RAZE is our very own brand of strength and conditioning equipment – all designed and engineered from our HQ in the UK.

The Shadow XD range creates a premium engineered feel from usability to design detail to an already versatile and effective system. Designed and manufactured in-house, the Shadow XD range uses enhanced material specifications to increase product longevity and fine-tune training possibilities.

The most significant change is the combination of the 70x70x3mm leg section profile using stainless steel to increases strength and resilience delivering a high-end finish. The new legs also feature numbered micro adjustment hole spacing, allowing for better specificity of attachment heights. All attachments are constructed with protective elements to ensure there is no metal-on-metal contact during training. This reduces excessive wear and tear and guarantees structural integrity is maintained or years to come.

You can incorporate the Shadow XD range into your existing or new Shadow Series configuration for increased functionality, durability and personalisation.

Shadow XD were the chosen lifting racks at Third Space Moorgate

The design brief from Third Space Fitness Director Rob Beale was clear. They wanted Power Racks and Half Racks with broad functionality, micro-adjustments and both attachments and accessories that store on the rack systems that would complement a premium Third Space club environment and experience.

We delivered with Shadow XD Full Racks and Half Racks creating the ultimate strength area that offers a premium engineered feel to members and PT’s when using the equipment.

SHADOW XD Core Features

Stainless Steel Construction

The Shadow XD legs are entirely constructed from 304 stainless steel 70x70x3mm Section & 6mm plate meaning increased performance, strength and durability with a high quality finish to match.

Miro Adjust Hole Spacing/Numbers

The Shadow XD utility legs also feature micro-adjustment or “Westside” hole spacing. This finer adjustment option spaces the functional holes at 25mm apart rather than the usual 50mm allowing users to fine tune any attachment position.

Customisable

All racks in the Shadow XD range can be configured to optimise any training approach or space. There are also multiple areas that personal or professional branding can be applied. Choose from a wide range of colours and finishes, and complete the personalised look with a laser cut frame logo.

No Metal on Metal contact

The high quality finish and function is assured to last even longer with a carefully designed arsenal of attachments that feature plastic protective elements which allow for no metal on metal contact.

Attachment Arsenal Compatible

Increase the functionality of any Shadow XD rack or configuration with he addition of a multitude of available compatible attachments. This variety of attachments include a dip, single leg squat/nordic, and row, to name a few.

Could you see Shadow XD in your training space?

Get in touch with the team today!

But how do you know what areas of the industry are worth investing in?

In 2023, we’re predicting an even bigger shift towards recovery and customers craving variety.

GYM DESIGN TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2023

Here are the top 5 gym design trends we expect to see evolving the gym space in 2023:

1. More dedicated recovery spaces
2. Pod training takes centre stage
3. Multi-use studios
4. Outdoor fitness is less seasonal
5. Enter Red light training

Trend #1: More dedicated recovery spaces

Where do your members recover? Is this outside of the gym or do you have a recovery room or space on the gym floor?

In 2023, individuals want to train hard but also train for life. Recovery as part of your training space can ensure clients reach full potential, improve performance and prevent injury.

In order to stand out, we predict brands and facilities will dedicate more space and incorporate different practices to encourage recovery.

More effort than some no-frills stretching matts, foam rollers and lacrosse balls for self-myofascial release.

From Infrared saunas to compression treatment and cold therapy using ice baths.

The challenge is to keep your members recovering in the gym and not losing them to a gym that provides the full wellness suite.

We expect to see operators and independent gyms implementing a recovery strategy to improve overall performance and health for clients. Not just jumping straight into the next workout.

Think less short term results; more unique training environment that attracts additional consumers, long term.

FYI: IndigoFitness can help design the layout of your gym to maximise space.

Trend #2: Pod training takes centre stage

There’s been a growing shift towards functional training pods on the gym floor.

At a basic level this means a rack with integrated storage that contains a range of accessories and attachments that allows a full training session to take place.

Pod training makes on the gym floor personal and small group training easy. At peak times when specific equipment may be in use by members. The functional pod can provide a full and varied workout in one space.

Operators are also looking for a complete storage pod that incorporates a touch screen that delivers digital training. These options are all possible to create a more effective and engaging training space.

The ability to incorporate selectorised stack into racks and storage means that a training individual really can carry out their entire session without having to move away from the single pod.

Take Nuffield Health for example. IndigoFitness have designed and installed a functional pod for Nuffield Health that can provide on demand workouts by touching the screen.

Trend #3: Multi-use studios

Gym goers love classes. Millions across the UK are participating in classes to get a good session in, learn new skills and meet new people.

The concept of using a studio for more than one class is not groundbreaking. But with space at a premium, is your studio space as smart and versatile as it could be?

Having access to different types of equipment in one studio can be a barrier to creating an exciting schedule packed with a variety of classes.

IndigoFitness have started to tackle this ultimate muti-use gym studio concept. Taking strength, HIIT, combat, cycle, yoga, and every potential revenue generating class in one changeable space.

Take a closer look:

Trend #4: Outdoor fitness is less seasonal

Training outside has been shown to have positive effects on well-being. But is this only ideal for British summer time and the odd day in between?

Outdoor training is progressing and there are less limits with modern solutions that can achieve an indoor environment outside.

Shipping containers and canopy sheltered, lit training areas now promote outdoor fitness 365 days a year. These improved training spaces, are a huge selling point for operators and remove the barriers previously associated with outdoor training, increasing engagement, and can create a real community and hub.

Compared to building or renting indoor gym space, setting up an outdoor gym can be more cost-effective and require less maintenance.

Trend #5: Enter Red light training

Red light therapy is becoming increasingly popular during training for improve muscle performance and endurance during exercise and reduce muscle soreness and recovery time.

A study taken during a running test measured variables including rate of perceived exertion, running efficiency, speed, total time-to-exhaustion, and total distance covered. The group of runners experienced significantly higher performance in these measurements compared to no red light therapy.

Essentially, red light therapy uses low-level light in the red and near-infrared spectrum to penetrate the skin and stimulate cell growth, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation and pain.

In 2023, we predict more research to take place before red light training hits the mainstream. One to watch!

Get in touch to discuss how Indigo Fitness can include these design ideas in your training space.

The gym design process has to capture the intended experience of the trainers delivering quality personal training and the members who are investing in a premium service.

MATT ROBERTS EVOLUTION, Boutique GYM

Let’s look inside Matt Roberts Evolution Gym, a luxury training space that you can find in Knightsbridge.

Layout for this Luxury GYM

The design process started with the main floor. First-class personal training is at the heart of the Matt Roberts brand. Creating an open floor space with distinct training areas was crucial for the flexibility of both PT’s and clients.

The gym flooring is the most important feature to get right. The demand from physical activity, strength training with weights and frequent footfall into the gym means the floor should be specified according to functional activity and performance in each area.

The room was divided into two with one side fitted with 32mm duraTRAIN premium flooring, and the other, an open pilates studio with a walkway running down the spine leading to treatment rooms and changing rooms.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL GYM EQUIPMENT

A high end boutique gym must include premium gym equipment. The custom design elements at Matt Roberts make a huge difference to the overall finish and quality of this visually stunning training space.

The understated finishes to the kit make this space the premium club that Matt Roberts envisioned and had confidence that IndigoFitness could create.

The core design feature from an equipment point of view, was the bespoke functional rig. The rig provides a central storage hub for all small equipment and provides a natural boundary between the gym and pilates studio and maximises functionality in the space available.

The half racks have been designed to be as shallow to the wall as possible to maximise floor space. They also have glute drive and band peg attachments for added functionality.

Unique products make all the difference to a boutique gym. The Gungnir 20KG Allrounder Olympic bar has built-in collars providing a unique collarless lifting experience. From the first touch the SlideLock™ technology makes for a safer, tidier and more user-friendly weight lifting experience.

The Gungnir bars is a quality touch point that members and clients come into contact with at every area throughout the facility. This provides another great experience and that’s what separates these luxury facilities from others.

See more of this luxury boutique gym by IndigoFitness >>

The 2022 CrossFit Games are in full swing, pushing the fittest men and women on earth to their limits. Everyday athletes from across the UK are routing for their favourite athletes as they take on a number of elite fitness events with different equipment and movements.

With over 600 CrossFit affiliates in the UK, the concept is now securely in the mass market.

The training methods are becoming far more mainstream with Olympic lifting and functional fitness rigs common practice on the gym floor.

We’ve been busy at IndigoFitness HQ designing the ultimate CrossFit Box.

#1: STARTING WITH THE RIG

The rig should be the heart of any CrossFit Box. The pièce de résistance.

There are of course the practicalities of the rig. Maximising the functionality allows for far greater floor space and flexibility in less space.

But it also has to look good.

It may not quite fit 40 athletes but this rig can deliver effective group training and includes: 

• 6x Racks
• 6x Plate Storage
• 6x Barbell Storage
• 6x Rings
• 4x Rope Climbs
• 6x Wall Ball Targets
• 4x Built in Handstand Walls

#2: FLOORING FOR A GYM THAT ECOURAGES DROPPING HEAVY WEIGHTS

To protect the floor from heavy bars and bumpers being dropped from height, you’ll need something that’s virtually indestructible.

We’ve gone for 32mm DuraTRAIN performance tiles to endure everyday intensity from group sessions and personal bests.

#3: MAKING SPACE FOR RECOVERY

The goal may not be The Games but it should be to keep members fit and functional for as long as possible.

Encouraging activation and recovery is essential for the longevity of training. Especially with the movements and intensity that can come with CrossFit style training.

The RAZE CrossFit box includes best-in-class recovery from Therabody, RAZE bands, lacrosse balls and foam rollers in a storage solution that creates a recovery area.

Let us know what you think of this training space!

Digitalisation is now at the heart of fitness and gym owners have stiff competition with the fitness app market.  

So how can you connect the gym floor to the gym goers digital lifestyle?

Here are three ideas to digitise your gym floor and take your business to the next level:

1. Transforming the lifting area
2. Creating community with wearable technology
3. Connected gym floor

#1: Transforming the lifting area

The fundamentals of strength training haven’t changed.  But there has been a shift in who is lifting.  Pioneering clubs have helped to promote education around strength training and there are now more lifters than ever across all genders and age groups.  This has led to a higher % of gym floor space given to lifting and functional strength areas.

These new era of lifters focus on data-driven training and demand real time feedback on lifts.

Integrating Velocity Based Training (VBT) technology can give clear insight into how you’re lifting, not just what you’re lifting.

The adoption of VBT enables the end user and coaches to train more effectively.

Why integrate VBT?

• Provide feedback and enhance performance using velocity training zones
• Autoregulates load
• Monitors fatigue
• Assess readiness
• Track progress
• Estimate 1RMs
• Load Velocity Profiling

Which VBT technology?

GymAware is the global leader in VBT solutions. They make premium technologies to measure and track strength training activities in the weights room to facilitate performance improvement.

#2: Creating community with wearable technology

Looking to increase engagement, drive performance and cultivate community, through training and technology that gets members motivated?

Heart rate is the key indicator for the intensity at which your members are working out and recovering. Recent research from the University of Leeds shows that by making effort visible to your members you can increase their happiness and motivation during their workout. By using heart rate zone training you’re basing your members’ workouts on effort, not on ability. This allows for every member of your club to compete on a level playing field, alongside whoever they choose because they’re being judged on their personal effort not their ability. This inclusivity promotes community within the training space.

Why integrate heart rate training?

• Member retention
• Community
• Goal setting
• Member motivation
• Gamification

Which heart rate training technology?

Myzone brings fun, fair fitness to clubs and gyms. Rewarding effort over image with an immersive fitness experience that gives people results they can see. Stay connected, organise challenges and create your own community, on the gym floor and outside of the gym.

#3: Connected gym floor

To truly meet these consumer expectations of a digital gym floor, the gym design must be considered.  Gym manufacturers will focus on technology integration within racks and rigs and other key vocal points built into every step of a member’s journey.

We have begun to focus our manufacturing more on integrating the above performance technology to create modern training spaces.

Get in touch to discuss technology requirements in your gym.

When designing a training space, the approach should always be from the ground up, floor first.

Getting your gym flooring right will set the tone for the rest of your space and allow you to build a safe and effective environment.

Introducing Move HQ

Move HQ is a new, 17,000 ft² fitness and elite performance facility. Gary Oleinik, sales director at IndigoFitness, and Move HQ founder Mark Munroe collaborated to create this environment to deliver modern training and elite sports performance. Starting with the gym flooring.

The flooring at Move HQ played an instrumental part of the whole gym design concept. Each area within the gym has a flooring product perfectly suited to the specific training taking place there.

Move HQ Flooring Solutions

It has long been a tradition in the UK that racks are perimeter/wall based, keeping the central floor space clear for other smaller items or open multi-

• All lifting areas are covered by 32mm DuraTRAIN performance tiles. These are perfect for protecting the sub-floor from weights being dropped, as well as the bars and bumpers being used by athletes and clients.
• The key to successful installation during this project was achieving a completely level floor height of 32mm using floor coverings that varied from 10mm to 32mm. The integration of these different types of flooring solutions, along with the appropriate underlay and installation methods, makes this facility one of a kind within the UK fitness industry.
• RAZE Graphix platforms were installed in all rack and Olympic lifting areas.

Flooring is the most critical element to get right first time. Mistakes with flooring can be costly, complicated, and time-consuming to correct once your gym is open and operational.

Don’t just think visual impact. Your gym flooring must be functional for the training style.

How to select the most appropriate gym flooring?

To help select the most appropriate flooring types and installation methods:

1. Seek a professional site survey and installation service.
2. Work with recognised brands in the industry.
3. Indigo Fitness has an expert team that can take you through the options and help select the most appropriate flooring solutions.

Get in touch if you want to create an intelligent training space but aren’t sure where to start!

We’ve said goodbye to December and hello to a spike in memberships at gyms across the world.

And while everyday gym enthusiasts jump straight back into routine, you now have the opportunity to connect with your new audience through your training space. Have you already started experimenting with your gym design during lockdown? Or is now the time to start thinking about changes. The gym is evolving.

So, what’s on the horizon for 2022? From the continued rise in outdoor training spaces to an increase in tech integration, we’re sharing the best gym design trends to pay attention to this year.

1. Dedicated Pod Based Training

Many people going back to the gym will want a clean, dedicated training area. Whether it’s a rack with storage that contains a range of accessories and attachments that allows a full training session to take place. Or a complete storage pod that incorporates a touch screen that delivers digital training. These options are all possible to create a more effective and engaging training space. The ability to incorporate selectorised stack into racks and storage means that a training individual really can carry out their entire session without having to move away from the single pod.

2. Be Smarter With Your Space

It has long been a tradition in the UK that racks are perimeter/wall based, keeping the central floor space clear for other smaller items or open multi-functional areas. With the rack functionality now available, it’s time to change the space and use the racks as training hubs for the whole session. As they have been doing in the US for some time. Configuration options and functionality available can now make central back-to-back racks a more efficient use of space. However, should more flexible and open floor space be required, our racks can be designed to reduce their depth, maximizing floor space and still retaining a huge amount of functionality. Space is at a premium and this allows for expansion without the massive outlay of building a permanent structure.

3. Tech Integration Takes Over

We are living in digital times. The gym goer and athlete are constantly getting feedback from their smart watch or phone and will begin to expect the same level of feedback from their training sessions. Tech such as VBT (Velocity based training) and other reporting tools will provide a truly digital training environment, allowing for greater critique, accuracy in training, engagement, and competition. The level to which these are integrated into the training space will increase their effectiveness and the acceptance and uptake from the end users. Over lock down gym users have also become used to training through a screen whether that’s YouTube videos or on a Peloton. Touch screens with on demand training sessions on the gym floor will bridge the gap between at home training and the gym.

4. Attachments Attachments Attachments

It’s no longer enough for a rack to just be a rack, or a rig to just be a run of monkey bars. It’s all about maximizing every single inch of gym floor space with a range of attachments. Clever attachments such as single leg/Nordic attachments for rigs, or prone row attachments for racks, can allow gym owners to customise their equipment to fit their needs. Ticking off every movement pattern required in a far smaller space and adding more value to their trainers.

5. The Outdoor Training Space Will Thrive

Recent events have seen a huge increase in awareness of the importance of getting outside and exercising outdoors. People feel more confident to train in the great outdoors, and although bootcamps have been around for years, outdoor training is progressing. Introducing containers and sheltered lit training areas. Allowing for training outside 365 days a year. These improved training spaces, are a huge selling point for operators and remove the barriers previously associated with outdoor training, increasing engagement, and can create a real community and hub. Space is also at a premium so this option allows for expansion without the massive outlay of building a permanent structure.

Get in touch to discuss how Indigo Fitness can include these design ideas in your training space.