The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineMarch 2013 No 234 £3

New categoriesand venue forFitness Awards

New fitnessfestival forGuildfordA NEW one-day festival iscoming to Surrey Sports Parkin Guildford this summer,giving keep fit fans thechance to take part in largegroup classes, led by theUK’s best instructors.

The first Fitness Festivaltakes place on Saturday, July6 and will include sessions inpopular activities such asZumba and Les Mills BodyCombat, Pump, Balance andAttack. Each of the classeswill be able to hold over 200people.

UK master Zumba trainerCaroline Parsons is the firstheadliner to be announcedon the main arena stage.

Having taught the Zumbaprogramme since 2007,Caroline has trained over2,000 instructors and pre-sented at large fitness con-ventions all over the world.

Also on show will be thelatest technology, techniquesand trends from the fitnessindustry and a dedicatedFitness Retail Village offeringclothing, equipment, acces-sories and supplements fromleading fitness brands.

The festival is expected toattract over 1,000 fitnessenthusiasts over the day andearly bird tickets havealready gone on sale. Moreactivities will be announcedover the coming weeks.

Model and aspiring personal trainer Jase Dean hasrevealed why support from local businesses,including the independent gym he trains at, hasbeen so crucial to his success. Workout met ‘TeamDean’ to find out why the relationship betweenJase, Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club andAffordable Supplements is shaping up to be awinning combination.� Full story, Page 3.

By Christina Eccles

CHANGES including a new venue, anadditional category and a revampedwebsite are all set to ensure the 2013National Fitness Awards will be thebiggest and best yet.

Nominations are now open via thenew look website – www.nationalfit-nessawards.co.uk – and gyms up anddown the country have been urged tonominate themselves, a member ofstaff or club member they feel deservesto be recognised for their achieve-ments.

The awards are organised by ScriptEvents in conjunction with Workoutand headline sponsor Servicesport andare now in their fourth year.

With more than 20 categories includ-ing best regional gym, best localauthority/leisure trust facility, besthealth club, gym team of the year andbest strength training facility, there issomething to suit operators of everyshape and size.

Those who have been in the industryfor less than two years can enter theirfacility in the best newcomer category,while individual trophies can beclaimed for best gym based personaltrainer and member achievement.

And following 2012’s record breaking

National Fitness Awards, this year theevent has got even bigger with a brandnew category up for grabs which willrecognise the best functional traininggym in the country.

Event director Judith Halkerston said:“Every year the awards grow in stature,in nominations and in the number ofguests who join us to celebrate all thatis good about the fitness industry.

“Our challenge this year is to improveupon what was a superb event in 2012.We are already working hard to achievethis and have received some verystrong nominations.

“Check out our new, improved web-site www.nationalfitnessawards.co.ukand start preparing your nominationnow.”

Once nominations have closed laterin the year, all shortlisted clubs will bevisited by a representative fromWorkout who will compile a detailedreport, which will be passed to ourexpert judging panel to decide the win-ners.

Trophies will then be handed out at aglittering awards ceremony and dinner,which this year will be held at ThePalace Hotel in Manchester onDecember 6, hosted by television pre-senter and fitness expert CarolinePearce.

01 28/2/13 15:21 Page 1

02 Real Nutrition 25/2/13 15:31 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE 3

AdvertisingSales and marketingdirector:Tony Barry

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

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

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

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

Reporter:Dominic MusgraveTel: 01226 734407dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

www.workout-uk.co.uk

Official media partner ofukactive

Script Media47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS

‘Team Dean’ help model Jaseahead of competition debut

Manager of Pontefract Squash and Leisure Club Pete Todd, Jase Dean, managing directorof Affordable Supplements Anthony Millar and personal trainer at Pontefract Squash andLeisure Club Craig Bower.

By Christina Eccles

A TEAM of experts including stafffrom an independent gym and theboss of a supplements company havebeen helping model Jase Dean get inshape – and potentially take the fit-ness industry by storm.

Along with Jase, manager atPontefract Squash and Leisure ClubPete Todd, personal trainer at the gymCraig Bower, managing director ofAffordable Supplements AnthonyMillar and sports massage therapistCliff Wright form ‘Team Dean’, a groupof specialists in their fields who allhave the common goal of helping himprepare for his first competition andmake a name for himself as one towatch in the industry.

Jase, who will be making his debutat the Miami Pro Championships nextmonth, initially got into modelling byaccident after helping a friend out ona photoshoot.

But after being approached by pho-tographers interested in working withhim, he started to take it more seri-ously and upped his training regimeto ensure he would be in the best pos-sible condition for his shoots.

He started working out at PontefractSquash and Leisure Club, where Petespotted his potential and offered tohelp with his training.

Since then, the partnership has gonefrom strength to strength, with Jase –who also works as an electrician andfits his visits to the gym around hisday job – regularly working out withpersonal trainer Craig and gainingadvice from him and other gym staff.

Pete explained: “Jase really puts the

work in. To tie down a job and do thistakes massive dedication. But it’s alsodown to the team around him.

“We offer him free full peak mem-bership at the club, where we havetop of the range equipment and staff,and if I can help him in any way withmy experience in the industry then Iwill, as we do with all our members.

“Pontefract Squash and Leisure Clubis a community hub and if anybodywants to get out and do something,we will help.”

Jase has also received support fromanother local company, AffordableSupplements, who have been helpinghim with advice on nutrition andconditioning, as well as providing himwith products from their own brandsupplements range, AffordableSpecialised Nutrition.

And support from his ‘team’, hasbeen vital for Jase as he takes histraining and diet to the next level inpreparation for the competition.

He added: “I’m a local lad and itsuits me to train here. The team areall my friends and I know I can trusttheir advice – I’m learning somethingevery day. I feel really lucky and amprogressing well. The next step is tocompete.”

Jase’s profile was also recently boost-ed with an appearance on prime timeTV dating show Take Me Out, wherehe set the record for having the high-est number of girls wanting to go on adate with him at the end of the finalround – 23 out of a possible 30.

In future he hopes to build up morecontacts in the fitness industry andeventually would like to study tobecome a personal trainer himself.

Follow Workout magazine on Twitter @workoutuk

03 25/2/13 11:06 Page 1

04 Matrix 25/2/13 10:20 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE 5

John’s innovative ideatakes fitness outdoorsBy Christina Eccles

INNOVATIVE personal trainer and fit-ness equipment designer John Forteyhas designed a mobile functional gymwhich allows him to take his trainingoutdoors – believing this way of work-ing out is the next big thing.

Essex-based John has created a foldaway frame for his truck, which canhold up to 10 TRXs, a pull up bar andOlympic rings.

He has been using the truck – fullybranded with his Innovation Fitnesscompany logo and contact details –for bootcamp sessions and one-to-one personal training sessions in theColchester and London areas, utilis-ing a range of outdoor spaces includ-ing car parks and industrial estatesfor his workouts.

He explained: “I’ve been personaltraining for about 12 years and havebeen gym based, but found it couldbe limiting as to what you can do as atrainer. I wanted to be more outdoorbased and thought of getting thetruck.”

The truck also has space for a full setof kettlebells in the back, which heincorporates into his sessions, and hislatest kettlebell design has also beenpicked up by Escape Fitness, withplans to include it in one of the com-pany’s upcoming product catalogues.

Although John only launched theconcept at the beginning of this year,he has already received great feed-back from clients who are enjoyingthis unusual way of training.

And he told Workout, his aim is nowto promote the idea to a bigger audi-ence, eventually considering a fran-chise option to create a fleet of

mobile gyms.He added: “I wanted to stand out

rather than competing in gyms withother personal trainers.

“This has always been my style oftraining – I used to compete as astrong man – and clients love it. It’s sodifferent to what they can do in agym.”

John Fortey’s truck that he has turned into a mobile functional gym.

CYCLING legend Chris Boardmanhas signed up to champion a newscheme in Liverpool, which is setto be the biggest of its kind in theUK outside London.

The Liverpool City Cycle HireScheme is due to launch this sum-mer and will give a range of people– from commuters and shoppers,to tourists and students – theopportunity to hop on a bike totravel through the heart of the city.

Liverpool City Council’s cabinetmember for transport, coun TimMoore, said: “We’re really excitedabout this scheme.

“We hope to see a future wherehundreds more people are usingbikes for their trips around the city,driving up health and fitness levelsand reducing congestion and pol-lution. I’m delighted that Chrisshares our vision and has made acommitment to work with us tohelp make it a reality.”

It is expected the scheme will belaunched with 300 bikes beforebeing expanded over 18 months to1,000. Stations will initially belocated in the city centre and even-tually extended to outlying sub-urbs.

Legend Christo champion city’s cyclescheme

05 25/2/13 11:07 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE6

By Christina Eccles

GYMS around the country have beenfeeling the love by holding events andpromotions to celebrate Valentine’sDay.

Several clubs did their bit to pro-mote the occasion by encouragingmembers to take part in themedclasses and gym sessions to markFebruary 14 – for many the mostromantic day of the year.

Among them was Fit4Less

Hartlepool which held a successfulsingles night, while Klick FitnessAintree also got into the Valentine’sDay spirit by organising a gym chal-lenge to win a special prize, whichincluded a 30 minute massage andbottle of sparkling wine.

The challenge was promoted viasocial networking site Facebook, thegym’s tannoy, in club interactionswith members and by gym staff whowere all wearing self-made Valentine’sDay t-shirts on the day.

General manager David Mellingexplained: “We had two focuses – onewas group training orientated and theother one-on-one.

“Group training challenge was 90second ski hold with bum below orlevel with knee height. One-on-onechallenge was 18kg steelbell pick andthrow, 20 reps in 90 seconds.”

Everyone who completed a chal-lenge was given a raffle ticket, withthe lucky winner drawn at the end ofthe day.

Further south, Castle Sports Centrein Taunton was another gym whichgot involved in the celebrations, run-ning a special promotion where anycouples signing up for joint member-ship from February 14 to 28 got therest of the month free.� Have you held any themed or char-ity events at your gym? If you’re a clubwith a story for us, e-mail details andan image to ce@scriptmedia.co.ukand you could appear in a futureissue of the magazine.

Gyms get all loved up for Valentine’s DayStaff at Klick Fitness Aintree wearing their Valentine’s Day t-shirts (above left), while Fit4less Hartlepool held a successful singles night.

06 25/2/13 11:07 Page 1

07 Vydex 22/2/13 15:54 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE8Last issue we reported on a new REPs’ campaign to encourage the public to check the credentials of their personaltrainers. Here’s what our readers had to say...

I FULLY agree far too many "PTs" arefraudulently taking people’s hard-earned cash and giving poor, oftenunqualified advice and tuition.

But there are many quality trainingproviders, and we at GB Fitness areone of them, who take our role veryresponsibly and train our students toa very high level, including insistingon full written exams, as well as prac-tical assessments to evaluate compe-tency to pass or not (we do not prideourselves on how many pass, ratherthose that do are worthy of doing so!)

Many previously "qualified" trainersstudy with us to improve their knowl-edge and skill base, along with manyelite athletes – people who want thevery best of education and welcome astricter evaluation procedure.

All of our PTs are insured, mostthrough Fitness Professionals, andmany have won awards for their out-standing professionalism and results!

Cain Leathem

I ACTUALLY agree with the essence ofthe article; there are unqualified andperhaps even ill-equipped individualswho are providing a wide range of fit-ness services and advice. However, Itake issue with the implied messageand specific statement those individ-uals who are 'not registered withREPs' are automatically to be deemedunqualified and ill equipped, and fur-ther, are putting the unsuspectingpublic at risk.

It is not compulsory to join REPs towork as an instructor, and therefore,non-inclusion in the list cannotdefinitively lead to the conclusionthat anyone not on the list is unquali-fied. When REPs launched, I remem-ber being quite excited that I wouldfinally be recognised for my achieve-ments professionally, but on closeinspection, quickly deduced that theywere interested purely in a payingmembership scheme, and their crite-ria for inclusion was not discerningenough to warrant or justify my join-

ing. I am of this opinion still, buthope that one day, a complete registerof fitness providers will exist, ratherthan professionals. This could befacilitated by linking the list withinsurance for teaching any form ofdance or fitness. By includingproviders, it would be more informa-tive for the public, as those withoutformal qualifications would beincluded and therefore be seen tohave perhaps experience but notqualifications. Sometimes, experiencesurpasses qualification.

Gina Fry

MANY PTs have first class qualifica-tions and provide an excellent serviceto clients but choose not to be part ofREPs.

But just because they choose not tobe part of REPs, REPs feels they areentitled to slate them off and causedoubt over their first class qualifica-tions and to claim these trainers arerogue trainers is just beyond belief.That this organisation who claims torepresent the fitness professionals hasactually stooped so low as to put aknife in the back of hard working,qualified PTs who choose not to bepart of this register is unbelievable.

Whether a PT is REPs registered ornot has no bearing on the quality ofservice they're going to be giving. Thisdepends upon the individual PT’scommitment to their client and thereis no evidence that just because I payan annual membership fee to a regis-ter that I'm performing better thanthe PT who doesn't.

And to suggest that these trainersare responsible for a decline in gymattendance after the first six monthsis madness. I looked at a selection ofPTs employed in my area by bothindependent and mainstream nation-al gyms, the majority of them are notREPs registered, but the gyms feel sat-isfied that they perform their dutiesto clients in a safe and professionalmanner and therefore are very happy

to promote them and lease floorspace to them. Even though these PTsare not REPs members, the gyms aresatisfied with the quality of their qual-ifications and they did not need a reg-ister to tell them this. Now accordingto REPs this should not be happeningand these gyms should not beemploying them as "these are roguetrainers."

I've met some dreadful REPs regis-tered PTs and I've met some amazingnon REP member PTs over the years.Competency and commitment are upto the individual and how seriousthey take their profession. Ongoingprofessional development can beobtained through many avenues andnot just from attending courses.

Jock Maclean

WHILE I agree wholeheartedly withJean Ann I also would like to add aslightly different viewpoint.

Unregistered does not always meanunqualified. There are many, manyhighly experienced, fully qualifiedinstructors who are not registeredwith REPs as their qualifications aredeemed to be 'old'.

Despite the fact that they were validat the time of issue and when sup-ported by relevant CPD. In most casesthese instructors are far more valu-able to the industry than newly quali-fied instructors, with very little expe-rience... who happen to have newqualifications that give access to theREPs.

I have been working actively in thefitness industry since 1987.Throughout this time I have forgedlinks with like minded professionalsacross the UK most of whom havebeen teaching for more than 15 years.

Given that the REPs was only estab-lished in mid 2000's and they have setrules as to what they will and won'trecognise as a valid qualification themajority of old school fitness profes-sionals are refusing to join a registerwhich does not recognise the wealth

of experience they offer.It may surprise you that I own one

of the few REPs Test Centres so I canactually see things from both per-spectives. I would venture that thebigger problem in this industry is thesharp rise in licensed products suchas Zumba, Bokwa, Boaika, Street Fitto name a few where individuals withno previous qualifications simplyshow up for a day’s 'training' thenlegally teach classes to the public whoare dazzled by the marketing. REPshave absolutely no power over theseinstructors as they are not REPsmembers.

There is no easy answer to all of thisbut to mislead the public into think-ing that any instructor who is not onthe REPs must therefore be unquali-fied is not doing REPs any favours.

Fiona Brown

WHILST I do wholeheartedly agreethere are many unqualified gyminstructors and personal trainersworking within the fitness industrywhen they should be qualified to thelevel required, and that customers arenot getting the quality of service theyare paying for, for Jean Ann to suggestthat programme delivery by personaltrainers or gym instructors who arequalified but not REPs members willbe mainly ineffective is ludicrous andbeyond belief!

Clients must ask to see qualifica-tions of their potential instructors, wecould also ask who are REPS? Whatstatutory body do they belong to? Iam supportive of any framework thatinforms and educates the generalpublic with regard to the minimumqualifications required of instructorswithin the fitness industry, howeverwhat qualifies REPs and why are theyso closely linked to Skills Active, anemployer led body who have consis-tently lowered the standards of thefitness industry since their inaugura-tion.

Jay Kostyszyn

Unregistered instructors ‘puttingclients at risk’ – your response

WHAT is crucial to understand isthat REPs has been set up with theaim of professionalising the industryand providing protection to the pub-lic by allowing them to receive anagreed level of instruction whenexercising.

This is above all else our aim andleads the decisions we make in con-sultation with the industry. WhileREPs recognises there are personaltrainers and other exercise profes-sionals with ample qualificationswho have chosen not to join the reg-ister, there are also those that setthemselves up as fitness profession-als with inadequate or no qualifica-tions at all. Therefore this does notdetract from our mission to drive upstandards, safety and industry credi-

bility. The register does not claimexclusivity to qualified instructors; itsimply provides the public with acomprehensive list of exercise pro-fessionals who meet the industryagreed standards and hold the rele-vant qualifications.

Unfortunately the variety of quali-fications within the exercise industryhas previously been somewhat con-fusing for the public, a problemREPs sought to rectify. By providingone simple register, the public,employers and medical professioncan now be sure due diligence wasundertaken to check professionalsmeet the required standards. Eachyear we reject many hundreds ofapplications to register when theapplicant does not hold qualifica-

tions that meet these standards andtherefore cannot gain entry onto theregister. On top of this the registerprovides a formal accountability notpreviously guaranteed, as all REPsmembers sign up to a Code ofEthical Conduct upon which theycan be found in breach and removedfrom the register. Our concern is forthe consumer and their ability tomake an informed decision abouttheir instructor or personal trainer;now they can simply ask if they areregistered.

REPs is a part of SkillsActive, thegovernment licensed Sector SkillsCouncil for Active Leisure andWellbeing. As part of the SkillsActivecharity, REPs is not for profit. I hopethis clarifies that our charges are in

place to allow us to operate towardsour overall goal and not based onmaking profit. The industry stan-dards we refer to have been set andagreed by industry leaders includingSkillsActive, employers, awardingorganisations, training providers,REPs members and experts. REPs isnot at liberty to change those stan-dards (they are reviewed periodicallyby the industry and this does usuallyresult in change). REPs can onlyaccept those that can provide evi-dence that they meet the standards,agree to sign up to a Code of EthicalConduct, have adequate insuranceand agree to stay current by continu-al professional development.

Jean-Ann MarnochRegistrar, Register of Exercise

REPs provide professionalism and protection

08 28/2/13 15:21 Page 1

09 Muscle Finesse 21/2/13 10:49 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE10

Louise Damen, Alastair Crew and coun Frank Pearson.

Runner opens city’s second studioLONG distance runner Louise Damenjoined Mayor of Winchester, counFrank Pearson, for a workout at theofficial opening of the city’s newDavid Lloyd Studio.

The pair were put through theirpaces by personal trainers at the club– David Lloyd Leisure’s second highstreet studio which aims to give timepressed clients easy access to exercise

and nutritional services.Manager Alastair Crew said: “I am

looking forward to bringing this newstudio concept to Winchester. I amexcited by the positive response we'vereceived so far and my team and Ican't wait to start helping the peopleof Winchester move towards their fit-ness goals."

Big splash as divingboards arrive ataquatics centreTHE next phase has been reached inthe construction of the AquaticsCentre at Aberdeen Sports Village,with the arrival of the centre’sOlympic standard diving boards.

The delivery of the 40 tonne three,five, 7.5 and 10m boards means thecentre, which includes a 10 lane 50mpool and a 25m pool with full elitediving facilities, is on schedule foropening in early 2014.

Chief executive David Beattie said:“The arrival of the boards marks a sig-nificant development to the interiorof the building and highlights theprogress being made at the centre.

“At Aberdeen Sports Village, we arededicated to ensuring everyone is freeto enjoy sport at every level, so we arethrilled to be able to provide a facilitythat will offer high quality swimmingand diving facilities to both membersof the local community and top quali-ty athletes.

“The boards will mean everyonefrom world-class divers, training forfuture Olympics and Commonwealthevents, to children from local schoolslearning to dive for the first time willbe able to use and benefit from the

facilities. The Aquatics Centre will beone of only two Olympic standardfacilities in Scotland, making it a realasset to the people of Aberdeen andthe North east.”

The Aquatics Centre is a joint proj-ect between the University ofAberdeen, Aberdeen City Council andsportscotland.

David Beattie, chief executive at AberdeenSports Village with Aberdeen’sCommonwealth champion and three-timeOlympian, David Carry.

10 28/2/13 15:22 Page 1

11 Mind Body 25/2/13 10:10 Page 1

12 Egg Nation 25/2/13 10:11 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE 13

Adventure and Obstacle Racing– a competitor or competitiveadvantage for fitness clubs?By Dave Wright

ADVENTURE Racing and ObstacleRacing is becoming big businessaround the globe.

It has been on the scene for a coupleof decades now but in the last fewyears a new type of Adventure Racingcalled Obstacle Racing has beenintroduced and the UK is literallygoing wild over it.

Crawling through mud, jumpingthrough fire, running through electri-cal wires, carrying logs up hills all inthe name of friends, fun and fitness.

Some of the biggest events likeTough Mudder, Mucky Races, Eduraevents are generating tens of thou-sands of entrants per event and thenumber of events on the calendararound the UK is multiplying eachmonth.

Due to the dramatic rise in popular-ity, fitness clubs are now takingnotice. By understanding why mem-bers are craving these experiencesand determining ways to supporttheir members who enter theseevents many clubs are making theseraces a key competitive advantage fortheir facility.

The key attraction to these eventsseem to be:� The sense of achievement – there isa finish line which can only bereached through hard work anddetermination.� The unexpected variety and cre-ativity of the events (unlikemarathons, triathlons or some gymexercise routines).� The need to train across a variety ofdisciplines to perform well (.ie youneed to be strong to climb a wall, fitto run the distance and explosive to

jump through fire).� The motivation to train across avariety of disciplines to survive (forthe above reasons).� The excitement of completingadrenalin pumping obstacles, whichcreates memorable “I have to do thatagain” experiences.� The camaraderie felt from complet-ing these challenging races as a teamwithout the long term weekend com-mitments required compared withregular team sports.

Some common ideas clubs are usingto link their business to these eventsinclude:� Having a community events boardlisting the upcoming adventure racesin the local area.� Signing up members to the event aspart of the club’s social calendarunder the club’s name. i.e The clubpromotes the events to members,signs them up, collects the moneyand provides team t-shirts to partici-pate on the day, with pictures and

reports being posted on Facebook,community board and newsletter.� Trainers using these events as goalposts throughout the year for clients.Giving them something to train for tohelp increase their motivation andensuring they train for strength,power and endurance which gener-ates ultimate results.� For members already signed up tothe event, clubs provide specifictraining programs to get the membersrace ready.� Visit corporate businesses andenroll them into the event as a teambuilding activity and the corporateclients train with the facility in thelead up to the event.� Club hosts an adventure race in thelocal area as part of your social activi-ty (speak to your council/lawyerbefore committing to this idea)� Hosting mini obstacle challenges orraces as part of your eight to 12 weekchallenges.

Sometimes a club’s greatest chal-lenge is to make exercise more moti-vating, exciting and engaging, so thatyour members stay longer. AdventureRacing is a great tool to help solve thisproblem.� Dave Wright is the CEO ofCFM/MYZONE, a global companywith over 300 staff that have servedthe international fitness communityfor over 23 years; focusing on eithergetting new members and/or keepingexisting ones. Dave is also the ownerof 11 health clubs across two conti-nents, a board director of ukactive,founder of IOU (IndependentOperators Unite), an IHRSA presenterand the creator of MYZONE. He maybe contacted onDave.Wright@cfm.net

Dave Wright

Members incharity voteDAVID Lloyd Leisure has chosenTogether for Short Lives as its char-ity partner for 2013.

To select a winner, members andstaff were asked to nominate theirfavourite charities before voting ona final shortlist of candidates.Chief executive Scott Lloyd said:“Children and families are at thecore of David Lloyd Leisure’s offer-ing and it is very appropriate thatwe will be supporting Together forShort Lives, a remarkable charitythat’s making a real difference toso many.

“We look forward to involvingour clubs, colleagues and mem-bers in a variety of fundraising andawareness initiatives to supportthis very special cause.”

Swimmingtechnologyintroduced DC LEISURE has received fundingfrom Sport England to offer newSwimtag technology at three of itsleisure centres.

Swimtag will be available atVictory Swim and Fitness Centre inNorfolk, Alton Sports Centre inEast Hampshire and AlfretonLeisure Centre in Amber Valley.

Created by 222 Sports Limited,the training aid records the num-ber of lengths completed, splittimes, stroke rate and stroke type,allowing users to set personal goalsand follow training plans andengage with other swimmersthrough challenges, competitionsand via social networking.

The technology will also provideDC Leisure with an insight intopool usage, meaning the operatorcan monitor who is swimming,when and how often.

13 25/2/13 11:08 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE14

Regular gym visits keepMay feeling youngBy Gail Robinson

AN 88-year-old gym member hasrevealed why regular trips to her localclub keep her feeling young.

May Douglas, who has a replace-ment hip and knee, uses her mobilityscooter to get from her home toBannatyne's gym in Dodworth, nearBarnsley, five times a week where shejoins in aqua fit and tai chi classes.

She says not only does the regularexercise keep her feeling young, butthe many friends she has madeamongst staff and members has beena life saver.

May said: “You are never too old andeveryone can do something.Whatever people's age they shouldgive it a try, it has completely changedmy life.”

May joined Bannatyne's with herhusband Robert, but says it was afterhis death five years ago that the gymreally began to play a vital part of herlife.

She added: “If I didn’t come here Iwould be stuck at home staring out of

the window. But instead I have a regu-lar routine and when I get here somany people know me and talk to methat I never feel lonely, everyone hereis so kind – it's quite lovely.”

May is such an institution at thegym that staff and members mark herbirthday and even check on her well-being if she fails to turn up for herclasses or if the weather is bad.

“When it snowed heavily, Mel themanager sent some staff round to myhouse to make sure I was all right andto ask if I needed any shopping doing.

“Aqua and tai chi are both different,they both help keep me going and Iknow I would slow down if I did notkeep up the gentle exercise."

Bannatyne's manager MelWeatherhead added: “Everyone thinksthe world of May and we do keep aeye on her and her welfare becauseshe is such a wonderful lady. She is anabsolute inspiration to people of allages.”� How does your gym support oldermembers?Let us know by emailingce@scriptmedia.co.uk May Douglas

LEISURE provider GLL has secured itsfirst management contract in theMidlands.

The operator has been awarded a 10year contract by Rugby BoroughCouncil to run the Queen’s DiamondJubilee Centre – a new build openingin July this year which will replace theageing Ken Marriot Centre.

Facilities will include a 25m, eightlane swimming pool, a studio poolwith moveable floor, a fitness suite,feature climbing wall, six court sportshall and a coffee shop.

GLL will also be responsible for the

management of the adjacent 400mrugby/athletics track.

The contract begins on April 1 andthe first task will be to find premisesto operate from in the period beforethe centre opens.

The closure period is needed toallow safe demolition of the KenMarriott Leisure Centre and finalcompletion and commissioning ofthe new leisure centre, including stafftraining.

Managing director of GLL MarkSesnan said: “We are delighted tohave been invited to work in partner-

ship with Rugby Council and arecommitted to providing first classleisure and sporting facilities to localresidents.

“We believe our experience – GLLnow operates more than 110 publicleisure centres across England andWales – coupled with our status as a‘not for profit’ social enterprisemeans we have both the operationalskills and community focus that willenable us to deliver top quality leisureservices and encourage increasedparticipation from local residentsregardless of age or fitness levels.”

GLL awarded contract to run centre

A group of Scottish fitness instructors are combining their talents to launch the first in a series of dedicated days aimed at fans of groupexercise. Throughout the day, the instructors will be delivering classes including kettlebells, Metafit, Cardio40, circuit training, Bootcamp,Pilates, C40 Toning and Boxercise, with each session lasting for 30 to 40 minutes. The event, which is also open to other instructors look-ing to try something new, takes place on March 30 at the KA Campus at St Mathews Academy in Saltcoats, Ayrshire .The group are also looking to host more similar events later in the year.

14 28/2/13 15:22 Page 1

15 Code Locks 25/2/13 14:08 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE16

WestEnd creator revealsidea behind the conceptBy Christina Eccles

THE creator of hot new class,WestEnd Workout, has revealed moreabout the concept and why it couldbe a great fit for gyms looking forsomething different to add to theirtimetables.

Created by professional dancerLaura Colenso, the 45 minute cardio-focused class teaches participantsroutines set to tunes featured in pop-ular shows from the world of musicaltheatre – including classics fromFlashdance, Footloose, Dirty Dancingand We Will Rock You.

Laura, who performed for 12 yearsin musicals all over the world –including a stint in Mary Poppins inLondon’s West End – originally startedup the class for professionals whowanted to learn new choreography.

But she soon found the sessionswere attracting non dancers who wereinterested in West End music anddance and wanted to learn more.

She now teaches a weekly class atLondon’s Central YMCA, which start-ed off as a separate session but hasnow recently been added on to theclub’s timetable so members canattend as part of their membership.

Laura said: “I originally set up as

WestEnd Dance for professionaldancers. I didn’t expect the class tobecome full of non dancers but peo-ple were interested in West End cho-reography and music so I adapted theclass for that. It’s 45 minutes of nonstop movement with just a quickwater break so it’s really high energyand a lot of fun.”

Sessions run in 10 week blocks andover that time everyone in the classlearns a routine choreographed to 12songs from the shows.

According to Laura, sticking with the

same moves for a few weeks workswell as it gives participants thechance to perfect them. Also by thetime the 10 weeks is up, they can seedefinite improvements from wherethey started, which is good for moni-toring progress and helping motiva-tion.

She added: “People love it. Whenthey come back for a third or fourthweek and can master that step youcan see their determination.”

With shows such as Strictly ComeDancing making dance popular,

Laura told Workout eventually shewould like to see the class rolled outinto other gyms, providing a fun – yeteffective – workout option for mem-bers. And she added that for clubslooking for a new style of class, todeliver WestEnd Workout, there areno large cost or space restrictions tocontend with.

“I teach the class in front of a mirrorbut I don’t think that’s absolutely nec-essary. I just think it gives it more of a‘West End’ feeling, as it helps youconcentrate more on your perform-ance.

“I would have to hold a training ses-sion because each routine has to bechoreographed, but I don’t think itwould need to be taught by a danceras it’s more of a cardio style workout.An instructor who enjoys dance andwho already teaches something likeZumba would be perfect.

“I’m really pleased with how it’sgoing. At first I didn’t realise there wassuch a hunger for this kind of class,but it attracts people of all ages andboth men and women.

“For the person who doesn’t want togo to the gym and run on a treadmillbut who does want to sweat and get abuzz out of it, WestEnd Workout is theclass for you.”

Laura leading a class

16 28/2/13 15:24 Page 1

17 Physique 28/2/13 15:17 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE18

Girls’ programme is asuccess for FreedomTHREE Freedom Leisure sites in MidSussex are achieving success with anactivity programme aimed at teenagegirls.

Girls Get Active, an initiative devel-oped and introduced by the operatora year ago, has been running at TheDolphin in Haywards Heath, TheTriangle in Burgess Hill and KingsCentre, East Grinstead.

It comprises seven or eight weekcourses that run just after school dur-ing term time, targeted at girls aged11-18. Sessions include boxercise, aer-obics and Zumba and are designedparticularly to appeal to non sportygirls.

Freedom Leisure’s communitysports development officer in Mid-Sussex Holly Sutcliffe explained: “GirlsGet Active provides a much neededexercise programme for teenagersthat is not based on sport or competi-tion.

“The classes we run are more com-monly associated with adult womenbut by tailoring the sessions carefully,we have shown that teenagers canbenefit hugely from the weekly ses-sions.”

Each course attracts between 40 and60 girls and are subsidised – initiallyby Sportivate and now by the AffinitySutton Housing Association – whichenables Freedom Leisure to run eachsession for just £2 per person.

Holly added: “We are seeing num-

bers holding up very nicely and nowthe novelty has worn off, I’m confi-dent this is a very viable and valuableprogramme to get teenage girls backin to fitness.

“The main aim is to get girls activeand give them a positive attitude totheir fitness and wellbeing.

“We are also seeing significantlyraised confidence levels, social groupsforming and an all-over sense ofenjoyment and relaxation among thegirls.

“Given that this age group is experi-encing the ups and downs of adoles-cence, school life and exams, theseadditional lifestyle and self-esteemimprovements are particularly pleas-ing.”

Other Freedom Leisure sites are nowlooking to adopt the Girls Get Activeprogramme following its initial suc-cess at the three clubs.

Holly Sutcliffe

WATTBIKE Power Cycling groupclasses are now available at NizelsGolf and Country Club in Kent, fol-lowing the installation of a new train-ing suite containing five of the bikes.

The classes allow each participant totrain at the optimal level for their per-sonal fitness but still within a groupenvironment.

During a session, each person’s livedata is shown on a large screen dis-play, which motivates and encouragesthem through the workouts.

Group fitness manager at operatorThe Club Company Dawn Daviessaid: “The Club Company ethos is toprovide an exceptional experience toour members. Wattbike enables us tofulfil this aim and with Power Cyclingwe can offer an unrivalled indoorcycling experience. We’re looking for-ward to offering a range of fitnesstesting, 1-2-1 training and groupclasses to members in our dedicatedWattbike Power Cycling zone at NizelsGolf and Country Club.”

Bikes installed in suiteWattbike Power Cycling group classes are being held at Nizels.

18 25/2/13 11:09 Page 1

19 BBW 26/2/13 16:22 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE20About 6,000 visitors attended the opening of a redeveloped leisure centre in Surreyto see how an £11m investment has improved the facility. Workout reports.

Celebrations at Westcroft Leisure Centre’s open day where visitors were able to see the redeveloped swimming pool and gym.

Westcroft’s refurbis worth the waitWESTCROFT Leisure Centre has beenclosed since October 2011 to allowthe extensive redevelopment work totake place.

And it seems it was worth the waitas thousands of visitors – plus a fewspecial guests – flocked to the openday to see the finished club and dis-cover the wide range of activitieswhich are now on offer.

The multi-million pound refurbish-ment, funded by Sutton BoroughCouncil, includes upgrades to theeight lane 25m pool, expansion andmodernisation of the 160-stationgym, a new day spa and library.

The centre – managed by EveryoneActive on behalf of the council – alsoincludes the third Everyone ActiveSchool of Dance, following the suc-cess of the concept at fellow EA sites,

Fareham and Spelthorne leisure cen-tres.

South East regional director atEveryone Active Duncan Jefford said:“Sutton Council has done a superbjob renovating Westcroft LeisureCentre and we are delighted to bemanaging the facility.

“Huge amounts of work have goneinto this project which will bring firstclass sport and leisure facilities to theborough. Westcroft will give local peo-ple all the facilities they need toachieve their health and fitness goalswhile also providing space for them toenjoy some much-needed relaxationtime.”

The open day provided fun for allthe family, with highlights includingwater based activities in the pool withbreaststroke silver medallist Michael

Jamieson and Women’s GB water polocaptain Fran Leighton and gymnasticworkshops with Olympic bronzemedallist Kristian Thomas.

By the end of the day, 3,000 peoplehad signed up as members and 1,200people also registered for swimminglessons.

And to date, 23,500 people have reg-istered for an Everyone Active card,which allows casual use at the centre.

Duncan added: “A huge thank you toeveryone that helped make our openday a success. The public lovedengaging with the athletes andcelebrities who did a fantastic job ofhighlighting the superb facilitiesWestcroft Leisure Centre has to offer.We expect to see membership levelsgrow even more over the next sixmonths.”

One of the open day’s star guests was Strictly Come Dancing professional KristinaRihanoff. She took time out from judging a Strictly style dance competition toanswer Workout’s quick questions on the growing popularity of dance classes ingyms...What are your views on dance class-es in gyms?I think it’s great that gyms are run-ning dance classes; they’re the per-fect combination of exercise and funand all ages can join in.

Everybody enjoys dancing to theirfavourite songs so dance classes area good way to encourage people toget more active. It trains your mindas well as your body and gets you inunbelievable shape.

What do you think about theEveryone Active dance school andthe benefits of making dance classesavailable for kids and adults?I think dancing is the best form of

exercise for children and adultsbecause it’s a fun way to get active.

No child wants to go the gym and

workout at the age of five or six, butall children love to have a little wig-gle to their favourite music so danc-ing is a great way to encourage themto exercise.

For adults, it’s something a bit dif-ferent and exciting, and dance class-es are always very sociable. You cansee what great exercise dancing is onStrictly – we all lose weight duringthe show.

That’s why dance schools such asthe one at Everyone Active’sWestcroft Leisure Centre are soimportant. Boys and girls can comealong for fun and then if they reallyenjoy dancing they can start trainingmore seriously.

Strictly Come Dancing professionalKristina Rihanoff with her dance partnerIan Waites.

20 25/2/13 11:11 Page 1

21 FFN 22/2/13 10:01 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE22

Stoke Mandeville Stadium has become the permanent home of Paralympic mascot Splashy,which has been donated following London 2012. After taking up residence in LloydsBanking Group’s head office after the Games, marketing director, Eva Eisenschimmel, hasnow handed over Splashy to a new permanent home where he can be enjoyed by visitorsto the stadium.

FOUNDER of World Gym ChallengeShaun Blyth has launched a new web-site to help gymgoers monitor theirown progress and compare fitnesslevels with others.

www.compareyourfitness.comallows people to input data into cer-tain tests and challenges and uploadresults into leader boards.

Challenges can last up to a year andpeople can enter them as many timesas they like – helping users to monitortheir own progress as well as seeinghow others are doing.

To ensure fairness, those who com-plete the challenges must ask friends,family or their trainers to upload theresults on their behalf. They can signup for a six month free trial period,after which membership to the sitecosts £5 per month.

Sean said: “I am a member of theResponsibility Deal and have made apledge to get people more active –this is my initiative to see results.

“My pledge is to make the public fit-ter, stronger and faster. It won’t be foreverybody, but as you can’t enter yourown results, it will generally be self-regulating, especially as the aim is to

compare your fitness from when youfirst started. If your friends areinputting false information, whatexactly does that prove to you?

“I am anticipating abuse on the sys-tem with some crazy results – but thatis not the issue – it’s about you andabout your results which are genuine– the member needs to appreciatethis.”

Although Sean is excited about theproject himself, he told Workout hehad tried to enlist the support of agroup of personal trainers – but theyweren’t as enthusiastic as he hadhoped.

He added: “I really tried to engagepersonal trainers into being role mod-els into this project through a verysuccessful Facebook group I was amember of, but the overridingresponse I got was our clients arereally not into performance, they aremore lifestyle coaching people whoneed to look better and feel goodabout themselves and be more‘lifestyle active’.

“My target audience is those whowant to be fitter, stronger and fasterand have the results to prove it.”

Challenge founderlaunches fitnesscomparison site

22 28/2/13 15:25 Page 1

23 CFM 22/2/13 14:37 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE24

Why cardio maybe bad for manygym users ...By Allan Collins

I KNOW. Nothing like having a con-troversial title to really set the catamongst the pigeons (and have all thecardio bunnies scream at me nexttime I’m in the gym!) But we have aserious problem at the moment, thatnobody is really addressing, and it allstems from a lack of principles (or atleast a lack of application of princi-ples).

I love this rhyme: “Methods aremany, principles are few. Methodsalways change, principles never do.”

The principle in this case is over-load. Any fitness professional knowsit, but many are not applying it. Letme give you an example – Bob walksinto a gym and wants to get fitter. Bobgets told to start off on a cardio pro-gramme – starting off at 15 minutesand building up to 30 minutes of run-ning on a treadmill. After six weekshe gets injured. The reason is over-load, or rather excessive overload.

Should Bob be able to run for 30minutes on a treadmill three times aweek? Yes.

Will running for 30 minutes on atreadmill three times a week improveBob’s cardiovascular fitness? Yes(probably).

Is starting at 15 minutes and build-ing up to 30 minutes not an appropri-ate starting point and gradual pro-gression? Yes it is.

So what’s the problem? Wellalthough the programme may beappropriate overload for the cardio-vascular system, it is not for the mus-culoskeletal system – it's excessive. In1994 there was some nice research (byJones et al) which showed that theintensity required by the averagesedentary person looking to improvetheir CV fitness will likely cause anexcessive structural overload (on thejoints and connective tissue) – in facta 50-90 per cent injury rate in the firstsix weeks of training.

The programme may be appropriatefor the CV system, but the weakerstructural system is the weak link inthe chain that will break with thou-sands of repetitions of the samemovement (like running). Alsoremember that this was 1994, and

activity levels have for many droppedsince this research was done.

So what is the answer? Well ratherthan performing 100s or 1000s of rep-etitions of the same movement pat-tern and stressing certain joints, weperform a functional programme(split across the eight or so humanmovement patterns) with varied func-tional equipment, designed to gradu-ally increase the load on the muscu-loskeletal system (and strengthen it),whilst still providing an overload tothe cardiorespiratory system (if cor-rectly programmed) and also workingon any biomechanical issues thatwould be assessed by a qualifiedtrainer. We understand that just “mov-ing” isn’t the important factor withgetting results (beginners or not);trainers need educating on what typeof functional equipment is most suit-able, how to integrate them together,and the knowledge to assess andapply these exercises correctly so youdon’t injure your clients.

Our new digital courses are a way tohelp increase the knowledge base offitness professionals, so that theylearn in a cost-effective, time efficientway, so that their programmes can allbe focused on “results based train-ing.”� Allan Collins is director of educa-tion at Jordan Fitness and author ofThe Complete Guide to FunctionalTraining.

Allan Collins

Agency staff trial MyZoneMARKETING agency Big WaveMedia is trialling the MyZone fitnesssystem to increase the physicalactivity levels of its staff.

Managers at the company are hop-ing that by tracking their physicalactivity using MyZone, the team willbecome more conscious of their fit-ness. Employees have each beengiven a heart rate monitor to wearwhile they’re exercising and when itis brought into the office, it wireless-ly updates workout data on to the

member of staff’s profile.Managing director of Big Wave

Media Mark Lee said: “We work veryclosely with the leisure and fitnessindustry and are always keen tokeep up-to-date with products ourclients are using. We hope to use thesystem to set fitness challenges forour staff, with rewards for reachingtargets. The incentives will intro-duce an element of competition andencourage employees to take part,keeping our team fit and healthy.”

24 25/2/13 15:36 Page 1

25 Bodypower 25/2/13 10:12 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE26Sheffield International Venues operates some of the city’s most impressive facilities – all tasked with getting localpeople healthier. Christina Eccles paid a visit to Ponds Forge to find out more about SIV’s successful FitnessUnlimited offering and why every member is treated like a champion.

TRAILBLAZING the low cost concept,SIV was offering monthly member-ship for £19.99 and no contract at thestart of the new millennium – longbefore the rise of budget clubs.

And value for money is still a corepart of the operator’s objectives, withmembers now paying between £23and £39 a month for FitnessUnlimited membership, giving themaccess to a range of world class facili-ties in nine venues across Sheffield,including the English Institute ofSport, Don Valley, Ponds Forge andthe multi award winningHillsborough Leisure Centre.

As well as being able to use all of thevenues, Fitness Unlimited memberscan also benefit from a free optionsscheme, allowing them to chooseextras such as a personalised workoutprogramme, nutritional advice ses-sion, fitness test or a half hour per-sonal training session at no extra cost.Last year, just over 100,000 of thesePT sessions were delivered across thesites, showing the popularity of theidea.

Group fitness manager Peter Clarksaid: “The financial climate has beena challenge and the key for us hasbeen making sure we offer value formoney.

“We have grown to 20,000 membersin a recession, which speaks volumes

about what we are doing. But wenever take that for granted.”

Getting the balance right betweenoffering high quality facilities for eliteathletes – Olympic champion JessicaEnnis trains at EIS – and making surethese same facilities feel accessibleand inclusive enough for local peopleto use can be a challenge, but overthe years, getting to know each cen-tre’s customer base and realising howvaluable their feedback can be hasbeen key.

One example of this is a recent proj-ect at Hillsborough Leisure Centre,which is currently undergoing arevamp to include new state-of-the-art Technogym equipment andincreased class capacity, followingfeedback from customers.

Comment cards, an online feedbackfacility on the Fitness Unlimited web-site and member forums every sixmonths all provide platforms formembers to have their say – and helpstaff to see what’s working and whereimprovements could be made.

SIV’s director of operations LorenzoClark added: “Hillsborough LeisureCentre has always been a hugely pop-ular facility and this investment ispart of our ongoing commitment tomaintaining a sustainable venue fea-turing the highest standards and levelof service for our customers.

“Listening to the people who useour venues is very important to usand the consistent feedback we’vehad is the need to increase the size ofthe gym area and class capacity, so weare delighted to be able to make thissignificant investment.”

Being seen as a middle marketproposition – neither a budget offer-ing or a top end health club – couldhave also presented difficulties.

But by choosing to invest heavily inthe best equipment and staff – addi-tional funds to pay for upgrades aregenerated through conferences andevents – SIV has managed to carve

out a niche as a brand which offersgreat facilities at an affordable, familyfriendly price.

And although having elite athletessuch as Jessica using their facilitieshas helped raise the profile of theclubs, Peter told Workout that whileit’s great the professionals choose totrain there, the ‘average’ member isjust as important.

He added: “We have a great relation-ship with our elite athletes who willspend time with the community, butit’s not much use if people just comehere to watch an event. We actuallywant them to take part.”

Fitness Unlimited facts� Fitness Unlimited started in 2000with four venues in Sheffield –Ponds Forge, Hillsborough LeisureCentre, Don Valley and ConcordSports Centre.� There are now 20,000 FitnessUnlimited members over nine sites.� There are still about 300 foundermembers who joined when thescheme was launched 13 years ago.� Across the sites there are 283classes per week, used by between4,000 and 5,000 people.� The most popular classes includethe Les Mills series, indoor cycling,

Pilates and Zumba. � Hillsborough Leisure Centre wasvoted best leisure centre in the UKfor an unprecedented four years running from 2005 to 2008 at theFlame Awards.� Exercise referral manager DavidBirds was named best gym basedpersonal trainer at the first NationalFitness Awards in 2010.� Six GB athletes who train at EISSheffield secured medals at London2012, including the city’s very owngolden girl, heptathlete JessicaEnnis.

Value for money remains at SIV’s coreThe gyms at Ponds Forge (above) and Hillsborough Leisure Centre (above right)

26 25/2/13 11:12 Page 1

27 Bodypower nut 25/2/13 10:13 Page 1

28 & 29 Kettlercise 25/2/13 11:21 Page 1

28 & 29 Kettlercise 25/2/13 11:22 Page 2

UK FITNESS SCENE30

Are you flogging beefor horsemeat?By Chevy Kelly

THIS last year has left me feelingcheated.

I have learned that Jim should havebeen fixed, Lance Armstrong had mefor a dope, the bank mis-sold metheir PPI, and if that wasn’t enough Ifound out that I could have beenfeeding my family Mr Ed on the week-end.

Let’s face it, in many areas of lifethings are not what they seem. Thisleaves us as club operators with anissue. With every little dent to con-sumer confidence our customers areimmediately suspicious that we arefeeding them bull too.

So what’s the answer? Well its not just advertising the bestpersonal service I am afraid. It’s justnot a USP anymore.

Don’t get me wrong you should liveby it in what is a ‘service industry’, butif your members have used any othergym (or indeed service) in the marketthey have been thrown that linebefore.

It is a real box ticker on any market-ing piece, from a restaurant to an air-line but seldom followed through to

the extent that it is marketed.Marketing that you have the most/best/ latest equipment, although itreally helps, is not a pure successstrategy on its own either.

For the small percentage of peoplethat know what they are doing thengreat.

Remember this however, millions ofpeople bought bricks around theworld last year. Did they want bricks?Hell no! They wanted a house!

Most people don’t come to your clubseeking specific equipment theycome to achieve a result whether it bephysical, emotional or both.

So that’s it then! To instil consumerconfidence it has to be the tangibleresults of others that have gonebefore. Evidence, Evidence, Evidence.

Your current members are literally amine of marketing gold! I love walk-ing into a club that proudly displaystheir member journeys on the walls ofthe club close to reception or near aseating area where new members canglance over them.

If you think of your members rightnow, whether you are a personaltrainer or a health club I am sure youcan think of at least five to 10 mem-bers from different walks of life who

had different fitness goals that wouldbe proud to share their journey.

Most would love to be up on yourwall, or on your leaflets, or in a localnewspaper editorial.

From a member who needed to losetwo stone for a wedding, to the onegoing in a marathon, the strongman,or the one that literally had to dosomething immediately or the doctorsaid they would die early.

You should try and have a photoand a story on the wall to cover asmany different member journeys aspossible and refer to them in market-ing material and in your club tours.The more stories the better.

Socialproof (evidence) is powerfulbecause people feel their stories areunique only to them.

If people can believe that other peo-ple like them have gone before andhad success, it creates trust, createsvalue, is motivating and brings downintimidation barriers.

Just ask the bloke called RobertCialdini who marks Social Proof asone of the Six Key Elements in hisbook The Science of Persuasion (greatread!)

Show off all the great things youhave achieved for your members andyou will be giving real evidence thatyou are serving them Rib Eye and notthe loser of last year’s Grand National.� Chevy Kelly is managing director ofCFM.

Chevy Kelly

30 28/2/13 15:26 Page 1

31 Ffittech 22/2/13 09:59 Page 1

32 NFA 26/2/13 16:57 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE 33

Wattbike powers aheadwith major installsWATTBIKE, the indoor cycle trainerendorsed by British Cycling, has pow-ered ahead with installations acrossthe major health and fitness operatorsover the past 12 months.

Virgin Active launched their flagshipClassic Club at 200 Aldersgate withWattbike Power Cycling, a suite ofeight bikes and a large screen display,enabling members to train at theoptimal level for their own personalfitness within a motivating groupenvironment.

Head of fitness at Virgin Active AlanHoll said: “Health club users havebecome more sophisticated trainersin recent years.

“They push themselves harder, aremore technically knowledgeable anddemand the best available equip-ment. Wattbike’s pedigree as a train-ing device for elite athletes makes it anatural choice for use by our mem-bers and personal trainers.”

At the turn of 2013, Everyone Active

installed Wattbikes at four locations tobroaden the appeal of clubs to theburgeoning cycling and triathlonmarkets, while David Lloyd Leisurerecently chose Wattbike for the open-ing of its new high street PT Studios inPutney and Winchester, citing theproducts’ flexibility as a key influenceon their choice of indoor cycle trainer.

The studios utilise Wattbike for fit-ness testing, functional training and1-2-1 coaching, delivered byWattbike-accredited personal trainers.

Wattbike’s commercial sales manag-er Richard Baker added: “Wattbike’sincreasing presence at the largestbrands within the health and fitnesssector is testament to the quality ofproduct and service delivered by ourteam. From Olympic and Worldchampions through to the dedicatedgym member, we’re providing the verybest training solution for all.”

For more information visitwww.wattbike.com

TWO time world squash championNick Matthew has got behind a newcampaign to increase participation inracket sports.

England Squash and Racketball’sThe Big Hit targets the 18-35 agegroup and will include free taster ses-sions, a female only fitness pro-gramme and ‘play it’ sessions for reg-

ular players to create a friendly andsocial sporting environment.

Already a mass participation sport,with more than 500,000 regular par-ticipants, ESR’s aim is to make squashand racketball one of the top fivechoices for informal sports participa-tion in England.

World champ backs campaign

Ella Henderson

Step into springwith VitalityPLANS have been unveiled for the2013 Vitality Show which is cele-brating its 14th birthday this year.

Highlights of the event willinclude a partnership with theWomen’s Sport and FitnessFoundation, which will see a varietyof sporting activities made avail-able for guests to try during theirvisit.

X Factor singing sensation EllaHenderson will also be performinglive at the show, taking place atEarl’s Court in London from March21-24.

Cain Leathem

PT Cain takes oncharity bike rideFOUNDER of GB Fitness CainLeathem is undertaking a charityRoute 66 motorbike ride to raisemoney for injured soldiers.

Cain is self financing his trip andthat of his pillion soldier, with allthe money raised going directly tocharities Combat Stress, The ForcesChildren’s Trust and Bike Tours ForThe Wounded.

To sponsor him visit http://uk.vir-ginmoneygiving.com/team/cain-leathem

33 28/2/13 15:27 Page 1

LOOKING AFTER THE ENVIRONMENT34

A GLOUCESTERSHIRE independentgym has celebrated its 10-yearanniversary by moving to a neweco-friendly site.

Bodyflex was previously based at aformer RAF site in Quedgeley, butowner Marcus Pillinger has recentlyre-opened a newly-built facility situ-ated in the popular Olympus RetailPark. The green site includes an effi-cient heating system, energy-savingLED lights and mechanical ventila-tion with heat recovery unit.

The club has also been equippedwith a range of Cybex cardiovascu-lar and strength equipment, includ-ing total body Arc Trainers from the

new 770 cardio range, 625 seriesupright and recumbent bikes, plateloaded training equipment andOlympic incline and flat benches.

Marcus project managed the buildhimself and said he is delighted tosee the new gym up and running.

He added: “Having started thebuild in 2010, the new Bodyflex sitehas been a long time in the making.

“Already the feedback from ourmembers has been fantastic and theCybex equipment has been verywell received.”

The club will also include a newstudio space, which is expected toopen later this month.

Gym celebrates anniversarywith eco-friendly site move

The new Bodyflex facility on Olympus Retail Park in Quedgeley.

Centre reaps benefitsof system installationFOLLOWING the installation of aSportsArt Green System at SpectrumLeisure Centre last December, thecentre has reported that the system isnow paying dividends in the firstthree months.

The new power-generating gymequipment uses its members’ exer-tions to produce power.

At Spectrum, a ‘pod’ of 10 SportsArtelliptical trainers and cycles attachedto an inverter uses the power fromexercise, harnessing this and feeds itback into the power grid as useableenergy. This energy is then used tosave facilities thousands of pounds inenergy costs over the year.

Ian Hirst, chairman of Slam, thecharity that runs the SpectrumLeisure Centre said: “This is veryexciting as we were the first centre topurchase the new SportsArt GreenSystem and can state that this hasbeen a great success. We can reportenergy savings of £600 over that shortperiod of time.

“At the centre, we strive to provideinnovation in the way that we operateand constantly look to reduce our car-bon footprint where feasible. The newSportsArt Green System has providedthat technology to assist us in sup-porting the environment plus thecommunity we serve.”

Managing director of SportsArtFitness Mark Turner added: “One ofthe biggest costs to any leisure centreis electricity and the new fitnessmachines and system are the perfect

way of tackling those bills. “SportsArt Fitness designed and

built the Green System and we arenow at a point where these machinesare viable and proving to be environ-mentally friendly, energy efficient andproviding gyms with considerableenergy cost savings.

“With Spectrum Leisure’s testimonyto energy savings, we believe this willnow encourage other gyms andleisure facilities to consider theSportsArt Green System as they lookfor increased efficiencies by reducingoperational costs.”

34 28/2/13 15:37 Page 1

35 SportsArt 22/2/13 14:38 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE36

By Christina Eccles

INDEPENDENT operator Mi-Gym.com (CrossFit Chelmsford) hascreated an exciting new training envi-ronment, thanks to help from func-tional fitness specialists, JordanFitness.

The gym – designed to be a revolu-tionary concept in functional grouptraining, personal training andCrossFit – is aimed at people who feelthey are not getting the desiredresults from a traditional gym envi-ronment.

Staff strive to increase group partici-pation and make exercise engagingand fun, with nearly 1400sqft of openplan training space, including a rangeof functional equipment such asOlympic training discs, kettlebells,slam balls, sandbags and punch bags.

As well as providing equipment, thecompany also helped owner RachelYoung by offering additional supportvia the company’s new Results BasedTraining service.

The three key stages of the RBTprocess are Evaluate – selecting thetype of area clients need for theirbusiness needs; Enhance – helpingclients choose the right equipment,flooring and layout; and Engage –providing supportive marketingmaterials to enable clubs to get their

members excited about the newchanges.

Director of education Allan Collinsexplained: “For Rachel's new venture,we really wanted to show how ournew Results Based Training servicecould assist her in making her visiona reality.

“Jordan Fitness advised her not onlyon equipment selection, but also lay-out and other operational suggestionsto allow Rachel to maximise the effec-tiveness of the facility for results and

profit. Rachel is very much aware ofthe importance of education in thedelivery of a new and exciting fitnessbrand, and we have supported her inworking to set up something not seenbefore in the UK.

“The facility will be a fantastic placefor both clients and progressive train-ers, who are looking for somethingexceptional.

“I foresee this type of facility willbecome a template for many othersto follow.”

Jordan helps to createtraining environment

The new gym created by Jordan Fitness.

Associationsjoin for newinitiativeukactive and the Sport andRecreation Alliance have joinedforces to help national governingbodies of sport understand thepublic health agenda and theimportance of supporting inactivemembers of the community toparticipate.

As the first step, ukactive wereinvited to appear at an AllianceDivisional meeting to present onthe shifting public health land-scape.

The organisations are also work-ing on a Memorandum ofUnderstand which will align theirobjectives and see them workingincreasingly in partnership in thefuture.

ukactive CEO David Stalker said:“The NGBs who are representedand supported by the Alliancealready have a strong presence inlocal communities, with the facili-ties and ability to get peopleactive. By forging a working part-nership between ukactive and theSport and Recreation Alliance wehope to be able to share some ofour knowledge of public healthdelivery, specifically how to targetinactive populations and max-imise local engagement in sportand physical activity.”

36 25/2/13 11:12 Page 1

37 Nutrichem 21/2/13 16:04 Page 1

INSURANCE AND FINANCE38

Raising finance and profilesby offering retail bondsBy David Walker

THE success of many gyms andhealth clubs is often dependent upontheir ability to attract and maintainmembers, whilst developing a posi-tive brand reputation and experience.

By offering Retail Bonds to members(and others), businesses can enablemembers to be directly involved inthe growth and development of theirgym or health club whilst receiving areturn on their investment.

Retail Bonds are an unsecured debtof the issuing company i.e. a loanfrom the member to the gym.

One of the great advantages of theRetail Bonds is their flexibility – sub-ject to certain key legal requirements,there is broad scope for the issuingcompany to decide their terms e.g.the repayment date, interest rates,and how interest will be paid. Forexample, gift vouchers for use at thegym could be offered as all or part ofthe interest coupon attaching to theRetail Bonds.

Many companies are experiencing asustained period where bank lendinghas been difficult to obtain – at leaston terms that are acceptable. RetailBonds can be used as an alternativeway of raising finance; either insteadof, or in addition to, bank lending.

Some other benefits of raising funds

by issuing Retail Bonds include:� The ability to raise funds withoutincurring the costs, delay and dilutionassociated with an issue of shares.� An increase of general marketingprofit and brand awareness.

Other companies who have carriedout issues of Retail Bonds include TheKing of Shaves, Hotel Chocolat andJohn Lewis. Ultimately, the size of thedatabase of potential subscribers forRetail Bonds will be an important fac-tor in the success of a Retail Bondissue. The database of members,which many gyms and health clubshave, makes Retail Bonds particularlysuitable for this sector.

The terms of the Retail Bonds willneed to be set so as to be commer-cially attractive to potential sub-scribers and, therefore, the interestrate attaching to the Retail Bonds mayneed to be more attractive than cancurrently commonly be found at UK

high street banks. To date, the rate ofinterest offered by companies whohave carried out Retail Bond issueshas been between 6 per cent and 7.5per cent (gross) per annum.

Another key term will be the periodof time before the Retail Bonds arerepaid. Again, this can be decided bythe issuing company and there is dis-cretion as to what this term will be.Commonly, however, companies havechosen repayment terms of betweentwo and four years.

The process of issuing a Retail Bondis relatively simple. The issuing com-pany, with the help of its advisers, willprepare and publish an invitationdocument or information memoran-dum which explains to potential sub-scribers the terms of the Retail Bondsthemselves, provides information onthe issuing company or its group ofcompanies, and invites them to applyto subscribe for Retail Bonds.Applications are often made onlineand dealt with by a registrar. The suc-cess of the Retail Bond issues to date,coupled with the potential investorbase in the form of members, wouldsuggest that the Retail Bonds could bea useful and significant fundraisingand marketing mechanism for theleisure sector in the future.� David Walker is a corporate partnerat law firm Memery Crystal LLP.

David Walker

IN the current economic condi-tions, many gyms are looking atdifferent ways to both cut costsand increase revenue. Some ideaswe have seen are reducing staffnumbers, opening 24 hours, leav-ing the gym unmanned for periodsof time and introducing outdooractivities such as military styleboot camps. These changes needto be thought through in somedetail as they can have a substan-tial effect on a gym’s insurancearrangements. So, if these optionsare on your agenda ask yourself:� With less staff can customersstill have proper inductions andongoing support to ensure they areundertaking exercise safely andeffectively?� With no staff what security pro-cedures ensure no one stealsequipment? In the event of aninjury how is help summoned andby whom? How do you defendyourself against a spurious claimwhen there are no witnesses? � With outdoor activity does theinstructor continually update riskassessments as the environment isconstantly changing?

For more information contact JohnAnsell and Partners on 020 7251 7474

or visit www.ansell.co.uk

Changescan affectinsurance

38 28/2/13 15:37 Page 1

39 Debit Finance 21/2/13 10:49 Page 1

INSURANCE AND FINANCE40

Leasing allows theindustry to growSAVVY business owners see leasing asa tool to develop their businesses,fund new equipment and stay aheadof the game.

They know that leasing is one of themost affordable ways to ensure theirbusiness thrives – even in these diffi-cult times.

Put simply, specialist funders likeShire Leasing enable businesses in thefitness industry to sell or buy expen-sive gym equipment that would nor-mally require a large and significantupfront cash payment.

With a lease agreement, that initialexpense is removed – instead a small-er, more affordable payment is madeeach month.

Regional manager at Shire Leasing

Guy Lewcock said: “Shire offers morethan just finance for equipment.We're well established in the leisureand lifestyle industry so we reallyunderstand our clients’ needs.

“This means we're able to create asolution that's right for them andright for their customers. For gymowners, it means they can invest inthe equipment they need at an afford-able rate, and monthly paymentsmake it really easy to budget for thecapital expense.

“When they look at how manymemberships are needed to cover themonthly cost of the equipment, leas-ing becomes a really viable option.”

For more information call 01827 300357or visit www.shirefunding.co.uk

JANUARY was a boom month and lotsof new memberships were signed up.

Much of Harlands’ business is deliv-ered to companies who don’t signmembers to a contractual period butthere is still a vast appetite by bothhealth club operators and the generalpublic for the benefits of contracts.

Many of these memberships sold oncontractual agreements will at somestage during the year be broken.

There is little point in having con-tractual agreements not to enforcethem yet many businesses don’t do

enough to maximise revenue. There is no stigma or embarrass-

ment in selling contracts and enforc-ing them; many businesses manytimes larger than any health and fit-ness operator uses a revenue modelwhich relies on contracts and youneed look no further than the mobilephone market.

What is critical with contracts is thatthe terms are fair and the initial salewas not in any way misleading.

For more information visit www.harlandsgroup.co.uk

Successful start to year for Harlands

ONE of the hardest parts of owninga club is collecting monthly fees,especially when members default.

The administration of paymentscan take up a disproportionateamount of time and yet withoutthem a club would cease to be ableto function.

Debit Finance Collections havebeen providing specialist collectionservices to the leisure industry formany years and have tried and test-ed systems that help clubs to notonly ensure direct debit collectionsare made but also to save onadministration costs.

FastDD is a system that integratesseamlessly with a club’s existingwebsite and allows easy online join-ing options, direct debits to betaken and non-payments moni-tored.

There are many clubs around thecountry who have benefitted fromthe FastDD system.

Core Fit UK use the online joiningthat FastDD provides them with as away of marketing the company.Director Henry Cleminson said:“Every time someone contacts usabout the club we send them anemail with the online joining infor-mation included. We also use it onFacebook and Twitter and I use it inall of my marketing emails. Theresults have been staggering.”

And the system can be accessedfrom anywhere resulting in fewerhours for owners in the back office.

Gary Lockwood of 24/7 Fitnessadded: “The FastDD portal makes iteasy to make updates to member-ship details anywhere – giving usmore time at home and less time inthe office.”

If you are looking for a system toincrease revenue, link in seamlesslywith existing systems and free upmanagement time, look no furtherthan Debit Finance Collections.

System canbe accessedanywhere

40 28/2/13 15:38 Page 1

INSURANCE AND FINANCE 41

A POTENTIAL financial nightmare forgyms is the efficient handling of sec-ondary spend transactions.

Margins are often attractive andtherefore secondary spend is to beencouraged. But your members don’tlike carrying cash around the cluband taking payment efficiently can bea challenge.

Help is at hand from Ashbournewho are installing touch-screen tillsystems in a number of clubs.

These allow members to purchaseany items, either using cash or card,or, better still, without using cash atall. Everything is collected through aDirect Debit agreement set up foreach member, separate to the oneused to collect their monthly mem-bership. This is given an agreed ‘float’level, so that a fresh Direct Debit pay-

ment is only taken once a member’sbalance drops to an agreed level.

Spend patterns can be tracked foreach member, allowing targeted pro-mos to be run.

To find out more call Ashbourne on 0871 271 2088.

Smart handling of secondary spend

Is insurance for gyms necessary?YOU may be aware there are specialistinsurance brokers offering specialistinsurance policies designed for healthclubs and gyms but do you reallyneed them?

In short, are they necessary?The answer is a resounding yes!It is very likely certain types of

claims that occur within a health clubor gym would not be covered by aconventional business insurance poli-cy.

The following examples highlightthis risk very clearly:� A locker is broken into and a mem-ber’s property is stolen. � A member brings a claim againstthe club where they are injured dur-

ing a class because there has beeninsufficient warming up or coolingdown. � A member is injured during a run-ning group session away from theclub. � A member or a visitor suffers aninjury following a massage (or othertreatments) at the club. � A gym user accidentally drops a freeweight on another gym user and youare held liable.

At Independents we only arrangeinsurance for you that is designed tocover the risks an operator faces. And,crucially, it needn’t be expensive.

For more information call 01189 875100or email info@independents-ins.com

41 28/2/13 15:38 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE42

Professor makes healtheverybody’s businessOLYMPIAN, sports scientist andcelebrity trainer, professor GregWhyte, was the keynote speaker at adedicated health conference inLondon.

The event, Improving Health andWellbeing: Everybody’s Business wasorganised by charity Mytime Heath.

It brought together about 100 healthprofessionals and stakeholders fromEngland and Wales with the aim ofgenerating discussions and debatearound community healthcare servic-es. Professor Whyte, whose achieve-ments include coaching comedianand author David Walliams to swim

the English Channel said: “It was greatto be around so many like-mindedpeople, all with a passion and drive toimprove the health of the nation.

“Mytime Health’s event really cap-tured the challenge we have ahead ofus, pulling together pragmatic andsolution focused approaches thatreally place the community at theheart of services moving forward. It’sabout developing workable, flexiblestrategies and it’s great to see compa-nies like Mytime Health really takingtheir responsibility seriously, demon-strating a true commitment to reduc-ing health inequalities.”

Speaker Dr Adrian Brown, Mytime MEND consultant Dr Paul Sacher, Mytime health divisionmanager Annie Holden, Mytime Active chief executive Steve Price, health director MytimeHealth James Watkins, keynote speaker Professor Greg Whyte and senior manager: adulttreatment services Nathan Moore.

By Christina Eccles

CFM CEO Dave Wright has been re-elected as an independent operatorrepresentative on the ukactive boardof directors.

Dave is one of five directors whohave joined the board for 2013-2016,tasked with helping the organisationlead the physical activity sector overthe next three years.

Dave said: “I am delighted to beelected for another three years to theboard of ukactive. There has been alot of democratic change over the pastthree years and I will continue to be astrong voice for independent opera-tors on the board.”

The other appointments are:Operator – multi-site:� Andy McCabe, operations director,GLL.� Martin Seibold, UK managingdirector, Fitness First.� John Treharne, CEO, The GymGroup.Supplier – educational� Nigel Wallace, client services direc-tor, Lifetime.

ukactive CEO David Stalker added:“I am delighted to welcome our newboard members and I look forward toworking closely with them over thenext three years.

“Following a successful organisa-tional rebrand in 2012, we enter thisperiod with renewed focus and ener-

gy for the challenge of getting ourmessage of more people, more active,more often across to policymakers,businesses and consumers.

“There has never been a moreimportant time for the physical activi-ty sector to demonstrate its ability towork together to improve the healthof the nation.

“I feel confident that our board rep-resents a very strong mix of individu-als from across the sector, bringingdecades of experience and insight tothe table to help us achieve thisvision.”

The board members will attend fourboard meetings a year, be ambassa-dors at ukactive events and spokes-people for media opportunities.

CFM CEO re-elected torepresent operators

Dave Wright

42 28/2/13 15:39 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE 43

A NEW exercise studio has opened inWest Yorkshire, which is aiming to tapinto both the adult and kids’ fitnessmarkets.

The Fitness Academy is a partner-ship between Charlotte Thomas –who owns LMMMA martial arts clubwhich specialises in children’s fitness– and owner of Attitude FitnessDebbie Fleming, who teaches adultclasses such as body combat and box-ercise.

The pair opened the studio, situatednorth of Leeds, at the beginning ofJanuary, after relocating from smallerpremises and Debbie said that so farthings are going well.

She added: “This is our second stu-dio. In the old one, we were restricted

because it was so small but this one isabout three times the size of what wehad so our class sizes have increased.”

Popular workouts include bodycombat and abs class, plus Charlotte’s‘Little Ninjas’ class for the kids.

The studio also offers a range offunctional kit such as punchbags, TRXand kettlebells, as well as personaltraining packages.

A special offer of 10 classes for £10has also been encouraging peoplethrough the doors, as well as anattractive membership price of £25 amonth.

And Debbie added that as well asaiming to offer something new interms of the workouts available, oneof the studio’s biggest positives is its

community feel.She added: “We are based just out-

side the city and have a close knitcommunity feel – everyone socialisestogether.”

Future plans at The FitnessAcademy include building up theclass timetable, potentially introduc-ing Body Attack sessions and a dedi-cated kettlebells class, as well as try-ing to build relationships with localschools to teach sessions to morechildren.� Have you recently opened a newgym? If so, we would love to hear howit’s going. Send us details and a pic-ture to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and youcould appear in a future issue ofWorkout.

Charlotte Thomas and Debbie Fleming with members of The Fitness Academy.

Gym owners join forcesto open exercise studio

Nuffield invests £8m in its facilitiesNUFFIELD Health has investedalmost £8m to further improve servic-es in its Fitness and WellbeingCentres.

The six-month project has seen avast overhaul of facilities, equipmentand the addition of medical clinics inmany of the centres.

Wellbeing membership has alsobeen introduced, which gives peopleone to one support from a healthmentor and four individual sessionswith either a physiotherapist, physiol-ogist, personal trainer or nutritionist.

Key investments include £1m spentat the Surbiton club on new changingrooms, the installation of a sauna inthe female changing room, a brandnew gym floor, functional trainingarea and complete refurbishment ofthe bar area.

Nuffield Health managing directorLaura Kerby said: “Our commitmentto helping people to improve theirhealth and fitness is our priority.

“We are confident that our state-of-the-art facilities coupled with the verybest expertise of our health and fit-ness professionals will ensure our

members have the best chance toachieve their health and fitness goals.

“The industry is constantly evolvingwith a bigger and better commontheme. At Nuffield Health we prideourselves on making sure members

have the right environment, as well asthe best facilities and services. OurFitness and Wellbeing Centres rangein shape and size, but they all havethe common thread of teams thatcare.”

The team at Nuffield Health Surbiton including Olympian Colin Jackson and general man-ager Vinny Barrett.

43 25/2/13 11:20 Page 1

44 SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

Anthony launches diete-book and reveals hisDragons’ Den ambitionBy Christina Eccles

PERSONAL trainer AnthonyChapman has launched a new diet e-book – and revealed his ambition totake the business plan on to TV’sDragons’ Den.

Anthony, who runs Pro Active studioin Barnsley, has created the book –called Photo Diet: How to Diet UsingYour Smartphone – to provide a sim-ple method for people looking to loseweight and improve their eatinghabits.

The book encourages people tobecome more accountable for theirfood choices by taking photos ofeverything they eat.

It includes information and handytips on meal plans and ratios betweenfood groups to keep users on the righttrack with portion sizes.

Anthony has been using thismethod with his own personal train-ing clients since Smartphones firstbecame popular, after finding peoplecould cheat with the written fooddiaries he previously encouragedthem to fill in.

By asking clients to send him a pic-ture of everything they were eating,Anthony could then use the informa-tion to find out what they were doingright – or wrong.

He said: “I used to use a pen andpaper before but then a lot of my cus-tomers started getting iPhones.

“I noticed their food diaries werenot always adding up so I started toget them to take pictures of everymeal.

“Straight away I could find out whowas sticking to their diets and whowasn’t.”

As an extension to the e-book,Anthony is now preparing to launch anew website where people will beable to sign up to receive his person-alised nutrition advice.

Membership will be split into differ-ent options where people can sendhim a week’s worth of meal photos ata time and get a weekly email, or amore comprehensive service wherehe monitors the photos Monday toFriday and replies to them each day.

He added: “My vision is that the sitewill become my main job and sourceof income and I will be more selectivewith my personal training.

“This method is really easy. I’vebeen a personal trainer for 10 yearsand the diet industry is very compli-cated – it confuses me and I knowwhat I’m doing.”

Anthony has been testing the web-site on a group of ‘guinea pigs’ overthe last few months and has achievedsome great results with clients – thebest being a one and a half stoneweight loss in 28 days.

And he added that once the site isup and running, he would like topush the business forward by lookingfor investment – even consideringentering TV programme Dragons’Den.

He added: “Because I know it worksand is a really effective way to getpeople results, I am confident aboutit. Eventually I want to do it on a big-ger scale.”

Anthony with Jodie Marsh, who recentlyvisited the studio to film scenes for her lat-est TV show.

Brand signsteam dealSPORTS nutrition brand OptimumNutrition has signed a supplierdeal with the GB Bouldering Team.

The deal will see the companywork closely with the athletes andperformance team, providingproducts to develop tailored nutri-tional programmes.

Strategy director at OptimumNutrition Toby Gordon Smith said:“We’re delighted to be workingwith the GB Bouldering Team ontheir nutrition strategies.

“Climbing is one of the UK’sfastest growing recreational sportsand requires enormous commit-ment, strength and endurance.Adequate fuelling and properrecovery are crucial.”

ON’s current sponsorship portfo-lio includes England Rugby League,Aviva Premiership team Saracens,Scottish Rugby and Irish HeinekenCup Champions Leinster.

SUPPLEMENT company LAMuscle has teamed up withTwentieth Century Fox as the offi-cial partner of the new Bruce Willisaction film A Good Day to DieHard.

The Die Hard partnership will seethe LA Muscle group promote themovie through print advertising,social media. LA Muscle’s own lit-erature and The Active Channel,reaching millions of health and fit-ness enthusiasts.

LA Muscle’s managing directorFeroz Sadique said: “LA Muscle’sbrand image has always beenexciting and cutting-edge.

“A Good Day to Die Hard sharesthe theme of excitement andaction and is the perfect partner-ship for the LA Muscle Group.”

Film partner

44 25/2/13 11:20 Page 1

45 Prolab 25/2/13 10:16 Page 1

46 SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

GREAT tasting, all natural, conven-ient, high protein diet meals forsports and fitness.

Performance Meals are based onclinically tested research that clearlyindicates high protein meals help tomaintain a lean, toned body.

High protein meals are also suitablefor building muscle mass andstrength and are especially useful inthe repair of muscle after exercise.

These are complete real food meals,containing no additives or preserva-tives. High in protein, with a mini-mum of 40g protein per serving, lowfat, low salt and ready to eat. Theunique air and watertight sealedpouch ensures the ingredients arekept fresh and keeps the all-impor-

tant nutrients locked in during cook-ing. Performance Meals have a shelflife of 12 months and have no specialstorage requirements. No fridge need-ed. Simply display alongside existingsports nutrition products.

Visit www.performancemeals.com for more information.

Trade customers can order direct fromwww.performancemealstrade.com

A first for high protein diet meals WARRIOR Blaze Reborn builds on alegend.

The original Blaze was a hard andfast thermogenic beast, a fat burnerso powerful you could rely on serious-ly rapid results.

Blaze Reborn now has even moreincredible ingredients, in even greaterdosages, to make it better than everand beat every other fat burner on themarket, ever produced.

The new Warrior Blaze Reborn is anawesome fat burner that’s proving justas popular as the original and is work-ing so well for hard training individu-als.

Contact Bodybuilding Warehouse fortrade prices on 0161 236 1588 or email

Trade@bodybuildingwarehouse.co.uk

AS A former Olympic athlete and TVGladiator, celebrity fitness expertJenny Pacey knows the importance ofa healthy, balanced diet. In a specialfeature for Workout, she reveals herown three day food diary, as well asher top nutrition tips to pass on toyour members.

Monday:Breakfast: Lemon juice and hot waterwith morning supplements to beginthe day, followed by oats with goat’smilk, strawberries, a handful of blue-berries and mixed nuts. 30 minutes after breakfast: Proteinshake, cup of Red Bush tea. Snack: Apple, with peanut butterspread onto slices, cup of Green tea. Lunch: Two grilled organic turkeysteaks, four egg whites (one yolk)omelette, with chopped pepper andtwo chopped beef tomatoes, cup ofRed Bush tea. Snack: Nakd Bar, satsuma and pep-permint tea.Evening meal: Baked fresh salmonwith olive oil roasted vegetables (sea-soned with Duns river seasoning androsemary) including asparagus, sweetpotato, courgettes and leeks.30 minutes before bed: slow release(casein) protein shake.Within 30 minutes of finishing aworkout, the body is replenished witha protein bar, banana and aminoacids.

Tuesday:Breakfast: Lemon juice and hot waterwith morning supplements, followedby oats with goat’s milk, strawberries,chopped nectarine and mixed seeds.Scrambled eggs (four whites and oneyolk) and a cup of Red Bush tea(always include carbs and proteinwith breakfast) Snack: Pear with a handful of rawnuts and goat’s yoghurt. Lunch: Four oatcakes with cottagecheese, ham slices, a handful ofspinach, chopped tomato andcucumber, cup of Red Bush tea. Snack: Protein shake, Nature Valleybar, peppermint tea.Evening meal: Grilled large FilletSteak with olive oil roasted vegetables

(seasoned with Duns river seasoningand rosemary) including pepper,sweet potato, swede and butternutsquash.30 minutes before bed: slow releaseprotein shake and ZMA.Within 30 minutes of finishing aworkout: Protein bar, banana andamino acids.

Wednesday:Breakfast: Lemon juice and hot waterwith morning supplements, cottagecheese mixed with oats, groundalmonds, nutmeg, a scoop of proteinpowder, chopped strawberries andgoat’s yoghurt (mixed together in abowl), cup of Red Bush tea. Snack: Two oatcakes with peanut but-ter, a Kiwi fruit.Lunch: Savoury protein pancake: 1/3cup of oats, plus four to five eggwhites (optional scoop of proteinpowder) make one large pancake, topwith turkey slices, tomato and cottagecheese. Snack: Nature Valley bar and a hand-ful of edemame beans.Evening meal: Two grilled porksteaks, with salad including freshuncooked spinach leaves, choppedavocado, pepper, apple, balsamicglaze and flaxseed on top. 30 minutes before bed: slow releaseprotein shake, ZMA.Within 30 minutes of finishing aworkout: Protein shake, banana andamino acids.

Five food rules:� Complete protein such as fish, eggsand meat (which contain all aminoacids the body needs) should beincluded as part of every breakfast,lunch and dinner (and snacks ifdesired). Incomplete proteins e.g.nuts/ cottage cheese/ yoghurt/ seeds,should be included in every snack.� Try to eat oats, fruit and vegetablesas your carbohydrate source witheach meal, eating only vegetables ascarbs in the evening.� Include good fats from avocado,olive oil, oily fish, nuts and seedsdaily. � Always drink two litres of water aday.� Find your balance and do not liveby extremes. Eat every two to threehours (so you do not experienceextreme hunger followed by bingingon sugary processed foods). Eat clean/unprocessed foods andhealthily five to six days a week andthen enjoy what you like one to twodays a week – this will actually fire upyour metabolism.

Recommended supplements:Morning: Multi Vitamin, Omegaessential fatty acids (great for hor-mone regulation), ClAPre post training: Amino acidsTo maintain protein intake: proteinshakes and bars ( I always carry a barwith me incase I become really hun-gry or unable to eat as planned) Gofor around a 30g protein hit. Before bed: A slow release caseinshake is consumed to help musclerepair and recovery overnight.

Fast facts:Jenny is a retired Olympic athleteturned TV presenter, the UK’s leadingfitness celebrity and expert, a modeland TV Gladiator Enigma.Height: 5,11Weight: 66kgAge: 29Training: five workouts a weekincluding Olympic lifting, HIT cir-cuits, yoga, sprints, plyometrics, ket-tle bells and cross fit.Diet: six to seven meals a day, 2,000-3,000 calories a day.

Legend reborn

Ex-Olympic athlete Jennyreveals her diet secrets

Jenny Pacey

46 28/2/13 16:26 Page 1

47 Iso2 25/2/13 10:17 Page 1

PRODUCT NEWS48

WHEN it comes to functional trainingequipment, the Escape Fitness CoreBag is in a league of its own.

It is the perfect training tool for usein one-on-one PT sessions, smallgroup training sessions and with thenights starting to stay lighter forlonger, can even be used outdoors.

Whether you’re a club or PT target-ing professional athletes or fitnessbeginners, the core bag is up to thechallenge.

Using a Core Bag is unlike “tradi-tional” weight training, it enlists theuse of stabilising muscles, teachingthe body to use a high level of co-ordination and power to achieve theworkout movements.

It is the complete functional fitnesstool, a welcome bonus to any facilitylooking to boost their free weightarea.

The bag itself, available in five dif-ferent weights, has a smooth vinyl fin-

ish to avoid abrasions to arms or thebody and has additional handles tohelp create more varied workouts.

The colour coded bags mean it iseasy to identify the weight you needand lends itself perfectly to a busystudio environment.

For more information visit www.escapefitness.com/corebags

or call 01733 313535.

Core bags in their own league

THE Fit Group is an independentorganisation formed as a collective of“best in class” suppliers to providechoice and best value to gym opera-tors.

If you are a gym owner or managerand are looking for a place where youcan purchase everything from studiobikes, functional training equipment,

servicing, nutrition supplements,merchandising, martial arts, lockersand much more all under one roofthen why not check out www.thefit-group.co.uk or call us on 08451263107 to learn more.

Introducing the Fit Group

SOCIAL Referral Online allows yournewest member/customer to spreadthe word about your business to asmany of their friends as they want intwo easy steps, harnessing the truepower of the internet and social mar-keting.

Club manager at Westside Healthand Fitness Club Duncan McSporransaid: “We are a 1,400 member healthclub in Stamford centre; the club hasbeen going for 16 years.

“We introduced SRO to increaseguest traffic through the club, withinthe first six-month period of using thesystem we had 300 10-day guest pass-es of which 90 members have joined.

“With our average gym membershipprice being £35 a month (12 month

terms) we have generated £3,150.00on our monthly Direct Debit.Equating to £37,800 p.a.

“In my opinion Social ReferralOnline is the best marketing spendthat we have invested in out of all themarketing tools we have usedthroughout the 16 years.”

To request a free demo call 0845 838 0520 or email

hello@talktwenty1.com

Boost your membership referrals

Virgin Active has appointed a new chiefmarketing officer across its portfolio ofover 100 health clubs. Brian Waring’s rolewill be to lead marketing and build boththe brand and business in the UK.

Ralph Scholz has become FIBO’s new eventdirector, replacing Olaf Tomscheit who isleaving Reed Exhibitions Deutschland afterthis year’s show to take up new careerchallenges. Ralph took over managementof the trade show on January 1, workingwith his predecessor for a transitional peri-od.

A fitness first for Llantristantand Life Fitness Lifescape™A NEW 95-station gym has officiallyopened at Llantrisant Leisure Centre –the very first site in the UK to installLife Fitness Lifescape – as part of a£2.8m investment by Rhondda CynonTaf Council.

The development forms part ofRhondda Cynon Taf Council’s wider£6m refurbishment programme toprovide premier leisure facilitiesacross the county borough.

Life Fitness Lifescape engages usersin a truly personal experience, bring-ing workouts to life through immer-sive outdoor adventures, with on-demand content that enlivens everysession. The new design of LlantrisantLeisure Centre also includes signifi-

cant energy-saving measures such asLED lighting, PIR-controlled switch-ing, heat recovery air conditioningand ventilation systems.

This will significantly enhance effi-ciency and will improve the leisurecentre’s carbon footprint.

For more information visit www.lifefitness.co.uk

THE UK’s biggest fitness weekend isset to join the BodyPower Expo inMay 2013.

B-FIT is the perfect addition toBodyPower, the UK’s largest sport, fit-ness and nutrition expo. A weekendthat will showcase the UK’s fitnessscene as it is today and for the future;delivering a fantastic, energy fuelledexperience for a 40,000 strong crowd.

B-FIT is a vibrant, interactive featurelocated within BodyPower, cateringfor professionals and enthusiasts.

For the fitness professional, Friday’sindustry and preview day will offer aprogramme of interactive workshops,seminars, accreditations and exercisemasterclasses. These will ensureinstructors, speakers and other indus-try professionals are up to date withthe latest industry genres and trends.

B-FIT will also offer fitness profes-sionals business and marketing

advice to ensure their practical skillsare balanced with sound businessacumen and the ability to create abrand or business. Saturday andSunday will focus on the fitnessenthusiast and consist of a high leveland multi activity weekend of classes,workshops, seminars and networking.In line with current trends within thefitness industry, B-FIT will also offer avariety of workshops and seminarswithin the realms of functional train-ing. B-FIT will aim to educate all visi-tors on the benefits of functionaltraining. Sessions will be provided byrenowned training providers such asPremier Training International andFitpro and will include conditioning,balance, strength and endurancetraining. Whether you are looking tokeep fit, get accredited or simply trysomething new, B-FIT has somethingfor you.

B-FIT bursts onto theBodyPower scene

STAFF at award winning LadybirdFitness in Wigan have been workinghard to look after the environmentand they contacted Workout via ourFacebook page to let us know some oftheir green ideas.

The team said: “All the rubbish atLadybird Fitness is recycled by theteam, everything is washed and putinto separate bags and our mainte-nance man takes it to the correctrecycling points.”

“We also recycle all magazines,newspapers and cardboard. We aredoing our bit to look after the envi-ronment.”

Gym does its bit for the environment

The Ladybird Fitness team.

ARENA Health and Fitness Club hasbecome the first gym in Ireland tooffer an innovative new functionaltraining system from Life Fitness.

The club, situated at the four starGrand Hotel in Malahide, CountyDublin, is giving hotel guests, mem-bers and non members the chanceto participate in interactive groupsessions on Synrgy360S, a piece ofkit which has become the focalpoint of the gym’s new functionaltraining space.

Manager Suzanne Byrne said: “We

are continually committed to pro-viding the best facilities and servicesto each and every client and arealways looking for new ways to helpthem achieve their personal healthand wellness goals. We are incredi-bly proud to be the first club in thecountry to have Life FitnessSynrgy360S and are excited aboutthe exercise options it opens up toour customers.”

Synrgy360S has been supplied byFITTR, Life Fitness’s chosen distrib-utor in Ireland.

Functional first for Arena

48 28/2/13 15:40 Page 1

CLASSIFIEDEQUIPMENT

49

Classis 26/2/13 15:07 Page 1

EQUIPMENT

CLASSIFIED50

FOR SALE

Classis 26/2/13 15:07 Page 2

CLASSIFIED 51LOCKERS

MANAGEMENT MAINTENANCE

Classis 26/2/13 15:07 Page 3

CLASSIFIED52FLOORING

LIGHTING

MARKETING

MIRRORS

INSURANCE

LOCKS

Classis 26/2/13 15:07 Page 4

RECRUITMENT

AUDIO / VISUAL

DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTIONS53

CLOTHING AND MERCHANDISE

SOFTWARE

FINANCE

TRAININGINSURANCE

Classis 26/2/13 15:07 Page 5

CLASSIFIED54HYGIENE

UPHOLSTERY

WANTED

TRAINING

VENDING

Classis 26/2/13 15:07 Page 6

55 Marshmans 26/2/13 16:23 Page 1

56 Precor 21/2/13 11:01 Page 1