OUR STORY

 
                                                                                       CHANGING LIVES 
                                                        THE GYMOPHOBICS STORY

1. Introduction
2. Donna Hubbard
3. Designing the circuit
4. Where to start
5. Take off!
6. Space problems
7. Amazing results
8. Expansion
9. The Franchise option
10. Fast growth
11. Franchisees
12. Being copied
13. Resisted Tension
14. Macmillan
15. What next?
INTRODUCTION
To say that Gymophobics has helped to change the lives of thousands of women would be no exaggeration. Since its conception in 2003, more than 40,000 women of all ages (and all shapes and sizes) have signed up for the Gymophobics experience and many of their stories are nothing short of inspirational. This is the story of how Gymophobics grew from a simple idea into a nationwide movement.
With venues operating throughout the UK and more about to open, Gymophobics story is unique. In 2003, no one, least of all its founder Donna Hubbard, could possibly have imagined the way that this remarkable company has succeeded in such a highly competitive market place. At a time when the large Gym chains (Esporta, Fitness First, Bannatynes, Virgin, etc) invest millions on their Gyms, who would have thought that one woman, armed with a vision and very little else, could have  achieved so much?
But the Gymophobics story is not just about Donna's vision. It is also about the enthusiasm, determination and endeavour of many visionaries, the entrepreneurs who have bought into the Gymophobics concept by becoming franchisees and have helped to expand the concept throughout the UK.
No one can tell what the next few years will bring, how many new franchises will open, or how many more lives will be changed, but if the future is any way similar to the past, it should be an interesting journey!
DONNA HUBBARD
Donna Hubbard was always going to be a swimmer. It was more or less inevitable. She grew up in a family of swimmers and water polo players. Her Father, Alan, had been one of the countries top Breast stroke swimmers. When he retired he took up water polo and later became head coach at Rochdale Water Polo Club. Donna's older brother Dean, followed in his Father's footsteps, captaining Rochdale and just missed out on International honours before becoming one of Britain's senior water polo referees.
By the age of 13, Donna was training five hours each day, first with Rochdale Swimming Club and later, as Captain of Aquabears, becoming one of the countries best Butterfly and IM swimmers. By the age of 17 Donna was producing world class times under the guidance of International swimming coach Clive Rushden and was competing at national level. Few who knew her doubted that she was destined to become an Olympic swimmer. But it was not to be! Having unwisely ignored what appeared to be a minor Hamstring muscle injury, Donna was forced to give up her dream of Olympic stardom before her 18th birthday.
It was around this time that she met Richard, the man who would later become her husband. Richard was one of the early pioneers of the Gym industry in the UK. Having worked for the American Gym company, Universal Health Clubs, he had gone on to open his own Gyms. He had a particular interest in exercise physiology and the relative merits of a wide variety of exercise concepts and this was to prove invaluable when he, along with Donna, began to develop their unique exercise concept of Resisted Tension some years later.
It was Richard who encouraged Donna to head for America to study in Chicago & New York with the Jacqui Sorenson Fitness Organisation. Sorenson was the originator of  'aerobic dance' a few years earlier, an exciting new fitness concept which would later spread throughout Europe and beyond
On completing her training Donna returned to the UK, and launched her own aerobic  classes whilst at the same time, acting as a Personal Trainer for women with weight issues.
At that time, the Gym industry was still very much in its infancy and there were  literally no full time training courses for Gym Instructors. The number of Gyms were expanding rapidly in the UK however so setting up a training school for Gym Instructors seemed a logical step. Richard had spotted the ideal premises in Dublin  and invited Donna to join him. He would do much of the lecturing while she focussed on the practical training.
The school was a success, attracting students from across Ireland, the UK and much further a field. One student even travelled from Malaysia! The next nine years were happily spent training more than 1,500 Gym Instructors, many of whom still correspond to this day and work as Personal Trainers and Instructors throughout the industry. It was during this time that Richard and Donna were married and their first daughter Tiffany was born a couple of years later.
Nine years in one place was giving the Hubbard family itchy feet and when an offer came in for their school, they took it and returned to the UK. A second daughter, Emma was on the way and Donna gave up work to concentrate on bringing up their children. Meanwhile, Richard had been approached by an old acquaintance who had developed a range of 'motorised' exercise equipment. His idea was to open exercise centres called Motorcise for the 'over 50's' and he wanted Richard alongside to get the concept up and running. Richard was to stay with Motorcise for the next three years as their Consultant until parting company to start up Gymophobics with Donna.
Bringing up two young daughters left little time for exercise and for the first time in her life Donna had found herself gaining weight. Having failed to lose all the weight she had gained during her pregnancies, even more had crept on and she was shocked to find that she was now 4 stones heavier than when she had been swimming!
Determined to get her figure and fitness back, Donna enrolled at a local gym but although she was regaining some of her lost fitness, weight and inch loss was slow. Despite spending more and more time on Treadmills and in the weights room, there was little sign of the figure that she once had. Quite the opposite in fact! Donna found that using weights was pumping up her muscles and she was gaining inches on her arms and thighs without losing the fat. "Surely" she thought, "there must be a better and easier way to get back in shape"?
By now, Donna was spending at least an hour and a half at the gym each day and had got to know many of the other members. Talking to them about their experiences it soon became apparent that conventional gym training was not working for most of the other women either. In just a few months, Donna saw many women join the gym and begin exercising with great enthusiasm, only to drop off as they discovered how tough the training was and how little they had to show for it.
As Donna herself explains : "It  became clear to me that conventional training methods were not the answer for most women. Whilst weight training and pounding Treadmills may be fine for men and young, fit women, it was never going to suit someone who needed to lose weight and did not have the time or inclination to spend hours at the gym”.
It was clear that most women did not enjoy weight training and found it to be a tough regime. She also discovered that the Gym environment was putting off many women. "It wasn't just the training methods that were wrong. Women with weight and figure problems have poor self esteem. They don't enjoy training alongside slim, shapely women or muscle bound body builders. They don't like the mirrored walls, the posing, the loud pop music or the expectation that they should be training like an athlete".
Donna decided to give up on the Gym to try something else. Now began a journey of discovery which would eventually lead to a figure improvement programme which shows results without strenuous training and without the need to spend hours at the gym or follow a drastic diet to lose weight.
Once the competitive aspect to training is removed most athletes find it difficult to continue with their chosen sport and like most retired swimmers before her, Donna found that the idea of working out in the pool no longer held any attraction. As swimming was not an option, she threw herself into a variety of exercise modalities over the next few months. yoga, aerobics, callanetics, skipping, boxercise, static cycling, walking and jogging were all given a fair crack! Jogging became a daily routine which she has maintained to this day. But although she has found that it improves her fitness and makes her mentally stronger and calmer, it was still not the figure improvement regime that she was searching for.
In fact, nothing that she tried made much difference. She would lose a few pounds if she pushed herself but would regain it as quickly if she eased back. The truth was that Donna no longer had the inclination to train like an athlete. She was looking for an easy routine that could offer significant results in a minimum of time with a minimum of effort.
Time was a major consideration for Donna (as with most women) so Richard persuaded her to experiment with a 30 minute resistance (Isotonic) workout on alternate days and suggested that she add  a routine of Isometric muscle ‘squeezing’ exercises on the days in between.
Though Isometric exercise was highly fashionable in the early part of the 20th. century it had more or less disappeared from view in the past fifty years or so. Few experts doubted that Isometrics were an effective way to tone muscles but it was generally felt that working against resistance (Isotonic exercise) was more effective.  Richard had always been an enthusiast of  Isometrics however and argued that by doing both resistance and Isometric training, Donna would be getting the best of both worlds.
Donna was quite prepared to give anything a try and almost immediately she began to see results. Each day she would perform either 30 minutes of Resistance exercises or 30 minutes of Isometrics and was more than a little surprised at how much her figure had improved within the first four weeks. Could this be the easy 30 minute routine she had been searching for she wondered?
  The effect was astonishing. As Donna reflected  "I couldn't believe the inch loss. In a matter of weeks I lost a dress size.  At last I was achieving results that all the hours of weight training, aerobics and cardio vascular workouts at the gym had failed to produce".
Over the next few months, Donna lost all her excess weight and regained the trim, inch perfect figure of her youth. “I was spending just 30 minutes every other day as that was all the time I had available, yet every week I was seeing real improvements in my figure. I was losing weight too. I was still following the same healthy eating plan that I had followed for the past twelve months but now the weight was coming off ‘big time’. I found that I could lose a minimum of half a stone every month without ever feeling hungry. More importantly for me, the inches were coming off exactly where I needed them. I was able to ‘target’ the inch loss to my problem areas”.
In just under eight months, Donna’s four stones of excess weight had melted away. At 5 foot 11 inches tall and weighing around 9 and a half stones, Donna's model like figure attracted a lot of attention (and still does) from women keen to share her 'secret'.
By this time her children were growing older and were far less time consuming and she began to think about how she could best promote her figure improvement programme for the benefit of other women.
“I did think of writing a Book to explain the concept of Resisted Tension but the idea of interacting with people more directly seemed much more appealing". The answer was to open a Gym.  Richard encouraged her. “You have stumbled across something unique” was his attitude, “so you have a lot to offer other women by opening a Gym. You should go for it!””.
She did not need much convincing. But if she was to open a Gym, she was determined to do it her way.  Her vision was of a Gym that would be a feminine environment exclusively for women and not intimidating to non exercisers. There were to be no weight or hydraulic machines in Donna’s Gym and none of the complicated cardio vascular machines so loved by conventional health clubs. In their place she wanted equipment that was easy to use and far more suited to the needs of women who did not want to train like an athlete.
To find the equipment that she wanted, Donna set out on a journey of discovery that was to take her back to America and then to Scandinavia.
First, she wanted to find out more about a ladies-only gym concept called Curves International that was expanding rapidly in America and involved 30 minute exercise sessions. Visiting a Curves in New York however turned out to be a disappointment  as it was not at all what she had in mind for her own Gym. "I liked the fact that it was women only and that it took up so little time, but I did not like the Curves circuit. I found the hydraulic machines to be hard work and when used in conjunction with Curves aerobic routines, it left me sweating! To me, this was a vigorous exercise regime comparable to a conventional gym workout – nothing at all like the programme that had got me into shape. My goal was to attract deconditioned women who would not be up for a programme as tough as this”.
It wasn't all bad news however. Curves had confirmed Donna’s belief that a 30 minute workout could be popular for women who don't want to spend hours at the gym. It had shown her that a gym did not need the extra trappings of showers, saunas and pools to be successful. She had seen how popular the female-only concept was and how much women enjoyed the social aspect of working out together.
Now, more convinced than ever of the route she would take, Donna began her search for the exercise equipment which could provide the 'resistance' effect she wanted.
Some years earlier Richard had visited the University of Helsinki and he remembered that there was equipment being developed in Finland at the time which was driven by 'air' rather than weights. A phone call confirmed that 'air' machines were available and might well provide the smooth resistance that Donna was looking for. And so it proved! For Donna, 'air' machines ticked all the boxes. "I fell in love with this equipment from the moment I tried it.  This was luxury! It made exercise feel like pushing or pulling against a cushion of air".
'Air' machines make exercise easy. Any one can use them regardless of their fitness, or lack of it. Using 'air' machines, muscles can be toned at much lower levels of resistance They are smooth, quiet and much more in tune with the female User when compared with clanking weights or primitive Hydraulic machines. Donna had found the perfect equipment for her new Gym.
DESIGNING THE CIRCUIT
Once back home, Donna and Richard set about designing the circuit which was to become a massive part of the Gymophobics success story. Donna reflects "Unlike the Curves circuit there would be no aerobic ‘stations’ in my Gym and this was to confuse many of our early clients. 'How', they would ask, can I lose weight if I don't do the kind of exercise that gets me hot, sweaty and out of breath?' No matter how hard I tried to explain that cardio was not an effective way to lose weight and tone the figure, it was not until they started to see results that they began to believe!"
With Richard's help, Donna designed a 10 station workout that could be completed in just thirty minutes. Each ‘station’ was arranged in a specific sequence to allow each major muscle group to be exercised in turn. Isometric (muscle squeesing) and Isotonic (resistance) exercise would be integrated in exactly the same way that she had discovered when working on her own exercise regime. Donna called her system Resisted Tension and this was later registered as a Trade Mark to avoid the inevitable copyists.
All that was needed now was to find suitable premises and to convert them into the sort of female only environment that most women would find attractive and non intimidating.
WHERE TO START?
To accommodate Richard's work with Motorcise, they were now living in the midlands, not far from Stafford. With children at school it was essential that Donna's new 'Gym' would be within easy reach of their home. This limited their options and confined their search for premises to towns within a 30 mile radius. Each day, Donna would drive to an area and look for commercial Estate Agent boards. The premises would have to be within easy reach of High Street shops, large enough to hold a ten station circuit and, most importantly, cost very little in rent.
In the second week of the search, Donna arrived in Lichfield, just 40 minutes drive from her home. Lichfield proudly holds the title of Britain's smallest City. Significantly some might think, it took Donna less than 30 minutes to find the premises she was seeking!
Negotiations with the Landlord were surprisingly easy despite his obvious doubt that a Gym such as this would be successful. “Will it really work?” He asked. “A gym with no weights or Treadmills and not even a shower?’ I hope you know what you are doing!”
Donna hoped so to! Taking a deep breath, she signed the lease and applied for planning permission with the City council. Now, there was no turning back!
Applying for planning permission had highlighted an issue which neither Donna or Richard had previously considered. A business name had to go on the planning application! The night before the application was to be submitted, they sat down to discuss their options. Both realised that the name could be quite important. It should be unusual enough to stick in people's minds and it should convey something about the concept.
As they thought about the kind of person they were hoping to attract, they both agreed that it would be someone who had a phobia about conventional gyms. The word 'Gymophobics' seemed to describe them perfectly and the decision was made to use this as their business name. Over the ensuing years many people have queried the name and where it came from, but to date, no one has ever disputed that it was the right one! Gymophobics, it seems, says it all!
It should not be assumed that Richard and Donna agree on everything. Along the way there have been a few disagreements but all have been settled amicably with one or the other (usually Richard) backing down. One such disagreement was over the 'ladies-only' concept. Richard, (being a man), wanted to cater for both men & women, while Donna (being a woman)was adamant that Gymophobics should be ladies only. Richard argued that many men were gymophobic and would welcome the 30 minute workout as much as women. It seemed wrong, he argued,  that they should exclude half the population. Donna however, had worked with women, understood their inhibitions and lack of confidence. She was convinced that Curves had got it right and that more women would enroll in a ladies-only gym than in a mixed facility. Donna insisted and Richard gave in. "Anything for an easy life" he said. As events turned out he was later to concede that Donna's insistence on the female focus was absolutely the right one.
It was always intended that Richard would work alongside Donna in the new venture. Motorcise had taken on a group of 'investors' who were now running the company and cutting staff and costs at every opportunity. Richard's salary was one such cut!  The timing was perfect. Now he could throw himself into the task of helping Donna get their new gym up and running. They were convinced that the sooner Lichfield people knew they were there, the better. They could not have been more right!
TAKE OFF
As opening day grew closer it was time to recruit Instructors. There were a large number of hopeful applicants, some young and some not so young. As it was likely that many members would be older than the age of most conventional gym members, Donna was anxious to recruit mature people for the role. Typically, most new gym Instructors tend to be very young. This is partly because Gyms pay them very little (the Gym industry has always been notoriously low paid) and partly because the job attracts very young, fit and sporty applicants. Donna argued that as her members would not be 'fit and sporty' she should be employing some older staff who would be more in tune with her members.
In the end, two ladies were employed who were both in their early forties. Neither had gym experience, but they were enthusiastic and keen to learn. Both had outgoing, bubbly personalities. With Donna and Richard's Training School background, Instructor training was never going to be a problem. Manuals were written which would become the prototype for the Resisted Tension training course which was to follow later as part of the Franchisees training package, although they were not to know this at the time. It would take six to twelve months to train her staff to full competency but Donna was confident that they would cope. While she took the leading role in the gym, her new Instructors could work and learn alongside her.
An advert was placed in the local newspaper announcing that Gymophobics had arrived in their City. It explained that this was a gym with a difference. For the first time the slogan 'Hate Gyms? Love Gymophobics!' was used. It has been the Gymophobics slogan ever since. The paper came out at midday and by nightfall there had been 60 telephone enquiries. Over the next 48 hours this had swelled to 130 calls. Even though the premises were still a building site, they were able to recruit members in advance and the cash flow this produced was a major help with the bills that were soon pouring in.
Building work took nine weeks from start to finish but in that time more than 200 members had enrolled – a positive sign. By the day of opening, the premises had been transformed to create a warm and feminine environment where women who had not exercised previously could feel relaxed. With potted plants everywhere, even in the exercise area, a yellow and pastel green colour scheme that has become Gymophobics trade mark colours, wall to wall carpeting and unobtrusive background music, Gymophobics was a far cry from the sterile environment of most conventional gyms.
When the Gym finally opened, all went well. It was incredibly busy of course and there was little time for breaks. Donna and Richard were working twelve hour days but enjoying the challenge. The new staff seemed to be coping well and members were enjoying their sessions. Then, disaster! Although neither Instructor had suggested they were unhappy, the pressure must have been taking its toll. Without any warning, both Instructors walked out one night, leaving their uniforms, keys and a note behind! The note simply said that they were overworked and underpaid! In fairness, they probably were! If only they had discussed their issues before walking out it is probable that something could have been worked out but now they had gone leaving Donna and Richard to look after more than 250 members without assistance!
Fortunately the members themselves were very supportive and did everything they could to help. Some of the more confident members even helped out on the gym floor with new members!
Finding good staff was now a priority. As Donna says "It was no use employing Instructors with conventional gym training! We tried this but found that most of them could not cope with our philosophy of easy, non competitive exercise. They were used to working with young, fit bodied members and our ladies were different! Although our members come in all ages, nearly all of them are overweight when they arrive and are very self conscious. Each member needs individual attention and tender loving care but most conventional gym Instructors are not trained to deliver this. Most of them had great difficulty understanding a programme that did not involve weight training machines or intensive cardio-vascular routines and many of them had 'closed minds' to what we wanted from them. We soon found that we were much better off training Instructors from 'scratch'. Instead of experience we looked for people who were willing to listen, were intelligent and had good personalities. Most of all we wanted caring people who were eager to help others. If they had personal experience of a weight problem themselves in the past – so much the better".
Staff recruitment, staff training, new members enrolling and more and more members to care for - the next few months were hectic to say the least. The weeks passed by in a blur, but gradually, order was restored and importantly, member results were amazing and every bit as good as Donna had hoped.
New Instructors were gradually being added to the team to cope with the demand and staff training was as big an issue as looking after the members. Unlike conventional gyms, Donna and Richard were adamant that there would always be Instructors supervising the circuit. It became an inviolate rule that the circuit must never be left unattended and that rule has been maintained ever since. This rule has helped give members the confidence that they are doing each exercise correctly. They know that on every visit to Gymophobics, they will be watched over. The compactness of the circuit means that there will always be an Instructor within a few feet of each member. Very few conventional gyms offer this level of service. Many leave their gyms unattended for long periods and most of the major gym chains make members pay extra for any Instruction they receive! At Gymophobics, VIP attention is taken for granted.
Within a short time there were five Instructors employed at Lichfield. (Some four years later, when Gymophobics opened their National Training Academy, there were more than three hundred Instructors working for the organization!)
In just six months, membership had grown to some 700 women. There was an exciting 'buzz' around the gym and it was obvious that Gymophobics was going to be a massive success.
SPACE PROBLEMS
But the demand for membership presented a problem. Unlike conventional gyms, Gymophobics operate an appointment system to avoid overcrowding. Overcrowding can be a massive problem for conventional gyms as they allow their members to come and go as they please. The outcome of this is that huge numbers can turn up at peak times. Gymophobics members like the appointment system as it guarantees their starting time and ensures that they will not have to wait around for equipment.
 The down side of an appointment system is that with so many enrolments at Lichfield, members were now struggling to book the times that they wanted. If Gymophobics was to continue to grow, it would be necessary to open a second circuit. This was easier said than done as there was no spare space. It seemed that a move to larger premises was the only answer.
The landlord however would have none of it. He owned the adjoining building and persuaded the existing tenant to move into another building, leaving Gymophobics free to knock through the wall and double their floor space. A second circuit was quickly installed and space was no longer an issue. This was an important lesson and all future Gymophobics are based in premises large enough to hold two circuits from the outset.
AMAZING RESULTS
Unlike conventional gyms, the Gymophobics concept is entirely results focussed.
As Donna had anticipated, members achieved amazingly fast figure improvement. Most were losing a dress size in the first few weeks and weight and inch loss was exceeding expectation.
The most surprising feature of the results being achieved was not the inch loss but the weight loss. Inch loss was to be expected as a result of the intensive toning effect of the Resisted Tension programme. But Donna had not anticipated that weight loss would be so quick and unlike dieting which can involve considerable muscle loss, this was all fat depletion. (Confirmed by Body composition measurements taken at regular intervals).
Not that any one was complaining but it was hard to see why so much excess fat was being burned. When Donna had lost her four stones she had been following a very healthy diet but Gymophobics members were not being given dietary advice. (This was to be corrected later).
What appeared to be happening was that the muscle toning effect was boosting metabolic rate and the resultant increase in calorie expenditure was sufficient to produce effective weight loss. Donna suspects that there is also a psychological factor that kicks in when members start at the Gym. Almost without realising it, members improve their eating habits. It is likely that they are less inclined to eat badly when they are following an exercise regime.
A further factor involved in member's weight loss is that exercise acts as an appetite suppressant. Despite what most people may think, exercise does not increase appetite. Quite the reverse, studies show that in the long term, exercise reduces hunger.
Whatever the reason, members were apparently achieving their weight loss goals without dieting! Today however, diet is taken more seriously at Gymophobics. Any member who may be struggling with their weight receives counseling and a weight loss 'check list' is used to identify the cause of the problem. Members 'weigh in' every week and careful note is taken to ensure steady weight loss is being achieved. A unique Food Plan called the 54321 Food Plan has been introduced to help members with significant amounts of weight to lose.
EXPANSION
As word of member's amazing results spread, it seemed natural to think about expansion.
Just a year after Lichfield had begun trading, two more Gymophobics had opened their doors. Once again, there were no shortage of membership applications in the new Gyms and both 'took off' in exactly the same way as Lichfield had a year earlier. Gymophobics was now a multi gym 'chain'.
Stafford Gymophobics is just ten minutes drive from where Donna and Richard live in Stone.  The premises had been used previously as a remedial exercise centre and already had the right planning classification for a gym. It has its own car park and is situated on a busy road just outside the town centre. Stafford was to become Gymophobics 'flagship' gym and remains so to this  day.
Stafford is double the size of most Gymophobics. With so much space it was able to house a Therapy suite and in addition to twin ladies-only circuits, a separate Men's circuit was installed.  Donna and Richard were also able to open offices above the Gym to cope with the considerable admin that running three gyms now involved.
The mens gym circuit never really came to anything. Over the next 12 months very few men were enrolled. Clearly the circuit was not deemed macho enough for most men. Rather than close it down, Richard approached the 70 or so male members and asked if they would mind their circuit being used as a mixed gym for couples and as an overflow circuit for ladies when their own twin circuits were full. No one objected and the mixed circuit remains to this day as the only Gymophobics facility which caters for both sexes.
Gymophobics has succeeded despite the number of conventional gyms which operate in most towns and cities. In addition to privately owned Gyms, most towns have Council run Leisure Centres which almost always have a large gym which competes with  private operators in the area. Why councils feel the need to provide a gym with taxpayers money when private operators can meet the demand is a bit of a mystery. After all, they are using public money which could surely be better used to provide facilities which are not being met by private operators. What next one wonders? Will councils start to run Hairdressing and beauty salons, bookshops, restaurants, etc? Surely, public money should only be used to provide services which are not available in the private sector?
Many private gym operators feel quite strongly on this issue as they are having to compete for members on a not so level playing field. Publicly owned Leisure Centres are heavily subsidised. They avoid paying the same rents, rates, vat and other taxes which burden private operators. Perhaps another Maggie Thatcher will come along in the future and sell off Council owned Gyms to the private sector, just as she did with other public services such as Council operated Bus companies which used to compete with private operators using public money!
Gymophobics had soon proved that it had nothing to fear from public or privately operated gyms however. After all, Gymophobics members are not typical gym Users. Most are overweight when they enroll, unfit and needing plenty of attention and support. Few conventional gyms supply that support, even though they usually claim to do so. Most gyms are little more than a well equipped facility with very little focus on service and even less on their members results. They attract the younger, fitter end of the population who will make do with little attention as long as the facilities are available. Instructors are usually young, poorly paid, poorly motivated and lack the training needed to look after older, or deconditioned clients!
Current stats show that gym membership in the UK is no more than 12 to 14% of the adult population. This implies that some 85% of the population dislike conventional Gyms. The same could not be said about Gymophobics. As Donna's gyms prospered and more and more women jumped on the bandwagon, it soon became obvious that Gymophobics was now a juggernaught that could not easily be stopped. It was time to consider the way forward and to develop a long term strategy.
THE FRANCHISE OPTION
With three Gyms operating successfully, Donna and Richard took stock. Running three Gyms was proving to be a full time operation. Working in their gyms on a daily basis, staff recruitment, staff training, marketing and administration was keeping both of them fully occupied and to open more would increase their workload considerably. With two young children to think about, Donna doubted she had any time to devote to an increased workload.
Yet, considering the huge demand for membership it seemed unthinkable that Gymophobics expansion should end.  Richard arrived home one night to tell Donna that he had a 'grand plan'. "I know how we can continue to grow the business without involving you (Donna) in any more work than you have at present. We should franchise the Gymophobics concept!"
On reflection, both felt this to be a great idea. Helping enthusiasts to open their own Gymophobics would mean that thousands more women would be able to enjoy the life enhancing benefits of Resisted Tension. It would also mean that franchisees would be using their own money to fund an expansion which would not therefore be slowed up by lack of finance. Donna and Richard would support the franchisees by training them and their staff which would be a lot easier than recruiting and training more and more staff themselves. Nor would they have the responsibility of managing these gyms or supervising an ever larger workforce.
The more they thought about it, the more attractive franchising became. Now it would be franchisees who would be searching for suitable premises and carrying out the conversion. It would be franchisees who would take on the responsibility for members results. Donna and Richard would provide the system, the training and the support, but franchisees would do the work. It seemed a 'no brainer'. After a few discussions and without knowing a thing about franchising, they decided to forge ahead.
Richard made enquiries about franchising with companies advertising their services to potential Franchisors. The cost was prohibitive. £40,000 plus seemed to be the typical cost of getting a franchise off the ground. Although their gyms were profitable, Donna and Richard had not got a spare £40k to fund a franchise operation. Richard decided to go it alone. Within two months he had written the Franchise Operating Manual. The Instructor Training Manuals had, of course, already been written for their own staff and required very little amendment. A Licence was written outlining what was expected of a Franchisee. A local solicitor helped to knock the Licence into legal shape and they were ready to 'sign up' their first franchisee. They had spent less than £1,000 in total.
It was only at this point that the question of where their franchisees would come from became an issue. They were all fired up and ready to go. All they needed were some enthusiastic entrepreneurs who would like to own their own business, help some people, make some money and have some fun! They didn't have long to wait!
Sue and Peter Simpson were old neighbours of Richard and Donna. They both had two daughters of the same ages and all four went to the same schools. Sue and Peter ran their own book distribution company but were looking for a change. Once they heard about the Gymophobics franchise opportunity they were interested. Neither of them had a gym background, but both had business experience and Sue was extremely sympathetic to the Gymophobics ethos. She was a 'weight watcher' herself and having tried the Stafford gym as a member, she was extremely enthusiastic about the concept.
Peter and Sue called down to Stafford for a discussion and following this decided to go ahead. Both Richard and Donna were satisfied that they would make excellent franchisees and offered them Crewe as an exclusive area. "Finding suitable premises" they explained, "might take some time". How wrong can you be?
The meeting in Stafford took place on a Thursday and Donna got a call from Sue the very next day to say that they had found the perfect premises and needed Donna or Richard to view it for a second opinion!
If ever a premises was meant to be, this was it. As an ex Dance Studio it even had the correct licensing classification so the usual two month waiting time for the Council's 'change of use' permission was avoided. The first Gymophobics franchise opened in Crewe just five weeks later and broke all membership sales records!
One of the advantages of a franchise is that each new franchisee seems to bring something new to the table. Indeed, a franchise is a group of entrepreneurs who often have excellent ideas for taking the business forward. Crewe was the perfect example of this. When Donna visited the premises as it neared completion, she was surprised to discover a large room off the reception area that seemed to have no purpose. Sue explained that this would become a member's coffee and relaxation area. None of Donna’s Gyms had such a facility although they all provide free coffee.
Donna explained that the theory of the 30 minute workout was that most women were far too busy to relax after a workout and would do their 30 minutes and then rush off. (That's what women had told her anyway!). "The relaxation area", she said  "would be a waste of space!"
Fortunately, the Simpsons stuck to their plan however and were soon proved to be right. Their 'coffee lounge' quickly became the centre piece of the facility, a meeting place where members could share their goals and make friends. The 'social' side has subsequently become one of the enduring and endearing features of Gymophobics success and now it would be unthinkable for a Gymophobics to open without a members relaxation area.
Crewe gym was a groundbreaker for a second reason too. Unlike the early Gymophobics, Crewe was not a ground floor premises. To open on the first floor was always going to be a gamble as it had never been done before. Despite some mild nervousness on the part of both Franchisors and Franchisees, the project went ahead and never looked back. Subsequently, many Gymophobics premises are first floor and this has resulted in a big saving in rents around the country.
 Less than two years after opening at Crewe, the Simpsons were to become multiple operators when they opened their second Gymophobics franchise in Chester. They were the first of many Franchisees to open more than one Gymophobics. More recently, having sold their highly successful Crewe Gym, they have opened a third Gymophobics in Shrewsbury.
FAST GROWTH
By the end of 2005, Gymophobics was firmly established as a brand. A web site was set up for potential members which included reference to the franchise opportunity. Enquiries now came in thick and fast and two to three potential franchisees were being interviewed each week. It got to the point where two new Gyms were opening each month.
To cope with the rapid expansion, Richard and Donna sold off their Gyms as franchises to focus fully on supporting their Franchisees. By the end of 2007 a dedicated Training Academy was formally opened by Stafford's Town Mayor. The  National Training Academy is the first full time company training establishment for Gym Instructors in the UK and is  headed by Janet Smith B.Sc, a sports science graduate from Stafford University. An experienced Gym manager, Mandy Barker, was promoted to Sales and Marketing Manager  to support franchisees to run their business profitably and two new Directors, Louise and Steve Williams came on board as Financial Director and Operations Director respectively.
There are now thirty five franchises in the UK. Most are in the midlands, but they have begun to spread north, south, east and west. In 2010 an estimated ten new Franchises are expected to open.
Surprisingly perhaps, never once have Richard or Donna discussed the number of towns they would like to target. It may not sound very business like, but they take each week, each month, as it comes. Rather than advertise for franchisees they prefer to wait for applications via the website or from 'word of mouth'. Many franchisees are either ex members or know a member or another franchisee. What all have in common is that they share Donna's vision. They enjoy running a business which can help so many women to change their lives for the better.
FRANCHISEES
Selecting franchisees who will be good at what they do and good for the Gymophobics 'Brand' is probably the hardest thing that a Franchisor (as Donna and Richard had now come to think of themselves) has to do. Does a Franchisee need a Gym background for example? Should they have previous business experience? How does one assess their man (woman) management skills without seeing them in action? Clearly, not every one who wants to be a franchisee will have what it takes to be successful so the selection process is critical.
Donna would be the first to admit that in the early days they were less analytical of franchise applicants than they are today. "To be totally honest, we were a little surprised and most appreciative at first when someone told us that they wanted a franchise. As time went by and we gained experience however, we began to recognise that we needed a thorough vetting procedure. A franchise should not be offered to everyone who applies.
"As franchisees came on board we began to build a profile of the ideal franchisee. Gym experience is not essential. Quite the opposite in fact. We discovered that a conventional gym background was more likely to be a hindrance than a benefit. Gymophobics is different in so many ways from conventional gyms that experienced Gym people find it difficult to make that transition. They want to 'push people for their own good' and find it difficult to appreciate that if you 'push' sedentary people they will soon vote with their feet and drop out of the programme.
"Our members have to be nurtured in a way that rarely happens in a conventional gym. Their programme must be easy and enjoyable. Most members are not self motivated and require plenty of TLC on every session, something which is not common in conventional gyms".
The best franchisees therefore, are those that want to work on the gym floor alongside their staff, building a bond with their members and setting an example that staff will follow. Lack of knowledge and gym experience is not an issue. Having run an Instructor Training School for many years, both Richard and Donna felt well able to deliver the training that Franchisees and their staff would need.
As the Franchisors were soon to discover, the most successful of their franchisees came without previous experience or preconceptions. They must be a 'people person' and be desperate to help others to achieve their goals. If they are 'only in it for the money', they will never succeed. A franchisee must be obsessed with helping her members achieve her goals. She must have an outgoing, bubbly personality, be an excellent motivator (of both members and her staff) and have an infectious enthusiasm for hard work. Nothing is guaranteed in business of course, but if she has all of these qualities, she stands a better chance than most of succeeding.
Applying stringent personal and financial criteria to the Franchise selection process means that many applicants are eventually turned down by Gymophobics. Sadly, some ideal applicants fail to meet the financial requirements needed to open a franchise and also fall through the net.
BEING COPIED
Part of the price you pay for being successful is that sooner or later you will be copied. What makes it annoying is that the public don't know when they are dealing with a copy and don't realise that they are receiving an inferior product. Donna and Richard have more than 60 years combined experience in the fitness industry behind them. They have a proven track record with extensive membership sales and marketing skills available to be passed on to their franchisees. In addition, having run an Instructor Training School for many years, plus a gym training consultancy, they have trained literally hundreds of people to become Gym managers and Instructors over the years. Experience like that cannot be copied.
Gymophobics first copyist turned up at their Head Office one day pretending to be interested in opening a franchise. He was a young man (which should have raised suspicions), but claimed his 'partner' would handle the day to day operation. He spent three hours asking questions and a few days later called a Gymophobics franchisee and booked an appointment to visit them. The franchisee suspected nothing as the 'gentleman' claimed Richard and Donna had told him to call!
He spent a day with the franchisee who told him everything he wanted to know. Only later did she realise she had been 'conned'.
A few weeks later a web site appeared which was an almost word for word copy of the Gymophobics web site! 'Take out a franchise with us and you will make up to £100,000 per year' it claimed. Bearing in mind that this 'gentleman' had never run a gym of any kind before, new nothing about franchising and had no track record of any kind, one might suggest that the chances of any franchisee succeeding with the support of this 'franchisor' would be minimal!
One would also have to question the morality of someone with no gym experience whatsoever, attempting to persuade people to invest their life savings in a franchise with them! The British Franchise Association expect a Franchisor to have a proven model with a minimum of two years profitable trading behind them before they attempt to offer franchises. This 'gentleman' and his partner were attempting to sell gym franchises with no gym history or trading record whatsoever!  The word 'con' springs readily to mind.
To back up his extravagant claims, the 'gentleman' and his 'partner' would need to open a Gymophobics 'copy' themselves and this they duly did. An amusing sequel to this story came a few months later. It appears that the 'gentleman' concerned had entered himself for a national business award run by a High Street Bank and had managed to get himself nominated for the title of 'Most innovative new Business idea'. It seems that the bigger the lie, the easier it is to fool some people!
Another copyist was even closer to home. In fairness, this lady was not trying to sell franchises. She simply wanted to own her own Gym. Nothing wrong with that! She had been a member at Gymophobics and liked what she saw. A business always looks simple from the outside so rather than pay a franchise licence fee, she decided to open a copy of Gymophobics herself under a different name in a nearby town. The first Donna knew of this 'copy' was when a new franchisee discovered this gym just 100 yards from her own premises!
Without any inside knowledge or training to back her up, the 'copy' chugs along offering cheaper and cheaper membership deals in a vain attempt to compete with 'the real thing' just along the road. Whilst the Gymophobics franchise has turned into one of the busiest in the UK, the 'copy' is now up for sale at a give away price! Nothing in Business is ever as simple as it seems!
Not all ladies 30 minute workout gyms are copies of Gymophobics. Many are copies of Curves International. Starting in America, there are now more than 10,000 Curves gyms in many different countries, some of which have now began trading in Britain. Seeing their success it is natural that many new gym operators will attempt to copy the Curves formula. Neither Curves or their copyists cause competition for Gymophobics as their clients are totally different people. True, a typical Curves client is female and likes the 30 minute concept. But there the similarity ends. In some ways, Curves could be said to be competing with conventional gyms as their clients are mainly of the same age and are likely to be younger and fitter than a typical Gymophobics member.
Curves Hydraulic machines are 'double positive' meaning that there is no relaxation phase! With hydraulic equipment you must both 'push' and 'pull'. For some non exercisers, 'double positive' exercise can be a bit too much like hard work! By comparison, Gymophobics 'Air' resistance machines are very different in 'feel' and model the contraction / relaxation of muscle usage in normal life.
Unlike the Gymophobics circuit, Curves workout also includes a 'cardio' section' As members finish an exercise on each hydraulic machine, they move to an exercise platform and perform a free form exercise routine led by an Instructor who stands in the centre and demonstrates. This is a lot like an aerobics class!  .
There are so many differences between Curves and Gymophobics that neither could ever be described as a 'copy'. Both Curves and Gymophobics exist quite comfortably  in the same towns on occasions. So different is their workout and their circuit, that it gives members a genuine choice. One might argue that the Curves workout is more focussed on fitness, whereas the Gymophobics programme is focussed on figure improvement. And of course, only Gymophobics offers its members Resisted Tension.
RESISTED TENSION
Resisted Tension is the name that Donna and Richard gave to the unique workout which they first developed as part of Donna’s personal training programme many years before Gymophobics came into being. What makes the workout so different is that it integrates two different exercise modalities. Instead of relying exclusively on resistance exercise (which is the workout offered by conventional Gyms), Resisted Tension integrates Isometric training with resistance exercise.
Isometrics have been around for centuries. It is a simple enough concept. You repeatedly pull in muscles and hold them in a contracted state. Until the mid 1960’s Isometrics were performed by thousands of people in their own homes and when performed often enough, the muscle toning effect could be quite impressive.
Although Isometrics went out of fashion with the arrival of modern day health clubs who focus almost entirely on resistance exercise, Donna and Richard had seen for themselves how effective Isometrics could be and found that by integrating a form of muscle contraction with resistance training, the result was far better than doing resistance training alone.
In early 2010 Donna began to experiment with a more advanced form of Resisted Tension. Up until then Resisted Tension was always prescribed ‘with momentum’. In other words, muscles were contracted during a resistance exercise. The traditional method of performing Isometrics was different, with the muscle contracted and held in a static state so in 2010 Donna began to experiment with static contractions but in a way that was different from the past.  Donna’s new method was to contract muscles statically against resistance and against gravity!
Integrating Isometrics with resistance training in this way was to have an amazing effect on muscle tone and muscle strength. Every one who tried it found that their results were galvanised. The effect on muscle tone and inch loss could be seen literally overnight.
So effective is this new workout, that Gymophobics applied for a Trade Mark to make Resisted Tension the UK’s first workout to have one. Indeed, it may be the world’s first workout to be protected in this way.
If Gymophobics was not unique previously, there can be no doubting that it is now. All other Gyms offer exactly the same blend of resistance and cardio training. None offer any thing different from each other. Their equipment may be different, but the workout is identical. Only at Gymophobics is the workout unique.
MACMILLAN
Since 2005 Gymophobics franchisees have been quietly raising money for various charities and towards the end of 2007 it was decided to consolidate fund raising throughout the group. The Macmillan Cancer charity was selected and discussions were held with the charity to decide on an action plan.
Most Franchisees have thrown themselves into fund raising with great enthusiasm. Indeed, many franchisees are now quite competitive as they seek to be the biggest fund raiser in the group. To date, some £40,000 has been raised for Macmillan
Obviously, fund raising is much dependent on members generosity and most are prepared to support the cause wholeheartedly. Very few families are not touched by Cancer in one way or another. Fund raising ventures at Gymophobics can take many forms. A visitor should not be surprised if she is greeted by an Instructor wearing pyjamas or fancy dress for example! Coffee mornings, fashion shows, makeovers, demonstrations of anything from books to jewellery, to head massage or reflexology. There is always something going on to raise funds and, as they say, "Every little helps!"
WHAT NEXT?
Who can say what the future holds for Gymophobics? In less than six years the brand has become synonymous for fast figure improvement that does not involve starvation dieting or training like an Olympic athlete. It stands for excellent service and provides thousands of women with the motivation to choose a healthier lifestyle. As Donna has repeated many times over "What makes me happy is seeing thousands of women achieve life changing results using my system. Money doesn't come into it. All the money in the world couldn't replace how good that makes me feel." Evidence of this is that two offers to buy Gymophobics have been turned down recently. "I just could not imagine handing over the care of Gymophobics to someone else". she says.
Donna and Richard continue to take each day as it comes. There are no targets, but if there had been, all would have been surpassed.  Recent Gymophobics innovations include a unique Members website to keep members informed with the latest news, gossip, exercise & health tips, recipes, etc., and an Instructors web site, the first of its kind, which keeps Instructors up to date and acts as a Home Learning resource. Gymophobics has become a 'movement' that shows no sign of a slow down.