The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazineJuly 2011 No 214 £3

Gym ownerswarned overcontractsGYM owners have been warned tocheck the terms of their membershipcontracts following a court case whichlabelled some contracts ‘unfair andunenforceable’.

The Office of Fair Trading took actionagainst Ashbourne ManagementServices, which draws up agreementsand collects membership payments onbehalf of over 700 clubs.

A High Court ruling said minimumcontract length terms and other keyterms in thousands of gym membershipcontracts, recommended and enforcedby Ashbourne were unfair and unen-forceable. It also ruled Ashbourne'stechniques for collecting arrears wereunlawful, as in many cases consumerswho had stopped using the gym couldnot terminate their membership.

If consumers stopped paying,Ashbourne demanded immediate pay-ment of the full sum for the whole mini-mum period and in some cases threat-ened to refer the debt to a credit refer-ence agency.

The court ruled Ashbourne’s businessmodel is ‘designed and calculated totake advantage of the naivety and inex-perience of the average consumer usinggym clubs at the lower end of the mar-ket', and the minimum period is 'a trap

into which the average consumer islikely to fall’.

Thirteen of Ashbourne's contractswere considered and the minimumterms in 10 of them were said to becompletely unfair. The last three, whichAshbourne had created since the OFTbegan court proceedings in March 2010,were considered fairer to consumers,but may still be unfair if they tie the consumer in for more than 12months.

Director in the OFT Goods andConsumer Group Jason Freeman said:“We have received many complaintsabout Ashbourne's contracts, and manyconsumers have felt pressured into pay-ing sums of money that they believedthey did not owe. Unfair terms thatunreasonably bind consumers into longcontracts they cannot leave, and heavy-handed collection techniques, have noplace in businesses' dealings with con-sumers.

“This ruling should help traders tounderstand where the boundaries lie,and sends a warning that if they crossthe line, the OFT and local trading stan-dards services can take action.”

� For more on this story and to hearAshbourne Management Services’response see Page 8

Industrymaintainsmarket value– FIA report THE UK health and fitnessindustry has maintained atotal market value of£3.81b, its first flat annualperformance in 10 years,according to a report.

The 2011 FIA State of theUK Fitness Industry reportindicates a small dip inmembership levels and asmall net loss of fitnessfacilities. But growth wasdriven by good perform-ance from public fitnessoperators, with 20 newsites opening and a growthin market value of 5.8 percent. Key facts included:� Total market value issustained from 2010 andup four per cent since2008.� Total membership basehas seen a 0.3 per centdecline to 7.3m over thepast 12 months; but this isa two per cent increasesince 2008.� 149 new public and pri-vate fitness facilitiesopened in the 12 monthperiod ending March 312010, up from 122 in 2010.� 125 public and privatefitness facilities closed inthe reported period.� There are now 5,852 fit-ness facilities in the UK;down from 5,885 in 2010and up 1.7 per cent since2008.

A new fitness class has been launched by Gymboxwhich helps members achieve the celebrity bum oftheir dreams. The six-week ‘Yummy Bummy’ work-outs have been split into four different classes,with each one focusing on achieving the look of adifferent star. Participants can choose from KimKardashian (pictured), Kylie Minogue, Beyonce orPippa Middleton who were named as having thebest celebrity bums in a member survey.� Full story, Page 6

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AdvertisingSales and marketingdirector:Tony BarrySales manager:Daniel LloydTel: 01226 734699dl@whpl.netAssistant sales manager:Danielle HornbyTel: 07860 522 230dlh@whpl.netField sales executive:Chris HartleyTel: 01226 734709ch@whpl.net

EditorialGroup Editor:Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 ah@whpl.net

Chief reporter:Christina EcclesTel: 01226 734463ce@whpl.net

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

www.workout-uk.co.uk

Official media partnerof the Fitness Industry

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Steve Cole has been named Fitness First Personal Trainer of the Year 2011.Steve, who works at Fitness First Berkhampsted, triumphed in the annual awards afterimpressing judges with his attitude and achievements, especially in the field of rehabilitation.He currently works with over 50 clients, specialising in injury rehabilitation, posture correction and weight loss.UK fitness director Derek Crawford said: “Steve is an inspiration and the feedback we hearfrom his clients is outstanding. This award is a fitting tribute to Steve’s dedication, as hehad made a lasting impact on the lives of many people, particularly in the areas of rehabilitation and weight loss.”

Gym runs tohelp family ofcancer patientBy Christina Eccles

AN INDEPENDENT gym in Newporthas raised over £1,600 to help thefamily of a three-year-old girl whoneeds cancer treatment.

Members at Exert – owned by RusSmith – staged a 24-hour run in thegym to raise funds for the family ofChloe Lavelle to accompany her toParis for surgery.

Although Chloe herself was eligible to receive NHS funding for the trip, her parents, who wouldneed to be there for about fourweeks, would have to pay for them-selves.

So the gym stepped in with just 10 days’ notice to help raise themoney.

Thirty eight members took part inthe challenge, who ran in hour-longintervals for as many hours as theywished.

Three members ended up complet-ing marathons and nine did halfmarathons, including Rus’ 11-year-old son.

At 4am, there were still seven mem-bers in the gym running or support-ing other runners and with money yetto come in, the club has alreadyraised over £1,600.

Rus said: “I couldn’t believe it.Members were really keen to takepart.

“It was fantastic.

“These challenges are also great formotivation and helps with members’training. Doing it for a cause gives

them a focus.”

The gym has also taken part in anumber of other charity challenges.Last year, 55 members took part inthe Cardiff 10k, with Rus hoping to increase that to 70 for this year’s race.

Rus and another of the club’s staffalso completed a 24 hour run for theSt David's foundation – both runninga distance of over two marathons andraising £1500.

� How is your gym doing its bit forcharity? Let us know by contactingWorkout reporter Christina Eccles on 01226 734463 or emailingce@whpl.net

You can also contact us on Twitter@WorkoutUK

Chloe and Rus

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The outside of the gym may be used as a cafe area or for outdoorclasses in future.

MICHAEL has already thought of severalways he can maximise the gym’s potential –but he is keen that as the club grows, itdoesn’t lose its friendly, personal feel.

He currently sells generic workout cloth-ing but is in talks with a designer to pro-duce branded merchandise to sell and giveto members competing in bodybuildingshows to wear.

He also plans to put in a mezzanine floorfor classes, with the aim of attracting morefemale members, and eventually introduce

more food and drink.The premises also benefits from an out-

door balcony area and large car park soMichael is looking at putting a rail acrossand some tables and chairs to turn it into acafe area.

A section of the car park could also beused to hold outdoor classes.

But he is adamant the club won’t becometoo big and says that once membership hasreached 400, he won’t sign anyone else upuntil someone leaves.

BODYBUILDER Michael ended upat the club in Wakefield earlier thisyear after being offered the chanceto run the gym by its previousowner.

But six weeks later, the owner haddecided the business wasn’t whathe wanted and was planning to sellit – leaving Michael with a dilem-ma.

Having relocated from France –where he and Michele had been liv-ing for the past nine years – he wasreluctant to walk away from thegym. So he took the plunge andbought it himself.

Michael and Michele have ownedthe club since April and are startingto find their feet – attracting mem-bers by offering a range of packagesfrom 12 month contracts down toweekly payments or pay as you go.

Advertising in the local paper,handing out flyers and word ofmouth have all proved useful andthe gym has also received enquiriesfrom members of the nearbyFitness First club, which is closingdown in the next few weeks.

Michael has always been interest-ed in bodybuilding and has taken

part in many competitions, givinghim a useful insight into whatbodybuilders are looking for from aclub.

And he has tapped into that mar-ket by introducing more weightsand equipment, as well as a popu-lar supplements shop.

He said: “I didn’t expect it to be asgood as it has been but we are get-ting there. I expected it to takeabout a year to get off the groundbut we took over in April and it’salready doing well.”

At the moment, Michael is work-ing 12 hour days to build the busi-ness but eventually hopes to be in aposition to take on more staff,including his son who is also aqualified trainer.

And while Michele is living inSheffield, Michael is even livingupstairs at the gym so he candevote more time to it.

He added: “You have got to beprepared to put the hours in anddevote your time to clients. But itwill pay dividends.”

He also spends a lot of time onthe gym floor, offering advice toclients on their training methods as

well as on nutrition and what sup-plements to take.

According to Michael, giving thispersonal level of service is impor-tant to him as a gym owner as hewants to make sure members are

achieving maximum results.He added: “I don’t charge for

advice. I want people to be able todo it correctly and get the benefits.I’m not here to rip people off. If Ican help them, I’m happy.”

Michael Wright and his wife Michele left their life behind in France when Michael was asked to return to the UK to run a gym.Just weeks later, the pair found themselves owning The Firm and wondering what they had let themselves in for. ChristinaEccles paid a visit to see how they are getting on.

Michael says au revoir to France and heads for a new life in Wakefield

Michael and Michele with a member of their gym.

Gym looking to maximise ...

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Bums up forcelebritybottom classBy Christina Eccles

GYM chain Gymbox has intro-duced a workout class allowingparticipants to transform theirbehind into a celebrity bottom oftheir choosing.

After surveying thousands ofmembers to determine whichcelebrity's bum is the best, thestars with the top four bums werenamed as Kim Kardashian, KylieMinogue, Beyoncé and PippaMiddleton.

Armed with this knowledge, thecompany’s trainers set to work oncreating the four six week 'YummyBummy' courses, each focusingon a different star.

The Pippa class uses Pilates tohelp develop a slender and leanbehind, whereas the Beyonce classuses high energy dance moves andtoning exercises to build a muscu-lar and athletic rear.

Kylie's class utilises fast-pacedaerobics to get a tighter and

perkier bottom and Kim's classfocuses on dance moves to toneup and get a more roundedbehind.

The classes are free for membersand £8 for non members whowant to try them out.

Gymbox MD Richard Hilton said:"Our new members often come inwith a specific body goal theyhope to achieve and we always tryour best to make it happen.

“In hairdressing salons, stylistsare used to people bringing in pic-tures of celeb haircuts, so what'sthe difference in Gymbox mem-bers picking their celeb bum andsaying to our trainers 'I want thatone'?

“Our expert personal trainershave devised four different andhighly enjoyable classes that givegymgoers the chance to tone uptheir most valuable asset in timefor summer. With the right effort,results should be visible withinjust four weeks.”

Calendar boysraise over £500for charityBy Nicola Hyde

MEMBERS of a bodybuilding gymnear Bolton have raised over £500 forcharity by posing for a calendar.

Jon Tuplin, who owns Jay’s Gym inHorwich, came up with the idea afterone of his members, Dave Sutton,died of skin cancer in 2002, aged just33.

For the last few years, members atthe club have posed for the calendar,raising money for cancer charityChristie’s which treated Dave.

Jon explained: “Everyone in thelocal area knows about the calendar.It motivates the lads so it’s also goodfor business and is a unique featurethat other gyms in the area don’thave. A lot of the members want to beinvolved.”

The gym, which Jon took over in2001, sells the calendars for £6 andoffsets the cost of producing them bygetting sponsorship from local busi-nesses, ensuring the full amountraised from each one goes to thecharity.

As part of the sponsorship deal, thebusinesses also get their logos print-ed on the calendar and the opportu-

nity to include discount vouchers,which could attract buyers to visitthem.

Jon added: “We sell the calendars inthe gym and we don’t make a profitfrom them so usually manage to raisebetween £500 and £600 a year forcharity.

“They are really popular now andwe even get people asking for them inadvance.”� Has your gym done somethingsimilar? Let Workout know by con-tacting our editorial team on 01226734463 or email ce@whpl.net

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Business guestsopt for hotelfitness facilitiesTHE majority of business travellers look for hotels whichprovide fitness facilities so they can work out during their stay, a new study hasrevealed.

Venues Event Managementundertook a snapshot surveyof 22 executives on the subjectof business travel and exercise.

All respondents said it wasimportant for them to be ableto exercise when staying awayon business and that workingout can help them to managestress.

All 100 per cent of thoseasked said that, other factorsbeing equal (price, location,rating), that they would preferto stay in a hotel with fitnessfacilities.

Venues Event Managementchief executive Anita Lowesaid: “The recognition of thepsychological and physicalcontribution of endorphin-inducing workouts to executivestaying power is driving busi-ness traveller preferences forhotels with exercise facilities.

“Properties who ignore thistrend are increasingly findingthemselves low on the list ofaccommodation options.”

Firm claims licencefee victory forfitness industryBy Christina Eccles

ASHBOURNE Membership Serviceshas claimed a victory for the industry,after the High Court rejected a rulingwhich would have imposed anexpensive licence fee on gyms.

The OFT had been keen to establish that the use of monthlymembership contracts required eachgym to obtain a Consumer CreditLicence.

But the judge decided Ashbournecontracts did not involve the provi-sion of credit, because he consideredthe consumer only has to pay for gymmembership each month, rather thanbeing obliged to pay for the wholeminimum membership period fromthe outset of the contract.

According to Ashbourne, the finan-cial implications for the industry ifthis judgement had gone againstthem would have been huge, as thecost of a CCL has risen from £75 per

year a few years ago, to £1,225 peryear.

Managing director John Clayton-Wright said: “I find it ironic that theGovernment is supposedly keen tofoster and develop the fitness indus-try as part of its declared aim toreduce heart disease and obesity andyet a Government agency, the OFT,sought to impose what amounted tounnecessary and unwarranted taxa-tion on that same industry.

“As a small business ourselves, we have stood up to the money-grabbing instincts of the OFT andstruck a blow for thousands of othersmall businesses in the fitness indus-try.”

Within the same case, Ashbournewill be appealing against the HighCourt ruling that the terms of its con-tracts are unlawful. The basis of theappeal will be two-fold.

Firstly, the OFT chose to submit anumber of Ashbourne contracts to

the High Court, some going back to2000.

These have now been largely super-seded by more recent versions, whichreflect a more rounded approach tothe enforcement of contracts andwhich are acknowledged in the judg-ment as “fairer”.

Secondly, a key point of contentionwas the duration of Ashbourne mem-bership contracts.

Although the judge ruled that 12months was fair, the company arguesthat the duration of a contract is a‘core term’ of any membership agree-ment, and that this was acknowl-edged as such just two years ago bythe OFT.

‘Core terms’ cannot be includedwithin the scope of the Unfair TermsAct so this aspect will be disputedfurther.

� For more response to thisissue see Page 26

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By Christina Eccles

CELEBRITY personal trainer EliseLindsay has advised others whowant to follow in her footsteps tofind a unique selling point whichhelps them stand out from thecrowd.

Elise has built up an impressiveCV, working with stars includingColeen Rooney, as well as frontingclasses on Fitness TV and develop-ing workout DVDs for those whowant to exercise at home.

She has also recently created anexclusive training plan to coincidewith the release of The WorkoutMix – Beach Fit, an album of hitsfrom the likes of Jessie J andJennifer Lopez which is designed tobe the perfect accompaniment to aworkout.

Elise said that throughout hercareer, she has been fortunateenough to be approached to getinvolved with exciting projectssuch as the fitness DVDs, but sheputs this down to working hard andbuilding up a good reputationwhich has made her well estab-lished in the industry.

She explained: “You need to havea good CV and get yourself outthere. Go to fitness conventionsand be seen at them. If you aredoing something special, youshould be noticed.

“Also keep aware of what’s chang-ing in the industry. It’s your job tofind out what’s going on. If youremain static, that’s what is goingto happen to your work.”

Elise also told how treating all herclients as ‘celebrities’, whether theyare famous or not, has been the keyto success.

She added: “People always talkabout a celebrity client list but allmy clients are celebrities. I traineveryone from mums and kids tothe older generation and couplestogether.”

One of her biggest successes was

the best selling fitness DVD she didwith Coleen, something which shesays changed her whole approachto the industry.

“I really loved it. It was so differ-ent to the DVDs I had producedmyself for instructors.

“This one was for people who

didn’t know about fitness so it wasa real learning curve. It taught meto pull back a bit and focus on sim-plicity .

“I am now more bothered aboutthe people who have never doneanything and what small changes Ican help them with that can makea big difference.”

Elise Lindsay

Why personal trainerElise treats all herclients as ‘celebrities’

WOW rewards great service ...NOT for profit trust Freedom Leisurehas joined an independent awards scheme, which recognisesoutstanding customer service in itscentres.

Any example of great service can benominated for a WOW! Award – withcustomers able to acknowledge staffmembers for anything from a friend-ly smile and being helpful to a life-saving rescue.

WOW will independently awardcertificates for the best nominations and these will be presented to staff by their area manager everymonth.

The winners will be announced byFreedom Leisure both internallythrough staff newsletters and exter-nally via social media channelsincluding Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Group retention and customerservice manager Debbie Reed said:“The WOW Awards provide a greatincentive for our staff who can nowgain extra recognition for doing agreat job.

“We know that our staff are some ofthe most committed and talented inthe industry and the unrestrictednature of the nomination process will allow their talents to be recog-nised.”

10 201122126 17:43 Page 1

The Biggest Loser runner upPaddy Cunningham used theshow as a platform to changehis life. Now over eight stoneslighter and training to be apersonal trainer, his latestachievement is becoming abrand ambassador for Cybex.Workout found out more.

*WHAT are you doing with Cybex? Whatwill your role as a brand ambassador involve?

As an ambassador for Cybex, I will be ableto help share my journey post Biggest Loserby means of a monthly blog and attendingsome industry events, such as LeisureIndustry Week in September which I am veryexcited about. Back home here in Ireland Iwill also be going to the The Sports andFitness show in Dublin. I use Twitter a lot solook forward to keeping people up to date onthere also.

*What do you like about Cybex kit? Howdid you find using it on The Biggest Loser?

The thing I love about the Cybex kit,specifically the Arc Trainer, which I have nowat home, is that it gives such a fantasticworkout, and absolutely blitzes the calories!It really helps users to utilise a much greaterrange of movement than some traditionalmachines. The first time I saw the Arc Trainerin the gym on The Biggest Loser, I was like"What is this, it's different? " and how right Iwas. It soon became my machine of choice asI felt great and got a real good sweat on in notime at all!

One of the other things I love about the kitis that I even managed to get my mum anddad on it. Both are in their 60's andtraditional equipment like a treadmill might

be a bit too severe on their joints, sosomething like the Arc Trainer is great as itlessens the impact on the joint but yet canhelp make sure their joints get a workout andremain healthy and functional.

*What are your views on the BiggestLoser? How has appearing on the showchanged your life?

The Biggest Loser is a very interestingconcept that really gets mixed reactions fromthe fitness industry. For the viewer at home,they really love being able to follow people’sjourneys and transformations, but personaltrainers and fitness professionals look muchdeeper than it being a TV show. Whilst theshow was on, there were some relativelystrong reports about the show promotingunrealistic fitness goals and results. Themajority of people however see the show forwhat it really is – an opportunity for peoplewho have tried and failed other routes, to getthe dedicated professional support and carethey need to help change their lives.

Yes there most definitely is tough love –lots of tears and bucket loads ofsweat, but at the end of the daythe producers along with thetrainers Richard Callender andAngie Dowds know exactly whatthey are doing and are fantastic attheir jobs. Both Richard andAngie have helped changed mylife, and have given so manypeople their lives back – and inmy case – given me a whole newlife. I have never been this thinbefore, and I owe it all to thatshow. Not only has it given me anew life, but given my sister anew brother, my parents ahealthier son and my friends amuch happier mate – I will be

eternally grateful to The Biggest Loser.

Since appearing on the show, I have hadliterally thousands of people getting in touchon Facebook (www.facebook.com/biggestl-oserpaddy) and also on Twitter (www .twitter.com/paddycunningham) sharing theirstories and asking for hints and tips.

This really helps keep me on track,especially now that I have started studying tobecome a Level Four Personal Trainer andAdvanced Fitness Instructor – as I can givethese people answers about what helped meand got me through the tough times.

In addition to this, I have in the past monthsigned a book deal which I am very excitedabout and currently starting work on. Thiswill be a self help / motivational book to helppeople on their weight loss journey. It is not

going to be a diet book and that’s somethingI am passionate about – I don't believe in faddiets. Effective weight loss should be done bya healthy balanced diet and exercise and thatis something I will speak about in the book,along with focusing on the key challengepeople face on most weight loss journeys ...motivation.

A year ago if someone had told me I wouldbe a brand ambassador for a fantasticinternational fitness company, had appearedon national TV in Ireland and the UK in frontof millions, had lost over 8 1/2 stone in

weight and would be training to become a PTI would have laughed. Now, however, it's areality – wow.

The Biggest Loser, 8 stone lighter

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A PROMISE made to his youngniece and a doctor’s words ofwarning inspired Aaron to enterThe Biggest Loser.

Aged just 29 he was given eightyears to live and prescribed acourse of weight loss tablets tohelp him shed the pounds.

But he felt this was unsuitable asa long-term option and insteadturned to the show for help.

After beating 14,000 applicants toa place in the final 12, he walkedaway as the winner, 10 stoneslighter and with a new lease of life.

Since then he has found a love offitness and appeared on series twoand three of the show as a mentor– believing he could help contest-ants to achieve results because hecould put himself in their shoes.

Aaron now works as a gym man-ager at independent club PeakPhysique in Hull and has used theexperience he gained on the showto help others on their weight lossjourney.

As part of this, he has introduceda regular biggest loser competitioninto the gym and helped manyparticipants achieve their goals,which range from losing body fatand inches to being fit enough tocomplete a marathon.

He said: “We have had some greatresults with this. Providing thecompetitors pay to use the gym,they get my services for nothing totrain them twice a day.

“We adopt the style of the pro-gramme and my mentoringmethod is the same as Mark Baileywho was my trainer.

“I understand what it’s like to bebig and not be able to do a squator a press up or even tie myshoelaces.”

Aaron likens his time on the showto being given a Willy Wonka stylegolden ticket – one which he cred-its for saving his life – and he saidhe would love to get involved in it

again as a mentor.But he told Workout, he felt dis-

appointed with some parts of thelast series, which was won by WilGraham.

He added: “It is good to see peo-ple have picked up on how inspira-tional The Biggest Loser can be.

“It changed my life and showspeople they can achieve what theywant.

“But I felt this series sold out toweight loss shakes and bars. Thewhole ethos behind the show wasto help people change their atti-tudes to food so it disappointedme.”

Since winning the show, Aaronhas successfully managed to keepthe weight off and is always look-ing for new challenges to getinvolved in.

This summer will see him com-pete in two more which will pushhis fitness and endurance levels tothe limit

One of them is a 1,700-mile walkfrom Land’s End to John O’Groats,and back again, to raise money forthe NSPCC.

The second, the ‘Humber Hell’endurance challenge, involves run-ning back and forth across theHumber Bridge for 12 hours – withAaron aiming to run 50 miles dur-ing that time.

But despite his success in compe-titions, he revealed they are not hisbiggest achievements.

“The best thing for me was to goto the last Olympics as a torchbearer for services to obesity. Itwas a humbling experience.

“I won £25,000 for winning theshow and gave it all away. I had toprove I did it for the right reasons –I needed to get my life back.”

Since winning the firstseries of The BiggestLoser back in 2005,Aaron Howlett hascompletely transformedhis life. Now a successfulgym manager and weightloss guru, he’s gearing upfor a busy summer aftertaking on two hugefitness challenges. Hespoke to Christina Eccles.

Challengingtimes for TVwinner Aaron

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GYMS up and down the country havebeen shouting about their achievementsby entering the National Fitness Awards, which celebrate the best in thebusiness.

Following a successful debut lastNovember, this year’s awards are shap-ing up to be even bigger and better andWorkout has already received a hugeresponse from clubs wanting to takepart.

Gyms from all corners of the UK havebeen keen to get involved – with entriesso far including Lion Quays CountryClub in Shropshire, Sweat FA in Weston-super-Mare, Ribby Hall Sport andLeisure in Preston, Coventry UniversitySport and Recreation Centre andLadyzone in Altrincham, plus manymore.

The awards are free to enter and thewinners will be announced at a glitter-ing ceremony on November 25 at theICC in Birmingham – hosted by

Coronation Street star Katherine Kelly.

It promises to be a night to remember,recognising clubs and individuals whoare leading the way in their field, as wellas giving the industry the chance to letits hair down and celebrate anothersuccessful year.

And if you haven’t already put yourclub in the running, it’s not too late toenter the awards.

To make sure you are in with a chanceof winning, visit the websitewww.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk for allthe information you need to make anomination.

Bookings are now also being taken fortables at the awards dinner. For moreinformation contact event organiser LizLee on 01226 734459 or emailll@whpl.net

You can also keep up to date withnews about the awards by following uson Twitter @FitnessAwards. Katherine Kelly

Celebrating the bestin the business ...

A NORTH Somerset leisure centre is to benefitfrom redevelopment work worth £900,000.

Churchill Sports Centre, a dual use site withChurchill Community School, is managed byleisure trust and social enterprise Tone, which isinvesting more than £100,000 towards the work.

North Somerset Council will provide the further£800,000.

The redevelopment, carried out by leisuredevelopment partner Createability and projectmanaged by Alliance Leisure, will include a 35-station gym, two studios and a dry changingarea.

The reception area will be remodeled to createseparate entrances for the school and local com-munity use and a lift will be installed to complywith DDA regulations.

The council is also installing a £300,000 all-weather pitch as part of its investment in thefacility.

The project is expected to finish at the begin-ning of September, in time for the new schoolyear.

Leisure centre is undergoing £900k revamp

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By Dominic Musgrave

GYM owner Jason Matthews has beenrecognised with a prestigious award,presented to him by HRH The Dukeof Edinburgh.

Jason, who owns UltimatePhysiques in Castleford, received aHighly Commended Certificate fromCity and Guilds in honour of his out-standing contribution and dedicationto the industry.

Jason has been running the gymwith his wife, Donna, since 2002 andbalanced completing his City andGuilds Level two NVQ in InstructingExercise and Fitness with working a60-hour week, bringing up his twosons and fundraising for local chari-ties.

He was presented with the certifi-cate at the annual Prince PhilipMedal ceremony at BuckinghamPalace before joining the Prince forlunch at the Ritz.

Jason said: “I feel really, really hon-oured to be recognised with a PrincePhilip Medal – particularly as TheDuke of Edinburgh chooses theaward winners himself. It was defi-nitely a once in a lifetime experienceto be invited to Buckingham Palaceand taken for lunch at the Ritz. I lovethe work I do – not just runningUltimate Physiques, but also taking

part in the Springfield Enable Projectto help under privileged children,and it’s a wonderful feeling to havemy work recognised.”

Jason is now looking to extend hisskills and is currently studying a Cityand Guilds management course.

CEO and director general of Cityand Guilds, Chris Jones added: “City

and Guilds firmly believe in theimportance of celebrating theachievements of both our currentand past learners. It is an incrediblehonour to be highly commended forthe Prince Philip Medals. Jasonshould be really proud of what he’saccomplished and I hope he sees fur-ther success in the future.”

Jason received his certificate from City and Guilds’ president HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Award-winning Jasonlunches with Prince ...

THE UK’s first facility which combinessoccer and fitness has been opened inWednesbury.

£2.7m was invested in Pulse Soccerand Fitness to design, build and equipthe five-a-side football and fitnesscomplex.

Features include eight five-a-sidepitches, a dedicated coaching arena,55 station fitness suite, cafe bar andinteractive dance studio.

As part of a 30-year joint initiativewith Phoenix Collegiate, the site isopen to the public seven days a weekand operated by Pulse – providing anincome share to the school along withtimetabled access to the facilities.

Managing director at Pulse ChrisJohnson said: “We are very proud ofthe incredible facility we have deliv-ered at Wednesbury. This latest busi-ness model shows how we can workwith public sector partners to createleisure facilities that are beneficial forentire communities that are not onlyself-financed, but fully self-sufficientincome generating business units. Therewards and benefits can be seen byall and we sincerely hope that we cancontinue growing this business modelwithin the ever-expanding Pulse port-folio.”

Site teamssoccerand fitnessin UK first

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Powerful questions to use inyour sales and marketingBy Dave Wright

DID you know that there is nosuch thing as an unansweredquestion?

Whether you wanted to answerthe question or not, you have toanswer it in your mind’s eye first –and that is why it is so importantto understand and respect thequality and power that questionscan form in your sales and mar-keting game plan. Get it wrongand you have no rapport; get itright and your sales and marketingefforts should rocket.

To begin, there are two maintypes of questions to take intoconsideration – closed and open.Close ended questions illicit a veryshort answer such as a `yes’ or a`no’ which are great when youwant to ask a series of questions ina very short period of time, or areshooting to close the ‘deal’ andwant as many yes answers as pos-sible. For example the question‘Do you think you would be com-fortable at this club?’ encourages a

positive answer if you have readthe situation right. (it also doublesup as a trial close). The maindrawback with close ended ques-tions is that they reveal little infor-mation from the person answeringthem and does not allow the per-son to ‘open up’ and potentiallyexpand on information.

On the other hand, open endedquestions force the person to givemore than a yes or a no andenables the person to open theirresponse and take a little longerbecause the answer can go any-where. These questions begin withthe powerful words: Who, What,Where, When, How or Why.

These words are powerfulbecause their use can also doubleup in your marketing as a check-list for making sure that you’ve notleft vital information off yourmaterial. You see your marketingmaterial is all about questions too.A consumer should be able to pickup a piece of marketing materialand have the answers ‘Who isthis?’ ‘What is it about?’ ‘Where

can they take advantage of it?’‘When can they get it?’ ‘How canthey get it?’ and ‘Why is the clubdoing it?’ met.

So not only can you use ques-tions as a ‘checkpoint’ in yoursales techniques (ie. when gather-ing information start your sen-tence with Who, What, Where,When, How or Why, and whenclosing the sale, start with anyother word), you can also certainlyuse questions for a checkpoint ofyour marketing.

Questions bring out informationand information builds rapport.And as we are in the business ofbuilding relationships with ourcustomers and potential cus-tomers, if you get your questionsright, then you can gather moreinformation and thus build morerapport that is imperative forimproved success with your salesand marketing.

And greater success in sales andmarketing leads to more money.Does that all make sense? Dave Wright

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FITNESS First Uxbridge hasrelaunched following a £250,000refurbishment to upgrade facilities.

The investment includes the launchof a new freestyle area where mem-bers can sample fitness trends andequipment and a spin studio to caterfor the increasing popularity of cycle-based training.

Chief operating officer MartinSeibold added: “We’ve also tripled the

size of the free weights area andadded a new aerobics studio to theclub. And to complete the refurbish-ment we have totally redecorated thelounge area for members to relaxbefore or after their workout.’’

The club marked the relaunch witha programme of activities for existingand new members to trial the facili-ties and features such as ViPR, TRX,Powerplate and kettlebells.

Sugababe Mutya Buena who officially relaunched the club, with Uxbridge general manager, Jonny Dean

Sugababe attends club relaunch

Referrals meanprizes for healthclub membersBOTTLES of champagne, complimen-tary membership and VIP tickets toChelsea FC games are some of theprizes up for grabs for referrals to aLondon health club.

According to gym manager at theChelsea Club, Angelo Lanzilotti, refer-rals are the most successful way to getnew faces through the doors.

And to encourage members to rec-ommend the club to family andfriends, it has created a number ofpackages to incentivise them.

Prizes on offer increase in value themore members are referred andchoices include:

� An Aromatherapy Associates giftbox or a magnum of Laurent Perrierchampagne for referring one member

� Five personal training sessions or ajeroboam of champagne for threemembers

� A Samsung Galaxy Tab or threemonths’ membership for four mem-bers

� Six months’ membership, two VIPhospitality tickets to a Chelsea FChome game or a signed Chelsea shirtfor introducing five members.

The club is situated at Stamfordbridge – the home of Chelsea FC –and Angelo also said the area has ahigh proportion of people who staythere for a short time and then moveon – meaning flexible membershipoptions are vital to encourage themto sign up.

He added they like to keep thingssimple – offering the choice of just apeak, off peak or corporate rates.

But prospective members onlywanting to commit for a short termare also catered for with three andone month options which showcaseeverything the club has to offer.

He added: “Someone’s life situationcan change and the housing market isvery active around here so people docome and go quite quickly.

“We try to be flexible and also offerpackages which are tied in with spatreatments, personal training andother facilities.

“If someone doesn’t want to committo 12 months, we offer them the threemonth package, which is long enoughfor them to see if they like it, andexposes members to other aspects ofthe club.”

19 201122126 17:47 Page 1

LADIESONLY

20

EASY Body, the women’s supplementspecialists have launched a brandnew range of products designedspecifically for the women’s market.

The five exciting new products arefresh from launch in the US and havealready sold out across Europe withinjust weeks of launch.

Customers have seen fantasticresults in the first week.

The new products include appetitecontrol bars and tablets, fat burningand water retention tablets, and a

complete five day weight controlpack.

Easy Body specialise in providingtailored products to meet your femalemembers’ needs and boost your sec-ondary spend.

For more information contact 01638 662589

Brand with women in mind ...

A MEMBER of a ladies’ onlygym has experienced a taste ofthe limelight after being cho-sen to appear in the club’s lat-est advert.

Nicky Hulse, who is a mem-ber at Ladyzone Stoke, waschosen to represent the com-pany after losing three stoneand 34 inches while fightingthree brain tumours.

Her story appeared onLadyzone’s advertising litera-ture with the slogan ‘Makethat change ... no excuses’ andaccording to gym staff, herstory has inspired women whohaven’t previously exercised tostart.

Nicky said: “Coming toLadyzone has given me backmy confidence, and a sense ofself worth and self-esteem.

“I am very happy with theresults and the progress I havemade and will continue to visitLadyzone and recommend itto others. After everything I’dbeen through I didn’t expect tofeel so positive about myself.Much of this is thanks toLadyzone.”

New workoutdesigned totone and sculptBy Christina Eccles

LADIES’ only fitness brand Curveshas launched a new workout whichcombines its traditional circuit training with fitness phenomenonZumba.

Designed to tone and sculpt thebody, the class is 30 minutes long andcan burn up to 500 calories by merg-ing the high energy dance moves ofZumba Fitness with the low impactresistance training of the Curves cir-cuit.

During the class, participants workout on each Curves strength training machine for one minute,alternating upper, lower and coremuscles.

After each minute of exercise on the

machines, the music prompts themto change station on the circuit, and then follow the Zumba qualifiedinstructor who shows how to do some dance moves for oneminute.

Curves spokesman Gill Brady said:“The Curves Circuit with ZumbaFitness is a great and fun way to getinto shape.

“Both forms of exercise have alreadyhelped millions of women worldwidelose weight and reach their healthand fitness goals, so together theymake a powerful and highly effectiveworkout.

“We’re thrilled about the partner-ship and have already seen someamazing results.”

Are you are successful ladies’ only gym or a club managing to make your facilitiesmore female friendly? If so, we would like to hear from you. Tell us your stories bycontacting our editorial team on 01226 734463 or email ce@whpl.net and you couldfind yourself appearing in a future issue of Workout.

Nicky chosenfor clubadvertisingcampaign

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No response toJohn’s ‘too goodto be true’ offerA GYM owner has been left puzzled after his‘too good to be true’ offer, allowing selfemployed instructors free use of the club’s stu-dio, received no response.

Owner John Auerbach felt the fully equippedstudio at Empire Fitness in Hinckley wasunderused and more could be done with it.

To change this, he advertised for an instruc-tor to take classes in the studio – offering themthe chance to use the space for free and keepall revenue generated.

John’s only requirement was that any existinggym members who wanted to take part coulddo so for free.

He believes this would typically be four orfive people per class – so thought an instructortaking a full class of 25 to 30 participantswould still be able to make a decent profit.

Yet John has been left baffled after promotionof the offer on the club’s website and Facebookpage failed to generate a single enquiry.

He explained: “We will give use of the studioaway free, with no room charge and everypenny [the instructor] generates is theirs.

“Our only ‘catch’ is that paid up gym mem-bers get to do the class for free but generallythat would only be four or five people perclass.”

Although the opportunity has been promotedin the club and through its online presence,

John has struggled to get the word out there toa wider audience and said finding an instruc-tor has been ‘impossible’.

As he is not making any money out of it him-self, he is reluctant to pay high advertisingcosts and has been told he cannot advertise inthe local job centre as it is a self employedposition.

He added: “We can’t give it away. I wanted toput it on the internet and in the local paperbut people want to charge us to advertise.

“I have emailed customers and put it onFacebook but in about a month we have hadno response at all.”

He told Workout he thought some instructorsthought the offer may be too good to be trueand are looking for a catch, but he insists thereisn’t one.

“I am so busy with the gym that to try andmotivate someone to run classes and to tellpeople about them is a nightmare.

“I want someone who is self motivated to dothat themselves and believe there is the poten-tial there for them to earn a fair few quid.”� Any instructors interested in taking up theoffer can email Workout at ce@whpl.net andwe will pass your details on to John.

PERSONAL trainer AimeeRogers has been nominatedfor an award, which recog-nises mums who run theirown businesses.

Aimee, from Sheffield, runsRevitalize Fitness, a person-al training company special-ising in weight loss andhealth conditions.

She set up the businesslast year after being maderedundant and has nowbeen nominated in the beststart up category of the

Mumpreneur Awards.Aimee is also in with a

chance of winning TheInspirational Business MumAward, which will be award-ed to the mother whoproves to be an inspirationto all women in business.

But she now has to waituntil August to find outwhether she has made thefinals, which take place onSeptember 25 at the Heart ofEngland Conference Centrein Warwickshire.

Mum’s the word ...

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By Dominic Musgrave

A TEN-WEEK ‘biggest loser’ competition at aWiltshire gym helped a group of competitorsto kickstart their fitness goals while raisingover £4,000 for charity.

Route2Fitness in Devizes was inspired to setup the programme after watching TV show,The Biggest Loser, where contestants com-pete to lose the most weight.

The club chose eight people to take part,advertising online via its website andFacebook page and through the local news-paper.

Each participant did three weeks of groupand personal training and then every weekafter that, one person was eliminated untilthey were left with two finalists.

The winner lost a staggering 41lbs in 10weeks and the runner up 36.5lbs and all ofthem have continued exercising since theprogramme ended.

Owner Jayne Jenkins said: “We tend to doquite a lot of charity work and various eventsand we wanted to do something different.

“We had a really good response and every-one thoroughly enjoyed it. They were amazedat their achievements, both from a weightloss and a fitness point of view.”

Contestants were also sponsored on apound for pound basis – meaning they wouldearn £1 for every pound in weight they lost.

The money was then donated to Help forHeroes – with the challenge raising over£4,000 in total.

And although, the eight contestants did notpay to take part in the programme, they havesince become members and are still attend-ing the club.

Jayne added: “This was a massive success.We had people that had not been gymgoersthat lost a huge amount of weight. Becausepeople had seen The Biggest Loser on TV,they thought if they can do it, I can too.

“And all of them are still coming now it hasfinished, so that has been a good thing for thegym too.”

Following its success, Jayne is already think-ing about launching similar programmes tohelp more people get on the road to fitness.

“I think we would do it again. We did thisone as a charitable thing but we have had alot of feedback from members and peoplesaid they would be interested – and theywould be willing to pay for it. We might nowlaunch it two or three times a year as a boot-camp.”

‘Biggest loser’contest proves awinner for gym

CAMDEN’s outdoor gymsare attracting people whichtraditional gyms can’t reach,according to research.

The eight outdoor gyms,which are free to use, wereintroduced two years ago asa result of a physical needsassessment that identifiedcost and access as twin bar-riers preventing more peo-ple taking exercise.

Research has now shownthe gyms are well used,attracting a large number ofpreviously inactive people,and are particularly popularamongst Camden’s blackand minority ethnic com-

munities. Regular super-vised sessions with PhysicalActivity Peer Activators arealso held to help membersof the public get the bestout of the gyms and theequipment.

Coun Tulip Siddiq, cabinetmember for Culture said:“It’s great to see that thegyms have been so success-ful in helping residents,workers and visitors toCamden lead more healthyand active lives. The gymsare so good because notonly are they free, they aresuitable for all ages andabilities.”

Outdoor fitness for free

24 201122126 17:53 Page 1

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By Christina Eccles

POLE dancing instructor RebeccaPlume has revealed how she is whipping members into shape at an independent gym in WalthamAbbey.

Rebecca runs classes at Krunch,which is owned by Neale Cranwell,and teaches at the club about fourtimes a week.

Her sessions have really taken off,with classes consistently filling up,and have helped Rebecca grow herbusiness from humble beginningsteaching classes in her bedroom to afull time career.

Each class has nine to 11 studentsand seven poles and Rebeccabelieves keeping class sizes small has been the key to

keeping members happy.

She said: “This has worked for me.I’ve never had more than 12 people in a class and it’s usually oneto a pole so everyone gets studiotime.

“The gym is also really pleased. It’straditionally a bodybuilding gymand predominantly male.

“We get a lot of women coming tothe classes so it helps to balance thatout.”

Rebecca admits that since shestarted out in the industry, the perception of pole dancing classeshas changed a lot and it is nowwidely accepted as a way to keep fit.

She added: “Because this gym is somale dominated, at first I was the

talk of the town.

“It is now seen as a fitness class butit wasn’t always like that. It’s beenhard work.

“I’m not a typical pole dancer. I’ma muscular fitness model and abrunette, not your stereotypicalpneumatic blonde.

“It’s been really popular.

“I even get bodybuilders coming to the classes who want to knowhow to do choreography for theirshows.

“It’s no different to gymnastics orballet – they are all about bodyawareness. Pole dancing can be tai-lored to any fitness level or size andfor males or females.

“It would be a good thing if itspread to other gyms.”

Rebecca Plume

Pole fitness proves a realmoney-spinner for Rebecca

Rebecca also shared her top tips for gyms who are thinkingabout introducing pole dancing classes:

� Don’t be greedy – keep class sizes quite small so everyonefeels they are getting enough time on the pole and value formoney.� Make sure you have the right number of poles for students– typically this would be one pole per person.

� Check your ceiling height and remember it needs to be made from solid concrete or have a beam to fix the poles on to.� Ensure you are fully insured and up to date with health andsafety requirements.� Create a friendly and safe environment – participants mayfeel uncomfortable at first so make sure you can put them atease.

24 201122126 17:54 Page 2

UK FITNESS SCENE26

Greaterflexibilitycall tooperatorsOPERATORS need to offer moreflexibility when it comes to mem-bership and payment options,according to the founder of a newonline gym service.

Neil Harmsworth co-foundedpayasUgym, an online platformwhich helps consumers to findclubs they can attend on a one off,pay as you go basis.

The site allows customers tosearch through a selection of par-ticipating gyms and pay for indi-vidual visits without joining fees,contracts or monthly member-ships.

By topping up an online account,they can locate a gym they want touse and use the credit on theiraccount to purchase a voucher forone off use.

And Neil says while longer termcontracts can offer the best dealfor those who use the gym a lot,the industry should be open tonew ideas to get people throughthe doors.

He said: “Gym memberships can offer superb value for regular gym goers but I thinkeveryone in the industry recognises that to increase theoverall number of people using thegym we need to offer more flexibil-ity.

“With this latest ruling from theOFT we have reached a genuinetipping point in terms of listeningto what consumers want and thesector is already in the process ofreinventing itself to meet thesedemands.”

Over 120 gyms across Londonand the South East currently takepart in the scheme, with plans toroll it out in Manchester andBirmingham over the next fewmonths and eventually nation-wide.

JANUARY 2: Thousands flock to theirlocal gym with good intentions andcredit cards. Lengthy gym member-ships are signed up to, yet a fewmonths later the gym is a distantmemory whilst direct debits are stillleaving the bank account.

However, that may be about tochange due to the recent Judgmentin Office of Fair Trading v (1)Ashbourne Management ServicesLtd (2) John Clayton-Wright (3)Dawne Clayton-Wright.

The defendants were instructed byvarious gyms to provide standardform membership agreements andto collect payments.

Following complaints by con-sumers, they engaged in a battlewith the Office of Fair Trading overthe terms of their most commonagreements, which provided forminimum membership periods of12 to 36 months.

Under the terms of these agree-ments, consumers who terminatedtheir membership within the mini-mum period were deemed to bedefaulters, facing potential legalproceedings and registration of thedefault with the Credit ReferenceAgencies (CRAs).

The court ruled that these agree-ments were not Consumer CreditAgreements, as they were stated tobe agreements where a membermakes monthly payments in returnfor access to the gym’s facilities.

The court then consideredwhether the minimum membershipperiod clauses were unfair under theUnfair Terms in ConsumerContracts Regulations 1999. The

court assessed this in terms of theaverage new customer signing upfor membership, who it felt was like-ly to ‘overestimate the use he willmake of the gym facilities’.

Although the defendants had pro-vided for limited circumstanceswhere the consumer might cancelwithin the minimum period, thecourt considered the agreements as‘calculated to take advantage of thenaivety and inexperience of theaverage consumer’, criticising theirfailure to advise members of theiroverall liability.

The court finally considered thedefendants’ practice of reporting tothe CRAs debts incurred by con-sumers under these agreements.

Again, the court found against the

defendants on this issue, decidingthat this was an unfair commercialpractice.

The court held that the OFT can obtain injunctions against suchclauses, as they are contrary to the European Community’s regula-tions.

Whilst the fitness industry mighttake small comfort in having avoid-ed the burden of obtainingConsumer Credit Licences, gymswould be well-advised to check theirconditions do not breach this rulingor take steps to prepare for potentialcustomer care issues.� Robert Jones is a partner and JamesLangford an associate in the CommercialDispute Resolution team at WeightmansLLP.

Gyms and health clubs may need to check their membership contracts following a recent case which saw a companyproviding gym memberships receive an injunction imposed on it for unfairly treating members who wished to canceltheir memberships. Here, Robert Jones and James Langford from law firm Weightmans LLP examine the case in detailand warn businesses in the leisure industry to act fast if any of their small print contains similar terms …

Gyms need to checkthe small print aftercourt decision

James Langford Robert Jones

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UK FITNESS SCENE 27

Health warning overbody image anxietyGYMS should do more to attract peo-ple with a wide range of body shapes,according to new research by CentralYMCA, which claims body anxiety is amajor barrier to staying fit andhealthy.

The study revealed this was theview of over three quarters of respon-dents – with 70 per cent also sayingthey found the image of gyms andthe people who use them intimidat-ing.

The research, commissioned to helphighlight the launch of CentralYMCA’s Body Confidence campaign,also revealed over a third of men andaround half of women questionedsaid they compare their bodies topeople on TV.

And over 42 per cent of men andalmost a third of women said theywould like their bodies to look likethe models who appear in magazines.

Chief executive of Central YMCARosi Prescott said: “These findings

reflect the greater emphasis societyputs on simply looking good over andabove being fit and healthy. Negativebody image can permeate everyaspect of day-to-day life and canhave serious repercussions, includingsocial exclusion, depression and lowself-esteem, not forgetting anincreased tendency to opt for ‘quickfixes’ such as fad diets, pills and sup-plements.

“Good health is not defined by bodysize, but rather it is a state of physi-cal, mental and social wellbeing. Oneof the key ways to achieve this state isthrough physical exercise, but manyfeel excluded because they don’t havethe confidence to get started.”

The research also revealed thatnearly half of all respondents saidmore diversity in the appearance ofpeople shown in advertising, maga-zines, fashion and on TV would behelpful to promote positive bodyimage.

And the charity is now urging themedia and the fitness industry tohelp change these views by promot-ing greater body diversity.

Rosi added: “The media and fitnessindustries are not only partly respon-sible for perpetuating this issue, butare also the key to changing attitudesand awareness so that nobody needfeel excluded from being active.

“Our research shows how themedia, in particular, could help withthis by using a more varied mix ofhealthy body shapes and types. Thefitness industry also has an impor-tant role to play by doing more tobroaden its appeal through inclusivemarketing and by seeking diversity inthose who work in gym environ-ments. These would be tremendoussteps in the right direction, helpingindividuals to take a more roundedview of their health by limiting thenegative and often damaging effectsof body image pressures.”

One of the pictures used in the campaign

A GYM in West Sussex is sup-porting a local man as hetakes on the challenge of alifetime.

David Spreadbury-Troyintends to climb over 20,000feet up Stok Kangri inNorthern India this summer,to raise money for the QueenElizabeth II Silver JubileeSchool and the Alzheimer’sSociety.

Horsham Golf and Fitnessis supporting David inpreparing for the trek, alongwith another local businessProtea Beauty Salon.

Horsham Golf and Fitness’manager Andrew Coopersaid: “David came to the gymfor an initial fitness assess-ment. We then devised a spe-

cific programme for him,concentrating on improvingcardio vascular fitness, corestrength and building muscletissue, particularly in hislower body. This will givehim the best chance of suc-cess on this expedition.

“There is a likelihood ofDavid suffering from AcuteMountain Sickness due tothe lack of oxygen at theheights he is going to, butthere is no training that canprepare him for this part.

“We are continuing to mon-itor David’s fitness andadjusting his regime as heprogresses.

“We are very keen to havehim in the best shape possi-ble.” David preparing for the trek

Gym helps David getin shape for challenge

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By Matt Janusek Escape Fitness

FUNCTIONAL fitness is stormingthe fitness industry, but just howmany clubs are going in with theireyes closed?

Over the past 10 years there hasbeen a continual change from con-ventional fitness to functional fit-ness tools with many clubs optingto invest in multifunctional equip-ment due to its lower price andgreater versatility.

Functional equipment allowsclub owners to equip an entireclub with a variety of attractiveand user friendly equipment forthe price of one large conventionalpiece of equipment. The increasedavailability and affordability offunctional fitness in facilities haslead to an increasing amount oftrainers incorporating it withintheir programs especially as itallows them to cater to everydemographic at any fitness level.

Functional training in generaluses a collection of innovative andfun equipment which gets peopleto move their bodies in a naturaland fluid way. Functional equip-ment such as the TRX, Kettlebells,Fitness Balls etc can be used in anunlimited amount of exercises, theonly limitations is the imaginationand knowledge of the trainer.

However, unlike traditional car-dio equipment which states what amember has to do, effective func-tional training requires a greateramount of education. This shouldnot been seen as a downside tofunctional fitness but an elementwhich needs to be factored in formaximum ROI, for example amember can walk up to a TRX andthink of a few ways to use it, how-ever a trainer who is fully informedcould show them over 700 ways touse it, making their workout moreversatile, effective, fun and stimu-lating therefore ensuring that theycome back.

Any club who incorporates func-tional fitness needs to include con-tinual education and training inorder to get the most from yourequipment and offer a better expe-rience to your members.

Along with education, an integralpart of functional training that isoften ignored is flooring. Becausefunctional training equipmentneeds to be easily assessable forgroup classes, 121 training etc theyare typically stored in the actual

exercise studios.

However, without the correctflooring this can look very messy,unprofessional and definitely notthe type of impression you want togive your members.

For functional fitness opting for aspecific open training floor withunique storage options are key tosuccessfully integrating functionalfitness equipment into any club. Agreat example of this is DW Sportswho successfully integrated func-tional flooring into their trainingspaces, offering their membersincreased exercise possibilities,greater equipment accessibilityand ultimately made their func-tional fitness areas attractive, styl-ish and user friendly.

Many of our clients who haveintegrated functional equipmentonto the fitness floor have seenhow it can lead to revenue generat-ing programming, increased mem-ber satisfaction and improvedretention rates.

The low relatively low cost offunctional equipment in compari-son to conventional means thateducation and fully functionalflooring are still a realistic possibil-ity for a club on a budget and is agreat investment for boosting theirbusiness.

The dangersof functionaltraining ...

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UK FITNESS SCENE30

ONE of our strategies is to offerevery member a programmereview, when they want it, butallow them to defer it.

A couple of award-winning clubsI know pride themselves on theirexercise programme renewal, butanalysis showed that over 70 percent of members’ programmeshad expired at both.

Some clubs still ‘mandate’ areview every eight to 12 weeks toavoid exercise plateau, maintainmotivation, etc.

A 1,000 member club doingreviews every 10 weeks willrequire three full-time instructorsworking constantly on reviews!

Firstly, we recommend talking to members about a “review”rather than exercise programmerenewal.

A review should talk aboutwants, goals, and preferences andlead on to exercise programming.

Next, have a system to trackreviews due, done, and deferred.You should know how manyreviews were offered and carriedout last month, and how manywill be due next month.

Finally, let’s talk abouttimescales.

At a 1,000 member club, yourstaff should be doing 150-300reviews per month, assumingmembers want a programmereview on average every three tosix months.

Make it easier on yourselves andmore engaging for the member byasking when they would like theirnext review. Write down guide-

lines, such as no longer than ayear between offering a review.For members that “don’t know”,suggest your ‘standard’ period, butlet them choose if that feels rightfor them.

This way, when the review comesaround, the member will acknowledge it’s their choice, andare more likely to go through withit.

In a study last year of around1,200 members who were offeredreviews in one month, we saw 20per cent take up the review, and80 per cent defer the review date.

Overall attendance for all 1,200members increased from less thanone visit per week to almost twovisits per week.

This year those clubs offeraround 500 reviews per month,with a take-up rate of around 80per cent, and only 20 per centdeferring.

The effect of offering the reviewis always positive on visit frequen-cy.

So make it easier on your staffand members by personalising the review date as much as possi-ble.

This might make it more com-plex for your systems, but they canhandle it, and it will give you posi-tive results.

� Guy Griffiths works for GG Fit, anindependent consultancy that helpsclubs to focus on member retention byworking with staff, systems andprocesses.www.ggfit.com twitter – @ggfit

The exercise programme review is a key part of most clubs’member journey or retention strategy. Despite this, veryfew reviews are being completed, which leads to poormember retention, as Guy Griffiths explains.

Member reviewsget resultson retention

OLYMPIC champion Sally Gunnellhelped celebrate the launch ofNuffield Health Fitness andWellbeing’s new health clinic inPaddington.

The centre aims to provide every-thing needed to stay fit and healthyunder one roof – with services avail-able ranging from fitness classes tonutritional advice and physiotherapy.

The launch gave locals the chanceto take part in health assessmentsand the latest classes and expertswere also on hand to give advice onall aspects of fitness and wellbeing.

Nuffield Health’s regional director ofclinical products and services Gavin

Quinton said: "The launch of our newHealth Clinic at Paddington demon-strates Nuffield Health's commitmentto a new joined up way of managinghealth and fitness. We know that peo-ple are keen to make changes andtake a more proactive approach totheir health, but until now there hasbeen nowhere offering all these serv-ices and expertise in one place.

"Having GPs, physiotherapists,physiologists and nutritional thera-pists in the same building as fitnessfacilities enables professionals towork together to keep our customershealthy and support them in makinglong-term lifestyle changes.”

Sally joins clinic launchcelebration in Paddington

Campaign aims to get people in the swimALL of Freedom Leisure’s swimmingpools have signed up to support amajor campaign aimed at encour-aging more people to swim on aregular basis.

The Big Splash campaign has beenlaunched by British Swimming andover the next 10 months aims toentice new people to try swimmingand help those that already swim tohave more fun and go more often.

Managing director Jeff Hart said:“This campaign is a great move topromote the advantages of swim-ming and to increase participation.There’s more opportunity than everto get into the pool and have fun.With clubs, classes and swimminggroups, it’s a sociable and enjoyablesport which has universal healthbenefits for all ages.”

30 21/6/11 18:07 Page 1

31 lockers4less 27/6/11 10:15 Page 1

UK FITNESS SCENE32

CREATIVE Fitness Marketing hasappointed two leading health andfitness industry figures to helplaunch and distribute MYZONE ona global scale.

Mike Leveque, previously presi-dent and COO at Star Trac, hasjoined CFM as chief operating offi-cer, while Phil Williams, formerlyhead of commercial and NGOpartnerships for the Department ofHealth’s Change4Life programme,is the company’s new head of mar-keting and communications.

CEO of CFM and creator of

MYZONE, Dave Wright said: “Theirtrack records speak volumes. I amconfident that they’re the best peo-ple to join me in this new ventureand work towards revolutionisinghow exercise is monitored andreported in a range of differentenvironments.”

MYZONE is a new software solu-tion that makes movement meas-urable, by using a heart rate belt toaccurately monitor calorie burn,effort and heart rate to motivateand promote physical activity.

Dave Wright with Phil Williams, left, and Mike Leveque, right

Two join CFM to helpin MYZONE launch

Young people wanting to get into the fit-ness industry have been given a helpinghand thanks to a new apprenticeship cam-paign.Project Rough Seas, launched by TV presen-ter Ben Fogle, will give 60 disadvantagedyoung people the chance to get involved in

a series of sporting and mentoring activi-ties, designed to equip them with usefulskills for the workplace.At the end of the programme, participantswill be placed into six month Ethical Skillsand Training apprenticeships in a range ofsectors, including fitness and leisure.

Centre invests in new equipmentBIRMINGHAM’S largest council-owned leisure centre has invested inthe latest equipment from PowerPlate, the pro6 machine.

The city council already used thepro5 model in its centres but whenequipping the gym at Cocks Moors

Woods Leisure Centre, decided tooffer the next level of training, byinstalling the newest model.

If the pro6 proves as popular as theother Power Plate machines, thecouncil will look to roll them out toother leisure centres in the area.

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UK FITNESS SCENE 33

THORNTON Hall’s position nearLiverpool, Chester and North Walesmakes it the ideal spot for a weekendaway – something which the manage-ment is keen to capitalise on.

Tourism bosses in Wirral are alsoworking hard to push the area as anattractive destination for short breaksand working with local businesses,such as the hotel and health club, tocreate packages is seen as the wayforward to boost visitor numbers.

The club was opened about 14 yearsago as a natural extension to thehotel’s offering and although the twoare run as separate businesses, hav-ing them both on the same site pro-vides the ideal opportunity to crosssell.

But with an existing membershipbase of 1,000 people, health club gen-eral manager Roy Burkey revealedthat a constant focus on quality andcustomer care ensures both existingmembers and hotel guests get themost from their visits.

He said: “We want to provide the‘wow factor’ every time. Having tomaintain that standard of customercare is the challenge. It’s the littlethings that matter, like providingMolton Brown toiletries in the chang-ing rooms.”

The club is clearly doing somethingright as a waiting list has had to beintroduced for membership.

Someone who joins the list now canexpect to be waiting until Novemberfor a place and to secure their mem-bership has to pay a £50 fee, which isthen deducted from a £200 joiningfee.

The gym believes it is offering alevel of service which is worth payingfor so has a policy to never offer anydiscounts on membership.

Unlike many clubs, they also offerjust one type of membership, whichcosts £52 a month and allows mem-bers full use of the facilities from6.30am to 10pm seven days a week.

Roy added: “The joining fee acts as

a commitment. It also creates a feel-ing of prestige and shows what wefeel the value of the club is. We usethe money to reinvest in new facili-ties and equipment.”

The club also feels it’s important toact on member feedback and encour-ages them to fill out comment cardsand keeps in touch via email flyersand newsletters.

But Roy added the most importantthing is for staff to get out there andtalk to members.

He added: “People buy from people.We want to be a club within a club sohold a lot of social events, which area great way of talking to members. Wewant to come across as friendly and Itry to operate an open door policy formy office.

“Personal contact and communica-tion with members is key. The mostimportant thing is providing thatservice. The place wouldn’t be herewithout the members – it’s a two waypartnership.”

Situated on a family run complex which also includes a four star hotel, Thornton HallCountry Health Club balances keeping its loyal membership base happy with lookingafter the needs of hotel guests. Workout visited the club.

THE club also believes in rewardingloyalty and makes the effort to ensureevery member feels valued.

Visitors to the Times restaurant aregiven a loyalty card, which is stampedeach time they spend £5.

Three stamps earns them a free hotdrink, when they get to six it’s a freefresh orange juice and a full card of eight stamps can beexchanged for a quarter bottle of redor white wine.

Other popular incentives haveincluded sending out birthday cardsand offering members discounts onspa and beauty treatments.

Features at the club include:� 20m swimming pool with heatedwhirlpool.� Spa pool with power jets.� Sauna and steam room.� Technogym equipped fitness suite.� Fully sprung and air conditioned aerobicsstudio.� Outdoor hot tub.� Restaurant.� Beauty and hair spa, which offers a 10per cent discount for members on treatments.

Hall aims to provide‘wow factor’ every time

Club keen toreward loyaltyof members

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34

Kids Fitnessiinn aassssoocciiaattiioonn wwiitthh

Quarter of parentsworried that childisn’t active enoughBy Dominic Musgrave

ONE in four British parents are wor-ried their child isn’t active enough,according to a survey by Lloyds TSB.

The survey, commissioned ahead ofNational School Sport Week, lookedat the attitudes of British adults withschool aged children towards sportand physical activity.

With just over a year to go until theOlympic Games in London, the sur-vey highlighted the costs of sportsclub membership outside of schooland equipment are seen by parents asbig barriers to their children doingmore physical activity.

But the results showed adults arekeen for youngsters to become moreactive, with 81 per cent of parentsbelieving sport can play an importantrole in their child’s development and92 per cent fully supporting theirchild taking part in sport.

Lloyds TSB National School SportWeek ambassador Gabby Logan said:“Parents are often the first place chil-dren look to when they want to domore sport and the research high-

lights the important role we can playin ensuring they remain activebeyond school PE lessons.

“As a keen sportswoman myself, Ibelieve it is my role to inspire mychildren to try new things and takepart in more sport and physical activ-ity and that is why I will continue toencourage and facilitate their sport-ing activities, both in and out ofschool.

“As family life gets busier andbusier, it’s so important that parentslead by example, remain active, andencourage their children to take partin more physical activity.

“I was fortunate that my own par-ents were very active and inspired meto participate in sport and I can reallysee the benefit of playing sports andwatching my kids take part to sup-port them in remaining active, fit andhealthy.”

Lloyds TSB is now encouraging par-ents, no matter how active, to getbehind their child’s school andpledge their support for NationalSchool Sport Week, which takes placefrom June 27 to July 1.

Centresteam upwith FitKidHORIZON Leisure Centres haveteamed up with FitKid to offerthe LazyTown Sports Club atHavant Leisure Centre.

The classes are based on hitchildren's TV show LazyTown and encourage children to get active and eathealthily.

After every session, childrenreceive a special health mes-sage from their Superhero Sportacus to take home andcolour in.

Horizon Leisure Centres’ salesand marketing manager WillJones said: “We are really excit-ed about the introduction ofthe new Lazy Town sessions to our weekly activity programme.

“These sessions will reallyappeal to children who lovewatching the characters on television and really promotesome of the key messages wewant to get across to parents –more exercise and healthy eat-ing for happy kids.”

Ellesmere College first girls’ ten-nis team have qualified for theAberdare Cup National Schools’Under 19 Championships.The team played and won theirmatches at county and regionallevels to qualify as one of 16teams from around the countryto play in the finals.Director of Ellesmere CollegeTennis Academy Nikki Hoy said:“This is a very exciting develop-ment for the EC Tennis Academy,since it is the first time since thelaunch of the Academy that wehave won the regional finals andhave qualified for this presti-gious national championship.”

Retention success for Merseyside PartnershipMERSEYSIDE Sports Partnership hasachieved one of the highest retentionrates in the country for a nationwideprogramme designed to help moreyoung people into sport.

Nationally, the Sport Unlimited pro-gramme target was to provide900,000 young people with sportingopportunities outside of school hoursand retain them in the programmefor 60 per cent of sessions.

The Sport Unlimited programme inMerseyside involved the delivery of

eight to 10 week blocks of out ofschool activities for five to 16 yearolds, delivered both on the schoolsite and in the community with aview to developing sustainableincreases in sport and physical activity. In Merseyside, the pro-gramme has reached 40,410 youngpeople over three years and 28,710were retained during the life of theprogramme. This year’s retention fig-ure was 17,070, increased from 9,939in year two.

Development officer for SportUnlimited and Step into Sport BrionyFarrell said: “Our success is thanks tothe fantastic partnership working inMerseyside.

“Research prior to delivery enabledus to identify popular sessions andour partners delivered quality coach-ing ensuring a high participation andretention rate.

“This shows how we really havemade the Sport Unlimited initiativework for Merseyside.”

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35

Kids Fitnessiinn aassssoocciiaattiioonn wwiitthh

Energy drinks could makechildren pile on poundsENERGY drinks could make childrenpile on the pounds as they are notactive enough to burn off the addi-tional calories, a new report hasclaimed.

The American Academy ofPediatrics’ study outlines how theseproducts are being misused, discuss-es their ingredients and providesguidance to decrease or eliminateconsumption by children and adoles-cents.

Co author Marcie Beth Schneidersaid: “There is a lot of confusionabout sports drinks and energydrinks, and adolescents are oftenunaware of the differences in theseproducts.

“Some kids are drinking energydrinks – containing large amounts ofcaffeine – when their goal is simply torehydrate after exercise. This meansthey are ingesting large amounts ofcaffeine and other stimulants, whichcan be dangerous.”

According to the authors, children

should be made aware sports drinksare intended to replace water andelectrolytes lost through sweatingduring exercise.

They added sports drinks can behelpful for young athletes engaged inprolonged, vigorous physical activi-ties, but in most cases are unneces-sary on the sports field or the schoollunchroom.

AAP recommendations include:� Paediatricians should highlight thedifference between sports drinks andenergy drinks with patients and theirparents and talk about the potentialhealth risks.� Energy drinks pose potential healthrisks because of the stimulants theycontain and should never be con-sumed by children or adolescents.� Routine ingestion of carbohydrate-containing sports drinks by childrenand adolescents should be avoided orrestricted, because they can increasethe risk of obesity, as well as dentalerosion.

� Sports drinks have a limited func-tion for paediatric athletes; theyshould be ingested when there is aneed for rapid replenishment of car-bohydrates and/or electrolytes incombination with water during pro-longed, vigorous physical activity.� Water, not sports drinks, should bethe principal source of hydration forchildren and adolescents.

Holly J. Benjamin, a member of theexecutive committee of the AAPCouncil on Sports Medicine andFitness and co-author of the report,added: “For most children engagingin routine physical activity, plainwater is best.

“Sports drinks contain extra caloriesthat children don’t need, and couldcontribute to obesity and toothdecay. It’s better for children to drinkwater during and after exercise, andto have the recommended intake ofjuice and low-fat milk with meals.Sports drinks are not recommendedas beverages to have with meals.”

YOUNG cricket fans at EllesmereCollege will be able to improve theirgame when the schools hosts its firstAndrew Flintoff Cricket Academy thissummer.

The academy is a fun-filled courseis for all cricket enthusiasts agedbetween five and 15 years old and willrun for a week in August.

During the week, there will be ses-sions led by the England team playersas well as members of the EnglandWomens’ team.

Andrew Flintoff said: “I’m delightedmy Academy is at Ellesmere Collegethis summer.

“Although it is sad that my playingcareer has come to an end, it doesmean that I am able to devote moretime to my Academy.

“I've been working on the curricu-lum and we've got some fantasticcoaches on board.”

Academy chancefor young cricketers

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INDUSTRY NEWS36

NEW Jordan Weight Vest – increasethe intensity by adding this weightedvest to your work out.

These vests are an excellent acces-sory for any work out if you want toincrease strength and endurance. Byadding or removing the weightedpackets to the pocketed vest, you canincrease resistance to running drillsor suspension training, for example,allowing natural exercise progression.

They can be used indoors or out-doors – great for adding intensity tooutdoor activities such as jogging,climbing and walking.

The vests progress in three weightsizes from 4.5kg (10lbs) to 18kg(40lbs). The Jordan Weight Vest has aunique adjustable design with one size fitting all, which means theyare suitable for both men andwomen. Each weight packet weighs0.34kg.

The granulated steel shot packetsthat fit into the internal pockets onthe vest means they are very comfort-able to use.

The nylon outer canvas is extremelydurable and the neoprene coveredshoulder padding makes the vest

comfortable to use. The way the vestis designed means that both the vestand the weights remain secure evenduring the most physical exercise.

This training accessory is ideal forplyometrics, aerobics and strengthtraining, aiding speed, agility andendurance.

Prices for the Jordan Weighted Veststart at £26.06 (incl vat) for the 4.5kg(10lbs) vest.

For more information visit www.jordanfit-ness.co.uk or contactsales@jordanfitness.co.uk

Increase the intensity of yourworkout with new weighted vest

Rugby champions lookforward to continuingwinning partnership

GREAT new feature areas,a much bigger exhibition and around 200 elite ath-letes to talk to, and hearfrom, attracted recordnumbers to this year’sBodyPower Expo.

The official attendancenumber for the 2011BodyPower Expo was23,065.

Marketing director OllieUpton said: “BodyPowerExpo aims to give every-one into power sportsand fitness a great dayout.

“We worked really hardto ensure that weachieved this aim andfrom the feedback we’vehad I think that weachieved this.”

Plans for next year’sBodyPower Expo are wellunderway, and the showexpands to three opendays. The dates are May18 – 20 at the NEC.

Ollie added: “We havedecided to add a thirdday to the event that willbe open to press, previewand holders of the threeday team BodyPowerticket.

“We will continue todevelop the show withmore interesting andinformative features, topname athletes, interac-tive competitions toensure that our visitorscontinue to thoroughlyenjoy their visit toBodyPower, which wehope, one day, will be thebest fitness show in theworld.”

BodyPowercelebratesrecordnumber of visitors

SARACENS have been celebrating afterbeing crowned Aviva PremiershipRugby Champions following a 22-18win over Leicester Tigers in a pulsatingfinal at Twickenham.

The victory ended an agonising 13-year wait for a trophy for the Men inBlack, and was greeted by scenes ofjubilation by fans, players and coachesas Sarries were crowned kings at thehome of English rugby.

USN, the official nutrient supplier toSaracens have enjoyed a fine partner-ship with the club – supplying it withsupplements that have enhanced play-ers’ fitness, energy levels and injuryrecovery time, ensuring the teamproved unstoppable in their quest forhonours.

James Short was the hero for Saracens

on the day, going over for the only tryof the game, while Owen Farrell kickedfive points and Short a conversion tosecure the Premiership crown.

Saracens preparation and condition-ing gave them an edge in the homestraight, as the team powered over thefinishing line at the season’s finale,recording 11 straight victories to marchinto the league’s semi-finals where theydispatched Gloucester before advanc-ing to Twickenham.

Once there, they were able to gainrevenge on Leicester, who defeatedthem 33-27 in last year’s final.

During the regular season, Saracenswon more games than any other side –18 in all – with their fitness, enduranceand power key attributes in what wasan unforgettable season.

Saracens high performance directorScott Murphy credits part of the team’ssuccess to its partnership with USN.

He said: “USN offered us productsthat are research-based.

“In simple terms, they work. Coupledwith outstanding value for money andtasty products that the players actuallyenjoy consuming, we knew we were onto a good thing.

“We couldn’t be happier. Our fitness and strength testing scores were excellent and the injury rates aredown.

“The mountain of work the playersget through is made a lot more possibleby USN products. We look forward tothe continued partnership betweenUSN and Saracens.”

‘New Platinum product goes the extra mile’DONCASTER Culture and LeisureTrust, which operates 12 leisure venuesin Doncaster, has benefited from theinstallation of a brand new servicefrom collection specialists, DebitFinance Collections.

FASTDD Platinum is a brand newproduct that provides trusts and localauthorities with an online portal thatcan be designed to look like their exist-ing website and fully integrate withsystems to provide a seamless journeyfor the member.

Group health and fitness manager forDCLT Kraig Kelly said: “The functional-ity of the new system is muchimproved and the sign up process inparticular is very simple which benefitsboth our staff and our customers.

“We wanted to work with a companythat we trusted and who truly understands the needs of our business.

“We turned to Debit FinanceCollections again as we know that theycan help and FASTDD Platinum is an

excellent product backed by experi-enced and efficient support.”

David Mellor of Debit FinanceCollections added: “FASTDD providesour customers with an excellent systemthat enables them to provide online

direct debit solutions.

“The new Platinum product goes theextra mile and provides a greaterdegree of integration and flexibilitythat more and more of our customershave been asking for.”

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COMBATFITNESS

37

THE Tube Boxing group exercise programmegives you all the tools you need to run out-standing boxing based fitness workouts; train-ing, equipment, marketing, class programmes,music and regular updates.

Whether it’s SMALL GROUP in the gym orLARGE GROUP in the studio, Tube will create anew workout space that will captivate yourmembers. The new ADIDAS ProfessionalBoxing Range equips your area with a varietyof new products. Including 12 different types

of bag, Adidas boxing willhelp develop skills and tech-niques and will make everyworkout fun and interesting.

From entry level gloves toABA and AIBA approvedgloves, Adidas offers you themost professional range tosuit your needs.

To give your members the ulitmate boxing experience,

contact: 01487 831185enquiries@tubeboxing.co.uk

‘More than just a workout’By Sol Gilbert

I HAVE always found there is a bigdifference between training as aboxer and training for MMA.

Even though they are both combatsports, one requires more variety inthe training programmes, which forme is MMA.

As a boxer you still need to work onyour strength and conditioning butthe technique would remain focusedaround one discipline.

But due to the nature of MMA, youhave to be as skilled as a boxer, asagile as a wrestler, as flexible as aMuay Thai fighter and also possessome ground skills knowledge.

A new age of gym is amongst us andhere at ZT Fitness and Fight Skool webelieve we have hit the nail on thehead.

Our equipment offering is very dif-ferent and edgy compared to “normal

gyms”. We place a great emphasis onfunctional training, Olympic Liftingand natural forms of movement.

Our lower floor “Power Room” is kit-ted out with two York Olympic LiftingPlatforms, two York STS Power Racks,1000kg+ of bumper plates, benchesand bars. This covers all the needs ofthe modern athlete, but also anyoneelse interested in reaping the rewardsfrom this form of training.

We have always stayed true to ourvision of bringing MMA training tothe mainstream market. The best wayof doing that is making it available, soright in the middle of our main gymwe have 1500 sq ft of matted boxingarea where we hold the classes andthe team training sessions.

In the future, I see a lot more gymsadopting this strategy as MMA is hereto stay. The conditioning element isnot only fun but extremely successfulin getting you in shape.

Boxing bid to get youngsters into fitnessAN EDINBURGH gym has beenoffering boxing classes to getyoung people into fitness andgive them something to focus on.

Personal trainer Ryan Faichneyhas been holding classes atEdinburgh Boxing Academy toencourage kids in the area tobecome more active and tosocialise with each other.

The club currently gets about20-30 kids through its doors every Monday, Wednesday and Fridaywho are taught boxing techniquesand exercises designed to helpthem boost their fitness levelsand have fun.

Ryan explained: “We haverecently been running lots of pro-motions on obesity in childrenand the severe detrimental effectsit’s having on some of the kids weget down here.

“I’ve become increasingly awareof their severe sedentarylifestyles. With so much enter-tainment at their fingertips, try-ing to compete with the likes ofthe Playstation and Xbox is a los-ing battle but I am trying throughlocal schools and papers to bring

it to kids’ and adults’ attentionand act on it before it’s too late.”

Keeping the classes affordable issomething Ryan feels stronglyabout. He goes into schools tooffer free taster sessions and ifkids are interested in taking partin sessions at the gym, they pay asmall fee of £2 per class. There arealso added incentives – such asfree sessions – for those who refera friend. He said the kids love tak-ing part and he would like to seemore gyms setting up similarschemes to offer their facilities toyoung people.

He added: “Just get out andspeak to them and make more ofan effort. A lot of gyms hope peo-ple will come down and they arejust numbers. I am hoping tomake it more personal.”

Ryan’s future plans includeturning the gym into a communi-ty hub where kids can comedown and try classes but alsohave somewhere to hang out withfriends and get access to advice.

He would also like to open othersites to cater for young people indifferent areas.

Why we’re very different and edgy

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

40

Leading fitness model and healthy eating ambassador Carly Thornton relies on eating well to look and feelgood. In the first of a two-part feature for Workout, she reveals what motivated her to change her lifestyleand the impact healthy eating has had on her life.

THROUGHOUT my teens I was a very inactivechild. It was not till my early 20's that I realisedmy poor nutrition was taking a toll on my body.

In an attempt to shape up, I joined a localgym and began going a few times a week. It wasvery nerve racking at first, but I started to reallyenjoy it.

For a short while I only did cardio and thenstarted to experiment with the weights andrealized how much I loved the feeling. I wouldlift heavy, but wasn't getting the results.

I longed for that toned, athletic look but hadno clue how to truly obtain it. It was not until Istarted reading up on nutrition that I slowlysaw my body change. I taught myself theimportance of exercise diversity and clean eat-ing.

Within a few disciplined months, my bodybegan to transform. I felt amazing! I felt physi-cally fit and emotionally, I had a true sense ofaccomplishment and well being.

After my first competition, and coincidentally,my first win, I realised I had found a path formy life. I decided I wanted to be an inspirationto others, just as those figure/fitness ladies thatinspired me in magazines.

My next competition was the UKBFF BritishChampionships where I placed second andthen in the Top 15 at the IFBB Europeans. I pro-

gressed to being a judge within the NAC, whichwas totally amazing and such an honour to beasked. To be on the other foot really helped melearn more on what the judges see – such asstage presence, skin tone and well being ofeach competitor.

More recently I have become better known formy fitness modelling and inspiring others toseek their goals. For me this has to be thehugest achievement and motivation for me as Ithrive on helping others succeed, especiallywith training and nutrition as it’s such a pas-sion, so it’s a dream to share it with people andhelp them learn.

I am now involved with a lot of promotionalwork for different supplements such as UdosChoice and other companies, I love the model-ling side of it all as it keeps me motivated tostay in shape. I’m aiming to get back on stagethis year where I will be bringing a far leaner,slender model look rather than as muscular afigure.

I have my own websitewww.carlythornton.com and have started semi-nars called “shape-up” which are for ladies ofall ages, to educate them more on leading ahealthy lifestyle.

� Coming next issue – Carly answers Workout’squestions on diet and supplementation

How Carly transformedher body and her life

Repetition is key to formingnew habits says RolandGYMS which include workshops on areas such as nutrition andlifestyle could help members achievebetter results, according to theauthor of a new book who believes a holistic approach to fitnessis key.

Personal trainer Roland White wroteHow to Survive in the Urban Jungle tohelp busy professionals lead healthi-er lives.

He split the book into sectionsfocusing on areas such as types ofexercise, food and weight loss, posture and the importance of sleep.

And he believes gyms which focuson all these things, rather than justexercise alone, are better equipped tohelp members to reach their goals.

He said: “I believe in a holisticapproach. There is a lot of focus onexercise in gyms but it is also impor-tant to look at lifestyle.”

Roland also said it a useful way ofgetting the message across is to breakinformation down into manageablechunks, which is where weekly ormonthly workshops could fit into aclub.

He added: “To get people to changetheir behaviour, they need to bereminded of what they are doing littleand often.

“This makes them more aware.Repetition is key to forming newhabits.

“People can get overwhelmed bytoo much information.

“Gyms could introduce workshops,

which would encourage people towrite things down and talk themthrough.”

Roland’s other useful tips for gymowners include encouraging members to create food and sleepdiaries, which can be looked at toestablish patterns and he now hopesto expand his services into work-places to offer health checks toemployees.

“I have been really pleased with thebook and it has had some goodreviews. I would now like to workwith more business owners to implement health checks for employ-ees.

“I would be really open to that as it’sa quick, cheap and motivational wayto get people to change.”Roland White

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

42

IF your gym has an underused area,an in house, healthy-eating cafecould be the perfect way to utilisethe space and bring in some extracash.

A typical menu could include arange of high protein, low carboptions with popular choicesincluding egg-based dishes such asomelettes, chicken, tuna, jacketpotatoes, healthy sandwiches andfruit smoothies.

But with a minefield of nutritionalinformation available to members,the message from clubs who havetried and tested cafes is clear – keepthe menu simple and affordable

and customers will come back formore.

One club leading the way is Zeusgym in East Sussex where the cafearea is proving popular with mem-bers who want a nutritious mealpost workout.

Owner Sue Kennedy explained:“Exercise and nutrition go hand inhand. Explain to people what theyshould be eating, without gettingtechnical and put it in simple terms.

“The menu here is low fat withgood clean carbs – things that peo-ple should be eating. If you have goteverything under one roof, peoplecan get the results they want.”

Ripped Gym in Harlow is also pro-moting healthy eating habits byserving up food to hungry mem-bers.

Gym owner Michelle Mead added:“Having a kitchen seemed like theother half of the coin – if you aregoing to train you need to eat prop-erly. The menu is mostly targeted atbodybuilders. Most people knowchicken and tuna are the staples butwe try to flavour them as much aspossible, using spices like cajun andtandoori. Our kitchen is open from10am to 9pm and gets absolutelypacked. It’s always busy and reallygood for secondary spend.”

Michelle also offered advice forany other clubs thinking about tak-ing the plunge and opening theirown cafe.

She told Workout the kitchen getsinspected once a year byEnvironmental Health and awardeda star rating so it is vital to keep upto date with safety and hygiene.

Ripped’s kitchen has achieved themaximum five stars and Michelleputs this down to regular staff train-ing. She added: “We train our staffregularly and they have to have cer-tain certificates. We keep them up todate with their training and hygieneis always top of the list.”

Educating members about nutrition can prove challenging for any gym owner but introducing food and drinkfacilities on site can help them win the battle – and generate valuable secondary spend. Workout speaks toclubs which are leading the way.

How a healthy cafecan add that extraingredient to gyms ... Fruit smoothies and protein

rich dishes are selling wellin many gym cafes

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

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LAST month I shared a story of aclient who had failed with fitnessbut won with lifestyle. This month Ithought I’d tell you about the moreemotional MOT sessions, so youare fully prepared if a client (andit’s usually the ones you leastexpect!) suddenly breaks down in alifestyle type of session.

I would say that in six out of 10lifestyle MOT sessions there aretears. I even found this in my cor-porate MOT sessions, and thisincluded male senior managementtoo!

People’s inability to succeed in fit-ness, to be motivated to eat well orbe focused at work, are oftenbecause of stuff going on in ourhead, and indeed the inability tocope.

A common theme amongst mostof my clients is a feeling of beingoverwhelmed with modern daymayhem; financial pressure – espe-cially in the last few years, trying tobe a good worker, a good parent, agood partner, having a nice homeetc and of course not having timeto train or look after themselves.Another common theme is that

many clients don’t feel like they areliving the life they thought theywould be, or have made somewrong decisions, or are a bit lost.Can you imagine the implicationall of this has on someone’s motiva-tion, drive and well being? In addi-tion, clients can often not feel likethey can talk to their partners, col-leagues or friends, and that’s whywhen they sit down to let off somesteam on where they are at withyou, they have a huge sense ofrelief and they can let go.

I had a guy recently, 42, who waseating crap, didn’t have time toexercise, was working 15 hour daysdoing three people’s job becausehis boss had made cuts, wasexhausted when he got home, justwanted to crash at the weekend, hiswife was annoyed because shenever saw him and they didn’t havea social life let alone had sex and hehad been like this for about 12months. When he walked in to oursession, I knew he was on his lastlegs. ‘I just can’t go on like this butI don’t know what to do’. He brokedown and I listened. He looked somuch better after he had let it allout and we started to make a plan

so he was more in control of hislife. The first thing I did was intro-duce date night for him and hiswife – every Wednesday withoutfail. I got him juicing in the morn-ing and eating more fresh mood-boosting foods.

He did one training session in theweek and one at the weekend andwe worked out optimum energytimes. I helped him project plan hisworkload AND project plan hisrelaxing time, I got him to set up aweekly fun brain storm and task listmeeting with his team to createenthusiasm instead of stress. I gothim to be more productive withwork, created some ‘switch off’rules, ie no blackberry after 7pmand no internet at home in theweek.

Three months later, he has losttwo stones, he has had his bestquarter of sales in two years, he hasrekindled his relationship and theytrain together now once a week, hehas started to cycle to work every-day, is entering his first triathlonlater this summer and is the fittestand happiest he has been in a longtime.

In this month’s column, Fit for a Princess founder Janey Holliday explains how to help your clients create theright environment to change and get results ...

‘In six out of 10 lifestyle MOTsessions there are tears’

Janey Holliday

Top sports nutritionist Matt Lovell has joined forces with Kinetica to create two new flavours of the company’s popular whey proteinrange. The powder is now available in banoffee and mint chocolate as well as the existing strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavours.

Relaunchfor energykick gelSPORTS nutrition specialist CNP hasrelaunched its Pro Energy Max gelwith an improved flavour.

The gel, the result of a productdevelopment partnership with TeamSky and Great Britain Cycling,is designed to give not only an initial energy kick but also a sus-tained boost, allowing athletes tomaintain their increased perform-ance.

The new version’s taste is “down onthe sweetness and up on the colaflavour,” according to CNP’s market-ing manager Paul Riley.

He added: “The reaction to the new flavour has been great,really positive – in taste panel testseveryone has been very complimentary.”

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PRODUCT NEWS46

DALESAUNA have just launched anew online purchasing facility forswimming pool chemicals and otheritems such as sauna and steam roomessences.

As part of their new website, thisonline shopping offers great pricesfor their most popular items and isavailable for existing and new cus-tomers alike.

Sarah Chatten who is responsiblefor department said: “We realise thatpeople are shopping more and moreonline, and that there is a reluctanceto tie up money in holding largestocks of products. Our new websitewill allow for a quick and easy solu-tion to this problem, with deliveryavailable next day for those really

desperate for stock, and at greatprices.”

Dalesauna intend to add more andmore products to the online shop,and would be pleased to hear fromcustomers who don’t see exactly whatthey are looking for, to enable themto respond to market demands.

For more information visit www.dalesauna.co.uk

Online shopping at DalesaunaWHEN you take a group of fitnessenthusiasts and ask them what theywant to know, the same old answercomes back “Am I in shape? And howcan I get in better shape?”

The Bodypower show at the NECshowed the fitness industry is stillbooming with about 20,000 visitors.

The event was buzzing, with theorganisers laying on numerous activi-ties. Amongst the lectures anddemonstrations one of the standsthat was swamped was the Body FatCheck stand, organised by IdassFitness.

Idass have a long standing reputa-tion in the fitness industry as suppli-ers of both knowledge and quality fit-ness monitoring equipment, so wereideally placed to put together a stand

consist-ing ofSecascalesandheightmeter,withthree lev-els of Body fat measuring.

At the entry end, Idass have a plasticskinfold calliper starting at £9 up to£160, then we provided Bodystatunits which are really effective withinthe health club market. We also havethe latest Tanita body fat analyserwhich provides data on segmentalinformation.

For more information contact Idass – PaulMoore – Paul@idass.com – 08448009310

Supplier of knowledge and equipment

A NEW state-of-the-art gym has justopened in the stunning AlbionRiverside development in south westLondon.

StarsGym has the ethos that every-one is capable of achieving and thefirst steps to success start with self-belief and passion.

With the emphasis on functionaltraining and martial arts, the clubboasts a fight cage, a Muay Thai box-ing ring, judo and punch bag area aswell as the traditional strength, cardioareas. The functional area featuresthe Freedom Climber, a climbingtrainer designed to stimulate themembers’ adventurous nature, whilstproviding a great total body and coremuscle workout.

Spokesman Richard Coates said:

“Whetheryou're anexperiencedclimberlooking forconvenientindoor train-ing or wanting to try climbing with-out going to a large indoor climbingwall, you should try our FreedomClimber.”

The StarsGym opening party fea-tured music from the Ministry ofSound, champagne and canapés withdemonstrations of cage fighting,Muay Thai boxing, rock climbing andjudo.

For information contact FreedomClimber on 01403 752223 or info@freedomclimber.co.uk

Out of the box and into the ring!LEADING international supplier ofname badges, Badgemaster, is citingtechnological advances as the reasonbehind its new, lower prices.

For over 17 years the company hasplaced keen emphasis on investing inthe most up to date manufacturingand order processing systems which,coupled with consistent volumegrowth, has always enabledeconomies to be passed on to cus-tomers.

MD John Bancroft said: “We’re nowin a position to complete even theshortest runs extremely cost-effec-tively, so we’ve overhauled our pricelist to make lower quantities ofbadges accessible at the same dis-counted rate previously reserved forhigher volumes and are able to offer

further significant savings for largerusers – and the product quality is bet-ter than ever!”

For more information or to put Badgemaster to the challenge,

contact the sales office on 01623 723112 orvisit www.badgemaster.co.uk

Lower price challenge from Badgemaster

THE training company that createdthe breakthrough SuspensionTraining method adds new trainingsystem for developing explosive androtational power.

Functional fitness revolutionariesEscape Fitness bring the new andexclusive Rip Trainer to the shores ofthe UK to add that add twist to yourworkout!

The TRX Rip Trainer complementsSuspension Training bodyweightexercise by offering a total bodyworkout emphasising rotationalpower and high velocity movements.

Benefits of Ripping it up:� Challenges core and stabilizer mus-

cles for better bal-ance and rota-tional power� Increasesmetabolicactivity

� Offers variableresistance for allfitness levels� Provides anefficient full-bodyworkout� Delivers hun-dreds of sport-spe-cific exercises

Visit: www.TRX-fitness.com to learn more

Are you ready to Rip it up? – EscapeFitness introduce TRX Rip Training THE new Zebra ZXP Series Three

plastic card printers from DED offer affordable card printing for users with low to medium volume card printing requirements.

Based on the popular Zebra P110and P120 series, the ZXP Series Threeoffers increased direct to card printing speeds of up to 160 cards perhour, field upgradeable encoding andEthernet interface options as well asincreased security features.

The ZXP Series Three printers arehighly versatile and designed withease of integration in mind – provid-ing flexible connectivity options andan SDK for custom applications, theZXP Series Three is the best value inits class for printing and encoding

photo ID, access control, gift cards, loyalty cards, membershipcards and many other types of plasticcards.

For more information contact 01797320636 or visit www.ded.co.uk

Small but perfectly formed ...

GETTING quality time with yourmembers is a daily balancing act forgym owners. Most days not evenspoken to a member. Then you startto think, why did I open the gym?To help my members get greatresults.Why do I seem to come up againstthe same problems most days?It is not that you are bad at your jobit’s just that too many repetitive taskstie up too much of your valuabletime. I should say at this point, asfounder of Club Manager that “youshould pick up the phone to us nowto find out more”, partly true.Sounds like a time managementcourse doesn’t it? Do not worry it’s really more aboutrepetitive tasks that take time up overa full year.

So split your tasksinto what can beautomated or dele-gated to another staffmember so you canget closer to yourmembers, whichfrom a retention per-spective alone will generate huge div-idends, plus generating those impor-tant member referrals because youhave more time to interact with yourmembers.

The other alternative is to call us atClub Manager where we can showyou the many time saving benefits wehave developed plus a whole lot moreto put you back in control of yourtime and your income.For further information call: 01245 352 000

or visit: www.clubmanagercentral.com

Want more quality time with your members?THE X-iser provides a method forfunctional cardio intervals.

Invented and patented by Dr JurisTerauds, professor of Biomechanics,the X-iser challenges balance, coordi-nation and neuro-muscularendurance all while performing aperfect cardio sprint interval.

The X-iser Machine, along with itshigh intensity, interval trainingresearch-based, time-efficient pro-gramming, offers that solution in aconvenient compact package.

The X-iser Machine was engineeredto ensure correct hip and knee align-ment, providing an optimal, impact-free workout that builds balance andstrength unlike any other piece ofequipment. The hands free designpromotes the development of sta-biliser muscles and correct posture,

which in turn,improves bal-ance.The natureof the hydraulicson the machineallows for a tech-nique that pro-duces a “staticequilibrium”, high-frequency step-ping action and is unique because itsspeed is not limited. The cardiovascu-lar demand of this intense exercisesignificantly challenges both the aer-obic and anaerobic metabolic sys-tems, improving overall conditioningfar more than traditional cardio.

Already utilised by professional sportsteams and coaches in the U.S.A. the X-iser

is now available in the UK fromwww.SprintTraining.co.uk

or call 01527 916246

A method for functional cardio intervals

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SUPPLEMENTATION AND NUTRITION

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Benefits of low fat/high carbdiet ‘have been misinterpreted’A TOP nutritionist and fitnessadvisor has told why hebelieves modern lifestyles andrefined foods have led to thebenefits of a low fat and highcarbohydrate diet becomingmisinterpreted.

Will Williams is the scientificadvisor for UK diet organisa-tion, All About Weight, and isresponsible for checking andworking with the Mealpak for-mula which forms the base ofthe company’s weight lossplans.

He said charity Diabetes UK recent-ly reviewed its nutritional recom-mendation that sufferers should eatless fat and more carbohydrates, bothto control their weight and blood glu-cose levels.

The charity now suggests optimalcarbohydrate intake is an individualaffair and a high carb diet may not bethe only option – a view which Willalso endorses both for diabetics andanyone wanting to lose weight andbecome fitter.

He explained: “Part of the reasonthe low fat, high carbohydrate diet

has not been effective at slowing therising tide of obesity and type twodiabetes is not that the recommenda-tions are wrong – rather, the problemis the strategy has been misinterpret-ed and corrupted by modern dietsand lifestyles.”

He added a Mediterranean style dietrich in fresh vegetables and fruit,unprocessed whole grains, and low insaturated fats is an effective way toreduce the risk of diabetes and car-diovascular disease, as well as help-ing to control weight.

He added: “However a diet like thisis rare today and unfortunately the

messages are all too oftenboiled down and oversimpli-fied. We are simply told to eatless fat and eat more starchyfood.

“Coupled with this, peopletoday are much less physical-ly active than they used to be.If we take in more energythan we expend, in the formof carbohydrates, it is storedas excess body fat.

“Our modern lifestyles andintensive food productionhave confounded dietary

guidelines that were based on solidevidence, so that well-meant healthyeating messages may have actuallyserved to exacerbate the problem ofoverweight and diabetes in the popu-lation. The key to successful weightmanagement in this obesogenic soci-ety is breaking dependence onrefined carbohydrates and high calo-rie, low nutrition foods. We believethat each individual should establishtheir own optimum level of carbohy-drate in their diet to maintain ahealthy weight, and this should comefrom nutritious food.”

LEADING sports supplement brandQNT, has for the third consecutiveyear placed among David Lloyd’s topfive suppliers.

Launching with a single product,QNT have grown a lucrative addition-al revenue stream for David Lloydand now source over 20 differentlines.

As well as RTD’s and bars, QNT’snew range of powders are proving abig hit with David Lloyd members. Coowned by Ex Olympians Mark Fosterand Colin Jackson, QNT’s productsare all manufactured to the highest

quality by their own manufacturingfacility and distributed in over 32countries worldwide.

For more information contact 01638 662589

David Lloyd leisure continue to growpartnership with QNT sports nutrition

THE GO.PRO.STATION is proving apopular addition for gym operatorsand their membership base alike. It’sthe first dispensing system designedfor gyms that allows you to servefreshly blended shakes quickly, clean-ly and profitably. In today’s marketplace it gives the gym operators valu-able profitable secondary spend.Whilst at the same time it’s meetingthe increasing demand for freshlyblended protein shakes or drinks.

Members prefer a freshly blendedproduct, but one of the challengeswhen offering freshly blended shakeis the time it takes to prepare, blendand serve. This system will allow youto make a shake from start to finishin less than 30 seconds – with nowashing up between shakes you canserve two or three shakes a minute.

Head of UK sales Nick Mills said:“The system is only one half of thestory though. The quality and taste ofthe product would be the definingfactor. Having our own factory andmanufacturing facility allows us com-plete control over the development ofour formulas, including the qualityand taste.

This approach has proved a great

success; at recent tasting sessions,the host gym independently meas-ured customer feedback, 96 per centsaid they enjoyed Go Pro Whey and 90 per cent said they would con-sider buying another Go Pro Wheyshake.

For further information contact goprotein.com on 01778-560868 or email

trade@goprotein.com

Shake station proves popular and profitable

Programme aimsto reverse maleaging processA NEW step by step programme hasbeen created combining exercise,nutrition and vitamins proven to haltand reverse the male aging process.

The Life Plan claims to reverse 'bio-logical age' by 10 to 20 years, whileintroducing men to a healthy aginglifestyle no matter what shape theymay be in.

The programme has been split intothree clear sections – nutrition anddiet, exercise and hormones and sup-plements – and has been created byDr Jeffry Life, founder and CEO of theLife Center for Healthy Aging.

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CLASSIFIED 49EQUIPMENT

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EQUIPMENT UPHOLSTERY

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INSURANCE

SOFTWARE

SOFTWARE

TRAININGSOFTWARE

FLOORING

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DIRECT DEBIT COLLECTIONS

NUTRITION

FINANCE

LOCKERS

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TRAINING

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WANTED

SUNBEDS

MARKETING

AUDIO VISUAL

BADGES

SERVICING

HYGIENE

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MANAGEMENT

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SAUNASWANTED

CLASSIFIED

Winner of The Biggest Loser, Wil Grahamhas become Workout’s newest columnist.Starting next issue, Wil be sharing his viewson the industry – starting with a look atwhat used to put him off going to the gymand and what motivated him to change hislife. If you have any questions or topics youwould like to see Wil discussing in Workout,send them to our editorial team atce@whpl.net or contact us on Twitter@WorkOutUK and we will pass them on tohim.

HEALTHWORKS Fitness Studiohas invested £12,000 to refurbishthe gym and improve its offering to keep up with local competition.

The independent club inStratford-Upon-Avon hasrevamped half the gym floor –upgrading facilities and introduc-ing new features including the

HumanSport range of equipmentfrom Star Trac.

Owner Jason Ziel said: “I havelimited floor space and the varia-tion of exercises the HumanSportpieces provides satisfies the needsof my members.

“It has also helped to modernisethe look of the gym floor, whichhelps us to stay competitive with

other clubs in the area.”

The gym opened its doors in 1994and currently has more than 300members.

Jason added he hopes the refur-bishment project will not onlyexpand training options for exist-ing members, but also attract newones.

Fitness studio invests to keepup with the competition

Warrior theme for fitness festivalMORE plans have been unveiled for anew fitness festival, which is beingorganised by an Essex-based inde-pendent gym owner.

The Valhalla Festival of Muscle andPower is encouraging visitors to dressup as their favourite warrior, withparticipants being rewarded a £5 dis-count into the show.

Anyone brave enough to get onstage will also be in with a chance ofwinning a trophy and being crownedMr or Miss Valhalla.

There is also a junior contest

for children.

The festival is being organised byScott Horton, who owns HerculesGym in Colchester, and takes placeon July 23-24 at Layer Marney Tower.

Other highlights of the weekend willinclude Viking workshops, story-telling and re-enactments, spear,knife and axe-throwing, and archery –as well as the official England’sStrongest Man contest and thelaunch of England’s Junior StrongestMan.

ContractawardedHEALTH and safety managementspecialist Right Directions has been awarded the contract to deliver the FIA’s Code of Practice.

The company already delivers Quest on behalf of Sport England and the two-year agreement with the FIA will bring two leading industry awards closer together,allowing operators to save both time and money by achieving theirFIA Code of Practice as part of theirQuest assessment.

It is hoped the link will attract moreprivate operators to look at SportEngland’s Quest award, as well asencouraging current Quest membersto sign up to the FIA and its Code ofPractice.

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