An exclusive X-Biking gym has opened in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, on the banks of the River Danube. The new concept gym holds just one piece of fitness equipment, the Trixter X-Bike 1000, an exercise bike which mimics the motion of outdoor mountain biking to give riders a full-body workout, including cardio-vascular exercise with a potential calorie burn of over 500 calories in just 30 minutes, as well as comprehensive working of the core musculature.
The F&F Energia gym, operates a flexible pay-as-you-go system as opposed to membership, whereby people pay around 150 SKK (£3) per 30 minute class, which needs to be booked in advance to guarantee a place. Owner Zolt Puha, who has invested around £30,000 in the latest X-Biking equipment, commented, “I was looking for a new concept, something that people hadn’t seen before and I came across X-Biking on the internet. I love the unique action of the X-Bike, which not only allows my customers to get a really good full body workout in just 30 minutes, but they also find it really fun and enjoyable.”
X-Biking classes are instructor led and set to motivational music to encourage riders to get immersed in the X-Biking workout. “X-Biking isn’t like your usual cycling class, where the legs are doing all the work, it allows you to fully engage the upper body as well, moving the handles bars from side-to-side or continually pumping them as though riding an outdoor bike,” commented Patrick Murray, Managing Director of Trixter UK.
A North Yorkshire Council’s group of leisure centres have seen a 17.6% growth in direct debit members through bespoke sales training.
Staff at Hambleton District Council’s four leisure centres, from the receptionists to the managers, took part in the REPs accredited Professional Sales Process training course with Alliance Leisure, to formalise the site’s sale process and learn the basic principles of sales with the objective of increasing direct debit memberships.
This day-long course formed part of a 12-month bespoke sales training package for Hambleton, Stokesley, Thirsk and Bedale leisure centres, which included an initial audit of the centre’s sales process, advanced selling, closing, objections and customer call backs training, as well as dealing with referrals and promotions.
A year on, Hambleton District Council’s four sites have achieved nearly 3,000 active members and a 17.6% growth in direct debit members, and are now embarking on a two year sales, operations and marketing partnership with Alliance Leisure to develop a further two operational areas. The first to be introduced is a retention system called GOAL (gym operations at Alliance Leisure) to decrease attrition, and the second a number of structured marketing promotions to help increase sales during quiet periods.
Greens Health & Fitness, a subsidiary of De Vere Hotels & Resorts, has appointed Savills to find them six new health clubs over the next 12 months.
Greens has specified six two-storey leasehold or freehold properties in a prime location. They will comprise premier facilities including a 20m swimming pool, spa and studios in approximately 25,000 sq ft premises. Ideally they will be set within 1.5 acres and have car parking for a minimum of 150 cars.
Andrew McGregor, Head of Savills Commercial Leisure, says: “We will be targeting towns across the UK and hope to acquire sites set in residential areas, business parks, leisure and retail schemes.”
Greens was taken over last year by the Alternative Hotel Group, founded by Richard Balfour-Lynn and other directors of Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB), in part of its purchase of De Vere. The operation currently runs 15 gyms, located across the UK from Croydon up to Glasgow.
Brentwood Leisure Centre has received full funding from Essex County Council to install funky dance to help kids with their fitness.
Brentwood Leisure Trust invested the grant from the county’s Community Initiative Fund to increase the centre’s fitness provision for children, in ZigZag’s Machine Dance, where children move their feet to dance tunes following step routines on a plasma screen.
Kelly Spiers, Health Promotion Officer for the Trust said: “We were blown away when we saw ZigZag’s Machine Dance and dropped our original idea of installing traditional gym equipment because we know it isn’t as well used by children as these new interactive games.”
The hi-tech alloy dance pads are wireless and portable allowing the dance studio at Brentwood Leisure Centre to be used for other activities too, but the Machine Dance classes are proving so popular, the centre is having to re-programme its timetable. Secondary schools are already using the facilities for PE lessons, and programming is being developed for adults, special needs groups, older members, children’s parties and corporate events.