5 Years of STRENFLEX - Strenflex Fitness Sport

The lifest yle maga zine for active people 

5 Years of 

STRENFLEX 

From Fitness-Tests 

to championships 

72 Year Old 

Fitness World Champion 

Dr. Rolf Krempel 

Presents a basic test for 

fitness beginners 

How fit am I? 

Achieving a sports badge 

trough a fitness test! 

A new technology 

helps sport! 

6 th year • Edition no. 1 • Special edition 2007 • No. 12 

Germany � 3.— 

Austria � 3.50 

Switzerland CHF 4.50 

USA $ 3.— 

www.fitness-sport.tv 

Kathi Fleig multiple 

Women’s fitness 

World Champion 

Events for fitness clubs: STRENFLEX Fitness Test Days

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C O N T E N T S 

Sylvia Gattiker explains the 

advantages of the fitness test 14 

Interview with Paul Underberg, 

fitness test candidate 16 

81 year old Franz Rastl 

gains his silver badge 22 

Paul Bachmann, World 

Champion at 72 years of age 26 

STRENFLEX fitness sport 12 

Contents 

Editorial 5 

Letter from the president 7 

Why STRENFLEX? 8 

Comment from Dr. Rolf Krempel 10 

What does the fitness test involve? 14 

Interview with Paul Underberg 16 

Requirements: Fitness test sport badge - women 18 

Requirements: Fitness test sport badge - men 19 

Successful fitness test candidates 2006 21 

STRENFLEX event idea 22 

STRENFLEX information 24 

Competition report – World Championships 2006 26 

Rosmarie Thoma – World Championship fit at 60 29 

STRENFLEX MASTERS competition rules 30 

STRENFLEX OPEN competition rules 32 

STRENFLEX history 33 

Editorial information 34 

STRENFLEX calendar 

Fitness test days 

See www.strenflex.org 

Fitness test sport badge 


MASTERS championships 


OPEN championships 

See www.strenflex.org

„Am I a fitness softy?” 

This is exactly what an increasing number of people have been 

asking themselves since STRENFLEX was launched 5 years ago 

The opposites are “extreme”: Smoker 

or non-smoker, too fat or too thin, fit or 

unfit (since 2002) or fitness softies! In 

our modern society of lazy, fat, idle and 

(sooner or later) ill people for whom the 

others, including myself, will eventually 

have to foot the bill, I sometimes cannot 

help but making my point clear in an 

equally “extreme” way! 

Remember the saying from the bible? 

“You shall love your neighbour as yourself”. 

Then what’s so bad about trying to 

encourage people to do something beneficial 

for themselves, for their body and 

for their health? Nothing! Granted, I do 

sometimes go a bit overboard verbally – 

but that’s only because nobody will listen 

to nice, well meant advice anymore. 

Even politicians are now increasingly 

advocating the use of tougher educational 

methods, including at schools. Many 

things have gone wrong and it is hard 

not to notice the indifference and lack 

of concern exhibited by some parents 

– many youths roam the streets, bored, 

often looking for a fight, with no respect 

for people and their property. Looking 

for some sort of “support” they easily get 

tied to dubious gangs. And all this is happening 

just because their parents neglect 

their duty of care towards their children. 

Fat parents = fat children, lazy parents = 

lazy children, athletic and fit parents = 

athletic and fit children. We – you and I 

– are the role models for our children and 

our society. Softies exist everywhere, but 

people who own or manage a gym and 

instructors in our fitness industry must 

be fit. 

In a few sentences, Eric-Pi Zürcher highlights 

the importance of Strenflex in his 

column featured in Fitness Tribune issue 

no. 107: 

“... Let’s talk about Strenflex. We all 

know that fitness cannot simply be 

achieved through a couple of simple 

exercises. However, the Strenflex 

exercises and test are extremely valuable 

in helping to gain valid findings 

about our own ACTION in respect 

of personal fitness. From 2008, only 

those people may contribute articles 

to Fitness Tribune who have gained 

a fitness badge. But what does this 

really mean? You don’t have to be a 

Nobel laureate to realise that something 

in the fitness industry is wrong 

if a Strenflex test becomes mandatory. 

There is a credibility crisis. I agree with 

Jean-Pierre – there are too many representatives 

from our industry who turn 

pale when they actually have to show 

their true colours. Unable to complete 

press-ups or chin-ups? Incredible. 

Competence in fitness can only 

be demonstrated by action. For me, 

the Strenflex badges are children of 

the crisis and this makes them all the 

more important. The industry is marked 

largely by a lack of authenticity. 

And it’s not that I’m a strength athlete 

– people who know me know that I’m 

of a rather slim build.” 

Eric-Pi Zürcher – Personal Trainer 

Let’s hope then that those who recognise 

the purpose of our prevention industry 

will prove that they are not just experts in 

theory but also become a role model for 

our industry in practice, most of all for 

their gym members and for their families. 

Jean-Pierre L. Schupp 


Born in 1954 – has trained for over 36 

years in weights and martial arts. Graduate 

in economics. Fitness expert. Onetime 

Karate and kickboxing champion 

(5th Dan at 26 years of age). Was gym 

owner, exercise machine designer. Proprietor 

of various trading companies. 

Married with three children, he is an 

avowed Christian. Staunch non-smoker, 

and vegetarian since 1998. Successful 

businessman, journalist and member of 

the Trade Press Association since 1992. 

Since 1988 editor and publisher of the 

widest circulation specialist magazine in 

German-speaking Europe, “FITNESS TRI- 

BUNE”. In 2002 his publishing house, Top 

Ten Media, founded in 1979, launched 

in addition the new lifestyle magazine 

“Strenflex FITNESS Sport”. 

In his publications he often critizised the 

fact that the fitness industry did not offer 

a sport open to a wide public that would 

support the important idea of a preventive 

approach to a fit and active body at any 

age. In FT issue 72, he publicly launched 

his idea for a new popular sport: STREN- 

FLEX. He transferred all rights to the 

STRENFLEX Sport Organisation and has 

since worked for this sport in an honorary 

capacity. Inventor and active role model 

for the sport, he participates actively in 

competitions in his STRENFLEX age category 

and hopes that many gym owners, 

instructors and studio members and that 

all those interested in sport follow his example. 

In 2004 and 2006 he became Swiss 

STRENFLEX Champion, World Cup winner 

and World Champion in his age group 

and weight category of 100kg+. 

Holder of the int. recognised STRENFLEX 

Silver fitness sport badge. 

E D I T O R I A L 

STRENFLEX fitness sport

In 2008 Fitness Tribune 

will celebrate its 20th 

anniversary! 

As a respected specialist fitness magazine 

we consider that it’s not just 

our responsibility to report on fitness 

matters but also to motivate people 

to actively participate in fitness and 

that we should be a real role model 

for being fit. 

We therefore expect our authors (columnists, 

journalists, writers of various 

articles), to have achieved at 

least the BRONZE STRENFLEX 

Fitness Sport badge. (Requirement 

profile for men and women on pages 

18 and 19 of this issue). 

This also applies to companies that 

wish to place PR articles, reports etc. 

in the FT: the CEO or sales manager 

should be able to fulfil the above requirements 

because: 

if it says fitness on the packet, 

then fitness must be in the packet! 

20 years of the FITNESS TRI- 

BUNE specialist magazine – we will 

continue to keep our promises into 

the future and stay true to our reports! 

From our anniversary year 2008 onwards 

– you still have a little time 

left – we will only publish texts where 

we can truly say that the writer really 

does practice what he preaches… 

S P O R T S H O P 

Baseball cap 

€ 19.- CHF 29.- 

Men’s athletic shirt 

M/L/XL € 39.- CHF 59.- 

Women’s Supplex sleeveless top 

S/M/L € 32.- CHF 49.- 

T-Shirt women’s or men’s 

S/M/L/XL € 24.- CHF 36.- 

Exclusive: Only for Strenflex Personal Examiners (SPE) 

OFFICIAL STAFF 

SPE – jacket 

M/XL € 49.- (CHF 74.-) 

OFFICIAL STAFF 

Metronome 

for cardio test, with clip and 

many extras: clock, adjustable 

volume, mute function – visual 

display with blinking red light, 

range from 30 to 250 beats per 

minute etc. 

€ 19.- (CHF 29.-) 

For orders and further info: www.strenflex.org

5 years of STRENFLEX 2002-2007 

If it says fitness on the packet, 

then fitness must be in the packet! 

It is exactly 5 years since the STRENFLEX 

Sport Organisation was launched in public 

for the first time at FitMess 2002 in 

Basle. In only 60 months 31 national and 

international fitness decathlon competitions 

have already been held in Europe 

and the USA and the concept presented 

to interested industry specialists. 

Every medal however, has two sides: 

success and awareness. Success for the 

fitness insiders who as gym members feel 

they are “competition-fit”. Awareness 

from the STRENFLEX Sport Organisation, 

that realised very quickly that despite the 

fact that 6% of gym members worldwide 

are interested in the STRENFLEX Decathlon 

Championships, over 90% prefer 

purposeful, goal-oriented training with a 

fitness test as the conclusion, i.e. they are 

not interested in competition. 

This is why the STRENFLEX Sport Organisation 

launched the STRENFLEX FITNESS 

TEST with sport badge in 2005. At the 

FitMess in Basle and at FIBO, the world 

fitness fair, hundreds will attempt to gain 

the bronze, silver or gold sport badge. 

This simple, but scientifically developed 

fitness test is designed to provide gym 

owners, trainers and instructors, together 

with millions of fitness club members, 

another way to become interested and 

participate in all-important, preventive 

fitness training. 

Alongside the existing supporting pillars 

of STRENFLEX, the fitness test and competitions, 

STRENFLEX this year intends to 

introduce the third and last pillar – not 

only to the Strenflex Fitness Test Centres 

(STCs) – but also to schools sport 

associations and others involved in providing 

health services: the Training Concept. 

STRENFLEX receives many enquiries 

along the lines of, “how can I, as a 

woman, after years of training at last 

achieve a chin-up? ” Or from men, 

“how can I do 6 or more dips when 

training?” In future, STRENFLEX will not 

only offer the fitness club market worldwide 

marketing tools for the FITNESS 

TEST DAYS (i.e. fitness tests for all) or a 

wider platform for gym championships, 

intercity cups, national and international 

championships, but it will also provide 

them with a training concept. This will 

once again motivate members to aim 

for and achieve their personal training 

goals through co-ordinated basic training, 

using for example, the bronze fitness 

sport badge. 

In future there will only be one major 

championship each year. This means 

that the World Championships, European 

Championships and National Championships 

will take place at the same location 

and on the same date. 

This special edition of SFS Magazine (no. 

12) will take you deep into the world of 

STRENFLEX in its 36 pages. I would be 

honoured to be able to welcome you 

too, into the constantly growing STREN- 

FLEX family. 

It is a particular highlight for me to 

announce to STRENFLEX members and 

potential members that well-known sports 

scientist Dr. Rolf Krempel has assumed 

the important position of STRENFLEX 

General Secretary in an honorary capacity. 

With his solid knowledge of sports 

science he is the ideal person to represent 

and promote the STRENFLEX ideals 

in both Germany and further afield. 

Have fun staying active! 

Hans-Georg Yourievsky 

STRENFLEX World President 

His Serene Highness 

Prince George Youriewsky 

Born 1961 

- Active for 35 years in competitive 

sport and has been a trainer/teacher 

and coach for 26 years 

- Grew up in Flims (GR), completed 

his high school education in Zurich 

and then went on to study law/MBA 

- With friends he established 

Switzerland’s first mail order sports 

article discount business in 1988, 

concentrating on tennis, squash, 

badminton, ski/snowboarding 

- Managing Director of various software 

companies for 15 years 

Sports 

Tennis: Earlier youth + sports manager, 

competition / fitness trainer, 

senior trainer (regional, Canton and 

eastern Switzerland), qualified Swiss 

tennis instructor, B2/ R2 player over 

several years, ASVZ training manager, 

junior umpire ZSTV; today a 

casual player 

Diving: Padi rescue diver (***) 

Skiing: All-round, alpine and ski 

tours 

Squash: Mainly in winter 

Earlier: Shooting, riding, sailing, 

golf, mountain biking, sport for the 

disabled (long-time carer/trainer, 

team coach of the 1984 Swiss Paralympic 

team) 

STRENFLEX: As a basic sport for 

general fitness and to balance some 

of my more one-sided sports 

STRENFLEX World President since 

2004 

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T 


W H Y S T R E N F L E X ? 

For any company that wants to be 

successful rather than fade into the 

annals of history, it is a well known 

fact that promotion and marketing 

activities must be undertaken on a 

regular basis. The marketing potential 

offered by Strenflex makes it possible, 

not just for gyms, but for other 

organisations and personal trainers to 

increase their name recognition and 

gain new customers. 

Those who recognise and properly 

implement the opportunities and 

initiatives provided by Strenflex as a 

marketing tool will be able to reach 

more people and enthuse them with 

the fitness ideal. As licensed Strenflex 

Fitness Test Centers (STCs) gyms, 

personal trainers etc., will be able to 

organise events at which the fitness 

tests are carried out. It all depends 

upon your own creativity and initia- 

STRENFLEX fitness sport 12 

Organise fitness test events with Strenflex 

and increase your name recognition 

tive. For example, STCs could easily work 

together with their local municipality and 

the schools in their region to hold their 

own fitness test days. 

The Strenflex Fitness Test is aimed at 

children as well as adults. From children 

as young as 12 right up into the older 

age brackets – all can participate in the 

tests. Currently, the oldest person to have 

passed the test for the Strenflex Fitness 

Sport Badge is Austrian, Franz Rastl – at 

81 years of age. But beginners can measure 

their performance too – in order to 

reach out to an even wider public the 

new Strenflex Basic Test has been introduced 

from 2007. This special test for 

beginners has been ‘filtered out’ of the 

mainstream fitness test in order to ease 

entry into fitness sport for (almost) everyone. 

A particular aim is to motivate people 

to keep up their fitness training over 

the long term. 

5 years of STRENFLEX 2002-2007 

Beginning in 2007 the Federal Academy 

of Sport in Linz, and therefore 

Austria as a country, has taken the 

first step in the right direction, again 

showing the way Europe-wide: It is 

now obligatory for all students to 

complete a test of physical condition 

as part of their initial aptitude test for 

an educational course in fitness. This 

is based on the criteria of the international 

STRENFLEX organisation. Then, 

upon completion of the respective 

course of training – whether instructor 

or trainer – gaining a STRENFLEX 

achievement badge is a compulsory 

requirement. This is intended 

to ensure that fitness instructors are 

also physically qualified to call themselves 

as such. 

How can the Strenflex Fitness 

Test make your company better 

known? 

The Fitness Sport Badge motivates athletes 

and provides black-on-white proof 

of his/her performance. The Strenflex 

Fitness Test Centers (STCs) can hold 

their own Strenflex Fitness Test Days inhouse 

or externally, attract new members 

and retain existing customers over the 

long term.

Women 

3 min. cardio test 

1 x chin-up 

5 x press-ups 

2 x dip 

HOLD YOUR OWN EVENT! 

Shown here is the large exhibition stand 

for STRENFLEX presentations under the 

motto: 

Fitness Test Days at Fairs and Events. 

Owners can also promote their gym 

using this concept to hold their own Fitness 

Test Day, e.g. with a small stand or 

simply a single fitness machine in their 

town square. There are many possibilities 

for persuading people to exercise and 

then to sign them up as gym members: 

– Fitness Test Days 

– Who is the town’s fittest inhabitant? 

– Who is the fittest schoolboy/girl? 

etc. 

Instead of holding an “open day” why 

not organise “Fitness Test Days?” 

On pages 22 and 23 you can see one 

way of presenting an advertisement for 

your gym. Maybe a well known politician 

or VIP has gained the GOLDEN 

Fitness Sport Badge at your gym – but 

it doesn’t matter whether it was just an 

“ordinary” member – a happening like 

this is always worth a press release. Furthermore, 

this shows that your gym has 

correctly analysed the present situation 

– there are more overweight people (1 

billion) on this Earth than there are people 

starving (830 million) – and that we 

must “urgently” persuade people to take 

more exercise. 

Strenflex offers a simple but efficient 

solution for everyone – from 8 to 108 

years old! 

Come aboard, 

The future of fitness is starting now! 

2 x 10 abdominal crunches 

1 x sit & reach 

Requirements for the Bronze Badge 

Men 


Advantages of the fitness test in brief: 

✗ STCs can use the various Fitness Test 

Days organised by Strenflex (e.g. at 

fairs: FIBO, Rimini Wellness etc.) in 

order to increase their name recognition. 

The Strenflex Sport Organisation 

organises its own events at which 

hundreds of people take the test. We 

make sure these people are aware of 

the STCs before they leave. 

✗ But STCs can also hold fitness tests at 

their own premises thereby increasing 

the name recognition of the gym. For 

example, by organising open days and 

3 x chin-up 

9 x press-ups 

VIP and company service! 

Not every top manager or those working on the exhibition stands have time 

during FIBO to complete the Bronze sport badge at the STRENFLEX stand. 

STRENFLEX is therefore offering a new fitness test service: company employees 

and VIPs can quietly and discretely gain their STRENFLEX sport badge in their 

company’s surroundings. We come to you! 

Interested? For countries outside of Austria, Germany and Switzerland contact 

info@strenflex.org. 

There’s no excuse for excuses anymore! … 

6 x dip 

2 x 10 abdominal crunches 

1 x sit & reach 

beginners fitness Tests. You may 

hold as many Fitness Test Days as 

you wish. 

✗ STCs can offer their members Gold, 

Silver and Bronze fitness sport 

badges for different age categories. 

The first fitness test is free for everyone. 

✗ STCs can access the Strenflex website 

using their password to download 

and print the certificates at no 

cost. 

Continued on page 20 � 


C O M M E N T 


Born 1946, in Zittau/Saxony, married to 

Otti Krempel since 1980, 4 sons aged 

between 17 and 27. 

Education: 

19 67 S e c o n d a r y s c h o o l l e av ing 

examination (Abitur) in Wetzlar/Lahn 

1967-68 Basic military service, Paratroops 

Battalion 262 Oberbexbach/Saarland 

1968-73 Law school in Giessen, Marburg 

and Hamburg 

1973-76 DSHS – Sports sciences at the 

German Sport University (DSHS), Cologne 

1986 Graduation as Doctor of sports 

science (summa cum laude) 

1987 Management Assistant at Chamber of 

Trade & Industry, Management Academy, 

Bad Harzburg 

Sporting activities: 

Handball, tennis, parachute jumping 

Athletics (including titles of Hesse Junior 

Champion and Vice-Regional Champion 

in pole vaulting, several times pole vaulting 

Seniors Champion in Baden-Wurttemberg) 

Holder of the Bronze STRENFLEX fitness 

sport badge 

Trainer licenses: 

Various exercise leader licences, A-trainer 

licence from the DLV (German Athletics 

Association) 

Trainer Cer tificates and teaching 

qualifications in tennis and Alpine skiing 

Career to date: 

1997-2001 branch manager and trainingmanager 

for the DFAV e.V. (German Fitness 

and Aerobic Association), Bonn 

2001-2005 branch manager VDF e.V. 

(Association of German fitness and Leisure 

Companies), Berlin 

Voluntary work at associations, clubs and 

committees: 

Voluntary work at associations, clubs and 

committees: 

(1997-2000) Member of various FISAF 

commissions (internal trainer courses) 

(1997-2001) Founding member of the VDV 

e.V. and Advisory Board member 

(1999-2002) Member of the anti-doping 

commission of the Lower Saxony Interior 

Ministry 

(2001-2003) Member of the Working 

Group on the Leisure Industry at The 

Cologne Institute for Economic Research 

10 STRENFLEX fitness sport 12 

NEW from Strenflex: 

The BASIC FITNESS TEST 

“Get your fitness sports badge!” 

– Industry insiders go for Strenflex 

The Strenflex Sports Organisation is just 

5 years old. Does this mean then, that 

it is too young to compete with established 

industry insiders or to offer new 

things? On the contrary: after FIBO it 

was the experienced gym owners, long 

established in the market – those who 

have seen countless trends and marketing 

concepts come and go – that opted to 

earn the fitness badge as a challenge for 

themselves, their staff and their customers 

in particular. 

We are now receiving enquiries as well 

as pledges from nearly all regions regarding 

use of the fitness badge as a motivator 

and an attractive incentive for customers 

to maintain and improve their level of fitness. 

I am therefore not surprised to hear 

almost apologetic words from the owners 

of some of the new Strenflex Partner 

Clubs: “We basically liked the Strenflex 

concepts very much from the start, but 

wanted to wait and see whether you as 

newcomers would be able to keep up 

and stand your ground in this (fast paced) 

market...” 

Strenflex has stood its ground, is flexible 

in developing its products and projects 

and it now looks as if we are being 

taken seriously, just as the initiators had 

intended in the first place: To offer the 

sporting gym customer a contemporary 

training, test and competition concept for 

all age and performance groups based on 

the tried and tested classic exercises. 

(2001-2003) Member of the EQSF commission 

for the „Harmonisation of Standardised 

Training Structures in the Fitness Industry „ on 

behalf of the EU Commission 

(from 2002) Member of various expert 

committees and commissions, including the 

DIHK Berlin and the TÜV-Rheinland-Group 

Cologne 

(2003-2005) Founding member and Board 

Member of the ENFA/EHFA (European Health 

and Fitness Associations) based in Brussels 

The fitness sports badge in particular is 

increasingly seen as an attractive marketing 

tool for retaining existing customers 

and winning new ones and is successfully 

employed by member gyms. 

My trainer team is fit! – A 

question of honour? 

The decision to introduce the fitness 

badge is often a “question of (trainer) 

honour”, a challenge taken up probably 

in response to the provocative statements 

made by the Fitness Tribune’s editor-inchief. 

A responsible and committed gym 

owner and trainer can hardly accept the 

accolade “more unfit than his customers” 

or “a mere businessman with no self-discipline 

or any ambition to become a role 

model for his customers” – they must 

stand up and show this is not true. 

Alongside several other staff teams the 

following four new Strenflex Fitness Test 

Centers (STCs) have successfully passed 

the basic training test for the fitness badge 

during the past few weeks. This was their 

“Badge yield”: 

✗ The Extrafit Team from Parsberg with 

7 staff members earned 1Gold, 3 x Silver 

and 2 x Bronze. 

✗ The 7 members of the Berlin Dynamic 

Fitness World Gym passed 2 x Gold, 4 x 

Silver and 1 Bronze. 

✗ The Deen Fitnessclub (Berlin) completed 

the Strenflex fitness test earning 6 

x Gold and 3 x Silver, participating were 

Specialist publications/authored works: 

Co-author „Leichtathletik 1 und 2“ published 

by Rowohlt-Verlag, 1976 

Co-author „Konditionstraining“ published by 

Rowohlt-Verlag, 1978 

Textbook „ Bewegungsanalyse im Sport“, 

(“Movement Analysis in Sport“), published by 

Harri Deutsch-Verlag, 1987 

Various specialist articles in trade magazines, 

such as Leichtathletik (Athletics) and FITNESS 

TRIBUNE.

the gym management and staff (including 

both training staff and reception and 

catering staff). 

✗ The management team of Fitness Centrum 

TM (Solingen) had already passed 

the tests for Gold at FIBO Essen and they 

were visibly proud that their team of 8 

female staff members excelled in winning 

2 x Gold, 3 x Silver and 2 x Bronze. 

I’m convinced that all member gyms will 

promote the fitness sports badge with 

professionalism and commitment – within 

the gym and beyond, so that the tests 

are responsibly carried out. Fitness tests 

only make sense as an effective training 

control tool if they are carried out and 

evaluated based on consistent rules and 

requirements – everywhere. 

I look forward to renewed success for 

future team tests in new member gyms. 

That’s how, step by step, we can reach 

our project goal – to offer interested fitness 

customers a comprehensive areawide 

partner club network (as a test centre 

in their region). 

This network of competent fitness experts 

and providers of health oriented fitness 

training will then be seen as a welcome 

partner for insurers and health insurance 

funds. I promise to talk to Berlin... 

Proof at long last: 

Strength training is beneficial 

– not just for your back 

There was truly good news for all gyms 

in nearly all big dailies this week. Here is 

what “Die Welt” had to say in the health 

section under the heading “Training to 

beat back pain” – where in no uncertain 

terms a misconception held by the 

medical profession for over 20 years was 

reported on and corrected: 

“Back pain is the second most important 

reason for visiting the doctor. 

Commonly this condition is blamed 

on damaged spinal discs. “This is 

wrong,” says sports professor Ingo 

Froböse from Deutsche Sporthochschule 

Cologne. “More than 95% of 

back problems are due to weak muscles 

which in turn lead to overloading 

of the supporting ligaments.” 

A scientific study has now proven that 

almost 100% of all back pain problems 

could be effectively and quickly pre- 

vented by (old industry insiders – listen!) 

specific muscle building training. 

“Strength through challenge” is the new 

motto. Rather than resting the back it 

should be challenged to learn to deal with 

and to adapt to a multitude of different 

types of stress. Whole body activation, 

specific muscle training and relaxation 

and perception training are the building 

blocks of this concept. 

This may well confuse many sports trainers 

and gym instructors who since the 

mid 1980s had been learning (in those 

countless back training courses by various 

specialist associations, at conferences 

and training seminars) that their very own 

gyms’ training methods (i.e. muscle building 

– bodybuilding) were supposed to be 

absolutely unsuited, even damaging to 

health, for people with back pain (every 

second person in our civilised society). 

Many of you will remember what impact 

this new back training theory had on 

gyms: Strength training whose value 

had been scientifically proven was virtually 

demonised as a prevention method 

for muscle strength and stability, fitness 

trainers’ professional expertise was 

called into question and all “back customers” 

were urged not to undertake 

muscle training in gyms. Subsequently, 

exercises were divided into “right” and 

“wrong” with the classic strengthening 

exercises being assigned to the second 

category. Many known exercises deemed 

effective to-date were relegated to the 

“don’ts” prohibition list, even those that 

were included in the industry’s professional 

training courses. 

The result: Around 8 million people have 

been treated at back training sessions 

– often with no effect at all. On the contrary, 

very often the problem worsened. 

A study carried out by the EU Commission 

verifies this – alongside back training 

sessions, it also ranks as ineffective 

certain passive therapies such as “backfriendly” 

office furniture, massage, inlay 

soles for shoes etc. 

And when our politicians reveal that 25 

billion Euros have to be spent in terms 

of direct and indirect costs arising from 

back problems alone, then one begins 

to wonder why the known fact that 

“Strength training is good – millions of 

gym customers can’t be wrong” has been 

largely ignored so far. 

So will all back customers 

now flock to your gym? 

Even though this study clearly backs 

all those trainers who were convinced 

of the effectiveness of their methods 

all along and who were able to help 

back pain customers by using specific 

training concepts, it remains uncertain 

whether the gyms will be able 

to cater for at least part of these back 

pain customers in future – because: 

“The old back training theory is dead 

– long live the new back training theory”. 

True to this motto and, occurring 

almost simultaneously with the 

publication of the surprising results of 

the study, this new back training theory 

concept has been introduced as 

a successor model. It was conceived 

by the Health Centre of the Deutsche 

Sporthochschule, Cologne (the German 

sports university) led by Prof. 

Froböse and is designed to supersede 

the “classic back training theory” – 

also initiated by him 20 years ago and 

now considered a ‘classical error’. 

The pilot study, now completed and 

put to the scientific test in selected 

“health oriented fitness clubs”, indicated 

outstanding results and was 

proof that qualified gyms are a suitable 

alternative even for customer 

groups with health problems and 

considerably reduced performance. 

But the fact alone that a fully established 

training curriculum for future 

course and training leaders of the 

“New back training theory” has been 

submitted to the Health Minister by 

the newly founded “Confederation 

of German back training schools” 

(KddR) gives me a headache: It looks 

to me as if the old outdated nonsense 

is being rehashed in the form of a 

new back training network with only 

very few fitness clubs allowed access. 

Or would you disagree? 

All interested gyms are invited to target 

this large potential new customer 

group using professional and convincing 

training and support concepts. 

Many of these people with back 

problems are not patients in need of 

therapy and they do not need to be 

treated by sports therapists or physiotherapists, 

but they can be trained 

and supported effectively and suc- 

C O M M E N T 

� 

STRENFLEX fitness sport 11

C O M M E N T 

cessfully (with a lot of fun and professional 

all-round support) in our gyms 

instead. 


NEW: Basic Fitness Test 

The test for beginners 

Based on experience gained over the 

past months several interesting findings 

have emerged: 

✗ Athletic trainers and customers 

often fail the cardio test: This is frequently 

due to training which focuses 

solely on strength with the stress and 

relaxation capacity of the cardiovascular 

system exhibiting clear deficits. 

✗ If professional instructors and 

course leaders fail in strength exercises 

such as chin-up, dip or push-up 

the reason for this is often too much 

emphasis on gymnastically oriented 

endurance training. 

✗ If the problems become apparent 

after the first three strength test exercises 

and continue to manifest themselves 

as co-ordination problems 

when carrying out the step test then 

it’s either due to the local muscles of 

the athlete becoming fatigued or to a 

general ‘centralised fatigue’. 

✗ With the cardio test too, which 

amazingly was the biggest obstacle 

for a surprising number of test athletes, 

deficits in the ability of the cardiovascular 

system to relax are highlighted. 

In all of these cases, causes and 

meaningful training recommendations 

can easily be established: Regular 

comprehensive fitness training 

focussing on any deficits established 

will lead to significant improvements 

within a few weeks and success at the 

next test is almost always guaranteed. 

Nevertheless we have found that 

many customers and also potential 

customers (at shows or town events) 

rate the Strenflex test and its requirement 

to fulfil the prescribed targets for 

all six test exercises as non-achievable. 

Many look at the exercise boards 

then decline to take the test, often for 

I 

II 

III 

EXERCICE 

Push ups 

Abdominal 

crunches 

Sit & reach 

Flexibility is demonstrated 

with this exercise. Here, 

the fi ngertips must touch 

the tiptoes 

reasons of “saving face”, because no-one 

wants to disgrace oneself publicly. 

In order to make the initiative “Get your 

fitness badge... in your gym” accessible 

to a wider public we have devised a special 

entry level test based on the Strenflex 

fitness test with the aim of facilitating the 

beginning of a successful fitness career 

for (almost) anybody. 

I wish you and your team a successful 

year! Make the most of the strongly 

BASIC FITNESS TEST 

WOMEN 

3 

2x10 

yes 

improved outlook of our industry, retain 

as many members as possible for another 

year and try to persuade many new ones 

to start their fitness training at your gym. 

If we have succeeded in persuading you 

of the benefits of the Strenflex concepts 

then call me. We are here to help you. 

Yours, 


General Secretary 

MEN 

3 

2x10 

yes 

All exercices must be done without breaks in the movement flow 

Strenflex Sports Organisation 

�

€ 495.- 

plus freight 

total body 

shoulder and neck 

chest 

arm biceps 

abdominal 

legs 

Many more exercises can be performed with the SCS (STRENFLEX CHAMPIONSHIP SET), 

e.g. at home, hotels, sports and fitness clubs, SPA’s, physiotherapy centers, etc. 

Sample exercises with the SCS rack 

clean and press 

shoulder press 

The STRENFLEX CHAMPIONSHIP Set (SCS) 

The STRENFLEX CHAMPIONSHIP Set 

(SCS) includes: 

1 x multi-purpose training rack 

1 x universal bench 

1 x 140 cm long barbell with two spring collars 

1 x shoulder pad 

1 x pair of Neoprene gloves (one size only) 

1 x skip rope with built-in counter 

1 x exercise chart 

back 

bench press incline bench press 

rowing in a sloped position 

decline press (for well-trained only) pullover 

use safety hook 

for correct height 

chin up 

high-crunches (for well-trained only) 

squat 

arm triceps 

neck rowing 

triceps, sitting 

triceps extension 

triceps, standing 

dips 

The multi-purpose 

training rack can be 

disassembled for 

easy storage 

Disks and dumbbells are not included in the STRENFLEX Competition Set, please contact your nearest sports or fitness shop 

shoulders 

chest 

pullover 

arm biceps 

arm triceps 

dips 

abdominal 

legs & thighs 

Sample exercises with the SCS universal bench 

calves 

For more information and to order your personal championship regulations book, please visit 

www.strenflex.org 

underarms 

back 

The SCS 

universal bench 

is collapsible 

for easy storage 

buttocks 

Safety 

The SCS has several 

safety features such as 

a) Two safety pins on 

each side to hold the 

barbell safely in place 

if the disk is changed 

on one side only. 

It is safer to place the 

barbell on the ground 

before loading disks. 

b) A safety hook for 

solitary exercise 

situations, e.g. bench 

press or incline bench 

and many other 

exercises. 

Copyright STRENFLEX no.1-feb.02 

Includes training 

instructions on 

DVD-Video 

Can be purchased separately 

for the amount of € 10 

(postage not included) 

Orders and info: www.strenflex.org

F I T N E S S T E S T 

Sylvia Gattiker 

11.2.1956 Born in Vienna, Austria 

1962-1966 Primary school in Vienna 

1966-1970 Secondary school in Vienna 

1970-1972 Fashion college in Vienna 

1972-1977 Business college in Vienna leading 

to university entry qualification 

1980-1983 Business Studies course at the 

Business University in Vienna 

1972 Austrian Champion in the Olympic 

eight-events competition and Austrian Champion 

on the asymmetric bars 

1974 participation in the World Championships 

in Varna, Bulgaria 

1972-1982 Member of the Austrian National 

Team 

1972-1982 Many titles at county, federal, national 

and international championship level 

1983 Publication of the book „AEROBICS“ 

1990 -1992 Four times Swiss women‘s Aerobics 

Champion 

Participation in the first aerobics World Championships 

in San Diego, USA 

6th place at the European Championships at 

Rimini, Italy 

1993 -1996 International FISAF referee and 

member of the des international technical 

commitee 

1983-2004 Further training and education in 

the fitness field. ACE-certified, diploma instructor 

and fitness consultant, Schwinn cycling 

instructor, pump, aerobics, slide and step 

instructor, Pilates mat work instructor, Gravity 

Group Fitness, Gravity personal training and 

Gravity Pilates instructor 

Gym owner since 1983 

2004-2005 Managing director of Oasis Health 

and Fitness Clubs, Austria 

2005 VfgÖ referee (Association for the promotion 

of fitness sport in Austria) 

2005 Adviser in Austria and Switzerland on 

the Gravity Training System for Efi Sports 

Medicine 

2005 Opening of the first Gravity Training 

Studio in Europe, oasis Total Body Solution in 

Aarau. 25 years in the fitness industry 

European President, STRENFLEX 

Consultant and trainer in the fitness sector 

with emphasis on group fitness and STREN- 

FLEX. Primarily involved in the development 

of STRENFLEX and the STRENFLEX fitness test 

. Promotes the sport of STRENFLEX, manages 

and presents the international and national 

championships 

Holder of the first STRENFLEX Fitness Award 

and the STRENFLEX GOLD Fitness Badge 

Mother of 3 grown sons. 


The internationally recognised 

STRENFLEX Fitness Test 

What‘s our physical condition? Are we 

really as „fit“ as we make out or believe? 

And are we fit overall or just in one particular 

„pet area?“ To answer these questions 

STRENFLEX has devised a „fitness test“ 

that assesses strength, endurance and flexibility 

in a simple way. If the required criteria 

are met then the sports badges Bronze, 

Silver or Gold are awarded respectively. 

This signifies that we represent a generation 

with an all-embracing and serious 

approach to fitness. 

One of the most vital tasks of our industry 

is to know the customer’s goal, to 

establish his/her current fitness level, to 

support him/her in achieving that goal 

and measure progress. If the customer 

wants to look good then his goal is to lose 

weight and gain muscle. Maybe he/she is 

more concerned with health – they may 

belong to a group with a higher risk of 

heart attacks – and this is what that leads 

them to us? The important issues for us 

are whether the customer is actually prepared 

to start doing something, whether 

he wants to start right away or needs to 

be pushed a little, has he already started 

training etc. The answers to all these 

questions and the results of the STREN- 

FLEX test are a good means to evaluate 

the customer’s level of fitness. And 

earning one of the STRENFLEX badges 

can provide that additional motivational 

push. The STRENFLEX fitness test shows 

people their current level, which deficits 

they might have and what area needs 

particular attention. 

Then it’s on to step 2: Implementation 

through training. 

And step 3: Monitoring progress/success. 

Again the STRENFLEX test may be used 

here. 

If perhaps the sports badge was not 

achieved at the first attempt then it will 

surely be possible, following a suitable 

period of serious training, for the customer 

to finally earn the Bronze badge. It 

becomes clear that by striving to achieve 

the next badge grade the motivation to 

train regularly can be increased. 

The STRENFLEX fitness test, though supported 

by scientific evidence, doesn’t 

purport to be a scientific medical test. 

The aim of the test is to provide the user 

with a simple means of establishing and 

controlling his/her individual performance 

levels in respect of strength – endurance 

– and flexibility. The test result helps 

in the selection of suitable exercises for 

individual training programmes, in controlling 

the amount of exercise and as a 

motivational factor. It’s important for the 

test to be carried with a simple methodology 

and without a large oranisational 

burden and expensive equipment. This 

alone will guarantee wide acceptance of 

the test. 

Overall fitness is tested, based on the 

three pillars of strength – endurance 

– and flexibility. 

STRENGTH 

Strength testing is extremely important in 

order to establish a basis and to pinpoint 

potential muscular dysbalances or deficits. 

Dysbalances or unbalanced exercise 

automatically evolve into unbalanced 

muscle performance. This considerably 

reduces muscle co-ordination, leading 

eventually to a change in movement patterns 

which in turn can affect joints and 

cartilage. Performance and wellbeing suffer 

and injuries or postural deformities can 

manifest themselves as a result.

Basic Harvard University cardio test – now 

the official YMCA test 

It is also important to adapt the exercises 

to the movements of everyday activities. 

The following is tested: 

Chin-ups: Primary muscles used: biceps 

flexion and back muscles 

Push-ups: Primary muscles used: breast, 

shoulder girdle and torso muscles 

Torso strength: Abdominal and hip 

flexion muscles 

CARDIO 

The three minute step test designed 

by Dr. Fred Kasch at the San Diego 

State University is, among others, also 

employed by the YMCA as a test for a 

large number of participants. (Similar 

step tests together with others developed 

at Harvard University are used by the 

military for recruitment screening purposes). 

This process allows the aerobic 

capacity to be measured by stepping at 

a predetermined cadence. This test is 

easier to implement than an ergometer 

test, requiring minimum equipment and 

less cost. Its disadvantage is that there 

is a potential variance of up to 16% (as 

stated by Ueli Schweizer). 

What’s required for the test? 

1) A 12 inch (30cm) high step 

2) A metronome set to 96 bpm for 3 

minutes and 1minute timing for pulse 

rate measuring 

3) A stopwatch for timing 

STANDARDS for the 3 min. CARDIO STEP TEST – MEN 

Age category 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 45 46 - 55 56 - 65 65+ 

Gold up to 89 up to 89 up to 96 up to 97 up to 97 up to 96 

Silver 90-99 90-99 97-103 98-105 98-103 97-103 

Bronze 100-105 100-107 104-112 106-116 104-112 104-113 

Fail > 106 > 108 > 113 > 117 > 113 > 114 

STANDARDS for the 3 min. CARDIO STEP TEST – WOMEN 

Age category 18 - 25 26 - 35 36 - 45 46 - 55 56 - 65 65+ 

Gold up to 98 up to 99 up to 102 up to 104 up to 104 up to 102 

Silver 99-108 100-111 103-110 105-115 105-112 103-115 

Bronze 109-117 112-119 111-118 116-120 113-118 116-122 

Fail > 118 > 120 > 119 > 121 > 119 > 123 

Source: Adapted from Golding, et al. The Way to Physical Fitness for Youth (3rd edition), page 613. 

Reprinted here with the permission of YMCA, USA, 101 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL60606. Personal 

Trainer Manual and Aerobics Instructor Manual, American Council on Exercise (developed by Dr. Fred 

Kasch of San Diego State University). 

Evaluation for the sports badge: 

Gold: Excellent to good result 

Silber: Above average result 

Bronze: Average result 

FLEXIBILITY 

Flexibility is defined as the achievable 

range of motion of a joint or joint system 

combined with the ability to carry 

out movements having a large movement 

amplitude. Often the term ‘flexibility’ is 

limited in use to musculature flexibility 

which is restricted by muscles, tendons 

and ligaments. However flexibility is also 

closely dependent on one’s individual 

build (e.g. congenital or acquired joint 

deformities), age, sex and fitness level. 

It is a fact that flexibility improves health 

and fitness. Lack of flexibility is clearly 

a risk factor in joint and muscle injuries. 

One of the most frequent issues here is a 

shortening back musculature in the lumbar 

region causing back pain and injuries. 

Back pain continues to be the single 

most widespread problem afflicting modern 

society. We have therefore integrated 

torso flexion as a flexibility exercise into 

the STRENFLEX fitness test. 

Torso flexion is evaluated using the socalled 

“sit & reach” test. This involves sitting 

on the floor with legs stretched out 

straight ahead. With the feet flexed the 

hands must reach the tips of the toes. 

It must be ensured that the stretching 

movement originates from the hips 

and lower back area. In old age too, 

we want to be able to easily pick up 

things from the floor or tie our shoe 

laces without experiencing pain, so 

we need to place particular emphasis 

on the results of this test. 

Strenflex Test – why? 

The STRENFLEX test and its sports 

badge is a simple yet effective tool 

for the fitness industry to support and 

motivate existing customers. It helps 

to win new customers and to clearly 

highlight where their deficits are. 

The STRENFLEX fitness test provides 

basic information which offers a useful 

platform for establishing effective 

fitness programmes. Follow-up 

tests can be used to monitor progress 

and create new training incentives. 

It’s also a good means of monitoring 

the quality and quantity of training. 

The STRENFLEX fitness test is 

an extremely straightforward tool for 

providing advice, support and counselling. 

See pages 18 and 19 for details of the 

required exercises. 

F I T N E S S T E S T 


I N T E R V I E W 

Interview with Paul Underberg 

„I want to be a role model and come across as authentic – 

that‘s why I got my Strenflex Fitness Sport badge.“ 

First of all warm congratulations are 

due to Paul Underberg on achieving 

his GOLD fitness sport badge. He is 

once again one of the industry‘s first 

VIPs who, despite a full schedule, 

has taken advantage of a personal 

test appointment agreed with us in 

advance. 

His calendar entry for today is certain 

to have read „15.00: Strenflex Fitness 

Test – today I‘m going to get the fitness 

sport badge,“ followed here by 

an exclamation mark – there‘s no way 

he‘d put a question mark here! 

And that‘s exactly what happened 

– everything was completed in just 

over 20 minutes: I collected him from 

his office, he made one quick telephone 

call and we walked together 

across the yard into Injoy Dorsten (his 

sporting home for almost 20 years). 

Next we completed the test questionnaire 

(Paul‘s DOB: 7.5.56) and then 

the serious work began… 

Test exercise 1: Cardio step test in the 

gymnastics room: 3 minutes of concentrated 

stepping up and down at a 

medium speed (96 beats per minute, 

with the rhythm set by a metronome, 

a 30cm high step, alternating the legs 

every minute to warm up („… thanks 

to my regular cardio training my resting 

pulse rate is under 50“, says Paul). 

A pause after this bout of obviously 

strenuous effort – sit down and get 

your breath back. My final pulse rate 

check (1 minute) returns a excellent 

result of „76 beats“. 

The 1st test exercise is complete with 

a „Gold“ result. A look at the evaluation 

table shows that, for Paul‘s age 

group (M4) 97 beats would also have 

been sufficient for Gold. 

Following on from this very successful 

initial test we then moved on to the 

gym, both of us positively motivated, 

set the chin-up bar to the correct 

height for continuing the test – plenty 

of time to do this in the prescribed 


pause interval of just 1 minute between 

the individual test exercises. 

Test exercises 2 and 3 in the weight 

room: here Paul completed the requirements 

for GOLD (10 chin-ups, 20 dips) 

with almost no effort; when he‘d done 15 

chin-ups I really had to slow him down 

before he got to his feet again. 

Test exercise 4 (push-ups): Here too, 

Paul cleanly completed these exercises 

with ease – the prescribed 30 repetitions 

for his challenging goal of the GOLD 

fitness sport badge. With straight hips, 

nose reaching the floor and a few extra 

thrown in for fun (perhaps for the benefit 

of the spectators?), Paul again easily 

exceeded the requirements. All in all a 

really impressive performance: 3 strength 

sets (upper torso, shoulders, arms) with 

over 70 individual repetitions completed 

successfully in only 5 minutes! 

Test exercise 5 (lying crunches): This 

was the only test exercise that caused 

Paul some difficulty beforehand – due 

to an ongoing genetic back problem over 

a number of years (Spondylolisthesis in 

the lumbar region), but which he now 

manages successfully thanks to competent 

medical help and most of all regular 

loosening and strengthening exercises. 

But, with a bit of effort, he managed 

despite his back problems, to fulfil the 

test requirements (a total of 80 repetitions). 

Test exercise 6 (sit & reach exercise): Paul 

also successfully completed the last hurdle 

of the test – oh so very carefully and 

without any jerking motions (because of 

his back problem). 

Overall result: 

6 test exercises – 6 x GOLD requirements 

met. The logical result is the GOLD fitness 

sport badge. Many congratulations! 

After the test Paul had also set aside time 

for a 15 minute rest which I promptly 

exploited for a short but very enlightening 

interview with him. We talked over a 

delicious coffee in the club bistro: 

Paul Underberg receives his Fitness Test 

certificate from Dr. Rolf Krempel 

Rolf Krempel: Paul, many congratulations 

on achieving your Gold fitness sport 

badge. With such excellent test results my 

first question has to be about your sporting 

past. Tell me a little about it. 

Paul Underberg: I‘ve been doing fitness 

and strength training since 1975, I‘ve 

played squash for 10 years and have participated 

in mountain biking and motorsports. 

RK: How have you kept yourself fit over 

the past years for career, private and 

maybe even for new sporting challenges? 

PU: Sport 4-5 x per week, 2-3 x strength 

training; 2-3 x cardio training on a 

machine, sandbag training or mountain 

biking. „No time“ is no excuse for me. 

When I‘m travelling I take advantage of 

gym co-operation agreements and train 

there or in my hotel. 

RK: Why have you only just decided to 

gain a fitness sport badge? 

PU: Because I‘ve only recently considered 

the idea more seriously and because 

I want to come across as a believable role 

model. 

RK: I‘m under the impression that 

because of current trends such as wellness, 

function training, therapies, lifestyle, 

etc. the sporting ideal at many gyms has 

been lost and possibly many owners and 

instructors no longer feel that they are 

able to actively promote traditional sporting 

disciplines such as chin-ups, dips, 

push-ups etc. Wouldn‘t a renaissance of 

these classic strength training exercises, 

such as strength training itself (see the 

magazines Focus, Spiegel) be a positive 

contribution in terms of the core competencies 

of our industry? Would it not 

somehow represent the regaining of our 

industry‘s self confidence?

PU: My sentiments exactly! The core 

competence of a gym is strength training 

– today more than ever. I can run, 

get wellness treatments, therapies and 

dance elsewhere. On top of this is the 

fact that strength training for the whole 

body really is the best form of training 

there is. 

RK: Is, in your opinion, a sporting challenge 

such as the fitness sport badge, a 

suitable method of motivating employees, 

instructors, entrepreneurs, not just 

in our industry, to take a long term view 

of their fitness and to again do more for 

their fitness and health and to show it in 

this way. 

PU: If enough promoters and providers 

come to an agreement on this and 

promote the idea forcefully then people 

will become interested and demand will 

develop. 

RK: Could you imagine that organisations 

such as Inline and Injoy could make such 

„proof of fitness“ compulsory as a type 

of quality identifier for defining their own 

level of professionalism? Konstantin Deen 

of Deen-Club in Berlin has not employed 

any staff for years now, if they can‘t provide 

proof of their fitness level. 

PU: I‘ll give it some thought! 

RK: For more than 10 years passing out 

on all fitness trainer courses has been 

dependent upon the successful completion 

of a fitness test. The reason being to 

bring the very heterogeneous groups to 

a minimum level of fitness – also from an 

20 Dips - no problem for Paul Underberg 

active sport point of view. Could this also 

be something the Inline Academy would 

consider in future? 

PU: That’s something I’m going to discuss 

with my staff. 

RK: Let’s talk about the Strenflex Fitness 

Sport Badge as a tool to motivate clients. 

The basic idea behind Strenflex is to motivate 

clients and to retain them over the 

long term using this test (or a re-test if the 

initial attempt is not successful) and the 

Bronze–Silver–Gold success ladder, which 

for normal customers might take up to a 

year. Do you think this athletic challenge 

may provide a motivational boost? 

PU: Certainly. However, for this to happen, 

the idea must become known well 

beyond the individual gyms and the end 

customer must make something of it 

that’s ‘popular’, positive, something that’s 

good for his nimbus. 

RK: The Fitness Sport Badge and the basic 

test organised at events outside the gyms 

(e.g. with just 3 test exercises) has proven 

to be highly successful in attracting new 

clients and new members. Of course, all 

this comes with a give-away certificate 

and free advice on the test result. Do you 

feel that this marketing tool is entrepreneurially 

effective and cost-efficient on 

the bottom line? 

PU: I’m eager to learn more all the time. If 

the test – or the failure to pass it – proves 

to be a tool to attract new clients then we 

will definitely use it. I’m interested in the 

results. 

RK: Last question: You have said that 

VIP role models will most likely be a successful 

method of achieving the vision 

of increasing the awareness of the unfit 

staff and instructors in our industry and 

to encourage athletic ones to rise to the 

challenge. You have now mastered this 

challenge successfully yourself, but would 

you also be prepared to encourage other 

industry players to get involved? It would 

be nice to see some of your staff come 

to the Strenflex stand at FIBO and try to 

emulate your success! 

Petra Zurkova attaches the Gold Badge to 

Paul’s lapel 

PU: Based on Fitness Tribune and 

SFS Magazine articles on my Gold 

Badge, I’m definitely going to try and 

motivate and inspire others. That’s a 

promise! 

RK: Paul, thank you for talking to 

me. I’m sure there will be a number 

of industry pros who will take heed 

and rise to the challenge by gaining 

the Strenflex Fitness Badge over the 

coming weeks and months. I hope 

that your Promo talks with staff, gym 

owners, instructors and course leaders 

will be successful and that the 

Inline and Injoy clubs will shine with 

many newly acquired fitness badges. 

While Paul is going about his manager 

duties again I go online in one 

of his offices to enter this test as a 

new event, register Paul as a “new 

member” including his details (name, 

DOB, sex, age, address) and then 

enter his results achieved in the 6 

tests – only moments later I get confirmation 

of the successfully completed 

test and the request to ‘print 

Gold Certificate’. The target has been 

achieved and I can present Paul with 

his certificate and Gold badge. His 

staff who thought he had been in a 

meeting with me were quite amazed 

when they learned he had passed the 

Strenflex Fitness Gold Badge Test, 

just like that, without anyone actually 

noticing … 

I believe that this will provide inspiration 

for all and we’ll certainly see 

some of you at the fitness check in 

future. I wish all of you a successful 

year in your gyms! 

� 

I N T E R V I E W 


INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED FITNESS TEST SPORT BADGE 

I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

WOMEN EXERCICE BRONZE SILVER GOLD 

30 cm 

Cardio-test 

A scientifi cally based 3-min. 

step test followed by a 1 

min. pulse measurement. 

The fi tness level can so be 

determined to his age 

Push-ups 5 10 20 

Sit-ups 

Alternating leg lifting 2x10 2x20 2x40 

with hand contact 

between knees and foot 

Sit & reach yes yes yes 

Sitting and touching the 

feet tips 

All exercises must be accomplished without interruptions in 

the course of motion 

3 min 3 min 3 min 

Chin-ups 1 3 5 

Exercice from 

age of 60 2 6 10 

Exercice from 

age of 60 5 10 20


I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

30 cm 

MEN EXERCICE BRONZE SILVER GOLD 

Cardio-test 






Exercice from 



Sit-ups 





sitting and touching the 

feet tips 




Chin-ups 3 5 10

W H Y S T R E N F L E X ? 

� cont. from page 9 

From Fitness test to Fitness sport… 

the Sport Badge today, the Sport 

medal tomorrow! 

Strenflex Fitness Sport is quite a different 

category from the Fitness test. 

Strenflex Fitness Sport is targeted 

towards well trained people who 

have at least achieved the Bronze 

badge. People from the age of 18 can 

compete in the Masters Decathlon. 

Young people from age 12 may participate 

in the Open Championships. 

These competitions may also be used 

by the STCs for their marketing and 

promotion purposes. Because those 

who take the test today might well be 

the athletes of tomorrow. The STCs 

could in fact organise their own internal 

competitions, either in their home 

town or between schools. STCs could 

also increase name recognition by 

sending their athletes to participate 

in national and international Strenflex 

Championships where at the 

same time they are able to measure 

themselves against STCs from other 

regions and countries. Press coverage 

at such events, in your home town 

or country is tremendous following a 

win of a European or World title (see 

page 29). 

The advantages of Fitness 

Sport at a glance: 

✗ STCs and their members may participate 

in regional, national and 

international fitness competitions 

and establish their own “Gym 

team”. This promotes team spirit in 

their gym and they can also compete 

against the teams of other 

gyms. 

✗ The Strenflex Open regulations also 

allows young people between 12 

and 17 to participate in the Strenflex 

Fitness Sport, i.e. STCs can 

collaborate with the local school 

authority. Today’s students are 

tomorrow’s clients! 

✗ Strenflex Fitness Sport does not 

require any previous sports knowledge 

nor expensive equipment, so 

the exercises can be carried out 

easily by all. 


“... Let’s talk about Strenflex. We all know that fitness cannot simply 

be achieved through a couple of simple exercises. However, the Stren- 

flex exercises and test are extremely valuable in helping to gain valid 

findings about our own ACTION in respect of personal fitness. From 

2008, only those people may contribute articles to Fitness Tribune 

who have gained a fitness badge. But what does this really mean? You 

don’t have to be a Nobel laureate to realise that something in the fit- 

ness industry is wrong if a Strenflex test becomes mandatory. There is 

a credibility crisis. I agree with Jean-Pierre – there are too many repre- 

sentatives from our industry who turn pale when they actually have 

to show their true colours. Unable to complete press-ups or chin-ups? 

Incredible. Competence in fitness can only be demonstrated by action. 

For me, the Strenflex badges are children of the crisis and this makes 

them all the more important. The industry is marked largely by a lack 

of authenticity. And it’s not that I’m a strength athlete – people who 

know me know that I’m of a rather slim build.” 

Similarly to the STCs, independent personal 

trainers, also called Strenflex Personal 

Examiners (SPEs), introduce the 

Strenflex concept into their work to motivate 

clients to take regular tests and to 

participate in championships. 

Preview 2007/2008 

– where do we want to go? 

The various teams symbolise the international 

character of the competitions. 

In Aarau for example, athletes from 9 

nations competed (Switzerland, Germany, 

Austria, Turkey, France, Italy, 

Spain, Ukraine and Belarus). In 2007, 

newcomers include Sweden, The Netherlands, 

Poland and Croatia where we 

will hold special trade shows to introduce 

the Fitness Test as an internation- 

Eric-Pi Zürcher – Personal Trainer 

ally recognised Fitness Sport Badge to 

the public. 

It is our target for every country to build a 

country-wide STC partner gym network 

that uses the Fitness badge as a motivation 

booster for their existing customers, 

but also as a free fitness check to win 

new customers. 

Do you want to become 

an STC or SPE too? 

Then please call us: Germany: 0163 883 

87 33 • Switzerland and Austria: +41 

(0)43 443 30 25 or send us an email: 

info@strenflex.org 

For further information and all documents 

in several languages, please visit: 


� 

Validity of the Fitness Sport Badge: 

Gold: Silver: Bronce: 

3 years 2 years 1 year

Successful Strenflex fitness test candidates to the end of 2006 

Name / age / badge 

Achhammer Monika 38 B 

Adler Konstantin 42 G 

Adolfson Jennie 25 B 

Adriani Benjamin 26 S 

Aellen Natacha Mélanie 32 S 

Albrecht Cornelia 39 B 

Albrektsson Jonna 29 G 

Alex Orion 22 G 

Amsler Norbert 40 S 

Amsler Judith 33 G 

Amstutz Evelyne 28 S 

Anders Dennis 26 G 

Andersen Victor 44 S 

Andersson Robin 45 G 

Andörfer Christoph 24 S 

Andörfer Bernd 58 S 

Aubart Bianca 32 G 

Augustsson Sofia 32 G 

Aydin Mehmet 29 G 

Baas Christopher 27 S 

Bahne Wolfgang 50 B 

Bajrektracvic Ermin 34 G 

Barnholt Daniel 20 S 

Barthel Jens 37 B 

Bartzsch Andreas 50 S 

Becker Tatjana 25 S 

Bengez Andreas 32 G 

Bengez Tina 31 B 

Berri Nicola 35 G 

Betschart Roger 39 S 

Bieniek Gregor 26 B 

Björkman Tommy 44 S 

Bleiker Elena 34 G 

Bleyer Anja 37 S 

Blom Maria 26 S 

Bock Roland 29 G 

Bock Sascha 26 G 

Boner Monika 41 G 

Bossard Thomas 34 S 

Bottek Thomas 27 G 

Bouchekie Yassine 24 B 

Bredenkamp Andreas 47 B 

Breitenbach Ursel 70 B 

Brequet Sabine 34 G 

Brumbusch Patrick 26 S 

Brummel Tatjana 37 S 

Brunner Irene 43 S 

Bucher Chrisoph 49 G 

Buckenauer Helmut 61 B 

Burkhalter Hannes 26 S 

Burkhardt Jasmin 43 G 

Busch Denis 23 B 

Butzen Ronny 29 S 

Bättig Hans 48 G 

Böhme Andreas 41 S 

Clavadetscher Ewald 58 G 

Collesei Jessyca 33 G 

Conrad Ursula 66 S 

Cotte Inge 76 G 

Crondahl Kristine 33 S 

Dabritz Siegfried 31 S 

Damaschke Renate 64 G 

Dammenhayn Daniel 28 G 

Danton Donna 45 B 

Danzl Franz 44 G 

Dechant Gabi 39 B 

Delkertz Philip 25 B 

Delph Victoria 20 B 

Deneke Dirk 44 G 

Denk Michael 39 S 

Derksen Mark 24 G 

Deubel Fabian 29 S 

Dilling Elke 40 G 

Dimbat Hanna 31 S 

Dossenbach Daniel 38 G 

Driessen Monica 41 S 

Dumke Erika 66 G 

Dutschmann Marieluise 42 G 

Dünnwald Dieter 45 B 

Dürenberger Rolf 44 S 

Dzida Doris 71 G 

Döbritz Siegfried 31 S 

Dörfler Gabi 67 G 

Ebeling Sandra 31 G 

Eberle Roland 37 G 

Egli Markus 55 B 

Egli Franziska 44 B 

Ehrler Adrian 22 G 

Elovaara Maija 30 S 

Emmers Davy 24 G 

Enderle Stefan 19 S 

Erixon Per 34 G 

Eumes Michael 36 G 

Fehser Matthias 31 G 

Felder Monica 44 B 

Feldpausch Daniela 41 S 

Feller Silvio 28 G 

Felsch Andrea 45 S 

Fenske Tobias 24 B 

Fischer Manja 19 B 

Fleischmann Rene 27 B 

Flütsch Roman 37 S 

Focke Sven 40 B 

Folesky Patrick 27 G 

Frank Natascha 27 G 

Frank Thomas 34 G 

Franke Maik 26 S 

Fransson Daniel 31 S 

Frech Fabian 29 G 

Frei Markus 43 G 

Frei Skadi 31 G 

Frey Daniel 35 S 

Friedemann Just 38 S 

Friese Sven 23 G 

Friesenhagen Markus 32 S 

Fritzsche Maren 29 B 

Fritzsche Falko 31 G 

Froböse Ingo 50 S 

Fröberg Tommy 27 B 

Fulgraff John 37 G 

Fullert Frank 42 G 

Fullert Nicole 19 B 

Funk Kathrin 33 S 

Funke Benjamin 26 S 

Furer Gaby 30 B 

Gamboni Igor 31 S 

Gasser Stefan 42 B 

Gattiker Sylvia 51 G 

Gau Markus 41 S 

Gemsky Karsten 30 S 

Genette Sebastien 19 S 

Geppert Jürgen 65 G 

Gerber Elsbeth 28 B 

Gerhardt Daniel 26 G 

Gerlach Christian 25 S 

Giuliani Mike 33 G 

Golle Jan 27 B 

Gose Sylvia 29 B 

Gradante Corrado 32 G 

Grahle Julia 20 S 

Gratzki Ruth 72 G 

Greco Keywan 47 S 

Gross Oliver 33 S 

Grossmann Gunter 53 G 

Grundmann Sarah 19 S 

Grüter Jochen 60 G 

Grähning Thomas 37 G 

Gräske Christel 44 B 

Gräske Sascha 19 G 

Gröger David 26 G 

Gul Sergei 29 G 

Guldimann Trudy 42 G 

Gustafsson Henrik 22 B 

Guzzetti Marco 39 S 

Güttler William 25 B 

Gärtner Harald 36 G 

Göbbels Claudia 33 G 

Gökdemir Hikmet 42 B 

Göpfert Susanne 34 G 

Haack Anna 70 S 

Habermann Hans 40 G 

Hallqvist Joakim 19 S 

Hammacher Ingrid 68 B 

Hammar Mattias 36 G 

Hanff Otto 77 S 

Hansen Ivonne 29 G 

Hansen-Vedvik Rita 33 S 

Hansson Morgan 31 G 

Hartwanger Martin 40 S 

Hassenzahl Ralf 65 B 

Hasslberger Theresa 26 S 

Heizmann Patric 32 G 

Henkel Gaby 44 S 

Herbertsson Cristian 20 S 

Herent Fabien 25 S 

Herentrey Petra 42 B 

Herz William 21 S 

Herzog Erik 23 G 

Hlazko Yuliya 31 G 

Hof-Lauther Ute 52 B 

Hoffmann Tino 34 S 

Hofmann Rainer 42 S 

Hollmann Sandra 33 S 

Homann Gisela 47 G 

Hoogestraat Hermann 46 B 

Huberth Frank 39 B 

Hunklinger Karin 20 B 

Hülck Heidi 28 S 

Hüllen Ludger 40 B 

Hülsmann Bernd 26 B 

Härtl Uwe 29 S 

Höller Jürgen 53 B 

Imlinger Fritz 51 S 

Iseli Sabrina 24 G 

Jacobi Angelique 24 G 

Jager Svenja 16 S 

Jakimovska Daniela 24 G 

Jassowilz Renata 41 B 

Jendrytzki Gerhard 71 B 

Jenke Sascha 29 S 

Jenke Jasmin 28 B 

Johansson Madeleine 22 G 

Josko Georg 51 G 

Josuweit Martin 42 G 

Jung Robert 59 B 

Jungbluth Martina 47 B 

Jäger Gottfried 48 S 

Kaiser Jens 42 G 

Kalmbach Marcel 19 B 

Kante Sekou 34 G 

Kappeler Stefanie 44 S 

Karg Bettina 30 B 

Kausche Freddy 29 B 

Kern Bernhard 48 S 

Kirchhoff Denis 31 G 

Kischkat Dirk 39 S 

Klann Roberto 47 B 

Kneisel Christa 71 G 

Kohl Katharina 67 G 

Kohler Gabi 39 B 

Koller Anita 40 S 

Kraft Heiko 35 S 

Kraushaar Robert 24 G 

Krebs Fenja 25 B 

Krempel Pascal 22 S 

Krempel Rolf 60 B 

Kretschmar Peter 30 B 

Kreuzer Detlef 45 S 

Krieg Sylvia 33 G 

Kroesen Eckhard 63 S 

Kugler Markus 24 S 

Kuisat Carsten 20 B 

Kunz Kathrin 36 G 

Kuron Maria 42 S 

Kuss Sven 37 B 

Kuzmic Darko 39 G 

Künne Niels 38 G 

Küpfer Bruno 53 B 

Kähli Susanne 42 G 

La Beu Anja 35 B 

Laar Matthias 31 S 

Lackas Karin 24 B 

Lagerberg Joakim 21 B 

Lammers Hermann 41 B 

Lampert Helen 56 S 

Langer Nicola 31 B 

Langer Julia 40 S 

Lauwerys Pasqual 23 S 

Lehmann Hans-Jürgen 61 G 

Leismüller Rosa 54 B 

Leismüller Franz 57 B 

Leki Agnès 29 S 

Lendzian Claudia 30 B 

Leutenecker Jens 21 G 

Lindquist Sven 32 S 

Loewer Kersten 48 S 

Lowat Cale 35 S 

Ludwig Christof 33 S 

Lugert Tobias 13 B 

Läbom Helén 47 B 

Macquart Cedric 22 S 

Magetti Luca 28 G 

Mahl Anna 27 G 

Malmberg Emma 27 S 

Malo Wehel 15 G 

Mamelkina Angela 19 B 

Mangsbo Johanna 26 S 

Manhart Regina 39 S 

Mannhart Paul 41 S 

Mariuzzo Guido 41 G 

Marks Verena 31 B 

Marku Andrea 29 G 

Marku Daniela 29 B 

Marquardt Peter 62 G 

Martin Rolf 43 B 

Martin Rolf 78 S 

Marx Miriam 26 B 

Matteucci Andrea 41 G 

Mauron Philippe 47 G 

Mayer Thomas 41 S 

Meinlschmidt Connie 29 G 

Meitzner Antje 26 B 

Melin Emma 35 G 

Menn Helmut 45 S 

Menn Heike 43 S 

Merkel Ulrike 34 B 

Merz Knut 56 S 

Mettin Regina 70 S 

Michaelis Rolf 42 B 

Michel-Noel Christine 48 G 

Michels Volker 40 S 

Mieth Andreas 46 B 

Milleding Linda 35 G 

Miosge Käthe 72 G 

Mittner Daniela 38 S 

Moayad Kurosch 35 S 

Moharitsch Norbert 32 G 

Molnar Janos 35 B 

Mortenson Christian 28 S 

Morys Andrea 21 G 

Mueller Therese 48 B 

Mueller Max 21 G 

Mutti Caretti Monica 41 G 

Mussog Melanie 27 B 

Müller Marcel 34 G 

Münch Hans 48 S 

Mähler Dirk 44 G 

Neubauer Willi 60 G 

Ney-Wilkous Regina 58 S 

Niederle Bernd 51 S 

Niehoff Bettina 26 B 

Nietzold Bettina 30 S 

Nilsson Dennis 24 B 

Nistelberger Thomas 20 S 

Nistler Robert 34 G 

Nittka Martin 35 G 

Nooij Mieke 24 B 

Nordlander Niklas 29 S 

Olsson Torbjörn 39 G 

Olsson Michael 19 B 

Osmani Mirsad 22 S 

Otto Anna 48 B 

Oymanns Uwe 43 G 

Paavilainen Leila 28 S 

Pache Roger 37 B 

Paetz Karl-Otto 66 S 

Paetz Heidemarie 65 S 

Paiche Jonathan 26 G 

Perez Eva Maria 33 S 

Persson Camilla 31 G 

Pestoni Scheila 34 B 

Peter Lars 30 B 

Peters Sabrina 36 G 

Piel Ronald 40 S 

Pielken Stefan 39 S 

Pielorz Cathrin 26 B 

Pietas Marcel 30 G 

Pink Michael 32 B 

Pintschuk Yvonne 30 B 

Pirkl Hans 44 G 

Plasa Sascha 37 G 

Plattner Jürg 57 S 

Plenk Klaus 59 G 

Plösser Thomas 27 S 

Pohl Christian 34 B 

Popp Kristina 20 S 

Post Siegfried 46 B 

Prager Marc-Daniel 19 G 

Prager Marc-David 19 G 

Praxenthaler Christian 19 B 

Psonka Maggie 23 B 

Purann Gisela 71 G 

Ranes Joseline 36 B 

Rappold Sabile 36 G 

Rastl Franz 81 S 

Rau Antje 32 G 

Rauch Martin 41 G 

Reeg Karin 37 B 

Reich Daniel 30 S 

Reichenbach Matthias 35 G 

Reichle Bettina 44 G 

Retzek Markus 27 S 

Richter Carsten 25 B 

Richter Lutz 48 B 

Rickenbach Marco 31 S 

Riedel Mirko 31 B 

Ringwald Jacqueline 14 S 

Rinner Franko 49 S 

Robertson Lars 54 S 

Rohde Marc 32 S 

Roth Walter 52 B 

Runge Nicole 34 B 

Ruscher Klaus 59 B 

Rüegsegger Urs 26 S 

Römer Ramona 32 G 

Saatkamp Susanne 40 B 

Sarac Christine 36 B 

Saure Dagmar 40 G 

Scheck Thomas 22 G 

Scheele Tanja 37 S 

Schibli Kuno 34 S 

Schiessle Jean-Pierre 57 B 

Schimon Brigitte 50 B 

Schlegel Werner 44 G 

Schlupkothen Uwe 54 B 

Schneider Andreas 23 B 

Schnell Günter 67 B 

Schott Volker 42 S 

Schranz Claudine 46 S 

Schröder Harald 54 G 

Schubert Eileen 29 G 

Schubert Sven 27 S 

Schubert Michelle 9 S 

Schuhmann Gundula 28 G 

Schulze Kathleen 20 G 

Schupp Jean-Pierre 52 S 

Schwaiger Manfred 40 G 

Schweizer Ueli 54 S 

Schwertfeger Anita 45 B 

Schwertfeger Hardy 46 B 

Schwertfeger Mara 19 S 

Sehlin Stefan 32 S 

Seifert Ralf 36 S 

Seiffert Beate 68 G 

Setiono Michelle 22 B 

Silveira Sonja 34 B 

Sinanan Nicolas 37 G 

Sohlman Henrik 29 S 

Sporn Ludwig 42 G 

Stanev Michael 24 S 

Stark Ingo 30 G 

Steger David 21 S 

Steger-Naber Ulrike 37 S 

Stein Ingeborg 64 G 

Steiness Jimmy 27 S 

Steinke Ulrich 48 S 

Stemmler Annette 50 B 

Steppat Marc 36 G 

Stepprath Josef 55 G 

Stepprath Lisa 46 S 

Straub Regina 38 S 

Strauss Patrick 19 B 

Ström Sofie 23 S 

Strömberg David 37 G 

Symannek ThomasMarc 36 G 

Tamburriello Paolo 39 G 

Temming Marcus 44 G 

Thalheim Barbara 59 G 

Theussl Ernst 54 B 

Thorman Kay 31 G 

Thulin Richard 22 B 

Thurn Günther 55 B 

Timmerman Bram 27 B 

Tlatlik Sebastian 24 S 

Tormenti Margrit 51 B 

Traudi Samir 22 S 

Trentzsch Michael 45 S 

Trilling Till 24 G 

Trotta Paolo 38 G 

Tschorsch Pamela 20 G 

Tschorsch Sabine 45 G 

Tsiamitrou Athina 30 S 

Uckermark Herta 79 S 

Underberg Paul 50 G 

Vacchini Dolores 53 S 

Vater Johannes 22 S 

Vercoulen Niels 26 B 

Veronique Yann 35 G 

Vierhub Günther 76 S 

Vizler Daniel 23 G 

Vogt Reinhard 64 B 

Voigt Michael 44 G 

von Chamier Wolfgang 66 S 

von Chamier Evi 66 S 

von der Linden Merle 30 G 

Wagner Christoph 29 S 

Wagner Wolfgang 32 S 

Wagner Stefanie 18 B 

Wahl Willi 56 B 

Wala Mario 31 S 

Wanitzek Daniela 31 B 

Wazner Anja 21 B 

Weibchen Thorsten 43 B 

Weidinger Georg 36 G 

Weise Robert 26 B 

Weissbauer Thomas 39 S 

Wettergren Fredrik 34 S 

Weyers Stefan 40 S 

Wichner Sebastian 21 S 

Widmann Josef 64 S 

Wilhelm Frank 38 G 

Willer Sabine 46 B 

Willer Alexander 26 S 

Wingdén Caroline 43 S 

Winkler Thorsten 28 G 

Winner Jörg 36 B 

Wolken Johanna 23 B 

Wollenhaupt Tobias 25 B 

Wronewitz Kerstin 33 S 

Wunsch Karsten 43 B 

Wurch Linda 21 B 

Wübbeling Ramona 36 S 

Zangger Reto 22 G 

Zapf Jannes 13 S 

Zeischewski Marco 18 G 

Zerr Vitali 23 G 

Ziaja Thomas 49 G 

Zieger Ingrid 38 B 

Ziepel Frank 47 G 

Zietlow Hermann 78 B 

Zitzmann Tim 30 G 

Zukowski Heinrich 67 G 

Östervall Sara 27 B 

Total Bronze badges 141 

Total Silver badges 175 

Total Gold badges 176 

Tot. successful candidates 492 

R O L E M O D E L S 


Here are the 

requirements for 

Bronze: 

1x chin-up 

Women 


5x push-up 

stand G/50 

Stand G/50 

hall Halle GALERIA 

2x dip 

GET YOUR 

2x10 abdominal crunches 

81-year old 

Franz Rastl has 

achieved the 

Silver Fitness 

Badge! 

1x sit & reach

FITNESS SPORTS BADGE ! 

THE FITNESS TEST IS FREE, INCLUDING CERTIFICATE. 

IF IT SAYS FITNESS ON THE PACKAGE, FITNESS MUST 

BE IN THE PACKAGE 

3x chin-up 

Men 


9x push-up 

More info: www.strenflex.org 

6x dip 

2x10 abdominal crunches 

1x sit & reach

I N F O R M AT I O N S 


How to get STRENFLEX certified 

This agreement is made between the STRENFLEX ® Sports Organisation and the following 

Gym or Organisation, hereinafter referred to as STRENFLEX ® Fitness Test 

Center (STC), or independent Personal Trainer (PT) or an individual e.g. trainer etc., 

hereinafter also referred to as STRENFLEX ® Personal Examiner (SPE). 

1 General 

1.1 The STC pays an annual subscription of € 120 (CHF 180) to the STRENFLEX ® 

Sports Organisation. The annual subscription paid by the STC also includes 

membership for one SPE. For each extra SPE employed at the STC (e.g. at gym 

chains), the STC pays an annual membership fee of € 60 (CHF 90). The annual 

fee inclusive of membership for PT is € 90 (CHF 120) and for an individual, € 

70 (CHF 105). The term is 12 months, the annual fee is to be paid in advance 

and is automatically extended unless the agreement is cancelled at least 6 

weeks prior to the end of the 12 month contract term by registered post. 

1.1.1 At least one employee of the new STC must participate in a STRENFLEX ® 

Fitness Test Workshop (STW) (see section 3.1). After completion of that 

workshop the delegate will receive certification as a STRENFLEX ® Personal 

Examiner (SPE). The SPE must successfully complete the fitness test during 

the workshop and achieve the Bronze Sport badge. The STC is then entitled 

to conduct the STRENFLEX ® Fitness test. The first STRENFLEX ® Fitness Test is 

free for all. 

1.1.2 Once the training course has been completed, the STC will be STRENFLEX ® 

certified for a period of one year. In order to ensure that the standards 

required of an STC are maintained, the SPE responsible for STRENFLEX ® 

must repeat the fitness test: Bronze - annually, Silver – every 2 years, Gold 

– every 3 years (applies to all SPEs). 

1.1.3 If in addition, the STC wants to organise championships then at least one 

STC employee must be trained to be an official STRENFLEX ® judge (SJG) 

(see section 3.3). 

1.2 The STC undertakes to affix the official STRENFLEX ® sticker in the reception 

area. 

1.3 The STRENFLEX ® Sports Organisation will publish the logo, address and contact 

details of the STC / SPE on the official STRENFLEX ® www.strenflex.org website. 

1.4 Once the membership fee has been paid, the SPE receives free access to 

the official website and to the logos, Fitness test images, Fitness test results, 

competition rules, championship results, photos etc. The rectangular STRENFLEX ® 

logo may be used for own printed matter. The STRENFLEX ® trade mark shall 

remain protected at all times, i.e. it may not be altered in any way and may only 

be used in accordance with STRENFLEX ® guidelines. The logo may only be used 

for as long as the STC/SPE remains certified by STRENFLEX ® . 

1.5 STC/SPE may download and print from the STRENFLEX ® website various 

documentation such as the 2 page and 1 page images for the FITNESS-TEST 

and BASIC TEST, certificates, the 35 page MASTER rules plus 2 image pages, the 

OPEN rules with 1 image page for the OPEN championships. 

1.6 STC/SPE may publish their own STRENFLEX ® events (Fitness Test Days, Gym 

championships, etc.) on the STRENFLEX ® website. 

1.7 STC/SPE may also link their own website to the Strenflex website.

2 Events 

2.1 The STC shall be entitled to award the STRENFLEX® Fitness Sports Badge. The fitness test may only 

be carried out under the supervision of a STRENFLEX® Personal Examiner (SPE) and is free for all 

participants from age 12, including test certificate. STC/SPE may create and print out the certificates 

free of charge via their password protected access to the STRENFLEX ® website. 

2.2 In addition, STRENFLEX ® Fitness Sports Badges may be sold to successful test candidates for € 15 (CHF 

22.50) each (optional). Of this, € 5 (CHF 7.50) goes to the STC and € 10 (CHF 15) to the STRENFLEX ® 

Sports Organisation. 

2.3 STCs that offer additional gym championships based on STRENFLEX ® guidelines must conduct these 

in the presence of an officially trained STRENFLEX ® referee (SJG). 

2.4 Should STC not have its own STRENFLEX ® referee for the Gym Championship, then STRENFLEX ® will 

provide a chief referee at the STC’s expense. Furthermore STRENFLEX ® will provide the scoresheets 

and announce the event on its website. 

2.5 Gym members that enter a STRENFLEX ® Championship after they have competed in a Gym 

Championship must be members of the STRENFLEX ® Sport Organisation. Annual membership fees 

are € 60 (CHF 90) and membership is automatically extended for a further year once payment of the 

next annual subscription has been received. There is no period of notice for association members. 

Entry fee for STRENFLEX ® members per championship is € 60 (CHF 90). 

2.6 When five STC athletes have registered to participate in a championship the STC undertakes to 

provide a trained STRENFLEX ® Judge (SJG) as well. 

3 Training 

3.1 The STRENFLEX ® Fitness Test Center (STC) may send one or more trainers to the STW collective 

group training course at the STC’s expense so that they become SPE trainers, able to provide 

potential clients with comprehensive information on STRENFLEX ® and conduct official fitness tests. 

The course fee payable for one group course STW (duration approx. 6-8 hours, 12 participants max. 

and 3 people max. per gym) is € 150 (CHF 225) per person. If an STC training course is held at the 

STC’s own premises, any extra costs incurred for accommodation, meals, petrol, train or plane tickets 

will be invoiced. A digital metronome for conducting the cardio tests may be ordered at cost price 

of € 19 (CHF 29) from STRENFLEX ® . At least one STC employee must be a licensed STRENFLEX ® 

Personal Examiner (SPE) who will also be trained in the use of the STRENFLEX ® Internet software 

in order to ensure a smooth process from logging the fitness test participants through printing the 

official STRENFLEX ® fitness test certificate (including STC logo). STRENFLEX ® reserves the right to 

request submission of pertinent industry specific training diplomas from the course delegates. 

3.2 When conducting the STRENFLEX ® fitness tests at the STC the STRENFLEX ® Championship Set (SCS) 

is not mandatory but recommended. STC/SPE may order this Set at € 495 (CHF 695), plus freight, 

less 25% resale discount. STC/SPE may also officially resell the SCS equipment and opt to order 

more at the same conditions during the term. 

3.3 The training course for STRENFLEX ® Judges (SJG) lasts 2 days, with a fee of € 250 (CHF 375) per 

person. If an in-house training course is held, any extra costs incurred for accommodation, meals, 

petrol, train or plane tickets will be invoiced. 

4 General conditions 

4.1 VAT must be added to resold goods. 

4.2 Rights arising from this agreement are not transferable. 

4.3 The STC concept shall be considered an integral part of this agreement. 

4.4 Place of jurisdiction is Zurich, Switzerland. 

I N F O R M AT I O N S 


R E P O R T 


Paul Bachmann 

THE 4 th STRENFLEX FITNESS SPORT 

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in AARAU 

Following Rimini, Kiev und Zurich, 

almost 50 enthusiastic Strenflex Fitness 

Sport athletes gathered on 7th October 

2006 at the Schachenhalle in Aarau to 

compete in 4 age groups. The competitors 

came from 9 nations (Switzerland, 

Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Hungary, 

Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus) of which the 

Germans and Swiss were represented in 

the highest numbers, 

Check-in and weighing commenced at 

10am and the competitors then had a 

while to prepare and warm up before the 

official opening of the 4th World Championships 

and National Championships 

of the participating nations. 

Included for the first time was the 

“strength” category where competitors 

had to achieve a minimum point score in 

order to progress to the next round. The 

fact that Strenflex Fitness Sport places 

particular emphasis on this category is 

a result of the conviction that controlled 

muscle/strength training is the basis for 

health, physical ability and agility. Thanks 

only to our muscle activity are we able to 

walk, run, jump, carry, pull… in short, to 

be active and mobile and to be able to 

better enjoy life. 

Strenflex Fitness Sport offers a motivational 

foundation as a result of its competition 

concept – the sporting aspect 

and stimulus. The Japanese have recognised 

and at last scientifically proven that 

people who follow a balanced training 

program are an asset to the economy 

(see FT104/page 24, interview with Mr 

Mora from Proxomed). The advantages 

include lower healthcare costs, fewer 

care home places required, etc. Thanks 

72-year old wins title 

by Sylvia Gattiker, photos: Marco Rickenbach 

In Japan there are over 1,600 Power Gyms where people aged 70 

and above can benefit by using muscle training equipment. Following 

the 4th World Championships Strenflex Fitness Sport has 

reacted by introducing age group V – 70+! 

to active training a high quality of life can 

be maintained right up to old age. “Antiaging” 

is not just a buzzword. 

The Strenflex Fitness Sports Organisation 

(which celebrates its fifth anniversary this 

year – 2002 to 2007) has been promoting 

these ideas with its competition concept 

since its inception. The results are there 

to be seen: at the 4th World Championships 

twenty-year old athletes competed 

alongside athletes in age group IV – 60+. 

The Schachenhalle in Aarau provided 

competitors and spectators alike with an 

optimum environment and the Strenflex 

fitness sports organisation did its best to 

offer a thrilling and exciting competition 

day. The competitors approached the set 

program with a serious attitude and all of 

them went through to the second round. 

Here, the emphasis was on winning as 

many points as possible in the disciplines 

dips, chin-ups, press-ups and forward 

bends. Sure, one or two of the athletes 

were at odds with the judges on some 

issues – usual at sports events where 

competitors are not competing against 

the clock or measuring tape – and probably 

with their deepest selves as well! 

Ultimately however, they had no other 

option than to concentrate their thoughts 

on the next categories “cardio” and “flexibility”. 

5 minutes of cycling on the Schwinn 

indoor cycling bike from Nautilus was 

compulsory and the athletes pedalled 

out those kilometres. The interval course 

was a good test of co-ordination among 

others, and this proved to be a real challenge 

for many. A “master of his trade” in 

this discipline is Ivan Bucher who com-

ined perfect, fluid execution and speed 

into a real feast for the eyes. His super 

result was a fitting reflection of this performance. 

The “flexibility” category uses the stand 

& reach test – the split, something that 

is either hated or loved – there are no 

in-betweens here – and shoulder flexibility. 

As our oldest competitor, 72 year-old 

Paul Bachmann, took his turn to demonstrate 

his flexibility the spectators erupted 

in a wave of enthusiasm. With a mischievous 

smile on his face and arms held 

high the world champion to be showed 

that the split does not have to be a privilege 

of the young, but something that can 

also be learned at a more advanced age 

– assuming the will to do so is there 

The award ceremony was presided over 

by our President, Mr. Georg Yourievsky, 

Mr. Marcel Christen, co-owner of the 

Step-by-Step gym in Aarau, one of the 

sponsors of this event, and Sylvia Gattiker, 

European President. In addition to 

the medals and certificates there were 

many other fantastic prizes sponsored by 

the international fashion firm, VeroModa 

and the fashion label for Messrs Jack’n 

Ramona Völkel, Sisley Kaltenbach 

Jones that is currently being established 

in Switzerland. 

The companies InkoSpor and AllStars 

provided a great catering service for the 

event and a perfect sound system was 

provided by AKTIV SOUND from Bellikon 

– a big thank you to all for your fantastic 

support. We would like to thank 

the City of Aarau for making the sports 

facility available with particular thanks to 

Mr. Matter who was responsible for providing 

us with assistance and support. 

Strenflex fitness sport attracted media 

interest for the first time too! Mr. Billetter 

from TeleZüri filmed an excellent report 

that was broadcast on the same evening 

in the news bulletin. The broadcast was 

repeated every hour until midday on Sunday. 

Thanks to the TeleZüri coverage a 

large proportion of the Zurich population 

was able to learn about the advantages of 

Strenflex fitness sport from the comfort of 

their armchairs. The feedback and interest 

we received following this television 

appearance was huge and was an indication 

to us that the Strenflex fitness sport 

team is taking the correct approach. 

Gerhard Scherl of WellnessMagazin, 

Austria’s feel-good magazine 

number one, travelled from 

Vienna especially for the event. 

Our new World Champion in 

age category IV gave a telephone 

interview with Sonntagsblick 

(Sunday view) and his split was 

there for all to see in this, the 

highest circulation newspaper in 

German-speaking Switzerland. 

The Aargauer Zeitung newspaper 

had already reported on Strenflex 

in the run up to the event, and 

Radio Aargovia considered us 

worthy of a mention in their event 

calendar. 

In our fast-paced times the 4th 

World Championships will soon 

be a thing of the past - but we 

can already look forward to the 

future – the 4th Strenflex fitness 

sport European Championships 

in Autumn 2007 which will take 

place once again in Aarau… and 

hopefully to many Strenflex Fitness 

Sport GYM Championships, 

World President HSH Prince Hans-Georg 

Yourievsky and European President Sylvia Gattiker 

the preliminary competition rounds 

(e.g. the DAVID GYM Masters – for 

more information: info@strenflex.org) 

which will really fan the flames and 

bring more systematic movement into 

our lives. 

Once again, thank you very much to 

all of our sponsors and hard working 

assistants in the background without 

whom this whole event would not 

have been possible: Fitness Tribune, 

oasis Total Body Solution, Nautilus, 

Swiss Swing, Sportvital, Stepby-Step, 

VeroModa, Jack’n Jones, 

InkoSpor, All Stars, AktivSound, 

ActiveO2. 

The full World Championship rankings 

with point scores plus the TeleZüri 

spot can be found at www. 

strenflex.org! 

Strenflex fitness sport general secretary 

Dr. Rolf Krempel with his wife Otti Krempel 

as judge 

R E P O R T 


R E P O R T 

Men Age category I 

+90kg 1 Ivan Bucher, Switzerland 

+80kg 1 Alain Siegfried, Switzerland 

+70kg 1 Christian Gasser, Switzerland 

2 Reto Eichenberger, Switzerland 

3 Florian Rellstab, Switzerland 

+60kg 1 Pascal Bollmann, Switzerland 

2 Marco Müller, Switzerland 

Men Age category II 

+90kg 1 Sisley Kaltenbach, Switzerland 

2 Peter Lopar, Austria 

3 Manfred Cebulla, Germany 

+80kg 1 Guido Mariuzzo, Italy 

+70kg 1 Norbert Amsler, Switzerland 

2 Fabian Roth, Switzerland 

3 Janos Molnar, Hungary 

+60kg 1 Dietmar Haubold, Germany 

2 John Fulgraff, France 

Men Age category III 

+90kg 1 Jean-Pierre Schupp, Switzerland 

+80kg 1 Klaus Groh, Germany 

2 Harald Schröder, Germany 

3 Jürg Plattner, Switzerland 

+70kg 1 Ewald Clavadetscher, Switzerland 

Men Age category IV 

+70kg 1 Ernst Rathgeb, Switzerland 

2 Jürg Detscher, Germany 

+60kg 1 Paul Bachmann, Switzerland 

Overall world champion cat. IV 

Women Age category IV 

+50kg 1 Rosmarie Thoma, Switzerland 

Women Age category III 

+60kg 1 Rita Dean, Switzerland 

+50kg 1 Tetiana Pasichna, Ukraine 

Women Age category II 

+60kg 1 Kathi Fleig, Switzerland 

2 Therese Müller, Switzerland 

+50kg 1 Jasmin Burkhard, Switzerland 

2 Cristina Putignano, Italy 

3 Floriana Thiebaud, Switzerland 

Women Age category I 

+60kg 1 Elena Bleiker, Belarus 

2 Merle von der Linde, Germany 

3 Yamuna Kuckuck, Germany 

+50kg 1 Janine Hobi, Switzerland 

2 Daniela Silberstein, Switzerland 

3 Antonia Conzett,Switzerland 

+40kg 1 Ramona Völkel, Germany 

Tetiana Pasichna Therese Müller, Kathi Fleig 


Ivan Bucher Alain Siegfried 

Reto Eichenberger, Christian 

Gasser, Florian Rellstab 

Marco Müller, Pascal Bollmann 

Peter Lopar, Sisley Kaltenbach, 

Manfred Cebulla 

Guido Mariuzzo 

Fabian Roth, Norbert Amsler, 

Janos Molnar 

John Fulgraff, Dietmar Haubold Jean-Pierre Schupp 

Jürg Detscher, Ernst Rathgeb Rosmarie Thoma Rita Dean 

Cristina Putignano, Jasmin 

Burkhard, Floriana Thiebaud Elena Bleiker 

Daniela Silberstein, Janine 

Hobi, Antonia Conzett

Press coverage is of great importance for gyms! 

The local press absolutely loves to publish interesting articles about your gym, especially if they can report on a 

European or World title win. Benefit from the wealth of Strenflex PR possibilities! 

Fitness managers have invented a 

new competition sport: Strenflex. 

Rosmarie Thoma, 60, has become 

World Champion of this still new 

discipline. 

By Roland Grüter 

Rosmarie Thoma appears calm and unemotional. 

The 60 year-old from Grisons remains 

quite unmoved even when talking about her 

world championship title. She has every reason 

to be proud though – who else becomes 

a champion just before retiring, and within 

such a short span of time at that! Rosmarie 

trained for just 6 months to achieve her win, 

single-mindedly, granted, but without the 

stress that other athletes subject themselves 

to. 

A world class performance even though 

the competition last weekend at Technopark 

Zurich was small and hand-picked with just 

42 competitors from 12 countries. The sports 

discipline that made the wiry woman sweat 

is still young and unknown. It’s called Strenflex 

and is definitely set to become a popular 

sports discipline. 

The ‘three pillars’ competition sport 

Strenflex. A wonderful acronym derived 

from the words strength, endurance and flexibility. 

These three elements are the basis of 

balanced physical training. Some 500,000 

Swiss work out in local gyms – and Strenflex 

is tailored to their needs. 

“Why should what hundreds of thousands 

practice not also be a competition sport?” was 

the question some resourceful fitness managers 

asked themselves before going on to set 

rules and combine exercises for the three pillar 

sport. The result is a modern decathlon. 

Strength, endurance and flexibility but also 

co-ordination score equally rated points. This 

makes fitness, as preached by sports physicians 

for a long time now, measurable and 

comparable – in the form of competitions. 

These events are currently being organised 

countrywide. The rules are based on four age 

and ten weight categories. 

So before Rosmarie Thoma could climb atop 

the podium she had to complete push-ups, 

sit-ups and straight jumps. A jury observed 

her and rated her performance. Other competition 

exercises focussed on flexibility and 

co-ordination – the split is a fixed element 

of the programme. Then it was on to the cardio 

test: getting heart and blood circulation 

geared up in five minutes on a home trainer 

for example. The distance covered is then 

measured and converted into points. Rosmarie 

managed a total World Championship 

score of 186. Her new target: By the end of 

the year she wants to break the 200 points 

barrier, a record. 

The inventors of this novel sport hope to 

eventually attract 3% of gym visitors to compete 

in the new Strenflex decathlon. There 

are already around 30 gyms that offer their 

customers training based on the Strenflex 

programme. The number of those willing to 

participate is still small with around 400 people 

in Switzerland. 

Rosmarie Thoma became a World champion 

by accident. Seven years ago her son 

wanted to join a fitness centre but was still to 

small. Mother had to help and together they 

put their training shoes on. She has regularly 

been lifting barbells since. The woman who 

hadn’t participated in any form of sport for 30 

years is now as fit as a 20 year old. 

Tagesanzeiger, 23rd October 2004 

60 years of age – and as fit as a World Champion! 

Role model: Rosmarie Thoma wants to motivate 

women to keep fit. 

“I’d been slaving away for seven long 

years, twice a week – and still I didn’t see 

any real progress,” she says. Then she discovered 

Strenflex. Trainer Andreas Krummenbacher, 

co-owner of Chur Fitness 

Tower Medical and promoter of the new 

fitness competition sport told her about it. 

Since then Rosmarie has been exercising 

to a fixed decathlon plan. “Since strength, 

endurance and flexibility are measurable I 

can home-in on my weaknesses and correct 

them quickly to optimise my training. 

This really motivates me to carry on,” 

she says. She had achieved some success 

even before the World Championship. “I 

eventually managed something I had tried 

and failed at again and again – chin-ups,” 

she says and for the first time I can detect 

pride in her voice. Six times she pushed 

herself up – without stopping. 

Strenflex instead of Wellness 

The fitness industry has tried to sell us 

ever more bizarre offerings (Bykramyoga, 

Pilates etc) – but Strenflex is refreshingly 

different. For once it isn’t a fad from Hollywood. 

It’s all about the daily work of a 

broad general public. Traditional knowledge 

is bundled to become a competitive 

discipline. 

The followers approach their subject 

in all earnest. Jean-Pierre Schupp, the 

restless publisher and editor of the trade 

magazine Fitness Tribune, is the initiator 

of Strenflex. He travels up and down the 

country to spread the word. Schupp has 

launched a lifestyle magazine on the subject 

and next week the first Swiss Strenflex 

group begin their coached training 

together. There are even national and 

international governing bodies that monitor 

adherence to the rules at the different 

events. Schupp’s network reaches as far 

as Russia where the Strenflex discipline is 

even part of training for sports teachers. 

Both young and old people are to be won 

over – that’s the master’s credo. 

People just like Rosmarie Thoma. For 

the shy woman from Grisons Strenflex 

is worth its weight in Gold far beyond 

the world title: “I will be able to take part 

in this competition sport for a long time 

to come,” she says as she sets about her 

training again. 

For more information on Strenflex rules and 

providers please visit www.strenflex.org. 

P R E S S C O V E R A G E 


STRENFLEX ® FITNESS-DECATHLON 

international MASTERS regulations 

Age categories: 

Age category 1 18 – 34 years 



Age category 4 60 plus 

(Min. age 18, for juniors from age 12 

the OPEN rules apply) 

I Bench press II Squats 

III Clean & Press 

STRENGTH Abridged version of the national and 

Weight categories: 

Depending on the numbers of participants, in 

addition to age category, athletes may also be 

classed into weight categories 

i.e. -50kg, -55kg, -60kg, -65kg, -70kg, -75kg, -80kg, 

-90kg, -100kg and +100kg. 

The participants start together, and the results will 

be rated based on the age category. 

IV Dips V Chin-ups 

VI Push-ups VII Abdominal crunches 

Models: Current World Champions - Kathi Fleig & Ivan Bucher

ENDURANCE 

The 10 (Decathlon) exercises for 

STRENFLEX 

I Bench press – 12 x at 

® MASTERS Championships 

VIII Cardio IX Interval course 

X Flexibility 

II Squats – 12 x at 

III Clean & Press – 12 x at 

1-2 

Men 

1-2 

Women 

IV Dips – Scores count from the first exercise onward - 1 point per exercise 

- maximum number within 45 seconds. 

V Chin-ups – Scores count from the first exercise onward - 1 point per exercise 

- maximum number within 45 seconds. 

VI Push-ups from the bench – Scores count from the first exercise onward - 1 point 

per exercise - maximum number within 45 seconds (from age 

category 3 onward, push-ups may be performed on the ground). 

VII Abdominal crunches – Scores count from the first exercise onward - 1 point per 

exercise - maximum number within 45 seconds. 

VIII Cardio – Version a) 2 minutes rope-skipping, or depending on the sponsor, 

version b) 5 min. indoor cycle, or version c) 5 min. rowing machine 

IX Interval course – A dash from the starting position, about 5 meters back and forth with „tagging“, 

followed by 10 one-legged, alternating sit-ups - 5 times on each side, another dash back and 

forth, followed by 10 jumping jacks incl. arm motions and transferring a foam piece from one hand 

to the other, another dash back and forth, 10 push-ups with wide arm position, and a final dash back 

and forth, followed by 10 straight jumps while passing the foam piece from one hand to the other. 

3 

Men 

3 

Women 

4 

Men 

4 

Women 

Category 

70 60 60 50 50 40 % of the 

80 70 60 50 50 40 

own body 

weight 

40 30 25 20 20 15 

X Flexibility – Stand & reach from the bench - leg splits (independent of direction), 

score is counted starting at 30 cm from the ground - shoulder joint. 

The comprehensive set of regulations can directly be printed out from www.strenflex.org. 

FLEXIBILITY


FITNESS DECATHLON 

CHAMPIONSHIPS 

OPEN regulations for juniors over 12 years 

I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

The OPEN rules correspond with the 

requirements for the STRENFLEX ® Youth 

& Sport junior age categories 12 to 13, 14 

to 15 and 16 to 17, STRENFLEX ® trade 

fair and outdoor events, and club-based 

sport groups. These rules serve as a basis 

for the STRENFLEX ® fitness test. 

Age categories: Age category 1 = 18 

to 34 years, age category 2 = 35 to 49 

years, age category 3 = 50 to 59 years, 

age category 4 = 60 and over. 

Weight categories: Depending upon 

the number of participants athletes may, 

in addition to the age category, also be 

divided into weight categories. These 

are: -50kg, -55kg, -60kg, -65kg, -70kg, 

-80kg, -90kg, -100kg and + 100kg. 

The participants start together, and the 

results are evaluated in accordance 

with the age category. The 10 (decathlon) 

competition exercises for an OPEN 

championship: 

I Dips - scores count from the first exercise 

onward - 1 point per exercise - maximum 

number within 45 seconds. 

II Chin-ups - scores count from the first 

exercise onward - 1 point per exercise - 

maximum number within 45 seconds. 

III Push-ups from the bench - scores 

count from the first exercise onward - 1 

point per exercise - maximum number 

within 45 seconds (from age category 3 

onward, push-ups may be performed on 

the ground). 

IV Abdominal crunches - scores count 

from the first exercise onward - 1 point 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

MASTERS competition 

The comprehensive 36 page MASTERS Fitness 

Decathlon competition regulations can be downloaded 

directly from the website in several languages 

as a PDF file. At the MASTERS athletes compete 

to win the exclusive national, European and World 

Champion titles! 


IX 

X 

per exercise - maximum number within 

45 sec. 

V Cardio - depending on the sponsor: 

Version a) 1 minute rope-skipping, or 

Version b) 2 minutes on the indoor cycle, 

or Version c) 2 minutes on the rowing 

machine. 

Interval course - no sprinting - only the 

four stationary exercises are performed, 

since the “coordination” factor is also 

tested here. 

VI 10 one-legged sit-ups - alternating - 

each leg 5 times. 

VII Jumping jacks, with arm motions and 

passing foam piece from one hand to the 

other. 

VIII 10 push-ups, with arms spread. 

IX 10 straight jumps, with arm motions 

and passing foam piece from one hand 

to the other. 

X Flexibility - stand & reach from the 

bench. 

OPEN championship titles that can be 

achieved through the competition are: 

Studio, city, regional, national, European 

Cup, and World Cup champion. The minimum 

requirement for entering national 

and international STRENFLEX ® MASTERS 

championships is previous participation 

in an official OPEN championship. 

Attendance at the “Studio champion/ 

regional champion – what now?” course 

is recommended.

Below is a list of all STRENFLEX championships 

organised between 01.03.2002 

– 07.10.2006 

1 st – 3 rd March 2002 

STRENFLEX world premiere at FitMess in 

Basle, Switzerland 

15 th June 2002 

1 st World Championships (MASTERS) Fitness 

Festival Rimini, Italy 

26 th June 2002 

Info-Cup Idea-Convention San Diego, 

USA 

18 th – 22 nd September 2002 

Bodylife (OPEN) Karlsruhe 

3 rd – 6 th October 2002 

1 st FIBO (OPEN) Stuttgart 

19 th – 20th October 2002 

City-Cup Zurich, Switzerland 

26 th October 2002 

1 st European Championships (MASTERS) 

held during Lifetime in Frankfurt 

7 th December 2002 

3 Countries Cup (MASTERS) in Zadar, 

Croatia - Germany, Croatia, Switzerland 

18 th January 2003 

1 st World Cup (OPEN) in Wels, Austria 

22 nd February 2003 

1 st Europa Cup (OPEN) and 1 st Swiss 

Championships (MASTERS) at FitMess in 

Basle, Switzerland 

27 th February 2003 

Info-Cup during IHRSA, San Francisco, 

USA 

29 th – 30 th March 2003 

City-Cup (OPEN) Fitness Expo in Rome, 

Italy 

3 rd May 2003 

2 nd FIBO (OPEN) in Essen 

7 th – 9 th June 2003 

City-Cup (OPEN) Bremen 

14 th June 2003 

2 nd European Championships (MASTERS) 

in St. Pölten, Austria 

10 th September 2003 

1 st Ukrainian MASTERS in Kiev 

11 th –12 th September 2003 

2 nd World Championships (MASTERS) in 

Kiev, Ukraine 

15 th November 2003 

1 st German Championships (MASTERS) 

at Sportlife, Hamburg 

15 th November 2003 

1 st Czech Championships in Budweis 

20 th March 2004 

FitMess (OPEN) in Basle, Switzerland 

22 th – 25 th April 2004 

3 rd FIBO (OPEN) in Essen, Germany 

THE MAGICAL THREE or A CONCEPT WITH SYSTEM – STRENFLEX ® 

Take a few minutes and allow yourself to be 

transported into the world of STRENFLEX. 

Five years of STRENFLEX represents five 

years of innovation. Thanks to the resounding 

“yes” to the revised championship 

regulations and system STRENFLEX motivates 

everyone to take exercise and develop 

an enjoyment of competition. With the 

OPEN competition and the division into 

weight categories the building blocks were 

laid that made STRENFLEX into a popular 

sport. The fitness industry as a whole, 

3STRENFLEX is based on the three columns 

of fitness 

Strength 

Endurance 

Flexibility. 

It is further divided into the following categories 

Age categories 

Weight categories 

Junior. 

The concept’s system is also reflected in 

the competition organisation: 

MASTERS Championships 

OPEN Championships 

Gym Championships 

For gym members a further three is important: 

Fitness test with sport badge 

Training with a purpose 

Competition. 

At last it is possible to measure fitness! 

STRENFLEX brings a visible measurement 

system within reach. One that allows a 

classification of athletes according to performance 

achieved with defined fitness 

exercises. 

15 th – 16 th May 2004 

City-Cup (OPEN) First 4 You Convention, 

Vienna, Austria 

26 th June 2004 

2 nd Swiss Championships (MASTERS) 

and 1 st Tessin Regional Championships 

(OPEN) in Tenero, Switzerland 

17 th July 2004 

2 nd World-Cup (OPEN) Fitness Festival 

Munich 

16 th and 18 th July 2004 

1 st City-Cup (OPEN) Munich Regional 

Championships Bavaria 

4 th – 5 th September 2004 

Rhein-Neckar IFAA OPEN-Regional 

Championships, Heidelberg 

together with the gym owners, is now in 

the process of understanding and seizing 

upon the tremendous potential offered by 

STRENFLEX. The growth rate of this new 

type of sport can no longer be stopped and 

there are still a huge numbers of potentially 

interested people, for example the 5 

million gym members in German-speaking 

Europe alone. We only have to convince 

them of the benefits of fitness and exercise 

as a whole in order to gain new members 

who want to train with a purpose. 

The fitness test concept is designed for 

those who would like to know their level 

of fitness, but do not wish to participate 

in competitions. The test results are ascertained 

using the OPEN competition rules 

and tests can be carried out in any of the 

accredited Promo gyms. But this fitness test 

offers even more – the STRENFLEX Fitness 

Sport Badge. 

The objective of STRENFLEX is to place 

the focus during training on exercise as a 

whole. – To motivate gym members to use 

the gym’s infrastructure to the full – from 

group fitness training, and equipment 

through to cardio training. The fitness test 

concept also forms the basis for a balanced 

training program that reveals weaknesses 

and awakens a willingness to train regularly. 

Three times weekly during 30 minutes for 

the sake of your own health, for improved 

personal performance and a better quality 

of life! And that’s even enough to achieve 

the Gold STRENFLEX Fitness Sport Badge. 

Everyone is welcome in the STRENFLEX 

world: People of all age and weight categories 

who like to exercise, trainers, gym 

owners and future gym members. 

You can only win with STRENFLEX – success 

and fun go hand-in-hand! 

29 th September – 1 st October 2004 

Bodylife (OPEN) City-Cup Stuttgart and 

Regional Championships Baden-Württemberg 

2 nd October 2004 

2 nd German Championships (MASTERS), 

Stuttgart Exhibition Centre 


3 rd World Championships (MASTERS) 

Zurich, Switzerland 

25 th June 2005 

3 rd Swiss Championships (MASTERS) 

Tenero, Switzerland 


4 th World/European/National Championships 

(MASTERS) Aarau, Switzerland 


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E D I T O R I A L I N F O R M AT I O N 

Model: Kathi Fleig, World Champion 

Machine: Swisswing Photo: Leo Boesinger 

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Strenflex Fitness Sport 12 

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The lifestyle fitness magazine for active people - a product of Top Ten Media 

Strenflex FITNESS Sport is published in Germany, 

Austria and Switzerland. 

There are 1-4 issues of Strenflex FITNESS Sport each 

year with a circulation of approx. 8,500 per issue. 

The magazine is available on subscription. 

Editorial, advertising and subscription address: 

Top Ten Media AG, PO Box 1933, 

Via San Gottardo 96, CH-6648 Minusio 

Tel. (0041) 091 730 14 14 Fax 091 730 14 13 

E-mail: info@toptenmedia.com 

Editor: 


Editorial contributions: 

Denise Biellmann (CH), Sandra Bonacina (CH), 

Donna Danton (USA), Sylvia Gattiker (CH), Dr. 

Axel Gottlob (D), Dr. Liena Gubareva (Ukraine), 

Dario Karamatic (Kroatien), Dr. med. Beat Knechtle 

(CH), Dr. Rolf Krempel (D), Uschi Moribaldi (D), 

Myrte Müller (D), Dr. Karl Neeser (CH), Lucia 

Schmidt (CH), Ueli Schweizer (CH), Bernd Zimmermann 

(USA) 

Editing and administration: 

Marianne Hausmann info@toptenmedia.com 

Design and picture editing: 

Claudio Alge alge@toptenmedia.com 

Advertising representative for Germany: 

Christina Drewing, Medien Agentur 

Tel. 06342-919722 christina.drewing@t-online.de 

Advertising representative for Switzerland and Austria: 

Top Ten Media AG 

Tel.+41(0)91 730 14 14 info@toptenmedia.com 

Bank/ Postbank details: 

Switzerland: UBS Locarno acct no. 336.174.08 P (246) 

Germany: Postbank Karlsruhe 6072 03-75 

Sort code 66010075 

Classified advertisements: 

Send to: Fitness Tribune Publishing, 

PO Box 1933, CH-6648 Minusio 

Or by Fax +41(0)91 730 14 13 

Classified prices: 

Up to 84 characters Euro 25.- CHF 40.- 

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Up to 252 characters Euro 50.- CHF 80.- 

SERVICE 

Box-number: plus Euro 6.25 CHF 10.- 

Form: www.fitness-sport.tv / classifieds 

© 2002 for all reports from TOP TEN MEDIA. All 

rights reserved. No part of this publication may be 

reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. 

Place of jurisdiction: registered office of the 

publisher. 

Disclaimer: Editorial content marked with the name 

or initials of the author does not necessarily reflect 

the views of the publisher. We accept no responsibility 

for loss or damage, however caused, to unsolicited 

submissions and photos . 

Acceptance of manuscripts and photographic material 

shall be deemed to confer upon the publisher the 

exclusive rights to such material. The publisher shall 

be absolved from all liability for non-performance 

if caused by force majeure. In such cases claims for 

damages will not be accepted. 

Another magazine from Top Ten Media: 

www.fitnesstribune.com 

212 Seiten Inhalt 

Printed by: pva GmbH, Landau/Pfalz 

Copyediting: 

MONISON Monika Simon monison@solnet.ch 

Reader’s letters: 

Send to: Top Ten Media AG, 

PO Box 1933, CH-6648 Minusio 

Or by Fax +41(0)91 730 14 13 


Back issues of Fitness Tribune: 

Tel. +41(0)91 730 14 14 (Mo-Fr 8-12 am / 2-5 pm) 

Fax +41(0)91 730 14 13 


STRENFLEX individual members (annual membership 60.– 

euro/CHF 90.–) receive a 20% discount on a Fitness Tribune 

subscription (6 issues a year). 

STRENFLEX Fitness Test Center (STC) (annual 

membership 120.– euro/CHF 180.–) receive 

in the Strenflex Fitness Sport magazine for 

free, a classified advertisement in the format 

45x32mm with their address and logo. 

STRENFLEX Promo-Gyms 

In diesen STC's 

können Sie den Fitness-Test machen! 

180 Fitness Tribune 102

IF IT SAYS FITNESS ON THE PACKET, 

FITNESS MUST BE IN THE PACKET 

To all gym owners, fitness trainers, instructors, consultants, 

lecturers and all Fitness graduates: 

Push-up, dip, chin-up – can you do it? 

Aim to gain at least the internationally recognised Strenflex 

Bronze Fitness Sport Badge and be a real role model for your 

gym members! The Strenflex Fitness Sports Organisation and 

its affiliated Fitness Test Centers and Personal Examiners offer 

Fitness Test Day Events throughout the year. 


I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

WOMEN EXERCICE BRONZE SILVER GOLD 

30 cm 

Cardio-test 







Sit-ups 





Sitting and touching the 

feet tips 




Chin-ups 1 3 5 

Exercice from 


Exercice from 


For further information please see: www.strenflex.org or simply telephone us: 

Germany: 0163 883 87 33 • Switzerland: 043 443 30 25 • Other countries: 0041 43 443 30 25 

Supported by: Sponsores: 


I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

30 cm 

MEN EXERCICE BRONZE SILVER GOLD 

Cardio-test 






Exercice from 



Sit-ups 





sitting and touching the 

feet tips 




Chin-ups 3 5 10

WALKING. 

THE NEW RUNNING. 

Faster calories burn with the new 

Nautilus ® Treadclimber TC 916. 

Request the information brochure 

or visit our website 

www.nautilustreadclimber.ch 

Nautilus Deutschland GmbH, Albin-Köbis-Str.4, 51147 Köln, Tel.: +49 (0)2203-2020-0, Fax: +49 (0)2203-2020-45 45, info@nautilus.com 

Nautilus Switzerland SA, Rue Jean-Prouvé 6, 1762 Givisiez, Tel +41 26 460 77 66, Fax +41 26 460 77 60, internationalinfo@nautilus.com 

www.nautilus.com

5 Years of STRENFLEX - Strenflex Fitness Sport

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