5 Years of STRENFLEX - Strenflex Fitness Sport

R E P O R T
26 STRENFLEX fitness sport 12
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-