These top trends will be making headway next year in clubs across the country come the New Year, says UK Group Exercise Manager, Scott MacKenzie.
Team GB Pro Cycling
Get on your bike - Fitness First's 40 minute Team GB Pro Cycling class encompasses the five disciplines that are inherent to being a pro cyclist - technique, speed, endurance, strength and power. The class has a training phase section where each of these areas are explored, followed by a section called 'The Race'. Each release will theme itself around a type of cycling seen typically in the Olympic Games. Team GB Pro Cycling will launch on November 25th and will sit alongside 'Team GB Pro Athlete.'
Scott says "The class differs to a normal spin session as it focuses on different disciplines, various working sets and there's a competitive element with 'The Race' meaning that the class will never feel repetitive. Also, the focus on different areas of fitness means that you will genuinely get fitter as there is an emphasis on styles of training you may naturally be good at and some that may challenge and test you. The outcome- you make great progress and feel what it's like to train like a pro cyclist."
Train like an Olympian
Take it to the track - Athletic training is not something you would normally associate with a gym environment but with designated in club track areas with laser timers, digital scoreboards and coaching cameras that utilise slow motion technology, Fitness First can support members to do just that. Try 'Athletics' at the Cottons, Bath, Hammersmith and Bishopsgate clubs.
Scott says "Following the huge success of 2012 London Games, several Fitness First's gyms now have 'Athletics' areas in them to give members a very unique experience. Even if you can't get to Rio next year, you're sure to see and feel the Olympic influence in our gyms. Try our very effective 30 minute 'Athletic Group Training' (AGT) classes in our Athletics training areas."
Monitor your success throughout 2016
Gym-goers are training smarter as well as harder - whether it's an app to track your workout or a high-tech watch/heart rate monitor, a lot of regular gym goers have a better understanding of what they need to get from a workout and are using digital technology to maximise results.
Scott says "We are striving to provide more immersive and enhanced workouts that motivate our members to reach their goals quicker and more effectively. Fitness First for example offers 'BEAT', a cutting edge heart-rate based training concept that boasts a variety of group training classes. These provide members with POLAR Heart Rate feedback and Heart Rate zone data that is then projected onto screens in the club to create a 'live' workout summary. Gym-goers will receive a post-workout report including the number of calories burned and their average heart rate at the end of the session allowing them to review their workout performance and monitor their improvement over time."
Fitness First members will also be able to build a series of personalised workout plans to suit their individual goals and training preferences using Fitness First's CustomFit App.
The latest addition to Fitness First allows members to monitor their overall workout on their mobile, at home on their PC or on their tablet devices. CustomFit's 'smart logic' means the app has the intelligence to build bespoke workouts for the user, prescribing exercises that suit their needs. It also has hundreds of exercises for users to pick and choose from."
Do you know your biological age?
Scott says "You can work out your physical 'age' with online calculators and various formulas but they can give an arbitrary and often confusing figure. In the New Year, Fitness First is launching BioAge, a much more useful health, fitness and lifestyle assessment that will allow you to have a very accurate account of how well you are performing for your years."
"This exciting BioAge evaluation will ask key lifestyle questions and help members have a better understanding of how to stay younger, from their physical fitness, healthy eating choices and how they handle various social 'stressors' outside of the gym, such as stress, career, finances and relationships."
Use Your Body
Scott says "Back-to-basics - while complex exercises and the latest equipment appeals to many, the plethora of choice is sometimes too much and next year many gym-goers will adopt a more 'back to basics' approach to exercise, relying on body-weight training rather than jumping on a machine."
"As a result, you're likely to see the gym floor adapt too - once populated with rows and rows of cardio machines, our members will see more free space where people can follow their own routines and workouts without the worry of 'where'. A new addition to Fitness First's existing pool of products is the CustomFit App. This offers members a huge range of expertly created workouts that can also be delivered by our qualified fitness staff and can be accessed at home or in the gym from a mobile, laptop or tablet device, meaning we support your training outside of the gym, not just in it."
High intensity training
Scott says "High intensity interval training (HIIT) - workouts are in many ways superior to traditional cardio training programmes and require less time to achieve optimum results."
"This style of training is showing no sign of slowing down in 2016, with gym goers looking for the next challenge to ramp up the intensity of their workouts. People are starting to relish the notion of pushing themselves further and many 'HIIT' programmes take the form of group exercise/group training classes, meaning you can train with a partner and/or as part of a wider community. The 'EPOC' effect associated with this style of training means you continue to burn calories much quicker, up to 48 hours after the workout itself."
Virtual Training
Scott says "Digital Instructors - with technology at the forefront of training for 2016, Fitness First members will be able to partake in an array of virtual classes."
"A new addition being rolled out across clubs nationwide is 'MOVE', our immersive, virtual class concept. The six virtual classes currently on offer at the newly refurbished Cottons London Bridge Club (also Poole, Hammersmith and Bishopsgate) includes (Bodypump, Body Balance, CX Worx, Body Combat, Sh'Bam and RPM), which are programmed into the class schedule in addition to our traditional instructor led classes, enabling members of all fitness levels to take part at their ease. With large screen technology, digital mood walls that change colour with the music, a large presenter stage and coloured lighting, our Move studios will provide you with a very engrossing, yet equally convenient experience."
Have a look at the next fitness trends
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