The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineOctober 2010 No 205 £3

Independentsmerging asowner retiresBy Emma Spencer

TWO independent gyms in Weston-Super-Mare have merged.

Sweat FA run by martial arts expertStuart Davies will take over GymCentral after owner Robin O’Neillannounced his retirement.

Gym Central closes for business onOctober 1.

It launched in March 2007 as a nofrills gym with 250 members but nowhas 2,000 members who will be trans-ferred to Sweat FA at no extra costand on the same terms and condi-tions.

Members who don’t want to can optout and both firms already use thesame collection service and databasesoftware.

Robin stressed the takeover is notfor financial reasons – Gym Central isbeing sold as a going concern andturnover has doubled since thelaunch.

Gym Central’s two trainers RichardBurchell and Gino Fiori will keeptheir jobs and move over to Sweat FA.

Robin said he was keen to do busi-

ness with Sweat FA because he want-ed to sell out to an independentbecause other gyms nearby werechains or hardcore strength gymswhich wouldn’t have appealed to hiscustomers.

To help with the transition Sweat FAhas arranged a free open weekend somembers can try the facilities with-out any obligation.

Robin told WorkOut: “Sweat FA made us an offer we couldn’trefuse so effectively it is a take over.

“The gym is very well set up,impressive and more than double oursize and we wanted to look after ourmembers.

“Other gyms in Weston-Super-Mareare a hard-core bodybuilding gymand some chains.

“The future is for the independent ifthey can get together.

“I know the name of nearly everybody in the gym and that personal touch makes all the differ-ence.

“To make a profit in a gym is quitedifficult in this economic climate sowe are very happy it is going to agood home.”

Members goon the runto help RussMEMBERS of a gym in NorthWales have formed a runningclub as part of their trainingfor a 10k race to fundraise fora member with a terminal ill-ness.

A 20-strong team from theSlaughterhouse Gym in Moldtake to the streets twice aweek in preparation for therace in October.

They have set a target ofraising over £2000 for RussJones who has MotorNeurone disease and the localMotor Neurone diseaseorganisation based inFlintshire.

Russ, in his 50’s, has been amember of Slaughterhousefor almost 20 years but is cur-rently unable to work outbecause of the severity of hiscondition.

The gym has raised fundsfor him before and ownerChris Watson said it was sadto see how quickly a previ-ously strong and healthy manhad deteriorated.

He added: “We are doing allwe can for one of our own. Hehas supported us with hismembership subscriptionover the years so it is the leastwe can do by giving himsomething back in someway.”

Yoga and pilates expert Mila Lazar has won a com-petition to show off her teaching expertise inAntigua. She has worked for Fitness First for sixyears and is the studio and events manager at theCovent Garden Club. Mila, 33, saw off competitionfrom Fitness First experts from around the countryto win the trip.

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Alien campaignpays off as gymgains membersBy Christina Eccles

A MARKETING campaign which sparkedcontroversy as far away as Africa has paid off for an independent club in Bristol.

The Club at Cadbury House displayed abanner as part of its new year recruitmentdrive showing a green alien with the slogan“When the aliens come, they will eat thefatties first”.

It generated interest from national news-papers including the Daily Telegraph andDaily Mail, as well as radio stations, localpapers, Channel 5 show The Wright Stuffand even a sci-fi magazine.

Jason received some complaints frompeople saying the banner was offensivebecause they had fat friends, but on theother hand he says it brought publicitymoney couldn’t buy.

He said: “We wanted to do something alittle bit controversial for the new year andsomething that would stick out in the mar-ket place.

“Obviously it did, but it was not meant to offend anyone, but the publicity we

got went further afield than we everthought.

“I couldn’t guess how many publicationsit went in but it had to be close to hun-dreds.

“We had a member who went toBotswana on holiday and saw a newspaperarticle about it while they were there.”

Despite the controversy surrounding thecampaign thought up by staff at CadburyHouse and their marketing team Hattrick ithad the desired effect on membership fig-ures.

Since the alien campaign up to 300 newmembers have joined the club, taking thetotal to around 4,200.

Jason added: “It definitely helped salesand awareness of the club. People liked usbecause we are different and the club hasgone from strength to strength.”

The Club which charges £64 per monthfor its top-rate membership already has itsthinking cap on to see what marketingcampaign it can come up with for nextyear.

A COVENTRY leisure centre hasadded a famous face to itsmembership list thanks to itsinnovative fitness classes.

Former Hollyoaks actressMelissa Walton has become thelatest member to join the AlanHiggs Centre after hearingabout its pole fitness classes.

Another session proving pop-ular with members is the Latininspired dance-fitness Zumba,which has seen over 3,000 peo-ple take part since it waslaunched in December.

Melissa said: “I live locallywith my boyfriend and he has

been coming to the Alan HiggsCentre for the circuit trainingfor a long time and I decided tocome along and have a look atthe centre.

“I was pleasantly surprisedthey had pole fitness classeshere as not many gyms do it,which is a shame because it is areally good workout, and a nicebreak from the standard classesgyms tend to offer.

“I also can’t wait to try theZumba class, I have lots offriends who go and they havebeen telling me how good it is,plus I love dancing.”

Julie Flynn, lifestyles manager for Coventry Sports Foundation and Hollyoaksactress Melissa Walton

Official media partnerof the Fitness Industry

Association

Pole fitness classesattract actress to centre

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By Emma Spencer

A FIRST FLOOR gym in Northumberland is re-branding and exploring modern ways of mar-keting in a bid to drum up more trade.

No Limits Health and Fitness is situated onone of the main streets in Hexham town centrebut because it is above a shop and accessed bya stairwell not many people know it is there.

The other problem owner Lisa Thompson hasis spreading the word it is no longer a maleonly gym.

She is setting about re-branding the businesswith a new logo and signage, axing monthlymemberships and launching the business onsocial networking site Facebook.

She attended a social media workshop whereshe met other gym operators and swappedideas.

Lisa said: “Because we are such a small busi-ness and upstairs it is hard to advertise eventhough we are in the middle of the town cen-tre.

“We struggle from where we are. We doadvertise in the windows but people don’t lookup so it comes down to being out there andusing all the different social media.

“You can do it from your mobile phone and itdoes work.”

Instead of handing out leaflets and withnewspaper adverts being too expensive thesigns will tell potential customers where they can get the information they need bydirecting them to the website where clients can join the gym and set up their own directdebits.

Joining on-line also forms part of the processto change the way club memberships work.

Lisa found that offering too many pay as yougo or one month only contracts wasn’t workingas it didn’t encourage people to keep comingand with clients coming and going it was diffi-cult to work out what the gym’s actual mem-bership base was.

She added: “We have realised you can giveaway too many options and short term memberships. We did one, two and threemonth options but people would come for amonth, go away for a month and then comeback.

“We were still getting income but we weren’tgetting the commitment from people so we aregoing to do six, nine, 12 and 24 months. Onceyou get people on direct debits they usuallycarry on.”

Lisa turns tosocial media topromote gym

Lisa Thompson

‘Because we are such a smallbusiness and upstairs it is hard toadvertise even though we are inthe middle of the town centre’

OVER 20 years ago Gordon Smith, pictured above,was giving life-saving lessons at his local leisurecentre.

Now at the age of 88 he is the oldest member atRoyston Leisure Centre in Barnsley and still worksout in the gym five times a week.

He then jumps in the pool after his gym sessionwhere he swims several lengths.

One of his old pupils on his life-saving courses isnow the manager at the centre run by BarnsleyPremier Leisure.

Neil Mills said: “I still remember the way Gordontaught me on the life-saving course and have usedmany of the same phrases and methods whenteaching it myself.

“He’s a real inspiration to other people of all agesthat keeping fit and healthy is important at any age.We hope he will be a member here for many yearsto come.”

Gordon added: “Although I don’t coach much any-more, I still really enjoy coming to the gym andusing the pool several times a week.

“It keeps me fit and healthy and it’s a good chanceto meet new people, everyone knows me here and Ifeel like part of the family!”

Why Gordon feelslike part of thefamily at centre

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT6

A HEALTH club in a rural village hastold how it keeps its membershipwhich has surpassed the 2,000 markin less than four years.

Burntwood Court Club and Spaopened in October 2006 as an addi-tion to a privately-owned hotel whichhad opened around six years earlier.

Gym manager Stuart Prentice wastaken on before the club opened andhas seen it develop from day one.

Various things like a bar area, night-club and kids’ play area have beenadded on over the years which attractpeople to the complex.

Because it is a family-run ventureoverseen by managing director JohnSaul standards have to be high tomaintain his reputation.

Stuart said: “It starts from the top. Itis the managing director’s nameabove the complex and his reputa-tion – that is passed to the staff. I amthe manager of the club and so that ismy reputation too.”

The reputation is also how newpeople hear about Burntwoodbecause the firm doesn’t tend to payfor advertising campaigns.

And while memberships at £38 per

month may seem higher than budgetclubs or chains the use of a personaltrainer, nutritional assessment orspecialist advice for GP referrals isincluded in that price unlike someplaces which charge extra.

Stuart said: “We have got somegreat staff, every club manager upand down the land will say that but itis about the level of service we offer.

“We have instructors in their 30’s,20’s and 40’s. When you are workingwith people you need that balance ofages, gender and experience so thereis something for all.

“And it’s not a case of pay yourmoney and off you go. New membershave three appointments with theteam in the first three weeks.

“We get a lot of people in here thathaven’t set foot in a gym since theyleft school and that would have beenunder duress.

“With a lot of chains and public sec-tor gyms you have an induction andthat tends to be it. I don’t understandthe mentality of that. For myself witha sports degree background andteaching I would want to manage aclub the way that we are.”

Reputationis the keyat villagehealth club

Social events and charityfundraisers at a club nearBarnsley are key to keepingmembers interested. EmmaSpencer has a look atBurntwood Court Club andSpa.

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT 7

Pair get on their bikes toraise charity cycle cashTHE manager of a health club and one of hismembers raised £2,000 for charity after cyclingalmost 200 miles from London to Paris in justthree days.

Stuart Prentice from Burntwood Court Cluband Spa near Barnsley and one of his membersBen Jones took to the saddle during the lastweekend of July to raise funds and awareness forprostate cancer.

The independent health club based in a family-owned hotel and bar complex has done plenty offundraising before for Cancer Research andbreast cancer but decided to do something forthe fellas.

On the first day they rode 60 miles, 51 the fol-lowing day and a gruelling 70 miles for the laststint.

Stuart and Ben were in training for eight weeksbeforehand going out on the road for four hoursat a time as well as doing sessions in the gym on

exercise bikes and in spinning classes.They got their sponsorship money from mem-

bers, set up a Just Giving website so non-mem-bers could donate, held a coffee morning in alocal church hall to raise extra money and put ona race night.

Stuart said: “If we hadn’t done the trainingbeforehand we could have quite easily pulledout but I loved it and would recommend it toanybody, it was a great experience.”

Unfortunately other members were unable tojoin them because of the training required andthe summer holidays but the event had broughtthe club together.

Stuart added: “It was a good event and win-winfor everybody. Me and Ben thoroughly enjoyed iteven though it was a challenge and we raised£2,000 for a good cause and brought memberstogether with the race night and it was good forthe profile of the place.”

Gym works out a busy social lifeBEING a member of the gym and spa atBurntwood Court in South Yorkshire is asmuch about the social scene as it is the workout.

The most recent get together of membersoutside of the gym was a race night to raisefunds for manager Stuart Prentice and mem-ber Ben Jones’ charity cycle to Paris.

But since the club opened events have beenheld for Cancer Research and Breast Cancer

Care to name but a few.They are held on site in the Burntwood com-

plex’s restaurant, hotel and bar facilities whichhelps generate extra income for the company.

One of the most successful events was asummer ball last year attended by 300 mem-bers.

The Club and Spa laid on the party withguests in penguin suits and cocktail dressesenjoying a champagne reception – for free.

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THE OWNER of a body-building gymhas opened another business to tryand attract a wider range of clientswho might be intimidated by hisstrength gym.

Scott Horton says some people areput off by the stereotypical image ofhardcore bodybuilding gyms likeHercules in Colchester.

So at the beginning of September heopened Hercules School of PhysicalTraining over the river focusing onold school techniques.

It has an indoor assault course,rings, ropes, monkey bars, mats andmedicine balls.

The idea is a personal trainer canrent the space for their own clientsand people from beginners toOlympic champions can train there.

Scott has grown up with the fitnessindustry – he was an army physicaltraining instructor, his dad was abodybuilder and his grandfather astrength athlete.

He is using knowledge gained from35 years in the game to get his newventure off the ground.

Scott said: “Hercules gym is what itis – hardcore strength which spe-cialises in bodybuilding, powerlifting

and strongman.“Joe public has always been intimi-

dated by Hercules, it has a reputationfor the guys being massive and peo-ple create an image in their mind.

“The other place is completely dif-ferent. It has a Greek spartan themeand appeals to a wide range of peopleand is geared around body weight tostrength ratios.

“It used to be a boxing club and Ithought it had the potential to bemore than it was. I thought I could dosomething special here.”

Rather than be in competition withHercules strength gym whose reputa-tion precedes it it is hoped the twobusinesses will complement eachother and once people progress in thenew gym they might be attracted tothe original Hercules.

The Mayoress of Colchester bor-ough council officially opened thenew Hercules and alongside articlesin the local gazette Scott’s Facebookpage is the main source of generatingpublicity.

He has 5,000 followers from all overthe world and always attracts com-ments when he posts news and pic-tures.

Owner Scott Horton and wife Lindsay, the Mayor of Colchester Sonia Lewis, Karl Borowiecmanager of the new gym and Amy Hickey who is part of the Hercules team.

Hardcore gymowner goes fora softer option

Barefoot running ‘increases performance’NEW research has shown runningbarefoot can increase energy levelsand performance.

Eight male runners who normallyrun in trainers performed a six-minute moderate to hard running task both in shoes and bare-foot.

Oxygen uptake during the runs wasmeasured revealing 7.2 per cent less

oxygen was used during barefootrunning, participants took shorterstrides at a higher rate and hadshorter ground contact and flighttimes.

Patrick Fordham fromNorthumbria University presentedhis findings at the British Associationof Sport & Exercise Sciences AnnualConference in Glasgow inSeptember.

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OPENING up a new gym straightafter Christmas and New Year isstressful enough but even more sowhen a forklift truck and a nest ofcrows put a spanner in the works.

Clwb 21 run by Will Lovelock andwife Nia opened in Anglesey onJanuary 4 and already has over 500members but the couple admit itwasn’t plain sailing in the begin-ning.

Will said: “When we were openingwe both had laryngitis and I gotrun over by a forklift truck. It wasok in the end thank god but it was avery stressful time.”

He had been in the leisure indus-try for almost 20 years and wasworking for a local leisure centrewhen he decided to work for him-self.

Will runs the fitness side of thingsand Nia takes care of the businessside.

He said: “I had increased theirrevenue by 15 and 25 per cent yearon year for the last three years bydoing different things such as put-ting on different classes and giving

good service.

“I thought if I can do it for them Ican do it for myself. We looked forgaps in the market, what peopleweren’t doing right and concentrat-ed on that.”

Will and Nia handed out leaflets,generated publicity with articles inthe local paper and after a fewmonths drafted in Creative FitnessMarketing who got 200 more mem-bers.

Clwb 21 found itself in the papersa few months after opening for dif-ferent reasons.

Will and Nia have tried to createan environmentally friendly gym sohad a specially made film put onthe windows which cut out 80 percent of heat and glare from the sun.

It means that in summer the gymis cool and reduces the need for airconditioning and in winter itretains warmth cutting costs onheating but not everyone saw thebenefit.

Crows nesting nearby were seeingtheir own reflections in the glassand started attacking the windows

hurting themselves and causing alot of mess.

Prior to opening each day Willhad to clean up the gym frontageand tried to ward off the brazenbirds with scarecrows and toywindmills.

He added: “Economically, thewindows are fantastic but as a by-product we had crows attacking thewindows but it got us lots of pub-licity.”

Will beats off forklift truck, crowattacks and illness to open gym

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By Louise Cordell

THE OWNER of a ladies-onlygym has been signed up as thechoreographer for a touringtheatre show.

Pole dancing expert MicheleElizabeth has been teaching the cast of the Naked Truththeir moves and routines for their fifth run of the comedy.

The line-up includes formerEmmerdale actress Claire King, former Hollyoaks actressJulie Buckfield and MaureenNolan.

Michele first choreographedthe Naked Truth in 2006 but hasbeen too busy to do it since set-ting up her own businessFelines.

She got involved with theshow after writing the firstnationally-recognised trainingcourse for pole dancing andstarted her own pole dancingclass ‘Wiggle and Giggle WithMe’.

It was on the back of that shewas asked to choreograph theproduction.

Some of the training for thisyear’s tour has been in theFelines studio in Burton-on-Trent or at the rehearsal venuein Derby.

Michele said: “Some of them were absolute completenovices and one had been on the tour for three years so I just twisted the techniqueand gave her some style points.

“Leanne Jones from Hairsprayand Michelle Heaton fromLiberty X had had some lessons but the trick was to find moves and routineswhich fit in with their charac-ters so it wasn’t just teachingtechnique.

“We had to make them com-fortable with the choreographythey were performing on stagefor a six-month tour.

“It was really interestingwork.”

Pole-dancing gymowner shows casthow to wiggle ...

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By Emma Spencer

A PERSONAL trainer based inEdinburgh had some tough decisionsto make when his gym became toosuccessful.

Fitness expert Mike Heatlie set uphis own personal training business inEdinburgh in March 2009 and a gymto run alongside.

There were quickly 70 paying mem-bers crammed into the 2,000 squarefeet premises and more wanting tojoin.

It was compromising the quality ofthe personal training sessions Mikewas able to give so he bit the bulletand closed the gym, making twomembers of staff redundant.

He said: “Because we are in the citycentre everyone was coming at peaktimes between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

“When you were doing personaltraining if you wanted a certain pieceof equipment someone would be onthem and you couldn’t get near atreadmill.

“The gym was just meant to com-plement the personal training but itwas hindering it and it was a bigsource of income.

“It was a very hard decision to makeand I did wonder if it was a big mis-take. I had to make two staff mem-bers who had been here since thebeginning redundant and tell 70members who I worked closely with,were getting results and loved theatmosphere we were closing.”

It turned out to be the right deci-sion and ended up cutting Mike’sexpenditure on things like wages,national insurance contributions(which were £300 per month), main-

tenance and utility bills by 35 percent.

Despite leaving school with noqualifications and entering the fit-ness industry at the very bottomMike now has five other trainersworking under the brand MikeHeatlie personal training, two self-employed personal trainers using hispremises and plans to do deals onlease terms for off peak times.

He has a degree in sport and exer-cise science, two Masters degrees andplans to do a third one on publichealth and nutrition.

If that wasn’t enough he will be thepersonal trainer to American singerGwen Stefani and her band on theirnext world tour.

He has been training Gwen for yearsafter being introduced through afriend.

Mike shuts ‘too successful’ gym

easy newgym chainset to openA NEW gym chain is set to hit theUK next year.

easyGroup is to start a new ven-ture, easyGym, in partnership withFore Fitness an entrepreneurialfirm which identifies investmentopportunities and raises equityand management teams.

A spokeswoman for the venturesaid it is in the early stages but theintention is to offer quality gymfacilities at affordable prices.

easyGym will capitalise on thestrength of the ‘easy’ brand whichbrought easyjet, coach travel andcar rental among other services.

Sir Stelios, founder of the ‘easy’brand, said: “I am thrilled that inthe midst of one of the most diffi-cult economic environments inliving memory there are still fellowentrepreneurs willing to set upbusinesses and have a go at shak-ing up yet another industry.

“As a gym user, admittedly per-haps not as often as I should, Ihave noticed many inefficienciesin the system and believe there isa simpler and more efficient wayto cater for the needs of the con-sumer. Together with Fore Fitnessand their investors we aim to offervalue for money in this sector. Myown resolution following this dealis to go to the gym at least three tofour times per week.”

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By Emma Spencer

WHEN part of a fitness club inBirmingham was ravaged by firebosses used it as an opportunity tore-launch the club.

The Dudley branch of Top Notchnow has better facilities and moremembers than before.

In August 2007 an electrical faultin the sauna sparked the blazewhich due to the heat quicklyspread to the steam room and therest of the pool area which wascompletely destroyed.

Russell Ribeiro, business manag-er, said: “That is a date I don’t liketo remember. At about 2am themaintenance man was living next

door and heard a crackling sound.

“He looked out of the window andsaw flames coming through theceiling. Fortunately it didn’t get intothe changing rooms or any otherpart of the club.”

It meant part of the club was outof action for three months while itwas being refurbished andinevitably membership numberstook a nose dive with around 200leaving.

Members were given free timeback as compensation and TopNotch tried to arrange for membersto use other pools in the area butRussell says nobody wanted toknow.

They also needed to do furtherdamage limitation when it came togossip as rumours were goingaround that all the club had beentotally destroyed.

Russell said: “We did some cos-metic work to the rest of the cluband made it feel as though it fittedin with the completely new poolarea. We thought we would re-launch the club.

“Memberships had taken a bit ofa dip but we managed to get that back within the first fewmonths. We had a grand openingweekend and had 75 sales in twodays.”

The fire had generated plenty ofpublicity with articles in local

newspapers and the re-openingwith the then Mayor of Dudley alsoattracted press attention.

Now membership figures arearound 2,300 – statistics show lessthen three per cent leave eachmonth – and two members of staffspecifically deal with attracting andretaining members.

Russell said: “We do speak withpeople who leave to make surethere is nothing we have donewrong.

“We have specific staff for that.Fitness consultants and personaltrainers want to focus on what theyenjoy the most and not everyonefeels comfortable with sales.”

Blaze-hit club bouncesback even better ...

Brothers introduce competition into workoutsINTRODUCING the element of com-petition to workouts could increaseresults, participation and retentionaccording to two brothers.

Phil and Ian Worthington fromPreston have created the Konkuraconcept which is now live on theweb.

It includes a variety of fitness chal-lenges created by Cheshire-based fit-ness instructor Steve Hoyles who hasa sports science degree from

Swansea University.

He said: “Fitness instructors arealways seeking new ways to keeptheir clients focused and motivatedin between sessions.

“By using Konkura to create chal-lenges, they can achieve this but alsoattract more clients along the way.”

Challenges set could include arange of activities from running toswimming to cycling and to enter

members post their score, com-ments, photos or videos creating acompetition against other members.

The idea is that gyms and healthclubs can create challenges formembers based around particularfitness goals or exercise classes andpersonal trainers can create chal-lenges for clients.

Phil and Ian have been spreadingthe word about Konkura onFacebook attracting interest from

California.

Phil said: “We’d love to get morelocal competitors so we can showthe Americans that Britain is thebest when it comes to being com-petitive.

“After that, it’s time to tackle thebig one and take on the Aussies.”

Steve Hoyles is now planning aseries of expert challenges with afocus on weight loss.

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Neil sets up in direct competition to health club chainBy Christina Eccles

A NEW gym owner has set up hisbusiness in direct competition withone of the large health club chains.

Oxygen Fit run by Neil Godly andwife Emma opened last month inthe small community of East Barnetin north London.

They set a target of getting 100members within the first month butachieved half of that in less than aweek.

Neil says he has a potential mem-bership base of 500 people and thatsetting up on the back of a reces-sion has actually had financial ben-efits.

He told Workout: “It seemed to mea lot of people were members ofone particular club and it was theironly option.

“It is £95 a month there and is notgoing to be long before it is touch-ing £100.

“This area is very communitybased and if we had a gym in themiddle of the community it would

be a lot easier for people to access.“I can’t offer what the big chains

are but we can offer a customerservice that is sometimes missingin the industry.

“When people see the manage-ment team is a husband and wife Ithink they like that.”

Neil did his homework aboutwhether the market was there.

At the back of his gym is a trainstation and another is not far away.He noticed people were getting offone train hopping on another to goto the other gym and then comingback.

He has also set up next to a swim-ming pool with 3,000 members anda lot of parents with time on theirhands while the kids are having les-sons.

Neil advertised his new gym at alocal festival which attracted 20,000people, put 6,500 flyers out in thelocal area as well as putting up ban-ners.

It generated interest from 500

people whose details Neil has on adatabase and plans to follow up aswell as visiting schools, parks andhigh street shops.

The database allows him to moni-tor who has read his e-shots, whodidn’t open them and who forward-ed them on to someone else so heknows where to focus his recruit-ment efforts.

While some businesses havestruggled in the current economicclimate Neil found there were gooddeals to be had when it came toaquiring equipment.

He added: “When I first startedlooking into this is April last yearpeople were throwing money at youbut between then and November itall seized up affecting all the bigcompanies that provided equip-ment.

“It has worked out quite wellbecause I managed to get a gooddeal on buying the equipment out-right.”

Emma and Neil Godly with the local Mayor Anthony Finn at the official opening

IFI Mark fornew £750kfacilityA £750,000 new sports facility in thecentre of London is the first in the cityto be recognised for creating opportu-nities for people with disabilities.

Paddington Recreation Ground hasbeen awarded the Inclusive FitnessInitiative (IFI) Mark.

Equipment includes accreditedtreadmills, bikes and an upper bodyhand cycle as well as adaptive resist-ance equipment.

The new building also has an exer-cise and dance studio, meeting area,consultation rooms and changingrooms.

Coun Steve Summers, Westminster'scabinet member for community serv-ices, said: "I'm delighted thatWestminster is able to lead the way inoffering disabled and non-disabledpeople equal opportunities to beactive together in an inclusive envi-ronment.

"We are very proud of our sportsfacilities and remain committed toproviding opportunities to all of ourresidents to get fit and develophealthy lifestyles."

Westminster Council has partlyfunded the scheme, along with£120,000 from London MarathonTrust and £120,000 from NHSWestminster.

Award for GLLLONDON's largest operator of publicleisure facilities is one of the firstleisure trusts to be awarded theCarbon Trust Standard.

GLL has taken action on climatechange by measuring, managing andreducing its carbon emissions by twoper cent between January 2007 andDecember 2009.

By the end of this year GLL will haveinvested more than £800,000 in ener-gy saving technologies such as auto-matic pool covers, low energy light-ing, variable speed drives for pooland air handling motors across the 70leisure centres it operates.

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Membershipgrows as classlink pays offBy Dominic Musgrave

A GYM which agreed to hold fitnesssessions with a local school and prob-lem kids has sold more membershipsas a result.

For about eight years Fitness 500 inSt. Helen’s in Merseyside has beeninviting kids from Sutton High Schoolto work out in the gym as part of theirPE and games lessons.

Fitness 500 has around 450 regularmembers and on top of that theschool buys a hundred six-monthmemberships for the year which is ata reduced rate.

Four or five times a week 16teenagers from the local school turnup in a minibus for their fitness ses-sion in the main gym.

Following on from that Fitness 500has since been asked to work withproblem kids from a local inclusionunit who have fallen out with main-stream school – some of them boughttheir own memberships when thearranged scheme finished.

On the back of his work with theschool, gym owner John Tatlock ran a

summer fitness camp during theschool holidays for mums and daugh-ters.

Forty young girls aged around 13and 14 took part with their mumstraining for three sessions a week.

When the six-week camp came toan end some of the mums anddaughters were inspired to carry onwith their training and joined as fullmembers.

John said: “They needed the exer-cise, they were overweight and unfit.We did fitness sessions, body compo-sition, blood pressure, cholesteroltests and collated all the information,did a report and gave it back to theschool.

“We did three sessions per weekwith myself and a colleague doingpersonal training. They were seeingresults after three weeks and thenafter six weeks.

“We finished it after six weeks butthey were happy to see an improve-ment and obviously it has workedbecause people have joined throughit. We are also getting mums and dadsjoining through their kids.”

A SOLDIER injured by a roadsidebomb in Helmand Province hasbeen given a free lifetime member-ship at a gym in Doncaster.

Doncaster Dome has launched acampaign of support for LanceBombardier Ben Parkinson, 26,who lost both legs four years agoand also suffered two collapsedlungs, a broken back and braininjuries causing limited speechand memory loss.

Michael Hart, general managersaid: “When someone with suchtremendous courage can recoverfrom an event as traumatic as theone Ben went through, it’s trulyawe-inspiring when they train with

the dedication he does.”Ben visits the Fitness Village a

few times a week with stepfatherAndy to exercise his core muscleswhile he learns to walk again withhis mechanical legs.

He said: “I always wanted to be inthe army, since I was four years oldand I’m still in my regiment whichis the 7th Parachute RegimentRoyal Horse Artillery unit inColchester and have been since Iwas 17.

“At first no one thought I wouldwalk again, but my advice to any-one else going through somethingsimilar is never give up. You willget there in the end.”

Gym launches campaign tosupport injured soldier

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UK FITNESS SCENE18

Power-liftingshow first forEssex’s MichelleBy Emma Spencer

ONE of the owners of an Essex gym willbe the first woman to host two of thecountry’s top powerlifting shows.

Michelle Meade’s gym, Ripped, wasgiven the go-ahead by the BritishPowerlifting Organisation (BPO) to holdthe England Championships in Marchnext year and the British Record breakersin December, 2011.

Two of her customers SebastianWajncetel and Dominic Fazzini aremembers of the BPO and Ripped gotinvolved with the organisation throughsponsoring them.

When she heard the BPO were lookingfor alternative venues to hold events shehad no hesitation in putting Ripped for-ward.

Michelle is now working her waythrough the strict guidelines and mustdo’s when it comes to hosting such a bigevent and has had to pay out for special-ist equipment.

She said: “All the equipment has to beaccredited like the weights, bars, bench-es and projectors and we have to supplyour own staff. There are A4 sheets ofpaper with lists of must do’s.

“If we were to replace all our equip-ment with what they use we would havegone out of business. It cost £2,700 tobuy 300 kilos of weights. In our gym wehave six tonnes of free weights.

“These will be locked away in the officeand only the people competing will usethem. Then they go back in the officeand won’t be used until the next event.”

However, she says the money Rippedhas laid out will pay for itself when itcomes to raising the profile of the gym.

Michelle added: “We have travelled toquite a few places when we have beenmembers of other organisations and Ithought we could do a better job.

“We could advertise our gym but itdoesn’t give you the atmosphere if youcame in when we were having one ofthese events.

“Members will absolutely love it andpeople will come from all over to watch.Even if people don’t know about this gymif they are interested in power lifting theywill come and watch. It gets themthrough the doors and shows them whatwe have got.

“We were over the moon when BPOsaid we had a fantastic gym – it means allthe hard work has paid off.”

GYM-GOING students fromNewcastle University will benefitfrom a £145, 000 upgrade to theirgym.

In total 57 pieces of kit fromtreadmills, upright and recumbent bikes, ellipticalcrosstrainers and five AdaptiveMotion Trainers® (AMT’s) fromthe Precor range have beeninstalled in time for studentsreturning from their summerbreak.

The university carried outresearch among students and

who said they liked the equip-ment and didn’t want it tochange. So the university decidedto fulfill current user demand while providing up to date equip-ment for current and future stu-dents.

Nick Beall, facilities servicesmanager at Newcastle Universitysaid: “As the students really likethe existing Precor equipment it was a straight forward decisionto retain the account and replace the pieces with new models.”

£145k upgrade for gym

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UK FITNESS SCENE 19

WHEN people aren’t working out at aMansfield health club they are work-ing.

Members at the Oasis Health Clubdon’t just use the club to get in shapethey use the facilities to socialise,entertain business clients and carryout their day job.

In addition to the fitness facilities atthe club there is a creche, hair-dressers and licensed cafe.

Because use of the gym, pool andclasses is included in the £35 month-ly membership (£30 if on a 12-monthcontract) the 2,500 clients make full

use of the club.Rob Douthwaite, general manager,

said: “We have a lot of business peo-ple coming here. The cafe area islicensed and has Wi-fi. People comewith lap tops when they are not com-ing for a work out, they have come towork. It is their club, they can relax,bring clients, look out over the poolarea have a drink and a meal. Wehave a really large car park but some-times not even that is enough.”

Oasis has also inadvertentlybecome popular with families as wellbecause of links the business has

with ten pin bowling.The Oasis brand started in a ten pin

bowling hall in Rotherham years ago.It added a gym to the business whichtook off and health clubs in Grimsby,Wakefield and then Mansfield fol-lowed.

Rob is also manager of nearbyMansfield SuperBowl and thought ofcapitalising on quiet times to cash inat the gym.

“I thought how can we throw a bitof business forward and rewardmembers. We had spare capacity inthe lanes at quiet times between 4pm

and 7pm.“Anybody that joins on a 12 month

contract can go bowling and hire alane for free. They just pay for shoehire which is a pound each.

“As a parent myself I know whenyou take the kids out it can cost anabsolute fortune so this works reallywell for us.

“It has brought a lot of familiesthrough to use the club. We have thecreche and family swim times.Families weren’t the target audiencebut it seems to have evolved thatway.”

Oasis for working and working out

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UK FITNESS SCENE20

By Dave Wright CreativeFitness Marketing

HAVING a good public relationsplan of attack for your club is anessential way to create more mem-bers at absolutely no cost to you.It’s all about being ‘in’ the news forthe great things that you do for yourcommunity so that when a poten-tial member is contemplating join-ing a gym your club is top of mind.

Here are a few ideas on how yourclub can be ‘newsworthy’ in yourtown. 1. Do an annual food donationFor one month per year (such asDecember) instead of having a join-ing/ registration fee, allow newmembers to donate food or clothesto the value of the joining fee to theclub to the charity of your choice.The spin for the clothing would bethat the new member won’t needthat anymore as they will loseweight and it won’t fit (highlightingyour club’s generosity whilst subtlypromoting its ability to get results).2. Run a contest for charityYour members can get people topledge money for the amount ofexercise that they do such as apound for every mile that they walkon a treadmill or a pound for every

1,000 metres that they row. Youwant to be creative so that you canput some good news into the publicdomain about what your club andits members do for your communi-ty. 3. Run a contest with a local radiostationYou can run a contest amongst thelisteners of the radio station to seewho can lose the most weight in aneight to 12-week period. Give theDJs free memberships to yourhealth club and have them promotethe contest, get lots of people toapply to be in the contest, and pro-vide you contact information for allapplicants. If there are two DJs itcan be a lot of fun for them to formtwo separate teams and compete aswell. It makes for an exciting con-test for listeners of the radio stationand great free marketing for yourhealth club.4. Promote one of your members asa local heroGive the media what theywant…positive stories! Ask yourmembers to submit applications tobe in the ‘Local Hero’ contest. Theycan discuss how your health clubhas provided the support to helpthem reach their goals and be a

local hero. Once a winner is select-ed, write a press release and send itto all local media groups. It can say‘Local citizen earns hero recogni-tion’, or something similar. Don'tforget to give a prize to all appli-cants, and maybe even put theirsuccess stories on a ‘Wall of Fame’to show prospects when they visityour health club. 5. Offer to write articles for yourlocal newspaper

If your town's newspaper doesn'thave a weekly fitness write up, vol-unteer to write one for them. Senda selection of articles in and alsosome questions and answers thatyou often get in your club to let thepaper know what you are capableof. By having questions andanswers, you’ll know the questionsthat most of the public (and thenewspaper staff) are wantinganswers for and will be able toengage more with the reader.Newspapers need constant storiesand will only be too accommodat-ing.

The one thing to bear in mindwith any PR is that it has to be‘newsworthy’ so that you have tothink that the community wouldwant to read about it. If it’s just a

new treadmill or a cross trainer thatyou want to promote, the newspa-per will see right through it. Readyour local paper and see what sto-ries are currently ‘making’ it.

One final point to consider:money does talk … so if you areseen supporting the press avenuewith your own advertising and/orgiving generously to charities, thenyour potential reporter is going tobe far more generous in giving youyour story the free plug that itdeserves.

How to maximise freepublicity for your club ...

Dave Wright

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UK FITNESS SCENE22

How stroke put lifein perspective forgym owner ShaunBy Louise Cordell

GYM owner Shaun Charters puts thecause of a major stroke at the age of43 down to the stress of running hisown business.

Now on the road to recovery he saysit has made him reassess hisapproach to the business he startedin Morpeth, Northumberland fouryears ago in a purpose built unit.

In 2008 the former army physicaltraining instructor woke up one dayparalysed down his right hand sideand couldn’t speak or walk properly.

Advice suggests getting treatmentwithin the first three hours of havinga stroke is essential but it was 14hours before Shaun saw a doctor.

Shaun said: “I didn’t know what waswrong with me. I knew I had to go tothe doctors but didn’t want to botherthem.

“I couldn’t believe it when they saidit was a stroke, there is no history inthe family and I assumed it was thestress of running my own business.

“I have been doing this all my life, Iwas working ten-hour days, doing

personal training, running the classesand doing the paperwork.”

Shaun, now 45, had to have anoperation in September to repair aminiscule hole in his heart whichmay have contributed to the strokebut being self-employed there wasn’tmuch time for recovery.

Luckily, he took most of his clientsto BodyMechanix from his previousgym, the Punchbowl, and relied onsome of his military mates to takeover the classes yet he was still backto work a month after the stroke.

He has been shocked at how long itis taking him to regain full fitness.

For example, prior to the stroke hecould run two miles in 12 minutesand 30 seconds, now that time is 15minutes.

But his army background, the busi-ness and personal pride is spurringhim on even though the stroke hasmade him put life in to perspective.

Shaun added: “It is a personal pridethat comes from being in the army, Iam fit and that is why I was good atmy job and I am determined to helpclients lose weight and get fit.

“But I now take the business as itcomes. With the recession I am losingand before I would have been guttedbut what can I do.

“The most important thing in life is health but I will sort the busi-ness, get back in the black andexpand.”

Shaun Charters

First fortrainingacademyTHE training academy TenPilates has been officially recognised by the Register of ExerciseProfessionals – a first for the category of ‘Dynamic ReformerPilates’.

To qualify, every TenPilates trainermust spend over 180 hours at the training academy, mastering the Dynamic Pilates programmeunder the supervision of mastertrainers David Higgins and LukeMeessmann.

Any trainer working through theacademy can also earn 16 CPD pointsby completing the course.

The course modules cover everydetail of the Dynamic Pilates exer-cise, from philosophy of theTenPilates technique to an overviewof current research into areas such asmuscle imbalance, back and neckpain, ante and post natal exercise andcore stabilisation techniques andrehabilitation.

As well as this, the course covers six modules instructing the trainer on correct use of theReformer, and the different exerciseswhich make up the TenPilates train-ing system.

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UK FITNESS SCENE 23

By Christina Eccles

RETAINING existing members andmaximising what they spend is asimportant as attracting new ones,according to one successful gymowner.

Martin Greene owns FountainLadies Health Studio in Nottinghamand over the last year has managedto increase turnover by about 11 percent.

He told Workout that the key to suc-cess has been placing as muchemphasis on retention as on gettingnew people through the doors – andhe has been working hard to encour-age existing members to stay longerand spend more.

When joining up, members canchoose from several different pricepackages depending on what facili-ties they want to use and the daysand times when they will be in thegym.

And many members in lower bands have been successfully talkedinto upgrading – meaning they pay slightly more in order to be able to visit at weekends and earlymornings and use extra facilities such as vibration training – and the gym benefits from the extra rev-enue.

Martin explained: “For people onlower membership packages, wehave encouraged them to upgrade.Instead of trying to increase our cus-tomer base we have been maximising

our existing memberships andincrease members’ spend.

“In the region of 15 to 18 per cent ofmembers have been talked up inprice, which has increased ourturnover by around 11 per cent.

“You have to work hard at it but wehave found that by spending a littlebit more time with members and giv-ing them that support, you can max-imise their spend. And speaking tosomeone rather than just putting upposters carries a lot of weight.”

The gym has also had success with a recent advertising campaign,which generated a large number of new members at the start of theyear.

Martin added: “We hadn’t done a lotof advertising but in January welaunched a campaign – ‘no joiningfee, no contract, no excuses’ – and wefound a lot of people could identifywith that. We put a sign outside anddelivered 20,000 leaflets and man-aged to increase our membership byabout 25 per cent from January toMarch.

“We are now ready to push on againand do a similar campaign forSeptember and October.”

The gym currently has about 500members and future plans includebuilding an extension – for which italready has planning permission inplace.

Retention work works for Martin

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UK FITNESS SCENE24

Judges look for winnersin hundreds of entriesBy Emma Spencer

WORKOUT magazine’s firstNational Fitness Awards haveproved popular with gyms and clubs across the country with hundreds of entries comingin.

Designed to give the smaller andindependent operator a voice ithas certainly done that withentries coming from establishedand new businesses as well asbootcamps, pole-dancing teach-ers and personal trainers.

With the closing date now pastour panel of expert judges has thearduous task of sifting throughthe nominations and trying topick a worthy winner for each ofthe 12 categories.

For example in the category forbest membership recruitmentcampaign is the Club and Spa atHoole Hall in Cheshire.

The fitness facilities there arepart of a £6 million refurbishmentproject and six months before there-opening staff were sellingmemberships from a portablecabin in the car park with just adrawing to show potential cus-tomers – yet sold 1,200.

One of the most popular cate-gories has been for strength train-ing gym of the year.

Ministry of Muscle gym in Kentwas nominated by a member.

It was opened in 2006 by SteveWinter, a former winner ofBritain’s strongest man.

He has coached members togold medals in the WorldPowerlifting Championships andtwo of his clients were the onlytwo English strongmen invited totake part in the Amateur Arnoldsin America.

Ministry of Muscle is uniquebecause it has a complete indoorstrongman training facilityincluding a fire engine for truckpulling.

And in the category for innova-tion or product of the year entries range from an outdoor fit-ness bootcamp in Gateshead, arecumbent stepper machinewhich can be used by both dis-abled and able bodied people anda Lancashire based company pro-viding a mobile upholstery repairservice.

The winners will finally beannounced at a ceremony anddinner at the National RailwayMuseum in York on ThursdayNovember 25.

It will be hosted by formerOlympic swimmer SharronDavies. Sharron Davies

Trusts areset tomergeTWO leading leisure trusts haveannounced their intention to mergein a move that will see the new groupoperate more than 100 centres acrosssouth east England.

If the deal goes ahead, NexusCommunity will become a tradingdivision of GLL, but will continue to operate under its own brand and maintain its own head office.

It has also been confirmed that jobsat both charitable organisations willremain secure and that, at an opera-tional level, business will continue asusual.

The aim is that the deal will benefitboth parties, as well as customers and staff, by allowing increasedinvestment into capital projects,business expansion and better career opportunities for employees.

Mark Sesnan, GLL MD, said: “Thismerger offers a fantastic opportunityfor GLL and Nexus to take our busi-nesses forward, share resources andbuild on our strengths.

“Having worked in partnershipfor a number of years, the

similarities between the two organi-sations have become evident and theadvantage of working together obvi-ous.”

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COMBAT SPORTS

29

COMBAT training in a Paisley gymhelped a model scoop the MissScotland title.

Nicola Mimnagh revealed howtough regimes at Pro-Life Gymhelped her deliver a knock out blowto the judges. She had to get in shapeyet try not to build up too much mus-cle as it would hamper her modellingjobs, so took part in regular bodycombat and body attack workouts.

Nicola, 24, who has been a memberof Pro-Life for years said: “Sessionshelp keep me toned for my modellingwork and, although they are quiteintense, there is no contact when wego through our training classes.

“It is all about going through the

moves of punching and kicking andkeeps you really fit. But I also do car-dio workouts plus the spinning class-es. But I don't do any weightsbecause if I built up my upper mus-cles it would not go down well for mymodelling jobs.”

Pro-Life manager Gayle Brannigansaid: “We are all delighted for her andI am really pleased to see one of ourmembers doing so well. Nicola hasbeen here for years and has alwayslooked after herself. She is self moti-vated and determined. We put upposters in the gym during the compe-tition to enlist the help of our mem-bers to vote for Nicola and they wereonly too pleased to do that.”

Nicola fights her way to top

FIGHT Fit has developed, tested andsuccessfully delivered a unique train-ing model to boost revenue in gymsof all sizes and demographics andhelped health clubs across the UKraise member retention, levels of sec-ondary spend and generate new classand personal training sales.

With over seven years of experiencein professionally training gym staff todeliver the fun Fight Fit pre-paid, sixweek boxing courses in their venues,Fight Fit continues to support gyms,from exclusive health clubs in Central

London to smaller gyms in medium-sized towns, in adding an additionalannual profit of at least £65,000 pervenue by giving gyms the opportunityto offer the popular Fight Fit trainingto members and potential members.

If you want to find out how to offer pre-paid courses to your clients as a way of

driving sales and gaining secondary rev-enue and get information on up-skilling

your staff with Fight Fit and benefit fromjoint promotions with our boxing champi-

ons call us on: 020 7788 7825 or visit:www.fightfit.co.uk/fight-fit-license.html.

Boost your gym’s revenue

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UK FITNESS SCENE 31

ONE of the most important and diffi-cult choices a person can make isdeciding on whether to go aheadwith owning their own gym.

This can all fall into what stage youare in with the research you haveundertaken to get to this point.

When you have made the final deci-sion you will need to consider howmany members are you going to tar-get, what size gym, how much equip-ment, lounge and refreshment area,

clean and bright changing facilities,branding of your corporate identity,whether you will have spa facilities,additional up sells, will it be wel-comed by your neighbours, parking,competition and market research.

Many of the above points are over-looked when designing and buildinga gym as they are usually thought ofas too expensive.

If you are working with specialistsyou will be guided on how you can

spend minimum money and getmaximum return.

Often is the case you will havearchitect’s fees, planning permission,change of use and building regula-tions to consider.

The long term benefits far outweighthe investment for the short term andyou can also look to the governmentfor grants if you wanted to add facili-ties for exercise for pregnant moth-ers, or children.

Quite frankly the possibilities areendless. You should be looking at atwo to five year programme for majorprofit, but in the current climate youcan expect to be in profit sometimesas soon as 12 months.

The idea is when you have madeyour decision, you need to movequickly as time is money.

Total Leisure Solutions is a specialistdesign and build contractor. Visit them at

www.totalleisureltd.co.uk

The long-term benefits of using specialists

By Allan Collins

KETTLEBELL training has becomevery popular over the last few yearsas a tool to improve conditioning,strength and fat loss. When invest-ing in new Kettlebells, it is impor-tant to know what things youshould look for when choosing aparticular type or brand. So givenall the different shapes, sizes andgimmicks available on the market,what should you really be lookingfor? Two things can make all thedifference…The HandleYou don't want the handle to be toolong, since this will make it verydifficult and uncomfortable whenperforming cleans and snatches.Although it may not make as big adifference on exercises like the twohanded swing, you don't want to

choose a bell that is only good for afew drills, you want to be able toperform lots of different exercises.Some manufacturers make handleswith knurling, which again will bequite limiting; fine for presses andTurkish get ups, but not for drillswhere the handle has to rotate andspin within the gripped hand. Ifyou perform a snatch or clean witha knurled handled KB it will just ripthe skin. Although you can performa snatch or clean with a knurledhandle Olympic bar, the differenceis that the bar doesn't spin withinthe grip, but on the bearingsinstead.Horn LengthThe horns connect the handle tothe bell, and will dictate the gapbetween the two. This is quiteimportant since if this gap is toosmall it makes it virtually impossi-

ble to achieve correct techniquewith many common drills – snatch,press, Turkish get up and the clean.This is because when holding a bellwith a short horn in these drills thebell will end up sitting between ornear the condyles of wrist. This isquite uncomfortable and some-times painful, and so people willsubconsciously cock their wrist intoan extended or hyperextendedposition so that the bell sits loweron the forearm with more muscle'cushioning'.

Whether you choose a competi-tion Kettlebell, or a fitness-stylebell, whether it’s cast iron, neo-prene or rubber coated, or steel, Iwould recommend considering theabove, to ensure you get the mostfrom your investment.� Allan Collins is director of educationat Jordan Fitness

How to choose a good Kettlebell?

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UK FITNESS SCENE 33

By Louise Cordell

A BUSINESSMAN who established aunique timeshare gym has told howhe overcame problems with peoplenot understanding the concept.

Chris Burnard turned a formeroffice in the centre of town at Diss inNorfolk into Heywood Fitness Loungeearlier this year when he couldn’t letthe office to another tenant due tothe recession.

It costs £60 a month but clients getthe whole gym area to themselves forone hour each week and up to fourpeople a time can use it.

There are minimal overheads to payout because the gym isn’t manned(access to the building is by a specialkey) and air conditioning and lightsare activated by sensors so only workwhen people are in the room.

When Heywood Fitness Lounge firstopened there was a burst of cus-tomers but business then dropped offfor a while.

Chris said: “Although we had that

initial burst it dropped off becausepeople had a problem trying to graspa different concept.”

To try and combat this he ran aseries of adverts in the local pressexplaining the whole process of howHeywood Fitness Lounge workedrather than just having a few punchlines.

An open day also took place allow-ing people to have a look around andask questions.

The business has now picked upand has 20 regular clients a monthand circuit classes will be startingsoon led by an instructor for a maxi-mum of four people.

Chris added: “It has become reallypopular now especially with the tailend of the summer. It has alsoencouraged people who would notnormally be gym users because theyfeel intimidated. People can join upand do their own session. We didn’texpect it to be an overnight successbut it is still early days and there is asteady build.”

FOUR times UK fitness championJoey Bull has just released her latestworkout DVD less than a year afterher biggest challenge of all.

She has spent days in the jungle,scaled some of the world’s greatestpeaks and become a multiple fitnesschampion but last year lost her babyduring the latter stages of delivery alsosuffering a ruptured womb and cae-sarian.

Joey said: “Because of the rupturedwomb and caesarian I was incapaci-tated anyway, but my body stillthought it had a baby to rear.

“In fact everything about my bodyand house suggested there was a babyto look after. Except Edward had notleft the hospital with me.”

However, after three months she wasback in shape, training and doing amagazine photoshoot and a fewweeks after that in front of the cam-eras.

The DVD, “10-Minute MethodWorkouts for Back Pain & Posture”,looks at a series of different exercisescatering for each back type and shape.

Joey added: “The problem is thereare very few obvious exercises outthere for our backs. People know howto work every aspect of their legs,chest, arms and shoulders in the gym,but the back – which is critical to justabout all our movements – is left to itsown devices and suffers.”

Four out of every five adults experi-ence back pain in their life and is thesecond biggest reason for long termsickness costing the NHS £1.6 billion.

Joey Bull

New DVDlooks atworkoutsfor back pain

How Chris soldhis timesharegym concept

A SHEFFIELD gym has been helpinga multiple sclerosis sufferer managethe symptoms of her condition byworking out.

Staff at Fitness Unlimited based inthe Ponds Forge international sportscentre have tailor-made a fitness pro-gramme for Joanne Hamill taking intoaccount what she wanted to achieveand the limitations caused by MS.

Diagnosed with the neurologicalcondition in 2000 Joanne, 38, had tostop exercising for a while but is nowin the gym three and four times aweek.

She said: “I was looking for some-thing that could offer me a goodworkout routine whilst taking intoaccount the limitations I have.

“MS affects the nerve cells in thebrain which has led to my mobility

being impaired, some days havingfalls, sight loss or even loss of sensa-tion. At one point it got so bad Icouldn’t do any exercise for a while.”

Lifestyle consultant Phil Kaydesigned a programme recognisingwhen she needed to push herself andwhen to do something less strenuous.

Helen Broadbent, Ponds Forge gen-eral manager, said: “Joanne’s story is afantastic example to illustrate the wayexercise and activity can be tailoredto consider individual conditions.

“Anyone can use the gym and a per-sonal programme can be designed tofit around an illness.

“A good level of fitness and activitycan really help a person’s generalhealth and sense of wellbeing, espe-cially when managing a conditionsuch as MS.”

Joanne working hard with Phil at Ponds Forge

Gym creates tailor-madeprogramme for MS sufferer

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UK FITNESS SCENE 35

By Matthew Januszek

MANY clubs are missing the boatwhen it comes to introducing newand innovative functional grouptraining, resulting in them missinggreat opportunities to boost theirbusiness and improve their members’experience.

Recent research carried out intobenefits of functional group fitnesshighlights greater success andincreased profitability in group train-ing; however few UK clubs are capi-talising on these great new opportu-nities to:1.Increase profit and cost-effective-ness.2.Increase efficiency.3.Increase retention.4.Increase motivation and accounta-bility.

With 90 per cent of exercisers pre-ferring to work out in a group, thisfun and more cost effective option isa more profitable use of your spaceand your instructors’ time. Groupexercise also provides a time-efficientworkout. Making the sessions shorterbut with a higher intensity is hugelyappealing to those with busy sched-ules but who want maximum effec-tiveness.

To keep interest going in grouptraining, and to make sure you arecashing in on its benefits, you have to

make sure you keep the sessions fun,fresh and exciting. You can do this byimplementing a multifunctional fit-ness tool such as the TRX. The TRXoffers a total body workout for any-one anywhere. Using the users’ ownbody weight and gravity, the TRX isperfect for every fitness level, givingthem a fast and effective workout.

Stateside personal trainers are rav-ing about the “big returns” they getfrom group TRX sessions as it givesevery training session a new andinteresting twist. Each individual tak-ing part will experience the workoutin a different way, meaning that vari-ety and versatility become key partsof training and each workout sessioncan be different, resulting in a higherretention rate. The TRX is not just asimple solution but is a long term

one, with over 300 possible exercisesfor the whole body, a huge selectionof DVDs packed full of new excitingworkouts and continually evolvingtraining courses constant successwith the TRX is guaranteed.

In previous issues I’ve discussed theimportance of creating a stimulatingexercise environment which enablesyour members to reach their healthand fitness goals. The TRX can alsohelp you achieve this in a number ofways:1.Its exercise options are virtuallylimitless. 2. It is suitable for exercisers of allsizes and abilities.3. It provides a highly effective workout4. It offers progression.5. It can be used by an individual orin a group setting.

Due to its functional versatility theTRX and its group training possibili-ties are continuing to evolve. As sta-bility balls and Kettlebells havebecome an increasing popular andintegral part of group exercising, sotoo will the TRX. It might look like abit of a scary contraption at first, butits value far outweighs those firstimpressions. To see a TRX in actionvisit www.trx-fitness.com. Give it a go– you’ll be hooked too.� Matthew Januszek is the customer solu-tions director at Escape

Why not get FUNctionalin your group training?

CHARTEX, the UK’s leading designerof instructional and educationalcharts for the fitness and healthindustries, has celebrated its 25thanniversary with the launch of threenew products at LIW.

FITNESS MATTERSC is a series offour manuals addressing five keyareas of fitness which will help keepyou fit and healthy throughout yourlifetime

Manuals are illustrated in full colourand are mounted on a wiro-boundsystem for easy use.

They are ideal for home use as wellas the gym or any other fitness train-ing facility.

With the manuals Chartex is launch-ing two new charts – ‘MonitoringHeart Rate’ and ‘Exercise andNutrition for Sport’.

They are an essential referencesource for every gym, providing thetrainer and member with essentialinformation about how to monitorcardio-respiratory exercise and sus-tain a nutritious diet for participatingin sport.

LIW launch fornew products

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UK FITNESS SCENE36

THE NoVAT4Gyms campaign dead-line has been extended with the finalpetition now being delivered onNovember 1.

Wayne Heath from Club Managersaid: “The response to NoVAT4Gymshas been phenomenal and the num-ber of people signing the petition issnowballing with more people sign-ing up every day.

“It's the number of people who signthe petition that count so it simplydoesn't make sense to close the dooron the campaign whilst it's at its mostpopular.”

Several MPs including MP SteveBrine for Winchester, Anne MiltonParliamentary Under Secretary ofState (Department of Health) andKaren Lumley, Conservative MP forRedditch are now championing thecampaign for their local communi-ties.

Some MPs have been critical that inthe current climate any reduction orabolition of VAT will be unlikely, how-ever there have been many to call fora level playing field at the very least.

“We've received many letters fromgym owners who are at breakingpoint.

“Chains of community leisure cen-tres are opening up near to them thatare run by private companies but setup as charities.

“These companies don't pay ratesor VAT and therefore can offer mem-bership at significantly lower pricesto independents and therefore nearly

putting them out of business, it sim-ply isn't fair.”

For further information visit:www.NoVAT4Gyms.co.uk

NoVAT4Gymscampaignextended

Charity secures fundingto replace equipmentPART of a registered charity operatingfrom a multi-use community facilityin Ashington, Northumberland, theHirst Welfare Centre offers a compre-hensive programme of affordablehealth and fitness activities to thelocal community and in particular,for boys and girls of all age groups.

With over 30 pieces of gym equip-ment under constant use, it wasdecided to replace the existing tread-mills due to their general poor stateof repair and high maintenance costs.

Health and fitness manager RobStory said: “We successfully receivedfunding from ‘Awards for All’ thatallowed us to review our gym equip-ment and decided on adding andreplacing treadmills that had runtheir course. As a result we invited anumber of companies to tender.

“Having spoken to other fellow gymusers and gym facilities that have

either used or installed SportsArttreadmills, I was very encouraged bytheir positive response to the equip-ment and service.

“I was very impressed with theequipment being more sturdy andquiet than the previously installedtreadmills and was very confidentthat they would do the job. SportsArtwere very professional and the salesperson was very positive and enthusi-astic about the equipment and aboutfitness in general.

“SportsArt have helped with theirexperience and have provided anideal solution for a reasonable price.

“As a charitable organisation wehave to be sure that we spend ourfunding on the right equipment andSportArt have been excellent when itcame to understanding the gym’sneeds.”

JORDAN Fitness, the leading spe-cialist in functional training equip-ment, has joined forces with JuicePerformance, the UK’s authority infitness related education courses.

The move follows a long and suc-cessful partnership between thetwo companies and an alignedbelief that quality education isparamount when purchasing quali-ty equipment.

The launch of the Jordan TrainingAcademy sees the conception of thelargest portfolio of unique educa-tion in the industry; over 60 profes-sional development courses anddiverse delivery formats ensuringthat they are accessible to everyonefrom multi-site operators to indi-viduals.

Neil Jordan, chairman of JordanFitness, said: “The TrainingAcademy is a fundamental offeringto our customers and the industry;real education is an essential areaoverlooked by equipment suppliers.

“We are committed to ensuringour customers fully benefit fromour products, and know that inorder to achieve this they need tobe used properly and to their fullpotential. This is where theAcademy fits in.”

Juice’s director Leon Rudge, whojoins Jordan as the business devel-opment director, added: “It’s anobvious move for us. We have edu-cated over 3500 UK fitness profes-sionals in the last 12 months andwith an unrivalled course offeringand the full support from Jordan,The Academy is now moving intoEurope and South Africa while bet-ter servicing and growing our UKcustomers.”

The Academy is fully endorsed inthe UK by REPs and has an aggres-sive plan to deliver pioneering serv-ices and courses to the health, fit-ness and sports performance indus-tries, as well as to the Military andthe emergency services.

Academy ‘an obvious move’ for Jordan

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AN AWARD-WINNING gym owneris showing the rest how it’s donewhen it comes to making moneyfrom secondary spend.

Jason Matthews from UltimatePhysiques at Castleford is makingthe most of selling supplementsand other products from his gym which has developed from just being a strength gym to a box-ing centre and ladies only gym aswell.

Instead of buying supplementsand products like protein shakesfrom a supplier and selling them onmaking a profit of just a couple ofpounds Jason goes directly to thecompany.

He told Workout: “Secondaryspend is what keeps gyms goingbut a lot don’t look at it.

“Once a membership is paid it isgiving advice on supplements and diets where you make themoney.

“At a gym I know there is a sup-plements shop down the road. Isaid why don’t you sell others andhe said people could go down theroad.

“Why should you let your mem-bers walk out of the door when you

could be making that money. Ifgyms did their job right therewould be no supplement shops,there would be no need.”

Jason says the game has movedon from the old school days when a van would come aroundand gyms would buy from out theback of it.

There is a massive supply of sup-plements available on the internetsold for just over trade price with alittle mark up so Jason goes onestep further.

He added: “If they did their homework they would go directlyto companies and supply all thegyms in the area. I deal with a lot of gyms as well as customersand distribute to them. I basicallydo what they are doing on theinternet.”

Jason won the title of City andGuilds small business learner of theyear award earlier this year and lastyear was crowned the NationalAmateur BodybuildingAssociation’s (NABBA) best inde-pendent gym and best supportedgym.

In his competing days he wonvarious titles and is now coachinghis own members getting them

ready for competition.

He is organising the OpenYorkshire Classic taking place laterthis month which is one of the firstshows to have a section foramputees.

Jason added: “It might just be aone trick pony but we have got thatmuch sponsorship we can put acracking show on. The more com-petitors we get, the better it is andif it is a success there will definitelybe another one.”

Jason builds his business withsecondary spend income

Jason Matthews from Ultimate Physiques

A SINGING bodybuilder who impressed theBritain’s Got Talent judges with his voice butnot his weight lifting is pulling out all thestops for the next show.

James Aitchenson, 40, from Glasgowappeared on the show in April this year liftingweights whilst singing Glory Days by BruceSpringsteen.

Judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan andAmanda Holden voted him off though sayinghe should have brought out bigger weights tolive up to the claim of being a singing body-builder.

In a bid to shape up James is now hitting thegym four times a week and using PhD Wheyand PhD Wired products from AffordableSupplements to help his training regime.

He said: “I have been training on and off foryears but last year I was way out of shape anddecided to do something about it so I enteredBritain’s Got Talent 2010

“All of the judges did point out I had a goodsinging voice but I didn’t really live up to thetitle of the singing bodybuilder with theweights I brought out so I’ve been putting theeffort in and training and eating right andhave taken their points on board for the nextshow. ”Singing bodybuilder James Aitchenson

James ready toweigh in withnew TV bid

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What is green tea?All tea is made from the leaves of aplant called ‘Camellia Sinensis’.Most of the tea consumed in theWest is black tea (builders’ tea),where the fresh leaves are ferment-ed before any processing. Greentea, on the other hand, is producedby drying and steaming the freshleaves without this fermentationstep. Steaming helps to prevent thebreakdown (due to fermentation)of some of the key compounds intea associated with health.Compared to ordinary black tea,green tea contains significantlyhigher levels of naturally occurringantioxidants called ‘catechins, andin particular one key compoundcalled epigallocatechin-3-gallate orEGCG for short.

Why use green tea?In animal studies, green tea hasbeen shown to help inhibit the for-mation of cancers of the skin, lung,mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver,kidney and prostate. There’s alsoevidence that green tea catechinscan reduce the proliferation ofbreast cancer cells in the lab anddecrease breast tumor growth inrodents.

More recently, studies haveshown that green tea – specificallygreen tea extract (EGCG) – can sig-nificantly enhance fat loss inhumans when taken before exer-cise. Scientists believe that takenbefore training, EGCG helps thebody derive a larger percentage ofits energy from fat (and less fromstored carbohydrate) during exer-cise, thus encouraging fat loss.Another bonus is that becausemuscle carbohydrate (glycogen) isconserved, EGCG can also enhance

endurance performance.

Who can benefit from green tea supple-mentation?Because green tea and the mainextract derived from it (EGCG)appear to provide protective healthbenefits by boosting antioxidantprotection, green tea could be avaluable addition to the diet foranyone who is health-conscious.However, it may be particularlysuitable for those who are alsoseeking to lose body fat, maintain ahealthy body composition or run-ners/cyclists etc, who wish toenhance their endurance overlonger events.

How should you use green tea/EGCG?For those consuming green tea forhealth purposes, it can be takendaily as a supplement either asEGCG extract or as a tea drink. Forenhanced fat burning however, it’simportant to note that it’s EGCGthat’s been shown to be the keycompound, and ONLY when takenbefore exercise. There’s NO evi-dence that taking green tea orEGCG will increase fat burningwithout exercise.

What else should I know about greentea and green tea extract?If you’re a regular tea drinker, youmay find the taste of green tearather bitter. If so, try a blend ofgreen and black tea, which has amore conventional taste but withincreased health benefits. Forenhanced fat burning during exer-cise, you need a guaranteed intakeof the active ingredient in green tea(EGCG), so a green tea extract sup-plement may be more desirable.Most of the studies to date have

used extracts that supply 100-400mgs of EGCG, so if you’re con-sidering purchasing a green teaextract supplement, you shouldensure that it has been standard-ised to supply a similar level ofEGCG.

� Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC,ACSM is a member of the Royal Societyof Chemistry, the American College ofSports Medicine and a consultant to thefitness industry, specialising in sportand performance nutrition:www.andrewmarkhamilton.co.uk

Green tea has long been researched for its health-giving properties but whatcan it do for fitness enthusiasts? Andrew Hamilton explains why sportsnutritionists are getting excited …

‘Green tea could be avaluable addition to dietfor the health conscious’

Andrew Hamilton

A BODY-BUILDING supplementwhich takes its inspiration from theUS is on the market after two years inthe making.

Bio Forge Pro Max is a naturaldietary supplement developed byBiotivia Bioceuticals which increasesmuscle definition, reduces fat densityand improves recovery times.

It is in addition to Biotivia’s existingcollection Bio Forge lean mass build-ing supplement range.

Bio Forge was two years in the mak-ing and, before the developmentprocess began, Biotivia asked severalchampion bodybuilders what theywanted in a supplement.

Their responses included bettermuscle definition, faster and betterrecovery after workouts, less muscu-lar aches and fatigue, less mentalfatigue, more energy and stamina,improved mental focus and reducingfat density.

The company set about testing various combinations of ingredientsthat could achieve the desired results, and instead of having to takeseveral supplements, Bio Forge ProMax combines all these elements inone.

James Betz, CEO and founder ofBiotivia, said: “Our results haveshown a huge improvement in overallstrength, muscle mass and recoverytime after training.”

New supplement took two years to develop

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

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SK SPORTS Supplies are pleased toannounce that it will be hosting itsfirst bodybuilding show, TheVyomax Classic, on October 24.

The event will be held in Wrexhamand is accessible to all ages. Thereare six different classes for thebodybuilding competition, as wellas three other fun events. Theseinclude the shirts off for dads, bar-bell curl and dumbbell press com-petition.

The bodybuilding event is the firstshow in Wrexham for 20 years, andis attracting people from as far asIreland. Jason Corrick, Mr. World2010, will attend the show as a guestposer and Vyomax athlete.

It is our first show, but if the eventis a success, there will be events inthe future, including a show inManchester next year.

SK Sports Supplies managingdirector, Samir Kiami, and owner ofthe brand VyoMax Nutrition, is veryexcited about hosting his first body-building competition.

As a former competitive body-builder, Samir has been passionateabout bodybuilding and sports’nutrition from the age of 16, andsees the event as a great way ofencouraging athletes to enjoy whatbodybuilding shows used to be likefrom the past.

The show has been organised, util-ising the experience of three keyindividuals: Mike Ahearne, SteveFong, and Roger Shelley. MikeAhearne, Warrior from Gladiators,will be the compere for the event.He has previously been a compereat the British Grand Prix twice, aswell as in other key bodybuilding

shows. He is a competitive body-builder, and the owner of Pro Gym,which recently was awarded byNABBA as the North-West gym ofthe year. He has described the eventas being a “great day out”, that is“not just a bodybuilding show, butsomething for all the family.”

Another of the event’s key organis-ers, Steve Fong, owner of ProteinPlus Sports Supplies, is also veryexcited about the competition. Hehas a background in martial artsand bodybuilding and reached theBritish Final of NABBA. He is hop-ing the event will help to get the“up-and-coming generation intothe game”, and that the show willbecome a regular event inWrexham.

The Vyomax Classic has been fur-ther supported with the aid of Roger

Shelley, a professional freelancephotographer, who has been takingbodybuilding photographs since1974. He has a wealth of experience,having taken photographs for sever-al British bodybuilding magazines,IFBB, and NABBA.

He knows what makes a goodshow, and hopes it will attract a lotof independent bodybuilders whoare interested in entering the body-building scene.

The Vyomax Classic is open topeople from the age of 16 onwardsand promises to be a great familyday out. Everyone who participateswill receive a commemorativemedallion; the top six all receive a trophy in each category; and thetop three will receive cash prizes,with the overall winner receiving£250.

SK hosts its first bodybuilding show

Firstly, you must be delighted tohave broken the World IronmanDistance Record having taken over12 minutes off your previous bestand beaten second place RebeccaKeat by over half an hour?

Every athlete dreams of that one spe-cial day.

Challenge Roth was as close to aperfect day as I think I will get.

I take great pride in what I achieved– to have won and broken the worldrecord again, is something that willtake weeks, months, years to trulysink in.

But this victory is not just personal-ly gratifying. I hope women look atme, and other athletes, and realisethat there are no limits, that anythingtruly is possible with hard work,determination and passion.

How long before the race do youstart fully preparing and then tapering?

For me, it is crucial to get consistencyin my training week in week out.

That means I don’t ramp up thetraining just because the WorldChampionships are around the corner. I work hard for 11 months of the year, only varying the pro-gramme slightly as big racesapproach.

For example I might try and hitfaster times for my 1km run reps onthe track, or alternately hit the sametimes but with a reduced recovery.

In terms of the WorldChampionships in October the hardwork is done by late August.

September is about fine tuning –eating right, incorporating the neces-sary rest and recovery, and doing thequality training I know will make meas fast and as strong as I can possiblybe on race day.

As for tapering I start to reduce thevolume but retain the intensity fourdays out from the race.

What form does your normal weeklytraining regime take?

Triathlon is a 24/7 job. I devote my life to it. Exercise, rest-

ing, sleeping and eating are all part oftraining. It is not just about when youare in the pool, on the bike or run-ning.

If you forget to focus on rest andrecovery then you will never fulfillyour true potential.

I balance the physical training – fiveand six sessions of each a week withmore hours devoted to biking.

So, for example, of the five or sixrun sessions I do one long runaround 32km (around two hours and 15 minutes) with eight 1kmefforts and a longer tempo run to fin-ish off.

Then I do two interval sessions –one with 800 to 1600m faster thanrace pace reps with shortish recoveryand the second interval session is hillrepeats.

I do a brick (bike/run session) with

a three hour bike straight into a hard10km tempo run, and one maybe twosteadier, 45-50min run sessions.

� In the next issue of WorkOut Chrissietells us what diet she follows and sharesher tips for keeping motivated.

World record breaker Chrissie Wellington MBE smashes her own records and is three times Iron Man WorldChampion. In the first of two installments Emma Spencer finds out how she got in shape for her success at theChallenge Roth triathlon in Germany.

‘Challenge Roth was as close toa perfect day as I think I will get’

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WHEN Josie Keck turned 30 sevenyears ago she reckoned she hitupon a mid-life crisis but itchanged her life literally beyondrecognition.

She was a size 22, had 60 per centbody fat and was becoming illthrough being overweight.

Despite having a high-flying jobin London and an engineeringdegree she wasn’t happy, anddecided to change her life, cancelher wedding and move to Bristol.

Josie altered her diet, startedworking out and wanted to explorethe science of how the body works,taking courses in fitness and teach-ing. She also has qualifications inholistic therapies and spiritualhealing.

At the gym she was training at shemet now partner Barny du Plessis,and three years ago they moved to

Swindon to set up strength andconditioning academy Ironworx.

Josie entered her first bodybuild-ing competition in 2008 at a sizeeight and measuring just 15 percent body fat.

She said: “I was running bootcamp military courses and doingthree sessions a week. I realised Iwas doing the same weights as theguys and decided to look at the sci-ence involved in a female competi-tion.”

Taking it one step further sheentered Britain’s strongest woman,participating in tyre flipping, afarmer’s walk (60kg of weight ineach hand) and a log lift.

At the first attempt she came sec-ond behind Gemma Magnussonafter just five weeks’ training.

Josie said: “There aren’t verymany competitions so I have to

enter every one I can. There wasone in Hastings but I was the onlygirl that turned up so they taggedme on the end of the novice men.

“There were lots of people watch-ing and cheering. I had never hadthat before and kids were askingfor my autograph.”

It spurred Josie on to enter UK’sStrongest woman, where her maincompetition was a six feet twoAmerican power lifter weighing inat 20 kilos more than Josie.

She added: “I had to be a lot fitter,that is what I had been working onnot just sheer power. It was aboutthe functional side of things.”

In preparation Josie followed aprotein and fat diet consistingmainly of chicken and egg whitesbut, being a celiac, it narrows heroptions.

For protein Josie eats egg whites

and walnuts, chicken and vegeta-bles, and when she needs to addcarbs to the system she eats riceand bananas.

To prevent dehydration Josie hasa carbohydrate drink with elec-trolytes such as Science in Sport orGatorade.

After a competition Josie rewardsherself with a steak and jacketpotato.

Josie added: “When I was 30 Iwould not have believed all thiswould have happened. The bestpart of the day was when a littlegirl asked her dad if she could takemy picture and put it on Facebook.Kids were cheering my name andgirls were wanting me to sign theirt-shirts. I am not a typical strongwoman, I am quite girly as well andI am trying to promote you can begirly and strong.”

At school Josie Keck was always the last to get picked at sport – now she is the UK’s strongest woman andtells Workout magazine how she got there.

How UK’s strongest womanturned her life around

Supplement manufacturer USN has added aslow releasing protein dessert to the range.It is high in protein, low in carbs and fatand specially formulated to supply the bodywith essential amino acids during sleephours.It can be consumed as a late night snackbut can be eaten any time during the dayor night to suppress the appetite and aideffective weight loss. There are threeflavours: chocolate brownie, banana toffeeand strawberry condensed milk.

How supplementshelp Helen recoverBODY fitness athlete Helen Sharplesssuffered from juvenile arthritisand says protein supplements“have made an incredible difference”.

She relies on supplements to aidrecovery as much as the next athlete,but even more so because as a childshe was in and out of hospital.

Personal trainer Helen comes froman athletic background and can suf-fer from aching and swelling in herjoints as well as the general tirednesseveryone experiences after heavytraining.

So when she does train she has tobe careful her condition doesn’t flareup and hamper her training.

Along with partner Lee Williams,with whom she runs BodySynergy inHertfordshire, they devised a nutri-tion plan to make sure the body getsnutrients all the time.

Helen, 32, said: “I have had overtwenty operations over the years tohelp and repair my joints, but thathasn’t stopped me training and con-tinuing to climb to the top of mysport.

“I take nutrition very seriously.

“It’s the key to maintaining fitness

and keeping a constant level of con-dition. I stick to a low fat diet, with a50/50 ratio of proteins to carbohy-drates, while making sure I eat all ofthe essential fats I need.”

She has also started using CNPProfessional supplements to aidenergy levels using Pro MS, whichhas been specially formulated forwomen as a snack or meal supple-ment.

After training Helen takes ProRecover, a post-workout drink con-taining a blend of fast-acting carbo-hydrates and proteins to aid musclerepair and growth.

It has helped Helen reduce musclecramps and speed recovery so shecan keep up with her training rota oflifting, aerobic exercise and stretch-ing routines.

She added: “I find it really puts backinto the body everything that hardtraining takes out. I’ve never usedanything like this before and it ishelping with my muscles, ligamentsand joints.”

Next for Helen is the Hercules,UKBFF competition in October and apre-qualifier for the BritishChampionships in 2011.

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UK FITNESS SCENE46

INTELLIGENT Training Systems™ isthe only provider of BiomechanicsCoaching™qualifications in theworld. A Biomechanics Coach™ isan Advanced Master Personal Trainer.You must be at least a L3 PT, a quali-fied therapist, pilates teacher,strength and conditioning coach orbe able to demonstrate learning at asimilar level.

Biomechanics Coaches™ work inelite sports helping prepare athletesfor 2010, as well as the Irish RugbyTeam, Malmo Ice Hockey Team andon the European Golf Tour.

In industry they help prevent therisk of work-related injuries as

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Intelligent Training Systems™ pro-vides technical and business mentor-ing for students and those alreadyqualified with sales and marketingmaterial, branding and stationarydesign.

Training is unique and includesoptional anatomy sessions workingon cadavers to truly help you under-stand the biomechanical links andanatomical detail that separates aBiomechanics Coach™ fromadvanced personal trainers.

For more details visit www.intelligenttrainingsystems.com

Intelligent Training Systems

Closed leisurecentre ‘was nolonger viable’By Dominic Musgrave

A COUNCIL-run leisure centre inWalsall has been shut down becauseit is no longer economically viable.

Willenhall Leisure Centre closed itsdoors to the public on August 27 andthe building is now up for sale.

The closure is part of WalsallCouncil’s bid to reduce expenditure,but Willenhall was the poorest per-forming of the authority’s five leisurecentres.

Figures released by Walsall Councilsay it was costing taxpayers £456,700a year to operate, but only generatedan annual income of £178,725.

Attendance for the 2009/2010 peri-od was less than 92,000.

Leisure bosses at Walsall Councilhad tried other measures earlier thisyear to save the centre, but to noavail.

They introduced a new pricingstructure, a revised programme andstaffing arrangements but stillincome and attendance continued tofall.

Sport England and Strategic Leisurealso carried out studies into theleisure provision for the area and dis-covered there were more than twice

as many pools in the borough asneeded, and the cost per head of run-ning Willenhall were twice theamount compared to the council’sother centres.

Coun Anthony Harris, cabinetmember for the council’s leisure andculture department, said: “It was adifficult decision to close WillenhallLeisure Centre, but given the pressureon the council resources, the centre’sperformance and the availability ofother provision there was neither abusiness case nor compelling servicejustification to keep the centre open.”

When the centre was earmarked forclosure earlier in the year he had said:“Frankly, we can’t afford to keep itopen. We’re in a difficult financialposition and tough decisions have tobe made.

“Every day we open the front door itcosts us £800 per day. Although therehave been improvements in its per-formance, attendances since the newprogramme was introduced in Aprilhave actually decreased by 20 percent.”

Some staff have been redeployedand the council hopes the site will beused for leisure provision in future.

A CHARITY event will be using thelatest fitness trend to hit the UK toraise money later this year.

Ryan Graham’s company came upwith the Hydrorider Aqua Bike lastyear, but he didn’t think he would betesting it out for himself quite sosoon.

In February he had a road accidentbadly breaking both legs.

The muscles started to waste awayand he was told he wouldn’t walk forat least six months, would probablystruggle to fully regain previous fit-ness levels and was likely to walk witha limp.

But he started a water based reha-bilitation programme with deepwater walking, unaided shallow waterwalking.

By the end of March he was walking with crutches rather thanrelying on his wheelchair and thenconstructed his own rehabilitation

programme using the concept hiscompany had introduced the previ-ous year.

He said: “As a direct result of theincorporation of the Hydrorider AquaBike into my training programme byJune, four months after my accident, Iwas back to full fitness walkingunaided and without a limp and instructing in excess of ten ses-sions a week in a range of waterbased exercises, particularly inhydrospin.”

Now Ryan is organising a 24-hourhydro spinning event on the weekendof November 13 and 14 to raise fundsfor the Intensive Care Unit at theQueen’s Medical Centre inNottingham where he was treated.

It will take place at the DukeriesLeisure Centre and Rainworth Charity Swimming Pool, both in theNottingham area, which have both introduced hydrospin aquacycling.

Injured Ryan says thanks withaqua bike charity event

AFTER a recent studyrevealed 70 per cent ofthose surveyed found exer-cise a chore, Escape Fitnessbelieve the answer lies inthe product used.

Versatile products allowfor friendly competition,natural movements, use ofnatural balance and coordi-nation and a full cardiovas-cular and complete bodyworkout.

This means many gymsare missing a key opportu-nity to boost acquisitionand retention rates byintroducing fun, multifunc-tional and interactive

equipment which engagesand motivates the user.

One solution is theReaction Trainer fromEscape Fitness.

It is unique in that itoffers a fun, fresh andeffective complete bodyworkout to any age or abili-ty.

Comprising of nine tar-gets in total all you have todo is hit, kick, punch orkung fu your way to hittingas many as possible usingyour natural instinct toreact to sound and light.

For more details contact0800 294 2801.

Fun, fresh and effective Bike boost forlocal hospitalA TRUST which runs council leisurecentres in the north has raised moneyfor a local hospital with a sponsoredbike ride.

Over the August bank holiday week-end staff from Barnsley PremierLeisure (BPL) took part in a 230 milecycle along the Trans Pennine Trailfrom Southport to Hornsea, raising£1000 for Barnsley Hospital’s specialcare baby unit.

Head of operations at BPL GlennTolan planned the ride, along withfellow BPL manager Dave Redfernand fitness instructor David Batch.

46 22/9/10 14:29 Page 1

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51 All sports nutrition 22/9/10 14:31 Page 1

52 Bodytronics 22/9/10 14:32 Page 1