NEW OPENING
The Beat focuses on heart rate-based training
Small is Beautiful In a Heartbeat
Microgyms are taking London by storm. Kate Cracknell tries out a class at three recent new openings FITNESS FIRST BEAT
www.fitnessfirst.co.uk/beat
Location: Embankment/Charing Cross, central London, UK USP: Exclusively heart rate-based training
The concept With its London portfolio already effectively covering the city, rather than launch more big clubs, Fitness First made the decision to launch smaller, complementary facilities located between the larger sites. Each of these sites will have a specialism, with The Beat – a specialist heart rate-based club
– the first of these. Others are expected to follow, with head of communications Mark Hutcheon predicting group exercise-only studios and even concepts similar to The Zone in Sydney, Australia (see HCM Sept 13, p21 and HCM Oct 13, p40). Top-tier members will be able to use all of these specialist clubs in addition to their ‘home’ club. As UK head of fitness Lee Matthews explains, Fitness First wanted to launch
something genuinely new rather than getting in on the trend of cycling or yoga microgyms. The idea of The Beat stemmed from the success of the freestyle (functional training) zones in its existing estate; The Beat adds an added dimension of measurement, and with it motivation. Are you working as hard as you should be, in the right heart rate zone to get the results you really want? How many calories have you burned? How has this workout compared to previous ones? “If you want to achieve results, this
is the club for you,” says health and fitness manager Kat Morgan. “Heart rate-based training ensures you always train at the right intensity level for you, and our experts are on-hand in every session. You can track and monitor
38 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
your progress and we can guarantee the quality of your workout, as everyone works out to their own personal best. The equipment can also be used between sessions, allowing you to train independently – it’s up to you.”
The experience The run-up: Details are found within the main Fitness First website, but I felt there wasn’t enough of an explanation of what heart rate training is all about, how Beat works and what to expect (although a nice selection of images helps give a feel for the style of training). This club probably merits its own site, or at least microsite. However, the different levels of class are briefly explained, there’s a downloadable timetable and a click- button to sign up for a free pass. New users can also register on the website to create their own account
– which allows them to book classes up to a week in advance – but this option isn’t as clear or as simple as on other websites.
June 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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