Totally bespoke

Client: Seasons Health Club, Suffolk, UK
Supplier: Total Gym

Simon Cook, owner of Seasons Health Club in Beccles, Suffolk, recently turned to Total Gym to enhance the biomechanical-based training and pilates-inspired classes for which his club is known.
Cook is trained in intrinsic biomechanics and ensures a small ratio of trainers to clients to establish any areas of mechanical weakness in each individual. Bespoke solutions are then offered to each member, favouring one-to-one or small group classes to ensure personalised attention.

This approach means Cook needs exercise equipment that can be tailored to suit each individual. In addition, his philosophy is that exercise programming needs to be based on sound research in order to provide people with real and measurable results.

The Total Gym GTS equipment, featuring the GRAVITYSystem, offers a turnkey service including a wide variety of tried and tested programming based on incline bodyweight training; while an advocate of pilates-style exercise, Cook is not a fan of matwork or solely standing exercises. With Total Gym, he can teach pilates moves in an upright or angled plane.

“You can’t teach core lying down and it doesn’t mimic real life or sports movements in this position,” he explains. “By moving pilates onto the Total Gym glide board, you immediately create destabilisation and can focus on the thoracic region to strengthen the core. It’s also much easier to adapt the moves and develop progression by adding resistance or adjusting the incline: this versatility brings a whole new dimension to pilates which clients really enjoy.”

A range of moves can be done on the Total Gym, from traditional weight training to functional exercises, plyometric training and the full reformer pilates series.

Not only that, but its versatility means Total Gym can be used to good effect by members of all abilities and fitness levels. Users lie, sit or kneel on the moving glide board and use their own bodyweight as resistance. The percentage of bodyweight being lifted can be adjusted in a matter of seconds between 1 per cent and 62 per cent to suit individual ability.

In addition to delivering the style of training that suits Cook’s approach, Total Gym is designed to expand key growth areas of his business, including group strength, multi-client personal training and pilates, as well as special populations. Seasons Health Club has a small studio, so Cook must use his limited space for equipment that genuinely has multiple uses.

“You hear of kit that can be adapted to suit many people and many training modes, but often there’s an element of compromise,” he says.

“With Total Gym, I don’t believe there’s any compromise: the equipment is equally good for pilates, rehab, strength building, resistance training and toning. Every client who walks through the door can use it.”

www.physicalcompany.co.uk

Using Total Gym, the studio teaches pilates on both an upright and an angled plane

FUNCTIONAL TO THE FORE

Client: Bannatyne’s Health Clubs, UK
Supplier: Technogym

The Bannatyne Group has more than 60 sites across the UK under the Bannatyne’s Health Clubs brand. March 2015 saw the complete refurbishment and re-launch of the club at Whitworth Street in Manchester city centre, providing members with a brand new look and feel, updated gym layout and a more diverse fitness offering. This includes larger power and functional spaces designed to enhance the member experience through small group training and circuits.  

“As part of our extensive 2015 refurbishment plans, it was really important to review the current gym offering and how this could be enhanced for the member. We worked closely with the Technogym Wellness Design team to create a layout for Whitworth Street that would provide a motivational workout space, align with the latest product and digital training trends, and provide an enhanced functional space,” says Justin Musgrove, MD of the Bannatyne Group.

Technogym’s functional frame, Omnia, is integral to the newly created functional space at Whitworth Street. Designed to bring people together in an interactive and non-intimidating way, Omnia is suitable for all user groups, levels and needs. 

Musgrove says: “Firstly, the Omnia frame is attractive from a design perspective – not intimidating as I believe is the case with some equivalent frames. Secondly, the functionality of the frame is excellent: it has eight stations and a wide array of accessories, which is more than some frames twice its size. Finally, the training and support Technogym provides helps our team provide an engaging, enjoyable and results-orientated experience.”

The Omnia offering also includes a wide range of pre-designed programming based around the ‘move, train, play’ training philosophy. ‘Play’ is about fun and social engagement; ‘move’ is aimed at enhancing movement patterns; and ‘train’ is for high intensity sessions. Two days’ training was also provided to the club’s fitness professionals and PTs, to help them integrate Omnia into their programming and gym floor-based classes. 

Meanwhile, members can access online guidance using NFC technology and via the QR code present on the Omnia frame itself. By downloading the Technogym mywellness app, members can then view single exercise videos online and keep track of their achievements. Musgrove adds: “For many members, this is a totally new method of training, but we’ve received fantastic feedback. Customer expectations have never been higher, so it’s pleasing to hear feedback from all age groups that this new addition to the club has helped renew their motivation to visit frequently.”

Based on the success of the initial installation at Whitworth Street, Omnia has since been installed in a further 18 Bannatyne clubs, with a continued focus on education and training to ensure success.

www.technogym.comk

The Omnia rig has now been installed in 19 Bannatyne’s clubs across the UK