BUILDING AN EMPIRE

Client: Empire Gym
Supplier: Cybex International UK

This summer, the town of Market Deeping in South Lincolnshire, UK, welcomed a new 465sq m (5,000sq ft) independent training facility, as Empire Gym opened its doors to the public.
Five years in the planning, the gym occupies Market Deeping’s original Empire Cinema, which has been closed since 1963. As the site is in a heritage area, the building’s Art Deco frontage was restored during renovations that began in November 2013 and took eight months to complete.

Empire Gym is owned by Steve and Lesley Weston, who migrated their business from the commercial catering service industry to the gym industry, taking their existing management
team of five staff with them.

“We consider ourselves a family business in a broad sense: our staff includes immediate family members, but also others who have worked with us for many years and are equally considered family. And we’ve always had a collective interest in health and fitness,” explains Steve.

“Despite working in the catering engineering industry, our existing management staff had qualifications in sport and fitness to complement impressive academic qualifications and workplace achievements. We already employed a REPs-accredited PT, a sports scientist and an FA-accredited football coach. Combining these qualifications with years of experience in commercial and operational roles, I was very confident we had the right team behind us when the opportunity to open Empire Gym became a reality.”

Empire Gym’s mission is to provide its members with the best in quality and service across all aspects of the facility, as Steve explains: “From our gym layout to interior décor, gym equipment to changing rooms, training staff to classes, and air exchange to air conditioning, we’ve ensured that every detail of the gym is designed and delivered to a very high standard and that our members are at the forefront.”

Members can choose from three-, six- or 12-month gym or studio-only packages, or combine the two. Daily and weekly memberships, single class and/or gym visits and discounted block sessions are also available.

“We understand the risks of offering flexible, short-term contracts, but we’re very confident in the package we offer. Membership growth has been on target to date and we trust in our ability to deliver and maintain consistency in quality, which is the key to maintaining membership loyalty,” explains Steve.

The gym is equipped with customised Cybex cardio and strength equipment – bespoke with blue frames and embroidered upholstery to incorporate the site’s branding. Steve says: “My staff and I have trained on Cybex equipment for the last 10 years. We know it, we trust it and, being from an engineering background, we appreciate the high levels of quality and durability you get with every single Cybex piece.”

In line with the gym’s objective to meet the needs of all fitness enthusiasts, Cybex Total Access equipment was also installed to support the training needs of physically impaired individuals.
“Our membership base is very diverse, ranging from 16- to 82-year-olds of all abilities, requirements and fitness levels. This is reflected not only in the gym equipment and facilities, but also in our staff, who are trained to support members’ wide-ranging requirements.”

Details: www.cybexintl.com

The gym is equipped with customised Cybex equipment

Various packages are available, including studio-only

INDOOR CYCLING REINVENTED

Client: Edge Cycling
Supplier: Matrix Fitness

After repeatedly being told by their clients that indoor cycling was “too hard” and that “you need to be fit to do it”, Stuart Dickson and three personal training colleagues set out to prove them wrong. The result: a new club, Edge Cycling, which set out to reinvent indoor cycling. The boutique facility is said to be the largest indoor cycling studio in London.

“For many people new to indoor cycling, taking that first class is a daunting prospect,” says Dickson. “But indoor cycling is a brilliant workout and can be great fun. Our aim is to engage with more customers as it’s suitable for everyone, not just the super fit.”

To help overcome any pre-class nerves and to get those new to indoor cycling familiar with the experience, the Edge Cycle team offers a free Learn to Ride session. This covers everything, from what to wear and what to eat and drink pre-workout, to how to set up the bike and how to cycle.

Once the rider is happy to proceed, a range of classes from 35 to 90 minutes in duration awaits. These include Edge Cycle, a session designed for the purist, and Edge Cycle Bootcamp, which consists of a mixture of indoor cycling and bootcamp floor exercises, giving a total workout for the body and core.

Bike-based PT is also available.

The club provides everything from proper cycling shoes to complimentary towels and toiletries – ideal for the club’s corporate market. All the rider needs to supply is their own gym kit.

Explaining the decision to equip the studio with Matrix Fitness IC3 Indoor Cycles, Dickson says: “We chose to work with Matrix Fitness purely because of the quality of the bike, although the back-end service was also a major factor. We kept hearing the words ‘beautiful bike’ and ‘quality ride’ when we were reviewing the market. We’re likely to upgrade to the IC7 bike when it’s readily available, as it offers even more features than the IC3.”

The club has also been kitted out with a lighting system designed to immerse riders in their own world, and music that makes them want to take their workout to the Edge.

The format is clearly paying off, with the studio proving popular even through the height of the summer. New classes such as Cycle Combat – a 45-minute class with 15 minutes on the bike, followed by combat-specific training including plyometrics and HIIT – are planned for later this year, followed by the launch of a second venue in 2015.

Andy Loughray, national sales manager for Matrix Fitness, says: “Indoor cycling is one of the most popular studio workouts, but it’s great to see an alternative approach to traditional purist classes. While many facilities run sessions claiming to be suitable for those new to indoor cycling, the Edge Cycle team has made this market central to its success – another refreshing twist on the norm.”

Details: www.matrixfitness.com

The wide range of classes include Edge Cycle Bootcamp, which offers a mix of indoor cycling and bootcamp floor exercises

BESPOKE OFFERING

Client: Fitness First
Supplier: D2F Group

Fitness First is one of the largest fitness brands in the world, with over 377 clubs worldwide reaching more than 990,000 members in 16 countries. In September, the group launched its first brand new site in the UK for five years – a club that cost £1.7m to build and occupies 1,022sq m (11,000sq ft) in Bishopsgate in the City of London.

In addition to traditional gym equipment, Fitness First Bishopsgate offers its members a large Freestyle functional training area. This includes a bespoke XCUBE functional training rig that was designed, manufactured and installed by D2F Group.

“The Freestyle zones provide the perfect playground to help maximise workout results, meaning everyone from complete novices to professional stuntmen can take their fitness to the next level,” says Lee Matthews, UK head of fitness at Fitness First. “D2F’s XCUBE functional training rigs are a fundamental component of these areas.”

“The brief for Fitness First Bishopsgate was to design an XCUBE that provided the ability to run group sessions without impacting on the open space,” explains John Lofting, national fitness sales manager at D2F Group.

After a review of the space available and consultations with the project team at Fitness First, D2F produced 2D and 3D CAD drawings that gave a visual representation of how the Freestyle area would look. D2F worked with Fitness First on a number of revisions before a final design for a fully bespoke XCUBE with wing, TRX beam, core trainer and dip station was commissioned.

“Another prerequisite for the space was storage,” continues Lofting. “With such a large Freestyle space on offer to members, the area ran the risk of becoming cluttered with accessories that can be used in the open space or in conjunction with the XCUBE, such as kettlebells, medicine balls and gym balls.” D2F therefore engineered and installed an integrated storage solution that would keep the space tidy and also look great.

Fitness First Bishopsgate is not the only site in the chain to benefit from an XCUBE functional training rig. Over 20 XCUBEs have been installed to date as the chain embarks on a rebrand and upgrade of UK facilities. Four XCUBEs were also designed and installed by D2F at new Fitness First sites in Asia last year.

Fitness First Tottenham Court Road became a pilot site to test new initiatives including Freestyle in 2013. Membership at the club rose sharply after new areas for group training sessions were introduced – a pattern that D2F has seen at many gyms where its XCUBE solutions have been installed.

“We strive to provide our members with unique and exciting training spaces that will keep them motivated,” says Matthews. “D2F has proven its ability to support this initiative by designing and installing fully bespoke functional training rigs that are tailored to fit the unique spaces at each of the facilities.”

Details: www.xcube.co.uk

The Freestyle zones help members maximise results

An integrated storage solution was provided to make the space look tidy