FOR GYM OWNERS AND HEALTH & FITNESS PROFESSIONALS
ISSUE 1 // APRIL 2016
Fuelling your
training
The lowdown
on supplements
and nutrition
Let’s make your
gym great
Personal trainer Andy Lee
on the changes in the
fitness industry
State of the art
Is your gym
using the best
technology?
Future fit
Gym design is evolving –
are you ready?
Ben Coomber
reports on
muscle
dysmorphia
6 of the
best
fitness
apps
ce
i
v
d
a
e
Matur ver 50s
o
Why the ost
rm
are you clientele
nt
importa
Security
raising the bar
How safe are your members?
Issue 1//April 2016
1
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Issue 1//April 2016
Official media
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Contents
Issue 1//April 2016//www.gymownermonthly.co.uk
T R E N DS
NEWS 7
OWNER OF THE MONTH Doug Millen from Grit Gym in Chichester he tells us what makes his gym tick
9
The latest news and hot topics in the industry
34
TOP 6… Fitness apps
H E A LT H
SUPPLEMENT YOUR TRAINING 10
PERSONAL TRAINER’S VIEW 13
MUSCLE DYSMORPHIA
35
Do supplements deliver what they promise?
Andy Lee on the changes in the fitness industry
Ben Coomber highlights this sensitive issue and looks at the impact
on the gym and its members.
S POT L IG H T
14
WORKING OUT SECURITY We look at how gyms are providing a safe and secure environment for customers
and staff
E X PE R I E NC E
‘THE BEST CLASSES TARGET THE WHOLE BODY’
25
ON YOUR MARKS… Adam Wilson takes us through his first month as owner of Anatomy 37 gym
33
Gym-goer Elizabeth Barker on how her gym helps her keep as healthy as possible
GEAR
FIT KIT
18
DESIGNED FOR LIFE? What’s the latest in gym design, and how can it help attract more members?
20
GETTING SMART IN THE GYM A look at the latest trends in gym equipment and technology
26
The best fitness kit and gadgets around
F I T N E SS
ASK THE EXPERT Got a problem you need solving? Our team of experts are here to help
23
THE 50+ REVOLUTION 28
Clients over the age of 50 are among the most dedicated gym users – so how are
they being catered for?
Issue 1//April 2016
3
ARE YOU HITTING YOUR TARGET?
WE CAN HELP YOU ENHANCE YOUR BUSINESS
Gym Owner Monthly is sent to 6,500+ gym owners and health & fitness professionals throughout the UK.
Contact Paul Wood for further information
T: 07858 487357, [email protected]
4
GYM OWNER
Issue 1//April 2016
monthly
Issue 1//April 2016//www.gymownermonthly.co.uk
Welcome...
...to the first issue of Gym Owner Monthly. We’re really excited about the
new magazine, and we hope you are, too. Covering everything from gym style
and new technology to managerial issues, customer retention and first-person
perspectives, it’s designed to be your one-stop shop for all things gym-related.
And with so much changing in the fitness industry, being in the know means
that you’ll be properly informed – and so will your customers. Right now, the
way people perceive and use gyms is very different to how it was five years ago.
Pay-as-you-go gyms and no-frills establishments offering basic fitness training
without the luxuries associated with higher-end clubs have changed the way
customers train. Instead of signing up to a yearly membership, people have been
seduced not by fluffy towels and those added extras but by the notion that you
can gym without a big financial commitment.
Paying when you want to – not when you have to – does have its advantages.
After all, your clients will be at the gym because they want to be there, not
just because they’ve already paid to be there. But where does this leave the
middle and high-end gyms? Well, there’s still a place for these as they cater to a
different clientele, but this market segmentation illustrates just how savvy gym
owners need to be to attract – and retain – their clients.
Making your gym stand out from the crowd is key. This month, we look at how
gym design can enhance the range of classes and training you offer (p20), and
we explore how the latest technology and equipment can attract new clients
(p26). Elsewhere we look at the burning issue of gym security and safety
(p14), plus we have the first in our new monthly series following the opening
of a new independent gym (p33).
See you next month!
EDITOR:
MARKETING DIRECTOR:
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR:
Tracey Lattimore
Nathan Page
Paul Wood
[email protected]
Tel: 07976 745 702
[email protected]
Tel: 07985 904 549
[email protected]
Tel: 07858 487 357
© Gym Owner Monthly Magazine 2016 Gym Owner Monthly is published by PW Media. Gym Owner Monthly is protected by copyright and nothing may be produced wholly or in part without
prior permission. The acceptance of advertising does not indicate editorial endorsement. The opinions expressed in editorial material do not necessarily represent the views of Gym Owner
Monthly. Unless specifically stated, good or services mentioned in editorial or advertisements are not formally endorsed by Gym Owner Monthly, which does not guarantee or endorse or
accept any liability for any goods and/or services featured in this publication.
Issue 1//April 2016
5
FREEDOM TO FOCUS ON WHAT
MATTERS MOST: YOUR MEMBERS
Sophisticated Solution,
easy to use
Peace of mind,
financial strength
Sales solutions
that work
Your members,
better connected
Contact us
To learn how ClubWise can help you find the freedom to focus
on your members, please get in touch with our team
01844 348300
[email protected]
www.clubwise.com
6
Issue 1//April 2016
Connect with us
Owner of the month
The nitty gritty
Doug Millen runs Grit Gym in Chichester. Here,
he tells us what makes his gym tick, and how
to make members feel like part of the family
Running a gym is about more
than just pounding the treadmill.
It’s about building a community of
members and creating a unique
brand that will pack a punch.
Conventional wisdom says
mixing business with pleasure
can be risky, but for gym manager
Doug Millen, it’s the secret to his
success. Doug runs Grit Gym in
what used to be an office building
in the car park of Chichester
train station, and his right-hand
man, Jason Mines, is also his close
friend.
Doug met Jason at their sons’
football club eight years ago.
The men make a formidable duo,
each one bringing his own set of
skills and experience to the team.
Jason looks after the fitness side
of things, while Doug takes care
of the business. ‘We both have
clearly defined roles and work
really well together,’ said Doug.
Since opening its doors to the
public in January 2014, the
gym’s popularity has exceeded
Doug’s expectations. The plan
was to sign up 100 members by
the end of the first year, but by
the autumn it already had 170
members. He says: ‘What we offer
here is unique. We don’t ask for
a joining fee or expect people to
sign a contract, and people like
this approach.’
The team also takes a holistic approach
to the business, working with local
schools to help improve the behaviour
and grades of students who are getting
into trouble. Doug told us how he’s grown
the business in its first few months:
Hire the best
‘We have an unbeatable quality of instructors
and trainers including Jack Magee, the British
Open Jujitsu champion and one of the four
youngest black belts in England. We employ
Level 4 qualified personal trainers and
nutritionists. Jason is a boxing coach and a
Level 3 Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) strength and
conditioning trainer. Our USP is that members
get trained by the best.’
Create a brand
‘Having our own line of branded clothing and
boxing gloves – Grit Hardwear – will help build
our brand inside and outside the gym. It gives
members a sense of belonging to something,
and that’s great for them and for us.’
Connect with the community
‘Making money isn’t our only priority. It’s also
important to reach out to the wider community,
and we have links with local schools to help
some of the kids who are on the wrong tracks.
Martial arts teaches discipline and respect, and
we want to pass that on to them. We also had
a barbecue for members over a recent bank
holiday weekend, and more than 70 people
came. We got some new members from the day,
but that was a happy accident. The day was
purely about giving something back and having
a good time.’
Be discerning
Doug Millen
“WHAT WE OFFER HERE IS UNIQUE.
WE DON’T ASK FOR A JOINING FEE OR
EXPECT PEOPLE TO SIGN A CONTRACT,
AND PEOPLE LIKE THIS APPROACH”
‘We’re not into chest beating. If there is any
bad behaviour in the gym, then we revoke
membership. If we hear anything about people
using the skills they learn here to fight on the
street, then we stop membership immediately.’
Love what you do
‘Our enthusiasm is infectious. We all love what
we do and are passionate about making the gym
a success. That passion gets passed on to our
members and there’s a real community growing
here – it’s a bit like a big family.’
Issue 1//April 2016
7
Health
Supplement
There’s an old adage that it’s not what you lift in the gym, but in the kitchen
that counts. We look at whether supplements deliver what they promise – plus
how to eat healthily for the best fitness results
WORDS: CLAIRE LAVELLE
Forget sporting the latest brand of gym kit – it’s your
shaker and the supplement in it that’s the number one gym
accessory for the 21st century fitness enthusiast. Market
researchers Euromonitor predict that sales of proteinbased sports supplements in the UK alone will rise from
£170m in 2012 to £358m in 2017, and it only takes a brief
glance around gyms up and down the country to confirm
it’s a juggernaut of a trend that shows no sign of abating
any time soon.
Men and women alike are enthusiastically embracing the
supplement culture in the hope of achieving their training
goals and honing the body of their dreams in the process.
Whether you want to increase muscle mass, boost weight
loss or aid recovery, there’s a training supplement to help
you do it – and it’s likely to be available in your local health
food shop or on online direct from the manufacturers.
So what are the benefits of a training supplement? Fitness
enthusiasts and manufacturers alike are quick to point
out that they offer peace of mind in terms of the nutrients
they deliver, and the convenience factor is also mightily
attractive. ‘I go to the gym either before work or at lunch,
but either way I’m pushed for time,’ says advertising
manager Michael Walker, 35. ‘By having a protein shake
afterwards, it means if I don’t have a chance to grab food
until later it’s not a big deal – my body still has what it
needs to help it recover.’
‘A supplement can provide the essential amino acids,
vitamins and minerals the body needs either during or
after training without the need for the macronutrients
(protein, carbohydrate or fat) in food that you might not
want to consume as part of your training programme,’ says
Adam Dickinson of Adapt Nutrition (www.adaptnutrition.
co.uk). ‘These are nutrients the body has to work very hard
to get from food, especially if your diet isn’t a good as it
could be. All the ingredients used in Adapt products are
derived from a food source, rather than synthetic – what’s
known as food-state supplements – which means the
nutrition is turbo-charged, using a combination of nutrients
you couldn’t access without eating a large volume of food.
It’s a very precise way to get the nutrition you need – and
nothing you don’t.’
Food vs supplements
Perhaps unsurprisingly, some nutritionists take a
different view and point to the everyday foods we all
take for granted as a more natural (and cheaper) way
to boost our training efforts. ‘Take whey supplements,
which are popular because of their muscle-building
reputation,’ says registered nutritionist Anita Bean,
author of Sports Supplements: Which Nutritional
Supplements Really Work, £12.99, Bloomsbury Sport.
‘Whey is absorbed quickly, but there’s no evidence
that it results in greater muscle growth,’ she says. ‘A
glass of milk, which contains whey naturally, is just as
8
Issue 1//April 2016
effective in promoting muscle synthesis (the changes
in the muscle that leads to growth) after resistance
training as supplements.’
As ever, it comes down to personal choice – and
perhaps the clue is in the fact we refer to these
formulations as ‘supplements’. A combination of eating
well and using a shake for convenience or after a
particularly tough training session will ensure you’re
giving your body what it needs – all the better to
achieve the results you desire.
your training
On your plate
Prefer to get your vitamins and minerals the old-school way?
Here’s how and what to eat to…
#1 Lose weight
#2 Build muscle
#3 Boost performance
Studies have also shown that
protein blunts your appetite more
than carbohydrate or fat, so add
chicken, fish, steak, eggs or lentils
to each meal to leave you feeling
fuller for longer. ‘And eating a big
bowl of vegetable soup first can
help reduce your overall calorie
intake,’ says nutritionist Anita
Bean.
‘For maximum muscle protein
synthesis (building bigger muscles),
the amino acid leucine is key,’ says
Anita. ‘Milk, whey, casein, eggs,
meat, poultry and fish are rich
sources.’
‘There’s good evidence that caffeine
enhances performance for most
types of endurance, power and
strength activities,’ says Anita.
‘And beetroot juice appears to boost
performance because it helps you
do the same amount of work while
using less energy.’
Get your vits
‘Vitamin B6 supports the nervous
system, metabolism and reduces
tiredness and fatigue,’ says Adam
Dickinson of Adapt Nutrition.
‘Potassium helps support the
nervous system, improve muscle
function and helps to maintain blood
pressure – all factors which will
affect your sporting performance.’
And don’t forget good old vitamin C –
if you’re training hard, you’re putting
your body under stress and your
immune system will need support.
As we don’t store it in the body, a
daily supplement may be useful.
Issue 1//April 2016
9
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GYM OWNER
monthly