June 2018
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Training needs to improve, report claims By Oliver Dyson MORE needs to be done to improve training in the fitness industry, according to the newly published Raising the Bar report. The report, produced by Future Fit Training and supported by ukactive, showed that most people think there is still a long way to go in terms of training provision, assessment of fitness professionals and upskilling. The report showed that 73 per cent of employers believe personal training qualifications and assessments should take no longer than six months to be completed, with 100 per cent of operators surveyed believing the CIMSPA professional standards for fitness will have a positive impact on raising the quality of personal trainers entering the industry. A total of 92 per cent of employers surveyed revealed they provide additional training to ensure fitness staff are work ready and 87 per cent believe candidates enter the sector with unrealistic expectations. Major skill gaps identified within the industry were newly qualified professionals lacking commercial knowledge, social skills and behaviour change skills, issues which respondents felt could be solved with more robust, employer-focused approaches to that initial training and
development. Future Fit Training managing director Rob Johnson said: “Raising the Bar 2018 is our most thorough report to date, consulting with more fitness operators and industry experts on more topics than ever before. “We have seen great progress in attitudes and willingness to implement change since our last report but recruiting and retaining high-quality fitness staff continues to be a challenge for employers. “CIMSPA, ukactive, awarding organisations, training providers and employers must now come together to address these skills gaps to further professionalise the industry workforce.” This year’s report also looked at the ability of fitness professionals to engage disabled people in physical activity. Currently, disabled people are almost twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people. The report revealed that confidence in the industry’s ability to engage with disabled people must be improved. 86 per cent of the report’s respondents didn’t believe most exercise professionals were adequately trained to work with disabled people. And 61 per cent of operators didn’t know what percentage of their membership was disabled.
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Elevated numbers at this year’s conference
Celebrity personal trainers and former Gladiators Wayne Goodwin and Jenny Pacey will host the 2018 National Fitness Awards, Workout can reveal. Taking place at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool on Friday December 8, the NFAs celebrate excellence in all parts of the sector, rewarding clubs and individuals for all their hard work, with over 20 trophies up for grabs. Enter now or find out more at www. nationalfitnessawards.co.uk and see page 4 for more details about this year’s event.
A RECORD number of attendees visited Elevate. More than 8,133 professionals from 36 countries came to this year’s event, held at the ExCeL London, a 94 per cent increase on 2017. Social prescribing, open data and community-wide behaviour change were the major themes discussed. The Thought Leaders Conference, sponsored by MINDBODY, saw keynote speakers including Tracey Crouch MP, Dr Michael Mosley and Sir Muir Gray CBE debate the issue of inactivity. And panellists discussed how GPs can integrate social prescribing into their clinical care model, what the implications could be for the physical activity sector and the relationship between the sector and primary care professionals. A panel session which included Dr William Bird, MBE, CEO and founder of Intelligent Health, revealed the statistic that 51 per cent of all GP referrals for social prescribing are for loneliness. And Fiona Bull MBE, from the World Health Organisation, previewed WHO’s global action plan on physical
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PT gives something back with free training offer A PERSONAL trainer is giving something back to talented local athletes by supporting them with free training. Dean Smith, owner of SynerChi:Fitness, which is based at Busybodys Fitness in Essex, has been successfully sponsoring and training autistic power lifter Joe Strike, who recently came third in the British Power Lifting Championships. His newest athlete client is Ryan Crouch – a swimmer with mild cerebral palsy who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics – after he approached Ryan in the gym to offer his assistance. Dean said: “I was working with clients and saw him in the gym. He was so humble and unassuming. “He was training by himself and I saw something in him and thought I can really help you. I love sport specific training and working with people at the top of their game.” Dean offered Ryan a consultation where he studied his swimming stroke and which muscles he was actively using to put together a programme and now the pair train together – at no cost to Ryan – once or twice a week. Dean added: “It’s something different for me so it’s been a challenge but it’s really rewarding. I love working with him.” Ryan is now focusing on returning to racing at the Para Swimming National Championships and told Workout having support from Dean and the gym has made a big
Ryan Crouch and Dean Smith. difference. He added: “Training at Busybodys Gym over the past years has helped me massively. “In the last year or two, the support of Dean and Andy at Busybodys has been unbelievable. They are approachable, I look up to them and they both have the die-hard attitude that I carry into the pool. “I am currently working hard with Dean to achieve extra improvements in my body and hopefully mirror this in the pool environment. “At the end of May, I will return to racing at the Para Swimming National Championships, where I will be able to see what my performances are like against other world class swimmers
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and hopefully build upon whatever performances I deliver. Who knows what the future holds – I won’t put a limit on anything.” Dean works with people from 18 years old to those in their 80s and with a waiting list for new clients, he believes his philosophy of focusing on customer service and always going that extra mile is paying off. He added: “I love what I do, which makes a massive difference, and if I can make a difference to people’s lives then there is no greater thanks than that. “Client support outside of sessions and customer service is something I have always wanted to maintain. It’s nice to have people believe in what I’m doing.” ■ Does your gym support any talented athletes? Is it something you think the fitness industry should do more of? Send details to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk and we could feature you in a future issue of Workout.
Global functional equipment manufacturer Escape Fitness has recruited Rachel Young as its new head of training and education. The move comes as part of the company’s plans to become the leading industry choice for traditional and digital training and education solutions. Experienced multisite operator Rachel will lead, manage and develop all aspects of Escape Fitness’ education business unit, head up the development of new training and programming solutions and support clubs in training delivery.
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CG® brings HEAT to Nuffield NUFFIELD Health members nationwide can now experience ICG HEAT, a new high intensity interval training class from Indoor Cycling Group. ICG HEAT, which will be exclusive to the gym chain in the UK until the end of September, is based on a 30-minute HIIT workout that encourages participants to work with and against each other to win team battles and achieve personal bests in an immersive group cycling experience. Members will experience repeated periods of hard effort followed by periods of rest, utilising the personal
training zones displayed on the bikes’ consoles and studio screens for a unique and engaging digital experience. The class utilises ICG’s Coach by Color system, which assigns five coloured training zones to users based on power or heart rate to accurately coach exercisers’ efforts for the best customised results. Every element of the new class has also been specially chosen by ICG – from the speed of the transition between training zones to the accompanying music – to validate the HIIT protocol with power and data driving speed and intensity of movement.
Organising an action packed weekend of fitness fun helped an independent ladies only gym raise over £2,000 for charity. Serendipity Ladies Health and Fitness in Selby ran a ‘classathon’ in aid of local charity York Against Cancer, featuring nine hours of classes on a Saturday and another nine on Sunday. Meanwhile, part owner of the gym Nick Potts cycled 485 miles on a bike set up outside the gym and £1 mini challenges took place inside; including the most burpees completed in a minute and running 1km on a treadmill.
Members of Action PR’s new consultancy division with director Cheryl Hersey.
Action PR launches a consultancy division HEALTH and fitness PR agency Action PR has launched a new consultancy division. The new division will sit alongside the agency’s consumer and B2B divisions, offering a pick and mix approach to a range of services including strategic business consultancy, sector specific introductions, support with pitches and presentations, product and training development and operational support, as well as full marketing strategy, asset creation and roll out. The consultancy team includes well known industry names including Rob Beale, former head of fitness for David Lloyd, Next Gen and Aspria; Michael Clark, former head of innovation for Fitness First; Vicky Mahony, former global content manager for PTontheNet and ViPR
and Samantha Cullum, former head of operations at both Fitness Professionals and YMCAfit. Action PR director Cheryl Hersey said: “Innovation in health and fitness is at an all-time high but to succeed in what is now a highly competitive and crowded marketplace, businesses need strong foundations, good market knowledge, a robust strategy and of course a few powerful connections. “The handpicked consultancy team at Action PR is perfectly placed to offer strategic direction, industry introductions, market positioning, marketing foundations and more. The team includes some of the most knowledgeable and dynamic experts in the fitness industry, putting us in a unique position to offer complete support from initial concepting to long-term market success.”
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UK FITNESS SCENE
UK adults flocking to HIIT, new Active Lives survey shows THE number of people taking part in interval training in the UK has increased by more than a quarter over the past year, according to the latest Active Lives Survey by Sport England. In the most significant change across all physical activity and sport in the UK, participants undertaking exercise such as circuit training or HIIT at least twice a week increased by 518,000, rising from 1.9m to 2.4m. The trend is supported by independent research by ukactive and The Data Hub on levels of HIIT and circuit training participation over the past year. CEO of ukactive Steven Ward said: “It’s clear to see why so many operators are investing in new HIIT and group classes in an attempt to satisfy growing demand from the consumer. “As new players and technologies enter the market, it will be fascinating to see how interval training and group classes diversify to reach new audiences.” Active Lives also showed that participation in adventure sports was up by 337,000 as more people take part in activities such as hill and mountain walking, rock climbing, abseiling, orienteering or high ropes. However, swimming and cycling were both shown to have decreased
Steven Ward in popularity, with almost 283,000 fewer people swimming regularly and 93,000 fewer people cycling. Overall, the number of active people remains at 27.7m (61 per cent of the population aged over 16) and 11.5m (25.7 per cent) are still inactive, matching figures from Sport
England’s previous survey results from January 2017. The survey found that a gender gap still exists across the UK, with only 60 per cent of women achieving the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, compared to 64 per cent of men. Female inactivity stands at 27 per cent compared to 24 per cent for male inactivity. However, ukactive’s recent Global Boutique Trends Report shows that the high-end market is bucking the trend when it comes to the fitness gender divide, with London boutiques reporting 83 per cent of participants as female. Results also show there remains a gap in activity levels between the higher and lower socio-economic groups, with people on lower incomes and disabled people still much less likely to be active enough to benefit their health. People who are long-term unemployed or have never worked are the most likely to be inactive (38 per cent) and the least likely to be active (49 per cent). And there was no change in the number of disabled people getting active, with inactivity more common for those with a disability (43 per cent) than those without (21 per
cent). Steven added: “Despite progress in some areas, we continue to see vast inequalities in access to physical activity, fuelling the health crisis in Britain today. “Physical inactivity is the UK’s silent killer and the only way we will defeat it is by encouraging more people to build physical activity into their daily lives. “This mission requires a sustained approach that draws on the strengths of every local service and organisation, to reach all corners of society. “We need to foster new partnerships, across the public and private sector, to fundamentally change the way people engage in physical activity. “Thankfully, innovation is alive and well in our sector, from the everexpanding range of HIIT and group classes available, to the tech start-ups joining our ActiveLab programme, bringing the best minds together in order to accelerate advanced solutions. “Organisations, operators and suppliers are developing training and products to ensure exercise is made more accessible to disabled people, and our upcoming school summer camps will aim to bridge the health divide in struggling communities.”
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New concept aims to revolutionise indoor cycling
Over 80 representatives from the trampoline park industry attended an educational day designed to give them insight into some of the biggest challenges facing the sector. The event, delivered by Independents in partnership with the International Association of Trampoline Parks and sponsored by Allianz Insurance, included a full programme of seminars covering topics such as safety, compliance, sustainability and the availability of insurance. Director at Independents, Neil Adebowale, said: “The trampoline park industry is still in its infancy and events like this are incredibly important to ensure the sector remains united in its ambition to create a sustainable future.”
Operator appoints new director ANYTIME Fitness has appointed a new sales and marketing director as part of plans to grow its UK presence. Neil Randall will be key to the company recruiting new franchisees to its 140 strong network. His more than 15 years’ experience in the industry, working with Virgin Active and LA Fitness, will help him provide expert guidance to franchisees wanting to open a new club from scratch. He is the second addition to Anytime Fitness’ UK senior management team this year after
Ben Dixon’s appointment as commercial and property director and will report to UK CEO Stuart Broster. Neil said: “I’m delighted to have joined Neil Randall Anytime Fitness and look forward to working alongside Stuart and Ben as part of a new team to help drive the company’s presence in the UK.”
A NEW fitness concept, which aims to revolutionise the indoor cycling experience, is set to open at Westfield London next month. Founded by celebrity trainer Mark Anthony, FirstLight comprises three studios, two of which are for indoor cycling, and will use sunlight simulation technology to help motivate the body and optimise fitness results. Each class will guide riders from sunset to sunrise, using expertly designed acoustics and light visuals projected around the room. Mark said: “We’ve been working on the concept for FirstLight for over five years now and can’t wait to finally see the gym open to customers in a few months’ time.” Funding from HSBC has been used to purchase the bikes for each of the two cycling studios, as well as the AV equipment needed to facilitate the innovative sunlight simulation technology, which has been exclusively developed by scientists in Holland. Mark added: “The project wouldn’t have been possible without the support and funding from HSBC, which has allowed us to bring this amazing experience to Londoners for
the first time. “Our aim now is to be at the forefront of the indoor cycling revolution, redefining what innovative boutique fitness should feel like.” In October, FirstLight will launch its boxing concept POW-R-BOX in its third studio to coincide with Westfield London’s 10th anniversary.
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Welcome to WorkOut Weigh In – it’s your chance to have your say and share your views on industry issues. You can email us at ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or you can message us on Facebook or Twitter.
Editor’s comment
HELLO, and welcome to the June edition of Workout magazine – and my debut as editor. I’ve taken over from Christina who many of you will have come to know from the pages of this magazine, from gym visits, conferences and of course the Challenge Christina page! She has now moved onto to pastures new – and left a lovely message for everyone below. She has left some big gym shoes to fill. Some of you I may have spoken to or met already this month. If so, thank you for the warm welcome. I’m fairly new to the fitness world but I’m looking forward to getting stuck in. For those of you I haven’t yet met, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. If you want Workout to come and take a look at your gym, try out a new class, give an outstanding achievement some recognition or if you just want to say hello, give me a call or get in touch online. We have already had some outstanding weather and that means plenty of opportunities to try some al fresco fitness, like the rooftop spinning class which debuted in London recently. It can also mean the launch of some exciting new summer classes and opportunities for members who are wanting to get in shape for their holidays. We are here to showcase you, what you are getting on with and any news you might have to share so don’t be shy if you think you have something people might be interested in. Oliver I’m sad to say the May issue was my last one as editor as I have recently moved on from Workout to take up a new role in communications at the charity Macmillan. I’ve really enjoyed my time working on such a well respected magazine – and one which is so well loved by the industry – and it’s been great getting to know so many readers and advertisers over the years. I’ve particularly loved trying out new classes for the Challenge Christina feature (with varying degrees of success!) as well as working on and attending the National Fitness Awards; watching it grow year on year into the industry’s biggest free-to-enter awards scheme. Personally, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me as editor by sending your stories in, inviting me to events and launches and sending me your feedback on what you would like to see us cover – and I hope you’ve enjoyed the magazines we have put together for you. It’s been my pleasure working with you all and, while I’m excited for a new chapter in my career, this is an industry I’ll miss working in very much. Over the years, I’ve been constantly inspired by stories from many of you who have shared your successes with the magazine and entered the NFAs. So keep up the fantastic work and keep sharing them with the new team who will be delighted to hear from you. Please keep in touch and all the best for the future. Christina
Talking point: How are you gearing up for the summer months in your gym? If you’ve launched a big new marketing campaign or are planning some exciting member or community events, we’d love to hear more. Send your answers to ce@scriptmedia.co.uk or contact us via Twitter or Facebook. We’ll print the best responses next issue. Instructor Iain McKendry didn’t let his cerebral palsy stop him from opening his own spinning club. The 24-yearold has just opened Club McKendry in Danderhall Leisure Centre, just outside of Edinburgh. Iain was born seven weeks premature and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 15 months. At the time, his parents were told he may never walk. But he has defied the odds to overcome his disability and live his dream. Club McKendry currently has 13 Precor Shift Bikes with consoles, and Iain rides a Spinner bike that was gifted and personalised for him by John Baudhuin, CEO and Founder of Mad Dogg Athletics, and Josh Taylor, international Spinning master instructor. The club plans to add more bikes in the future, as the classes are oversubscribed with a long waiting list. Iain said: “I’m helping the people in my community get fitter. If I can spin, then anyone can spin. There are no excuses in my life. When I’m on my bike I feel like a different person, my disability disappears and my ability shines through. My classes welcome the young, the old, men and women, elite athletes and beginners.” This month, Iain and mum Janis will be attending the World Spinning® and Sports Conditioning Conference in Miami, Florida. His long term personal goal is to become a master instructor and be a brand ambassador for Spinning. He added: “I want to show the world that anyone can overcome their disability and achieve their goals and dreams.”
Picture of the month
Follow us on Twitter @ WorkOutUK or contact us on Facebook at www. facebook. com/workout magazine A new spin on an exercise class has started at a London business campus. Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work, in West London, unveiled its first rooftop spin class on the top of the tallest building in the park. At over 51 metres high, it lends users a sky high view while they work out. They held a series of free classes for people to try as part of company Wellbeing Focus Week, which looks at improving the work life balance of the site’s 9,000 workers. Companies such as Disney, QVC, Discovery, Starbucks and Danone are based there. Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work CEO Matt Coulson said: “Cycling on top of a building in central London is a pretty unique opportunity. We launched our rooftop spin class during our second Wellbeing Focus Week of the year, a week when we help our guest companies support the physical and mental wellbeing of their employees.”
#social media ...
@ClubRight_Neil Have you seen the @ClubRight news story and advert on page 22 of @WorkOutUK this month? We are also very proud to feature on the same page as four times Olympic Champion @ LauraKenny31 – catch #ClubRight at @elevatearena today on the @ eGymUK stand. Have a great day @cimspa Great to see that @ WorkOutUK are media partners at this year’s @elevatearena. #Elevate2018
@elevatearena We are thrilled to have welcomed over 8,000 people to #Elevate18 from 36 different countries and are looking forward to combining COPA and Elite Sports and Rehabilitation Expo into the event in 2019 @FitnessSystems Great opportunity for any of our clients to go forward in showcasing their clients’ achievements amongst a fantastic publication RT: @ WorkOutUK: WorkOut Way To Go winner of the month.
@Legouix Woop... @WorkOutUK #CoverGirl More good DVD coverage! Really pleased it’s been received so well! thanks @ ChristinaEccles for the lovely review @guyholland69 @Legouix Cover girl for the best magazine in the industry. Nice one! @DPMCL Excellent article @ WorkOutUK from @lifesleisure and @cimspa Malcolm McPhail
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UK FITNESS SCENE In the final part of his series of columns for Workout, Everyone Active regional director Duncan Jefford reveals why profit – not turnover – should always be the focus for operators.
Why profit (not turnover) should always be operators’ main focus THERE’S a famous saying that goes, “Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.” Ultimately, what it means is that if you’re not making a profit, you haven’t got a business. Most businesses fail because they don’t have detailed cashflow forecasts and business plans. The final line of this saying is “cash is reality,” which is also worth remembering. No matter how successful your latest sales push has been, or how much profit you have made, nothing impacts a business as dramatically as a cash flow crisis. One of the big advantages of generating a profit is that it creates reinvestment opportunities for your business which can help keep it competitive. At Everyone Active, we reinvest a large portion of our profit in the upkeep of our facilities. This is critically important in the business. It’s good for members because it keeps the facility modern and fresh. It’s also good for the community because we invest in new opportunities and activities that we know the community will love and that will help turn a profit in future.
Duncan Jefford For example, the expansion of our climbing wall at Westway Sports Centre, or the addition of hot yoga studios in some of our locations. These upgrades have been a direct result of reinvesting our profit. For operators, you need to approach reinvestment in two ways. The first is to consider essential capital expenditures, like the necessary replacement of a swimming pool boiler. This is investment that needs to take place for your facility to continue functioning at a high level.
The second is commercial investment. This is where we look at opportunities and consider whether it will return a profit in the future. For operators to be successful, they need to focus on both areas. A lot of Everyone Active sites have benefited by reinvestment following a surplus in profit. A great example is Westminster Lodge in St Albans. 18 months ago, we converted a small youth gym into a hot yoga studio and repositioned the youth kit into the main gym. We’ve also just invested about £500,000 replacing fitness kit at this site, and we’re about to redo the wet side facilities. This is a site we’ll continue to invest in to keep the quality high. Our experts help us determine the best way to reinvest our profit based on market trends. We stay on top of what’s coming into the market and we move quickly. Sometimes, reinvesting can result in more opportunities for profit down the road. At Harrow Leisure Centre for example, we originally expanded the gym area by including a special populations and women’s only gym,
based on the demographics of the area. This change proved to be immensely popular with the community, driving more membership in the facility. From there, we were able to create a bespoke weight training area with two studios, and based on the profit from this investment, we are now developing a new soft play area for the gym. The one key thing to remember is that you may not see growth for years. It is important to do your research and consider the long-term. If you’re using profit to invest in a niche product, you need to determine if it will still be attractive in two to three years’ time. You also need to consider the disruption that any reinvestment opportunities might cause the customer. Nine times out of 10, we try to keep a facility open during any upgrades or refurbishments. It’s important to time your investment right so that it does not annoy your customers. Ultimately, reinvesting in your business can lead to huge growth. When your company starts making money, it’s important to invest it to ensure it keeps making money.
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Mike plates up meals for clients in his new diner By Oliver Dyson
PERSONAL trainer Mike Hind doesn’t just serve up nutrition advice to his clients – he creates and plates up meals for them too. That’s because the Middlesbroughbased fitness entrepreneur, who won the 2017 Personal Trainer of the Year award at the National Fitness Awards, has just opened the new Macro Based Diner opposite his MAS Body Gym. By partnering up with Premier Nutrition, Mike now offers bespoke meal plans tailored to his clients’ goals. By purchasing a meal card, they can buy a set number of the carefully measured meals to be collected or eaten in person at the diner, or if in the local Teesside area, delivered by Mike himself to their home. “We went down the route of deliveries on Mondays and Thursday so that whatever amount you buy in, it will stay decent and fresh for as long as possible,” Mike said. “I’m the one knocking on the door, the guy who is behind it, so if there are any questions they get that one to one conversation too. We’ve had amazing feedback so far.
When we opened a expected maybe 200 meals s week. But the first week, every day we ran out of food. Our orders have quadrupled and now we are on average serving about 1,500 meals a week.” The diner is just the latest to join Mike’s brand, which also includes Mike Hind Fitness, clothing brand MAS Body Development and the MAS Body Gym. It has clientele from as far as Leeds and including Middlesbrough FC captain Ben Gibson and pro boxers
Josh and Kalam Leather, who work with Mike in a training capacity too. Food can be eaten in the diner, which has a fully knitted out seating area, or taken home in a biodegradable container which clearly states the ingredients involved. The focus is on making the food as tasty and healthy as possible, with a new breakfast menu just introduced and work on a kids menu – so the entire family can eat together – underway.
“We get all walks of life in here, from pro athletes to all different minorities, races and backgrounds but everyone is united by their pursuit of health. “It was amazing to win the award. It felt like I’d been proving people wrong for seven years and that justified me. And it was testament to the success and determination of my clients too. Now with the diner it is about keeping moving forward and looking to the future.” The menu features a variety of meat options, plus carbs such as white rice, wholemeal pasta sweet and boiled potatoes and a variety of mixed green vegetables. New, protein pizzas served on a healthy pitta bread style base not yet available in shops are also proving popular. The diner is run by Leanne Jones, who lost more than 14 stone from working with Mike. She said: “I am proof that what Mike has created here works. It’s not about cutting out food or starving your body, it’s about giving your body what it needs to sustain a healthy lifestyle and my weight loss journey has inspired many.”
MAS Body Gym within biting distance of new diner THE MACRO Based Diner is open to the public, but it is particularly convenient for clients of the nearby MAS Body Gym. Located opposite, members receive a ten per cent discount off main meals and packages. The gym dedicates a generous amount of space to an ‘al fresco’ style outdoor area. That houses a boxing ring and provides space for morning and evening classes, all provided within the monthly membership fee. Inside the gym, downstairs keeps the weights out of the way so as not to intimidate newcomers. One upstairs section houses sports
massage and sun bed facilities, while elsewhere upstairs a new cardio facility houses equipment imported from the USA. Mike said he emphasised equipment quality over quantity to maximise the space available. He said: “For example, we have a treadmill which has a 30-degree incline to give members something different. “We can’t compete with size so we have to offer something a bit unique.” The gym also houses the MAS Body Development clothing brand store and workroom, where everything is created on site.
Urban Fitness team up with Jordan for new site JORDAN has been appointed the official functional equipment supplier for a new gym concept in the heart of the City of London. Urban Fitness opened its second site, in Chancery Lane, early in 2018, following on from the success of their Aldgate flagship gym, which was also kitted out with functional equipment from Jordan. Zak Pitt, managing director of Jordan, said: “We have been working with the guys at Urban Fitness to support the growth of their brand, which aims to provide a premium gym experience at a fraction of the cost of similar Londonbased facilities. Jordan have supplied Dumbbells, Discs, Medicine Balls and Kettlebells in addition to other bespoke custom
products, to give customers a unique experience, in line with the Urban Fitness concept to create an inspiring environment that helps every single member achieve their long term active, lifestyle goals.” Charles Tantrum, managing director of Urban Fitness, added: “Our relationship with Jordan goes back a long way, therefore they were the natural choice for us when creating the Urban Fitness concept. “As we continue to develop our brand, to offer our customers a seamless experience, regardless of where they visit, we will look to continue to build on this, particularly given that the company has an outstanding installation and service offering, which matches our own customer service ethos.”
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The popularity of Stage cycling classes at a health club near Blackpool shows no sign of slowing down. Workout’s Dominic Musgrave paid the facility a visit to see what all the fuss is about.
The Stages Cycle Studio at Ribby Hall Village which includes 40 bikes and the latest top-of-the-range technology.
Sky’s the limit as studio refurbishment pays off THE refurbishment of the cycling studio at Ribby Hall Village in 2016 included an investment of £100,000 in 40 new bikes and software. The bikes include built-in power meters supplied to and used by Team Sky. The Vismo X software uses Functional Threshold Power that allows instructors to teach a class suitable for all abilities. The installation also included an HD projector to track performance and complete virtual rides. Twelve classes are held for members each week, with a further three dedicated to the Ribby Hall Triathlon Club. Four of the classes are taught by fitness instructor Jo Townsend, who also teaches Pilates, BarreConcept, Kettles and Blockfit and Boxfit. She said: “I have been teaching Stages since Ribby Hall relaunched the new cycle studio. “Stages Cycle appealed to me because I like how the way you can monitor your fitness levels and how hard you are actually working. “Before Ribby Hall relaunched their new cycle studio, we tested a few bikes to see which ones the
The spinning area in the gym at Ribby Hall. instructors preferred. Stages came out top and this is when I first heard about the concept.” Jo added that Stages is suitable for people of all ages, and that she always receives positive feedback at the end of the classes. “Stages is one of the most popular classes on the timetable. They are very well attended, raging from 20+ attendees to full.
“Ages can range from 14 to 70+ and it’s a great class for all ages and levels of fitness as you work to your ability. “During my class, I have profiles which members look at to see which zones they should be working in and for how long, this give them a sense of drive. “You can add videos and plan routes so members can come in and do a 10km ride for example, once
they have reached 10km they can leave. You can work just in the FTP range so its a steady ride. Music is key too! “The feedback I tend to receive from members at the end of classes tends to be phrases such as ‘tough but enjoyable’, ‘great fun’, ‘challenging’, ‘great profiles to follow’, ‘loving it as my FTP has increased so I know I am getting stronger and fitter’ and, thankfully ‘I’ll be back’.” And Jo said she would recommend other gym owners to consider installing Stages cycles if they are considering updating and refurbishing their studio. “It’s a fab class. Members can see how hard they are working and they can see how they progress over the weeks, and months “Members get a real sense of well being and a sense of achievement. Stages classes improve stamina, improve leg strength, burns calories, its fun and you feel like you are always pushing yourself harder with each class. “All in all its a fab class and I would certainly recommend it.”
target figure to work towards. Once this had been installed in the system using the studio’s iPad the rest of the class attendees flooded in and, like my previous experience in Lancaster, it was a mixture of all ages and abilities. There were some clearly serious cyclists kitted out in their full Lycra with clip in shoes as well, but likewise there were also a large proportion of fitness enthusiasts like myself who were keen to give something new a try during their weekend stay. And I’m glad to say that my second spinning class experience was as enjoyable as the first, with the 45 minutes class flying by. As the name may suggest the
session is split up into ‘stages’ with differing levels of difficulty and terrain. Jo’s enthusiastic and easy to understand instructions of what colours we should be looking to hit made it easy to follow, and seeing your name on big screen meant I could chart my own progress to ensure that I was working as hard as I possibly could and hitting the targets that I needed to be doing. One of the things I liked most about watching my score on the big screen was that there was no hiding place and, while it is very much about the individual, I was determined to ensure that I was in the colour of the zone I was meant to be in. Yes there were times when my legs
were screaming at me as the burn really began to take its toll, but as with many gym sessions the music and nightclub-style lighting kept the adrenalin flowing, and as it came to an end I did feel great if not a little tired and certainly very sweaty. It’s easy to understand after just one go how some people do become addicted to classes like this as you can constantly monitor your progress from session to session. And although I don’t think I’m ready to tackle the Alps or the Pyrenees just yet, I have to admit that I am totally converted to spinning classes and am now looking at trying out similar ones closer to home. Who knows I may even hit the roads this summer.
Love of spinning shows no sign of slowing down THE opportunity to train using the same software that the likes of Team Sky’s Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas use was one that was too good not take was my thought as I visited Ribby Hall for a weekend with my family. Having attended my first spinning class at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster only a couple of months beforehand to experience their Les Mills Trip classes, it was with a new found confidence that I met Jo along with a number of fellow Stages firsttimers for our initial induction prior to our 9am session. It was clear that Jo really knew her stuff about the Stages classes as she talked us through the bikes before giving us a test to give us an initial
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Fitness class set to go international By Oliver Dyson
Keith McNiven with a client.
Fitness class could make ‘swiping right’ redundant A FITNESS class which offers participants a new way to meet potential partners has launched. Founder of Right Path Fitness, British and National Wrestling champion Keith McNiven, has launched date-ercise; a circuit-style class with 12 different zones or exercises. Daters are asked to move around the different stations, giving the opportunity to train with up to 12 different partners. There will also be healthy cocktails and mingling time at the end of the class. Keith said: “People present themselves online in a certain way.
Even if you get set up by friends which is the most common way of meeting someone you will get the ‘polished’ version of your date. “With Date-ercise we’re stripping all of that away. Instead of reading that someone has a good sense of humour you get to see first-hand how they react when they have to grapple with a skipping rope or do 20 push ups. Are they up for it, are they determined? It’s all there. “I think exercise is a brilliant leveller, no fancy clothes to influence your opinion, no fake profiles. Just two people connecting over a shared interest.”
A FITNESS class is making the move to Canada with one devotee. Fight Fit Combat Fitness was set up in York by Ben and Emma Robinson six years ago. The sessions combine martial arts and musical workouts to train the whole body. More than 2,500 people take part in the hour-long sessions every week. And one of those attendees, Holly Barritt, 38, is emigrating to Canada and plans to take Fight Fit with her. She is currently training to become a qualified Fight Fit Combat Fitness instructor so she can run classes in her new home of Midland, Ontario. Holly said: “I have been doing Fight Fit Combat Fitness for two years and have loved every minute. The classes were a massive help to get me through a really tough year. “My stress and anxiety levels were through the roof and Fight Fit Combat Fitness became a huge part of the tension and stress relief that I desperately needed. “The instructor training is tough. Ben and Em make instructing the classes look so easy. “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to take Fight Fit Combat Fitness to Canada and show the people of Midland just how awesome it is.” Fight Fit founder Ben added: “It was always our dream to have other
Fight Fit instructor trainee Holly Barritt, who is taking the fitness class with her to Canada. instructors delivering the class so more people in the UK can enjoy the Fight Fit experience. The fact that Fight Fit is now going to be rolled out internationally is amazing. “We know that Hollie is going to be a great Fight Fit Combat Fitness instructor and, although we’ll miss her, to be able to share the Fight Fit experience in Canada is so exciting. “We have come a long way since our first class in a village hall six years ago and are very proud of the journey so far.”
Brand expands to offer approved exercise prescriptions A BOUTIQUE fitness brand is expanding to offer bespoke, clinically approved exercise prescriptions for clients dealing with health conditions including cancer, heart disease or diabetes. The experts at Ten Health and Fitness have launched TenClinical, which offers one to one sessions led by highly qualified and experienced clinical exercise specialists, with fully integrated physiotherapy and massage support. Every client has a full clinical, functional and musculoskeletal assessment, including a Biostat test to measure the body’s percentage
of fat, lean muscle and water, which underpins the development of each individual’s programme. Each session is also designed to incorporate a range of factors, including the physical and emotional impact of the client’s condition, the effect of medication and treatment cycles on the body’s ability to tolerate exercise, along with mood, lifestyle issues and any external factors. All sessions are closely monitored, with regular measurements of key clinical indicators (including blood pressure, resting heart rate, and blood glucose/cholesterol),
functional performance statistics and body composition percentages to assess performance and measure improvement. The programme enables clients to transition from illness through rehabilitation and clinical exercise to mainstream exercise and fitness, all under supervision from an expert team. Founder Joanne Mathews said: “These days we all know someone – a friend, a relative, a partner, a colleague – living with a lifechanging or threatening condition. “Ten already bridges the gap between the fitness sector and
the medical community, and the launch of TenClinical is the logical and timely next step, allowing us to work more closely with the medical community to help improve outcomes and quality of life for clients affected by one of these terrible but all too common issues.” TenClinical will also support clients’ recovery by providing their medical professionals with regular detailed and quantified feedback on progression and outcomes. Clients can access Ten’s facilities, session and classes across all eight of their London based sites.
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TECHNOLOGY
Stay a step ahead to attract and retain shift workers ... By Christian Brøndum
THE fitness industry is benefitting from an incredible boom - the sector is estimated to generate £3.1bn in total revenue this year as more and more businesses open across the UK. With the total market value estimated at £4.7bn, the sector is delivering new job opportunities, many of which are shift based and will continue to boost the gig economy. With the number of shift workers now estimated to be an incredible 970 million worldwide, it is paramount that organisations provide the right tools and conditions which will attract and retain the best staff. After all, as many of our clients in the fitness industry have stated, the employees are the lynchpin of a business, and motivated and happy employees can be a real driver for satisfied customers and overall business success. So, what does the fitness industry need to consider to build effective shift based teams? Embrace technology An efficient and simple place to start is with day-to-day staff management. Currently, more than 80 per cent of SMEs rely on manual solutions such as pen and paper, or excel
spreadsheets to manage staff, despite living in a digital age. New cloud-based technologies provide efficient and innovative solutions for the fitness industry, creating the opportunity to manage businesses via apps, online, from remote locations using GPS and in real-time. The cloud-based software provides a central hub to connect both employee and employers online in a quick and convenient manner. Planday, for example, allows staff
rotas to be continually updated in real time and records sick days, holiday and working hours in a transparent and time-efficient manner, which is essential in the fast-paced fitness industry. Don’t exhaust your employees The fitness industry’s ethos of ‘go hard or go home’ should be embraced only on the gym floor rather than within organisations’ culture. The recent publication of the name and shame list of companies who are failing to pay their employees the
minimum wage has brought the issue of workers’ rights and pay back under the spotlight, and the fitness industry must take note. It is paramount that organisations of all sizes are implementing new solutions to not only protect employees, but also to provide a flexible and attractive company culture. Staff are also now calling for more from their employers, wanting to have more control and visibility of their day-to-day tasks. They are keen to have the flexibility that technology enables, giving the power back to them to choose their shifts online, decide who they want to work with and swap shifts when things change. Adopting cloud-based solutions, such as Planday, provides an easy and affordable solution to these problems, providing a reliable platform to track and manage employees’ rotas digitally. The implications reach far beyond a well-run, automated shift management system, as such a solution brings with it a happier culture for the whole organisation along with satisfied and loyal customers. n Christian Brøndum is CEO of shiftmanagement platform Planday.
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Reiver adds fitness tech company to portfolio SUCCESSFUL Dutch fitness tech company FunXtion has partnered with UK training solutions provider Reiver. FunXtion has developed a high spec, integrated app, wearable tech and touch screen training solution which could see widespread use in this country thanks to Reiver. Reiver is dedicated to introducing new and tech driven training solutions to the UK. Reiver director Caroline Richings said: “Technological developments and wide spread accessibility to high speed broadband, coupled with the creativity of companies like FunXtion has seen our gyms transformed over the last few years and the experience of our members greatly enhanced. “The introduction of digitalisation offers new opportunities to motivate and engage users in a way that has never been possible before. “I am really excited to now be able to offer Reiver operator partners one of the most advanced digital training solutions on the market.”
FunXtion’s app increases the accessibility of functional training to individuals and small groups. And the online coaching platform gives members access to their training plans any time. It gives users instant access to more than 1,000 exercises and over 600 workout routines. It also makes it possible for members to purchase a range of fitness products to support their training, creating additional revenue generation opportunities for operators. Caroline added:”The FunXtion solution tackles the major challenges concerning how to support and optimise functional training through digital solutions. “The fully integrated and interactive system gives club operators the opportunity to provide ongoing training and motivation support to the increasing number of members who want to get involved in functional training, both inside and outside of their facility.”
A new app aims to provide expert training to users in their living room. Fiit provides unlimited access to classes across three studios of cardio, strength and balance, with some of the country’s most in demand trainers. Richie Norton, Alex Crockford, Cat Meffan, Luke Worthington, Chessie King, Steph Elswood and celebrity trainer Tyrone Brennand all feature. By connecting to your TV and using a strap worn across the chest, users can track real-time stats on screen. They can compete against friends with a live leaderboard too. And new classes aim to be added daily to keep the experience fresh.
Dyaco launches two new Spirit Fitness commercial treadmills FOR years, the treadmill has stood the test of time as the staple piece of CV equipment in any fitness club and the new Spirit Fitness CT900 range has leveraged the latest technology to offer two new premium, affordable treadmills. Spirit Fitness, owned by global fitness equipment manufacturer Dyaco, has been manufacturing treadmills for over 30 years and the CT900 and CT900ENT models are the latest additions to their flagship commercial product line. The CT900ENT combines the workhorse quality and construction of the CT900 but has the addition of a 15.6” touch screen entertainment display to provide the connected user with TV, web browsing and music streaming. Having listened to customer feedback, specifications for the shocks, rollers, belt and deck on both models were meticulously sourced and chosen to ensure a smooth workout experience as well as durability. The double-sided 5mm phenolic
coated deck, 3.0” rollers and multiplay Habasit® belt combine to provide a low maintenance system which will withstand thousands of miles in a commercial environment. The treadmills offer a speed range of 0.5mph (0.8kmh) to 12mph (19.3kmh) to accommodate users of all fitness levels. They also include a variety of programmes for the user to choose including a selection of fitness and military readiness tests designed to mirror the rigorous workouts of the Armed Forces including Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Both models come with three years parts and labour warranties, offering reassurance to owners of a durable and reliable product. Other additions to the new Spirit 900 CV range include the CE900 and CE900 ENT Elliptical trainers, CU900 and CU900ENT Upright Bikes and CR900 and CR900ENT SemiRecumbent Bikes. For more information about the Spirit 900 CV range, contact Dyaco UK on 0800 029 3865 or email uk-info@dyaco.com
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Fibodo helps PTs ‘get their swagger back’ A NEW app aims to help personal trainers keep their focus on fitness, rather than the business. Fibodo allows PTs to get on with the training part of their business, leaving the everyday hassle of business management to the app. The platform offers real-time bookings and secure payments, personalised web pages and associated marketing channels, hoping to save hours of administration every week. It comes with pre-loaded activity options and ‘template’ offers to reduce set-up time. Fibodo is backed by chairman Tom Knight, who is the former CEO of JJB Sports. He said: “We’ve tried to do as much of the background work as we can for our personal trainers. “But if they want to add a 15-minute fitness assessment, a postnatal class, a special offer or anything else that’s not already on the system, we’ve made it quick and easy to configure.” Personalised web pages, a Facebook direct link booking button and real time availability planner all help PTs present themselves more professionally too. The app is also fully integrated with online review community Trustpilot, which means PTs can quickly and easily build trust in their business.
Ex golf pro, Anthony Franklin, CEO and founder of fibodo said: “Many PTs choose their profession because they’re passionate about helping people feel fitter and healthier. “Often the day-to-day aspects of owning and running their own business aren’t where they’re most skilled or experienced. “fibodo is designed to help personal trainers ‘get their swagger back’ by taking the sweat out of running a business.” If a client misses a session fibodo will handle the missed session charge for you. And if the opposite happens, it will handle refunds too. Fibodo can be downloaded for free, with standard and professional plans offered within the app with additional features.
App makes replacing fitness equipment upholstery easier MAINTAINING your health club’s vision, health and hygiene is an essential part of member retention. RecoPad has developed an easy to use mobile app, downloadable from your mobile phone or tablet to help the process of replacing fitness equipment upholstery which can harbour 360 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. The clever simple app not only allows you to input your own service provider but gain multiple competitive quotations at the same time with just a few clicks. Happy with your current service
provider? Not a problem. Just add their email into the supplier listing and un-check all others not required. The app is an essential piece of technology for health club owners and managers to help maintain their own vision, health and hygiene. RecoPad will be making the Mobile App available around the world. Download the app from your mobile phone or tablet now to see how easy it is to use.
Video is king ... By Katie Bulmer-Cooke SOCIAL media has evolved at lightening speed over the last decade, and we’ve come a long way from the original Facebook status update of simple text. Now we can add how we are feeling, emojis, images and the most eye catching of all media (and my personal favourite)…video! We scroll through our newsfeed on all social platforms at such a rapid pace now, looking for something to either entertain, inform or engage us, and video can do all of these and more. For those in the business of fitness, video offers a prime opportunity to build a relationship with potential customers and breakdown any barriers, helping remove any fitness related fears. But despite the hugely positive results that video can yield, there are still so many people who shy away from the camera, for a whole host of different reasons, from being nervous in front of the camera to worrying about how their content will be received and what other people may say. While such concerns are totally normal, if you let them get in your way and stop you from utilising video, you are certainly missing out. So, to help you get started or even help you make your existing video content better and more varied, here are some helpful hints. Gather as many client or member testimonials as possible, but try and avoid having them speaking direct to camera, as this puts many people off and makes them feel that the pressure has been piled on. Instead, opt for an interview style and ask open ended questions such as, ‘why did you decide to join?’, ‘what were your concerns before starting?’, ‘what have you achieved/ how has your experience been?’, ‘what would you say to anyone considering joining?’. The responses to these questions will provide the viewer with relatable information and allow them to see the sort of people who come into your facility, demonstrating the typical demographic. Invest in a light or light ring and stabiliser to improve the quality of your video. I’m a huge fan of real, down to earth
Katie BulmerCooke videos and I think they really connect well with viewers, but improving lighting and having a steady shot really makes a big difference. You can pick them up cheaply on Amazon or other online retailers. Keep your videos short and sweet. Our attention spans as humans have definitely decreased in recent years, so it’s important to get to the point as soon as possible. There is nothing more frustrating than watching a Facebook or Instagram Live and the host saying ‘I’m just going to wait for more people to come on…’. Instead, get straight in there and tell viewers, whether it’s live or pre-recorded, what you’re going to tell them, then give them the info, give a brief round up and then tell the viewers what you want them to do now. You can send them to your website, ask them to share the video or to comment. Keep it concise and snappy. Be brave, set up your camera and give video a go! n Follow Katie on Instagram @ katiebulmercooke
TECHNOLOGY Advertiser’s announcement
How Absolutely Fitness managed to master member engagement IN A market that is often saturated with businesses trying to do something different and unique, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But Absolutely Fitness, and their ethos of promoting everyone’s ‘inner hero’, is way ahead of the competition. Despite their affordable membership packages and innovative approach to building confidence in the gym, Absolutely Fitness still needed a way to engage and converse with their members. They turned to technology for a solution. Engagement through technology Technology can be used to improve engagement and communication between your members and your staff. Implementing digital communities offer low-threshold platforms where members can form social connections and motivate each other. For staff, it becomes easier to post motivational group messages, share knowledge, engage members one on one, share challenges, and so on. And because you can always maintain a dialogue, interaction never becomes forced or unengaged. A second important factor to engagement is the customer experience. By using
a purpose built community hub, Virtuagym delivers an unparalleled user experience. By investing in an online platform to deliver updates, announcements, promotions and more to their member community, Absolutely Fitness was able to vastly extend the number of member touch points using only one solution. Whether it was engagement and communication or promoting personal growth and fitness challenges, Virtuagym can host it all. mobile apps for progress tracking and communication, it’s easy to create a rewarding digital journey that will keep members motivated and committed to your business. Retention through engagement With four locations and over 5,000 members to manage, it became apparent that a software solution was the ultimate way to target their entire memberbase, without intensive labour costs. Understanding that engagement is one of the key principles in retaining members in the long term, Absolutely Fitness wanted an accessible, user-friendly online platform their members could use and interact with. Currently, Absolutely Fitness works with Virtuagym. By combining cloud software with the power of
Engage your members like never before with Virtuagym Virtuagym is the all-in-one fitness software for health clubs and personal trainers. An online platform with powerful tools for communication, marketing and engagement offer the perfect way to keep your members happy. Motivate and engage your members via your own online community, with discussion groups, private messaging, and a challenge and reward system. Stay in touch with them wherever they are thanks to the proven mobile apps, which are currently used by over 11 million consumers, 4,500 health clubs and tens of thousands of personal trainers all over the world. For more information, visit www.virtuagym.com/professional
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DataHub joins forces with analysis firm FITNESS data centre DataHub has teamed up with Oxygen Consulting to help gym operators understand the social value of their venues and programmes. Oxygen provides strategic business analysis to the fitness industry worldwide. By partnership with DataHub, which holds information for more than 157 operators and upwards of 1,600 sites, they hope to provide ways of measuring impact beyond finance. DataHub uses a social value calculator to work out insights and benchmarks about the fitness sector’s social value. Oxygen managing director Ray Algar said: “I have long argued that the wider social impact health clubs create also needs to be consistently measured. “I believe the DataHub’s new Social Value Calculator can help clubs to demonstrate in new and compelling ways the transformative social bearing they have. “Over the past five years I have witnessed the DataHub build considerable support from public sector operators. “ I will be encouraging private operators to engage, and unlock new ways to measure and communicate their social impact.”
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New game blends worlds of fitness and fantasy
Successfully implementing a communications app for its aquatics staff has helped North Lanarkshire Leisure achieve a 50 per cent lift in swimming income. With around 85 per cent of staff unable to access a computer during working hours, the leisure trust, which manages 18 venues across a wide geographical area, was actively looking for a secure and cost effective communications tool to manage its remote workforce. The trust went live with the Our People workforce management platform for its aquatics team in January, enabling management to directly communicate with more than 50 aquatics employees who work across a number of venues on a variety of days and at different times.
THE DESIGNER of a new pedometerpowered mobile game is hoping it makes fitness feel fun. Designed by Shanghai-based mobile fitness game company Shikudo, Fitness Fantasy uses players’ daily steps to train a team of heroes. They battle over more than 100 stages, compete against other players and explore 10 chapters of story. It accesses the pedometer built into smartphones, Google Fit and Fitbit. Shikudo founder Mars Zhu said: “Over the years of software and hardware innovation, lots of companies have made fitness efficient and convenient, however so many of us are still struggling with adopting a fitness habit. “One of my favourite quotes is by Alan Thicke: ‘Fitness needs to be perceived as fun and games or we subconsciously avoid it.’ “This is exactly what we would like to achieve: making fitness fun,
Mars Zhu motivating our players through frequent game achievements and in-game social activities.” Fitness Fantasy is free to download with in-app purchases on the Apple App store and Google Play.
Advertiser’s announcement
The trick to engaging customers on the front end By Ivan Stevenson IN the previous edition of Workout, we discussed the many advantages your organisation can reap from Direct Debit. But with a huge number of benefits to cover and a contrastingly small 450-word space to fill, we only loosely touched on using Direct Debit as a sales aid. It’s rather an odd concept to think of fiat money as being a valuable marketing tool – outside of pricerelated offers that is. Whilst Direct Debit opens a wider gate to incentives and discounts than its fee collection cousins (think standing order and card payments), this method of payment
can do much more for membership acquisition than price beat alone. To explain exactly what it can do, we need to first consider the proficiency of this revenue stream. Direct Debit is quick to register, it requires little leg work beyond sign up, and is much cheaper than other collection methods (if your competitors are offering more aforementioned discounts than you, it’s likely because they can afford to). These benefits on their own are enough to seduce potential leads into a membership. However, modern day technology helps push this one step further. Back in the day, people would have to fill out physical forms if they
wanted to sign up to a Direct Debit Now, people can sign up to a gym or health club membership from the comfort of their home. Online joining truly has been the cream of the crop to busy gym marketeers, providing a 24/7 sales utility for gyms, who generally rely on a well-constructed campaign as a way of getting new members through the door. The sheer ease of online joining is an attractive sales point in itself. Beyond this, a link to the portal can be included in marketing collateral, encouraging people to sign up on the spot. From there, it’s as simple as punching in the website of the gym in question and following a five-
minute (at most) sign up procedure. DFC is a Revenue Management Solutions provider, offering tailored Direct Debit services. FastDD is their bespoke, effective way for your customers to make paperless Direct Debit payments through your website or app. Described as one of the simplest online joining solutions on the market by happy clients, FastDD provides automatic bank account verification which reduces manual errors on entry. Find out more about DFC and their solutions by visiting debitfinance. co.uk. n Ivan Stevenson is a director at Debit Finance Collections.
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Advertiser’s announcement
Make sure your members keep coming back RESEARCH shows that gym members who track results and see progress are more engaged and stay members longer. But how can you keep members engaged if the positive gains of regular exercise - like balance and heart-rate recovery - are not visible? This is exactly why operators across the world are turning to FitQuest to help provide their members with important details about their overall fitness in a way that was previously only available in a bio-mechanical lab. The result is that members are more engaged, driving retention and business growth. Developed by medical research company MIE Medical Research Ltd, FitQuest is a state of the art concept in fitness measurement bringing full bio-mechanical lab technology to the gym, providing data-driven digital solutions for leisure centres, gym operators, personal trainers and gym goers. In just four minutes, the FitQuest machine offers gym members a fun way to get a measurement of their overall fitness. It also helps them on their fitness
journey by assessing performance across five tasks: balance, press ups, jump, steps and recovery. The FitQuest software measures balance, strength, power, cardiovascular speed and heart rate recovery to help users understand their strengths and weaknesses so they can improve their fitness levels. Following the test, users are given an overall fitness assessment known as a Fitness Quotient score, or FQ. How FitQuest can support the member journey:
n FitQuest provides the perfect pre-sales tool by giving prospective members the motivation to sign up for a membership and improve their scores. n The FitQuest machine bridges the gap between having a personal trainer and not having one by highlighting strengths and weaknesses signposting members to target specific areas which can help them improve their scores. This is ideal for keeping members who don’t sign up for a personal trainer engaged
with the gym and creates a talking point for gym floor teams. n FitQuest acts as a sales conversion tool because prospective members on a tour or a trial who take the FitQuest test are more likely to convert to membership compared with those who do not receive any form of engagement during their visit. n FitQuest will allow gyms to identify members whose results are stagnating, or commitment is waning. With software that easily integrates into existing systems, operators can target content and services with increased relevance. “Gym members want to understand how to train more efficiently by choosing exercises that are best suited to meeting their goals,” says Brian Firth, FitQuest CEO. “FitQuest solves this challenge by allowing operators to get a better understanding of their members’ needs and ensuring members can track their progress throughout that journey. In turn, members stay more engaged helping you retain them for longer.” Do you want to improve your membership retention? Get in touch at infowo@miefitquest.com.
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Advertiser’s announcement
F45 TV monitors prepare to go mobile F45 TV monitors provide gym members with a constant visual reference during workouts and give trainers control and consistency in their delivery. The fitness tech leaders have developed heart rate tracking equipment which helps track performance in gym, and looking to the future, they are exploring new ways of gamifying that data and introducing avatar technology into the mix. F45 founder, Rob Deutsch, said: “In every F45 studio, there are patented F45 TV monitors to support members and trainers by providing a constant visual reference throughout the workout. “By integrating the interval timer and room layout with a video demonstration of each exercise, our members are guided through their workout, and our trainers are given control and consistency when it comes to workout delivery. “The LionHeart Heart Rate Monitoring System
was a collaborative effort from F45’s in house Tech Innovations team, alongside our Athletics Team and Sport Scientist. “Using the latest research and industry standards in heart rate monitoring and wearable technology, individuals can see exactly how they are performing in each session, as well as being able to set themselves goals for improvement. “Unlike other systems on the market, by using the LionHeart system users will not only be able to monitor their heart rate, the percentage of their maximum effort and total calories burnt in a session, they will also be rewarded for their efforts through our unique points system and it also introduces a form of gamification, showing members how they are performing against their fellow members live in an F45 class. “Users have access to a wide range of life-long
achievements, monthly and weekly badges and personal bests along with a number of leader boards across studios, cities and countries so that they can rank themselves against members around the world. “Soon, users will be able to access all of this information in a newly developed Mobile app, enabling members to really recognise the amazing work they do in F45 with their friends, co-workers and family right at their fingertips. “To further the interactive experience that fitness technology can bring, F45 will be adding personalised avatars to member’s profiles which will appear as they enter the studio. The avatars will enhance the gamification software offered by F45 to enrich the member experience, ensuring users are engaged and allowing instant recognisability of their teammates for fun competition.”
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Advertiser’s announcement
Wattbike is the go-to for athletes across the globe THE Wattbike is the go-to training tool for athletes across the globe. Vicky Fleetwood is a qualified personal trainer and professional rugby player. Vicky was a part of the winning Women’s Rugby World Cup team in 2014 – having totalled 65 caps for her country – and this year took bronze with the England Rugby 7’s team at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Vicky is renowned for working hard in the gym, focusing on sport specific strength and power work. She said: “For me, being obsessed with performance is about achieving something. “Whether it’s small wins in the week like beating a personal best, or doing well at a tournament. I always want to push myself to be better, so the Wattbike can be really useful to compare how well you’ve done in sessions. “As a professional rugby team, we have used the Wattbike Pro/Trainer for conditioning for a number of years, we also do fitness testing on them too. ‘I find that cycling is great for off feet conditioning – to get an extra hit out or when you’re injured and aren’t able to run.” Wattbikes are often used for added conditioning, as athletes need to include off feet training in their programmes. Sometimes, sessions may be aerobic, or anaerobic depending on where athletes are in the training block. Vicky added: “When coming back from injury, I’ve regularly used the Polar View on the Wattbike, which tells you how evenly you are pedalling.
Vicky Fleetwood “If you’ve had a lower limb injury, getting your injured side to work as hard as the other can be quite challenging to begin with.” By linking to the Wattbike hub app, the parameters that the Wattbike measures provide the
athlete with an extraordinary range of monitoring and allows the coaches to have access to a broad range of vital performance data. The Wattbike’s Performance Computer enables the accurate measurement of over 40 parameters. Combined with a fully customisable ride setup and the feel of riding a real bike, it provides the user with a highly effective and efficient power-based training solution. “A big part of being a rugby 7’s player is power, so I like to know the wattage output that I can not only create, but also that I can sustain,” Vicky added. “The Wattbike has really helped me with my conditioning in my transition from a rugby union to a rugby 7’s player. “I managed to build a good aerobic base for rugby union, but in 7’s you need a more anaerobic engine and have to work on your repeatability to meet the needs of the game.” Although the Wattbike was original developed in partnership with British Cycling and has a steeped history with top cycling federations and triathlon disciplines, it has now been adopted by many elite sports around the world as a cross-training tool. Wattbikes are used by many professional rugby teams including England, New Zealand, South Africa and France, all Premiership football clubs, Rugby Football League, Formula One drivers, England Hockey, GB Rowing, British Sailing, English Institute of Sport and UK Sport. To find out more about how Wattbike can transform your training visit www.wattbike.com
ELITE PERFORMANCE
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Advertiser’s announcement
New DC Blocks are highly versatile THE road to increased strength and power can often be clouded by conflicting studies; one study tells you that sumo dead lifts are imperative to a strength programme, the other states that conventional are more representative of sport. However, in the strength and conditioning game one thing everyone can agree on is that consistency is key. The diameter of a competitive plate has always been 450mm; squats are always considered one of the most
effective exercises and lifting blocks will always be a feature in any facility that boasts strength and conditioning clientele. In addition to being a highly versatile method of developing both power and proper technique, block training is easy to incorporate into existing training programmes or around which to create a completely new training programme. Enter the DC Block. Manufactured to a high spec in the USA, its design provides an interlocking, lightweight
and virtually indestructible weightlifting block for all levels of training from step classes to elite athlete development. A huge range of facilities are taking advantage of the highly versatile DC BlocksÂŽ because they can be configured to a variety of heights (at 5cm increments) with any block becoming the top block. Boasting a small footprint for storage, they are a clear triumph over the heavier, more restrictive wooden jerk blocks.
Endorsed and distributed by Absolute Performance, which is currently pioneering the gym equipment and installation industry, specialising in working with coaches and sports directors to create bespoke strength and conditioning training facilities for a wide spectrum of clients from schools to elite sport facilities. The launch of dcblocksuk.com looks to spread the benefit of DC Blocks to more and more facilities throughout the UK and Europe.
ELITE PERFORMANCE
Daniel Riley, health and fitness tutor at the Training Room, explains how the general population can learn from how elite athletes train.
How elite training trends can be applied to the general fitness population ... WE may not all be up to elite levels of fitness or ability, but we can all learn from how the top athletes train. They often have access to the best strength and conditioning coaches and cutting-edge science that will bring them to almost perfection at their given discipline. It’s worth taking some time to think about the skills that almost every elite athlete needs to master; The exact requirement of the sport (and the experience of the athlete) will determine how much focus is given to each of these key areas: Research from The Journal of Strength and Conditioning reviews common strength and conditioning skills/protocols currently in use by elite athletes in the UK. Specific strength and conditioning programming design included the following key skills: n Agility – the ability to minimise transition time from one movement pattern to another. n Accuracy – controlling movement in a given direction or at a given intensity. n Balance – managing the body’s centre of gravity in relation to its
Daniel Riley support base. n Cardiovascular and respiratory endurance – the ability of body systems to gather, process and deliver oxygen.
n Coordination – combining several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement. n Flexibility – maximising the range of motion at a given joint. n Power – how muscular units apply maximum force in minimum time. n Stamina – how well the body’s systems process, deliver, store and utilise energy. n Strength – the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force. n Speed – the ability to minimise the time cycle of a repeated movement. However, this level of training isn’t just for the professional athlete. Non-elite athletes like you and I do not need this level of stimulation, implementing basic key strength and conditioning principles into our daily training routines can produce some amazing results. Basic key strength and conditioning drill for the non-elite athlete: n Strength training within a programming design enhanced performance, prescribing strength training two-to-three times per week. Olympic weightlifting compromising of 81 per cent of the strength training.
The clean and jerk, snatch and squat were one of the most frequently reported weightlifting exercises utilised by elite athletes and shown to increase strength and power of within an athlete. n Movement training such as: Agility (change of direction drills), acceleration and deceleration drills enhances the athlete’s ability to minimise the time cycle of a repeated movement along with enhanced breaking force and minimising transition time from one movement pattern to another. Gone are the days when we go into the gym, pop on the treadmill for 10 minutes, then go and do some pointless resistance training programme with no real understanding of what you are trying to achieve. The good news! We can all train like an ‘elite athlete’. Given, we will be training nowhere near the volume of an elite athlete; the occasional strength programme here, an Olympic weightlifting session there, and throw in some speed and agility work is all that we need to keep slowly improving.
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TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT
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Personal Training Academy launched by low-cost chain
Senior team restructured to drive global expansion WATTBIKE has restructured its senior team in order to drive a new era of global company expansion. The restructure for the company’s four-year strategy sees Ian Wilson, founder and previously managing director for 10 years become company president while Richard Baker, formerly director of the consumer business becomes the new managing director, overseeing all divisions of the company. John Wilson, previously managing director of the commercial business will become the new business development director. A new role of commercial sales
director is currently being recruited. Richard said: “We have an exciting global vision that will ensure we grow our market leading position even further. “We will be performing new market research and implementing into new areas of the global health industry. “We are exploring AI technology and have embarked on a research partnership with Loughborough University. There will also be a focus on ecommerce growth and secondary spend partnerships. “Having completely revolutionised indoor cycling over the past 10 years, we have no plans to slow down now.”
Nuffield Health joins forces with The Training Room
THE Training Room has joined forces with Nuffield Health to provide the operator with access to its ongoing fitness and personal training graduate base. All graduate personal trainers from The Training Room will have the option to interview for nationwide roles with Nuffield Health. Head of health and fitness at The Training Room Greg Slade said: “Nuffield Health is a force to be reckoned with in the health sector. “The work it does to improve and transform the lives of its members is
admirable. It’s great to have Nuffield Health as a key employment partner as it demonstrates the value our first-class education has among employers and the sector. “Our focus is to ensure our students have a great well-rounded education experience and that they go on to thrive in the health and fitness sector. “Nuffield Health has an incredible reputation for investing in and caring for its team so it’s great to have them on board as an important and valuable partner.”
THE Gym Group has launched its own training academy, powered by Lifetime Training. The Academy will prepare candidates for a career operating a personal training business in The Gym Group by integrating its own bespoke content within the course. Participants will receive a Level Three Diploma upon completion, and will be encouraged to apply to operate their personal training business with The Gym Group to make the most of The Gym’s 12 month CPD offering. They will also receive a guaranteed interview with The Gym, end-toend support from training to selfemployment, and a year’s free gym membership. People director at The Gym Group, Jacqueline Regan, said: “With our new training academy, we are very proud of what we can offer both potential
and existing personal trainers within the industry. “Our aim is that it will not only support personal trainers to operate their own business, but also provide the consistency of personal training that our members tell us they are looking for. “We also offer participants in the academy some fantastic personal development through our 12 month CPD offering, which is underpinned by four key themes: building a better business, nutrition, strength and conditioning, training for the general population. So we hope all of this will have a positive effect for both personal trainers and members.” The Gym Personal Training Academy, powered by Lifetime Training, is now open and will be located in London, Manchester and Birmingham, with more locations being added later in 2018.
Caroline Richings (left) and Louise Pickering.
Company bolsters team NEW fitness industry company Reiver has announced two senior appointments to help drive business growth in the UK. The company is focused on bringing products to market which inspire movement and strength training as well as providing the means to measure the benefits. Joining the company at director level is Caroline Richings. Bringing with her more than 25 years’ industry experience, Caroline joins fresh from her role as key account manager at Matrix Fitness. Also joining the team this month as head of new business development is Louise Pickering. Previously working alongside Caroline as key account manager at
Matrix Fitness, Louise has a degree in sports science and many years of industry experience. Founder Jon Johnston said: “I am incredibly excited to welcome Caroline and Louise to the team. We have known each other and worked together for many years and I am looking forwards to sharing the exciting journey with my new colleagues. “Reiver is committed to supplying best in class, global innovations that help operators deliver a unique and inspiring professional service. “I have 100 per cent belief in the products sourced so far and am looking forward to showcasing them to operators over the coming months.”
Operator receives accreditation
Hatton Academy has announced a new partnership with commercial training provider FITASYLUM. The partnership will provide Hatton Academy certified instructors with access to more than 25 discounted health and fitness qualifications delivered by FITASYLUM across the North West. These will include level three and four personal training, gym instructor, sports massage and CPD courses. FITASYLUM learners will also receive discounts on Hatton Academy courses, which are specifically designed to equip trainers with comprehensive technical boxing knowledge without the need for contact and as part of one-on-one or group training sessions.
OPERATOR Active Tameside has received Customer Service Excellence Accreditation; a nationally recognised standard designed to drive customerfocused change. To gain accreditation, Active Tameside was scored against five criteria, which each contained a number of elements. In addition, the organisation upskilled their Customer Service Assistants with Level Two National Vocational Qualifications in Customer Service. An assessor visited a range of Active Tameside centres over two days,
following a desk top review, to assess the organisation’s customer service activity and the scores were then reviewed by a panel, who awarded the accreditation. Head of people and transformation at Active Tameside Sarah Heaton said: “We are proud of the people who work here and we wanted to give them qualifications that back up their experience. We feel that our Customer Service Excellence Accreditation has helped us to showcase the great work that we do.” Active Tameside will keep the accreditation for three years.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT Advertiser’s announcement
Fifteen years young! By Jenny Patrickson FIFTEEN years ago, on June 27, 2003, Norman Basson started a small business called Premier IQ. He opened his doors with one qualification and two members of staff. Today that business is more familiar to our sector as Active IQ and currently offers 103 qualifications and employs 54 staff. Throughout this time, our sector has dramatically changed the diversity of its services, therefore demand on training providers and the scrutiny of graduates has never been higher. Whilst as a business we have rebranded and updated our logo three times over the years, one thing has always stayed constant which is our commitment to providing high quality, innovative and fit for purpose qualifications for the industry. I truly believe our success over the last 15 years is down to the ability and agility of our dedicated team. We constantly evolve to meet the needs of the sector and our 360-degree vision includes learners, trainers, training providers, employers and industry bodies. We are also fully committed to educating and supporting the physical activity industry by offering far more than just qualifications with initiatives including End-point Assessment, Professional Recognition and our Professional Career
Jenny Patrickson Development services. We deliver these and other services and offer a vast resource of learning materials via our Skills Hub including: Qualification Launch Pad; Continuing Professional Development; Graduate Tool Kit; Funding & Policy; Chief Medical Advisor guidance and Business & Marketing Tool Kits. By working with experts in a range of related fields including Dr Dane Vishnubala, our chief medical advisor, Beej Kaczmarczyk, our funding and policy expert, resident PT expert Kaja Choma and Charles Nixon from Cambridge Marketing College, we are extending advice and services far beyond just qualifications. The growth of Active IQ over the
last 15 years has not been without challenges! We have created and redeveloped our qualifications for four different Government qualification frameworks now, with the extensive amount of time and investment that entails. We have seen numerous changes to funding policy as well as ongoing education reform. All of which we have proactively responded to in order to ensure the continuity and improvement of our offer for our customers and the wider sector. We have embraced change and will continue to do so, as we fulfil our company values of being creative, efficient, professional, responsive and agile. We were proud to enter our 15th year as the winner of the 2017 ukactive Flame Supplier of the Year Award. Everything that we have achieved from 2003 to 2018 is the result of the extraordinary hard work, expertise and commitment of the Active IQ team, both past and present, and I’m honoured to have been a part of this exciting journey. I look forward to the next phase of our development as we continue to pave the way forward for learners, employers and training providers alike. n Jenny Patrickson is managing director at Active IQ.
Premier Global NASM makes appointment ASCEND Learning has appointed Brad Tucker to the new role of vice president and general manager of Premier Global NASM. Part of the Global Fitness and Wellness Division for Ascend Learning, Premier Global NASM has more than 50 years’ combined experience developing leading health and fitness professionals. Brad will oversee Premier Global NASM in the UK, as well as drive international growth for the business outside of the US. He will also build on existing relationships with CIMSPA and employers, while developing new opportunities for growth in sectors such as elite sport and higher and further education. Brad was previously vice president of sales and marketing at NASM and has been part of the company’s senior leadership team for the last 10 years. Brad said: “Premier Global NASM is a leading global provider of fitness education with certified fitness professionals working in over 27 countries. “We are entering an important phase for our business and this is an exciting opportunity for me to contribute to the growth of the company on an international scale.”
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PRODUCT NEWS
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Supplements – do I need them?
By Alex Aldham-Breary
Photography by Tom Donald for Aldworth James & Bond
Let’s get physical and see KitLock in action LOTS of our customers are gym, fitness and leisure club owners and managers. Why? Because our KitLock locker locks make their jobs easier. Recreational facilities must offer its members a place to leave their belongings that’s easy to access and secure. But what happens when padlocks are left on lockers, or the locker mechanism breaks or club members don’t have the correct change to access lockers? If these challenges sound familiar, then stop wasting time and resources. You are ready for an upgrade to a KitLock locker lock.
Codelocks KitLock range are simple locker locks offering the ideal solution giving the user immediate, simple, keypad access without the need for keys. Give your members and visitors
flexible access and they no longer need to worry about: n Taking a key to their class or gym session. n Having the correct money to store belongings. n Losing their key. triyoga provide their members with a tranquil environment without the inconvenience of carrying locker keys and coins. James Cannon, facilities manager at triyoga, commented on KitLock and how it has transformed their business: “We design our centres to be slick, beautiful and at the top of their game, whilst also offering comfort and convenience. The KitLock from Codelocks has allowed us to ensure that this aesthetic goes beyond the studios and treatment rooms and into the changing rooms, much more in keeping with the quality expected from our centres.” To view the range visit www.codelocks.co.uk/gokitlock
VIRTUAGYM, provider of a cloudbased fitness software platform and mobile apps, closed a €6million Series B financing round led by growth investor Endeit Capital, to fuel international growth of the company. Founded by two brothers, Paul and Hugo Braam, Virtuagym has grown from a single-room start-up to a scale-up with over 200 employees and offices in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Medellín, Colombia. The company serves businesses in the fitness space in over 80 countries worldwide, including the United States and key European markets. Virtuagym will use the new funding to develop new innovations, strengthen their market position in both Europe and the Americas, while fuelling further expansion in new markets, such as yoga studios, martial arts and dance studios. “Technology is gaining momentum in the health and fitness industry,” said Hugo. “As a front-runner in the space we’ve been promoting technology for over a decade now, and it’s great to see the market finally shifting. We are delighted to have
Endeit Capital joining us. “They have a strong trackrecord in scaling tech businesses internationally and are also experts in the areas of software and content. With their support and this new round of funding, it will help us to accelerate the international roll out and to keep investing in innovation to maintain our position as the industry innovator.” Hubert Deitmers, co-founder and managing partner of Endeit Capital, added: “Technology is transforming the way consumers interact with health and fitness clubs as well as their professionals and we believe that Virtuagym is uniquely positioned to tap into this. “With their innovative and wideranging solutions for health clubs, trainers and studios, Virtuagym has achieved significant traction in this huge and growing market, both in Europe and the US. “This, combined with its founders’ vision and the company’s ambitious outlook on product development, convinced us to assist Virtuagym’s roll-out and build a category leader.”
Go keyless. Go KitLock.
Virtuagym secures €6m Series B investment
IT’S very easy as a gym owner or PT to get lost or confused in the world of supplements. We’re bombarded day in, day out with ads recommending different types of supplement; so many companies, so many products – but which is the best option for you and for your members? Making sure you have products that are high quality, good price and relevant to your users is a challenge – how do you know who to trust and what is going to work best for you? Here are a few things to bear in mind. Key areas to consider: n Is it a trusted brand? What quality controls and certifications do they have? n Have you tried their products? Do you personally like them? n What support can they offer you? Do they provide free samples, sampling sessions or point of sale materials for buyers? n What are the margins? Are their retail prices competitive? n Is their range suitable for people with varying needs? There are lots of important areas, all of which should be looked at when thinking about what brands and products to take and to promote to your members. As a gym owner or PT you have a huge influence on and responsibility for your members, both in terms of how they are progressing physically but also in what products they should be using. It’s vital that you are confident in any products that you are recommending, both in terms of what the benefits are of the product but also that it’s a trusted product that will have the effects they desire. Driving recommendation can be done in multiple ways within the gym. First and foremost, the most important driver is getting samples or running sampling events to allow people to try products and different
Alex Aldham-Breary brands without the pressure of having to make a purchase. It helps to engage with members and allows you to have that one to one interaction about supplements, meaning they can get as much information as they need about their planned purchases. Members can start to understand what they taste like, what their benefits are and how they can help them, making it personal and relevant. Presentation or merchandising is vital as it’s not always possible to have that one on one interaction with a potential consumer. Keeping the products merchandised together so it’s easier to understand, for example, gainers together, weight loss, recovery etc., helps make it easier to shop and buy. Taking it a step further, product guides or education materials are often available which can help consumers make a more educated purchase for their needs. n Alex Aldham-Breary is the UK marketing manager for Scitec Nutrition. He has worked within health and fitness for over seven years across brands such as Optimum Nutrition, Nutramino and BSN.
Graduate to ‘crack’ food waste A NEW high protein drink has launched – using eggs which would otherwise have gone to waste. PECK drinks was founded by former UEA Psychological Science student Matt Havers, after he recognised that hundreds of eggs produced by the 16,000 chickens on his family’s North Suffolk farm were being disposed of as they were deemed the wrong size, colour or texture, making them unsuitable for sale. Matt created his first fruit smoothie in June 2017, using British Lion Code free range eggs which would have otherwise gone to waste, and officially launched his range in January 2018. He said: “Cutting down on food waste is one of the biggest challenges we face as a farming industry – anything we can do to make our processes more effective and sustainable is really important.” The range of drinks are all lactosefree and contain five free-range egg
Matt Havers whites per bottle, which equates to around 20g of protein. Matt added: “The yolk of an egg is where 90 per cent of the goodness of an egg lies, however it also contains 100 per cent of the fat. Similar to avocados and nuts, it is classed as ‘good fat’, but we wanted to keep the fat content low so it would appeal to people on specialised diets too.”
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‘We must pull together to raise the bar’ By Rob Johnson A FEW weeks ago we launched the fourth edition of our Raising the Bar report at an exclusive event in London. In attendance were some of the industry’s most influential operators and experts who had contributed to shaping the findings of the report. Each year, in conjunction with ukactive, we collect data from a diverse range of leisure operators, representing a total of over 45,000 fitness employees and supplement this with several expert consultations with senior organisation leaders. It provides chief executives, human resources managers, and training and people development managers from across the industry the opportunity to share their expertise and experience regarding the current state of their front-line workforce, identifying areas where they excel, and where the industry should turn its focus next to support their ongoing professionalisation. The full report is now available to download, and while our findings
Rob Johnson show that there is still much work to do – many of the key skill gaps among exercise professionals we first identified in 2014 still exist – we are also pleased to report on the positive progress CIMSPA has made over the past twelve months, resulting in the publication of a suite of new professional standards. Measuring the impact of these standards will of course take time, as new learners qualify and enter the
industry better equipped with the skills required by employers to carry out their roles. It is only then that we will be able to see a tangible change to some of the statistics in this report, and as a sector our challenge now is to work together to ensure that these minimum standards are met, and even exceeded, in the training that is being delivered to the physical activity workforce. Other findings in the report include: n 100 per cent of operators believe the CIMSPA professional standards for fitness will have a positive impact on raising the quality of personal trainers entering the industry. n 92 per cent of employers provide additional training to ensure fitness staff are work ready. n 87 per cent of respondents say candidates are entering the sector with unrealistic expectations. n 86 per cent of respondents don’t believe fitness professionals are adequately trained equipped to work with either children or disabled people.
n 73 per cent of employers believe that personal training qualifications and assessments should take no less than six months to be completed. Future Fit Training was founded 25 years ago, driven by a desire to make a difference to the standards of training across the physical activity workforce. During this time, we have experienced many changes and developments as an industry, and Raising the Bar is a key tool to chart the progress that is being made. Raising the Bar 2018 shows distinct progress, but we cannot become complacent: CIMSPA, ukactive, awarding organisations, training providers and employers must all come together to address the skills gaps and training provision shortcomings to achieve our end game of professionalising our workforce.’’ Download the Raising The Bar Report 2018 from https://www. futurefit.co.uk/future-fit-training/ about-us/raising-the-bar-2018/ n Rob Johnson is managing director at Future Fit Training.
Nautilus launches innovative machine NAUTILUS has expanded its portfolio with the introduction of the Octane Fitness Max Trainer® machine for commercial fitness facilities and specialty markets. Designed to maximise challenge and results for all exercisers, the Max Trainer machine features the 14-minute Max Interval workout for the ultimate in efficiency and effectiveness. Research shows that Max Interval workout users may burn up to 43 per cent more calories than those using a rower; and up to 26 per cent more calories than those using a standing elliptical, both at self-pace. “The Max Trainer is another great example of how Nautilus continues to expand innovation globally to deliver unique modalities to customers in the commercial and specialty markets,” said Neil Campbell, general manager of Octane Fitness. “With HIIT participation soaring, the novel Max
UPHOLSTERY
Trainer will fuel functional training and cardio floors worldwide. “ Intuitive to use, and requiring no adjustments, the Max Trainer is ideal for functional workouts, small group training and circuit routines.
Exercisers can get on and get started immediately, taking advantage of 10 levels of progressive resistance and instant resistance changes via the high-velocity fan and magnetic brake. Dual hand grips fully engage the upper body for a rigorous total-body regimen. In addition, some studies suggest that HIIT workouts may help stimulate higher calorie burn for hours after workouts due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption – which leads to better results. n To drive motivation, the addictive calorie meter provides instant feedback throughout workouts on calories burned per minute, which keeps exercisers striving to meet goals and improve. The console delivers feedback on time, floors climbed, pace and total calories. n Additional programmes include Manual, Interval and the CROSS CiRCUIT® workout, whereby
exercisers combine cardio intervals on the machine with strengthtraining exercises for exceptional conditioning. Health clubs can opt for the CROSS CiRCUIT® Pro Kit, which includes two PowerBlock dumbbells, adjustable from 1.8 to 14.5 kilograms each, and an integrated PowerBlock stand on the Max Trainer machine. n With the innovative Max Circuit programme, the console individually calculates time and intensity for each successive user, automatically resetting to zero between exercisers and displaying each exerciser’s results. The cordless Max Trainer machine features a compact design that takes up less floor space than treadmills, ellipticals and steppers. The Max Trainer machine will be available internationally in the fourth quarter of 2018. For more information visit www.octanefitness.com
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