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A high impact space
Third Space finds another dimension with the Tesseract functional training rig from D2F
Away from the hustle and bustle of Soho’s busy streets lies a sanctuary of luxury fitness, the original Third Space club.
The London site is the first in the UK to be fitted with a bespoke Tesseract functional training rig. Designed, developed and manufactured in the UK by D2F Fitness, the new style of rig aims to provide clubs with open, flexible and safe functional training environments that facilitate group programming for all ages and abilities and drive social engagement between members.
Commenting on the Tesseract installation at Third Space Soho, John Penny, MD of the Third Space group of clubs, says: “Due to the complex structure of the building, we needed a partner with both the creative thinking and the technical expertise to create a bespoke rig that embraced the intricacies of the space. D2F got it right from start to finish. They understood the brief, nailed the design and painlessly carried out a professional installation.”
The outside, in
The 9m-long Tesseract rig features a number of different exercise stations. “On one length of the rig, there are two dirty south bars and a multi-grip pull-up bar.
“On the other side, the rig structure has been designed to facilitate suspension training for up to 12 users at a time,” explains John Lofting, commercial director at D2F Fitness.
“The frame was specifically designed to sit under a large skylight that allows natural light to pour into the functional space. It gives it a real essence of the outdoors, despite being inside.
“To enhance that feeling and create a high impact space, we also recommended and installed artificial turf flooring.”
Another special design feature of the Tesseract functional training rig comes in the form of triangular leg extension plates, which increase the number of training stations and allow more flexibility in terms of where removable attachments can be placed.
Third Space has chosen a number of fixed and removable attachments for the rig, including a medicine ball target, dip stations, adjustable grapplers and battle rope anchor points.
Your inner athlete
The new rig is being used by members doing their own workouts and by PTs with their clients – and it’s a main feature in the club’s Sweat 1000 and Rig Fit classes that launched in September. In these classes, members are encouraged to ‘release their inner athlete’ by joining in and getting an incredible workout in a safe and fun way.
Penny concludes: “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Tesseract provides our PTs with a huge amount of scope to develop exciting and engaging programmes for our members that add value to the Third Space proposition.
“In addition, vital space has been created, allowing investment into further CV equipment – and of course freeing space for the rig itself, which fits seamlessly into the fabric of the club. As one member said, ‘it’s a thing of beauty’.”
Pictured John Penny
"The rig fits seamlessly into the fabric of the club. As one member said, ‘it’s a thing of beauty’ " - John Penny, Third Space
www.d2ffitness.com
No judgements
Jordan Fitness has kitted out the new Grenade Fit gym, named after its charismatic owner
Independent operator Grenade Fit opened the doors to its brand new facility in Chichester, UK, on 4 July 2016. Owner Jamie Alderton was always determined not to be “just another PT”. He’s now one of the UK’s leading body transformation coaches, determined to genuinely transform people’s lives. The new Grenade Fit facility is the latest way in which he hopes to reach even more people.
Setting out with a vision of “an amazing, judgement-free environment, full of positivity and fun,” Alderton – otherwise known as Grenade Jay – wanted to create a gym offering that met the needs of every possible member.
“I created a gym facility that caters to people’s wants and needs,” he explains. “Our club is all about training in an environment that’s inviting and friendly, with the very best equipment and trainers dedicated to getting results for everyone who walks through the door.”
He continues: “The gym has been extremely busy since opening, hitting client capacity in just a few weeks. We’ve had people coming from all over to book passes and soak up the experience of the Grenade Fit gym.”
Bespoke finish
As well as offering a gym with a welcoming attitude, and staff with the knowledge to push you to your limits, the new Grenade Fit gym has been built and kitted out to the highest standards.
Alderton worked with Jordan Fitness to supply the facility with custom-branded discs, benches, dumbbells, racks, Olympic bars and more. “We’re proud to offer a custom-branding service, as we understand the importance of brand consistency,” says Scott Lambere, global trade sales manager at Jordan Fitness.
“The new Grenade Fit facility looks very impressive, with its logo and brand colour on most of the products.”
www.jordanfitness.com
Pictured: Jamie Alderton
"Our club is all about getting results for everyone who walks through the door" - Jamie Alderton, Grenade Fit
In the swim of things
Dundee City Council’s latest refurb project benefited from the installation of Gerflor flooring
Being fit and healthy seems to be the mantra for many of us these days, and having access to public facilities that will help us stay in shape is happily much more common than it used to be.
On the east coast of Scotland, Dundee City Council has truly embraced this desire for social exercise by refurbishing a much-loved sports centre.
A £1m refurb
Lochee Swim & Sports Centre in Dundee has re-opened to the public following an upgrade costing over £1m. In making improvements to the centre, the flooring also needed to be upgraded to a standard matching the quality of the overall refurbishment.
The nine-month flooring refurbishment was awarded to Monifieth-based Longs Flooring, who installed Gerflor products.
Gerflor’s slip-resistant Tarasafe Ultra H²O flooring – designed for traditional barefoot spaces where there are continuous wet areas – was chosen for the changing rooms. The product is rated Grade C in the barefoot ramp test – the best possible – and >36 in the wet pendulum test. It also scores R11 in the slip resistance wet shod test and is available in eight colours.
The main reception area at Lochee was re-floored with Gerflor’s Taralay Premium Compact, which provides excellent resistance to static and dynamic loads. It’s 100 per cent recyclable, is treated with Protecsol2 surface treatment with extreme stain resistance, and has a matt ?nish which means that no polish is required for the entire lifetime of the product.
Shock absorber
No sports centre would be complete without a state-of-the-art fitness suite, and Lochee Swim & Sports saw this as a major element of the overall offer to the public. Taraflex Sport M was installed in this area, offering a P1 category shock absorbency 25 per cent to 35 per cent, and meeting the EN 14904 Standard for indoor sports surfaces.
Chris Long, MD of Longs Flooring, says: “Gerflor has a great range of products that cross over both the domestic and contract sectors. We met with the Gerflor team on more than one occasion with regards to Lochee and found them hugely helpful and responsive.
“We use Gerflor products a lot and would have absolutely no qualms in ordering these products again.
“It’s all about supplying quality, and that’s exactly what Gerflor provides.”
www.gerflor.co.uk
Pictured: Chris Long
"Gerflor has a great range of products that cross over both the domestic and contract sectors" - Chris Long, Longs Flooring
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, ...
