"Mag I someone's mayo?" While freshly showered athletes recover in the reception area with a newspaper or a smoothie, Max Health Club's team sits down to meatballs. "Made them myself this morning," says co-owner Jacco Helmink proud. "Every Friday someone makes something, today it was my turn."

Just when everyone has finished eating, a lady walks in with two cakes. Helmink is handed a slice of apple and a small bar of chocolate-doughnut on request. "It's not like this every day, you know. Coincidentally, today is also someone's birthday."

Meatballs with mayonnaise

Pies and meatballs with mayonnaise. Not exactly the diet you expect at a place dedicated to a healthy body. At the same time, it says something about the atmosphere at Max Health Club, or 'Max', as everyone calls the Duttendel health club. There is a close-knit group of people working here, a family.

Max Health Club

Staff here are given full scope to develop themselves. Marjolein van Eck tells how she rose from reception assistant to teaching coordinator. She and her colleague Charlie Grijspaardt are responsible for personnel matters and schedules. The ladies also teach group classes. Van Eck: "That's the great thing about Max Health Club, Niels (Renes, the other owner, ed.) and Jacco let us have a say in the future of the company. I think that's why people stay here so long."

It also sometimes affects the gentlemen in management. "I'm not allowed behind the bar anymore," jokes Helmink. "Why? Because then everyone wants to chat with me and then it doesn't progress very much. But maybe also because I'm not quick enough with the coffee anymore." The smiling look on Van Eck's face speaks volumes.

Many group lessons

Besides the atmosphere, beautiful location, swimming pool and wellness, Max Health Club has another unique selling point: group classes. Helmink: "From day one, we have focused on this. Competition in the fitness sector is fierce. Responding to trends is therefore essential. Max has the most varied selection of group lessons in The Hague. Seven days a week." Grijspaardt picks up a schedule. There are indeed an idiotic number of them. Van Eck starts counting. "More than a hundred."

Les Mills

With a quick glance, we scan the classes: kickboxing, pilates, street dance, judo, various forms of yoga and then there are five different Les Mills workouts on offer. The workouts are named after the former New Zealand athlete who competed for his country at the Olympics four times.

Philip, Mills' son, developed group fitness programmes in the 1980s, which are now internationally known. "Around the world, the classes are the same," says Grijspaardt, who is certified to teach Les Mills instructors in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Sh'Bam

"The classes are renewed every three months with new choreography and new music. And they are all science-based. As a result, the quality is high." Van Eck: "Many clubs offer Les Mills Body Pump or BodyBalance, but we also teach BodyAttack, Sh'Bam and Les Mills Barre."

Marjolein van Eck (right) and Charlie Grijspaardt.

Barre, that sounds like a classical ballet class awaits. "Oh no," says Grijspaardt. "We happen to have a barre here, but you should think of it as a work-out that strengthens your postural muscles." "I took a class once," Helmink adds. "Pretty sore muscles afterwards."

Soho

The co-owner of Max Health Club is himself more of the cycle shape, a class he discovered in Soho, a hip New York neighbourhood. "It was seven in the morning and I didn't know what I was experiencing. Here in the Netherlands you greet each other, but there nobody said anything." That changed when everyone was on their bikes and the music came on. "Then suddenly it was party time. Those ladies around me were cheering and waving their towels. After three quarters of an hour, I thought: what happened here? It was such an intense happening. I thought: that's something for Max."

New Yorkers

But as forward-thinking as the New Yorkers, the people of The Hague are usually not. Van Eck: "Sometimes I really have to drag our members to a new class, but once they have been, everyone is enthusiastic. Incidentally, you also have diehards who come to exercise every day at Max's."

Those who want can spend the whole day at the health club. Because Max also has special events two to four times a month. Helmink: "Sometimes this is a lecture with a Dutch celebrity, such as football agent Rob Jansen or tennis great Marcella Mesker, sometimes we give clinics or workshops." Such as a self-defence workshop or a body attack clinic, a combination of aerobics and strength training using one's own body. "Think push-ups, jumping jacks, a work-out with a high fun factor," he says.

Wim 'the Iceman' Hof

Last winter was one with Wim 'the Iceman' Hof. "After an ice-cold bath, you walk in your swimsuit over ice and through the ice sculptures at the Pier. Seems to boost your immune system." Van Eck pulls a sour face: "Not seen me, mind you."

Wellness clinic

Grijspaardt doesn't see the point either. "If only it were a sauna clinic," she chuckles. Van Eck couldn't agree more. "Yes, a wellness clinic, that would be something." A smile appears on the face of Helmink, who has by now finished his cake tip. "Who knows, ladies."

www.maxhealthclub.nl