Pleasance Gym, First UK Eleiko University Training Hall
Pleasance Gym Becomes UK Eleiko's First Training Hall in a University and Kicks Off Strong Partnership.
The opening of the Pleasance Gym at the University of Edinburgh kicks off a three-year partnership with Eleiko, the first of its kind in the UK. The project, involving a series of redesigned sports areas, encompasses Eleiko’s service offerings of facility design, world-class equipment and education, providing the University with a complete solution.
The University set out to renovate their training facilities and create a state of the art, functional performance facility. There were concerns with the current set up, and the University required a refresh to attract new members, support its performance athletes and to develop their strength and conditioning offering.
Following initial meetings with Chris McIntosh, Operations Manager and Jim Aitken, Director of Sport & Exercise at the University, the Eleiko team produced plans for the renovations, including the gym layout, bespoke equipment offering and detailed interior designs to help create a stand out facility, unlike any other currently in the UK.
By opting for one supplier, Edinburgh ensures consistency across the sites, creating an aligned brand across the University. Eleiko’s Gym Designer, Madi Simmonds, worked closely with the University team and Dale Beech, Managing Director of Eleiko Sport Ltd. coming up with an initial design concept for the visual aesthetic of the space that changed minimally throughout the project.
The equipment offering for the initial site includes 12 power and half racks, complete with branded integrated platforms and 17 customised weightlifting sets, featuring the University crest. The facilities have Eleiko’s new Öppen bar, a bar with an open design and built-in deadlift jack, plus a range of other accessories to complement a wide range of training styles. The number of lifting platforms available to members has been increased by two, allowing for more training space. The flow of the gym has been re-worked to improve the member experience and create additional training areas, plus more floor space through creative storage options.
Sport & Exercise Staff at the University will also benefit from annual Eleiko Strength Coach Courses. The Eleiko Strength Coach course is the most comprehensive scientifically based educational course for coaches, trainers, and strength and conditioning professionals. The University coaches will learn how to excel in all aspects of their jobs, including teaching the Olympic lifts in a group setting, designing periodised training plans, assessing and addressing movement deficiencies, working within a performance team, and monitoring training progress. These courses will be hosted on-site to develop individuals and to unify the coaching provided across the departments.
As part of the new partnership, University Sport & Exercise will be able to offer the 1st ever Eleiko Scholarship to two University of Edinburgh students or staff members. This incredible development opportunity will see the successful candidates enjoy a trip to Eleiko HQ in Sweden where they will spend a day with Eleiko technical experts learning about the manufacturing process and completing a tutored training session. During the visit the scholars will also manufacturer an Olympic Bar, which will be branded with their name, to bring back home with them.
