Innovations - IHRSA
Innovations - IHRSA
Innovations - IHRSA
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JUNE 2011<br />
Club business<br />
InternatIonal<br />
34 Maestro Michael Bruno<br />
43 Intel’s High-Tech Gym<br />
48 Celebrating <strong>IHRSA</strong>30<br />
55 The Assessment Edge<br />
67 F.I.T. Extra: Strength<br />
High-<br />
Impact<br />
Public<br />
Service<br />
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Tone up on CYBEX.<br />
Tune in on NBC.<br />
Fitness Equipment Partner of<br />
® & © 2010 NBC Studios, Inc. & Reveille LLC<br />
Winners work out on CYBEX.<br />
This season, The Biggest Loser contestants are shedding<br />
pounds and building muscle at an astounding rate. Why?<br />
Because the producers of NBC’s #1 show have put their trust<br />
in the #1 fitness brand—CYBEX.<br />
Now you can inspire your members to reach their own fitness<br />
goals—by giving them access to the same CYBEX equipment<br />
they see weekly on TV’s hottest weight loss and lifestyle show.<br />
Like the Arc Trainer ® , our calorie-burning workhorse that made<br />
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Empower your members to get the results they want on<br />
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© 2010, CYBEX International. All rights reserved.<br />
www.cybexintl.com
| Letters |<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>30 thrills<br />
‘CBI Unbound’ Fan<br />
> I’m an avid reader of “CBI Unbound,” love the wide variety of<br />
topics covered, and was wondering if individuals can contribute<br />
to it. Can someone request to be a guest blogger? ... Although<br />
Goldfields Oasis is a relatively small fitness centre, I thought<br />
it might be interesting to get some thoughts from Western<br />
Australia on the industry and how consumers here behave.<br />
We’re constantly trying to innovate and develop the centre,<br />
even through small things, such as our use of social media<br />
to engage consumers: for example, our Facebook page,<br />
www.facebook.com/goldfieldsoasis. Look forward to hearing<br />
from you! —|<br />
Amy Johnston | Membership & Marketing Coordinator | Goldfields Oasis<br />
Recreation Center | Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia<br />
Convention a Grand Slam!<br />
> What a triumph this year’s convention and trade show was!<br />
Congratulations to all! From first to last, it was a bases-loaded<br />
home run. Each of the three general session speakers hit the<br />
ball out of the park, and I heard, repeatedly, that it was the best<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> trade show in years. Plus, you arranged for the most<br />
spectacular Zumbathon ever, and the B*A*S*H for Augie’s<br />
Quest exceeded everyone’s expectations—take a bow for that!<br />
Three cheers for the entire <strong>IHRSA</strong> team and a spectacular<br />
performance. Bravo! —|<br />
John McCarthy | <strong>IHRSA</strong> Executive Director Emeritus | Weston, MA<br />
An Insider’s Opinion<br />
> I want to thank the <strong>IHRSA</strong> team for one of the best conventions<br />
and trade shows the industry has ever had. Five years<br />
ago, I thought <strong>IHRSA</strong>25 could never be equaled or topped, but,<br />
I must say, <strong>IHRSA</strong>30 came mighty close! Thanks to all. —|<br />
Norm Cates | Publisher | Club Insider | Marietta, GA<br />
4 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>30 Nails It!<br />
First and foremost, congratulations on a terrific<br />
show this past weekend in San Francisco. While<br />
it’s only the fourth convention I’ve attended during<br />
my brief tenure in the industry, I can say that this<br />
one was filled with more energy, enthusiasm, and<br />
optimism than any other since I joined 24 Hour<br />
Fitness. I can only imagine how hard the <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
team worked to pull off such an event, and, from<br />
my perspective, they nailed it. —|<br />
Carl Liebert III | CEO | 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, Inc. | San Ramon, CA<br />
Completely SATS-ified!<br />
> A big thank-you from the SATS organization for the high<br />
level of service—far exceeding our expectations—that <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
provided in helping us plan our stay in San Francisco during<br />
the 30th anniversary convention and trade show.<br />
All of our people were incredibly impressed with the entire<br />
event—inspiring speakers at the convention, and a trade show<br />
that beat all records!<br />
I’d like to share what one of our employees wrote in her<br />
feedback: “For the last three years, this trip has attracted us<br />
in a special way—a journey that everyone was talking about,<br />
a valued opportunity, and a great learning experience. It’s the<br />
world’s largest convention. Wow! What an experience! Finally,<br />
it was my turn to visit <strong>IHRSA</strong>, and I’m so grateful. It’s given my<br />
career a real energy boost.”<br />
Thanks, again, to everyone at <strong>IHRSA</strong> for making it possible<br />
and for their professionalism and dedication to making our stay<br />
a special memory for all the SATS attendees … Now, the group<br />
is eager to review any material from the presentations or<br />
sessions that might be available—is it possible to obtain this<br />
or to download it from <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s homepage? —|<br />
Helena Åkerblad | Human Resources Assistant | SATS SportsClub AB<br />
Sundbyberg, Sweden<br />
Editor’s note: Audio recordings of select <strong>IHRSA</strong>30 convention sessions,<br />
as well as copies of the <strong>IHRSA</strong> 30th Anniversary Yearbook, plus Legends<br />
of Fitness: The Forces, Influencers, and <strong>Innovations</strong> That Helped Shape the<br />
Fitness Industry, are now available for purchase at the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Store,<br />
www.ihrsa.org/store.<br />
The Place to Be!<br />
> It was a great conference. We accomplished a lot with the<br />
new business and made great contacts. As always, the <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
convention is the place to learn, to meet, and to see friends. —|<br />
Michael S. Levy | Founder, president | Casaral, Inc. | Toronto, Ontario, Canada<br />
Club Business International (ISSN 1043-9692, USPS 766-570) is published monthly ©2011 by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, Seaport Center 70<br />
Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, Massachusetts, and additional mailing offices. Canadian Sales Agreement #40767601.<br />
Subscription rate for members is $48 per year, which is included in the dues. Additional subscriptions $24.95 per year (USA) and $75 (International).<br />
POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Club Business International, c/o <strong>IHRSA</strong>, Seaport Center 70 Fargo Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210<br />
Volume 31, Issue 6
| Editor’s Welcome |<br />
Kerry Brett<br />
The six youngsters on the cover of this issue of CBI<br />
don’t belong to a health club. It’s unlikely that any<br />
of them will ever become club owners or attend<br />
an <strong>IHRSA</strong> convention. But these children, who<br />
live in a small farming village in Ethiopia, could<br />
easily serve as a symbol for our industry.<br />
Each one of them is about life. Each one of them is about activity.<br />
Each one of them is about health, and happiness, and strength,<br />
and goals, and dreams, and challenges, and opportunities—<br />
about endless, infinite possibilities!<br />
And let’s not forget those smiles.<br />
Aren’t these the things that our industry, at its best, strives to<br />
encourage and nourish?<br />
Take a look at the boys and girls featured in one of the public<br />
service announcement (PSA) videos promoting First Lady<br />
Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, and tell me what, of<br />
significance, is different between kids in Belo, Ethiopia, and ones<br />
residing in a suburb of Washington, D.C. (To view one of the<br />
PSAs, log on to www.ihrsa.org/cbidigital and go<br />
to pg. 17 of the May issue.)<br />
The fitness industry is blessed in that, bottom<br />
line, the variety of products and services it offers<br />
are all designed to enhance a person’s quality of<br />
life. But, often, the same players set their business<br />
plans aside, and step outside the for-profit<br />
paradigm, to address pressing issues, answer<br />
unmet needs, and serve those who, until then,<br />
have been overlooked or ignored. For these<br />
industry activists, it’s simply a matter of “Doing<br />
the Right Thing!” observes Associate Editor Mia<br />
Coen (see pg. 38). In the process, they not only<br />
perform an important public service, but also reap rich, if<br />
intangible, rewards.<br />
The six youngsters on the cover, along with thousands more, are<br />
the beneficiaries of just such an effort. The Fifth Avenue Club, a small<br />
independent facility in Calgary, Canada, has adopted Belo, and its<br />
contributions have been used to, among other things, dig wells, build<br />
a high school, establish medical clinics, and develop irrigation systems<br />
and agricultural nurseries. These kids may not have a health<br />
club—yet—but they’ve got a meaningful club connection.<br />
In much the same way, the Healthworks Fitness Centers for<br />
Women, based in Boston, has created a charitable organization,<br />
the Healthworks Foundation, which operates two nonprofit fitness<br />
centers that serve low-income and other disadvantaged<br />
populations. And Spring Fitness, a regional three-facility chain in<br />
Texas, is giving free six-month memberships to veterans and<br />
active military personnel—no strings attached. “We feel good<br />
about giving them a place to come where they’re appreciated,<br />
and about being able to contribute something to their health and<br />
wellness,” says owner Tom Kennison.<br />
CBI salutes these three, and all of the other clubs worldwide,<br />
that are doing the right thing! —|<br />
6 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
The mission of <strong>IHRSA</strong> is to grow, protect,<br />
and promote the industry, and to provide its<br />
members with benefits that will help them<br />
be more successful.<br />
PUBlISHINg<br />
Editor-In-Chief: Craig R. Waters<br />
Publisher: Jay M. Ablondi<br />
Managing Editor: Rebecca K. Maverick<br />
Editor: Jennifer H. McInerney<br />
Associate Editor: Patricia Glynn<br />
Associate Editor: Mia Coen<br />
Contributing Editors:<br />
Dawn Allcot, Patricia Amend, Phoebe Anderson,<br />
Jon Feld, Julie M. King, Catherine Larner,<br />
Lesley Mahoney, Jean Suffin, Stephen Wallenfels,<br />
Kristen A. Walsh<br />
AdvERTISINg, www.cbimediakit.com<br />
Vice President of Advertising & Membership Sales:<br />
Michele Eynon<br />
Senior Account Manager:<br />
Jessica Gutstein<br />
Advertising Sales Executive:<br />
Donna Garrity<br />
Business Development Publications:<br />
Will Finn<br />
Publications & Associate Coordinator:<br />
Meghan Burnham<br />
Art Direction, Design, Production:<br />
Holland-Mark, Boston, MA<br />
INTERNATIONAl HEAlTH, RACQUET<br />
& SPORTSClUB ASSOCIATION<br />
President & CEO: Joe Moore<br />
Chief Operating Officer: Anita Lawlor<br />
Executive Vice President of Public Policy:<br />
Helen Durkin<br />
Executive Vice President of Global Products:<br />
Jay Ablondi<br />
ClUB BUSINESS INTERNATIONAl<br />
EdITORIAl & AdvERTISINg OFFICES:<br />
c/o <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
Seaport Center<br />
70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210 USA<br />
800-228-4772 USA & Canada<br />
617-951-0055 | 617-951-0056 FAX<br />
E-mail: cbi@ihrsa.org<br />
www.ihrsa.org<br />
To order reprints of articles,<br />
call 800-228-4772 ext. 117 or<br />
visit www.ihrsa.org/cbi<br />
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CLuB BuSInESS<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
Staff of The Fifth Avenue Club and children of<br />
Belo, Ethiopia, a village the club has adopted<br />
Features<br />
38 High-Impact Public Service<br />
Many clubs believe there’s more to life than the<br />
bottom line and act accordingly, responding to<br />
the dictates of their heart. Among those that<br />
have impressed CBI are The Fifth Avenue Club,<br />
which has adopted a small village in Ethiopia;<br />
the Healthworks Fitness Centers for Women,<br />
which sponsors nonprofit clubs in a low-income<br />
community; and Spring Fitness, which extends<br />
free memberships to U.S. veterans. All three<br />
reap rich personal rewards.<br />
8 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
CONTENTS | JuNe 2011<br />
38<br />
34 Maestro Michael Bruno<br />
His acquisition of three equipment companies has<br />
made Michael Bruno a multibrand fitness maestro<br />
43 Intel’s High-Tech Gym<br />
Intel’s corporate fitness center in Chandler/<br />
Ocotillo, Arizona, is a preview of the world<br />
of high-tech fitness<br />
48 Celebrating <strong>IHRSA</strong>30<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>’s 30th anniversary event attracted and<br />
thrilled more than 10,400 participants—here’s why<br />
55 The Assessment Edge<br />
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INTERNATIONAL<br />
Kids savor LifeCenter’s<br />
Fun Camp<br />
Departments<br />
News & Know How<br />
64<br />
Bike+Ball=BallBike<br />
ProS 700<br />
31 98<br />
15 news<br />
Curves a Secret Millionaire; McBride<br />
presides over Club One; Town Sports aids<br />
earthquake victims; <strong>IHRSA</strong> associate members<br />
make news; Madonna opens second<br />
Russian club; CBI’s Eye on the Economy<br />
29 First Person<br />
Tennis Industry Association (TIA)<br />
President Jon Muir gauges the<br />
game’s prospects<br />
31 On the Move<br />
Gold’s Gym goes Express; Lifestyle<br />
‘frees’ teens; Anytime Fitness on move<br />
in Middle East; Sparrow wins aquatics<br />
award; and more<br />
<strong>Innovations</strong><br />
63 What’s new<br />
Innovative offerings from Cybex, BallBike,<br />
Fabiano Designs, Interactive Fitness, and<br />
other <strong>IHRSA</strong> associate members<br />
67 F.I.T. Extra<br />
Club members are driving the evolution<br />
of single-station selectorized and circuittraining<br />
equipment<br />
10 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
CONTENTS | JuNe 2011<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Report<br />
91 First Set<br />
There couldn’t be a more perfect time<br />
to launch the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Foundation, notes<br />
Chairperson Art Curtis<br />
92 In Brief<br />
Every club needs to know, and have a voice<br />
in, what’s happening on the public-policy<br />
front , and <strong>IHRSA</strong> can help<br />
94 Club Advisor<br />
Four ways to make your employees feel<br />
valued, appreciated, and motivated when<br />
you’re not able to give them raises<br />
96 Ask the Entrepreneurs<br />
Our three intrepid entrepreneurs offer<br />
their suggestions on how to hold onto<br />
superstar employees<br />
98 Member news<br />
Big Ass Fans’ unique ‘Value Propoition;’<br />
plus news from Netpulse, Life Fitness,<br />
Matrix Fitness, City Blends, and more<br />
104 Calendar<br />
Big Ass Fans suits<br />
Anytime Fitness<br />
Reps<br />
4 Letters<br />
6 Editor’s<br />
Welcome<br />
12 Ihrsa.org<br />
106 Marketplace<br />
107 Ad Index<br />
108 Last Rep<br />
Association President<br />
and CEO Joe Moore<br />
rhapsodizes about<br />
his experiences<br />
at <strong>IHRSA</strong>30 in<br />
San Francisco
2011<br />
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<strong>IHRSA</strong>/Fitness Brasil trade show<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>/Fitness Brasil conference<br />
A PREVIEW OF WHAT’S NEW THIS MONTH ON WWW.<strong>IHRSA</strong>.ORG<br />
Hurry! <strong>IHRSA</strong> Store Spring Sale Ends June 30<br />
> www.ihrsa.org/store<br />
Time is running out to save up to 30% on nearly everything in the <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
Store, including research reports, how-to manuals, training DVDs, and<br />
more. Best-selling titles you’ll want to stock up on include: Get Active!<br />
magazines (standard or Anytime Fitness editions); The 2011 <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
Global Report: The State of the Health Club Industry; The <strong>IHRSA</strong>30 Yearbook;<br />
The 2011 Employee Compensation & Benefits Report; The <strong>IHRSA</strong> Health<br />
Club Consumer Report: 2010 Health Club Activity, Usage, Trends & Analysis;<br />
2010 Profiles of Success; archived Webinars; and <strong>IHRSA</strong> convention session<br />
MP3 recordings.<br />
During the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Store Spring Sale, which ends June 30, use the following<br />
codes at checkout to save on your order:<br />
• SPRINGSALe-10 to save 10% on orders of $75-$149.99<br />
• SPRINGSALe-20 to save 20% on orders of $150-$249.99<br />
• SPRINGSALe-30 to save 30% on orders of $250 or more<br />
Sale excludes e-books and digital (DVD) downloads. Order today at<br />
www.ihrsa.org/store for the best selection. —|<br />
Contact store@ihrsa.org or (617) 951-0055, ext. 117, with questions.<br />
GA0311_Covers2_NewGACover 3/13/11 7:00 PM Page CV1<br />
Stop<br />
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SHOES THAT HELP BOOST<br />
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12 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
The <strong>IHRSA</strong> 2011<br />
Employee Compensation<br />
& Benefits Survey Results<br />
for the Commercial Health & Fitness Industry<br />
Compiled in 2010 by The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association and Industry Insights, Inc.<br />
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association<br />
Mark Your Calendars for<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>/FITNeSS BRASIL<br />
> www.ihrsa.org/fitness-brasil<br />
The <strong>IHRSA</strong>/FITNESS BRASIL Latin American Conference &<br />
Trade Show, to be held September 1-3 in São Paolo, Brazil,<br />
has become the industry’s premier event in Latin America.<br />
At this annual event, club operators converge by the thousands<br />
to research, sample, and buy the latest equipment,<br />
products, and services they need to succeed in the rapidly<br />
growing Brazilian and Latin American markets. The 2011<br />
Conference will feature presentations by executives from<br />
both inside and outside the industry, providing thoughtprovoking<br />
commentary on trends shaping the industry.<br />
Networking opportunities to build relationships with<br />
colleagues from throughout Latin America will also be<br />
offered each day. —|<br />
Learn more at www.ihrsa.org/fitness-brasil.<br />
Read the Latest on<br />
CBI Unbound<br />
> www.ihrsa.org/cbi-unbound<br />
Do you love Club Business International<br />
but wish it showed up in your mailbox<br />
more than once a month? CBI Unbound,<br />
the official blog of <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s flagship trade<br />
publication, gives you the same quality<br />
and in-depth reporting you expect from<br />
CBI, but instead of receiving it once a<br />
month, you can get it twice a week. Log<br />
on to www.ihrsa.org/cbi-unbound today<br />
to read the stories behind the articles,<br />
and to contact CBI’s editors with your<br />
questions or suggestions. —|
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News & Know How<br />
news 15 | First Person 29 | On the Move 31<br />
The 6th Annual B•A•S•H for Augie’s Quest raised more than<br />
$1.3 million for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research<br />
during <strong>IHRSA</strong>30. Among the presenters: Quest cofounders<br />
Augie and Lynne Nieto, front center; holding the check at left,<br />
from l., Pat Laus, of The Atlantic Club, and television host Natalie Morales, and, at far<br />
right, <strong>IHRSA</strong> Chairperson Art Curtis; Technogym founder Nerio Alessandri (behind<br />
Morales); and <strong>IHRSA</strong> Executive Director Emeritus John McCarthy (behind Curtis). —|<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 15
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Gary, l., and Diane Heavin, third from l., with<br />
Lazarus House staff and guests<br />
Curves Cofounders go under Cover<br />
on Secret Millionaire<br />
Heavins donate their time and $410,000 to help the less fortunate<br />
Gary and Diane Heavin, cofounders<br />
of Curves International, Inc.,<br />
the world’s largest fitness franchise<br />
with nearly 10,000 clubs and four<br />
million members in approximately 70<br />
countries, are often heralded for their<br />
charitable contributions. One example<br />
of the couple’s philanthropy, the annual<br />
Curves Food Drive, is now in its 13th<br />
year. But a recent appearance on the<br />
ABC series Secret Millionaire demonstrated<br />
just how fully committed they<br />
are to giving back.<br />
The show followed the Heavins as<br />
they moved from their well-appointed<br />
home in a gated community into a rundown<br />
shack situated in Houston’s Third<br />
Ward neighborhood, an area known<br />
for violence and poverty. Then, for the<br />
next 10 days, under the guise of shooting<br />
a documentary about volunteerism, the<br />
pair worked for three local charities:<br />
The Lazarus House, a wellness center<br />
for those suffering from chronic illness;<br />
No More Victims, a group that assists<br />
children whose parents have been<br />
incarcerated; and The Sean Ashley<br />
House, an organization for children<br />
and adults with autism.<br />
From painting a house, to connecting<br />
with troubled youth, to taking autistic<br />
adults horseback riding, the Heavins<br />
had multiple opportunities to not only<br />
give back, but to witness, up close and<br />
in-depth, the reality of life for those<br />
faced with extreme physical and social<br />
challenges.<br />
According to Gary, it was “an incredible<br />
experience. It was both the best and<br />
worst week of our lives. Through it all,<br />
our appreciation for our own lives<br />
grew, but so did our sense of duty to<br />
help others less fortunate.”<br />
In the end, the Heavins donated<br />
$410,000 out of their own pockets, dividing<br />
the sum among the three charities. —|<br />
If you missed the Heavins’ episode of Secret Millionaire, it’s available by logging<br />
.com on to www.abc.go.com.<br />
| News & Know How | news<br />
><br />
Short Takes | New London<br />
Club ‘Geared’ Toward<br />
Open-Air Commuters<br />
An English entrepreneur has created<br />
a refreshing new business model by<br />
bringing together “open-air commuting”<br />
and health club amenities under<br />
one roof. Piers Slater, the founder of<br />
Reef Estates, a London-based property-development<br />
company, is also<br />
an avid cyclist who enjoys biking to his<br />
office. However, there were always<br />
obstacles to his morning commute/<br />
workout: lack of showering facilities,<br />
limited storage for protective gear, and<br />
a shortage of bicycle parking spaces.<br />
In response, he and his colleagues<br />
have created the H2 Club, designed<br />
specifically to accommodate the<br />
growing number of busy professionals<br />
who run, cycle, or power-walk to<br />
work. The first location, in London’s<br />
Soho neighborhood, includes 40<br />
showers for post-workout/pre-work<br />
cleanup; changing facilities; storage<br />
lockers for hire; 230 bike parking<br />
spaces; and other convenient perks,<br />
including cycle repair and dry-<br />
cleaning services.<br />
Piers Slater<br />
On the fitness side, the club offers<br />
personal training, an indoor cycling<br />
studio, a core-conditioning gym, and<br />
sports therapy and massage—all<br />
of which are intended to enhance<br />
the health and fitness of open-air<br />
commuters.<br />
Slater believes demand for the<br />
innovative option will be high, and<br />
anticipates adding 10 to 20 more<br />
locations throughout the city in the<br />
near future. —|<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 17
| News & Know How | news<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Joining Forces Network unveiled by Michelle Obama<br />
First Lady enlists <strong>IHRSA</strong> and ACE to enhance well-being of military families<br />
Afew minutes after 3 p.m. on Monday, May<br />
9, Joe Moore, the president and CEO of<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>, and Scott Goudeseune, the CEO<br />
of the American Council on Exercise (ACE), led a<br />
small group of fitness activists across the South<br />
Lawn of the White House to participate in an<br />
historic announcement.<br />
Moore, Goudeseune, and members of the<br />
President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and<br />
Nutrition joined First Lady Michelle Obama<br />
before a crowd of military families to share<br />
the details of a new multi-part initiative<br />
designed to improve military families’ health<br />
and well-being.<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> and ACE figured prominently in the<br />
First Lady’s plans.<br />
“The International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub<br />
Association has agreed to offer free memberships<br />
to immediate family members of actively<br />
deployed National Guard and Reserve members.<br />
They’re aiming to offer more than 100,000 free memberships—<br />
the equivalent of more than 18 million free days of access to<br />
gyms and health clubs across the country. Starting June 1,” she<br />
told the audience, “you can log on to www.letsmove.gov to find<br />
out how to find a club in your area and sign up for free.”<br />
Let’s Move! is the First Lady’s ambitious program to<br />
eliminate childhood obesity within a generation; a companion<br />
program, Joining Forces, launched by Obama and Dr. Jill<br />
Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, focuses specifically<br />
on the needs of America’s military families.<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> has been a strong supporter of Let’s Move! since<br />
its inception, and its new involvement will be known as the<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Joining Forces Network.<br />
“The freedoms that each of us enjoy every day are possible,<br />
in large measure, because of the sacrifices that our nation’s<br />
military families bear,” said Moore, echoing Obama’s own<br />
comments. “Joining Forces offers us an opportunity to provide<br />
these families with the support they are due. Rooted in<br />
communities all across America, <strong>IHRSA</strong> health clubs stand<br />
ready to serve our nation’s military families. We’re here to<br />
offer them safe, supportive environments where they can<br />
exercise and find encouragement in their efforts to stay well<br />
through healthy lifestyle choices,” he affirmed. “We’re deeply<br />
honored to participate in this extremely important initiative.”<br />
Clubs participating in the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Joining Forces Network<br />
may also elect to provide additional services, such as childcare,<br />
children’s programming, group classes, discounts for<br />
veterans, and discounts for active-duty families. Details<br />
about Network clubs will be made available online at<br />
www.healthclubs.com.<br />
.com For more information on the network clubs, log on to www.healthclubs.com<br />
18 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
Making history: front row - Joe Moore, l.; Scott Goudeseune, next; Michelle<br />
Obama, center, Dominique Dawes, far right, co-chair of the President’s Council<br />
ACE, for its part, will encourage its family of fitness<br />
professionals to offer at least 1 million hours of training<br />
services, at no cost, to the family members of actively<br />
deployed National Guard and Reserve members.<br />
“The American Council on Exercise has always, and will<br />
always, proudly support our servicemen and women, as well as<br />
their families, for the protection they provide and the sacrifices<br />
they make for our country,” noted Goudeseune. “Through our<br />
involvement with the Joining Forces initiative … we’re thrilled<br />
to be able to show our gratitude to these military families and<br />
rally support on their behalf.”<br />
In her concluding remarks, Obama acknowledged <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
and ACE, specifically. “I want to thank the American Council on<br />
Exercise and the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub<br />
Association, and their CEOs … who are with us here today.<br />
Thank you guys, both, for your commitments…They got a call,<br />
and this request was put in, and they jumped on it … So, Joe<br />
and Scott, we’re truly grateful for this leadership.” —|<br />
Let’s All Move!<br />
• To enroll in the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Joining Forces Network, log on to<br />
www.healthclubs.com or call <strong>IHRSA</strong> at 800-228-4772.<br />
• For more information about First Lady Michelle Obama’s<br />
Let’s Move! initiative and <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s involvement in it, please<br />
see “Partners for Progress,” May CBI, pg. 43; “CBI Spends<br />
10 Minutes on the Line with Robin Schepper,” January CBI,<br />
pg. 29; and “Let’s Move!,” June 2010 CBI, pg. 34. —|
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© 2011 Precor Incorporated
| News & Know How | news<br />
Club One Promotes Bill McBride to President<br />
Bill McBride<br />
| CBI’s Eye on the Economy |<br />
20 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
Described by colleagues as “a great asset” and “a wonderful advocate” for the fitness<br />
industry, Bill McBride was recently appointed president, in addition to being COO,<br />
of Club One, the San Francisco-based operator of 19 commercial health clubs,<br />
10 managed community centers, and more than 60 managed corporate fitness centers.<br />
McBride, also an <strong>IHRSA</strong> board member, said he’s “honored” by the appointment and is<br />
eager to help lead the company as “we continue to forge ahead toward steady growth and<br />
sustainability in 2011.”<br />
Chairman and CEO Robin Klaus lauded the choice, noting that McBride “exemplifies all<br />
the qualities of an exceptional leader.”<br />
Having entered the industry in 1986, McBride joined Club One over eight years ago as<br />
director of operations. Throughout the years, he’s also served as the company’s director<br />
of sales and operations, and vice president of commercial operations. —|<br />
Consistent Uptrend in Cost Implies Pricing Flexibility for Clubs<br />
> Pricing for all items increased in January and February,<br />
marking the 16th consecutive monthly increase since November<br />
2009. In January, it increased by 1.78% over January 2010, and,<br />
in February, it was 2.25% higher than in February ’10.<br />
With respect to clubs, specifically, the pricing for fees for<br />
lessons and instruction also increased in January (+1.68%)<br />
and February (+1.3%). These fees have increased steadily since<br />
October 2008, even when the pricing for all items fell during the<br />
spring and fall months of 2009.<br />
However, fees for club dues, which have increased in seven<br />
months since October 2008, fell in January (-0.15%) and<br />
February (-1.04%).<br />
5<br />
4<br />
3<br />
2<br />
1<br />
0<br />
-1<br />
-2<br />
-3<br />
-4<br />
-5<br />
Consumer Prices & National Economic Trends<br />
(% change same month previous year)<br />
Club Dues (NSA*)<br />
Fees for Lessons (NSA)<br />
All Items (NSA)<br />
Rising costs for all items suggests that club operators may<br />
have some pricing flexibility with respect to appealing nondues<br />
programs. As consumers become more aware of, and attracted<br />
to, the club experience, operators can develop niche and/or<br />
target-market-specific programs and price accordingly.<br />
Premium programs—ones that are highly specialized or<br />
particularly effective—can command higher prices. —|<br />
For more detailed monthly information and additional Producer<br />
Price Indexes, please log on to www.ihrsa.org/research.<br />
11/09 12/09 1/10 2/10 3/10 4/10 5/10 6/10 7/10 8/10 9/10 10/10 11/10 12/10 1/11 2/11<br />
Note: NSA: Not Seasonally Adjusted
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Sizzle Comes to St. Petersburg<br />
Hard Candy Fitness’ third club will be second in Russia<br />
Madonna eyes expansion<br />
Following the launch of the first Hard Candy Fitness<br />
Center in Mexico City late last year, and the imminent<br />
debut of a second facility in Moscow, performer and<br />
fitness entrepreneur Madonna recently announced that she<br />
and her partners will open a third club in center-city St.<br />
Petersburg, Russia, later this year.<br />
“The early success of the Hard Candy Fitness Center in<br />
Mexico City—where Madonna taught a dance class to<br />
members at the opening—has inspired us all to create similar<br />
facilities, and seek out local partnerships around the globe<br />
that embody Madonna’s workout philosophy,” reports Mark<br />
Mastrov, the chairman of New Evolution Ventures (NeV), the<br />
Lafayette, California-based private-equity firm developing the<br />
new brand.<br />
Also involved in the project are Jim Rowley, of NeV, and<br />
Guy Oseary, Madonna’s manager. Their partner in the<br />
Russian venture is Irina Razumova, the founder of Planet<br />
Fitness, a major Russian club chain.<br />
The 52,000-square-foot St. Petersburg club, like its<br />
predecessors, will feature state-of-the-art equipment, lavish<br />
amenities, and exclusive programming, including the latest<br />
trends in yoga and Pilates, Capoeira, a Brazilian form of<br />
martial arts, and barre3, a format that marries ballet barre<br />
work and yoga/Pilates. “It will be a place where members<br />
| News & Know How | news<br />
will enjoy their workout experience in a beautiful environment,”<br />
says Mastrov.<br />
Razumova promises the club will be “like no other in<br />
the world.”<br />
Madonna is convinced St. Petersburg is “the perfect<br />
location … for the next Hard Candy Fitness.” NeV is also<br />
considering additional sites in Canada, Brazil, Argentina,<br />
the U.K., France, Italy, and Australia. —|<br />
><br />
Short Takes | Bipartisan Fitness—<br />
Congressmen Get Ripped on P90x<br />
Every morning at 6:30, the House Gym on Capitol Hill is<br />
buzzing with Congressmen and -women who’re squeezing in<br />
a workout before sweating the day’s big issues in the House<br />
of Representatives. The gym itself draws a crowd, but on<br />
one end of the basketball court, clustered around two TVs,<br />
you’ll find a group of dedicated P90X-ersizers who get up,<br />
jump up, pull-up, and push-up<br />
their way to a more sculpted,<br />
toned, and flexible physique.<br />
P90X is the latest homefitness<br />
phenomenon from<br />
creator and celebrity trainer<br />
Tony Horton. The goal of the<br />
exercises is to confuse the<br />
muscles by working different<br />
parts of the body each day,<br />
Rep.<br />
while intensifying the routines<br />
Paul Ryan<br />
over a period of time.<br />
Budget Committee Chairman<br />
Paul Ryan (R-WI), who used the P90X DVDs to get<br />
himself in shape before hitting the campaign trail, is the<br />
unofficial leader of the House Gym group. He’s managed<br />
to recruit a number of representatives, including Aaron<br />
Schock, Jeff Flake, Kevin McCarthy, Kevin Brady, Bill<br />
Shuster, Sean Duffy, Heath Shuler, and Peter Roskam,<br />
among others, to join in the workout every morning.<br />
“I thought it looked like some kind of Jane Fonda video,”<br />
said Schock. “But it kicked my butt!” —|<br />
Short Takes | Study: Exergaming Is a Fun Way to Feel the Burn<br />
Exergaming could be a major game-changer, particularly for overweight and obese children. A recent study,<br />
published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found that interactive exergames, such as Wii Fit<br />
and Dance Dance Revolution, when played at moderate to vigorous intensity, produced a caloric burn that was<br />
about equal to, or significantly greater than, walking on a treadmill at three miles per hour. The study measured<br />
activity levels in 39 boys and girls, average age 11, as they played Nintendo Wii Boxing, Dance Dance Revolution,<br />
Lightspace, Xavix, Cybex Trazer, and Sportwall.<br />
Researchers also found that the children who were overweight or at risk of becoming overweight actually<br />
enjoyed the games more than the children with lower body mass indexes. —|<br />
A Wii bit<br />
fitter<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 23
| News & Know How | news<br />
TSI Supports Japanese<br />
Relief Efforts<br />
> The recent earthquake and tsunami tragedies<br />
in Japan have generated an outpouring<br />
of aid and support from around the world<br />
and, in particular, the health club industry.<br />
Among the more prominent contributors,<br />
TSI COO Martin Annese, center, gifts Red Cross<br />
gifting $50,000 to the relief effort, is Town<br />
Sports International Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<br />
CLUB), owner and operator of 160 fitness<br />
clubs throughout the northeast and mid-<br />
Atlantic regions, along with three clubs in<br />
Switzerland.<br />
Working with the American Red Cross,<br />
Town Sports International (TSI) donated<br />
100% of all new member-enrollment fees,<br />
currently set at $25 per person, from March<br />
17-28. The company’s hope was to simultaneously<br />
encourage individuals to join and<br />
enhance their wellbeing through exercise,<br />
while assisting disaster victims.<br />
In a statement, CEO and President Robert<br />
Giardina said, “TSI mourns the incredible<br />
loss of lives following the recent tragedies in<br />
Japan. We look to offering whatever assistance<br />
we can as Japan recovers from this<br />
devastating series of natural disasters. The<br />
need in Japan is enormous, so we are thankful<br />
to partner with the Red Cross as they<br />
continue to provide thousands of survivors in<br />
Japan with life-saving aid. As the country’s<br />
recovery needs evolve, we want to encourage<br />
others to help in whatever way they can.”<br />
TSI’s partner, the Red Cross, continues to<br />
work in the area, assessing and responding<br />
to needs. The organization notes that donations<br />
are welcome and cites cash gifts as the<br />
best way to offer aid to victims. —|<br />
24 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Associate Members<br />
Reflect Industry’s Vitality<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> associate-member companies helped make the association’s<br />
30th Anniversary International Convention and Trade Show in<br />
San Francisco a dramatic success, and, since then, have continued<br />
to generate excitement and headlines. Among those that have been<br />
making news recently are:<br />
• CYBEX International, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYBI) – CYBEX, based in<br />
Medway, Massachusetts, has been named the Preferred Fitness<br />
Equipment of the National Hockey League (NHL). “CYBEX has been<br />
the fitness choice of many of the NHL teams for years,” explains Brian<br />
Jennings, the league’s executive vice president of marketing. “This<br />
partnership strengthens the league’s commitment to CYBEX and their<br />
commitment to us.” Also: the company, which is the official equipment<br />
provider for The Biggest Loser, has named winning contestant Patrick<br />
House its brand ambassador, and introduced The Biggest Loser home<br />
version of its Arc Trainer.<br />
• International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) – ICAA, based in<br />
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has named fitness expert and<br />
celebrity Kathy Smith the official spokesperson for its new Rebranding<br />
Aging initiative, which is designed to change the public’s attitude about<br />
aging. “I’ll be 60 this year, so the timing for my new partnership with<br />
ICAA couldn’t be better,” says Smith.<br />
Innovation rules at<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>30 trade show<br />
• Matrix Fitness – Matrix, based in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, has<br />
entered into an exclusive arrangement to provide equipment for the<br />
Al Ahli Holding Group, a master franchise for Gold’s Gym International,<br />
Inc. (GGI), that has gyms in 13 countries in the Pan Arabian and African<br />
markets. The agreement was finalized during the recent <strong>IHRSA</strong> convention.<br />
Matrix is a brand of Johnson Health Tech North America. The Al<br />
Ahli Group is a highly diversified multinational corporation.<br />
• Netpulse, Inc. – Based in San Francisco, Netpulse, which provides an<br />
interactive media platform targeting club members and active lifestyle<br />
consumers, has entered into agreements with a number of leading equipment<br />
manufacturers to accelerate the delivery of its services. Among the >
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| News & Know How | news<br />
firms are Life Fitness, Matrix Fitness,<br />
Technogym, and Woodway. The new<br />
arrangements were announced in<br />
March during the <strong>IHRSA</strong> convention.<br />
• Precor, Inc. – Precor, based in<br />
Woodinville, Washington, has been<br />
chosen to provide all of the cardiovascular<br />
equipment for SATS, Europe’s secondlargest<br />
club chain, for a one-year<br />
period. The agreement encompasses<br />
the company’s stationary bikes, treadmills,<br />
EFX elliptical trainers, and<br />
Adaptive Motion Trainers (AMTs).<br />
“As we continue to expand through<br />
new ventures and acquisitions, we<br />
think that the Precor cardio equipment<br />
fits our high standards of design, functionality,<br />
and quality,” notes Staffan<br />
Perman, SATS’ Nordic product manager.<br />
SATS operates more than 140<br />
facilities in Norway, Sweden, Denmark,<br />
and Finland. Precor, a division of the<br />
Amer Sports Corporation (NASDAQ:<br />
AMEAS), is also the exclusive cardio<br />
provider for Elixia Nordic AS.<br />
• TRX – Formerly known as Fitness<br />
Anywhere, this San Francisco-based<br />
company has formally changed its<br />
trade name to TRX to capitalize on the<br />
popularity of its flagship product, the<br />
TRX Suspension Trainer. “It became<br />
more and more evident that the TRX<br />
name offered strategic benefits and<br />
brand-building value that we couldn’t<br />
ignore,” explains Randy Hetrick, the<br />
company’s founder and CEO. Also: the<br />
firm has announced its first productline<br />
extension, having acquired the<br />
RIP-COREFX, which has been renamed<br />
the TRX Rip Trainer; and entered into<br />
an arrangement with Castanea Partners,<br />
a private-equity firm in Newton,<br />
Massachusetts, which now holds a<br />
minority interest in TRX.<br />
• TuffStuff Fitness Equipment – Tuff-<br />
Stuff, based in Pomona, California, has<br />
entered into an exclusive agreement<br />
with CrossCore, Inc., of Duarte, California,<br />
to sell and distribute its War Machine<br />
suspension trainer in the U.S. and<br />
international markets. The War<br />
Machine allows users to move their<br />
own body weight to complete a fullbody<br />
workout that improves flexibility,<br />
strength, and endurance. —|<br />
Operations<br />
Resist Price Pressure!<br />
By Colleen Kennedy<br />
26 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
In challenging economic times, there’s often pressure on the membership<br />
sales department to reduce initiation fees and even monthly dues. In fact, the<br />
health club industry has a history of fluctuating fees and dues, depending on the<br />
economy and the competition. However, a price-reduction strategy is always<br />
harmful to the club in the long run. Here are some of the benefits of maintaining<br />
price integrity and the pitfalls of failing to do so:<br />
• Existing members will feel negatively about the club if initiation fees are<br />
reduced. First, the current member feels cheated, as though they didn’t get the<br />
“best deal.” Second, the existing member will hesitate to<br />
refer new members, fearing they may have the same<br />
experience. Third, the current member will feel the<br />
club has less value and that the club isn’t as “good” as<br />
originally thought.<br />
• If prices are maintained or even increased, the existing<br />
member will feel the club has more value than when the<br />
membership was originally purchased. The current<br />
member can tell prospects to “join now” because they<br />
know the prices will not go down if the prospect waits. Colleen Kennedy<br />
• If prospective members see a history of price<br />
fluctuations, they’re more likely to wait—sometimes<br />
indefinitely—for prices to drop. In addition, prospective members will be more<br />
likely to want to negotiate the initiation fee if they see an up-and-down price<br />
variance over the years; it will make them question the true value of membership.<br />
Objections about price are immediately eliminated if the club has a<br />
demonstrable history of price integrity.<br />
• When the prospective member recognizes the lack of price fluctuations and<br />
decreases, the club will become positioned in the prospect’s mind as one of the<br />
great non-discount brands. Some examples of these brands are Bentley Motorcars,<br />
Mont Blanc writing instruments, Dom Perignon champagne, and North Face<br />
clothing, none of which ever has a “sale.” These companies and their customers<br />
believe that their products are correctly priced and worthwhile values.<br />
• Price reductions are perhaps most deleterious to the membership sales team.<br />
The most important factor in new membership sales success is the longevity of<br />
the personnel in the membership sales department. When current and prospective<br />
members see the permanence of the sales managers, their confidence in<br />
the club to maintain membership value increases significantly, leading to greater<br />
membership satisfaction and, ultimately, more referrals.<br />
Changes in the American economy are inevitable; they’re simply a fact of<br />
business life. A large part of a club brand’s perception of quality and strength is<br />
price integrity, and operators should be resolute in insisting that integrity<br />
be maintained. —|<br />
– Colleen Kennedy is the director of membership at the Houstonian Club in<br />
Houston, Texas, CKennedy@Houstonian.com.<br />
For more, log on to www.ihrsa.org/cbi-unbound, and see “The Wisdom of Maintaining<br />
.org<br />
Price Integrity,” February 4, and “Member Satisfaction is the Key,” March 3.
CBI Spends 10 Minutes on the Line with<br />
Jon Muir<br />
Jon Muir is serving his<br />
second two-year term<br />
as the president of the<br />
Tennis Industry Association<br />
(TIA), which is<br />
based in Hilton Head,<br />
South Carolina. A<br />
lifelong tennis player,<br />
he also serves as the<br />
worldwide general<br />
manager for Wilson<br />
Racquet Sports, which<br />
has its world headquarters<br />
in Chicago.<br />
.com<br />
To learn more about<br />
TIA tools to promote<br />
tennis participation,<br />
many of which are<br />
free, please log on to<br />
www.growingtennis.com.<br />
QWhat about tennis intrigues you the most? What’s the<br />
Tennis Industry Association (TIA), which you head,<br />
doing to promote interest in the game? What sort<br />
of results have its efforts produced thus far? What<br />
does the future hold for tennis, the ‘game of love’?<br />
“I love tennis because it has so much going for<br />
it—it’s fun, affordable, social, and healthy for<br />
you. A solid tennis program can help a multipurpose<br />
club achieve success—by keeping its<br />
current members engaged and by attracting<br />
new ones. If a club is known for its good tennis<br />
programs, clinics, and events, players will gladly<br />
invite their friends to play. That’s been true even<br />
in this economy.<br />
In 2009, tennis participation broke the 30-millionplayer<br />
mark for the first time since the Tennis<br />
Industry Association (TIA) conducted its first<br />
Participation Survey in 1988.<br />
Tennis-play occasions have also increased<br />
nearly 25% since 2003. The 2010 TIA/United<br />
States Tennis Association (USTA) Participation<br />
Survey shows that overall participation slipped<br />
slightly, to 28 million, but it’s still the secondhighest<br />
total ever, representing one million<br />
more players than in 2008.<br />
And the just-released study by the Physical<br />
Activity Council, which examines trends and<br />
participation for 119 different sports, shows<br />
that, among traditional participation sports,<br />
tennis again topped the list, with a huge 46%<br />
increase between 2000 and 2010.<br />
Those numbers are no accident—they’re the<br />
result of a concerted effort by the TIA and the<br />
USTA. In the 1990s, both groups recognized<br />
that tennis participation was struggling, and<br />
joined forces to promote programs to get more<br />
people playing, and to change the way tennis<br />
was perceived, particularly among youth. That<br />
was just the beginning of a long process of<br />
industry cooperation to grow the game, and it<br />
continues today.<br />
| News & Know How | First Person<br />
One of the most successful programs is Cardio<br />
Tennis, which was developed by the TIA and USTA<br />
in 2005. It’s a fun group activity, taught by a tennis<br />
professional, that features games and drills that<br />
give players of all abilities the ultimate, highenergy,<br />
calorie-burning workout. Because<br />
participants are encouraged to wear heart-rate<br />
monitors to track calories burned, many have<br />
experienced dramatic weight loss.<br />
I’m also pleased to say that the retention rate of<br />
introductory tennis programming has been a<br />
remarkable 65%, thanks to programs such as the<br />
10 and Under Tennis initiative, using the Quick-<br />
Start Tennis format for kids, which makes tennis<br />
fun. They can play with their friends, using shorter<br />
racquets, lower-bouncing balls, modified<br />
scoring, and shorter courts.<br />
Even for adults, our introductory programs strive<br />
to engage players and keep the sport fun, which<br />
encourages them to try programs and clinics,<br />
where they can continue to enjoy the game. That’s<br />
the whole concept behind the 2,400 TIA/USTA<br />
Tennis Welcome Centers (TWC) in the U.S., which<br />
both encourage new players to try the game and<br />
experienced players to return to it in a lively,<br />
welcoming, and nonthreatening environment.<br />
As for the future, our priority is to increase the<br />
number of frequent players from the approximately<br />
5 million we have right now to 7.5 million<br />
in 2015, and 10 million in 2020. Frequent players—defined<br />
as those who play at least 21 times<br />
a year—are the core economic drivers of tennis,<br />
accounting for more than 80% of all consumer<br />
goods and services sold in the industry. So, with<br />
our partners, we’re strengthening pathways<br />
and retention programs to entice new and nonfrequent<br />
players to play much more often. ” —|<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 29
Programming<br />
Lifestyle Family Fitness Offers Free Teen Memberships<br />
Once again, Lifestyle Family Fitness (LFF) is offering local teens a cure for<br />
the summertime blues: a free club membership, through August 15! This<br />
summer, the St. Petersburg, Florida, company is conducting its annual<br />
Teen Initiative for kids between the ages of 12 and 17 at its 55 locations<br />
throughout the southeast, midwest, and mid-Atlantic regions.<br />
LFF has long been concerned about the childhood obesity epidemic and<br />
sedentary behavior in adolescents. “In an effort to battle teen inactivity,<br />
LFF began donating free summertime health club memberships to teens<br />
in 2006. In 2010, the number of registered teens increased by 117% from<br />
when the program first started,” said Geoff Dyer, founder of LFF. “We do<br />
this during the summer months because many teens would not otherwise<br />
have access to physical<br />
education during<br />
summer break from<br />
school.”<br />
Teens who participate<br />
in the Teen<br />
Initiative will have full<br />
access to the amenities<br />
and group exercise<br />
classes at all LFF<br />
locations. Last summer,<br />
LFF donated over<br />
Lifestyle ‘frees’ teens to be active<br />
11,000 free memberships<br />
to teens. —|<br />
LifeCenter Plus Hosts Vacation Camps for Kids<br />
LifeCenter Plus Health and<br />
Fitness Center, a multipurpose<br />
facility in Hudson, Ohio, offered<br />
a weeklong Holiday Break Fun<br />
Camp for kids during Spring<br />
Break in March. Throughout the<br />
week of March 21-25, members<br />
and nonmembers between the<br />
ages of six and 12 were invited to<br />
participate in full- and half-day<br />
sessions, including rock-climbing,<br />
swimming, team games, and<br />
arts and crafts.<br />
In addition, LifeCenter Plus<br />
also hosts summer break, winter<br />
break, and after-school camps.<br />
“We have an amazing program<br />
here and a wonderful staff of college<br />
and high school students<br />
and physical education teachers<br />
who help run the camps,” says<br />
Contented LifeCenter<br />
campers<br />
Laura Coon, kids’ fitness director. “The kids have a blast and we’re looking<br />
forward to another fun-filled summer here at LifeCenter Plus!” —|<br />
| News & Know How | On The Move<br />
Expansion<br />
Anytime Fitness Announces<br />
Middle-east Development Plan<br />
Anytime Fitness, LLC, the world’s largest coed health<br />
club chain, recently announced an area development<br />
agreement with the Almuftah Group to open<br />
health clubs in the Middle East. The Almuftah<br />
Group is a privately<br />
held company based<br />
in Doha, Qatar, with<br />
interests in restaurant<br />
franchising,<br />
consumer retail<br />
products, automobile<br />
sales, manufacturing,<br />
and engineering.<br />
Under the agree-<br />
John Kersh<br />
ment, the first of<br />
three new clubs will<br />
open next month in the state of Qatar, under the<br />
ownership of Almuftah Marketing, a division of<br />
the Almuftah Group.<br />
“The Almuftah Group is a successful and forwardlooking<br />
business enterprise, which is keenly in tune<br />
with evolving consumer tastes in Qatar and the<br />
Middle East,” says John Kersh, vice president of<br />
international development for Anytime Fitness. —|<br />
Partnerships<br />
GoodLife Supports Lung Association<br />
GoodLife Fitness, the largest health club chain<br />
in Canada, has partnered with the Ontario Lung<br />
Association on 2011 Quit and Get Fit, a program<br />
that focuses entirely on getting participants to<br />
quit smoking and improve their fitness levels.<br />
GoodLife offers participants an opportunity<br />
—free of charge—to<br />
incorporate exercise into<br />
their quitting strategy<br />
at 18 of its locations<br />
across Ontario. Participants<br />
receive a series of<br />
complimentary personal<br />
training sessions that<br />
combine smokingcessation<br />
support<br />
with fitness and health<br />
information. Last year,<br />
Path to a GoodLife<br />
42.5% of participants<br />
quit smoking. —|<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 31
| News & Know How | On The Move<br />
Award-winning<br />
Sparrow MAC Honored for Aquatics Programming<br />
Award-winning aquatics venue<br />
Club Openings<br />
Curl Fitness Debuts in Newport Beach<br />
Curl Fitness, a new venture launched by owners Becky Hartman<br />
and Jill Sperry, is opening this month in Newport Beach, California,<br />
at the Lido Village Marina. The brand-new 13,000-square-foot<br />
facility has an upscale,<br />
high-end look, but offers<br />
extensive services and<br />
amenities at an affordable<br />
price with a focus on<br />
customer service.<br />
Among other amenities,<br />
new members can expect to<br />
find: a cardio and strengthtraining<br />
room fully stocked<br />
with Life Fitness equipment;<br />
glistening men and women’s<br />
Becky Hartman, l., Jill Sperry locker rooms; a group<br />
exercise studio featuring<br />
Les Mills BODYPUMP and RPM classes; an organic juice bar<br />
and café; and top-notch trainers and instructors who have been<br />
recruited to make customer satisfaction their goal.<br />
The club has also launched a workout incentive program<br />
called Freemium, which encourages members to use the club as<br />
much as 25 times per month, at an hour per visit. If the member<br />
reaches this goal, they pay no dues for that month. If members<br />
can’t quite hit the mark, they’re still offered a discount incentive.<br />
“Our team members are committed to making a difference<br />
that makes a difference,” says Hartman. “The community is<br />
ripe with health enthusiasts whom we know will benefit from<br />
a club like ours.” —|<br />
32 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
The Sparrow Michigan Athletic Club (MAC) recently earned<br />
the 2010 Best of Aquatics award from Aquatics International, a<br />
publication dedicated to the commercial and public swimming<br />
pool industries. A panel of industry experts evaluated the MAC’s<br />
aquatics program on such criteria as promotional materials,<br />
aquatic amenities, and community involvement.<br />
The MAC’s aquatic facilities include a 25-meter, six-lane lap<br />
pool; a 1,200-square-foot indoor exercise and recreation pool;<br />
a 25-yard, six-lane outdoor competitive lap pool with starting<br />
blocks; a 3,200-square-foot zero-depth-entry outdoor family<br />
leisure pool with a 360-degree waterfall and fountains; a 200'<br />
waterslide that empties into the leisure pool; and four hot tubs<br />
and four cold plunge tubs.<br />
One judge remarked that the MAC “has total aquatics programming<br />
with multiple pools and water temperatures,” adding that “it’s<br />
a good programming model for community health and wellness.”<br />
The MAC, a division of the Sparrow Health System, is a hospitalbased<br />
health club that offers medically based aquatic therapy for<br />
arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and prenatal care. —|<br />
Gold’s Gym unveils New Budget Clubs<br />
Gold’s Gym International (GGI) recently announced the launch<br />
of Gold’s Gym Express, a budget club concept designed to help<br />
people of all fitness levels achieve their goals at an affordable<br />
price. More than 20 corporate-owned and franchised express<br />
locations are in the planning stages, and more than 100 locations<br />
are expected to be in the works by year’s end.<br />
Each club’s footprint requires between 10,000 and 25,000<br />
square feet of space, providing members with the Gold’s Gym<br />
Express signature circuit-training area, strength equipment,<br />
cardio machines and Cardio Cinema, well-appointed locker<br />
rooms, and tanning beds. Monthly dues are expected to start at<br />
$9.99 per month, with an upgraded membership option available<br />
for $19.99 per month, which includes unlimited guest privileges,<br />
additional services, and<br />
access to all Gold’s<br />
Gym Express locations.<br />
“The new Gold’s Gym<br />
Express will allow us<br />
to expand the Gold’s<br />
Gym brand in ways<br />
that weren’t possible<br />
before,” said Jim Snow,<br />
president of GGI. “It will<br />
provide GGI and our Debut: Gold’s Gym Express<br />
new and existing franchisees<br />
with another option for growth. From city centers to<br />
small towns, this concept is nimble enough to thrive in any<br />
setting, and the incredible value combined with Gold’s Gym’s<br />
expertise will help us attract more members than ever.” —|
Land America CEO Michael Bruno
Michael Bruno<br />
By Jon Feld<br />
CBI: People may not be familiar with your fitness business pedigree. If you<br />
would, tell us a bit about your industry experience.<br />
MIChAEL BrunO: When I started out, I had absolutely no experience in this industry.<br />
I’d been involved in construction, but, after leaving that business, I began selling<br />
bicycles in China in 1988. I was the general manager and one-man sales force for<br />
Pony Cycle. I actually got off to a great start, signing up Sears and Toys R Us within<br />
the first three months, but Pony was a poorly controlled venture that, ultimately, failed.<br />
However, the experience taught me, very early on, that if you could find a business that<br />
welded, bent, punched, and painted steel; and hire the right workforce; and control the<br />
product quality … you could succeed.<br />
In 1992, I sold my car, borrowed $7,000 from a local Chinese trading company,<br />
hired a few engineers, and got into manufacturing. The company was originally called<br />
Xiamen World Gear, but, since 2003, it’s been Land America.<br />
CBI: You’ve been providing equipment for several fitness brands for quite<br />
some time, but, over the past few years, you’ve moved into the industry in<br />
an aggressive way. What does your own brand portfolio look like today?<br />
MB: When I started in ’92, we were building fitness equipment primarily for European<br />
clients; we were, for instance, the first fitness company in China to ship goods to<br />
Germany. At the time, only 20% of our business was in the U.S. That changed, however,<br />
in 1999: after rekindling a relationship with Brian Cook, the former chairman of<br />
the Nautilus Group, I was offered the opportunity to build Bowflex equipment. By 2001,<br />
we were the exclusive designer and builder of Bowflex. For the record, we had nothing<br />
to do with the famous Bowflex recall in 2004—those machines were built before our<br />
time. A few years later, I began manufacturing medical equipment for Invacare and<br />
Hill-Rom, two of the largest hospital and home-equipment suppliers in the world.<br />
In 2008, I bought Primus Medical to produce a full line of beds and patient lifts for<br />
hospitals and nursing homes. We also began aeronautical manufacturing work for<br />
some Boeing suppliers during the same period. In 2009, I purchased Stairmaster and<br />
Schwinn and then, in 2010, Star Trac.<br />
CBI: How would you compare Land America to a domestic multibrand and<br />
multi-industry manufacturer, such as Brunswick, or to industry leaders,<br />
such as Cybex and Precor?<br />
MB: I’d prefer to focus on what we need to accomplish, rather than reflect on our competitors.<br />
However, since you asked, one of the things that I think will differentiate us,<br />
long-term, will be our engineering capabilities and lower manufacturing costs. We’re<br />
very nimble as a business. With 120 engineers and our own tool-making department,<br />
when I want to do something, we can bring it to market pretty quickly. We also have a<br />
clear focus on fitness, which, I believe, is good for the industry as a whole. We aren’t ><br />
| CBI Interview |<br />
With his acquisition of Stairmaster, Schwinn, and Star Trac, the founder<br />
and CEO of Land America has become a multibrand fitness maestro<br />
Highlights<br />
» Portfolio of brands<br />
» Star Trac acquisition<br />
» Manufacturing in China<br />
» Land America’s future<br />
In 1972, after making the<br />
dean’s list in his second year<br />
at Ohio State University,<br />
Michael Bruno left school to<br />
join his uncle’s construction<br />
company, and, subsequently,<br />
launched his own construction<br />
firm, Land America. In 1979,<br />
he moved to Dallas, renamed<br />
the company Texas Road and<br />
Bridge, and operated it until<br />
1983. Five years later, he<br />
became the general manager<br />
of the American division of<br />
Xiamen Bicycle, based in<br />
China. That experience led<br />
him, in 1992, to found Xiamen<br />
World Gear and begin manufacturing<br />
fitness equipment.<br />
In 1993, he and his wife, Yan<br />
Lin Quing, the co-owner of<br />
the company, opened an<br />
800,000-square-foot factory<br />
and resurrected the name<br />
Land America; Bruno now<br />
serves as its CEO. The company’s<br />
portfolio of brands<br />
includes Primus medical<br />
equipment, Stairmaster,<br />
Schwinn Indoor Cycling, and<br />
Star Trac. —|<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 35
| CBI Interview |<br />
a subsidiary of a conglomerate. The<br />
revenue that my companies generate<br />
isn’t funneled into other investments;<br />
we reinvest in our future and, as a<br />
result, are able to constantly improve<br />
on quality and service.<br />
CBI: Star Trac has been through a<br />
difficult period. How do you intend<br />
to restore its fortunes? You’ll<br />
obviously be absorbing its manufacturing<br />
functions, but, beyond<br />
that, will you allow it to maintain<br />
its independence or reorganize<br />
the company?<br />
MB: Right now, we’re working on<br />
restoring trust in the Star Trac brand<br />
and implementing the initial phase of<br />
a strategic reorganization. Certain<br />
aspects of our various operations will<br />
be consolidated, but others will remain<br />
independent. I’m putting new people<br />
into key positions, prominent among<br />
them, Dustin Grosz, whom I’ve appointed<br />
president and COO. Dustin is an industry<br />
veteran who was vice president of<br />
operations for Nautilus, and, over the<br />
past year, has overseen operations at<br />
Stairmaster, following our acquisition<br />
of that business.<br />
There are many talented, high-quality<br />
people in the Star Trac organization<br />
who will remain, but we’ll continue to<br />
implement various changes, around<br />
our strategic plan, in the interest of all<br />
our stakeholders—most important<br />
among them, our customers.<br />
CBI: Your basic, bottom-line goal,<br />
with respect to Star Trac, is…?<br />
MB: I want a streamlined company that<br />
offers great products at a fair price and<br />
world-class service. Whatever it takes<br />
for us to get there, I can assure you that<br />
we’ll do it.<br />
CBI: Given that you now have<br />
some duplication among your<br />
various brands, how will you<br />
differentiate between, or<br />
even rationalize, overlapping<br />
product lines?<br />
MB: Each of the brands has a unique<br />
position in the market. Star Trac and<br />
Spinning, its group-cycling component,<br />
constitute a powerful brand combination;<br />
and Stairmaster and Schwinn each<br />
have their own appeal and core markets.<br />
Some might disagree, but we believe<br />
that each brand provides distinct<br />
opportunities. For the time being,<br />
we’ll maintain separate sales teams<br />
and see how the cards play out.<br />
“It’s my personal goal to see Land<br />
America and all of my fitness<br />
equipment businesses and brands<br />
become best in class, globally.”<br />
36 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
CBI: Tell us a little bit about your<br />
factory in Xiamen, China, which<br />
you built from the ground up. How<br />
can it possibly produce so many<br />
distinctly different product lines?<br />
MB: When I first decided to build this<br />
factory, I envisioned it to be about<br />
200,000 square feet in size, but it grew<br />
as I realized that our opportunities were<br />
increasing. I acted as general contractor<br />
during construction, and I had a ball! Up<br />
to that point, no foreigner had ever built<br />
a green-field facility in China this way.<br />
Today, the factory is 800,000 square<br />
feet, beneath one roof, and we’re still<br />
expanding. In terms of manufacturing,<br />
we divide activities into cells, similar to<br />
the way that Dell operates; in fact, we’ve<br />
visited their manufacturing plant in<br />
Xiamen many times. We do almost<br />
everything in-house, outsourcing as<br />
little as possible. Other than my wife<br />
and children, this factory may be what<br />
I’m most proud of.<br />
CBI: How has the recent recession<br />
and lingering economic malaise<br />
affected your business?<br />
MB: The fitness-equipment business<br />
obviously experienced a slowdown over<br />
the past few years. But, given what we<br />
learned when conducting our research,<br />
and during interviews with the owners<br />
and executives of some of the top health<br />
club chains, we expect demand to<br />
increase. Plans for new facilities are<br />
clearly underway.<br />
CBI: How do you think the fitnessequipment<br />
manufacturing sector<br />
will fare long-term?<br />
MB: The long term looks promising for<br />
a number of reasons. Principal among<br />
them, for us, is the fact that our facility<br />
is at about 60% of capacity, which<br />
provides us with an opportunity to<br />
manufacture more of our Star Trac and<br />
Stairmaster products there as we move<br />
forward with our structural changes.<br />
CBI: Today, everyone’s talking<br />
about the growing importance<br />
of the Internet, interactivity,<br />
mobile applications, etc. How<br />
do you think technology is going<br />
to change the industry?<br />
MB: Thanks for the opportunity to plug<br />
one of our own products: Star Trac<br />
Coach—a personalized treadmill<br />
workout with more than 1 million<br />
combinations led by a professional<br />
trainer—is a great example of current<br />
technology. In general, innovations<br />
such as this will deliver an increasingly<br />
customer-centric member experience,<br />
providing engagement and information<br />
whenever and wherever the club member<br />
wants it. The mobility trend will be a<br />
key influencer. And connectivity will<br />
also provide club operators with better<br />
business intelligence.<br />
CBI: In 2007, the board of directors<br />
of the Nautilus Group put together
a deal to purchase Land America<br />
for $72 million. Why wasn’t the<br />
transaction ever consummated?<br />
MB: Edward J. Bramson is a very fine<br />
man who, among other things, is the<br />
managing member of Sherborne Investors<br />
GP, LLC, and Sherborne Investors<br />
Management GP, LLC. He acquired a<br />
major stake in Nautilus, and he decided<br />
that it wasn’t the right thing to do at the<br />
time. Bramson now serves as the CEO<br />
and chairman of Nautilus. He made me<br />
an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I agreed<br />
to terminate the purchase agreement.<br />
Actually, in the final analysis, I was<br />
happy to get my factory back. Today,<br />
though it’s hard to put a figure on market<br />
valuation, I feel my businesses are<br />
conservatively worth more than $300<br />
million. With our recent acquisitions,<br />
we’ll be seeing significant consolidated<br />
growth in revenues in the near future.<br />
CBI: Speaking of that—what are<br />
your primary goals for continued<br />
growth?<br />
MB: Our focus now, of course, is to<br />
integrate the brands that I’ve acquired,<br />
while focusing on restoring confidence in<br />
the Star Trac brand by improving customer<br />
service and quality. We’ve made<br />
great strides from where we were just a<br />
few months ago. It’s my personal goal to<br />
see Land America and all of my fitness<br />
equipment businesses and brands<br />
become best in class, globally. And, obviously,<br />
a variety of new business opportunities<br />
and strategies will emerge, some<br />
of which I can’t discuss at this point.<br />
But let me make it very clear that<br />
our primary, immediate goal is to bring<br />
Star Trac back to the service level our<br />
customers were used to in the past.<br />
The company lost sight, somewhere, of<br />
what made them one of the most compelling<br />
brands in the industry, but we’re<br />
going to bring that distinction back. —|<br />
– Jon Feld, jfeld@inc.com<br />
Total<br />
Entertainment<br />
and Information<br />
Solutions<br />
888.330.4283<br />
www.broadcastvision.com<br />
Digital<br />
Signage<br />
Interactive<br />
Club<br />
Directory<br />
Wireless<br />
Transmitters<br />
& Receivers<br />
HD<br />
Personal<br />
Viewing<br />
Screens<br />
STAR TRAC SHINES AT SHOW<br />
| CBI Interview |<br />
DurIng IhrSA’S 30th Anniversary International<br />
Convention and Trade Show in San<br />
Francisco in March, Star Trac announced<br />
that it had entered into an exclusive fitnessequipment<br />
agreement with several industry<br />
leaders and three of their club brands.<br />
The company, based in Irvine, California,<br />
will be working with David “Patch” Patchell-<br />
Evans and Fit4Less by GoodLife, in Canada;<br />
Tony de Leede, of Fit n Fast Australia; and<br />
Mark Smith, of Cityfitness, in New Zealand.<br />
All told, the three chains account for more<br />
than 100 facilities.<br />
“Teaming up with Patch, Tony, and Mark,<br />
three of the most respected gentlemen in<br />
the industry, is an exciting venture,” noted<br />
Michael Bruno, the CEO of Land America,<br />
which owns Star Trac.<br />
“I have a lot of confidence in the new<br />
ownership and management of Star Trac,”<br />
said Patchell-Evans. “It’s another sign of<br />
the whole industry getting stronger after<br />
this recession.” —|<br />
Branded<br />
Music &<br />
Video<br />
Services<br />
Web<br />
Radio<br />
Sound<br />
Systems<br />
Large<br />
Screen<br />
TVs &<br />
Mounts<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 37
Doing the<br />
Right<br />
Thing!<br />
By Mia Coen<br />
residents of Belo express their<br />
gratitude via a 3K run<br />
38 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g
These clubs believe there’s more to life than the bottom line<br />
Health clubs certainly aren’t<br />
strangers to corporate responsibility.<br />
Armed with a seemingly<br />
endless array of equipment,<br />
programs, services, and professional<br />
skills and expertise, the<br />
industry’s practitioners are<br />
clearly qualified to help improve the lives of<br />
individuals, families, and entire communities.<br />
But, beyond their day-to-day operations, many<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> facilities have launched initiatives or joined<br />
with charitable organizations in order to make an<br />
even stronger, more meaningful impact on society.<br />
In their quest to improve the circumstances of<br />
communities in need, many have become impressive<br />
role models of philanthropy. They’re doing so<br />
not because it will increase membership sales, or<br />
member retention, or bottom-line profitability, but,<br />
rather, simply, because it’s the right thing to do.<br />
And, in their hearts, they, like Schultz, understand<br />
that there are rewards of other sorts.<br />
Fifth Avenue Club:<br />
Ethiopian Outreach<br />
“The responsibility of great companies is to find that balance<br />
between profitability, benevolence, and social conscience. Governments<br />
are not going to be able, around the world, to fulfill the needs<br />
of the people, and the gap between the haves and have-nots is<br />
growing… The consumer understands which companies, which<br />
products, have like-minded values to their own. And those<br />
companies that do the right thing will be rewarded…”<br />
—Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO, Starbucks Corporation<br />
The Fifth Avenue Club, a 15,500-square-foot facility<br />
with some 950 members in Calgary, Canada,<br />
has been making a big difference, both at home<br />
and abroad, for years. (See “<strong>IHRSA</strong>-CBI Club Photo<br />
Competition,” March 2010 CBI, pg. 47). Since it<br />
opened in 1996, it’s developed a local reputation<br />
for being a premier health and fitness destination<br />
that sets the standard for “friendly, personalized<br />
service.” And, nearly 8,000 miles away in Ethiopia,<br />
it’s also known for supporting a sustainable development<br />
project that’s touched the lives of more<br />
than 36,000 people.<br />
The club, owned and operated by Darren<br />
Kanwischer, has, for several years, been involved<br />
in a partnership with Food for the Hungry-<br />
Canada (FH), which provides a wide range of<br />
humanitarian services. Working with FH, Fifth<br />
Avenue has adopted Belo, a small agricultural<br />
village in central Ethiopia.<br />
The club donates $3 per member, per month,<br />
which is then matched 300% by the Canadian<br />
government. These funds have been used, among<br />
other things, to teach residents how to dig wells<br />
and obtain potable water; construct agricultural<br />
nurseries for coffee crops; develop irrigation<br />
systems; and build and staff medical clinics. As a<br />
result, the families of Belo no longer struggle each<br />
day to meet their most basic economic, social, and<br />
spiritual needs.<br />
“We’ve committed ourselves to supporting this<br />
project until 2012, when the community-development<br />
program is scheduled to be completed,” explains<br />
Kanwischer. He notes that, at that point, the village<br />
should be able to maintain a stable standard of living<br />
and provide for itself without further outside assistance.<br />
In addition to its ongoing financial support, Fifth<br />
Avenue has conducted a number of special fundraisers<br />
for Belo, including a 5K/10K charity run in<br />
May 2008. That spring, when some of the club’s<br />
staff traveled to the village to meet members of the<br />
community and assess the project’s progress, they<br />
were welcomed with a similar 3K event staged by<br />
local residents.<br />
“Going there and meeting the people was an<br />
eye-opening experience,” recalls Kanwischer. “We<br />
witnessed an overwhelming show of gratitude and<br />
appreciation from the people living in Belo.”<br />
When Kanwischer and his staff returned to Belo<br />
this past November, they were pleased to find that ><br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 39
Doing the right Thing!<br />
Owner Darren Kanwischer, l.,<br />
and club staffers in Belo<br />
new medical and veterinary clinics were about to open.<br />
The latter, which will be staffed by the government, will<br />
play a significant role in keeping the local livestock healthy.<br />
Since June 2007, the Fifth Avenue Club has been able<br />
to raise approximately $154,000 for Belo. The club also<br />
conducted a series of team challenges, spin-a-thons, and<br />
other activities to raise an extra $15,800—$5,000 of<br />
which was earmarked to develop a new high school in<br />
Belo, which had never had one. “Before the high school<br />
was built, education didn’t continue past the eighth<br />
grade,” notes Kanwischer.<br />
Healthworks:<br />
A Fitness Foundation<br />
Since it was launched in 1977, the Healthworks Fitness<br />
Centers for Women (HFCW), now a five-facility chain,<br />
has become one of Greater Boston’s premier fitness providers.<br />
But founder Mark Harrington envisioned a<br />
broader, more inclusive, health club community, one centered<br />
on exercise and healthy lifestyles, that could meet<br />
the needs of the residents of low-income neighborhoods.<br />
So, in 1998, Harrington founded the Healthworks<br />
Foundation, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to<br />
providing such areas with access to high-quality health<br />
and fitness opportunities to empower, educate, and enable<br />
women, allowing them to lead healthier, happier lives.<br />
Today, the Healthworks Foundation operates two<br />
thriving nonprofit fitness centers in Dorchester, Massachusetts,<br />
a large and diverse neighborhood on the south<br />
side of Boston. HFCW is the foundation’s principal<br />
financial backer, but it also receives support from organizations<br />
such as the American Heart Association (AHA).<br />
The foundation’s first location, Healthworks at St.<br />
Mary’s, opened in 2002 in the Uphams Corner neighborhood,<br />
and serves the St. Mary’s Center for Women and<br />
Children, which provides shelter to homeless and<br />
40 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
low-income women, pregnant teens, and young<br />
mothers. The 3,500-square-foot facility has a cardio<br />
section, a circuit-training and free-weight area, and, for<br />
those working out in its recently refurbished group-<br />
exercise studio, a spectacular panoramic view of Boston.<br />
Healthworks at St. Mary’s has served nearly 7,000<br />
women since opening in 2002 and operational costs<br />
hover near $40,000 annually.<br />
In 2009, the foundation entered into a partnership with<br />
the Codman Square Health Center to open Healthworks at<br />
Codman, in the Codman Square community. This site is<br />
nearly triple the size of the St. Mary’s location and represents<br />
a new approach in the fitness industry. It works<br />
directly with several community health centers, including<br />
Codman Square and the Dorchester House Multi-Service<br />
Center, and their medical providers to support patient<br />
health and chronic-disease prevention and treatment.<br />
For instance, doctors from the centers can prescribe<br />
exercise to their patients to treat obesity, hypertension,<br />
type 2 diabetes, or depression (or a combination thereof),<br />
and Healthworks at Codman will provide them with a<br />
free three-month membership.<br />
Members of Healthworks at Codman are encouraged<br />
to utilize all of the resources available in the building,<br />
which is operated by Dotwell, the foundation’s socialservice<br />
partner. Members pay a fee based on their<br />
income, but no member pays more than $30 per month.<br />
Members can also enroll their children in Physi-Kids, an<br />
after-school physical activity program that offers a<br />
refundable deposit of $5 per season for children with a<br />
body mass index (BMI) in the 95th percentile or higher.<br />
To assist single mothers, the center provides free childcare.<br />
Since opening in 2009, Healthworks at Codman<br />
healthworks at Codman<br />
Executive Director Lauren<br />
Broadhurst, l., assists member
has served approximately 3,500 women and children<br />
and is eager to expand its reach. Annual operational<br />
costs are approximately $200,000.00.<br />
“In middle-income communities, there’s somehow an<br />
expectation that you’re going to have access to gyms,<br />
but, when you’re in a low-income community, that just<br />
doesn’t exist,” says Bill Walczak, the founder of the<br />
Codman Square Health Center, who helped create<br />
Healthworks at Codman. Now, thanks to the Healthworks<br />
Foundation, that’s changed.<br />
Spring Fitness:<br />
Honoring Veterans<br />
Spring Fitness seems, at first glance, like a fairly typical<br />
small regional chain scattered throughout northwest<br />
Houston, Texas. Its three multipurpose facilities, averaging<br />
11,000 square feet in size, are situated in Spring,<br />
Tomball, and Magnolia, and collectively serve some<br />
6,000 people. Each boasts an attractive all-inclusive<br />
membership package, which encompasses aerobics,<br />
personal training, tanning, and childcare.<br />
What differentiates the Spring Fitness centers from<br />
their competitors, including several big-box operations,<br />
is a charitable initiative that no other club in the area,<br />
and, conceivably, nationwide, is conducting. Last August,<br />
the company began offering free six-month memberships—no<br />
strings attached—to U.S. military veterans<br />
and active-duty personnel.<br />
The idea was the collective brainchild of owner Tom<br />
Kennison; general manager Derek Terell, a hospital<br />
corpsman during Operation Desert Storm in 1991; and<br />
Spring Fitness staffers, most of whom have either served<br />
group-ex at healthworks<br />
at Codman<br />
Staff of Spring Fitness<br />
centers strongly<br />
support our troops<br />
in the military or have family and friends who’ve also<br />
answered their nation’s call. The team launched the<br />
campaign to honor military personnel residing in their<br />
market, acknowledging and honoring their service and<br />
sacrifice, by opening the clubs’ doors to them for free.<br />
The program got underway in a low-key way, with<br />
some roadside signs and a flier in a coupon booklet sent<br />
out in the mail. Now, some 100 veterans and active<br />
military men and women are making use of the gyms at<br />
no cost. Each pays a $35 processing fee when they sign<br />
up, but, beyond that, nothing, and Spring Fitness<br />
receives no tax benefit or other compensation.<br />
“For clubs, the only downside is if you’re worried about<br />
money,” says Kennison, “but I’d encourage everyone to<br />
do this. With the six-month membership, our service<br />
men and women can use our facilities, stay in top shape,<br />
and not have to pay a single cent. In return, we feel good<br />
about giving them a place to come where they’re appreciated,<br />
and about being able to contribute something to<br />
their health and wellness.<br />
“Even people who aren’t vets or in the military have<br />
found this program appealing,” notes Kennison. “They<br />
want to become members because they’re proud of what<br />
we’re doing.” About 70% of qualifying members who take<br />
advantage of the free six-month membership continue to<br />
pay regular membership dues after their short-term<br />
membership has expired.<br />
Spring Fitness, whose heart is apparently as big as,<br />
well, Texas, is also involved with the RBI Foundation,<br />
which supports youth baseball; participates in fundraisers<br />
for Susan G. Komen for the Cure; and hosts blood drives<br />
at each of its clubs twice a year to support the Gulf Coast<br />
Regional Blood Center.<br />
When asked how long he plans to continue offering<br />
the program for veterans, Kennison replies, without<br />
hesitation: “Forever. We’ll never stop.” —|<br />
– Mia Coen, Mia@fit-etc.com<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 41
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Intel center, Santa<br />
Monica, California<br />
The<br />
Fitness<br />
Technology<br />
By Liane Cassavoy<br />
of Tomorrow<br />
…IS BEIng ExpLOrED AT InTEL’S COrpOrATE FITnESS CEnTEr TODAy<br />
imagine an all-in-one piece of fitness equipment that knows each of your club’s<br />
members better than their own doctors do. It knows all about their past workouts, how<br />
well they completed them, tracks their schedule, and is even able to ask how they feel.<br />
It then takes all of these factors into consideration and designs the perfect workout for<br />
them—even going so far as to raise the arms of the bench press unit to the exact height<br />
they require, or increase the resistance on the treadmill as they run.<br />
This equipment exists today, but you won’t find it in most clubs. Where you will find<br />
it, however, is on the Chandler/Ocotillo, Arizona, campus of the Intel Corporation,<br />
home to some 9,700 of the company’s employees. Best known as a manufacturer of<br />
computer processors, Intel is quickly acquiring serious expertise in the fitness industry,<br />
and is bringing its computing power to bear to help create some of the world’s most high-tech<br />
fitness equipment. Its corporate fitness center in Chandler/Ocotillo is, arguably, the most high-tech<br />
fitness facility on the planet.<br />
Intel now hopes to be instrumental in bringing similar technology to the masses. ><br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 43
The Fitness Technology of Tomorrow<br />
SEArChIng FOr<br />
STATE-OF-ThE-ArT<br />
The Intel center features many of the<br />
same types of equipment that you’d<br />
find in a typical gym, including stationary<br />
bikes, treadmills, and elliptical<br />
trainers. It boasts the newest and<br />
most sophisticated products from<br />
many of the industry’s leading manufacturers,<br />
including Keiser, Nautilus,<br />
Power Plate, Star Trac, TRUE Fitness,<br />
and Woodway. Upon close inspection,<br />
you’ll discover that the equipment is<br />
all state-of-the-art, much of it Internetconnected<br />
and running Intel’s Core 2<br />
Duo processors.<br />
The center’s elliptical trainers, for<br />
instance, are from Octane Fitness.<br />
The machines feature 15" touchscreens<br />
that serve a dual purpose:<br />
entertaining people to enhance their<br />
workout, and providing additional<br />
information about their exercise to<br />
keep them focused. “People either<br />
want to zone in, or zone out, when<br />
they’re working out,” explains Tim<br />
Porth, Octane’s executive vice presi-<br />
“INTEL IS … HEAvILY<br />
INvOLvED IN HEALTH-<br />
CARE, AND THEY SEE A<br />
LOT OF CONvERGENCE<br />
BETWEEN HEALTH-<br />
CARE AND FITNESS.”<br />
dent of marketing and product<br />
development. “For those who want<br />
to zone in and focus on their workout,<br />
we provide information about<br />
the equipment they’re using and<br />
how they’re using it.<br />
“But most people,” he points out,<br />
“just want to get in to the gym, zone<br />
out, and get their workout done; for<br />
them, we offer really good content—<br />
plenty of entertainment options.”<br />
44 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
Core performance facility netpulse’s online options<br />
To deliver the latter, Octane has<br />
turned to Netpulse, Inc., a media<br />
company that produces content that,<br />
according to CEO Bryan Arp, is<br />
designed to “connect, entertain, and<br />
engage active lifestyle consumers…<br />
“When you go into a gym today,”<br />
he continues, “you generally see<br />
rather ordinary TVs. Our product<br />
represents the next generation—it’s<br />
a touchscreen interface that provides<br />
on-demand content, interactive fitness<br />
tracking, and an iPod dock.” He<br />
notes that it transforms the workout<br />
experience into a personal one, no<br />
matter where the user is. “You step<br />
on a treadmill and enter your ID,” he<br />
explains. “The treadmill says, ‘Welcome,<br />
Susie. Here’s your personal<br />
playlist.’ You can see your entire<br />
workout history and your video playlist<br />
at any club in the country.”<br />
Netpulse’s content is delivered<br />
through its own aftermarket product,<br />
a monitor that’s universally<br />
compatible and sits on top of any<br />
type of fitness equipment. In March,<br />
during <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s 30th Anniversary<br />
International Convention and Trade<br />
Show, the firm announced that its<br />
service will soon become available<br />
on equipment with integrated touchscreens<br />
manufactured by companies<br />
such as Life Fitness, Matrix Fitness,<br />
Technogym, and Woodway.<br />
CuSTOMIzIng wOrKOuTS<br />
The high-tech innovations at Intel’s<br />
Chandler/Ocotillo center, however,<br />
go far beyond Internet-connected,<br />
touchscreen-enabled devices. A<br />
separate section of the fitness facility<br />
houses the Core Performance<br />
Center, which features CPro all-inone<br />
fitness trainers, produced by<br />
Athlete’s Performance. The company,<br />
based in Phoenix, Arizona, provides<br />
integrated performance training,<br />
nutrition, and physical therapy<br />
services, principally for professional,<br />
Olympic, and elite athletes, and its<br />
CPro units are utilized primarily by<br />
corporate fitness centers.<br />
CPro provides a “completely customized”<br />
workout experience, according<br />
to Jon Zerden, the chief technical<br />
officer at Athlete’s Performance.<br />
Before using the CPro, a client<br />
undergoes a thorough screening,<br />
which evaluates everything from<br />
their medical history, to their blood<br />
pressure, to their functional mobility.<br />
Then, each time they log on to<br />
the CPro, it generates a customized<br />
workout based on factors that<br />
include their prior workouts and<br />
even their current mood.<br />
“It factors in the data from your<br />
evaluation, your schedule, and<br />
everything that you’ve done in the<br />
past, here in this facility, that we’re<br />
able to measure—even your heartbeat—and<br />
sends that information to<br />
a prescription engine,” Zerden<br />
explains. “The engine utilizes 33,000<br />
rules that are based on research and<br />
science, which allow it to develop the<br />
optimal training program for you;<br />
that program is sent back to the<br />
CPro, and the device automates the
Cpro unit with power plate<br />
workout for you.” It can, for instance,<br />
increase the weight for each lat pulldown<br />
a member does or adjust the<br />
incline of the treadmill they’re using.<br />
This sort of exercise automation is<br />
key to bringing equipment similar to<br />
CPro to the masses, notes Ed Hill, the<br />
director of marketing for Intel’s<br />
embedded and communications<br />
group. Hill, who has used the CPro<br />
machine at the Intel center, describes<br />
it as “a significant change in the way<br />
training is delivered…<br />
“As a recreational fitness user, I<br />
don’t always know what I should be<br />
doing when I go into a club,” he<br />
confesses. “The CPro focuses attention<br />
on the muscle groups that you<br />
need to work on. It feels as though<br />
you’re getting that overall, full-body<br />
balance and working on areas that,<br />
otherwise, you might not have realized<br />
required your attention.”<br />
But, Hill notes, with CPro, the<br />
possibilities extend beyond its ability<br />
to customize workouts. Like a growing<br />
number of products from a<br />
growing number of manufacturers,<br />
it provides important feedback for<br />
both the member and the club. “Anyone<br />
can walk into a gym and complete<br />
a workout, but, with the CPro, you’re<br />
able to monitor, gauge, and track your<br />
performance, so you know if you’re<br />
exercising correctly,” he explains.<br />
The technology built into many of<br />
the newer machines also allows<br />
operators to monitor usage. “Our<br />
system allows club owners to go to a<br />
Website and obtain a detailed his-<br />
Intel center,<br />
Chandler/Ocotillo, Arizona<br />
tory of each machine,” points out<br />
Porth. “You might, for example, have<br />
a line of 10 ellipticals, and discover<br />
that one of them is being used four<br />
times as much as the others. It could<br />
be because of positioning, or the<br />
view, but, whatever the reason,<br />
you’ll know that you need to rotate<br />
your equipment. Otherwise, you’ll<br />
eventually be replacing one machine<br />
that has 10,000 hours and one that<br />
only has 4,000.”<br />
Other systems, such as Netpulse’s,<br />
allow clubs to track exactly what<br />
members are doing, and can even be<br />
employed to send them personal<br />
messages. “When a member logs in,<br />
the club can communicate with<br />
them, personalizing the message,”<br />
says Arp. “It can send a message<br />
like, ‘Hi, Susie, yoga classes are<br />
Thursday at 5:00.’”<br />
BrIDgIng FITnESS<br />
AnD hEALThCArE<br />
One of the most promising implications<br />
of the ability to track workouts<br />
is that it allows healthcare professionals<br />
to monitor and evaluate<br />
the effect that a fitness regimen is<br />
having on a patient’s health. Intel is<br />
particularly interested in the relationship<br />
between the healthcare and<br />
fitness industries.<br />
“Intel is allocating a lot of resources<br />
to explore how they can help build a<br />
bridge between these two industries,”<br />
says Kevin Steele, Ph.D., the<br />
co-creator and co-chair of the Fitness<br />
Industry Technology Council<br />
(FITC), which is backed by Intel.<br />
“They recognize the huge problem<br />
with worldwide obesity, its escalating<br />
cost, and the profound impact it has<br />
on corporations. And they think,<br />
‘Hey, we can help.’”<br />
The council is currently studying<br />
a number of issues, including the<br />
standardization of the calculation,<br />
capturing, reporting, and sharing of<br />
data across equipment produced by<br />
different manufacturers, a major<br />
requirement to serve the healthcare<br />
sector. In the future, the work being<br />
done by FITC could allow a club to<br />
seamlessly send information directly<br />
to a doctor, who could then prescribe<br />
a workout for a patient and send it<br />
directly to the gym.<br />
The members of FITC currently<br />
include: ABC Financial Services, Inc.;<br />
Athlete’s Performance; BCM; Club-<br />
Com; Dedham Health and Athletic<br />
Complex; Eurotech; Gainesville Health<br />
and Fitness Centers; <strong>IHRSA</strong>; Intel; Life<br />
Fitness; Life Time Fitness; Matrix Fitness;<br />
Netpulse, Inc.; Octane Fitness;<br />
Planet Fitness; Plus One; Precor, Inc.;<br />
Star Trac; Twin Oaks Software Development;<br />
Town Sports International<br />
(TSI); and Woodway.<br />
Intel has documented the health<br />
benefits of regular exercise at its<br />
Chandler/Ocotillo facility. Earlier<br />
this year, the company conducted a<br />
study to evaluate its impact on<br />
employees. The 14-week corporate<br />
wellness pilot program followed 75<br />
workers who trained three times per<br />
week on the CPro strength and<br />
cardio equipment. Over that period,<br />
the average participant lost 14<br />
pounds, and reduced their body fat<br />
percentage by 6% and their cholesterol<br />
by more than 5%.<br />
Interactive state-of-the-art fitness<br />
equipment serves a host of needs,<br />
offers incalculable opportunities, and<br />
provides a plethora of benefits. It<br />
attracts prospects, engages members,<br />
makes exercise more entertaining,<br />
precise, and rewarding, and, overall,<br />
enhances the industry’s professionalism<br />
in profound ways. —|<br />
– Liane Cassavoy,<br />
liane.cassavoy@gmail.com<br />
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prODuCT<br />
Feature headline goes here no Continued<br />
SHOWCASE<br />
CreATive FiTneSS MArkeTing<br />
Technology is constantly changing the way that we work, play, and, yes, exercise. It provides an interactive environment<br />
of virtually infinite possibilities, making workouts more interesting, efficient, effective, and rewarding. <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s associatemember<br />
companies offer a wide range of products—e.g., software, touchscreen displays, exercise tracking systems,<br />
entertainment options, Internet access—that are guaranteed to help your members reach their health and fitness goals.<br />
MYZONE utilizes the latest heart-rate technology<br />
to actively display, report, and promote physical<br />
activity. Whether in a class, on the gym floor,<br />
or as part of a personal training session,<br />
members can view their heart rate and calories<br />
burned in real time with their workout session<br />
automatically logged to their MYZONE account<br />
for review. MYZONE also provides key reports,<br />
which allow staff to have relevant conversations<br />
with their members and set key performance<br />
indicators, helping to improve member retention.<br />
Contact: 312-870-4802, www.myzonemoves.com.<br />
Please see our ad on page 88. —|<br />
FiTneSS On requeST<br />
Fitness On Request is an automated group<br />
fitness platform designed to enhance group<br />
fitness scheduling flexibility and participation.<br />
The system helps clubs decrease program<br />
costs, add revenue opportunities, and increase<br />
sales performance as a true market differentiation<br />
tool. It comes standard with a sleek<br />
touchscreen kiosk, studio speakers, HD<br />
projector, and powered screen.<br />
Contact: 888-520-7501, www.fitnessonrequest.com.<br />
Please see our ad on page 90. —|<br />
MATriX FiTneSS<br />
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BrOAdCASTviSiOn enTerTAinMenT<br />
Broadcastvision Entertainment,<br />
owned by Cardio Entertainment,<br />
Inc. (CEI), continues new product<br />
launches involving wireless<br />
entertainment and LCD products.<br />
The company is the leading<br />
provider of an all-in-one<br />
(900MHZ, 863MHZ, and FM-band)<br />
audio receiver that fitness equipment<br />
manufacturers integrate<br />
into their products’ consoles.<br />
Broadcastvision reports its traditional and new entertainment products as strong<br />
sellers, providing cost-effective, no-fuss entertainment solutions refined with<br />
new developments, such as the Apex preset programming software for quickly<br />
and accurately loading preset channels through a computer port. Its latest product,<br />
Club Concierge, connects members with information about club services and amenities,<br />
and provides club owners with ancillary revenue streams in an interactive<br />
touch screen directory with customized digital signage.<br />
Contact: 888-330-4238, www.broadcastvision.com. Please see our ad on page 37. —|<br />
CYBeX inTernATiOnAL<br />
The new CYBEX 770T enhances the joys of<br />
running, jogging, and walking. The 770T<br />
is the first-ever treadmill with CYBEX’s<br />
advanced ARMZ support bars and Cardio-<br />
Touch display—one screen that puts<br />
every exercise and entertainment option<br />
at the user’s fingertips. The IS3 Intelligent<br />
Suspension System matches the ergonomics<br />
of running: the deck is soft at<br />
landing, firm in the middle, and rigid at<br />
toe-off. With the 770T, an elite runner<br />
can push the limits, while the casual<br />
user can enjoy a comfortable walk.<br />
Contact: 774-324-8000, www.cybexintl.com.<br />
Please see our ad on the inside front cover and page 1. —|<br />
virtual Active by Matrix offers fully interactive programming compatible with all Matrix 7xe<br />
cardio products, allowing users to escape to exotic locales like the lush forests of Hawaii or the<br />
majestic Grand Canyon. Users will not only see their destination in the dynamic video content<br />
displayed on the console, but they will feel gradual terrain changes under their feet and hear<br />
the ambient sounds through their headphones, for a near total immersion without leaving their<br />
health club.<br />
Contact: 866.693.4863, www.matrixfitness.com. Please see our ad on the french cover. —|
LiFe FiTneSS<br />
The Life Fitness Elevation series—the industry’s first<br />
cardio line to offer seamless iPod compatibility—has undergone a high-tech<br />
makeover. The company recently introduced an amped-up version of this series,<br />
including several new tech upgrades to its Engage console. The machines’ new<br />
hybrid feature adds people-powered entertainment options; an ePub reader<br />
allows for easy viewing of PDF documents stored on a USB; and a soon-to-bereleased<br />
smartphone app will boost workouts by syncing with the Life Fitness<br />
virtual Trainer.<br />
Contact: 800-351-3737, www.lifefitness.com. Please see our ad on page 11. —|<br />
PreCOr, inC.<br />
The new Precor Experience Series 880 line<br />
of cardio equipment features a 15" LCD<br />
capacitive touch-screen console, just like<br />
a high-end phone. The simple and intuitive<br />
interface and the featured workouts that<br />
change daily draw exercisers deeper into<br />
their workout. Members will enjoy the<br />
embedded club entertainment options with<br />
friendly channel names and previews, as<br />
well as the ability to connect to their iPod or<br />
iPhone to enjoy their personal content.<br />
Contact: 800-786-8404, www.precor.com.<br />
Please see our ad on page 19. —|<br />
TeCHnOgYM<br />
For more information, or to contact<br />
any of these companies, log on to<br />
www.ihrsa.org/products<br />
FiTview, inC.<br />
prODuCT<br />
SHOWCASE<br />
Coaching and professional training are a<br />
lifelong journey for clubs, trainers, and members.<br />
Fitview provides the professional tools<br />
that coaches and trainers need to ensure<br />
members’ success over the long term. The<br />
Fitview team brings decades of consumer<br />
and professional product experience with<br />
modern mobile, desktop, and service platforms<br />
to the health and fitness markets.<br />
The Fitview products for iPad, iPhone, and<br />
the Web were forged in testing with leading<br />
coaches in personal training, boot camp,<br />
and CrossFit environments, enabling clubs<br />
to engage and retain members like never<br />
before—for life.<br />
Contact: www.fitview.com.<br />
Please see our ad on page 93. —|<br />
vISIOWEB, Technogym’s newest cardiovascular interface, offers an innovative and entertaining<br />
training experience with iPod compatibility, games, Guide Me instructional videos, and<br />
hundreds of Tv channels. Additionally, vISIOWEB features Internet connectivity, enabling<br />
users to browse their favorite Websites, send e-mails, check social media sites, and more.<br />
The optional Communicator software offers marketing capacity: operators can send out<br />
instant messages and surveys to members’ cardio displays, or post messages and<br />
promotions in a bulletin board area.<br />
Contact: 800-804-0952, www.technogym.com. Please see our ad on the back cover. —|<br />
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48 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
IhrSA30<br />
CElEbrATEs & DEMOnsTrATEs<br />
induSTrY eXCeLLenCe<br />
By Patricia Amend and Patricia glynn<br />
THere wAS A CLeAr SenSe OF renewAL And ‘FAMiLY’ AT THiS<br />
YeAr’S COnvenTiOn And TrAde SHOw in SAn FrAnCiSCO<br />
As a celebration of “three decades of excellence,” <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s 30th<br />
Anniversary International Convention and Trade Show, which<br />
took place March 16-19 in San Francisco, was a momentous,<br />
joyful occasion with a very human touch.<br />
The largest fitness industry event in the U.S., <strong>IHRSA</strong>30 drew<br />
a total of 10,400 health club operators, suppliers, and fitness<br />
industry professionals from 70 countries, who converged on<br />
Moscone Convention Center to network and renew old friendships;<br />
to learn about the best business practices from around the<br />
globe; to view the industry’s newest and most innovative equipment<br />
at a truly dynamic trade show; to honor the heroes of the<br />
industry for their unceasing devotion and commitment; and to<br />
hear from the smartest and most entertaining speakers on the circuit, including Regina Benjamin,<br />
MD, MBA, the 18th Surgeon General of the United States.<br />
“<strong>IHRSA</strong> struck pure gold this year,” said John McCarthy, <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s executive director emeritus.<br />
“I heard exceptionally positive comments about the keynote speakers and many exhibitors told<br />
me that it was the best <strong>IHRSA</strong> show in the past 10 years.”<br />
“This was my first trip to an <strong>IHRSA</strong> Convention and Trade Show, and it felt like a family<br />
reunion,” said Trent Thompson, a commercial sales consultant for Life Fitness in Australia.<br />
In that spirit, each registrant received a copy of the <strong>IHRSA</strong> 30th Anniversary Yearbook, which<br />
features more than 400 biographies from <strong>IHRSA</strong> club and associate members.<br />
The positive energy was noticeable as the attendees shared experiences from the last three<br />
decades. There was also a sense of relief now that the Great Recession is coming to an end, and<br />
a much brighter future lies ahead.<br />
Motivational marvels<br />
Dr. Benjamin generated much of the buzz. Speaking on Saturday, March 16, as “America’s<br />
Doctor,” she described her “vision for a healthy and fit nation,” and how she intends “to change the<br />
discussion about obesity from what people can’t do to what they can do to stay healthy and fit.”<br />
She emphasized that exercise is medicine, and physicians “should make it part of every interaction<br />
with every patient,” pointing out that exercise should be time we take for ourselves “to play<br />
and have fun.” She also announced that she would run her first half-marathon in New York’s<br />
Central Park in early April. ><br />
zumbathon raised<br />
hopes and heart rates
Solidifying friendships Exhibiting strength<br />
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IhrSA30<br />
The Surgeon General acknowledged <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s power to<br />
elicit change, remarking, “As someone who oversees 6,500<br />
uniformed health officers around the world, I believe in the<br />
power of associations. Think of a snowflake, how fragile it<br />
is. But think of what snowflakes do<br />
when they stick together—they can<br />
create an avalanche.”<br />
The four other highly acclaimed<br />
keynote speakers encouraged<br />
their listeners to strive for excellence,<br />
describing a range of best<br />
business practices and their views<br />
on the true nature of motivation:<br />
Keynoter<br />
Daniel pink<br />
u.S. Surgeon general<br />
regina Benjamin, M.D.<br />
» Daniel Pink, the author of four<br />
provocative books on the changing<br />
world of work, including Drive:<br />
Exciting extras<br />
This year’s event had more than the usual share of special features and<br />
unforgettable moments:<br />
» On Thursday March 17, The Surgeon General traded in her uniform for a<br />
black T-shirt and sweat pants, and joined with Beto Perez, cofounder of<br />
Zumba, the Zumba Fitness Family of Instructors, and 1,300 other enthusiastic<br />
participants for the Zumbathon, a fundraiser for Augie’s Quest and the<br />
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis<br />
(ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.<br />
» Dr. Benjamin made another appearance on Friday evening, March 18,<br />
when she joined more than 800 others in honoring industry legend Augie<br />
Nieto at the 6th Annual B*A*S*H for MDA’s Augie’s Quest, emceed by The<br />
Today Show’s Natalie Morales. This year’s event raised over $1.3 million;<br />
to date, Augie’s Quest has raised in excess of $28 million for ALS research.<br />
» A new book, Legends of Fitness: The Forces, Influencers, and <strong>Innovations</strong><br />
That Helped Shape the Fitness Industry, by Stephen Tharrett, M.S., Frank<br />
50 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
presenter Tony hsieh<br />
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, sponsored<br />
by Matrix Fitness, stressed the idea that motivation is<br />
intrinsic rather than extrinsic, and that, for complex tasks,<br />
“carrot-stick” motivators often don’t work. Engagement in<br />
the task works better, but people cannot be “managed” into<br />
involvement. Rather, when individuals feel a sense of<br />
autonomy, mastery, and purpose, they will feel motivated.<br />
» Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, and author of Happiness:<br />
A Path to Profits, Passion & Purpose, sponsored by<br />
Technogym, described his efforts to create a corporate<br />
culture that “wows our customers, employees, and<br />
vendors.” Unlike other companies, Zappos does not<br />
“upsell” customers nor use sales scripts. It has a 360-day<br />
return policy, no shipping costs, and displays its toll-free<br />
number on every page of its Website to encourage<br />
customer calls. “If you get the interaction with customers
ight, people remember it… The Zappos brand is about<br />
providing the very best customer service.”<br />
» Patrick Lencioni,<br />
author of The Four<br />
D i s c i p l i n e s o f a<br />
Healthy Organization,<br />
sponsored by Precor<br />
Inc., explained that<br />
truly healthy companies<br />
have several<br />
things in common:<br />
they’re managed by a<br />
Speaker patrick Lencioni cohesive leadership<br />
team that’s free from<br />
infighting and politics; they have “just enough” structure;<br />
and they offer employees an environment where they<br />
feel supported and can openly admit uncertainty and<br />
error. To foster such a trusting atmosphere, Lencioni<br />
emphasized that leadership “go first,” acknowledging<br />
that “you don’t know and can’t do everything.”<br />
TV host<br />
phil Keoghan<br />
» Phil Keoghan, host of<br />
the reality television<br />
show, The Amazing<br />
Race, and author of No<br />
Opportunity Wasted: 8<br />
Ways to Create a List<br />
for the Life You Want<br />
Now, sponsored by<br />
SPRI Products, Inc.,<br />
showed behind-thescenes<br />
photos from The<br />
Amazing Race and<br />
some of his other TV productions, which were both inspiring<br />
and very funny, while urging people to put away their<br />
fears and allow themselves to dream.<br />
zumbathon benefitted<br />
Augie’s Quest<br />
Sensational sessions<br />
Convention-goers had their choice of 140 seminars,<br />
panels, workshops, and educational sessions that covered<br />
a broad range of topics. Following are tips from a<br />
select few:<br />
Mike James: “Practical, Colorful, Creative Management<br />
Techniques from Around the Globe”<br />
» Never tolerate bad attitudes in the workplace; instead,<br />
maintain a “shape up or ship out” approach, even with<br />
staffers who are consistently high performers.<br />
» Treat staff as valued professionals rather than as service<br />
personnel; bestowing higher status typically begets<br />
enhanced performance.<br />
Caption<br />
» Offer continual, comprehensive training; don’t assume<br />
staff possess certain skills and knowledge.<br />
“i heard exceptionally positive comments<br />
about the keynote speakers, and many<br />
exhibitors told me that it was the best<br />
iHrSA show in the past 10 years.”<br />
Alexandra Williams: “Write to be Read”<br />
» If you aren’t taking advantage of social media, you<br />
should be; blogs, Facebook, and Twitter can help drive<br />
product and brand awareness, as well as sales.<br />
» Before posting, consider whether the information<br />
you’re disseminating is fresh, engaging, and relevant to<br />
your readers, lest they tune out your message.<br />
» Use social media to “pull” clients in, rather than to<br />
“push” sales; in other words, be social, not “salesy.” ><br />
O’Rourke, and James A. Peterson, Ph.D., which carries a special dedication to<br />
Nieto, was released. All proceeds will be donated to Augie’s Quest.<br />
» <strong>IHRSA</strong> also honored six club operators for their contributions to the fitness<br />
industry. The President’s Award went to Waldyr Soares, founder and president<br />
of Fitness Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brasil. The Julie Main Emerging Woman Scholarship<br />
was awarded to Jane Clark, a personal trainer and cancer exercise specialist<br />
at the Western Athletic Clubs, San Francisco, and a cancer exercise counselor<br />
at UCSF.<br />
» Laury Hammel and Myke Farricke, founders of the Longfellow Clubs in<br />
Wayland, Massachusetts, received the Outstanding Community Service Award.<br />
ZoeVeasey, cofounder of Cedardale Health and Fitness in Haverhill, Massachusetts,<br />
was honored with the Dale S. Dibble Distinguished Service Award.<br />
» Motionsoft of Rockville, Maryland—a leading provider of member-relationship<br />
products and services in the active lifestyle industry—was honored as Associate<br />
Member of the Year.<br />
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IhrSA30<br />
When readers value your message, they’re more inclined<br />
to give you the sale.<br />
Amanda Oborne: “The Big Picture: 6 Trends that will<br />
Change Your Club”<br />
» Nowadays, people are stressed, overwhelmed, and<br />
isolated; they’re hungry for happiness. By marketing<br />
with a “get happy” hook, you’ll draw lots more fans.<br />
Vaughan Schwass: “The Power of Living Brands”<br />
» Every club, no matter its size, can, and should, develop<br />
a unique brand; it’s a living business asset which creates<br />
differentiation and value.<br />
» Consumers prefer brands that stand for something;<br />
they’re not buying what you do, but rather why you do it.<br />
» Clients consider many variables, including how you<br />
treat staff, how you interact with the community, and<br />
your impact on the environment.<br />
“i’m getting lots of great ideas. There’s<br />
so much we could implement—lots of<br />
newer, upcoming trends which could<br />
really help us stand out.”<br />
Rick Caro, Pete Moore, Josh Comer, Steven Wayne,<br />
“The 15th Annual Financial Panel”<br />
» Membership levels increased in 2010.<br />
» The number of clubs remained the same, which is<br />
good; i.e., no “horror stories” of clubs closing.<br />
» Flat EBITDA is considered success right now.<br />
» Debt financing is becoming more available to larger<br />
operators in 2011.<br />
Trade show congestion<br />
52 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
Audience exuberance<br />
A sold-out, all-out Trade Show<br />
Before the doors to the trade show officially swung open<br />
at 11 a.m. on March 17, hordes of attendees were lined<br />
up, all eager to see the latest and greatest wares on display<br />
at the 305 booths representing 74 different product<br />
categories in the South Hall of the convention center.<br />
“Exhibitors were very enthusiastic this year; we had<br />
83 first-time exhibitors and we sold every inch of space,”<br />
said Tom Hunt, associate vice president of exhibit sales.<br />
“In fact, we had to turn 50 companies away.”<br />
As expected, there were the tried-and-true options:<br />
treadmills and bikes, and the usual wide variety of circuit<br />
training equipment lines. But there were also plenty of<br />
fresh, totally unexpected innovations. Who, after all,<br />
would imagine there’d be a mechanical horse on display,<br />
shipped in from Korean-based FORTIS? Though a bit<br />
out-of-the-ordinary, this equestrian-inspired equipment<br />
is well suited for rehabilitative work. It also helps conditions<br />
the core and lower body.<br />
One trend visitors did anticipate seeing was the continued<br />
proliferation of user-friendly technology. However,<br />
many vendors exceeded expectations in this category.<br />
Technogym, for one, offered a peek at Club 2.0, an<br />
online questionnaire designed to help staff discover the
FOrTIS horseback<br />
adventure<br />
unique aspirations of<br />
individual clients. This<br />
software offers a distinct<br />
advantage as it allows<br />
for a superior level of<br />
personalization that’s<br />
certain to boost both<br />
retention and revenues.<br />
Precor, likewise, went<br />
the tech-savvy route,<br />
offering its noteworthy<br />
Experience Series, a line<br />
that marries the company’s<br />
award-winning<br />
cardio with redesigned,<br />
sleekly sophisticated<br />
Johnny g. Krankcycle craze<br />
touchscreen consoles<br />
that are reminiscent of<br />
higher-end smart phones. Among the remarkable features<br />
of the intuitive system are the specialized workout<br />
routines, which are updated daily.<br />
And while high-tech products abounded, there was also<br />
a visible resurgence in the group exercise program<br />
category. Clients, it seems, while appreciative of technological<br />
gadgets, are also clamoring for more high-touch<br />
and interpersonal options. Thus, plenty of new fun, and<br />
functional, classes were on view.<br />
Les Mills, for example, launched CX30, a 30-minute<br />
core-focused group workout that’s inspired by personaltrainer-led<br />
strength workouts. TRX, along with officially<br />
dropping its former moniker, Fitness Anywhere, encouraged<br />
attendees to sample the TRX Rip Trainer. This<br />
latest addition is a full-body complement to suspension<br />
training, which emphasizes core-based, rotational<br />
power and high-velocity movements.<br />
Nancy Bambino, membership manager for Club Sport<br />
in San Ramon, California, found herself particularly<br />
invigorated by the many group fitness demonstrations.<br />
Kangoo Jumps in action<br />
“I’m getting lots of great ideas. There’s so much we could<br />
implement—lots of newer, upcoming trends which could<br />
really help us stand out.”<br />
Bryan Lupian, general manager for Gold’s Gym in<br />
Latham and Guilderland, New York, was just as enthusiastic.<br />
“I’m enjoying the show so much. We’re redoing a club<br />
and it’s very helpful to see, firsthand, all that’s available.<br />
Lupian marveled at these products and the other innovative<br />
possibilities on display for visitors to consider.<br />
Octane Fitness, for instance, introduced the Cross<br />
Circuit Pro, a novel elliptical featuring PowerBlock<br />
dumbbells set on an integrated rack. CYBEX, too, wowed<br />
the crowd, launching the 770T treadmill, the first to<br />
include the company’s patented ARMZ stabilizers for<br />
enhanced safety. And Total Gym highlighted three new<br />
bodyweight trainers: Total Gym Sport with 20 incline<br />
levels, an upgraded Total Gym GTS, and the redesigned,<br />
motorized Total Gym Power Tower.<br />
Finally, SportsArt Fitness unveiled its Green System, a<br />
“pod” of fitness equipment connected to an inverter that<br />
harnesses exercisers’ energy and turns it into useable<br />
power—up to 2,000 watts per hour.<br />
“exhibitors were very enthusiastic this<br />
year. we had 83 first-time exhibitors,<br />
and we sold every inch of space. in fact,<br />
we had to turn 50 companies away.”<br />
Summing up all four days of <strong>IHRSA</strong>30, Joe Moore,<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>’s president and CEO, remarked: “I am pleased to<br />
recognize every attendee, exhibitor, speaker, and award<br />
recipient who made <strong>IHRSA</strong>30 the best it could be. We<br />
gladly look ahead to the next 30 years, starting with<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> 2012, March 14-17, 2012, in Los Angeles.” —|<br />
AudiO reCOrdingS of select <strong>IHRSA</strong>30 convention sessions, as well as copies of the <strong>IHRSA</strong> 30th Anniversary Yearbook<br />
and Legends of Fitness: The Forces, Influencers, and <strong>Innovations</strong> That Helped Shape the Fitness Industry, are now available for<br />
purchase at the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Store, www.ihrsa.org/store.<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 53
Meet The Closer.<br />
Bring in new members and keep existing<br />
members engaged with the unique<br />
patented movement of HOIST’s ROC-IT Plate Loaded series. Finally, there is<br />
a strength line that can be used to CLOSE membership sales and increase<br />
the number of daily workouts at your facility. Call today to have your club<br />
ROC’D by HOIST Fitness ROC-IT products or visit www.hoistfitness.com.<br />
www.facebook.com/hoistfitness | www.twitter.com/hoistfitness | www.youtube.com/hoistfitness<br />
For more information about HOIST products, please contact:<br />
ADAM GUIER<br />
National Sales Manager<br />
Commercial Dealers<br />
Tel: 800.548.5438 x 302<br />
aguier@hoistfitness.com<br />
RPL-5303 INCLINE CHEST PRESS<br />
Product shown with custom frame and upholstery color.<br />
Please contact HOIST sales for more information.<br />
Have you ever used a piece of Strength equipment to close a membership sale? You will now!<br />
GENE BRUTON<br />
Government Sales Manager<br />
Contract # GS-07F-0322K<br />
Tel: 866.488.6853<br />
gbruton@hoistfitness.com<br />
START FINISH<br />
JEREMY MILLER<br />
International Sales Manager/<br />
Director of Marketing<br />
Tel: 800.548.5438 x 146<br />
jmiller@hoistfitness.com
The Big PicTure of PerfecT<br />
He lth<br />
Health<br />
Individual attention at<br />
Bronson Athletic Club<br />
By Mia Coen in Today’s user-friendly-focused socieTy,<br />
health clubs are becoming increasingly aware of their members’ individual needs,<br />
and addressing them with customized personal training sessions, an ever-expanding<br />
variety of group exercise options, and—importantly—health and fitness assessments.<br />
The latter is perhaps the most critical component to a member’s success in<br />
reaching their fitness goals. In order to achieve a higher level of fitness, members<br />
need to be shown the overall picture: their physical abilities and limitations, nutrition,<br />
and lifestyle habits.<br />
The case study offered here focuses on Bronson Athletic Club (BAC), in Kalamazoo,<br />
Michigan, which is affiliated with the Bronson Healthcare Group, a nonprofit healthcare<br />
system serving hospitals and clinics in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.<br />
The average club, however, may not have access to an affiliate hospital or healthcare<br />
program to enhance its assessment offerings. In most cases, trainers rely on a<br />
tried-and-true toolkit that measures, among other valuable metrics: weight, body<br />
composition, body fat, blood pressure, heart rate, flexibility, strength, cardiovascular- ><br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 55
The Big picture of perfect health<br />
Brian<br />
Ladkrood<br />
respiratory function, aerobic fitness, metabolism,<br />
and more. These important tools are available<br />
through <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s expansive network of associate<br />
manufacturers and suppliers.<br />
“Health and fitness assessments are critical to<br />
gauging the clients’ abilities, strengths, and weaknesses<br />
before designing a fitness program,” says<br />
Pete McCall, exercise physiologist at the American<br />
Council on Exercise (ACE). “Continuous assessments<br />
help the client assimilate different behaviors<br />
and exercise adaptations over time, making it easier<br />
to see how the client is improving overall. Clubs<br />
that offer extensive assessments have an edge<br />
because they are incorporating small, important<br />
details into the big picture.”<br />
an ongoing Process<br />
In almost every case, health and<br />
fitness assessments start with a<br />
competent, well-educated trainer<br />
who tests the individual from the<br />
ground up. Brian Ladkrood, a<br />
personal trainer at BAC, is constantly<br />
evaluating his clients’<br />
health and fitness levels, a process<br />
that involves extensive review and<br />
analysis, beginning with the allimportant<br />
initial assessment.<br />
“In the initial assessment, we<br />
like to establish the client’s<br />
goals,” he says. “Though they might seem like big or<br />
impossible goals, we tell them that they are possible.”<br />
In the first session, Ladkrood and his fellow trainers<br />
review each client’s lifestyle through dialogue and<br />
documentation. This encompasses medical and<br />
exercise history, injuries, surgeries, medications,<br />
flexibility, posture, alignment, nutrition, gait, rest,<br />
recovery, sleep, and stress.<br />
“We like to get a sense of the client’s eating habits,<br />
activity levels, and overall health. We also give<br />
them some homework on the first visit,” he says.<br />
“We have our clients fill out food logs and we assess<br />
what the client is doing well, as well as what they<br />
can improve on. We take small steps, only adding<br />
another step once the client has successfully assimilated<br />
the first step into their daily lives.”<br />
The trainers also give clients literature to bring<br />
home, which contains information on HDL cholesterol,<br />
super foods, the importance of posture and<br />
alignment, pH levels, disease management, etc.<br />
One document in particular, Know Your Numbers,<br />
includes HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides,<br />
high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, homocysteine,<br />
blood pressure, and heart rate, among others. It<br />
provides healthy ranges and makes suggestions<br />
regarding food choices. These resources give clients<br />
56 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
Sherri Toney<br />
an understanding of the broad spectrum of conditions<br />
that the trainers are familiar with.<br />
“The most important thing is that we don’t bombard<br />
our clients with this all at once,” he stresses.<br />
“Because every program is individualized, I have to<br />
address one thing at a time, over time.”<br />
Together, he and the client examine the baseline<br />
factors, looking for indicators of weakness or strength,<br />
and identify areas to improve. In some cases, they’re<br />
even able to spot issues that, if left untreated, could<br />
lead to serious long-term health problems.<br />
“For example, if people are exercising with poor<br />
posture, they’re asking to get injured,” he observes.<br />
“They’re causing serious repetitive injury to their<br />
shoulders, neck, back, lumbar/thoracic spine—and<br />
all of that can lead to hip problems, knee problems,<br />
etc.” Ladkrood also conducts a series of physical<br />
tests to detect lateral deficiencies, upper thoracic<br />
problems, range of flexibility, proprioception, and<br />
balance and coordination issues.<br />
In addition to testing the physical abilities of the<br />
client, he also focuses on the client’s lifestyle.<br />
“When talking about nutrition, we look at a few<br />
basic principles: water, quality, quantity, frequency,<br />
minerals, super foods,” he explains. Over<br />
time, Ladkrood and his team have been able to<br />
improve thyroid problems, diabetes, and high<br />
blood pressure by helping members make simple<br />
adjustments to their eating habits.<br />
Beyond nutrition, the trainers at BAC address<br />
the client’s sleeping patterns, stressors, and any<br />
additional factors—such as whether or not they’ve<br />
had children, etc.—to develop a well-rounded regimen<br />
that will maximize the client’s progress.<br />
After three to six months of working with the client,<br />
results begin to speak for themselves. Between the<br />
BAC and, in many cases, the member’s doctor,<br />
results are being documented on a regular basis<br />
over long periods of time. By seeing the progress<br />
reflected in the numbers, they have physical and<br />
scientific proof that they’re improving—not only<br />
their fitness, but their overall health and wellness.<br />
“It’s about understanding the big picture, and it’s<br />
an ongoing process,” he concludes.<br />
Work-in-<br />
Progress ‘WoW!’<br />
Sherri Toney has been doing personal<br />
training at BAC since last<br />
January. “Let me start by saying I<br />
have worked with lots of trainers,”<br />
Toney says. “I’d lost about 60<br />
pounds before, but I wasn’t able<br />
to keep it off. I didn’t understand<br />
what I was doing wrong. My doctor
Bronson cares for the Kalamazoo,<br />
Michigan, community<br />
Close supervision<br />
ensures members’<br />
success<br />
eventually put me on blood pressure medicine—<br />
threatened that cholesterol medicine was to<br />
follow—and we had conversations about me being<br />
a candidate for lap band surgery. That’s when I<br />
started my training at Bronson with Brian Ladkrood.<br />
“He was the first trainer to say some things I’d<br />
never heard before. He didn’t want to talk about<br />
my fitness program right off the bat—he wanted to<br />
talk about my food log,” she explains.<br />
Ladkrood educated her about the importance of<br />
eating a nutritious breakfast, incorporating snacks,<br />
and reading food labels. He went into detail about<br />
how some foods have detrimental effects, how<br />
some cause inflammation, and how others allow<br />
for optimal nutrient-absorption. “We talked about<br />
all this and my goals before going into a fitness program.<br />
Then we took small steps when incorporating<br />
changes into my lifestyle.”<br />
From there, Ladkrood worked with Toney on a<br />
number of lifestyle adjustments, such as proper<br />
form when she exercised, incorporating more<br />
water into her diet, and the importance of sleeping<br />
eight hours a night. “The change in my body is<br />
“<br />
The change in my body<br />
is visible—you can see it in<br />
my shape, my skin, the way<br />
I carry myself, and my confidence.<br />
My doctor said my<br />
results are phenomenal.”<br />
visible—you can see it in my shape, my skin, the<br />
way I carry myself, and my confidence. My doctor<br />
said my results are phenomenal.”<br />
Toney attributes her success to her experience<br />
at BAC.<br />
“I’ve been working with Brian at Bronson for 16<br />
months, and have lost 80 pounds and dropped six<br />
dress sizes. But the most important thing for me is<br />
that I feel better than I have ever felt in my whole<br />
life. I’m off the blood pressure medication—I’m on<br />
absolutely no medication. I turned 50 three weeks<br />
ago and I feel better than I did when I was 20. Brian<br />
and the club have helped me change my life.” —|<br />
– Mia Coen, mia@fit-etc.com<br />
—BAC MEMBER SHERRI TONEY<br />
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prODuCT<br />
Feature headline goes here no Continued<br />
SHOWCASE<br />
inTeLAMeTriX, inC.<br />
“Health and fitness assessments are critical to gauging a client’s abilities, strengths, and weaknesses before designing<br />
a fitness program,” notes Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
associate-member companies stand ready to help with sophisticated technology that can quickly, easily, and accurately<br />
measure virtually every aspect of a club member’s current status and their subsequent progress.<br />
IntelaMetrix has pioneered the convenient use<br />
of ultrasound technology for body-composition<br />
analysis with its BodyMetrix System. The<br />
BodyMetrix System is the same professionalgrade<br />
ultrasound technology used by elite<br />
athletes and trainers. This easy-to-use, noninvasive,<br />
patented technology has revolutionized<br />
body-composition analysis. It’s a portable,<br />
affordable, hand-held ultrasound imaging<br />
system that integrates with Bodyview software.<br />
Bodyview is a reporting and personal imaging<br />
software program that provides comprehensive,<br />
customizable reports, progress tracking,<br />
and actual images of fat loss and muscle gain.<br />
Contact:<br />
925-606-7044,<br />
www.intelametrix.com.<br />
Please see our ad<br />
on page 79. —|<br />
AFAA<br />
58 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
HeALTH PrOFiLe inSTiTuTe<br />
The HPI Osteo Caliper is a unique new tool for assessing body composition<br />
that measures bone diameters, not skin fold. It’s safe, easy to use,<br />
and effective, saving clubs time and money when it comes to obtaining<br />
important client statistics. HPI also offers the comprehensive Health<br />
Profile Assessment Training Program, which teaches techniques and<br />
application of valuable health assessment skills. This training program<br />
will elevate the level of customer service club staff can provide, placing<br />
them well ahead of the competition.<br />
Contact: 702-804-0100, www.healthprofileinstitute.com.<br />
Please see our ad on page 74. —|<br />
POLAr eLeCTrO, inC.<br />
The Polar BodyAge 5.6 system<br />
is an integrated solution that<br />
analyzes a full range of health<br />
and fitness indicators, providing<br />
club members with a clear<br />
picture of their physical body<br />
age and overall fitness. This<br />
revolution in training assesses<br />
different health and fitness<br />
components to create personalized<br />
fitness reports, training<br />
programs, and health-risk<br />
appraisals—giving members<br />
the tools they need to reduce<br />
their risk of health-related<br />
issues. It also has the ability<br />
to design personalized heartrate-based<br />
training programs<br />
for a member’s Polar training<br />
computer. This two-way data stream allows the club member and their<br />
personal trainer to track progress and analyze the results, helping to<br />
motivate and keep members focused.<br />
Contact: 516-364-0400, www.polar.fi/en. Please see our ad on page 60. —|<br />
AFAA’s 2nd Edition of Personal Fitness Training: Theory & Practice (2010) is a comprehensive<br />
textbook that provides personal trainers with the current research and practical knowledge.<br />
The book’s content addresses: wellness strategies; business and legal ethics and issues;<br />
exercise programming; fitness assessments; special populations; multi-training techniques;<br />
and more. AFAA provides the personal trainer with an all-inclusive textbook that describes, in<br />
detail, a professional role for success in the highly competitive and evolving world of fitness.<br />
Contact: 877-986-7263, www.afaa.com. Please see our ad on page 33. —|
PArAMOunT ACCePTAnCe<br />
Real-time access to vital data<br />
helps club operators monitor<br />
the pulse of their business. Paramount’s<br />
Dashboard provides the<br />
power and flexibility operators<br />
need to see all their data right<br />
now. The Dashboard allows them<br />
to set their home page reports,<br />
change the way they view them,<br />
and refresh at any time to receive<br />
the latest numbers. See sales,<br />
collections, personal training<br />
sessions, and much more. Users<br />
can also drill down to specific<br />
numbers and view all the detail they need, as well as see historical comparisons.<br />
Contact: 800-316-4444, www.paramountacceptance.com. Please see our ad on page 85. —|<br />
nATiOnAL FederATiOn OF PerSOnAL TrAinerS (nFPT)<br />
NFPT has been certifying fitness professionals<br />
since 1988, offering an accredited<br />
Certified Personal Trainer credential with<br />
specialty courses in nutrition, resistance,<br />
and endurance training. NFPT education<br />
provides a comprehensive approach to<br />
fundamental exercise science concepts<br />
with prep tools that facilitate a full<br />
understanding of the material. Exam<br />
dates are set by appointment at more than<br />
300 locations and certification maintenance allows for free CECs. NFPT guides<br />
trainers step-by-step down the path to success by providing start-to-finish<br />
support, convenience, and credibility.<br />
Contact: 800-729-NFPT, www.NFPT.com. Please see our ad on page 77. —|<br />
MiCrOFiT, inC.<br />
For more information, or to contact<br />
any of these companies, log on to<br />
www.ihrsa.org/products<br />
prODuCT<br />
SHOWCASE<br />
MYTrAk HeALTH SYSTeM, inC.<br />
With MYTRAK, health club members can<br />
set their weight-loss goals online and receive<br />
a customized plan that advises them how<br />
many calories to consume and how many<br />
calories to burn each day. When they wear<br />
the MYTRAK Smart Coach, it monitors their<br />
body’s every move, every step, and every<br />
workout. It’s always adapting, motivating,<br />
guiding, and coaching users as they engage<br />
in activities they enjoy—at the club, at home,<br />
at work, or outdoors.<br />
Contact: 888-431-8626, www.mytrak.com/myclub.<br />
Please see our ad on page 95. —|<br />
For 25 years, MicroFit has been a leader in fitness assessment technology. Its<br />
HealthWizard software’s high-tech imaging and ease of use make it an ideal<br />
marketing tool for closing memberships, selling personal training services,<br />
and attracting visitors at health fairs. The optional MicroFit fitness-testing<br />
equipment can be interfaced with the HealthWizard software to provide the<br />
assessment accuracy, reliability, and approved health recommendations<br />
necessary for corporate wellness programs and health improvement partnerships<br />
with medical institutions.<br />
Contact: 800-822-0405, www.microfit.com.<br />
Please see our ad on page 83. —|<br />
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polarusa.com/B2B_TEcHNoloGY<br />
HELP YOUR MEMBERS<br />
LOOK THEIR SUMMER BEST.<br />
With bathing suit season around the corner, it’s time to help your<br />
members reach their fitness or fat-burning goals. Use the Polar<br />
BodyAge ® system and training computers to create personalized programs<br />
to keep them on track. And with the new FT7 and FT40, your members<br />
are sure to look their best in and out of the gym.<br />
Learn More:<br />
888.850.0349 // healthclub.division@polar.fi<br />
FT7
<strong>Innovations</strong> What’s<br />
HOIST Fitness Systems,<br />
HOIST RPL-5405 Standing Calf. —|<br />
New 63 | FIT Extra 67<br />
Photo sponsored by HOIST Fitness Systems<br />
w w w. i h r s a . o rg | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 61
Alpha Strong, LLC<br />
» The new Sandball from Alpha Strong<br />
provides a dynamic strength workout<br />
that has historically helped professional<br />
bodybuilders and firefighters stay fit.<br />
Every movement and exercise becomes<br />
more challenging using the Sandball,<br />
as the shifting sand in the ball prompts<br />
users to engage more muscles and connective tissue. With a weight capacity<br />
of 10-30 pounds, and a double-set handle configuration for maximum<br />
versatility, the Sandball delivers a more comprehensive workout than<br />
traditional free weights. It’s simple to load sand into the no-leak inner<br />
sandbag using the easy-access, wide-mouth, double-closure opening.<br />
For more information, contact the company at 530-828-8281;<br />
www.bealphastrong.com. —|<br />
Prepackaged fitness<br />
by Fabiano Designs<br />
Fabiano Designs<br />
» To provide club owners with upscale designs at affordable prices,<br />
Fabiano Designs has created Training Concepts, a series of predesigned,<br />
predocumented, and prepriced design plans and manuals. The prototype<br />
build-out manual and plans are for 3,000-, 4,800-, and 8,000-square-foot<br />
fitness clubs, and the manuals are available for licensing purchase at<br />
$7,500 per unit. The prototype offers a foundation for the design documents<br />
needed to build a fitness center, and the designs include floor plans,<br />
ceiling plans, interior elevations, full colors and materials, and advice on<br />
rental strategies and construction management. For more information,<br />
contact the company at 973-746-5100; www.fabianodesigns.com. —|<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | What’s New<br />
Cybex International, Inc.<br />
» Cybex International,<br />
Inc., recently launched<br />
its 770T treadmill, which<br />
is loaded with innovative<br />
new features. Among<br />
them: the CardioTouch<br />
display, a command<br />
center that puts all<br />
of the controls at the<br />
exerciser’s fingertips;<br />
an iPod dock/charger<br />
that allows exercisers to<br />
770T treadmill<br />
by Cybex<br />
shuffle through music and movies or reprogram<br />
workouts on the fly; the IS3 Intelligent Suspension<br />
System, which makes the deck soft at landing, hard<br />
in the middle, and rigid at toe-off, to precisely match<br />
the body mechanics of running; and the patent-pending<br />
ARMZ stabilizer bars, which extend much farther than<br />
standard bars. For more information, contact the<br />
company at 888-462-9239; www.cybexintl.com. —|<br />
Interactive Fitness Holdings<br />
» Interactive Fitness Holdings<br />
(IFH) has released<br />
Expresso Live Analytics,<br />
a software program that<br />
provides clubs and trainers<br />
with detailed usage data of<br />
Expresso Live bikes and<br />
those who ride them.<br />
Attractively laid out with<br />
graphics and charts to<br />
make it easy to identify<br />
trends, the Analytics<br />
software starts at the<br />
dashboard page, which shows highlights on bike usage,<br />
member behavior, and top features and courses.<br />
Other pages include information on calories per mile,<br />
rider statistics, and route selection/preference. With<br />
this visibility into actual member behavior, health clubs<br />
can create programming and events using Expresso<br />
Live Analytics. For more information, contact the<br />
company at 408-636-2200; ww.ifholdings.com. —|<br />
Analyzing Expresso Live<br />
w w w. i h r s a . o rg | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 63
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | What’s New<br />
Petra Hygienic Systems<br />
Petra: Antibacterial<br />
EquipWipes<br />
» New from Petra Hygienic Systems are<br />
Antibacterial EquipWipes, which utilize a<br />
powerful formula that disinfects, cleans,<br />
and deodorizes. Safe to use on all fitness<br />
equipment, the wipes are free of alcohol,<br />
bleach, and phenol, and are EPA-registered.<br />
Each roll contains 700 6" x 8" wipes, and<br />
comes in cases of two rolls or a preloaded<br />
bucket of one roll. Dispensers include a<br />
wall-mounted center-pull dispenser, a white<br />
center-pull dispenser with a viewing window,<br />
a stainless steel floor dispenser with an integrated trash can, and a<br />
wire rack floor stand. For more information, contact the company at<br />
877-888-6655; www.petrasoap.com/equipwipe. —|<br />
Twin Oaks Software Development, Inc.<br />
Twin Oaks<br />
celebrates its 20th<br />
» In honor of its 20th anniversary, Twin Oaks Software Development,<br />
Inc., has released Live Journal, a Web feature that allows health clubs<br />
to update member billing information securely online within hours of<br />
EFT processing. Last-minute, single-point entry translates to more<br />
accurate billing, increased approval percentage, and fewer recordkeeping<br />
errors. “The dues line is any health club’s biggest asset,” says Carole<br />
Oat, the sales manager at Twin Oaks, “and we’re excited to have found<br />
another way to make collecting them quicker and easier.” After beta<br />
testing, the Live Journal feature will be free to Twin Oaks clients. For<br />
more information, contact the company at 866-278-6750; www.tosd.com. —|<br />
64 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w. i h r s a . o rg<br />
ThermaSol Steambath Company<br />
ThermalSol’s<br />
Fog Free vision<br />
» ThermaSol Steambath<br />
Company continues to<br />
introduce new products<br />
with the redesign of its<br />
Fog Free mirrors. Suitable<br />
for placement in the shower,<br />
by the vanity, or anywhere<br />
in the locker room or bathroom,<br />
Fog Free mirrors are<br />
made of high-quality plated<br />
shower-safe glass that has<br />
a low-voltage electrical<br />
current heating element<br />
to prevent fogging. The newest one, the Rhombus,<br />
is a non-bevel rectangular model, with modern lines<br />
for an ultra-streamlined look; it can be installed<br />
either vertically or horizontally using concealed<br />
mounting hardware. Other redesigned models<br />
include the Avant, Eclipse, and Cupola. For more<br />
information, contact the company at 800-776-0711;<br />
www.thermasol.com. —|<br />
BallBike Pro<br />
» The BallBike<br />
Pro S 700 from<br />
BallBike Pro, a<br />
division of Fit One,<br />
LLC, combines a<br />
core stability ball<br />
with a cardio bike<br />
for a totally new<br />
workout experience.<br />
Instead of a<br />
traditional seat,<br />
BallBike’s Pro S 700 cycle the self-powered<br />
bike features a highgrade,<br />
burst-resistant stability ball to challenge the<br />
user’s core while they experience the cardio benefits<br />
of cycling and the comfortable sensation of “riding<br />
on air.” According to the company, university testing<br />
indicated 349% more core-muscle activity using the<br />
BallBike Pro than a stationary bike. Because it’s unlike<br />
anything on the market, this new machine can help<br />
attract new members and enhance member retention.<br />
For more information, contact the company at<br />
sales@ballbike.com; www.ballbike.com/pro. —|
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Sophisticated<br />
Strength<br />
User-driven enhancements increase versatility, add value<br />
to single-station models<br />
Single-station selectorized and circuit-training units<br />
continue to carve out a prominent space in health clubs<br />
worldwide—despite the prevalence of functional trainers<br />
and the trend toward free-weight-oriented personal and<br />
group training workouts.<br />
“For most exercisers, it’s about using the right combination of<br />
selectorized equipment and free-form functional training to achieve<br />
optimal results,” observes John Coyle, the vice president of BH North<br />
America, in Fort Hill Ranch, California.<br />
Holding their own in crowded weight rooms, many selectorized<br />
stations deliver the same functionality they always have, but have<br />
been modified in various respects to improve the user experience<br />
and accommodate the needs of club operators. Manufacturers are<br />
implementing changes designed to maximize the machines’ appeal<br />
and minimize potential intimidation among emerging member demographics,<br />
including beginners, seniors, and the deconditioned.<br />
“TuffStuff focuses on streamlining and softening the lines and look<br />
of our equipment to attract the average gym member,” says Michael Loch,<br />
the director of commercial sales for TuffStuff Fitness Equipment, Inc.,<br />
in Pomona, California. “We’re using oval and circular frame designs,<br />
softer color schemes, and smaller footprints, along with integrated<br />
storage compartments for cell phones and water bottles.”<br />
In addition to being more approachable, these machines have also<br />
become easier to use. For instance, Star Trac’s Lock ‘N’ Load pinless<br />
weight stack simplifies user adjustments and eliminates missing,<br />
broken, or bent weight-stack pins.<br />
“Star Trac also uses lenticular image technology on placards that<br />
provides an almost video-like illustration of the positions users should<br />
adopt while operating the machine,” explains Jeff Dilts, the strength<br />
and Spinning project manager at Star Trac, in Irvine, California.<br />
At the same time, manufacturers are working to satisfy the desire<br />
for more sophisticated biomechanics, such as converging/diverging<br />
arm movements, unilateral motion, and dynamic position adjustments,<br />
along with greater comfort.<br />
As technology advances and costs decrease, electronics and interactivity<br />
are expected to play a greater role in selectorized equipment.<br />
An example: Brudden Technology, in São Paulo, Brazil, is already using<br />
7" touchscreens on its nine-station NEXT circuit. The user-friendly screens<br />
control the weight-stack load, monitor performance, and record feedback<br />
that can be uploaded to a dedicated Website for workout support.<br />
Check out the latest developments on the following pages of F.I.T. Extra!<br />
– Julie King, Julie.king1@comcast.net<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Circuit Training<br />
CIrCuIT TrAININg<br />
BH NOrTH AmErICA<br />
NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1010<br />
The BH Fitness XT1010 dual station<br />
offers two exercises—a leg extension<br />
and leg curl—in one compact footprint<br />
of 44" H x 51" L x 31" W. With simple user<br />
adjustments and hydraulic resistance,<br />
the XT1010 is an ideal lower-body machine<br />
for a fitness facility’s strength circuit.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $1,892.00<br />
NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1050<br />
The BH Fitness XT1050 leg press boasts<br />
a sleek look, compact footprint of 47" H<br />
x 69" L x 26" W, and hydraulic resistance<br />
system that can be adjusted in 20%<br />
increments, making the XT1050 leg press<br />
vital to any circuit-training program.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $1,645.00<br />
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| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Circuit Training<br />
NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1070<br />
Offering both a vertical press and row, the<br />
BH Fitness XT1070 provides two workouts<br />
in one for a fitness facility’s strength<br />
circuit. Measuring 52" H x 43" L x 40" W<br />
and weighing 139 pounds, the XT1070<br />
provides hydraulic resistance with six<br />
user-adjustable power levels that challenge<br />
exercisers of any fitness level.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $1,373.00<br />
NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1090<br />
The BH Fitness XT1090 dual station offers<br />
both shoulder press and lat pull-down<br />
workouts in one compact machine (53" H<br />
x 41" L x 41" W, 139 pounds), designed to<br />
fit seamlessly with the BH Fitness circuit<br />
set-up. With comfortable hand grips,<br />
anatomic padding, and six user-adjustable<br />
power levels, the XT1090 offers two upperbody<br />
workouts ideal for users of all<br />
fitness levels.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $1,456.00<br />
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NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1130<br />
The BH Fitness XT1130 biceps curl and<br />
triceps pull-down dual machine is part of<br />
the BH Fitness Strength Circuit. With six<br />
user-adjustable power levels, a compact<br />
footprint (33" H x 41" L x 25" W), and<br />
anatomic seat pads, the XT1130 dual upperbody<br />
machine is the ideal component to<br />
round out the BH Fitness Strength Circuit.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $1,473.00<br />
NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1230<br />
The BH Fitness XT1230 dual station offers<br />
both abduction and adduction workouts in<br />
one compact machine (42" H x 48" L x 25" W).<br />
With a sleek look, six user-adjustable<br />
power levels, and anatomic padding in<br />
the seat and leg cradle, the abduction/<br />
adduction machine is ideal for exercisers<br />
of any fitness level.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $2,086.00<br />
NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1270<br />
The BH Fitness XT1270 butterfly and rear<br />
deltoid machine offers two upper-body<br />
workouts in one unit. With an intuitive,<br />
easy-to-use design, six user-adjustable<br />
power levels, and anatomic padding,<br />
the XT1270 butterfly and rear deltoid<br />
dual-station rounds out the BH Fitness<br />
Strength Circuit’s upper-body workouts.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $1,778.00<br />
NEW<br />
BH Fitness XT1310<br />
No circuit would be complete without a<br />
machine that targets the core and lower<br />
back. The BH Fitness XT1310 offers both<br />
an ab crunch and lower-back workout in<br />
one compact machine (51" H x 50" L x<br />
34" W, 88 pounds). Boasting anatomic<br />
padding and easy-to-grip handles, the<br />
XT1030 also has easy-transport wheels<br />
to move the machine to whatever part<br />
of the circuit best meets users’ needs.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $1,500.00
KEISEr<br />
Keiser XPress Training System<br />
Designed to maximize workout results in<br />
a minimal amount of time, this researchbased<br />
training system combines cardiovascular<br />
conditioning, strength training,<br />
and stretching. The circuit incorporates<br />
Keiser bikes, the Keiser Stretch Zone,<br />
and a minimum of six of the company’s<br />
air-powered resistance machines. The<br />
first half of the 30-minute training system<br />
is dedicated to cardiovascular training on<br />
the bikes, while the second half entails<br />
strength training, with “active-rest”<br />
stretches performed in between sets.<br />
LEgEND FITNESS<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAgE 70<br />
NEW<br />
LeverEDGE<br />
The LeverEDgE line from Legend Fitness<br />
represents a fantastic new option for club<br />
owners looking to add athletic performanceoriented<br />
circuits. LeverEDgE equipment<br />
is plate-loaded, unilateral, and biomechanically<br />
correct, and features small<br />
footprints. The line currently consists of<br />
shoulder press, incline chest press, flat<br />
chest press, seated row, lat pulldown,<br />
vertical wide chest press, bicep curl,<br />
and trap shrug/lunge/deadlift.<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Circuit Training<br />
FOr mOrE INFOrmATION<br />
See the advertisers’ index on pg. 107 or search at<br />
www.ihrsabuyersguide.com<br />
w w w. i h r s a . o rg | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 69
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Circuit Training<br />
LIFE FITNESS<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAgE 11<br />
Circuit Series<br />
Life Fitness’ 11-piece line of space-<br />
efficient machines delivers time-efficient,<br />
total-body workouts in an approachable,<br />
easy-to-use format. The units boast a<br />
user-friendly design and superior<br />
biomechanics. The patented Lifeband<br />
Resistance System mimics gravity for<br />
maximum strength-training results, and<br />
eliminates acceleration at the top and<br />
bottom of the exercise for an express-style<br />
workout with the feel of traditional machines.<br />
A low-profile, easy-access design, no<br />
required machine adjustments, and an<br />
innovative resistance-selection system<br />
minimize user intimidation.<br />
mArPO KINETICS<br />
VECTOR rope trainer<br />
70 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w. i h r s a . o rg<br />
The Vector rope trainer is portable, with a<br />
wide range of resistance. Lower resistance<br />
levels offer an upper-body treadmill<br />
experience for cardio training, and higher<br />
resistance provides a total-body strength<br />
workout. The patented, dynamic resistance<br />
system constantly adjusts to each user’s<br />
pulling power. A digital display tracks time,<br />
distance, speed, and calories. Studies<br />
have shown that isokinetic rope training<br />
with a Marpo Kinetics rope trainer can<br />
burn calories up to four times faster<br />
than traditional cardio exercise.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $2,295.00<br />
VMX Multi-Mode Rope Climber<br />
VMX is a multi-mode rope climber with<br />
three exercise modes: vertical pull, diagonal<br />
pull, and horizontal pull. Users can switch<br />
easily among modes with a simple, safe,<br />
one-step carriage move. Each mode<br />
delivers a variety of strength and cardio<br />
exercises that target the entire body.<br />
The longer bench accommodates various<br />
positions closer or farther away, for longer<br />
or shorter hand strokes, and allows for<br />
seated or standing exercise positions.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $5,095.00
mILON INDuSTrIES gmBH<br />
STRENGTH ENDURANCE CIRCUIT<br />
The milon strength endurance circuit<br />
exercises all of the major muscle groups,<br />
as well as the cardiovascular system. It<br />
consists of up to 12 modular pieces of<br />
equipment arranged around a signal pillar.<br />
The signaling system sets the workout<br />
intervals for each piece of equipment<br />
to guide the user from one piece of<br />
equipment to the next.<br />
mOTuS uSA<br />
Binary Action Strength Line<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Circuit Training<br />
With its BioMotion technology and ergonomic<br />
engineering, the Binary Action<br />
Strength Series is designed to meet the<br />
needs of every exerciser, and provides a<br />
natural, fluid motion that enhances the<br />
comfort and effectiveness of workouts.<br />
These selectorized, function-specific<br />
machines maximize space by facilitating<br />
two or more quality exercises per unit;<br />
the eight pieces offer a total of 17 possibilities.<br />
This compact line is designed for<br />
light-commercial markets, including PT<br />
studios, apartment fitness facilities, and<br />
community recreation centers.<br />
SCIFIT<br />
Fit-Quik<br />
Fit-Quik puts all-body strength and cardio<br />
protocols at an exerciser’s fingertips. It<br />
also allows fitness professionals to take<br />
advantage of SCIFIT’s training differentiators<br />
to attract, manage, and retain clients.<br />
Fit-Quik programs are time-efficient,<br />
motivational, and easy-to-use exercise<br />
protocols that accommodate a wide range<br />
of clients, from those rehabilitating to<br />
those training for elite-level competition.<br />
Fit-Quik delivers cardiovascular and<br />
functional strength benefits.<br />
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| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Circuit Training<br />
TECHNOgym<br />
SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER<br />
Easy Line<br />
Easy Line provides a fun, effective, and<br />
easy-to-use training option for individuals<br />
looking for a friendly and non-intimidating<br />
training modality. The hydraulic resistance<br />
system requires no adjustments; resistance<br />
is determined by the speed of movement.<br />
The nine-piece circuit also incorporates<br />
interval station equipment to support<br />
Technogym conditioning programs: general<br />
fitness/weight management, kids<br />
and teens, and active aging. In a nongroup<br />
setting, Easy Line can be used as<br />
an entry-level resistance-training circuit.<br />
®<br />
TOTAL gym<br />
Total Gym GTS<br />
Total gym gTS provides the ultimate platform<br />
for functional bodyweight training<br />
on an inclined, newly-adjustable glideboard<br />
with a dynamic cable-pulley system<br />
that enable free, unrestricted movement<br />
through multiple planes of motion. More<br />
than 250 exercises for resistance training,<br />
stretching, Pilates and overall body<br />
conditioning can be performed on Total<br />
gym gTS. Now with 22 calibrated levels<br />
of resistance, from 1% to 62% of bodyweight,<br />
gTS provides all the load necessary<br />
to achieve a total-body, results-driven,<br />
functional workout in 30 minutes or less.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: 3,495.00<br />
Total Gym PlyoRebounder<br />
The new dual-ring, spring-protected Total<br />
gym PlyoRebounder is a multifaceted<br />
and versatile functional training tool for<br />
slow- or quick-response plyometrics,<br />
proprioception and upper- and lower-body<br />
agility training. PlyoRebounder now<br />
features a double ring to protect the springs<br />
when heavier loads, such as 20-pound<br />
medicine balls, are applied to the trampoline<br />
surface, which can be stabilized with<br />
Olympic weights for heavy plyo-training.<br />
Able to adjust to 11 positions, from flat to<br />
a 50 degrees tilt, PlyoRebounder also serves<br />
as a low-compression jogger, accommodating<br />
up to 220 pounds of weight.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: 695.00<br />
The <strong>IHRSA</strong> STORE<br />
Your professional resource center<br />
Home | Club Operations Resources | DVDs | MP3s | Webinars | Industry Data and Research | Magazines | Wearables/Merchandise<br />
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discontinue the offer at anytime without notice. All rights reserved.<br />
72 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w. i h r s a . o rg
Total Gym Xceleration Trainer<br />
The Total gym Xceleration Trainer (XT)<br />
brings a fresh perspective to acceleration<br />
and vertical vibration training. Compact<br />
in design, the XT is the only portable<br />
commercial-quality vibration platform<br />
designed for the clinic, club, or home.<br />
The XT vibration technology features a<br />
user-friendly, high-definition LED console<br />
display with remote control and is excellent<br />
for warming up, stretching, lower-body<br />
strengthening, static upper-body<br />
strengthening, recovery, and massage.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: 2,495.00<br />
TuFFSTuFF FITNESS<br />
EquIPmENT, INC.<br />
Apollo 7000 Series<br />
Modular Gym System<br />
The Apollo 7000 Series gym System<br />
offers a truly modular multi-stack weight<br />
machine. Four independent free-standing<br />
stations can be combined onto a common<br />
frame structure in virtually unlimited<br />
configurations. Single, double, triple, and<br />
quadruple weight stacks can be configured<br />
to satisfy any space or budget. The Apollo<br />
7000 series utilizes steel weight stacks and<br />
enclosures along with commercial-grade<br />
naugahyde upholstery and integrated<br />
exercise charts on all stations.<br />
GP ad .5p-0611CBI:webinars .5pg ad-0611CBI 4/28/11 1:37 PM Page 1<br />
“Watch the pennies<br />
and the dollars<br />
will take care<br />
of themselves.”<br />
– Benjamin Franklin<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
SELECTOrIzED<br />
BODy-SOLID, INC.<br />
Pro Club Line<br />
Designed for heavy health-club use,<br />
Body-Solid’s Pro Club selectorized<br />
strength-training line includes machines<br />
that are aesthetically appealing; spaceefficient;<br />
solidly constructed; biomechanically<br />
sophisticated; and comfortable,<br />
with upholstery and padding, and userfriendly<br />
adjustments. Built to last a lifetime,<br />
all are backed by a strong warranty. The<br />
Pro Club line consists of a deluxe cable<br />
center, functional-training center, dual<br />
cable column, lat machine, chest press,<br />
inner- or outer-thigh machine, leg curl,<br />
leg extension, and leg press.<br />
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Visit ihrsa.org/grouppurchasing or email grouppurchasing@ihrsa.org for more information.<br />
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association • Seaport Center, 70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210 USA • 800-228-4772 (US/Canada) +1 617-951-0055 (international)<br />
w w w. i h r s a . o rg | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 73
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
Pro Dual Line<br />
Body-Solid’s Pro Dual Line can be used<br />
in single- or multiple-stack arrangements.<br />
The heart of the system is the space-saving<br />
4-Stack Weight Tower, with positions for<br />
two, three, or four stations. Individual<br />
stations include the ab crunch/back<br />
extension, cable column, biceps/triceps,<br />
inner-thigh/outer-thigh, lat-pulldown/<br />
mid-row, leg-press/calf-extension, legextension/leg-curl,<br />
multi-press, and pec/<br />
delt. All of the units feature curved frames,<br />
sophisticated biomechanical engineering,<br />
heavy-duty construction, user-friendly<br />
adjustments, and comfortable upholstery<br />
and padding.<br />
BruDDEN TECHNOLOgy<br />
Next Strength Line<br />
The Next Strength Line from Brudden<br />
boasts a modern, ergonomically correct<br />
design with input from the respected<br />
biomechanics laboratory of São Paulo<br />
University. For durability, the frames are<br />
carbon steel with a surface treatment,<br />
and feature electrostatic painting and<br />
leather finishing. Easy to adjust, the line<br />
includes biceps curl, chest press, crossover,<br />
hip abduction, hip adduction, lat<br />
pulldown, leg extension, leg press, low<br />
row, pectoral, seated leg curl, shoulder<br />
press, and triceps extension.<br />
CyBEX INTErNATIONAL, INC.<br />
SEE OUR AD ON THE INSIDE FRONT<br />
COVER & PAgE 1<br />
CYBEX Eagle<br />
The Eagle strength-training line features<br />
Second generation Dual Axis Technology,<br />
which provides a choice of machine-defined<br />
or user-defined paths of motion, resulting<br />
in versatility that helps users of all fitness<br />
levels achieve results. Patent-pending<br />
range-limiting devices ensure the integrity<br />
of the strength curve, regardless of the<br />
user’s size, and ergonomically contoured,<br />
molded pads provide maximum support.<br />
The line’s unique “Logical Pairs” design<br />
conserves floor space by allowing<br />
machines to be positioned back-to-back.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $4,545.00<br />
A New Way to Assess Body Composition<br />
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List Price: $189<br />
74 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w. i h r s a . o rg<br />
The HPI body composition<br />
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• HPI offers training and support<br />
www.healthprofileinstitute.com<br />
702-804-0100
CYBEX Total Access Cardio<br />
and Strength Line<br />
CYBEX’s Total Access products address<br />
the exercise needs of people with disabilities<br />
by removing the barriers that have previously<br />
prevented them from obtaining a<br />
beneficial workout. The cardiovascular<br />
equipment and weight stacks feature<br />
raised iconography and color-contrasted<br />
handles to aid visually impaired people;<br />
swing-away seats and one-handed<br />
functionality to accommodate people<br />
in wheelchairs; and a Range Limiting<br />
Device (RLD) to assist people with limited<br />
ranges of motion.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $2,795.00<br />
CYBEX VR1 Strength Systems<br />
VR1 has been value-engineered to yield<br />
an elegant, space-saving design that lets<br />
health clubs offer their members a comprehensive<br />
strength-conditioning system,<br />
regardless of the size of the facility. Ease<br />
of use, intuitive design, and function ensure<br />
member satisfaction. The VR1 also features<br />
enclosed weight stacks that add a modern<br />
appeal and meet all ASTM and EN safety<br />
standards. The 15-piece line offers a host<br />
of options, and can be customized to meet<br />
any club’s specific needs.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $2,495.00<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
CYBEX VR3<br />
The CYBEX VR3 line is packed with<br />
innovative features, including advanced<br />
biomechanics, such as converging and<br />
diverging patterns; patent-pending rangelimiting<br />
devices; the Second generation<br />
Twist Select increment weight system;<br />
and assisted seat adjustments. Its elegant<br />
appearance is enhanced with unique oval<br />
tubing and contoured pads crafted for<br />
ultimate support and maximum comfort,<br />
as well as a fully enclosed weight stack<br />
for safety.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $3,645.00<br />
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Scan this QR code with your<br />
smartphone to find out more.<br />
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| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
FrEEmOTION FITNESS<br />
FreeMotion EPIC Selectorized<br />
FreeMotion’s EPIC Selectorized line<br />
has raised the bar for traditional strength<br />
training with 18 pieces of equipment that<br />
are attractive and easy to use. <strong>Innovations</strong><br />
in technology and movement patterns<br />
provide members with smooth workouts<br />
that employ efficient fixed isolation.<br />
FreeMotion EPIC’s rugged, commercialgrade<br />
construction delivers heavy-duty<br />
performance.<br />
HAmmEr STrENgTH<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAgE 11<br />
Hammer Strength MTS<br />
Hammer Strength MTS, the selectorized<br />
version of the popular plate-loaded machines,<br />
makes use of patented Iso-Lateral technology.<br />
This technology offers independently<br />
functioning limbs and a converging or<br />
diverging movement pattern that closely<br />
replicates the body’s natural movements.<br />
The machines’ dual weight stacks (one<br />
for each limb) are designed to preserve<br />
the purity of Hammer Strength’s hallmark<br />
independent movement and minimize<br />
friction to enhance the smoothness of<br />
the exercise. The line features 13 pieces.<br />
PHLY & <strong>IHRSA</strong>... A Winning Team<br />
Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) is now the Sponsored Partner of <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
providing comprehensive Property/Casualty Insurance solutions for its members.<br />
PHLY’s 25-year experience in the fitness industry and solid financial rating<br />
(A+ by AM Best) made them an attractive partner for <strong>IHRSA</strong>.<br />
5 Reasons Why...You Should Contact PHLY<br />
1. General Liability, Professional, D&O and Cyber all with the<br />
same carrier minimizing claim conflicts<br />
2. Special discounts for <strong>IHRSA</strong> members<br />
3. Specialized Coverages for Health Clubs<br />
4. No need to change agents. You can use your current broker.<br />
5. Interest free installments available for accounts over $2,000 in premium.<br />
Program Code: You must mention the <strong>IHRSA</strong> program at time of quoting in order<br />
for you to qualify for the association’s program.<br />
800.461.0469 | PHLY.com<br />
HOIST FITNESS SySTEmS, INC.<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAgE 54<br />
ROC-IT Selectorized<br />
The HOIST ROC-IT line embodies a<br />
unique training experience that achieves<br />
the unrestricted joint movement and<br />
core-activating benefits of functional<br />
training, coupled with the stabilizing<br />
benefits of machine-based equipment.<br />
ROX technology makes the user an<br />
integral part of the exercise motion by<br />
continuously adjusting the position of<br />
the exerciser with the movement of the<br />
exercise arm. The ROC-IT line engages<br />
the user throughout the entire exercise<br />
range of motion, creating fun, biomechanically<br />
correct workouts.<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Sponsored Partner<br />
Philadelphia Insurance Companies is the marketing name for the insurance company subsidiaries of the Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp., a Member of the Tokio Marine Group.<br />
Coverage(s) described may not be available in all states and are subject to Underwriting and certain coverage(s) may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not<br />
generally participate in state guaranty funds and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds. | © 2011 Philadelphia Insurance Companies<br />
76 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w. i h r s a . o rg<br />
General Liability | Professional Liability | Property<br />
Auto | Crime & Fidelity | Umbrella/Excess Liability<br />
Crisis Management | Loss Control Services
INFLIgHT FITNESS<br />
NEW<br />
Inflight Fitness Platinum Series<br />
The Inflight Fitness Platinum Series is<br />
engineered to be durable and easy to<br />
use while providing great workouts. The<br />
Platinum Series is well designed to fit<br />
members’ exercise needs, to fit clubs’<br />
most limited spaces, and also to fit<br />
operators’ budgets.<br />
LEgEND FITNESS<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAgE 70<br />
NEW<br />
963 Multi-Press<br />
This versatile upper-body machine features<br />
the ability to perform a flat bench press,<br />
two incline press movements (at 30 and<br />
45 degrees), and a shoulder press.The<br />
press arm has five starting positions and<br />
two sets of handles to ensure proper<br />
positioning for each angle of exercise.<br />
The 963 model has a fully welded frame<br />
with chrome-plated adjustment surfaces<br />
and a 200-pound weight stack. Upgrades<br />
of 250-pound and 300-pound weight<br />
stacks are available.<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
LIFE FITNESS<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAgE 11<br />
Optima Series Single Stations<br />
Life Fitness’ latest line of selectorized<br />
strength equipment blends reliability<br />
and style into a wide range of compact<br />
machines. This versatile equipment simplifies<br />
strength training through minimal<br />
adjustments, which are explained on the<br />
easy-to-follow graphic placards. Optima<br />
Series features an 11-gauge steel frame;<br />
contoured cushioning; easy-to-follow<br />
instructional placards; full shrouds to<br />
enhance the aesthetics of each machine<br />
and protect the weight stack system from<br />
everyday debris; simple-to-use chromeplated<br />
tube-in-tube adjustments; and<br />
solid steel weight plates.<br />
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| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
Pro2 Series<br />
Featuring 19 rock-solid pieces, Life<br />
Fitness’ Pro2 Series is a full line of<br />
traditional strength machines designed<br />
to withstand heavy-duty usage. The line<br />
features 10 upper-body, seven lowerbody,<br />
and two torso/multi units. Each of<br />
these machines is available in a base<br />
version, called Pro2, or a fully loaded<br />
version, the Pro2SE. The latter offers an<br />
integrated incremental weight system,<br />
complete rear weight stack shrouds,<br />
spring-assisted roller seats, and six<br />
frame and 10 upholstery colors.<br />
Signature Series Single Stations<br />
Life Fitness’ Signature Series strength<br />
line boasts a number of convenient,<br />
innovative features, including gas-assisted<br />
seat and pad adjustments, and an integrated<br />
incremental weight system. Oval<br />
frame tubing, contoured cushions, and a<br />
low profile create a sleek, contemporary<br />
look. The warranty covers frames for 10<br />
years; guide rods, pulleys, and weight<br />
plates for five years; linear bearings,<br />
cables, and grips for one year; and<br />
upholstery, springs, and any items<br />
not specified for 90 days.<br />
suppliers ad .5 page-0611CBI:suppliers .5pg ad-0611CBI 5/3/11 6:03 AM Page 1<br />
Welcome New <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
Associate Members.<br />
Time to get Down to Business!<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> welcomes this month's new Associate Members.<br />
These leading companies offer the products and<br />
services your business needs to succeed in the rapidly<br />
competitive club market.<br />
For information on up-to-date products and services in<br />
the health club industry, go to ihrsa.org/products.<br />
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association<br />
78 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w. i h r s a . o rg<br />
mArPO KINETICS<br />
V250 Weight-Assisted<br />
Rope Trainer<br />
The V250 is a weight-assisted rope<br />
climber that simulates actual rope<br />
climbing, for a full upper-body strength<br />
and cardio workout. Through its unique<br />
weight-assisted exercises, V250 opens<br />
rope climbing to all fitness levels. Users<br />
can exercise while sitting or kneeling<br />
on the seat, or can remove the seat with<br />
the quick-release feature and exercise<br />
standing or from a wheelchair. The V250<br />
can also be used in reverse, by pulling<br />
the rope up instead of pulling down.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $5,295.00<br />
4EVERCLEAN (Fitness Wipes)<br />
952/500-8685<br />
www.4everclean.com<br />
Direct Source Packaging Company<br />
203/274-5025<br />
www.directsourcepackaging.com<br />
reZeneration, Inc.<br />
310-890-3305<br />
www.CoreTransformer.tv<br />
S3 Design Inc.<br />
617/472-8804<br />
www.S3design-inc.com<br />
US Sport Tech LLC<br />
201/773-8218<br />
www.usstech.com
mATrIX FITNESS<br />
SEE OUR AD ON THE FRENCH COVER<br />
G3 Series<br />
The g3 selectorized series comprises<br />
27 single-station units. The converging<br />
chest press, converging shoulder press,<br />
diverging seated row, diverging lat pulldown,<br />
and the Matrix Functional Trainer<br />
offer greater variety and training options.<br />
Each unit boasts oversized grips; towel<br />
and cup holders; ergonomic seating; oval<br />
tubing; color-coded adjustments that can<br />
be made from the exercise position; and<br />
an automotive-quality powder-coat finish.<br />
The polarized titanium finish with clear<br />
coat provides a lasting, superior-quality<br />
appearance.<br />
G7 Series<br />
BodyMetr x<br />
By IntelaMetrix ®<br />
TM<br />
Beautifully designed with a consistent low<br />
profile, the g7 Strength Series challenges<br />
exercisers to expect more. It’s packed<br />
with intuitive features that will transform<br />
a club’s strength floor, including: exercise<br />
placards that are equipped with an integrated<br />
electronic rep counter and timer;<br />
Action Specific grips that reduce stress<br />
on contact points; and numeric incremental<br />
weights that are easily accessible<br />
and provide quick selection.<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
mILON INDuSTrIES gmBH<br />
Train Tec<br />
Now you can show clients their actual fat loss<br />
and muscle gain. You can assess target areas,<br />
with this affordable portable system. All of that<br />
and no more embarrassing or painful pinching.<br />
An easy to use PC-based tool right in the palm<br />
of your hand.<br />
With BodyMetrix seeing is believing!<br />
The Train Tec series offers ideal biomechanics,<br />
adjustable resistance in 1-kg<br />
increments, and various adjustments<br />
to fit all users’ bodies. A multifunctional<br />
display provides easy access to important<br />
training feedback, such as speed, range<br />
of motion, heart rate, and more. Relevant<br />
exercise information is saved on the user’s<br />
personal Smart Card, which is used with<br />
the exclusive software that comes with<br />
the Train Tec series. This line is suitable<br />
for health clubs and physiotherapy centers.<br />
Ultrasound Body Composition<br />
Tim Ferriss<br />
#1 NY Times Bestseller<br />
Contact us today!<br />
925.606.7044<br />
bodymetrix.com<br />
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| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
NAuTILuS<br />
NEW<br />
Nitro EVO Selectorized Strength Line<br />
Nitro EVO features a patent-pending 5 lb.<br />
weight stack and the brand’s legendary<br />
biomechanics to provide superior results.<br />
An integrated parts schematic simplifies<br />
service, while marine-grade, contoured<br />
upholstery provides comfort and longevity.<br />
The sleek, partially enclosed weight shield<br />
ensures safety, while a proprietary pin<br />
design prevents pin loss. EZ-glide seats<br />
accommodate any user with a quick, simple<br />
adjustment, while the Ergo-grip technology<br />
offers a natural, user-defined path of motion.<br />
Proudly manufactured in Independence,<br />
Virginia, and treated with mPale Antimicrobial<br />
for users’ protection.<br />
NEW<br />
Nautilus NOVA Single and<br />
Dual Strength Line<br />
The new Nautilus NOVA line incorporates<br />
the same legendary craftsmanship and<br />
superior biomechanics offered by other<br />
Nautilus strength lines, but in a more<br />
compact and price-conscious package.<br />
Featuring 11 single stations and 7 dual<br />
stations, the line boasts 11-gauge steel<br />
frame tubes, marine-grade upholstery, and<br />
a Kevlar-reinforced belt-drive system with<br />
double-sealed bearings. This rock-solid<br />
strength line is proudly manufactured in<br />
Independence, Virginia, and is treated with<br />
mPale Antimicrobial for users’ protection.<br />
passport ad.5 page-0611CBI:passport .5p ad-0611CBI 5/3/11 10:26 AM Page 1<br />
NEW<br />
Nautilus ONE Strength System<br />
This single-station strength equipment<br />
combines revolutionary weight-stack<br />
technology with an intuitive and user-friendly<br />
selection method—a dial. The line includes<br />
a single weight tower design; custom-contoured,<br />
handcrafted upholstery; hydraulic<br />
seat adjustments; and large instructional<br />
lenticular placards. Nautilus ONE boasts<br />
a sleek, low tower design and, with the<br />
brand’s legendary biomechanics, helps<br />
make strength-training a selling point for<br />
any health club. It’s also easy to maintain,<br />
with no guide rods to lubricate and no<br />
weight-stack pins to become bent or lost.<br />
Proudly manufactured in Independence,<br />
Virginia, and treated with mPale Antimicrobial<br />
for users’ protection.<br />
The <strong>IHRSA</strong> Passport Program<br />
Discounted Guest Privileges Worldwide<br />
for your Members Who Travel!<br />
As always, the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Passport Program provides guest<br />
privileges worldwide for your members who travel. What's<br />
more, the program offers a superior value — a minimum of<br />
a 50% savings on guest fees at participating clubs.<br />
Participating <strong>IHRSA</strong> clubs are provided a variety of<br />
resources to help promote and sell the program. Everything<br />
from staff training tips and marketing materials, to web<br />
images and even the I.D. for traveling club members, can<br />
be easily accessed by logging in to ihrsa.org.<br />
Visit ihrsa.org/passport for more information or to<br />
GET ON BOARD!<br />
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PArAmOuNT FITNESS<br />
COrPOrATION<br />
Paramount XL2 Series<br />
Featuring low-profile, space-efficient<br />
designs, the premium 17-piece SP<br />
Circuit combines optimal ergonomics,<br />
The Paramount XL2 Series represents precise biomechanics, and superior<br />
advanced, value-engineered performance, structural performance with contemporary<br />
styling, and reliability. A low profile, space- aesthetics. Features include colorful user<br />
efficient footprint, and attractive, oval- adjustment guides with step-by-step<br />
shaped tube frames create a streamlined, instructions; gas-assisted, four-baruniform<br />
design with superior biomechanics linkage seat adjustments; patented<br />
to enhance any commercial fitness center Advanced Rotary Technology on select<br />
application. User-friendly features include models; contoured pads; and fully<br />
easy-to-follow, step-by-step exercise shrouded weight stacks. Extensive<br />
charts; user adjustment guides; and component cycle testing well above<br />
intuitive seat adjustments. These<br />
maximum field applications ensures<br />
machines undergo structural testing of long-term durability and minimal<br />
500,000 cycles, and meet or exceed service requirements. The circuit is<br />
ASTM<br />
webinars<br />
and EN-957<br />
ad-0611CBI:webinars<br />
industry standards.<br />
.5pg ad-0611CBI ASTM- and EN957-compliant.<br />
4/27/11 10:38 AM Page 1<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
What Geeks Can Teach You About Being<br />
Social: Facebook, Foursquare and Fitness<br />
■ Thursday, June 16, 2011 | 2:00pm-3:30pm EDT<br />
90-minute webinar presented by Steve Groves, Vice President, Technology &<br />
CIO, GoodLife Fitness Clubs<br />
• Discover how the 'geek' culture is changing the way many organizations view technology and how it<br />
can assist you with being social in the 21st century<br />
• Learn how social tools such as Facebook and Twitter can open a door to interaction between members<br />
and staff even when they are miles apart from one another<br />
• Understand how mobile phone apps such as Foursquare, Yelp and Groupon use location to influence<br />
behavior<br />
• Learn how mobile apps Nike+, RunKeeper, iMapMyRun, CycleTracker and many others add a social<br />
media twist to fitness and training logs<br />
• Review technologies that can transform the way you lead your employees<br />
Join your industry colleagues and participate in <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s monthly webinars. Timely topics<br />
delivered to you and as many staff as you would like — all for only $39 each!<br />
REGISTER TODAY: 3 EASY WAYS!<br />
SP Circuit<br />
• Email membership@ihrsa.org • Call 800-228-4772 (US/Canada) • Visit ihrsa.org/webinars<br />
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association | Seaport Center, 70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210 USA<br />
THE PErSONAL TrAINEr, INC.<br />
REP-MAXX<br />
REP-MAXX fitness equipment offers<br />
intelligent free weight machines, including<br />
its new bench press. Features include<br />
an 8” color touch-panel controller that<br />
allows the user to set starting weight<br />
parameters; automatic weight load (20<br />
pounds per second); automatic unload<br />
that reverts to minimum bar weight after<br />
every set; manual weight-control program<br />
that enables the user to set weight<br />
increase and decrease per rep and total<br />
reps per set; and an auto weight-control<br />
program that decreases weight as needed.<br />
Manufacturer’s list price: $14,995.00<br />
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| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
PrECOr, INC.<br />
SEE OUR AD ON PAgE 19<br />
Experience Strength C-Line<br />
The Experience Strength C-Line is an<br />
ideal choice for providing users with<br />
premium, engaging strength training.<br />
With outstanding attention to detail, this<br />
line feels as good as it looks. Combined<br />
with advanced biomechanics that move<br />
intuitively, the C-Line delivers a total<br />
workout. Pads are engineered to provide<br />
comfort and support, for proper form,<br />
and users can make weight adjustments<br />
easily and conveniently while seated at<br />
the machine. Simple, step-by-step<br />
instructions for set-up and exercise<br />
include tips that help maximize workouts.<br />
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Experience Strength S-Line<br />
The Experience Strength S-Line is<br />
designed to work within space and<br />
budget requirements. The machines<br />
require minimal floor space and are easy<br />
to use. Built on sound biomechanics for<br />
optimal resistance and smooth interaction<br />
between user and equipment, they’re<br />
engineered to move smoothly with the<br />
body. With the add-on weight system,<br />
users can easily engage the add-on<br />
weight with a simple push of a lever<br />
to increase the work load.<br />
Icarian-Line Selectorized<br />
User-Defined Motion<br />
The Icarian Line strength equipment<br />
features a complete range of user-defined<br />
equipment distinguished by attention to<br />
biomechanics, comfortable touch points,<br />
and easy-to-use adjustments.<br />
PrOmAXImA FITNESS<br />
CL-30 Lat Pull Down<br />
The ProMaxima Champion Series is<br />
engineered to accommodate the<br />
biomechanics of school-age children<br />
and petite adults, with specific cams<br />
designed to ensure movements with<br />
the appropriate starting weights and<br />
resistance. Machines feature sleek<br />
shrouds and specialty pop-pin seats to<br />
help prevent injuries. ProMaxima has<br />
12 individual units encompassing each<br />
body part, and the series runs in partnership<br />
with BEE FIT educational materials,<br />
which include facility design, slip cover<br />
logos, and circuit training guidelines.
CM-325 Functional Trainer<br />
The ProMaxima Raptor Cable Motion<br />
Series has seven units that are designed<br />
to accommodate all users at sports<br />
training, rehabilitation, and recreation<br />
facilities. This series features functional<br />
trainers, cable-crossovers, dual-adjustable<br />
cable column machines, and more.<br />
Machines are space-efficient, have a<br />
sleek look, and are custom-made to<br />
order at value prices.<br />
IL-01 Chest Press<br />
The Raptor Independent line from<br />
ProMaxima is engineered to be completely<br />
adaptive and accessible for people with<br />
disabilities. Designed by an exercise<br />
physiologist and an engineer with more<br />
than 40 years of experience, the line is<br />
biomechanically correct and equally<br />
suitable for use by people without disabilities.<br />
The 12 single units encompass<br />
each body part, and are ideal for sports<br />
training, rehabilitation, and recreation<br />
facilities.<br />
P-180 Horizontal Leg Press<br />
with Linear Bearings<br />
The Promaxima Performance Plus<br />
Series has the same biomechanics as<br />
the Raptor Series, and also includes a<br />
full array of upper- and lower-body<br />
exercises with a sleek, space-efficient<br />
design. Weight stacks range from 225 to<br />
400 pounds to challenge all users. More<br />
than 42 individual and 12 combo units<br />
are available in any color combination,<br />
and each piece is made to order.<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
P-5200 Prone Leg Curl<br />
With more than 30 individual and eight<br />
combo units, the Raptor Strength Series<br />
provides a full array of upper- and lowerbody<br />
exercises with a sleek, space-efficient<br />
design. Weight stacks come with the<br />
option of full-length weight shrouds, and<br />
these machines work with the company’s<br />
Raptor leverage, free-weight, and deluxe<br />
power racks. Each piece is made to order,<br />
in any color combination. The generous<br />
warranty reflects a 40-year commitment<br />
to excellence in fitness equipment design.<br />
Fitness and Wellness<br />
Assessment<br />
Software and Testing Equipment<br />
• Conduct professional<br />
assessments.<br />
• Print great looking<br />
reports.<br />
• Motivate members to<br />
buy your services.<br />
• Quantify outcomes for<br />
group contracts.<br />
Health & Fitness Systems<br />
For pricing & trial CD:<br />
800-822-0405<br />
www.MicroFit.com<br />
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| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
UTS Unilateral Weight<br />
Stack Series<br />
The ProMaxima UTS Unilateral Dual<br />
Weight Stack Series enables exercisers<br />
to experience biomechanically correct<br />
workouts using either one limb, both<br />
limbs, or alternating limbs. Providing the<br />
feeling of a free-weight workout with the<br />
safety and convenience of selectorized<br />
weight stacks, these machines feature<br />
natural movements and variety for every<br />
body part. The 12 individual units boast a<br />
sleek, space-efficient design, and are<br />
custom-made to order.<br />
NEW<br />
RESIDUE<br />
FREE<br />
FORMULA!<br />
SPOrTSArT FITNESS<br />
Strength Series<br />
This ergonomically designed strength<br />
collection includes 23 single-station<br />
units and a line of benches and racks<br />
that boast a modern, visually appealing<br />
design. Among the features: integrated<br />
incremental weights, magnetic selector<br />
pins, fully shrouded weight stacks, gasassisted<br />
seats, and range-of-movement<br />
and range-limiter adjustments. Units<br />
include a cable tower, independent lat<br />
pulldown, abdominal crunch, assisted<br />
chin/dip, chest press, cable cross, leg<br />
press, pec dec, shoulder press, and low row.<br />
Defeat CA-MRSA,<br />
H1N1 and HIV<br />
■ Lowest Cost, Most Effective<br />
■ Made with 100%<br />
renewable resources<br />
■ Approved by leading<br />
equipment manufacturers<br />
Let the Revolution Begin!<br />
(888) 977-3726 ■ www.2xlcorp.com<br />
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STAr TrAC<br />
Impact Strength<br />
The Impact Strength’s Lock ‘N’ Load<br />
technology is the latest among Star<br />
Trac’s user-focused features designed<br />
to simplify and maximize the effectiveness<br />
of strength-training workouts. The<br />
pin-less Lock ‘N’ Load weight-selection<br />
system ensures that health club members<br />
won’t have to deal with missing or bent<br />
pins on weight stacks. The Impact strength<br />
line offers 27 uniquely designed training<br />
stations that encompass the industry’s<br />
most popular strength-training exercises;<br />
all of the pieces are available with Lock<br />
‘N’ Load technology.<br />
Inspiration Strength<br />
Inspiration Strength provides the<br />
ultimate user experience and incredible<br />
approachability with low-profile towers,<br />
soft frame lines, and easily visible instructions.<br />
Exercisers are surrounded by an<br />
intuitive interface that owes more to<br />
luxury automobile ergonomics than<br />
traditional exercise equipment, and<br />
many machines offer unilateral function<br />
for balanced training and greater variety.<br />
Inspiration Strength also features the<br />
Lock ‘N’ Load pin-less weight-selection<br />
system that affords streamlined and<br />
efficient workouts.
Instinct<br />
The Instinct line encompasses 30<br />
space-efficient single- and dual-function<br />
machines that can be used as a standalone<br />
strength line or as a quick circuit.<br />
Simple to use and comfortable for all<br />
users, the machines feature minimal<br />
adjustments and easy entry. The line has<br />
a look that’s consistent with Star Trac’s<br />
popular cardiovascular equipment.<br />
TECHNOgym<br />
SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER<br />
Element+ Line<br />
Element+ provides effective, non-intimidating,<br />
and intuitive strength training.<br />
The small footprint and reduced weightstack<br />
heights accommodate all facility<br />
layouts. Adjustments are minimal, and<br />
all are accessible from a seated position.<br />
Visual-only instructional placards provide<br />
exercise guidance, and Vario-density<br />
padding offers extra support. Conical<br />
handgrips accommodate different training<br />
positions. Key upper-body machines<br />
incorporate an independent and converging<br />
arm movement. And an integrated<br />
half-plate allows users to gradually<br />
increase their weight.<br />
Inclusive Line<br />
Technogym’s Inclusive Line is an eightpiece<br />
strength line designed to meet the<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
accessibility requirements of the Inclusive<br />
Fitness Initiative’s Stage 2 standards.<br />
The line includes modified versions of<br />
Technogym’s Element+ and Selection<br />
machines. Features include tactile weight<br />
stack and adjustment markings, largegrip<br />
weight-pin selector, push-release<br />
system for single-hand adjustments,<br />
swing-away seats and independent arms<br />
on upper-body equipment, dual-sided<br />
seat adjustments on lower-body equipment,<br />
and large visual-only placards.<br />
w w w. i h r s a . o rg | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 85
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
Selection<br />
Technogym’s Selection line combines<br />
effectiveness, comfort, and ease of use<br />
with visual appeal and more than 30<br />
equipment options. The durable and nonintimidating<br />
elliptical design is consistent<br />
throughout all benches, cables, and<br />
selectorized machines. Selection products<br />
have extensive safety features, including<br />
weight stack covers and Easy Start<br />
levers. A towel-locking device, integrated<br />
incremental half-plate adjustment system,<br />
double hand-grip system, and easy-tospot<br />
yellow-colored adjustments enhance<br />
user comfort and satisfaction.<br />
TOrquE FITNESS<br />
NEW<br />
M line<br />
The new M line of 12 commercial<br />
selectorized systems from Torque<br />
Fitness is the result of experienced<br />
designers determined to outdo the<br />
hundreds of innovations to their credit<br />
on fitness floors worldwide. With the<br />
premium, durable M line, health club<br />
members see fully shrouded towers of<br />
uniform height that indicate quality, and<br />
experience exercises that are ultrasmooth,<br />
comfortable, and natural.<br />
TrAK FITNESS COrP.<br />
TrakBar 24 and TrakBar 42<br />
The TrakBar 24 and TrakBar 42 both<br />
incorporate two TrakHandles and seven<br />
rotational axes, making them functionally<br />
versatile cable attachments. Together,<br />
the two bars can be adjusted to any size<br />
between 12" to 42", enabling users of all<br />
sizes to specifically target any muscle<br />
group from any angle. TrakBars are part<br />
of Trak Fitness Corporation’s Pro-line of<br />
cable attachments, which also includes<br />
the TrakHandle and TrakRow.<br />
research portal .5 page ad_B-0710CBI:research portal .5pg ad_B-0710CBI 5/28/10 11:37 AM Page 1<br />
"A wealth of useful data right at your fingertips."<br />
Bill McBride, Chief Operating Officer<br />
Club One – San Francisco, CA<br />
THE <strong>IHRSA</strong> RESEARCH PORTAL:<br />
The monthly updated <strong>IHRSA</strong> Research Portal offers data right at your<br />
fingertips. It's the same high-quality <strong>IHRSA</strong> Research the industry has come<br />
to rely on, only we've improved the way we deliver it to you.<br />
The <strong>IHRSA</strong> Research Portal offers:<br />
• More up-to-date data than traditional print publications<br />
• Universal PDF format for easy reading on your computer or e-reader<br />
• Downloadable files<br />
• 24/7 access to all of your data<br />
YOUR INFORMATION SOURCE: www.ihrsa.org/research<br />
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association | Seaport Center, 70 Fargo Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 USA | 800-228-4772 (US/Canada) | +1 617-951-0055 (International)<br />
86 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w. i h r s a . o rg
TuFFSTuFF FITNESS<br />
EquIPmENT, INC.<br />
Cal Gym Series<br />
The Cal gym Series by TuffStuff is designed<br />
for vertical markets and health clubs, and<br />
features simple single- and dual-function<br />
selectorized machines. This streamlined,<br />
versatile, and compact equipment represents<br />
quality, ease-of-use, and smooth<br />
biomechanical operation that make them<br />
inviting and non-intimidating for users.<br />
Cal gym delivers the same performance<br />
as larger, more complex machines, in a<br />
smaller, friendlier package. And the optional<br />
finish and upholstery combination colors<br />
liven up any atmosphere.<br />
Proformance Plus Series<br />
TuffStuff’s Proformance Plus commercial<br />
strength series encompasses a full line<br />
of single-station and dual-function resistance<br />
machines, along with plate-loaded,<br />
free-weight, and bodyweight training<br />
equipment. Manufactured in the United<br />
States, the line features 2' x 4' 11-gauge<br />
oval steel frames that sport a modern,<br />
dual-tone paint scheme. Low-profile<br />
weight-stack enclosures, five frame<br />
finishes, brushed aluminum accents,<br />
15 upholstery options, and exceptional<br />
biomechanics deliver machines that<br />
look as good as they feel.<br />
Buy it and plug it in...<br />
how much easier can it get?<br />
| <strong>Innovations</strong> | FIT Extra Selectorized<br />
FOr mOrE INFOrmATION<br />
See the advertisers’ index on pg. 107 or search at<br />
www.ihrsabuyersguide.com<br />
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“Most importantly for me...the numbers just work.<br />
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HydroMassage_0611_halfisland.indd 1 w w w. i h r s a . o rg | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n4/29/2011 t e r n a t1:56:31 i o n a l PM87
“In Every Industry, There is One Product or Service<br />
That Changes The Game Forever...”<br />
MYZONE is the only system in the world that<br />
has the capability of accurately tracking and<br />
reporting the activity of every single member in<br />
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MYZONE offers unrivalled group and studio<br />
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member’s club experience.<br />
MAKING MOVEMENT MEASURABLE<br />
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MYZONE is the ‘pinnacle’ of customer<br />
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MYZONE offers your club the opportunity to<br />
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Loss Center in your community.<br />
“MYZONE guarantees a 400% return on investment or your money back!”<br />
MYZONE is marketed<br />
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<strong>IHRSA</strong> Report<br />
The results of a study conducted at Canada’s<br />
McMaster University, and published in the February<br />
issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of<br />
Sciences, found exercise to be dramatically effective<br />
in reversing virtually all of the signs of aging in<br />
mice, including ones involving the brain, skin, hair,<br />
gonads, kidneys, spleen, liver, and activity levels.<br />
“Every part of the body was protected by exercise,”<br />
reports principal investigator Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky. —|<br />
First Set 91 | In Brief 92 | Club Advisor 94 | Ask the Entrepreneurs 96<br />
Member News 98 | Calendar 104 | Coming Soon 104<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 89
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub<br />
Association is a not-for-profit trade association<br />
open to investor-owned and member-owned<br />
fitness, racquet and athletic facilities. Associate<br />
memberships are available to manufacturers<br />
or suppliers of products and services of use<br />
to <strong>IHRSA</strong> members.<br />
800-228-4772 USA & Canada<br />
617-951-0055 International<br />
617-951-0056 FAX<br />
www.ihrsa.org<br />
www.healthclubs.com<br />
E-mail: info@ihrsa.org<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Board of Directors<br />
Art Curtis: Chairperson<br />
Millennium Partners<br />
Sports Club Management, LLC<br />
617-476-8910<br />
Mike Raymond: Curves International<br />
254-399-9285<br />
Susan Cooper: BodyBusiness Health Club & Spa<br />
512-459-9424<br />
Sandy Hoeffer: Clubsource<br />
Development Partners<br />
415-459-1500<br />
David Hardy: Franvest Capital Partners<br />
780-953-4273<br />
Kilian Fisher: ILAM<br />
+353 (0) 45 902235<br />
Chuck Runyon: Anytime Fitness<br />
651-438-5000<br />
Kay Yuspeh: Elite Fitness & Racquet Clubs<br />
262-786-0880<br />
Bill McBride: Club One<br />
415-477-3000<br />
Richard Bilton: Companhia Athletica<br />
+55 11-5181-2000<br />
Carol Nalevanko: DMB Sports Clubs<br />
480-609-6979<br />
Brent Darden: TELOS Fitness Center<br />
972-458-2582<br />
Scott Gillespie: Saco Sport & Fitness<br />
207-284-5953<br />
David Patchell-Evans: Ex-officio<br />
GoodLife Fitness Clubs<br />
519-661-0190 ext. 238<br />
SPECIAL ADVISOR<br />
EUROPE<br />
Christian Pierar: De Fitness Organisatie<br />
+32 9-232-5036<br />
® Time<br />
for: Health<br />
Through Exercise<br />
Around 700 B.C., the Greek poet Hesiod sagely<br />
observed, “Right timing is in all things the most<br />
important factor.” Centuries have passed, but<br />
the truth of his insight remains unchanged. And<br />
for our industry—and its newest initiative, the<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Foundation—the right time is now.<br />
We’re incredibly fortunate to work in a sector that’s focused,<br />
specifically, on making people healthier at a point in time when<br />
individuals, healthcare professionals, and governments are all<br />
increasingly aware of the need for, and value of, the services our<br />
clubs provide. Not a day goes by when medical researchers don’t<br />
confirm, once more, the fact that regular, appropriate exercise can<br />
serve as an important tool to help prevent and treat a wide variety<br />
of chronic conditions.<br />
Our industry’s future, it seems, has never been so promising.<br />
And, when it comes to “right timing,” the moment to launch<br />
the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Foundation couldn’t possibly be more perfect.<br />
The foundation has a single, precisely targeted goal—that<br />
of promoting health through exercise—and three primary<br />
objectives to achieve it. The foundation will:<br />
1. Support research and encourage the creation and offering of wellness<br />
programs based on health through exercise. That, in turn, will allow it to<br />
discover, document, and disseminate information about the ways in which<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> clubs are making a major contribution to the public’s health.<br />
2. Help develop, produce, and deliver educational resources for the operation of<br />
wellness programs that emphasize health through exercise. The foundation will<br />
be able to provide <strong>IHRSA</strong> facilities with effective, high-quality programs for their<br />
members and the communities they serve.<br />
3. Encourage individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations to become<br />
involved in the foundation’s activities. Under <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s designation as a 501 (c)(6)<br />
trade association, it’s not allowed to seek funds from such sources, but the<br />
foundation, a 501 (c)(3) charitable entity, will be able to apply for grants, as well<br />
as funds, from other charitable foundations to support research, educational,<br />
and exercise-program initiatives.<br />
Working with other organizations that share our commitment to shaping<br />
a healthier nation, our industry can become a potent force in influencing<br />
government, at both the state and federal levels, by championing public<br />
policy that’s related to primary prevention. As the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Foundation<br />
develops, the possibilities are virtually endless.<br />
You’ll be hearing much more about the foundation over the coming<br />
months, so stay tuned as <strong>IHRSA</strong> leads the way in helping you grow your<br />
business by promoting health through exercise. —|<br />
Art Curtis<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Chairperson<br />
– Art Curtis, acurtis@mp-sportsclub.com<br />
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | First Set<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 9 1
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | In Brief<br />
The All-<br />
Encompassing<br />
Value of <strong>IHRSA</strong><br />
Advocacy<br />
9 2 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
Running a successful health club requires the dual ability to offer great<br />
products and services on the floor, while managing administrative<br />
demands, such as hiring qualified staff, regulating membership dues,<br />
and ensuring that your club is in compliance with all state and federal<br />
regulations. So when your ability to efficiently operate behind the<br />
scenes is jeopardized, it poses a serious threat to the success of your business.<br />
Among its many roles, <strong>IHRSA</strong> defends the industry against harmful legislation,<br />
such as sales tax increases and burdensome membership contract requirements.<br />
“Through advocacy, <strong>IHRSA</strong> protects your club’s bottom line,” says Amy Bantham,<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>’s deputy vice president of government relations. “Staying on top of legal<br />
and legislative issues protects the foundations of your club’s operation.”<br />
Since <strong>IHRSA</strong> was founded in 1981, the number of bills introduced in state<br />
legislatures to attempt to regulate the fitness industry has increased each year. In<br />
1992, 14 states had introduced 22 pieces of legislation; 19 years later, the number<br />
of new bills has swelled to 304—a nearly 1,300% increase!<br />
One area that legislators are particularly keen to regulate is the automatic<br />
renewal of membership contracts. In 2011 alone, <strong>IHRSA</strong> has seen seven bills<br />
pertaining to automatic renewal that would, in one way or another, hamper clubs’<br />
ability to automatically renew membership contracts. In general, most bills would<br />
impose burdensome notification requirements that would prohibitively increase<br />
staff time and administrative costs.<br />
Last year, for example, Illinois House Bill 4874 (HB 4874) would have required<br />
clubs in that state to send notices of automatic renewal via certified mail to members<br />
30 days prior to the renewal date of their contract. Since the start dates of membership<br />
contracts vary greatly, the potential impact of such a bill is staggering. Clubs<br />
statewide would have had to send out multiple certified notices daily. “It would<br />
likely put me out of business,” concluded one <strong>IHRSA</strong> club operator, in a survey<br />
about the effects of automatic renewal. However, <strong>IHRSA</strong> successfully defeated<br />
HB 4874 by preventing its movement prior to the end of the legislative session.<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> also guards against attempts to regulate personal training and to apply<br />
or increase sales and use tax on memberships. Since 1997, <strong>IHRSA</strong> has encountered<br />
30 sales tax battles, 27 of which were fought successfully due to the unified voice<br />
of member clubs, guided by <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s team of government relations experts.<br />
In Pennsylvania, clubs successfully defeated three consecutive attempts to tax<br />
health clubs. Over 10,000 messages and e-mails were sent to Pennsylvania<br />
lawmakers from fitness professionals and health club consumers across the state.<br />
Together, <strong>IHRSA</strong> member clubs educated Pennsylvania state lawmakers on the<br />
cost-saving powers of healthy lifestyles and exercise.<br />
But <strong>IHRSA</strong> doesn’t just defeat bad legislation. <strong>IHRSA</strong> proactively works to promote<br />
industry growth through legislative measures, such as passing resolutions that<br />
commit lawmakers to endorsing policies that increase the number of Americans<br />
who exercise in health clubs. In March, <strong>IHRSA</strong> passed Senate Resolution 97, affirming<br />
the U.S. Senate’s commitment to physical activity as a solution to obesity and<br />
chronic disease.<br />
As a club operator, you know that attending to what happens behind the scenes<br />
is just as important as having superior equipment and in-demand fitness classes.<br />
Being an <strong>IHRSA</strong> member gives you access to the information, resources, and<br />
assistance necessary to stay on top of legal and legislative issues that could have<br />
an adverse impact on business operations.<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>’s government relations team provides information and guidance and<br />
facilitates networking to protect your club and the industry from harmful legislation,<br />
and also supports legislation that aims to grow the industry.<br />
For more information on how you can get involved, e-mail <strong>IHRSA</strong> Government<br />
Relations at gr@ihrsa.org. —|<br />
.org Learn more about <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s advocacy efforts by logging on to www.ihrsa.org/publicpolicy.
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Club Advisor<br />
Ways to Reward Staff<br />
Sans Raises<br />
By Patricia Amend<br />
It’s a catch-22: In a recession, when membership<br />
sales flatten or decline, it’s essential to hold onto<br />
the members you have. But, to retain them, your staff<br />
has to provide the best member service possible with<br />
enthusiasm and good humor … at a time when their salaries<br />
may have been frozen. How can you make your employees<br />
feel valued and appreciated when you can’t reward them<br />
with raises? Consider these helpful suggestions.<br />
Create a stronger bond. Tom Kulp, the owner of the<br />
Universal Athletic Club, a 90,000-square-foot multipurpose<br />
facility with 14,000 members and 265 employees, in<br />
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, strives to make his employees<br />
feel more involved and appreciated. He does so by fostering<br />
an atmosphere that’s both engaging and enjoyable. “I<br />
want our front desk people, our fitness coaches, our<br />
trainers—everyone—to feel like part of the team. So,<br />
we make the mundane things inclusive and fun. For<br />
example, my Kid’s Club director needed the childcare<br />
area cleaned. So, we got pizza and music and turned<br />
the task into a party. Employees from many departments<br />
signed up to help a month in advance.<br />
“Making employees feel valued is less about a 25-cent<br />
raise, and more about making them feel as though they<br />
fit in.”<br />
His cancellation and retention rates confirm his<br />
conviction. “They’ve changed little since we froze wages<br />
18 months ago when our sales flattened out,” says Kulp,<br />
who dubs himself the club’s Chief Motivational Officer.<br />
“Our retention rate is 83.5%–85% on a regular basis.<br />
Happy, motivated employees are ‘infectious’ to members.”<br />
Communicate with everyone. Jason Wass, the general<br />
manager of Sportime, an 85,000-square-foot tennis,<br />
sports, and fitness facility in Kings Park, New York,<br />
has begun talking to all of his employees, numbering<br />
between 50 and 100, depending on the season. “Each<br />
quarter, instead of meeting with my department heads<br />
only, we now have company-wide meetings with food,<br />
prizes, and some ice-breaker games—the type that I<br />
learned about at the <strong>IHRSA</strong> Institute for Professional<br />
Club Management. We also bring employees up to<br />
9 4 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
speed on what’s happening, encourage them to ask<br />
questions, and talk about customer service and our<br />
core values and goals. We try to break down the walls<br />
to facilitate more and better communication. The plan<br />
is to keep everyone happy and working toward the same<br />
objectives, even though we froze salaries in 2009.”<br />
Share more numbers. Wayne Fizzuoglio has been dealing<br />
with a situation similar to Wass.’ As the owner of the<br />
Powerhouse Gym in Miller Place, New York, he hasn’t<br />
been able to give raises for more than 18 months. To<br />
help his employees appreciate why that’s the case and<br />
keep them motivated, he’s made use of an open-book<br />
policy. “In January, at my staff meeting, I showed them<br />
the year-end review—how 2010 compared with 2009—<br />
so there wasn’t any mystery. And, to give them something<br />
to look forward to, I told them that I’d reconsider raises<br />
in June. I also reminded them that we all share the same<br />
goal. If your staff understands your mission, they can<br />
accept pay freezes more easily.”<br />
Compensate any way you can. Fizzuoglio has also been<br />
looking into other ways to reward people effectively.<br />
“Last year, I gave out gas cards and other small items<br />
to those employees who’d signed up the most house<br />
accounts or obtained the most e-mail addresses; doing<br />
so acknowledged their hard work. This year, I’ve created<br />
a merit-based bonus system. Every employee in<br />
the club—not just the managers—shares in the bonus<br />
if we hit our monthly numbers. I told everyone, ‘It’s<br />
up to you.’ As a result, my staff has been even more<br />
motivated than they were before, and, in the first<br />
quarter, we beat last year by 3%. That’s our first<br />
increase in three years!” —|
More than a reason<br />
they will join, it’s a reason<br />
your members will stay.<br />
“MYTRAK encourages<br />
me and gives me more<br />
incentive to move. It has<br />
improved the quality of my<br />
life. Believe it or not, I now<br />
go to the gym Monday<br />
through Thursday!”<br />
- Barbara -<br />
Simple. Elegant. Effective. MYTRAK® is a virtual health solution that<br />
your members will not only use, but one they will also fall in love with!<br />
MYTRAK helps you to help members stay motivated; encouraging them<br />
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exercise. Programmable to any lifestyle and fi tness level, MYTRAK guides each<br />
member’s success as they go from Red to Yellow to GREEN! Imagine the excitement<br />
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my heart . my energy . my health<br />
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L E A R N M O R E l 1 888 431 8626 l mytrak.com/myclub<br />
R
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Ask the Entrepreneurs<br />
Super Staff<br />
Stimulus<br />
How do you reward and retain your best employees?<br />
u GeRARd OlIveR, General Manager<br />
Al Corniche Club Resort & Spa, Dasman, Kuwait<br />
9 6 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
“The best incentive for our fitness team has been our decision to not focus on the number of<br />
personal-training sessions conducted and the revenues generated by them. We’ve transitioned<br />
trainers from an arrangement in which they had set hours and duties to one that allows them<br />
independence. This has encouraged them to concentrate on their own businesses. Our trainers<br />
are passionate about their trade, and, now, aren’t under pressure from the club to chase every<br />
dollar. They have the desire and the time to educate themselves, and, interestingly, our revenues<br />
have increased. They’re also doing a better job of helping our members achieve the results they<br />
want, and this helps with retention, which is our top priority.”—|<br />
u lISA WelkO, President<br />
Ellipse Fitness, Appleton, Wisconsin<br />
“Building a successful organization is all about finding the right people, training them well,<br />
rewarding them for their efforts, and giving them the freedom to take ownership of their<br />
responsibilities. It’s not just about management; it’s also about mentoring. Cultivate their<br />
confidence in their abilities, and allow them to grow within the organization. We place special<br />
emphasis on training and ongoing development of everyone’s skills, whether it has to do with<br />
general fitness, sales and marketing, customer service, personal skills, or things specific to Ellipse<br />
Fitness programming. This sort of approach is essential in an industry that, like fitness itself,<br />
is changing every day! These are critical elements in building and retaining motivated staff.” —|<br />
u AydIn BuyukyIlmAz, General Manager<br />
Renewaclub, Turkey<br />
“We have 140 staff, and all of them are valuable to us. In our dealings with them, it’s important<br />
to be fair, understandable, and explicit. Our performance system relies on the relative performance<br />
of our employees, which has a direct impact on the club’s financial performance. We offer<br />
competitive salaries and an excellent compensation package, with frequent adjustments based<br />
on market dynamics. Our employees value all of these things, but the most important thing is<br />
that they feel as though they’re part of our family—the key word is “teamwork.” As a result,<br />
our employee turnover rate is very low.” —|<br />
Editor’s note: If you’d like to be profiled in this column, please contact Kristen Walsh, <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s senior editor, at kwalsh@ihrsa.org.
On behalf of the<br />
entire fitness industry,<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> is proud to thank the members<br />
of the Public Policy Council for their<br />
support of the Industry Defense Fund.<br />
Thanks to their contributions, the industry has the resources to fight for your business prosperity<br />
every day.<br />
✔<br />
❏ Stopping Sales Taxes on Dues<br />
❏✔ Stopping personal trainer licensure<br />
❏✔ Protecting Automatic Renewal contracts<br />
❏✔ Promoting Healthy Lifestyle and Primary Prevention<br />
❏✔ Promoting the Vision for a Healthier, More Prosperous America<br />
For a complete list of members to thank, please visit www.ihrsa.org/contributors.<br />
To get involved and support your industry, please visit www.ihrsa.org/industry-defense-fund or<br />
pledge today at www.ihrsa.org/pledge. Contributions of any amount are welcome.<br />
This is the time for everyone in the industry to be involved;<br />
we cannot afford to have anyone on the sidelines.<br />
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association | Seaport Center, 70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210 USA | 800.228.4772
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Member News<br />
Value Proposition Big Ass Fans<br />
A unique name bespeaks this company’s unique commitment to<br />
state-of-the-art technology, sustainability, and management practices<br />
How memorable is the name<br />
the HVLS Fan Company?<br />
It’s corporate. It’s appropriate<br />
for a manufacturer<br />
of 6'–24'-diameter highvolume/low-speed<br />
(HVLS) ceiling and<br />
vertical fans for commercial, industrial,<br />
agricultural, and institutional buildings.<br />
It’s a solid name for B2B marketing.<br />
Yet, in terms of branding, it’s not a<br />
particularly recognizable name. Three<br />
years after this Lexington, Kentuckybased<br />
fan company began doing<br />
business, it decided it needed a better<br />
hook to garner the market recognition<br />
it wanted.<br />
“In searching for a memorable name,<br />
it didn’t take long to concede that there<br />
could be none more memorable than the<br />
one our customers had inadvertently<br />
bestowed upon our products since day<br />
one,” observes Rob Hignite, the company’s<br />
Cooling Off Smaller Clubs<br />
Because Big Ass Fans are so large, smaller clubs haven’t been<br />
able to make use of them—until now. The company recently<br />
introduced the Yellow Jacket, a portable mid-speed fan for clubs<br />
with ceilings of 12' and lower.<br />
The Yellow Jacket features a heavy-gauge steel carriage;<br />
acoustically designed components for quiet operation; oversized<br />
wheels and ergonomic handles for superior maneuverability;<br />
multiple speeds and airflow control; and a high-efficiency design<br />
that cuts energy use by over 50%. —|<br />
fitness market specialist. “Whenever<br />
somebody sees our fans, they inevitably<br />
say, ‘Wow, that’s one big-ass fan!’ So, in<br />
2002, we became Big Ass Fans, created<br />
the Big Ass Fans brand, and adopted<br />
Fanny the Donkey as our mascot.”<br />
9 8 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
While its name is comical, Big Ass<br />
Fans’ approach to what it does is serious<br />
(and seriously fun), whether it has to<br />
do with technology development, a<br />
strong devotion to sustainability, or the<br />
development of a truly unique name<br />
and corporate culture.<br />
A no-nonsense approach to technology<br />
Take one look at the Big Ass Fans line,<br />
and you’ll immediately see the company’s<br />
distinctive approach in the polished or<br />
matte blades, thin-mesh cages,<br />
“upturned winglets,” and bold colors.<br />
The streamlined looks are buttressed by<br />
a strong dedication to technology and<br />
improving everything Big Ass Fans<br />
produces. For example, the patented<br />
airfoil and winglet design does more<br />
than add to a fan’s good looks; the winglets<br />
increase downward velocities to stabilize<br />
air movement, increase coverage areas<br />
by creating deeper<br />
jets of air, and reduce<br />
the air resistance that<br />
can strain a motor.<br />
The manufacturer’s<br />
ISO 9001:2008 and<br />
LEED Gold-certified<br />
research and development<br />
laboratory is<br />
housed in a one-of-akind45,000-squarefoot,<br />
60' tall testing<br />
facility. “It gives us the<br />
ability to test our fans<br />
for a wide variety<br />
o f a p p l i c a t i o n s , ”<br />
explains Hignite. “With mobile room<br />
dividers separating the testing areas, we<br />
test everything from airflow rate, thrust<br />
force, and air velocity, to the structural<br />
integrity of each fan component. All parts<br />
must meet our rigorous specifications<br />
Rob Hignite<br />
» Our culture<br />
works “ to<br />
develop a happy,<br />
productive<br />
workforce,<br />
while attracting<br />
customers<br />
who want, for<br />
lack of better<br />
words, to live<br />
vicariously<br />
through our<br />
company and<br />
our brand.<br />
”
for integrity or they will not be used in<br />
our products; this includes everything<br />
from the nuts and bolts to specially<br />
designed gearboxes. To determine<br />
whether parts meet our standards, they<br />
must be able to withstand millions of<br />
rotations, starts and stops, and numerous<br />
other stress tests.”<br />
Committed to sustainability<br />
For Big Ass Fans, technology goes hand-inhand<br />
with its clear desire to be a standardbearer<br />
with regard to sustainability.<br />
“We really do walk the walk when it<br />
comes to sustainability,” Hignite asserts.<br />
“Big Ass Fans are designed to move the<br />
maximum amount of air with minimal<br />
energy-consumption. Our use of windtunnel<br />
testing, computational fluid<br />
dynamics, finite element analysis, and a<br />
combined 100-plus years of fan design<br />
experience all work to provide the most<br />
energy-efficient fans possible. And, having<br />
undertaken a wide range of sustainability<br />
initiatives, including water-conservation<br />
and waste-reduction programs, and<br />
printing 90% of our literature on Forest<br />
Stewardship Council-certified paper<br />
using soy-based inks, we truly practice<br />
what we preach.”<br />
Sustainability is also a hallmark of the<br />
fans’ designs, which include oversized<br />
bearings, sealed gearboxes, and stronger<br />
output shafts. Those touches appear on<br />
the outside, as well as the inside. “Our<br />
fans use 10 blades operating at slow<br />
speeds to move large volumes of air,”<br />
Hignite says. “The fans might be less<br />
expensive to build if we lowered the<br />
number of blades and compensated by<br />
increasing the operating speed, but that<br />
would decrease their life spans.”<br />
Achieving fast growth, low turnover<br />
In many cases, creating the right culture<br />
can help drive profitability, and the truism<br />
applies to Big Ass Fans, which has worked<br />
diligently to build an environment that<br />
serves its employees and its community.<br />
Big Ass Fans aerate<br />
Anytime Fitness<br />
“A happy workforce is a productive<br />
workforce, as evidenced by the fast<br />
growth and low turnover within our<br />
company,” opines Hignite. “In 2009,<br />
’10, and ’11, we were ranked among the<br />
top 25 Best Places to Work in Kentucky.”<br />
The award recognized Big Ass Fans<br />
for maintaining an outstanding work<br />
environment that allows employees to<br />
meet professional goals, learn new<br />
skills, and, most importantly, have fun.<br />
The company is also involved in the<br />
community, hosting American Society of<br />
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning<br />
Engineers chapter meetings,<br />
open house events, guided tours, and<br />
the annual H’Artful of Fun event<br />
founded by Lexington’s Living Arts &<br />
Sciences Center.<br />
“This sort of ‘open-door policy’ allows<br />
for better communication with our community<br />
and customers, and a stronger<br />
understanding of the market needs,” he<br />
adds. “Our culture works to develop a<br />
happy, productive workforce while<br />
attracting customers who want, for lack<br />
of better words, to live vicariously<br />
through our company and our brand.” —|<br />
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Member News<br />
Big Ass Fans<br />
Pro Forma<br />
Year Founded:<br />
1999<br />
Revenue Growth:<br />
250% from 2005-10<br />
Facilities:<br />
33,000-square-foot<br />
administrative office;<br />
44,000-square-foot<br />
dedicated leed Gold<br />
R&d facility;<br />
100,000-square-foot<br />
manufacturing facility<br />
Employees:<br />
more than 200 globally<br />
Installation:<br />
more than 45,000<br />
Big Ass Fans in<br />
operation worldwide —|<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 9 9
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Member News<br />
ASSOCIATe PROFIleS<br />
Coverall North America<br />
u Founded in 1985, Coverall is a global<br />
franchisor of commercial cleaning businesses<br />
for more than 50,000 customers. Through<br />
the company’s 9,000 franchise owners, the<br />
innovative Coverall Health-Based Cleaning<br />
System program is significantly enhancing<br />
the commercial cleaning industry with its<br />
science-based system, which is designed<br />
to reduce cross-contamination and the<br />
spread of illness-causing germs in the<br />
workplace and other public venues. The<br />
company is known for its value, quality, and<br />
responsiveness. For more information,<br />
contact the company at 800-537-3371;<br />
www.coverall.com. —|<br />
HydroWorx International, Inc.<br />
u HydroWorx International, Inc., is a<br />
premier manufacturer of innovative<br />
aquatic rehabilitation and fitness products,<br />
including rehab and exercise pools, an<br />
underwater treadmill, fully adjustable floor,<br />
resistance jets, deep-tissue massage, and<br />
additional options to fit every application<br />
and budget. Its versatile and effective pools<br />
have helped to rehabilitate and restore<br />
functionality to individuals and athletes,<br />
while improving their performance. The<br />
company’s comprehensive collection of<br />
products, boasting superior technology<br />
and therapeutic advantages, helps meet<br />
the needs of athletic trainers and clinicians<br />
worldwide. For more information,<br />
contact the company at 800-753-9633;<br />
www.hydroworx.com. —|<br />
ASSOCIATe neWS<br />
City Blends, Ltd.<br />
u City Blends, Ltd., which offers City Blends<br />
Smoothie Café, has launched a cobranded<br />
café and menu board program with World Gym<br />
International, called World Gym Barbell Café,<br />
creating a new profit center for the franchise<br />
chain. “The imagery reflects the excitement of<br />
World Gym’s rebranding, while building on the<br />
healthy and delicious products from City Blends,”<br />
explains Guy Cammilleri, the managing director<br />
of World Gym. Marrying the heritage of Joe Gold<br />
and Muscle Beach with the celebrity of Hollywood,<br />
World Gym Barbell Café features smoothies and<br />
juice-bar products, such as Star Berry, Celebrity<br />
Smash, and Pile Driver. For more information,<br />
contact the company at 877-525-3637;<br />
www.cityblends.com. —|<br />
Life Fitness<br />
Frank Van de Ven<br />
1 0 0 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
u Life Fitness has confirmed that Frank Van de<br />
Ven will assume the role of vice president for the<br />
company’s international business unit, after having<br />
overseen this area in an interim capacity since<br />
April 2010. During his 15 years at Life Fitness,<br />
Van de Ven has held positions on the business and<br />
marketing sides, most recently as vice president<br />
of the company’s EMEA region, overseeing Europe,<br />
the Middle East, and Asia. Van de Ven also serves<br />
as a board member for the European Health &<br />
Fitness Association (EHFA). For more information,<br />
contact the company at 800-735-3867;<br />
www.lifefitness.com. —|<br />
Matrix Fitness<br />
u Matrix Fitness and the Challenged<br />
Athletes Foundation (CAF) recently<br />
launched the Matrix Training Facility<br />
at CAF’s new Deni & Jeff Jacobs<br />
Challenged Athletes Center in San<br />
Diego. The facility provides access<br />
to fitness equipment, all donated by<br />
Matrix, including a Johnny G KRANKcycle,<br />
T3x treadmill, E5xc elliptical,<br />
Tomahawk E Series indoor cycle,<br />
rower, and numerous weight machines,<br />
including the G3 functional trainer. “Our mission to inspire a healthy lifestyle<br />
aligns with CAF’s goal of empowering challenged athletes,” notes Kent Stevens,<br />
the executive vice president of sales at Matrix Fitness. For more information,<br />
contact the company at 866-693-4863; www.matrixfitness.com. —|<br />
Athlete Mike Johnston
ASSOCIATe PROFIleS<br />
Wilson Elser Moskowitz<br />
Edelman & Dicker LLP<br />
u Wilson Elser is a full-service law firm<br />
with nearly 800 attorneys in 21 offices<br />
throughout the U.S. With an office in<br />
London and a network of affiliate firms<br />
in France, Germany, and Mexico, Wilson<br />
Elser provides legal advice and representation<br />
around the world. While the firm’s<br />
primary focus is insurance defense, it<br />
has expanded into the corporate and<br />
transactional realms, and currently has<br />
20 different practice areas. Its attorneys<br />
often work on multidisciplinary and/or<br />
multijurisdictional teams to identify sound,<br />
comprehensive, and innovative solutions to<br />
complex legal issues. For more information,<br />
contact the company at 914-323-7000;<br />
www.wilsonelser.com. —|<br />
Young at Heart North America<br />
u Young at Heart North America produces<br />
self-paced health-screening solutions,<br />
including the CardioID Kiosk. The kiosk<br />
takes a 90-second snapshot of an individual’s<br />
pulse waves and returns their CardioID,<br />
which is an expression of how their<br />
cardiovascular system compares to those of<br />
other people the same age. The CardioID<br />
Kiosk provides a powerful retention strategy<br />
to keep health club members engaged in<br />
their fitness program, and also serves as<br />
a tool to attract new members. For more<br />
information, contact the company at<br />
800-580-9403; www.youngatheart.com. —|<br />
< ASSOCIATe neWS<br />
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Member News<br />
Netpulse, Inc.<br />
u Netpulse, Inc., has<br />
expanded its team by adding<br />
Mark Mastrov to its board<br />
of directors; Kurt Weinsheimer<br />
as vice president of business development; Joe Hawkins as vice president<br />
of operations; and Dave Canter as national sales director. Mastrov, chairman of New<br />
Evolution Ventures (NeV), is the founder and former head of 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide,<br />
Inc. Weinsheimer has held top positions at Patagonia, Spot Runner, Inc., and<br />
Orbitz Worldwide. Hawkins, with 20 years of expertise, served most recently as a<br />
senior vice president for Premier Retail Networks. Canter, a 15-year industry veteran,<br />
was formerly with Millennium Partners Sports Club Management (MPSCM). For<br />
more information, contact the company at 877-NET-PULSE; www.netpulse.com. —|<br />
Power Systems, Inc.<br />
COO Mike Akers, l.,<br />
CEO Bruno Paulette<br />
u Congratulations to Power Systems,<br />
Inc., of Knoxville, Tennessee, which<br />
earned the Achievement Award in<br />
the annual Excellence in Tennessee<br />
award program administered by the<br />
Tennessee Center for Performance<br />
Excellence (TNCPE). The TNCPE<br />
recognizes organizations that have<br />
achieved the highest standards of<br />
excellence in their operations and<br />
results. The program uses the Criteria<br />
for Performance Excellence, established<br />
by the national Baldrige Performance<br />
Excellence Program, as an evaluation<br />
tool. “The core values at Power Systems drive us to reach for excellence in our individual<br />
and company performance,” notes Power Systems’ COO Mike Akers. For more<br />
information, contact the company at 800-321-6975; www.powersystems.com. —|<br />
Professional Tennis Registry<br />
u The Professional Tennis Registry (PTR)<br />
recently presented Torsten Peschke, of<br />
Sarasota, Florida, with PTR’s Coach Jim<br />
Verdieck Touring Pro Coach of the Year<br />
Award at the 2011 PTR International Tennis<br />
Symposium. Peschke has been a PTR Certified<br />
Professional since 1994, when, at the age of<br />
17, he was one of the youngest coaches ever<br />
certified in Germany. He has gone on to become<br />
one of the most successful and respected<br />
coaches on the WTA tour. For more information,<br />
contact the company at 800-421-6289;<br />
www.ptrtennis.org. —|<br />
Torsten Peschke<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 1 0 1
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Member News<br />
neW memBeRS<br />
Alabama<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
1984 Veterans Memorial Drive<br />
Birmingham, AL 35214<br />
205-874-6644<br />
Mr. Emory McChargue<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
5406 Hwy. 280<br />
Ste. A100<br />
Hoover, AL 35242<br />
205-981-6363<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
1836 College Ave.<br />
Jackson, AL 36545<br />
251-246-0494<br />
Mr. William ‘Bill’ Skidmore<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
24571 U.S. Hwy. 31<br />
Jemison, AL 35085<br />
205-688-5060<br />
Mr. Nathan Fuller<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
3456 Hillcrest Road<br />
Mobile, AL 36695<br />
251-662-1320<br />
Mr. Timothy ‘Tim’ Enfinger<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
105 Southland Village<br />
Troy, AL 36079<br />
334-770-0888<br />
Mr. Jim Slack<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
1360 Montgomery Hwy.<br />
Ste. 120<br />
Vestavia Hills, AL 35216<br />
205-822-5955<br />
California<br />
FORmA Gym*<br />
1410 N. California Blvd.<br />
Walnut Creek, CA 94596<br />
925-262-1339<br />
Mr. Robert Jackson<br />
level SIX HeAlTH CluB<br />
POWeRed By PluS One<br />
16535 Via Esprillo<br />
San Diego, CA 92127<br />
858-942-5064<br />
Mr. Joshua Rubio<br />
ROllInG HIllS CluB<br />
351 San Andreas Drive<br />
Novato, CA 94945<br />
415-897-2185<br />
THe CluB AT HARBOR POInT<br />
474 E. Strawberry Drive<br />
Mill Valley, CA 94941<br />
415-686-9062<br />
Mr. Patrick Kaliski<br />
District of Columbia<br />
CRunCH FITneSS*<br />
555 12th St. NW<br />
Washington, DC 20004<br />
202-621-6698<br />
Florida<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
1471 Main St.<br />
Dunedin, FL 34698<br />
813-850-6236<br />
Mr. David ‘Dave’ LaGree<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
1064 Cypress Pkwy.<br />
Kissimmee, FL 34759<br />
407-847-4144<br />
Mr. Todd Altom<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
3290 S.E. 58th Ave.<br />
Ocala, FL 34480<br />
352-624-7393<br />
Mr. William White<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
10475 County Line Road<br />
Spring Hill, FL 34609<br />
352-683-1661<br />
Mr. Peter McNamara<br />
BOdy & SOul<br />
1600 N.W. 84th Ave.<br />
Miami, FL 33126<br />
305-206-5021<br />
Mr. Alex Pirez<br />
Indiana<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
10 Bedel Road<br />
Batesville, IN 47006<br />
812-932-3055<br />
Mr. John Spence<br />
1 0 2 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Membership Eligibility Standards<br />
Members of the association must comply with <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s baseline health,<br />
safety, and ethical standards. To learn more, visit www.ihrsa.org/standards<br />
or contact <strong>IHRSA</strong> at 617-951-0055.<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
47 S. Pennsylvania St.<br />
2nd Fl.<br />
Indianapolis, IN 46204<br />
317-536-0815<br />
Mr. Ersal Ozdemir<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
6935 Lake Plaza Drive<br />
Indianapolis, IN 46220<br />
317-698-2836<br />
Ms. Jennifer Dale<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
1321 Clifty Drive<br />
Madison, IN 47250<br />
812-274-2851<br />
Mr. Mark Garlitch<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
1676 S. Ohio St.<br />
Martinsville, IN 46151<br />
765-342-3600<br />
Ms. Jodi Pike<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
6445 U.S. Hwy. 6<br />
Portage, IN 46368<br />
219-734-6362<br />
Mr. Scott Zickuhr<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
840 E. Tipton St.<br />
Seymour, IN 47274<br />
812-680-4639<br />
Mr. John Spence<br />
Iowa<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
480 Center Place SW<br />
Ste. C<br />
Altoona, IA 50009<br />
515-967-9222<br />
Ms. Shannon Hayes<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
800 N. 8th St.<br />
Clear Lake, IA 50428<br />
641-357-2472<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
2815 Beaver Ave.<br />
Ste. 202<br />
Des Moines, IA 50310<br />
515-274-2100<br />
Ms. Shannon Hayes<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
4700 Morningside Ave.<br />
Sioux City, IA 51106<br />
712-224-2475<br />
Mr. Joseph Aube<br />
Kentucky<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
2480 U.S. Hwy. 41 N<br />
Ste. 180<br />
Henderson, KY 42420<br />
270-631-0500<br />
Mr. Gene Zell<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
12418 LaGrange Road<br />
Louisville, KY 40245<br />
502-742-5825<br />
Ms. Diane Switzer<br />
SnAP FITneSS<br />
1907 Elizabethtown Road<br />
Leitchfield, KY 42754<br />
Mr. Jerry Hardesty<br />
Michigan<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
250 N. Ortonville Road<br />
Ortonville, MI 48462<br />
248-627-4800<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
301 N. Lincoln Road<br />
Ste. 31<br />
Escanaba, MI 49829<br />
906-233-0000<br />
Mr. Keith Boye<br />
AnyTIme FITneSS<br />
980 W. Highland Road<br />
Howell, MI 48843<br />
517-540-1552<br />
Ms. Deborah ‘Debbie’<br />
Henderson —|
| <strong>IHRSA</strong> Report | Calendar<br />
Save the date | 2011 <strong>IHRSA</strong> Events COmInG SOOn In<br />
June 16<br />
What Geeks Can Teach You About<br />
Being Social: Facebook, Foursquare,<br />
and Fitness<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Webinar<br />
www.ihrsa.org/webinars<br />
July 14<br />
The Winning Triad: Personal<br />
Training, Health Clubs, and Medicine<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Webinar<br />
www.ihrsa.org/webinars<br />
SePTemBeR 1-3<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>/Fitness Brasil Latin American<br />
Conference & Trade Show<br />
Transamerica Expo Center,<br />
São Paolo, Brazil<br />
www.ihrsa.org/meetings<br />
2011 Industry Events<br />
June 22-25<br />
Third Annual Medical<br />
Fitness Institute<br />
Nashville, Tennessee<br />
www.medicalfitness.org<br />
July 12-13<br />
FIA Flame Conference<br />
Telford, Shropshire, U.K.<br />
www.fia.org.uk<br />
July 14-16<br />
WellnessRio 2011<br />
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil<br />
www.fitnessbrasil.com.br<br />
July 18-20<br />
Gold’s Gym Convention<br />
Las Vegas, Nevada<br />
www.goldsgym.com<br />
AuGuST 11-14<br />
2011 IDEA World<br />
Fitness Convention<br />
Los Angeles, California<br />
www.ideafit.com<br />
AuGuST 17-21<br />
Can-Fit-Pro Toronto<br />
Toronto, Ontario, Canada<br />
www.canfitpro.net<br />
SePTemBeR 7-10<br />
SPATEC Fall North America<br />
Dana Point, California<br />
www.mcleanevents<br />
international.com<br />
SePTemBeR 14-16<br />
Health & Fitness Business<br />
Conference & Expo 2011<br />
Las Vegas, Nevada<br />
www.healthand<br />
fitnessbiz.com<br />
SePTemBeR 20-22<br />
Leisure Industry Week (LIW)<br />
Birmingham, U.K.<br />
www.liw.co.uk<br />
.org<br />
mARCH 14-17, 2012<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> 2012<br />
31st Annual International Convention<br />
& Trade Show<br />
Los Angeles, California<br />
www.ihrsa.org/convention<br />
mOnTHly<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Online Education<br />
Monthly Webinar Series<br />
For details and topics, visit:<br />
www.ihrsa.org/webinars—|<br />
SePTemBeR 22-25<br />
SIBEC North America<br />
Marina Del Ray, California<br />
www.mcleanevents<br />
international.com<br />
OCTOBeR 12-14<br />
Club Industry 2011<br />
Chicago, Illinois<br />
www.clubindustry<br />
show.com<br />
nOvemBeR 2-5<br />
SIBEC Europe<br />
Malta<br />
www.mcleanevents<br />
international.com<br />
deCemBeR 1-3<br />
Athletic Business<br />
Conference & Expo<br />
Orlando, Florida<br />
www.athleticbusiness<br />
conference.com —|<br />
To obtain complete details about, or to register for,<br />
all <strong>IHRSA</strong> events, log on to www.ihrsa.org/meetings.<br />
1 0 4 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
CluB BuSINESS<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> Global 25: CBI’s annual<br />
listings and expert analysis of the<br />
world’s largest and fastest-growing<br />
health club companies<br />
Jim Snow knows: The president of<br />
Gold’s Gym International is teaching<br />
the franchise company hospitalityindustry<br />
lessons<br />
locker Roominess: Fine-tuning<br />
these factors can provide members<br />
with the spaciousness they desire<br />
in the locker room<br />
The Winner Is! Les Mills International’s<br />
Ultimate Studio Search has discovered<br />
some of the world’s finest group-<br />
exercise venues<br />
SGPT Tutorial: Its growing popularity<br />
suggests you’d be wise to learn all<br />
that you can about small-group<br />
personal training<br />
Out of Shape by Stan Tran
Introducing the Vision for a Healthier,<br />
More Prosperous America<br />
A Unified Game Plan for the Entire Industry.<br />
International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association<br />
www.ihrsa.org/vision<br />
On March 9, 2011, the US Senate unanimously<br />
passed a resolution encouraging exercise to prevent disease,<br />
combat obesity, and lower health care costs.<br />
Its passage signals that our country’s leaders now<br />
fully recognize the importance of exercise to<br />
our nation and its people.<br />
Now, it’s your turn to show your support for The Vision.<br />
Visit www.ihrsa.org/vision for more details and to commit your support.
| Marketplace |<br />
Employment<br />
We want DYNAMIC individuals who will build<br />
and develop teams, drive sales, implement<br />
and improve business tactics, foster member<br />
relationships and want to make $$$!<br />
&general manager Lead & drive club activities.<br />
5-10 years of health club sales & management<br />
experience, financial management is a must.<br />
&sales director Drive sales, build & train sales teams.<br />
Implement marketing plans. 3-5 years of<br />
industry sales & management experience.<br />
&fitness director Train & develop personal<br />
training teams. Create a fitness culture that continues to<br />
define Sport&Health. 3-5 years of personal training & industry<br />
management experience.<br />
&benefits Competitive salaries, aggressive bonus &<br />
commission plans, great benefits package, 401(k) plan,<br />
relocation assistance, ongoing training.<br />
&long term career opportunities.<br />
&bonus Ask about our signing bonus!<br />
Apply today at<br />
sportandhealth.com/careers<br />
See your ad here!<br />
Rates start at just $245 per issue<br />
for <strong>IHRSA</strong> members.<br />
visit www.ihrsa.org/classifieds or<br />
e-mail classifieds@ihrsa.org for details.<br />
1 0 6 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
Business Opportunities<br />
Consulting<br />
See your ad here!<br />
Rates start at just $245 per issue<br />
for <strong>IHRSA</strong> members.<br />
visit www.ihrsa.org/classifieds or<br />
e-mail classifieds@ihrsa.org for details.<br />
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Page Advertiser<br />
42 » ABC Financial Services, Inc.<br />
www.abcfinancial.com | 800-551-9733<br />
33 » AFAA<br />
www.afaa.com | 877-986-7263<br />
75 » Affiliated Acceptance Corporation<br />
www.affiliated.org | 800-233-8483<br />
2-3, 5 » ASF International<br />
www.asfinternational.com | 800-227-3859<br />
27 » Big Ass Fans<br />
www.bigassfans.com | 877-244-3267<br />
37 » Bv entertainment<br />
www.broadcastvision.com | 888-330-4BVE<br />
65 » Celare by digilock<br />
www.celare.com | 707-766-6000<br />
71 » Concept2 CTS<br />
www.concept2cts.com | 877-887-8014<br />
30 » CSI Software<br />
www.csisoftwareusa.com | 800-247-3431<br />
Inside Front<br />
Cover & 1<br />
» CyBeX International, Inc.<br />
www.cybexinternational.com | 508-533-4300<br />
9 » Fiserv<br />
www.clubs.fiserv.com | 888-590-0026<br />
90 » Fitness On Request<br />
www.fitnessonrequest.com | 888-520-7501<br />
93 » Fitview, Inc.<br />
www.fitview.com | info@fitview.com<br />
84 » Gym Wipes-2Xl Corporation<br />
www.2xlcorp.com | 888-977-3726<br />
28 » GOJO Industries<br />
www.gojo.com | 800-321-9647<br />
72 » Healthy learning<br />
www.healthylearning.com | 888-229-5745<br />
74 » Health Profile Institute<br />
www.healthprofileinstitute.com | 702-804-0100<br />
54 » HOIST Fitness Systems<br />
www.hoistfitness.com | 800-548-5438<br />
87 » Hydromassage<br />
www.hydromassage.com | 727-536-5566<br />
62 » iGo Figure<br />
www.igofigure.com | 866-532-9588<br />
79 » Intelametrix, Inc.<br />
www.bodymetrix.com | 877-838-9918<br />
13 » Iron Grip Barbell Company<br />
www.irongrip.com | 800-664-4766<br />
Page Advertiser<br />
70 » legend Fitness<br />
www.legendfitness.com | 866-7-LEGEND<br />
16 » les mills International<br />
www.lesmillsusa.com | 888-669-8876<br />
11 » life Fitness<br />
www.lifefitness.com | 800-634-8637<br />
French<br />
Cover<br />
» matrix Fitness<br />
www.matrix-fitness.com | 866-693-4863<br />
83 » microFit, Inc.<br />
www.microfit.com | 800-822-0405<br />
7 » motionsoft, Inc.<br />
www.motionsoft.net | 800-829-4321<br />
95 » myTRAk Health System<br />
mytrak.com/myclub | 888-431-8626<br />
88 » myzone<br />
www.myzonemoves.com | 312-870-4802<br />
77 » national Federation of Professional<br />
Trainers (nFPT)<br />
www.nfpt.com | 800-729-6378<br />
| Ad Index |<br />
85 » Paramount Acceptance<br />
www.paramountacceptance.com | 800-316-4444<br />
66 » Patriot Creative Group<br />
patriotcreativegroup.com | 877-844-7446<br />
21 » Perform Better<br />
www.performbetter.com | 800-556-7464<br />
76 » Philadelphia Insurance Companies<br />
www.phly.com | 800-873-4552<br />
60 » Polar electro, Inc.<br />
www.polarusa.com | 800-290-6330<br />
22 » Power Plate north America<br />
www.powerplate.com | 877-877-5283<br />
19 » Precor, Inc.<br />
www.precor.com | 800-786-8404<br />
Inside Back<br />
Cover<br />
» Retro Fitness<br />
www.retrofranchising.com | 201-867-5309<br />
82 » Salsbury Industries<br />
www.lockers.com | 800-562-5377<br />
Back Cover<br />
» TeCHnOGym<br />
www.technogymusa.com | 303-875-0306<br />
14 » Twin Oaks Software<br />
www.tosd.com | 866-278-6750<br />
69 » versaClimber/exervibe<br />
www.versaclimber.com | 800-237-2271<br />
25 » zumba Fitness, llC<br />
zumba.com/clubs | 954-925-3755<br />
w w w . i h r s a . o r g | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 1 0 7
Tracy Powell<br />
| last Rep |<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>30 a Warm-up<br />
for <strong>IHRSA</strong> 2012<br />
My predecessor said it best: “<strong>IHRSA</strong> struck pure gold this year,” was<br />
how John McCarthy, <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s executive director emeritus, described<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>30. “I heard exceptionally positive comments about the keynote<br />
speakers, and many exhibitors told me that it was the best<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> show in the past 10 years.”<br />
Icouldn’t agree more.<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>30, the association’s 30th Anniversary<br />
International Convention and Trade Show, which<br />
took place in San Francisco in March, was, in fact,<br />
a spectacular event! I think I’m safe in saying that<br />
it exceeded everyone’s expectations.<br />
The event was not only an event marking<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>’s “diamond” anniversary, or one that came<br />
together seamlessly and well,<br />
but was also one that celebrated<br />
the industry’s accomplishments<br />
in weathering the<br />
Great Recession, and reflected<br />
its confidence, enthusiasm,<br />
and optimism about the<br />
future. (See “<strong>IHRSA</strong>30 Celebrates<br />
& Demonstrates Industry<br />
Excellence,” pg. 48.)<br />
The energy and upbeat<br />
attitude that suffused the<br />
Joe Moore<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong> President & CEO Moscone Convention Center<br />
said it all.<br />
Many attendees told me<br />
that this year’s speakers were<br />
the best ever, and I’ve got no<br />
reason to dispute them. We chose presenters for<br />
their business acumen and their power to motivate<br />
because <strong>IHRSA</strong>’s members wanted information<br />
that could be used to inspire and improve their<br />
operations. Among the keynoters were: U.S. Surgeon<br />
General Regina Benjamin, M.D.; best-selling<br />
authors Daniel Pink and Patrick Lencioni; Zappos<br />
CEO Tony Hsieh; and television host Phil Keoghan.<br />
The receptions overflowed with club and associate<br />
members, who were busy networking, making<br />
new connections, and refreshing old, or forming<br />
new, friendships. Everyone was relaxing, but they<br />
were still making deals.<br />
1 0 8 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | J U N E 2 0 1 1 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g<br />
The atmosphere at the trade show was nothing<br />
less than electric. There were more new-product<br />
introductions than at any other convention I can<br />
remember—the fresh ideas and exciting<br />
innovations seemed to be stacked on top of,<br />
tumbling over, one another. The trend being<br />
discussed most frequently was the integration of<br />
computer technology and exercise equipment to<br />
make workouts more fun, track results, download<br />
equipment upgrades over the Internet, etc.<br />
For me, the trade show is particularly rewarding.<br />
I love watching people walking around, shopping<br />
lists in hand, moving from booth to booth, looking<br />
for the products and services that can help them<br />
grow their business. It’s the embodiment of the<br />
free market at work—club operators and industry<br />
suppliers, talking, negotiating, concluding transactions,<br />
shaking hands. It’s a joy to behold!<br />
As he has for the past five years, Augie Nieto, the<br />
cofounder and former head of Life Fitness, who’s<br />
now battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),<br />
also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, was the star<br />
of the 6th Annual B*A*S*H for the Muscular<br />
Dystrophy Association’s (MDA’s) Augie’s Quest.<br />
More than 800 people, including Dr. Benjamin,<br />
took part in a wonderful evening of music, fun, and<br />
fellowship that generated $1.3 million for ALS<br />
research. All told, Augie’s Quest has now raised over<br />
$28 million to search for a cure for the disease.<br />
<strong>IHRSA</strong>30 was a powerful reminder of many<br />
things, including how large and diverse our industry<br />
is; how many ways it offers to succeed; and how<br />
wonderful the people are who make it all that is.<br />
How do we possibly outdo <strong>IHRSA</strong>30? Just join us<br />
in Los Angeles for <strong>IHRSA</strong> 2012 next March 14-17,<br />
2012, and you’ll see! —|<br />
– Joe Moore, jmoore@ihrsa.org
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.<br />
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BEFORE<br />
AFTER<br />
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*The top 10% of Retro Fitness clubs experienced average gross sales per unit of $1.9 million from March 2009-February 2010. Revenue per square foot is<br />
derived from average gross sales numbers published in Item 19 of our 2010 FDD. This is not an offer to sell a franchise. Offerings made by prospectus only.
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