INTERVIEW
We travel to the US a lot, as my son studies there, and we’ve found that – as soon as people know what we do for a living – they’re very keen to ask for our advice on what they should do, what supplements they should buy and so on. “In the US, most people have tried
gyms before, but the experience hasn’t always worked for them. What they really want is to be able to talk to people and get expert advice.” Yusina is also trying to get a Russian trade association off the ground – a project she’s been spearheading for several years now. Progress has been made in that most operators are now, in principle, on board, but the sticking point of who will head up the association remains. “I think everyone’s waiting for me to say I’ll do it,” she says. “But I just don’t have time.” It is though, she explains, vital that all operators in Russia come together: “We need stability in the sector to drive credibility and trust.” She is also hoping to get international
accreditation for Strata Partners’ FitSchool, which currently delivers CPD training to around 2,000 people a year – “free or very cheap for our own staff, but also available to everyone in the industry”. But while Yusina very much hopes to
roll out the medical fitness offering, which will most likely cater to a slightly older audience, she sees little opportunity in kids’ fitness. “The standards of education in Russia are so bad that anyone who can afford to send their children abroad for their schooling does so,” she explains.
Club in club Other plans for 2013 include the launch of a second Orange Fitness club in
Bulgaria as well as, ideally, the launch of another ‘club in club’ concept – namely small group training. “You have to create products that people are willing to pay for,” says Yusina. “We’ve put five Total Gym units into the club where we’re trialling our medical concept. At the moment, those are used to capacity for rehab, but we’d like to use them to offer GRAVITY small group training. “Ultimately, I believe ‘club in club’ will be one of the big trends going forward – whether that’s medical fitness or simply creating exciting new formats that offer personal attention for those who either don’t know what they’re doing or who have lost motivation. “The fitness industry has to get back to basics. Why are people joining? What do they want? And if they’re not getting what they want, what can we do about it? I believe it’s about information and education. Members need more advice from staff: instructors could run lectures, for example. There’s a wealth of information online now, but I believe
34 Take part in the Health Club Management reader survey:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/NQDN2R6
There are currently 15 higher-end, Orange Fitness-branded sites
people need supervision too – by which I mean communication in person rather than all online. In fact, I think we’ve moved online too much, just because it’s so easy to communicate that way. “Clubs also have to make real ‘third places’ of themselves: home, work, and the club – a place where people can get all the advice they need to live longer, healthier lives. We’ve been talking about this for years, but how many clubs have actually achieved it? It tends to be only the very high-end clubs, but all clubs should be able to do this. I don’t think it requires much more upfront investment. It’s about people, not facilities. “You might then have to invest more
to get good staff, but I genuinely believe – not just in Russia but in every country around the world – the public is willing to pay more for personal attention from really good trainers.” l
November/December 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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