The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineFebruary 2011 No 209 £3

Owners uniteto opposebudget gymBy Christina Eccles

WORRIED Swansea gym owners havejoined forces to oppose the conver-sion of a local building into a newbudget gym, which they fear couldput them out of business.

Budget chain The Gym Group hasapplied for planning permission toconvert the first floor of a formershopping centre into a new gym.

But existing gym owners in the cityare concerned that a new club –potentially offering cheaper member-ship and longer opening hours – willmake it even harder to stay in busi-ness in what is already a competitivemarketplace.

If the development goes ahead, thenew gym will be situated just 400yards from independent gym BurnsFitness, where there are alreadyabout eight operators within a mile ofthe club.

General manager Anthony Williamssaid: “A lot of local gyms have object-ed to planning permission. We havegot about 30 gyms here already,which is a lot for the size of our city,and with the recession and VATincrease as well, gyms are already

finding it hard.

“A gym which offers £15 per monthmembership and 24-hour openinghours could send a lot of gyms out ofbusiness.

“From our point of view, it wouldreally affect us. There has been anincrease in competition anyway andwe have all seen a downturn in thelast two to three years.”

Burns Fitness currently offers mem-bership for about £25 a month andAnthony insists there is no way thatthey could lower prices further.

He is also worried that cheap mem-bership prices may lead to a changein perception of gyms, which may notbe seen by the public as a valuableservice if the cost to be a member islow.

He added: “£25 is as cheap as wecan go and if the cheaper gyms get in,more people could see gyms as adevalued entity.

“As an independent gym we alwaystry to push the service side but noway could we go any cheaper.”

The Gym Group told Workout thatthey could not comment at this time.

Surveyrevealsconfidencefor futureOVER three quarters of fit-ness industry operators arefeeling confident about thefuture, according to a sur-vey by Leisure-netSolutions.

The Fitness IndustryConfidence Survey – whichis backed by the FIA andsponsored by LeisureIndustry Week – found that83 per cent were as confi-dent as, or more confidentabout the future of theindustry than they werethree months ago. 81 percent also say their yield ismuch better, better or thesame as Q4 last year, 42 percent of operators say theirretention is better year-on-year and 41 per cent say ithas remained steady.

Leisure-net Solutionsmanaging director MikeHill said: “It’s telling that,despite a much longer anddeeper economic down-turn than many peopleexpected, operators’ confi-dence remains high.

“Most operators are posi-tive that primary incomestreams will hold up in2011 and it’s both surpris-ing and encouraging thatyield has increased acrossthe board, despite therecession.”

New TV show The Biggest Loser has divided the industry – with some believing that its portrayal of fitness instructors could be harmful to gyms. The show– where people compete to lose the most weight andbe crowned the ‘biggest loser’ – includes intensive gymworkouts with personal trainers Richard Callender andAngie Dowds (pictured with host Davina McCall) whohave been criticised for being too aggressive andpotentially putting people off going to the gym.What do you think? Send your comments toce@whpl.net or contact the Workout editorial team on01226 734463. Picture: ITV Pictures

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AdvertisingSales and marketingdirector:Tony BarryAssistant sales managers:Daniel LloydTel: 01226 734699Danielle HornbyTel: 01226 734707

EditorialGroup Editor:Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 Fax: 01226 734705Email: ah@whpl.netReporters:Christina Eccles

Tel: 01226 734463Email: ce@whpl.netLouise CordellTel: 01226 734694Email: lcordell@whpl.net

ProductionGroup Deputy Editor:Judith HalkerstonTel: 01226 734458Email:jhalkerston@whpl.net

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David battlesto meet hisgym deadlineBy Christina Eccles

THE owner of a new independentgym in Carlisle has told how he is fac-ing a race against time to open hisclub just weeks after getting the keysto the property.

Dave Crossland purchased the gymafter the previous owners went out ofbusiness and has changed its namefrom Strength2Strength to TheBrickhouse.

The gym will specialise in body-building and powerlifting after Davespotted a gap for a facility whichcaters to this market. But as soon ashe got the keys in mid January, Daveset himself a target of being open andtrading by mid February and hostingan open bench press competition atthe end of March – giving him justweeks to get everything ready.

He explained: “The building is nottoo bad but the previous owners hadrun it more towards the fitness sideso the free weights area is dire.

“But at the moment we haven’t gotenough money to replace as much aswe want to so we are going to getwhat we can to make a start.”

Once the business is up and run-ning, Dave – who will be running the

gym with his wife – hopes to gradual-ly make improvements to the cluband already has big ambitions for thefuture. He added: “I always felt therewas a market in this area for a gymthat goes down this route. We are notexpecting to make loads of moneybut just want to keep our headsabove water. There was an opportuni-ty to give it our best shot and we willsee what we can make of it. We aredoing it because of a passion and lovefor lifting.

“If you are offered something likethis for next to nothing, then youwould be a fool not to try and take it.”

Although the club has beendesigned to attract hardcore body-builders, Dave insists that the atmos-phere will not be intimidating andthe gym will offer a friendly environ-ment for members to train.

He added: “We welcome hardcoretrainers but we are here for guys whowant to succeed in a supportiveatmosphere. You can have the bestequipment in the world but if theatmosphere is sterile who wants totrain there? Equally, you might nothave the best equipment but if theatmosphere is cracking, you will packthe place out of the door.”

NOMINATIONS are now open for the2011 National Fitness Awards, which recognise the best in the business.

After a successful debut last year,this year’s event promises to be bigger

and better than ever and now is yourchance to take part.

To enter visit the websitewww.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk andlook out for more details in nextmonth’s Workout.

It’s nomination time ...

Singer AliciaKeys is theartist most like-ly to be heardat the gym,according todata from PRSfor Music.She appearstwice in theorganisation’slist of the top10 most popularsongs played ingyms in the lastquarter of 2010– with entries atnumber twoand number 10.Number onewas Plan B’s SheSaid, with otheracts listedincludingAlexandraBurke, Usherand Beyonce.

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A Scottish personal trainer is staying one step ahead ofhis competitors by offering the ultimate level of service– an exclusive studio in his own back garden. ChristinaEccles found out more.

Home comfortswork out forpersonaltrainer AlanBy Christina Eccles

ACCORDING to searches generatedby Google, Alan Strachan has themost hit personal training website inScotland – justifying the £1,000 hespends each year on improving thesite.

In the last three years, he hasploughed almost £400,000 into building up the business and is now hoping that his latest venture will help him to reap therewards.

Alan originally started off running apersonal training business from hishouse but has recently expanded hisAszurra Fitness Studio – situated inthe grounds of the property – toinclude another private personaltraining suite, massage therapy room,juice bar and sports supplementshop.

To complement what he believes tobe the first specialist personal training fitness studio in Scotland,Alan has also converted space inside the house into a beauty therapy area, which allows him to tap into his female clientele and launch offers which can belinked in with the rest of the business.

The studio – which was kitted out byPowerhouse – officially opened last

month, with a launch day for regularclients taking place a few weeks earlier, and Alan said that the reaction so far has been really posi-tive.

He said: “We have received brilliantfeedback and clients love it. It willdefinitely give the business an extraboost.”

Alan also said that everyone whoworks in the business – himselfincluded – believes they are offeringtop quality service and they hope thatthe new studio will take this concepteven further.

He is also preparing to launch a new Body for Life campaign where 10 people a month can take up a special offer of £195 each to take part in a month longprogramme guaranteed to give themresults.

Each group participates in threesessions per week led by three trainers as well as sessions focused on nutrition and measuring body fat.

He added: “We are pretty excited.This is something different for us.

“I have spent the last three yearsgetting the house right and buildingthe club and I genuinely believe thatboth the guys I work with and myselfoffer the best service.”

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Boxing matchesbring cash infor ill childrenBy Dominic MusgraveTHE owner of an independent gym inHertfordshire has raised thousands ofpounds for charity by organising aseries of star-studded boxing match-es.

Gary Johnson – who owns TargetFitness in Cheshunt – was inspired toorganise the events after his daughterMadison was diagnosed withLeukaemia.

To give Madison and other childrenbattling illness a safe and sterile placeto play, Gary launched the PlayBarnProject to raise the money to build anindoor childrens’ play area.

So far he has organised three charityboxing matches, which combinedhave raised over £90,000 – bringingthe charity over halfway to its£150,000 target.

The latest event – which took placeat Tewinbury Farm – attracted over300 people and comprised a cham-pagne reception for all guests, eightbouts of boxing and a three coursedinner. This was followed by an auc-tion and a disco that lasted until theearly hours of the morning.

All three events have also been sup-ported and attended by famous box-ers including Barry Mcguigan andMichael Watson – with auction prizesincluding signed West Ham, Arsenaland Tottenham Shirts, F1 driver suitsand VIP Take That tickets.

And Gary told Workout that thegym’s members play a vital part in thesuccess of these events by attendingand supporting them.

He said: “These events would not bepossible without the help of membersfrom Target Fitness giving their sup-port to the charity nights and com-peting in other events to support thecause such as the London marathon.Their continued support has helpedto make this so successful.”

Gary’s other fundraising projectshave included running the LondonMarathon and training eight women– including TV presenter SuzanneDando – ahead of the group’s trekthrough the Pyrenees.

His latest venture is a 135-milemountain race across Brazil to raisemore funds for the PlayBarn Project.

Members of an independent gym in Harlow have raised £600 by posing for a charity calendar. Funds raised by members at Ripped Gym were donated to Everyman – the UK’sleading prostate and testicular cancer campaign.

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Teaching trainersthe personal touchBy Christina Eccles

PERSONAL trainers are being given theopportunity to learn the ‘soft skills’ whichwill help them to sign up new members onthe gym floor.

Ibrahim Allam has launched the UK’sonly course to deliver step-by-step guid-ance for gym-based personal trainers onhow to develop and maintain a successfulPT business.

Ibrahim – who started off as a gyminstructor before becoming a personaltrainer – feels that although up and comingpersonal trainers are taught how to trainpeople and the physiology side of being aPT, they are sometimes lacking in the per-sonal and business skills needed to getpeople to sign up and to keep their busi-ness going.

His company, PTIAUK, has already heldsuccessful one-to-one sessions and is nowpreparing to launch group classes forbetween five to 10 people.

He said: “I've been in the industry overthree years now, initially as a gym instruc-tor for a short time and now as a PT andthe rate of PT turnover in the UK is unac-ceptable. I'm also currently writing a bookon how to successfully personal train.

“As I've interviewed club managers, fit-ness directors and course providers, I'venoticed no-one's willing to take responsi-bility for the void in business acumen andsoft skills PTs have to face. This is not onlyunfortunate for the PTs but it also costs theoperators tens of thousands of pounds asthey never truly realise their revenue pro-jections for PT rental.”

Ibrahim’s course aims to address this gap– teaching skills and giving trainers confi-dence in areas such as how to identifypotential clients, how to best approachthem and converting them into paying cus-tomers. He is also preparing to launch awebsite www.ptiauk.com where people cansign up for the course and hopes to trainabout 70 personal trainers this year.Ibrahim Allam

‘As I've interviewed clubmanagers, fitness directors andcourse providers, I've noticed no-one's willing to takeresponsibility for the void inbusiness acumen and soft skillsPTs have to face’

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Aaron faceshis biggestchallengeGYM owner and weight loss guruAaron Howlett is taking on his biggestchallenge yet – a charity walk cover-ing over 1,700 miles.

Aaron was named Biggest Loser UKin the TV slimming show’s first seriesin 2005 and has gone on to completemarathons in Edinburgh and NewYork.

Now, for his latest project he will bewalking from Land’s End to JohnO’Groats, and back again, in order toraise money for the NSPCC.

He hopes to complete the 1,744 milejourney in just 32 days, which willmean walking for 16 hours a day forover a month.

Aaron, who also runs the PeakPhysique Gym in Hull, said: “Thisreally is my biggest challenge to date.

“I have started training by walking20 miles a day on a treadmill at thegym, on an incline, and also usingkettle bells for overall fitness.

“This combined with my work shiftsmeans I will be practically living atthe club for the next few months.”

He has already started raising fundsand organising sponsorships and isplanning on getting a range ofcelebrity names involved to help thecause. The aim is for the walk tobecome a national event and bignames from the NSPCC’s publicitycampaigns will also be taking part.

Aaron has also decided that he willbe ‘tagged’ throughout the walk, sothat supporters will be able to log onand follow his route via the internet –literally tracking him every step of theway.

He added: “I have received a greatresponse so far. All the club’s mem-bers have got behind me and arebeing very supportive.

“This is the biggest thing I havetried to achieve so far and it will be areal endurance challenge. However, itwill be worth it as we are hoping toraise thousands for a very worthycause.”

To contribute please visit: www.vir-ginmoneygiving.com/aaronhowlett-teamgo.

Celebrity favourite New You Boot Camp has introduced elements of yoga and lifecoaching into its sessions to offer further advice to those who take part. The company – which has helped famous faces including Michelle Heaton, BrookeKinsella and Abi Titmuss, pictured, to get in shape – has launched the new programme at its latest property in Suffolk. These new additions will complementthe camp’s existing military inspired exercises to help participants achieve maximum results.

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Gyms sign upto new swapcampaignINDEPENDENT gyms across Englandhave signed up to a new campaignencouraging families to lead healthierlifestyles.

The Great Swapathon is the latestcampaign from Change4Life andaims to get families to swap at leastone unhealthy habit in food, alcoholand physical activity for a healthierone.

Offers including discounted gymmembership and half price swim-ming sessions form part of 5m vouch-er booklets, worth £50 each, whichare being given away through theNews of the World and Asda super-markets.

The booklets also include recipesfor healthier meal options and nutri-tional advice.

The Fitness Industry Association’sexecutive director David Stalker said: “'This is a very exciting initiative for our industry to beinvolved in.

“The New Year is typically a timewhen our industry comes underscrutiny but this year we are

delivering the physical activity strandof a major public health campaign.

“The campaign is yet another wayin which we are developing integrat-ed health solutions by working along-side Government and industry. It’s allabout working together for the healthof the nation.

“It is essential that we make physi-cal activity more accessible in orderto support more people to engagewith it.”

The physical activity swap is alsobeing supported by a websitewww.moreactive4life.co.uk whereparticipants can register their detailsto access offers from participatingFIA members.

As a result of the campaign, theGovernment is aiming to deliver 1mhealthy swaps among families andadults in England.

� How are you getting involved withthe campaign at your gym? LetWorkout know by contacting our edi-torial team on 01226 734463 orce@whpl.net

Personal training company BodyUK hasdeveloped its first programme specificallygeared towards marathon training.The Marathon Training Launch PadProgramme caters to all abilities fromworld class athlete to first time marathonnovice and was developed by BodyUK per-sonal trainer and owner Jem Scragg.It covers a range of topics essential to

success, from the science behind marathonrunning to physical and mental condition-ing including nutrition and hydration andrace day preparation. Sessions are deliv-ered by a combination of tools includinglive training events and Skype and partici-pants also gain access to BodyUK’s socialnetworks, giving them the opportunity tointeract with each other online.

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EXPERTS at Freedom Leisurehave revealed their top fitnessclasses for 2011 – with Latindance craze Zumba comingout on top.

Other predictions includePilates – loved by celebritiessuch as Sarah Jessica Parkerand Kelly Osbourne –Kettlebells, Boxercise, Spinningand Bodypump.

As well as predicting the mostpopular classes for this year,Freedom Leisure’s professionaltrainers have also forecasttrends for the next few months.

These include an increase inthe number of short intensiveworkouts such as 30 minutecircuit training, new technology including trainingapps and social networkswhich can provide a supportnetwork for users and more fit-ness programmes for olderadults.Kelly Osbourne is a big fan of Pilates.

Zumbacomestop ofthe class

New networkset to targetcasual usersA NEW online network has beenlaunched to target casual gym userswho prefer to pay as you go ratherthan being tied into a contract.

The website www.payasUgym.comallows users to find a club, book asession and visit on a pay as you gobasis, without being tied into a longterm agreement.

Users can create their own account,locate a gym they wish to use andthen purchase an e-pass which canbe redeemed at their chosen club’sreception to gain access.

Customers are provided with anonline e-wallet where money can beloaded on to spend on e-passes forparticipating clubs. The idea forpayasUgym was created when col-leagues Jamie Ward and Neil Harms-worth travelled home from a cus-tomer meeting discussing the diffi-culties in finding a decent gym thatcan just be visited on a one-off basis.

Neil explained: “Consumers aredemanding more choice and better value for money in all areas of the economy – the leisure industry

is no exception. The time is right tofind a new way to engage with cus-tomers that they will respond to byoffering more flexible and affordableoptions. We then need to communi-cate these options more effectively bytapping into new technologies suchas Smartphones and social network-ing rather than relying on out-datedsales techniques. PayasUgym listensto what customers are telling us andwe communicate with them usingchannels that they trust to increasethe overall number of people visitingthe gym for operators.”

The cost of each visit varies from £5to £35 depending on the individualgym and the services it offers as wellas the time of visit depending onpeak or off-peak usage.

Another benefit of the programmeis the wide variety of gyms on offer,ranging from top-end luxury healthclubs to practical, ‘no-frills’ gyms.

The site has already launched inLondon and the South East – withplans in place to roll it out across theUK later this year.

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ALTHOUGH Bryony admits shewas devastated to find herself outof work last year, she managed tolook on the bright side and turnwhat could have been a difficultchallenge into an exciting new ven-ture.

Having always wanted to open agym and now with the time on herhands to do something about it,Bryony, pictured right, startedlooking into her options and think-ing about the type of club shewould want to run.

With the focus firmly on provid-ing a centre which the whole com-munity could enjoy, she begandoing some research.

But after discovering that open-ing a gym could prove to be expen-sive, she started looking at deliver-ing community workshops in localcentres instead.

This led to a meeting withGordon Clarke from the SportsCouncil of Wales who explainedthat he was situated at a run downgym in Markham – a small villagein South Wales – which had beenclosed for 18 months and thatthere was an opportunity for her towork with them.

Meetings soon followed with theMarkham Committee, SportsCouncil for Wales and CaerphillyCounty Council, to discuss ideasand proposals to get the gym backin operation for the local commu-nity.

An action plan has now been putin place and Bryony is looking for-ward to opening Fit-Smart inMarch – running the gym as herown private business via a leaseagreement with the communitycentre.

According to Bryony, the main

aim of the gym is to provide goodquality, affordable facilities forlocal people and she will be usingher experience as an instructor andmanager in the fitness industry todeliver this.

She said: “I have always had aninterest in health and fitness, buthave never been able to work local-ly due to it being quite a deprivedarea, so opportunities in this sectorwere hard to come by.

“Back in March 2010, I came outof work, and as devastating as thisblow was to me, it was also a wakeup call.

“Sometimes you become compla-cent and when bad things happen,such as the loss of a job, particular-ly in the recent economic climate,you have to take it in your strideand come out stronger.

“I made a decision to start myown business.

“My ideal dream has always beento have my own gym, somethinglocal, for everyone and user friend-ly focusing on rehab and wellness.”

Since starting the business plan,Bryony has also received supportfrom UnLtd, an organisation pro-viding help to young entrepre-neurs, which has supported hertraining.

And with only a few weeks to gountil the gym opens it doors,Bryony is also working hard tospread the word.

As Markham is only a small com-munity, word of mouth is proving avaluable tool. She is also planningto contact members of the formerclub, distribute leaflets and utilisesocial networks.

She told Workout she hopes toattract about 200 members andalready has big plans to offer arange of services to local people

including personal training, anafter school club and communityworkshops to teach skills such asfirst aid.

She added: “We don't want it tobe just a gym. Fit-Smart will be forall levels and abilities. Themachines in the gym are pneumat-ic so are fantastic for elderly anddisabled.

“I will be offering personal pro-gramming, fitness consultations,fitness testing and rehabilitation. Iam also giving an opportunity totake on apprenticeships andincrease employment or workexperience for local young peoplewho have an interest in health anfitness.

“I feel the gym has so muchpotential and am really looking for-ward to working with the commu-nity and getting it used to its fullpotential.”

Losing her job inspired Bryony Gurmin to follow a lifelong dream to run her own gym. Now with the clubjust weeks away from opening its doors, she shares her story with Workout.

Job loss put Bryony on pathto realising her gym dream

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ORGANISERS of FIBO haveannounced that the world’s largesttrade show dedicated to fitness andwellness will be moving to Colognefrom 2013.

The new agreement between tradeshow organiser, Reed ExhibitionsDeutschland GmbH and KoelnmesseAusstellungen GmbH has a term of10 years and covers the period up toand including 2022.

The next two events in 2011 and2012 will be held in Essen.

The reason for the change is to givethe show more space and allow it toexpand.

At this year’s FIBO – which will beheld from 14 to 17 April 2011 in Essen– the 75,000 mÇ show already takesup all available ground level halls andover the last five-year period thenumber of exhibitors has increasedfrom 339 to most recently 561 com-panies.

Managing director of ReedExhibitions Deutschland GmbHHans-Joachim Erbel said: “Because ofthe success and the pleasant workingrelationship we have had with MesseEssen it is particularly hard to say

goodbye, and yet it is inevitable asour future space requirements allowno further delay.”

When the show moves to Colognein two years time, it will occupy86,000 ms, taking up four new halls aswell as parts of three others.

Halls six to nine will be reserved asa specialist show for the growingFitness, Wellness and Health segmentwhile halls one to three will be usedby FIBO POWER, which takes place atthe same time and is devoted specifi-cally to bodybuilding and weighttraining.

FIBO 2010

World’s largest tradeshow on the move

The Cologne exhibition

Hotel chainin gym dealLEISURE Connection has signed adeal with Park Inn Hotels to manageeight gyms and fitness facilitiesacross its UK hotels.

The company will manage the InnAction gym brand, which includeshotels in Heathrow, Bedford,Nottingham and York and has com-mitted more than a quarter of a mil-lion pounds to updating and refur-bishing the facilities.

As well as the gyms, LeisureConnection will also be launchingand delivering its SwimSchool brandof lessons to children and adults.

Leisure Connection CEO RichardMillman said: “This is exciting newsfor both Leisure Connection and ParkInn and we are looking forward toengaging with new communities tooffer them a cost effective gymoption.

“Many of these facilities have swim-ming pools so we will be offering oursuccessful swimming packages.”

ST Peters Leisure Centre hasbecome the first club inBurnley to offer Star Trac’s offi-cial Spinning programme.

Neil Hutchinson, leisure and facilities manager, wantedto raise the club’s profile by offering members access to an indoor group cycle class that they could not find anywhere else in the area.

He said: “In Burnley I want tomake sure that we are offeringour members the very best inexercise equipment and classconcepts.

“Everyone you speak to knows about the Spinning programme, but not everyone is registered as an official facility, so it is something thatwe are proud to offer and bepart of.”

Spinning firstfor centre

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By Louise Cordell

A FITNESS instructor has told how anunexpected name change generatedpriceless PR coverage and boostedher business.

Bromley-based Louise Whyte wasmade to change the name of hercompany Penelope Fitstop – a playon the name of glamorous cartooncharacter Penelope Pitstop – after acomplaint from rights holder Hanna-Barbera.

The name has now been changed toPenelope Fitstar and Louise toldWorkout that because the story waspicked up by national press, it hasraised the company’s profile – attract-ing more visitors to the website andencouraging new clients to sign up.

Louise said: “When I set up thecompany I just thought it was acatchy name. The business grewquite quickly and I was looking intofranchising so had to register thetrademark. I was very shocked to getthe letter on behalf of Hanna-Barbera.

“I wanted to keep the new namesimilar as the brand is quite distinc-

tive. We came up with a compromisethat we were happy with and thatthey were also happy for us to use.

“It has given us a lot of PR and hasbeen in the national papers, whichhas made people become moreaware of us.”

The company was set up in April2009 after Louise spotted a gap in themarket for personal training sessionswhich focus on the needs of mums ormums-to-be – and she has big plansto grow the business further this year.

These include the launch of‘Bootox’ – a bootcamp set in localwoodland and a seven day diet planwhich gives busy women resultswithout the need for them to stayaway from their families.

She added: “Residential camps arepopular but so expensive and notalways practical. We are offering amore flexible version where womencan get really good results.”

Other plans include expanding thewebsite to include a new online shop,which will stock branded clothingand the popular pink kit used inworkouts.

Louise bounces backafter studio giant putsbrake on Fitstop name

Louise Whyte

Chain offers‘salvation’ at the gymGYM chain LA Fitness haslaunched a New Year campaignto help new members lose fes-tive temptation and find ‘salva-tion’ at the gym.

The Church of LA Fitness cam-paign includes a no joining feeor no contract offer – givingpotential members the chanceto try before they buy.

The no contract offer meanspeople can try out the facilitiesbefore committing to a longerterm contract, while the joiningfee promotion is eligible onsome long term membershipsfor those who want to sign upon the spot.

And to help gymgoers get intothe spirit, gym teams around theUK will dress up as angels anddevils to introduce people to thenew LA Fitness experience.

Marketing director Tony Ormesaid: “We know that during thefestive season most people tendto overindulge – often feelingguilty about how much they’veeaten and drunk. The Church ofLA Fitness is a fun way toencourage them to redeem theirfood and drink sins and get backto fitness without preaching!”

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'Too expensive'gyms blamedfor inactivityBy Christina Eccles

ALMOST a third of Britons are beingput off being more physically activebecause of the financial cost, a surveyfor World Cancer Research Fund hasfound.

According to the YouGov survey, 30per cent of people said the cost ofgyms and leisure centres preventsthem being more physically active.

The expense issue seems to particu-larly affect younger people, with 42per cent of 18 to 24 year olds men-tioning financial cost as a reason fornot being more physically active –compared to 19 per cent in the oldestage group, the over-55s.

Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy headof science at WCRF, said: “It is a con-cern that so many people feel thatfinancial cost is stopping them beingmore physically active.

“Particularly in these economicallydifficult times, it is important for usto get the message across that beingphysically active does not have tomean signing up at expensive gymsor leisure centres.

“There are plenty of ways of beingactive that are either free or do notcost much.

“For example, people can take up

brisk walking or running, or startplaying a sport that they enjoy.

“Even hobbies such as dancing andgardening can count towards yourdaily total.

“But as well as highlighting the factthat physical activity is something wecan all do regardless of our income,we also need to do more to highlightthe benefits of it, including the effectit has on cancer risk.”

The survey of 2,196 people foundthat 36 per cent said pressure on timebecause of work, family or homecommitments prevented them beingmore physically active.

Pressure on time was also thebiggest impediment to full-time stu-dents’ physical activity, with 43 percent choosing this option, followedby financial cost.

Over a fifth of students said theypreferred to spend their time socialis-ing, compared to a nationwide aver-age of six per cent.

The British weather was also men-tioned as a factor, with 18 per cent ofBritons saying bad weather preventedthem from being more active outside.

However, one in five people saidthey simply could not be botheredand this figure rose to almost a thirdfor 18 to 24 year olds.

TOP rugby trainer Paul Gater hasjoined forces with Versaclimber UKto endorse its Versapulley weightlessexercise machine.

Paul, who is head of strength andconditioning at London Welsh RugbyClub and a consultant to profession-al footballers in Spain and the UK,will help to promote the equipmentacross Europe.

He agreed to act as an ambassadorafter using it throughout his careerto develop a strength and condition-ing programme that has been usedto train some of the world’s topsports people.

Paul said: “In my opinion, rugby

can be the hardest sport to train forat top flight level.

“But over the last five years, I’vefound that the weightless training ofthe Versapulley helps to fill the gapthat free weights leave in training thefull power spectrum. The rotaryinertia training that the Versapulleyoffers gives me an invaluable tool tobuild strength, power and fitness forhealthy and injured athletes alike.

“By acting as a consultant forVersaclimber UK, I’m looking for-ward to educating others in thesporting world as to how theVersapulley can be used to createworld-class athletes.”

Paul Gater

Rugby trainer touchesdown with supportfor exercise machine

New classes aim to motivateA GYM in South Yorkshire isencouraging members to stick to their fitness resolutionswith a range of new fitness classes.

New additions at Stadium Fitness– which is based at Doncaster’sKeepmoat Stadium – include out-door fitness sessions alongsidecardio step, body pump and circuittraining.

Chief executive of the StadiumManagement Company Shane

Chalmers said: “When the New Year begins it’s always a brilliant chance to turn over a newleaf and up fitness levels, butsometimes regular monotonousexercise routines can be off-putting.

“So we are thrilled to able to pro-vide these new fun-filled activitieswhich cater to all fitness abilities,bringing motivation and enjoy-ment to all those who try themout.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE20

Club vows to keepserving communityamid funding fearsBy Christina Eccles

A SHEFFIELD club which pridesitself on being ‘a real gym for realpeople’ has vowed to keep servingthe community – despite threats toits main sources of funding.

Zest – which is situated in one ofthe more deprived areas of the city– markets itself as a healthy livingcentre for the whole of the commu-nity.

Facilities include a fully equippedgym and swimming pool as well asa library, baby and toddler groups,childrens’ fitness sessions andnewly launched adult weight man-agement classes.

The centre currently receivesfunding from Sheffield City Counciland Primary Care Trust, but withthe prospect of budget cuts forcingcouncils to tighten their belts andthe disbanding of PCTs, it will facechallenging times ahead.

However, centre manager KarenPurnell told Workout that Zest is avital part of the community andstaff are doing all they can to makesure it stays open.

She said: “We are worried. We aredoing everything we can toincrease turnover and make our-selves sustainable. We have reason-able prices for what we offer anddon’t try and compete with nearbyfacilities.

“What we offer is quite unique,we are not just a swimming pooland a gym. We offer personal cus-tomer service, which is what makesus stand out.”

Zest aims to offer somethingwhich the whole family can enjoy – ranging from women only sessions, men only sessions,classes for the over 50s and classes for kids.

Karen added that she feels gyms

should act as community hubs –somewhere where local people canfeel comfortable, which providesthem with accessible and afford-able facilities.

And she believes that Zest isexactly that.

She added: “We have a successfulexercise referral scheme and also acardiac rehabilitation scheme, bothof which attract large numbers ofolder customers who love it here so

much they tend to join the gymafter they have finished their spe-cific sessions – I bet we’re the onlygym playing Elvis, Jim Reeves andPerry Como whilst the customerswork out.

“We will never compete withFitness First down the road. Ours isa different community. We knowthat people come to us becausethey like the atmosphere. We are areal gym for real people.”

‘I bet we’re the only gym playing Elvis, Jim Reeves and Perry Como whilst the customers work out ...’

Quest’sfuture isshapedINDUSTRY experts have come togeth-er to decide on the future structure ofQuest – the UK quality scheme forsport and leisure.

The vision for ‘Quest 2011’ was cre-ated during a two working group,where decisions for significantchanges were made.

One of these is the introduction ofan entry level registration aimed atsmaller and newly opened sites withthe aim of making sure that everyfacility has the opportunity to beexternally accredited.

The full Quest assessment will alsobe getting an overhaul to make itmore flexible and relevant.

Other changes include replacementof the current scoring system with abanding structure to ensure Quest2011 is easy for facility users to under-stand and recognise.

It has also been decided that thescheme may be amended throughoutthe year, should best practice or feed-back change, instead of being limitedto a re-launch evey three years.

Martyn Allison, Quest chair, said:“Quest must belong to the sector andrepresent the standards of manage-ment and service we want to aspire to.

“I hope these efforts made will meanthe new product meets the sector’sneeds and that they will all now buyinto it in these challenging times.”

Quest 2011 will be officiallylaunched at the inaugural nationalconference in Loughborough inMarch and the first new assessmentsagainst the updated standards willtake place shortly after April 2011.

Brits burn cashTHE average Brit wastes over £300-a-year on unused gym membershipsand classes, according to a survey byonline accountants Crunch.co.uk

According to the poll, 77 per cent ofadults asked confessed to wasting ‘alot’ of money on swanky gyms andnever actually used them. It revealedthat the average person spends £303on unused fitness centres, althoughone in 20 has squandered as much as£500 in one year. The poll found thatpeople also waste hard-earned cashon food, drink, gadgets and clothes.

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UK FITNESS SCENE22Functional training toolViPR is whipping contestants into shapeduring the new series ofITV’s The Biggest Loser.The show sees 13 overweight people moveinto a health retreat andundergo an intense healthand fitness regime – withthe aim of losing the mostweight to become ‘thebiggest loser’ and win a£25,000 prize.Richard Callender,pictured left with theViPR, is one of the trainersputting contestantsthrough their paces in theshow.Richard said of ViPR: “I’dseen it around and wasintrigued.“It fits with my trainingmethodology – freestyle,functional, and it incorporates the wholebody.”

Programmegets over-35men movingBy Louise Cordell

A FITNESS programme which includ-ed free gym membership has report-ed great success in encouraging inac-tive men over 35 to lead healthierlives.

Y Active Men – a YMCA national fit-ness motivation programme devisedto tackle inactivity among middleaged men – ran for 12 weeks and wasfunded by Men’s Health Week and theDepartment of Health.

The project was led by activity forhealth charity Central YMCA andinvolved over 120 men who were alltracked before and over the period ofthe project.

It encompassed free gym member-ship, health and well being assess-ments before, during and after theprogramme and ongoing professionalsupport.

The results found that there was asignificant reduction in waist circum-ference for men who took part, manyachieved a reduction in weight and

others achieved muscle mass.Other benefits included a reduction

in blood pressure, increased aerobicfitness and increased psychologicalwell being.

Participants also said they ate morehealthily and that being involved gavethem the motivation to become moreactive.

Director of innovation and develop-ment at Central YMCA and one of thefounders of the programme RobinGargrave said: “Y Active Men hasmanaged to get a significant numberof inactive men motivated to lead anactive lifestyle and shown how exer-cise also helps reduce stress, increaseconfidence and promote positivewellbeing.”

Upon completion of the pro-gramme, one in five participants paidto become members of their localYMCA Fitness facility and mostreported that the programme hadbeen life changing – making themdetermined to find ways of gettingand keeping fit.

Two fire stations in Northumberland have benefited from new fitness equipment, suppliedand installed by SportsArt UK. Northumberland Fire & Rescue’s Pegswood community firestation and West Hartford fire station and headquarters both house the state-of-the-artfacilities. The new equipment includes two treadmills, a stepper, an elliptical and uprightbikes plus several strength training stations and dumbells.

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UK FITNESS SCENE 23

IT was smiles all round at theNational Fitness Awards whenClub Manager won innova-tion/product of the year.

Club Manager has a combi-nation of unique skills thatfully understand your businessfrom the inside.

So what next for ClubManager in 2011?

Spokesman Wayne Heathsaid: “Winning this award hasmeant that we are going towork even harder, providinginnovation at all levels to

improve the performance ofour customers’ businesses.Without the support from ourcustomers we would not behere today.”

Club Manager has recentlycontinued their expansion bymoving to new offices whichallow them to provideimproved in-house trainingfacilities, customer support,and much needed office space.He added: “Our focus into2011 is to introduce cuttingedge software that enables our

customers to be more in con-trol of their member retention,member activity and memberintention. By doing this a clubcan ensure that they can sus-tain a solid business in whathas been some of the most dif-ficult economic conditions wehave ever experienced.”

This is clearly a winningcombination to watch in 2011.To find out more details con-tact Club Manager on 01245352 000 or info@clubmanager-central.com

What’s next for Club Manager in 2011?

Key brands help chainget off to a winning startTHE NEW year got off to a winning start for Fitness Firstafter the company joinedforces with several key brandsto promote its January cam-paigns.

The gym chain partneredwith brands including O2,Nestle and News Internationalto deliver a number of offersdesigned to boost New Yearmembership figures at its 160clubs.

The company has alsolaunched a high-profile adver-tising campaign which takes inkey publications and London

Underground digital sites.

Managing director JohnGamble said: “2011 is set to bea hugely important year forFitness First and the fitnessindustry in general and wewant to ensure that as manypeople as possible are aware ofwhat we have to offer.

“The very latest in groupexercise classes such as Get Fitwith Mel B and Strictly Fit arehugely popular, and ongoinginvestment in the very latest innew fitness equipment andinnovations provide our mem-bers with an extremely com-

prehensive fitness offering.’’

He added that the company’ssuccessful Jump Start pro-gramme – offering six-weekmembership and three person-al training sessions – has alsobeen re-launched to help peo-ple kick start their fitnessregimes.

� Did your club experience aNew Year membership boom?What are you doing to attractnew members through thedoors? Let us know by emailingce@whpl.net or contacting theWorkout editorial team on01226 734463.

One of Fitness First’s most popular group exercise classes is GetFit with Mel B.

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UK FITNESS SCENE24

SOCIAL media channels likeFacebook and Twitter are part ofmany clubs’ marketing strategy.The focus is often on getting moremembers. However sites likeFacebook can also play a big partin member retention, or gettingyour existing members moreactive, more often.

The golden rule of social mediaengagement is to plan before youstart. You should educate, encour-age and acknowledge your mem-bers on the channels that they use.

Educating is relatively simple; letmembers know about classes, chal-lenges, events and the like. To getthe most from social media andextend your reach you need toidentify the influencers and ampli-fiers among your members. Theseare the ones who forward invitesonto their contacts; both existingmembers and prospects. Thenreward these influencers – a thankyou is a good start, and for somemembers will be all the rewardthey need to continue spreadingthe word.

Encouraging members towardstheir goals and congratulatingthem on reaching a goal is anothergreat use of social media for reten-tion. While all goals are individual,achieving a goal is something everymember can do. Whether it’s visit-ing once a week for two months,running 20k a month, or bench

pressing 10 x 100kg, a Tweet orFacebook message saying “welldone” goes a long way, especially if10 more of the members’ friends‘like’ it.

Publishing members’ photoswhen they achieve something (asindividuals or as a team) can havea really positive effect. This canserve as a reminder of theirachievement, particularly with‘before and after’ photos. Whenyou ask for a testimonial, ask totake a quick video as well. Thisreminds the member of the valuethey’re getting, and strengthenstheir bond with your club.

Location-based services likeFoursquare are a great way of iden-tifying and rewarding memberswho shout about your club. There’smore to it than the Gym Rat badge(awarded if you visit a gym morethan 10 times in 30 days).Acknowledge or reward your‘mayor’ (user who checks-in themost), and give specials to mem-bers based on number or frequen-cy of check-ins.

These are just a few ideas of howto use social media for memberretention. Many tools are free(check out Socialoomph, Cotweet,Howsociable), but they take timeand resource to manage. Find outmore, get some examples, or addyour own thoughts onggfit.blogspot.com. Most impor-

tantly, ask your members whichchannels they use and what inter-actions they would like. � Next month Guy will be lookingat selling retention to new mem-bers.

� Guy Griffiths works for GG Fit, anindependent consultancy thathelps clubs to focus on memberretention by working with staff,systems and processes www.ggfit.com twitter - @ggfit

Social media can prove a valuable tool for any club wanting to interact with itsmembers. In this month’s column, Guy Griffiths shares his tips.

Guy Griffiths

Social media: whymembers ‘like it’

Forum aimsto improvenation’s healthTHE FIA has joined forces with themedical profession in a bid toimprove the health of the nation.

A joint consultative forum has beenestablished between the associationand a number of Royal MedicalColleges and Faculties to better useexercise in both preventing ill-healthand treating disease in primary care.

The Forum is the first of its kind andsees exercise professionals sharing atable with doctors from a number ofthe Royal Colleges, tasked to find waysin which healthcare professionals canrefer individuals to exercise.

The group is chaired by the FitnessIndustry Association’s chief medicalofficer Dr. John Searle.

He said: “For exercise to become anormal part of healthcare in the UK itis vital that the fitness sector worksclosely with doctors and other healthprofessionals. The Joint ConsultativeForum is a key part of this strategyand hence in improving the well beingof patients.”

New websitelaunchedLOW cost gym provider The GymGroup has launched a new websiteafter implementing changes to makeit easier to use and more interactive.

The new design follows severalmonths of research and developmentand includes new features such asvideo walk-throughs of each gym,Google Maps to allow users to findinformation about gym locations andexclusive discounts with partner com-panies.

CEO John Treharne said: “It’s worthmentioning that 50 per cent of ourmembers have never joined a clubbefore, so it’s key that we build on ourflexible approach with a website thatworks for the end user.

“It’s important for us to develop ahealthy discourse with our members,and how our website functions for thecustomer is central to this relation-ship.”

Technology creates more synergy at health clubAN award-winning spa and healthclub in Stratford upon Avon hasintroduced the the latest Power Platetechnology to create more synergybetween its spa treatments and fit-ness facilities.

The 37,000 sq ft Wildmoor Spa andHealth Club has invested in a PowerPlate pro6 model to further expand

its offering to visitors.Director Anthony Bird said: “To cre-

ate a superior health and fitness areawe needed to offer the newest equip-ment, so the Power Plate pro6 modelwas the obvious choice. The trainingand support we received, togetherwith the proven results of this tech-nology, helps our members achieve

their goals.“To strengthen the link between the

fitness and spa facilities, we are plan-ning to include a Power Plate sessionin some of our spa day packages, asthe benefits also extend to aidingrelaxation and reducing cellulite. Weare sure this will help to increase thewellbeing of our guests.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE26

Campaign andnew kit gets yearoff to flying startBy Christina Eccles

UPGRADED state-of-the-artequipment and a New Yearcampaign is helping a club inLancashire to get 2011 off toa flying start.

Hurlston Leisure inScarisbrick installed the lat-est range of new True cardioequipment into the clubbefore Christmas and alsogave their six-year-old ForceStrength equipment a makeover. The new equipmentwas provided by FitnessSystems, which the club hasbeen working with since itopened in 2005.

The club has also launcheda New Year, New You cam-paign which offers no joiningfee and a pack of vouchersworth £100.

And club manager IanSheppard said that the com-bination of the campaignand the new equipment isworking well to bring in newmembers and keep existingones.

“Our members now havethe ability to watch all freeview TV channels, connect

their i pods on the 15-inchtouch screen and use theinnovative new programmesincluding Mix 3 and Heartrate control,” said Ian.

“The campaign is a suc-cessful way of attracting newmembers. Most clubs realisethat January/February is theoptimum time – that is oneof the reasons why webought the equipment at theend of November.

“The refurbishment showswe are here for the long termand are investing in theclub.”

The fact that the club has

had a recent upgrade hasgone on all their marketing,including its website andadvertising, and although Iansays the gym is comfortablewith its 1,500 members, headded he hoped this mightdraw in a few more.

Future plans at the clubinclude making changes toits class timetable.

These include the additionof Zumba, which has beenintroduced after Ian listenedto feedback from memberswho said they would like to see the classes at the club.

Gym-goers like to stick close to home – reportLOCATION is the most importantconcern for potential members look-ing to join a gym, a new report hasrevealed.

The YouGov SixthSense report askedrespondents to think about the gymthey use most often and were askedwhich factors were important inchoosing that gym.

The results showed that 70 per centof gymgoers said that a ‘locationclose to home’ is the most pressing

concern when choosing their gym. On the other hand, nearly one in

five (18 per cent) UK gymgoersrequire a convenient location nearwork. 64 per cent of respondents saidthat a reasonable price is significantwhen choosing a gym or health club,making it the most important consid-eration after location.

YouGov respondents were alsoasked what their reasons were forgoing to the gym. 80 per cent visit the

gym to improve general health andfitness levels. Over half (58 per cent)cited weight loss as a reason and afurther 29 per cent want to build upmuscle. 34 per cent said that theypreviously frequented gyms andhealth centres but now no longer doso – with the most popular reasonfor quitting being that gym member-ship was too expensive.

The results also showed popularexercises undertaken at gyms or

health clubs. These included using atreadmill and bikes and swimming.

Research director for YouGovSixthSense, James McCoy said:“Gymgoers put a strong emphasis onwell-being and fitness. As such, regi-mens are skewed towards the aero-bic. It is apparent that the majority ofpeople do not require anything out ofthe ordinary when looking for a gym– consequently, they are unlikely toagree to extraordinarily high prices.”

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TRAINING30

The trustmodelpromotedSPORTA is holding a ‘Time toTrust’ conference to promotethe trust model to localauthorities considering howbest to deliver their leisureservices.

The day-long event is idealfor local authorities lookingfor a more cost effective andcommunity led approach toleisure that fits both the BigSociety and Localism agen-das.

Craig McAteer, chair ofSporta said: “At a time whenresources are scarce, withincreased pressure ‘to domore for less’, and with aGovernment committed totransferring the delivery ofpublic services to socialenterprises in the third sec-tor, our members can givevaluable advice on setting upa new social enterprise/trustor working with an existingtrust in their area.”

The conference will takeplace on February 16 in cen-tral London – for more infor-mation or book your spaceemail helenfalco@leisure-net.org.

Barnsley-based leisure provider BPL has a new chief executive, TimWilson. Tim has headed the human resources team at BPL since it wasestablished as a charitable trust in 1999.He said: “I am delighted to take up the lead position as chief execu-tive of BPL. The trust has been a fantastic success story, increasingparticipation in sporting activities within the Barnsley borough forjust over a decade. We recently won the contract to manageBassetlaw District Council’s leisure facilities and we are working hardto achieve similar increases in usage in that area.”

England rugby international Mike Tindall has opened the new KeiserPerformance Testing Centre in Tetbury. He was accompanied by for-mer team mate and Wales scrum half, Gareth Cooper to carry outthe official opening. Keiser md Tim Colston said: “I am thrilled thatMike Tindall has kindly agreed to carry out the official duties at ouropen day. Mike uses Keiser equipment both at the Gloucester RFCgym and at his home so he is familiar with the quality and effec-tiveness of our products.”

Launch for Quest 2011THE new and improved Quest2011 is to be launched at anational conference inLoughborough on March 1.

The conference will takeplace at Holywell Park confer-ence centre and outline thesignificant changes plannedfor Quest, which are set toreinvigorate the qualityscheme over the coming year.

Quest regional managerDavid Monkhouse said:“Whether you’re an existing

Quest site looking for a newchallenge or you’re consider-ing Quest as a future develop-ment tool to drive businessand improve your customer’sexperience, this event is amust.”

The day will include work-shops and presentations fromthe Quest team, plus presenta-tions from Quest-accreditedcentres on how having theaward has improved theirfacility.

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UK FITNESS SCENE32

Be a doctor of sellingBy Dave Wright, Creative Fitness Marketing

JANUARY and February are thetimes of the year that marketing forhealth clubs and fitness productsare in full force – trying to capital-ize on everyone’s New Year’s resolu-tions.

Here are three simple steps tosharpen your sales skills, keep youfocussed on helping the customerand hopefully help you take advan-tage of that increased interest inour sector.

Three keys to building relationshipsThe real key for selling in the

fitness industry is that you shouldsee yourself as a ‘Doctor of Selling’.

So just as someone in the medicalprofession, you should see yourselfas professional, educated, acting inyour patient’s best interest, and are respected for a high code ofethics.

If you think about it, the medicalprocess is the same everywhere.Whenever you go to any doctor, ofany kind, for any condition, he willfollow the three part sequence of 1.examination, 2. diagnosis and 3.prescription.Begin with a thorough examination

Just as a medical professionalwould never think of treating you

without following these three stepsin order, you as a fitness consultantshouldn’t either.

You should always begin with afitness profile or questionnaire so that you can examine (and not presume) all that you need to know about the potential mem-ber.

So in the examination phase, youask excellent questions, carefullyprepared, in sequence, which aregeared to give you a thoroughknowledge of the patient's condi-tion, or the customer's situation.i.e, HELP (How they heard aboutthe club, What’s their Experience,what’s their Lifestyle and what’s theProblem as to why they are in frontof you).

Diagnose the customer's need accuratelyThe second phase is that of diag-

nosis. In the diagnosis phase with acustomer, you would repeat backthe results of your examination anddouble check to be sure that thesymptoms that you had detectedwere the real symptoms beingexperienced by the patient.

You would ask additional ques-tions to confirm and make surethat you are on the same page withthe potential member.

You and the patient would mutu-

ally agree that this diagnosis seemsto be an accurate description of thecondition or problem.

“So if I understand it correctlyMary, you want to achieve XYZ sothat you can be able to push yourchild on a swing ... is that right?”

Make the right prescriptionOnce this mutual agreement has

been reached, that a treatable con-dition exists and that you haveidentified it accurately, you canmove on to phase three.

This is the prescription phase,where you show the patient (potential member) that your club is the best available treatment,taking all the factors of thepatient's situation into considera-tion for the ailment that you havediagnosed.

You show that, on balance, whatyou are suggesting is the best of allpossible solutions. In effect, you aresaying… ‘Mary… you told me ABCand that you wanted XYZ and thistype of membership is the solutionthat you wanted.’

Fitness consultants who sell in theway that doctors treat patientsfinally realise that they are trulythere to help someone improvetheir life. But what happens withmany clubs is that they prescribe

before the diagnosis and it justcomes off as being pushy.

If a doctor was to do that, then he’d either lose his licence (orget a job with the NHS ... only jok-ing).

Dave Wright

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UK FITNESS SCENE 33

Adonis Complexwarning aboutyoung male usersBy Christina Eccles

GYMS have been warned to watch out for the signsof what experts have labelled the ‘Adonis Complex’in young male gym users.

As part of a project for his University of DerbyPsychology and Counselling Studies degree course,student scientist Ross Thomson investigatedwhether there is a link between the pursuit of alean, muscular idealised body, the drive for mus-cularity and self esteem levels.

He embarked on research with 50 male gym usersat LA Fitness in Derby who included weight andresistance training at least twice a week as part oftheir fitness regime. He also studied 50 male non-gym users from the wider Derby city area who hadnot taken part in regular exercise or sport for thelast 12 months.

Participants completed questionnaires gaugingtheir scores against three tests: the Drive forMuscularity Scale, the Rosenberg self-esteem scaleand the Muscle Dysmorphic Inventory (MDI).

Ross discovered the results for the gym userswere similar to those reported by bodybuilders andweightlifters in other studies – suggesting thisgroup might be at risk of adopting potentiallyharmful behaviours in the pursuit of muscularity.

They may also be susceptible to the effects ofimages which promote muscle development foundin gyms, resulting in lower self-esteem.

The study found that gym users possessed ahigher drive for muscularity than non-gym usersand suffered from increased feelings of beinginsufficiently muscular, or too small comparedwith non-gym users, as measured by the MDI.

Now Ross is suggesting fitness instructors shouldhave a greater awareness of these issues whenassessing the training regimes used by individualgym users and that clubs should make membersaware of support outlets available to them.

He said: “While most men who exercise in gymsdo so responsibly and are realistic about theirphysique, there appears to be a male body imagecontinuum with those possessing excessive drivefor muscularity levels being more susceptible tobody dysmorphia.

“This particular group of men may also be at riskof adopting potential harmful behaviours such aseating disorders and steroid use in the pursuit ofmuscularity. While these concerns seem to be wellknown in bodybuilding and specialised gyms, it iscurrently unclear how widespread this problem isin more mainstream fitness centres.”

His tutor at Derby, senior lecturer in HealthPsychology Dr Vicki Staples added: “Ross’s findingshighlight the potential need for additional moni-toring and safeguarding measures within main-stream gyms to protect men who may be at risk.”

A NEW ladies-only gymhas opened in SouthManchester.

Ladyzone specialisesin offering a 30-minutecircuit based systemwhere women completea mixture of cardio andresistance exercises, in ano-men and no-mirrorsenvironment.

The new club willbring the company’sportfolio to 10 and thesite will also become

Ladyzone’s head office,following a move fromSheffield.

Managing directorJamie Cartwright, whoruns the business withfinancial directorAnthony Carpenter,said: “The opening ofthis site marks a realmilestone for Ladyzone.We survived a recession,have continued to growand the future is look-ing very, very bright.”

The Altrincham gym team, from left: Denise Renshaw,Rachel Brindley, Steph Leese

No-men, no mirrorsconcept moves into Manchester

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UK FITNESS SCENE 35

Gym offers workouts, indoors and outA NEW independent gym which hasopened in Sunderland combinesindoor and outdoor workouts tomaximise results for members.

Mark Banks has opened TheFitness Bank after expanding fromhis previous premises in order togrow the business.

Through advertising in the localpaper, he managed to sign up 13new members within three days ofthe club opening and has broughtabout 100 with him from the oldgym.

As part of their membership pack-age, people who sign up not onlyget to train in the gym, they also getthe chance to take part in Mark’soutdoor bootcamp sessions, whichtake place locally three times aweek. And the combination ofoffering both indoor and outdoorexercise offers members the oppor-tunity to take part in something dif-ferent, which they may not be ableto do at other gyms.

Mark explained: “People like thecombination of both and the

chance to do outdoor training aswell. Members get three sessions aweek plus their time in the gym andalso a diet plan and monthly fitnesstesting.”

Mark added that members of theold club love the new premises andequipment and his long-term planis to get more people through thedoors and become even more suc-cessful. He added: “In future I wantto grow the membership and pro-vide a service where people gainresults both indoors and outdoors.”

How Glossopgym keeps itsmembers happyINDEPENDENT gym owner GlennCampbell is celebrating another suc-cessful year at his club in Glossop.

Glenn has been running Bodycheckfor the last 22 years and says thatalthough other gyms have alwayscome and gone in the town, deliver-ing results and offering high levels ofservice have kept his members com-ing back.

The gym also prides itself on givingsomething back to members and thesurrounding community and regular-ly organises events which local peo-ple can get involved in.

One of the most successful is a chil-dren’s fun run, which takes place in

June, where over 250 kids up to theage of 16 complete a one-mile coursearound Glossop.

The event is supported by localbusinesses and the money raised isdonated to charity – with the pro-ceeds this year going to Help forHeroes.

He said: “Things are going reallywell. We had a cracking year last year.We have seen gyms come and go andthey will continue to do so.

“But we have fantastic equipmentand happy members because wedeliver that extra level of service andthey get results. And people keepcoming back when they get results.”

A FITNESS challenge with a differ-ence has been developed by theNational Trust to help Brits shedthe excess pounds gained over theChristmas period.

The Outdoor Gym Challenge –which encourages people to exer-cise outside in places such as thoselooked after by the Trust – includesexercises such as power walking

and tree press ups.It builds on research done by the

University of Essex, which exploredthe benefits of exercising outdoors.

The exercise challenge wasdevised by Somerset outdoor train-ing company Eco Fitness, whichalready runs exercise programmesat the National Trust’s Stourhead inWiltshire.

A SHEFFIELD leisure centre hashelped one of its members back tofull fitness after she was struck downby meningitis.

Laura Aldrich works as an assistantfitness manager at HillsboroughLeisure Centre and after recoveringfrom her illness, used her place ofwork to help her on the road to fullrecovery.

She explained: “It was really quiteembarrassing. I came back and I wasso weak that I could barely do any-thing. I started doing a Pilates classonce a week to start building up mystrength again.

“It really helped a lot and the staffkept me going at it. In the gym aswell, if I was flagging someone wouldcome up to me and make sure I metmy goal.

“It was really hard to keep going. It’sso easy to just do nothing, especiallywhen the smallest things are just sopainful and tiring.

“It’s all about setting yourself littlegoals though. I made sure I had littletargets that I would complete – atfirst it was small things like walkingdown the stairs but I plan on runningthe London Marathon in 2012.”

Laura Aldrich

Leisure centresupports Laurain her battleagainst illness

Outdoor fitness challenge

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UK FITNESS SCENE36

TV presenter and keen swimmer Gail Porter and Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhewhave officially launched the world’s biggest fundraising swim at Marshall Street LeisureCentre in London’s Soho. Swimathon 2011 is set to hit a record 580 pools across the UKbetween April 8-10, when 22,000 swimmers will raise more than £2m for Marie CurieCancer Care and the Swimathon Foundation. Now in its 24th year, over half a million swim-mers have taken part in Swimathon – swimming the equivalent of 24 times around theworld and raising more than £34m for charity.

Two-month free offer unveiledFREEDOM Leisure has unveiled anew offer for customers signing upfor annual membership – 12 monthsfor the price of 10.

The offer also coincides with the release of new timetables for 2011 and is available until February 6.

Managing director Jeff Hart said: “Inthe current times, people are lookingfor good value and we hope that thissignificant saving will encourage new

and existing members to keep exer-cising.

“Opting for a healthy lifestyle is truly rewarding and the team at Freedom Leisure are here to help customers to reach their goals and get 2011 off to a flyingstart!”

Freedom Leisure operates 23 leisureand fitness sites across Kent andSussex.

Coronation Street starDebbie Rush has releaseda new fitness DVD afterteaming up with athleteAndy Titterall and dropping four dress sizes.Debbie Rush’s BulgeBuster Workout is splitinto seven sections,including cardio and fullbody workouts and partstargeting specific areas ofthe body.Debbie said: “I turned toathlete Andy Titterallwho’s an expert on sportsscience, to show me a routine I could do on myown at home. I decided togo down this routebecause you never see anuntoned or overweightathlete. I’ve been doingmy workout three times aweek for over fourmonths now, and theweight has really droppedoff.”

Ten-year partnership continuesSTAR Trac and Mad Dogg Athleticshave renewed their partnership tocollectively market and distributeSpinner bikes and Spinning programming and education worldwide.

The renewal of this agreement fol-lows a successful 10-year relationshipbetween the two companies, whichhas already included selling over300,000 Spinner bikes to over 30,000

official Spinning facilities worldwide,training over 200,000 certifiedSpinning instructors and developingthe newest Spinning innovations.

Star Trac president and COO Mike Leveque said: “We are pleasedto extend our long-term commitmentwith Mad Dogg and maintain our success as the worldwideleaders in the indoor cycling category.”

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TV presenter Davina McCall’s workout DVD has beenvoted the most effective in a poll by sports nutritionbrand www.myprotein.com

The company conducted the poll as part of researchinto the effectiveness of celebrity fitness DVDs, giventheir popularity as Christmas gifts.

1,924 women aged 18-35 were polled and askedquestions surrounding their experience of the DVDs.

And Davina Fit – hosted by The Biggest Loser pre-senter – was voted by 89 per cent of respondents asthe celebrity workout DVD with the most satisfactoryfitness regime.

The poll also revealed the top 10 celebrity fitnessDVD flops – with Eastenders’ actress Natalie Cassidy’sThen and Now voted number one, followed by KatiePrice’s The Jordan Workout.

Head of marketing Mark Coxhead said: “This time of year inevitably sees the release of a new celebrity fitness DVD; so we wanted to look into which ones do the job, and which ones fall short ofthe mark.

“Although they can be a good way of putting the funinto home exercise; celebrity workout DVDs rarelyproduce lasting results, as people simply don’t enjoyhaving to go through the rigmarole of watching thesame programme day in, day out.” Davina McCall

Nutrition brandgives top marksto Davina’s DVD

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Cherries are not only a delicious way to help make up your ‘five-a-day’, newresearch also suggests that their juice can provide active people with realperformance benefits too. Andrew Hamilton explains …

Pick cherries for veryvigorous workoutsWHAT is cherry juice?Cherry juice is just that – juiceextracted from the cold pressing ofcherries in a press. However, mostof the benefits of drinking cherryjuice (described below) have beenobserved in studies where ‘tart’cherry juice was consumed, forexample from varieties such asMontmorency cherries.

Why consume cherry juice?Like all vividly coloured fruits,cherries are packed with health-giving antioxidants, which aregreat for long-term health.

However, one particular class ofantioxidants called ‘anthocyanins’,which are present at high concen-trations in cherries, appears toexert a very powerful natural anti-inflammatory effect in the body.

In particular, these anthocyaninsseem to be able to reduce theinflammation in muscles andjoints associated with strenuousexercise. Indeed, studies on run-ners and weight trainers haveshown that consuming cherryjuice not only reduces the amountof muscle soreness following exer-cise but also accelerates recovery.

These findings are supported bythe fact that markers of muscledamage at the molecular level arealso reduced when cherry juice isconsumed before exercise.Moreover, a growing body ofresearch suggests that cherriescould reduce inflammation relatedto heart disease, arthritis and mayeven help maintain musclestrength for those suffering fromfibromyalgia – a common andchronic widespread pain disorder.

Who can benefit from drinkingcherry juice?The current research suggests thatcherry juice is most beneficial forthose undertaking unusually vig-orous exercise – for example, yourfirst race of the season or return-ing to full-intensity training after alayoff – or for those who need toperform at maximum intensity onconsecutive days, for example,competing in a tournament wherethere are several heats to getthrough.

Other people who may benefitfrom drinking cherry juice areolder exercisers who regularly suf-fer pain and stiffness in the jointsbut don’t want to resort to anti-inflammatory medication such asIbuprofen.

How should you use cherry juice?Most studies on cherry juice rec-ommend consuming about 12fluid ounces of juice twice a dayfor a few days prior to vigorousexercise.

Of course, being a natural,healthy product, there’s nothing toprevent you from consuming 12-24 ounces of cherry juice a dayeveryday if you’re seeking perma-nent long-term protection.

Where can I find cherry juice?You can of course get the benefitsof cherry juice by eating cherries,but to do this, you’d need to con-sume around 120 cherries a dayand fresh cherries are expensiveout of season!

An easier way is to consumeready prepared cherry juice, which is available from many

health food and sports shops.

� Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons,MRSC, ACSM is a member of theRoyal Society of Chemistry, theAmerican College of SportsMedicine and a consultant to thefitness industry, specialising insport and performance nutrition:www.andrewmarkhamilton.co.uk

Andrew Hamilton

New programme piloted at ten clubsEXPERT advice on diet,nutrition and supplemen-tation will form part of anew training programmeoffered at selected LAFitness clubs.

Piloting in 10 clubs acrossthe country, Small GroupTraining is a series of fourweek intensive pro-grammes that combinefun, interactive exercisesand games with diet andnutrition advice.

Led by an LA Fitnesscoach, the classes are forup to 16 people at a timeand breakdown into twoone-hour sessions perweek for four weeksincluding a 10-minuteeducational slot at the startof each session to helpbuild up customers’knowledge around diet,nutrition and exercise.

National fitness directorMark Talley said: “We are

constantly looking at new,innovative ways in whichwe can help our customersachieve their fitness goals.

We recognise that gettingfit is hard work, so we’vecreated these circuit-basedexercises to be as fun aspossible with game playingand team work. We alsowant to help our cus-tomers understand moreabout their bodies andhow diet and nutrition

affect their health andwellbeing, so we’ve includ-ed a mini-workshop ineach session which we willbuild on each week. We’vealso tied each course into atailored nutritional supple-ment programme to fur-ther enhance the resultsthat our customers want.”

Following the pilot, theprogramme is set to berolled out at LA Fitnessclubs nationwide.

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In this month’s column, Janey Holliday explains why doing your research andcollecting the right resources is the vital first step in launching your ownnutrition and lifestyle service ...

LAST month I talked about why offering alifestyle/nutrition service to your fitness business canhelp your clients achieve their goals and help youboost revenue. I suggested that you created a miniquestionnaire to send to clients regarding what theirlifestyle/nutritional challenges were, to collate theanswers, and look through them to see if there wereany patterns. What did you find?

My guess is that answers included things like ‘ notenough time’, ‘stressed or busy’, ‘not sure what to eat’,‘I’m tired’, ‘I crash at 4pm’, ‘ I am hungry when thekids eat their tea’, ‘I drink too much alcohol’, ‘I don’tget enough sleep’, ‘I don’t have good quality sleep’,‘when I diet it doesn’t work’, ‘I am bloated’, ‘I getbored’… the list is really endless!

When creating a nutritional/ lifestyle service foryour business you need to understand (like personaltraining) that one size or approach doesn’t fit all. Youneed to get a better understanding of people, think-ing about their bodies of course, but more so theirminds. You need to get away from muscle functionand think about behavioural change, think aboutnutrition principles instead of detailed fitness pro-grammes.

When looking at a fitness programme, you wouldusually think about sub headings such as aerobic fit-ness, endurance, muscular strength, interval training,core training, stretching and flexibility for example.Under a lifestyle programme, you want to think aboutthings like sleep, stress and adrenal issues, energy andvitality, mood and emotional problems, gut functionand digestion, relaxing and having fun as well asnutrition and fitness.

Before launching a lifestyle service I recommenddoing a research and resources phase.

Firstly, do your research. In order for you to be ableto charge for something like this, you need to becomeconfident in this field and for some of you theresearch stage could take a few months, even longer.As I said last month, you don’t need to be a nutrition-ist or a sleep expert but you do need to look at all theissues your clients have raised or could raise and getreading. Get googling or read some books on com-mon lifestyle issues and human psychology, particu-larly those on motivation, eating issues and behav-ioural change. I highly recommend Psychologiesmagazine as a starting point and my favourite books

are: Skinny bitch for nutritional inspiration (don’t beput off by the title!), Feel the fear and do it anyway bySusan Jeffers, Power of Now by Eckard Tolle and Fataround the Middle by Marilyn Glenville.

Secondly, start creating a set of branded resources.This is essential if you are serious about this side ofyour business. I have about 40 different resources thatI email people following on from my consultations.Of course they are not applicable to everyone andonly recently I did an MOT session and I needed tocreate a new resource for that client that I hadn’t eventhought of before. These can be from one page flashfacts, to a detailed ebook. Create a wish list of theresources you think you might need and get writing.

Next month I will talk about what different servicesyou can offer under the lifestyle umbrella, how tostructure your lifestyle sessions and networking withlifestyle experts.

Happy researching!� Janey Holliday is founder of Fit for a Princess www.fit-foraprincess.co.uk

Janey Holliday

How to gain a betterunderstanding of aclient’s body and mind

‘When creating a nutritional/lifestyle service for yourbusiness you need tounderstand (like personaltraining) that one size orapproach doesn’t fit all’

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SPORTS nutrition expert Kerry Kayes hasteamed up with footballer Craig Bellamy tooffer advice to members at Craig’s new gymin Cardiff.

Kerry visited Cardiff Combat – a mixedmartial arts club in the city – to talk to gymmembers about incorporating proper nutri-tion into their diet and training schedule, inorder to maximise their performance.

As part of the visit, he also brought alongsome special guests in the shape of Britishand European champion John Murray, ex-Olympian Joe Murray and fellow boxerAnthony Crolla, plus UFC fighter Paul Kelly,all of whom spent time chatting to theCardiff fight fans.

Kerry explained: “Nutrition is vital forfighters in every discipline. They put theirbody through intense trauma, both trainingand competing, and need to recover quickly.

“One of the key areas to focus on isincreasing protein intake, to aid musclerepair, but they’ve got to be the right sort ofproteins – it’s worth paying extra for quali-ty.”

Kerry has also put together a package ofsports supplements for athletes involved incombat sports. His ‘boxing stacks’ feature aselection of CNP products designed to helpboost stamina, repair muscle and enhanceperformance.

Kerry pitches in with diet advice

Diet and fitness expert Nash Jocic has created a new book which heclaims could reverse the UK’s obesity problem. Nash believes thattraditional weight loss and exercise programmes are not working sohas created the Fat Loss manual to give people the opportunity totry a new method. The programme takes an unconventionalapproach to mental attitude, exercise and diet and explains howpeople can change their mental attitude to become fully aware ofthe importance of healthy eating and exercise.

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By Christina Eccles

THE founder of a revolutionaryweight management programmehas revealed why it has the poten-tial to change the whole industry.

John Thomson – creator ofThomson Diet Clubs – claims tra-ditional methods of fat loss suchas a high impact cardiovascularexercise do not work.

But he believes his programmeis the way forward as it focuses onthe importance of nutrition andtoning exercises instead.

And he says that by adopting hismodel, gyms could increaseretention, attract more new mem-bers and make money.

He explained: “Most of the fit-ness industry and governmentguidelines are exercise to loseweight. The commonest choicesfor this are impact exercises of thecardiovascular type, for example,running and power walking.

“People love to prescribe exer-cise for fat loss, because they do

not have the necessary knowl-edge to help with nutritionalcounselling. The current guide-lines for fat loss recommended bythe authorities are high carbohy-drates and calorie counting andare ineffective on many levels. Ifthe focus is on correct nutritionand toning, people will get amaz-ing results really fast.

“We run a business model thatgets amazing results and increas-es income dramatically. The syn-ergy of the unique exercise pro-gramme and the nutrition systemguarantees results for members.This increases peripheral clubincome, retention and referral.”

John also runs New Physiquegym in Ilford and claims to be thebusiest personal trainer in theworld.

He also told Workout that theDiet Club and personal trainingsessions keep the gym – whichhas 350 members – in businessand generate the most income.

He added: “At our club we takemore income from these services,than memberships. In short, wewould go bust without the sys-tems. The system creates massiveretention and gives the club apositive reputation of weightmanagement and amazingresults.

“We have 13 other clubs in ourarea offering the usual approachto fitness and fat loss. 40 peoplebring in over £120,000 per annumin personal training income. TheDiet Club also generates £50,000per annum.

“But best of all, family andfriends see the results the mem-bers achieve and we get manyrecommendations.

“Our advertising budget is mini-mal, as we can not compete withFitness First and Esporta’s localadvertising – but don't need to.Our reception is full of testimoni-al pictures which helps us sellmemberships.” John Thomson

Why John believes hisprogramme can changethe whole industry

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Celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore and Britney Spears have been getting inshape with help from a supplement containing chilli extract. Capsilite contains capsaicin,which is found in chillis, and claims to offer fast and effective weight loss by speeding upthe human metabolic rate and enabling the body to burn up to 12 times more calories.

WITH over 25,000 visitors expectedin 2011, BodyPower have securedfurther star names to attend andrun seminars on 21 and 22 May atthe NEC.

These include Hany Rambodtrainer to Jay Cutler and PhilHeath, Ramona Braganza trainerto Halle Berry, Zac Effron andJessica Alba, Martin Rooney a lead-ing strength and conditioningcoach from New Jersey USA, whohas trained NFL stars, Olympians,UFC, Pride and MMA fighters plus

many more.With more interactive features

and competitions in 2011, includ-ing a Healthy Eating Kitchen,Sports Performance and ScienceZone and a Fitness Zone run byVibe, BodyPower will have some-thing for every fitness enthusiast.Over 150 brands will be exhibitingand these include Johnson, BodyMax, Livestrong, LesiureLines, Jordan’s , USN, QNT,Maximuscle, Creative FitnessMarketing, plus many more.

Star names sign up

NEVER a show to be outshone,new interactive areas for visitorshave been added for BodyPower2011.

The Sports Science andPerformance area, SportsNutrition and Healthy EatingKitchen areas amongst them. Inthese areas, you can expect to seethe likes of A-list trainers RamonaBraganza, Hany Rambod andsports performance enthusiastMartin Rooney.

The Healthy Eating Kitchen is amust. In the Kitchen will be SlyStallone’s nutritionist and personaltrainer, Rehan Jalali and theEngland Rugby Team’s nutritionistMatt Lovell. The guys have forgedreputations as some of the bestworldwide.

For UK bodybuilding – Jay Cutler’s gotthat BodyPower feeling!UK Bodybuilding enthusiasts willbe more than familiar with JayCutler. Jay is a renowned name onthe bodybuilding scene and is the

current Mr Olympia. Jay appearedat BodyPower 2010 and will beposing and telling our exclusiveaudience how to become the nextMr Olympia.

For UK fitness scene – ABA catch theBodyPower bug!The Amateur Boxing Associationof England have joined thatBodyPower movement. The ABAwill be bringing a range of the UK’sbest boxers to the NEC. Alongsiderunning an exciting two day com-petition, it begs the question –who will be crowned BodyPower2011 Champion?

Be sure not to miss out on thisunforgettable event for the indus-try taking place on May 21 and 22at the NEC. Visitors get show-exclusive discounts on supple-ments and nutrition products for150+ of the top companies.To book call 0844-581-0817 or online at

www.bodypowerexpo.co.uk

We’ve got thatBodyPowerfeeling!

Martin Rooney

YOUNG rugby players at HartburyCollege have been getting in shapewith a helping hand from CNP.

The college takes promising youngplayers and equips them with theskills and knowledge needed to takethem into the professional and semi-professional world of rugby.

There are matches every Wednesdayand Saturday, as well as training ses-sions, so to help them deal with sucha demanding schedule, the playershave been using the supplements togive themselves a boost.

The supplements of choice for

Hartbury rugby students are CNPProfessional’s Pro Recover, WheyProtein, Pro Hydrate and the new ProEnergy Max gels.

The college’s strength and condi-tioning coach Owen Satterley said:“One of the main products we use isCNP’s Pro Recover. I want to makesure my students don’t suffer anylong term damage that could hindertheir future career.

“They drink Pro Recover as soon asthey come off the pitch to give theirtissues a much needed proteinboost.”

Rugby players get in shape

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PRODUCT AND INDUSTRY NEWS48

NEW research carried out inthree countries has found thatin businesses and customer fac-ing staff, something as simple aswearing a name badge canmake a huge and immediatedifference to customer satisfac-tion levels.

The study, carried out by mys-tery shopping and customerexperience experts ShopperAnonymous (www.shoppera-nonymous.co.uk), found thatwhen a range of businessesintroduced name badges for allstaff, customer satisfaction rat-ings rose by a remarkable 12 percent almost overnight, in com-parison to those that didn’t

require staff to wear badges.The figure came out of the

study of 116,000 mystery shop-per reports carried out over thelast eight years in the UK,Australia and New Zealand by independent researchexperts.

Customers wanted staff to bewearing badges so they coulddistinguish between staff andother customers if uniformsweren’t being worn; said theytrusted staff wearing namebadges and were more likely tobuild up a relationship con-ducive to making a sale withsomeone who wasn’t anony-mous.

John Bancroft, managingdirector of Europe’s largestname badge manufacturer,Badgemaster, thinks your choiceof design is an extra opportunityto help boost your brand.

He said: “We can manufacturecustom-made bespoke namebadges, in line with a company’scorporate identity.

“It is very rare to go into aquality establishment thesedays and find that staff are notwearing name badges – thebenefits are clearly proven.”

For further information callBadgemaster on 01623 723112 or

visit www.badgemaster.co.uk

Badge benefits are clearly proven

SOMETIMES a hobby can grow intosomething more, for MatthewCharge, his enjoyment and love ofsport began when he was a child...

Dismissing his favourite pastime as“a bit of fun”, Matt took the tradition-al educational route and applied touniversity to study for a degree inFine Art. However, football slowlycrept back into his life and sport andfitness soon took priority over hisdegree. Eight months later he decidedhe should pursue a career in sportand fitness and attended a PremierTraining International open day andlearned about life working in thehealth and fitness industry. He imme-diately signed up for the GymInstructor course and has neverlooked back.

With a number of Active IQ qualifi-cations now under his belt, Matt’shard work and passion really has paid

off. Working as a Gym Instructor andPersonal Trainer at Virgin ActiveHealth Club in Wokingham, he looksforward to going to work every day tohelp and inspiring others to reachtheir fitness goals, something thatgives him a huge amount of job satis-faction.

For more information visit:www.premierglobal.co.uk

Sometimes a hobby can grow into something more, for Matthew Charge, his enjoyment and love of sport began when he was a child.

Why I gave up my degree tohelp motive and inspire others

WITH the New Year kicking off manypeople’s fitness regimes, JordanFitness have yet again been able tosupport the ITV show ‘Biggest Loser’which airs on television at this time ofyear.

Jordan have been the choice for thisproduction’s functional fitness equip-ment for the third year running.

Jordan have supplied a variety offunctional fitness equipment includ-ing kettlebells, Powerbags, dumbells,barbells, medicine balls and the bodyweight suspension training system‘FitKit Pro’.

All this equipment will be used overthe duration of the fitness and weightloss series as the contestants fight tobecome the ‘Biggest Loser’ by losingthe most weight.

The personal trainers on the showuse the Jordan equipment alongsidecardio vascular equipment to helpthe contestants lose the maximumamount of weight over the eightweeks of the competition.

People do not always appreciate thebenefit of using functional and freeweight equipment in their fitness andweight loss programmes. JordanFitness have been at the forefront ofdeveloping functional fitness equip-

ment for many years now and consid-er themselves as specialists in thisfield. All of the Jordan range of func-tional fitness equipment is of com-mercial quality and is priced compet-itively.

This type of programme helps topromote the fact that anybody, how-ever much weight they have to lose,with the right help, encouragementand determination can achieve theirgoals.

The show ‘Biggest Loser’ is currentlybeing shown on ITV 9pm on Mondaynights. It is hosted this year by televi-sion personality Davina McCall.

For the full range of Jordan Fitness func-tional fitness equipment visit their website

www.jordanfitness.co.uk. Or contactsales@jordanfitness.co.uk

Jordan helps Biggest Loserfor third year running

START the year as you mean to goon – as a winner.

Beat the trainer in our Januarychallenge and win a pair of boxinggloves worth £30, plus every entrywill get a free Reebok Grip Master.

Watch the movie clip online atwww.escapefitness.com to see thechallenge and to find out whatscore you have to beat.

Then all you have to do is filmyourself doing as many ViPRSlam’s as you can and post orshare the video to the EscapeFitness Facebook page.

The trainers’ tool of choice thismonth is the ViPR, which lookslike a rubber pipe but is actuallythe Swiss knife of functional fit-ness. It is perfect for strengthworkouts and can also be used toshape and tone the entire body byusing four planes of motion.

It will give you an intense, funand great body workout which isguaranteed never to get boringand that puts the fun back intofunctional. For more information visit.www.escapefitness.com or call 0800294 2802

Escape Fitness – can you handle the challenge?

THIS year IFBB ProfessionalBodybuilding is back in the UK, butthis time there’s going to be a wholeload more than pro bodybuildingwith it in the British Grand Prix andFitness Expo weekend.

On March 19 and 20 2011 thousandsof muscle and fitness fanatics areexpected to descend on the ExCelCentre, London for a huge fitness,bodybuilding and strength expo fea-turing professional strongman, pow-erlifting, arm wrestling, MMA and, of

course, bodybuilding.

As well as these, there will also beexciting displays of other extremesports like BMX and skateboarding,plus a fitness model search.

So, in mid-March London is goingto be the place to be and it looks likethis event is going to grow bigger andbigger over the years to follow.

For more details seewww.grandprixexpo.co.uk

or telephone 01536 416233

Bodybuilding and lots more

Three additions to FIA boardTHREE new members have been welcomed on to the board of the FIA.

They are John Cleland, CEO ofEsporta, Innes Kerr, group operationsdirector at Energie and Debra Stuart,CEO of Premier Training.

Executive director Dave Stalker said:

“With increased credibility of theindustry within the public healthagenda, the upcoming 2012 OlympicGames and the new five-year indus-try strategy there has never been a more important time to have awealth of experience sitting on theFIA Board.”

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