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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 />

FIFTH FIFTH AVENUE AVENUE CLUB CLUB<br />

IS HELPING HELPING CHILDREN<br />

CHILDREN<br />

IN ETHIOPIA ETHIOPIA<br />

®


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Tone up on CYBEX.<br />

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® & © 2010 NBC Studios, Inc. & Reveille LLC<br />

Winners work out on CYBEX.<br />

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Like the Arc Trainer ® , our calorie-burning workhorse that made<br />

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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 />

The Bronson Athletic Club understands the value<br />

of comprehensive testing, and so do its members


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CLuB BuSInESS<br />

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


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ihrsa.org<br />

<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 />

Dieting<br />

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LIVING<br />

THE NEW RULES OF<br />

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Madonna:<br />

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SHOES THAT HELP BOOST<br />

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ELISABETH<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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| 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 />

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Club<br />

Directory<br />

Wireless<br />

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& Receivers<br />

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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 />

46 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 />

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 />

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 59


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 />

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on air.” According to the company, university testing<br />

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anything on the market, this new machine can help<br />

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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 />

68 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 />

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 />

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 71


| <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 />

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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 />

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– 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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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 />

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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 />

84 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 />

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 />

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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 />

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selectorized systems from Torque<br />

Fitness is the result of experienced<br />

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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 />

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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 />

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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 />

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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


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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 />

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- Barbara -<br />

Simple. Elegant. Effective. MYTRAK® is a virtual health solution that<br />

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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 />

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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 />

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visit www.ihrsa.org/classifieds or<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 />

Transform your gym and join one of the fastest growing franchises in America.<br />

BEFORE<br />

AFTER<br />

To learn more call 201.867.5309<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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