October 2009
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Caan backs new £2m venture
Complicated contracts are ditched Exclusive by Mary Ferguson BRAVE independent gyms are ditching complicated contracts – but still managing to win the war on attrition. Workout has spoken to an increasing number of operators who are scrapping binding agreements, branding them the biggest barrier to people joining. And more and more new gyms are choosing not to insist on them from the start. Contracts have also taken a beating in the media, with both Fitness First and – most recently – Total Fitness, being forced by the Office Of Fair Trading to revise their terms and conditions. Ray Algar of Oxygen Consulting is developing a website that allows people to ‘trade’ membership contracts if their circumstances change. He said: “While many industries are embracing contracts, health clubs seem to be going in the opposite direction. “And most gym contract disputes that get picked up by the media and online can be traced back to clubs that used a contract to hide behind mediocre service. An attitude that says: ‘if we can’t smother them in great service, let’s tie
them in knots with a contract’. “It is disappointing that it sometimes requires the Office of Fair Trading to intervene and advise certain club operators how to issue a membership contract that is consumer-friendly.” Dave Stalker of the FIA said he would support the idea of flexible contracts that allow people to transfer between clubs, regardless of the operator. Ian Mahoney, who represents independent operators on the FIA board, operates without contracts – but his annual member life span is 14 months. He said: “There is an argument that you should get people to stay at your club on the merits of what you do with them, not because you have locked them into a contract. “But it would take guts to go from year long contracts to nothing, as it’s possible that attrition rates would initially jump off the scale. “I think the answer is to give people options. Offer contract-fee memberships at a higher price and then at least they have the choice.” I What do you think about contracts? Let us know by emailing Mary Ferguson at mf@whpl.net or call 01226 734712. Look for a special debate on the issue in next month’s Workout.
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Personal trainer Paul ‘PJ’ James has revealed how piling on six stone in a bid to understand his overweight clients has revolutionised the way he works. A former model, Paul scoffed up to 18,000 calories a day to shoot up 40kg in four months, and told Workout he has gained new respect from members at his gym. Full story and pictures, Page 14
A NEW chain of gyms is being launched with the backing of Dragon’s Den star James Caan. Former LA Fitness national sales manager Ben Silcox will spearhead the new £2m venture and will be joined by other senior members from the gym sector – to be announced later in the year. Nuyuu Fitness will launch with three gyms bought from LA Fitness with a further three sites identified within six months. It is forecasting significant growth within two years and is looking for new sites to acquire. James said: “This was an opportunity that was too good to miss. We are talking about giving people what they want, at a price they want, without sacrificing quality and with a hugely experienced team behind it.” Membership will be £19.99 a month on a year-long contract, or £24.99 contract-free. I Next issue: full interview with Ben Silcox
UK FITNESS SCENE Fans lined the streets as legendary boxer Muhammad Ali made a high-profile visit to Ricky Hatton’s gym in Manchester. The heavyweight star was given a tour of Hatton Health and Fitness in Hyde during what was his last visit to the UK as he battles Parkinson’s Disease. Ricky, who opened the public gym earlier this year, described Muhammad as ‘the greatest man on the planet’ and was guest speaker during a dinner in his honour at Old Trafford. Picture: Ricky (left) applauds Muhammad Ali and his wife during a visit to his gym
First phase of redevelopment open to public
Gym doubles membership after closure By Mary Ferguson AN independent gym is celebrating after doubling its membership when a ladies-only club closed without warning. City Gym, owned by Chris Robinson and based in Worcester, took in 480 extra members when the women were left with nowhere to exercise. All had joined on three year contracts from February – meaning Chris is guaranteed £16.99 a month from each of them for the next two and a half years. He said: “It literally doubled my membership overnight and I couldn’t be happier. “They didn’t have parking at their place and I’ve got loads so along with the extra floor space inside and longer opening hours, they are getting a much better deal.” Chris has built a ladies-only area to accommodate the women who are used to exercising in a single sex environment, taking out a children’s play zone and freeing another 5,000 sq. ft of space.
He managed to get cut-price toning tables from a supplier who’s deal with another gym fell through and gained second hand lockers when a nearby Fitness First closed down. He has also taken on four part time members of staff from the ladies only gym, meaning the members still see familiar faces and the worker’s jobs were saved. Chris’s other members pay £19.95, after prices were dropped from £35 when a health and safety inspection resulted in him having to shell out thousands of pounds. He needed a quick injection of business and said people ‘flew in’ to take advantage of the reduced rates. And an upcoming promotion with Creative Fitness Marketing is expected to generate even more members. He added: “I’m back to working 90 hours a week again but I started off with nothing and now things are going so well. “We will be the biggest gym in Worcester – and independent too.”
Cain able to lend a helping hand GB FITNESS guru Cain Leathem has lent a helping hand to the people behind a new fitness adventure holiday. ‘Equilibrium’ has been launched by a team of British exercise enthusiasts
If you’ve got a story for Workout or you want to comment on some of the issues featured in the magazine then please call Mary Ferguson on 01226 734712 or email: mf@whpl.net
and is based in Verbier in the Swiss Alps. Cain took part in the activities – which include mountain hikes and yoga – and advised the team on exercise and conditioning. Advertising
Editorial
Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry
Group Editor: Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 Fax: 01226 734705 Email: ah@whpl.net Reporters: Louise Cordell Tel: 01226 734694 Email: lcordell@whpl.net Mary Ferguson Tel: 01226 734712 Email: mf@whpl.net
Sales manager: Lucy Hill Tel: 01226 734615 Sales executives: Daniel Lloyd Tel: 01226 734699 Danielle Hornby Tel: 01226 734707
THE Splash centre in Stockton-onTees has opened the first phase of its £2.4m redevelopment. Phase one of the project, being carried out by Tees Active Ltd and Stockton Borough Council, includes a new two-storey 72-station Technogym fitness suite, a large multi-use activity space, incorporating two badminton courts and ZigZag interactive stations and new changing rooms. Phase two will incorporate an extended foyer, new café with healthier offerings and re-located reception area for the whole complex. It will also see the old fitness suite converted into two further multiactivity areas. The work is due to complete by the end of this year.
Cybex adds to equipment range CYBEX has added to its range of stage 2 Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) accredited equipment with four new pieces of CV equipment. The additions include the 750AT IFI Total Body Arc Cross Trainer, 750C IFI Upright Cycle, 750T IFI Treadmill and 750R IFI Recumbent Cycle. Including features which are appropriate for visually, sensory and mobility impaired individuals as well as non disabled users, Cybex’s Total Access CV range allows easy identification of the main controls by colour, large buttons and text for older users, plus raised iconography for visually impaired users.
Production Group Deputy Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734458 Email: jhalkerston@whpl.net Wharncliffe Publishing Ltd. 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS.
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Matt goes back to basics ... By Mary Ferguson A NEW gym has opened in Chesterfield, aiming to provide a clean, atmospheric weight training facility. Matt Moss has been a bodybuilder since he was 15 and said it was his dream to be able to open Back 2 Basics, which is based on an industrial estate just outside the town centre. “I’ve always trained at independent bodybuilding gyms and when Fitness First opened in Chesterfield a few years ago, everyone – including me – started going there for the equipment. But I felt all the atmosphere of an independent had been lost so with this place, my aim is to bring things back to how I think they should be. And I’ve already started gaining members from Fitness First.” The gym is housed in a warehouse that used to be home to the engineering firm where Matt worked. He now rents it from his old boss and has filled the 7,000 sq ft space with refurbished equipment from Service Sport and Powerzone. Strength equipment dominates the ground floor and a mezzanine level houses CV equipment by Life Fitness, meaning female members can exercise away from the maledominated free weights below.
Matt Moss
here to socialise instead.”
There is also a studio with a class timetable and small boxing ring. Workout visited Back 2 Basics two weeks after opening, when they had already signed up 150 members thanks to a radio advertising campaign and word of mouth. Memberships are charged at £27 a month or £3.50 a session, with no contracts or joining fee. Under 19s pay just £13.50 a month and with a college nearby, Matt said this has proved really popular. He added: “The only thing I was really worried about was the small car park but because we are in such a residential area, I’m finding that a lot of people end up walking here anyway. “And I’m attracting a lot of lads that have cut down their nights out because of the recession, so come
The gym
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Louise and Tom Bowering, owners of Peak Physique
Cheap means cheerful members By Mary Ferguson A HULL gym that hasn't altered its prices for 11 years claims the recession has generated an influx of new business. Louise Bowering, who runs Peak Physique with her father Tom, said their cheap rates and lack of contracts have attracted users from other clubs, as well as those out of work. “Coming to the gym during the day gives people something to do
when they have been made redundant and it benefits us because they tend to hang around longer at reception too, buying drinks and snacks. ”The gym becomes a real social club for them, and it keeps us busy during traditionally quiet times.” People can use the gym on a payas-you-go basis for £2.50 per session, £6 for the week or £21 for the month. Louise said most people go for the
weekly option and although direct debits are available, there are only 20 people who have them. “Even though we don’t make them sign contracts, most of the people that use the gym have been here since day one – and we have never raised our prices. “When we opened we had no competition, but when other clubs starting popping up nearby, we had to keep rates low to compete. And now, we are attracting people who can’t afford the higher prices.”
A ladies-only area attracts selfconscious female exercisers and a large free weights area keeps the body builders happy. Louise rents the building from her brother Mark, who runs supplements company PHD nearby, so her overheads haven’t risen too much either. And to promote the gym further, she gives out branded car stickers to members and retails clothing with its logo – spreading the club’s name around Hull.
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Council removes all sunbeds SUN beds have been removed from all council-run leisure centres in the Vale of Glamorgan, with calls to the Welsh Assembly to ban all public tanning units. The decision followed damning research that claimed to have found a definite link between sun beds and cancer, as reported in last month’s Workout. The British Medical Association, who have criticised local councils for providing tanning facilities, have welcomed the council’s decision. The council provided five sun beds, two at Penarth Leisure Centre and one each at the Barry, Llantwit Major and Cowbridge centres. Gordon Kemp, leader of the Vale council, said:"Research shows that sun beds are dangerous, causing skin cancer, and I am pleased that Cabinet has agreed that the council will no longer offer sun bed facilities. However we are concerned that sun bed facilities are open to the public across Wales and we will be asking the Welsh Assembly Government to legislate against their provision.”
Manager Alex Hurwitz
TV’s Tina pulls in members By Mary Ferguson OFFERING a free weight loss club with TV star Tina Baker is helping boost membership for an independent gym in north London. The Factory launched ‘Factory Fit Club’ for members five months ago, providing support and exercise sessions taken by Tina – a former soap critic on GMTV before she caught the exercise bug on ITV’s Celebrity Fit Club. Taking place once a week, the hour-long sessions involve a tenminute discussion followed by a 45minute aerobics class and end with a weigh-in. And once a month, ‘Fit Club Saturday’ – a three-hour workshop
involving consultations with a nutritionist and talks on different types of exercise – takes place. These events are also free to members, and open to others at a cost of £39 – which is refunded if they join the gym on the day. Manager Alex Hurwitz told Workout the classes are hugely popular and a great way of attracting members. He said: “We get up to 40 people at the weekend events and the fact that Tina takes them is a real draw as she is such a familiar face. “The Fit Clubs are great for retention as they encourage members to use the gym more, but also help to bring new people in. They are well worth their running costs, especially
as Tina doesn’t charge us much and the nutritionist does it at a reduced fee too, as it’s a way of showcasing her services.” Although the classes are open to men, they are mainly attended by middle aged women. And Alex said he is aware that many other gyms charge extra for similar onsite diet clubs, but claims it doesn’t always work. He added: “I used to work at a big health club that did something similar and people just weren’t prepared to pay for it on top of their membership. It’s really nice to work somewhere where the owner is prepared to invest in something, without expecting loads of money back.”
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Community rally call to local gyms By Claire Lodge INDEPENDENT gyms should support local charities and get involved with the community if they want to earn the respect of their members, according to a gym owner. Audley Fraser, who runs Accolade Fitness in Southampton is about to host a 24-hour spin to raise money for local charities. It is the fourth year that the gym has put on the event, but Audley said as well as raising the money, getting people together and coming into the gym is just as rewarding. He said: “When you’re in a close knit community it’s nice to give something back and in the meantime people are seeing what facilities we have so that’s good too. “No other club in Southampton does this kind of thing so I’m glad that we can. We know we’re not in the David Lloyd category but everything we do is personal, we know we have to be in
order to compete. Our customers know they are valued and not just numbers and they respect that.” The gym has recently undergone refurbishment and it is hoped that the new facilities will also help benefit the gym when it comes to community involvement. This year 26 people are expected to take part in the spin and Audley is hoping that they will raise more than the £3,000 managed last year. He added: “Some of our members are taking part but the ones that are not participating are supporting us the whole way. That’s another bonus, because it’s for charity everyone is supportive and it really brings everyone together so it’s a great atmosphere as well. This is the fourth year that we’ve done the event, in the first year we just did it as a bit of fun but still raised £2,500. “The second year we made a bit less but last year we made £3,000 and we’re looking to make even more this year.”
Former Spice Girl and fitness fanatic Melanie Brown is studying to become a personal trainer. It has been reported that Mel, who has her own fitness DVD, is also planning to launch her own brand of exercise classes, based on her success as an ambassador for Fitness First.
Four-year deal for Technogym TECHNOGYM has announced a new four-year agreement to supply equipment to Bannatyne’s Health Clubs. It is the renewal of a previous contract between Technogym and the chain, signed in 2005, that will see them provide equipment exclusively until 2013. They have also recently become the joint largest provider of Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) Stage 2 accredited equipment.
The BMF instructors take tips from the dancers
Dancers put instructors in a spin BRITISH Military Fitness (BMF) joined up with English National Ballet to learn new exercises from top dancers to keep classes fresh and challenging for their members. Three BMF instructors put five dancers through their paces in a typical BMF session in London’s Hyde Park. The instructors then experienced the hard work and pre-
cision that goes into a one-hour balance and core workout at the company’s dance studio. Simon Richman, London area manager at BMF, said: “Ballet dancers have extreme levels of fitness and do specific exercises to help balance and build core muscles. “The challenge will give our instructors new ideas for exercises
that can be transferred into sessions, making sure that our members benefit from our expertise as well as other fitness experts in different fields.” BMF and English National Ballet are hoping to do more work together in the future ensuring that both parties benefit from each others experience and knowledge of health and exercise.
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Setting up a heavy-lifting gym in Iceland in the middle of the banking crisis, York-born Gemma Magnusson knew she had a challenge on her hands. Mary Ferguson met her to find out how she is making it work.
Keeping Iceland strong MARRYING world champion dead lifter Benedikt Magnusson meant fitness would become Gemma’s life so operating a club with her husband seemed the ideal business option. Super Gym was launched near Rejkavik in May this year and building on the pair’s reputation in the strength world, opened to immediate success. Workout caught up with Gemma during a brief stay in the UK, where she regained her third Britain's Strongest Woman title. She said: “Jón Páll Sigmarsson, who won World’s Strongest Man four times and is a legend in Iceland, used to run a gym called Gym 80 and amazing things were lifted in there. “He died of a heart attack in the gym in the middle of a dead lift and the guy that took over was forced to move premises due to rent rises. “When Benedikt and I went back to Iceland and went to train there we were so sad to discover no-one really used it anymore because I’d done my best lifts in that gym.” Gemma was looking for work as a personal trainer at the time and when the pair showed some interest in taking over the gym, she said people literally came flocking back before a business plan had even been drawn up.
Because the gym was on the second floor of the building – impractical for heavy weights – Gemma and Benedikt moved premises to an old engine factory and renamed the club ‘Super Gym’. To keep initial costs down the couple haven’t yet brought any new equipment but they have painted the ‘power room’ – where all the heavily lifts take place – blue. The colour, according to Gemma, is scientifically proven to give people more strength. And according to superstition, hanging a large photo of Jón Páll Sigmarsson in the reception also gives members the power to lift more. “Benedikt used to work at the old Gym 80 and because he has so much knowledge he is also a really good salesman when it comes to things like supplements. “Our principle is that people come to our gym with a goal to achieve and we will move mountains to help them do that.” The gym is building its supplements stock up slowly as they have limited capital to buy in bulk but are doing a good trade in food. As well as simple meals like chicken and rice, the pair have invented ‘dead-lift pancakes’ containing lactic acid buffers, that members buy to eat before training. Gemma said they have had interest
from people all over the world wanting to come and train at the gym, so are looking at converting the second floor of the building into a hotel, so people can train and stay. Quite a feat for a couple who, a year before opening the gym, lost every penny when the Icelandic banks collapsed. Gemma said: “Iceland is in huge crisis with the recession but it doesn’t worry me setting up business in the middle of it. Our strapline is ‘Keeping Iceland strong’ and I do want to make it strong again in terms of the economy – in fact my dream would be for the country’s politicians to come and train with us.”
Gemma Magnusson and, below, Benedikt
Weighty issue for women THE gym has an equal number of male and female members and Gemma claims it’s down to Icelandic women having a different attitude to weight training. She said: “After seeing how enthusiastic the girls over here get about lifting I’d really like to see more women in the UK getting into the weights section in gyms. So many girls just stick to the cardio machines and if Britain was to embrace weightlifting for women it would really change the way people train. “There are also not many lifting gyms available in the UK and not everyone wants to train at fashionable clubs like David Lloyd. I know that the women who come to the gym come because of me because they have told me.”
Every morning, Gemma runs a group exercise class for women called Power Burn, aimed at increasing power and burning fat at the same time. The sessions, she said, have become extremely popular with women from all walks of life. “It’s basically power lifting for fat loss and it sounds like it shouldn’t work but it does. One lady went from 33 per cent body fat to 24 per cent in just four weeks, without changing her diet. “I don’t think a similar class would work in the UK though because women are so scared of using weights. It doesn’t bother women in Iceland that they are putting on a bit of muscle weight on the scales to lose body fat but I don’t think UK women are ready for that yet.”
And baby makes three ... BENEDIKT broke the dead lift world record at 21 and is well known across the globe for his achievements. He met Gemma at a lifting competition and the pair first moved to Iceland in 2006, before spending time in Denmark. They moved back to Iceland last November after having a baby, also called Benedikt, who is already showing signs of following in his parents’ footsteps. Gemma said: “The baby started dead lifting before he could walk – the other day I even found him doing it with a broom handle in the gym. He even copies the techniques he sees in the gym when you give
him his milk bottle, but I’m determined not to let him start lifting properly until he’s 16.” Power Gym has nearby competition from a luxury health club and two independents, but Gemma said they are already starting to gain their members. She added: “We find people that come to us from other gyms have never really trained properly before and we had one guy who added ten kilos to his best dead lift in his first session with us. We are building our clientele slowly which is actually really fun because it means I get to know each member really well as individuals.”
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‘No contract’ gym defies the recession By Mary Ferguson A SCARBOROUGH gym that opened just as the recession hit has is doing better than its operators ever expected. Compass Health and Fitness is operated by Nick Ingham and his wife Christina and father Robert and came into the market a year ago – at the same time Britain was gripped by financial turmoil. Nick said: “I read the front page of Workout last issue about operators struggling to find finance and felt lucky that we managed to have all that in place just before the recession took hold. “We opened just as it was kicking in and we were a bit worried but by that point, there was no going back. And luckily, it has all worked out really well.” Membership is priced at £19 a month – with no contracts – and 30 per cent of members pay just £15 a month because of a corporate discount. “We are effectively a budget gym, but prefer to market ourselves as an affordable luxury. And not having a contract is a massive selling point for us.
“I believe we have been successful because we have gone into an untapped market. When we did our research before opening we found a lot of people in Scarborough had never belonged to a gym before so were scared of committing – which is why having no contract works.” Nick said they have a retention rate of 70 per cent and are currently looking into a concrete retention system – ‘the final part of the jigsaw’. The gym is housed in an old unit in an industrial estate, and was converted from an empty shell, generating 1,000 members in the first 12 months of business. Since the gym opened, the local rugby club launched a new £4m facility, matching Compass on price. But Nick thinks their central location gives them the edge, and said the competition hasn’t taken any members yet. He added: “This year has been a massive learning curve but I’m really pleased with where things are at – especially as we are now gaining members from other gyms in the area.”
Independent London club Gymbox has launched a new group exercise class that combines Pilates and boxing. ‘Piloxing’ was devised in LA by boxing trainer Viveca Jensen – a former ballerina – and fans are said to include Hollywood stars Hilary Duff, pictured, Kirsten Dunst and the cast of Gossip Girl.
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Abbi weighs in with longer opening hours By Claire Lodge
Gladiators star Sam Bond has joined youth equipment provider SHOKK to develop its strength conditioning training programme. Sam, who plays Atlas in the show, will use his role as a national trainer to reduce the stigma attached to weight training in the youth market.
Estimated six million a week do fitness programmes GROUP fitness formula Les Mills International has signed its 13,000th club – a 44 per cent increase in the number delivering the programmes over the past five years. In the UK, over 1,600 clubs currently deliver Les Mills programmes, which include Body Pump, Body Attack and Body Jam. And global class attendance has
doubled, from under three million to an estimated six million each week. Founder Phillip Mills said: “Reaching 13,000 clubs is a significant milestone for us. “We have spent more than two decades developing every aspect of our business to ensure we offer clubs, facilities and consumers the best group fitness experience in the world.”
AN independent gym in Southampton is waiting to see if extending its opening hours will pay off. Abbi Lacey who owns Lacey’s gym has been running the offer, which sees the gym open from nine until five on Saturdays and ten until four on Sundays, since May after customers approached her asking for longer weekend usage. And she decided to give the idea a go as she says it is just as important to look after existing customers as it is to attract new ones. She said: “Staying open longer on weekends wasn’t a drive to attract more customers as such, it came about through popular demand. Loads of customers were approaching me asking for us to stay open later on a weekend because it was more convenient for them so we did.” Abbi took over the business in 2007 after working at the club for nine months and has tried to change the image of the gym by decorating and adding new cardio machines. And since working with CFM the gym has seen membership rise from 50 to 200 in a year and there is even a suggestion box on the reception desk so she can build the gym on what the customers want. But she admits that extending the opening hours needs time to catch on. “I think it’s still a bit early to say whether it’s been a success as it’s still fairly new and we need to make sure
Abbi Lacey (centre) with two of her fitness instructors we’re covering costs, that’s the main thing. We’ve made a new rota for the staff and everyone seems happy so fingers crossed. “I wouldn’t say we’ve massively increased the number of people coming through the door as yet because of the longer opening hours but that wasn’t our intention anyway. “We did it because that’s what a lot of our existing customers wanted. Obviously more numbers will be welcome but it’s still early so we’ll have to see what happens.”
Birthday bonuses in Barnsley DARTON Community Sports Centre in Barnsley celebrated its first birthday with special offers to mark the occasion. It offered all potential members a week’s free gym membership if they
signed up during September and introduced a new fitness membership programme allowing people to use Barnsley Premier Leisure operated facilities across the town.
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Do you train the oldest silverciser? By Mary Ferguson A PERSONAL trainer has thrown down the gauntlet to other fitness professionals to see who has the oldest client. Cornel Chin told Workout he believes that at 94, Jerrold Assersohn is one of a kind and wants to know if other gym operators and trainers work with anyone older. Cornel, who dubs elderly exercisers ‘silvercisers’, said: “Jerrold has had a number of health issues over the years – as one would expect at that age – and is a real cat with nine lives. “He has managed to escape dying of cancer, survived being blown up by an IRA bomb back in the 1970s, avoided choking to death and overcame major prostate organ surgery last year.” Jerrold has been training with Cornel for five years and as the result of a recent health checkup where he was advised to do more exercise, his sessions have been upped from once a week to twice. “His sessions with me are by no means a gentle bit of stretching. Our workouts comprise some challeng-
Jerrold Assersohn
Jerrold Assersohn with Cornel Chin ing exercises commencing with mobility, moving on to stair walking, progressing into a couple of rounds of boxing, followed by strength work incorporating the use of both resistance bands and dumbbells, then onto some floor work, finishing with some stretching. I periodically check his blood pressure and regularly monitor his heart rate when we exercise.” Jerrold also works with an
‘He has managed to escape dying of cancer, survived being blown up by an IRA bomb back in the 1970s, avoided choking to death and overcame major prostate organ surgery last year’
osteopath friend of Cornel’s, who attends to his back issues on a fortnightly basis. Cornel added: “My more mature clients – Silvercisers, as I call them – generally tend to be more eager to exercise, particularly the wealthier individuals. They have amassed certain wealth and want to live long enough, with vitality, in order to enjoy it. “In general, my mature clients are much more loyal and I have several who are over 65 who have been with me for over five years.” I Do you train anyone older than Jerrold? Let us know: email mf@whpl.net or call 01226 734712.
Frank’s a Free Spirit GOLDEN oldie Frank Turton has been visiting Concord Sports Centre's Free Spirit sessions for the last 24 years. The 89-year-old first visited the centre in Sheffield in 1985 and has been attending the group twice a week ever since to play table tennis. Concord Over 50’s Free Spirit Group meet for table tennis and badminton sessions and Frank has kept up the exercise despite undergoing a double hip replacement six years ago.
Scottish gym Thinkfitness surprised a 90 year old member on his birthday by showering him with presents and a cake in reception. Duncan Bett celebrated his birthday with a workout, before being greeted by friends. The pensioner has been a member of the club in Hawick, owned by Greg Dalgliesh, for five years and attends three times a week.
Richard Apps, general manager of the centre, said: “Frank continues to amaze everyone with his sheer zest for life and physical activity. “The Free Spirit Group is a great way of maintaining fitness levels and making new friends along the way and we hope he continues to attend for many years to come.”
Frank Turton
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After losing ten stones on national TV, ‘biggest loser’ Aaron Howlett is whipping people into shape at an independent gym in Hull. Mary Ferguson reports.
Big loser Aaron passes on tips AS a personal trainer, Aaron has seen his fair share of overweight exercisers – and is familiar with the challenges they face. In 2005, he lost 140kg in 19 weeks and was crowned the winner of ITV weight loss show ‘The Biggest Loser’, kick starting a passion for health and fitness. After setting up his own personal training company, he has been working at Peak Physique in Hull for two years and his current project involves helping groups of overweight runners shape up for the London Marathon. He said: “When I finished The Biggest Loser I had so many gyms getting in touch offering me free membership in return for delivering weight loss seminars and at one point I ended up with 11 memberships. But I chose Peak Physique as it’s a family-run gym with much more atmosphere.” Aaron's weight loss success led to him being asked to carry the torch for services to obesity at the Beijing Olympics. “I felt like David Beckham over there – I spent half an hour signing autographs and people were chanting my
name, even though they didn’t know who I was.” At his biggest, Aaron weighed nearly 28 stone and had a 58-inch chest and waist. His resting heart rate was 105bpm and the doctor told him he had less than eight years to live – which is why he decided to go on the show. And he said his experience has enabled him to be a good fitness trainer, as he knows how his clients feel. “I try to instill self belief into people, like my trainer on the show did for me. I understand what it’s like to be massively overweight and unable to do just one press up, and people think that if I can do it, they can too. “I also learned a lot about methods of training. One of the fitness instructors on the show used to shout at everyone but I prefer a gentler approach.” For the first two years after finishing the show, Aaron offered his personal training for free and even gave away his £25,000 winnings. And following an appeal in a local newspaper for one person to train with him for next year’s London Marathon, he was bombarded with over 100 applications – so is training 20 instead.
Buddy bid to bolster disabled people in sport DC Leisure is working with the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) to run an Activity Buddy Scheme, which aims to increase participation of disabled people in sport. The scheme operates via a volunteer programme, with ‘buddies’ accompanying the disabled person during exercise to provide support and encouragement. A pilot project is currently taking place at Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Hampshire. General manager Jo Parker said: “We already work closely with the Eastleigh Disability Leisure Access Group and are very keen to promote and facilitate usage of the centre by disabled customers. “We hope that the Activity Buddy Scheme will make the wide range of activities available even more accessible and enjoyable.” DC Leisure is also working in partnership with Health2Fitness Ltd, in an agreement which makes the company the exclusive supplier of Urban Rebounding equipment and the accompanying REPs Accredited Instructor Training. Although Urban Rebounding sessions have been successfully held at The Arena, DC Leisure’s site in Camberley, since 2005, this new
The Activity Buddy Scheme aims to help disabled people get involved in sport. agreement formalises the relationship between the two companies and lays the foundation for a UK wide initiative.
Above: Aaron training Dan Berndston for the London Marathon, and, left: Aaron
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‘I couldn’t believe how easy it was to ruin a body I had worked on for 15 years and the experiment gave me a real insight into how difficult it can be for overweight people to walk into gyms and cope with being surrounded by mirrors’
Back from the fat By Mary Ferguson A PERSONAL trainer who gained six stones to understand his fat clients claims it has revolutionised the way he works with overweight people. In July, Workout reported how Paul ‘PJ’ James is now trying to lose the 40kg he piled on for his experiment in just four months – making headlines across the world. PJ, who works at independent gym in Australia, said: “I couldn’t believe how easy it was to ruin a body I had worked on for 15 years and the experiment gave me a real insight into how difficult it can be for overweight people to walk into gyms and cope with being surrounded by mirrors.” A former underwear model, PJ is
now trying to get his body back after living six stone overweight for two months. He hopes to shed the weight by December 31 – taking him to fat and back in a year. To shift the pounds, PJ is now working out for an hour five times a week and following a low fat diet. “It’s been a real struggle though as I got heavily addicted to fat and sugar. I definitely believe though that I can get back to how I used to be. “The hardest thing about putting on the weight was the emotional aspect and I totally underestimated how awful I would feel. Being that size really affected my self esteem.” Although PJ kept training his clients throughout the weight gain, he admitted he found it a struggle as his energy levels were so low. He was
having naps between appointments and struggling to help lift weights. “Being a model and a personal trainer my life has always been about my body and although I could help people get into shape, I’d never experienced having to do it myself. I thought I would gain a lot more respect from clients if I took that same journey – and I have.” PJ said that people find it a lot easier now to approach him in the gym – as they feel he is ‘one of them’. He added: “At first my clients thought I was crazy for deliberately trying to ruin a body that they were all working hard to achieve but they have been very supportive. And a big difference is that they are now my friends, as we have bonded over my experiences.”
Pictures: Blush Photography
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‘I’ve asked people if they still want to be outside in the winter and they tell me they are actually looking forward to training Rocky-style in the snow’ Ashley in the new boxing area
Ashley rings the changes ... By Mary Ferguson CONVERTING his back yard into an outdoor boxing area has resulted in an influx of new members for an independent gym owner in Middlesex. Ashley Roberts, who opened Optimum Gym in January, initially used the area as a dumping ground during refurbishments, but realised its potential this summer. He hung up boxing bags, installed overhead awnings and flood lighting
and started charging extra for Boxercise classes – resulting in increased memberships and a boost to his bottom line. He said: “I was paying rent on the area anyway so decided to hire a skip and clear it all out. “I charge £5 for the classes which people are happy to pay and sessions are always oversubscribed so I’m looking at putting them on every night now. “I’ve asked people if they still want to be outside in the winter and they
tell me they are actually looking forward to training Rocky-style in the snow.” The yard area is also used during personal training sessions and is open to any member who wants to train away from the main gym floor. “It’s definitely got a novelty factor and some people tell me the design reminds them of somewhere like Thailand. I used to teach Boxercise before I opened the gym and really missed it, so it’s great to back taking
classes again.” Ashley credits the new exercise area for helping him reach his target of 300 members four months early – despite doing little marketing. And demand for personal training has peaked so much, he has taken on two members of staff to help. He added: “I’m still working 100 hours a week but I’m really happy with the way things are going. “My next membership target is 500 and for a small independent gym, I think that’s pretty good.”
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Brave decisions see numbers rise ten-fold By Mary Ferguson A GYM that increased its membership from 120 to 1,200 said it owes its success to bigger premises and brave decisions about pricing. Body Active is run by Enzo Martino who earlier this year relocated to a 10,000 square foot unit – and slashed memberships by £14. Sign-ups rocketed and eight months later, hit the 1,200 mark. Enzo said: “When I set the gym up in 2002 it was in a small unit with very basic equipment so when the new premises came up I jumped at the chance. I set myself a target of 500 members in the first year but already I’ve doubled that.’ The gym moved four miles away to an old building that used to make parachutes during the second world war and memberships were set at £28.50, less than than the £34.50 charged before. But soon after opening, Enzo decided to run a year-long offer charging just £20 a month – and signed people up in their hundreds. 30 new pieces of cardio equipment were installed, as well as free weights and plate loaded machines, and a
group exercise studio is about to be completed. A 2,000 sq. ft extension is also being planned, to house a ‘strong man training camp’ including tractor tyres and atlas stones. This will be bricked off from the main gym floor, as Enzo aims to make the place as unintimidating as possible – especially for female users. “The old gym never attracted women and now we have over 300. I’ve also introduced family packages so parents can bring their kids along and train together – it takes away the excuse that they can’t come because they have to look after the children.” Enzo said they lost 50 members in the move, because another gym opened nearby that catered for ‘hardcore’ trainers. He added: “I decided to tone things down a bit and become more of a fitness club, and it worked. “We are signing 50-60 people up a month now and it still allows us to make a good profit, because although the membership is cheaper, we are getting more of them coming in.”
Michelle McManus with Ros, right, and Ros’ daughter Ashley, left, of Pulse and Tone.
Centre hits right note with Michelle AN independent fitness centre in Scotland is helping larger-than-life Pop Idol star Michelle McManus shed the last of her excess weight. Michelle has been attending classes at Pulse and Tone in Hamilton and after already dropping ten stone, is aiming to lose another three by Christmas. The studio is owned by trainer Ros Elrick, who runs daily weight loss classes using bars, mats and Swiss balls – but no traditional health club equipment.
She told Workout: “Many of the people that come here have been going to gyms for years, but still cannot shed the weight. “Flinging themselves around fancy machines for an hour just wasn’t getting them anywhere – but my way works.” The classes have been going so well that Ros has now decided to sell memberships, meaning those confident with the workouts can use the studio on their own.
INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
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When Mario Pederzolli went from Holmes Place to his own place, he said he wasn’t sure what to expect. But six years later, and managing an awardwinning gym, he is laughing in the face of economic gloom. Mary Ferguson reports.
Mario (right) with fitness manager Yabba Mumford (centre) and general manager Dave West
How the fun factor worked for Mario ... FULHAM-BASED Fitrooms is an independent gym with a business model many others could learn from. But according to Mario, there is no magic formula for success. He said: “When I took over six years ago the place had been very poorly managed. So the first thing we did was ask the members what they wanted – and then gave it to them. It wasn’t a case of conducting some great piece of market research, we just had to listen.” The members sad they wanted flexibility, good value and to have fun. So three, six and 12-month contracts were made available and in a bid to keep prices low, Mario rents the premises to various businesses – including a personal trainer who does metabolic typing on the gym floor, a physiotherapist, beauty therapist and yoga, Pilates and Powerplate experts. “As well as giving added services to members, all these things are open to the public, so encouraging nonmembers onto the premises makes
it easier to convert them into sales.” This year off-peak sales have grown to 20 per cent of total memberships, up ten per cent on 2008. A 12-month contract for peak usage costs £53 a month, then £56 and £59 for six and three-month contracts respectively. Off-peak usage is £10 a month cheaper. Just 25 per cent of the membership base take year long contracts, but Mario – a former director for Holmes Place Health Clubs – said most of the others have been there more than 12 months anyway. 80 per cent of personal trainers at the gym work freelance, which Mario claims is mutually beneficial. “They pay rent but wear our tshirts so fit in as part of the team, and pick up new business from our members, as well as bringing new business in for us. “It keeps our overheads down but works for them too and we have about five per cent penetration with personal training – which I reckon is industry standard.”
A class in action at the gym In recent months the club has seen booming demand for its Spinning classes, which are taken on the gym floor. “They used to be in the studio when we took over and they were miserable, with just three or four people taking part. So we did a three-month trial of putting them on the gym floor and never looked back. “It creates theatre for other gym users and also acts as a great advert for the class as it allows those who may be intimidated by Spinning to see what actually goes on.”
Mario’s work has secured the gym the title of ‘Fulham Business of the Year’ for two years running and he said that even though he is director, he is very much involved in the sales process. He added: “I don’t just sit in my ivory tower – I muck in with everyone and along with my staff I’m very visible to members. “I’m not saying we have all the answers here but I do genuinely think that if you make sure your customers have fun and give them good service, then that’s all you need to do.”
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Yabba creates programme for youngsters FITROOMS teamed up with Connexions for its Goals to Achievement initiative – a programme for underprivileged young people who are not in education or employment. The club’s fitness manager, Yabba Mumford, created a nine-week programme for 17 local teenagers to give them a taste of what attending a gym can be like, what can be achieved and how it can improve physical and mental health. Yabba said: “When we first met the teens involved, many of them had a
lot of preconceptions about gyms and fitness in general, so we wanted to address those. “A few of the guys had used gyms before for weight training, but weren’t very informed about the other options available and how they could improve their health and fitness. “The girls thought that weight training was only for bulking up and that cardio work was just about running for long distances – so it was great to be able to show them a different side of things.” The main aim behind the pro-
gramme was to improve the participants’ personal health and, as many of them had a lot of free time, give them something productive to do when they were unoccupied. It was also about showing them some of the lifestyle improvements that could be made when they committed to participating regularly in an activity. Yabba added: “I asked everyone taking part to complete a fitness test during the first week of the project so that they would be able to see the improvements that had been made at the end of the programme.
“We also encouraged them to try out a range of classes, and many of them found that they became interested in activities that they had never expected to enjoy. “For example a lot of the girls were initially doubtful about the yoga sessions, but really enjoyed them and expressed an interest in keeping it up after the programme ended.” Yabba now hopes to be able to work with the teens who participated again in the future, especially for a more ‘work experience’ based programme.
Adding value without shelling out Mario claims there is a lot that operators can do to add value to their businesses, and it doesn’t always involve shelling out thousands on new equipment. His methods include: I Selling home-made fruit smoothies at reception, with the option of added protein shots. At up to £3.50 for a double shot, he estimates it adds £10,000 a year straight onto the bottom line – without costing him a penny.
Joe Calzaghe (right) opening the boxing studio in 2004
Branching out
Personal trainer Wayne
IN 2004, Mario converted a second studio space into a boxing area, with a full-size ring and punch bags. He used his contacts to bring Joe Calzaghe down for an official opening of the new facilities, which saw members invited to watch the boxing champion spar in the ring with his father and trainer, Enzo. Mario also makes money from renting his large studio out as rehearsal space and it’s currently being used by one of the stars of the current series of Strictly Come Dancing – although he is not allowed to reveal who. An advert in trade magazine The Stage ensures regular business from the entertainment world.
I Creating a ‘wall of fame’ for successful members, including photos and testimonials. This helps with motivation, as well as providing a sales tool during show-rounds. I Asking his team to approach members face to face on the gym floor to ask for feedback, as well as providing comment cards. I Providing new members with a voucher book upon sign-up, enabling them to try the sunbed, a smoothie, and personal training session for free. This adds perceived value to their membership, as well as encouraging future secondary spend.
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Running a successful open day By Dave Wright Creative Fitness Marketing OPEN days are a great way to boost memberships – either directly or indirectly – by opening your door to the general public at times when you want to show off a new area of your club, celebrate a special milestone, or to close out on a special membership offer that you’ve been running. Whatever reason, they are a great way to not only boost a club’s awareness in the community, but to also boost membership sales. However, like many great marketing ideas within the health and fitness sector, open days rely more on effort and energy than on finances alone. To start with, you need to get together with your staff and agree a date that will work with both yourself and also with your community. Take into consideration of what’s happening in the local area; Is there a market day on? Is the home football team playing away? Is it a public holiday? As a rule of thumb, weekends usually work best for a club focusing on residential memberships. Tips for a successful open day: I Organise free classes and fitness competitions
‘Make sure that you have loads of balloons to really create a real ‘buzz’ around the club and that staff can be easily identified with their staff t-shirts and their name tags clearly visible’ I Get a local band or radio station to the premises for the day I Put on a free barbecue and soft drinks I Introduce a special joining offer for the day I Put on some prizes Letting members know about the day and getting them involved by bringing friends and family members – will be important to the whole success of what you have on offer. If you do a raffle, try to also make sure that you grab the email address and contact numbers of all that are in it so that you can follow up on all potential leads or maybe add them to your club’s newsletter. This is also a great opportunity to get your local community involved with your club, by seeing if they would like to donate prizes for the giveaways in return for some publicity. Adverts in the local paper are
important to promote the event along with the schedule of what’s on offer so that people can time their day if they are interested in particular items more than others. Also publish signs around the club reminding members about the open day and ‘mud signs’ and ‘correx boards’ on the local high street for the day – but be careful with local bylaws. On the day, make sure that you have plenty of memberships and membership packs ready for those people wanting to join. Organise tours around your facility and it works well if your club is still open as normal so that members can still train, but they need to be aware that there will be many people from the public walking around the club. Make sure that you have loads of balloons to really create a real ‘buzz’ around the club and that staff can be easily identified with their staff tshirts and their name tags clearly visible.
Dave Wright Finally, remember to have fun on your open day. The term ‘sales’ can be defined merely as a transfer of enthusiasm from one person to another so if you can portray that it’s fun at your facility, that there’s a lot of energy with your staff, then potential members will gravitate towards your club.
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‘We are like a big family in the gym’ THE Weights Room is owned by former nurse Pam Wood, who told Workout having Dan benefits the gym in a number of ways. She said: “We have quite a few disabled guys working out here, including one with cerebral palsy and to be honest I think it does the rest of the members good because so many people see someone without the use of their legs and automatically assume that their brain doesn’t work either. “Because we are in an old building with limited space I can’t accommodate loads of wheelchair users although I would really love to find the money to convert it so I can. I’m lucky that all the doorways are quite wide anyway and I leave enough space between machinery so wheelchairs can be manoeuvred.” Pam said that when Dan needs help getting on and off the benches, all the guys pull together to help him. She added: “He’s becoming a real inspiration now to the able-bodied members too because they think if he can do it, then they definitely can too. “And everyone is so accepting – we are like a big family in the gym and I honestly think that bodybuilders and power lifters are among the most genuine types of people in the world.”
Dan Smith
Gym backs Dan’s bid for wheelchair categories By Mary Ferguson AN independent weight lifting gym in Hampshire is helping a disabled member in his fight to introduce wheelchair categories to UK bodybuilding competitions. Dan Smith, who trains at The Weights Room in Eastleigh, is aiming to be the founder of wheelchair bodybuilding. A competitive bodybuilder before an horrific fall three years ago left him unable to walk, Dan was persuaded to get back into weight training following six months of rehabilitation and a long spell of depression. He was given free membership at The Weights Room – where he trained before the accident – by owner Pam Wood, who thought he would be an
inspiration to other users. He said: “I have to make a 30 mile round trip to get to the gym but it’s worth it because decent weight training clubs are few and far between. “I can get around the gym floor on crutches now but when I was in the chair it was difficult, as there were no ramps or disabled toilets. I’m lucky I know so many people there who were prepared to help me.” Dan has a guest posing spot at the UKBBF British Finals in October and has been invited to compete at the World Championship in Poland in November. He is hoping his appearances will raise awareness of his fight to introduce similar competitions to the UK and his sponsors CNP Professional are also helping by pro-
ducing flyers to encourage wheelchair-bound bodybuilders to get involved. He also hopes to open his own gym within the next five years, with an emphasis on attracting disabled users. “Bodybuilding gyms don’t tend to make much money from memberships so to save costs, they are often housed in really inaccessible buildings like small warehouses, making it hard for disabled people to train.” For now though, Dan is concentrating on getting a wheelchair category introduced to British bodybuilding competitions – and is confident of success. He added: “It’s very early days and I know it won’t happen overnight but things are moving very fast.”
DID YOU KNOW? The population in the UK is changing. The over 50s have exceeded the number of under 18s for the first time in over 100 years.As a nation we are getting older and unfortunately we are also becoming increasingly overweight. Are you looking for a business opportunity that will enable you to run your own business with the safety of a franchise? Do you want to run a business that is designed to give something back to your customers? Feel Good Factories are all about providing an environment where
our key target audience, ladies over the age of 50 who don’t exercise in a conventional gym, can feel at ease with getting more active and achieving their goals of inch loss and improved health. The strength of the Feel Good Factory franchise is that it offers you a proven business model based on Shapemaster exercise machines that taps into this market and offers a tremendous business opportunity. Our franchisees can see high profits and substantial return on their investment and they make a difference to the lives of their members.
What will it cost and how much can you earn? This will depend on the a number of variables, the size of your site, number of staff, option package chosen. However, here a table which demonstrates a basic rule of thumb:
There will be an annual franchise charge of £2,000 but the remainder of the profits from the business belong to you.
Owning a Feel Good Factory Franchise It is simple to open your own Feel Good Factory. The experienced Shapemaster team, can help you every step of the way. Our extensive “Shape up for Business Success Programme” is included with the franchise as well as the purchase of our new Easytone and Powertone ranges.
The Options There are a three main options offered under our franchise programme.
Call our sales team now!
0800 783 4915
sales@shapemaster.co.uk www.shapemaster.co.uk
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Mix it up and keep it fresh ... By Matthew Januszek CONTRARY to popular belief, January is not the month when most people join a gym. According to The Fitness Industry Association’s 2008 National Retention Report, it is in fact, September. Working on the basis that your club has seen an influx of keen new members in the last few weeks, now is the time to ensure that their enthusiasm is maintained and their desired results are starting to be achieved. Boredom can undermine even the best intentions and when working out becomes a bit of a chore, it’s easy to find excuses for not doing it. One good way to avoid this, is to mix it up. Variety really is the spice of life and never more so than in exercise programming – keep it fun and keep it fresh, to keep them coming back. Equipment plays a big part in
maintaining motivation and providing a range of products that are multipurpose, functional and versatile will allow a greater number of exercise options to be performed and provide continued progression. It’s also important to have a variety of equipment which is appropriate for different user groups. Lack of time is very often the main constraint preventing members from getting to the gym or working out for as long as they would like. Promote cross-training and the idea that exercise doesn’t just have to be done at the gym – using the hotel swimming pool while away on business or a work out in the park are just as valuable. By encouraging regular participation in this way, you are increasing the likelihood of exercise adherence and ultimately member retention. For those members who have a limited time at the gym, make sure that their programme maximises
the time available. Schedule time efficient sessions such as a 45 minute lunch time class or a 30 minute all over body circuit, that can fit in with busy lifestyles, but still provides an effective work out. Exercise variety is not just beneficial from a psychological perspective it also has many physiological benefits and by varying the stresses placed on the body helps improve all round strength and fitness. Some people find exercising alone incredibly dull. Personal training or group exercise classes might provide a more enjoyable alternative and the additional support needed. Remember to emphasise the different opportunities and activities throughout your facility and promote it as a complete package rather than separate components to help your members maintain motivation and achieve their goals. I Matthew Januszek is customer solutions director at Escape Fitness
Matthew Januszek
Survey looks at phone performance A NEW survey to test whether the industry is answering telephone membership enquiries more quickly and efficiently is being launched. Leisure-net Solutions is carrying its third annual call-Focus survey, which will be benchmarked against previous results. The 2009 survey will also include some eenquiry elements to examine how the industry responds to email enquiries. This element follows on from Leisure-net’s mystery ‘e’ shop research, which took place at the end of last year to test the ease of making enquiries via websites and email. The survey will include 150 calls to more than 50 sites across the private, local authority and leisure trust sectors, as well as an email to more than 100 operators. Mike Hill, managing director of Leisure-net Solutions said: “Learning what we’re doing right and wrong with our membership enquiries and how we can do better is crucial to business success. We hope that the 2009 survey will show an improvement across last year’s scores and encourage operators to continue stepping up their membership enquiry response mechanisms.” The results will be available at the end of October.
A new health club is opening in Solihull as part of a brand new Village hotel complex. The Velocity Health and Fitness Club has 5,000 sq ft of equipment plus a 20 metre pool with sauna, steam room,
spa pool and hydrotherapy pool, three studios for group exercise classes, Metabolic Profile testing and a personal training zone, which features Technogym Omega – a first for the UK. A 27ft sparkling Winnebago has been
touring around the Solihull area to raise awareness of the gym and its facilities. Picture: Tony Elvin, manager of the hotel complex, in the new gym.
UK FITNESS SCENE
Gym owner Rob Blakeman has been enjoying positive PR after one of his members was named ‘slimmer of the year’ by a national magazine. Mandy Arnold, pictured above before and after her weight loss, trained with Rob at his BodyZone club in Birmingham and lost six stone, receiving the accolade form Bella magazine this summer. She came to Rob as an alternative to gastric band surgery and is now a slim size 12.
£40k donation from company and members LEISURE Connection and its members have donated £40,000 to their nominated corporate charity – WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport. Since December 2008 when the VAT rate was dropped, Leisure Connection in partnership with its members and customers chose to donate the 2.5 per cent difference to the charity. Mark Botha, sales director said: “We are thrilled with the amount that’s been raised and donated to WheelPower. I know this money will be put to excellent use in a bid to improve and enrich the lives of disabled people living in this country.” So far, Leisure Connection has been able to raise over £70,000 for WheelPower, which Leisure Connection works in partnership with at Stoke Mandeville Stadium near Aylesbury, the national centre for disability sport.
Mark Botha, sales and marketing director of Leisure Connection and the man in the wheelchair is Martin McElhatton, chief executive of WheelPower
Charity celebrates a decade A CHARITY that runs gyms for people coming out of rehabilitation is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Wirral Heart Beat has set up seven fitness clubs in fire stations across the area, charging £1.50 a session for people coming out of Wirral Heart Support Centre after completing their cardiac rehabilitation programme.
and the idea for ‘outreach gyms’ grew from there.” Derek equips the gyms with brand new equipment and said they particularly appeal to the over 50’s, who enjoy exercising with people their own age.
Chairman Derek Noble told Workout the gyms see over 2,000 visits a month and said people are literally queuing up to use them.
He added: “From talking to cardiologists, I’ve learned there has been a marked decrease in the number of people readmitted with a third or fourth heart attack since we launched the outreach gyms.
“A firefighter came through the support centre in 1999 and mentioned the fitness facilities at his station were not used much, so offered it to us –
“They also provide opportunity for social interaction and many people have using them for the full ten years since we started.”
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Advertiser’s announcement
Fitness joins the ‘information age’ By Jamie De’Ath THIS year LIW saw the return of Pocket PT at the Pocket Innovation stand. Last year Pocket PT stood alone as a unique brand in this now rapidly growing field. It is the way of the internet that ‘everything goes online’ and fitness is no exception. Think of the main reasons for cancellation - time, money, location, poor service. All of these feed leads to your own online service, while the online service feeds lead back to your clubs and personal trainers. The affiliate marketing possibilities are enormous – imagine a trial of your gym brand’s online fitness service provided with every dumbbell sold at the shops – such as you can see now taking place at the Powerhouse Fitness website. It was a common subject of conversation at LIW – what online products are there?
How do they work for clubs? Where does the revenue come from? Well for starters 1.5bn internet users, with no physical limitations to joining. Unless your company wants to spend circa £2m developing your own online system, one way in is a white label – buying the service and the technology of the online fitness website, but under your own brand. Most of the initial cost is reduced by revenue share arrangements and the £2m development price tag and full on running costs are avoided. This is exactly what Pocket Innovation do and in fact the Pocket PT brand is nothing but a flag ship, the main business of Pocket Innovation is providing and supporting online and mobile fitness software to other brands including the Movement 3 club and afore mentioned www.powerhouse.pocket-pt.com. These come in fully rebranded
versions at full price or partially rebranded at varying prices - notice the powerhouse version is still a ‘Powerhouse Pocket PT’ – where the M3PT website carries no trace of the Pocket PT brand. Customers pay different amounts for different services but at the top whack £12.50 per month per member – just 100 members is worth £15k per annum and 100 members is not hard to get. How many members could your cancellation data alone generate – you know, the ones who have already told you that they have no time to attend your club because they are always travelling for work etc, have moved home or cannot justify £50 a month anymore? Want to know more? Contact info@pocket-innovation.com for more information. I Jamie De’Ath is director of Pocket Innovation
Jamie De’Ath
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In a log cabin surrounded by trees in Crawley, some of the biggest men in the country beef themselves up for the international bodybuilding stage. Mary Ferguson found out more about The Forest Gym.
Why Harold is a man on a mission HAROLD ‘Big H’ Marillier has been managing the club for eight years, making it his mission to mould champions. He said: “I’m very well known in the body building world and that really helps with the gym’s reputation. “Since I’ve been manager I’ve noticed how much more motivated the members are so it’s nice to see that my success is inspiring them. And if I see
Harold ‘Big H’ Marillier on stage
Shapemaster tone up the leisure centres Most local authority leisure centres struggle to deliver activity that is both effective and relevant for the over 50 deconditioned market. Free swimming has its place as does aqua fit and other activities aimed at this growing market. However, none of these activities are specifically targeted at those who have not exercised for some time. Many of these people simply don’t want to strip off to swimming costumes or get wet. Shapemaster power assisted equipment is the solution that local authorities are turning to in the drive to provide activities for everybody under one roof. There are two ways in which a local authority can have a Shapemaster centre in their facility. The first is on a profit share basis, similar to the one just completed at Pendle Leisure Centre in partnership with Alliance Leisure. Shapemaster installed £50,000 worth of toning table equipment at Pendle Leisure Centre and delivered all the back up marketing, sales and promotional support as part of the deal. The scheme is designed to work on an income share basis, where the facility retains the initial income up to an agreed level, after which the income share mechanism kicks in. Sarah Watts, Managing Director of Alliance Leisure comments: "We have been investigating diverse ways that facilities can attract new users groups and our partnership with Shapemaster will enable operators to target specific groups in line with government
recommendations, as well as providing an opportunity to create additional revenue." “Pendle have sold over 200 members in just 3 weeks and put £26k through the till” Outright purchase is the second option for local authorities and this has been the chosen solution for a number of local authority partners including Penkridge Leisure Centre, Shard End and Watford Woodside Leisure Centre. Here the centre owns the equipment outright and runs the facility alongside its current offer. The key here is in having the right staff delivering the facility and publicising it to existing members. “Most local authority leisure centres have very little provision made specifically for the over 50s,” comments Rachael Browes, UK Sales Director at Shapemaster. “The Shapemaster equipment offers a real competitive advantage over other gyms in the areas and many of our local authority customers have also found that it helps convert GP Referrals into long term customers.” Shapemaster: 0800 783 4915 www.shapemaster.co.uk
someone with potential I do all I can to help get them to the top.” Membership costs just £22 a month, or £190 for the year, which works out at less than £16 a month. “We try and make the prices affordable to the bodybuilding community because we know how much it costs to prepare for competition, especially in terms of nutrition and supplements. Continued on Page 31
UK FITNESS SCENE Continued from Page 30 “That’s why we try and keep the prices of our supplements low too – we are selling them way below the recommended retail price. The aim of the gym isn’t to make profit, but to create successful competitors.” The gym has members that have been training there for 20 years or more, but also attracts new people on a regular basis, thanks to its shining reputation. “We get a lot of youngsters that come in and although they may feel intimidated by the big guys at first, they soon find out that they are teddy bears. And they really take the new members under their wings, as well as acting as inspiration. “It feels great for me to nurture someone then see them succeed. I didn’t have a lot of help when I was
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starting out so I try to make sure that my advice is free and accessible to everyone.” The gym retails branded clothing that most members wear to train in – creating a real club atmosphere – and Harold said many keep shirts they bought 20 years ago as mementos. One year, between them members made 90 appearances on stage and Harold said that when he was in a competition in 2004, 70 members came to support him. He added that in terms of retention, he couldn’t ask for any better. “Bodybuilders tend to be very loyal to their gyms. They are creatures of habit and once they find somewhere they like, they will stay. I think of our members like a big family, so I really don’t think we can be put in the meat-head mould.”
Harry trains one of the members
The gym interior
Gym has enviable record of contest success THE Forest Gym was established in 1970 by Ron Ball and Pete Vickery, who along with Peter Weeks still operate the club, but now play less part in the day-to-day management. Ron told Workout: “We have had great success in contests, due in no small part to Harold's abilities as a coach. Although at present the credit
crunch has curtailed the numbers of members competing, we have an enviable record of contest success.” Having the right equipment plays a big part in the success of the gym and dumbbell pairs go up to 70kg. The standing calf raise machine has a weight stack of 450kg with bars to allow extra weight to be added if
necessary and many of the newest machines have been built specifically for the club, with bigger weight stacks and – in some cases – much reinforced frames. Ron added: “We have some very strong bodybuilders and power lifters in our gym and all the equipment has to be able to take a lot of
hard use – and abuse. “We have had some discussions with the local council about the possibility of our extending the building and in general their response has been positive. If this goes ahead it will give us more free floor area but, I am sure that soon we would find ourselves adding more equipment.”
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Sunbed spares website launched A NEW website has been launched to help make finding a spare sunbed part easier. www.sunbedparts.co.uk lists hundreds of vital parts, including some quite rare items, with photographs as well as part numbers to aid recognition. Purchasing using the online facility is easy and the parts are quickly dispatched via a courier service. Developed by Sunbed & Leisure Systems (UK) Ltd, who are widely recognised as the leading company in the UK for reconditioning sunbeds to a very high standard, this new website is a logical step forward. Managing director Drew Vernon said: “This new website affords everyone a simple and effective source of spares in a convenient and easy format. It is a simple solution to a commonly found problem and development of this site further establishes Sunbed & Leisure Systems (UK) Ltd as one of the leading companies in our industry.”
Gym hoping to attract more diverse range Advertiser’s announcement A NEW gym has opened in Manchester, aiming to fill a gap in the area for a family-orientated facility. Fitness Xchange, based in Atherton, used to be called Cosgroves Physio Fit and was previously owned and run by physiotherapist and competitive bodybuilder Stuart Cosgrove. He will still operate his physiotherapy business from the premises, but the club has been purchased by Dolly and Martin Yankey, who are hoping to attract a more diverse range of members whilst still keeping the existing members happy. They said: “We want to keep the place modern and fitness-orientated and that’s why we have added more cardio equipment. The gym was mostly full of plate-loaded equipment which could be intimidating to women so we took it all out and totally re-fitted it, as well as putting down new flooring and carpets and refurbishing the shower and changing areas.” The fitness rooms are situated on two floors the ground floor offers members a new CV room with virtual spinning classes, Free Motion equipment including the MC2 weight loss programme where members who follow the class are able to burn up to
Pictured, from left, Stuart Cosgrove, Dolly Yankey and her son Martin Yankey 1000 calories in 30 minutes. The upper floor offers Force resistance and free weights area including the new Max Smith machine which follows the user’s movement path. All the machines are Fitness Xchange branded on frames and upholstery. Dolly worked with Ian Thorpe at Fitness Systems for 14 years, and will now be bringing her industry knowledge to help with the running of the new gym. Dolly said Fitness Systems was the natural choice when it came to choosing the equipment plus she knew Ian would help with the design of the club. Memberships are available at £25 a month with no contracts and Martin said that the only nearby competition
comes from a major chain five miles away. He added: “We are trying to offer a really personal service. We don’t want people to come in and guess their way around the equipment – we want to be able to jump in and help them when they need it and guide them through their workouts.” Martin and his brother Michael are martial arts instructors and also run Aspire Martial Arts – which has a number of schools – and are intending to operate another from Fitness Xchange. Also Tom Blackledge wrestling and JuJitsu coach who trains Rampage Jackson and Michael Bisping (UFC fighters) will be setting up his extreme training from the facility.
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Gym operators urged to spread alcohol message to members By Dominic Musgrave
GYM operators are being urged to make their members aware of the negative impact that drinking too much alcohol has on fitness. Following the success of the recent joint Know Your Limits campaign, the Department of Health (DH) is once again keen to partner with Fitness Industry Association members on a pre-Christmas consumer awareness campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of units, the impact on fitness and weight of alcoholic drinks and the long-term health consequences of excessive consumption. It will focus on delivering messages that: I Alcoholic drinks can be high in calories which has implications for weight gain I Alcohol has a physiological impact on exercise performance. During the previous campaign over
500 fitness facilities took part, including major chains such as Fitness First, LA Fitness and the NHS as well as over 80 smaller operators. David Stalker, chief operations officer at the FIA said: “The great benefits of this campaign are that it can be used to help accusation and retention in those crucial weeks leading up to Christmas. “By taking part in a high-profile and government supported campaign our members can benefit from local media interest and build on their reputation in regards to corporate social responsibility. “The nature of the campaign gives our members an extra opportunity to have personal contact with their customers, improving retention.” Planned to run from mid-November to mid-December, participating FIA members will be provided with free branded on and off-line collateral, as well as tips, ideas and copy for newsletters and copies of the DH ad.
Drinking too much has a physiological impact on exercise performance
Centres in bid to get teens active in Fit for Free push HALO Leisure ran a Fit for Free incentive to help more young people get involved in positive physical activity. Nine centres opened their doors to 600 12 to 16 year olds in a bid to get them active over the summer. Shokk joined forces with the company to provide centre staff with the skills needed to adapt gym instruction and teaching styles for young people. This included the physiological and psychological issues, safe kit usage, training methods and a wide
range of ideas on how to run motivational youth orientated gyms sessions. Tamara Bailey, health and fitness manager, said: “We are constantly reviewing our youth programme and are keen to explore new ways of getting more teenagers to become and stay active. “As a social enterprise we are keen to invest in our community and our Fit for Free initiative was an opportunity to remove barriers to access experienced by some teenagers.”
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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION
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Left: David at the Commonwealth Games Right: David in his promotional car
Former champ David developing new range FITNESS expert David Morgan is developing a range of supplements aimed at different areas of the market. David, a former Commonwealth Games weightlifting champion and personal trainer, is working on meal replacement drinks for women wanting to lose weight,
protein products for men and a supplement targeting the over 50s. He is currently trialling them with existing clients and told Workout he hopes to get some on the market in the new year. He said: “I’m seeing some really good results, especially with one guy who’s strength has increased by
60 per cent, so I’m building up some successful case studies now. “Many of my clients are over 50 and one of them, who is 81 and started training at 77, has really inspired me to develop the 50 plus range.” As well as receiving the products,
customers will have access to a dedicated website providing them with a 12 week programme of diet and fitness advice. David has competed in three Olympic Games and six Commonwealth Games and runs personal training studio Be Your Best in Cambridge.
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Supplements suppliers USN have become the official nutrient partner for rugby team Saracens. They are also back of shirt sponsors for the team during the 2009/2010 Guinness Premiership season after an initial induction led to a five figure sponsorship and supply deal.
Krunch Gym in Essex hosted the final of Britain’s Strongest Man, won by weight lifting supremo Terry Holland, pictured right. The event took place in the club’s large car park areas and all the kit was designed and manufactured by EXF. There was a cafe, BBQ and food stands on site and use of the gym was available during the day. All proceeds from the event went to charity The Children’s Variety Club.
Lucozade turns to National Flexible LUCOZADE have continued their growth into the nutritional supplements market with a range of individually wrapped bars intended for pre and post-sports refuelling. Needing high quality packaging to carry the branding, the manufacturing company turned to Yorkshirebased film packaging specialists National Flexible for help, who were happy to bring their expertise to the project. Marketing manager Andy Smith said: “Their requirements were for a high-quality flow-wrap film which would give the bars the visual appeal to stand out as well as giving them the shelf-life they needed.”
In only a matter of days after running initial trials, a full-scale production run of the packaging film began with base materials being printed and laminated from National Flexible’s extensive film stock. The finished film was shipped to the customer for packing ahead of the deadline for the launch date. Enquiries: 01274 685566 Email: sales@nationalflexible.net
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In a new series for Workout Cain Letham, director of GB Fitness, reveal how he gets results for high profile clients through eating plans and supplements. This month kicks off with footballing star Michael Ricketts.
Netting results for football star Michael THE first time I worked with Michael I flew him out to Tenerife where I had been training Stan Collymore for his ‘almost’ big comeback to the beautiful game. Michael is no doubt a talented player, a tall, strong athlete who shone whilst at Bolton Wanderers FC several years ago and was in fact capped for England. But since then his star has been a little less bright. My job was to get him back to fitness with a fiveweek 24-hour supervision programme that started with a week doing preparation training in Tenerife. Then it was back to the UK for two weeks where I travelled to Michael several times per day and then we flew off to Miami for a final two weeks in the blistering heat to further condition him before he came home ready for pre-season training. A key aspect of this plan was the nutritional supervision. Whether away in the more exotic locations or at home in not-so-sunny Birmingham I prepared and cooked every one of Michael’s meals. Protein was calculated so as to repair the muscle tissue that was being worked but not so much as to 'build him up' as unwanted weight
Michael and Cain would be a disadvantage in the sport of football. Carbs were taken in to fuel the higher intensity session and an increase in essential fats to boost metabolism, aid the joints and encourage the body to burn fats efficiently. I designed and delivered a bespoke programme of supplementation that placed an emphasis on Michael’s health, especially his immune system, as well as his recovery from the punishing training sessions. I firmly believe that much of the issue with 'over-training' is poor nutrition. Post workout intake would centre around a healthy measure of the branch chain amino acids along
with l-glutamine and a complex carbohydrate drink containing essential electrolyte minerals. He would also take on board easily digestible whey protein but I’m very careful in my selection of products and I like to think I buck the trend of sugar and sweetener laden ‘sports supplements’. Having trained many elite athletes in a multitude of sports I am constantly shocked at how optimum nutrition is neglected, including many stars of glory sports such as football and track and field. The money that some of these athletes get paid seems very generous and yet the help and advice they get
on nutrition is often zero. If they do get given any products you can see that it is often driven by sponsorship agreements rather than knowledge as they tend to be full of sugars, toxic sweeteners and artificial colourings and additives. In five weeks Michael’s results showed a fantastic return. He obtained: I 18lbs pure fat loss I 4lbs lean tissue gain I 34 per cent increase in VO2 max I Increased fat utilisation and an increased heart rate I Increased lactate zone and increased RQ1 anaerobic zone These massive improvements are almost as quick to be lost if a maintenance programme is not carried out though. These results indeed reversed as soon as Michael went on to play with his professional teams, with their less than ideal training strategies. For this reason Michael comes back in the short rest period between end of season and pre-season training every year. In fact last year I took seven professional players, including Michael, to South Beach in Miami to undertake a regime of training and dietary regulation.
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Supplements in the gym: the good, the bad and the ugly By Andrew Hamilton IN the last issue of Workout, we looked at some of the fundamental issues surrounding nutritional supplementation and the guiding principles behind successful supplement retailing. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that in addition to an excellent knowledge about the science of supplements, supplementation advice also needs to be given in the context of the client’s dietary, lifestyle and training habits. Assuming this is indeed the case, the obvious question that then arises is which supplements should I make room for on my shelves and which should be given a wide berth? It’s tempting of course simply to stock the latest ‘supplement fashion’ or to go for those with the biggest mark up. However, as we discussed in the last issue, this route seldom delivers longterm success. Not all supplements are created equal and we’ll be considering specific examples and categories of supplements over the next few months. However, when you’re trying to choose supplements to stock, a good way of approaching the problem is to break them down into the following four categories: 1. Potentially health/performance enhancing – supplements where there are scientifically proven poten-
tial benefits. Examples include creatine (one of the few sports supplements to do actually what it says on the tin) and broad-spectrum multivitamin/minerals (that help to build the foundations of good nutrition by covering possible dietary shortfalls.) 2. Harmless but useless – supplements that are completely harmless to take but provide no scientifically proven benefits. Good examples include the amino acid L-carnitine mentioned above and the current crop of nitric oxide (NO) enhancers based on the amino acid arginine. 3. Potentially harmful – supplements that may cause harm, particularly when taken in large quantities when they can disturb the balance of other nutrients. Examples include excessive zinc supplementation (which can displace iron), single B-vitamin supplementation (the B-vitamins work as a group and should be supplemented as such) and beta-carotene (some research suggests that this antioxidant should be taken in conjunction with other antioxidants – not singly when it might actually increase cancer risk). 4. Definitely harmful – supplements that can definitely cause harm. The most obvious example here is the use of steroids (illegal but unfortunately
Gym-goers are still spending money on supplements despite the recession, according to research. A survey by Myprotein.co.uk showed that 85 per cent of their customers spent over £100 on general supplements and nutritional products over the past 12 months, while 35 per cent spent over £500. Of those surveyed, 68 per cent said they have increased their supplement intake. Oliver Cookson, founder of Myprotein.co.uk said: “Due to the economic times many people have cut back on luxury items but it appears that at present the supplement market has escaped unscathed. “I do think however that people are looking for more value for money and variety now than ever before, and they want to know they like the product and it does the job before they commit with their pounds.”
all too common in young men seeking a short cut to muscle gain), which can cause long-term health damage and ‘fringe supplements’ such as pro-hormones. As a fitness operator, your goal should be to sift out and supply the genuinely beneficial supplements. Category 2 supplements will inevitably leave your clients feel short-changed while many in category 3 and all in category 4 are most definitely to be avoided. Not only will this approach help your clients achieve their goals more rapidly, it will also help build client confidence, knowing that you’ve taken the time and effort to do the homework for them. In the next article, we’ll get down to some nitty-gritty with one of the most popular but controversial supplement types of the lot – fat burners. I Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC, ACSM is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American
Andrew Hamilton College of Sports Medicine and a leading consultant to the fitness industry, specialising in sport and performance nutrition. He also edits 'Peak Performance', the worldwide sports science research newsletter for athletes and coaches.
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KIDS’ FITNESS
A centre of excellence for table tennis in Sheffield is helping to inspire a new generation of budding young players at grass roots level in the city. The English Institute of Sport (EIS) allows novices to compete alongside the likes of British number one Paul Drinkhall, pictured above, his doubles partner Darius Knight and Paralympian Farrell Anthony. Sheffield International Venues, who operate EIS, recently secured an extension to table tennis' world class performance programme in the city. The two-year deal with the British Table Tennis Federation (BTTF) will see the 2012 squad continue to train and develop at the facility.
Club MAX is equipped with specially adapted equipment
New youth gym inspires exercise By Louise Cordell THE construction of a new youth gym in Barrow-In-Furness has led to a huge increase in the number of children exercising. Park Leisure Centre decided to create the facility after years of planning and research, and twelve months after opening it is more successful than ever. The idea for the scheme came about when, due to a lack of youth facilities in the area, the club decided to organise some gym sessions for 11 to 16 year olds. The initial classes were held on Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm, while the gym was closed for normal public use. Ian Jones, club health and fitness officer, said: “We felt that this time would be best because the more
sporty children would already be taking part in activities as weekend afternoons are when most sports events and team games take place. “This meant that we would be attracting the less sporting, possibly overweight children and they would not feel intimidated or embarrassed.” The first few sessions were so well attended that a second slot had to be introduced on both days. Over the next six years more than 1,000 children were inducted into the gym and the club reached the conclusion that it wanted to take things to the next level - an independent gym for children, with the equipment scaled down to suit them. Club MAX finally opened in July 2008, equipped with specially adapted cardiovascular equipment and safe ‘water based’ resistance stations from Pulse.
It also features a gaming lightwall and a 20 mat interactive dance mat system – and this range of alternative activities means that, in contrast to most youth clubs, approximately 70 per cent of its users are girls and young women. Ian added: “Having been involved in this project since the beginning it was both satisfying yet at the same time a little frightening when it all came to fruition. “The immediate results put all the fears to rest and we look forward to continuing our good work. “The two most satisfying things are seeing the look of enjoyment on the children’s faces while they are taking part and also witnessing the number of children exercising who normally do not take part in any PE classes or any form of physical activity.”
Sportacus with children at the gym
Superhero launches class SUPERACTIVE superhero Sportacus helped launch a new dance class for children at a gym in Milton Keynes. The star of kids TV show LazyTown visited énergie Fitness club to take part in the class, designed for children from as young as 18 months. Sportacus took time out to visit the gym during rehearsals at a nearby theatre. Gary Corby, general manager at énergie Fitness, said; “Sportacus is a superb role model for kids, and adults. We were delighted he chose to come to énergie in his spare time and he’s welcome back anytime he’s not busy saving the world.”
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BOXING
Fresh from leaving the Big Brother house, professional boxer Angel McKenzie is hoping to kick-start a career in personal training and boost business at her gym. Mary Ferguson met her there.
How Big Brother’s Angel fights for love not money ANGEL runs McKenzie Boxercise in East London with her trainer and adoptive father, former British champion Clinton McKenzie. And after appearing on the reality TV show this summer, the former Russian ‘rock star’ is concentrating on a career in fitness. The gym has recently moved to new premises so the pair are in the process of decorating and they have launched their own range of branded boxing gloves. Angel, who has been fighting for seven years, said she feels frustrated by the state of women’s boxing. “Female boxing is becoming more
popular but in this country there are only 11 registered professionals. “When I first started there was just no-one to fight in this country, so I was having to spend much of my time in Europe. But now it’s being included in the Olympics, I think it will explode and in 20 years, I think it will be as popular as female tennis.” Angel said there is also a huge disparity between the amount men and women get paid for fights. “I don’t do it for the money, I do it for love. There is a lot of money in female boxing in Germany as there are plenty of TV deals around it and I hope that one day the same thing will
happen here. “And in America they pay you to become a champion but in the UK, you only get paid once you have made it. And even though I’ve had offers, I can’t go to the states because I can’t leave the gym.” Whilst Angel is confident of a boom in women’s boxing, she claims the sports popularity amongst men is dwindling. “When Clinton was at his height there were 5,000 pro’s but now there are only about 500. To be honest,I think cage fighting and mixed martial arts are taking over.” Angel began boxing seven years
ago, after a cycling accident destroyed the ligaments in her knee and left her unable to walk for three years. Now, as well as continuing her pro boxing career, she is hoping her newfound celebrity status will boost personal training business and attract people to the gym. She added: “Summertime is quiet but I’m expecting things to pick up later in the year, and hopefully we will have finished the decorating by then. I’m trying to capitalise on the fame while I can because I know how fast it can be taken away.”
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BOXING When he came over to England from Australia, fitness instructor Darren Field decided to bring the country’s successful boxing classes with him. He tells Workout how he makes Thump work in London.
Aussie-style class proves hit in capital WHEN I came to this country in 2003, none of the gyms here offered any kind of boxing for fitness classes. The choice was either ‘old school’ boxing for the ring or some form of aerobic non-contact combat class. In Sydney I trained at a Fitness First, where some of the Thump master instructors put on some really fun, addictive and high energy classes. So I eventually did the necessary courses and introduced the ‘Aussie style’ boxing for fitness classes to my local gym here in London.
I think a wide range of people enjoy these classes – you take away the brutality and intimidation of a professional boxing gym, and the perceived stereotypes of an aerobic class, and end up with a class that is somewhere in the middle, which appeals to the wider crowd. The fitness benefits are of course also a huge draw as the results become quite obvious. The classes are also a good alternative to a personal trainer. Unless you train with a personal trainer you are unlikely to box
Learn to box from the best MARTIN McKenzie, founder of Fight Fit, has enjoyed over 10 years as one of Britain’s most successful personal trainers and is now a respected international lecturer, performance coach and motivational speaker who works with top athletes and celebrities, and assists the government with health performance and sport-related issues. Upon his return from LA this autumn, Martin will hold the remaining two Fight Fit courses in 2009 in London, where he will reveal the secrets of success in the fitness industry to the Fight Fit students and teach them a unique boxing style as well as showing them how to deliver boxing based group workouts and personal training, which have been designed by our team of experts, including heavyweight champions, Derek Williams and Julius Francis. Martin McKenzie says: “I believe that the Fight Fit course attracts the most students because we stand out
from the rest as we focus on teaching our students more than just boxing, we also show them how to increase their income by training clients the art of boxing and we give them the tools to increase their client base.” Steven Clarke, a personal trainer from Birmingham, says: “Martin’s teaching style is simply inspiring. I attended the Fight Fit course expecting to learn how to teach boxing but I got so much more out of it and left the course confident that I can be a lot more successful in my career and how to go about it.” For more details on how to secure a place on the Fight Fit course to learn how to teach boxing call 020 7788 7825 or email info@fightfit.co.uk
First course from Padbox AFTER launching the first of their Level 2 courses Padbox are pleased to announce their first course in Manchester on October 10 and 11 at the Fitness First Whitefield Gymnasium. Padbox course director Andy Scott said: "We've been really pleased with the interest we've had for the Manchester course and we've only got five places left, so we're really looking forward to the course". Padbox have three more Level 1 courses this year at their ‘home’ venue The Peacock Gymnasium in Canning Town East London, with another Level 2 course in the pipeline as well. As well as all this Padbox's Ian
Burbedge has been helping Lenny Daws prepare for his challenge for the vacant British light-welterweight title with Barry Morrison. Enquiries: 07930 376 995 Website: www.padbox.co.uk
Darren Field as it is not something you can do on your own easily. In the classes you get a lot of handson, one to one teaching and encouragement, which you normally don’t get in a busy studio class. It is not a ‘fixed design’ class following strict routines, so you will find that each Thump instructor will have their own style which makes the class unique. A gym could host multiple classes a week and each class could
be different but the results and benefits all the same. The equipment is inexpensive and simple and in addition there are no heavy licensing fees for the clubs. The classes are adaptable to any sort of gym studio space, big or small. I know that people have joined the gym solely because of my classes. I Darren runs Thump classes at Gymbox and Fitness First, as well as in parks around central London.
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FIA appoints chief medical officer in bid to forge links THE FIA has appointed John Searle as chief medical officer in a bid to strengthen links between the fitness industry and the health sector. Peter Banbury and Andrew Logan, senior leisure club manager at Village Hotels.
£80k hotel contract for PTS PREMIER Training International has signed an £80,000 contract with Village Hotels, to provide health and fitness syllabus training for employees across over 15 of its leisure clubs. The contract, which will initially last for around a year, will see the training held at four of its most high profile locations – Walsall, Hyde, Bury and Dudley. Premier Training International will be delivering the NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Instructing Exercise and Fitness and the NVQ Level 3 in Instructing Physical Activity and Exercise. The modules leading to
these qualifications will be the NASM Introduction to Personal Fitness Training and NASM Certified Personal Trainer respectively. Peter Banbury, head of corporate operations at Premier Training International, said: “We are very much looking forward to combining Village Hotels’ progressive approach with Premier’s quality education focus and delivering highly qualified trainers who will ensure Village Hotels achieve its fitness division goals.”
David Stalker, chief operating officer at the FIA, said: “There is definitely a move in this industry from fitness to health and in order for us to embrace that sector and build our credibility, we needed to make this link. “ And hopefully this will enable operators to attract the 50 per cent of the population that the health sector say need to use gyms, but don’t.” The FIA are also inviting nominations for three Board positions, because existing officers have completed their three year term. Prospective board directors must be a full time employee working in any one of the following organisations: I A private club or leisure centre, which has been operating for not less than 12 months between the period 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 which operates more than one facility I A private club or leisure centre, which has been operating for not less than 12 months between the period 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 which operates a single site I A private or publicly owned approved educational establishmemnt, which has been operating for not less than 12 months between the period 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009. The deadline for nominations is October 4. Contact David Stalker for more details on 0207 420 8560.
John Searle Keiser has appointed a new UK sales manager. Gary Oleinik will be responsible for developing markets such as local authorities and trusts. Having previously worked as head of sales and fitness at SOLL Leisure, a senior area sales executive at Technogym, and as sales and marketing training consultant at YourSalesSolutions, Gary has experienced a wide variety roles during his eight years in the health and fitness industry.
TRAINING – ADVERTISER’S ANNOUNCEMENT By Alan Runacres, director of training, WABBA Qualifications I’M not talking about last Friday night’s nightclub epic, enough people already know about your antics so the less said about you being arrested the better. I’m referring to the people having to wear long trousers in blazing hot sunshine – yes really there was a summer – because all year in the gym they only train chest and arms. They ‘don’t need to train their legs because they get loads of training at work’. Whether you love them, or hate them, leg exercises are not only beneficial as part of an overall training programme, they are essential if you are going to create a balanced frame. Leg extensions are the best starting point because as a true isolation exercise for the quads on the front of the thigh they are perfect for warming up the knee. They are designed to be executed in a strict exercise style so always ensure that the legs are fully extended at the top of the movement, carefully avoiding any jarring of the knees or turning the toes inwards or outwards. Pulling the toes up towards your shin (dorsi flexion) throughout the entire movement, will double the intensity of the contraction on the quadriceps. Lunges are a great option for shaping the quads and also the glute muscles at the same time. Maximise benefits by striding far enough forward
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Are you legless again? allowing you to kneel on your trailing knee with both legs now at right angles from the knee joints. At the bottom of each repetition the knee of your leading leg should not go forward past your toes. Repeat all repetitions per set on one leg, before you change legs, as this gives twice the intensity. The adductor (inner thigh) and abductor (outer thigh) muscles can easily be trained at home with a simple floor exercise or by using the dedicated isolation machines available in most gyms. For nicely toned inner thighs don’t use the whole weight stack, go for higher repetitions from 15-25 per set with a lighter weight, as heavy weights build size. If your legs look like a pair of pipe cleaners dangling out of your shorts then you need to use a leg press machine, and quickly. They come in various designs, from supine to incline, and from laying (recumbent as some pretentious people like to say) to horizontal. Best results are achieved on an incline leg press, used by knowledgeable strength trainers and bodybuilders for over a century. Look for one with an angle of between 30 and 45 degrees, remembering that the steeper the angle, the more pressure on your hips and lower spine. Ensure you lower the weight down to where the legs are bent slightly below a right angle – and no further. Contrary to popular belief you won’t get bigger by letting your knees
come down to your ears. When extending your legs as you press the weight back upwards, ensure that you don’t jar your knees at the top. Barbell squats are one of the three power lifts, and the upgrade from leg press machines. They allow users to develop the whole front upper leg muscles, but tend to build your adductors and butt region as well. A sound lower back and knee/hip joints are required before squats are attempted, as they are more advanced and intense than leg exercise machines. Hack squats are the most difficult movement due to the training angle and should only be attempted once incline leg press has been fully mastered. Leg curls are number one for training the back of the upper leg (commonly known as the hamstrings). Laying leg curls are best when performed on a “V-Bed” providing a superior muscle contraction to seated leg curl machines, which have gained popularity in the fitness industry. Experienced trainers will know what I mean when I say it doesn’t feel right sitting on the muscle you are training. Standing leg curl machines allow the trainer to concentrate on one leg at a time, are excellent for isolating the hamstrings for advanced trainers, and can also be useful for rehabilitation work. Pulling the toes up towards your shin (dorsi flexion) throughout the entire movement, will double the
intensity of the contraction on the leg biceps and hamstrings. Stiff-legged deadlifts (notice how I said “stiff” and not “straight” legged) should only be attempted by advanced and experienced trainers with excellent hamstring flexibility due to the pressure on the back of the knees and the lower back (erectus spinae). Always warm up with leg curls first before attempting this exercise movement. Calves can be trained generally by doing seated calf raises for primarily the lower calf area (soleus) and standing calf raises primarily for the upper calf area (Gastrocnemius). With seated calf raises ensure the toes point straight ahead on the foot block at all times, whilst with standing calf raises they can be performed in three different ways according to the results you want. With the toes pointing straight ahead to work all of the Gastrocnemius equally, with the toes turned out to concentrate on the inner calf (medial head), or with the toes turned in to concentrate on the outer calf (lateral head). Always stretch the calves slowly and gently until they are thoroughly warmed-up, never allowing the heels to go deep when the calf muscles are still cold. Until next time, spread the word and keep training real. I Alan Runacres has over 35 years’ gym experience, been WABBA director of training for 14 years and is the author of three books and over 100 published articles.
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Awarding recognition LIFETIME has received official confirmation from Ofqual of recognition as an awarding organisation under the name of Lifetime Awarding. It is currently one of a very small number of awarding organisations holding approval to submit full qualifications to the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) beyond 2010. The organisation has been established following increasing need for ‘fit for purpose’ qualifications and work-ready recruits, developed and delivered by industry based practitioners, to enhance the quality and professionalism of the fitness industry and beyond. Peta Hairsine, Lifetime Awarding organisation manager, said: “By establishing ourselves as an industry based awarding organisation, delivering the same high quality standards and industry focused service currently provided by Lifetime, we will maintain the continuity of programme, brand and quality assurance of our awards for the benefit of all users.”
Mark Mason (left) and Gavin King (right) two managers from SOPAC visiting the UK on the GLL exchange scheme.
Pair on fact-finding mission down under LEISURE operator GLL has sent two of its managers on an Olympic factfinding training mission to Sydney. With 13 of its sport centres approved as Olympic and Paralympic training camps, GLL is piloting an employee exchange programme with Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) – part of a drive to deliver top quality training facilities for elite
athletes in 2012. The scheme saw GLL managers Gareth Kirk and Gregg Holland travel to Australia for two months to experience the operation of Olympic facilities first hand at the venue for the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming for the Sydney 2000 Games. GLL plans to run the exchange
scheme on an annual basis. Recently, two managers from SOPAC – Mark Mason and Gavin King – visited the UK to learn about everything from facility design through adding value to how GLL delivers health and fitness. The pair also visited major sporting venues in London such as Wimbledon, Lord’s and Wembley Stadium.
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State-of-the-art facilities for Essex A NEW fitness facility is set to open in Essex, costing millions of pounds. Basildon Sporting Village will provide state-of-the-art facilities for sports, leisure and education in Gloucester Park. It will be the largest sports project in the Thames Gateway – Europe’s biggest regeneration scheme – and has been identified as a potential training camp for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games. The scheme is being led by Community Solutions for Leisure (CSL) which will deliver and oper-
ate the facility on behalf of Basildon District Council. Morgan Ashurst has been appointed to design and build the new facility in an agreement worth £32.4million. New indoor facilities will include a 50-metre, eight-lane swimming pool, an eight-court multi-purpose sports hall, a fully-equipped gymnastics centre, a multipurpose studio, a 100-station health and fitness suite and a climbing wall. The centre will also support the existing athletics track, synthetic turf pitch, 12 outdoor netball courts and 10 grass pitches.
Anti-microbial keypad overlays Fitness club to the rescue TEK now offer a wide range of keypad overlays with an anti-microbial finish. These overlays are designed to be applied directly over the top of existing keypads on treadmills, bikes, cross trainers and other equipment. Where existing keypad overlays are worn they can supply replacement items with the Microban® technology built into the surface. These films have been developed for applications where durability and anti microbial protection are key. Independent laboratory tests have proved effectiveness for up to 15 years. The anti-microbial quality of the film is due to Microban® technology, which is built into the textured hard coat during manufacturing. This ensures an even distribution of the anti microbial agent throughout the texture and film surface. This
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ENERGIE ladies fitness club in Northampton has come to the rescue of local women after their specialist over 50s Motorcise gym closed down – leaving mature fitness fans with nowhere to exercise. Staff at Energie offered to house the gyms specifically designed equipment and have undergone a refurbishment to accommodate the machinery. Contracted workers knocked down
a wall, repainted and re-carpeted a room previously designated to studio cycling classes to make room for the new motorcise equipment. The eight machines have attracted over 250 members. General manager Donna Hodgetts said: “We were saddened to hear Motorcise was closing down but were more than happy to step in and help. We’ve had a fantastic response from our new members.”
New dual role for Matrix md Microban® element continuously fights the growth of harmful bacteria on the film’s surface, disrupting the key cell functions of bacteria and other microorganisms. Enquiries: 0800 988 3228
JON Johnston, the managing director of Matrix Fitness Systems has been appointed managing director of Matrix’s sister company, Johnson Health Tech. Johnston will work in a dual role overseeing both organisations. The UK distributor of Horizon and Vision home fitness equipment
brands, Johnson Health Tech, is owned by the same parent company as Matrix. Jon said: “I am looking forward to embracing the new challenges this position will offer but am keen to emphasise that this will not effect the growing success of Matrix.”
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