“There will always be a need for human interactions”

After our burning Legs, Bums and Tums workout at Holmes Place we caught up with Ian Turley, COO of Holmes Place, to find out what the future holds for fitness and virtual reality…  

USC: What’s the story behind Holmes Place?

Holmes Place is a family run business and was founded in the UK. I started my career in 1991 with Holmes Place and looked after the UK clubs – the UK business was then sold to Virgin Active in 2004. We’ve been established in Germany for about 17 years now – we have 14 clubs in Germany under the Holmes Place brand and we have another brand called EVO Fitness.

Group classes have always been a core feature of what we do. We introduced Les Mills classes back in the ‘80s and we’ve grown within that. We like to create interaction in our classes between the instructor and the member. I think these interactions are the difference between a budget chain and a premium club – our instructors are skilled, knowledgeable and make sure you get the best out of your workout.  

USC: What’s the philosophy of Holmes Place?

Previously it was ‘One life, live it well.’ We were focussed on moving well, eating well and feeling well. We’ve held on to these core values but we’ve changed it slightly. We recognise that it’s about enjoying the journey – this is our vision now.

Everyone has a different journey – for some it’s to be the best you can be, for others it’s about taking time for yourself. Routine and relaxation is important for people, and relaxation is important for our members as well. The pools, the spas and everything else we offer alongside exercise makes it a lifestyle and a wellness club.

We help people find an activity they like in a place they like with people they like. We want to help create a community. At Holmes Place there’s an Aqua community, a run club community, a group fitness community. We help people find their ‘thing.’  

USC: The front area looks more like a coffee shop or workspace than a gym…

We want people to sit down, relax and have a conversation after their workout. Or they could spend time doing work here. It’s about making your time here more appealing than just going to the gym.  

USC: What’s the future for fitness and virtual reality?

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the world of health and fitness. We want to offer more classes more often, and we see virtual as an opportunity to complement our personalised classes. So it’s not a replacement, it’s a complement to our current classes.

Otherwise that studio space is only utilised for four hours a day. Now with virtual on-demand and with more scheduled classes, people get more opportunities to work out.

The other reason we like virtual is that it’s becoming harder to find quality teachers. It’s hard to be a class instructor and to teach 20 or 30 classes a week. Teachers burn out. So now we have the best instructors in the world in a digital format.  

USC: As we know technology is taking over the world – do you think we’ll still use personal trainers in 20 years?

Yes. Personal relationships are part of what we do. Some people have become more isolated because of social media – it’s well documented that teenagers aren’t really connecting.

An environment like this allows us to connect. There will always be a need for human interactions. Although we embrace technology we recognise that people want these interactions, which is why we have reception areas and why we’ve created a space to be sociable.

I think it’s almost going to come full circle – it’s going to be more important that people have personal interaction in their lives.  

USC: What’s your background in the sports industry?

I trained as a PE teacher, but I realised when I was doing my degree that I was getting much more from working part-time in a gym. I was around 21 and realised that’s what I wanted to do – I loved coaching, I loved training and I loved helping people.

I did a short spell in Hong Kong coaching tennis, gymnastics and swimming, and I was lucky enough to be involved with a company that was opening health clubs. In 1991 I helped them open their first health club in Hong Kong. I lived there for a year and then came back to the UK and started working for Holmes Place.

After 12 years I’d worked my way up to managing the clubs in the UK. When we were sold to Virgin Active I moved to Les Mills in New Zealand. I spent nine happy years there with my family.

In 2013 Holmes Place Europe approached me to come back as a sales and marketing director in Central Europe. So I came back and then about 3 years ago I became the COO to focus on the market in Germany.  

USC: What are your sports of choice?

I love cycling, although I’m too old to compete – I turned 50 last year. My wife is an international triathlete, she’s competed for Great Britain and New Zealand. We like to cycle and swim together – we don’t run together because she just leaves me behind [laughs].

I like cycling partly for the endurance aspect but also the social aspect. You cycle in groups and you stop for coffee and cake – it’s a social thing. I’m also a bit of a bike nerd so I love looking at other peoples bikes.  

USC: What health and fitness advice would you give to USC members?

Respect your body and your journey. When you’re 20 you think you’re invincible – you think you can do anything but sometimes people do nothing and don’t make the most of what they’ve got. As you get older you realise there are certain things that you can’t do anymore, especially if you haven’t looked after yourself.

So respect what you have and make the most of what you have – you don’t need to be an elite athlete but find pleasure in fitness and do it to the best of your ability. Enjoy it.  

For all of their latest news and events, follow Holmes Place on Facebook and Instagram or visit the Holmes Place website.

Urban Sports Club has many Holmes Place partners across Germany and fitness partners in France – take a look at our website to see what’s in your area.