What your first gym sesh will look like next month

Desperate to get back to the gym? This is what your workouts could look like when they re-open next month (plus how to get into your 24 hour gym).

OUTDOOR bootcamps have proved the first step back to normality and a huge morale boost for small gyms as a major 24/7 franchise reveals what will change when it opens.

On June 12 the Queensland Government will allow gyms, health clubs and yoga studios to reopen with 20 people, or more with an approved plan.

Southeast QLD getaway ‘pummelled’ with bookings after COVID-19 shutdown

SanitiseMen business owner warns risk of second wave is real

Jacob’s Well Egg Farm closes due to drought

Anytime Fitness chief marketing officer Emily Thompson says it will reopen its 76 Queensland gyms under those Stage 2 eased restrictions — but members should expect some changes.

Gyms have been closed since March 23.

She said the fitness company was beta testing a booking system that would ensure they could control numbers by allowing members to lock-in their training timeslot.

Members key fobs will only work for their booking.

“Our average is around 16 people per hour in our gyms, but obviously there are peak times in the mornings and evenings,” she said.

“We’ll be interested to see what happens with the peak times, with people’s changed habits and working from home.”

She said members would be contacted before the reopening with details on bookings and would be advised that their memberships, which were frozen, would be reactivated.

“They’ll be able to give us notice if they want to stay on freeze, if not they’ll just go back to their regular membership,” she said.

Gyms are planning to open with 20 people under Stage 2 eased restrictions.

Cardio machines will be placed 1.5m apart and some workout machines closed to maintain social distancing, while numbers in group classes would be reduced.

Ms Thompson said professional cleaning would increase and the gyms had started using a antimicrobial disinfectant that provided four week protection for regular cleaning.

“Yes, bring a sweat towel, but we’ll also provide sanitiser and antibacterial wipes for members,” she said.

She added showers and water bubblers would be closed for at least the first few weeks of Stage 2 restrictions, under advice from Fitness Australia.

Perform 360 co-owner Brent Coglan said he would start bootcamps for members next week and knowing they would see their clients again was “a huge morale boost” for his team.

“We’re a face-to-face business so as soon as we can get back in front of people, we’ll take the opportunity,” he said.

Perform 360 co-owners Brent Coglan and Jason Clark (picture taken pre-social distancing). Supplied: Perform 360

The next big milestone would be June 12, when the Queensland Government will allow gyms, health clubs and yoga studios to reopen with 20 people, or more with an approved plan.

“It’ll look like six people with one coach, two groups running at a time,” Mr Coglan said.

“Our gym’s 550 sqm, so we’ve got the space for it.”

He said under the Stage 3 eased restrictions, slated to be introduced around July 10 all going well, the gym would “almost be going back to normal”.

“Because we are small group personal training we don’t need a large number of people coming through all the time,” he said.

That walk to “almost normal” comes after Mr Coglan had to reinvent the Enoggera gym to weather the lockdown but he had a headstart — he was in Canada as COVID-19 began to hit.

“We were over there seeing all the businesses close down, so as soon as I got back to Australia, I said this is going to happen here, we have to be ready,” he said.

Members work out at Perform 360 pre-lockdown. Supplied picture: Perform 360

“We could see all the other countries following suit, so we knew we had to be ready.”

He gave his members a reduced $29 a week online membership, which included bespoke training programs accessed at home, plus the option to hire equipment from the gym.

“It’s been really successful, we had about 75 per cent of members take us up on online training,” he said.

Mr Coglan said the gym had also “picked up 20 people, which is pretty good”.

“Some people who might’ve seen us online but they were too far away to come and train — they were able to jump on online programs and have a crack,” he said.

He said he would continue an online training program post COVID-19 but despite that success the gym had still taken “a massive hit” as the online program was cheaper.

“It’s definitely tough, having to pivot really quickly, and having your employees that you have to look after as well,” he said.

“The Government has been supportive, and our landlord understands we’ve taken a massive hit and he’s helped us out a little bit, too”