Increase Attraction
Beechdown Health and Fitness Club Lead the Way
First in the World to Install Advagym from Sony
Following a refurbishment, Beechdown Health and Fitness Club in Basingstoke is the first gym in the world to pilot tech giants Sony’s new strength tracking system, Advagym. With the ability to seamlessly integrate with Preva, Advagym provides members with a full tracking solution across both cardio and strength workouts.
Sony’s Advagym uses a sensor on strength machines to record reps and sets. Members simply touch their phone to the sensor ‘puck’ to start tracking their workout in real-time, with stats automatically uploaded to the Advagym app.
Pucks in free weight areas enable exercisers to select from a list of exercises or create their own, whilst pucks on Precor’s Queenax™ functional training units link to videos and step-by-step instructions of suggested workouts.
In the app, members can log favourite workouts and preferred machine settings, add free weight workouts, set up their own training plan and view their complete workout history.
Ed Lindley-Hare, Club Manager at Beechdown comments: “This technology is so exciting, and our members are thrilled to be the first club to give it a test drive. Being intrigued, within two hours of its installation some were already using it; no training was necessary.
“There’s a huge prestige that comes with being the first in the world to have Advagym. We specifically didn’t want a wired tracking system, Advagym provides the perfect digitalised solution to help motivate our members; what’s more, it’s easy to use and very slick.
“Keeping track of resistance workouts can be difficult, but with this app members can monitor weights used and the number of repetitions achieved, enabling them to see why they are getting results or what they need to do to achieve their goals. It’s encouraging for them to know what they have achieved and can do – it helps motivate them even more. In the short time since installing Advagym, 75% of our members taking personal training sessions are already using the app.
Advagym also links with Preva, Precor’s networked fitness solution for cardio machines, which enables members to set goals, track workouts and earn badges and milestones to help keep them motivated and on target. Members’ data is all pulled across into the Advagym app, so they can see their entire workout journey at a glance. They can even add short notes for each exercise, such as, if they did more reps, if it was easy, or if they were sore.
Lindley-Hare continues: “Beechdown’s PT’s and gym staff are fully onboard and using Advagym for digitalising workouts, with over 80% opting to use it as their preferred method to train and track during personal training sessions. The team claim it has already helped increase interaction with members and boost motivation as they have been able to create bespoke training programmes and provide feedback on progress.
“As we’re piloting the app, both Sony and Precor are taking on board our ideas, such as our suggestion of weekly workout summary emails for members, outlining the sessions they’ve completed. This was immediately implemented, and members are finding it very motivating and useful.”
During inductions new members are taken through Precor’s Preva networked fitness and its integration with Advagym. They learn how they can log on to the Precor Preva networked fitness system through Advagym, making it super simple to keep track of their exercise goals and routine. As a result, the club is enjoying a 90% uptake of new members using the app.
“From an operational perspective the app promotes club interaction but doesn’t take time away from staff doing other things, as no one at the club has to spend time pulling information together - it’s all automated!
“The data we obtain from each machine will give us accurate knowledge on the level of usage and will help determine, in the future, which pieces of kit we replace or keep,” Lindley-Hare explains.
Advagym integration formed part of the 3,000 member, 5,000 sq ft health and fitness club’s hexagonal gym refurbishment. The freeweight area was previously confined to an old court, but in order to incorporate and expand it to become part of the main gym, walls were demolished, LED lighting installed and, new flooring laid throughout to create a cohesive image.
Advagym zone pucks are already in use with members tracking their dumbbell and barbell exercises.
A redesign and reconfiguration of the main gym also took place and 25 new Discovery strength machines were installed, along with a plate-loaded angled leg-press and an incline chest press all in the new Precor Black Pearl colour-way, giving the gym a sleek, stylish look and feel.
As one of the most advanced and forward-thinking fitness facilities in the area, Beechdown installed a Queenax™ Bridge functional training module and a Queenax™ wall unit two years ago, and during this refurbishment added Assault Airbike Elites to the functional fitness offering.
Fifteen half-hour metabolic style sessions are held on the Queenax™ each week, accommodating 10-12 members at a time. Classes are popular, with an average 90% occupancy. Since installing the Queenax™ units the gym has offered three family sessions a week, where a parent can work out with a child aged 8 or above. Six-week specific Queenax™ workshops are also held training members on how to make the most of their TRX, Boxercise and Superfunctional workouts.
A popular area with members, zone pucks have been installed on each of the Queenax units so exercisers can touch their phones to see suggested workout videos comprising of sessions using the Superfunctional, TRX, battleropes and boxercise.
Lindley-Hare concludes: “Advagym is a really simple system to operate for both exercisers and fitness facilities. We’ve had zero failures, and no issues with it what so ever. It’s motivating for all members enabling them to track and fulfil their goals, while operators can use the system to monitor equipment usage and gain valuable insights into user preferences.”
