FLYEfit: Get in shape the modern way

Thinking about joining a gym but don't like the idea of committing yourself to a 12-month contract? Then the FLYEfit gym might be the one for you.

FLYEfit is a new chain of gyms that has started to roll out in Dublin and has some new features that are really shaking up the industry.

Around about now, you might be one of the many people already looking for excuses to abandon the lifestyle changes you promised yourself you would make in the New Year.

It’s too wet outside to go for a run, I don’t have the right ingredients for that salad, I’ll have a curry instead – these are the sorts of excuses spouted off at will, or when it comes to joining a gym, others allow themselves to be put off by the need to commit to a 12-month contract when they know in their heart of hearts that they’re just not going to make full use throughout the year.

But what if such a contract didn’t exist, would that change your mind? What if you could sign up for monthly membership and then if you don’t like it or if you’ve become too lazy, you can opt out or pause your membership without a hefty sum coming out of your bank account every month?

You can do this with the new FLYEfit gym in Ranelagh. The low cost, self service supergym costs only €29 a month. Members can avail of some of the best equipment on the market and remain completely in control of their membership account online. If they don’t like it, they can cancel it online.If they want to take a break for a few months, they can pause it online and re-activate it when they’re looking for the beach body for the summer holidays.

It is the lack of a contract and the low cost membership married with high quality equipment that are the real drivers in FLYEfit. This is what fitness guru Jackie Skelly hopes will attract new members to Ranelagh over the coming year.

“The biggest barrier to people joining gyms is the contract, it causes the most negativity,” Jackie told JOE recently. "It’s great to be in a new model where contracts are a not part of it and it is really up to the member to decide when they want to leave or if they want to keep their membership active.”

The money invested in FLYEfit has gone into the equipment, which Jackie says is some of the best on the market. She is particularly keen to highlight one piece of equipment, a bike called a RealRyder (see video below), which according to Jackie, will “blow your mind” if you’re into spinning.

“It’s the first innovation in gym equipment in about 20 years. The first non-stationary, stationary bike if that makes sense,” Jackie told us.

“It has an articulated frame that means that even though you stay in the same place, the bike moves and you have the closest thing to an outdoor riding experience indoors. You can lean left and right and when you’re moving out of the saddle, the handlebars move with your body. You have the sensation of riding a bike properly as if you’re on a road and it burns 20 per cent more calories than your traditional spin bike.

“The real cool thing about is that you use your core muscles to stabilise yourself when you’re out of the saddle, just like a normal bike, so you get a full body workout.”

As well as the RealRyder, there is an abundance of some of the best cardio and weightlifting equipment around and although there mightn’t be any pool or a Jacuzzi, there are plenty of other advantages with the self-service online model.

For starters, you are in complete control of your membership package. You can sign up online and from your MY FLYE account you can manage everything, from your payment details to whatever fitness classes you wish to book. There are over 40 free weekly classes including the RealRyder spin classes and all classes are included in the membership package.

FLYEfit is the only model of its kind in Ireland and Jackie and the FLYEfit team plan to roll it out across Dublin and elsewhere in the near future.

“People have absolutely nothing to lose,” Jackie adds.

“If you join up and you don’t like it, you can cancel it after a month and for €29 a month, you have the chance to change your lifestyle.

“People are stunned when they see the gym. They keep asking ‘Where's the catch?’ I just say that there isn't any!"

Like the sound of Flye Fit and want to sign up yourself? Check out the website here.