DLC blazes a trail through studio fitness
As fitness and leisure industry leaders with an absolutely unfaltering commitment to the delivery of an impeccable member experience, David Lloyd Clubs (DLC) are masters of pre-empting the next big member demand and evolving club offerings in response. And what people seem to want is HIIT (high-intensity interval training), uniqueness, camaraderie, and feedback, delivered through new and exciting workouts that break the fitness mould - and there’s no reason this bespoke experience can’t be provided from the comfort of an aspirational club.
The project
Enter Blaze: the brainchild of DLC Group Health & Fitness Manager Michelle Dand, and David Lloyd Clubs in-house answer to the independent boutique fitness boom. Developed from the ground up by DLC and hip fitness outfitters Escape, Blaze made its debut as part of the spectacular refurbishment of the group’s Kensington club into a Harbour Club – David Lloyd’s “premium brand within a premium brand” – with plans now well underway for a national Blaze rollout across Harbour Club sister brand David Lloyd Clubs throughout 2018.
Housed in a dedicated studio space on a floor reserved solely for GroupX, Blaze’s instructor-led boutique experience combines cardio, martial arts, strength training and boxing in a timed circuit-style group workout. Our job was to design and deliver a pro audio, screen, lighting and control solution that would intensify and enhance the unique Blaze fitness experience – one that would nurture group interaction and empower instructors to focus 100% of their time and attention on leading and connecting with the class (crucial for the intimate but communal boutique feel).
What we did
Working closely with DLC, Hutchison-t developed a bespoke automated AV concept to bring the Blaze HIIT experience to life.
For audio, we needed clear and equal coverage across the studio space, so high-performance Bose loudspeakers were specified for their exceptional aesthetic design and brilliantly balanced sound. But when it came to visuals, we needed the opposite - a way to differentiate the Blaze circuit zones and define each individual stage of the progressive fitness experience. We did this with coloured and controllable overhead RGBW strips, individually programmed with a spectacular array of sequence and shade combinations to segment the zones and visually guide the class through rest breaks, countdowns and energy boosts.
Large format screens display the overall class time as well as a ticker clock for each interval and set, and with each timer linked to lighting and audio countdown prompts, exercisers and instructors alike are given complete freedom to lose themselves in the workout instead of fiddling with stopwatches, mp3s and phones. For those looking to push themselves the extra mile and stoke the competition, MYZONE integration also lets class-goers view their real-time workout feedback on the studio screens as well.
With the entire audio, visual, and lighting array pre-programmed and controlled using our proprietary Auto-AV and Control-AV tech, all a Blaze instructor has to do at the beginning of every session is select the length of the class and the tracks they want using a wall-mounted iPad and simple, branded graphic user interface developed in-house by Hutchison-t. Our end-to-end pro AV solution is one of the reasons the Blaze fitness experience is so effective and intense – with ultramodern aesthetics, seamless tech integration, and intuitive control creating an enhanced and authentic fitness experience to rival the very best that the burgeoning studio industry has to offer.
