Book your place today to avoid disappointment, and take part in the REPs National Convention at LIW 2013!

Leisure Industry Week (LIW) will take place over three days from 24^th – 26^th September 2013 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham and REPs will be there for the duration. The REPs Convention will take place on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th September.

We have two exceptional keynote speakers this year, both of whom will enhance your experience at this much-anticipated annual event: Dr Ian Campbell (as seen on The Biggest Loser) and Keith Smith (Global Master Trainer for Life Fitness).

Over the two days we have a busy schedule, delivering over 30 workshops; you will take away information on:

• Weight loss
• Posture and movement correction
• Nutrition
• Working with disabled clients
• Social media marketing

To see a full list of the events happening over the two day convention please follow this link.

 REPs members can attend the convention at a discounted price: 

If you are interested in attending LIW then you will need to visit the LIW website and register. Providing you register in advance it is free for you to attend. However, non-registered visitors will have to pay a £30 entry free on the door.

This annual trade show connects you the with the latest products, services and innovations the industry has to offer and with the attendance of leading companies and industry experts you will be able to see what’s new on the market, and be inspired to develop fresh ideas and experiences for your members and customers.

We really hope to see you all there!

Help your clients lose baby flab with a focused fitness plan

Now that the Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy, REPs advises that effective physical activity during pregnancy will help to lose the pounds now the baby is born.

There are many new mums under pressure to get back into pre-baby shape as soon as possible and as REPs members you have the opportunity to develop your skills in the ante- and post- natal activity category. It is important to let expectant mums know that you can give tailored advice and create a fitness regime that is both safe and effective and is specifically designed for them. A bespoke fitness regime will bring health benefits and help women get back into shape after giving birth.

Sarah Bolitho, a REPs registered trainer specialising in ante- and post-natal exercise, says: “The Duchess of Cambridge will have found out by now that during pregnancy a woman’s body is working very hard to create a baby and this can be physically exhausting as it takes a lot of energy. It is also a tiring time emotionally for many women as they may be anxious about their health, or the health of the baby. These factors mean that exercise is often the last thing on a mum-to-be’s mind, yet it has so many benefits it should be promoted as much as healthy eating during pregnancy. There are now so many activity options to choose from that there is bound to be something that you find appealing, from swimming, ante natal classes, walking groups, the gym or even yoga.”

Sarah Bolitho also has some useful health tips that will be very helpful when advising expectant mums.

Sarah Bolitho’s top active tips for a healthier pregnancy:

• Focus on building activity into your daily life. Take a short walk every day, or take the stairs instead of the lift.
• If you exercise a lot, or are an athlete, then accept that for nine months your training routine will be different, and focus on learning new ways to be active.
• As pregnancy progresses you should reduce the amount and intensity of activity so that by the middle of the third trimester you are exercising at around 70% of your pre-pregnancy levels.
• Always listen to your body and if you feel you need to cut back more then do so, or adopt a more gentle form of activity.
• If you attend classes or the gym, make sure your instructor is qualified in working with ante- and post-natal women, is a member of REPs and has appropriate insurance.

Image Credit: http://www.breakingmuscle.com

The fear of rejection: ‘new trainer, new gym – scary times!’

Guest blog from Greg Small, Registers Operation Manager here at REPs

As a trainer, gaining; retaining and training are in my eyes the three principal foundations to a successful business. One out of the three above is easy. We are qualified; we know our clients and we know the exercise methodology required to get the results our clients want. The other two are more difficult. Many trainers have cottoned onto the concept of image as a sales technique with some undesirable affects others over preach technical and somewhat confusing newly learnt anatomical tag lines to impress clients. ‘Have we gone over the top’ the basics in health and fitness – that work, should be used, abused and recycled; this of course has nothing to do with programming but is about the way that we work. Gaining a new client should stem from our personal ability to speak to any member that we come into contact with. Practicing our personal skills on a daily basis starting with body language and tone of voice will allow you as a practicing instructor to be able to approach ‘potential’ clients more easily. As a human we have an inherent fear of rejection so we often lower our heads and hide in the corner fearing that someone may see us or ask us something we don’t know. If we can change our mindset and greet everyone with positivity and enthusiasm rather than anxiety and a fear of rejection, this can potentially make us the first point of contact for future interactions. How can we change our mindset?

• Smile: a welcoming smile will generally return a similar response
• Speak clearly and factually without being condescending – big words may impress some but it may just irritate the hell out of others
• Headphones are not a barrier – body language does not need to be heard
• Offer your services – the amount of business I have personally generated from being approachable and available to assist is substantial
• Have confidence in your skills – not arrogance. Your ability to be humble in an arena where most people aren’t confident or comfortable will set you aside from others
• Go above and beyond. Let’s be real! We befriend a lot of our clients. Keeping a professional manner about yourself at all time will not only allow your clients to reach their goals but ensure your abilities as a trainer are clear
• Set yourself realistic goals.

My first ever role 11 years ago as a fitness instructor back in Australia my first manager wasn’t exactly the easiest manager to work for. His one task for me went a little like this. ‘Greg, here is a clipboard I want you to speak to 100 members in your shift. I want their name, phone number and three things about them.’  What did I learn from this? I learnt that I had to speak to anyone and everyone (with varied results) and that I actually had it in me. It was a shock to the system! Was this the right industry for me? A lot of us don’t think we can talk but we actually love talking! We should see ourselves not only as trainers but sole operated businesses. Our ability over the trainer to the left or right of us needs to be quantifiable. Putting the fear into ourselves does one thing, it allows us to grow and improve as trainers and people. Challenging yourself will yield this result, you will learn that you don’t just have it, you need to take what you have and improve on it over and over and over again. Education, trial and error and self practice are all steps that I have taken to improve my skills as a trainer that I would recommend anyone and everyone to undertake not only those in the fitness industry. The fitness industry has changed in so many ways in the brief 11 years I have been involved. The one thing that hasn’t changed though is what is required of a trainer. We are the sole provider of motivation, technical advice and life changing support. With this in mind we should all take the responsibility to shape not only our clients but also our careers and mentality to ensure longevity and continued development for the future.

Guest Blog from REPs Member Lucilia Holder

REPs Member Lucilia Holder

My name is Lucilia and up until 8 years ago I had never been near a gym, let alone in one! So here goes my story in a nutshell… 

9 years ago I had moved to a new part of the country due to my husband’s job. So with 2 young children, and not really knowing the area, I got chatting to my neighbour, and one day over a few glasses of something chilled she told me about the local gym which had a creche… I later joined the gym but struggled with the gym on my own and found my nieche with instructor-led classes.

I used to attended aerobics classes 2/3 times a week and 3 years ago my favourite instructor announced that she was moving away; well I was devastated because I loved everything about the classes! She was a freestyle instructor and no two classes were ever the same.  

We got chatting later that day and she said that I should take over her job and that this was how she got into this industry…a lot of laughter later and I had enrolled into a college course to start my Level 2 ETM the following week.

Fast forward 8 years and I am now teaching at that gym… to anyone who thinks that they are too old to get involved in this industry I would say think again. Most of the instructors who inspired me along the way did not choose fitness as their first career choice.

That was in 2010. I qualified in June 2011 and have not looked back since. I am not going to lie and say that it was easy to start out in the industry because a lot of the time gyms want experience and apart from attending classes I clearly did not have any, but prove yourself in this business and good things will come!

Since finishing I have also qualified for Indoor Cycling, Pump Fx and Zumba. I am now currently in the process of completing my HRE for children, my Level 2 Gym and my Level 3 PT has also just started so life is never dull! I teach a wide variety of freestyle classes from LBT (my all time favourite) to Pump, Spinning and Abs based classes and love them all!  I love the gym where I work, Andover Leisure Centre it’s what inspired me in the first place, they understand me and know that I am a little bit crazy but oh so passionate about my job! 

REPs at Flame 2013

It’s been another busy week here at REPs as we attended Flame 2013, an event run by ukactive.

With a conference taking place during the day, a fantastic learning and networking opportunity was presented to the delegates, made up fitness professionals from all across the industry, from gym instructors, right to regional managers and CEOs.

The conference boasted an impressive programme with seminar-style sessions covering a diverse range of topics, including marketing, technology, management, personal development, sales and service.

The event culminated with an awards evening where fitness, leisure and health clubs were rewarded for excellence and best practice over the past 12 months.

The ukactive and Matrix Flame Awards are recognised sector-wide as the most prestigious health and fitness facility awards.

Winners included DC Leisure, who won the Leisure Centre Operator of the Year award, and Featherstone Sports Centre, who won Educational Club of the Year (Schools).

Flame offered a great chance to catch-up with some familiar faces, as well as meet some new ones in what was a fantastic event.

We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did!