FM-Mar07-1

Team Excellence

Solutions to Hiring andRetaining a Quality Staff

Sp e ci a l Re p o r t : Staffing and Education

Team Excellence

PLUS:

O

O

O

PLUS:

O Locker Room RenovationsO Core Training BasicsO Raising Facility Capital

TRAINING & EDUCATION

STAFF ATTRITION\

RISK MANAGEMENT

TRAINING & EDUCATION3 Key Factors to Use WhenHiring Facility Employees

STAFF ATTRITIONWays to Keep StaffHappy and Motivated

RISK MANAGEMENTEducating Staff to Keep Members Safe

ISSUES & SOLUTIONS FOR FITNESS FACILITIESISSUES & SOLUTIONS FOR FITNESS FACILITIES MARCH 2007

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w w w . f i t n e s s m a n a g e m e n t . c o m F I T N E S S M A N A G E M E N T • M A R C H 2 0 0 7 7

F E A T U R E S

32The ‘Issue’ is Staffing and EducationRonale Tucker Rhodes, M.S., Editorial Director

The ‘solution’ is to hire qualified staff,keep them motivated and satisfied, andinstill in them a sense of member safety.

33How Staff Attrition Affects Member RetentionGuy Brown

Good employees make loyal members, soimplement policies that keep staffmembers happy and motivated.

36Certifications, Education and StaffingMatthew Kutz, Ph.D., ATC, CSCS

Accreditation, education and experienceare all important factors when hiringqualified staff.

40Due DiligenceJulie Anne Eason

Educate staff about riskmanagement policies andprocedures to keep yourmembers, and facility, safe.

42Core Training BasicsDebra Atkinson, M.S., CSCS

Core training helps members maintainfunction in activities of daily life andsports performance.

44All the VibeNeil Wolkodoff, Ph.D.

A look at vibration technology’s history,relevant research and practicalapplications shows whether this productis right for your facility.

52Tips for Your Locker Room RenovationAnne B. McDonnell, Senior Editor

Facility managers offer advice on renovating,working with suppliers and keeping yourlocker rooms looking brand new.

56Capital Growth OptionsRudy Anderson, Mark Watson and Stephen Tharrett, M.S.

Facility operators have three optionsfor raising capital to expand theirbusiness. Choosing the right onedepends on your needs.

32

56

March 2007Volume 23, No. 3

36

8 F I T N E S S M A N A G E M E N T • M A R C H 2 0 0 7 w w w . f i t n e s s m a n a g e m e n t . c o m

WARM UP

10 Editor’s Note

12 Contributors

13 Letters

PULSE

14 NewsIndustry News, Fitness Research, Peopleand Places, Trend Watch and more

24 MediaBY NEIL WOLKODOFF, PH.D.

� Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

� Pilates Workbook on the Ball� Total Heart Rate Training� Plus, manual/DVD, catalogs

and literature

26 Fitness Q&ABY MATT BRZYCKI

� Does balance training reduce the risk of ankle injury?

� Based on his oxygen intake,why didn’t Lance Armstrong do better in the marathon?

� Does high fructose corn syrup cause obesity?

28 Best Ideas� Fit Into Your Jeans� Weighing Results� Iron Kids

MANAGEMENT MATTERS

60 OperationsMembership Attrition and Profitability, Part 2BY STEPHEN THARRETT, M.S., AND JAMES A. PETERSON, PH.D.

61 Independent IssuesAttracting Your Market ShareBY ROB BISHOP

62 Risk ManagementWhen Waivers Don’t ProtectBY DOYICE J. COTTEN

64 Facility MaintenanceFocus on Locker RoomsBY BRIAN SAMUEL

66 Instructor TrainingProviding Sport-Specific Training to AthletesBY BARBARA A. BREHM, ED.D.

67 Client HandoutPhysical Conditioning: The Training EffectBY BARBARA A. BREHM, ED.D.

MARKETPLACE

68 Purchasing GuideA New Wave of Aquatics ProductsBY HEATHER PEAVEY, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

72 New Products

76 Classifieds

79 Supplier Index

COOL DOWN

80 What’s Next

81 Events

82 Facility SpotlightBridging the Golf/Fitness GapBY ANNE B. MCDONNELL, SENIOR EDITOR

D E P A R T M E N T S

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up to work on time and know how to perform their jobs.I’m talking about having the ability to really excel in a posi-tion and profession.

Many would argue that post-secondary education laysthe groundwork for analytical skills. In manyways, that is true. As it’s been said, the aim ofeducation is to teach us how to think, notwhat to think. But, I know a few individualswithout anything higher than a high schooleducation who have better reasoning thansome Ph.D.s.

To succeed at something is not necessarilyas much about education as it is about havingthe qualities and determination that it takes tosucceed. And, those qualities don’t necessarilyrequire college. Especially in the fitness profes-

sion, success depends as much on how members and clientsare served, as on how we can impart our knowledge to helpthem get what they want out of their memberships. Frommy experience, college doesn’t teach the art of service.

What makes a good employeeHere is what I believe makes a good fitness facility

employee:1. Training. You have to have the training necessary to

work in a particular job. Depending on whether you are atrainer, instructor, front-desk employee, salesperson, man-ager, etc., that can mean a certification, a degree or just plainexperience. And, you have to be willing to continuallyexpand on that training to ensure you have the most cur-rent knowledge that relates to your job.

2. Passion. You have to have passion for what you do. Youhave to have a love of fitness and a sincere desire to helpmembers and clients. To do that, you have to walk the talkand set a positive example.

3. Communication. You have to be able to communicate.No, I don’t just mean, “Hi, Bob, good to see you at the club

today. It sure is a nice day, isn’t it?” I mean, “Hey, Bob,how’s that job you were telling me about? What are yourplans today at the club?” Or,“Hey, Bob, we got a couple newmachines in over the weekend that you might want to checkout. I can show them to you, if you want.”

4. Connection. You have to be able to connect with mem-bers. Meaning, you have to build relationships (read,friends). And, not all people are capable of making friendseasily. That takes being genuinely interested in others andmaking them feel important. If you get the same in return,you’ll know you’ve succeeded. And those connections haveto span far greater than from one employee to the masses.You need to understand how to accommodate situationsthrough which members can make friends with other staffand members.

We can disagreeMy opinions may not necessarily jibe with everything that

is printed in the pages of this, or any, issue. Just because Ibelieve one thing, doesn’t necessarily mean that you orothers in the profession don’t see it a different way. That’swhy this is my page, and the rest of the pages in every issueare devoted to the perspectives of those who have spentyears making this industry their profession.

You may particularly note some discrepancy betweenwhat I’m saying here and our first article in the SpecialReport titled Certifications, Education and Staffing. While Imay not believe that education is what makes a great pro-fessional, as author Matt Kutz does, he certainly makes anexcellent point about how degreed and non-degreed fit-ness professionals put themselves on a non-level playing fieldwhen it comes to trying to raise the standards to the levelof other healthcare professions.

The education debate is indeed a hot topic these days.I’m always curious to know the perspectives of others. So,please don’t hesitate to email yours ([email protected]). If you give us permission, we’ll print it inour Letters column. Agreed or disagreed, our goals are thesame: to have excellent employees in fitness facilities. FM

Editor’s Note BY RONALE TUCKER RHODES, M.S., EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

I believe in education. But, I don’t believe

that education makes a good employee. I’m

not talking about loyalty to a company. You

can’t run a business if employees don’t show

Smart Does Not Make a Good Employee

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Contributors

E D I T O R I A L

Editorial Director RONALE TUCKER RHODES(951) [email protected]

Senior Editor ANNE B. MCDONNELL(760) [email protected]

Associate Editor HEATHER PEAVEY (570) [email protected]

Contributing/Technical Editors

BARBARA A. BREHM, WAYNE WESTCOTT,STEPHEN BLACK, JASON KARP

A R T

Art Director AARON [email protected]

Production Director BONNIE [email protected]

Electronic Production MARJORIE SCHULTZManager [email protected]

Production Assistant SCOTT [email protected]

A D V E R T I S I N G S A L E S

Advertising Sales ANDEE BELL (530) 661-7585Manager [email protected]

Account Executive APRIL DONALD (530) [email protected]

Sales Assistant JODI [email protected]

Classified Ads DONNA BUTERA (469) [email protected]

A T H L E T I C B U S I N E S S

P U B L I C A T I O N S I N C .4130 Lien Road • Madison, WI 53704

(800) 722-8764 • (608) 249-0186

CEO GRETCHEN KELSEY BROWN

President PETER BROWN

Group Publisher BRAD ZAUGG

Administration Director SHARON SIEWERT& Controller

Circulation & DENISE R. THOMPSONDatabase Manager

Circulation Assistants COLLEEN WENOSLISA POPKE

Accounting Assistant GLORIA HAWKINSON

MIS Director STEVE WEAR

MIS Assistant SEAN RAY

Web Editor JILL NEBEKER

Online Content REBECCA BEARJARCoordinator

Web Programmer ALEX MALYUTIN

March 2007Volume 23, NO. 3

FITNESS MANAGEMENT (ISSN 0882-0481) is published monthly and is distributed

without charge to qualified professionals by Athletic Business Publications Inc., 4130

Lien Road, Madison, WI 53704. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: In order to ensure uninter-

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JULIE ANNE EASON

Freelance Writer

Due Diligence

“Risk management means that you,

as a service provider, take every

reasonable measure to keep your

facility and your members safe.”

STEPHEN THARRETT

President, Club Industry ConsultingRUDY ANDERSON

Vice President,Investments, CNLIncome Corp.MARK WATSON

Financial Analyst, CNLIncome Corp.

Capital Growth Options

“Operators may be able to use

the underlying value of their

property to finance and grow

their business.”

NEIL WOLKODOFF

Developer, Physical Golf and Zonal TrainingTechnologies, Greenwood Athletic Club

All the Vibe

“WBV machines offer a myriad of exercises, but the

question is, which exercises and applications are

commercially viable?”

GUY BROWN

Manager, InternationalLeisure and Hospitality

How Staff Attrition Affects

Member Attrition

“When key members of staff leave,

the fitness center can lose its

operating rhythm.”

DEBRA ATKINSON

University Lecturer, PersonalTrainer, and Personal andBusiness Coach

Core Training Basics

“The goal of core training is to

improve balance, posture, body

awareness and coordination.”


Letters

Industry ChallengeNew Challenge

How can university fitness facilities reach out

to their local communities?

I currently run an on-campus adult fitness

program at a local university in Illinois. We’re a

smaller facility, but we would like to grow with-

in our community. Our membership is currently

95 percent employee-based, and we would like

to reach out into the community more than

we’ve been able to do. Any information would

be greatly appreciated.

Juli Mobley

FIT Coordinator

In January we asked:Should CPO and lifeguard duties overlap?

ResponseI am from a university setting and oversee the

swim center. All chemicals are the responsibility

of the CPO. We hire mostly university and high

school students, and feel it is much safer to let

the CPO, who is a full-time regular employee, han-

dle the chemicals and pool maintenance. Many

years back, we had a lifeguard who claimed he

had been burned by chlorine. Ever since, we have

kept the two responsibilities separate.

Occasionally, if the CPO is busy or on vacation, we

will let a guard brush and vacuum the pool.

Valerie Del Curto

Assistant Director

Auxiliary Services

New Mexico Tech

Socorro, N.M.

To the Editor:

Thank you for your inclusion ofThe Cooper Institute in yourDecember 2006 article on Certifica-tions Gaining Respect [pp.54-60]. Iam writing to provide clarificationconcerning a few items in the arti-cle, and to correct some informationreported about The Cooper Institute.

As stated in the article, there aretwo quality movements currently being promotedin the fitness industry. One option is third partyaccreditation, the other option is a national boardexamination. Third party accreditation, as theterm is used in the article, is a distinction avail-able for a certifying body’s certificationprogram(s); a national board examination is a dis-tinction available for the individual certificant.Therefore, it is incorrect (as well as the equiva-lent of comparing apples to oranges) to identifythe National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE)as an accrediting body, or to expect the Interna-tional Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association(IHRSA) to identify them as an accrediting body.

It is correct to note that no two educationalorganizations will offer the same curricula. Eachorganization has a different philosophy fromwhich they educate. However, those differencesmatter less when a certification examination isdeveloped using the commonly accepted stan-dardized processes that lead to third partyaccreditation. For the accreditation process, theexamination is tied to the specific job analysisfor the profession in question, not to a specificeducational criteria. Therefore, if one looks atthe examination performance domains for thesame professional certification across severalaccredited organizations, close similarity will befound. The test measures how well a person is

qualified to perform the job, …not how well a person knows aspecific educational curriculum.

The Cooper Institute is nowaccredited by the National Commis-sion for Certifying Agencies(NCCA) for its credentialing certi-fication in Personal Training (CI-PTr). We do not offer five PersonalTrainer certifications, as stated in the

article. In addition, eligibility requirements for theCI-PTr Certification Examination are 18 yearsof age (evidenced by government-issued photoidentification) and current CardiopulmonaryResuscitation (CPR) Certification with a hands-on training component. While excellent educa-tional opportunities are available through theCooper Institute, enrollment or attendance is nota requirement to sit for the 150-question multi-ple choice examination.

Laura Fast, M.B.A.

Credentialing Certification Director

The Cooper Institute, Dallas, Texas

The Editor replies:

Thanks for the clarification. Our article didincorrectly state that the NBFE is an accreditingbody. Its aim is to set standards for the indus-try, yet the NBFE and the NCCA do indeed per-form separate functions. We also appreciate theclarification about the Cooper Institute’s certifi-cations. It is an unfortunate error that we listedthe Cooper Institute as offering five certifications;however, it is indeed confusing as it’s listed onthe institute’s website. Perhaps others have hadthe same misunderstanding?

For a more indepth look at certification, readMatthew Kutz’s article, Certifications, Educa-tion and Staffing, on p.36.

Certification Clarification

To the Editor:

Congratulations on the article on metabolismand fat [January 2007, pp.44-47]. I think bothJason [Karp] and Wayne [Westcott] did an out-standing job enlightening readers with the sci-entific facts that our industry typically ignores.The industry has, for too long, depended onanecdotal information delivered by the less-cred-ible, but glamorous and quick-fix “gurus” of theindustry. Kudos to [Karp] and [Westcott] forpresenting metabolism of fat vs. muscle in theappropriate context, backed by science. Kudos toyou … for having the foresight to present the

science vs. the “popular quick fix.”I would, however, be remiss if I did not put in

a good word for lifestyle change. It has been longproven by Rockett of Harvard, Lytle of Universityof Wisconsin, et al., that long-term lifestyle changeis the most significant challenge,but brings the bestresults not only in fat reduction, increased cardiofitness and increased lean mass, but for reductionin the co-morbid diseases that coincide with over-weight and obesity. Until the medical and the fit-ness industries switch from mediation and quickintervention to outcomes-based intervention, wehave little chance of stopping the epidemic and

reversing the consequences.Balanced lifestyle is the key. A balance in food

intake vs. energy expenditure in cardio training,weight training and daily activities is critical.Afterall, the majority of calories (78 percent) areexpended in daily activities to maintain the body’sessential functions. Let us publish more of theevidence-based literature and work as a cohesiveteam to change the way we intervene with mem-bers, patients and fitness professionals.

Stephen A. Black, CEO

Rocky Mountain Human

Performance Center Inc.

A Good Word for Science


New York City recently welcomed such a fitnesscenter, Club H Fitness, in the trendy commu-nity of Hell’s Kitchen. The cutting-edge boutiquefacility provides “a workout environment thatis not only modern and stylish, but functionaland motivating,” says Owner Craig Laskow.“Our workout floor and cardio deck are linedwith windows that bring an abundance of nat-ural light into the space,” he says. “We feel it

offers a refreshing alternative to some of thearea’s basement gym facilities.”

In addition to the latest equipment fromCybex, Precor, Technogym, Free Motion and LifeFitness, Club H offers an innovative and chal-lenging group fitness program. Designed by

expert mind/body trainer Christopher BlakeMays, Club H classes include Ishta Yoga,Vinyasa Yoga, boxing, Spinning, Rebounding,Chakra Force, Pilates Barre, Yoga Board, as wellas many more cardio workouts.

Designed by architect Rudy Fabiano of Fabi-ano Designs in Montclair, N.J., and constructedby John Gallin & Son of New York, the $6 mil-lion, 25,000-square-foot fitness center features

oversized Italian floortiles, floor-to-ceilingwalls of glass, stainlesssteel mosaic tile, raisedmolded wood panelsand a waterfall withfloating colored glasspanels. Amenitiesinclude wood lockers,and sauna and steamrooms in the men’s andwomen’s locker rooms.

“We are excited toopen our latest Club Hlocation, and to providefirst-rate amenities andcustomer service,” saysLaskow. “Being a pri-vately owned club, wehave the added advan-tage of making adjust-ments to our programs

based on the needs of our members, affordingus the opportunity to deliver a higher servicelevel than most of our larger competitors.”

Another upscale fitness center is currentlybeing built in Suffolk, Va. Ground was broken forPremier Fitness in October, which will be a $1.5

million, 13,000-square-foot project. “Premier Fit-ness will offer an innovative and empowering fit-ness experience, employing state-of-the-artuser-friendly equipment,” says President andCEO Brian Cavanaugh. Group exercise classeswill include yoga, Pilates and athletic condition-ing in semi-private studios. The cardio area willoffer Cardio Theater entertainment.

“Premier Fitness … will be the first and onlyhigh-quality, ‘member-driven’ club in the area,”says Cavanaugh. “We are custom designing ourclub to bring our members the ultimate fitnessexperience and satisfaction. Premier Fitness willcontinually refine its facility and services tomeet the expectations of our valued members.We are already corresponding with our firstcharter members, discussing what they wantmost from their club.”

Premier Fitness plans to open in spring 2007.Says Suffolk Mayor Linda Johnson, “Premier Fit-ness will be an excellent complement to the sur-rounding neighborhoods and companies in theHarbour View area. This new facility and invest-ment will certainly enhance the wonderful qual-ity of life of our citizens.” FM

With increased competition, and more fitness-savvy consumers, fitness

centers are doing all they can to attract and maintain members. One way

they are doing this is by building state-of-the-art facilities that resemble

resorts or country clubs more than the “gyms” of a previous generation.

NEWS • IDEAS • TRENDS

ulseFirst-Class Fitness, Resort-Style

Club H Fitness, a lavish new fitness facility in New York City,is an example of the up-scale fitness centers being built.

Premier Fitness is a new facility being built in Suffolk, Va.


Interactive YouthFitness Lab OpensTHE UNIVERSITY OF South Florida’s School of Physical Education, Well-ness and Sport Studies, in cooperation with iTECH Fitness of Denver, Colo.,partnered to create the first university interactive fitness research lab foryouth. The purpose of the XRKade research fitness lab is to find ways toget children more physically active through the use of technology-basedinteractive games.

Interactive fitness, or exergaming, is increasingly being used by publicschool systems, YMCAs, recreational centers and private fitness centersto help children increase physical activity and maintain a healthy weight.The XRKade lab will include the X-Board, DDR, Game Bikes, 3-Kick, Trazer,iJoy, CoreTrainer and Korebalance. Although exergaming has increased inpopularity, little university-based research is available. The new lab seeksto learn more about how interactive fitness can assist in combating child-hood obesity and improve physical activity levels.

The interactive fitness lab is located in the Physical Education Build-ing at The University of South Florida’s main campus. “The XRKaderesearch lab is a great opportunity for our department, … and we areexcited to investigate and learn more about the effects these technol-ogy-driven activities will have on our children’s fitness,” says SteveSanders, director of USF School of Physical Education, Wellness andSports Studies.

The XRKade lab was created through donations from iTECH Fitnessand its corporate partners. iTech Fitness creates interactive fitness exer-cise environments geared toward making fitness fun for children. Thelab opened in January, and the School of Physical Education, Well-ness and Sport Studies at USF and iTECH Fitness hosted an open houseon January 26. FM

Water aerobics, as compared to

land-based exercise, can reduce

pregnancy-related lower-back

pain by 50 percent, and

reduce sick leave

(because of back

pain) by as much

as 100 percent.

-Journal of Obstetric,

Gynecologic, &

Neonatal Nursing,

July 2006

DID YOU

KNOW?

Virgin Life CarePartners with GlobalFitVIRGIN LIFE CARE, a member of the Virgin group, announcedin November that it will provide its HealthMiles membersaccess to GlobalFit’s nationwide network of more than 2,000fitness centers. People enrolled in Virgin Life Care’s Health-Miles programs can now join GlobalFit clubs at low rates andwith flexible membership options. GlobalFit’s club networkfeatures national chains such as Town Sports International,Fitness Formula, Bally Total Fitness, Lady of America andLadies Workout Express, as well as local facilities.

GlobalFit HealthMiles and HealthMiles Plus members can goto the Virgin Life Care website (www.virginlifecare.com) and entertheir zip code to find participating fitness centers. When theyclick on the facility of their choice, they are given a voucher toprint out. The process is finalized when they bring the completedvoucher to the participating club to activate their membership.GlobalFit is responsible for the administration on behalf of theclubs, and tracking and reporting for Virgin Life Care.

Similar to “frequent flyer programs,” Virgin Life Care’s Health-Miles members earn “miles” for living healthier lives. Milesare awarded for exercising, tracking results, and improvingkey body measures such as blood pressure, body fat andweight. Miles can be redeemed for products from leading U.S.retailers. HealthMiles are also available to employers as anemployee benefit. FM

Virgin Life Care now provide its HealthMiles members access to Global-Fit’s nationwide network of more than 2,000 fitness centers.

Pulse


SUPPLIER

Nautilus to UnveilNew Strength Line

Strength equipment is often per-ceived as intimidating to new exer-cisers. Nautilus, Vancouver, Wash.,understands this, and designed anew line of strength equipment to

address the issue. On March 28,the company will launch a newline of commercial strength equip-ment designed to be more effi-cient and easier to use. The line,under production for more thanthree years, “represents a leap sosignificant that [we] believe itspublic launch [will] rival the intro-

duction of Nautilus machines morethan 35 years ago,” says Jim Bren-ner, vice president of commercialstrength equipment for Nautilus.Nautilus will unveil the line at theInternational Health, Racquet andSportsclub Association’s annualtrade show in San Francisco inMarch. FM

Less Sleep CanMean More WeightSLEEP LOSS MAY play a role in the increas-ing rates of obesity in the U.S., study resultssuggest. Researchers have proposed thatshorter sleep duration may affect levels oftwo weight-control hormones: reduced levelsof leptin, a hormone associated with satiety,and increased levels of ghrelin, associatedwith hunger.

For the study, published in the September2006 issue of the Archives of internal Medicine,researchers evaluated the relationship betweensleep duration and body mass index (BMI) inpeople who live in a rural setting. The team ana-lyzed data collected from a random sample of990 employed adults. The subjects were askedabout sleep duration, physical activity associ-ated with employment, symptoms of depres-sion, alcohol consumption, snoring and otherdemographic information. Height and weightwere measured during the same visit.

There was a straight-line relationshipbetween a higher BMI and lesser amount ofsleep. The average BMI ranged from 30.24among individuals sleeping less than six hoursper night, to 28.25 for those who slept morethan nine hours at a time.

The researchers speculate that “modest, butsustained, changes in sleep duration could havea clinically significant effect on weight.” Theyacknowledge, however, that the study does notprove that reduced sleep causes obesity. FM

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FACILITY

ElevationsNamed BestMedium-SizedBusinessElevations Health Club,Scotrun, Pa., wasnamed the 2006 BestMedium Size Business at the first annual BizzyAwards, hosted by the Pocono Mountains Cham-ber of Commerce. The Bizzy Awards ceremony,which benefited the local chapter of the UnitedWay, featured a black-tie dinner, red carpet inter-views and local TV coverage. There were 50 nom-inees for 10 awards, and voting was done bymembers of the Chamber of Commerce.

Barry Klein, co-owner of Elevations Health Club,accepted the award, saying, “It was incredibly flat-tering to win the Bizzy Award. We workhard to runour business the right way for our staff, our mem-bers and our community, and it’s exciting to beacknowledged as Best Medium Size Business.”

Says Robert Phillips, president and CEO ofthe Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce,“Elevations Health Club has been acknowledgedby its fellow members of the Chamber for run-ning a high-quality operation and being a vitalpart of our community.” FM

SUPPLIER

SportsArt Celebrates30 Years in BusinessSportsArt Fitness, Woodinville Wash., is celebratingits 30th anniversary this year (1977 to 2007). Also, itjust opened a new 530,000-square-foot factory inZhuhai, China, which is in addition to its 500,000-square-foot factory and world headquarters inTaiwan. Says Director of Marketing Scott Logan,“Both facilities are state-of-the-art, with fully roboticpick and place, robotic finished goods, roboticwelders and fully automated powdercoating lines.”

According to Logan, SportsArt Fitness was thefirst fitness manufacturer to receive ISO 9001and 9002 certifications. Also, “the registrar weuse is TUV, which is the same registrar that cer-tifies the BMW and Mercedes plants,” he says.

SportsArt’s latest achievement is the newdrive system in its Xtreme series of treadmills.The ECO-Powr system (ECO stands for ExtremeConservation and Output) uses 32-percent lesselectricity than DC and AC motors. “We are pro-moting it as a ‘green’ power source,” saysLogan. “Based on the national average for cost

of a kilowatt hour of energy, a high-use facilitywith 12 treadmills can save up to $3,000 peryear by switching to our new treadmills.” FM

SUPPLIER

GoodLife Fitness NamesVendor of the YearIn recognition of their long-standing partnership,

GoodLife Fitness Clubs, London, Ont., the largestgroup of fitnessclubsin Canada, recentlypresentedits first Vendor of the Year award to Life Fitness,Schiller Park, Ill. “The spirit captured by this awardis one of appreciation for the people who havehelped make GoodLife successful,” says DavidPatchell-Evans, founder and president of GoodLifeFitness. “It is all about consistency in maintaininga positive relationship, which issomething thatLife

1/2 island1/2 island

Barry Klein, owner of Elevations Health Club,with his Bizzy Award fromthe Pocono MountainsChamber of Commerce.

SportsArt Fitness recently opened a new 530,000-square-foot factory in Zhuhai, China.

See us at IHRSA, Booth #21


Pulse

Activity MonitorBetter thanPedometer?A NEW PHYSICAL activity monitor does abetter job than standard pedometers of keep-ing track of how far and how fast a personwalks, a new study shows. Researchers com-pared the new monitor, known as the activPAL(made by PAL Technologies, Glasgow), with twocommonly used pedometers, the Yamax Digi-Walker SW-200 and the Omron HJ-109-E, andpublished their findings in the September 2006issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Pedometers count the number of steps aperson takes, and most are worn at the waist.The activPAL, which weighs 20 grams, is stuckto the front of the thigh with an adhesive, andworks by measuring acceleration. It recordscadence and step number for each walkingperiod, and data from the device can be down-loaded onto a computer.

Twenty study participants tested each deviceat a series of speeds on a treadmill and out-doors. Each wore four of the activPAL monitorsand two pairs of the pedometers, so theresearchers could check for variability betweendevices of the same type. The researchers usedvideotapes of the walkers as their “gold stan-dard” of measurement.

The activPAL was quite accurate at all speeds,the researchers report, with an overall error rateof less than 1.11 percent for measuring stepnumber and cadence. The Yamax device had aroughly 33-percent error at the slowest walkingspeed, while the Omron had an error of about23 percent at this speed. Accuracy improvedas walking speed increased, with errors drop-ping to 5 percent or less for speeds of 1.56meters per second or greater.

The main disadvantage of the activPAL deviceis its considerably greater expense, theresearchers note. One of the study’s authorshelped invent the activPAL, and is a director of thecompany that makes the device. However, he didnot participate in collecting or analyzing the studydata, according to a disclosure statement. FM

Fitnesshasbeen extremelyadeptat.”The award was presented

during GoodLife’s Vendor Appreci-ation Event, which was held at theWindermere Conference Centre inLondon, Ont., in January. “Foralmost 20 years, Life Fitness hasbeen consistent at maintaining afirst-rate relationship and addingvalue to our company,” Patchell-

Evans says. “We are exceedinglygrateful to work with such a profes-sional and dynamic company.” FM

FACILITY

New Facility Aims for FunA new fitness center that opened inNovember aims to bring somethingnew to the area — fun. Fun fitness, that

is. Christian Stolfe, fitness trainer andowner ofTorque AthleticClub, Bluffton,S.C., says that fitness has to be fun.“Adults don’t have playgrounds. Wecan’tgo outon the swings, … we havehealth clubs,” he says.

To help bring fun into his fitnesscenter, a live DJ is a weekly feature atTorque’s classes, rather than a mixedCD. Also, group classes that aren’t

GoodLife Fitness Clubs, a Canadian-based chain of clubs, named Life Fitnessas its first Vendor of the Year.


usually offered in this area areoffered, including salsa dancing andstrip aerobics. Other amenitiesinclude a fresh fruit smoothie bar, agroup cycling studio, a massagetherapist on site, Cardio Theater, tan-ning and a clothing boutique (ownedand designed by Stolfe and a localgraphic artist, Shawn Timen). Mem-bership includes childcare, an initialassessment with a personal trainer,and any of the 55 classes per week.

“I want to cut out that weird,gym feeling of ‘Oh, people arelooking at me,’” says Stolfe.“People are craving something

new and something different.” FM

FACILITY

Club Donates Moneyto Local CharityMidtown Athletic Club, formerlyknown as Forest Grove AthleticClub, Palatine, Ill., raised $20,000for Bears Care through its annualFitness 5K Run and Family FitnessWalk in December. More than 500people participated in the 5K,according to Robyn Kove, direc-tor of member connections: “It

Taking advantage of an influx ofnew members, thanks to NewYear’s resolutions, fitness facilitiesare finding creative ways to keepthem motivated. TOWN SPORTS

INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC. (TSI),

New York, N.Y., launched its firstannual Rock the Scales weight-lossprogram and sweepstakes, open toall New York Sports Clubs, BostonSports Clubs, Washington SportsClubs and Philadelphia SportsClubsmembers. Rock the Scales is eightweeks long, and is specificallydesigned to help members meettheir New Year’s fitness resolutions.All participants receive weeklyemails filled with advice from SportsClubs pros, and have access to extrasupport in the clubs. After complet-ing the challenge, winners will beselected among the registered par-

ticipants, regardless of their weight-loss results. Prizes include a trip fortwo to Las Vegas, a Pilates retreat inToronto, a $2,000 shopping spreein New York City with a celebritystylist, a five-year Sports Clubs

membership and more.On a smaller scale,

EVOLVE FITNESS AND

NUTRITION CENTER,East Setauket, N.Y.,has gotten into theincentive game byinstalling Mytrak,billed as an auto-mated coach, to helpmembers achieve theirfitness goals in thenew year. The club’sincentive programrewards members fortheir exercise achieve-

ments, as calculated by Mytrak.Exercise incentive programs

help members do more than justlose weight. By participating,members become involved in thelarger club culture. TSI hasincreased this effect by introduc-ing a new circuit class, Rock On,which allows participants to con-nect with each other in a group fit-ness setting. Building a sense ofcommunity is the first step towardincreasing member retention —which is likely near the top ofmost club managers’ own list ofresolutions. FM

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Trend Watch:Bolstering Resolutionswith Incentives

(Continued on page 21)

DID YOU

KNOW?Obese men have

lower levels of a

protein used to

screen for prostate

cancer. This may

help explain why

overweight men are

likely to be

diagnosed only

when their disease

is more advanced.

-Cancer, October 2006


Pulse

SuppliersASF INTERNATIONAL, Denver, Colo.,held a donation drive during theholiday season for Family Tree, alocal charity. ASF’s staff donatedhundreds of dollars worth ofhousehold items, toys, clothingand other supplies to help FamilyTree’s Women in Crisis and Houseof Hope shelters. ASF also madea cash donation to the charity. …Ken Germano and Marc Onigmanlaunched STONE HEARTH FITNESS,Boston, Mass., a sales and mar-keting firm that specializes incommercial fitness products andservices. … The MEDICAL FITNESS

ASSOCIATION, Richmond, Va.,awarded the 2006 Board of Direc-tors Award to POWER WELLNESS

MANAGEMENT, Chicago, Ill., forbest serving the medical fitnessindustry. … LES MILLS USA, AlisoViejo, Calif., completed regional-

izing the distribution of its groupfitness programs in the UnitedStates with the establishment ofLes Mills West Coast Inc., also inAliso Viejo, Calif. FM

NamesThe National Swimming PoolFoundation(NSPF), ColoradoSprings, Colo.,appointed TRA-

CYNDA DAVIS,M.P.H., as direc-tor of environ-mental healthprograms. Shewill coordinate and expand cur-rent NSPF cooperative environ-mental health programs to raiseeducational standards for opera-tors and health officials. … GARY

MCCOY, the former director of

education forCybex Interna-tional,Medway,Mass., hastaken a secondstint with thecompany asterritory manager for the RockyMountain Region. … GoodLife Fit-ness, London, Ont., Canada,appointed MARK SMITH as chair-man of the board. Smith was pre-viously chair ofTown SportsInternational(TSI). … GERARD

MURO, alicensed mas-sage therapistat the Mid-Island Y JCC,Plainview, N.Y., was named BestMasseuse on Long Island by the

People and Places

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Tracynda Davis

Gary McCoy

Gerard Muro


2/3 vertical

readers of Long Island Press for the second con-secutive year. FM

FacilitiesTHE RUNNING CENTER, New York, N.Y., opened itsfull-service indoor facility. Located across from Cen-tral Park, the Running Center offers a multitude oftraining programs and services, including racetraining programs; a diagnostic Sports Lab; Yoga-Run, a yoga class for runners; and massage andnutritional counseling. … TSI opened the 100thNew York Sports Club fitness center in mid-townManhattan. … BODITRON FITNESS ACADEMY, MarinaDel Ray, Calif., offered free workouts during the hol-iday shopping season. … HEALTHTRAX, Glastonbury,Conn., was awarded 2006 HealthCare Heroesrecognition by Hartford Business Journal for“Corporate Achievement in Health Care.” …NEXGYM opened a second location in Plano, Texas.Its first location, in Southlake, Texas, opened inMay 2006 under the name Energym. The companyannounced plans to open additional franchises in2007. … FITNESS TOGETHER, Highlands Ranch, Colo.,moved up this year in Entrepreneur magazine’sTop Franchises rankings to 77 from 118 in 2006.… Franchise Market Magazine selected the Top100 franchises formed since the year 2000; FIT

ZONE FOR WOMEN, CUTS and ANYTIME FITNESS wereamong those selected. FM

AcquisitionFITNESS VENTURES LLC, Tokyo, Japan, purchased theWELLBRIDGE COMPANY, Denver, Colo. Ed Williams,co-founder and CEO of Wellbridge, and InternationalHealth, Racquet and Sportsclub Association boardmember, and Jay Kell, Wellbridge COO, will continuetheir day-to-day operations of Wellbridge. FM

was a terrific turnout for a terrific cause.”Bears Care is the charitable beneficiary of the

Chicago Bears. It supports programs for people inthe areas of education, youth and families, athlet-ics, entrepreneurship and health, with an empha-sis on serving those who are less fortunate.

The Primary Sponsor for the event was Flag-Ship Integration Services. Additional sponsorsincluded The Chicago Bears, Cold Stone Cream-ery, The Daily Herald, Direct Fitness Solutions,UPS, US Bank and Whole Foods Market. FM

ASSOCIATION

NFPT Offers ListingService for Personal TrainersThe National Federation of Professional Trainers(NFPT) will now provide its certified personal

(Continued from page 19)

(Continued on page 23)

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Pulse

NUSTEP, ANN ARBOR, Mich., honored UnitedPresbyterian Homes of Washington, Iowa, andMather’s LifeWays of Chicago, Ill., recently withits 2007 Pinnacle Award. The NuStep PinnacleAward, now in its ninth year, is presented forexcellence in wellness programming for olderadults in two categories: Senior Wellness/Fit-ness Programming and Senior Living Commu-nity. United Presbyterian Homes was awardedtop Senior Living Community, and Mather’s Life-Ways was awarded top Wellness/Fitness Center.

Says Steve Sarns, NuStep vice president ofsales and marketing, “United PresbyterianHomes is an excellent example of how creativethinking can lead to innovative and effective well-ness programming on a limited budget. Mather’sLifeWays offers a supportive group atmosphereand a unique integrated approach that set itapart from other facilities competing for thisyear’s Pinnacle Award.”

United Presbyterian Homes received theaward for its intergenerational approach to well-ness. It offers an onsite daycare facility foremployees called UP With Kids Daycare, which

integrates the children into the facility’s healthprograms. The program is designed to keep res-idents in a youthful state of mind. United Pres-byterian Homes also offers older adults homehealthcare services, a wellness and fitnesscenter, and walking and social groups.

Mather’s LifeWayswon the award for itssenior wellness pro-gram at its Mather’s— More Than a Café.Mather’s provides afull range of ongoingwellness educationthat is structuredaround its WholePerson WellnessModel, and its sixdimensions of well-ness: physical, social,emotional, voca-tional, spiritual andintellectual. Cus-tomers can enjoy

everything from a healthy meal, to a trip tothe museum, to a computer class, to a talk witha social worker. It also offers a fitness centerwith senior-friendly equipment, and providesfitness evaluations, individualized fitness pro-grams and orientations. FM

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Facilities Receive Awards for Older Adult Wellness

Steve Sarns, vice president of marketing for NuStep (left), presents Amy L. Kleese,United Presbyterian Home wellness and fitness director, and Stefanie Tschantz, well-ness and fitness center assistant, with the 2007 Pinnacle Award.

trainers full access to all listing services offeredthrough the Personal Trainer Listing Service(www.personaltrainer.cc). All NFPT-certified per-sonal trainers can now list themselves, free ofcharge, on the website. The listing service isindependent, and rates trainers on a one- tofive-star scale. The rating considers the trainer’scertifications, education and experience.

The website aims to create a single location forpeople seeking qualified personal trainers. Thesite allows trainers to update their information,include web links to their professional sites andupload their photo. People seeking trainers canlocate, compare and contact trainers directly. FM

FACILITY

Popular Group ClassMotivates MembersFredericksburg Sport & Health Club, Freder-icksburg, Va., was looking for something toreplace a group class it cancelled two yearsago. In response, Neil Lloyd, CPT, created 3Keys Group Fitness. “I wanted to developeda curriculum that integrated members into allareas of the gym, focusing on functional train-ing principles,” says Lloyd. The 12-week grouppersonal training program has participantswho range in age from 23 to 70. It focuseson core and functional training. Classes meettwice per week, with a make-up class every-other Friday. Participants also receive a per-sonal workout for a third day, to be performedon their own. In addition, participants receivenutrition counseling from a certified special-ist in performance nutrition.

The class costs $480 for the 12 weeks, andis quite popular at the fitness center. “I havesix members who have been with the classsince its conception, and many more who haveused 3 Keys as a stepping-stone into fitness,”says Lloyd. There is definitely a desire for, andbenefit in, this type of social fitness program,he says. FM


Send Us Your News!If you have news about your fitness center, we want to publish it! This

includes facility updates, renovations and new builds; anniversaries;events; donations; new programs or offerings; community outreach pro-grams; and much more. Send your news, with photos (if available), to [email protected], and see your name in print! FM

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A popular group class at Fredericksburg Sport & HealthClub celebrates two successful years.

(Continued from page 21)

Media

The Pilates Workbook on the Balltakes mat and reformer exercises and“reinvents them using the ball.” Thequestion is, how true are the exer-cises to Pilates, and how can theybe added into a trainer’s repertoire?

Herman starts the text with herown “alphabet” ofPilates-based con-cepts, cuing theuser into the cor-rect positions. Anaerobic warm-upsection uses theball for a short, butdynamic, warm-up,similar to exercisesyou might find inanother class orball program. The

exercise section includes Herman’svariations on such exercises as thesaw, criss cross and teaser. Thebridge, plank and supine exercisesadd additional variations that,depending on the reader’s Pilatestraining, may or may not be appeal-

ing enough to addinto a repertoire.Classical or tradi-tional Pilates instruc-tors will find somevariations usefuladditions, while thisconsumer-targetedbook would beuseful to facilitiesthat have ball-basedclasses on a regularbasis. FM

BY NEIL WOLKODOFF, PH.D.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without ThinkingAUTHOR: Malcolm GladwellPUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company, 800 759-0190, www.hachettebookgroupusa.comThere are generally two kinds of business books: how to and how to think. Blink is definitelyabout thinking, and the constant challenges of thinking quicker to react to changing businessconditions and the challenges of life.

Gladwell calls the ability to take the smallest amount of information and use it to make a judg-ment or decision “thin slicing.” According to the author, gone are the days of long deliberations,and here are days of the instant impression. He shares stories and research to back up his lineof reasoning. Gladwell notes the “adaptive unconscious … is a kind of giant computer that quicklyand quietly processes a lot of the data we need in order to keep functioning as human beings.”

Snap decisions aren’t bad in the context of this book, as long as they fit the information/judg-ment model of thin slicing, and that can be learned. It can be applied to relationships, customers,how we look at new opportunities and even new genres of training. Continually, Gladwell pointsout that more information before a decision is not better that thin-slicing and, if done right, thosequick judgments and analysis are often more insightful. If you want to think quicker on and offyour feet, this is an entertaining and valuable book. FM

Manual/DVDPEYOW AQUA PILATES (866 939-6400, www.aquapilates.net),

Chicago, Ill., published an instruction manual for instructors andphysical therapists, which sells for $79.95. The company has alsoreleased a 120-minute DVD and workout sheets for $24.95.

CatalogsFLAGHOUSE (800 793-7900, www.flaghouse.com), Hasbrouck

Heights, N.J., published its spring 2007 catalog of fitness, recreation,

and sports equipment and accessories. Lower prices are highlighted

in yellow throughout the catalog, and a new partnership with Skat-

ing America is announced.

VAPORTEK (800 237-6367, www.vaportek.com), Sussex, Wis., issued

a 15-page product guide, designed like a comic book, that provides

information about the company’s odor-fighting products.

LiteratureFITNESS AND WELLNESS INSURANCE (800 257-1437, www.spafwicom),

Solana Beach, Calif., released literature about its day spa insur-

ance plans.

Neil Wolkodoff, Ph.D., is the developer of Physical Golf and Zonal Training Technologies, based at the Greenwood Athletic Club in Englewood, Colo. He has served as an editor for ACE and ACSM, and is the author of four books.

Pilates Workbook on the BallAUTHOR: Ellie HermanPUBLISHER: Ulysses Press, 800 377-2542, www.ulyssespress.com

Total Heart Rate Training presentsboth the big picture and fine pointsof monitoring endurance trainingprograms using heart rate. If you area trainer who works with enduranceathletes, this book will enable you tocover all the bases in movingclients toward faster times orbetter fitness.

This is one of the few booksthat actually chronologs the his-tory of the heart rate monitor, andprovides a list of possible func-tion options. The text has a sec-tion on heart rate factors intraining and performance, with alist of common misconceptions.Should the athlete pursue field orlab tests? Friel believes both arevaluable, and outlines those

guidelines, as well as how to settraining zones using his system. Thisis one of the few books to practicallyaddress periodization and how itapplies to endurance training,making this a good resource. FM

Total Heart Rate TrainingAUTHOR: Joe FrielPUBLISHER: Ulysses Press, 800 377-2542, www.ulyssespress.com



Fitness Q&A

A RECENT STUDY on balance training

has gained considerable attention.

Researchers found that high school

athletes who practiced balance train-

ing had a significantly lower rate of

ankle sprains compared to a similar

group of athletes who didn’t perform

any preventive or balance training

“beyond their normal conditioning

exercises as directed by their

coaches.” (The balance training

included five different balance activi-

ties that were performed on a flat sur-

face and an unstable disc, referred to

as a “balance board.”)

The results of this study must be

viewed with caution, however. The

training performed by the compari-

son group was unregulated, which is

a major limitation. In the process of

performing their “normal condition-

ing exercises,” the athletes could

have performed just about anything.

In fact, it’s quite possible that their

conditioning may have included

some form of balance training. And,

some athletes may not have partici-

pated in any form of preventive train-

ing whatsoever.

In another study, 52 female athletes

were randomly assigned to one of

three groups: One group practiced

technical training in jumping and

landing, another group performed

balance training (on a balance board)

and the third group wore external

support (an orthosis). All three treat-

ments were effective at reducing the

risk of ankle sprains, but the technical

training was slightly more effective.

BY MATT BRZYCKI

Does balance training reduce the risk of ankle injury?

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Based on his oxygenintake, why didn’t LanceArmstrong do better inthe marathon?

Lance Armstrong has been described as“the best endurance athlete on the planet.”Considering his athletic portfolio — winningthe grueling Tour de France an unprece-dented seven times in a row — who canargue otherwise?

Most pundits thought Armstrong wouldcomplete his first marathon in less thanthree hours (the 2006 New York Citymarathon), but some expectations ranhigher: One professor of exercise physiol-ogy estimated under 2:10 (which is a world-class time for men). Although Armstrongfinished in 869th place — about 50 minutesbehind the winner — he posted a veryrespectable time of 2:59:36 (a pace of about6:51 minutes per mile).

His maximum oxygen uptake, estimated tobe at least 85 ml/kg/min during his string of

victories in the Tour de France, is an impor-tant factor in efforts of long duration. Buthaving a high maximum oxygen intake does-n’t guarantee success. And, even though cer-tain factors are valuable in both long distancecycling and long distance running, they’rehighly specific to the activity. For example,mechanical efficiency is a critical element ofsuccess. But cycling efficiently has no corre-lation with running efficiently. All told, Arm-strong probably fared better in his firstmarathon than an elite marathon runnerwould in the Tour de France.

Does high fructose cornsyrup cause obesity?

High fructose corn syrup is a syntheticsweetener created in the late 1960s. Themanufacturing process starts with kernels ofcorn and ends up with a concoction of fruc-tose and glucose. It’s found in numerousfoods and beverages, ranging from the fairlyobvious (yogurt and sweetened beverages)to the totally unexpected (bread and tomato

soup). A study showed that from 1970 to1999, consumption rates of high fructosecorn syrup have closely paralleled obesityrates in the United States. This has led tothe conclusion that high fructose corn syrupcauses obesity.

By all accounts, the rate of obesity in theU.S. has continued to climb steadily since1999. Yet, according to the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, the per capita consumption ofhigh fructose corn syrup has dropped from apeak of 45.4 pounds per year in 1999, to 42.2pounds per year in 2005. It’s unreasonableto think that the obesity epidemic can be nar-rowed down to one single ingredient. Thecause of obesity is a function of two variables:eating too much and exercising too little. Highfructose corn syrup has no nutritional value,but, with respect to being the cause of obe-sity, it’s a miscast villain. FM

Matt Brzycki is coordinator of recreational fitness andwellness programs at Princeton University, Princeton,N.J. He has more than 22 years of experience at thecollegiate level and has authored, co-authored oredited 14 books.

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Best Ideas


members and other individuals in the commu-nity, while at the same time promoting a localclothing boutique.

The Fit Into Your Jeans promotion was heldin the fall of 2006, and sponsored by PurEnergyFitness Center and Maribeth’s South of 7th Bou-tique. It ran for four weeks, was limited to thefirst 16 people who signed up, and was open toall members of the community. According toMaribeth Hudgins, owner of the boutique, tomarket the program, both the facility and theboutique ran ads in local publications. In theweeks following the ads, Luther says shereceived approximately 350 emails inquiringabout the program.

The program kicked off with a Lunch andLearn held at the boutique, at which Luthertalked about how bodies change and how toset realistic goals. Of the 16 who attendedthe Lunch and Learn, 12 signed up for theprogram at a cost of $250. Approximately halfof the participants were members of the fit-

ness center, and the other half were non-members (non-members were charged $60more than members).

Participants took part in classes thatincluded lower-body exercises and cardio-vascular circuits, and a healthy eating plan.Classes were offered three days a week inthe day and at night.Each participant wasmeasured beforeand after the pro-gram, and each set aspecific goal toattain in order to fitinto their jeans.

Of the 12 partici-pants, 11 succeededin reaching theirgoals. While the prize— a free pair ofdesigner jeans fromMaribeth’s South of

7th Boutique — was for the first 10 whoreached their goal, the boutique gave a pairof jeans to all 11 winners.

Not only did the promotion make 11 womenhappy by getting them into their favorite jeansprior to the holidays, but Luther’s PurEnergy Fit-ness Center benefited from the promotion.PurEnergy offers programs to the communitythroughout the year. FM

Fit Into Your Jeans PURENERGY FITNESS CENTER, GREENSBORO, N.C.

As women get older, they are forever trying to fit into that perfect pair

of jeans. Julie Luther, owner of Julie Luther’s PurEnergy Fitness Center,

Greensboro, N.C., knows this, so she created a program to help her

Eleven participants in the Fit Into Your Jeans promotionsucceeded, earning them a pair of designer jeans.


MANY FACILITIES want to help members withtheir weight-management goals, but, unless theyopt to participate in personal training, there arefew options to working with members one-on-one. So, to expose members to the weight-lossbenefits of personal training, Pro Fitness Plus,New Castle, Pa., decided to offer a weight-man-agement class.

The class was “designed to help educate mem-bers on how to exercise, eat healthy and live ahealthy lifestyle,” says Vice President Joshua M.Proch. It met once per week for 12 weeks, andeach week a different topic was covered, such asmacronutrients, grocery shopping, eating out,hydration, fad diets, exercise myths, emotionalhealth and more. “The class is set up as a groupdiscussion, with the instructor leading the dis-cussion,” explains Proch.

Members weighed in at the beginning and endof the program, as well as weekly, and had theirbody composition measured. At the end, onemember won the prize for class attendance,weight lost, percentage body fat lost and exerciseconsistency. The prize was a free one-month per-sonal training/membership package. Results ofthe class were posted in the facility and in themonthly newsletter.

Nine members, all women, participated. Thewinner was a regular at the facility who had beenworking with Proch previously, and who joined theclass “more for motivational reasons,” says Proch.Another, reformatted, class is scheduled for thefirst part of this year. FM

Weighing Results PRO FITNESS PLUS, NEW CASTLE, PA.

Pro Fitness Plusoffered a 12-weekweight-managementclass to its members.

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Pro Fitness Plus Vice President Josh Proch trains withclients who won the 12-week weight-management class.

Best Ideas


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MANY FITNESS centers focus all oftheir efforts on adult programming,missing out on another populationtruly in need. But others, such asColumbia Athletic Club – JuanitaBay, Kirkland, Wash., are turningthe tables. “With childhood obesityreaching epidemic proportions, andP.E. and health classes being takenout of schools, I realized [that], asa fitness professional, it is up to usto … give youth the guidance andeducation needed to take care ofthemselves and learn to livehealthier lives,” says Fitness Direc-tor Brandi Ohlsen. So, in 2002, thefacility began Iron Kids, a once-per-month fitness training program for10- to 12-year-olds and 13- to 15-year-olds.

Iron Kids covers basic nutrition(food guide pyramid, calories, etc.),choosing appropriate snacks, basicanatomy/physiology, and what hap-

pens to the body at exercise andrest. “Before going to the cardio andstrength training areas, we cover theACSM guidelines for cardiovascular,muscle strength/endurance and flex-ibility,” says Ohlsen. Then, the kidsare taken to the exercise floor andset up properly on all of the cardiomachines and a full-body circuit, andare shown how to incorporate bands,balance training and light freeweights into their routines. They’realso given a flexibility routine.

After finishing the program, thechildren are given a bright yellowcard, which must be carried withthem while on the fitness floor, sothat parents and trainers know theyare able to use the machines.

As of this writing, the facility hashad approximately 250 childrencomplete the program, averagingfour to five kids per session. “Sincewe started this program, we have

seen the youth of theclub get fitter and hap-pier,” says Ohlsen. “Ialways check in on howthey are doing, andthey say that they seean improvement intheir activities at school[and in their] sports,and [they] just feelbetter about them-selves, which is what itis all about.” FM

More than 250 kids havecompleted the IronKidsprogram at the ColumbiaAthletic Club since itsinception in 2002.

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“THE RIGHT STAFF helps create an environ-ment in the club that is conducive to keepingpeople there,” says Sandy Coffman, president ofthe Bradenton, Fla.,-based Programming forProfit. In her seminar, “The Secret Lies in theStars: Hiring the Best Staff,” at the Club Indus-try Trade Show (Chicago, October 4-7), Coff-man explained that the challenge in hiring staffis looking not just at certifications, educationand experience, but also at “intangible quali-ties that make the difference between a compe-tent employee and a stellar one.”

Stellar employees are those who identify withyour members, build relationships with them,keep their safety in mind at all times and, mostimportantly, remain stellar because they like theirjob, and you, as the manager, are doing what ittakes to keep them.

Certification and education are status quoCertifications and degrees are the criteria on

which new hires will always be rated. The moreeducated new hiresare, and the moreadvanced certifica-tion(s) they hold,the more likely

they have the knowledge to succeed in the job.In this special report, Matthew Kutz, in his

article, The Role of Certifications in Profes-sional Practice and Staffing (p.36), outlines theimportance of certification, education andexpertise. Yet, as Coffman says, “While educa-tion and expertise [are] more important thanever because of changing membership demo-graphics,” what facility operators have beendoing all these years is “hiring people with aton of fitness expertise and education, but nopeople skills.” Coffman stresses that it’s neces-sary to look outside of the certification box.“Look for emotional and psychological skills inyour employees,” she says. “Why are clubowners ignoring these skill sets in their employ-ees, when, in many cases, that could make thedifference in their success?”

Coffman recommends that managers maketheir point of view for hiring “service-oriented.”Many people who are fitness facility memberstoday — older adults, deconditioned, youth —require special people skills from staff to make themfeel comfortable and to encourage their success.“These populations are often at-risk, marginalized,or feel uncomfortable and insecure about theirbodies; they’re drawn to the club out of necessity,in many cases,and all of the education in the worldisn’t going to get through unless the message isdelivered in the right way,” Coffman says.

People skills make the differenceStaff/member relationships have become a

hot button in the industry. Relation-ships increase motivation to showup at the fitness facility regularly

and adhere to exerciseprograms. But, todevelop relation-

ships, staff members must have people skills.Coffman outlines the following successful traitsof fitness facility staff:

• Staff should create an environment of trust.• They should create an environment that

helps people self-motivate.• Staff members need to be consistent.• Staff should exude cheerfulness. But, she

says, beware of the “too-cheerful demeanor”;relationships have a lot to do with being gen-uine — that’s part of how to gain trust.

Stellar staff make a differenceAlso in this special report, we outline the

importance of keeping members happy, which,in turn, results in staff genuinely caring aboutkeeping members motivated and safe. GuyBrown, in his article, How Staff Attrition AffectsMember Attrition (p.33), explains how staffmembers affect facility members, and make theretention connection. And, Julie Anne Eason, inher article Due Diligence (p.40), explains howthe best risk-management practices take thehuman being — the member — into account.

Your staff is your businessYour facility can have all of the products,

programs and amenities in place to make ittruly state-of-the-art. But, without staff tobreathe life into your facility, you’re left withan empty shell. Products don’t motivate;people do. From the minute members walkinto your facility, their experience will dependon their relationships and interactions withothers. Make sure when hiring staff that theyare indeed the types of people with the cre-dentials and personality to make your mem-

bers know that they are No. 1. FM

The ‘solution’ is to recognize that whilehiring an educated and trained staff isimportant, even more important are hiring staff members who can establishrelationships with members, implementingpolicies to retain your best people, anddeveloping procedures that make staffmembers aware of their role in servingmembers and keeping them safe.

By Ronale Tucker Rhodes, M.S., Editorial Director


SPECIAL REPORT

The ‘Issue’ Is Staffing and Education

w w w . f i t n e s s m a n a g e m e n t . c o m

F I T N E S S M A N A G E M E N T • M A R C H 2 0 0 7 33

LOSING KEY STAFF MEMBERS costs a fitness center dearly. Not only are thererecruitment and training costs, but the relationship network between the facil-ity and its members that underpins retention can be damaged. By keeping aclose eye on staff attrition, fitness centers can ensure that they retain theirkey people and a higher proportion of members.

Shawn Stewart, service manager of Gainesville Health and Fitness Center(GHFC), Gainesville, Fla., says there is definitely a correlation between

a facility’s ability to retain key members of staff/managementand membership retention.“Service starts with how a com-pany treats its employees,” Stewart says. “If you have lowstaff turnover, then you are going to have membershipretention.”

Each staff member is the product of a substantialinvestment in time and money. “So costs increase witheach employee departure,” says Bob Norwood, manager ofhealth and fitness operations for The Summit FitnessCenter, Kalispell, Mont. For instance, The Summit’s orien-

tation program for new staff takes up to 12 hours, and mustbe completed before someone starts work. Then there is a

honeymoon period of up to a year, during which theemployee gets into the groove of how the facility operates.

The effect on membersWhen key staff members leave, the fitness center can lose its

operating rhythm. “Things have a tendency to slip through thecracks,” says Norwood. With the loss of a key member of manage-ment or a supervisor, staff morale, appearance and facility clean-liness may all suffer. However, Norwood says retaining membersand retaining staff and management are two different things. “Ifyou have good staff, they are going to keep members — staffwho are friendly and willing to get to know members will keepmembers better,” he explains. “However, we have never seen a

decline in membership when one key person leaves.”Whether formal or not, fitness centers are also social networks,

and losing key employees affects the network as a whole. “Peoplecertainly get attached to each other. Members have a way of training

employees to know what they want and expect, and a constant changingcould lead to members’ frustration,” says Charlie Hauser, general manager

of Wilmington Athletic Club, Wilmington, N.C. However, he adds that itneeds to be looked at more by employee type — group exercise instructorsand personal trainers coming and going has more impact on retention thanthe cleaning or maintenance staff.

The circumstances of the departure also have ramifications. “If a personleaves after several years but on good terms, it can have a bittersweet result,”says Sam Gordon, membership director of Fitness On The Move, Ft. Meyers,

How Staff AttritionAffects Member Attrition

Good employees can have an effect on whether membersare happy and keep coming back. So, be sure your facilityhas the right staff in place and, once there, that you keepthem motivated and satisfied.

By Guy Brown


Fla. “While members may miss seeing thatperson, if they have moved on for positivereasons, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If,on the other hand, someone leaves on lessthan good terms, it can be detrimental tothe facility. If the members perceive that theemployee was treated wrongly by manage-ment, it will reflect negatively on the club.”

Retention connectionMembers want to be part of a positive,

friendly environment. “[It’s] the ‘Cheers’feeling, where everybody knows yourname,” says Gordon.“A pleasant face uponentering the club, and … familiarity withthe staff … will keep them coming back.Let’s face it, equipment is basically the samein most facilities, and an instructor ortrainer who has a loyal following is goingto keep those loyal to them, regardless ofwhere they teach or train. In effect, the rela-tionship between staff/management andmembers is the only thing most successfulclubs have that is unique to their facility.”

GHFC’s retention philosophy hinges ontwo components: results and relationships.“If you can get members the results theyare looking for and the relationships, theywill be loyal to you,” says Stewart.

Relationships must be on the right foot-ing. “It is critical to have key managementhaving healthy, professional relationships,”says Hauser. “I want to stress professional.It is easy in this industry for relationshipsto become unholy alliances, used as lever-age for certain types of people to alwaysget their way around the club.”

Tackling staff attritionFitness managers need to determine the

causes of high staff turnover and addressthem, so that good people are attracted tothe facility and stay with it. Stewart says thatGHFC tries to avoid allowing staff turnoverto get to a point where it is high.“You don’twait for a bad accident before putting a stoplight up,” he says. He refers to the book First,

Break All the Rules, in which Gallup Con-

sulting published research proving thatengaged employees are more productiveemployees. Gallup’s research identified 12questions that measure employee engage-ment (see Gallup Consulting’s 12-QuestionSurvey). GHFC poses these same questionsto each employee at least twice a semesterto determine satisfaction.

Hauser says high staff turnover shouldbe cause for some introspection. He sug-gests posing the following questions:

• Are we sending the correct messagewhen looking for help?

• Is our pay scale in line with the wagesin the area?

• Is our hiring process thorough?• Is there a personality issue between

staff members and their direct supervisors?Gordon also urges the evaluation of

hiring, interviewing and training procedures.Is the facility hiring employees out of des-peration, or to best fill a position? Is it hiringpeople who just want to make money, or

people who have a truepassion for the business ofhelping people? Gettingthe right people in the firstplace is critical.

Naturally, remuneration also needs atten-tion. “You need to do a market evaluationof your salaries, within your region andlocality,” says Norwood. The Summit carriesout a market evaluation of salaries every twoyears to ensure they remain competitive.

Staff satisfactionSatisfied employees make for satisfied

members. “We provide the atmospherethat is pro-employee,” says Stewart. It startswith the 12 questions, so staff membersalways have a voice. There are rewards forlongevity, and a system called Eagles of theMoment, through which members canrecognize good staff performance.

Good communication makes satisfactionpossible.“At Wilmington Athletic Club, [we]keep employees informed,” says Hauser.“Letting them know what’s going on behindthe scenes, what are the elements in the deci-sion-making process. This inclusion makespeople feel that they are part of the process.”

Training and development also make avaluable contribution to employee satisfac-tion. “Without proper training, employeesare bound to become frustrated, and thatis frequently displayed to the members,”says Gordon. “Mistakes are going tohappen, and, while most are minor, somemay not be. Without proper training, theemployee may not know how to handlecertain situations, which reflects on the

Cost of Staff TurnoverFitness On The Move’s Sam Gordon lists some costs associated with high turnover of staff:

• Training costs• Certifications (if they are paid for by the employer)• Loss of revenue due to lack of performance• Loss of revenue for double staffing during training times• Loss of revenue while searching for a replacement• Projecting a less-than-desirable image to members

Gallup Consulting’s 12-Question SurveyGallup Consulting published research proving that engaged employees are more productiveemployees. Gallup’s research identified 12 questions that measure employee engagement.You can pose these same questions to each employee to determine job satisfaction.

1. Do I know what’s expected of me?2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work?3. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best?4. In the last seven days, have I received praise and recognition for good work?5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel that my work is important?9. Are my coworkers committed to doing quality work?

10. Do I have a best friend at work?11. In the past six months, have I talked to someone about my progress?12. Do I have the opportunity to learn and grow at work?

Published in First, Break All the Rules (Simon & Schuster, 1999)

The Summit Fitness Center,Kallispell, Mont., has an orientation program fornew staff that takes up to 12 hours.


management as a lack of interest or neg-lect, and reflects poorly on the club.”

Stewart supports the training and devel-opment message: “Once you hire the rightpeople, you have to continuously trainthem.” GHFC has a seminar programcalled Kaizan (in line with the Japaneseterm for continuous improvement). “It isa personal development seminar thatmakes them better people,” Stewartexplains. It includes skills such as manag-ing finances and budgeting, stress and timemanagement, and leadership skills.

Gauging satisfactionIt is reasonable to conclude that if staff

attrition rates are high, staff members arenot satisfied. But, how can fitness man-agers gauge levels of satisfaction earlier,before the horse has bolted? “In a nutshell,if they do their job well and are happy,”says Gordon, they are most likely satisfied.It will reflect in their friendliness to otherstaff, management and members, and theirwillingness to go the extra mile.

At GHFC, determining employee satis-faction goes back to the 12 questions, andgoing over them regularly with a supervi-sor. There are monthly performancereports, and then corresponding remuner-ation every six months.

Norwood calls for open lines of com-munication. He says this includes the needto be aware of personal lives, as they doaffect employee morale and attitude. TheSummit offers employees confidentialcounseling services, so they have theopportunity to talk with someone outsideof work, and also offers free legal advice.

Hauser also gives employees a respon-sible mechanism through which levels ofsatisfaction can be discussed and evalu-ated.“An open door policy (without a his-tory of retribution) is critical,” he says.“Butalso have regular meetings and debriefingsthrough your chain of command.”

ReenergizingMost employees, at one time or another,

will lose some of their job motivation.Ignored, a once invaluable human resourcewill grow increasingly disgruntled and eitherdrag your business performance down orleave.Yet these employees can often be reen-ergized.“We will sit down and have a heart-to-heart,” says Norwood. Pose questionssuch as, is this what you really want to do?Is there something else in the facility you

could do? “There might be other positionsthat can motivate them more,” Norwoodsays. “Alternatively, there may be somethingin their duties they do not understand, so alittle retraining can resolve the problem.”

Gordon says Fitness On The Movereenergizes employees by providing themwith the opportunity to get involved inother aspects of the fitness center. Forexample, allow staff the freedom todevelop their own programs/ideas andbecome a part of a project or team.Encourage them to find new ways toincrease their income by creating newprofit centers or increasing productivity inanother area. And, give all employeesrecognition when a job is well done.

Stewart says GHFC works hard to makesure employees do not get demotivated,but it does happen. “One thing [is], bethere for them,” he suggests. “Take a per-sonal interest in them as people first. Thebiggest reason people get demotivated iswhen they feel they cannot grow anymore.”Stewart says they try to grow employeespersonally and reward them for their ideas.

Flight risksSome high performing staff and manage-

ment may be identified as “flight risks” —i.e., they are likely to leave the company orindustry altogether, unless managementintervenes in a positive manner. Norwoodsays let such flight risks know the benefits ofstaying with the job, and find out whetherthey are happy or not in it. If they are leav-ing because they were unhappy, the facilityneeds to take action to ensure the satisfac-tion at least increases for other employees.

Hauser also urges probing the reasonswhy an employee wishes to leave. “Is it aweakness or perceived weakness in yourorganization that can be fixed?” he asks.“Or is it an unreasonable expectation?”Hauser says it could boil down to pay andbenefits. “If that is a solution, it has to beaddressed across the entire organization.”

Gordon says you need to determine howbest to obtain their loyalty. “If it is a finan-cial situation, an increase in compensationmay be required, or an increase in benefits,”he suggests. “If it is a situation where theperson feels they have climbed as far as theycan on the corporate ladder …, it may bebest to let them go. It is sometimes betterto cut your losses and focus on replacingthat person with someone with new energyand a higher motivation.”

Superstar employees can help any facil-ity to flourish. There will always be a hand-ful of staff or team members who makean extra special contribution to success.They need to be looked after. Hauser saysemployees who always give 100 percentdeserve special treatment. However, Nor-wood warns against special privileges:“Theyneed to follow rules, like anybody else.”

If fitness managers take care of theiremployees and succeed in inspiring andenabling their continued high perform-ance, they can look forward to hitting theirmembership retention targets. FM

Guy Brown has been a manager in interna-tional leisure and hospitality for several yearsin private facilities and with internationalhotel chains. He also writes for internationalbusiness, and travel and medical magazines.

Get More Information Online!If you found this article useful, you can read more about this topic on Fitness Management’s

website. Below is a list of related articles that you can find online:1. Staffing Your Small Fitness Business. By Lynne Greer (May 1995). In the category “Small

Market” from the Library of Articles link in the left menu at www.fitnessmanagement.com, or atwww.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/smallmkt/smallmkt595.html

2. Employee Cross Training. By Dana Naegele (April 2003). In the category “Management,” or atwww.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/management/retention0403.html

3. Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. By Courtney Hadden (April 2004). In the category “Manage-ment,” or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/mgtmemo/mgtmemo0404.html

The Summit FitnessCenter, Kallispell, Mont.,conducts a marketevaluation of salariesevery two years toensure that employeeslike Margie Herman andKathy Neumann, whowork in the accountingdepartment, are paidcompetitively with otherfacilities in the area.

THE NECESSITY OF trained fitness practition-ers has always been important to the industry.And, as the fitness industry seeks to enter intonew markets, it is important that fitness prac-titioners have the most credible credentials avail-able, including accredited certifications and,possibly, an exercise-science-based degree. Expe-rience is also important. Fitness center managersmust take charge of the hiring process, andrequire that their trainers have the right back-ground for the job. People skills and on-the-job training are also of vital importance.

Nationally accredited certificationsCertifications are of major impor-

tance to fitness professionals, andwhether certifying associations arenationally accredited is now anissue. To stay competitive andmaintain credibility, personaltrainers and fitness instructorsshould, by now, have certifica-

tions from organizations that are accredited bythe National Commission for Certifying Agen-cies (NCCA). NCCA accreditation is rapidlybecoming an important industry standard, andnational accreditation is a significant advance-ment toward greater professional standing forthe fitness industry.

The justifications for nationally accredited cer-tifications are many, but three stand out. Theyinclude regulating professional growth, reducingrisk and ensuring minimum competence.

Regulating professional growth. Regulatingfitness professionals is accomplished by hiringonly personal trainers who have earned accred-

ited certifications. It is no secret thatmany fitness practitioners have

earned “certifications of conven-ience.”Accreditation can help tolimit these types of practition-ers from entering into theindustry. While this transition

might be painful for

many facilities and personal trainers, it is cer-tainly for the best, and can help weed out “cer-tification mills.” The best personal trainers andfitness centers will successfully adapt to thechanging climate and industry standards.

Reducing risk. Reducing risk is also abyproduct of this change. Practitioners whocome from accredited certification programswill presumably have a better grasp of indus-try-specific knowledge, skills and abilities (alsoknown as KSAs or competencies). These pro-fessionals should be less likely to engage inbehaviors that are outside of their scopes ofpractice and training. They may also be moreopen to including other healthcare profession-als, with different areas of expertise, into theirclient’s programming. This is not only betterfor the client, but it is also better for the lia-bility of the professional and the fitness center.

Ensuring minimum competence. Ensuringminimum competence is a key role of accredi-tation, and has a two-fold benefit. First, it levelsthe playing field between certified practitionerswith a more common (or general) set of com-

petencies, regardless of the certifyingagency. This means that employers

can be more confident in the basicskills (i.e., KSA) of their candidates.

Second, national accreditation helpsto weed out certifying agencies thathave less-rigorous standards, whichcuts down on the number of less-competent practitioners.

Minimum competence is thekey designation here. A newly cer-tified personal trainer is by nomeans an expert (incidentally, a20-year veteran is not necessarilyan expert, either). Newly certi-fied candidates from accreditedassociations, although “certi-fied,” are still entry-level.

Hiring implications of accreditationAs accreditation continues, a more level play-

ing field can emerge. This level playing fieldrequires greater human resource savvy on theemployer’s part when hiring potential candi-dates. Therefore, it is left to the manager to hirethe right people for the right reasons, including

Understanding the different certifications available, and the roles of accreditation, education and experience, can help you hire the most qualified staff for your fitness center.

By Matthew Kutz, Ph.D., ATC, CSCS

Certifications, Education and Staffing



a high level of interpersonal skills and assess-ment ability. First impressions, internships,resumé preparation and interview skills,while always important, will have greater sig-nificance. For the applicant, this meansbetter preparation and more attention todetail; for the employer, this means greaterscrutiny, better interviewing of applicants,and greater knowledge and awareness of thecertification and education processes.

National accreditation will also increasethe influence of exercise-science-baseddegrees. With so many certifying agenciesoffering accredited programs, the level ofeducation attained by the practitionerincreases in significance and importance.In fact, some certifications already requirea four-year exercise-science-based degree,or a minimum number of “working”hours, before exam eligibility. This is atrend that may also help the fitness indus-try gain credibility within the health andmedical communities.

Education and trainingAt present, much of the fitness indus-

try is based on technical training. This isproblematic on at least two fronts. The firstis that the fitness industry is clamoring tobe recognized and accepted as a viableindustry in the health profession, which itis unlikely to achieve as long as technicaltraining is the primary method of creden-tialing practitioners. Second, fitness pro-gramming is unpredictable, and oftenrequires non-traditional solutions. Forexample, not only is the vast diversity ofclients problematic (e.g., geriatric, adoles-cent, obese), but the ranges of health statusvary dramatically within any given group.

Additionally, there are many certifiedpersonal trainers who can only work witha limited number of populations. Ironi-cally, the population with whom manycertified personal trainers are most “qual-ified” to work is made up of those whoneed a personal trainer the least (i.e.,healthy adults). Basically, fitness practition-ers are trained to work with clients whoare expected to all respond in similar ways,or who have little risk of adverse responses.Entry-level personal trainers are, for themost part, technicians who have beentrained to use varied exercise equipmenton otherwise healthy people. As it is now,if a client’s health status is “unpredictable”or at risk, someone with formal educa-tion (i.e., advanced credentials) is often

called in to consult — or outright referred.Enter the role of education. Accredited

certification programs are an essential ele-ment of preparing fitness practitioners, butformal education is gaining importance.Looking to the certification process alone forfitness programming and prescribing exer-cise and lifestyle habits are beyond the scopeof many practitioners. Educating futurepractitioners over a pre-established periodof time (not in a weekend, by mail or online

seminar), where a minimum level of com-petence is later determined by a nationallyaccredited certification exam, is important.

The role of experienceAs important as education is, experience

is what separates the good from the great.Experience is akin to wisdom (knowingwhat to do), and education is akin to knowl-edge (knowing how to do it). It is certainlypossible — and even likely — that badexperiences can be a better teacher thangood education. However, the value of expe-rience is only as good as the individual’s abil-ity to extract wisdom from it. Knowledgenot withstanding, the most effective personaltrainers will be able to extract multiple les-sons (i.e., wisdom) from a single experience,good or bad (this is related to context-freecompetence, discussed later). Be wary of theindividual who requires several experiencesbefore they “learn their lesson.”

The best combination is, of course, edu-cation and experience. For personal train-ers, it is vital to keep up-to-date on newknowledge and research, and emerging evi-dence in the healthcare arena. However, thisnew knowledge is useless unless it is appliedcorrectly. How to apply that knowledge inthe best possible way is usually a product ofexperience. The novice practitioner rarelyknows the pragmatic value (i.e., what to do)of new knowledge, while the proficient orexpert practitioner can take new knowledgeand implement it when and where appro-priate. Novice personal trainers often stick

to pre-set rules and prescribed patterns, andmay recommend fads and other popularadvice. However, as experience grows andwisdom is extracted from those experiences,the novice progresses to competent, thenproficient and, eventually, expert.

Exercise tailored to the individual, com-bined with sound nutritional advice, is theonly sensible option to prescribe. Employers,mangers and facility owners need to takeseriously the competence of their fitness staff.

Hiring competent staffHiring competent fitness practitioners

from the beginning is essential to every-one’s long-term success. Increase the like-lihood of competence when hiring fitnessstaff by investigating applicants’ certifyingorganizations. Are they accredited and rep-utable? What type of delivery method wasused? Is the exam valid and reliable? Next,what is the applicant’s level of education?Finally, what is their experience level? Per-haps most tricky is determining experi-ence. You need to ask the right questions,and use case studies and alternate scenar-ios during the screening process. Anotherthing to watch for during interviews are“textbook” answers, which often indicate alower level of experience.

Hiring competent fitness practitionerswho will serve the mission of the organi-zation, generate revenue and promote pro-fessionalism within the fitness industry arecritical factors that primarily fall on theshoulders of facility owners, managers andemployers. Therefore, certification, educa-tion and experience must first and fore-most be taken seriously by this same group— some fitness practitioners will only beas good as they are expected to be.

What types of competencies to look forTo be successful, employers need to be

aware of required industry- or context-spe-cific competencies, as well as those com-petencies that transcend context.Industry-specific competencies includeknowledge and use of a variety of exercisemachines, free weights, cardiovascularequipment and other tools of the trade,and how these tools interact with eachother. There also needs to be a solid knowl-edge and understanding of humananatomy, human physiology and kinesiol-ogy, and how they each influence eachother. Typically, the assessment of thesecompetencies is left to the certifying agency.

National accreditation is

a significant advancement

toward greater professional

standing for the health

and fitness industry.


Assuming the exam candidate passes theexam, the level and depth of the compe-tence is only as good as the association.National accreditation will help to makesure minimum competencies are met,which eases the burden on the employer.However, there are certainly certifyingagencies that are not accredited that exceedminimum standards set by accreditingagencies. Keep in mind that the purpose ofaccrediting agencies is to ensure minimum

standards are met, and nothing more.Other industry-specific competencies

include knowledge of the demographicpopulations (i.e., potential clientele), fit-ness-based software, exercise techniquesand site-specific fitness programs. Thesecompetencies may have to be introducedand assessed by the employer during ori-entations or internships. Competenciesthat transcend context and significantlycontribute toward success tend to be lead-ership-related. These competencies includecommunication ability, appropriate use ofbody language, empathy, use of influence,organizational savvy and interpersonalcommunication, to name a few.

Employers need to look for and expectboth context-specific and context-freecompetencies in their personal trainingapplicants. Typically, it is the context-freecompetencies that contribute the most tosuccess. Presumably, if candidates are cer-tified, they all have similar industry-specificcompetence. It is exactly these “context-free” competencies that help the personaltrainer to handle unforeseen and unex-pected circumstances. One can argue theseskills are innate, while others can argue thatthey are learned behaviors, but that is cer-tainly beyond the scope of this article. Suf-fice it to say, there is ample research thatdemonstrates leadership competencies (asidentified above) are learnable.

Types of certificationsThere are obviously as many types of

certifications as there are organizations thatcertify people; many clubs even offer theirown brand of certification. These in-housecertifications can be great, as long as theindividual understands their limitations.

Here are the types of certifications avail-able, and what can be expected from them.

Personal trainer. The most commoncertification is for personal trainers. Themain misconception is that this is a one-size-fits-all certification. It is often assumed

that a certified individual is qualified towork in any setting with any number ofclients. The opposite is true. The personaltrainer is first a generalist and, therefore,must have a broad knowledge base. Whilea broad knowledge base is critical, it alsomeans much of the specific knowledgerequired to work with many populations,such as adolescents, geriatric, obese, com-

petitive athletes, diabetics and others, islacking. The minimum competence ofmost personal trainers qualifies them toeducate clients on how to use equipment,motivate clients, teach basic flexibility andrecommend basic exercise strategies forgeneral fitness goals.

Personal trainers are not qualified tooffer in-depth nutritional counseling orto recommend supplements. Not only isrecommending supplements sometimes aconflict of interest, it is outside of a per-sonal trainer’s scope of practice. Virtuallyno nutritional information is included inpersonal training certification programs.

The most successful personal trainersmust engage in ongoing continuing edu-cation credits (CECs or CEUs) to stay up-to-date and learn to use and implementnew and innovative equipment and fitnessstrategies. Mandatory continuing educa-tion is a hallmark of all good certifications,regardless of the type.

Exercise specialist. Some associationsoffer exercise specialist certifications, whichare a variation of the personal trainer cer-tification. The difference is, there are typ-ically additional pre-requisites to meet forexam eligibility (such as documentedexperience with certain populations and/orrecommendations from medical/healthprofessionals, or an exercise sciencedegree). Exercise specialists, then, have anadvanced understanding of how to inte-grate exercise into the lives of individualswith higher risk factors.

Group fitness instructor. Group fitnessinstructor certifications are not synony-mous with personal training. Managersneed to recognize that, while those who

hold these certifications are competent totrain individuals, these certifications arecentered around group dynamics, andmay lack some of the training associatedwith personal training certifications, suchas risk stratification and other initial assess-ment items. Group fitness certifications aredesigned around teaching larger classes orgroups of people.

Obviously, even the words “group” and“personal” explicitly indicate differentgoals. Group instructors rarely spend one-on-one time with clients. Often, the firsttime they see their clients is the first dayof class; they depend on other fitness teammembers to determine appropriateness offit into their class.

Group-based certifications are designedaround motivating groups, and maybe evenspecialized group programs, such as groupcycling or Pilates. Certainly there are over-lapping competencies (such as anatomy,etc.), but the focus and goal of the groupinstructor is different from other certifica-tions. Granted, most of the time, group fit-ness certifications are combined or addedto personal training ones, which is the bestcase. However, in circumstances wheregroup instructors are not also certified per-sonal trainers, they should not be expectedor asked to act as personal trainers.

Strength and conditioning/perform-

ance enhancement. Strength and condi-tioning certifications are designedspecifically for working with a special andhighly motivated clientele: the competitiveathlete. These certifications focus on devel-oping clients’ power, strength, speed, agilityand balance. Unlike personal training, gen-eral fitness and weight loss is typically nota concern. Strength and performancecoaches are certainly qualified to workwith general fitness or weight-loss clients,but they run the risk of prescribing toomuch, too fast, too soon, given theirpropensity for high performance andcompetition. These trainers tend to begood motivators and accept few excuses.Virtually all of the strength and condition-ing types of certifications are considered“specialty,” or advanced, certifications, andmany (if not all) require a college degreein an exercise-science-related discipline.

Despite being advanced certifications,they do have limitations. Like personaltrainers, strength and conditioning prac-titioners have little competence with clientspresenting cardiovascular risk factors.

As important as

education is, experience

is what separates the

good from the great.


Employers may be concerned about ahigher level of liability, as the areas inwhich strength and performance coachestend to excel are those dealing with com-petitive performance and those that arehigh-intensity. Also, hiring individuals withthese certifications can be cost-prohibitive,as they are usually a bit more expensiveto recruit and retain.

Rehabilitation and reconditioning.

Rehabilitation certifications wade into atricky area — some argue that the fitnessindustry should stay out of rehabilitativetherapy altogether. Managers and employ-ers must be careful with how they pro-mote this service. This is the domain ofallied healthcare professionals who special-ize in rehabilitation and reconditioning oforthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries.These professionals include athletic train-ers, physical therapists and some chiro-practors (who, by the way, may also holdpersonal training certifications). Each ofthese professions have specific academicdegrees in their specific profession,national certification boards that governtheir credentials and state licensure. Orga-nizations that offer rehab and recondition-ing types of certifications must be careful(especially if they try to bill insurancecompanies) about what they offer clients.

Obviously, there is a huge amount ofliability that comes with this type of serv-ice. The main issue is ethical. Implying thatyour trainers have the credentials and havegone through similar credentialingprocesses as the professionals listed aboveis outright lying. This is not to say thatthere is not a place for this type of certi-fication — there certainly is. Certifiedreconditioning specialists have many addi-tional CEUs but, most importantly, theyhave a personal interest in working withthese types of clients. However, to workwell, these rehab-certified practitionersneed to have a network with local physi-cians, athletic trainers and physical thera-pists who are willing to refer. For theserelationships to take place, credible creden-tials and documented outcomes are ofutmost importance.

Special populations. Special popula-tions for the fitness market usually meansadolescents and older adults. There areobviously many more special populations,but the liability is huge, and individualswith systemic diseases and multiple majorrisk factors need to be under the care and

supervision of medical specialists and clin-ical exercise physiologists. Those specialpopulations that are “less risky,” such asadolescents and older adults, require train-ers with special credentials, and theyshould have their physician’s clearance toexercise. Obviously, these two extreme agegroups represent opposite ends of thespectrum, and each one responds differ-ently to exercise stress. Basic personaltraining courses do not take into accountthe special metabolic, heat regulation ormusculoskeletal concerns of prepubescentclients. With the epidemic of child obe-sity and diabetes, the temptation is hugeto put young children in fitness programs,which is a great idea; but, these popula-tions require certified practitioners whohave special training for working with thispopulation.

Buyer bewareA huge number of fitness-based certi-

fications are available, and it is a buyer-beware industry. There are greatorganizations that offer accredited certifi-cations, there are non-accredited organiza-

tions that offer great certifications, andthere are charlatans offering worthless cer-tifications. When hiring fitness practition-ers, all certifications are not created equal.If you are confident that your applicantsare competent, then you must consider thetype of certification they have earned. Youmust consider its reputation and whetherthe certification is offered by an accreditedassociation. Professional development inthe fitness industry depends on getting theright people doing the right jobs, based ontheir passions and qualifications. The onusof this first falls to facility owners andmanagers, who hire and staff the practi-tioners in the industry. FM

Matthew Kutz, Ph.D., is assistant professorof athletic training at Texas State Universityin San Marcos, Texas. He is a Certified Ath-letic Trainer, Certified Strength and Condi-tioning Specialist, an ACSM-certifiedHealth/Fitness Instructor, an IDEA MasterPersonal Trainer, and has advanced degreesin health education, exercise physiologyand leadership. He can be reached [email protected].

Get More Information Online!If you found this article useful, you can read more about this topic on Fitness Management’s

website. Below is a list of related articles that you can find online:1. Certification: A Connection to Competence. By Brian McDermott (December 2002). In the category

“Certification and Training” from the Library of Articles link in the left menu at www.fitnessmanagement.com,or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/certify/cert1202.html

2. Beyond Certification. By Guy Brown (December 2002). In the category “Certification and Train-ing,” or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/certify/certplus1202.html

3. Certification Exams and the Law. By David L. Herbert (September 2006). In the category “Certifi-cation and Training,” or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/0906-feature4.html

ONE OF THE first things we learn as children isthat “accidents happen.”Unfortunately, the corol-lary to that in the adult world is, “lawsuitshappen.” Too many fitness center managers sub-scribe to the “ignore it, and it will go away”theory. But, it only takes one small incident toput you out of business forever. Now more thanever, managers need to make sure every employeeunderstands and follows the fitness center’s risk-management policies. Fitness center employeesare agents of their employer, says Ken McKay, vicepresident of Interwest Insurance Services, Chico,Calif. “That means that [they] are responsiblefor understanding and implementing safety andprevention measures, as well as proper claimreporting,” McKay says. If a member slips and

falls on the basketball court, it’s crucial forthe attending staff person to be

sympathetic to the victim,but not accidentally

admit fault.Risk management

means that you, as aservice provider,

take

every reasonable measure to keep your facilityand your members safe. Proper risk manage-ment protects your members, your staff andyour property at the same time. To accomplishthis, your staff members must perform regu-lar facility assessments, as well as memberassessments.

Facility riskSo, what constitutes a risk? Anything that

could potentially harm a person or damageproperty puts your fitness center at risk of a law-suit. This includes a wide variety of possibilities:

• Uneven flooring, slippery tiles and gen-eral clutter that could cause trips and falls

• Weights and mechanical components ofweight machines

• Electrical equipment, such as treadmillsand elliptical trainers

• Bacteria build-up due to improper cleaning• Blocked exits• Poor lighting and cracked asphalt in the

parking lot• Building code violations, such as non-com-

pliance with the Americans With DisabilitiesAct (ADA)

Staff members should perform regular safetysweeps of the entire facility. McKay suggests

performing these three or four times a day.A safety sweep should be a thorough

check of every room in the facility,plus outside areas. You’re look-

ing for anything that couldpose a safety hazard,

from wet spots inthe locker room

to weights leftout in theopen to anuncoveredoutlet in thechildcare

area. “It’s vitalfor any prob-

lems, no matterhow small, to be fixed

and documented right away,” McKay says. “Ifa rug is rumpled, straighten it. If a treadmillisn’t working properly, unplug it and put an‘Out of order’ sign on it.” Don’t forget aboutthe outside of your facility. Many accidentsoccur in the parking lot or on other parts ofthe grounds. Pay special attention to lighting; isit safe for your members to walk to their carsat night? Also make sure that landscaping,fences and paved surfaces are in good repair,and that there is no trash or clutter.

More in-depth inspections should be per-formed by management monthly. Safety issuesin these inspections include the following:

• Did staff perform and report dailysafety sweeps?

• Were all newly hired staff properly trained?• Is all lighting adequate and functioning

properly?• Are all exits marked, unblocked and

properly illuminated?• Are hazardous materials/chemicals prop-

erly labeled and stored?• Are all fire extinguishers fully charged?

Three easy tasksBeyond conducting safety sweeps, there are

three easy things your staff can do to reducerisk in your fitness center. “These are the barebones minimum requirements for a risk-man-agement program,” says Ken Reinig, presidentof Association Insurance Group, Lakewood,Colo.“If your staff follows these rules, you willbe way ahead of the game.”

1. Greet every member by their first name.

This one simple piece of common courtesycan drastically reduce your chances of beingsued. If Jane Smith comes into your fitnesscenter every morning and is greeted with, “HiJane. How’s the knee? When are your kidscoming home?” She feels that the staff reallycares about her. If she happens to slip and fallin the pool area one day, she is less likely to filesuit because she feels good about the atmos-phere in the facility as a whole.

2. Be cognizant of clutter. Foster the atti-tude that keeping the facility clean is everyone’sjob. If a cord is out of place, put it where itbelongs. If there’s a wet spot on the floor, wipeit up. No one employee is exempt from thisresponsibility. All staff members (and manage-ment) should treat the fitness center like it’s

Due DiligenceYou and your staff members need to know about and practice your facility’s risk-management policies and procedures before an event happens. This meansconducting safety sweeps, educating members about potential risks, understandingevacuation procedures, documenting accidents and having up-to-date insurance policies.

By Julie Anne Eason



their own home. Members will feel likethey’re being looked after and cared for,too, which will result in fewer lawsuits.

3. Document everything. If you areever involved in a lawsuit, you want asmuch paperwork on your side as possi-ble. Regular maintenance reports can helpprove due diligence. “Detailed incidentreports are also critical to reducing risk. Ifan accident does happen, no matter howsmall, your staff should be trained in howto take an accurate report,” says Reinig.“Your insurance company will have itsown reporting requirements, but staffmembers should always remember to getas many eye-witness accounts as possible.”

Personal riskPeople are liability risks, too. You are not

only responsible for keeping the facilitymaintained, you also need to be sure thatindividual members are as well-informed aspossible. The American College of SportsMedicine publishes ASCM’s Health/Fitness

Facility Standards and Guidelines, a widelyaccepted volume of risk-management prac-tices. The book advocates using a pre-activ-ity cardiovascular risk questionnaire(Par-Q) to screen every member for possi-ble health risks. If a history of health prob-lems exists, it is recommended that themember seek medical approval beforebeginning an exercise program. In addition,“all pre-activity screening tools and healthquestionnaires must be reviewed by quali-fied staff members, and the results of thescreening must be documented.” ASCMalso recommends that every member begiven a thorough orientation of the facilityand the proper use of its equipment. Tellingpeople once isn’t enough, though. Anyknown hazards need to be clearly markedwith easy-to-understand signs.

ASCM also recommends the use of lia-bility waivers, and McKay agrees that theycan be useful in court.“But only if they arewell-written,” he adds. “Get a lawyer youtrust to go over the language. And remem-ber, minors cannot waive their rights.”

Your members aren’t the only peoplewho can put you at risk for a lawsuit.Improper behavior by your staff can getyou into hot water, too, whether they arefailing to document accidents, lifting heavyobjects improperly or making potentiallylewd comments to members. If you noticesomething isn’t right, talk to them aboutit — and document the conversation.

Liability hot buttons: Evacuationprocedures and AEDs

Evacuation procedures. Since 9/11, allpublic buildings have been urged to createemergency action plans. These plans covereverything from evacuating the buildingsafely to notifying police of a problem. If youdon’t have an emergency action plan, OSHAhas a website set up to help you create oneat www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/evacuation/evac.html.

It’s not enough for your staff to knowwhere the procedure book is. They have torun through the procedures, and physicallyassist people out of the building. If an

actual emergency happens, they won’t havetime to read through a long list of instruc-tions. So, it’s wise to run drills at least twicea year. You may want to inform membersor close the facility while the drill is takingplace. Or, check with your local emergencyservices to see if they have a coordinatedcity-wide drill day already scheduled thatyou could participate in.

Automated external defibrillators

(AEDs). Deaths do occur in fitness cen-ters due to heart attacks. In the caseRichard Eng v. 24 Hour Fitness, the com-pany admitted that between 20 and 40 ofits members die this way each year. Begin-ning as early as 1986, fitness centers havebeen using AEDs to save the lives ofmembers experiencing cardiac arrest. Butthe issue has become heated in recentyears due to a number of high-profile law-suits. Many facilities do not have an AEDbecause they fear added liability. Theyworry they will be sued for not using themachine if they have one in the club. So,they reason it’s wiser not to have one.

However, the litigation trend shows justthe opposite. Far more fitness centers arebeing sued for not having an AED. Manystates require that fitness centers havethese life-saving machines on hand. So,check your local and state laws to be sureyou are in compliance.

Universal standards?There are no universally accepted stan-

dards for risk-management policies atthis time. Helen Durkin, executive vicepresident for public policy at the Interna-tional Health, Racquet and SportsclubAssociation (IHRSA), Boston, Mass., says“that’s because every state is different.Creating one set of guidelines might helpclubs in one state, but cause more liabil-ity problems in another.” However,IHRSA does have 12 baseline standards itlists on its website (cms.ihrsa.org/IHRSA/viewPage.cfm?pageId=657). “Every clubshould comply with these basic rules, orhave a very good reason why not, fortheir own protection,” Durkin says.

With so many organizations regulatinghow you run your business, and with lawsvarying from state to state, you shouldmake friends with your insurance agent. Heor she will be up to date on rules, regula-tions and policies that affect the industry inyour location. Many insurance organiza-tions already have risk-management guide-lines set up for you, so ask your agent. Andremember to check your insurance policyitself to see that names, dates and coveragechanges are accurate and current.

Nobody wants to be involved in a law-suit. But the best risk-management prac-tices take the human being into accountbefore the legal action. If you take a gen-uine interest in your members’ health andsafety, you may never have to think aboutbeing sued. FM

Julie Ann Eason is a freelance writer wholives in Maine.

Get More Information Online!If you found this article useful, you can read more about this topic on Fitness Management’s web-

site. Below is a list of related articles that you can find online:1. What Risk Management Means. By Doyice J. Cotten (January 2007). In the category “Risk Man-

agement” from the Library of Articles link in the left menu at www.fitnessmanagement.com, or atwww.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/Information/articles/0107-mm3-risk-mgmt.html

2. Lawsuit-Proofing Your Facility. By Guy Brown (January 2005). In the category “Liability,” or atwww.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/legal/liability0105.html

3. Assessing Your Insurance Needs. By Amy Scanlin (November 2006). In the category “Liability,”or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/1106-feature3.html

Staff members should

perform regular safety

sweeps of the entire facility.


STATISTICS REPORT THAT 50 percent ofpeople in the U.S. will experience some kindof back trouble in their lifetime. For many, itwill be chronic. Fitness centers can help thesepeople by offering training for the core mus-cles to enhance function and reduce pain.

What is core training?The “core” consists of two areas (inner and

outer), both of which need to be trained forfully functional core strength. The inner area,or deep abdominal muscles, plays a vital rolein stabilization. The outer area provides grossstability and movement. The muscles associ-ated with the core typically include the trans-versus abdominal wall, inner and outeroblique, rectus abdominus and erector spinaemuscle group. Muscles of the lower back,shoulders, gluteals and hamstrings are equally

important in linking the body together.Many programs, exercises and machines focus

only on the outer area. Without first developinga strong foundation with the inner muscles, jointproblems or injury can easily occur. Most strengthexercises performed in fitness centers are isolationexercises. These train the body for strength, butonly within the range of the exercise itself. Per-forming crunches, for example, can make mem-bers good at crunches, but doesn’t help them pickup children, rake the leaves or swing a golf club.

Typical strength training attempts to developa body one part at a time by isolating specificmuscles. This kind of non-functional trainingreduces practical application of an exercise to lifeor sport. Isolation exercises do have their place:in rehabilitation, early phases of exercise pro-gramming and body building, where strengthand hypertrophy are the goals. Outside of that,

integrated exercises are necessary to createstrength that has practical application in real life.

The goal of core training is to improve bal-ance, posture, body awareness and coordina-tion. In sports enhancement, a kinestheticanalysis of the movements of the body helpsstrength coaches determine how best to trainthe body for sport. In order to affect that kindof change in all clients, professionals need tosimulate movements involved in daily living.

Movement exercises of the core performedin everyday life include flexion, extension, lat-eral flexion and rotation. Flexion typicallyworks with gravity in standing and seated posi-tions, though the opposite is true in lying posi-tions. In consideration of clients’ postural needs,core work should enhance muscle strength,rather than further encourage weakness.

Exercises without movement are stability

Your members

can maintainfunction in activities of daily life and

improve sports performance with

core training.By Debra Atkinson, M.S., CSCS


exercises. For most, stabilization is the primaryrole of the core. Think about the amount oftime clients and members sit or stand in thesame basic position. How long do they sit at acomputer? How often do they push, pull or liftsomething that requires they remain upright?

Assessing clients’ core needsHow do you assess what members need and

where they should begin? How do you know ifa client has good core integrity? The questionto ask, says Annette Lang, Reebok University

educator and nationally known presenter, iswhether a client is able to move when they wantor need to, and are able to keep things still whenthey do that. Exercises Lang finds helpful fordetermining core integrity include a plank holdor a side bridge.“Observing the breathing tech-nique without the client knowing you are look-ing at anything is valuable,” she says.

The value of core fitness goes beyond theavoidance of lower back pain. Properly train-ing the core to work with the rest of the bodycan result in less tension in the extremitiesduring any movement or holding position. Ifthe core is strong, for instance, there will beless tension in the arms and shoulders of acyclist or a typist, and less lower back fatiguein a golfer or a grandparent. When musclesthroughout the body contribute to the effort,they cushion the strain on the body. When anassembly line worker develops a sore neck andshoulders, for instance, the assumption mightbe that he/she has a weak upper body, when,in truth, he/she needs to strengthen the core.

Lang refers to proper firing sequence as keyto core integrity. Ideally, the pelvic floor and trans-verse abdominus fire first. That falls in line withother professionals’ recommendations to “isolate,then integrate.” Paul Chek, of the C.H.E.K. Insti-tute,Vista, Calif., emphasizes that isolation is nec-essary to regain or establish motor control andfunction. To both determine ability to stabilizeand to enhance it, Chek recommends the follow-ing exercise, performed with a blood pressure cuffon. Use of a full-size towel or a trainer’s hand alsohelps improve proprioception.

1. Fold a full-size towel lengthwise and keepit under your client’s back. Instruct the clientto add a slight pressure to the towel by draw-

ing the navel toward the spine. Fold the towelover again if the client feels no target.

2. Have the client maintain the same pres-sure throughout the exercise. They shouldbreathe in a relaxed manner. Hold one end ofthe towel and then gently try to draw it away,ensuring that the abdominals are activated.

3. Instruct the client to alternately lift andlower each leg in a marching manner until theknee is at 90 degrees over the hip.

4. The goal is for clients to keep the pelvisstable. If the towel begins to slide out, the client

has reached fatigue.5. Repeat up to 15 cycles.

Possible exercisesInitial core work should assess the firing pat-

terns of a client and then establish a foundationof the inner area; integrated exercise follows.Proper sequencing of exercises you choose fora client can enhance effectiveness. Choose rota-tion before linear movements, and load eccen-trically to benefit living patterns of movement.From the moment a person gets out of bed inthe morning, climbs into a car, swivels betweena desk and a keyboard, and picks up children,each of these movements involves rotation.Rotation exercise options include medicine ballor cable wood chops from a variety of positionsand directions. Catching, passing and loadingand unloading with rotation with a medicineball toss is another option.

People “go opposites” in walking and mostof our natural movements. Maximize this byprescribing core work that assists with this pat-tern. Have clients walk with a medicine ball,moving it from side to side with short-, thenlonger-level lengths. With a forward lunge,clients should reach overhead or sideways fromthe waist from the opposite side.

Lateral flexion is best performed by loadingthe spine with gravitational forces, as in the sidebridge, also used for assessment purposes. Stand-ing with a dumbbell in side-bends is a common,but less effective, exercise. The side bridge can beperformed statically or with movement of thehips down and up, paying careful attention toshoulder integrity. A back extension apparatus,exercise ball or Bosu add further challengethrough the additional stabilization required.

With back extensions, be cautious of plac-ing clients in too deep of flexion at the hip

joint and loading their spine. Limit range ofmotion and the amount of weight a personlifts to protect against back strain. Begin witha progression that is appropriate for eachclient. For example, establish the base ofstrength from an opposite arm and leg liftbefore clients move on to a “superman” movefrom a prone position. Clients should performextension over a ball or Bosu before attempt-ing the back extension. Be sure they masteran exercise technique before adding weight.

The importance of the coreThe most important feats of strength demon-

strated by your members and clients won’t be inthe fitness center. They will be required to per-form in unstable,unpredictable environments, likeslipping on icy stairs, catching a falling child orchipping in from a side hill. It’s not only athleteswho enjoy dynamic movements. Train yourmembers so that they can enjoy skiing, garden-ing, hiking and swinging a child without pain. FM

Debra Atkinson, M.S., is a university lecturer, per-sonal trainer, and personal and business coach.She is featured in and co-authored the video Howto Grow Your Personal Training Business Today. Shecan be reached at www.lifetoogoodtobetrue.com.

Get More Information Online!If you found this article useful, you can read more about this topic on Fitness Management’s website. Below

is a list of related articles that you can find online:1. The Inside Scoop on Core Training. By Barbara A. Brehm (May 2005). In the category “Exercise

Prescription” from the Library of Articles link in the left menu at www.fitnessmanagement.com, or atwww.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/clip/clip0505.html

2. Training the Core. By Stephen A. Black (October 2001). In the category “Specialized Training,” or atwww.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/spectrain/speccore1001.html

3. Rollers: A Balancing Act for Clients. By Irene Lewis-McCormick (August 2006). In the category“Specialized Training,” or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/0806-feat2.html

Developing Core Strength1. Assess the client’s firing patterns. Determine strengths, weaknesses and compensation patterns.2. Strengthen the inner muscles. Use isolation exercises to train the “personal girdle” to support during movement phases.

Watch for the abdominal wall being drawn in and kept flat, as opposed to bulging.3. Strengthen the outer areas with integrated exercises that link the body together. Include a variety of exercise motions;

rotation, lateral flexion, extension, forward flexion and stabilization exercises.4. Sequence rotation before linear movements, load eccentrically first and use opposites.5. Observe tension elsewhere in the body, and address firing patterns throughout exercise progressions.


THE FITNESS INDUSTRY is always lookingfor things that are scientifically valid, addexcitement to exercise and improve results.Whole Body Vibration (WBV) has beentouted as a way to improve everything fromstrength to hormones. At the FIBO 2006show, there were 31 WBV equipment manu-facturers, and consumers are beginning to seeclever ads linking improved health to inex-pensive, home gym versions.

This is not a case of too good to be true but,rather, true within the context of WBV machinebenefits. They do work — but not for every-thing, and not for everyone. Their place in thecommercial market is dependent on type, useand guided versus unguided application. Untilnow, their primary use has been in therapy clin-ics and for training professional athletes.

WBV machines offer a variety of exercises,but the question is, which exercises and appli-cations are commercially viable? Users canstand on a WBV machine in a squat position,move dynamically, stretch, balance, and evenperform resistance-training exercises or plyo-metrics. Not many protocols are set in stone;instead, they are determined by the training

paradigm of the fitness professional. If thereare drawbacks, WBV requires a well-designedprogram to be effective and, for self-guideduse, a good educational program and instruc-tional materials.

HistoryThe specifics are sketchy, but it appears that

the Russians and Dutch originally developedWBV as a tool sometime in the 1970s. TheRussian scientist, Nazarov, was reportedly thefirst to explore vibration, with other studiesperformed by an Israeli scientist, Issurin. Theyfound that standing on a vibrating plate pro-duced a number of positive benefits, includingincreases in bone density and leg strength.Some other initial research was performed inGermany on a teeter-totter-type platform.What looked like machines made in a garagebecame a bona-fide exercise category in the late1990s, when the first commercial units weremanufactured by Galileo (now VibraFlex), fol-lowed by PowerPlate in 2000.

Contributing to the growth of WBV was thesuccess experienced by Dutch speed skaters,and an accumulating body of evidence that

demonstrated a number of health and per-formance applications. The Russians found thisdevice potentially useful at countering the longperiods of weightlessness in space, as it helpedto maintain astronauts’ bone density. WBV asa possible intervention for osteoporosis helpedto fuel the popularity of both low-end homemachines and commercial units.

Initially, the machines were solid plates,some with handlebars and some without.Now, machines have handlebars, programma-ble controls, and weight limits up to 1,500pounds, which allows for plyometric trainingand Olympic-style weightlifting to be per-formed on the plates.

Rather than being a defined technology withset protocols and applications, WBV can bedescribed as a category in the launch stage, justgetting off the ground.

Not so fastExcessive vibration, especially connected with

an occupation, such as operating a jackham-mer, has been demonstrated to cause numb-ness, loss of circulation, joint damage and otherharmful effects. However, these applications


occur for hours at a time, not a five-minute ses-sion. Such organizations as the OccupationalSafety and Health Administration and theAmerican National Standards Institute, as wellas work-safety experts, have suggested limita-tions to vibration exposure. In July 2005, Con-

trol of Vibration at Work Regulations was issuedin the United Kingdom. This document setstandards for both hand and WBV exposure,which is directly linked to the magnitude of thevibration, combined with exposure time.

Obviously, exposure to excessive vibrationin the workplace for up to 40 hours per weekis quite different than using WBV as an inter-mittent fitness or therapy modality.

Vibration biophysicsWBV, and even the few hand-held units on

the market, work with four variables that act onthe human body. Hertz (Hz) are the cyclesper second, which is essentially thevibration speed. Amplitude, or thedepth or travel of the vibration, isgenerally measured in millimeters,and is a factor that determines inten-sity (most machines have high and low set-tings). On a fixed platform, users can change thedistance the vibration travels. On a tilting plat-form, users change the amplitude by using awider stance. On a sound-driven machine, usersturn up the volume. Magnitude, or the acceler-ation power of the movement, is a measure ofthe mechanism and its movement throughspace and time. Duration is the amount of timespent on the machine. How users adjust thesevariables determines their results, and the typeof machine also determines how they adjust thevariables.

How vibration affects the body involves anumber of reactions and systems. As the platevibrates, the body goes through relatively quickoscillations, when states of more or less grav-ity are alternately applied. Vibration stimulatesinnate muscle spindle activation. The rapidcontinual firing of this mechanism, due tovibration, is known as the Tonic VibrationalReflex (TVR). The effect on the muscularsystem — especially when flexed, such as in ahalf squat — is to fire the stretch reflex (SR)through the muscle spindles to add muscularforce. In addition, the golgi tendon organs

(GTO) are activated by relatively strong con-tractions, lessening the force on the muscle asa protective mechanism. Theoretically, the mus-cles are fired, relaxed somewhat and fired againin this scenario, in response to WBV. However,just because something vibrates doesn’t meanit invokes these physiological mechanisms.There is some evidence that at 8 to 10 Hz, theSR is not activated the same way it is as at 25Hz. Positioning and movement obviouslywould elicit a smaller or greater response, inaddition to Hz and amplitude variation.

In terms of hormonal system changes, therehave been reports of similar increases intestosterone and growth hormone to resist-ance training, with some speculation that thephysiological responses to mechanical vibra-tion are tied to these effects. However, as there

appears to be less stress on the body withWBV compared to weight training, Cortisol(a measure of stress response) has been lowerin response to WBV.

WBV activates the joint receptors to supplyincreased information about body positionand state of posture. Mechanoreceptorsrespond to both passive and active movement,as well as the range of movement speeds.

Research overviewOne of the issues with WBV research to

date is that the type of vibration applied, com-bined with the specific exercise, time and fre-quency, all determine results. Because there arenow very different forms of vibration, it is dif-ficult, without comparative studies, to applyresearch from one type of machine to another.A large portion of the initial research was per-formed on tilting platforms, and then later per-formed on fixed platforms.

When viewing the available research, it isimportant to note whether the study looked atchanges immediately after a WBV session, or

over an extended period of time. There is sig-nificant data to strongly indicate that a numberof variables improve right after a WBV session,such as strength, explosive abilities, balance,shuttle run speed and flexibility. This points toa conclusion held by many practitioners thatWBV can be a useful warm-up modality beforean exercise session or athletic performance.

Long-term studies, such as those performedby Torvinen, et al., where body balance in non-athletic young adults improved, demonstratesthat, over longer periods of time, WBV canimprove some physiological measures.Increased bone density, measured by BoneMineral Density tests, is one of the largestresearch areas on the positive effects of WBV.Verschueren, et al., studied the effect WBV hadover six months on bone density in the hipand postural control, and found significant

benefits. Rubin, et al., extended the timeof WBV treatment to one year, and

found a similar increase in bonedensity in post-menopausalwomen. A few studies have found

little or no change in young adults,while there have been measurable and pos-

itive changes with children and older adults.Some of this may have to do with state oftraining and previous loads, and just whereWBV stimulus fits according to those variables.In other words, with young adults who areactive, WBV may not have been significantcompared to loads experienced during normalactivities. For the older and younger groups,however, WBV was significant.

Strength gains have been researched byBosco, et al., Roelants, et al., and others, look-ing at leg extensor strength and explosive capa-bilities. In these studies, WBV showed positiveresponses in such measures as vertical jump-ing ability, theorized to be enhanced throughincreased neurological activation, as well assome muscular development. One of the rea-sons explosive or power applications showimprovement immediately after WBV may belinked to increased neurological activation.

Some studies, such as the one done by Aber-cromby, et al., comparing tilting or teeter-totterto vertical platforms (especially with regard toleg strength), demonstrated that tilting plat-forms had higher leg activation results as knee

Vibration training can be a

useful warm-up modality

before an exercise session

or athletic performance.


angles get more extreme. While it can be arguedthat all vibration will — if applied at the cor-rect settings and duration — result in strengthgains, testers noted that the same Hz level andamplitude did not feel the same on all the testmachines. This is an important observation;vibration applications may be mildly specificto the vibration type and application.

With regard to strength, overall strengthimprovement is linked with frequencies of 20 to27 Hz, yet that doesn’t mean higherfrequencies/amplitudes or lower amplitudes, ifapplied correctly, wouldn’t lead to significantstrength gains. With respect to upper-body exercise devices, such as theMini by VibraFlex, this area is notwell-researched, but it can be con-jectured that, if applied within a soundmodel, results would be positive.

Because platforms have recently been devel-oped that allow resistance training and plyo-metric movements (specifically, The Wave andPneumex), it would be reasonable to expectthat future research will address combiningWBV with more aggressive movements. It maybe that the studies to date that demonstratedno or little improvement in explosive capabil-ities simply did not place vibration within theoptimal phase of training with the optimalload/dose for improvement. Further research isstill needed to discover the exact placement ofWBV within an overall conditioning program,and how it can be “periodized” within a fit-ness or sports training model that is applica-ble to various populations and levels of fitness.

Flexibility showed significant increases, espe-cially immediately after a bout of WBV, or anacute treatment. Other areas have documentedimprovement from WBV, including hormonalgains, balance, posture, minor cardiovascularimprovements and pain relief.

Types of vibration machinesWhen first introduced, there were two ini-

tial designs. The tilting, or teeter-totter, plat-forms (VibraFlex and MaxuVibe are examples)were developed with the cross-over pattern ofthe body in mind (for example, the right handmoves with left leg in walking). Plus, the pur-ported use of leg and hip independence fromside to side was taken into consideration. Theoriginal fixed plate has vibrations occurring ina vertical plane.

Recently, a number of different approacheshave been used to modify the vibration outputand, theoretically, increase the training effect.Some fixed platforms now offer a combinationof vertical, side-to-side and front-to-back vibra-

tion (such as PowerPlate). Some machines senseload and adjust structurally to keep Hzcycles/amplitudes constant (Pneumex uses stag-gered supports at 45-degree angles for this pur-pose). Air adjustment systems have beendeveloped to compensate for various user weightsto keep Hz and amplitude levels constantthrough increased or decreased pneumatic pres-sure under the platform (The Wave and Power-Plate).Additionally, one manufacturer uses soundwaves under the platform to create minute Hz

changes that also start at small Hz levels (Tur-bosonic). VersaClimber is the first company toapply vibration to exercise machines, and cur-rently has four machines that offer vibration. Atthe time this article was written, there werereports of new units using two or three motorsto apply vibration in various patterns. (See WhatMachines are Available for a list of companies.)

Facility integrationThe scientific evidence makes a case that

WBV is a useful and effective modality in reha-bilitation, general fitness and sports perform-ance. With the addition of upper-body devices,such as the VibraFlex Mini and the ExerVibehand-held, you can expect more application toupper-body resistance training.

So what would make WBV effective in yourfacility? First, it is important to educate yourstaff on WBV and how to use it within a fit-ness program. According to two industryexperts, Mike Boyle and J.C. Santana, witheducation and such direction as posters/wallcharts, members can safely and effectively useWBV on their own.

Also, personal trainers are an important partof the usefulness of WBV in fitness centers.Clients will not only be better educated on theuses of WBV when working with trainers, butother members who see the product in use aremore likely to follow suit. And, independenttraining organizations, like VibroKinetix(www.bettervibrations.com), are emerging tohelp fitness professionals better use WBV as atraining tool.

WBV can be effective, with the right knowl-edge and for the right training goals. Beforebuying a machine just because it is the latest

trend, do your homework to find out if WBVis a right fit for your fitness center. FM

REFERENCESAbercromby, A.F.J., W. Amonette, W. Paloski and

M. Hinsman. Neuromuscular Responses to TwoWhole-Body Vibration Modalities DuringDynamic Squats. Presented at the NSCA NationalConference and Exposition, Free Communica-tions, Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nev., Jul. 7, 2005.

Bosco, C., M. Cardinale, et al. The influence ofwhole-body vibration on jumping performance.Biology of Sport V15, N3: 157-164, 1998.

Bosco, C., M. Cardinale, et al. Hormonal responsesto whole-body vibration in men. European

Journal of Applied Physiology V81: 449-454, 2000.Bosco, C., R. Colli, R. Introini, M. Car-dinale, M. Iacovelli, J. Tihanyi, S.P. von

Duvillard and A. Viru. Adaptiveresponses of human skeletal muscle to

vibration exposure. Clinical Physiology19:183–187, 1999.

Cardinale, M., and C. Bosco. The use of vibrationas an exercise intervention. Exercise and Sport Sci-ences Reviews 31:3-7, 2003.

Delecluse, C., M. Roelants, R. Diels, E. Koninckx andS. Vershueren. Effects of whole body vibration onmuscular strength and sprint performance insprint-trained athletes. International Journal ofSports Medicine 26; 662-668, 2005.

Garg, D.P., and M.A. Ross. Vertical mode humanbody vibration transmissibility. IEEE Transactionson Systems, Man and Cybernetics 6: 102-112, 1976.

Issurin, V.B., D.G. Liebermann and G. Tenenbaum.Effect of vibratory stimulation training on max-imal force and flexibility. Journal of Sports Sciences12:561–566, 1994.

Mester, J., H. Kleinoder and Z. Yue. Vibration train-ing: Benefits and risks. Journal of BiomechanicsApr. 30, 2005.

Rittweger, J., G. Beller and D. Felsenberg. Acute phys-iological effects of exhaustive whole-body vibra-tion exercise in man. Clinical Physiology20:134-142, 2000.

RØnnestad, B. Comparing the performance-enhanc-ing effects of squats on a vibration platform withconventional squats in recreationally resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and ConditioningResearch 18:839-845, 2004.

Rubin, C., R. Recker, D. Cullen, J. Ryaby, J. McCabeand K. McLeod. Prevention of postmenopausalbone loss by a low-magnitude, high-frequencymechanical stimuli: A clinical trial assessing com-pliance, efficacy and safety. Journal of Bone andMineral Research 19(3):343-51. March 2004, EpubDec. 22, 2003.

Torvinen, S., P. Kannus, H. SievaÈnen, T.A. JaÈrvi-nen, M. Pasanen, S. Kontulainen and L.N. Teppo.Effect of a vibration exposure on muscular per-formance and body balance: Randomized cross-over study. Clinical Physiology and FunctionalImaging 22:145-152, 2002.

Verschueren, S., M. Roelents, C. Delecluse, S. Swin-nen, et al. Effect of six-month whole-body vibra-tion training on hip density, muscle strength andpostural control in post-menopausal women: Arandomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Boneand Mineral Research V19, N3: 352-359, 2003.

Further research is needed to

discover the placement of vibration

training within an overall

conditioning program.


FOR THIS ARTICLE, more than 100 personaltrainers, physical therapists and strengthcoaches were invited to test the various vibra-tion plates side by side in a neutral location todevelop a consensus on the best use for eachparticular plate. Major manufacturers were con-tacted, and asked to send demonstrationplates. Those manufacturers who elected toparticipate were Maxuvibe, Pneumex, Power-Plate, Turbosonic, VersaClimber, VibraFlex andThe Wave.

For the testing, each machine was assembledaccording to manufacturer specifications, andtested to ensure good working condition. Partici-pants were given an overview of how eachmachine functioned, then completed a short ses-sion on each machine to become familiar with con-trols, Hz, amplitude, etc. The session involvedusing a static squat exercise (an exercise used bymost vibration companies).

After participants became familiar with eachmachine, they were instructed to go back toeach machine and perform a static squat,dynamic squat, push-up and triceps dip. Aftercompletion, participants completed a shortsurvey on ease of use, function, its best poten-tial use and how they viewed each machine fit-ting into the marketplace.

Note: Technical information and suggestedretail pricing were supplied by manufacturers.

FitVibe877 FIT-VIBE; www.fitvibeusa.com

The model tested was the Excel Pro ($11,850),a commercial machine. (The FitVibe 600 [$9,985]

uses similar mechanisms, with a square plate anda separate control pedestal from the vibrationplate/handles.) The FitVibe Pro has the same set-tings and function as the 600, but not a separatecontrol tower. The unit has a smart card system(the software package is an additional $1,700), on-screen programming and instructions, and willhandle users up to 600 pounds. A trainer or ther-apist can write a program to the chip card usinga computer, and have the card guide clients

through their workouts. The unit goes from 20 to60 Hz in 1 Hz increments.

Comments. Users liked the ability to increaseHz in small increments. Additionally, they said theunit “felt solid” and well-made.

Consensus. The separate control tower andcomputer software option would make the FitVibe600 a good choice for rehabilitation clinics, wherepatients could have the card guide them throughtheir specific workout.

Maxuvibe800 223-1362; www.rudolphmedical.com

Maxuvibe is a teeter-totter platform that has a


touch screen with diagrams, instructions and aself-timer. Unlike most other units, it starts at 5Hz, with settings up to 30 Hz. The on-screeninstructions direct the user’s stance and Hz set-tings for beginner, intermediate and advancedusers. The MX-7 sells for $10,500 to $11,900,depending on options, with a weight capacity list-ing of 290 pounds.

Comments. Users liked the touch screen. Aswith other teeter-totter platforms, leg exerciseswere found to be the best option on this machine.Users said the moveable platform itself may notbe large enough for big feet, but the large numberof handle positions would be supportive of vari-ous body sizes and a wide variety of exercises.

Consensus. This platform would work well forself-serve facilities, because of the instructionsand suggested levels in the display panel.

Pneumex800 447-5792; www.pneumex.com

Pneumex makes two versions of its WBV plat-form, which can handle loads of up to 1,400pounds. The Pneu-Vibe Pro has a hand-held con-trol and is 30 by 40 inches, while the Pneu-Vibe

Club has a pedestal/handle assembly with con-trols, and is 30 by 16 inches. Pneumex has itsown sports performance program, F.A.S.T., builtaround this equipment. The unit has Hz rangesfrom 10 to 60 Hz, and a high/low amplitude set-ting. The supports are staggered at 45-degreeangles to negate the effects of heavy loads orplyometrics without degradation in Hz or ampli-tude. Large foam blocks are useful accessoriesthat allow for weight lifting or plyometric exer-cises, as well as a foam pad attachment for coreor flexibility exercises.

Comments. Pneumex was the overwhelmingchoice for using WBV with plyometric and weight-lifting movements. Many of the testers tried vari-ous plyometric jumps and weight-lifting

movements on the platform, and rated it solidwith those exercises.

Consensus. In the “Pro” configuration, withoutthe pedestal/control tower, the testers were almostunanimous that, outside a supervised trainingenvironment, the lack of handles would make thisunit impractical for beginners or older adults.

PowerPlate877 87-PLATE; www.powerplate.com

PowerPlate is probably the most recognizableWBV equipment in the industry. The vibrationmotion is 3-D, with 70 percent of the vibration

moving upward, 20 percent side to side and 10percent front to back. There are two models, thePro5 Airdaptive ($10,500) and Pro5 ($9,250). TheAirdaptive has three air settings to accommodateusers of different weights, using air adjustmentsto maintain Hz and amplitude, and can handleusers up to 385 pounds. Hz settings go from 30to 50, with a high/low amplitude setting, and timesettings of 30, 45 and 60 seconds. PowerPlate alsohas a secondary control just above the platformfor use with seated and prone exercises. Addition-ally, PowerPlate has a structured educational pro-gram that offers five full-day workshops on variousapplications to educate trainers and coaches onthe uses of WBV. PowerPlate also offers onlineeducational options, which are available at noadditional cost with the purchase of a machine.

Comments. PowerPlate was termed the “sex-iest” machine in the group, with its sleek linesand “attractive” display, and the testers notedthis feature would help attract new users to the

machine. In terms of function, the users foundthe panel and controls easy to use, with thevariety of handles on the pedestal/control con-ducive to a wide variety of exercises. For exer-cises like push-ups or dips, the PowerPlate wasthe clear winner, especially when using thelower control board.

Consensus. Because of its small educationalposter and staff education options, the testers feltthis would work equally well with personal train-ing and self-guided users.

TurboSonic714 544-0200; www.turbosonicusa.com

TurboSonic is the first WBV platform to usesound waves to generate vibration. TurboSonic canachieve very low Hz in vibration (3 hz) because ituses audio amplifiers and speakers. The Tur-boSonic Professional ($16,000) comes with a 22-

by-27-inch platform, six pre-set programs and amanual mode. Its maximum weight capacity is 484pounds. The Deluxe model ($13,000) has a slightlysmaller platform, and was the model used in test-ing. The Hz and amplitude (volume) are both con-trolled with rotary dials, and this was the only unittested that had a remote control. Hz settings startat 3 Hz, and can be increased up to 50 Hz.

Comments. Users agreed that the TurboSonichada sleek, clinical look and appeal. A weak point,according to testers, was that the manual programwas the last, instead of first, program choice.Because it looks “somewhat like a scale,” the testersthought it would not be visually intimidating to newusers. Another strong feature of the TurboSonicwas,despite the fact that vibration was accomplishedthrough sound, the unit was quiet. Starting at lowHz levels was a plus in that it was “so gentle that

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an older beginner would feel comfortable.”Consensus. Because the Deluxe version is

smaller than most units, the testers felt this wouldbe an optimal unit in an environment wherespace, sound and aesthetics were issues.

VersaClimber800 237-2271; www.versaclimber.com

VersaClimber is the first equipment companyto place vibration into commercial exercisemachines. It currently offers two products:ExerVibe Climber ($5,995) and ExerVibe Stepper($4,995). Two additional pieces of equipment,ExerVibe ViBar ($3,995) and ExerVibe In-Line

($2,495), are indevelopment.These machinesuse a patented,cam-driven vibra-tion mechanism,so various bodyweights on themachines do notaffect the 30 Hzvibration, oramplitude of 4mm. The Climberand Stepper bothhave seats, soindividuals withlower levels of fit-ness can usethem. There arethree protocols,

from beginner to advanced. For this test, theClimber and ViBar were used.

Comments. The combination of energy systemexercise and WBV is novel, and testers felt facil-ity members and clients would either really likethe ExerVibe concept or not. Testers thought therewould be large appeal for exercise that combinesa WBV component with whole-body energy systemtraining.

Consensus. Testers said the VersaClimber prod-ucts would make both an excellent training tool,and potentially an ideal component for a warm-up, because it combines time efficiency withadded results.

VibraFlex877 249-4229; www.vibraflex.com

The VibraFlex is the next generation of theGalileo, built on the same principles and plat-form, and has four patents for its teeter-totterplatform. Much of the first research was per-

formed on this design. There are three commer-cial models in the line: VibraFlex 600 ($13,899),VibraFlex 550 ($11,899) and the hand-held Mini-VibraFlex ($3,950). The 600 has a weight limit of450 pounds, and features a new console thatoffers printouts and computer connections.VibraFlex has positioned this as a high-end“profit center.” Controls allow for 4 Hz speeds,time settings and amplitude controlled by footposition on the enlarged platform — as well asthe ability to program the unit with a program-

mable “chip card,” where workouts and time canbe programmed. The control tower is not con-nected to the base, so there is not a secondarysource of vibration.

Comments. The testers said that, for a “legworkout,” this machine was their top choice,and its expanded platform allowed for variousstance modifications. Like other teeter-totterplatforms, the testers did not feel this was agood platform for such exercises as push-upsor dips. The programmable features were seenas a plus with training clients or rehabilita-tion patients.

Consensus. Testers said this equipment wouldwork in situations where there was some direc-tion, such as an instructional poster; but, onceusers understand that amplitude is controlled bystance width, the concepts are easy to apply.

The WAVE866 420-7546; www.wavexercise.com

The WAVE is a large platform intended for rig-orous use. It sets the machine to the user’s exactweight through a patent-pending self-calibrationsystem. Theoretically, this keeps the Hz and ampli-tude constant over wide weight ranges. The WAVE($15,000) has a 36-by-30-inch steel platform, per-forms from 20 to 50 Hz with a high/low amplitude

setting and has a weight limit of 1,500 pounds.Additionally, The WAVE was one of only two plat-forms with on-screen instructions, a touch screen

and initial settings on how to perform variousexercises. Like the other platforms, users canattach upper-body straps to The WAVE.

Comments. The wide platform allowed thetesters to try various squat and lunge positions,a plus from their perspective for legwork. Becausethis was the only machine that calibrated theuser’s weight, testers felt they could put clients ormembers of different weights on the machine, yetget the same feel and results. They said it wouldtake some education for members to understandthey needed to calibrate the machine, but thatwould be a short-lived issue once they understoodthe machine’s particulars.

Consensus. The touch screen was viewed as aplus, as it would guide users through machine func-tioning, so this would be a good machine for both aself-guided facility and personal training applications.

Editor’s Note: Other companies that also manu-facture WBV machines, but did not participate inthis article, include:• FreeMotion Fitness, 877 363-8449, www.freemotionfitness.com• Hypergravity, 818 468-6252, www.hypergravity.net• VibroGym, +31 (0)23 517 35 80, www.vibrogym.com

Neil Wolkodoff, Ph.D., is the developer of

Physical Golf and Zonal Training Technologies,

based at the Greenwood Athletic Club in

Englewood, Colo. He has served as an editor for

ACE and ACSM, and is the author of four books.

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HINK BACK TO your high school’s lockerroom. Was it dark or too bright from fluo-rescent lights? Did it have “gang” showers, nothave enough room to move, always have amusty sort of smell? If any of this soundsfamiliar, it better be because these horriblelocker rooms made a deep impression onyou, and not because your own fitnesscenter’s locker rooms resemble these oldlocker areas in any way.

Fitness facility locker rooms today look (andsmell) much better than they used to. In fact,they often resemble those of resorts or coun-try clubs. They include quiet lockers with roomto hang clothes, more flattering lighting, pri-vate changing areas, calming colors, and a hostof amenities such as hair dryers, towels, sham-poo, conditioner, soap, lotion and more. Whileyour fitness center might not be five-star cal-iber, it should be clean, comfortable and safefor your members.

If you think it may be time to update yourlocker rooms, survey your members and doyour research, as always, before embarking onany major renovation. In the meantime, yourpeers offer some advice on how to navigate therenovation process.

When is it time to renovate?Your first question should be,“Do I actually

need to renovate my locker rooms?” Do theylook dated, dirty or dark? Do you have a moldproblem, not enough lockers or not enoughmirror space? Mike Dupuis, executive directorof HealthWorks Fitness Center, El Dorado,Ark., says, “What influenced our decision toadd and renovate were compaction, old tileand available capital.”

Janet Schumacher, area operations man-ager/program director, Lockheed MartinEmployee Connection, Sunnyvale, Calif.(managed by HACK), received some

member feedback about the facility’s lockerareas: “Our members are very verbal, andmany had suggested it was time for achange.” Schumacher already knew, however,that it was time for a change. “Our lockerswere outdated, rusty and in need of replace-ment,” she says. “Our utilization is high, andmore lockers were needed to meet ourdemands. Based on our growing member-ship and utilization, we needed more lock-ers to accommodate our peak periods. Wealso had some flooring issues that requiredreplacement,” she explains.

Eric Casaburi, CEO, Retrofitness Enter-prises, Manalapan, N.J., warns against waitingfor members to complain: “If you wait foryour members to tell you to renovate yourlocker rooms (or any area of your club), it’stoo late. Members use clubmaintenance/upgrades as their measuringstick as part of their assessment of ‘service.’”

T


And bad service could mean you have alreadylost some members.

Keeping locker rooms clean and maintainedto begin with could save you some moneydown the road on renovations. Joe Mullen,president of Fitness Therapy Publishing, San-ford, Fla., and former owner of eight fitnesscenters, says, “The locker rooms [where Iworked] were kept spotless, by continuouscleaning and repairs, as needed.”

Mark Roozen, owner/director of Perfor-mance Zone, Granbury, Texas, agrees withthis tactic: “We haven’t had to renovate ourlocker rooms because we’re a newer facility,but we try to upgrade all the time. We believeif we keep adding new things, taking care ofsmall details all the time, we won’t have tohave a big renovation down the road, whichcan be very costly.”

What should a renovation include?What your locker room renovation

includes will obviously depend on the needsof your facility. Do you just need new lock-ers and flooring, or do you need to tear downyour entire shower area? Roozen of Perfor-mance Zone offers some suggestions when itcomes to making the big decisions: “‘LookThrough Many Eyes’ is our motto. We listento staff, management, members and our repwho sells us cleaning supplies, who can seewhat other facilities — not just health clubs— are doing to keep their restrooms/lockerrooms new and fresh.”

Mullen of Fitness Therapy Publishing saysthat flooring and fixtures should be updatedon an “as needed” basis, or “on a perceivedwill-be-needed-shortly” basis. “No attempt[should be] made to adapt to every fad. …Basic, traditional motifs [should be] used,which never go out of style,” he says. Roozenagrees that you should stick to the basics:“Keep up with the times, but also look at whatis long term. For example, we went with tilein our bathroom that was neutral — thatcould go with a number of different colors onthe walls. … By using neutral colors, we canchange the color in our locker rooms by usingaccent colors, different trim colors, paintingthe walls a different color, etc. This makes the

room look new andimproved, but withminor cost to thebusiness,” he says.

If you are stillunsure about what toupgrade, start small.Roozen recommendsto have your floorsprofessionally cleanedevery few months.“Also, change out thesoap dishes in theshowers to keep themfresh and lookingnew, and exchangethe sink fixtures whenthey start to look bad(stained, water spots,etc.),” he says. Also,re-painting is a lotless expensive thanreplacing tile.

Schumacher from Lockheed MartinEmployee Connection recommends askingmembers what they think needs to be done.“We gathered information from member sur-veys,” she says. Also,“Tour other facilities to seewhat you like and dislike.”

Mullen agrees that talking to your mem-bers is important. He says to poll membersto find out what they like and dislike aboutthe locker rooms. “If any suggestions orcomplaints are offered, we make it a prac-tice to talk personally with each member sowe can better understand their point ofview,” he says.

Choosing suppliersAfter figuring out what needs to be done

in your locker rooms, you’ll need to find theright company for the job. Dupuis of Health-Works says to use experts who have experiencewith locker rooms. “You need special ventila-tion, special carpeting, good tile work and [theright] colors,” he says.

Schumacher says to do your homework.“We toured several corporate and commercialfacilities, and spoke with several locker roomvendors,” she says. “If possible, work with a

facilities engineer to ensure adequate spacingand ADA accommodations,” she adds. Get ref-erences, says Casaburi, and “put these peopleon specific deadlines for completion [so] yourproject will move along smoother.”

Your biggest concern is probably what allof your renovations will cost, and Dupuisoffers some guidelines in this area. “Set asideat least 10 percent of the total renovation forcontingency (15 percent if you can afford it).Trust me, you will find items once you openup floors and walls! We spent $200 persquare foot on our new rooms. Locker roomsare the most expensive areas of any facility.I would also add two to four weeks ontowhatever construction schedule you receive.Keep the penalties in place, which, in ourcase, amounted to $500 per day (for businessinterruption). Don’t forget to leave somemoney for clean up.”

To complete your locker rooms’ new looks,you may want to consider a new supplier foryour amenities. Says Roozen, “We used two

Before and after shots of the locker room renovation at Lockheed Martin Employee Connection, Sunnyvale, Calif.


different companies before we locked into theone we use now. Our main reason was [thatits] prices were competitive, but that wasn’t theonly reason. [More important was that] therep was there to serve us and, in the long run,our members. He sets up education times to[meet] with staff to let them know what itemsto use where. For example, that there is a dif-ferent cleaner/disinfectant for toilets than forshowers and sinks; and that what you use onthe mirrors might not be best for wiping downthe front of the lockers. He is almost like a staffmember helping us and the facility operate ata better level of quality and service.”

Keeping members informedYour members have already offered their

input on what your locker rooms could use,and it is equally important to keep them in theloop when the project begins. Mullen says togive “plenty of notice” about when renovationswill take place. He also recommends to sched-ule renovations for weekends, or other slowtimes. Roozen agrees about the timing: “When

we do major floor work, we do it at night, orearly morning on the weekends, when we’renot open.”

There may be a way to schedule workduring the day, especially in the men’s lockerroom. Dupuis says that when a renovation wasdone at HealthWorks Fitness Center, “they didmost of the men’s work in the day, while keep-ing the rooms open, but had to close the ladies’locker room at times, and/or work at night.”

Corporate fitness centers often have built-inbreaks on major holidays. Says Schumacher,“Fortunately, our corporate site closes downfor a week between the Christmas and New

Year’s holiday. We closed the locker rooms forone week before our site shut down, so ourmembers were only inconvenienced for oneweek. All of the work was completed for ourre-opening in January.”

Casaburi from Retrofitness Enterprisesoffers some comfort if you are worried aboutinconveniencing members: “Most members arevery receptive to facility upgrades, and theinconvenience it may temporarily incur, con-sidering the greater good at the end of theprocess. So don’t spend time worrying aboutthe slight disarray your locker area may be infor a few days or weeks.”

Keep it looking niceWhen your upgrade or renovation is com-

plete, you will want to keep it looking as newas possible for as long as possible. This is ateam effort between management, staff andmembers, and will only work if you have aplan and maintenance schedule.

Keeping your staff on track will require acue from management. “I try to get my staffto see that new isn’t always better,” saysRoozen. “If we can take care of what we have,it is easier and more cost-effective … than toreplace or renovate.”

Mullen says that you shouldn’t run intomajor problems with your locker rooms if youhave a preventive maintenance plan. “Alwaysattempt to immediately take care of, or pre-vent, issues,” he says. “Keep the facility look-ing, on an hour-by-hour basis, as if it hasnever been used. Constantly pick up,straighten up and clean up the facility —regardless of how busy it is.”

Follow this advice, and your locker roomsshould look nothing like they did when youwere in high school. FM

Get More Information Online!If you found this article useful, you can read more about this topic on Fitness Management’s website.

Below is a list of related articles that you can find online:1. Locker Room Design Details. By Julie Anne Eason (March 2006). In the category “Locker Rooms” from the

Library of Articles link in the left menu at www.fitnessmanagement.com, or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/locker/lockerdecor0306.html

2. Locker Rooms. By Anne B. McDonnell (April 2000). In the category “Locker Rooms,” or atwww.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/locker/locker0400.html

2. Locker Rooms: Classy and Clean. By Amy Scanlin (December 2004). In the category “Locker Rooms,” or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/locker/lockers1204.html

T ips from a New Buil dGrainger Fitness Center in Lake Forest, Ill. (managed by Advocate Healthcare), is a corporatefitness center that is only seven years old, so “it isn’t in need of renovations,” says ManagerSharon Godlewski. “However, we did discover a few helpful hints from the construction processthat may assist in a renovation,” she says. Here are Godlewski’s tips for a new locker roombuild or renovation:

1. Make sure the floor in the main shower area has non-slip tile, and that the floor is slopedslightly to allow excess water to flow to the floor drains.

2. Make sure that the floor in the shower also has its own individual drain.3. Once the tile is laid, put a sealant on the grout, or mildew will build up that is difficult to

get rid of. “We had to sand down all of the grout between each tile to make it white, and thenhave it sealed,” Godlewski explains. “This was a very time-consuming project for the mainte-nance staff, [who had] to complete [it] on weekends, which is time-and-a-half. It’s much cheaperto make sure it is done correctly the first time.”

4. For the drainage system in the locker rooms, find out if there is a way to keep the sewervalves in the floors from opening. “Periodically, our locker rooms smell like rotten eggs, and wehave to pour water down the drains to close the sewer valves,” Godlewski says.

5. If you offer towel service, have the towel chute go directly into the laundry room. Preferably,have it located in a central location between the locker rooms. This increases the efficiency of thelaundry process.

6. Make sure the dryer duct ventilation route doesn’t have too many sharp turns. This canresult in build-up of dryer lint, which can cause the dryers to not cool efficiently. When dryers getoverheated, they turn off.

7. Make sure your hot water heater is powerful enough to heat the water to a high enoughtemperature, especially if the water has to travel a ways to the locker room. “We consideredinstalling a booster hot water heater close to the fitness center, as Grainger’s building is verylarge and the water wasn’t staying warm enough. We ended up installing three hot water heatersto solve this problem,” says Godlewski. Also, most hot water heaters need to be drained of chem-ical build-up regularly, or the lifespan of the water heater is shortened.


OVER THE PAST decade, the U.S. fitness facil-ity industry grew from $8 billion in revenue tomore than $16 billion by 2005. This phenom-enal growth has been fueled by a steady influxof growth capital, both from traditional andnon-traditional sources.

In just the past few years, the fitness indus-try has seen regional players such as Equinox,Lifestyle Family Fitness and X-Sport Fitnessexperience rapid growth as a result of dynamicbusiness plans and large infusions of capital.Concurrently, large-scale players such as 24Hour Fitness and Fitness First have leveragedtraditional and non-traditional sources of cap-ital to expand their empires. Finally, new play-ers such as Exhale, a mind/body spa, have beenable to establish successful business models bytheir ability to raise capital and put it to workfor the benefit of their shareholders.

The fitness industry is well-positioned toexperience greater growth than it has over thepast 10 years. Socio-demographic factors suchas an aging population (baby boomers) withhigher discretionary income, the emergingecho boomers, the growing pandemic of obe-sity and a large untapped market of prospects(only 15 percent of the domestic market

belongs to a health/fitness facility), all comprisea platform for unprecedented growth in thehealth/fitness facility industry. To ensure youare putting your club in a position to benefitfrom these factors, let us take a look at thethree most common strategies for raising thenecessary capital for fueling growth: bankfinancing, private equity/venture capital infu-sion and sale leasebacks.

Bank financing

Historically, bank financing has been theprimary strategy employed by both smallhealth club businesses and large fitness com-panies to raise capital for growing their busi-ness. A fitness facility operator who isinterested in obtaining bank financing shouldkeep the following in mind:

Equity requirements. Banks usually requirethat the borrower have equity equal to at least30 percent of the amount of debt beingrequested. In the case of a new business seek-ing debt financing from a bank, the amountof equity needed to obtain the loan might beas high as 50 percent. For large investmentgroups seeking to highly leverage themselves,the amount of equity might be as little as 15

to 20 percent of the debt.Guarantee requirements. For most small

businesses, the owner is required to sign a per-sonal guarantee on the loan. If the small busi-ness is a partnership or corporation, the bankmay require all owners with a 20-percent stakeor greater in the business to sign a personalguarantee. For larger corporations with aproven record of profitability, banks will likelyrequire a corporate guarantee in the place ofpersonal guarantees.

Limitations. Unless your facility has phys-ical assets, the amount of debt a bank willextend is based on the cash flow performanceof your business. In most cases, banks willlimit the debt to no more than 50 percentof the cash flow value of the business, whichis based on a market multiple ranging fromfive to seven times the existing earningsbefore interest, taxes, depreciation and amor-tization (EBITDA). For example, a club withan EBITDA of $1 million might have a cashflow value of $6 million (e.g., $1 milliontimes six), meaning the bank would extendtotal debt to $3 million.

Bank covenants. Banks will place covenantson the loan. Covenants are specific structured


terms that a bank uses to secure or protect itsloan. These covenants may include the following:

• Debt coverage ratio or interest coverageratio (e.g., the amount of cash flow availableto cover interest payments). In most cases, thisratio will range from 1.1 to 1.5.

• Timeliness of debt payment.• Assets used as collateral retaining a

certain value.Like all financing options, bank financing

has benefits and risks. If the ultimate goal isto retain personal ownership, this is an optionthat should be considered. With bank financ-ing, you own your business and its assets, solong as you do not break the covenants. Fur-thermore, you have the ability to pay downyour debt early, allowing you to own yourbusiness and its assets, unencumbered. Thedownside is that you are using your business,and often your personal assets, as collateral,which means you may be putting your busi-ness and personal finances at risk.

Private equity/venture capital infusion

In the last five to 10 years, private equityand/or venture capital has become a signifi-cant resource for fitness industry growth, par-

ticularly for medium and large operators.These operators often want a significant infu-sion of capital, where control over operationsis not essential. Large club operators, such as24 Hour Fitness, Equinox, LA Fitness andGold’s Gym, as well as smaller operators such

as Exhale, Lifestyle Family Fitness, SpectrumClubs and Sport & Health, have all relied oneither private equity or venture capital to helpfuel their growth.

Private equity represents funds provided byindividual investors, more commonly referredto as Angel Investors. In most instances, AngelInvestors place no more than a few milliondollars into one business. Investment bank-ing groups have the ability to package multi-ple Angel Investors, allowing a fitness

operator to raise a much larger amount ofequity. These private investors usually lookto gain an internal rate of return (IRR) of atleast 20 percent, and as high as 30 percent,over a period of five to seven years. This yieldis achieved by a lower annual return with asignificant return at the end of the five- toseven-year investment term. Often, the pri-vate investors in a business are given stockand voting positions on the board. In essence,private equity investors become owners of thebusiness, which may reduce the amount ofcontrol the operator once had.

If an operator of four fitness centers wantedto expand his or her business into a regionalchain with 20 or more locations, the operatormight seek equity from a venture capitalgroup. Venture capital groups manage fundsthat contain monies from several privateinvestors. These groups seek to generate veryhigh levels of returns (30 to 40 percent IRRs)to offset the inherent risks present in theirinvestments. In most instances, the funds havea short-term life span of five to seven years.

Managers of these funds are primarily inter-ested in achieving their yield requirements, andwill do whatever is necessary to ensure that the

Is it time to put some money into your business to expand, make

improvements or just better compete? Find out whether bank

financing, private equity, venture capital infusion or a sale

leaseback is the right option for expanding your fitness center.

By Rudy Anderson, Mark Watson and Stephen Tharrett, M.S.

The fitness industry is

well-positioned to

experience greater

growth than it has

over the past 10 years.


return targets are being met. Control over themanagement of the business is a likely mech-anism the fund will incorporate to keep a pulseon profitability. These groups will often keepthe existing management team in place; how-ever, they will not hesitate to bring in a thirdparty management team if they feel theirinvestment is failing to achieve the expectedreturns. This option allows owners to gain sig-nificant capital to spur growth, but they mayrelinquish control and a large part of theirbusiness to the investors.

The sale leaseback

A third approach, available only to thosewho own the property on which their facilityis located, is called a sale leaseback. The ownerof a property sells that property to a real estateinvestment trust (REIT) — a corporation thatcombines the capital of many investors toacquire or provide financing for real estate —and then simultaneously leases it back fromthe investor. Large, real-estate-heavy operatingcompanies have used sale leasebacks to raisegrowth capital, such as Lifetime Fitness, 24Hour Fitness and Wellbridge.

The lease agreement resulting from a saleleaseback is referred to as a triple net lease, alsoknown as Net-Net-Net or NNN. In this long-term lease arrangement, typically 15 to 20years, the tenant or lessee agrees to pay all realestate taxes, building insurance and structuralmaintenance on the property, in addition torent. In most cases, REITs will look to incor-porate rent escalators during the life of thelease based on annual changes in the Con-sumer Price Index.

An REIT, like a bank, does not getinvolved in the operations of the business.REITs will have little to no authority over thefacility’s management team or operationalapproaches, but it will be involved in capitalspending into the asset. However, you arerequired to maintain the property up to stan-dards set by the REIT — it will want to be

satisfied that, if you cannot meet rent obli-gations, the space could be released toanother operator at a rate equal to or greaterthan the negotiated lease rate you’re paying.The REIT may also want assurances that theproperty can be converted for another use inthe event you decide to cease operations.

Why sell your real estate when it is an assetto your business? The answer usually involvesfast cash. If you enter into a sale leaseback, yourbusiness gets a quick influx of capital. An REITwill often provide 100 percent of the property’svalue, though the resulting rent will generallybe higher than typical debt service. Importantquestions to ask when researching a potentialsale leaseback arrangement include whether ornot it will include the option to buy back theproperty at a future date.

Weigh all of the factors

In light of the demographic support for thenext decade of growth in the fitness industry,

now is a great time to start positioning yourbusiness to benefit from these market factors.While traditional debt, private equity andREITs can all be great sources of growth cap-ital, it is important to evaluate your businessand its goals when determining which sourcebest fits your interests. FM

Rudy Anderson is vice president of invest-

ments for CNL Income Corp., Orlando, Fla.

Prior to working for CNL, Anderson was

employed for 23 years at ClubCorp Inc., serv-

ing in various capacities such as senior vice

president of new business development, man-

aging director of Europe and South Africa, and

senior vice president of new business and

Asia operations in Singapore.

Mark Watson is a financial analyst for CNL

Income Corp.

Stephen Tharrett, M.S., is currently president

of Club Industry Consulting, a company he

formed in late 2005. Prior to forming his new

business, he was employed for more than 20

years by Club Corp, a Dallas, Texas-based com-

pany that owns and operates private clubs

and resorts. A former IHRSA president,

Stephen is the author of several industry edu-

cational resources, including the textbook Fit-

ness Management.

Get More Information Online!If you found this article useful, you can read more about this topic on Fitness Management’s website. Below

is a list of related articles that you can find online:1. Finance Options. By Mark E. Battersby (July 1999). In the category “Finance” from the Library of Articles link

in the left menu at www.fitnessmanagement.com, or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/finance/finance0799.html

2. The Fitness Industry from an Independent Perspective. By Rick Caro (August 2004). In In the category“Finance” from the Library of Articles, or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/perspectives/perspect0804.html

3. The Fitness Industry: Outside Looking In. By Rick Caro (October 2004). In In the category “Finance” from the Library of Articles, or at www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/articles/library/perspectives/perspect1004.html

It is important to evaluate

your business and its goals

when determining which

source of capital best fits

your interests.

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IN LAST month’s column, we high-lighted the value of a member andthe importance of creating a reten-tion strategy. This month’s columnhighlights the barriers to winningthe “retention battle,”and touches onwhy they can seem insurmountable.

Why the industry isn’twinning the retention battle

A number of fitness center oper-ators have been incredibly success-ful at winning the “retention battle.”For example, Western AthleticClubs, San Francisco, Calif., boastsretention rates at or above 90 per-cent in many of its facilities. Inaddition, ACAC in Virginia, East-bank Club in Chicago, LeClub inMilwaukee, Maryland Athletic Clubin Maryland and Red’s in Louisianahave achieved retention rates thatfar exceed the industry average ofapproximately 66 percent. Thesefacilities are winning the retentionbattle, but far too many fitness cen-ters are not. The industry as awhole has fallen short in its effortto enhance membership retention.Among the reasons that contributeto this scenario are the following:

We’re repeating history. Ourenergy and resources are stillfocused on the front door, and notthe back door. We concentrate ourefforts on commodity selling, whichencourages individuals to join clubsfor as little down as possible, andat the lowest possible dues point.When fitness centers sell low, thedata clearly shows that little or nobarrier exists for individuals to forgotheir membership. In fact, such anapproach may actually create anincentive for members to depart.

We’re failing to connect. The fit-ness industry is notorious for offer-ing little connection to othermembers and staff for new mem-bers. More often than not, newmembers are given a fitness assess-

ment and a few complimentary per-sonal training sessions, then sent offto explore the facility on their own.

We’re focusing inward. Fitnesscenters focus on what they believeis important, rather than what isimportant to their members. Toomany facilities see their job ascompleted once they sell a mem-bership, or once a member buysan internal service. In reality,members want results, want to beconnected and want to knowsomeone cares. Satisfying thisyearning requires some handhold-ing — something the industrydoes not do particularly well.

We’re not tailoring our product.

In general, fitness centers do nottailor their product or experience tothe demographic and psycho-graphic profile of their customers.For example, some operators offera $29-a-month, no-frills member-ship in affluent markets where theaverage customer profile would oth-erwise dictate that a more service-oriented and higher-priced facilitywould be successful. Such anapproach is like the proverbial “greatsalesperson” who can sell a fur coatto a person stranded in the desert.He might sell to that particularperson once, but buyers soon dis-cover they have little need for sucha coat. In addition, they will neverrefer anyone else to buy a coat fromthat salesperson. The point for thefitness industry is clear: Why notoffer a product of value to prospectswho will continue to buy?

We’re serving only our inter-

ests. Most individuals in theindustry enjoy exercise. As a result,they tend to offer experiences thatappeal to their personal passion.But everyone doesn’t share theirpassion for exercise. They don’tlike to be physically active, andthey don’t experience the endor-phin rush from working out.

Inexplicably, facility owners con-tinue to sell a product that appealsto their passion instead of tailor-ing the membership experience tothe general population. To win theretention battle, fitness centersneed to serve the interests of theirmembers, rather than themselves.

A change of approachThese are just a few of the rea-

sons why the industry, as a whole,has not been successful in its fightagainst attrition. Fortunately, itappears that the majority of pro-fessionals in the industry want tochange their approach. As withany change, however, at least twosignificant barriers exist:

Disregarding tradition. Accept-ing change is not that difficult; for-getting what the industry alreadyknows and does constitutes the realchallenge. Until the industry is will-ing to forgo its old ways of dealingwith membership (sell, sell, sell), fit-ness centers will never be able to exe-cute retention strategies (connectionsand service). If clubs truly want towin the retention battle, they mustfirst disregard their traditional waysso that newer, more relevant stepscan be more easily adopted.

Embracing change. Changingfrom a sales-and-attrition modelto a retention-and-service modelrequires new skills, a new mindsetand a new center of influence. Formost operators, this step involvesentering uncharted territory. As aresult, they tend to feel intimi-dated, out of control and on unfa-miliar ground. One of theconsequences of such feelings is toresist change and to try to findloopholes that can help avoidchange. In reality, if fitness centerswant to win the “retention battle,”they must recognize their limita-tions in this key aspect of opera-tions, and change accordingly. FM

Operations BY STEPHEN THARRETT, M.S., AND

JAMES A. PETERSON, PH.D., F.A.C.S.M.

There are many reasons

attrition continues to

challenge fitness center

profitability.

Membership Attrition and Profitability, Part 2

STEPHEN THARRETT is pres-ident of Club Industry Con-sulting, a fitness and sportsindustry consulting com-pany. He has spent almostthree decades in various

roles in the industry, ranging from servingas a director of athletics to being a seniorvice president with ClubCorp, Dallas, Texas.He is a past president of IHRSA and co-editor of the second and third editions ofthe ACSM Health/Fitness Facility Stan-dards and Guidelines. Recently, he wroteand produced a comprehensive textbookand DVD series for the industry, both enti-tled Fitness Management, both of whichcan be purchased from Healthy Learningonline at www.healthylearning.com or bycalling 888 229-5745.

JAMES PETERSON, Ph.D.,FACSM, is a sports medicineconsultant, fellow of theAmerican College of SportsMedicine, a former facultymember at the United

States Military Academy and a former direc-tor of sports medicine for StairMasterSports/Medical Products Inc.

Management Matters


THERE HAS been much discus-sion of late, in Fitness Manage-

ment and other industrypublications, about fitness center“penetration rates.” It seems thatthe penetration rate of U.S. fitnesscenters is 14 percent of the pop-ulation, and everyone would liketo see that figure move higher. Asthe owner of an independent,small club business, much of theangst surrounding this issue is loston me. Is it a big surprise that 86percent of the population doesnot want to buy what we are sell-ing? If that figure were only 84percent or even 80 percent, wouldwe all breathe a sigh of relief andthink we’ve solved our problems?

The supply driven mentalityI have seen many arguments over

the years that the fitness industryneeds still more locations, to sell tomore people and have more sophis-ticated sales processes.The argumentseems to be that if we can get ourproduct in front of enough people,and if we employ more sophisti-cated sales techniques, then surelyour penetration rate would grow. Infact, in the second edition of theInternational Health, Racquet andSportsclub Association’s (IHRSA)Guide to the Health Club Industry for

Lenders and Investors, there are sta-tistics that clearly support the notionthat more facilities will lead to moremembers. To quote page 47, “To asignificant extent, the U.S. healthclub industry remains ‘supplydriven,’ which is to say every newclub creates its own coterie of newfirst-time club members. Currently,according to American Sports Data,45 percent of all health club mem-bers are first-time members; i.e., theclub to which they currently belongis the first and only club that theyhave ever joined. Hence, in the

health club industry, the competitiveissue is not solely one of dividing thepie into progressively smaller pieces.It is also a function of how success-ful the industry is in expanding thenumber of first-time health clubmembers.”

This supply driven mentalityhas been in full force for manyyears. According to IHRSA statis-tics, since 2000, the number of fit-ness centers has increased by 70percent, while the number ofmembers has increased by about25 percent. If the increase in

supply brings more demand,where did everybody go?

We’re competing forthe same members

Let’s face it. The reason our pen-etration rate misses 86 percent of thepopulation is that we sell a productmost people don’t want. Addition-ally, our industry seems better atreplicating more locations that com-pete for the same members thanattracting brand-new exercisers.New geographic locations mightattract new people who finally havea facility that is within their traveltime and pricing tolerance. But,we’re obviously doing a lousy job ofappealing to anything other thanproximity and price, and of keep-ing the people we already have.

Your club and the 14-percent penetration rate

What’s the small club owner todo? I think it relates to the phrase,

“think globally, act locally.” Thinkglobally about your market. The14 percent penetration rate isimportant because it will help youanalyze your fitness center. Doyou know how many people livewithin eight to 12 minutes of yourfacility? When you take that figureand multiple it by 14 percent,you’ll have a thumbnail figure onthe potential market surroundingyour facility. In some locations,especially in urban areas or wherethere are higher education andincome levels, the penetration ratecould be as high as 20 percent, butI never suggest using a best-casescenario for any market analysis.I’d suggest you use 10 percentpenetration and an eight-minutetravel time so that you are bettersafe than sorry when it comes toestimating your potential market.

You also need to know yourcompetitive landscape and wherethe markets overlap, but I’d suggestthat you go a step further and startassuming that a new club (or clubs)will open that will overlap evenmore with you and/or directly com-pete. Fitness centers are popping upeverywhere, and you need to antic-ipate where the next one will be.Even if you are wrong about thelocation, at least you’ll be runningyour business with a healthy para-noia that acknowledges theinevitability of more competition.

How you run your facility, whoyou attract, your reputation inyour community, your staff andevery other detail of your businessthen become the “act locally” part.Everything you do, everyprospect’s first impression, everymember’s ongoing experience, willdetermine whether you attractyour fair share of that 14 percent.And, in the long run, whether that14 percent figure grows. FM

Independent Issues BY ROB BISHOP

The solution to the

14-percent penetration

problem involves

analyzing your facility’s

market.

Attracting Your Market Share

Rob Bishop is the ownerof Elevations Health Club, Scotrun, Pa.(www.elevationshealthclub.com). He can bereached at [email protected] at 570 620-1990.

Fitness centers are

popping up everywhere,

and you need to

anticipate where the

next one will be.


REOVEN CAPRI suffered injury when he slipped and fell

on the pool deck while walking to the pool. He returned to

the pool the next day and found an accumulation of algae

around the drain on the pool deck where he fell. He filed

suit against LA Fitness International, alleging that the facil-

ity was both negligent and negligent per se (a form of neg-

ligence that results from the violation of a statute — conduct

that may be treated as negligence without argument, or proof

as to the particular circumstances [Black’s Law Dictionary,

1990]). The claim alleging negligence failed because the plain-

tiff had signed a waiver releasing the fitness center from lia-

bility for negligence; however, the claim of negligence per se

was not barred by the waiver (Capri v. LA Fitness Interna-tional, 2006 Cal. App. LEXIS 201).

California Safety Code section 116040 states, “Everyperson operating or maintaining a public swimming poolmust do so in a sanitary, healthful and safe manner.” Fur-ther, Safety Code section 116043 says,“Every public swim-ming pool, including swimming pool structure, … [musttake] measures to ensure safety of bathers, and measures

to ensure personal cleanliness of bathers shall be such thatthe public swimming pool is at all times sanitary, health-ful and safe.” These statutes are a part of a regulatoryscheme for pool safety, and set standards for swimmingpool sanitation and safety. Section 116065 states, “Everyperson who violates any provision of this article … is guiltyof a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine … or imprison-ment … or both.”

The appellate court found the trial court erred in grant-ing summary judgment to the defendant on the negligenceper se claim, reversed that action since the waiver was notenforceable, and sent the case back to the trial court todetermine if the fitness center had been negligent per se.

The facility claimed that, even if the waiver was notenforceable, it was protected because the plaintiff hadassumed the risk of the activity. The court held that, sincethere was an allegation of a violation of the law, assump-tion of risk was precluded.

As a general rule, people have a duty to use due care toavoid injury to others, and may be held liable for careless

Risk Management BY DOYICE J. COTTEN

Violating a statute leaves

fitness facilities

vulnerable, even when

members sign waivers.

When Waivers Don’t Protect

DR. DOYICE J. COTTEN is professor emeritus insport management at Georgia Southern Uni-versity and has a consulting business, SportRiskConsulting. He is the coauthor of Waivers

and Releases of Liability (5th ed.), which isa complete and up-to-date source of: 1) statewaiver laws, 2) the latest information and rul-ings regarding waivers for adults and minors,3) guidelines on how to write waivers (includ-ing examples), and 4) a full explanation (andexamples) of a Participant Agreement. Thebook is available from the author([email protected], phone: 912 764-4848)or order it directly from the online printer’swebsite at www.lulu.com.

Management Matters

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conduct that injures another party (Civ. Code,1714). Thus, a fitness facility is required to usedue care to eliminate dangerous conditions onits property. In sport or recreation settings,however, otherwise dangerous conditions aresometimes an integral part of the activity, sothere is no duty to eliminate them. The natureof the activity is important in determining theduty of the provider. In general, providers donot have a duty to eliminate inherent risks, butthey do have a duty to use due care not toincrease the risks of the activity. In this case,the facility had a duty not to increase the risks

of swimming by allowing the deck to becomeslippery with algae — which is not an inher-ent risk in swimming.

Risk management principlesThere are two risk management principles

fitness facility owners and managers shouldkeep in mind.

1. Regular, effective maintenance is neces-

sary to maintain a safe environment. Main-tenance includes clean floors and equipment,picking up trash and litter, regular inspectionof equipment, repair or removal of hazards,and more. The failure of LA Fitness to prop-erly maintain the pool deck may well result ina large judgment against the facility.

2. While waivers can provide liability pro-

tection, there are many limitations to waivers.

In this case, LA Fitness was found not liablefor ordinary negligence, but waivers will failin a case like this where a law was violated.Other limitations include 1) when the partic-ipant is a minor (in most states, waivers signedby parents on behalf of minors are not valid),2) when the signer is under the influence ofalcohol, 3) when strict liability is involved and4) when a non-signing spouse files a claim forloss due to an injury to the signing spouse (inmany states). FM

A fitness facility is required

to use due care to eliminate

dangerous conditions on

its property.

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EVERY AREA of your fitness centerneeds regular attention in order tokeep your facility in top condition.One area of particular importanceare your locker rooms.

All employees, no matter whattheir title, need to chip in to keepup with cleaning and mainte-nance. And, try not to hold itagainst your members for notputting towels in the dirty towelbin. It’s not done maliciously;sometimes they just forget. As amanager and employee of thefacility, it’s your responsibility tokeep your facility in top conditionfor every member. Everyone can,and should, pick up towels. Every-

one can, and should, wipe downwet countertops. Let’s take a runthrough the locker room and seewhat else we can find.

FloorsFlooring appearance and con-

dition can be affected by humanfactors and facility issues. The easyfixes are to ensure that the floorsare free of towels and trash. Addi-tionally, go through your lockerson a regular basis and pull out alltowels that are left behind. If youget to them first, they won’t endup on the floor.

If your locker rooms have car-peting, pay close attention to where

the wet areas meet the carpet. Lookfor water lines — where water sitsfor most of the day and may neverdry out, causing mold, fungus anda safety hazard.

Toilets and stallsKeep toilets and stalls clean and

stocked. If you post “Toilet Talk”flyers, replace them on a regularbasis. Monitor the condition of thestalls. If rust is developing, theremay be a bigger issue (poor air cir-culation) or a simple one (thecleaning crew is using a cleanserthat eats away at the metal). Checkstall locks. When your members arein a rush, they don’t want to have

Facility Maintenance BY BRIAN SAMUEL

Your entire staff needs to

play a part in keeping

your locker rooms clean,

safe and inviting.

1/2 horizontal

Focus On Locker Rooms

Management Matters

BRIAN SAMUEL is a director of operationswith L&T Health and Fitness, a companyfocused on fitness facility management,health promotion services, wellness programdesign and delivery, and facility design andconsulting services to organizations acrossthe U.S. He can be reached at 703 204-1355,ext. 26, or [email protected].


All employees, no matter what their title,

need to chip in to keep up with cleaning

and maintenance.

to lift up on the doorto lock it. Check coathooks — make it easyfor your members tokeep their coats, bags,etc., off the floor.

ShowersIf shower curtains

are tattered ormoldy, toss them.Take a look at all of the cornersand joints in shower stalls. Checkfor broken joints or a lack ofcaulking. Water will run whereverit can, and, if it is escapingbehind the walls of the showers,it could be going anywhere —

wreaking havoc on your flooringor ceiling, if your locker roomsare on an upper level. If you pro-vide soap, check between the dis-penser and the wall. This tends tobe a breeding ground for moldand muck.

Steam rooms and saunasOpen the doors to your steam

rooms and saunas, and take adeep breath. How does the airfeel, taste and smell? If any ofthose senses send “run away”signals to your brain, you mayneed to do a deep cleaning ofthese rooms. Steam rooms andsaunas need a lot of attention,due to the level and type of usethey get (no matter how manysigns you put up, there’s boundto be some bare backsides onthe benches). Regular (daily oreven twice a day, depending onusage) cleaning is essential.Check the temperature regularly

to ensure you are within safetystandards.

AmenitiesMembers love and come to

expect amenities such as wet itembags, toiletries, hair dryers, combs,scales and whatever else you mayoffer. Keep them stocked, cleanand in working order.

Locker room cleanliness tendsto get the lowest approval ratingin member surveys. You and yourstaff members, therefore, should bevery critical of these areas. Mem-bers want the area where they aretrying to get clean to be clean, com-fortable and inviting. FM


“SHE THINKS I am a great per-sonal trainer because she has lost30 pounds since she started work-ing with me last year. When shefound out I played soccer in highschool, she asked me to work withher daughter, a 16-year-oldhoping to make her high school’svarsity soccer team next fall. I toldher I would be glad to work withher daughter, but I think I’d betterbrush up on sports training. Imean, it takes a lot more than aer-obic endurance and core strengthto be a good soccer player. Ishould probably think aboutinjury prevention, too. This couldget interesting.”

Many personal trainers enjoyworking with athletes to helpthem achieve their sports condi-tioning goals. But, working withathletes is different from workingwith clients who have more gen-eral weight-loss or health/fitnessgoals. To successfully train athletes,you must understand thedemands of their sport, anddesign your training program tomeet the specific training goals ofeach athlete. Following are someof the factors to consider as youdesign individualized trainingprograms for athletes.

Sport-specific skills andmetabolic demands

Before you agree to work withathletes, especially those at a fairlyelite level, be sure you have a goodunderstanding of their sport. Readup on the training literature forthat sport, and be familiar withthe physical requirements for peakperformance. If your clients needtraining that is beyond yourteaching ability, refer them to theircoach, or to a good sports camp.

Remember the principle oftraining specificity. The bodyresponds to exercise training by

adapting to the specific chal-lenges placed on it. Specificityrefers to muscle groups, musclefiber types and energy systems.Some clients new to sport train-ing underestimate the complex-ity of specificity. For example,they may think that since theyneed strong legs to run, strength-ening their legs should improvetheir running. Of course, youknow this is not true! Strengthtraining will improve the short-term energy systems (the musclephosphagens ATP and phospho-creatine, and anaerobic glycoly-sis) and fast-twitch muscle fibers,but won’t help endurance (aero-bic energy production), producedby the slow-twitch muscle fibers.

How do you know whichenergy systems a certain sportuses? Watch the players. Whatmatters is not the length of thegame, but what an individualplayer does during the game.Most games need some aerobicendurance, so players can partici-pate fully in long practices andplay well in tournament situa-tions. But many sports need morethan endurance conditioning.

What do athletes actually doduring contests? Energy systemuse will vary with position as wellas sport. If you see a lot of burstsof power and sprinting, as in mostball sports such as soccer and bas-ketball, you will know you musttrain the client’s short-term energysystems with high-intensity inter-val training. While an aerobic baseis important, as you approach thecompetitive season, too muchendurance training can detractfrom the development of powerand strength.

Timing your conditioning programAthletes’ conditioning pro-

grams must be designed so that

they peak physically when contestsmatter the most. One-sport ath-letes on an academic calendarmay spend quite a bit of the off-season on general conditioning,moving into more sport-specificconditioning as the season fortheir sport approaches.

When you work with athletes,be sure you have a clear picture ofhow the conditioning programyou are designing fits into the ath-lete’s total training picture. Areyou several months away fromimportant competition? Then youcan spend time on flexibility, corework, aerobic conditioning andwhatever else makes sense for thatathlete. Weight loss may be an off-season conditioning goal, butshould generally be avoidedduring the competitive season,when optimal refueling is vital forglycogen resynthesis.

If competition is drawingnear, training volume maydecline as workouts becomemore intense and more sport-specific. Be sure to design aneffective tapering period if com-petitions are occurring duringyour work with athletes.

Injury preventionInjury prevention is always in

season. Fortunately, training forinjury prevention can alsoenhance an athlete’s peak per-formance. Training that includesplyometric and other explosivetraining work can simultaneouslyimprove power and strengthenjoints, making them less vulnera-ble to injury.

Teach your athletic clients theimportance of rest and recoveryfor injury prevention and peakperformance. Monitor clients forsigns of overtraining, and modifytheir conditioning programsaccordingly. FM

Instructor Training BY BARBARA A. BREHM, ED.D.

Training an athlete

requires knowledge of the

sport, the competitive

season and injury

prevention.

Providing Sport-Specific Training to Athletes

Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D., isprofessor of exercise andsport studies at Smith Col-lege, Northampton, Mass.

Member Handout: You may make photocopiesfor free distribution to your members.

(Customize by placing your company logo in the lower right corner.)

Management Matters

WE TAKE it for granted that, when we exer-cise, our bodies respond by getting “inshape.” Some training results are noticeable:better muscle tone, less body fat, less fatigueclimbing a flight of stairs or less irritabil-ity. But what we see is really only the tipof the iceberg. Numerous, less-observablechanges are taking place that contribute toimproved athletic performance and goodhealth. Here are a few of the changes thattake place as you train.

Energy production systems gear upPhysical activity requires energy. Your

body makes energy by harnessing thechemical bond energy stored in carbo-hydrate, protein and fat. The systemsfor converting chemical bond energyinto energy your body can use formovement are quite complex. Withexercise training, these systems increasetheir productive capacity.

The way these systems improve dependson how you are training. If you are train-ing with movements that require explosivepower (power lifting or plyometrics, forexample), your immediate energy systemwill improve. If you are training with high-intensity intervals, you will improve bothyour short-term energy system (also knownas glycolysis, or the lactic acid system) andyour aerobic energy systems. And,endurance training improves aerobic energyproduction.

These energy systems improve, in part,because of increased concentrations ofthe enzymes responsible for these bio-chemical pathways. The aerobic energysystem increases the size and number ofcellular organelles called mitochondria;this is where energy is produced for aer-obic exercise. With training, your musclesstore more fuel substrates (such as fatsand carbohydrate). The result? You have

more energy available for muscle contrac-tion. Daily activities also feel easierbecause your body can produce energymore quickly.

With training, the cells become moreresponsive to the hormone insulin, whichsignals the cells to take up glucose from theblood. Improved insulin sensitivity reducesyour risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ablood sugar regulation disorder. With train-ing, your body becomes better at using fat

for fuel, which improves exercise endurance,sparing muscle glycogen (carbohydrate) soyou are less likely to run out of fuel duringlong exercise durations.

Oxygen delivery and waste removal improves

Your body needs oxygen to make energy.Even anaerobic energy systems (immediateand short-term energy systems) requireoxygen to replenish themselves. Oxygendelivery and usage systems improve withexercise training, so the mitochondria getmore oxygen faster.

The cardiovascular system deliversoxygen to and removes waste products fromthe cells. With aerobic training, your bodyincreases blood volume, so more oxygencan be carried by the red blood cells. Theblood also clots more slowly; this reducesthe risk of harmful blood clots. The heartbecomes more efficient, pumping moreblood per beat and more blood per minute.New blood vessels form to supply moreblood to the heart muscle. Your body alsoimproves its ability to increase blood flowto the active muscles. More capillaries (thesmallest blood vessels, where oxygen deliv-ery to the cells actually occurs) develop intrained muscles.

These changes mean that trainingimproves your ability to deliver oxygen tothe muscles, and that your muscles getbetter at extracting oxygen from the bloodstream. Similarly, waste products, such ascarbon dioxide, are removed more quickly.

Muscle fibers adapt to training demandsEnergy production occurs in muscle

fibers. Endurance muscle fibers (slow-twitch fibers) become better at producingenergy in response to endurance training.Anaerobic and power training increase thecapacities of the fast-twitch fibers. Fast-twitch fibers become stronger and larger,which is why your muscles get bigger withresistance training.

Bones and joints become strongerBones become denser in proportion to

the amount of force placed on them — thegreater the force, the greater the response.Heavy lifting and jumping produce greaterchanges than swimming, when the bonesexperience less force. Tendons, ligaments,joint capsules and other joint structuresbecome stronger with resistance training.

Your stress response chills outYour physical response to exercise is reg-

ulated by the nervous and endocrine (hor-monal) systems. These systems becomebetter at producing movement and theright level of arousal to meet activity needs.A side-effect of exercise training is that thebody experiences less of a stress arousal inresponse to mild to moderate non-exerciseforms of stress. You may feel more relaxed,less irritable and not jump so quickly atloud noises. But don’t worry: If a true emer-gency arises, you will be able to respondfaster and more forcefully than ever! FM

Exercise improves energy,

makes bones and joints stronger,

and lessens daily stress.

Tendons, ligaments, joint

capsules and other joint

structures become stronger

with resistance training.

&YourHEALTH FITNESS

Physical Conditioning: The Training Effect BY BARBARA A. BREHM, ED.D.

Compliments of:

fitnessmanagement.com


THEY CAN BE a shimmery oasis on a hotsummer day or offer the kind of serenityachieved only by lying idly on a raft, umbrelladrink in hand. The most beautiful and elabo-rate pools are often found in backyards orresorts. But for fitness facilities, pools are morethan an aesthetic achievement. They are a valu-able tool for meeting the exercise needs of spe-cial populations.

Pools allow users of all shapes, sizes and abil-ities to experience the benefits of exercise whenit would otherwise be impossible. The popula-tions that benefit from aquatic exercise are, inmost cases, physically compromised. Peopleinvolved in rehabilitation from disease or sur-gery are two main beneficiaries of aquatic exer-cise. “Water’s buoyancy supports disabled andrehabilitating people’s needs for mobility and

movement,” says Tom Lachocki, CEO of theNational Swimming Pool Foundation, Col-orado Spring, Colo. “Aquatic exercise helpsdeliver an environment to improve quality oflife with less pain and aggravation.” And thereare other populations — pregnant women,older adults, the overweight — that can exer-cise more safely in the water than out.

The wave of the futureThe aquatics industry has introduced a

number of products to help fitness facilitiesenhance their members’ experiences in thepool, from lifts to help get people in and outof the water, to buoyant resistance equipment,to specialized race training accessories. The poolcan offer members a chance to mix up their fit-ness routines, or allow them to simply work out

when they otherwise could not.Let’s not forget another aspect of aquatics:

Swimming is fun. Swim lessons are big drawsfor children, and there are many options forinnovative group exercise programs in thewater. Aquatics programming is increasinglyimportant in the quest to attract overweightand older exercisers, and meet their uniqueneeds. “Fitness facilities [that] understanddemographic trends must prepare to attractaging and sedentary populations,” saysLachocki. “Aquatic programs are ideal todeliver cardiac and respiratory health bene-fits with minimal exertion and low risk ofinjury. More people will need the water envi-ronment to restore, maintain and improvetheir health in the future.”

Whether you have a pool, are consideringadding a pool to your fitness facility or upgrad-ing the one you already have, for Lachocki, theimportance of aquatics in a fitness center set-ting cannot be overstated for one simple reason:“Facilities and programs that support people’sneeds will prosper and endure.” FM

A New Wave of Aquatics ProductsPools are a thing of beauty. They can have disappearing edges,

intricate tile work and interesting shapes.

Purchasing Guide BY HEATHER PEAVEY, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Marketplace

Aquatic Access Inc.800 325-5438; www.aquaticaccess.com

Aquatic Access

expanded its line of

water-powered lifts to

make pools and spas

accessible for over-

weight individuals.

The new heavy-duty

versions of Aquatic

Access lifts, including

several ADA-compli-

ant models, feature

greater lifting capaci-

ties and a variety of seating options.

Aquatic Trends Inc.800 775-9588; www.aquatictrends.com

The Aquatrend

water workout station

is aquatic exercise

equipment designed

for indoor or outdoor

in-ground pools. Its

lightweight and com-

pact design takes

little pool space, and

it is designed to pro-

vide effective, low-

impact aquatic workouts. It’s manufactured of

marine-grade stainless steel for durability.

CCSI International Inc.800 537-8231; www.ccsiusa.com

Atria commercial

pool enclosures allow

for water activities

year-round. Atria’s

powdercoated, col-

ored aluminum

rafters and frames,

and sliding glass

doors, are designed

to be durable and to

require minimum maintenance. The light-trans-

mitting insulated opening roof panels allow for

natural ventilation.

Aquatic Access Heavy-DutyModel IGAT-180

Aquatrend water workout station

Atria pool enclosure


Extractor Corp.800 553-3353; www.suitmate.com

The Suitmate swimsuit

extractor is designed to

extract 95 percent of the

water out of wet swimsuits in

less than 10 seconds. Mem-

bers who use Suitmate can

pack a drip-free swimsuit to

take home or leave in their

locker without worrying about water damage and

mildew. The U.L.-listed Suitmate is easy to mount

on the wall and connects to any 115-volt circuit.

Hach Company/ETS Business Unit888 278-2243; www.aquachek.com

The AquaChek Pro II professional test strips

test for both low and

high range hardness,

cyanuric acid and total

dissolved solids (TDS),

and is a supplement to

the AquaChek Pro five-

way test strips. There are

25 strips per bottle.

Kendall Products800 348-2398; www.dri-dek.com

The Dri-Dek self-draining floor system is designed

to solve the problem of

wet, slippery surfaces

in showers, steam

rooms, locker rooms

and pool decks with

its raised, textured sur-

face. Dri-Dek allows water to drain away, and lifts

people above the wet surface. Available in 12 colors,

Dri-Dek tiles snap together and can be trimmed for

custom wall-to-wall fitting or around equipment. The

tiles can be cleaned using a spray hose.

Kiefer800 323-4071; www.kiefer.com

Part of the line of PowerCords for aquatics and

dry land training, the PowerCords Swim-In-Place

Lane Trainer was

developed to enhance

strength training in a

concentrated area

using racing lanes as

attachment points.

The product allows

trainers to isolate

swimmers, perform stroke analysis, and teach and

refine proper stroke technique. The cords can also

be used for stationary swimming.

Lincoln Equipment Inc.800 223-5450; www.lincolnaquatics.com

Lincoln Equipment Inc. dis-

tributes commercial swim-

ming pool equipment,

chemicals and supplies. It

markets its services to cities,

school districts, colleges,

country clubs, homeowner’s

associations, YMCAs and other

facilities with commercial-sized pools. Lincoln

Equipment has a coast-to-coast network of sales

offices and representatives.

Med-Fit Systems Inc.800 831-7665, ext.2; www.medfitsystems.com

All-tile pools can

be custom-built in vir-

tually any size, shape

or design, either as in-

ground, above-ground

or partially above-

ground installations.

Plyometric cants, run-

ning cants, resistance swim jets, ROM and jet

benches, multiple depths and viewing windows

can all be incorporated. Its manufacturing process

and the ADA-compliant, all-tile construction are

designed to ensure maximum heat retention and

longevity. Pools can be shipped complete as one

piece or in sections to accommodate new construc-

tion and existing facilities with difficult access.

Natare Corp.800 336-8828; www.natare.com

NataDek floor and

deck surfacing is for

wet recreational envi-

ronments, water

parks, aquatic facili-

ties, swimming pools

and locker rooms.

NataDek is a specially

formulated PVC/polyester composite that can be

installed over concrete, tile, masonry and wood

surfaces to provide a waterproof, slip-resistant sur-

face. It resists staining, deterioration, delamina-

tion, cracking and ultraviolet light. NataDek

provides a safe and sanitary floor surface, and is

available in six colors: sandstone, red brick, tan,

sand, light grey and dark grey. Custom colors are

available upon request with large orders.

National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF)719 540-9119; www.nspf.org

The Pool Math Workbook, designed for oper-

ators, service techni-

cians, health officials,

retail technicians and

renovators, helps

readers calculate pool

surface area, water

volume, chemical

dosage amounts, sat-

uration index, filter

surface area, flow rate,

filter flow rate capacity, turnover rate, heater sizing,

spa water draining frequency, make-up water

amount, maximum user load and total dynamic

head. It begins with a basic math skills test, and

is then broken into three parts: basic calculations,

sample problems and sample problem solutions.

It costs $19.95, plus $5 shipping and handling.

OpenAire Inc.800 267-4877; www.openaire.com

OpenAire manu-

factures and installs

retractable roof enclo-

sures and operable

skylights. These ther-

mally broken alu-

minum frame

structures can clear a

span of more than 140

feet, with roofs that open 50 percent or more —

perfect for swimming pool enclosures and indoor

waterparks. OpenAire structures are energy-effi-

cient alternatives to conventional construction.

Pfeiffer Fitness LLC305 773-0560; www.poolates.com

The instructional DVD,

Poolates for Core Strength and

Stability, is the first volume in a

three-DVD instruction series,

which uses the swimming pool

as its primary apparatus, and

applies the principles of Pilates

to aquatic exercise. The DVD kit

includes a four-color, waterproof,

poolside workout guide, and a

versa-tube to assistwith core stabilization movements.

Recreation Supply Company800 437-8072; www.recsupply.com

Recreation Supply

Company sells a

variety of commer-

cial swimming-pool-

Suitmate swimsuitwater extractor

AquaChek Pro II professional test strips

Dri-Dek self-draining floor system

Kiefer PowerCordsSwim-In-Place Lane Trainer

25-meter competativelane line

Med-Fit indoor, in-ground, all-tile pool

NataDek floor and decksurfacing

The Pool Math Workbook

OpenAire retractable roof enclosure

at the Watiki Indoor Waterpark

Resort in Rapid City, S.D.

Poolates for CoreStrength and Stability DVD

SR Smith 30-inch deluxe starting platform

related items, including safety and rescue,

cleaning, deck equipment, water sports equip-

ment, toys and games, fitness gear, pumps, fil-

ters, heaters, chemicals, test kits and more. It

has been serving the commercial aquatics

industry for more than 25 years.

Recreonics Inc.800 428-3254; www.recreonics.com

Recreonics offers portable

vacuum filters that feature a

durable stainless steel cartridge

filter, thermal plastic pump,

waterproof switch and pre-

wired GFI protector, 1.5-inch

suction and discharge connec-

tions, and 50-foot electrical

cord, all mounted on a stainless

steel cart with heavy-duty

rubber wheels. Two models are

available: 1-H.P. pump with 105-square-foot filter

(filters more than 5,525 gallons per hour) and a

2-H.P. pump with 155-square-foot filter (filters

more than 8,000 gph).

RenoSys Corp.800 783-7005; www.renosys.com

RecDeck recre-

ational PVC flooring is

constructed of a

durable, felt-backed

PVC. RecDeck may be

used in virtually any

recreation area where

slip resistance, dura-

bility and ease of

maintenance are of

primary concern.

Applications include pool decks, locker and chang-

ing rooms, weight rooms, group exercise and fit-

ness areas, recreational and multi-purpose rooms,

etc. Other products include RenoSys PVC pool

shell, DuraTech gutters and grating, FuturaPool

modular public pools, SoftSide safety padding,

ToughDeck PVC flooring, and a full range of pool

and deck equipment.

TMI Salt Pure Corp.800 818-8266; www.tmisaltpure.com

The X-Series is a commercial chlorine genera-

tion equipment line

with individual units

capable of producing

more than 20 pounds

of 100-percent FAC

over 24 hours. These

generators are specifi-

cally designed to be connected to chemistry con-

trollers to make up the TMI Integrated Sanitizing

Control System. TMI offers daily remote support and

a five-year warranty.

Water Gear800 794-6432; www.watergear.com

Water Gear, Pismo

Beach, Calif., resist-

ance bells are made

of durable foam for a

long life. They come

with a padded hand

grip and resistance

levels of 40, 50, 60, 80

and 99 percent increase over just using the hands.

The levels are color-coded for easy pairing during

workout sessions.


Purchasing Guide

Recreonics 2-H.P.portable vacuumfilter

RecDeck recreational PVC flooring

TMI-2XLCG Salt Pure Chlorination Unit.

Water Gear resistance bells

Dramatic New Interlocking System

with GRIDLOCK Tiles!

For complete information and

FREE samples,

call 1-800-645-2622.

www.tepromark.com - Email: [email protected]

®

Exclusive 2-part locking pin system

easily snaps together and holds together.

Comfort

T-shaped tabs on its underside radiate support so that

nothing dings into the bare foot.

Safety

No-slip surface tread and ribbed safety

pattern. GRIDLOCK tiles are self-draining.

Sanitary

Micro-Check inhibitor added to 100% vinyl tile means no

fungus or bacteria.

For use in all wet

areas: showers,

locker rooms,

around pools and

saunas.

Change a LifeBecome a Certified Trainer

News from The Cooper Institute

The Cooper

Institute

Earns National

Accreditation – the

gold standard of quality

– for its Personal

Trainer (CI-PTr)

Certifi cation

Exam

Start changing lives today…visit www.cooperinst.org to register and to learn more

about the benefits of earning the CI-PTr Credential or call

800-635-7050.


New Products

Product of the MonthFood delivery programPurFoods Fitness offers a healthy home meal delivery program through fit-

ness centers and personal trainers to help club members and clients reach

their weight-loss goals. The PurFoods Fitness Affiliate Program also enables

fitness centers to generate revenue. PurFoods Fitness meals are delivered

to customers fresh, never frozen, once per week. Customers choose from

a number of program options, including 1,200, 1,600 or 2,000 calories per

day; one to three snacks daily; and two, five or seven days per week of

meals. PurFoods Fitness also offers an ala carte program that delivers a

minimum of five meals per week. More than 150 menu items have been

created by nutritionist Mary K. Mahoney, a registered and licensed dieti-

tian, and Executive Chef Jon T. Benedict. PurFoods is a USDA-approved and

inspected fresh food preparation and delivery business. It prepares, pack-

ages and ships fresh, ready-to-heat meals to a customer’s doorstep

throughout the continental U.S. Customers can create their own menu by

choosing from hundreds of meals (breakfasts, lunches, dinners and

snacks). PurFoods Fitness is also finalizing plans for an organic meal plan

and a corporate lunch delivery program.

PurFoods: 888 343-8020; www.purfoodsfitness.com

Pilates sitting boxBalanced Body’s new Contour Sitting Box is

designed to give users more ergonomic sup-

port while accompanying a wider range of body

types. Used in conjunction with a reformer, the

Sitting Box helps support and stabilize the

entire body, increasing the user’s sense of

poise and control. Because of the added ele-

vation, the Sitting Box generates the involve-

ment of more complex muscle combinations.

By taking the edges off of the box, it better

fits the body and encourages a fuller range of

motion. The box also allows more comfortable

prone exercises (swan) and supine long box

exercises (back stroke), with no hard edge to

interfere with body placement. Foot straps are

sold separately.

Balanced Body: 800 PILATES;

www.pilates.com

ManagementsoftwareThe Core software program records client, trainer

and staff information. The Members section

tracks member-

ships, payments

and attendance.

The Training sec-

tion allows trainers

to sell training

packages, create

training programs,

schedule appointments, and track assessments,

medical information and goals. The Staff section

allows users to create staff records, store and

record personal information, create staff sched-

ules and generate time cards. Schedules for

members and clients can then be printed or

downloaded to a Core PDA. The PDA also stores

client workouts, and allows trainers to record

each workout and notes into the PDA, which can

be uploaded into each client’s file. The Reports

section allows users to generate purchases and

membership revenue reports, daily training rev-

enue reports, membership and client state-

ments, and more. Technical support, EFT billing,

marketing, and web applications and services

are also available.

At The Core: 888 689-7677; www.atthecore.us

Air quality systemAcu-Trol’s Automated Air Quality Management

(AAQM) system provides continuous monitoring

of the combined chlorine levels of indoor pool

environments to eliminate chloramine odor, and

eye and skin irritation. The system automatically

monitors combined chlorine levels and commu-

nicates directly with the building’s air handling

unit, allowing it to vary the amount of new air

brought into the building. It provides facilities with

improved indoor air quality and reduces health

concerns. The “intelligent air turnover” feature

reduces energy costs by replacing only the air

needed (less heat loss in colder climates).

Acu-Trol: 800 273-4667; www.acu-trol.com


1/4 page

BOSU storage rackPower Systems offers the Small Stor-

age Rack for BOSUs. It helps to

increase safety and decrease clutter by

getting BOSUs off of the floor. The

welded steel rack can hold up to six

inflated BOSUs, and easily rolls

through a standard doorway.

Power Systems: 800 321-6975;

www.power-systems.com

Yoga bagHigh Sierra’s new yoga bags are made

from tear-resistant fabrics and moisture-

wicking padding. The Akasha Mat Sling

features a zippered main compartment

that holds a yoga mat of any size. It also

features a front organizer pocket with a

key fob and toiletry pockets, an

adjustable mesh shoulder sling with an

integrated cell phone pocket, a 500-mil-

liliter side mesh water bottle pocket and

reflective piping accents for safety.

High Sierra: 800 323-9590;

www.highsierrasport.com

Boxing fitness facilityThe Boxing Fitness Institute launched a program to offer a turnkey boxing

fitness facility, which provides boxing fitness training, facility design, work-

out scheduling, business planning, a website, marketing materials and

ongoing support. The package is designed to show operators how to

offer a profitable boxing fitness facility with low overhead and minimal

investment — it is not a franchise. Training is also provided in boxing fit-

ness technique, leading classes and private sessions, and how to include

kickboxing, strength training and self-defense in the facility.

The Boxing Fitness Institute: 941 539-9623; www.boxingfitnessinstitute.com

UV water treatmentAquionics’ Quantum UV system is

designed specifically for treating water in

pools or spas. The system is compact and

can usually be installed within existing

pipework. An automatic wiper keeps the

sleeves housing the UV lamps clean, so

the only regular maintenance required is

changing the UV lamps every six to nine

months. UV is a harmless, non-toxic, low-

maintenance water treatment technology.

It is a disinfectant that destroys any chlo-

rine-resistant microorganisms in the water.

This, in turn, reduces the requirement for chemical treatments such as

chlorination. It also reduces the typical eye and respiratory complaints

and the unpleasant smells often associated with indoor pools.

Aquionics: 800 925-0440; www.aquionics.com


New Products

Cleaning clothsContec’s Athletix Microfiber Cloths are constructed of wedge-shaped fibers

that trap and remove dust and debris from multiple types of surfaces.

These 12-by-12-inch cloths can be used dry to clean sensitive surfaces

such as LCD and plasma screens, or slightly damp to remove finger-

prints from stainless steel. Athletix Microfiber Cloths are washable, and

recognizable by their bright yellow color, making them easy to identify

from other towels used in the fitness center. There are 15 cloths in a

bag, and two bags in a case.

Contec Inc.: 800 289-5762; www.athletixproducts.com

Elliptical trainersSportsArt Fitness’ commercial grade Xtreme Cardio Series includes ellipti-

cal trainers, which come with a dot matrix and LED user interface, or an

entertainment-ready 10.2-inch Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen. The 800

Series elliptical machines feature electronically adjustable stride length.

Offering more than 10 different positioning points, the adjustable stride

enables users of any size to operate the machines, and also allows users

to vary their individual workout at the touch of a button. Multi-Radius

stride arms help provide a no-impact, total-body workout. Resistance level

and stride length adjustments are operated by fingertip controls located

on the handlebars. Machines also offer contact heart rate points and are

HR-telemetry compatible.

SportsArt Fitness: 800 709-1400; www.sportsartfitness.com

A proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.www.cup.edu

E A R N Y O U R D E G R E E O N

T H E I N T E R N E T

BS Program in Wellness and Fitness –100% Online

- Transfer credits accepted

- 2-Year completion program if you have an

Associate’s Degree

- NASM Certifications in CPT & PES

MS Program in Exercise Science & Health Promotion

–100% Online

• Four degree tracks:

- Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention

- Rehabilitation Science

- Wellness & Fitness

- Sport Psychology

• NASM certifications in PES, CES, and/or CPT

• Network with health & fitness professionals worldwide

Phone: 1-866-595-6348 or visit: www.cup.edu/go

ENERGIZE YOUR CAREER


Fitness websiteWebFit Network is a free fitness and sports training website that pro-

vides users with custom workouts or the ability to create their own

through the video library. The site also supplies users with nutritional and

sports training information through multiple sources, including video,

news articles and discussion boards/chat rooms. WebFit Network enables

any user, including fitness centers and personal trainers, to create their

own space, or “Locker Room.” This can be either public or private through

password protection. Members of the locker room can upload and share

videos and pictures, use the chat/talk function and keep track of impor-

tant events through the Locker Room calendar. This allows fitness cen-

ters and training groups to create virtual meeting places and add value

to their clients and groups through interactive communication.

WebFit Network: 888 493-2348; www.webfitnetwork.com

FacilitysoundsystemThe Whole House FM

Transmitter can broad-

cast TV, satellite, Inter-

net radio, music or any other audio directly to members’ FM radios. The

transmitter works with any audio source, and comes with cables to match

any 3.5 millimeter audio out jack or standard RCA jack. Simply plug in

the audio cable and the power cord. Fitness centers can transmit seven

different FM frequencies, giving listeners a choice of audio. (One trans-

mitter, about the size of a deck of cards, is needed for each frequency.)

Transmits in stereo on the public FM band (between 106.7 to 107.9). It

broadcasts a minimum range of about 12 feet in all directions.

TAW Global: 269 382-0932; www.wholehousefmtransmitter.com


Classifieds


ABC Financial Services Inc. 2 (800) 622-6290 www.abcfinancial.com

AFAA 23 (877) 968-7263 www.afaa.com

Affiliated Acceptance Corp. 20 (800) 233-8483 www.affiliated.org

ASF International 4-5 (800) 227-3859 www.asfinternational.com

Athletic Business Conference 59 (800) 722-8764 www.athleticbusinessconference.com

Balanced Body Inc. Insert (800) 745-2837 www.pilates.com

Balanced Body Inc. 83 (800) 745-2837 www.pilates.com

BSDI 17 (888) 273-4348 www.bsdiweb.com

C.H.E.K. Institute 63 (800) 552-8789 www.chekinstitute.com

California University of PA 74 (866) 595-6348 www.cup.edu/go

CNL Financial Group 51 (800) 522-8363 www.cnl.com

Coatings Specialist Group 55 (888) 510-2847 www.csgsport.com

Concept2 Inc. 30 (800) 245-5676 www.concept2.com

Conexion 25 (800) 780-0115 www.conexionllc.com

Dri-Dek 65 (800) 847-9341 www.dri-dek.com

efi Sports Medicine 21 (800) 541-4900 www.efisportsmedicine.com

Electronic Billing and Collecting Services 74 (800) 766-1918 www.achbilling.com

Exerflex 62 (800) 428-5306 www.exerflex.com

Extractor Corp. 29 (800) 553-3353 www.suitmate.com

Fitness Equipment Source 22 (800) 748-5125 www.fitnessequipmentsource.com

Fitness Management Magazine 78 (800) 722-8764 www.fitnessmanagement.com

Hoist Fitness Systems 9 (800) 548-5438 www.hoistfitness.com

InnovaTech Software 65 (800) 275-8636 www.innovatechsoftware.com

International Council on Active Aging 49 (866) 335-9777 www.icaa.cc

Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 26 (800) 486-5643 www.pearsonvue.com/acsm

National Federation of Personal Trainers 19 (800) 729-6378 www.nfpt.com

OPTP 27 (800) 367-7393 www.optp.com

Orthometrix Inc. 73 (877) 249-4229 www.orthometrix.net

Pneumex 64 (800) 447-5792 www.pneumex.com

Power Plate 31 (877) 87-PLATE www.powerplate.com

Power Systems Inc. 16 (800) 321-6975 www.power-systems.com

Pugliese Insurance Services 75 (800) 664-5489 www.apinsuranceservices.com

RenoSys Corp. 63 (800) 783-7005 www.renosys.com

Spermies 75 (800) 578-1470

Sports & Fitness Insurance Corp. 6 (800) 844-0536 www.sportsfitness.com

SportsArt Fitness 3 (800) 709-1400 www.sportsartfitness.com

SPORTSMITH 18 (800) 713-2880 www.sportsmith.net

Star Trac 84 (800) 228-6635 www.startrac.com

Stott Pilates 11 (800) 910-0001 www.stottpilates.com

Tepromark International 70 (800) 645-2622 www.tepromark.com

The Cooper Institute 70 (800) 635-7050 www.cooperinst.org

Supplier IndexCompany Page Phone Website

w w w . f i t n e s s m a n a g e m e n t . c o m F I T N E S S M A N A G E M E N T • M A R C H 2 0 0 7 79 80 F I T N E S S M A N A G E M E N T • M A R C H 2 0 0 7 w w w . f i t n e s s m a n a g e m e n t . c o m

What’s Next

• Supplier Listings by Product,Brand Name and Company

No matter what supplier or product you’re

looking for, you’ll find it here. Thousands of list-

ings are provided in an easy-to-use format. Look

up a company name alphabetically, or find a

product by looking up its brand name. Or, if you

just don’t know which companies to contact for

a particular product line, we have them organ-

ized by product categories.

• Certification, Training andProfessional Associations

When you and/or your staff need training, our

certification and training sections in the Buyer’s

Guide offer a complete list of resources, from col-

lege and university degree programs to certifica-

tion organizations. Also, our list of industry

associations will put you in touch with all of the

industry information you need, from health club

associations to aquatics, recreational, spa

and medical associations.

• Articles IndexFitness Management magazine’s articles

are sorted by topic for the past three years so

you can find the information you need to run

your business.

• Client HandoutsEach month, Fitness Management pro-

vides readers with a one-page client hand-

out that you can copy and distribute to your

members. We’ve compiled them here for

easy access.

• Calendar of EventsLooking for a place to network, attend

seminars and see all of the latest products and

programs? All of the major industry trade shows

and conferences are listed in this easy-to-locate

listing by dates.

FM’S ANNUAL BUYER’S GUIDE!

WHAT’S COMING IN FM IN APRIL?


Events

March2-4Columbus, OH

GNCArnold Classic614 431-3600www.arnoldclassic.com

3Mayfield Village, OH

Resist-A-BallYoga with Resist-A-Ball800 321-6975www.resistaball.com

3Morgantown, WV

AquaticTherapy& Rehab InstituteProfessional Development Day866 462-2874www.atri.org

13-17Baltimore, MD

American Alliance forHealth, Physical Education,Recreation & DanceNational Convention & Exposition800 213-7193www.aahperd.org

21-24Dallas, TX

American College of Sports Medicine11th Annual Health and Fitness Summit & Exposition317 637-9200, ext. 138www.acsm.org

28San Francisco, CA

Body Training SystemsBusiness of BTS800 729-7837www.bodytrainingsystems.com

28-31San Francisco, CAInternational Health, Racquet& Sportsclub Association26th Annual Convention & Trade Show800 228-4772www.ihrsa.org

28-31San Francisco, CA

American Journal of Health Promotion17th Annual Art and Science ofHealth Promotion Conference248 682-0707www.healthpromotionconference.org

Apr 1Pittsfield, MA

Resist-A-BallAbs and Strong Back;Cardio/Strength Interval800 321-6975www.resistaball.com

Apr 12-15Tempe, AZ

Waterworks On WheelsFitnessFest480 461-3888www.waterworksonwheels.com

Apr 19-22Chicago, IL

IDEAHealth & FitnessAssociationFitness Fusion800 999-4332, ext. 7www.ideafit.com/fusion/index.asp

Apr 23-29National

Medical Fitness AssociationMedical Fitness Week804 327-0330www.medicalfitness.org

May 14-16San Diego, CA

Fitness Industry Supplier’sAssociation–N.A.Program Director Forum858 509-0034www.fisana.org

May 16-17Washington, DC

International Health, Racquet& Sportsclub Association5th Annual Legislative Summit800 228-4772www.ihrsa.org

May 17-19Hartford, CT

Body Training SystemsBusiness of BTS& Hartford Summit800 729-7837, ext. 294www.bodytrainingsystems.com

May 30-Jun 2New Orleans, LA

American College of Sports Medicine54th Annual Meeting317 637-9200, ext. 138www.acsm.org

Jun 6-9Orlando, FL

Club IndustryEast800 927-5007www.clubindustryshow.com/east/

Jun 11-13Las Vegas, NV

Sporting GoodsManufacturers AssociationSpring Market781 535-5117www.sgmamarkets.com

Jul 5-9San Diego, CA

IDEA Health & Fitness AssociationWorld Fitness Convention800 999-4332, ext. 7www.ideafit.com/world/index.asp

Aug 6-10Wellesley, MA

International Health, Racquet& Sportsclub Association19th Annual Institute forProfessional Club Management800 228-4772www.ihrsa.org

Sep 4-7Las Vegas, NV

International Health, Racquet& Sportsclub Association3rd Annual Club BusinessEntrepreneur Conference800 228-4772www.ihrsa.org

Sep 5-7Las Vegas, NV

Wally Boyko Productions26th Annual National Fitness Trade Show541 830-0400www.msfitness.com

Sep 7-9Palm Springs, CA

IDEA Health & Fitness AssociationInner IDEA Conference800 999-4332, ext. 7w2.inneridea.com/

UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS

Events listed on this page are national annual meetings and major

monthly industry events. For a complete listing of year-round and recur-

ring events, refer to our online calendar on the FitnessManagement.com

website (www.fitnessmanagement.com/FM/information/calendar/).

• To be listed on this page and in the online events calendar, send the

name, date and city of the event, and contact name, telephone, email and

web address to: Fitness Management Events Calendar, P.O. Box 409,

Danville, PA 17821; [email protected]; or to 570 271-1201.

• For additional information: [email protected];

570 271-9001.


Facility Spotlight BY ANNE B. MCDONNELL, SENIOR EDITOR

FOR PEOPLE who live and/orwork in New York City, it isn’t easymaking time for a round of golf orhitting a bucket of balls at lunch.Drive 495 understands that, andcreated a niche fitness facilityaimed specifically at urban golfers.Conceived with both city golfersand fitness devotees in mind, Drive495 is a luxury fitness facility,located at 495 Broadway in New

York, N.Y. At the facil-ity, members areoffered year-roundgolf training and inte-grated workouts usingthe latest technology.

The facility is thebrainchild of Donand Joseph Saladino.Don, who has manyyears of experience asa personal trainer inNew York City, andJoseph, who hasplayed in professionaland amateur golf

tournaments around the world,combined their backgrounds tocreate a unique facility that catersto golfers who want that compet-itive edge.

The golf staff is supervised andtrained by Robert Baker andGrant Hepburn, founders of theLogicalgolf method. Baker offersprivate lessons to members usinggolf simulators and a 3D imagingsystem. “The Logicalgolf methodis so visual, it’s perfectly suited tolessons and practice with the sim-ulators,” says Baker.

Some of Drive’s trainers have aPh.D. and publications to theircredit. All have top credentials andyears of experience. In collabora-tion with Drive’s golf professionals,the club’s trainers develop individ-ual programs for members, pin-pointing weaknesses and tailoring

workouts to enhancegolf performance, aswell as improve over-all fitness.“It’s not justabout how far youcan hit the ball,” saysDon. “It’s aboutrebuilding movementand total fitness. Thisis a club for peoplewho really wantsomething to showfor their workout andtraining. We’re here tomake [members]stronger, to make[them] better players,and be here for[them] when [they]can’t be on the range.”

Three golf simula-tors register, recordand replay each swingusing the real-time 6-Degrees of MotionCapture System tomeasure variablessuch as club and ball speed, launchangle and ball trajectory. Memberscan choose from 31 premium golfcourses around the world, includ-ing Pebble Beach’s Spyglass Hilland Casa de Campo’s Teeth of theDog. The simulator system alsoalerts members when friends logon from other simulators, signal-ing an invitation to play a virtualround of golf. Up to four peopleon each simulator can play a gamefrom within the club.

The golf studio’s AIM-3Dimaging system uses four sensors(placed on the body and the club)and electromagnetic technologythat tracks motion from multipleangles. It then analyzes the fourkey points in a golf swing, zero-ing in on deficiencies such as weakhip muscles and problems withrotation or balance. A 10-page

report, generated by computerfrom the data, helps the golf prosand fitness trainers to create cus-tomized, integrated workouts foreach member.

“[Members] do their … train-ing here, and not on the golfcourse,” says Joe Saladino. “If youtake five days off — or the wholewinter — and then pick up aclub, you’ll be rusty. That’s wherethis place comes in. With moreopportunities for practice, themoves become automatic, storedin muscle memory. You can startthe season off with your gameintact. Our members can forge arelationship with one of our sixpros. They can stay with thesame instructor, who will get toknow them, practice with themall year round and follow theirprogress.” FM

A golf/fitness facility has

found a niche that works

in the Big Apple.

Bridging the Golf/Fitness Gap

Drive 495New York, N.Y.212 334-9537www.driveclubs.comDate facility opened: May 2006Facility size: 15,000 square feet,including 5,000-square-footgolf studioNumber of members: 200Unique features/offerings: Three pri-vate golf simulators, staff-to-guestratio of 2 to 1, juice bar, severalplasma televisions, changingrooms with steam rooms, Egypt-ian cotton towels, products byFresh and two lounges (one oneach level)

To have your fitness center featured,

send an email describing your facility

to [email protected]

Introducing HumanSport™. Star Trac’s 2-in-1 functional training system.

The fastest growing company in commercial fitness equipment is pushing

performance even further with best-in-class functional training

equipment. HumanSport’s attractive and smooth operating machines

offer 12 intuitive workout stations. That means the most efficient

use of floor space for you and unlimited exercise and training

options for your members and trainers. For more on this rock solid

6 pack, call 800 228 6635 Dept. 1009 or visit www.startrac.com.

©2007 Star Trac. All rights reserved. HumanSport, the HumanSport logo and Designed to Inspire are trademarks of Star Trac.

Documents

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