettlebells continue toremain a firm favouriteTHEY may have been around for hun-dreds of years, but kettlebells remaina firm favourite in all clubs.
Perfect for building strength andendurance, they are the ultimatefunctional fitness tool with a range ofexercises to keep members engaged,regardless of their fitness ability.
The fact they have been around forso long, yet still remain as popular asthey do, is testament to their bril-liance.
Escape Fitness Rubber Kettlebellswill bring a touch of chic to any spaceand their heavy duty rubber makeupwill ensure they stand the test of time.
The combination of an integratedstainless steel handle and permanent-ly engraved numbers, which arepainted with hard-wearing urethane
paint, they are ideally suited to a busyclub and studio environment. Withtheir enhanced grip, bold numbers foreasy weight selection, textured sur-face and reinforced handles, theEscape Rubber Kettlebell is the musthave strength tool.
Visit www.escapefitness.com or call 01733 313535.
THE EVO Fitness Bike by RelayFitness is being distributed in the UKby BodyPower Sports, Northampton.
Paul Walker, Bodypower CEO,explained that the EVO was built fromthe ground up by innovators thatrealised short falls and opportunitiesto improve indoor cycles.
While most indoor cycles were cre-ated by outdoor cyclists trying tomimic their road bikes, the EvoFitness Bike meets the needs of thegym user and the commercial fitnessbuyer. The EVO Fitness Bike's CoreActive Sway Frame feature allows a 10degree sway to either side.
This motion has been engineered to
enhance the work-out by engagingcore and upperbody when ped-alling whist alsorequiring morebalance than atypical indoorcycle. The OrbPlanetary GearDrive System has acompact, singleaxis design that negates the need for abelt, chain, or external flywheel.
BANGOR Aurora Aquatic andLeisure Complex, managed by theNorthern Community Leisure Trustin Northern Ireland has recentlyseen the installation of a new, 120+station, £38m Leisure Complex, fullyequipped by Life Fitness.
The development of the BangorAurora Aquatic and LeisureComplex includes a £15m invest-ment from the Department ofCulture, Arts and Leisure, adminis-tered by Sport Northern Ireland.
The facility, which countsNorthern Ireland's first Olympic-sized pool among its many features,has also been assigned as a venuefor the World Police and Fire Games.
Members will benefit from the very
latest generation of the Life FitnessElevation Series Treadmills andCross-Trainers with the newDiscover Tablet Console.
Users can also build their personalstrength through Life Fitness’Signature Strength and HammerStrength HD Elite ranges. LifeFitness Academy training has takenplace with all staff.
