Luxurious Magazine’s Sabi Phagura caught up with Eleiko UK’s Managing Director Dale Beech to discuss the latest trends in home gyms.

Luxurious Magazine: Many businesses have suffered due to the pandemic. But yours has actually thrived. Tell us more?
Dale Beech: As we know, gyms were one of the first sectors to get hit with closures when COVID-19 struck back in March. Off the back of that, we experienced phenomenal demand from those who attend the gym regularly, trying to get hold of equipment to continue their training at home. We quickly had to pivot the entire business to accommodate this new type of customer.

Our main client was typically gyms, or sport facilities rather than the end-user, but within four weeks, we had designed and built an e-commerce platform to serve this new market.

What is very interesting is that, even though gyms have re-opened post the first lockdown, we still saw very strong demand for home gym equipment.

LM: Why do you think so many people are drawn to installing a home gym?
DB: People’s lives have been turned upside down in recent months. Their daily routines have totally transitioned with the majority now working from home or adapting to more flexible working hours.

The city centre fitness clubs, particularly in central London, are seeing low swipe rates largely due to much fewer people heading into the office and commuting around. Having a home gym, or equipment at home allows people to get a training session in at their own convenience and in lesser time constraints.

There is increasing data from the likes of Rightmove that this is becoming a very highly searched for component for those looking to buy new homes. I think that home training is here to stay; especially now there are more and more online programs available to follow. These too, are becoming more sophisticated.

LM: Talk us through what is involved in installing a home gym and the advice you give to customers.
DB: When supporting a customer with a home gym fit-out, we begin with a conversation covering their training requirements and aspirations for the room – this includes everything from their preferred training type, to the space they have available. More often than not, it is the strength element of training that customers are trying to find a solution for. From here, we compile an equipment package that we know will best suit their needs, along with a mock-up design.

We have a team of installers who are solely dedicated to the home sector, which is something our clients make great use of. But it must be said, the building of our equipment is designed with simplicity in mind, and in most cases, can be installed by the customers themselves.

LM: Space would be a key issue when setting up a home gym, right?
DB: We can create a workable space in almost every home. As a result of this new market, we have developed a number of space-saving fitness solutions over the past few months. Alongside our team of installers, we are also able to make custom changes to some products on-site too.

LM: Is there a minimum amount of equipment customers need to buy to set up a gym at home? 
DB: It purely depends on their training and what they want to achieve. But during the lockdown, we did notice a buying pattern amongst customers. They would initially purchase a minimum of a set of dumbbells, or kettlebells. As time progressed, they would be back for a barbell and discs, and then a rack etc. People needed the extra resistance to keep progressing towards their fitness goals during these months.

LM: What’s the most popular equipment in your range that customers go for? Is there one piece of equipment that gives customers a full-body workout?
DB: The most popular combination of equipment would be a squat stand with an integrated pull-up station (it can be used for TRX training and more), along with accompanying fitness attachments, and a barbell, set of discs and a bench.

LM: Who is your customer archetype?
DB: We believe our customer is the everyday athlete. Someone who is passionate about looking after themselves with a keen interest in quality, design, and a premium fitness experience.

Our customers span across the world, but when it comes to the UK, we are seeing a small trend towards the London area.

However, having said that, we have completed some stunning home setups across the country over the last few months.

LM: How long does it take to set up a home gym from ordering it to fitting it? 
DB: The entire process from initial enquiry, to design and install, can be as little as three weeks.

Eleiko UK – Where and How?

Eleiko UK is located at St. James House, 13 Kensington Square, Kensington, London W8 5HD. For more information on setting up a home gym and to get in contact with Dale Beech, visit www.eleiko.com, or call 020 3370 4204.

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