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Getting results


In today’s time-poor society, members don’t want to toil for hours in the gym; they want results, and they want them fast. In response to this, we’re witnessing a surge in 30-minute workouts, from operators whose very concept is rooted in the idea – Curves, Vivafit and Fit n Fast, to name but a few – to a growing raft of suppliers all launching their own take on 30-minute programming. With its member-centric focus on quick results, the 30-minute


package surely has a role to play in every gym. Yet how many clubs still leave the vast majority of their members to get quietly on with their own workouts – workouts that are rarely updated, that perhaps weren’t even created by the gym in the first place, and that certainly aren’t designed to meet members’ specific goals or help them progress in any way. Most operators will distance themselves from the image I’m painting, but the sad truth is that I and my colleagues belong to a number of gyms where this is the norm. So how do we get results for our members? Currently at the forefront of many people’s thinking


– and linked closely to the 30-minute workout – is the latest buzz-term: high-intensity interval training, or HIT for short. Precise definitions vary, but at the heart of HIT lie the principles encapsulated in fartlek training: intervals of (very hard) work followed by rest intervals. On page 40 of this issue, in the first of a


HIT’s focus on results represents a huge opportunity to motivate and retain members – the holy grail for health club operators and a driver of long-term business health


two-part series on HIT, we investigate the science behind the discipline, which has been scientifically proven to deliver enhanced results in a far shorter timeframe than steady-state, moderate intensity exercise. These include improvements in VO2


max, insulin sensitivity,


blood pressure and levels of body fat. That’s all great, but with these benefits


comes a need for genuine physical exertion. People have to really push themselves, rather than simply going through the motions and


putting a self-congratulatory tick in the ‘gym visit’ box. The challenge is therefore to make HIT fun, and appealing to less fit members. CrossFit has built its success around the HIT concept, but its facilities tend to attract the hard-core exerciser – so how can we translate HIT to the high street gym environment? Much of it will be down to the calibre of the instructors, who will need excellent motivational and


communication skills. But it’s also, of course, down to the programming. In the second part of our series, which will appear in the August issue of HCM, we’ll discuss ways in which HIT protocols can be used with all fitness levels. We’ll also look at operators such as Orangetheory Fitness (see also p30 of this issue), whose model is based around HIT as a standalone concept, and at ways of bringing HIT to the group exercise studio, with the UK launch of the new LES MILLS GRIT™ SERIES scheduled for September. But before we consider its implementation, a precursory question: benefits for the consumer aside,


why should a gym introduce HIT? There’s certainly potential for short-term financial reward: in many cases, HIT effectively becomes small group training, and charging an additional fee may be an option. But HIT’s focus on results also represents a huge opportunity to motivate and retain members – the holy grail for operators and a driver of long-term business health. As CFM’s Dave Wright says in his letter (see p6), if clubs can get quick results for their members, they need “never worry about competition again”.


Kate Cracknell, editor – katecracknell@leisuremedia.com / twitter: @HealthClubKate To share your thoughts on this topic, visit www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/blog


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