ISSUE 1 May
WEEKLY
Issue 108 - 29 July 2022
YOUR REGULAR ONLINE UPDATE FOR THE UK FITNESS SCENE
Gold’s Gym installs standout functional centrepiece with Escape Fitness – page 5 New look leisure centre gets go ahead – page 6
WORKOUT WEEKLY
Gold’s Gym installs standout functional centrepiece with Escape Fitness GOLD’S Gym in Glendale, California has partnered with Escape Fitness to create an eye-catching Olympic lifting centre piece in its gym by installing a stand-out Octagon Frame. With state-of-the-art facilities to suit every fitness ability and exercise preference, the team is dedicated to bringing the latest fitness methods and workouts to its 1,500 members. Troy Richardson, VP of fitness services, Gold’s Gym Socal Group, said: “Gold’s Gym Glendale is about serious fitness. “Our member base is passionate about fitness and wants to be able to lift heavy, using the best equipment. “The Gold’s Gym Glendale team decided to redevelop the centre of the gym after receiving ongoing feedback that members wanted more functional training options. “The Escape Fitness Octagon frame is perfect. It takes up a small footprint, but gives maximum impact, with a lot of members able to work out in a relatively small space. “The heart of Gold’s Gym is having that functional platform so the Octagon frame is now an absolute goto for our members.” What started out in 1965 as a small gym in Venice Beach, California, has since become one of the most well-known gym chains in the world, now an iconic global fitness brand with more than 600 franchisee locations spanning six continents. With a history steeped in bodybuilding, Olympic lifting and strength and conditioning, it has always been essential that the best-in-class equipment is installed to meet the high expectations from its members. “Our members are looking for functionality and top
of the range equipment,” added Jason Taylor, VP of facilities at Gold’s Gym Socal Group. “The customer service and support that I got from the Escape Fitness team was second to none. “They were there through the whole process, no matter what. “If you are looking for strong equipment that’s built to last, the possibilities are endless when it comes to Escape Fitness’ equipment. It has been a great investment.”
The unique design of the Escape Octagon frame range means that the functional fitness training frames offer unrivalled flexibility and an engaging workout experience. The frames can be bought as off-the-shelf versions, or as bespoke customised designs to perfectly suit the unique layout and needs of any training environments or member demands. AJ Sandoval, general manager at Gold’s Gym Glendale, added: “We have a lot of members who come here to do power lifting workouts, so the Octagon frame was the best thing we could have installed to maximise that central space in the gym. “Our members and trainers love it, and all four squat racks are regularly in use. It stands out, is perfect for our membership base and has added a new depth to our training offer.” “Our Octagon functional training frames are totally versatile so they can maximise underused corners and wall spaces or in this case, become a show-stopping focus for any gym floor,” concluded Matthew Januszek, co-founder of Escape Fitness. “Gold’s Gym is renowned for attracting bodybuilding greats such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and Franco Columbu, and the team has always sought out the latest in leading functional equipment to inspire, engage and motivate future greats. “The Octagon Frame at Gold’s Gym Glendale is a central, functional fitness area that draws the eye as soon as you walk through the door. “The members pushed for it, and we’ve helped them deliver. The frame is constantly in use, proving hugely popular with staff and members. The frame will stand the test of time, even the heavy-duty usage it’s currently getting.”
Anytime Fitness announces Matrix as global supplier JOHNSON Health Tech Co’s premium commercial brand Matrix Fitness has been officially appointed as a global supplier to the Anytime Fitness club chain. Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing gym franchise in the world, averaging 300 new gyms per year while serving 4.2 million members at more than 4,900 gyms and is the only franchise of any kind to have locations on all seven continents. Neil Randall, CEO of Anytime Fitness UK, added: “We’re excited to welcome Matrix Fitness to our UK supplier portfolio. “Matrix’s introduction provides a greater choice for our franchisee network when selecting equipment for their clubs as well as continuing to ensure a highquality member experience. “Matrix Fitness are the perfect supplier partner to help Publishing manager: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk Studio manager: Paul Hopkinson ph@scriptmediagroup.co.uk Assistant studio manager: Scott Firth sf@scriptmediagroup.co.uk Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 tb@scriptmediagroup.co.uk
www.workout-uk.co.uk
us achieve this and we look forward to working with them in the UK on an ongoing basis.” Matrix Fitness has been at the forefront of gym equipment innovation and design for more than 20 years, delivering the highest quality products, solutions and customer service. With five factories and 36 wholly owned subsidiaries, Matrix Fitness can lower the total cost of ownership and can guarantee a best-in-class first-time fix rate. The team is passionate about delivering a world class service at every level. With a wealth of experience and unmatched customer service, they can provide a premium service across equipment layouts, ordering, delivery and installation, service and warranty, and everything in between. This partnership comes after a successful trial in
August 2020, when Matrix Fitness was appointed as an official approved vendor for Anytime Fitness clubs in the Benelux regions. Following its success, the territory was expanded to cover Mexico in 2021. In March, Matrix Fitness was awarded a global supply agreement covering all Anytime Fitness territories across the world, including the home markets of the US and Canada. To date, Matrix Fitness has already completed 26 installations across Mexico and Benelux and is now working on projects in the USA, Canada, Morocco, South Africa, Spain, Indonesia, Vietnam as well as starting some exciting new installations in Australia and New Zealand.
UK’s first Innerva Health Studio officially opened OAK Tree Leisure Centre in Mansfield has launched the UK’s first Innerva Health Studio to improve the health and life outcomes of local people, particularly older adults. Operated by More Leisure Community Trust in partnership with Serco on behalf of Mansfield District Council, the new facility features 10 pieces of powerassisted equipment from the British manufacturer Innerva, which can be completed in a 30 to 40 minute circuit. The Mansfield studio provides exercise for everyone – irrespective of age, mobility, weight or fitness level – in a social and supportive environment. David Heathcote, head of business development at Innerva, said: “It is a safe space for people to ease into activity, but as other leisure centre operators have discovered, once users
become fitter and more confident they transition to other areas of the centre, including traditional gyms to become valued members.” Designed to boost the five elements of healthy ageing – balance, aerobic
fitness, flexibility, strength and social wellbeing – the Innerva Health Studio allows the centre to tap into the active ageing market and attract a new demographic of member. This includes older adults and those living with health conditions, including chronic fatigue and long Covid. The relaxed and welcoming environment is ideal for people who are unable or unwilling to use conventional gyms. Members don’t have to wear gym kit or trainers and they are guided through the workout by a fully trained fitness instructor. The equipment features a range of settings, which allow users to find the tempo and resistance that suits them and which they can increase as they get stronger and fitter.
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WORKOUT WEEKLY
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New look leisure centre gets go ahead EXCITING multi-million pound plans to completely transform Altrincham Leisure Centre into a fabulous state-ofthe-art facility have been approved by councillors. Trafford Council’s Executive has given the green light to plans for the large scale refurbishment of the popular facility – branded move Altrincham – in the town centre. The centre will now benefit from a 25m swimming pool, a 20m learner pool, a pool pod to improve accessibility, a combined lobby area with pool viewing and café, a wet village change, an inclusive changing places toilet and a health and wellbeing spa facility. There will also be a wellness assessment room, an enlarged fitness suite, fitness changing and dry change areas, two flexible studio spaces, an immersive indoor cycle studio, a four-court sports hall and storage, a gymnastics hub and staff rooms and offices. The new mix of facilities at Altrincham Leisure Centre has been developed with support from Sport England to deliver long-term sustainable leisure provision that gives the best health and wellbeing
outcomes for residents – a long term commitment to the local community from Trafford Council. The designs also include the replacement of the fossil fuel (gas) heating system with air sourced heat pumps and solar panels, which are significantly more sustainable options than the existing systems, and support Trafford Council’s carbon neutral action plan. The investment supports the Council’s strategy and commitment to get more people moving more often, helping improve health and wellbeing, and is part of its Physical Activity Strategy, ‘Trafford Moving’. It forms part of a borough-wide longterm strategy to support the health and wellbeing of local residents through access to affordable, sustainable, accessible and exciting, modern leisure facilities. It follows the redevelopment of move Urmston in March 2020, and will see further refurbishments carried out on a phased arrangement, with Altrincham Leisure Centre earmarked as the first to be transformed followed by both Stretford and Sale.
Jo Cherrett is CEO of Trafford Leisure, a community interest company wholly owned by Trafford Council, which manages leisure in Trafford on behalf of Trafford Council, using any profits and assets for community benefit. She said: “We are ecstatic to finally get the green light from Trafford Council on the full refurbishment of Altrincham Leisure Centre. “We can’t wait to breathe life back into the building, future proofing it for future generations. “This refurbishment isn’t simply a lick of paint, it’s a multi-million-pound investment, bringing modern leisure facilities to the people of Altrincham. “The local community in and around Altrincham are passionate about their town and have an overwhelming desire to see their community thrive. “When we re-open our doors, the modern, fit-for-purpose leisure venue will be an inspiring space to help local residents with every aspect of their wellbeing. It will become the second site Trafford Leisure will open under the new brand name, move. Trafford Council leader, Councillor Andrew Western, added: “This is fantastic
news for the people of Altrincham and the surrounding areas. Health and wellbeing is of major importance to Trafford Council and I am delighted that we will now be able to completely transform Altrincham Leisure Centre into an amazing 21st century facility for everyone to enjoy. “This centre will be truly inspirational – like our move Urmston site – and I for one can’t wait for the work to be completed. “We are investing millions of pounds into this project as we believe that is the right thing to do to ensure residents are given top-class facilities to ensure they can improve their health, fitness and wellbeing. Thank you to the Executive for supporting these truly exciting plans.” The proposals are subject to further consultation and securing planning permission, which is expected to be submitted in Autumn 2022. The centre will be closed over Christmas to prepare for the work being carried out in January. The full refurbishment of Altrincham Leisure Centre is estimated to take up to 18 months.
WORKOUT WEEKLY
Operators offered free digital score tool in ukactive’s Digital Futures consultation 2022 FITNESS and leisure operators have been offered a free digital benchmarking tool and bespoke support, as ukactive launches this year’s Digital Futures consultation to drive sector progress. The second consultation period was recently launched following the inaugural Digital Futures consultation in 2021, which gave the fitness and leisure sector an overall score of 55 per cent – putting it at the ‘Digital Experimenter’ level. Steven Scales, director of membership and sector development at ukactive, said: “This year’s Digital Futures consultation will help us to monitor and accelerate the sector’s progress towards digital strategies that are fit to meet the expectations of consumers going forward. “The free digital tool behind this consultation offers every fitness and leisure operator a golden opportunity to benchmark their own digital experiences and services with the leisure sector, but also with other sectors. “Whether you work in the public or private sector, this consultation provides the perfect chance to plan the next step in your organisation’s digital journey, which will be vital for future growth and development.” Through the Digital Futures programme, ukactive and Sport England aim to drive awareness, understanding and improvement in fitness and leisure
Steven Scales
operators’ approach to digital strategy and provision, across both the public and private sectors. The programme was designed in collaboration with leisure operators and the Digital Futures Advisory Group, which is made up of ukactive Strategic Partners; Gladstone, Myzone, EGYM, Les Mills, Xplor and Technogym. It was also shaped by organisations and SMEs from the fit-tech sector, such as Keepme, SweatWorks, Xn, Volution Fit, Move Technologies, as well as other experts. This year’s consultation invites operators to measure their digital maturity and effectiveness by answering a set of questions designed by digital consultancy Rewrite Digital, which will provide respondents with a (confidential) digital maturity score
immediately. The valuable score tool provides operators with: n Instant score of your organisation’s digital maturity and effectiveness. n Breakdown of your score across five areas of digital. n Comparison of your score with the sector as a whole, as well as compared to your 2021 score (if applicable). n Personalised recommendations and resources based on your score. n Complimentary 1:1 consultation on your digital score and how to grow it, with Rewrite Digital. By completing the consultation, operators will also be helping to drive digital change in the sector as a whole, and shape how suppliers can support the sector better. In addition, some operators will be invited for a more in-depth consultation in 2023, as part of the programme. The sector-wide findings of the consultation will be summarised in a report to be published later this year, helping to track the sector’s progress year-on-year. The work forms part of a programme of activity designed to support operators through the latest benchmarking tools, providing new insights and guidance to modernise and grow. The new consultation comes at a crucial time for the development of the sector, following the Covid-19 pandemic,
which helped to kickstart digital strategies for many operators but also highlight the gaps for others. The Digital Futures 2021 consultation found that 84 per cent of respondents did not have a digital strategy that was up to date, complete, ambitious and supported by an achievable roadmap. Furthermore, 30 per cent of operators said they did not have a digital strategy at all. The Digital Futures Advisory Group believe the results show the sector making positive strides forward, but that digital strategies are missing the appropriate investment and goal alignment to yield strong performance. Alongside the measurement and reporting provided by the consultation, the Digital Futures Advisory Group, led by ukactive, will create new resources and guidance to support operators to position digital strategy at the heart of their overall leisure strategy. The 2021 report also highlighted the lack of case studies for digital as well as a lack of understanding around what the consumer expects from digital experiences within leisure. To bridge these gaps, the group is building a structure for capturing and sharing case studies to support operators’ digital interventions, along with periodic consumer polling to better understand their needs. Consultation closes on August 18.
Advertiser’s announcement
Is Orbit4 the industry’s equivalent of the Money Saving Expert? THE secret to business success is finding the perfect balance between opportunities in the unknown and comfort in the well-known. Autosaving apps use clever tech to work out what you can afford to save and then do it for you, automatically. The idea is that you start building up savings without really noticing the cash is going. We have everything you need to know about the money-saving platform Orbit4. It is the very latest asset management software that we can guarantee will make your business operations more efficient, effective and profitable. Orbit4 isn’t a charity but you can use some of their platforms for free. However, if your gym chooses to pay the small monthly fee for the full Orbit4 experience, you are likely to save an average of around £5k per annum. Daniel Jones, CEO of Orbit4, said: “Imagine being given an alert of the best time to trade-in and buy new equipment? “Being able to use quality data to make informed decisions rather than just make decisions on when customers complain when equipment
is out of action too often or when a local competitor opens a new gym with spanking new equipment. “Our ecosystem takes the hard work out of operations, servicing, buying and selling and automatically finds you the best deals on the market in all of these fields.
“As well as money it saves your business an enormous amount of time.” When every penny counts why would you lose thousands on unused gym equipment depreciating in value, taking up space? If you knew it was worth £1,000
more to sell last year, rather than this year, you would have sold it – right? If you knew buying equipment on a new leasing deal was less expensive than the cost to maintain your equipment, what would you do… trade-in and go for the leasing deal asap!! Scott Taylor from WBGE said: “Having seen the success of some gyms moving into the digital era, I’m proud to say we have helped them achieve this by creating more space within the gym, using our platform to sell the most unpopular machines at the right time and to the right buyer. “You can see how it’s played a key part in saving businesses since the epidemic hit hard.” Gyms are working harder than ever because keeping those members is harder than ever. Understandably operators don’t want to lose track of their members but why do they see it acceptable to lose track of the operational cost of their gym equipment? Orbit4 is a connected eco-system that manages and facilitates the entire fitness asset cycle. To find out more about everything they can do visit www.Orbit4.org or call 07557 365669 for a chat.
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WEEKLY WORKOUT
Webbington Hotel and Spa Axbridge, BS26 2HU Wednesday, September 21
Speakers to include Dave Wright, founder of Myzone and CFM
Dave Wright is the creator and global CEO of Myzone, the CEO and owner of Creative Fitness Marketing and the co-owner of the Voyage Fitness brand in Australia. Not only is he the chair of UKActive’s Supplier Council but his product, Myzone, is enjoyed in more than 8,000 facilities by more than two million people in 84 countries. A serial entrepreneur, and a Workout columnist for the past 20 years, Dave is a straight-talking Australian based in the UK who has the unique ability of being both a club operator and a supplier.
David Minton, founding director, The Leisure Database Company David is well known for his unique industry knowledge and is in demand for his expert media commentary and public speaking. Helping businesses and individuals with the invaluable intelligence needed to make key decisions, David leads them through analysis into action, achievement and competitive advantage. He also works with leading journalists and publications to spark debate within and create support for the leisure, fitness, consultancy and financial industries and is the recognised go-to for market trends, data and insight.
Charlie Horton, marketing and sales manager, Fitness Marketing Agency Charlie has always had passion for both fitness and business, having started his career in the fitness industry at just 18 years old, with a marketing role for a renowned Gym and PT Studio. After building up a wealth of knowledge and know-how, Charlie met Ben Davis (founder of Fitness Marketing Agency) and began the next stage of his career. Charlie has been with the Fitness Marketing Agency since its conception in 2015, working alongside Ben to grow the business to what it is today – a hugely successful agency that supports over 300 clients, from independent gym owners and corporate gyms to personal trainers and online coaches. FMA provides such businesses with marketing tools and resources to aid in lead generation, conversion, sales and ultimately, growth. As marketing and sales manager, Charlie oversees and nurtures the sales and marketing team whilst driving the marketing forward for FMA, as a business. Charlie can often be found speaking at leading industry events, including Independent Gym Owner Conference, where he shares his quick and effective marketing and sales tools. He specialises in generating leads and client acquisitions.
Mike Hind MBE, CEO of MAS Body Gym and founder of Macro Based Diner Mike has been training people for over 12 years, in that time he has been recognised as one of the most respected and renowned coaches in the UK being crowned ‘The Best Personal Trainer in the UK’ by the National Fitness Awards. His work has been broadcast across the globe and he became a household name when he took on “Dibsy” the 40 stone guy, Mike offered him a FREE life saving year-long programme. Mike was awarded the “Outstanding Achievement Award” in 2018 by the National Fitness Awards for outstanding contribution within the fitness industry. His client list includes Premier League and international footballers, European champion boxers, professional bikini athletes and TV stars. But with this, Mike’s main focus is always on the public… In 2019 at The National Fitness Awards, Mike and his team won an amazing three awards. With Mike being crowned ‘UK’s Best Personal Trainer’ for the third consecutive year which is something that has never been done. Mike’s client Dibsy walked away winning the ‘Member Achievement’ Award and Mike’s meal prep company winning the ‘Innovation in Fitness and Nutrition’ Award. In 2020 Mike was recognised in the Queens Birthday honours and was awarded an MBE for his services to his community.
Lianne Clark, Business development manager, Active IQ
Lianne Clark is an experienced business and fitness professional with a comprehensive industry background working for national gym chains, local authorities and equipment suppliers. She’s passionate about championing active wellness and has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities which face the sector. At Active IQ, Lianne works closely with her centres across the Midlands and east of England to help their businesses grow and their learners to succeed.
Book your free places today at https://tomorrows-workout.co.uk/delegate-booking/ Exhibitior opportunities are available by calling Tony Barry on 01226 734605.
Register before August 31st for your FREE PLACE at:
www.tomorrows-workout.co.uk
Book now for FREE Exhibition Lunch & refreshments included
SEPTEMBER
212022 st
Webbington Hotel & Spa Bristol
THE FITNESS EVENT OF THE YEAR Visit Tomorrow’s Workout 2022 Bristol and South West and find all you need in one place • Over 50 key exhibitors with the latest equipment and services • Speaker panel packed with ideas for your business • New products to improve your spend per member
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