R Schuhmann CS Magazine

44 CLUB SOLUTIONS MAGAZINE JULY 2014 CLUBSOLUTIONSMAGAZINE.COM
Team
Rachel Zabonick
When staff
work together,
no dirt, trash
or mess goes
uncleaned.
Clean
K
eeping your
club clean
shouldn’t be
the job of
the janito-
rial staff alone. Instead,
a sparkling clean facility
should be a group effort,
from the front desk staff to
managers and beyond. By
doing so, you can ensure
no areas, big or small, are
missed — earning your
club a positive reputation.

The Rush Fitness
Complex, which
has 23 locations.
A Rush member
uses battle ropes.
That is why Reinier Arocha, the direc-
tor of sales and marketing for Downtown
Athletic Club in Miami, Florida, has no
qualms about doing some cleaning of his
own. Although it’s not in his job descrip-
tion and the club has its own cleaning
staff, Arocha is constantly on the lookout
for areas that need to be tidied up.
“The number-one priority is our
members, and we need to make sure
that a clean facility is available to them
at all times,” said Arocha. “Even myself,
if I see something on the floor, I pick it
up immediately.”
The all-for-one and one-for-all attitude
is a hallmark for clubs known for their
clean facilities. This includes Chuze Fit-
ness, which has locations in California
and Arizona. At Chuze Fitness, cleanli-
ness is even stressed as a part of the club’s
training process for new employees.
“It’s part of our culture and selec-
tion process,” explained Cory Bright-
well, the co-founder of Chuze Fitness.
“All new staff members are taken
through an on-boarding process that will
help them understand and internalize
the importance of cleanliness before they
even begin their first shift. The leaders in
our club are the first to put on a vacuum
or grab a rag, and the example they set is
the best way we can express the impor-
tance of cleanliness at Chuze.”
Although stressing the importance of
cleanliness to employees is important,
having specific processes in place can
make their job easier and prevent areas
from being overlooked.
For example, The Rush Fitness Com-
plex, with 23 clubs in Tennessee and
North Carolina, has several procedures
in place to establish club cleanliness.
First, at each location a janitorial team
comes in twice a day, for a total of eight
hours, and completes a checklist detail-
ing what their team did in the morning
and what they did at night. The next day,
the clubs’ operations managers complete
a walkthrough critiquing every area in
the club, communicating with the janito-
rial staff on areas they think need addi-
tional attention.
According to Leslie Daley, the senior
vice president of human resources for
The Rush, the key to a clean club is com-
munication and feedback. “If the opera-
tions manager is having a consistent issue
with an area being neglected, they are
trained to communicate within the chain
of command and consult with the region-
al manager of our janitorial service,” she

said. “They speak on a weekly
basis at times and build a rela-
tionship, as communication is
key between both parties.”
Like Chuze Fitness and
Downtown Athletic Club,
keeping the club clean is
a team effort at The Rush.
“All staff are asked to com-
plete hourly locker room
checks and the front desk
[staff] complete ‘front end’
cleaning tasks during every
shift,” explained Daley. For
example, front desk staff will
clean the windows on the
front doors, the top of the
desks and check that all areas
are clutter free. “This ensures
that our first impressions
are perceived well.”
According to Brightwell,
clubs may fail at having a
sparkling clean facility be-
cause the correct procedures
weren’t put into place at the
get go. “Develop specific
cleanliness expectations and
standards, and then create
accountability measures that
will allow your clubs to meet
those expectations and stan-
dards,” he said.
At Chuze Fitness, staff are
assigned daily tasks, check-
lists and inspections.
“We have a checklist that
breaks down each section of
the day and which cleaning
tasks need to be performed,”
continued Brightwell. “Once
the task is performed, the em-
ployee will initial the check-
list next to the completed
task. Then, district manage-
ment will perform weekly
Strength equipment at The Rush.
Members
workout at
The Rush.
Members’
Pet Peeves
• Picture frames and
photographs. As these
are meant to be looked
at, make sure members
are staring at the
photos, and not a layer
of dust.
• High dusting. You may
not think members look
at the ceiling, but you’d
be surprised at where
your eyes wander when
running on a treadmill.
As a result, clean high
to low.
• Smells. Even if your
club looks visibly clean,
if it doesn’t smell that
way, your cleaning
efforts can be vetoed in
members’ eyes.
• Equipment footholds.
Ever jumped on an
elliptical without looking
where you place your
feet? The likely answer is
no. Therefore, make sure
your members aren’t
placing their feet on top
of a collection of dirt.

and monthly club inspections to [check
that] the tasks are being completed at the
standards we have set in place.”
According to Arocha, boasting a
clean club is the top compliment he
receives from both prospects and mem-
bers, and that fact couldn’t make him
happier. “We always get complimented
on how clean our facilities are,” he said.
“It’s very important.”
Daley explained that having a clean
facility adds value to your club, a value
that may get overlooked. “A consumer
is more likely to join a club that is
clean and is more likely to stay if a
club is clean,” she said. “We show our
members that we care about our facili-
ties enough to invest additional revenue
in a janitorial service to ensure a con-
stant focus on keeping our clubs clean.”
Although there can be challenges in
keeping your club in tip-top shape, if you
make the challenge a team effort, that
challenge can be overcome.
“We teach our employees that we
play a major role in keeping our clubs
clean,” continued Daley. “We ask that
each club management team pick an
area of their club every week to de-
tail. This helps us do our part in [assur-
ing] we contribute, in addition to our
daily janitorial staff. This shows pride
and ownership and is a practice that
many teams put in place.”
At Chuze Fitness,
cleanliness is a
top priority.
The number
one priority is
our members,
and we need to
make sure that
a clean facility
is available to
them at
all times.”
Reinier Arocha
Locker rooms at Chuze Fitness
in Westminster, California.

51CLUBSOLUTIONSMAGAZINE.COM JULY 2014 CLUB SOLUTIONS MAGAZINE
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Ducklings Are MadeTo Be Followers
Club Solutions Is Made For Leaders

14 CLUB SOLUTIONS MAGAZINE JUNE 2014 CLUBSOLUTIONSMAGAZINE.COM
INDUSTRY NEWSWARM UP
Starting May 15, 2014, AussieFIT’s two
locations in Columbus, Ohio, opened
its doors to teenagers between the ages
of 12 and 17 for free workouts.
Teens interested in the program must
first tour the club with a parent. The only
restrictions are that teenagers finish their
workouts by 4 p.m., and be out the door
by 5 p.m., to avoid peak hours. Besides
that, registered teens receive the same
treatment and access as adult members.
Geoff Dyer, the founder of AussieFIT,
began the tradition in 2005 at Lifestyle
Family Fitness. He carried the program
over to AussieFIT’s two locations, which
opened in 2011.
As a former overweight teen, the pro-
gram is extremely important to Dyer. “At
16, 17 and 18, I weighed 248 pounds,”
recalled Dyer. “So first hand, I know
what it’s like to have that self esteem is-
sue from being overweight.”
Like other cities, Columbus is strug-
gling to boast healthy and fit citizens.
According to the most recent data avail-
able from the CDC, Ohio has the 12th
highest rate of diabetes in the nation.
According to Dyer, around 700 teens
register for free memberships each year,
and about 500 end up making use of the
opportunity. “It’s a great way to give back
to the community and educate teens on
the importance of health and fitness,”
said Dyer.
Dyer is continually impressed by the
positive feedback his clubs have received
as a result of the program. “It’s absolutely
amazing how the community embraces
it,” he said. In addition to local press, Dr.
Oz, a popular daytime TV show person-
ality, has endorsed the program.
As a result, he encouraged other
clubs to implement something similar.
“It’s a great way to get hundreds of teens
and hundreds of parents to tour your
club,” he said. “Clubs need to stand for
something in their communities, and
teenage inactivity is a problem – what
better way to counteract it than to open
your doors?”
The program runs May 15 through
August 15.
AussieFIT Offers Teens
Free Summer Memberships
Photo courtesy of AussieFIT.

Focused on the baby boomer mar-
ket, Welcyon: Fitness After 50 is a
health club catering to those 50 and old-
er. And now Welcyon is award winning.
One of the nation’s only fitness fran-
chises designed specifically for people
over 50, Welcyon: Fitness After 50 is locat-
ed in Minnesota, North Dakota and South
Dakota. Recently, the club was named the
“Best Gym for 50-plus set” in the Star Tri-
bune’s 2014 Best of Minnesota awards.
The third annual Best of Minnesota has
over 100 categories, ranging from the best
Minnesota getaways and fitness activities
to the best food and drink. The Star Tri-
bune’s 265 journalists select the winners.
Welcyon CEO Suzy Boerboom said
the health club is grateful and thrilled
to be honored with this tremendous
award. “As a health club designed
specifically for those 50 or older, Wel-
cyon promises a better experience and
healthier results than traditional gyms,”
she said in a press release.
She said the concept’s specially trained
staff, safer user-friendly equipment and
personalized workout and nutrition
plans are all delivered in a smaller, com-
fortable setting that contrasts with over-
sized, overcrowded gyms.
Founded in 2009 by Tom and Suzy
Boerboom and partner Paul Contris,
the motto of the club is “to provide a
welcoming and personalized fitness en-
vironment where people 50 and over can
achieve their best health.”
Welcyon clubs feature a structured
fitness program consisting of strength
and cardiovascular training, as well as
stretching and balance exercises. Special-
ly trained fitness coaches guide workouts
on equipment that uses air instead of
traditional weight stacks to create resis-
tance and build strength.
The gym’s strength-training equip-
ment is also powered by Smart Card
technology, allowing members the ability
to track their individual workouts and
progress. Each machine greets the mem-
ber by name, sets the resistance, counts
reps and adjusts the workouts, making
them progressively more challenging as
the member improves.
“The best part is that we are truly chang-
ing lives,” said Boerboom. “A three-year
analysis of our strength data shows Wel-
cyon members on average double their
strength within a year of joining.”
Welcyon Recognized
As Minnesota’s 'Best Gym
for 50-Plus Set'
Suzy Boerboom
(right), chats with a
Welcyon member.
Photos courtesy of Welcyon.

Chelsea Piers has named Greta
Wagner as executive director of
Chelsea Piers in Stamford, Connecti-
cut. Wagner will replace Mollie Mar-
coux, who is leaving the company in
August to begin her role as the director
of athletics for Princeton University.
“We are very lucky to have a person
with Greta’s intelligence, work ethic
and professional experience available
to step into this important leadership
role,” said David A. Tewksbury, the
president of Chelsea Piers Connecti-
cut, in a press release. “With Greta’s
vast experience at Chelsea Piers New
York and specifically the Sports Cen-
ter health club, we are confident she
will be a great addition to run Chelsea
Piers Connecticut and open the new
athletic club.”
Wagner has served as the senior
vice president and general manager
of the Chelsea Piers Sports Center in
New York for the past 18 years. She has
also served in the company’s human
resources department, overseeing man-
agement development and customer
service training for Chelsea Piers’ em-
ployees. Wagner previously served as
the general manager of the Golf Club
at Chelsea Piers, a state-of-the-art golf
range and teaching academy for chil-
dren and adults.
In addition, Jared Deptula has been
promoted from assistant general manag-
er to general manager of the Sports Cen-
ter at Chelsea Piers in New York City.
“Jared has been a key leader at two
of our sports venues for more than a
decade,” continued Tewksbury in the
release. “He has trained with Greta
for years and this is a great opportu-
nity for him to lead one of our largest
venues. I am confident in both of their
abilities to seamless[ly] step into their
new roles.”
According to the company, Wagner
will continue to serve as general man-
ager of the Sports Center through June
15, while spending time at Chelsea
Piers Connecticut during the transi-
tion. She will begin her full-time posi-
tion at Chelsea Piers Connecticut on
July 7.
ECard Transactions, a leading
provider of recovery solutions
for recurring transactions, and
financial technology leader Bluefin
Payment Systems have announced
a partnership to bring Bluefin’s
PayConex P2PE™ solution to
eCard Transactions’ clients.
eCard Transactions provides
intelligent software, payment
solutions and sweep technology
to recover returned checks, EFTs
and declined credit cards for cus-
tomers while averaging collection
rates as high as 77 percent. eCard
Transactions will offer Bluefin’s
PayConex P2PE to its client base
to provide greater security for
their transactions.
“Our customers have come
to know and expect the highest
level of payment solutions, cus-
tomized recovery and recurring
transaction processing from our
company,” said Craig Millius,
the CEO of eCard Transactions.
“Bluefin provides an integrated
payment processing platform that
features the only PCI-validated
point-to-point encryption solu-
tion in the U.S. We are dedicated
to ensuring the safety of all our
transactions, and PayConex P2PE
encrypts cardholder data at the
source, protecting our customers’
systems and networks.”
In March 2014, Bluefin re-
ceived Payment Card Industry
(PCI) Council validation for a
point-to-point encryption (P2PE)
solution. PayConex P2PE en-
crypts credit and debit card data
in a secure point of entry device
before it is transmitted into a
merchant’s point-of-sale (POS),
virtual terminal or payment ap-
plication. Encrypting cardholder
data within the device ensures
clear-text cardholder data does
not reach the merchant’s POS
systems and networks where it
could be exposed to malware.
eCard
Transactions
Partners With
Bluefin Payment
Systems
Wagner Named Executive Director
of Chelsea Piers Connecticut
Greta Wagner, executive
director of Chelsea Piers
Connecticut.

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UFC Gym
Enters Silicon
Valley
UFC Gym has joined the ranks of
gyms striving to draw employees of
well-known and startup tech companies,
such as Facebook and Netflix, into its
doors. On May 15, 2014, UFC Gym be-
gan enrolling members into its first loca-
tion in Sunnyvale, California.
“This is an energizing time for us as
we celebrate another UFC Gym in the
Bay Area, home of our very first location
in Concord (2009),” said Adam Sedlack,
the president of UFC Gym, in a press
release. “Since then, we have seen in-
credible facility growth throughout the
states and Australia … We are honored
to continue to provide a community like
Sunnyvale with dynamic ways to see im-
mediate results.”
The new 30,000-square-foot location
will be located at 733 S. Wolfe Rd. and is
scheduled to open for workouts in the fall
of 2014. The club will feature a 30-foot
Octogan, state-of-the-art workout equip-
ment and UFC Gym-signature classes.
UFC Gym will be competing with
a number of existing chains that have
penetrated the area, including 24 Hour
Fitness, The Bay Club Company and Lei-
sure Sports, Inc.
Out of eight UFC Gym “signature”
clubs, this will be UFC Gym’s fifth club
in California. Overall, UFC Gym boasts
over 100 locations worldwide.
UFC Gym pro
shop and juice bar.
A UFC Gym Octogan.

This year, Genesis Health Clubs is
celebrating its 28th anniversary and
has not stopped expanding.
Recently, Genesis purchased both
the north and south locations of Ozark
Fitness Center in Springfield, Missouri.
With these additions, Genesis will own
and operate 15 clubs throughout various
cities in both Kansas and Missouri.
For several months, Rodney Steven
II, the owner of Genesis Health Clubs,
worked with Dan Martin, the owner of
Ozark Fitness, on the sale of both loca-
tions. “I am proud and excited to an-
nounce that the sale is official, and the
high quality of service and programs that
have been a part of Ozark Fitness will
continue and will thrive to a new level,”
said Steven II in a press release. “We
want to commend the high level of ser-
vice that Dan
has provided.”
Remodeling
is in the works
for both loca-
tions, includ-
ing renova-
tions of locker
rooms and
workout areas
to keep in line
with the Gen-
esis Health
Clubs’ look.
Plus, older
cycle bikes will
be replaced
with new ones
immediately.
In addition,
the south loca-
tion offers a
women’s-only gym with equipment spe-
cifically designed for women. A nursery
is available and allows for professional
supervision while mothers workout.
“I’m excited to bring Genesis Health
Clubs to Springfield and look forward
to working with the community,” said
Steven II. “I am fully committed to main-
taining safe, clean, state-of-the-art facili-
ties and hope to create the same great
atmosphere here as we have at our other
Genesis locations.”
Genesis Health
Clubs Purchases
Ozark Fitness
Photo courtesy of
Genesis Health
Clubs.
“I’m excited
to bring
Genesis
Health Clubs
to Springfield
and look
forward
to working
with the
community."
RODNEY
STEVEN II

28 CLUB SOLUTIONS MAGAZINE May 2014 CLUBSOLUTIONSMAGAZINE.COM
Why is functional training becoming more
prevalent in health club settings?
JD: Functional training is the latest “buzz
word” in health clubs, and for good reasons.
The idea of strength training is no longer just
for those interested in bodybuilding. Strength
training is important for everyone in order to
maintain muscle mass as we age. Functional
training simulates the way muscles work
together in real life situations. Therefore,
incorporating more functional training into
your workout will improve your quality of life.
Members are coming into clubs looking for
functional training options.
How can a club create a functional training
area with minimal space?
JD: Functional training exercises can be per-
formed anywhere in the gym where there is
open space. Gyms cluttered with the typical
circuit training machines that isolate muscles,
instead of training muscles to work together,
need to remove these machines. Not only do
these machines take up a lot of room, they
send mixed messages about your philosophy of
training to your members.
How should a club educate members on
functional equipment to prevent individual
injuries?
JD: Most people know they need to do func-
tional training, but really don’t know what
functional training is. It is important to have a
knowledgeable staff and trainers present on the
floor to assist people with these exercises. Small
group training (SGT) is becoming more popu-
lar in gyms as it creates affordable training op-
tions for members. SGT is a great way to edu-
cate members on functional training options.
How can clubs implement functional training
areas without looking like cluttered sections?
JD: It is important for clubs to have stands,
racks and hooks to organize the equipment.
The equipment should not be left on the floor.
These organizational tools should also help cre-
ate spaces for people to perform the exercises.
Ask An ExpertCLUB CORNER
You have questions, we have
answers. We took some time this
month to speak with Jacki Dalsimer,
the fitness director of Canton Club in
Baltimore, Md., on how you can make
the most out of functional training in
your facility.
with JackiDalsimer
Top 5 Training
Pieces of
Equipment
1. Stability Balls
2. TRX Suspension Systems
3. Medicine Balls
4. Dumbbells
5. Cable Machines
Q&A

66 CLUB SOLUTIONS MAGAZINE May 2014 CLUBSOLUTIONSMAGAZINE.COM
When Highline Club in Burien, Wash. recently
remodeled its facility, more than just chang-
ing “the look” was in mind. Dropping the “athletic”
from its former title, Highline
Athletic Club, was also a part of
the plan.
“We wanted people to feel a
part of more than just an ‘athletic club,’” explained
Kelly Turner, the leader of membership services at
Highline Club. “We revamped our name and logo
for our 25th anniversary, which we celebrated in
February 2014.”
Centrally located in the same location since its
inception in 1989, Highline is next to Burien’s high
school, hospital and airport. As a result, it has become
a central aspect of the community. It often partici-
pates in school auctions and charity fundraisers, as
well as local health and wellness events or races.
In addition to sponsoring events outside the club,
there are opportunities for members to connect
inside Highline Club as well. “We offer quarterly
member mixers where new members can meet our
existing members and get acquainted to the club,”
explained Turner.
With such a strong community influence, High-
line wanted to redesign its facilities to match that
effort. “We were after designing a club that was
focused on the social aspect, and making the club
so much more than just a place to exercise, but a
place to congregate with friends and co-workers,”
explained Turner. “We felt focusing on the social
aspect, with a community feel, would help foster the
feeling of belonging to the club and belonging to a
community.”
The redesigned facility separates the equipment
into different rooms so that members aren’t crowd-
ed into one big space. Some of the rooms included
are a cardio room, a free-weight room, a selector-
ized-equipment room and a functional room filled
with functional training accessories (such as TRX
training and battle ropes). “The individual rooms, as
opposed to one big warehouse, keeps people from
feeling ‘on display,’” said Turner.
In addition, members have access to an indoor
running track overlooking the sports courts, and a full-
fledged Pilates studio for group or private instruction.
The members at Highline appreciate quality in
service, in the programs and in the facility. With
this in mind, every aspect of the members’ needs
was put into consideration when redesigning High-
line. “It’s easy to leave a club, but harder to leave
friends and a community,” said Turner. “We wanted
members to want to not only workout here, but
hang out with friends over a cup of coffee or sand-
wich when we had them. So many people work from
home or don’t have offices, so we wanted to see
them bringing their laptop and sitting in our social
areas, even if they didn’t come in to workout.”
The new design is more conducive to a commu-
nity appeal. “The layout really encourages people to
stay as long as they would like,” said Turner. “You
have the ability to sit in a comfy leather couch and
watch the pickle ball and basketball games. Soak,
steam, workout, chat with friends, play a game of
cards in the lobby, grab a snack, repeat — there’s
really no reason to leave!”
Although the remodel has been an important
aspect of how Highline Club grows, it isn’t all about
the look. “We pride ourselves on getting to know
every member on a first-name basis and their per-
sonal workout preferences,” said Turner. “Every-
thing from the front desk having your towel ready
for you before you enter the door, to singing happy
birthday, to calling and checking in when we see a
member hasn’t been in in a while.”
Every update that Highline makes, from the name
and logo to the remodeled facility, is for its mem-
bers to feel like they are a part of a community —
the Highline Club community.
Club SuccessCool Down
HIghline Club in Burien, Wash.
By Maggie
Cunningham
More Than Just an Athletic Club

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