Fitness Programmer & Customer Relations Manager
FloatRower™ started as an idea, and was nurtured by a small team, infused with their experience and expertise – so we thought it was about time to introduce that team, and everything they bring to the FloatRower™ family. We start with Jude Crisp, our Fitness Programmer and Customer Relations Manager - on the anniversary of her joining us in November 2020!
Hey Crew, I’m Jude – and I’m the voice behind your FloatRower™ workout, and the person at the end of your enquiry email!
Before FloatRower™, I worked for David Lloyd Clubs, primarily as a Group Exercise Coordinator, however, I also had a couple of other roles along the way and I finished my career at David Lloyd in Club Support (Head Office), working as a Member Support Executive.
My passion for fitness stems back to when I was a child and my time as a competitive Synchronised Swimmer. I spent my childhood and teenage years in swimming pools all over the country and would train most evenings and every weekend. After I stopped synchronised swimming, I began my career in the fitness industry, helping others achieve their goals and fall in love with fitness. I still really enjoy training myself and others and I will always find time to instruct group exercise classes every week, which I absolutely love. I don’t think I could ever give this up.
I love working with people, so when the gyms shut due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and I was unfortunately unable to teach my classes, I had to find something else to focus on and I’ve spent the last year volunteering, when I can, at my local Covid Vaccination Centre. Even though the gyms have now reopened and my classes have returned, I still try to help at least twice a month at the Centre.
It’s safe to say, I definitely like to keep busy and active, however, when I do get some spare time, I can either be found enjoying food at a nice restaurant, at a sports event, or cuddling my two dogs on the sofa, watching movies, stuffing my face with chocolate and drinking dirty chai lattes - I’m all for the healthy balanced lifestyle.
During my time at David Lloyd Clubs, I heard about a new exciting rowing machine that was only just coming into development. I thought it sounded amazing, and I loved the look of the product and the idea behind it – so when I got the opportunity to be a part of it all and join the FloatRower™ team, it was a no brainer - I couldn’t turn it down!
As Fitness Programmer, I’ve spent a lot of time creating and designing a wide range of different FloatRower™ workouts to suit everybody's needs, from individual guided workouts to group exercise based classes and video workouts. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced rower, there is a workout for you. Some of the programmes are solely rowing based on a FloatRower™, but for some people, a wider mix of rowing with strength, conditioning, mobility and functional training is more preferable.
After designing the workouts, I spend time doing them and trialling them on the office guinea pigs (team mates), to ensure that they are fun and engaging but also appropriate, adaptable and suitable for all abilities, levels, goals and workout preferences.
Within the role of Customer Relations Manager I get to work with such a wide range of people and businesses, including some of our amazing partners – such as the David Lloyd Clubs, where we’re currently trialling FloatRower™ in four of their bigger Clubs. I’m also lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with the incredible rowing athletes who have tried and tested FloatRower™ for us over the last year, giving us so much great and valuable feedback. And of course, I get to work with you guys. I’m the person that replies to your questions when you want to find out more about FloatRower™ and I’m the face behind our awesome (if I do say so myself) newsletters you get sent!
What do you love about FloatRower™?
Before FloatRower™, I was never a fan of rowing – it’s too challenging for how repetitive and boring it can be, and that’s just not a rewarding balance for me. But with FloatRower™, that all changes because there is so much more to it – there’s the roll to manage, the balance of pulling with both arms separately but at the same intensity, and it’s so much more comfortable – and that’s before we even talk about the display and the data capabilities, that are just so much more interesting than other machines out there. It’s completely engaging and workouts on the FloatRower™ just go so much quicker, and are so much more rewarding. Time really does fly when you’re having fun!
What are you excited about?
I’m really excited to see how it can be used in gyms and in a group exercise setting: getting people to work out together; row for longer with the low impact benefits of FloatRower™; and making it an exercise that absolutely anyone can do, regardless of their ability or disability. Every gym user can go on the FloatRower™ – no excuses!
The roll aspect is also a complete game changer in the world of static rowing, and there’s so much more we can do with FloatRower™ to expand its uses – we’re even looking into using it for resistance training and building strength so that you don’t need to jump on and off FloatRower™ if you did want to mix up your training session. It really is a game changer!!
Watch this space to meet more of the team in the New Year!
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