The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineAugust 2010 No 203 £3

Clearer rulesmean less riskfor ownersBy Emma Spencer

PRE-EXERCISE assessments are radi-cally changing meaning clearer rulesand less risks for gym owners.

The Physical Activity ReadinessQuestionnaire (PAR-Q) is beingreplaced by the Health CommitmentStatement (HCS) drawn up by health-care experts EIDO.

If all gyms and clubs sign up it meansthe end of long lists of questions abouta person’s medical history.

Instead the HCS puts the onus on theindividual to make sure they are fit toparticipate not the gym or health club.

EIDO and the Fitness IndustryAssociation along with other industryexperts have been looking at the legalissues created by the 15-year-old PAR-Q document and the money it wascosting the industry.

Owen Tudor, EIDO director, said peo-ple with conditions ranging fromarthritis to heart murmurs trying tojoin clubs were being referred to a GPfirst to be declared fit to exercise – but15 per cent didn’t come back.

He added: “We set about creatingsomething up to date in terms of med-ical law that took the pressure offhealth clubs in terms of risk and wasgood for members.

“If for example I suffered from asth-ma, went to my local health club,slaughtered myself on an exercise bikeand died from an asthma attack that isnot the health club’s fault, it is mine.

“It is up to me to get my own adviceabout the type and level of exercise Ido. Health clubs are more at risk usingthe PAR-Q than the HCS.”

So far only 400 (primarily chains) ofthe nation’s 12,000 gyms have signedup leaving almost 70 per cent suscepti-ble to misinterpretation of the law.

There is still some resistance tochanging from the PAR-Q to the HCSwhich could be done by e-mailingclients, asking everyone in person tosign a copy or displaying the agree-ment on reception desks and aroundthe gym.

FIA members who sign up can alsoreceive up to 30 per cent discount oninsurance premiums.

David Stalker, FIA executive director,added: “HCS has removed a longstanding and, many believe, unneces-sary hurdle consumers had to over-come if they wanted to get fit and bemore active.

“It also brings operators in line withall other sports and active leisure inregard to all health matters.”

Independentgyms’ VATfight goingto No. 10A CAMPAIGN to abolishVAT for gyms is being takento Downing Street.

An online petition hasbeen set up and already hasseveral hundred signatureswith many more expectedas the plight of the privatesector gathers pace.

The argument about whycouncil run centres areexempt from paying the taxwhile independent opera-tors and chains are not hasbeen re-ignited followingthe new government’s plansto increase the tax from17.5 per cent to 20 per centfrom January.

The ‘No VAT 4 Gyms’ cam-paign is encouraging gymowners, managers andinstructors to sign up andget in touch with localnewspapers to highlighttheir plight.

Gyms and clubs are beingasked to put posters uparound their premises andNo VAT 4 Gyms has set upTwitter and Facebookaccounts so people can getdaily snippets and updateson any progress.

The petition will be pre-sented at number 10 onOctober 1.� Full story, Page 3

This time last year Hannah Golding weighed over11 stones, worked in a catering factory and had alazy boyfriend. Since ditching the boyfriend andjoining Fit4Less in Swindon she has lost over twostones and is a finalist for the Miss Wiltshire competition topping the public vote while raisingmoney for the Variety Club Children’s Charity.Ben Palmer, Fit4less manager, said: “We wish her allthe best in the final rounds of Miss England.”

Picture: Cassandra Golding

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‘VAT exemptioncould cut healthservice burden’By Emma Spencer

MAKING gyms exempt from payingVAT like their council-owned coun-terparts could help reduce the bur-den on the health service and levelsof national debt according to industryprofessionals.

Gyms would be able to re-invest themoney they save into their businesseshelping them recruit and retain moreclients and in turn assist in address-ing increasing levels of obesity andpoor health in Britain.

Wayne Heath, founder of softwaresystem Club Manager, is behind the‘No VAT 4 Gyms’ campaign which willbe descending on Downing Streetlater this year.

The campaign was started to sup-port private sector gyms who say theyare in a constant price battle withcentres being run by leisure trustswhich as charities are exempt frompaying VAT.

He believes beyond things like sup-plement sales, an in-house cafe andmaybe an ad in the local paper thereare limited opportunities within thefitness industry to claim the moneyback unlike other service providers.

Wayne said: “I work primarily withsmall to medium sized businessesand it is something that kept comingup. We came up with this brainstormto try and take it to the masses andsee whether No. 10 would listen.”

He proposes that if the VAT wasscrapped gyms could use the moneyto buy more equipment, take onmore staff and sell more member-ships. He added: “There is a large

swell of people that know we canmake a difference to the nationaldebt, the burden on the NHS and thehealth of the nation in general.”

Steve Hammond has been runningSundance gym in Bristol for 16 years.

He added: “The new budget is evenmore in favour of a council run gym.The level playing field that they saidexisted between them and the privatesector is more uneven.

“For every £10,000 a private gymgenerates £2,000 is VAT and I haverecently discovered the GP referralscheme is geared towards leisure cen-tres when the private sector wouldlove to be able to offer this. Imagine ifthe government started selling itsown food in competition with Tescoand Asda but it was 20 or 30 per centcheaper there would be uproars but itis exactly the same situation.”

Steve Philpott is the chief executiveof DC Leisure, a private firm, whichmanages leisure facilities for around30 councils nationwide. He believesthe ruling costs the governmentaround half a billion per year in VATthat is not being collected.

Steve added: “Private sector gymsand operators like us are contributingto the tax and the economy and theleisure trusts aren’t. If you are a pri-vate sector gym competing against aleisure trust and having to charge VATthe rise will make it worse than it wasbefore. Trusts will argue they don’tmake a profit and plough everythingback into the community but I havealways argued that this is unfair bec-ause we do the same thing as theydo.”

Pictured, from left,Glyn Allen from the property and facilities team at Fitness First,paralympic skier and Fitness First member Russell Docker and Dr Hilary Jones.

CHAIN brand Fitness First has beenrecognised for its efforts to accommo-date people with disabilities.

So far 24 of its clubs have beenaccredited through the InclusiveFitness Initiative’s (IFI) NationalSports Foundation (NSF) Programme.

Personal trainers have been offeredtraining in levels two and three of theIFI training programme and the chainis also working with equipment sup-pliers to have a selection of machineswhich are IFI accredited.

Paralympian skier Russell Dockerand TV doctor Hilary Jones were at aceremony to mark the accreditation ofthe Poole branch.

John Gamble, Fitness First managingdirector said: “It is a landmark stepforward for the fitness industry andwe are proud to be the first majorhealth club group to offer this.’’

Sue Catton, IFI National Directorsaid: “The scale and depth of FitnessFirst’s commitment to the programmeillustrates the inclusion of disabledpeople is the right thing and also rep-resents a sensible business decision.”

Brand recognisedfor disability efforts

Search still on for oldest Precor EXFTHERE’S still time to be in with achance of winning an EFX crosstrain-er for your gym worth over £7,000.

Precor has launched a competitionto find the UK’s oldest Precor EFX tocelebrate the 15th anniversary of thecrosstrainer. The owner of the oldestone in the country will win a new EFX576i. Dozens of entries have beensubmitted so far with crosstrainers

ranging from seven to 14 years old.If you think your crosstrainer could

be the oldest simply e-mail the serialnumber of your Precor EFX which isusually found on the back, along withyour name, the name of your club orcentre and some contact details toemmas@whpl.net by August 10.

The winner will be announced inthe September issue of WorkOut.

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Limit on membershelps Craig keepthe ones he’s got By Emma Spencer

A HEALTH club owner in Birmingham hasset a limit on the number of members hehas – because he says it helps keep theones he has already got.

Craig Ingley opened Vibro-Suite inSeptember quickly getting almost 200clients but capped membership at 300 incontrast to other gyms which have thou-sands of people on their database.

He told WorkOut: “The vision was tobreak the mould. This is how many we cancope with to deliver the services which wehave done.

“Even though we have a smaller member-ship what we can achieve is larger than anormal gym.”

Craig, a former distributor of Vibrogym,promotes his business as an alternativehealth club catering for the stressed outprofessional, those with medical problemsand injuries which can’t be treated at anormal gym as well as professional ath-letes.

The studio has six Vibrogym machinesand sessions incorporate kettlebells,punch bags and foam rollers to vary theintensity of the work out and the results.

There are beauty treatment and therapyrooms and a spa as well as tanning rooms

and a nail bar.Vibro-Suite looks like a boutique with a

black, mocha and gold colour scheme,chilled out music and herbal teas.

Craig said: “Powerplates and Vibrogymhas been around a few years, the conceptis not new but I wanted to take it to thenext level.”

The vibration training element of thebusiness and the beauty side work welltogether and Craig says it helps keep mem-bers and up the revenue.

Clients are asked to book three sessionsahead and in addition to the monthly £65membership there are corporate rates, allinclusive rates plus a special 12 week pack-age at £275 if a customer is preparing foran event like a wedding or holiday.

Craig has also introduced a loyaltyscheme where every time a client has atreatment or spends a certain amount ofmoney they get five minutes back and canbank the minutes until they have enoughfor a free treatment.

He added: “We want to maximise the feelof the place and the business revenue.Most beauty clients are already membersso it works and shows it is well worth hav-ing. If they get results they will come backand if they get results in beauty they willcome back.”

MATRIX Indoor Cycles haslaunched the LIVESTRONG®range inspired by cancer sur-vivor and cyclist LanceArmstrong.

The bikes were launched atthe International Health,Racquet and SportsclubAssociation show and a per-centage of the proceeds havebeen earmarked for theLIVESTRONG® Foundation.

The ‘S’ series is the indus-try’s first drop handlebardesign, has more than sevenhand positions and anonboard computer monitor-ing heart rate, time, distanceand calories.

Aimed at gyms on a budgetis the ‘E’ series featuring dualspeed pedals and a unisexsaddle.

Matrix is encouraging clubsto set up official LIVE-STRONG® indoor cyclingstudios so they can put onspecially designed classeswhich could help with mem-bership retention.

Jon Johnston, Matrix man-aging director, said: “In termsof the add-on value to healthand fitness operators, theLIVESTRONG® bikes aren'tjust a new range of studio

bikes.“On a club level, they offer

great marketing solutionsand the opportunity toengage both existing andprospective members insomething worthwhile.

“They are emotive, inspira-tional and they demonstratethe club’s support for animportant cause and meansthat members will feel partof a training community.”

Cancer survivorinspires new range

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WHEN Sharron Davies was 11 shebroke both arms when she fell outof a tree.

By this time she was already intraining for the 1976 Olympics andthree months out of the water withher arms in a cast would have beena major setback.

So her dad who was also her coachwrapped both arms in plastic bagsso she could keep training.

When she snapped her cruciateligament in her knee she swam withboth legs tied together and using afloat so she could continue with hertraining regime.

It was this enthusiasm and deter-mination that led to her becoming acompetitor in three Olympics in

three different decades, winning sil-ver in Moscow, 1980.

She also won gold medals at the1978 Commonwealth games whenshe was just 15 and some of the 200British records she set still stand tothis day.

Sharron will be involved with her10th Olympic games in London2012 as a TV commentator.

She said: “It is such a privilegedposition to be in to be involved intop level sport without the hoursand pressures of training.”

She discovered her talent whenshe went for swimming lessons likemany children but by the time shewas ten she was the Devon countysenior champion.

For the next 20 years she wouldtrain for six hours a day – a two-hour session in the pool early morn-ing would be followed by two hoursof gym work (circuits, weights orrunning) followed by another twohours’ swimming in the evening.

Since retiring from top level com-petition in 1994 Sharron doesn’tswim to keep in shape because shesays it would be too much like abusman’s holiday and years ofswimming have damaged her shoul-der joints.

Instead she works out in her homegym around three times a week.

She will start with 30 to 40 minuteson the cross trainer or bike followedby a series of circuit exercisesincluding crunches, curls and armexercises.

Sharron said: “The routine is notset in stone. Like lots of workingmums it depends on what the kidsare doing and work.

‘When I first stopped swimming I

put on about three stones. Peoplethink I could never be overweightbut I used to eat vast amounts buttraining for six hours I was burningit off.

“I was determined never to put iton again. I did yo-yo diets but it is acase of moderation and exercise –there is no magic solution.”

Her top tips for keeping in shapeare not eating after 7pm, finding anenjoyable activity and exercisingwith a friend as you are less likely tocancel.

Despite her own successes in thesport and more recently RebeccaAdlington Sharron says swimmingstill doesn’t get the recognition itdeserves.

Sharron says at the last worldchampionships Britain broughthome eight medals, four of whichwere gold and two world records.

She added: “But I still find swim-ming doesn’t get much air time, atthe same time the athletics were onlive television every day.

“We had a piece at the end of theweek but swimming is the most par-ticipated sport in the country.”

In any case Sharron was neverdriven by fame or glamour whichseems to bestow football and rugbytoday – it was always about win-ning.

She said: “To be the best at any-thing you have to be enthusiastic.For me if I was going to go into arace I would want to win. If I didn’t Iwould train harder until I did.

“To win an Olympic medal isamazing. You are part of some sortof club that you are part of forever.”

Olympic medal winner Sharron Davies is backing the WorkOutmagazine fitness awards. Emma Spencer found out about her ownprize-winning career.

How Sharron keeps inshape after swimming

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By Emma Spencer

A PERSONAL trainer has used herexperience of being a busy workingmum to start a fitness class forother parents.

It is a year since Anne Crookestablished Fit Women and she toldWorkOut how she overcame start-ing a business in a recession andon a low budget.

It was after having her secondchild she decided she wanted tobroaden her horizons using theexperience she had gained fromleading post natal exercise classeson behalf of the local NHS.

She said: “There are a lot of class-es for new mums but nothing formums with older children trying tofit everything in around the schoolrun.

“I had to put on classes that wereaccessible and thought when domums have childcare, well it is usu-

ally at the weekends when the dadsare around.

“It didn’t need to be too early butnot too late that it interfered withthe rest of the weekend. I startedthe Tuesday sessions about amonth ago for school run mumsonce they have dropped the kidsoff but a lot of the group aren’tmums but work shifts and some aretoo tired to go to the gym afterwork.”

Anne, 34, also had to consider apayment plan and opted for a pay-as-you-go type scheme rather thanpressuring people to sign up for afixed term.

She added: “When I have doneother classes you had to be a mem-ber which put people off in a reces-sion. I had to attract as many peo-ple as possible and make it accessi-ble so I don’t have a membership.”

Anne charges £7 per session oroffers a discount for block booking

sessions. For that clients have a pretty

intense 45-minute session ofstretching, squats, lunges, ballgames, cardio exercises, hula hoopand skipping.

Sessions are held in DidsburyPark, Manchester whatever theweather so there is no cost forroom hire and because Anne hadno budget for marketing she had tocome up with other ways to adver-tise it.

Anne said: “It is difficult to spreadthe word but the first thing I didwas get a big banner which thepark manager let me hang on therailings which are on the main roadand right in front of the trafficlights.

“People have found out that wayas well as through friends and theinternet and I do a guest slot onBBC Radio Manchester so I getmore exposure and I enjoy it.”

Mum’s the word forpersonal trainer Anne

Anne Crook Picture: Wendy Moran

FIA secureslicensingsavings forgym ownersTHE FITNESS Industry Associationhas struck a deal that will save gymoperators money when it comes tomusic licensing.

Over the last year the FIA has beennegotiating with Video PerformanceLimited (VPL) which was establishedin 1984 to collect fees for the use ofmusic videos in clubs.

A licence to play music and videos inclubs is a legal requirement.

The FIA has secured a set tariff forthe licence for its members at £285plus VAT and non members of the FIAat £370 plus VAT.

The FIA says it is a 24 per cent sav-ing for members and is an interimdeal for three years while a review ofthe use of music and videos withinthe fitness industry is carried out.

The licence will cover the periodfrom January 1 this year to December31, 2012 and the FIA has also agreedwith VPL that there will be no back-dated charges if the licence is pur-chased by October 31.

David Stalker, FIA executive director,says: “Negotiating a saving for FIAmembers is definitely an accomplish-ment we are all proud of.

“However, we can also save ourmembers thousands of pounds bysecuring the authority’s undertakingnot to press for backdated charges.”

£33m bid forbiggest centreEQUIPMENT manufacturer LifeFitness is working with Leeds Councilin a £33m deal to produce the largestleisure centre in the city.

Morley Leisure Centre opened inJune under a private finance initiativeand has 150 stations of Life Fitness kitfrom cardio to resistance.

The Engage CV range uses USBtechnology and with the Life Fitnessvirtual trainer users can perform attheir own pace, create bespoke work-outs and share programmes online.

Armley Leisure Centre was complet-ed in May featuring 10 pieces of LifeFitness gear.

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By Emma Spencer

A NOTTINGHAM cage fighting gymhas overcome the stigma associatedwith the sport and is attracting morefemale members.

Liberty’s Gym near the city centrehas been open two years and hasclocked up 2000 members – 25 percent of which are female despite oneof the gym’s biggest challenges beinggetting women through the doors.

Owner Pep Padodafo puts it downto the gym’s association with cagefighting and martial arts which hebelieves can be quite intimidating.

He told Workout: “They walk by andsee blokes training and we have areputation for cage fighting so theythink it’s not for them.

“Getting them through the door isthe hardest but when you talk to thegirls that are in here and once theyhave got over that they say they arewell looked after and get more fromtheir work out.”

Pep uses different methods ofattracting female members such asadvertising in local magazines anddoing leaflet drops.

He has also advertised in the localfree paper giving discounts if womencut out and bring in a voucher.

Liberty’s also has different pay plansoffering £12 a month membership for

girls compared to £20 for men andpay as you go schemes.

He says women also like the martialarts and cage fighting training meth-ods compared to the usual gym rou-tine.

Pep added: “If you got to some gymsthere is a stepper, cross trainer, tread-mill and you are expected to work outin a solitary manner.

“Here there are lots of techniquesfrom circuit training, to sparring tomartial arts. It is a lot more interest-ing than sticking them on a treadmillfor an hour.

“They should not be male dominat-ed. Women don’t have to perform anend product like go into a cage fightbut they can train using the meth-ods.”

Pep Padodafo

Cage fighting gympulls in the ladies

£5billionpredictionfor fitnessindustryTHE fitness industry is expectedto be worth over £5 billion in thenext four years.

With figures from the FitnessIndustry Association saying 120new gym and health facilitieshad opened within the last yearthere are predictions the trendwill continue.

According to FIA’s Market andBusiness Development reportthe market is expected toincrease year-on-year to a valueof £5.14 billion in 2014.

SkillsActive say the globalrecession has led to Britainbecoming divided – betweenthose who have sunk into adepression and become couchpotatoes and those that haveturned to exercise.

Stephen Studd, chief executive,said: “While you may assumethat a knee jerk reaction to thecredit crunch would be to cut out all luxuries, it hasbecome clear from these industry figures that the gymand sporting activities are notconsidered by most to be luxuries but necessities.”

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By Emma Spencer

WHEN construction worker GarvanLiddy was made redundant at theheight of the recession he had tothink of another way to make a living.

He had always been interested inthe fitness industry and had spotted agap in the market so set up a PowerPlate studio in Belfast.

Body Vibes opened in June and isthe first of its kind in the city.

Garvan, 30, said: “The economic cli-mate really hit me hard, there werequite a few of us getting laid off so Ihad to diversify.

“I had an interest in the fitnessindustry and the good thing about itis people always need to keep theirfitness. It was growing throughout therecession.”

Garvan had to think of somethingdifferent to the chain gyms and knewabout powerplates but aside from theodd machine in a gym there wasn’t adesignated studio and thought thequick fix sessions would appeal tomore people in the locality.

He said: “I thought there was room

in the market for a studio, the con-cept had not been brought over toNorthern Ireland.

“People have been asking what isthis new concept and a few ladieshave come in saying they had seenthe Power Plates in London and wereglad to see them over here.

“They are interested in having aquick fix in 20 minutes and that iswhat brought me down this road.”

Garvan has capitalised on the inter-est by getting in touch with localmagazines and newsletters who havedone articles.

Local model and former MissNorthern Ireland contestant JennyCurran was drafted in to add glamourto the grand opening.

To get customers through the doorhe is offering free trials and specialrates for block bookings and cus-tomers.

He added: “There has been quite abuzz about it and we have had peoplecoming out to take pictures.

“People are really interested.”Body Vibe owner Garvan Liddy and model Jenny Curran on the opening day

Redundancyleads Garvan toPower Plates

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Roko rolls out shopping incentive schemeFITNESS chain Roko is offeringhigh street shopping vouchers as areward to members who spendmore time in the gym.

The Gym Miles scheme waslaunched in July as part of anincentive to retain members andencourage them to work out more.

Members have been given theirown log-in password and eachpiece of equipment in the gym hashad Fit Link software installed.

When members enter the gymthey tap in their code every timethey use a piece of equipment andthe length and intensity of theworkout is recorded.

Sessions on free weights, in theswimming pool and at extra-curric-ular classes can be logged manually.

Points scored are converted into acash equivalent which can be spentonline at many high street shops,sports shops and large supermar-kets. The new scheme is beingimplemented in all five of the Roko

branches – Portsmouth,Gillingham, Chiswick, Nottinghamand York.

Lee Cooper, director of health andfitness at Roko Nottingham said thescheme will be replacing their in-house rewards system where targetswere set in return for rewards suchas a free coffee, free day pass orpersonal trainer session.

He said: “The Fit Link system logsthe training session and membersacquire points depending on howlong and how hard they exercise.

“So say if you gain 500 gym milesthey would be worth a certainamount of cash to spend online atTesco for example.

“We are trying to get people whoare already members into the gymto become more active. It is anincentive and also an opportunityfor businesses to gain.

“We get people who train 24/7because they enjoy it and it is ahabit but some people do need a

little bit more encouragment.”A separate scheme is also running

aimed at getting families in thegym. When an adult joins they get

a free child’s membership untilSeptember. Programmes to attractkids include games, cheerleading,pool activities and aerobics.

Lee Cooper

Military team beats endurance world recordSIX military fitness instructors com-pleted a 300-mile race beating aworld record and raising £24,000 forcharity at the same time.

Carlos Glencairn-Campbell 46,Nigel Ilsley 36, Chris Preston 37,Jeremy Nelson 46, Paul Kenny 34, andAndy Bosman, 27, ran from MarbleArch to Dover in ten hours and sevenminutes, swam to Calais in 15 hours

and four minutes and then cycled tothe Arc de Triomphe.

They arrived at 5.25am on FridayJuly 2 after setting off 39 hours and 45minutes earlier. They beat the timeset by the British Gas team in Junelast year who set a record of 63 hoursand 26 minutes.

Their participation in theEnduroman Arch to Arc has so far

raised £24,000 in aid of Help forHeroes.

Team captain Carlos Glencairn-Campbell dedicated the race tofriend and colleague Tom Keogh whodied during service in Afghanistan.

Carlos said: “We had no doubt thatthis was going to be a challenge to usall. The running and cycling weredefinitely our strongest categories

and you could say most enjoyable.“The swimming on the other hand

certainly proved a challenge especial-ly as we were fighting with the tideand had to swim in an ‘s’ shapeacross the channel.

“The camaraderie between us guyskept us going and knowing that wewere raising money for Help forHeroes was a real motivator.”

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A TARDIS-style gym is hitting thestreets of Cambridgeshire.

A lorry has been converted into amobile gym which is part of an initia-tive to make exercise more accessibleto the community.

It was launched by Fenland districtcouncil at the beginning of June andhas been kitted out with Precor equip-ment including six pieces of strengthkit, a Powerplate machine, two run-ning machines, two bikes and acrosstrainer.

One of the challenges the projectfaced was getting equipment into asmall space and how it would copewith being transported on roads everyday.

It was fitted by Torton Bodies Ltd afirm which specialises in buildingmobile clinics and display trailers.

Louise Smith, mobile gym projectmanager said: “We wanted to ensurethe gym had as wide a variety ofequipment as possible with the limit-ed space but retain the look of a mod-

ern stylish gym.”“Fenland has a lot of health inequal-

ities which we, as a council, are mak-ing a priority to target and tackle. Themobile gym idea came from a reviewinto how other councils are helpingthose in socially isolated locations toaccess community facilities.”

It is open seven days a week and toattract people the first five sessionsare being offered at £3.75 each beforereverting to normal leisure centrerates.

The council hopes in the long runusers will join already establishedleisure centres.

Gym takes to the streetsto target and tackle

Budget chaincontinues toopen branchesTHE GYM Group is now halfwaythrough its national roll-out of budgetgyms.

Branches in Birmingham andBrighton opened in July offeringmemberships at £14.99 a month or£9.99 with a pre-opening offer.

John Treharne, chief executive, said:“The opening of Birmingham andBrighton is another exciting milestonefor us.

“We are now over halfway throughour national roll-out and it’s great tosee the concept coming to life.”

He also announced three more sitesfor the summer in Nottingham,Plymouth and West Hampstead.

The Gym is already open inGuildford, Hounslow, Leicester,Liverpool, Manchester and Vauxhall inLondon.

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By Dave Wright, CreativeFitness Marketing

IN simple terms there are two typesof members in our catchment area. 1. Those who are self motivated. 2. Those that think they ‘should’really be doing something, buthaven't yet found the motivation toact.

The most crucial step for clubswanting to appeal to both of thesemarkets is to be ‘top of mind’ as abrand. If people know who you are,if they know where you are, and ifthey simply know you are a gym,then when they wake up and think“I need to get fit, I feel flabby” youwill at least be considered as a solu-tion, and from that point you willwin some and lose some based ontheir preferences.

The self motivated consumer will

simply walk in off the street if theyknow about you, and there is amarket in that. The fitness contem-plator will be encouraged to thinkabout their problem so much(because you keep prodding theirthoughts with top of mind aware-ness building) that they will soonsuccumb and want to solve theirniggling problem.

Being “top of mind” is the singlemost crucial step in sales and mar-keting. That is seriously half thebattle. Which is why real estate withhigh visibility is so expensive, it isbecause a large element of that rentis really advertising dollars.

So other than picking a great loca-tion, it is about alerting the con-sumer as frequently as possibleabout their fitness problem, andabout your solution.

Snap ... It is not about running a

“new year” celebration and thenforgetting marketing for the year, itis about having 12 themes, one foreach month, with 12 separate offers(both value add and also forms ofdiscount), and using traditionalmedia (newspaper/tv/ radio) todeliver the message, but it must bebacked up by a power load of goril-la marketing to create community‘buzz’. Doing wobble boards, streethandouts, chalk drawings on thepavement, mud sign on the side ofthe road etc is what creates theplatform for your traditional mediato get heard. Furthermore it cutsthe clutter.

Remember that all businesses, inall industries, are in the game ofsales and marketing, it is the goal ...generate enough revenue to exceedexpenses and then make enoughprofit to keep doing it ... we need to

remember that we are not a charity,but a business, a business that isjust selling health and fitness. Sodon’t forget that game that we play,it is in fact sales and marketing.

The game of sales and marketing

Dave Wright

Gym members get on their bikes for heroes charityMEMBERS of a gym in Coventry haveraised over £5,000 for Help theHeroes with a 143-mile bike ride.

Clint Jones, owner of Future Fitnessgym, organised the charity fundraiserto coincide with the gym’s 20thanniversary and because his on linenutrition company supplies supple-ments and products to serving troopsin Afghanistan and Camp Bastion.

The local mayor cut a ribbon to

mark the start of the ride on June 6which set off from outside the gym at6am. Over nine hours later theyreached their destination – HMSVictory in Portsmouth.

Clint and his fellow riders were intraining for months before the rideand work and family commitmentsmeant they were often training for 60to 80 miles on their own.

He said: “My nutrition company

started getting orders from troops sowe have been supplying them.

“They have got gyms out there andthey like to keep in shape.

“Because it is 20 years since I hadthe gym I said why don’t we do some-thing for Help For Heroes.

“We get a lot of business from themand thought it would be nice to putsomething back. The ride was quite aslog around Winchester and there is a

hill going into Portsmouth about twomiles long, but there is light at theend of the tunnel when you havegone that far.”

Clint generated publicity of the rideand raised the profile of FutureFitness by getting in touch with thelocal media. He added: “Someonesaw the piece in the local papers anddonated £50 and there is more com-ing in.”

DUMBBELLS are probably the mostwidely used freeweight in any fitnessfacility so they need to be easy andcomfortable to use and look good.

Jordan dumbbells up until now havebeen available in rubber, cast ironand chrome but a steel one is beingadded to the range as a stylish anddurable alternative to chrome.

They have a brushed steel finishthat will not chip or flake and havecomfort grip handles associated withall Jordan dumbbells.

They are available in ten pair sets 1-10kg (1kg increments) and 2-20kg(2kg increments) with the weightidentification engraved on the headof each dumbbell.

Packed away in a Jordan verticaldumbbell rack they make for a very

impressivedisplay in anyfitness facility.

Prices startat £396.37plus vat for a1kg-10kg tenpair set. The2kg-20kg set is£792.73 plusvat not including delivery.

From next month Jordan will haveits exclusive range of Urethanedumbbells available providing adumbbell solution for any functionaltraining facility.

For the full Jordan range visit www.jordanfitness.co.uk or

contact sales@jordanfitness.co.uk/zak@jordanfitness.co.uk

Introducing new steel dumbbell

GYMS could be causing eye, skin andnose irritation, headaches, shortnessof breath, coughs and fatigue amongclients.

Carpets are the culprit.They absorb chemical and biologi-

cal pollutants including pesticides,dust mites, infection, sweat andfungi. Regular washing and vacuum-ing only reduces these slightly andcan never totally remove them.

To protect your members you needto provide flooring which has noabsorbable fibres, which wipes dirtclean away, protects the users againstharm and which does not containany chemicals.

There are some really great fitnessflooring solutions out there which areenvironmentally friendly, protectmembers, support and enhance

workouts, boost business profits andare 100% hygienic and user safe.Flooring such as Escape Flexi hard,Flexi Tuff, Flexi Soft, BSW flooring orPavigym flooring can be found atwww.escapefitness.com/flooring

They are the perfect alternativesolution in combating this irritatingand potentially harmful carpet condi-tion.

How to solve carpet headache

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UK FITNESS SCENE16

By Emma Spencer

JO Holmes gave up a teaching careerto take on a floundering gym withfalling membership – but has neverlooked back.

Along with business partner PaulLonsdale they have rejuvenatedSamson and Delilah’s in the York vil-lage of Haxby.

When they took on the gym 18months ago the accounts were in acarrier bag and the reception areaconsisted of an old three piece suite.

Since then they have transferred allthe company data onto a computer,chucked out the settee, painted andre-carpeted the reception and set upa website.

Clients range from retired locals tobodybuilding competitors.

Jo said: “I came fourth in Britain’sStrongest Woman last year and that ishow this came about.

“Paul had been training me and thethen owner of the gym had hadenough and suggested we take it on.

“I left my job as an A-Level sports

and PE teacher and that was it.

“It has been a big turnaround forme but I love it.

“The client database has reallyhelped with retention.

“We can monitor the attendanceand I want to contact those that are not coming often and find outwhat’s the problem, can we help, do we need to change their pro-gramme?”

One of the other ways Paul andJo keep clients motivated is by setting group challenges for mem-bers.

Some members took part in theRace For Life, a one mile Santa Jogfollowed by a social event was held atChristmas and in March, 30 membersbetween them climbed the ten metreclimbing wall 590 times (the equiva-lent to Mount Kilamanjaro) to raisemoney for Help for Heroes after oneof the members, serving soldierMatthew Hatton, was killed inAfghanistan.

Samson and Delilah’s now has 400 members with numbers steadily

on the up.

Paul added: “We don’t advertise but promote what we do and get people involved. Some healthclub companies will try and get more

custom and people know they arejust trying to make money out ofthem. We don’t want to do that. Wetry to approach everything with theview we are here to serve members.”

Jo swaps lessonsfor gym sessions

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UK FITNESS SCENE 17

A SPORTS centre in South Yorkshirehas teamed up with the RotherhamInstitute of Obesity to help local peo-ple lose weight and get active.

The Thomas Rotherham SportsCentre, which is attached to the localcollege, was approached by RIO inJanuary as the Institute was lookingfor a club that offered a friendly,helpful atmosphere.

It has now referred 25 clients to the club, after assessing them as borderline obese, where they arereceiving two free months of mem-bership.

Each client is given one-to-one ses-sions with an instructor three times aweek and is weighed and measuredeach month.

Their results are recorded and sent back to RIO and they receive a ten per cent discount if they want to sign up when their trial is fin-ished.

Daniel Wilson, centre manager,said: “Every member who has been

referred by the clinic so far has saidthat they are going to join up oncetheir free two months have finishedand they have also said that the mainreason they like coming here is that isit not intimidating, staff are friendlyand want to help us achieve ourgoals.

“We thought that, as a college club,it would be a good initiative to getinvolved in, because we are all abouteducating people about a fitter andhealthier lifestyle.

“It also means that we have a goodrange of people and ages coming tothe club.”

So far the scheme has beenextremely successful, with memberslosing up to two stones using equip-ment including rowers, cross trainers,treadmills, training bikes andstrength training equipment.

The club also holds spinning, danceand aerobics classes that refereesfrom the obesity clinic can also getinvolved in.

Daniel added: “The clients arereferred to us because they are obese,so we take that into account when weare putting together their person-alised programmes so that they areeffective, but achievable.

“They are also often suffering fromrelated medical conditions as well,

for example arthritis, so we need tomake sure that each case is cateredfor individually.

“I think that schemes like this aresomething that all clubs should getinvolved in. It has been very benefi-cial for us and for all the people whohave taken part so far.”

Obesity clinic teams up with centre

Daniel Wilson and Brian Oliver

BRIAN Oliver, 72, started attendingtraining sessions at the club in Aprilafter being referred by RIO and hassince lost two stone as well asimproving his overall health and fitness.

He said: “I was referred to RIO aftera routine GP check up found that Iwas borderline obese.

“They then advised me to take part in the programme here, and it

has been a life changing experi-ence.

“I have lost a lot of weight, but on top of that I feel much more fitand healthy, the exercise has helpedmy recovery from two knee opera-tions and I have made a lot offriends.

“It’s not a chore for me to come andwork out, I really enjoy it.”

Life-changing experience for Brian

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UK FITNESS SCENE 19

WHEN the Club and Spa at HooleHall in Chester stopped usingsunbeds in its club the move wasbacked by the North West CancerResearch Fund.

The charity then called for allgyms and spas to ban sunbedsbecause of health risks and thelinks to skin cancer.

Anne Jackson, NWCRF chiefexecutive, said: “We are challeng-ing gyms and spas across theNorth West to remember that theyare in the health business andoffering the use of sunbeds is acomplete contradiction in terms.

“The Club and Spa at Hoole Hallis a great example of how commer-cial operations can take a standagainst skin cancer and remaintrue to their mission as providersof health and fitness facilities bybanning sunbeds across theboard.”

NWCRF funds research into thecause of cancer and how it spreadsand has so far discovered the riskof cancerous melanomas isincreased by 75 per cent when theuse of tanning devices startsbefore the age of 30.

But according to the SunbedAssociation the governmentshould be recommending sunbedsessions as a way of counteractinghealth spending on vitamin D defi-ciency which has been estimatedat £27 million per year.

Gary Lipman, chairman, said afew minutes on a sun bed a coupleof times a week had been recom-mended as a way of maintainingadequate vitamin D levels.

“Modern sunbeds can offer sen-sors to measure UV output accord-ing to an individual’s skin type cre-ating the right balance and sessionlength to avoid any chance ofburning.

“Changing the perception aboutsunbed use will be difficult but theoverwhelming evidence suggeststhat used responsibly with result-ant vitamin D benefits sunbedscould have a significant role toplay in saving thousands of lives aswell as saving billions of poundsannually.”

Issues around the extra revenuegenerated by sunbeds and whetherthey still have a place in gyms andclubs has provoked a mixed reac-tion from gym owners and man-agers.

Craig Ingley, from Vibro-suitehealth and wellness club, said hissunbeds have slow releasing UVArays and can only be used for acertain length of time.

He said: “It is the same as alco-hol, cigarettes or whatever – it is allabout usage. There are positiveeffects such as helping with sea-sonal affective disorder and thereare negatives.

“I have gone to salons where a

person is going on the sunbedeveryday for the maximum timeallowed and the business owner isallowing it because it is a business– that is when it becomes a prob-lem.

“I would much rather one of ourmembers who is going on holidayuse one to protect their skin beforethey go.”

Chris Hillyear of Formula OneGym in Nottingham said: “It is rev-enue but we don’t do anywherenear what we used to. I used tomake £150 a day from them butnow we don’t do £150 a week. Ithink the public have made uptheir mind and they are not advis-able.

“I thought we could get rid of oneand put a sports massage table ininstead. People aren’t bothered bythem anymore, there were lots onthe high street but you only reallyget them in gyms now.”

Lee Cooper, manager at theNottingham branch of Roko,added: “There are worse things outthere, they will not kill you, butyou will always get a mixed opin-ion but I don’t agree with peoplewho smoke for example.

“We have sunbeds. Your facilityoffers a service and so we need tooffer them. If people don’t likethem that is their opinion and ifthey do that’s fine.”

With one cancer charity saying sunbeds in gyms and clubs should be bannedand another now considering the health benefits Emma Spencer looks at theirplace in the industry.

Sunbeds: to tanor not to tan?

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UK FITNESS SCENE20

SUCCESSFUL retention and tap-ping into secondary spend are onthe agenda for independent opera-tors at LIW this year.

After the successful launch ofIndependent Operators’ Unite(IOU) last year organiser DaveWright, president of CreativeFitness Marketing says this year’sevent will be bigger and better with the biggest free party of inde-pendent operators the industry hasseen.

Up to 800 people are expected toattend each of the four sessionswhich this year will feature a panel

of experts as opposed to having oneperson speaking.

The independent operators guideto retention results will be the firstpanel session of its kind with someof the industry’s key experts sharingtheir knowledge with gym ownersabout how to cost effectively keepmembers on board.

This issue of making money fromsources other than memberships isalso up for discussion.

This session will look at some ofthe systems and programmes avail-able to help boost secondary spendand which have been successful for

other operators.Tips on sales and marketing from

low cost schemes to a 12 monthmarketing plan will be debated andthe IOU programme closes with anopen discussion on the trials andtribulations of the independentoperator.

Dave said: “For independent clubswho are going to spend a day out oftheir clubs it has to be of somevalue.

“It was clearly shown with close to500 Independent clubs making thetrip to Birmingham in September in2009 that they thought it was of

value. “Not only could they view all the

new products and services at LIW,but they had a full day of phenome-nal seminars, a free party and also agreat way to network with otherindependent club owners.

“The sessions this year have beencarefully selected so that they arepurely geared to someone whoowns and operates their own club.

“They can take away powerfulinformation and action points thatwill start making them more moneyin their own gym.

“All that is free to IOU members.”

IOU event set to be bigger and better

Sevensectionsfor LIWvisitorsAROUND 13, 000 people from the fit-ness world are expected to visit thisyear’s Leisure Industry WeekExhibition.

The latest products and develop-ments from the health and fitness sec-tor will be launched and IndependentOperators Unite will meet for the sec-ond year following a successful launchat last year’s event.

It will be at the NEC in Birminghamfrom September 21 to 23.

The show will be split into seven sec-tions covering health and fitness;leisure facilities, pool and spa, sport,play and attractions, eat and drinkand licensed business.

In the health and fitness area therewill be the new PTontheNETFunctional training zone where per-sonal trainers can get new materialand new products by Nordic Walking,Fitpro, Padbox and Escape will be onshow among other equipmentdemonstrations.

Pete Cohen, GMTV’s resident lifecoach, will be one of speakers at thethree day show and will be talkingabout ‘making a difference with posi-tive psychology’.

The EnviroZone will be the highlightof the leisure facilities sector.

It will give clubs and centres aninsight into how they can reduce theircarbon footprint, tackle expensive gasand electricity bills and how to bemore environmentally friendly.

Chris Brown, LIW event manager,said: “The features we have developedfor this year’s show will really benefitboth visitors and exhibitors and givepeople more opportunities to do busi-ness and network.

“Our aim year on year is to improveand give visitors what they want, thenew features this year will ensurethis.”

By Emma Spencer

A BOXING gym has helped a clientlose over 11 stones in just eightmonths.

In October catering student CharlieWright, tipping the scales at 31stones, decided he needed to take theplunge and lose some weight.

He and a friend who was going towork out with him looked around acouple of gyms and were offered afree trial at Ripped in Harlow anddecided that was the place for them.

Four times a week they would visitas Charlie, 20, attempted to lose tenstone.

In January Charlie enlisted the helpof personal trainer Michael Jordanwho varied the content of sessions tokeep Charlie motivated.

Michael, a personal trainer for just18 months, admitted he was sur-prised at how much Charlie weighedfor his age so it provided a challengefor him too.

He said: “He had been plodding

along on the treadmill which at firstwas what he needed to do but inJanuary he approached me for a bitof advice.

“We mixed the programme up a bitand wanted to get him on his feet asopposed to sitting at a machine. Westarted off with simple things likestep ups and bench presses.

“For something different in thespace upstairs we smashed somebenison balls around which he likedand we did some boxing work on thepads which he really took a shine toand he ended up joining the men’sboxing class.”

Other personal trainers also gavetheir time for free when Charliestruggled to lose the last half stonebut he managed it and is still a mem-ber at Ripped.

To keep Charlie interested in fitnessMichael is writing him a couple ofwork out programmes he can followwith free weights.

He added: “When I am not there heis not too sure what to do so I have

written him a programme so he cando them twice a week on his own.”

On reaching his target weightCharlie decided he wants to shedmore pounds and is keeping up hisgym membership and even landedhimself a job in the cafe at Ripped.

He said: “When I saw the resultsthat was pretty great and when peo-ple started to notice it gave me moreconfidence.

“I joined up with Michael and hehas been a big help and Michellepaid for a few of my sessions whichwas really nice.”

Michelle Meade, owner of Ripped,said Charlie had raised the profile ofthe gym because his story had beensent to local newspapers and it hadinspired other members.

She added: “Within the gym he has caused quite a stir among members. When we were taking thepictures of him and he brought outhis old trousers they couldn’t believeit.”

Before: CharlieWright, left, andafter: right

How Rippedhelped Charlieshed 11 stones

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UK FITNESS SCENE 23

A GYM in Cumbria turned last year’sfloods to its advantage and had a£100,000 refurb and replaced its ten-year-old equipment.

The Swan Hotel and Spa in the vil-lage of Newby Bridge was left underthree feet of water when torrentialrain hit the country last November –all the equipment was ruined and thepremises were out of action for overseven months.

Gym manager Mike Fell toldWorkOut every piece of kit wasreplaced with Precor treadmills,crosstrainers and cycles.

The layout of the gym was re-organ-ised to make better use of the spaceand the changing room and saunawere also given a facelift for the firsttime since they were installed in1999.

After seven months of works thegym and hotel re-opened at thebeginning of June.

Most of the gym’s 350 members whohad to train elsewhere while repairswere taking place have returned and new members have since joined up.

Mike told Workout how they keptmembers involved.

He said: “We sent letters out to allmembers and depending on how

many months they had left on theirmembership we said we would givethem that time back and some com-plimentary time of up to three or fourmonths.

“We kept in regular contact withthem to inform them when we werehoping to re-open and what we wereplanning to do.”

It paid off despite fears about re-opening in the traditionally quietsummer months.

Mike added: “We were worriedabout losing members to competitorsand obviously they went elsewherewhile we were shut but we have gotthe vast majority back.

‘We had budgeted to get 60 per centback but I think we got more like 80per cent back.

“Opening during summer is a bit ofa struggle but by September I amconfident of getting almost 100 percent back.”

Flood-hit gymbounces back

Tone schemeaiming tomotivate ruralcommunitiesRURAL parts of Devon will benefit from the first Active Villagesprogramme which aims to bring long term, sustainable sports opportunities to local commun-ities.

Tone, which operates leisure facili-ties on behalf of local authorities, willoversee the scheme in the mid Devonand South Hams districts.

A pilot phase will enable Tone toforge links with parish councils,schools and voluntary organisationsand develop sport packages based onneed.

They will be delivered to a total ofsixteen communities next year.

Clare Bill, Strategic DevelopmentManager, said: “We’re looking forwardto getting into the heart of these rural communities and developingtailored sports packages for peoplefrom primary school aged children toadults.

“We will be looking to recruit and train local volunteer leaders and coaches, and organise mass participation events in order to facilitate positive, inclusive atmospheres within the communi-ties.”

Dan plans free VibroGymworkshops in CheltenhamDAN Fivey has used the Vibrogymmachines for over ten years and hasbeen a master trainer for VibroGym inAustralia.

He also worked as a personal trainerand fitness manager for over 12 yearsand therefore has specialist knowl-edge and experience of whatVibroGym users want from theirworkouts, how owners can help indi-vidual clients and how to increase thenumber of personal training sessionsthrough the VibroGym.

He has used vibration training witha huge variety of clients and had

fantastic results and wants to usehis experience to help club ownersand personal trainers take their busi-ness to the next level using theVibroGym.

He is keen to meet and assist per-sonal trainers so is holding freeVibroGym workshops in Cheltenhamon August 7 and 8.

To register for the event email:info@vgymuk.com.

Dan will also be displaying new VibroGympromotional material in the workshops:

www.vgymuk.com

WITH the summer here, now is thetime to invest in your members tokeep them using the gym overthese warm months.

York have a special offer on the 1-10kg Chrome Dumbell set. Theyare offering the ten Pair set andvertical storage rack for an incredi-ble £449.00 inc VAT and delivery

The York Chrome Dumbells havea lifetime warranty on headdetachment, ergonomically stylehandles and a durable brightchrome finish.

The rack is compact in designand has clean lines to make it fitinto any gym environment.

To order contact York on 01327 701852or commercial@yorkfitness.co.uk or

yorkstrength.com

Invest in your members ...

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UK FITNESS SCENE 27

PETER Roberts, managing directorof Pure Gym says his brand isaimed at “people who want to befit and healthy and not sittingaround in a gym cafe drinking cof-fee and reading the paper”.

However, he is the first to admitthe logistics require considerablymore thought.

He said: “There is a gap in themarket which has been filled over-seas but not so much here but it isan expensive investment.

“But look at other providers inother sectors such as Primark andEasyjet – they have all been suc-cessful so I think at the momentthe market has opened up for it.”

Even so it costs him £1 million toget each new gym off the ground,it has to be open 24 hours andhave 150,000 people within a ten-minute catchment area.

At the moment he is using equityand external investment to fund itbut as he expands the chain heplans to use bank debt.

Peter said: “Because it is a lowprice it does mean you need a cer-tain number of members. Thatdepends on each gym but I cer-tainly need over 5,000 membersper gym.

“That is one of the reasons wemade it 24 hours so we can attractpart time and flexi workers like thepolice, hospital and restaurantworkers.

“One of the potential difficultiesbecause you need a large numberof members is you need a largegym with a large number of piecesof equipment in it. It is remarkablydifficult to find 20,000 square feetin the right location at the rightprice.”

Peter says he wouldn’t openanother within 15 minutes of thelast and if someone were to set upcompetition across the street theywould both end up with a smallermembership and neither venturewould be successful.

Yet with the right approach heargues the budget gym is here tostay.

He added: “Because it is so easyto join it is also easy to leave. Theno contract is a major attractionfor people.

“To retain them you have to runthe gym to a very high standard interms of cleanliness, how you treatpeople on the floor and offering

different equipment.“You have to be as much on the

ball about it as you would be if youhad a full service gym.”

A recent study by Ray Algar fromOxygen Consulting said there were19 low-cost operators at the end of2009.

That figure is expected to be 75by the end of this year and 119 bythe end of 2011.

But Dave Wright, chief executiveof Creative Fitness Marketing, isconcerned budget operators are init for the money.

“Budget clubs are based on anumbers game. The more thechimney pots, the more likely theyare to open up in those towns.

“Low cost clubs in the UK havemissed a trick compared to thoseoverseas. They only offer lightweights, no classes and little if anysecondary sales.

“It’s like being a low-cost airlineand not offering headphones orsandwiches. This is where existingclubs can focus on that area oftheir business.

“Studies show if you get members to participate and buymore programmes and servicesfrom you, they are likely to staylonger.

“I’m not sure the budget chain is

a sustainable product or whetherthere’s just been a lot of hype togain investors money and then tosell out before the club maturesand they’ve burned and churnedas many people as they can in themarket place. Time will tell.”

The opinions of independentsacross the country differ.

Chris Hillyer, part owner ofFormula One, Nottingham, said:“We are £25 a month and couldget into a price fight but what’s thepoint?

“They are just going to get youin, it is doubtful they will give aninduction, and they will do it allon-line. We will just keep doingwhat we do which is give goodservice, I have seen them comeand go.”

Alastair McKenzie, gym managerat Chapel Allerton health club inLeeds said: “We aren’t really con-cerned. From speaking to mem-bers half of them haven’t evenheard of them. Most members arefrom the area, we don’t have manyfrom town anyway.”

Hayley Wilkinson fromExpressions near Maidenheadsaid: “We haven’t experiencedthem around here but I wouldn’tappreciate it. It definitely wouldaffect us.”

With predictions that budget gyms will make up 25 per cent of the UK’s fitnessmarket Emma Spencer looks at how to set one up, the impact on theindependent operator and whether the trend is sustainable.

Independents:should they fearbudget chains?

Pure Gym Peter Roberts

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MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS28

Breakthrough inreliability offingerprint access CLUBWISE has its finger on biomet-ric access – a developing way ofmeasuring useage and identifyingmembers.

For many years, the ability to offerfingerprint access using biometricreaders has been considered unreli-able primarily due to technologyissues.

But now ClubWise, a market leaderin providing integrated club management solutions, has designeda web based solution using thenext generation of biometric technol-ogy.

Sales manager Guy Foster said:“We’re currently experiencing a 96%success rate in capturing member’sfingerprints and, where this is notpossible due to age and general wearand tear, we provide dual recognitionusing proximity cards via the samereader.”

“Biometric authentication providesthe very highest level of memberidentification eliminating the possi-bility of more than one member usingthe same membership card. We arenot only enhancing the memberexperience by removing the need for

them to remember to bring a card butissues associated with forgotten, lostand damaged cards, costs of continu-ally providing cards and not seeingthem returned when members leavethe club.

This cost effective solution doesn’t require a local PC and software and can still be used if inter-net connection is lost as data isstored not only in the ClubWise man-agement system, but also on thereader or series of readers throughouta club.

Guy added: “In addition, at tradi-tionally quiet times or if clubs arelooking to reduce staff costs, there isno need for staffed access controlpoints and personnel can bedeployed elsewhere as the club canrest assured that, with complete inte-gration with ClubWise’s manageddirect debit collection service andclub management solution, thosemembers who are in arrears to theclub will be denied access to theclub.”

For more information call ClubWise on0800 072 6411

HELIO Fitness in Blackpool increasedrevenue by 35 per cent after imple-menting new web-based membermanagement software.

By adopting a successful ‘budgetclub’ concept and implementingSDA’s LeisurePoint online member-ship solution, the independent gym isnow a unique and profitable venture.

Owner Neil Henshaw said: “Wefound it increasingly difficult to dif-ferentiate ourselves from the compe-tition. If we were to grow the businesssuccessfully, we needed to completelyrethink our business model.

“I was convinced we could adopt a

‘budget club’ model and make it suc-cessful in Blackpool, if we could auto-mate administrative processes andcut costs by using technology to dothe work for us.”

Neil reduced prices, simplifiedmembership categories and part-nered with SDA Solutions to imple-ment LeisurePoint.net software.

He added: “We could pay a lowmonthly fee and ensure the systemwas fully supported and always available. Members can now enquire,join and make bookings online, with-out the need for an staff to beinvolved.”

‘Budget club’ conceptworks for Neil

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MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS 29

UNHAPPY members, lack of stimu-lation and customer service aresome of the main issues affectingthe industry.

Managing membership is a main concern for businesses especially given the findings of arecent study by Empire ResearchGroup says Matthew Januszek customer solutions director forEscape Fitness.

The main challenges identified bythe report were:

� Lack of facility stimulation,

� Lack of value added service,

� Member dissatisfaction,

� Customer attrition.

Of those surveyed 70 per cent saidthat they found exercise a chore,while another key finding highlighted that those who exerciseto shed fat and not because theyenjoyed it were less likely to make along term behavioral change andmore likely to re-gain any weightlost.

We also know that one in threepeople who join a gym, leave again.We know that people lose motivation and get bored and weknow that people want to seeresults.

Put all this evidence together andit’s easy to see how retention can be

improved through some fairly simple, easy to implement and relatively inexpensive solutions.

To win the attrition battle:

1) Your facility needs to be stimu-lating to those using it. Think abouthow your equipment is laid out –could you utilise your space moreeffectively? Check what colourshave been used in the environment– are they motivating and appeal-ing to the senses?

2) Keep it varied – choose multi-purpose equipment and productsthat allow plenty of exerciseoptions. Not only will it benefit awide range of members, it can alsobe used by individuals, for one-to-one personal training, in a smallgroup environment or for largegroup sessions, all of which ensuresthat you get maximum return oninvestment.

3) Make exercise fun – peopleunderestimate the effectiveness oftraining in a group. If you look at

the popularity of group exerciseclasses in the studio, it makes perfect sense to replicate that inthe gym. It’s fun, it’s motivating andit’s infectious – I guarantee it!

4) Incorporate a challenge – every-one loves a bit of healthy competi-tion!

5) Get Results – at the end of theday, if your members aren’t achieving their health and fitnessgoals, they are either going to getbored and give up or go somewhereelse. Promote greater interactionbetween staff and members, ensureprogrammes are reviewed andupdated regularly to maintainmotivation and encourage yourmembers to try new activities andequipment.

As great as it is to completely re-invent your space in one hit,realistically and financially it’s notalways possible.

These ideas are designed to give you food for thought and can be introduced gradually as opportunities and funding allow.

The important part is to get the basics right – look at the facility through the eyes of yourmembers, review your service levels and identify areas where youcan add value to your membershipoffering.

Re-invent your space

Matthew Januszek

‘Identify areas whereyou can add value to your membershipoffering’

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MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS30

Softwareallows clubsto takecontrol ...LEISUREMOST software lets clubstake control of their memberships.

It records every visit by a memberand even lets you know if a memberis at risk of leaving or if money isowing.

To keep track of genuine membersthe software displays the member’simage or uses finger print recognition.

LeisureMost records and assists col-lection of regular payments includingdirect debit, standing orders and debitfinance.

You can easily communicate withone member or a selected group ofmembers by mail merge, email or textmessaging.

Powerful reporting facilities let youaccess the vital information stored inyour database and print, save orexport the data.

LeisureMost is a powerful, costeffective tool for managing yourbusiness regardless of how manymembers you have.

Free installation and on-sitetraining is provided, with unlimitedtelephone and remote access support.

Contact Duncan Gibson on 0113 2370688 orat www.leisuremost.com

Web portal provides leisureclubs with simple meansto sell their servicesMOST readers of this article willalready have a web-site which ishopefully doing a good job of show-ing off your company’s services to theworld at large.

However, would it not be a markedimprovement if it could also takemembership renewals and even joinnew members.

This would not only give you a 24/7revenue stream but also free up yourstaff time at reception.

Add to that the capability to bookclasses and activities and you have aneven larger revenue stream, which isalso fully integrated with your in-house point of sale and access con-trol systems.

If that is not enough, add a content management system whichenables you to keep the web-site up-to-date with your news, photos,events and other content, such as advertising, and this also means no bills for updates to yourweb-site.

SportSoft has developed such asophisticated web portal to provideleisure clubs with a simple, cost-effective means to advertise and selltheir services.

The portal can either be used

stand-alone as a complete web-sitesolution or integrated into an existingweb-site.

The addition of a secure, credit card payment system, or a PayPalchannel allows customers to payonline to join, renew or make leisurebookings.

This all adds up to a better servicefor the members, and cost savings atreception.

Paul Duncalf, Sportsoft managingdirector, said: “Most sales revenue ina health club comes from member-ship fees.

“So having a round-the-clock adver-tising and sales mechanism wherethe majority of the club’s revenuegoes directly into their bank account

is essential.

“All successful clubs will have thiscapability within the next few years”

SportSoft have been suppliers ofcomputerised leisure managementsystems since 1990.

Contact them on 01423 873873 or goonline and try out their new portal at

www.sportsoft.co.uk/eleisure

30 21/7/10 11:03 Page 1

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS 31

WHEN Wayne Heath started his owngym three years ago he quicklyrealised all his time was being takenup with everyday admin and bankingtasks.

He needed a software solution toease the daily running ofGymophobics in Romsford, Essex butstruggled to find anything credible oraffordable.

It was a chance meeting that led tohim creating ClubManager.

He said: “Once my gym was up andrunning every day would begin thesame way. What do I do first? Where isthe next member coming from? Arethe accounts up to date? Is the paper-work up to date? What is the status ofmy direct debits?

“I was running around like a head-less chicken whilst my staff spent allof their spare time completing paper-work.”

“I am a process-driven person andknew that if I could get the processright my staff and I could spend a lotmore time with our members andmore time on increasing the footfallinto the gym.”

Through a chance conversationWayne was introduced to a member’shusband who for 15 years had run asoftware development company.

They agreed a software solution forsmall to medium sized gyms wasessential for the industry so theydecided to build ClubManager.

Wayne said: “It took about a year todevelop initially. I remained thor-

oughly in control of the design andbuilt it around processes and best-practices of a working gym.

“This was fascinating for bothmyself and the development team asit means that ClubManager has beenbuilt around how a gym actuallyworks rather than how a softwarecompany thinks a gym should work.”

It was tested by ten gyms who usedthe programme for six months givingcontinual feedback and suggestionsbefore it was launched.

Wayne added: “Since then thedemand for ClubManager and feed-back has been phenomenal with thesystem being used by many gymsthroughout the UK.”

“We work with some great peopleand I'm chuffed that absolutely everycustomer loves ClubManager.

'I think this is in part because it'seasy to use and affordable but alsobecause we know their industry andcan provide a lot of additional helpand advice.

'New customers are coming onboard all of the time so it's very excit-ing for us.”

Wayne Heath

Wayne’s chuffedby softwaresolution success

‘Since then the demand forClubManager and feedback hasbeen phenomenal with thesystem being used by manygyms throughout the UK’

31 21/7/10 10:06 Page 1

32KIDS’

FITNESS

Sponsored by:

A NEW initiative to encourage teensto take regular exercise has beenlaunched by a leading health club.

The ‘Teen Fit Academy’ takes placeat the club at DoubleTree by Hiltonand has already been a big successwith over 50 children signing up totake part.

Because unsupervised use of thegym is usually restricted to those age16 or below, the idea is to allowteenagers access to the range ofequipment at specified times, oncethey have completed an inductioncourse. This includes guidance on theetiquette of using the gym such asuse of towels and how to use theworkout stations safely.

Once they have completed theinduction they are given a certificate

which gives them access to the gym,on their own, at certain times.

Tom Horton, fitness manager at theclub said: “This is a great scheme thatnot only encourages those betweenthe ages of 12 to 15 to take more exer-cise but gives them access to the gymand most of the equipment.

“We do not encourage the use ofweights but show the children how toimprove their health and well beingusing the cardio vascular machines,body weight exercises and other gymequipment such as Swiss balls andmedicine balls.

“The response has been fantasticwith over 50 teens graduated so farand there is a waiting list for a placeon the induction days.”

Health club launchesTeen Fit Academy

WORLD heptathlete Jessica Ennisrecently officially opened two newPrecor gyms at Leeds MetropolitanUniversity after a massive £400,000refurbishment programme.

Both the university’s Headingley siteand City Campus have seen theirgyms re-modelled for the first time ina decade.

Between them the fitness facilitiesboast 6,000 members made up fromstudents, staff, public and visitingathletes.

Joining Jessica at the grand openingceremony was Keith Morris, DeputyDirector of Sport, as well as studentsand staff who’d come to witness theevent and sign up for membership.

Response to the new gyms has beengood so far and Dave Henderson,Operations Manager for Leeds

Metropolitan University, is confidentit will attract more members thanever.

He said: “Everyone has been verycomplimentary about the new gyms,and even better, they certainly seemto be very well used.

“We’ve signed up more than 700new users so far and are on track tomeet our targets.

“We work with a number of world-class athletes here at LeedsMetropolitan so we’re delighted when one of the leading lights inBritish athletics Jessica Ennis wasable to come and open our newgyms.

“We hope all students and staff atLeeds Met will be inspired by this andwill enjoy a healthier lifestyle as aresult.”

Jessica Ennis with Keith Morris, deputy director of sport

HeptathleteJessica openstwo new gyms

ONE of England’s ‘extra special status’ schools, Pates GrammarSchool in Gloucester, has created a new state-of-the-art sports facility to help keep students fit andhealthy.

The club has now been opened bySir Geoff Hurst and features LifeFitness equipment including Classic

range cardio stations and Optimaseries strength equipment.

The school’s headmaster, MrFenton, said: “As a school withhealthy school status, we take healthrelated fitness seriously and thisfacility is proving extremely popularwith our students before, during andafter school.”

Sir Geoff opens new facility

SHOKK’s innovative multiplayerdancemat system is one of the bestinteractive products on the marketrevolutionising how young people getinvolved in physical activity.

High energetic dance routines, bal-ance, co-ordination and quick think-ing on your feet, will provide a totalbody work-out.

Schools, leisure centres, youthclubs, specialist sport colleges and football academies have all benefited from the SHOKK dance-mat system that have session pro-grammes mapped to the nationalcurriculum.

The system offers popular chartmusic, spilt screen options for up tothree levels of difficulty, multiplayeroptions and a progressive method ofexercise.

As well as being mobile, wireless,

light and extremely durable, it is the perfect addition for any fitnessspace.

Using the most up-to-date technol-ogy, SHOKK equipment gets usersexercising without realising whichkeeps them motivated and interestedin activity.

For more information about a free dancemat demonstration

contact 0161 877 7870

Users exercising without realising

32 21/7/10 11:13 Page 1

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

35

By Emma Spencer

DANIELLA Pellegrini is a gymnastturned tv presenter, actor, speakerand is now a bodybuilding com-petitor.

At the first time of asking andwith less than four months’ train-ing under her belt she won theFAME UK 2010 Fitness category.

South African Daniella, but nowbased in London, told Workouthow she had to change a gymnas-tics orientated training regime anddiet for competition in a totally dif-ferent discipline.

“Bodybuilding is totally differentto gymnastics. You tend to findeverybody is very strong and hadyears of building up the musclemass. It is 35 to 40 hours of train-ing. I have never known a gymnastgo to a gym, they don’t need tobecause of the amount of trainingthey do.

“Diets for gymnasts are 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 per centprotein and 20 per cent fat.Because of the dynamics, move-ment and exercises gymnasts needmore energy than a body builder.”

As a gymnast Daniella’s diet con-tained 1500 calories in six smallmeals a day but she needed tochange the dynamic after shedecided to take up body buildingto keep in shape and get back intocompeting.

The first diet and nutrition planshe tried was 2500 calories startingwith four eggs for breakfast, half acup of oats and 100 grams of blue-berries along with larger meals forlunch and dinner.

She found she simply couldn’t eatthat much food so adjusted to a2000 calorie intake cutting outsome of the egg and oats.

Four daily meals consisted of 100grams of protein, 150 grams ofsteamed vegetables and a quarterof a cup of rice.

Daniella was also having proteinshakes after training and beforebed but her body shape still wasn’tchanging and she was gettingheadaches, stomach cramps andhad a lack of energy so the diet waschanged for a third time.

It included 80 grams of meat, halfa cup of rice and 150 grams ofsteamed vegetables and shedropped a dress size in three days.

She said: “When I cut the proteinmy body started to change and Icould fit into my size 8 jeans again

so I kept that up until competi-tion.”

She was also taking a glutominesupplement which repairs the gut,spirulina, omega oils, and vitaminsC and D to boost the immune sys-tem as she was busy with otherwork commitments alongside thetraining and vitamin B to helprelieve stress.

Daniella said: It is each to theirown. You have to make adjust-ments as you go along.

“When I was having a lot of pro-tein I was so thirsty and drinkingfour to five litres of water a day andI’m thinking I’m not sure how goodthis can be.”

She also trains less than the aver-age body-building competitor butblitzes the five gym sessions shehas per week.

To begin with she does 20 min-utes of cardio and works on her

abs every session but then she willfocus one day on legs, the next onarms and chest and the next herback and shoulders and finisheswith stretches.

Despite the intensive workoutand sticking to a diet Daniella did-n’t expect to win FAME.

She added: “I went into it think-ing whatever happens happens butI will train to the best of my ability.To win was totally unexpected butreally pleasing.

‘It was the first thing I had won inyears and felt amazing. I had for-gotten what it was like and gaveme added incentive to go to thenext one.”

Her success at FAME UK hasgiven her a place at the FAMEWorld Championships inNovember and she will be compet-ing at Muscle Mania in Septemberat St Albans.

How gymnastDaniella turnedbodybuilder ...

Daniella Pellegrini

35 21/7/10 10:01 Page 1

SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

36

PROFESSIONAL sports testing cannow be taken to clubs and groupsranging from athletes to football tohockey players.

Since retiring from competitive ath-letics Darren Campbell has devel-oped the Pro AthleteSupplementation range and has beeninvolved in coaching, sports scienceand the benefits of physiological test-ing.

The Olympic gold medal winneropened the fitnessASSIST sports sci-ence lab which aims to make sportsscience testing available to everyone.

The lab has been approved by theResearch Institute of Sports andExercise Science and addresses spe-

cific areas of an athlete’s routine inorder to maximise training and per-formance.

A typical testing session looks atbody composition analysis, lactatethresholds, peak anaerobic power,heart rate zones and calculation of VO2 max in addition to tests of strength, power, flexibility andagility.

Specific testing packages are available for endurance athletes,cyclists, triathletes and their coacheswhile the mobile lab can also betaken to clubs and groups for multi-athlete testing of football,rugby, basketball and hockey teamsfor example.

Olympic gold medalwinner Darren openssports science lab

The makers of a protein drinkhave added three new flavoursto their current favourites.100 % Whey Protein from USNnow comes in banana, forestfruits and chocolate orange aswell as the vanilla, chocolateand strawberry options.The wheat free formula is a protein drink to aid musclerecovery and development afterintense exerciseAs well as being available inlarge tubs it now comes in single serving sachets providing25g of high biological value protein, rich in amino acids.

Sports nutritioncompany launchestrade-only websiteA SPORTS nutrition company haslaunched a trade-only website forits supplements.

It is helping Prolab with its distribution to all parts of the UK and Europe from its Bristolbase.

Pro-lab Trade was established in1989 and now stocks 50 differentbrands and over a thousandproducts.

One of which is Inner Armour“Strength from Within” a top sell-ing brand from the United States

– a wide variety of supplementsfrom time released proteins totestosterone boosters, fat burners and hardcore weightgainers.

The Inner Armour range hasbeen designed so it caters forbeginners or athletes looking fora competitive edge.

Other brands distributed byProlab are Prolab Nutrition,Musclemeds, Xero limits, NxLabs, Nutrex, Stacker and Muscle-pharm.

SCIENTISTS have discovered a natu-rally-occuring appetite suppressantthat could be used to make a dietdrug without side effects.

Professor Simon Luckman and DrGarron Dodd from the University ofManchester believe the peptidehemopressin might treat someaspects of alcohol and drug abuseaswell.

Dr Dodd said: “It has long beenknown the rewarding aspects of feed-ing behaviour influence our appetite,so that sometimes we eat for pleasurerather than hunger.

“By reducing hedonistic feeding, itis possible to help people lose weightby quenching the desire to eat.”

A synthetic antagonist,Rimonabant, was developed six yearsago and marketed as an anti-obesitytreatment acting in peripheral tissuesto reduce fat deposition.

It was later withdrawn from themarket due to undesirable sideeffects such as depression andincreased suicidal thoughts.

Dr Dodd believes that naturally-occurring hemopressin may notcause such side effects.

He added: “This is a newly-discov-ered peptide and we do not know yetexactly where it is expressed in thebrain. We also need to find outwhether it has prolonged actions onbody weight.”

New dedicated package for womenPhD Nutrition are already one of theUK’s leading sports nutrition brands,supplying many health clubs, storesand fitness centres throughout UKand Europe.

Their fantastic range of products aredesigned to deliver results, tastesuperb and provide the trade cus-tomer with great profit margins.

View the product range atwww.phd-supplements.com and con-tact us to become a stockist.

Following on from this success, PhDhave released PhD Femme(www.phd-femme.com) a new dedi-cated sports nutrition brand andlifestyle package designed for the

female gym-goer and athlete.

Far removed from the traditional“slimming packages” aimed at theuneducated, PhD Femme provideserious products designed toenhance energy, body tone andrecovery.

For information on our PhD Femme traderates and how to become a trade cus-

tomer, please contact us at: sales@phd-femme.com and visit www.phd-femme.com

to view the range of products.

Newly-discovered peptide

36 21/7/10 10:00 Page 1

37 Bodytemple 21/7/10 09:59 Page 1

SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

38

FOR years athletes have used heneggs as a source of protein but now asupplements firm has launched anegg white powder.

The protein in Allsports Only EggÓcontains all the essential amino acidsplus many others in ideal proportionsto repair and build lean muscle tis-sue.

Up until now the basic problems forathletes using egg whites has beenvariation in size of individual eggwhites making it difficult to calculateprotein, the mess and waste involvedin cracking eggs and getting rid ofshells, the risk of bursting the yolk,contamination from dirty shells, eggfreshness and cost.

Only EggÓ has the solution to theseproblems because there is no mess,waste, risk of contamination, brokenyolks, no lactose, cjolestrol, sugar orfat.

Unlike the majority of commerciallyavailable powdered egg whites withOnly EggÓ the albumen is left intactso lysozyme, conalbumin and otherproteins are not removed in the dry-ing process and then sold into thepharmaceutical industry.

It also has a better taste, odour andcolour than the others because spe-cial bacteria is used in the ‘de sugar-ing’ process instead of yeast.

Contact Robin Story on 01302 325163 orsales@allsports-int.co.uk

Allsports launches egg white powder

How did you first get involved inbusiness and to what do youattribute your success?Before Rich and I met, I owned quitea few successful businesses but itwasn’t until I met Rich and saw hispassion that I knew I had somethingreally special.

If what sets you apart also happensto be the best the market place hasever seen success will come if youexecute properly.

The downside to this is making the‘real stuff’ is very expensive. I knewfrom the start all our money was inthe products and I wouldn’t havenearly the margin to work with as mycompetitors so I’ve always had to becreative.

If you ask me why I’ve been suc-cessful – customer service. Rich takesa personal interest in the athletes. Hetruly wants them to succeed and he’svery protective of their interests.

If the athlete who buys our productsis not successful, neither are we. Ifour business partners are not suc-cessful, neither are we. Everyone isimportant. I try very hard to give asmuch attention to a single local storeas I do a large international customer.

What is it that makes GaspariNutrition so different?Rich makes it all possible. I remem-ber years ago when he told me hisvision wasn’t going to be easy andthat he was hitting opposition at

every turn. He said the sports nutri-tion industry had always been moremarketing hype than science and hewanted to do something about it.

He spoke to other successful indus-try people and told them that hewanted to “do the right thing” andput the products first. They alllaughed and told him he was in thewrong business.

Rich’s tenacity and work ethic havealways carried him. When his com-petitive bodybuilding career was over,he was determined to put that com-petitive spirit into helping other ath-letes be their best. He tells me helikes seeing them succeed even morethan he did himself.

How do you stay in such great shape with your busy work schedule?If it weren’t for the lifestyles of myhusband and the rest of our team tokeep me motivated, I’m not sure howI would do it.

Getting the kids’ days started in themorning, either working in the officeor on the road all day, then cominghome to be mum again is a lot all byitself.

I try to stay on a three hour intervalmeal schedule with moderately highprotein all day. My carbs are usuallyheavier in the morning and taperdown as the day goes on.

As far as exercise, cardio is all I havetime for these days at home on thetreadmill three to five times a week

The woman behind the international distribution of Gaspari Nutrition shares her secrets of success with WorkOut.When Liz Gaspari’s husband, former bodybuilding champion Rich Gaspari decided to bring out his own range ofsupplements others mocked but the couple persevered and now own one of the most renowned brands in thebusiness.

‘If the athlete who buys our products is notsuccessful, neither are we ...’

for half an hour.

Do you takeany GaspariNutritionproducts?

I didn’t drinkprotein shakes,I just wasn’t intosupplements.Some tasted okthe first or sec-ond time butthen I justcouldn’t bear it.Then cameMyofusion andthe rest is histo-ry.

With myschedule, there’sno way I’d beable to get mymeals in withoutthe help of theseproducts. If theycan convince a junkfood lover like me tolove a protein drink,they can convinceanyone.

Aside from the pro-teins, it’s our multi-vitamin. It reallymakes a huge differ-ence. The only otherthing I’ve been takingis a half dose of anexperimental fat burn-er/energy tablet that theteam has been handingme. Word is you will all begetting it in a few months.

38 21/7/10 09:58 Page 1

39 Bodytemple 21/7/10 09:57 Page 1

SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

40

BODITRONICS MASS ATTACK EVOhas been formulated to now include anew low glycemic index ultracarbcomplex.

Featuring a huge 40 grams per serv-ing of muscle building protein, MassAttack Evo, contains the same timereleased protein blend as in the origi-nal Mass Attack.

But it now also containsBoditronics’ unique ‘UltraCarbComplex’ a proprietary Low Glycemic Index blend that utilisesground whole oats, barley malt,whole durum wheat and waxy maize

starch.

Mass Attack Evo is also high innutrients, vitamins and minerals andreleases energy in a slow timed man-ner, sparing protein and ensuringmuscle growth is lean and rapid withminimum fat gain unlike the usualmaltodextrin and sugar filled gainerson the market.

Mass Attack Evo is available in2.5kg and 4kg sizes and six flavoursincluding milk chocolate, strawber-ries and cream, vanilla ice cream,banana cream, toffee delight andmocha.

Introducing new blend ...

Three-time World Ironman ChampionChrissie Wellington smashed her ownworld record for the Ironman-distancetriathlon in Germany.She recorded a time of eight hours, 19minutes and 13 seconds for a marathonrun, 3, 800 metre swim and a 42 km cycle.

Chrissie, 33, beat her own previous mark ofeight hours, 31 minutes and 59 secondsrecorded last year by 12 minutes and 46seconds.She won the Challenge Roth event by overhalf an hour from Australia’s Rebecca Keat.Chrissie said the race was “as close to as

perfect as I have ever had” adding: “Inever thought I would be able to break myown world record, and to do it has mademe so incredibly happy and proud.”

� Look out for an interview with Chrissiein a forthcoming issue.

Cycling is an endurance sport which requires sustained energy-levels and specific nutrients to help cyclistsrecover post-session.So supplementation firm CNP Professional has developed a range designed to meet the specific needs ofcyclists and pro-energy bars are the latest creation.They are a healthy snack, low in fat and high in time-released carbohydrates for sustained energy andbecause they are individually wrapped they are ideal for tak-ing on a training session.The bars are dried fruit and whole grain in banana or berryflavour and can be eaten by athletes subject to drug testing.

By Emma Spencer

ORGANISERS of the BodyPower Expo were recognisedat the Association of Event Organisers awards.

The team won the “Best Consumer Launch Award”seeing off competition from Masterchef Live and TopGear’s MPH.

Marketing director Ollie Upton works alongsideshow managers Steve Orton and Matt Bevan.

He said: “We were over the moon to find out we hadbeen shortlisted for the award, but we knew that wewere up against major competitors.

“To put on an exhibition of this calibre is phenome-nal and is testament to the experience of the team,who expect the rapid growth of the event to continuewith 25,000 visitors attending in 2011.”

The date for next year’s show has already been set.

It will be at the NEC in Birmingham over the week-end of May 21 and 22.

Organisers ‘over themoon’ as Bodypowerwins launch award

40 21/7/10 11:04 Page 1

SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

41

What are carbohydrate protein ener-gy drinks?

In many ways, carbohydrate-proteinenergy drinks have a very similarcomposition to conventional carbohy-drate-energy drinks but there is oneimportant difference - they also con-tain protein in addition to carbohy-drate.

Although their compositions vary, acarbohydrate-protein energy drinktypically supplies around 80 per centof its calories as carbohydrate and 20per cent as protein (often in the formof whey protein, which is rapidlyabsorbed).

It’s important however not to con-fuse these carbohydrate-protein ener-gy drinks (designed to be used duringexercise) with recovery drinks, whichcontain higher levels of protein andother nutrients (designed to be usedafter training).

Why use carbohydrate protein energydrinks?

A number of recent scientific studieshave demonstrated the following ben-efits over conventional carbohydrate-only drinks:

� Enhanced endurance performancein very long events (three hours plus)

� Better recovery following training

� Less muscle damage (and thereforeless muscle/strength loss duringextended periods of high-volumetraining);

� Reduction of metabolic stress onthe body, which can help to maintainimmunity and prevent the risk of ill-ness and infections during periods ofheavy training.

Who can benefit from carbohydrate-protein energy drinks?

With the above in mind, these drinksmay be particularly useful forendurance sportsmen and women (egcyclists, runners, rowers etc) whowant to maintain maximumstrength/muscle mass during periodsof high-volume training. There’s alsosome evidence they can benefitstrength trainers by helping to pro-mote greater levels of muscle tissuesynthesis than when a carbohydrate-only drink is used during a resistancetraining session.

How should you use carbohydrateprotein energy drinks?

These drinks should be consumed inthe just same way as conventional

Some sports drink manufacturers are now adding small amounts of protein to theircarbohydrate-energy drinks, claiming enhanced performance and recovery overstandard carbohydrate drinks. But do these protein-containing energy drinks offer anyreal advantages? Andrew Hamilton investigates …

carbohydrate-only drinks – ie mixedup as per the manufacturer’s recom-mendations to supply around 60-80gof carbohydrate-protein (containing12-16g of protein) and 600-1400mls offluid per hour (depending on formu-lation) immediately prior to and dur-ing exercise.

Are there any drawbacks to carbohy-drate-protein energy drinks?

Some researchers have claimed thata potential downside of carbohydrate-protein drinks is that they ‘displace’some of the carbohydrate that wouldhave been present in a carbohydrate-only drink therefore limitingendurance performance in longevents. Moreover, there’s some evi-dence that for maximum performancein a one-off short event (up to twohours), a pure carbohydrate-onlydrink may just have the edge, espe-cially when combined with caffeine (atopic we’ll look at shortly). However,using carbohydrate-protein drinksduring training is less about maximis-ing performance for just one event,and much more about improving per-formance month-by-month and year-by-year. If that’s your goal, the evi-dence really does suggest that carbo-hydrate-protein drinks have much tooffer!

� Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC,ACSM is a member of the RoyalSociety of Chemistry, the AmericanCollege of Sports Medicine and a con-sultant to the fitness industry, special-ising in sport and performance nutri-tion: www.andrewmarkhamilton.com

Does adding protein haveany real advantages?

Andrew Hamilton

WHEN nutrition company CNPProfessional needed specialist pack-aging to protect their protein pow-ders they called on Yorkshire firmNational Flexible.

The brief from CNP’s marketingmanager Paul Riley was a new lookfor the protein sachets which fea-tured CNP’s logo and would be easilyrecognisable by their target market ofathletes in the sports of boxing,rugby, football, bodybuilding, powerlifting and martial arts.

National Flexible’s in-house agency,NXL Design, took the design from theconcept to print-ready artwork.

“National Flexible made the wholething very easy for us,” said Paul.“Their expertise in packaging films,printing and the creativity of theirgraphic design meant that the projectwas delivered quickly and in a cost-

effective way,” he added.The laminate film was printed using

a state-of-the art high-speed flexo-graphic printing press, with NationalFlexible’s technical team being onhand throughout the whole processto make sure the film was exactly tospecification – and CNP are delightedwith the results. The new sachets arecurrently available on-line and fromretail stockists throughout the UK.

To discuss your packaging requirementsplease contact National Flexible’s

commercial team on 01274 685566.

New look for protein powders

41 21/7/10 09:56 Page 1

SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

42

EIGHT meals a day is how body builder and per-sonal trainer Micky Mckay prepares for a competi-tion.

The 47-year-old has been competing since he wasa teenager and says the secret to success in today’scompetition is 80 per cent down to the diet andjust 20 per cent about the training.

The current holder of the UKBFF under 80k class,EPF 75kg class and Mr Muscletalk 2010 is now inpreparation for the UKBFF British finals.

His strict carefully measured diet will play amajor part in any success.

When he wakes up he has 30 grams of proteinbefore doing a 45 minute power walk.

Breakfast at 7am consists of 50g of oats, 100ml ofskimmed milk, 40g of whey, 10g of l-glutomine anda handful of raisins.

At 10am Micky will have 40g of whey, a dessertspoon of healthy fats, an oil blend of omega 3, 6and 9, two oat cakes, six brazil nuts and an apple.

His 11am pre-training meal is 20g of whey, 5g l-glutomine, 5g of amino acids, 5g of a beta-alaninesupplement and 3g creatine.

After his workout Micky prepares 50g of whey, 30gvitargo, 5g l-glutomine, 3g of creatine and 5g ofamino acids followed by 40g of whey, two oat cakesand six brazil nuts an hour later.

Before his afternoon workout at around 4pmMicky will have 200 g of chicken or lean steak, 30gof basmati rice and broccoli.

His 6.30pm meal is 40g of whey, two oat cakesand a banana and at 8pm he will have a chickenbreast with broccoli.

Before bed at 10.30pm he has two table spoons ofan oil blend and a protein powder.

Micky who runs his own personal training business 121 Fitness in Corby, Northamptonshiresaid when he returned to competing after a five-year break the industry had changed dramati-cally.

He said: “Everything is unbelievably advancednow. Schwarzenegger would find it tough in theamateur ranks now.

“Eating for me is 80 per cent of how I am going tolook, only 20 per cent of it is training. I never usedto diet I just had a decent physique.

“I thought it was just the same until I made mycomeback and really started with my nutrition.When I won the British title 18 months ago I stillwasn’t taking many supplements but I am smarter,older and wiser now.”

Eight meals a day putsMicky in competition mood

Micky Mckay and, right, Micky in competition

A NEW energy gel has been developed which riders in the Tourde France used to boost energy levels.

The berry flavoured gel was fin-ished just in time for the gruellingCol Du Tourmalet which was thehigh spot of this year’s race.

Pro Energy has been created bynutrition company CNP in con-junction with Nigel Mitchell, headof nutrition at GB Cycling.

It’s three main benefits are itdelivers a sustained energy boost,is gentle on the digestive systemand is caffeine free.

Ingredients include Maltodextrin,for a sustained release of energy,electrolytes for hydration and nat-urally occurring vitamin E, for itsantioxidant properties. The prod-

New gel provides energy boostuct doesn’t have citric acid which isalso usually used in gels.

Kerry Kayes, nutritional expert atCNP, said: “We had to make sure thenew gel didn’t just give riders a

temporary boost, followed by abacklash in the form of an energyflat. Pro Energy gets round that byusing ingredients that sustain theenergy lift. At the same time, we

wanted to give riders a gel theycould use as often as they liked. Sothis one doesn’t contain stimulants,like caffeine, where the intakeneeds to be limited.”

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UK FITNESS SCENE 45

Referral schemerewards memberswith vouchersA HOTEL gym is launching a referralbased loyalty scheme to encouragenew members and uses internationalsporting events to keep them moti-vated.

In return for a friend or relative join-ing members of Innaction in the ParkHotel York get high street vouchers tospend in supermarkets or on clothes,sports and fitness equipment.

Phil Mason, leisure club managersaid: “You get better quality referralsif they come from a friend becausethey obviously think the gym isdecent anyway.

“The feedback from members isthey will make more of an effort. Weare paying for the vouchers but feelwe will make the money back fromthe memberships we gain.”

With a membership base of 150 Philand his team constantly have to thinkof ways to get new members andkeep the current ones motivated.

Special rates have been appliedwhen six colleagues from the samefirm join and throughout the year

challenged are set to tie in with highprofile events such as the Boat Race,London Marathon and Tour DeFrance with simple prizes like a bottleof champagne for the winner.

One of the most successful methodsis a monthly questionnaire asking forfeedback on the instructors, equip-ment, prices, cleanliness and atmos-phere.

An action plan is formed based onthe answers and last month at therequest of members a slam manpunching bag was installed and themonth before the gym purchasedsome 20kg free weights.

Phil says it is better than spendingmoney on marketing campaignswhich so far have been fruitless.

He added: “We are a smaller gymand fighting against the likes of DavidLloyd and other chains. We marketedourselves through the Yellow Pagesbut couldn’t compete.

“We thought we would spend themoney on members rather than onthe papers.”

A TREADMILL with an inbuilt per-sonal trainer is the latest offeringfrom equipment manufacturers StarTrac.

Whether the user is walking or run-ning Star Trac Coach™ offers a per-sonalised workout tailored to thespecific needs of each user led byreal-life personal trainer KimberlyShah.

She encourages clients through theworkout just like having an actualpersonal trainer.

Matthew Pengelly, ManagingDirector of Star Trac Europe, said itwas a revelation in cardio-training.

He added: “This is a dramaticimprovement in the way that fitnessproviders are able to offer clients arange of services within one pack-age.

“Initial feedback has been incredi-bly positive, and users have beenimpressed with the variety of work-outs offered.”

Star Trac Coach™ is available on allStar Trac embedded-screen tread-mills. The Star Trac E-Series productsallow users to either engage with theStar Trac Coach™ facility, or towatch television or movies on thepersonal 15” viewing screen.

Trainer encouragesclient through workout

Aussie trend provesbig hit for EmmaA FITNESS trend which originated inAustralia and New Zealand has madeits way to Exeter.

Thump boxing has taken off to theextent that boxing fitness instructorEmma Boddy is looking for a newvenue.

Sessions started at Sweat andStretch Fitness Centre in the city inMay and numbers have grown somuch Emma has had to put on a sec-ond weekly class.

She said: “People keep saying theywant to do it twice and have beenasking for another class, I could dowith a bigger space.

“I have 16 at a session and couldn’tfit in more than 20. I am looking atdoing more classes and if it goes wellI would love to look at new venues.”

Thump boxing is different to theusual boxercise classes because par-ticipants put on gloves and facepadsand practice different punches like

jabs and crosses while incorporatingcardio exercises.

Emma, works part time in the sportsnutrition industry while she pro-motes new classes, and is prepared toput herself out there to raise the pro-file.

She doesn’t have a website and topromote herself on a limited budgetshe put flyers pretty much every-where she could think of andapproached girls in the street herselfto tell them about the class.

Emma puts her growing clienteledown to the fact there is no contractinvolved.

She added: “I have been to placesbefore where you have had to commitfor two years. That put me offbecause I don’t know where I will bein two years never mind pay all thatmoney. I do pay as you go but peopleseem to want to come back.”

John’s knock-out decisionWHEN professional boxing coachJohn Rooney renamed his gymafter himself it did wonders forthe profile of his business.

For years the gym on LondonBridge had been called Gleason’sbut John decided to change thename after it was fully refurbishedand changed into a state of the artboxing gym.

Although it has been designedwith professional boxers and theircoaching teams in mind the gymis open to beginners, women andthose just wanting to use boxingtechniques to get fit.

John has coached the likes ofWBO Super Middleweight SteveCollins and WBO/WBC/IBFFeatherweight World Champion

Manuel ‘Mantecas’ Medina andcurrently has BritishFeatherweight Champion Martin ‘Mac Man’ Lindsey on hisbooks.

He said: “Seven or eight yearsago no-one knew who I was atthat stage, now my name is verypopular in boxing.

“I have trained up world andBritish champions. After Ichanged the name of the gym Iwent from being the bottom of thefirst page of Google to numberone. I think sharing my name with Wayne Rooney helped usalong.”

His gym now has 320 members,20 of which are professional box-ers.

Stuart Burge is commercial director atPowerhouse. Prior to this he worked as anational account manager developing part-nership business relationships with ASDA,Booker Group and Tesco.His passion for health and fitness resultedin a career change and he now has tenyears’ experience in the supply and com-missioning of fitness equipment.Some of the most prestigious contracts andsubsequently the largest gym installationsin Scotland have been developed, won andmanaged to completion by Stuart.

Andy Milne has joined Powerhouse asnational sales manager to grow and devel-op the Johnson fitness equipment andBodymax Ziva free weights and accessorieslines across the UK.

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UK FITNESS SCENE46

INTERNATIONAL supplier of namebadges to gyms and leisure clubs,Badgemaster, says advances in tech-nology are behind lower prices.

For years the company has investedin up to date manufacturing andorder processing systems enablingeconomies to be passed on to cus-tomers.

One is a unique on-line reorderingfacility via the Badgemaster website.

John Bancroft, managing director,said: “We’ve saved time and cost byremoving the need for operator inpu.All text is entered by the customerand downloaded directly to comput-

erised systems.Badgemaster is confident of provid-

ing best value and service – everyorder being backed by best priceguarantee.

He added: “We’re now in a positionto complete even the shortest runsextremely cost-effectively. We’ve over-hauled our price list to make lowerquantities of badges accessible at thesame discounted rate previouslyreserved for higher volumes and areable to offer further significant sav-ings for larger users.”

For more information contact 01623723112 or www.badgemaster.co.uk

Advances lead to lower prices

Oxygym is first UK centreto install new trainerBLACKPOOL’s hardcore bodybuildingOxygym is the first UK centre toinstall the new SportsArt S770Pinnacle Trainer along with othercardio and strength fitness equip-ment.

Three times ‘Mr Britain’ championDavid Steele and wife Cheryl, whohas also won the coveted titles ofNABBA's Miss England and Miss UK,are old hands on the bodybuildingcompetition circuit and decided toinvest in new fitness training equip-ment for Oxygym.

A number of fitness equipment sup-pliers were invited to tender, alongwith SportsArt who had been recom-mended to Oxygym.

According to Dave the decision toaward SportsArt the contract wasdown to the very friendly and person-al way it dealt with their enquiry andnegotiations - involving only one per-son throughout managing directorMark Turner.

Dave said: “It was much easier todeal with SportsArt as opposed toother suppliers. Others identified youas a number and in negotiationspassed you around several differentpeople and departments.

“It felt like you had to start explain-ing your needs every time youopened up a conversation.

“Mark Turner came out to seeus and because of his experiencein bodybuilding, he had immedi-ate empathy with our require-ments and provided us with sev-eral options for cardio andstrength training equipmentwithin our budget – including thenew S770 Pinnacle Trainer.”

Mark explained to Oxygym theSportsArt S770 Pinnacle Trainerallows users to safely target mus-cles that aren’t toned on othertrainers, offers a full-body work-out continually engaging largemuscle groups whilst alsostrengthening lateral muscles,small muscle groups and corestabilizers.

Dave added: “We may havebeen the first UK gym to installthe SportsArt S770, but our hard-core trainers are very impressedand like to use this particular sta-tion because it gives an excellentworkout.

“It is well designed and engineered,may look high tech with many fea-tures, but is simple, easy to use andsafe on joints.

Along with the S770, SportsArt sup-plied a T630 treadmill, bike and otherstrength training equipment that wasinstalled to time and budget.

Dave said: “Since the installationthe response from our members hasbeen great, the equipment has performed reliably and on the oddoccasion when we needed support,the after sales service has been excel-lent.

“We wouldn’t hesitate to recom-mend SportsArt Fitness to othergyms”.

FITNESS Options provides new waysof getting fit with like-minded individ-uals.

Group activity training is a popularway for people to get fit and spinclasses have proved a profitablesource of income.

Fitness Options is now able to offerthree brand new pieces of equipmentthat take these types of classes toanother level.

The first is the Helix H901 LateralTrainer.

Unlike other aerobic machines theHelix also works the inner and outerthighs and because of the variety ofmovements is ideal for group exerciseclasses.

Classes feature moves like surfing,inner and outer thigh pumps, rollingsquats, sprinting, grinding and ballriding - not only great fun but lessmonotonous than other classes.

Next is the Nessfit Fitwalker a highquality, smooth motion manual tread-mill built for commercial environ-ments.

Treadmill group classes are verypopular in Europe because it’s so sim-ple to perform by people of all agesand abilities.

With the Fitwalker there are nomotors to break down or circuitboards to burn out and once the classis over it folds to take up less spacethen an exercise bike.

Finally there is the Nessfit SMS(Standing Movement Solutions)strength circuit equipment featuringten individual strength stations whereexercises are performed from thestanding position.

This means there are no adjustmentsto be made to the equipment as theclass moves from one exercise to theother and no time wasted in theprocess.

It is suitable for all participants fromathletes to the elderly. Each machineis compact and easy to move thanksto transport wheels.

All equipment is exclusive to FitnessOptions.

For more information visit www.fitnessoptions.co.uk or contact Karl

Viner (commercial director) on 0115 9463085

Taking groupclasses to a whole new level

SOHO Gyms is encouraging its members to cross the boundarybetween indoor and outdoor exercise.

The independent chain haslaunched a new way for clients to getall the benefits of using a traditionalindoor cross trainer, while outsideand on the move.

Freecross is a blend between a static cross trainer and a bicycle,which strengthens the arms, shoul-ders, chest, abdominals, back andlegs like a gym based machine, butalso gives the user the freedom totravel.

Soho Gyms has also created severalbespoke training plans for members

to help them get the most from thenew equipment, including providingspecific workout routes from itsWaterloo site.

The clubs will also be hosting one toone sessions with the chain’s head ofpersonal training to give membersthe best start on their new pro-gramme.

Michael Crockett, Soho Gyms MD,said: “We are absolutely delighted tobe able to offer our members free useof this exciting new product.

“Having been involved in the fitness industry for such a long time, we are all very excited to bringthis brand new equipment to theUK.”

Chain encourages outdoor move

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