People using Workington's new sports centre will benefit from state-of-the-art equipment.

Bosses unveiled a 3D plan of the new venue, due to open on Brow Top next spring, at the town's existing Workington Leisure Centre this week. 

People also got the chance to try out some of the advanced machines which will be on offer. 

The Allerdale council-owned sports centre will be run by Greenwich Leisure Limited. 

It has worked with equipment experts TechnoGym to design the right facilities for the new centre. 

Part of their research included using a heat map to work out exactly when the current equipment was used to find out what was popular.

Experts then used this information to design the new gym. 

It will include: 

  • 30 spinning bikes

  • Free weights and benches 

  • An eight-person 'group' training apparatus

  • Nine crosstrainers

  • Four rowing machines 

  • Two step machines 

  • Upper body trainers

  • Exercise bikes and running machines 

People will be able to set goals while exercising on the machines, which they can save and transfer to other machines when they return to the gym at other times. 

Sam Ayers, of BodyFit Personal Training, was one of the first to try out the kit.

An exercise bike which allows users to set specific targets and a treadmill designed to help visually-impaired and arthritis-ridden runners are among the equipment lined up for the centre. 

Sam, of Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth, said: "The bike design has changed and improved so people can easily get on and sit down and it's more user-friendly for the disabled and overweight and that's one of the groups we want to encourage to go to the gym. 

"At the moment, 67 per cent of people in the UK are either overweight or obese so it's something to be aware of and we need to make people feel welcome in this environment.

"It's all very good quality equipment and easy to update and look after. 

"It's a long-time needed I think. It'll bring people back to the gym and be good for the community and it's close to town and will encourage more people to do it.

"The machinery is available to everybody including people with disabilities and it's well-designed

"The new designs are more welcoming. The environments are much cleaner and airier and less intimidating."