INTERVIEW
do use some equipment like kettlebells, resistance bands, TRX and Bosu balls. In a way it’s like the TV show The Biggest Loser: if you take the cardio equipment out of the equation and don’t yell as much, that’s kind of our game plan. “There’s a huge variety in our
timetable and each session is different, with the instructor deciding what they’re going to do that day. A cardio class might be Zumba, for example, or step aerobics. Our most popular class in the Houston club is total body conditioning, because members know they’ll get a full body workout – but again the class itself varies depending on what trainer they have, what they did the week before and so on. We also listen to what our members want – we’re looking to introduce self-defence and jiu jitsu to the schedule, for example. “One key point is that our trainers
modify exercises for each individual in the session – that’s crucial. Other facilities don’t typically do that: people just follow the trainer and try to keep up. But our members can’t do that. In addition to weight-related issues, they might also have joint issues, back issues. Some can’t get down onto the fl oor. So you have to modify everything, but also keep moving members on to the next level as they progress. “When it comes to tracking results, we
use body composition analysis, focusing on fat pounds lost versus weight pounds lost, because just looking at weight on the scales can be misleading. If someone weighs 350lbs, it’s fair to guess that they don’t usually exercise, and they’re looking for an excuse not to come back to your gym. If they get on the scales and have only lost 4lbs, it’s demoralising and they’ll leave. But if you can show them that in fact they lost 15lbs of body fat and gained 11lbs of lean muscle tissue – and that’s why the scale only shows 4lbs – it’s different. In reality they’ve changed
Trainers modify exercises for each individual in the class
their body almost 30lbs, and that’s huge – enough for their clothes to fi t differently and their health to improve.” He continues: “People may ultimately
‘graduate’ from Downsize, leaving when they’ve reached their goal and feel ready to exercise elsewhere, but we never force them out. If they want to carry on exercising with us, and with the friends they’ve made at Downsize, that’s fi ne. They’re our success stories and they can inspire other members. “And people do reach their goals.
We know physiologically that, if you follow all of our recommendations, it’s impossible for you not to be successful – to the point that, although there’s no company-wide policy on this, at my club I offer a money back guarantee.”
People like us He continues: “In terms of the design of the club, all the windows at the front are opaque. Our members feel comfortable
that only the people inside the club can see them, and those people are either members such as themselves – because we’re growing a community here – or the trainers and general managers who have also gone through what they’re going through. So there’s almost a deep sigh of relief when they walk in, and members often hang around after their class and talk too. The club is probably one of the few places, besides their home, where they feel comfortable being who they are, not feeling judged.” Indeed, many of the trainers at
Downsize Fitness were previously members themselves, and 90–95 per cent have their own weight loss story. As Daly explains: “My biggest criteria when I’m looking for staff is, do they get it? Have they been there? Do they have their own personal weight transformation story? Mostly it’s their own personal weight loss, but it could also be that they grew up in a household where everybody was
A typical club measures 3,000–3,500sq ft, catering for 120–150 members, and there’s no cardio equipment in sight 46 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital January 2015 © Cybertrek 2015
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100