The club worked with Life Fitness to redesign the new facility, which now offers a functional fitness space as its main focal point.

The area features equipment supplied by Escape Fitness, including free weights, cables, medicine balls and performance kit such as plyometric boxes and kettlebells.

A seperate boxing fitness training area has also been provided, which includes a full size boxing training ring and a number of hanging boxing stations.

The redevelopment additionally includes the introduction of three personal training pods, specially designed areas where members can work out in privacy either alone or with a personal trainer.

Each of these is equipped with free weights ranging from 1kg to 20kg, medicine balls, stability balls and a set of wobble boards.

Also provided is a Dual Adjustable Pulley from Life Fitness, plus personal training equipment including the new Life Fitness Hammer Vest.

Everywhere in the club, Life Fitness has provided a raft of new 97 series machines for its main cv area, which is divided into two new sections.

On one side, cv machines face banks of LCD screens, while the other offer equipment with integratesd LCD screens for a more personal exercise experience.

A further facility at the club, part of the Next Generation group, is a heavy resistance gym, which has seen the introduction of a new Olympic Lifting Platform, also from Life Fitness, to complement its Hammer plate loaded machines.

Anthony Morrison, Account Manager at Life Fitness said:"After surveying members, Life Fitness identified the needs of the club and dramatically changed the layout to boost the club's thriving personal training business.

"By improving equipment, creating a structured member pathway and meeting member requirements, the Harbour Club can continue to generate essential revenues through personal training."

Personal trainers therefore need to incorporate wellness and functional training into their routines if they want to stay ahead of the game.

Clients are being exposed to mind and body techniques more than ever before as classes like pilates, yoga and tai chi become more popular. In fact the IDEA Fitness Programmes and Equipment Surveys for the last two years indicated a growing interest in both personal training with either yoga or pilates.

Personal trainers who learn mind and body techniques will be able to help their clients explore how they feel while exercising. Body awareness is crucial to movement control.

The exerciser needs to not only understand intellectually what is required in doing an exercise, but also to concentrate on how their body performs through each phas of the movement. This is where trainers need to have the skills to educate their clients on the purpose as well as the technique of each exercise. An integrated approach means trying in education, functional exercise selection and mental focus with movement.

An integrated approach also means using selected exercise tools at the correct resistance levels to improve how the client moves during their everyday activities. For example, using medicine balls tp train correct lifting technique for a young mother with children is functional.

Combine the training by making sure there is a focus on the core muscles to improve balance and control while using the global muscles, breathing correctly through the phases of the movement. Explore how she feels as she picks up that exercise tool. Find out whether she knows which muscles are working during the movement. And by encouraging her to imagine picking up toys and her tots while she performs the exercise, will mean good back health in the future. This really is an integrated approach.

The focus needs to be on multi-muscle exercise where there is demand on postural muscles to support correct exercise technique. Adding concentration on how the body feels as it goes through the exercise makes the client pay attention to all the details connecting the mind to the body through movement.

Most importantly the trainer can talk about how doing this exercise correctly over time will improve the ability to carry out daily tasks or perform in their sport.

Today's clients are looking at personal training as a lifestyle option with a wellness aspect. If a trainer wants to be successful they must deliver more than just physical training methods. They need to address both the mental and physical aspects to make their clients healthier, fitter and happier.

The facility which has undergone an extensive refurblishment of the gym, two studios and spinning areas, forms the blue-print for Esporta's non-racquet clubs in the future and is the first in the series of clubs to be revamped this year.

The new design comprises seven zones, with the gym consisting of a Cardio Theatre with Upright and Recumbent Lifecycles, Cross-Trainers, treadmills and Summit Trainers, together with 12 additional pieces of CV equipment with attachable entertainment screens.

It also has dedicated areas for Treadmill, Cross-Trainer and Crew classes.

Resistance machines also include products from the Signature Series, Pro2SE range, Hammer Strength MTS (Motion Technology Selectorised) and Hammer Strength Ground Base.

There are ten stations from the Circuit Series and the Personal Training Zone features two Dual Adjustable Pulleys and a comprehensive selection of functional fitness equipment.

Escape has supplied all of the studio equipment suitable for many different types of group exercise classes.

The range features RBK Decks, Steps, Adjustable resistance tubes, Rubber Handweights, Rep Sets, Training Bars, Medicine Balls, Foam Rollers and Dura-Balls together with all the appropriate storage and matting.

To officially launch the new concept to the business, Esporta held a two-day conference in May for all its Directors, Senior Managers, General Managers and Fitness Managers.

Over 120 delegates attended the event which included a number of practical workshops to showcase the new facility, as well as training sessions about the strategy behind the implementation of the new innovations.

Facilities at the £2.5m Roko Chiswick Bridge include a 20m swimming pool, a five station hydro spa, sauna and steam room facilities and a dedicated health and beauty suite.

The club has been designed to comprise four distinct zones, which includes a consultation area fitted with a selection of equipment for instructors to use when designing tailored programmes for members, a free weight space and ladies zone.

The main gym space makes up the fourth zone and offers a full range of Life Fitness Signature Strength equipment and 95T Engage Treadmills with integrated TV screens, as well as a boxing area supplied by Escape Fitness.

The club's three studios have been specifically designed for classes they host.

The Mind- Body studio features dark wood and dim lighting in an attempt to create a relaxing environment for its yoga, pilates and tai chi classes, while the Energise studio uses feel light wood and natural lighting for its higher energy classes. A group cycling studio completes the group exercise facilities.

Escape will also responsible for the refurblishment of GLL's existing studio spaces in portfolio as well as new builds.

Wendy Balch, wellness group exercise and fitness service manager at GLL said: "The diverse nature of our centres members are very different from location to location.

"We have worked with Escape Fitness on a number of studio projects in the past and are looking forward to partnering with them again to develop a group exercise offer that meets the needs of all of our customers."

GLL manages more than 65 local authority leisure facilities within the M25.

Member are always looking for different and more innovative ways of training to stave off boredom and operators are learning that, by integrating freewights with other equipment in interesting layouts, they can do just that.

Sales of freeweights have followes a steady upward curve over the last 10 years and demand for dumbbells currently appears to be almost insatiable, so health clubs are clearly using them more.

There is also more innovation in the way freeweights are being used in facilities. We are moving away from offeringrows of dubbells stacked in one dedicated freeweights area, which can be intimidating. Instead clubs are developing more interesting and imaginative gym layouts, which make freeweights more usable for different types of members.

Virgin Active, for example has installed dumbbells in dedicated discreet workout areas, where new or less confident exercisers can familiarise themselves and become comfortable using the equipment in privacy.

The continuing growth of personal training and small group training is also helping to keep demand for freeweights high as operators create specific areas in their clubs to drive this important revenue stream. Virgin Active has personal training hubs with freeweights provided, along with other useful accessories including core boards and BOSUs.

We also recently created a functional fitness area at Welti, an independent club in Shropshire, for personal training with a freeweights zone: a stabilisation area with sprint tract, plyometric platforms and medicine balls: and a combat zone with a boxing platform, kettlebells and punch bags. Such areas cater for people of all abilities and are a great way of introducing them to all equipment, including freeweights.

Changing the look of dumbbells has also helped make them less intimidating – using materials like steel and urethane, and colours other than black.

The initative, supported by Escape Fitness at The Voyager School will be strictly non-contact and focus on teaching technique, which can lead to accredited awards – preliminary, standard, bronze, silver and gold – from the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA)

Members of the Royal Navy Boxing Club helped launch the first eight week course last month, Peterborough school sports co-ordinator Chris Davitt, said the classes have sparked much excitement among the children.

"There's been a huge amount of interest for the after-school boxing classes, which are all about having fun, learning new skills and improving fitness." said Chris, who belives the sessions will also improve discipline among children as well as their attendance.

"Our experience shows that children who take part in physical activity in school have a higher record of attendance than those that don't."

Chris has worked with local ABA coach, Phill Prout, who runs as amateur boxing club in the area, to introduce classes. Escape Fitness is lending its support by providing equipment including boxing gloves, skipping ropes and free-standing punch bags.

Peterborough's school sports co-ordinators will follow the success of the scheme with a view to rolling it out to the city's 13 secondary schools in the future.

Get your guard up…. School children get an inspirational introduction to the skills involved in boxing.

The TRX stands for Total body Resistance eXercises, and it’s one of the most versatile and portable pieces of equipment on the market at the moment.

TRX Suspension Training uses body weight and makes it suitable for all ages and abilities.

TRX Suspension Training delivers muscular physiological responses for individuals of all fitness levels: muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, joint stability, flexibility and gravity to create resistance.

Difficulty levels are adjusted by changing the position and angle. This not only allows the exerciser to determine how easy or hard the workout is, but also core stability. TRX training enables the exerciser to also work across multiple planes of movement. The system is proving very popular with fitness enthusiasts, sports trainers and rehab specialists. Also celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez have been spotted using the system.

Development of the TRX Suspension Training System

The TRX Suspension Training was developed by Randy Hedrick a former US Navy Seals and was subsequently launched as a tool for personal and athletic trainers.

Hedrick designed it as a to go anywhere, do virtually everything fitness piece of kit. It consists of nylon-webbed straps, handles and anchors and can be attached to any secure weight-bearing base.

It can be adjusted from 1.8m to 3.5m in length, making it suitable for exercisers of different heights and weights.

TRX Suspension Training started to emerge on the fitness scene in America in 2005, but only came fully into the UK market in early 2009. In recent years, there has been a shift away from traditional gym and machine based training toward outdoor/bootcamp types of activities which may involve more natural movement – ideally suited to the TRX.

If your female members are looking to lose weight, tone up and get an excellent cardiovascular workout for the whole body, then you should consider introducing boxing classes or circuits in your facility. A great confidence booster and an effective stress reliever, boxing training is a very social activity with members often pairing up during the workout.

Ideal for developing fitness, flexibility and coordination, it doesn't take long to see the results of a thorough boxing training class.

Fitness First launched its first dedicated boxing environment in the UK at its Gorton club in Manchester last year and the concept has proved so popular among men and women that it is rolling it out to other sites including its new £2m club in Baker Street.

Other operators, both chains and independants are following suit to breathe new life into under-utilised areas of their clubs. Cannons converted an exercise studio into a boxing zone at its club in central London to meet increasing demand for the sport from stressed city workers. Other clubs are adding boxing equipment – skipping ropes, medicine balls, free-standing punch bags etc – to their personal training areas, giving users all the tools neccessary for a full-body workout.

Introducing boxing kit into your health club offer allows female members to experience the thrill of exercising in a safe, boxing like environment where they are guaranteed an intensive and effective, non-contact workout at the same time.

Many operators find the most effective way to encourage their female members to take part in the activity is by introducing women-only classes as well as workshops to demonstrate basic techniques.

Whether you decide to create a dedicated boxing area, add some equipment to the gym or introduce boxing themed classes, this activity meets most, if not all, the requiremments women are looking for in a workout – what are you looking for?

Introduced as a result of the activity's increasing popularity, four courses are available, from four-hour introductory workshop to a one-day advanced programme. Delegates are taught how to perform exercises, deliver education and improve clients' movement patterns, techniques and performance. Escape has also introduced large posters for detailing essential kettlebell exercises in response to a growing demand for training resources.