December 2008 Club Business International

> December 2008 46 Les Mills’ Magic

52 Fitness Assessments

57 IHRSA Profiles ’08

70 The HR Revolution

83 F.I.T. Ellipticals ®

Club business InternatIonal

Strata-gy For Success Strata-gy For Success

AnAStASiA YuSinA’S StrAtA PArtnerS iS one oF ruSSiA’S FASteSt-growing chAinS

AnAStASiA YuSinA’S StrAtA PArtnerS iS one oF ruSSiA’S FASteSt-growing chAinS

www.cybexintl.com

So, finally, after two interminable years, after count-less speeches, debates, and town hall meetings, and after all the mind-numbing exchanges between the media pundits, we have a new president-elect: Barack Hussein Obama.

I would like to suggest at the outset—not in the spirit of biparti-sanship, but, rather, of nonpartisanship—that both Obama and Senator John McCain, as well as the millions who supported the two men, were driven by the same noble cause: Both of them, and all of them, wished America well.

Now that the race is over, that’s good enough for me.And, now that the choice has been made, the decision reached,

we can turn our attention from seductive theoretical to constructive pragmatic matters. What has the presidential campaign meant to, and what might an Obama presidency mean for, our own little piece of the national business?

Well, it’s good to note that, like his predecessor, President Bush, Obama has long pursued a healthy, physically active lifestyle, and, to boot, has made good use of IHRSA resources: Bush’s personal

physician was Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, the founder of the Cooper Clinic, in Dallas, and Barack and Michelle Obama belong to The East Bank Club, in Chicago. Barack, in fact, relaxed with a game of basketball at East Bank on November 4, in what’s become an election-day tradition for him.

Testifying to his physical fitness, Men’sHealth magazine recently designated Obama one of its 20 role models. In the accompanying article, he made his commitment clear: “Most of my workouts have to come before my day starts,” he said. “There’s always a tradeoff between sleep and work-ing out. Usually, I get in about 45 minutes, six days a week. I’ll lift one day and do cardio the next.”

An exemplar of this sort is a priceless asset, particularly at a time when, given, among other things, epidemic obesity and explosive healthcare costs, the nation’s fitness is as fragile as its fiscal well-being. Our industry will certainly be negligent if it doesn’t find imaginative, dignified, and compelling ways to lever-age this tacit presidential endorsement of the services it provides.

Having a friend, as well as a client, in the White House, combined with a Congressional majority comprised of the same party, might also lead to a breakthrough with respect to the passage of two IHRSA-backed bills: the Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act and the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act.

The inauguration of a new president, like the advent of a new year, dramatically suggests the tantalizing promise inherent in new beginnings. The tasks and triumphs to come may be imperceptible, amorphous, unknown, but they are, nonetheless, exciting and inspiring.

Obama and McCain have reminded us, in a visceral way, that change—good change, positive change—is possible and to be sought. And, for that, we owe both a debt of gratitude. —|

– Craig R. Waters, [email protected]

| Editor’s Welcome |The mission of IHRSA is to grow, protect, and promote the industry, and to provide its members with benefits that will help them be more successful.

Publishing

Editor-In-Chief: Craig R. Waters

Publisher: Jay M. Ablondi

Managing Editor: Rebecca K. Maverick

Editor: Jennifer H. McInerney

Associate Editor: Patricia Glynn

Contributing Editors: Dawn Allcot, Patricia Amend, Phoebe Anderson, Jon Feld, Julie M. King, Catherine Larner, Lesley Mahoney, Jean Suffin, Stephen Wallenfels, Kristen A. Walsh

Advertising, www.cbimediakit.com

Associate Vice President of Advertising: Michele Eynon

Senior Account Manager: Jessica Gutstein

Advertising Account Executives: Donna Garrity, Christine Paterson

Advertising Business Development: William Finn

Marketing Coordinator: Katie Noonan

Advertising/Circulation Coordinator: Megan Horr

Art Direction, Design, Production: HM Studios, Boston, MA

Club business internAtionAl editoriAl & Advertising offiCes:c/o ihrsA seaport Center 70 fargo street, boston, MA 02210 usA800-228-4772 usA & Canada 617-951-0055 | 617-951-0056 fAXe-mail: [email protected] www.ihrsa.org

to order reprints of articles, call 800-228-4772 ext. 192 or visit www.ihrsa.org/cbi

Club business international (issn 1043-9692, usPs 766-570) is published monthly ©2008 by the international health, racquet & sportsclub Association, seaport Center 70 fargo street, boston, MA 02210. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at boston, Massachusetts, and additional mailing offices. Canadian sales Agreement #40767601.subscription rate for members is $48 per year, which is included in the dues. Additional subscrip-tions $24.95 per year (usA) and $75 (international). PostMAster: Please send change of address to Club business international, c/o ihrsA, seaport Center 70 fargo street, boston, Massachusetts 02210

Volume 28, Issue 12

Kerry b

rett

6 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g

®

40 Strata-gy For SuccessAnastasia Yusina, the founder and CEO of Strata Partners, has created not just one, but two of Russia’s most dynamic and successful club brands—OrangeFitness, an upscale business model, and CityFitness, a more affordable concept. She’s brought 36 corporate-owned and franchised facilities online in just seven years and isn’t slowing down: she expects to nearly double that number by 2010.

46 Les Mills’ MagicGroup-ex programs more valuable than ever

52 Assessment AssetFitness testing increases profit potential

57 IHRSA Profiles ’08Special excerpt: detailed industry overview

64 Props EmpowermentAccessories generate group-ex excitement

70 The HR Revolution21st-century finding, hiring, and managing

Anastasia Yusina has created two beautiful brands 40 46


CONtENtS | DecembeR 08

CLub buSInESSINtERNAtIONAL

Features

Some 5 million people enjoy Les Mills’ programs

Above (right): les Mills international

11535

19Aussies access Virgin Active

O2 Max steps up to success

Fitness Ridge for Life Fitness

News & Know How 17 news Here and now: a new LaLanne debuts;

doctors market weight loss; Virgin gets Active in Australia; HHS releases activity guidelines; clubs tap obesity opportunity; all Americans overweight by ’48; Health-works goes green incrementally; Chris Evert still scoring on and off court

33 First Person Industry veteran Gary Knill is blazing

trails and breaking new ground as the CEO of Fitness First Middle East

35 On The Move Industry movers and shakers: Kaplan and

Kersh acquired; titan Fitness takes Gold’s awards; Club One first choice of Chevron; Parisi empowers Old town and MVP; Companhia Athletica leverages losses

Innovations 77 What’s new the newest from Concept2, Egoscue,

Harbinger, Power Systems, and more

83 FIT Extra Elliptical machines are gaining ground on

treadmills’ No. 1 cardio-popularity standing

102 IHRSA 2009 Preview Our convention experts explain how to

get the most out of IHRSA ’09

IHRSA Report 107 First Set A first-hand account of European Congress

108 In brief Update on the President’s Council on

Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS)

111 Club Advisor Dan Pace and Paul Bosley, of First Financial,

offer ‘capital’ tips in challenging times

113 Member news

119 Calendar

Reps 6 Editor’s

Welcome

12 Ihrsa.org

14 Letters

120 Marketplace

123 Ad Index

124 Last Rep to help lead our

industry forward, join the Industry Leadership Council (ILC), suggests IHRSA President and CEO Joe Moore


CONtENtS | DecembeR 08

CLub buSInESSINtERNAtIONAL

Departments

A PREVIEW OF WHAt’S NEW tHIS MONtH ON WWW.IHRSA.ORG

Last chance to Help Your members Lose It!> www.ihrsa.org/ilostitattheclub

IHRSA is pleased to announce the fifth annual edition of I Lost It at the Club!, which will take place from January 5 through March 2. I Lost It at the Club! is a motivational weight-loss program that will help you educate, recruit, and retain members during the year’s peak selling season. For the past four years, the program has been highly successful at IHRSA-member clubs across the country. Last year, a total of 11,128 participants lost over 36,500 pounds! Additionally, seven facilities each won $500 in IHRSA Bucks for their involvement in the program. —|

For more information or to enroll, visit www.ihrsa.org/ilostitattheclub.

December Is Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month > www.ihrsa.org/tips

the Federal trade Commission (FtC) estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you know may well have experienced some form of identity theft.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person’s personal identification information, such as a name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without permission, to perpetrate fraud or other crimes. While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and many days repairing damage to their good name and credit record. Some consumers who find themselves victimized by identity theft may lose out on job opportunities or be denied loans for education, housing, or

cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.

December is Identity theft Prevention and Awareness Month, and it’s an ideal time to educate your employees and members about the steps they can take to avoid becoming victims. —|

Log on to www.ihrsa.org/tips to read IHRSA’s free Tip on this topic, titled “Personal Information: Protecting it in the Health club Setting.”

Visit the New Wellness Resource Center> www.ihrsa.org/

wellnessresourcecenter

IHRSA’s updated Wellness Resource Center features 12 all-new health topics, as well as updated research and content. this tool will help fitness professionals motivate their members with up-to-date, accurate information about exercise, as well as disease-prevention or treatment that affects them and their loved ones. Additionally, it will help attract the attention of prospective members, who may need help starting out on the road to a healthy lifestyle. —|

Visit the new IHRSA Wellness Resource center at www.ihrsa.org/wellnessresourcecenter.


ihrsa.org

| Letters |

Scandinavian Appreciation

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell the world about SATS in the September issue of CBI (see “Nordic Market Maker,” pg. 34). We were a little surprised to be chosen for the cover story, but we consider it a great honor. The article definitely put SATS on the map! I very much appreciate it.

I’d also like to tell your readers that I recently had the opportunity to visit the IHRSA headquarters in Boston. The trip was very valuable to me. I learned a lot about IHRSA, which truly is a great organization. I also found it very rewarding to participate in the third annual IHRSA University, which was held in Barcelona this past June. —|

Dag Lee | Deputy CEO | SATS | Loerenskog, Norway


| Letters |

Highlights from the Summit> I can honestly say that, of all the events our organization participates in, the IHRSA Legislative Summit is the most empowering and inspiring. From the members of Congress, to their staffs, to Melissa Johnson, of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, to the other industry profes-sionals—I was invigorated to help enact positive health change in our country.

I was scared and excited to go to our first appointment on Capitol Hill. As a first-timer, I was concerned about saying anything that might hurt IHRSA, the cause, or my colleagues. However, I soon realized that we are the experts in our field, and we have to speak up for positive change and learn enough about the legislative process to do so effectively.

the most successful part of our trip came after a personal meeting with Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf; he agreed to sponsor the WHIP Act, and we were all thrilled that our efforts had made an impact. Yvonne Landis, Austin Johns, my business partner Michelle Guenther, and I all had a small part in obtaining that sponsorship, and I know that, with more IHRSA members involved, we can do even more!

Another wonderful thing about the trip was meeting other industry professionals. Getting to know Julie Main, the former president of IHRSA and general partner of the West Coast Athletic Clubs, was a highlight for me. I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer, and Julie inspired me with her own story about being a cancer survivor, as well as everything her organization does for that cause. I listened in awe and got ideas about things to bring back to our club; the experience also heightened my understanding of why legislation supporting access to health and fitness is so important.

I encourage everyone to discover the IHRSA Legislative Summit for themselves. We already make a positive impact on our members’ lives every day, but we can do even more for others and our fellow industry professionals. We live in a country where this change is possible. —|

Amy Kelly | CEO | Trinity Fitness + Spa | Dulles, VA

Editor’s Note: Letters may have been edited for reasons of space or clarity.

How to Write: If you would like to submit a letter for publication, please address it to CBI c/o IHRSA, Seaport Center, 70 Fargo St., Boston, MA 02210, or e-mail [email protected].

w w w . i h r s a . o r g | D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 | C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l 15


At this year’s Can-Fit-Pro Consumer Fitness and Wellness Show in Toronto, STOTT PILATES staged the largest-ever Pilates session— with 623 participants—and broke the Guinness World Record for a class of this kind. The record-breaking 30-minute workout was led by Moira Merrithew, STOTT PILATES’ cofounder and executive director of education.—|

News & Know Hownews 17 | First Person 33 | On the Move 35

sven frenzel, svenfrenzel.com

| News & Know How | news

Virgin Active raises the stakes down underContinues its worldwide expansion plans

The Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson’s multinational multi-industry entity, will introduce its

fitness brand, Virgin Active, to Australia this month, with the opening of its first club in Sydney. A second facility is expected to make its debut in Melbourne early next year.

Since its inception in 1999, Virgin Active has grown to encompass more than 170 clubs with over 900,000 members in the U.K., Italy, Spain, Portugal, and South Africa. In 2007, the chain generated $658 million in revenues and $152 million in profits.

“Virgin Active will redefine the gym experience in Australia with world-class facilities, a friendly, welcoming environ-

ment, and that great-value-for-money and customer service that people have come to expect from Virgin,” Mark Black-man, the managing director for Virgin Active Australia, told Inside Retailing.

The new Australian clubs will reflect Virgin Active’s signature holistic approach to health and fitness, featuring, among other amenities, 25-meter pools, studios for mind-body classes, and spas. “The Virgin Active brand is already well known and loved by Australians, and I know people will enjoy getting fit and active the Virgin way,” observed Branson, the CEO and chairman of the Virgin Group.

Virgin Active also has plans to open locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). —|

Mark blackman, managing director, Virgin Active Australia, with staffers nadia Jakobi, l., and Georgina McKinnon

A Healthy-Profit PrescriptionDoctors now offer weight-loss plans

> For physicians, a diet plan could be the ideal prescription—with respect to both their patients’ health and their practices’ bottom line. Many medical professionals are now expanding their businesses to include a weight-loss program.

Dr. Mark Pinsky, who has an office in Viera, Florida, recently opened the Pinsky Medical Weight Loss Clinic. Working with a physiologist and nutritionist, Pinsky offers clients customized diet and exercise plans, which are updated on a weekly basis. “It’s a scientifically based lifestyle plan that emphasizes the importance of fitness,” he tells CBI.

the American Board of Bariatric Medicine, a certification board for doctors involved in the medical management of obesity, reports that the number of physicians who took the national exam to qualify them as weight-loss experts increased by 50% during the past year.

Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., a tampa-based research firm, predicts that, despite the current economic downturn, the weight-loss sector will see its profits increase by 6% per year until 2010. the forecast seems sound given the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nation’s authority on health matters, reports that, worldwide, more than 1 billion adults are over-weight; 300 million of that number are classified as clinically obese. —|

w w w . i h r s a . o r g | D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8


If people are wise, the current economic climate could, in fact, drive more prospects to clubs’ doors and prompt current members to remain. Two new surveys confirm that financial uncertainty is

having a serious impact on the public’s well-being: One, conducted by CIGNA, a global health-service company, reveals that one-third of Americans say the economy is affecting their health; another, by the ComPsych Corp., a provider of employee-assistance programs, indicates than 92% of them are losing sleep worrying about it.

A proven remedy for stress-induced problems: a program of regular exercise.

Rudy Nydegger, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Union College, in Schenectady, New York, recently told CBS6-TV, in Albany, that, given the financial turmoil, people should definitely “get more exercise.” Nydegger, the author of Understanding and Treating Depression: Ways to Find Hope and Health, also indicated that, for those anxious to cut costs, canceling a club membership was a “big mistake, big mistake… Look at the cost of joining,” he advised. “The trade-off is, two times a week, you take your lunch instead of buying your lunch—that’s paid for the gym.” —|

As Stress levels rise…So, too, does the value of club services

Striving to be stress-free

riding the Wall Street roller CoasterPublic club companies post up-and-down 3Q results

> Rising economic uncertainty and a decline in consumer spending took a toll on the third-quarter results of the two major publicly held U.S. club companies: Life time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: LtM), based in Chanhas-sen, Minnesota; and town Sports International Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLUB), based in New York City.

Life time Fitness (LtF) reported solid increases on the operational side: Revenues for the quarter were $198.8 million, up 17.3% from the same quarter in 2007; net income was $21.6 million (+17.6%); and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBItDA) were $61.2 million (+16%). Similarly strong increases were posted for the first nine months of ’08, compared to the same period in ’07.

the company’s stock, however, was pum-meled by unease in the financial markets. In the final days of October, its stock was trading at $18.22, far below its 52-week high of $61.85 (its 52-week low had been $16.00). the fact that the share price dropped below a predeter-mined benchmark obliged founder and CEO Bahram Akradi to sell 582,000 shares of his own holdings, valued at about $11 million, to satisfy obligations to financial institutions that had provided margin loans to him. Approximately 3.5 million shares of his shares remain subject to similar pledges.

“I continue to have confidence in the long-term prospect of Life time Fitness,” Akradi affirmed in a conference call.

town Sports International (tSI) also reported some increases, but saw its net income drop significantly. For 3Q ’08, it had revenues of $128.1 million (+7.8% over the same quarter in ’07); and EBItDA of $25.6 million (+1.4%); but its net earnings fell from $5.1 million in 3Q ’07 to $3.8 million for the quarter in ’08 (-24.3%). As with LtF, its stock price also suffered. In late October, it was trading at $2.29; its 52-week high had been $15.47, and its previous 52-week low, $2.71. —|


An intense exercise in economics

The same economic environment that challenged many club companies also produced a mixed bag of third-quarter

results for three major fitness-equipment manufac-turers: Cybex International, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYBI); the Life Fitness division of the Brunswick Corpora-tion (NYSE: BC); and Precor, a division of the Amer Sports Corporation (NASDAQ: OMX Helsinki).For 3Q 2008, Cybex had net sales of $35.8 mil-lion, up 10% over the same quarter in 2007; John Aglialoro>

in Memoriam: ben Weider> benjamin Weider, cofounder and longtime president of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, died in October. He was 85 years old.

He and his brother, Joe, who built the Weider Health and Fitness publishing empire, are considered pioneers in the bodybuilding and fitness worlds.

together, they founded the federation, in 1946, and Ben served as its president and champion until 2006. During that time, he traveled the world, promoting the sport and establishing branches of the federation in about 180 countries.

“It’s largely through Ben’s efforts that bodybuilding was legitimized around the world,” Mike Steere, the author of the Weiders’ biography, Brothers of Iron, told The New York Times.

His goal was to raise the profile of bodybuilding to Olympic sport status. In 1998, after more than 50 years of persistent appeals on Ben’s part, the International Olympic Committee finally granted bodybuilding provisional status as an Olympic sport.

“the biggest hurdle in getting bodybuilding accepted as an Olympic sport has been the misconception that bodybuilders do not have any skills and do not participate in a sport,” Weider

said in a 2001 interview with Rob Wilkins. “It took a long time for me to convince them that bodybuilders have many skills, even more than other athletes.”

the brothers were also responsible for creating the first Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest, in 1965, and the Ms. Olympia competition, in 1980.

One of the Weider brothers’ perhaps most notable contributions to bodybuilding was bringing Arnold Schwarzenegger to California, from Austria, in 1968. For Schwarzenegger, at the time an unknown, fledgling bodybuilder, the Weiders’ assis-tance “was a very important stepping stone for me,” he told the Associated Press.

Ben was the recipient of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest honor, in 1975, and the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor, in 2000. He was also a 1984 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. —|

but its net income fell from $4.6 million in 3Q ’07 to just $300,000 in 3Q ’08. The dramatic shift was attributed, in part, to developments having to do with the firm’s deferred tax valuation allowance; pretax charges relating to the relocation of a factory; equipment-repair charges; and asset write-downs.

“We’re pleased that we were able to eke out a small profit on increased revenues for the third quarter,” Chairman and CEO John Aglialoro said in a conference call to analysts. The global marketplace is currently gripped with… fear or uncertainty, but we’re bringing in orders.”

Life Fitness also posted an increase in sales and reduction in profits. For the quarter, it had sales of $161.6 million, an 8% increase over 3Q ’07; operating earnings of $10.3 million (-12.7%); and operating margins of 6.4% (-19%). Precor, for its part, saw both sales and profitability slide: for the quarter, it had net sales of $70.1 million in local currencies, down 24% from 3Q ’07; and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of $3.6 million (-65%). —|


Queen to Reign over buckingham Palace fitness Center> At the age of 82, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II continues to hold the benefits of an active lifestyle in high esteem. that’s why she’s given the royal go-ahead to what the international press describes as a “five-star gym” for the 450-strong staff at Buckingham Palace in London.

the palace’s first-ever fitness suite, which will be staffed by a personal trainer, will include top-of-the-line treadmills, cross trainers, cycles, a rowing machine, and a multi gym, as well as showers and locker rooms. the royal campus already includes squash and tennis courts. Also, Windsor Castle, one of the Queen’s official residences, has a private, on-premises golf course.

A “senior royal source” told London’s Daily Mail: “the Queen prides herself on being a top-class employer” and wanted to offer her staff “the kind of perks that they would find at other large companies.”

the gym is expected to be completed by this spring, at no cost to taxpayers. It’s being paid for out of the Buckingham Palace Staff Welfare Fund, which is supported by donations from staff members as well as the Queen herself. —|


<An intense exercise in economics

ben Weider

Royal approval: Queen Elizabeth II at LC2 Leisure Center, Swansea

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Precor divests clubcom componentEntertainment/advertising arm acquired by Zoom Media & Marketing

> Recently, Zoom Media & Marketing, a provider of out-of-home media and promotional programs for brand adver-tisers in the U.S. and Canada, acquired ClubCom, the customized digital media network for the fitness and bowling industries, from Precor, Inc.

ClubCom, a part of Precor’s Fitness Division since 2004, has a presence in more than 1,600 sites worldwide, including ones in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan, and Australia. It broadcasts customized music-video programming, television advertising, digital signage communications, and site-specific content via overhead video displays, central sound sys-tems, and personalized tV screens attached to fitness equipment.

ClubCom will continue to function under its current name, and no changes in management or staffing levels are anticipated. Zoom Media, based in Manhattan, currently operates more than 1,250 digital billboards and more than 55,000 traditional billboards in over 8,500 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

“Integrating ClubCom’s entertain-ment systems into our equipment has allowed us to create an enhanced experience for our gym customers and their members, and we look forward to working with Zoom to continue to bring this type of innova-tion to the industry,” says Paul Byrne, the president of Precor, which is based in Woodinville, Washington. —|

Launching a fitness club business might come somewhat naturally if your great uncle is, say, the

Godfather of Fitness. Chris LaLanne, the grand-nephew

of exercise pioneer Jack LaLanne, is continuing the family tradition of helping consumers discover the benefits of physi-cal exercise. Some 70 years after his uncle inspired baby-boomer-generation television viewers to get off their couches and move, the younger LaLanne recently opened LaLanne Fitness in the South of Market section of San Francisco.

“The method of training that I use now is very similar to the one that Jack has been utilizing and recommending to people for many, many years,” LaLanne tells CBI. LaLanne, who has a degree in kinesiology, didn’t seek a lot of advice from Uncle Jack along the way—he didn’t really need to, he main-tains. “My plan was to educate myself and acquire as much experience as I could using his message to shape my own philosophy and brand of fitness.”

Of course, it didn’t hurt having the 93-year-old, world-famous dynamo by his side at the club’s grand opening,

christening the new facility and posing for photos with fans. The 2,500-square-foot LaLanne Fitness center consists of one large room containing functional equipment, including free weights, pull-up bars, dumbbells, bar bells, medicine balls, jump ropes, and plyometric boxes. For cardio training, the club offers rowing machines only.

Like his great uncle, LaLanne is a believer in simplicity in terms of workouts. His facility is an official CrossFit club, featuring a strength and conditioning system that’s based on functional, constantly varied move-ments executed at high intensity. The method doesn’t require a lot of equip-ment and encourages group workouts.

“I’m thrilled and excited about being able to teach CrossFit in the city of San Francisco,” says LaLanne. “It allows me to help more people help themselves.”

Apparently, he’s not the only fan of the approach. LaLanne Fitness has already established itself as the fastest-growing CrossFit affiliate in the country. —|

.comto get a better sense of how Chris LaLanne is utilizing CrossFit, log on to www.lalannefitness.com

Carrying on the LaLanne LegacyFitness guru’s grand-nephew joins the family business

Chris LaLanne, c., with club members

Maribel lalanne

>

chris evert, who dominated tennis courts worldwide in the ’70s and ’80s, continues to impress and inspire. Her personal and professional activities, ongoing involvement in tennis, and unwavering commitment to a healthy lifestyle make her an exemplar to millions—and CBI’s fitness role model of the month for December.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Evert first wielded a racquet at the age of six, and eventually achieved interna-tional fame as the No. 1 professional player from the United States.

this month, as she celebrates her 54th birthday, this dynamic 5'6", 130-pound powerhouse keeps busy as a wife, mother, charity fund-raiser, and owner of the Evert tennis Academy, in Boca Raton, Florida. She continues to employ tennis as her principal form of cardiovascular conditioning, but, off the court, is a big fan of Pilates.

Her fitness regimen also includes yoga and regular

weight- lifting sessions.

“When you work out… and you’re feeling

strong—that’s when you’re most beautiful,”

she tells the Palm Beach Post. —|


Obesity crisis not bad for everyoneTwo fitness club companies identified as potential winners

> “Obesity and Investment Implications” is the provocative title of a comprehensive new report compiled by Credit Suisse, the international financial-services group. the exhaustive 185-page document notes that the current obesity epidemic not only poses significant public-health challenges, but also presents some industries with major business opportunities. Among the most promising sectors: food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, sports apparel, sporting-goods equipment, and, not surprisingly, health clubs.

the report specifically identifies Life time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: LtM), and town Sports International Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLUB), as two publicly held club companies that are likely to profit from the current excess-pounds predica-ment. According to Credit Suisse, Life time Fitness (LtF) and town Sports International (tSI) have both been successful in adjusting their business strategies to meet the needs of the growing overweight and obese popu-lation, and have found ways to capitalize on increased demand for healthy-lifestyle products and services.

“Life time Fitness is one of the few health centers that targets families and could benefit if the younger population

becomes more active,” the report observes. “As the company continues to grow units in new and existing markets, we believe it will achieve large market-share gains, as smaller-box fitness clubs are not likely to compete effectively with its high-quality facilities and services, in-center experience, and total value proposition.”

LtF, based in Chanhassen, Minnesota, operates 71 clubs with an average of 11,500 memberships per site. In 2007, it grew its annual revenues by 28.1%, to $655.8 million, with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBItDA) of $197.7 million (+ 32.7%).

Of tSI, Credit Suisse points out: “the company’s clustering strategy aims to offer convenience to its 400,000-plus members, who can sign up for mem-berships that permit access to all of its clubs.” tSI operates 162 fitness-only and multipurpose centers in metropoli-tan New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. In 2007, it had reve-nues of $479.2, a 9.2% increase, and EBItDA of $105.7 million (+10.4%). —|


Short takes | Fitness Role Model Chris Evert is Still Smashing

>Pursuing opportunities

Short takes | Vanity press:

A study recently released by the YMCA reveals that approximately 80% of women in the U.S. are unhappy with their physical appearance. Some 67% of those between the ages of 25 and 45 are attempting to lose weight, even though 53% of them are actually considered to be at a “healthy” weight. And, in addition, American women spend nearly $7 billion annually on beauty-enhancing products. —|

>

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>SIbec Scores in lone star state

Reports from the field indicate that SIBEC North America 2008, held earlier this year at the Westin Stonebriar Resort

in North Dallas, Texas, was an unprecedented success. The annual event attracted 60 leading club owners and operators who met in an intimate environment with key domestic and international industry suppliers.

Among the product and service categories represented were: apparel; free weights and fitness and balance-training equipment; lockers, flooring, and spa amenities; design, architectural, and consulting services; exercise, education, and certification programs; and financial and club-management software.

The prearranged 20-minute meetings between sellers and prospective buyers permitted partici-pants to network and discuss business in a relaxed and personal way that’s difficult to achieve at large conferences and trade shows.

“We feel that we achieved our goal of relation-ship-building, and, as a result, I’m very pleased with the fact that we’ve been invited by a signifi-cant number of attendees to continue with the relationship started at SIBEC,” attests Benson Fine, the CEO of Conexion, a club-management software firm based in Baltimore, Maryland. —|

.comFor more information about the SIBEC program, log on to www.sibecna.com.


It seems that we’ll never stop searching for the elusive “miracle pill”—you know, the one that makes us thin and fit without ever having to lift a finger or raise our heart rates. Now, researchers have discovered a combination of two substances that, when administered to sedentary mice, transforms them into high-endurance athletes, leading scientists to hypothesize about the implications for humans, both sedentary and active.

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, found that one drug, known as Aicar, increased the mice’s endurance on a tiny treadmill by 44% after four weeks of treatment. the addition of a second drug, GW1516, supercharged the mice to a 77% increase in endurance when combined with exercise.

the resulting formula, in effect, “tricks” the muscles into thinking that they’ve been worked and, therefore, generates more high-endur-ance fibers. the discovery may ultimately be helpful in treating adults with muscle diseases, such as atrophy and muscle frailty, as well as children with muscular dystrophy.

“Such a drug could postpone the loss of muscle and improve general physiology, helping people recover from disease more quickly, or prevent the worsening of disease,” Ronald M. Evans, Ph.D., a professor in the Salk Institute’s Gene Expression Laboratory, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

thus far, however, there’s been no evidence to suggest that the “miracle pill” works on humans. For now, the best formula for remaining fit and trim is—of course—regular exercise and a healthy diet. —|


Short takes | Scientists Pursue ‘Miracle Pill’ for Health and Fitness

| Obesity Update |

In Only 40 Years, All u.s. Adults Could be overweight> While the obesity epidemic may seem serious now, it becomes even more alarming when one considers where it’s heading. today, two-thirds of American adults already overweight or obese, and, according to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, it’s entirely possible that, within 40 years, every American adult could be overweight.

Demographic and trend data gathered over the past 30 years strongly suggest that U.S. obesity rates could reach an historic high of 51% by 2030, and continue to climb, conceivably hitting the ceiling—of something close to 100%—by 2048. “that is the direction we’re going,” Dr. Lan Liang, one of the researchers involved in the study, advised Reuters. “this is really intended as a wake-up call to show what could happen if nothing changes.” —|

A fat future?

By Jennifer H. McInerney

At the Healthworks Fitness centers for Women, a group of five clubs based in Boston, going green has been a gradual, but ever-expanding, process. It started, as many movements do, with a goal that, although modest, made a significant difference—for the environment, member satisfaction, and the chain’s bottom line.

“We wanted to reduce the amount of paper that we were consuming,” explains Hannah Kempski, Healthworks’ marketing director. “First, we ramped up our recycling efforts and, then, we redesigned our Website to include class schedules and other information that, previously, we’d distributed in paper form.”

the results? the company’s efforts have yielded a 45% reduction in printed materials across all five clubs, and it now recycles 750 pounds of paper, as well as 675 pounds of bottles and cans, each week.

In 2007, Healthworks introduced a “Greener” sub-brand, and added a new section, featuring green tips and educational information, to its Website. “From there,” says Kempski, “we increased what we were doing to include environmentally safe cleaning products, recycled toilet paper and paper towels, and strategic partnerships with like-minded, environmentally responsible companies.”

One of the first firms that it allied itself with was Whole Foods Market, a national chain of natural and organic grocery stores that has six locations in the Boston/Cambridge area. Health-works now sells reusable shopping bags that are cobranded, bearing both companies’ logos, and members receive a 5%

discount on their grocery purchases. As an added benefit, last October, Whole Foods held a “5% Day,” during which 5% of the day’s proceeds were donated to the Healthworks Fitness Foundation. the foundation, the company’s nonprofit arm, develops clubs and services for low-income communities; Whole Food’s donation allowed it to open its newest nonprofit facility in the Dorchester section of Boston.

Healthworks has also formed a strategic eco-partnership with Zipcar, a national car-sharing service that has a branch in the city. Members receive a $150 discount when they enroll, and about 250 members are currently making use of the program. “It’s environmentally friendly,” Kempski explains, “because it encourages members to carpool and to not drive so often.” —|

Please contact [email protected] with your ‘green’ initiatives.

| Green Scene |

gathering Green Allies


Typically, the beginning of the year is one of the busiest times for clubs, as people motivated by New Year’s resolutions to get in shape flock to join their local gyms. But, this summer, the Olympics spurred an equally significant

upsurge in memberships. Inspired by the skills of Michael Phelps, the unmatched record-breaking American swimmer, and Nastia Liukin, the all-around gold-medal gymnast from the U.S., many saw the Summer Games as an incentive to jumpstart their own fitness regimens.

The Aquazone fitness center in Warrnambool, Australia, was one of many clubs that saw a leap in memberships. During a one-week period following the Beijing Olympics, the club welcomed 77 new members. “It has far exceeded our expectations, relative to what new memberships would normally be in five days,” Manager Amanda Locke told the Warrnambool Standard. “Sometimes, people need an emotional trigger to start an exercise program, and that’s just what the Olympics are. Watching athletes perform well motivates the average citizen to start exercising.” —|

the inspirational Power of the Olympic Dream


Phelps in action

Masakazu W

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U.S. Government releases new Physical Activity guidelinesIHRSA helps clubs launch marketing programs

> This fall, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. the most comprehensive set of instructions of their kind, the new guidelines are based on a decade’s worth of scientific research about physical activity and health.

“It’s important for all Americans to be active, and the guidelines are a roadmap to include physical activity in their daily rou-tine,” explains HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt.

According to the new recommenda-tions, adults obtain substantial health benefits from two-and-a-half hours of moderate aerobic physical activity per week, while children profit significantly from an hour or more of physical activity per day.

“these guidelines will not only be good for our industry, but will also raise aware-ness among policymakers and educate the average American about the health benefits of exercise,” observes Joe Moore, IHRSA’s president and CEO.

In addition to releasing the guidelines, HHS has produced a number of supporting collateral pieces, including a booklet, “Be Active Your Way: A Guide for Adults.” All of the documents are available at www.IHRSA.org/paguidelines. IHRSA has also created customizable press releases, newsletters, and posters that club opera-tors can use to incorporate the guidelines into their marketing programs. —|

Programming

Marketing Magic in ’09

By Lesley Mahoney

Despite the unstable economy, a number of IHRSA-member clubs are continuing to enjoy success by employing innova-tive marketing initiatives to lure new members—as well as

the associated revenues—through their front doors. Among them are the following:

• Peak Performance, a sales and marketing firm based in Bellevue, Washington, has helped clubs ensure their profits with a referral-incentive program that’s both successful and cost-effective. Its Points to Paradise initiative allows club members to earn points for bringing in guests, referring nonmembers, using a club’s spa, making purchases at the pro shop—or even for working out. At the end of the promotion, the individual with the most points wins a vacation, courtesy of a local travel agency, while runners-up receive prizes, such as discounts on membership renewal.

“While you’re generating referrals, you’re also driving your profit centers and increasing regular use of the club, which, in turn, improves retention,” explains Jim Smith, the president of Peak Performance.

During one 60-day promotion, the Greg Buttle’s Health and Fitness Centers, on Long Island, New York, signed up 410 referrals, producing new memberships worth $190,000 a year.

• Sales Makers, in Cape Coral, Florida, assists its clients with Community Aware-ness, an outreach program that helps clubs attract new members by interacting with them face to face, one on one. the initiative requires three of a club’s sales representatives to each spend one hour, three days a week, canvassing area businesses, targeting nonexercisers by promoting specific club programs.

“the membership staff will average eight business introductions per hour, and can make over 100 contacts in a month,” estimates Ray Gordon, the owner of Sales Makers. Employing this technique, the Clubs at River City in Peoria, Illinois, averaged 1.3 new memberships for every hour of community outreach.

the idea, Gordon explains, is to attract nonexercisers by informing them about special offerings, such as, for instance, Overweight? Give us 28. In the case of this program, after enrolling, a new member commits to monitored exercise and weigh-in sessions, twice a week, for 28 days. If they aren’t satisfied, they can terminate their membership at the end of seven weeks. Gordon notes, however, that the cancellation rate runs less than 1%.

• Club Marketing & Management Services/CMS International, based in Helena, Montana, has created a three-step marketing system that features both external and internal marketing promotions, as well as a wrap-up, or CAP, event.

“If you sequence all of the components correctly, you have the greatest chance of success,” observes Mike Chaet, CMS’s founder and owner.

the internal initiatives (e.g., referral-incentive programs) and the external communications (e.g., advertising and lead boxes) revolve around a single focused promotion—anything from New Year’s weight-loss resolutions to special summer programs. the internal and external marketing efforts start on the same day and conclude with a CAP, such as an open house or a fitness-education day.

Since Omni 41 Sports Complex, in Schererville, Indiana, began utilizing Chaet’s system in the early 1980s, it’s grown its membership from 2,000 to 10,000, and its annual revenues, from $800,000 to $10 million. —|

Jim Smith


IHRSA’s Moore, l., HHS’ Leavitt

Cathy b

rown

| News & Know How | First Person

CBI Spends 10 Minutes on the Line with

.co.ukto learn more about Fitness First, log onto www.fitnessfirst.co.uk

What sort of a presence does Fitness First currently have in the Middle East? What are its goals and plans for expansion in the region? What are the principal

challenges and opportunities that the health and fitness club industry faces in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today?

Gary Knill, a 20-year industry veteran and formerly the general manager of Star trac, is the CEO of Fitness First Middle East. He’s spearheading the brand’s expansion in the Middle East via a master franchise agreement with Awwal Fitness Limited, a subsidiary of the Al Hokair Group of Saudi Arabia.

“Here in the Middle East, Fitness First currently has 13 clubs open and operating in four countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, and the UAE. the first opened in the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. Our flagship club in the UAE—and the largest Fit-ness First site in the world—is our 48,000-square-foot facility in the BurJuman Center. that site is also home to the Fitness First Academy, where we train the company’s more than 100 personal trainers, all of whom are committed to providing our members with a first-class experience and top-notch customer services.

We’re now embarking on our third year of expansion in the Middle East. this past June, we introduced our new premium brand, our Platinum Fitness First Club, in the Business towers at Dubai Media City. this 20,000-square-foot facility includes more than 100 pieces of exercise equipment by technogym, a free-weights area, women-only section, computer lounge, juice bar, individualized personal training, and weekly group-exercise programs, all complemented by a very sophisticated décor. We also have a 19,000-square-foot club in the high-traffic Dubai International Financial Center, which opened in August of 2007. Our other locations include: Uptown Mirdiff, Dubai Festival City, Al Hana Center, and Al Mussalla towers, all in Dubai; Abdoun, in Jordan; taj tower Hamra, Mecca Mall, and Downtown Beirut, in Lebanon; and Bahrain World trade Center, in Bahrain.

Worldwide, Fitness First is the largest health and fitness chain in the world, with 1.5 million members at more than 550 clubs, including 140 in the Asia Pacific region. Our UAE facilities are all exact copies of our Asian model, which empha-sizes quality of service. the principal challenges that we confront involve cultural and religious considerations that don’t exist at our sites elsewhere in the world.

Our five-year objective is to penetrate the Middle East market, becoming the leader with respect to commercial fitness facilities. the potential and opportunity are there, but can only be addressed successfully by providing the right facilities in the right locations. the UAE has a population of over 2 million, and, at the moment, only 3.4% of them exercise regularly. that figure could rise to 10% over the next five years, and Fitness First is prepared to meet the demand. the last few years have witnessed a significant shift in the mindset, not only of nationals, but also of expatriates and tourists, with respect to their attitudes about fitness and well-being. that’s having a major impact in the battle against such conditions as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Fitness First in the Middle East and North Africa recently signed a partnership agreement with technogym, the Italian fitness equipment manufacturer. As part of the agreement, which encompasses 20 clubs in seven countries, our Middle East division will purchase more than 1,500 pieces of Excite Cardio equipment; 1,000 Selection strength-training machines; Easy Line circuit-training equipment; the new FLEXability range of stretch units; and Kinesis, a platform for free-movement functional training. We’re very excited about the agreement. technogym is an ideal partner to work with in this relatively young and fast-growing market. Its commitment to innovation is important for us because we always want to offer our members cutting-edge products and services.

We’re also having talks with SHOKK, the U.K.-based youth fitness specialists, about the possibility of launching a children’s fitness initiative.” —|

– Dawn Allcot, [email protected]

Gary Knill


| News & Know How | On The Move

O2 teens took stairs, drew stares

martha Kaplan to Aid Altheus’ Aspirations > Martha Kaplan, a multifac-eted industry veteran, has joined Altheus Health and Sport, in Rye, New York, as its director of program sales and marketing. A graduate of Boston University, Kaplan has worked with a wide variety of advertising agencies and health club companies over the past 20 years. Among the latter: the New York Sports Clubs (NYSC); Reebok Sports Club New York; and Equinox Fitness Clubs. —|

John Kersh Goes International Again> John Kersh has been named the new vice president of international development for Anytime Fitness, Inc., the fitness-franchise company based in Hastings, Minnesota. Kersh has an extensive back-ground in the fitness industry’s global arena, having served for 12 years as the director of international development for IHRSA, as well as having founded and operated Citrus Gym, a Brazilian fitness franchise. Citrus currently has 10 clubs open. —|

companhia Athletica Turns Weight Loss into GainCompanhia Athletica, the 12-facility Brazilian chain, has found a clever way to turn one person’s loss into another person’s gain. Recently, the company’s nonprofit arm, Instituto Cia Athletica, launched a special program, the Super 100 Challenge, that motivates members to lose excess weight by contributing money to charities that fight childhood malnutrition.

the 100-day initiative, for members 18 and over, begins with an initial weigh-in session, which also sets the target goal. Partici-pants are allowed to select monitors to help coach them toward their target, and weight checks then take place on a weekly basis. For each kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) lost, Companhia Athletica donates approximately $6 to a preselected local charity that serves malnourished children.

“the Super 100 Challenge is an intelligent way to promote volunteering, to combat malnutrition, and to draw attention to the [obesity epidemic],” explains Daniel Adler, the president of Instituto Cia Athletica. —|

Movers and Shakers

O2 mAX Stages Tour de Fitness Forcethis summer, O2 MAX, a Santa Monica, California-based club that’s designed especially for teens, staged its first biannual tour de Fitness. the event, positioned as a “guerilla marketing campaign,” involved more than 30 young O2 MAX members, who started the day at the club in Santa Monica, and then walked an eight-mile loop through the city, making stops to exercise or refuel along the way. the workouts, led by club personnel and special guests, involved such activities as running up and down stairs, street-side pushups, and outdoor yoga.

the participants were from a number of local schools, including, among others, Washington Univer-sity, George Washington, Berkeley, Santa Monica High School, Venice High, Palisades Charter High School, Hamilton Music Academy, Ocean Charter, Lincoln and Franklin Middle Schools, Harvard Westlake, and Notre Dame.

One of the students, Jay Lytton, noted that the tour de Fitness was a “fun-filled, community- interactive event, and a great way to get the word out about O2!” —|

Promotions


Public Service

Start of Super 100 Challenge

Mauricio M

arconi

| News & Know How | On The Move

Award Winning Expansion

Titan Fitness Receives Gold’s Gym Visionary Award

Gold’s Gym International, Inc. (GGI), recently honored one of its largest franchisees, titan Fitness, based in McLean, Virginia, during GGI’s annual franchise convention in Las Vegas. titan received GGI’s prestigious Visionary Award in recognition of its success in obtaining private equity funding for the acquisition and construction of new Gold’s Gyms and for the conversion of existing independent clubs to the Gold’s Gym brand.

titan is owned and managed by Jeff Skeen, president and CEO; A.J. Mushtaq, chief financial officer; Dal Clayton, chief operating officer; Aaron Lieberman, chief development officer; and Josh Harwood, senior vice president of operations.

Last January, titan secured the backing of WestView Capital Partners, a $200-million private-equity fund based in Boston, to purchase and develop clubs nationwide. In addition to acquiring and rebranding existing fitness facilities, it intends to support that initiative by constructing new Gold’s Gyms in growth markets throughout the country. the company hopes to grow to more than 60 sites over the next five years.

“It’s an honor to be recognized as a group that has a strategy for the future that others can emulate,” observes Clayton. “We’re leveraging our team’s expertise and the premier fitness brand to attract professional investment firms to the fitness sector and the Gold’s Gym name.”

the Gold’s Gym Franchise Association also honored titan during the franchise convention. It presented its Bravo Award, also known as the Franchisee of the Year Award, to the company for making a significant contribution to the Gold’s Gym brand and its franchisees. the association noted that Skeen and his partners routinely advise other franchisees on operations and other business matters. —|

Defined Fitness is ‘20 Years Strong’Defined Fitness—which has four locations in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Farmington, New Mexico—recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, noting that it is “20 Years Strong.” the company opened its first facility in Albuquer-que in 1988 and is now in the process of opening new clubs and expanding its Juan tabo/Candelaria site in Albuquerque. the renovation will more than double that club’s size—taking it from 25,000 to 56,000 square feet—and will introduce a Parisi Speed School and XRKade. —|

club One empowers chevron employeesChevron, the petrochemical giant, obviously likes the services that Club One, Inc., the San Francisco-based chain, provides. the company has managed three of Chevron’s corporate fitness centers in California since 1999, and, recently, was selected to manage all seven of the corporation’s fitness facilities. Club One will now take over the remainder of its centers, which are located in Houston, texas, and Covington, Louisiana.

By consolidating its club-management functions beneath Club One, Chevron hopes to be able to increase employee participation, improve produc-tivity and morale, and create programs that aid in recruitment and retention. Club One will work with Chevron’s Health and Productivity Department to design and implement comprehensive population health-management programs to support those goals, while, at the same time, reducing short- and long-term healthcare costs and having a positive impact on employees’ lives.

Club One manages more than 60 corporate fitness, community, multi-tenant business park, and municipal fitness centers, and operates 14 Club One-branded and five Frog’s Fitness-branded facilities. —|


Benchmarks

From l., Mushtag, Lieberman, Skeen, Clayton, Harwood

Club One President/CEO Jim Mizes

re-Defined Fitness facility

defined fitness

| CBI Interview |

By Jennifer H. McInerney

CBI: You’ve developed one of the largest and fastest-growing club companies in Russia in just seven years. How did it all start?

AnAstAsIA YusInA: My life has always been related to sport. I have been an avid, life-long cyclist, competing at a very high level. In fact, that is how I met Alexey Kashirin, my husband and business partner; he is also a professional cyclist. We met during a bike ride from Washington, D.C., to Seattle, Washington. Not long afterward, we were married, both of us just 18 years old. It was 1990. I was a student of journalism at Moscow University specializing in sport journalism, and he was studying sports management in the Sport Academy.

In 1993, when Moscow’s first fitness club, World Class, opened, Alexey began working there. Some years later, he joined the team that opened the first Gold’s Gym in Moscow as its marketing and sales director. At the same time, I’d been developing my career in the marketing field in big multinational companies, such as Moulinex (a manufacturer of household appliances) and Ericsson (telecommunications).

CBI: What made you decide to go out on your own and become an entrepreneur—to found Strata Partners?

AY: In 1999, when I was working as a marketing director for Ericsson, I realized that I would like to work for myself and decided to create a consulting company, which I named Strata Partners. My main customers were telecom operators up until 2000, when the telecom industry in Russia consolidated my three major clients.

I was very frustrated, and tried to shift my focus to the business-training field. Then my husband suggested that we work together because, he said, all business principles are the same, whatever the industry. I had experience in management and training, and he knew the fitness industry. That is how Strata Partners began to work in the field of fitness. Our first consulting customers were professional sport clubs—including Dynamo, the oldest physical training and sports society in the country, and CSKA, the central army sports club of Moscow. We helped them organize fitness clubs.

After a year of doing small consulting projects, we landed three big customers that wanted turnkey solutions. In January 2002, we decided to create a franchising concept, called OrangeFitness. By the end of 2002, we were ready to manage clubs ourselves. In 2004, we launched our second concept, CityFitness.

CBI: What are the unique selling propositions of these two brands?

AY: OrangeFitness is a chain of premium-class clubs with a great design, swimming pool, spa, and free fitness assessments. An average membership costs $2,000 a year.

A typical CityFitness facility is a more affordable option. It can be a dry club or one with a swimming pool. CityFitness is always an open concept, one with a big gym area and two or three group-exercise studios. An average membership costs $700 a year.

The founder and CEO of Strata Partners has created not just one, but two of Russia’s most dynamic and successful club brands

Anastasia Yusina, 36, is the founder and CEO of Strata Partners, a Moscow-based company that operates both affordable and high-end clubs under the CityFitness and OrangeFitness brands. The first club opened in 2002, and, today, the company has 36 corporate-owned and franchised facilities in Russia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. Twelve more clubs are planned for 2009. Yusina is a graduate of Moscow University, the Paris Institute of Political Sciences, and the Moscow International Institute of International Relations; she received her Ph.D. in marketing and economics in 2000. Her husband, Alexey Kashirin, serves on the board of directors of Strata Partners, and also manages Fitness Systema, a fitness equipment distribution company. The couple reside in Moscow and have a nine-year-old son. —|


Highlights» Birth of an entrepreneur

» Two brands for two markets

» Russian attitudes about fitness

» The goal: 70 facilities by 2010

>

Anastasia Yusina

| CBI Interview |

At Orange, we put an emphasis on service. We are very focused on additional services, internal club events, and retention. City is the best offer for its price—they are very good clubs, in great locations, and charge a very reasonable rate for Russian market prices.

CBI: How many are franchises and how many are corporately owned?

AY: In our portfolio, we now have 36 clubs: 22 are corporately owned, and 14 are franchised. There are 21 CityFitness and 15 OrangeFitness facilities. In 2009, we will open at least 12 new clubs—70% of them will be CityFitness, and 30%, OrangeFitness.

CBI: How much has Strata Partners grown since its inception?

AY: The company has grown more than 400% since 2004, from seven clubs to 36. We are projecting to reach 70 clubs—25 OrangeFitness and 45 CityFitness—by 2010.

CBI: Where are the clubs located? What sort of environments are they situated in?

AY: Most of our clubs are located in big cities with populations of more than 400,000 people, or in the Moscow suburbs, such as the city of Odintsovo, located three miles west of Moscow, which has 500,000 people. We have two clubs with big tennis facilities in the Moscow suburbs. We also

have a super-luxury country club, OrangeFitness at Rublyevskoye shosse, the Russian equivalent of Beverly Hills.

CBI: Which companies do you regard as your principal competi-tion? Who are the major players in Russia?

AY: The major players in the Russian market are Strata Partners, Planet Fitness, and the Russian Fitness Group (RFG), which has two brands, World Class and FizKult. Both of the latter are great companies that have shown solid growth and good operation for 15 years. I have a lot of respect for them.

CBI: What’s the club industry like in Russia? Is the market fairly well served or is there plenty of room for expansion?

AY: The Russian market is developing very fast, but it’s still in the early stages. Right now, the penetration rate is very low, and there’s a lot of room for expansion. In some cities with more than 500,000 people, there aren’t any fitness clubs at all—just aerobic studios. The biggest issue for us is personnel. We have to train employees from the ground up; they have virtually no prior experience with clubs.

CBI: What are people’s attitudes toward health and fitness?

AY: There aren’t enough offerings. A lot of the population doesn’t yet understand what fitness is all about, but the situation is changing very fast.

CBI: Is it unusual, in Russia, for a woman to hold a position of such power?

AY: It is common for women in Russia to play an important role in business. In fact, all three of the major fitness club chains here are headed by ladies—Irina Razumova at Planet Fitness, Olga Sloutsker at RFG, and myself, at Strata Partners.

It is not difficult to be a woman in business; it is just more difficult to be a woman in business. In Russia, it is always the woman who has all of the responsibility for the family: children, shopping, laundry, housework, etc. In most families, there’s no division of home duties. Fortunately, my family is an exception. Not once during our 18 years of marriage has my husband ever told me that I’m responsible for doing something because I am a woman. We always share all of our problems.

CBI: Could you tell us something about your day-to-day, as well as your general overall responsibilities at Strata?

AY: I’m very much involved in day-to-day operations. I try to visit all of my clubs at least once every two months, and I visit the Moscow locations twice a month. I also personally answer all customer complaints—thank goodness there aren’t more than two or three a week. In all of our facilities, there’s an announcement with my address, picture, and a letter stating, “If my per-sonnel couldn’t satisfy you, please write to me.” And people do, sometimes with complaints, sometimes with kind words about our staff, clubs, etc.

As part of our retention program, we call all of our customers who haven’t visited the club in more than 30 days. Club managers call after 90 days of nonattendance. I call customers


“It is common for women in Russia to play an important role in business. In fact, all three of the major fitness club chains here are headed by ladies—Irina Razumova at Planet Fitness, Olga Sloutsker at RFG, and myself.”

| CBI Interview |

who haven’t shown up for more than 150 days—that adds up to about two to three calls a day.

I spend a lot of time coaching my managers and have established an internal long-term training program for them.

CBI: What do you regard as your principal strengths as a business-woman? How would you describe your business style?

AY: I work very hard and know every aspect of my business. I think that

has helped me to win my employees’ respect. They know that I can work at the reception desk, serve a mem-ber in the bar, or sell a corporate membership. I can not only tell them what they have to do—I can also show them how to do it.


Making headway at an OrangeFitness facility in Moscow

My major strength is a willingness to learn all the time. I read a lot of business literature and attend

business trainings frequently. I don’t think that you can afford to ever stop learning.

CBI: To what do you attribute Strata’s success?

AY: Strata is my life—I devote so much of my time, energy, and love to growing it, developing it, improving it. Strata’s success is my compensation.

CBI: Can you tell us something about Strata’s corporate structure?

AY: We have 30 people at our head-quarters. The top managers are our chief financial officers and our development, operations, and market-ing directors. We also have a corporate university for sales, service, and fitness instruction. At all of Strata’s corporately owned clubs, we have more than 1,500 employees.

CBI: In 2006, GIMV, an interna-tional venture-capital firm based in Belgium, acquired a 49% stake in Strata Partners. How has that change affected your business?

AY: It has allowed us to start expanding faster and to add more corporate-owned clubs.

CBI: Finally, we have to ask—what’s your own personal fitness regimen?

AY: A couple of years ago, I almost stopped exercising at the club. Being a perfectionist, I was working more on the club—evaluating the behavior and performance of person-nel, for instance—rather than working out at the club. Then I realized that was a big mistake and restarted my routine.

Now, I work out two days a week. I also play tennis once or twice a week, and, once a week, I enjoy some form of open-air exercise—cycling, ice skating, horseback riding, etc. —|

– Jennifer McInerney, [email protected]

| CBI Interview |


“Strata is my life—I devote so much of my time, energy, and love to growing it, developing it, improving it. Strata’s success is my compensation.”


GrOwInG POtentIAlThe


There’s no way, or desire, to get around it—people are social ani-mals. It’s a positive and powerful instinct that has not only contrib-uted, significantly, to the species’

survival, but has also, over the years, paid huge dividends for our industry.

Nowhere has that basic inclination been so thoroughly understood, better served, or more successfully commercialized than in the arena of group exercise.

“Group exercise has been critical to the growth of fitness,” posits Kathie Davis, the exec-utive director of the IDEA Health and Fitness Association, based in San Diego, California. “It’s now an established part of our culture and makes a major contribution to a healthy lifestyle. An entire industry—of shoes, music, clothing, flooring, training, and organizations—has emerged around it.”

Today, the importance of group exercise is, if anything, increasing. Sedentary lifestyles, economic uncertainty, a growing sense of isolation, escalating stress levels—all call for a solution that can help enhance fitness, well-being, vitality, and one’s enjoyment of life… ideally, in a simple, straightforward, engag-ing, and, yes, even entertaining way.

Group exercise not only attempts all of that, but also holds out the promise of distinct benefits for club owners, such as greater utilization, higher retention, and increased profitability.

Group-ex pIoneersThe history of group exercise is one marked by remarkable creativity, constant innovation, and, thus far, ongoing, unfailing improve-ment. It was born, Davis explains, in 1969 when Jacki Sorenson concocted Aerobic Dancing and Judi Sheppard Missett devised Jazzercise. Another pivotal moment, she notes, occurred in 1989, with the introduction of the Step, which yielded an aerobics mini-boom. “At one point, there were as many as 12 million people doing Step aerobics,” recalls Rich Boggs, the product’s developer.

Instructors loved the Step, but, soon bored with the approach’s basic movements, began making it more complex and demanding, reducing its broad appeal. “We realized that we needed to be able to control the content of the programming,” says Boggs, the CEO of the Step Company and Body Training Systems (BTS), in Marietta, Georgia.

GrOwInG POtentIAlof Group exercise

Professional program management increases participation and profitability

By Jon Feld

>

SPIN

Fitness

To remedy the problem, in 1997, BTS teamed up with Les Mills International (LMI), an Auckland, New Zealand-based company that had been formulating proprietary group-exercise programs since 1980. The two worked together profitably for a number of years, but, eventually, parted company. BTS now develops and distributes its own programs, while, in the U.S., LMI delivers its extensive curriculum of classes via six regional agents.

Product imProvementsLMI is a spinoff, an entrepreneurial offshoot, of the Les Mills clubs, a chain of 10 facilities, based in Auckland, that was founded by Olympic athlete Les Mills in 1968. Mills competed in the 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 Games in the shot put and discus throw. His son, Phillip, grew up working in the clubs.

Observing the growth of group exercise at his family’s clubs, the younger Mills had a critical epiphany—he realized that, by implementing the process of standard-ization, he could dramatically improve both the product and the business payoff. “In the 1970s, we were your

the Growing Potential of Group exercise


GETTING GROUP-Ex RIGHTLMI’s Group Fitness Management system helps clubs set goals and quantify results for their group-exercise offerings. This chart details the improvements LMI has ascertained a well-run program can achieve. “We feel that clubs are implementing our programs well when they hit these benchmarks,” explains LMI founder Phillip Mills. “A lot of clubs routinely exceed them. Conversely, any club that hasn’t done so should recognize that there’s a huge upside available if they standardize their program.” —|

Benchmark

small clubs

<1,000 members

Medium clubs 1,000-3,000

members

Large clubs

>3,000 members

Retention >60% >60% >60%

Annual retention improvements −> 3% per annum −> 3% per annum −> 3% per annum

Single studio facilities—percentage of weekly group fitness attendance/total club weekly attendance

>30% >30% >30%

Multi-studio facilities—percentage of weekly group fitness attendance/total club weekly attendance

>40% >40% >40%

Total weekly group fitness attendances* >500 attendances >1,000 attendances >2,000 attendances

New members secured from one quarterly relaunch event

>25 >50 >75

Payback factor on relaunch for new members** >4 times >6 times >8 times

Payback factor for any other new member promotion from group fitness**

>4 times >6 times >8 times

* Total attendances include multiple visits by a member

** Using the calculation: Total value of annualized new memberships sold during relaunch and promotion and 7 days afterward from relaunch leads/ total investment in relaunch and promotion including wages, food, advertising, prizes, etc.


typical club, with a 30-person-capacity studio and 300-400 group-ex attendances per week,” he recounts. “Most instructors had only 10 to 15 people in a class—a sign of poor program quality.

“We started standardizing what we were doing by having our best instructors create programming for all of the others,” he explains. “Standardization wasn’t new to the industry—Sorenson and Missett had both utilized it—but it had been confined largely to dance-based routines. For us, it was a simple, basic business principle that provided quality assurance across the board—for a diverse body of programs.”

In 1980, Mills began developing a wide range of programs that, today, has grown to include eight sepa-rate offerings that encompass fitness activities ranging from low-impact-cardio to indoor-cycling routines. It invests more than $100 million a year to provide its lineup to some 12,200 clubs in 73 countries, serving an estimated 5 million people.

Standardization, Mills notes, also makes it possible to produce a group-ex product that can be managed in a more professional way. In addition to programming, LMI offers initial and ongoing staff training; marketing support; and its proprietary Group Fitness Management (GFM) system, which employs software, scorecard systems, analytical technologies, and other tools. “It’s all about building and tracking measurable goals,” explains Mills. “For instance, we have ‘Club Coaches’ who help set benchmark goals. If your target is 2,000 group-exercise attendances per week, you’ll set goals for each individual

GROUP FITNESS IN ACTION

Les Mills International (LMI) holds that profes-sionally managed group-exercise programs produce greater participation and better results than less formally run ones. It offers the following case studies to support the point:

• Gail Owen and Ed McTiernan, the owners of a Powerhouse Gym in Utica, New York, introduced LMI’s BODYPUMP program last February, and, since then, the average number of group-exer-cise visits has jumped from 56 to 350 per week for nine classes. In the first five months, the figure for group-fitness participation shot from 3% to 20% of the club’s 1,500-2,000 total weekly visits, and Owen and McTiernan expect it to hit 50% as new programs are added. They invested $6,300 in the BODYPUMP launch for advertising, instructor wages, and sales staff costs; the program has thus far generated more than $17,000 in income.

• Adam Wilson, the co-owner of five indepen-dent Active Health clubs in Cairns, Australia, attests that participation in his group-exercise classes has climbed from 47% to 87% of all member visits.

• In 2005, the Levite Jewish Community Center, in Birmingham, Alabama, had as few as four students taking part in group-ex classes in a 50-person-capacity room. Eighteen months after introducing LMI courses, it achieved 88% utilization… with the exception of its RPM offer-ing, which is at 100% capacity for the 12 classes offered weekly. Group exercise now accounts for 59% of the center’s total attendances, and contributes to its retention rate of 82%. —|

BODYBAlAnCe is one of eight lMI programs

A BODYCOMBAt battle

Les Mills International

Les Mills International

instructor and, then, check how they’re doing each quarter. You’ll also publish a ranking each week and provide incentives, rewards, and training to instructors based on their achieving those goals.”

By way of example, Mills points to one of his own facilities, the Les Mills Auckland City Gym, which, with 11,500 members, is the largest club in the chain. Tracking numbers with the GFM system informs him that he has some classes with as many as 200 participants, and, recently, he had a week that boasted 8,249 group-exercise attendances. One of the most important aspects of the system, he points out, is that it provides proof that group exer-cise improves retention. More than 50% of the club’s members visit each week specifically to participate in the classes. And, although its value equation is simple (just weights, aerobics, cardio, etc.) and it has the highest monthly dues in a very competitive market, it enjoys an 80% retention rate.

Recently, the Nielsen Company, the international market-research firm, conducted a study that vali-dated LMI’s approach. Its survey of 1,000 people taking Les Mills classes in the U.S. found that more than 90% visit their clubs at least twice a week to take part in the classes, and that nearly 40% visit at least four times a week to do so. (IHRSA estimates suggest that members in the U.S. attend LMI-affili-ated clubs an average of 1.5 times a week.) Nielsen also surveyed 3,080 LMI students worldwide, and ascertained that they visited their clubs an average of 3.4 times per week.

BTS, which, like LMI, provides a variety of program-management tools, can also quantify the growing

value-added benefits of group exercise. The company has some 600 clients, 25% of which offer five or more of its seven courses—an enthusiastic group that Boggs refers to as his “raving fans.” Among that cohort, approximately 40% of club members participate in group-ex classes, compared to an industry average of 10%-15%; and the clubs’ retention rate, Boggs reports, is nearly 90%. “Group fitness,” he contends, “is the ‘sticky web’ that keeps people involved.”

What it comes down to, concludes Mills, is mem-bers’ experience of connection, community, and fun… which segues quickly, directly, to increased involve-ment, greater utilization, higher retention, and enhanced profitability. Group-exercise programs have always, on their own, made a significant contribution to clubs’ success by virtue of their inherent, nearly genetic, appeal. Now, sophisticated management systems are supercharging the process.

“Managing group exercise professionally yields the same benefits as carefully managing sales, staffing, purchasing, or any other aspect of your operation,” attests Mills. “It’s really just this simple: If you can standardize your group-exercise program, you’ll obtain the information you need to make it grow. And, if you can improve class attendance from, say, 500 to 2,000 per week, it’s conceivable that you could increase your revenues by a quarter- to a half-million dollars per year.”

That’s not an opportunity club owners can afford to ignore in these challenging economic times. —|

– Jon Feld, [email protected]

les Mills International (lMI)

• BODYATTACK—high-energy cardio• BODYBALANCE/BODYFLOW—yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates• BODYCOMBAT—martial arts• BODYJAM—dance cardio• BODYPUMP—weights• BODYSTEP—step aerobics• BODYVIVE—low-impact cardio and resistance training• RPM—indoor cycling

Body training systems (Bts)

• Group Active—cardio and strength-building• Group Power—barbell training• Group Kick—martial arts/boxing fusion• Group Ride—indoor cycling• Group Groove—fitness dance• Group Centergy—yoga, Pilates• Group Step—step aerobics —|

the Growing Potential of Group exercise


Group Groove is Bts’ fitness dance offering

GROUP-Ex OFFERINGS

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Fitness testing has grown in importance, sophistication, and profit potential

OOnce considered an extra, a special service, in the club industry, fitness assessments have since become a fundamental element for most clubs and their members. Assessments now serve as a key tool in establishing baseline readiness for exercise, as well as for setting individual goals and formulating workout regimens.

“When I started in the fitness industry 25 years ago, there were no real fitness-assessment protocols that were being utilized widely,” notes Everette Aaberg, the co-owner and director of fitness services at the TELOS Fitness Center, an upscale, three-story, 63,000-square-foot facility in Dallas. Today, however, he notes, assessment is “the foundation and hub of our program. There’s no way to design effective exercise programs if you can’t first determine what a person’s needs are. Assessments are the tool that leads potential members and all our referrals to become clients of our training and treatment programs.”

Assessments have changed a great deal since industry pioneer Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, the founder of The Cooper Institute in Dallas, created his first fitness test in 1968. As baby boomers and a greater number of deconditioned members have entered the market, the protocols have grown in number and sophistication to establish a wide range of physical baselines.

“Now, before we even begin to consider cardiovascular readiness and general conditioning levels, and prior to testing any movement patterns, we must first obtain a complete understanding of postural deviations, joint limitations, and functional muscle imbalances,” observes Aaberg. “It’s critical to identify biomechanical abilities before embarking on any other testing.”

Aaberg, who previously worked at The Cooper Institute for 15 years, modeled TELOS’ proprietary A.I.M. (Advanced Integrated Movement) assessment on the MAT (Muscle Activation Techniques) system. MAT, developed by Greg Roskopf, a professional sports biomechanical consultant, tests for muscular imbalances throughout the body. Aaberg’s designs have earned TELOS two Nova7 awards for innovation, in 2004 and 2007, from Fitness Management magazine.

“We go through the entire body, joint by joint, to look for any range-of-motion limitations, identify any muscular imbalances, and establish training and treatment priorities,” he says. “This information is correlated with other assessments, such as postural and gait analysis and general movement-pattern testing, to help determine exactly what remedial exercise program and treatment plan should be developed.”

Not ‘Your Father’s’ Assessment

By Jon Feld

>

not ‘Your Father’s’ Assessment


ATo address the needs of a broader client population, Aaberg has recently incorporated the testing of unilat-eral and asymmetrical movement patterns, which he refers to as “life-demand movements.” The goal, he explains, is to correct specific imbalances to improve spinal alignment and rotational movement to facilitate everyday tasks.

Assessments have also changed for more advanced athletes, focusing more intensely on the individual components of muscular fitness. “Specific muscle groups and individual muscles are now tested with an eye toward preventing injuries and improving the overall level of fitness,” indicates Boyd Lyles, Jr., M.D., the director of the HeartHealth and Wellness Center, a medical practice in Dallas, who also works with TELOS. “The carryover to other activities, such as skiing, tennis, golf, etc., has been firmly established, and now, training is directed toward specific sports activities. For the past seven years, I’ve tested the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, and I can tell you that professional sports teams are very interested in the whole athlete—not just in their cardiovascular fitness.”

Fitness testing can be as important to a club’s well-being as it is to its members’ health. Contem-plating the bottom line, Aaberg notes that the assessments, which encompass referrals from several medical practices in the city, represent a key standalone revenue source. But that’s just a portion of the income generated by the testing. TELOS also offers its three-hour assessment to nonmembers for fees of anywhere from $225 to $900, reports Aaberg.

“We provide the assessment, at no charge, as part of our initiation program for new TELOS members,” he explains, “and it feeds directly into the other com-ponents of our business. The bulk of our income, about 70%, comes from ancillary services—a much higher figure than at most other clubs. The assess-ments are designed, first and foremost, to help people identify their physical limitations and recognize the need for professional assistance. But, in many cases, they also lead to referrals for chiropractic care, massage therapy, and other professional training services, all of which we offer on-site.” —|

– Jon Feld, [email protected]

telOs co-owner and fitness director everett Aaberg works with client


Targeted Tools for Assessment Tests

Aspen Information systemsAspen’s BioProfile Assessment mod-ule follows American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for exercise testing and prescription, and assists in evaluating the main health-related areas of physical fitness. It includes an extensive collection of industry-approved fitness tests and normative data research, which can be used to

create norms that are specific to the local population. Aspen adds that BioProfile prequalifies clients for a fitness assessment with a PAR-Q test; obtains informed consent; and captures all necessary medical information.

“Testing and evaluating of health-related fitness is essential in the operation of a successful fitness club,” states John Ullrich, Aspen’s president. “Comparisons between tests show clients their successes and identify areas needing improvement. Results can be motivators for personal improvement and reinforcement for fitness maintenance.”

Contact: www.aspensoftware.com, 800-414-0343. See our ad on page 98

MicroFit Health & Fitness systemsThe MicroFit fitness-assess-ment system is now integrated with Visual Fitness Planner to offer a turnkey marketing, sales, and orientation system. The system performs a com-prehensive fitness assess-ment, calculating risk for disease, predicting “health age,” displaying a 3-D body image, and calculating time

estimates to achieve personal goals. In addition, the soft-ware is customized for each club with features to promote services offered, to support current sales procedures, and to work with existing computer systems.

“The combined technologies of MicroFit and Visual Fitness Planner offer a powerful system to motivate new members through assessment, education, and goal-setting,” asserts Rob Rideout, MicroFit’s vice president of sales. “This enhanced member experience is designed to result in more referrals, higher retention, and additional revenue from services.”

Contact: www.microfit.com, 800-822-0405. See our ad on page 81

Polar, Inc.Polar has introduced new training computers for general fitness and cross-training use. The FA20, FT40, FT60, and FT80 are designed for members who want to become more active as well as those who already engage

in a regular fitness routine and active lifestyle. These new models also seamlessly integrate with Polar’s Cardio Coaching software to easily create and customize a cardio program specific to members’ and clients’ needs.

“Our 30-plus years of experience led us to create new fitness-training computers that combine the quality and accuracy expected of the Polar brand,” observes Jeff Padovan, Polar’s president. “With easy-to-use features and contemporary designs, they make great training partners, helping members to reach their personal goals, while getting the most from the time they spend exercising.”

Contact: www.polarusa.com, 888-850-0349. See our ad on page 86 —|

Fitness assessment has moved well beyond simple calipers pinching body fat. As illustrated by the following sample offerings from IHRSA Associate Members, the latest systems and programs feature comprehensive overall fitness and evaluation data to produce unparalleled results.

Whether you’re a new developer, a veteran owner, or an industry pioneer, there’s no better way to get a quick fix on the extent and current state of the health and fitness business than to spend a few hours with the newest edition of IHRSA’s Profiles of Success. The just-released 2008 report, which covers calendar year 2007, provides a detailed portrait of both the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, pinpoints its most important metrics, and serves up the most comprehensive statistics on club performance available anywhere. Member demographics, growth by region, most popular programs, membership pricing, payroll and staffing, profitability ratios, facility reinvestment, and club operating benchmarks are just a few of the dozens of topics addressed. Compiled by IHRSA with the assistance of Industry Insights, Inc., a research firm based in Columbus, Ohio, Profiles gives club operators a clear sense of the market in which they compete and a better understanding of the global industry in which they participate. The following excerpt merely hints at the full scope of this invaluable research publication.

The new 2008 edition of IHRSA’s Profiles of Success has the answers!

How ARe CLubS DoINg? Where’s the Industry Heading?


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Club Company niche revenue (2007)

ClubCorpFitness center/golf and country club management

$950 million

Life Time Fitness, Inc. Multipurpose, multi-chain clubs $869 million

Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. Urban/suburban fitness-only clubs $473 million

Bally Total Fitness Corporation Fitness-only multi-chain $469 million

Curves International, Inc. Women-only franchise $200 million

GoodLife FitnessFitness-only club with corporate wellness component

$167 million

Millennium Partners Sports Club Management, LLC Upscale fitness-only clubs with spa services $112 million

Lifestyle Family Fitness, Inc. Family-oriented fitness-only clubs $101 million

Western Athletic Clubs Regional multipurpose club chain $97 million

Spectrum Clubs, Inc. Luxurious, regional fitness-only clubs $94 million

Fitness Together Franchise Corp. Personal-training-only franchise $92 million

How Are Clubs Doing? where’s the Industry Heading?


The 2008 edition of IHRSA’s Profiles of Success is now available to association members for $199.95 for the entire publi-cation, or for $69.95 for each of its three major sections; the pricing for nonmem-bers is $399.95 and $139.95, respectively.

After 27 years, the North American health club industry continues to hold its solid position in the business market-place. Over 29,000 clubs now serve 41.5 million members, generating revenues totaling $18.7 billion. Although mem-bership dipped by roughly 3% in 2007, total industry revenue increased by 5%, highlighting the industry’s capacity to attract consumers to invest in their health through existing club programs,

such as personal training, childcare, and spa services. Furthermore, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for health club membership over the past five years amounted to 5%, while the CAGR for industry revenues totaled 1% during the same time frame. Both figures represent steady, yearly growth from 2003 to 2007.

The fitness industry has not only experienced growth in revenue and membership. Over the past several years, various club models and distinctive demographics have emerged to drive the market’s growth and development. Multipurpose and fitness-only clubs still function and thrive in the marketplace, but a diverse U.S. population has made way for niche clubs. Franchises have boomed in just a few years, targeting women’s fitness interests, budget-con-scious consumers, and young exercisers. The growing older population calls for “soft” fitness programs, and club compa-nies have responded to this market’s needs and goals.

Medical research findings and public-policy initiatives have underscored the need to incorporate regular exercise in the lives of Americans, potentially facilitating future growth. Regular physical activity

There’s no better way to get a quick fix on the current state of the health and fitness business than to check out the newest edition of IHRSA’s Profiles of Success.

A Promising and Dynamic Industry


decelerates the effects of aging, increases life expectancy, prevents diabetes and car-diovascular disease, improves mood and energy levels, helps treat cancer and osteo-porosis, and enhances overall quality of life. More recently, experts have found that intense aerobic interval training staves off metabolic syndrome, and that walking on a treadmill helps improve brain function in stroke survivors.

In the area of public policy, two innova-tive and practical programs are under active consideration in Congress, having received broad support from numerous business and health-promotion organiza-tions throughout the U.S.: the Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act and the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. The WHIP Act would enable employers to provide subsidies to employ-ees to enroll in fitness programs—without that subsidy being taxed as additional income to the employee. PHIT would allow taxpayers to use up to $1,000 a year from “pretax” accounts (such as flexible spend-ing accounts) to pay for fitness club or YMCA memberships or to purchase home fitness equipment.

Leading cLub comPanies

Despite membership numbers that have been relatively flat, several companies have maintained strong business mod-els and developed promising new ones to fuel industry growth. These organiza-

tions are industry leaders that club developers can consider as they build their own successful growing compa-

Health Club/ Competitive environment

Profiles gives operators a clear sense of the market in which they compete by providing detailed information on such topics as member demographics, growth by region, most popular programs, membership pricing, payroll and staffing, profitability ratios, facility reinvestment, and operating benchmarks.

notable Mergers, Acquisitions, and other Business Transactions

Date Target Bidder/Invesor nature of Buyer Type of Transaction

January 2007 Slender Lady Healthy Inspirations Fitness club company Merger

April 2007 Six Bally clubs in Toronto, CanadaFalconhead Capital, LLC Private-equity firm

Purchase/ rebranding

October 2007 Alaska ClubLincolnshire Management

Private-equity firm Purchase

October 2007 Bally Total Fitness CorporationHarbinger Capital Partners


January 2008 Six Gold’s Gyms in Virginia Titan Fitness Fitness club company

Purchase (with funding secured from WestView Capital Partners)

March 2008 Western Athletic Clubs KSL Capital Private-equity firm Purchase

March 2008 World Health ClubNorth Castle Partners


How Are Clubs Doing? where’s the Industry Heading?


nies. Listed on page 58 are the top North American club companies, in terms of revenue, listed in IHRSA’s Global 25 (see July CBI, pg. 42), along with their identified niches and business models.

From ClubCorp’s focus on fitness and country club management to Fitness Together’s emphasis on private training, these leading club companies portray the

dynamic nature of the fitness industry. Industry forerunners are paving the way for growth with a solid business model, sound operational methods, and a clear focus on their respective target markets.

In addition to the North American businesses listed in IHRSA’s Global 25, other companies warrant mention among the leading players. Of the few major fitness-only players dominating the mar-ket early in the life of the fitness club industry, 24 Hour Fitness International, Inc., has emerged as one of the top U.S.

fitness companies, with a reported $1.3 billion in revenues in 2006. Once predom-inantly a traditional fitness-only model, 24 Hour has expanded its club portfolio to include six models, each with a separate specialization in fitness-only, multipur-pose, circuit training, and spa services. The past 15 years have seen 24 Hour grow from a 35-club California chain into a growing fitness empire of 425 domestic and international facilities.

Another notable leading player, Gold’s Gym International, Inc., has come a long way from its beginnings in bodybuilding products and services in the mid-1960s. In response to the evolving consumer-fitness marketplace, Gold’s has expanded its offerings to include group exercise, personal training, group cycling, Pilates, and yoga. Gold’s strategy to diversify services, while remaining true to its weight-lifting roots, has paid off: after 40 years, it’s one of the leading companies in terms of total memberships, with 3 million mem-bers. Reporting revenues exceeding $120 million in 2006, this Texas-based company is also one of the early pioneers of the fitness-franchise model.

Lastly, and, perhaps, a forerunner of the franchise model in the budget sector,

More than 29,000 clubs now serve 41.5 million members, generating $18.7 billion in revenues.

is Planet Fitness, which serves over 1 million members with a very basic fitness-only offering. With monthly dues as low as $10 per month, members have access to essential cardio and strength-training equipment for a basic workout. This model has clearly worked for Planet Fitness, which reported $48.8 million in revenues in 2007.

PubLicLY traded Firms

In the U.S., there are three publicly traded fitness companies: Life Time Fitness, Inc. (LTM: NYSE), Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. (CLUB: NASDAQ), and the Health Fitness Corporation (HFIT: QB).

Since 2000, Life Time Fitness (LTF) has expanded its predominantly Central-States operation into the Midwest, Southwest, and mid- and south-Atlantic markets. With four distinctive club mod-els, LTF is now a publicly traded, 70-plus-unit multipurpose club chain. In 2007, the company generated over $656 million in revenues and served nearly 500,000 members.

Another regional chain experiencing growth within a niche-specific category is Town Sports International (TSI). With urban and suburban locations in the New England, Middle, and South Atlantic states, it has grown from an 11-club operation in 1989 to nearly 150 units in 2007. A publicly traded company, TSI’s 2007 sales revenue was $472 million, and it’s expected to reach $515 million this year. Membership has grown from 42,000 in 1993 to 486,000 in 2007.

Also publicly traded, albeit with a less traditional business model, the Health Fitness Corporation (HFC) manages over 400 facilities, providing corporate-fitness, health-assessment, and other screening programs and services. Founded in 1993, HFC is a leader in corporate fitness management, and, in 2007, served some 225,000 members, generating $70 million in sales.

emerging Franchises

The period following the mid-’90s spurred the growth of fitness-franchise

models, a trend that was led by Curves International, Inc., the women-only, circuit-training operation. Since then, several notable franchises have emerged to fill specific niches within the industry. Once the most dominant player in the women’s fitness arena, Curves now shares the market with, among others, Contours Express, Jazzercise, and Stroller Strides. Of these three players, Contours Express is the only one with a women-only, circuit-training model. Stroller Strides offers pre- and postnatal exercise programs for mothers, while Jazzercise delivers dance-based, total-body-condition-ing programs for a coed population. Although these women-only franchises target a market similar to Curves’, they have yet to gen-erate revenues comparable to those of this pioneer, which reported revenues of $200 million in 2004.

Leading the budget club sector are Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness, fran-chises that have 626 and 608 units, respectively. Open 24 hours a day, both cater to the consumer look-ing for a convenient, basic, no-frills workout.

m&a activitY in the north american heaLth and Fitness market

Financial investors have played a significant role in the development of the fitness sector, and their importance in corporate strategies is paramount and still appears to be growing. For nearly a decade, the fitness club industry has been affected by the influence of private-equity investing in the market. These investors are attracted by the growth rates experienced by operators, and by the profit-enhancing opportunities created by improving management, structural-organization, and operational efficiencies. The chart on pg. 60 reflects the principal financial transactions in 2007 and early 2008. —|


®

The Annual Industry Data Survey of the Health and Fitness Club Industry

Compiled by The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, and Industry Insights, Inc.

2008 The IHRSA

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

PART 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INDUSTRY OUTLOOK


.comFor more information about Unnata Aerial Yoga, a program developed by Michelle Dortignac that combines traditional yoga with aerial exercise movements, log on to www.aerialyoga.com


By Jean suffin

In THe Group-exerCIse sTuDIo, virtually anything is possible—especially if you have the right props and accessories.

Just consider, for instance, some of the imaginative programs that clubs are already offering: Aerial Yoga, which combines traditional yoga with aerial acrobatics, and has participants flying—literally—on lengths of fabric that hang from the ceiling; Drum Alive classes, which have members groovin’ to the beat,

while bouncing on, and banging drumsticks against, stability balls; Yoga Wall classes, which make use of special straps that attach to the surface of a wall to facilitate difficult poses; and Sandblast classes, which transform 10-15-pound sandbags into cardio- and strength-training tools.

Done correctly, the creative introduction of interesting props can open up all sorts of possibilities—and open the door to exercisers of all levels and abilities. Long gone are the days of complicated choreographed aerobics routines that only the most coordinated participants were brave enough, or fit enough, to attempt. Today, classes appeal to an incredibly diverse audience, and, with the help of accessories, enable everyone to succeed.

“Club members like bells and whistles,” observes Dr. Cedric Bryant, the chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise (ACE). “The current buzz in the industry has to do with mind/body workouts and functional training, particularly with respect to group exercise.” More strength- and functional-train-ing-oriented classes attract men, he adds, to an area of the club that, previously, was dominated by females. “Incorporating different types of weighted devices increases the intensity of the workout,” he explains.

Aerobic accessories generate exCITeMenT, MoTIvATIon, and pArTICIpATIon

Drive Group-X POWeR PROPS

with

>

Kenneth Feldm

an/KP

Fdigital

Drive Group-X with Power Props


The typical member enjoys participating in group-exercise classes because of the motivation and excitement that are provided by their inherent camaraderie and competition. At the same time, however, no one wants to stand out as being slow or inept. That’s where props come in especially handy. For example, in a yoga class, a simple 9" x 6" x 4" yoga block allows a less flexible student to achieve, with ease, the same poses as their more supple counterparts.

“The good news about props and accessories is that they really level the playing field for exercisers,” points out Shirley Archer, the IDEA 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year.

Operators may also be surprised at how effectively small changes in the group-exercise offering can increase participation, suggests Shannon Fable, the founder and CEO of Sunshine Fitness Resources, a fitness consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado. “Introducing something fresh, novel, unique into

classes serves the needs of both the veteran group-exercise person, as well as the novice,” she attests. “The vets need new ideas and equipment to break through plateaus and keep them interested and involved, while many newcomers are waiting in the wings for a new concept to come along so they can participate on the same level as the old hands.”

Variety also keeps instructors on their toes, enhancing their knowledge base and repertoire, and, moreover, can actually make their jobs easier. “When members can use props to self-correct and make adjustments to their form, they become responsible for their own success, which can improve their experience significantly,” suggests Fable.

Fortunately, clever new accessories are constantly being created, produced, and marketed by manufac-turers. At the moment, Fable is particularly intrigued by Power Systems’ new Airope, a small, handheld rope with a handle like that of a jump rope, but with a ball on the end to create swing resistance. When integrated into any group-exercise class, it increases caloric expenditure and core engagement, and works the upper body—an area that’s often overlooked in cardio classes. Bryant, for his part, is currently fond of SPRI’s new Slanted Riser, an angled step riser that can be used with a traditional step to create an incline. “It adds a new challenge to step classes,” he says, “and, combined with resistance bands, can also be used for strength-training classes.”

“The more you can do to make exercise fun and entertaining, without overwhelming people—the better it is,” concludes Archer. —|

– Jean Suffin, [email protected]

“Introducing something fresh, novel, unique into classes serves the needs of both the veteran group-exercise person, as well as the novice.”

shannon Fable, c., with Power systems’ Airope

enthusiasts make use of sPrI’s slanted riser


AV nowAV Now offers fitness instructors a choice of either “cableless” or tra-ditional body pack wireless micro-phone systems. Its Samson Airline cableless headset is a favorite because it does away with the body pack transmitter. The Aeromic and Emic systems with body packs

feature lighter headsets. Any of these headsets may be combined with a Samson xPL300 Powered Speaker to form a complete portable sound system with built-in iPod dock.

“We’ve done our homework over 15 years of specializing in fitness and aquatic sound. We’ve talked to thousands of fitness professionals and have added their experiences with gear to our own,” says Rob DeHart, president. “We know what works and will help instructors figure out what will work most successfully for them.”

Contact: www.avnow.com, 800-491-6874. See our ad on page 117

BOsu by Fitness Quest, Inc.The BOSU Ballast Ball is a weight-filled stability ball that’s designed to stay put. Its design helps increase both safety and the number of exer-cise progressions and dynamic drills that can be performed. The Ballast Ball is suitable for all populations;

integrates easily with all types of fitness equipment; and stacks easily. The package includes a foot pump and workout DVD.

“The BOSU Ballast Ball is one of those tools that professionals and consumers quickly appreciate, whether for meeting daily training goals, or just using the ball for a fun, productive workout,” notes Douglas Brooks, M.S., exercise physiologist and consultant for BOSU. “Simply put, a ball that stays put when you set it down has a positive

impact on training options. Plus, the material inside provides both visual and audible feedback.”

Contact: www.bosu.com, 800-497-8281. See our ad on page 69

Gerstung | Gym-thing, Inc.Ideal for group-exercise applica-tions, the AirBase floor features two layers of high-quality imported plywood that are glued and screwed together to form a solid surface floating on top of sym-metrically arranged Energy Blocks, finished with a vinyl top

surface. The result, Gerstung asserts, is excellent shock-absorbency with resiliency, helping to reduce user injuries.

“It’s a proven design, installed in many parts of the world,” says Jeff Tarleton, director of administration and sales. “It’s a great way to customize as it’s compat-ible with a wide variety of top surfaces—wood, vinyl, carpet, or linoleum—making it a good choice for a complete aerobics, dance, or group-exercise floor.”

Contact: www.gerstung.com, 410-337-7781. See our ad on page 98

national exercise trainers Association (netA)NETA has offered certifications and continuing education for fitness professionals for more than 30 years. The organization currently offers an NCCA-accred-ited Personal Training Certification

and is in the application process for NCCA approval of its Group Exercise Instructor Certification.

“Our certification programs have recently undergone extensive analysis and reconstruction,” notes Mario Crespo, president. “Our goal was to elevate our program to a higher standard in providing fitness professionals

Group exercise

eSSenTIalSAs the popularity of Pilates and group exercise continues to grow, so does the range of products and programming designed to support them. The examples from these IHRSA Associates illustrate the depth and breadth of related accessories.

Drive Group-X with Power Props

with safe and effective training, which ultimately helps the consumer. NETA certification prepares trainers with the skills and support that are vital to helping people achieve their physical fitness and health goals.”

Contact: www.netafit.org, 800-237-6242. See our ad on page 100

OPtPThe OPTP Pro-Roller is a musculoskeletal conditioning tool for stretching and strength-ening the whole body.

It’s well suited for Pilates and yoga classes, where it can be used for myofascial release, muscular flexibility, and dynamic strengthening. Roller exercises enhance balance, body awareness, muscle re-education, and core stability. According to the company, the density of the Pro-Roller provides firm support with a cushioned surface, making exercises much more comfortable than with harder rollers.

“Incorporating the Pro-Roller into Pilates exercises creates additional awareness of how one’s body feels and moves, helping to develop better posture and body symmetry, while challenging core strength and balance,” says Angela Kneale, OTR, certified Pilates instructor, and OPTP consultant. “The Pro-Roller provides a playful movement experience that targets strength and flexibility, and decreases muscle stress and tension.”

Contact: www.optp.com, 800-367-7393. See our ad on page 79

Power systems, Inc.Power Systems offers several group-exercise and related prod-ucts, ranging from mats, barbell sets, and foam rollers, to specialty equipment for group and Pilates classes. Among its newest products is the Airope, a jump-rope-like fitness tool designed to improve cardiovascular conditioning by increasing the intensity of exercises using upper-body movements.

The Airope can be used as a standalone tool or can be combined with other equipment.

“Because of its versatility, the Airope is a great tool for group-fitness instructors, yoga instructors, and trainers,” observes Monty Kilburn, vice president of marketing. “It’s so simple that anyone—no matter what their skill level—can use it. It’s ideal for intensifying cardio classes, and also makes a great prop in yoga classes. There are absolutely no limits to what you can do with the Airope.”

Contact: www.power-systems.com, 800-321-6975. See our ad on page 94

sportsmith, llCKettlebells are excellent tools for increasing all-around fitness and cross-training benefits. Kettle-bell workouts improve strength, endurance, agility, and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular systems with

dynamic total-body movements. Sportsmith’s Kettle-bells are encased in a solid rubber coating to help enhance the user’s grip and protect fitness facility floors from damage. The Kettlebells are available in a series of weights ranging from 8 kilograms/17.6 pounds to 40 kilograms/88 pounds.

“History supports the popularity of this equipment. In the early 1900s, Kettlebells became the training tool of choice for early bodybuilders and strongmen,” notes Troy Mosley, marketing manager. “Now Kettlebell competitions are becoming a major sport throughout the world as the popularity of Kettlebells and Kettlebell training increases.”

Contact: www.sportsmith.net, 800-713-2880. See our ad on page 87

sPrI Products, Inc. SPRI’s patented Flex N’ Point is a rubber-resistance tool designed to complement mat-based Pilates routines. It simulates traditional Pilates reformer training, while providing lower-body resistance, upper-body postural training, and enhanced core/trunk muscle acti-vation. The 13" x 3" Flex N’ Point is soft, padded, and contoured, and features a Velcro-secured arch

cuff with an adjustable tubing sleeve, as well as 30" of tubing and handles.

“This unique rubber-resistance exercise product can help simulate some of the resistance exercise movements of spring-tension Pilates equipment,” explains Adam Zwyer, marketing manager. “The Flex N’ Point helps strengthen the core ‘powerhouse’ muscles, enhance muscle flexibility and joint mobility, release tension, and improve circulation, while providing head-to-toe conditioning without building bulk.”

Contact: www.spri.com, 800-222-7774. See our ad on page 90 —|



Amazing Advances in HR Technology!


not all that long ago, recruiting health club employees typically involved calling the local newspaper, dictating a help-wanted advertisement, waiting a week for it to appear in print, and reading and responding to résumés that arrived, eventually, via postal mail.

How things have changed! amazing advances in technology have made recruiting and other human resources (HR) functions much simpler in some ways, and more complex in others. let’s break it down by category.

recruitmentThe Internet presents a wealth of recruiting opportunities, allowing employers to cast a broad net at a relatively low price. In fact, online job postings generally cost a fraction of what ads in trade publications or major newspapers cost; have more staying power; and can position a club or company as being technologically savvy. Online recruiting represents ease, convenience, and efficiency for employees and employers alike—hence its increasing popularity.

“We’ve found the Internet to be an excellent way to attract candidates,” says Donna Sosnowski, vice president of human resources for Millennium Partners Sports Club Management, LLC., based in Boston, Massachusetts. “This medium gives us cost-effective nationwide exposure, across a variety of disciplines.”

In addition to posting online job openings instantly, easily, and inexpensively, employers can also reach a broader selection of candidates—even those who are not actively searching job postings on a regular basis. Once an employer posts a job opening on ActiveCareers.com, IHRSA’s online resource, for example, he or she can search the site’s résumé bank and contact candidates who initially appear to be a good fit. “As an employer, the ActiveCareers.com résumé search engine is a quick way to look for new applicants when a need emerges,” says Debbie Stauble, a recruiter for Healthtrax, in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Amazing Advances in HR Technology!

recruiting, screening, managing, and compensating employees in the 21st century

By Kristen A. Walsh

>

Electronic applications are e-mailed to the employer, or, if the employer prefers, the online posting can simply direct applicants to the employer’s own career center for more information and application instructions. Job postings can be activated, edited, and deleted instantly, ensuring that a compa-ny’s job opening information is up-to-date and accurate.

screeningBackground checks—which can help employers avoid undesirable applicants—have become a vital part of the hiring process, and for good reason. Lawsuits abound against individuals and companies accused of negligent hiring. In many cases, a simple criminal background check would have shown that a job candidate or employee was a danger to cowork-ers and/or clients, and therefore should not have been hired.

Conduct a Google search on “employee background checks” and you’ll get a mere 17.7 million results. Some Websites promise “instant online results” for only $20. Does this sound too easy? It is. While it’s risky to forgo back-ground checks altogether, it’s also legally dangerous to do them incorrectly or incompletely, and the process can be extremely time-consuming. Therefore,

many clubs have opted to outsource such checks to reputable companies, such as HR Pro Shop (www.hrproshop.com), an IHRSA Group Pur-chasing partner.

“Background check programs run the gamut,

from quick and basic to expensive and detailed, and

there are various levels of searches that are offered: social

security number verification, national criminal, court-level

searches, county-level searches, previous employer verification, education verification, and much more,” explains Suzanne Berthay,

the president of HR Pro Shop, in Burke, Virginia. “Consult with a trusted expert to determine the right level of background check to meet your organization’s needs

and budget.”

Management and payrollIHRSA member health clubs can leverage the association’s buying power by utilizing payroll services, such as those offered by Group Purchasing partner PrimePay, in Frazer, Pennsylvania (www.ihrsa.primepay.com). Payroll clients can phone, fax, e-mail, or use their PC or Web interface to submit their payroll information. PrimePay

handles everything from there: processing the complete payroll; e-mailing reports immediately upon processing; handling the transfer of funds for direct deposit; calculating, filing, and reconciling all payroll taxes; and delivering payroll checks right to the club’s door.

“Our initial proposal from PrimePay offered a savings of over $200 per month,” reports Lorinda Drake Crow, office manager at The Belmont Athletic Club, in Long Beach, California. “The transition was smooth, the support staff was extremely helpful, and we’ve been very pleased with the full range of services that PrimePay offers.”

The right technology can also make employee scheduling a breeze, allowing workers to access their schedules from anywhere, and receive automatic reminders of appointments and instantaneous notices of changes.

“We’ve found the internet to be an excellent way to attract candidates. this medium gives us cost-effective nationwide exposure, across a variety of disciplines.”

Amazing Advances in Hr technology!



ACTIVECAREERS.COM: SOLVING YOUR COMPANY’S NO. 1 PROBLEMIf your business is like most health clubs and wellness companies, finding—and keeping—great talent is consistently your biggest chal-lenge. IHRSA can help! ActiveCareers.com connects industry-specific job candidates with employment opportunities at health clubs and wellness companies located around the world.

“ActiveCareers.com is a win/win proposition for applicants and employers,” says Debbie Stauble, a recruiter for Healthtrax, in Glaston-bury, Connecticut. “Thank you, IHRSA, for this recruiting tool that puts industry-specific candi-dates in front of employers.”

“Club One has been an ActiveCareers.com Featured Employer for a few years, and we have had much success in finding qualified candidates,” explains Kelley Maltais, a senior HR manager for Club One. “Whenever we have a big position to fill, we make sure we post the job on ActiveCareers.com.”

“Ever since ActiveCareers.com was launched, posting career opportunities with IHRSA has never been easier or more successful,” adds Chris Ann Becki, a recruiter for Sport & Health Clubs, in McLean, Virginia. “From maneuvering through the posting pages all the way to the quality of applicants, I have been impressed with it all!”

In addition to job postings and résumés, ActiveCareers.com includes sample job descriptions, guest columns on key HR topics, industry-specific compensation data, and many more free career-development and recruiting resources.

Log on to www.ActiveCareers.com/employer, or call 800-228-4772, ext. 117, to learn more about ActiveCareers.com. Use the promotional code CBIreADer at checkout to save 10% off any job posting or Featured Employer package purchase through the end of 2008! —|

For years, Gold’s Gym of Regina, in Saskatchewan, Canada, used a paper and pencil system to manage the scheduling of its personal trainers. “Once we switched to EZFacility TMS (www.ezfacility.com), we immediately saw our daily activities handled in a much more efficient and accurate manner, and our customer satisfaction also improved signifi-cantly,” says owner Skye Kaiss. “With EZFacility TMS, we have an excellent system to monitor trainer payroll and to help us simplify and streamline the operations of this critical aspect of our business.”

Several CheckFree products, including the company’s Compete health club software (checkfreecompete.com), include HR capabilities. The Employee Dashboard provides employees with access to important data, such as hours worked, sales tracking, appointment alerts, and certification expiration dates. “The European Government Facility chose CheckFree club management software because the system was tried and tested,” says Matt Reynolds, manager of the Belgium-based club. “Overall, reducing administration is going to make our lives much easier, enabling our staff to concentrate on members and their needs.”

Log on to www.ihrsabuyersguide.com to locate more IHRSA associate member companies offering HR technology, products, and expertise. —|

- Kristen A. Walsh, [email protected]

right way to do résumés

PrimePay

Keiser, M5 Strider. —|

Photo sponsored by Keiser


InnovationsWhat’s New 77 | FIT Extra 83

»

| Innovations | What’s New

Harbinger » Harbinger has introduced its Big Grip “No-Slip” Pro Lifting Straps, which improve the user’s grip during weight-training exercises, including shrugs, rows, cable pulls, lat pull downs, and dead lifts, among others. Made from heavy-duty nylon and Dura-Grip rubber, the patented 11.5" Pro Lifting Straps include 5mm neoprene pads that wrap around the wrists to properly secure the straps and provide maximum cushioning. Users can customize the fit with adjustable stainless steel buckles, and the pair of black straps is one-size-fits-all for a price of $20. For more information, contact the company at 35 Executive Court, Napa, CA 94558; 800-729-5954; 707-257-5838; 707-257-5843 (FAX); www.harbingersports.com. —|

The Clorox Company » The new Clorox Pro Quaternary All-Purpose Disinfectant Cleaner is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency to kill the germs that can threaten the safety of the health club environment. These include community-associated MRSA, E.coli, HIV-1 and HIV-2, hepatitis B and C, and salmonella enterica, among others. The hospital-grade disinfectant is a one-step, labor-saving cleaner with a no-rinse, pH-neutral, bleach-free formula. Clo-rox Pro Quaternary All-Purpose Disinfectant Cleaner can be used on a variety of hard, nonporous surfaces, including fitness equipment and mats, bathrooms, whirlpools, steam rooms, and outdoor play equipment, as well as floors, stainless steel, sealed granite, glazed ceramic tiles, and shower stalls. It comes in a dilutable formula. For more information, contact the company at 1221 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612; 510-271-7899; www.thecloroxcompany.com. —|

Getmembers.com» Designed to help independent health clubs and franchises attract more members, the new Getmembers.com Website is a resource for creating customizable, on-demand, direct- marketing solutions. Users can search the site by industry, franchise category, theme, or product, such as postcards, guest passes, and door hangers. Franchisees can utilize a “group code log-in” to select from customized products and proprietary artwork for their company. Clients can also access their own password-protected personal dashboard to secure, revise, or approve their materials; check their mailing lists and past campaigns; and link to their call-tracking reports to determine the effectiveness of each marketing effort. For more information, contact the company at 750 Hammond Drive, Bldg. 6, Ste. 300, Atlanta, GA 30328; 800-827-0133; 770-399-9033; 770-399-6494 (FAX); www.getmembers.com. —|

»Ready Care Industries » For the ultimate in convenience, Ready Care Industries presents the ZIP-ZAC, a plush terry/velour towel with a patented, water-resistant, lined, zippered pocket to store keys, cell phones, membership cards, and MP3 players. The line includes a 13" x 40" athletic towel and a 35" x 64" beach towel in a colorful array of prints; a 15" x 20" golf towel with or without a grommet; and a 30" x 54" pool/spa towel. Each can be customized with an embroidered logo. “With ZIP-ZAC, members have a secure place to store small personal items, preventing them from inad-vertently leaving their belongings at the gym,” explains Rita Hamburg, the ZIP-ZAC product manager at Ready Care Industries. For more information, contact the company at 15845 E. 32nd Ave., Ste. 2A, Aurora, CO 80011; 800-477-4283; 303-341-7171; 800-456-6721 (FAX); www.readycare.com. —|

ZIP-ZAC act


Lifting StrapsAll-Purpose clean

»| Innovations | What’s New

American Son Products

» American Son Products has developed the EZ Swimmer, an innovative water calisthenics tool for use in the pool. This device was ergonomically engineered by leading bio-medical engineers using NASA technology. Exercisers enjoy targeted toning for the entire body using such movements as push-ups and sit-ups; the exclusive Seated Balance and Train Your Ab Crunch exercises have received rave reviews from users. Made from closed-cell marine foam, the lightweight, maintenance-free EZ Swimmer lets users keep their faces out of the water, and is an ideal complement to water aerobics classes. A free exercise poster comes with the product. American Son Products has also announced an exciting new line of eco-friendly lotions made especially for club mem-bers. The line was developed specifically to provide the highest level of protection from the sun’s harmful rays. The SPF 30 lotion contains avobenzine, a key ingredient for protecting skin from damaging UVA rays, which can lead to skin cancer and wrinkles. Also included in the line is After Sun Care lotion made with aloe vera. This luxurious gel dries in minutes, won’t stain clothing, and doesn’t feel sticky. For more information, contact the company at 1218 Harlem Blvd., Rockford, IL 61103; 877-439-7946; 815-560-7291; www.ameri-cansonproducts.com. —|

h/p/cosmos sports & medical gmbh

» h/p/cosmos has released two new innovative products: an oversized treadmill, the saturn rs 450/300, and an “unweighting” system, the airwalk se 135. The treadmill, which was developed for the Olympic Training Center in Ruhpolding, Germany, boasts a huge running surface of approximately 15' x approx-imately 10' and a maximum speed of 37 mph. The dynamic airwalk se 135 is suitable for walking rehabilitation after neurological, spinal, and muscular injuries. For more information, contact the company at Am Sportplatz 8; Nussdorf-Traunstein, DE 83365; Germany; 49-8669-8642-0; 49-8669-8642-49 (FAX); www.h-p-cosmos.com. —|

»Egoscue Method » Adding enjoyment to exercise, the new Patch Obstacle Course is now being used by elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the U.S. as an exciting indoor workout. The modular course can be assembled in multiple configu-rations on any flat surface, and then quickly disassembled for storage. The functional, fun exercise includes vaults, bear crawls, alligators, crabs, stork walks, and more— all of which are designed to improve strength, flexibility, balance, posture, and cardiovascular endurance. The 72-page Patch Fitness for Kids manual provides instruction on how to effectively deliver these workouts for children ages 5 and older. Egoscue, a world leader in nonmedical pain relief, also offers products and services for adults, including The Patch fitness program. This proprietary regimen makes use of a unique combination of drills and strengthening activities that are designed to maximize a person’s physical potential, while minimizing the risk of injuries. For more information, contact the company at 12707 High Bluff Drive, Ste. 150, San Diego, CA 92130; 800-995-8434; 858-755-1075; 858-792-6038 (FAX); www.egoscue.com. —|

Patch kids’ course


airwalk se 135

saturn rs 450/300

»


OPTP » New from OPTP is The Body Has a Mind of its Own, a publication that explores the connection and interaction between the brain and the body. Written by Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee, this summary of current research addresses body maps in the brain that determine how one perceives reality and filters information, along with the individual’s response to that perception. Also included is an examination of mental and physical practice; what happens when the body maps blur or break; and how mirror neurons may affect emotions, pain, or autism. The 240-page hardcover book is illustrated. For more information, contact the company at 3800 Annapolis Lane, #165, Minneapolis, MN 55447; 800-367-7393; 763-553-0452; 763-559-5230 (FAX); www.optp.com. —|


Power Systems, Inc.» The new Economy Club Step from Power Systems offers quality, durability, and afford-ability. Suited for group exercise and personal training, the 6" step features a 22" x 15" ridged plat-form; a non-skid bottom; a loop on each side for attaching tubing; and a 250-pound user weight limit. In other news, Power Systems has relaunched its Website with improved navigation and new capabilities, including the option to shop by product category, fitness or sport-specific goal, a keyword search, or a virtual catalog, which can be easily downloaded. New content also includes videos with product demonstrations and educational articles. In addition, placing and tracking orders has been simplified. “We wanted our Website to meet the needs of an ever-changing marketplace,” explains Monty Kilburn, the company’s vice president of marketing. “Our new site… enables customers to find products more quickly. We’ve also increased the content provided for each product, so trainers, coaches, and individuals can make better-informed decisions about their purchases.” For more information, contact the company at 5700 Casey Drive, Knoxville, TN 37909; 800-321-6975; 865-769-8223; 865-769-8211 (FAX); www.power-systems.com. —|

Economy Club Step


American Specialty Health » American Specialty Health (ASH) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) have launched FitnessCoach, an innovative Web-based health and fitness resource. The professionals’ version is available at FitnessCoachPro.com, and the consumers’ site can be found at FitnessCoach.com. Professionals can create customized workout and nutrition programs for clients; monitor clients’ progress; participate in continuing education; access expert articles, research reviews, and an exercise library; enroll in a professional registry; and receive exclusive pricing on NASM’s Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) and Corrective Exercises Specialist (CES) advanced specializations. At Fitness-Coach.com, users can take a health assessment; create individual exercise and nutrition plans; and locate the nearest fitness profes-sional via a national directory. For more information, contact the company at 777 Front St., San Diego, CA 92101; 888-511-2743; 619-578-2000; 619-237-3859 (FAX); www.ashcompanies.com. —|

Concept2 » To give exercisers more technology-based workout options, Concept2 has partnered with several companies to deliver inspiring “virtual workout partners.” iRow, from iTrain, enables users to download personalized indoor rowing workouts onto any MP3 player, and Performance Max (PMAX) offers 30- to 60-minute MP3-based programs with coaching narrative and motivating music. RowPro, by Digital Rowing, Inc., provides virtual on-water racing, technique, and stroke-by-stroke feedback, in addition to various scenic animations, and each Concept2 indoor rower includes a free demo. Flexibility for Athletes presents a video podcast that incorporates a series of breathing, yoga, and meditation/relaxation techniques to enhance endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information, contact the company at 105 Industrial Park Drive, Morrisville, VT 05661-8532; 800-245-5676; 802-888-4791 (FAX); www.concept2.com. —|


Virtual rowing fun


»TRUE Fitness» TRUE Fitness offers Heart Rate Control (HRC), an easy-to-use heart-rate training system that helps exercisers remain at the correct intensity levels to stay motivated and achieve results; HRC is available on its treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes. A variety of interactive heart-rate training programs enable users to input their target heart rate, and the machines automatically adjust the resistance level, speed, and/or incline to keep them in their target zones. And the TRUE HRC Planner, which is available for free online, creates a customized 21-24-week exercise program that progressively increases in workout intensity and duration. For more information, contact the company at 865 Hoff Road, O’Fallon, MO 63366-1923; 800-426-6570; 636-272-7100; 636-272-7148 (FAX); www.truefitness.com. —|

TRUE has heart


| Innovations | FIT Extra Ellipticals

Runner-up No MoreIn terms of popularity and improvements, elliptical crosstrainers are catching up to treadmills

Elliptical crosstrainers, a relatively new addition to the fitness

equipment landscape, were first introduced by Precor, Inc.,

in 1995. Since then, the machines have continued to gain

acceptance and have grown steadily in popularity. “Clearly, the

category has expanded dramatically,” observes Paul J. Byrne,

the president of Precor, based in Woodinville, Washington.

“Generally speaking, five years ago, a new club’s cardio

floor would be populated with twice as many treadmills as

ellipticals. Today, however, the number of ellipticals would

likely equal or exceed the number of treadmills.”

Discussions with elliptical manufacturers suggest that treadmill users are their principal target audience. “We’ve created a new feel for ellipticals by making use of a flatter, longer ellipse mechanism,” notes Dave Rainis, the COO of Landice Treadmills, in Randolph, New Jersey. “It’s designed to appeal to anyone who enjoys working out on a treadmill, but who, for a change of pace or a low-impact workout, wants an elliptical.” Landice has gone so far as to integrate treadmill programs into its ElliptiMill machine by utilizing a metabolic-equivalent calculation: an advanced algorithm calculates the equivalent speed and distance based on the user’s effort level and pedal speed. “If you can run one mile at 12 mph on a treadmill, you know that you can do the same on an ElliptiMill,” explains Rainis.

Another significant change has been a shift toward incorporating more natural movement in the units, especially with respect to upper-body motion. “There’s been a great deal of innovation in terms of the way the machines fit the body and how closely they mimic what people actually do when they walk, jog, or run,” notes Dennis Lee, the cofounder of Octane Fitness, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. “The upper-body equipment has changed from moving ‘stick-like’ handlebars to upper-body arms with multiple grips that allow users to position their hands correctly. They provide a ‘converging-path’ movement that simulates the natural arm motion people use when they run.”

Eric Severance, the senior marketing manager at TRUE Fitness Technology, Inc., based in St. Louis, Missouri, notes that elliptical models that go even further—moving into the realm of sport-specific training—are beginning to make their way into clubs, but not yet on a grand scale. “A few manufacturers have introduced elliptical hybrids that attempt to emulate different motions, such as those involved in climbing, running, striding, stepping, etc.,” he says. “Time will tell if the industry will accept and adopt this new alternative. To design a machine that’s smooth and safe and that emulates a variety of body movements and motions—that’s a real challenge.” —|

ELLIPTICALSBCUBE

Elliptical Total Body 1903

The Bcube Total Body 1903 offers exercisers symmetrical, ergonomically correct, and user-friendly movement for a full-body workout. Designed by Italian architect Giugiaro, the Bcube equipment line is a balance of form and function, with a small footprint and minimal maintenance requirements. The self-powered machine features a belt drive; 15 intensity levels; and preset programs, such as an assessment test, heart-rate training, calorie consumption, and power training. The analogical and digital display includes an integrated smart card reader, RDS radio, and hand and Polar heart-rate analysis. Bcube is now available in the U.S. through Equilibrium.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,793.00

Elliptical 1903

The Bcube Elliptical 1903 features ergo-nomically correct, user-friendly functionality. Designed by Italian architect Giugiaro, the Bcube equipment line offers both form and function in a small footprint, and requires little maintenance. The self-powered machine boasts a belt drive, 15 intensity levels, and preset programs, such as an assessment test, heart-rate training, calorie consumption, and power training. The analogical and digital display



includes an integrated smart card reader, RDS radio, and hand and Polar heart-rate feedback. Bcube is now available in the U.S. through Equilibrium.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,967.00

BH FITNESS

BH X8

The BH X8 light-commercial elliptical trainer features a smooth 21" stride and performance-grip upper-body arms for a total-body workout. This self-generating product requires no electrical outlet and comes standard with Adjustable Width Technology (AWT) pedals, which enable exercisers to adjust the spacing between the pedals to accommodate any body type or personal workout style. Dual Guide Rails provide maximum stability and ensure a safe, comfortable, enjoyable workout experience.Manufacturer’s list price: $2,599.99

NEWBH X9-ME

The BH X9-ME light-commercial elliptical trainer features motivational entertainment, a smooth, 21" stride, and performance-grip upper-body handlebars for an engaging total-body workout. It boasts Adjustable Width Technology (AWT) pedals that allow exercisers to change the spacing between the pedals to accommodate any body type or personal preference. A 7" LCD screen with motivational entertainment offers users a variety of viewing options

during their workouts. Dual guide rails provide maximum stability to help ensure a safe, comfortable exercise experience.Manufacturer’s list price: $2,999.00

SK 9100 TV, SK 9100

The SK 9100 elliptical series combines automotive design with performance to deliver total-body motion for the ultimate in durability and functionality. Extensively developed biomechanics offer a precise, controlled, and extremely quiet exercise experience. This product is self-powered with Genesia III technology, and features Polar Heart Rate monitoring via hand-grip sensors or telemetry. Choose from 40 different workout programs, including Fitness Test and HRC Heart Rate Control. The SK 9100 TV has an integrated 7" LCD TV to add motivation and personal entertainment; the SK 9100 model is available without a TV.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,799.99

BRUddEN/MoVEMENT

Elliptic IT 610

Brudden's Elliptic IT 610 is a space-efficient, versatile option for clubs. It offers 10 training programs; a green and red LED console; and cardio monitoring through either the handgrips or a thoracic belt. It weighs just 231 pounds. Each machine is silver with orange frieze, and comes with a three-year warranty for manufacturing defects.Manufacturer’s list price: $3,500.00

CYBEX INTERNATIoNAL, INC.SEE OUR AD ON THE INSIDE FRONT COVER & PAGE 1

425A Arc Trainer

The CYBEX 425A Arc Trainer has been designed to provide a solution for light-commercial applications. It meets and complements a fitness facility's needs with its compact footprint, elegant design, and ease-of-use features. Combining elements of a skier, elliptical, stepper, and hiker, the 425A Arc Trainer makes it possible for users to focus on their specific fitness needs, and can facilitate a virtually unlimited number of workout combinations. The 425A's remarkable versatility allows it to satisfy every club-member population.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,995.00

Arc Trainer

The CYBEX Arc Trainer is now self-powered, eliminating the need for electrical cords. It provides a progressive workout that's designed to produce the best results for everyone, from deconditioned individuals to professional athletes. Its arc pattern of motion provides maximum training, while minimizing stress on the joints. An adjustable resistance of up to 900 watts and 11 levels of incline ensures exercise variety and flexibility. The Arc Trainer can help club members achieve a wide range of goals, including weight loss, body-sculpting, improved performance, or increased mobility. Plug-in versions are also available.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,995.00



Total Body Arc Trainer

With all the same features and benefits of the Arc Trainer, the Total Body Arc Trainer provides the option of a full-body workout. The arms on the Total Body Arc Trainer employ a unique, patent-pending Same Side Forward (SSF) motion that coordinates the upper- and lower-body movements and lets the user maintain correct posture at any incline, alleviating stress on the back. The four-bar linkage-input arms ensure reduced stress on the foot and ankle. Plug-in versions are also available.Manufacturer’s list price: $6,495.00

FREEMoTIoN FITNESS

FreeMotion Elliptical Trainer

The FreeMotion Elliptical Trainer features a patented rear-access design to minimize its footprint and to maximize floor space, without compromising functionality or durability. The machine's custom-designed electromagnetic resistance system consistently applies resistance to the flywheel to ensure a smooth, natural stride. Available with a self-powered Basic console or an optional Workout TV console, the elliptical features QuickTouch adjustments with 20 resistance levels and eight pre-programmed workouts. For safety and

long-lasting operation, the wheel track is covered to protect moving parts and guard against debris.

HoGGAN HEALTH INdUSTRIES, INC.

HOGGAN Sprint Elliptical Cross Trainer

The human-powered HOGGAN Sprint Elliptical has a smooth, long elliptical footpath that simulates natural movements, such as walking or running, by utilizing the friction-free Magnatech Resistance Technology. The front-drive design lets users enter and exit easily from the back of the machine and minimizes floor space


| Innovations | FIT Extra


requirements. The large foot pedals are low to the ground for easy mounting and dismounting; the optional independent upper-body moving handles provide a total-body workout; and the programming is simple to use. Sealed aircraft-quality bearing pivot points make this commercial unit—which was designed, fabricated, and assembled in the U.S.— extremely durable and quiet.

KEISER CoRPoRATIoN

NEWKeiser M5 Strider

The new Keiser M5 Strider elliptical trainer continues the M Series’ award-winning tradition of modern style and innovative design. Keiser has taken the elliptical to the next step by redesigning it to fit seamlessly in the group-training environment and creating one of the hottest new workouts in the industry, M5 Striding. The M5 Strider offers several class-friendly features, including a dramatically decreased size while retaining the familiar comfortable and stable elliptical feel.

LANdICE TREAdMILLS

E9 ElliptiMill Elliptical Trainer

The Landice E9 ElliptiMill elliptical trainer features the ultimate in accessibility. Exercisers simply grab the handrails, step in, and start exercising in comfort. A patented center-drive system replicates the body's natural motion and offers a natural stride, which is adjustable as well. Orthopedic “gel” footpads deliver optimal comfort and eliminate foot

fatigue, and an integrated rear step yields a low step-up height to better accommodate senior users or beginners. Safety is enhanced with side handrails. The E9 is engineered, assembled, and tested in Randolph, New Jersey.Manufacturer’s list price: $3,695.00

LIFE FITNESSSEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER

95X with Achieve Console

Life Fitness combines form and function with its sleek 95X Elliptical Cross-Trainer. Part of the Elevation Series, the 95X with the Achieve console features an intuitive display with LED technology, 25 resistance levels, and a 20" stride length. Also included are seven workouts, including two Zone Training+ programs, and heart-rate monitoring via the patented Lifepulse digital hand sensors and Polar telemetry. Designed with advanced Quiet Drive technology, the 95X can be equipped for personal entertainment with Life Fitness' 17" attachable TV, and users can select from up to eight languages.

95X with Engage Console

Life Fitness' 95X Elliptical Cross-Trainer with the Engage console features an integrated 15" LCD with touch-screen technology, allowing users to watch up to 180 available TV channels. Also included are iPod compatibility; USB connectivity for users to create and save workouts; Workout Landscape Perspectives that deliver three engaging ways to view workouts; and a built-in Virtual Trainer

that provides encouragement, tips, and feedback. Designed with advanced Quiet Drive technology for a comfortable, challenging total-body workout, the 95X offers 26 resistance levels; a 20" stride length; and 40 workouts. The patented Lifepulse digital hand sensors and Polar telemetry provide heart-rate monitoring.

95X with Inspire Console

Life Fitness' 95X Elliptical Cross-Trainer with the Inspire console features an integrated 7" LCD with touch-screen technology to deliver entertainment and motivational features. These include iPod compatibility; USB connectivity for creating and saving workouts; new Workout Landscape Per-spectives that provide motivating workout visualization; and a built-in Virtual Trainer to provide encouragement, tips, and feedback. Also included are 25 resistance levels, a 20" stride length, and 40 workouts, including five Zone Training+ programs, Military PRT training, and Fit Test protocols. The 95X was designed with advanced Quiet Drive technology, and can also be equipped with Life Fitness' 17" attachable TV.

Classic Series Elliptical Cross-Trainer

The Life Fitness Classic Series Elliptical Cross-Trainer offers a smooth, total-body cardiovascular workout with a variety of low-impact programs. Built for comfort and engineered to be ergonomically correct, with the durability that Life Fitness is known for, these machines take elliptical cross-training to a new level.




LIFECoRE FITNESS

LC1000Z Studio Elliptical

The Lifecore Fitness 1000Z is an ultra-compact, studio-grade elliptical with premium features and quality. The dual-action upper-body handles feature contact heart-rate sensors for quick access to heart-rate readouts during workouts. Suitable for smaller health clubs, personal training studios, or corporate fitness centers, the LC1000Z has a user capacity of 400 pounds, and utilizes bearing pivot points and oversized transportation wheels.Manufacturer’s list price: $1,699.00

MATRIX FITNESS SYSTEMSSEE OUR AD ON PAGE 11

A5x Ascent Trainer

With an adjustable incline and variable stride length, the Matrix Ascent Trainer challenges individuals at every fitness level while targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles. Engineered to precisely match the body's natural movement, the Ascent creates a fluid feel with comfortable pedal motion combined with ultra-smooth, dual-action upper-body arms for a dynamic total-body experience. The Ascent Trainer has 25 resistance levels and eight training programs, including manual, rolling,

intervals, fat burn, random, fit test, target heart rate, and constant watts. All Matrix cardiovascular products are designed to accommodate the company's FITCON-NEXION technology, which utilizes individual flat-screen televisions.Manufacturer’s list price: $6,995.00

E5xc

The Matrix E5xc Elliptical Cross Trainer delivers all of the same features and ergonomic feel as the E5x Elliptical in a more compact package. This self-powered elliptical features a 21" stride length and a brushless, maintenance-free JID gen-


erator system that offers smooth operation and an extra-low starting resistance. Twenty-five resistance levels and seven training programs are included: manual, interval, rolling, fat burn, random, heart rate, and constant watts. All Matrix cardiovascular products are designed to accommodate the company's FITCONNEXION technology, which utilizes individual flat-screen televisions.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,795.00

I5x Incline Elliptical

The versatile, compact Matrix Incline Elliptical advances the innovations featured on the popular space-saving E5xc model. A compact, adjustable incline gives users variable workout intensity and range of motion, and, combined with a variable stride length, provides challenging, effective workouts for beginners or advanced exercisers. Equipped with 25 resistance levels, the I5x has eight training programs, including manual, rolling, intervals, fat burn, random, fit test, target heart rate, and constant watts. All Matrix cardiovascular products are designed to accommodate the com-pany's FITCONNEXION technology that utilizes individual flat-screen televisions.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,995.00

MILoN INdUSTRIES GMBH

Cross-Walker

High-quality components and excellent workmanship are the basis of the milon Cross-Walker and ensure that exercisers get the greatest results. Ideal biomechanics

train the entire body, and 12 programs are offered, including a heart-rate- controlled option. The milon Smart Card System saves training data, which provides post-exercise documentation using the accompanying software. milon industries GmbH, a German company, is a leading manufacturer and complete supplier of electronic fitness and medical training equipment. The product portfolio includes strength and cardio equipment as well as functional strength cable systems.

MoTUS USASEE OUR AD ON PAGE 85

M770E Crosstrainer Elliptical

Motus USA's M770E Crosstrainer Elliptical operates seamlessly with adaptive strides in sync with the natural movement of the body. Moving handlebars engage the upper body for a total-body workout. The unique SafetyStride utilizes articulating pedals that help exercisers keep their feet placed flat and prevent the heels from lifting up, thereby ensuring that the leg and glute muscles are properly engaged with minimal strain. Dual heart-rate monitors are located on both the stationary and moving handlebars. An integrated reading rack accommodates reading materials, and touch-sensitive buttons with blue LEDs facilitate easy scrolling through workout statistics on a user-friendly soft-touch display.

M770EL LCD TV Crosstrainer Elliptical

The M770EL Crosstrainer Elliptical features a fully integrated, crystal-clear Samsung





LCD TV screen for viewing DVD, satellite TV, and 125 cable TV channel options. Motus USA Crosstrainer Ellipticals operate seamlessly with adaptive strides that glide in sync with the natural movement of the body. Moving handlebars engage the upper body for a total-body workout. The unique SafetyStride utilizes articulating pedals that help exercisers keep their feet placed flat and prevent the heels from lifting up, thereby ensuring that the leg and glute muscles are properly engaged with minimal strain. Dual heart-rate monitors are located on both the stationary and moving handlebars.

NAUTILUSSEE OUR AD ON PAGE 34

E916

The E916 puts workout controls at exercisers' fingertips with the Remote Operation Control (ROC) bar. Users can start their workouts and control resistance using keys on the upper-body handles. Other convenient features include the C51 console with one-touch Quick-Start; the SyncLink articulating footplate, which follows the natural movement of the foot; and integrated contact heart-rate monitoring on the upper-body and front handles (telemetry heart rate included). The

E916 warranty covers three years on electronics and mechanical parts, one year on wear, one year on labor, and 15 years on the frame.

oCTANE FITNESSSEE OUR AD ON PAGE 18

Pro3500/Pro3500XL Elliptical Cross Trainer

These premium commercial cross trainers feature Octane's signature design and engineering, including the trademark QuadLink drive and Body-Mapping Ergonomics; 2" pedal spacing; a natural 19.5" stride length on the Pro3500; and a

supremely comfortable 24" stride length on the Pro3500XL. The patented MultiGrip handlebars offer ergonomically correct positions, and the X-Mode+, GluteKicker, and ArmBlaster options transform workouts into ultra-effective sweat sessions. HeartLogic Intelligence, digital contact heart-rate sensors, and 30 resistance levels ensure customized, efficient routines, while an accessory tray and water bottle holder maximize convenience. Built with the exclusive DuraDrive, the space-efficient Pro3500 Series accommodates exercisers up to 400 pounds. Manufacturer's list price: $3,999.00 (Pro3500); $4,199.00 (Pro3500XL)

Pro370 Elliptical Cross Trainer

The Pro370 is a compact, durable model designed to give vertical markets signature Octane features. Among them: Octane's Body-Mapping Ergonomics, for natural, smooth motion; the patent-pending Converging Path and patented MultiGrip handlebars, for superior upper-body motion; a comfortable 20" stride length; and the popular X-Mode, GluteKicker, and ArmBlaster modes. With its 30 levels of resistance and a variety of programs, including the new 30:30 interval workout designed by Athletes' Performance, the Pro370 is ideal for all exercisers. The self-powered machine boasts heart-rate interactivity via telemetry and digital contact sensors on the moving handlebars; quiet, virtually maintenance-free operation; and durable performance.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,199.00


Designed with a new platform, the Pro3700 elliptical cross trainer is Octane's third-generation commercial model. It delivers workouts with the patent-pending Converging Path and patented MultiGrip handlebars and a choice of stride lengths (either 20.5" or 24"). For extra comfort, exercisers will appreciate Soft Grip pedals, controls for resistance and programming on the moving handlebars, and an integrated fan. New programs include custom interval training and an exclusive regimen designed by the prestigious Athletes' Performance to boost aerobic endurance and anaerobic capacity. New track covers help to seal out dust, dirt, and sweat, and bigger rollers yield better performance.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,799.00


The Pro4500 is a full-commercial elliptical cross-trainer that electronically adjusts stride length from 18" to 23" at the touch of a button. It also features SmartStride, a proprietary, interactive ergonomics system that tailors workouts to individuals by monitoring each user's pace and automatically setting stride length accordingly. To further enhance comfort, MultiGrip handlebars make it easy to change hand positions to better facilitate pulling and pushing. Also included are Octane's unique X-Mode, GluteKicker, and ArmBlaster workouts, which enhance the benefits of cross-training, and are customizable. The Pro4500 is designed with a small footprint and rear access to maximize floor space.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,599.00




P & F BRoTHER INd., CoRP.

NEWEP-7000

The EP-7000 is a full-body trainer designed to deliver easy, efficient workouts and help users achieve greater fitness. Exercisers benefit from a 20" stride length that matches the natural footpath, along with the variety of several preset programs and intensity levels. The EP-7000 is self-powered and comes in oyster white and dark grey.

PARAMoUNT FITNESS CoRPoRATIoNSEE OUR AD ON PAGE 45

NEW6.85E Elliptical

The self-powered 6.85E Elliptical boasts a number of impressive features. They include: a space-efficient 33-1/2" x 71-1/2" footprint, 2" stride length with 2-3/4" pedal spacing, a sleek backlit Touch Sensor console, numeric keypad, user data tracking, heart-rate monitor, and a 5.6" full-color VGA LCD offering 15 motivational training programs with 25 levels of resistance, plus state-of-the-art entertainment options. A patented linkage system with forged crank design provides maximum durability and structural sta-bility, and maintenance-free sealed ball bearings on all pivot points for smooth operation and long life. The fully welded structural steel frame has rust-resistant electrostatic-applied powder coating.


FoR MoRE INFoRMATIoNSee the advertisers’ index on pg. 123 or search at

www.ihrsabuyersguide.com


PRECoR, INC.SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 21

EFX 546i Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer

The EFX 546i helps users target specific muscle groups by adjusting the incline of the patented CrossRamp from 13 to 40 degrees. This model features easy-to-use Tap Control “paddles,” which control resistance and CrossRamp, while seam-lessly integrating entertainment into the exercise experience with an optional personal viewing screen. A six-phase generator delivers smooth performance at all speeds and resistance levels. The EFX 546i offers: QuickStart; 10 programs; a 10-key pad to control workouts and entertainment; SmartRate monitoring that establishes an exerciser's target training zones based on age; and accessory holders. It's CSAFE-compatible with fitness industry workout and entertainment technology.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,995.00

EFX 556i Total Body Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer

The EFX 556i provides a fixed ramp angle of 20 degrees to increase comfort and preserve the integrity of a natural gait while delivering a total-body workout. It features new Tap Control “paddles” that facilitate ease of use. An optional Cardio Theater personal viewing screen stream-lines from the display. Other features include: a six-phase generator to deliver smooth performance, while reducing the risk of over-striding; QuickStart; eight

programs; entertainment and machine performance control using a 10-button keypad; SmartRate monitoring, which establishes a user's target training zones, based on age and body weight; and CSAFE-compatibility with fitness industry workout and entertainment technology.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,695.00

EFX 576i Total Body Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer

The EFX 576i is the world's only elliptical featuring the patented CrossRamp combined with total-body motion. It comes equipped with easy-to-use Tap Control “paddles,” which control resistance and CrossRamp, while seamlessly integrating entertainment with an optional personal viewing screen. The CrossRamp, which inclines from 13 to 40 degrees, lets exercisers vary their stride motion and train different muscle groups. Also included are 14 programs; QuickStart; dome switches for added durability; a 10-button keypad that controls workout and entertainment selections; SmartRate monitoring, which establishes an individual's optimum weight-loss and cardio-training zones; and CSAFE-com-patibility with fitness industry workout and entertainment technology.Manufacturer’s list price: $6,795.00

PRoMAXIMA FITNESS

STEX 8020E Series

The STEX 8020E Elliptical Crosstrainer series represents superior commercial elliptical design, and is engineered to support the workload that a full health

club or similar commercial fitness facility can impose. Featuring extremely heavy-duty construction, the STEX 8020EL elliptical also incorporates a stunning industrial design that boasts fluid lines and contemporary colors to attract users and provide visual appeal in either a workout facility or one's home. The 8020EL and the 8020EX models feature a built-in LCD TV.

SCIFITSEE OUR AD ON PAGE 24

REX

REX, SCIFIT's exclusive total-body recumbent elliptical, offers smooth, natural movement that allows comfortable, effective exercise. REX's unique program options and bidirectional resistance provide an excep-tional total-body exercise experience, blending upper- and lower-body cardio movements. Bidirectional resistance creates balance between reciprocal muscle groups, and the low-profile seat back delivers increased core recruitment. REX features dual-position handgrips and oversized rubber footbeds for added comfort and safety. It also features: the Iso-Strength training program; Fit-Key compatibility; an easy-to-read computer; 200 levels of resistance; and six programmed workouts. An optional swivel seat is available.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,395.00

SX7000 Tele-Rail Elliptical, SXT7000 Total Body Elliptical

The SCIFIT SX7000 Elliptical offers a smooth, natural walking motion that can be performed in forward and reverse


for variety. The comfortable, articulating foot beds pivot with the user's natural gait motion, resulting in better circulation and reduced foot stress, ankle strain, and overall impact. The SX7000 is a full-sized elliptical that fits in the footprint of a recumbent bike, due to SCIFIT's exclusive Tele-Rail system. The SX7000 provides a non-impact exercise, complete with 200 resistance levels (adjustable in 0.1 increments) and Iso-Strength for advanced workouts. The SCIFIT SXT7000 incorporates arm movement to facilitate total-body conditioning. Manufacturer's list price: $4,095.00 (SX7000); $4,515.00 (SXT7000)

SXT7000e2 Total Body Elliptical with Easy Entry

The SXT7000e2 is a total-body elliptical trainer that features the Easy Entry system to make it simple for anyone, including individuals who experience balance or flexibility challenges, to enter and exit the machine. The unique system includes a sturdy step and full side handrails for safe and convenient access. The patented Bio-Flex pivoting foot beds recruit stabilizing muscles and accommodate the user's gait, minimizing foot stress and ankle strain.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,035.00

SPoRTSART FITNESS

E870 Elliptical

The SportsArt Fitness E870 elliptical features an adjustable stride length, from 17" to 29", with fingertip shift on-the-fly controls. Revolutionary MyFlex technology cushions the pedals for a comfortable

workout platform that conforms to the user's weight. The advanced programming package includes the new Vari-Stride program, which automatically adjusts stride length and direction to provide ultimate muscle recruitment. The oversized dot-matrix display features CardioAdvisor and MyGoal to help exercisers keep track of their goals throughout workouts.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,699.00

E880 Elliptical

The E880 Elliptical offers stride customization from 17" to 29", giving users complete control over their workout preferences. The company's MyFlex technology provides a pedal platform that automatically adjusts the amount of cushioning, based on the user's weight, to facilitate a comfortable workout. State-of-the-art programming is available on the LCD screen, which delivers full- or split-screen entertainment and workout data. Club members can immediately start working out in their favorite program, thanks to the professionally designed Touch-N-Go programs. Cardio-Advisor, an advanced heart-rate monitoring system that's combined with HRC programming, rounds out the unit's electronics package.Manufacturer’s list price: $6,499.00

STAR TRACSEE OUR AD ON PAGE 7

E Series Total Body Trainer E-TBTi

Star Trac's E Series Total Body Trainer offers SelectFit technology, giving exercisers a choice of a pushing, pulling,



| Innovations | FIT Extraor no upper-body motion. It has eight programs, including total-body workout and Quick Start, for variety. With available iPod connectivity, it allows users to watch personal video content on a fully integrated 15" personal viewing screen. Plus, the USB port charges personal media devices, including iPods, BlackBerrys, MP3 players, and cell phones. The E-TBT model is available without the 15" personal viewing screen, iPod connectivity, and integrated entertainment controls. An E Series Entertainment Kit is available, and the E-TBT is easily upgradeable.Manufacturer’s list price: $7,895.00

P Series Total Body Trainers P-TBT and P-TBTx

Star Trac's space-saving P Series Total Body Trainer offers smooth, total-body workouts. The groundbreaking SelectFit feature, found exclusively on the P-TBTx model, provides the unique advantage of integrating strength training into a cardio-vascular workout; the exerciser simply chooses either a pushing or pulling motion for two distinct upper-body routines. For a more focused lower-body workout, the upper-body motion can be disengaged with the touch of a button. Both machines offer user-focused features, including personal cooling fans, a motivational track, and an intuitive display. The Soft Trac pedals create a large, cushioned area for comfortable and safe foot placement.



S-TBTx Total Body Trainer

The S Series Total Body Trainer (S-TBTx) is a light-commercial, total-body cardio-vascular machine that boasts traditional Star Trac quality. Features include Soft Trac pedals, dynamic heart-rate control, personal adjustable fans, and a user-friendly console with a large message window, motivational track display, 10 user-specific programs, and multiple cup and accessory holders. It comes pre-wired for Star Trac entertainment solutions. Also available with a consumer warranty, the S-TBTx is ideally suited for light-commercial or on-site fitness facilities.

TECHNoGYMSEE OUR AD ON THE FRENCH COVER

Excite Synchro 500 and 700 Series

The Excite Synchro elliptical trainer comes in two basic models and five configurations. The 700 model is available in three versions: a standard plug-in unit; a self-powered one; and a unit equipped with an iPod-compatible Active Wellness TV. The 700 models feature Fast Track Controls on the handles, allowing users to change levels without compromising their workout position. The 500 model is available as either a plug-in or self-powered unit. Both make use of a sophisticated belt drive that delivers a smooth, silent movement. Programs include constant heart-rate monitoring, a submaximal fitness test, training zone, profiles, custom, and weight loss.

TRUE FITNESSSEE OUR AD ON PAGE 27

CSX Elliptical

The TRUE Fitness CSX Total-Body elliptical trainer is a unique elliptical that allows users to isolate their upper bodies for a TRUE total-body workout. The CSX provides three separate positions that work the entire body: isolated upper body, isolated lower body, and upper and lower total-body. The innovative small footprint design allows for more CSX units in the same space as traditional ellipticals, which helps health clubs maximize their valuable space. Plus,

the CSX is self-powered, which increases the flexibility of placement within a facility.Manufacturer’s list price: $5,499.00

PS900 Elliptical

The PS900 elliptical is designed for maximum performance and comfort. The smooth front-drive motion provides an effective low-impact workout, while delivering optimal results. The PS900 easily adapts to any fitness environment and is self-generating, so placement is never a problem.Manufacturer’s list price: $2,499.00



PSX Elliptical

In keeping with TRUE's reputation for cardio excellence, the PSX Total-Body elliptical delivers outstanding performance in a light-commercial setting. TRUE's Core Drive system and proprietary side steps make it possible to isolate either the upper or lower body, or to work both simultaneously for invigorating, efficient workouts.Manufacturer’s list price: $3,499.00

VISIoN FITNESS

X6700HRT

The self-powered X6700HRT elliptical trainer is designed to provide health club members with a smooth, comfortable, total-body workout. Advanced programming, including the innovative SPRINT 8 program and four heart-rate training options, helps equip exercisers with the necessary tools to reach their fitness goals. The unit's EASY-8 console offers an uninterrupted display of nine types of exercise feedback, an alphanumeric message display, and a 10" x 14" dot-matrix profile screen. The heavy-gauge steel construction and durable powder-coat finish look great and are highly durable.Manufacturer’s list price: $3,299.00

X6750HRT

The Vision Fitness X6750HRT elliptical trainer features a unique ramp incline that allows the user to adjust the pedal motion for an enhanced full-body workout, while the dual-action arms and cushioned foot pedals provide a comfortable, natural stride motion. The EASY-8 console offers continual exercise feedback with an alphanumeric message display and a dot-matrix profile display, in addition to a variety of program options, including the motivational SPRINT 8 program and four heart-rate training programs. Built to last, its heavy-duty steel frame construction with durable powder-coated finish complements any facility.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,499.00

X6850HRT

The X6850HRT elliptical trainer comes equipped with many user-friendly features. Its unique ramp control adjusts the incline range from 4 to 21 degrees. To keep exercisers cool while working out, the console includes a fan that can be cus-tomized to the height of the individual. The new console design also features individual windows to display workout time, time of day, heart-rate feedback, and an easy-to-read blue backlit LCD. Among the programs included are the SPRINT 8 and four heart-rate training workouts. Built for the commercial market, its aesthetically pleasing, heavy-duty steel construction has a durable, powder-coat finish.Manufacturer’s list price: $4,999.00

VoLUME FITNESS

Volume Fitness Oxygen Series O7e

The Oxygen Series O7e elliptical features adjustable stride length; upper-body resistance; large, ergonomic foot pedals; and an adjustable, touch-screen display. It offers optimum customization with its four-position adjustable stride, from 19" to 22", along with the natural feel of the rear-drive elliptical motion. The touch-screen makes it simple for users to select Quick Start or several preset programming options. Exercisers can choose from 32 levels of resistance and 16 programs, including body-fat percent-age, BMR, BMI, and pulse recovery. The O7e has a two-stage, Poly-V belt drive system; 300-watt capacity; and aluminum side rails and upright supports for corrosion-free use.Manufacturer’s list price: $2,699.00


Missed an Issue?Did you know you can access the

full text of CBI articles from as early as 2001 on IHRSA's Website?

You can also download entire pastissues, and purchase reprints!

To learn more, visitwww.ihrsa.org/cbi.

IHRSA Report

First Set 107 | In Brief 108 | Club Advisor 111 Association News 113 | Calendar 119 | Coming Soon 119


FitnessRx With so many holiday goodies consumed during the month of December, it’s no wonder that one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight. Naturally, regular exercise—especially when it’s directed by qualified fitness professionals—can help people achieve their goals. —|

| IHRSA Report | First Set

®

It seemed like a moment borrowed from the Beijing Olympics. Recently, at the conclusion of the 8th Annual IHRSA European Congress in Lisbon, Jose Costa, the president of AGAP, the Portuguese club association, and Susan Grady, the president of ILAM, its Irish counterpart, exchanged the flags of their respective countries in a moving ceremony.

The solemn exchange symbolized the passing of responsibility for hosting the congress from AGAP to ILAM, which will welcome attendees to the 9th annual event in Dublin next year, but it also reflected other developments. Like the Olympics, our industry has achieved a certain sure stature that portends nothing but future good.

Though the congress, this year, took place within a context of growing concern about the global economy, it was marked not by pessimism, but, rather, by solid optimism, and offered a wealth of ideas about how best to address the new challenges.

The attendees were enthusiastic, friendly, and open, passionate about their business, and upbeat about its prospects. The European industry remains strong and is still growing; single-club owners are becoming multi-site operators, and

promising new concepts continue to emerge. Among the latter is Vivafit, a Portuguese brand that encompasses women-only express workouts and Pilates. The company, which will end the year with some 98 owned and franchised units, was honored as the recipient of the European Club Leadership Award during the congress. Tellingly, Vivafit expects to generate $22.8 million in revenues in ’08—a 63% increase over ’07!

The congress’ structure—keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, and breakout sessions, with translation available in four languages—made the most of both the educational and social opportunities. Mike Rosenberg, the director of international executive education for the IESE Business School, in Barcelona, did an excellent job of getting participants to think “outside the box” with his address, “The European Business Climate in 2028.” Adrian Furnham, a management consultant, organizational psychologist, and professor of psychology at University College London, dealt with matters nearer at hand in his presentation, “Leading Your Business in Difficult Times.” Furnham stressed the importance of business-model clarity; precise execution of plan; the role of mission and vision statements in decision-making; and the willingness to entertain calculated risks.

Like the Olympic Games, the European Congress has, in reality, no losers. All who participate do so on the strength of their earlier remarkable achievements and on the promise of their future triumphs. —|

– Gene LaMott, [email protected]

An OlympicExperience

Gene LaMott IHRSA Chairperson

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association is a not-for-profit trade association open to investor-owned and member-owned fitness, racquet and athletic facilities. Associate memberships are available to manufacturers or suppliers of products and services of use to IHRSA members.

800-228-4772 USA & Canada 617-951-0055 International 617-951-0056 FAXwww.ihrsa.org www.healthclubs.com E-mail: [email protected]

IHRSA Board of Directors

Gene LaMott: Chairperson TW Holdings 360-877-3915

Laurie Smith: Leisure Sports 925-600-1966

Phil Wendel: ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers 434-978-3800

Lynne Brick: Brick Bodies Fitness 410-252-8058

David Patchell-Evans: GoodLife Fitness Clubs 519-661-0190 ext. 238

Rick Beusman: Saw Mill Club 914-241-0797

Bob Shoulders: Fayetteville Athletic Club 479-587-0500

Frank Napolitano: GlobalFit 215-751-1992

Mike Raymond: Curves International 254-399-9285

Susan Cooper: BodyBusiness Health Club & Spa 512-459-9424

Art Curtis: Millennium Partners Sports Club Management, LLC 617-476-8910

Sandy Hoeffer: Western Athletic Clubs 415-901-9243

David Hardy: Club Fit Corporation 780-953-4273

Killian Fisher: ILAM + 353 (0) 45 902235

Jeff Klinger: Anytime Fitness 651-438-5050

Michael Levy: Ex-officio Casaral, Inc. 416-961-5556, ext. 242

SPECIAL ADVISOR LATIN AMERICA

Richard Bilton: Companhia Athletica (55) 11-5181-2000


The Photo G

roup

| IHRSA Report | In Brief

.org To learn more about the Physical Activity Guidelines, log on to www.ihrsa.org/paguidelines


As the year draws to a close, it’s an ideal time for club operators to reflect on some of the special opportunities that were made available to them during 2008—many of which resulted directly from the federal government’s invigorated efforts to promote physical activity.

In particular, the work of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS), led by Executive Director Melissa Johnson, prompted the launch of three sweeping initiatives that provide clubs with ready-made tools for programming and marketing.

In May, the President’s Council unveiled the Adult Fitness Test at the Results Gym, in Washington, D.C., with a rollout that included IHRSA, Dr. Steven Galson, the acting surgeon general, and Bernie Salazar, a contestant on The Biggest Loser. Thanks to several positive news reports on the event—and buoyed by a growing interest in baby-boomer fitness—more than 75,000 adults signed up for the test during its first week.

“The Adult Fitness Test has been adapted from the youth fitness test that many of us remember taking in school,” explains Johnson. “Now adults have a test to measure their overall fitness and guide them toward a healthier, more active life.”

The test includes a 1-mile walk or 1.5-mile run, as well as sit-ups, push-ups, a sit-and-reach flexibility test, and a body-mass-index assessment.

“Health clubs can host group testing, which presents an opportunity to provide enthusiastic group support,” she says. “Club managers can also provide members with the link to the test, www.adultfitnesstest.org, so they can perform the test in the privacy of their own home.”

The 2008 President’s Challenge officially kicked off last March with an event at the National Press Club that featured Eli Manning, the reigning Super Bowl MVP and a member of the Council. In his remarks, Manning urged Americans of all ages and abilities to take the Challenge, and thanked IHRSA for its leadership as a Challenge Advocate.

“The President’s Challenge is a user-friendly physical-activity-tracking tool that can be promoted to health club members and their families,” notes Johnson. “Kiosks can be set up inside the fitness center, so members can log in their activity after their workouts or track it online at home.”

And, finally, as a capstone to an exceedingly productive year, the Council played an integral role in the development and release of the landmark Physical

Activity Guidelines, which were issued in October by the federal Depart-ment of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines offer a comprehensive summary of the latest knowledge about the health benefits of physical activity.

“Health club managers can play a vital role in disseminating the guidelines to members,” suggests Johnson. “We encourage IHRSA members to share the key guidelines for all age groups in seminars or classes and build their programs to align with these standards. IHRSA members may also want to consider adding a statement to their promotional materials noting that their club is a supporter of the Physical Activity Guidelines.”

At www.ihrsa.org/paguidelines, IHRSA clubs can sign up as a Guidelines Supporter and order the Guidelines Toolkit, which offers ideas and resources to help members build physical activity into their daily lives. IHRSA is proud to partner with HHS to

promote the guidelines throughout 2009 and beyond. The association believes that the guidelines represent the most powerful endorsement

of physical activity since the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health was released in 1996. They are, in so many ways,

the strongest possible confirmation of a health club’s indispensable value to its community, and, more broadly, to the health of the nation. —|

2008 Was a Rewarding Year for Fitness Progress

| IHRSA Report | Club Advisor


Explore debt financing. The advantage of debt financing is that club owners retain the same equity, while the company acquires capital via SBA loans, commercial mortgages, and/or equipment leases. Equity financing, on the other hand, involves transferring a portion of the owners’ equity and stock to investors in exchange for financing. FF focuses on debt financing for startup situations or for developing additional clubs.

Consider equipment leasing. At FF, we strongly believe that leasing equipment should be considered a first option because it’s off-balance-sheet financing and the equipment being leased is the primary collateral. Leasing can be utilized to acquire fitness equipment (cardio and strength) and nonfitness equipment (signage, security systems, computer hardware and software, etc.). Existing companies with strong credit can also include working capital within a lease.

Check out SBA loans. A recent issue of the Coleman Report notes that “Fitness and Recreation Sports Centers” rank third, in terms of industry volume, among all SBA-approved loans, preceded only by hotels and childcare centers. Between October 2000 and September 30, 2007, some 4,359 SBA loans, totaling $898 million, were authorized for fitness centers; the average loan was for $206,000.

Our industry’s failure rate of 10.4% is higher than the SBA’s average of 8.4%, which led some lenders to avoid making loans within our industry in 2008.

Robert Coleman, the publisher of the Coleman Report, concludes that the fitness industry is “well-suited” for SBA loans because it’s collateral-based, with equipment and real estate. The current economic conditions have prompted some lenders to trim the

size of their loans to companies that don’t have adequate collateral. These firms are utilizing various franchise-company reports, which cover fitness- franchise companies. Today, good personal credit, management experience, and the required cash injection are critical for SBA loan approval.

Be aware of SBA criteria. Despite recent developments, there have been no significant changes with respect to the likelihood of being approved for SBA loans or equipment leases—for club owners with good net income and good personal credit scores. However, existing owners who can’t demonstrate the same level of credit worthiness will find it much more difficult to obtain approval in the “A” credit markets.

Lay foundation for startups. It’s much more difficult, today, to obtain startup financing for both the 7A and 504 forms of SBA loans, especially if the applicants aren’t SBA-approved franchisees, as well as for equipment leases. Solid industry experience—e.g., curricular practical training (CPT) certifications, group-exercise certifications, industry experience as shown on tax returns, and/or educational diplomas in a related field—is now a prerequisite for approval.

Weigh interest rates and terms. When the Federal Reserve lowered the prime rate, interest rates declined initially; however, more recently, the rates have been increased slightly to provide a greater margin to lenders. The terms for 7A SBA loans now range from seven to 10 years, and the terms for 504 SBA real estate loans range from 20 to 25 years. The terms on leases now range from 24 to 60 months. —|

– Dan Pace, [email protected]; Paul Bosley, [email protected]

Given the current economic environment and predictions about a possible credit freeze, it seemed to make sense to check in, again, with Dan Pace and Paul Bosley, the CFO and national marketing manager, respectively, of First Financial (FF), who, at IHRSA’s 27th annual convention, discussed “Ways to Finance Your Start-Up Health Club or Company’s Expansion.” FF specializes in equipment leasing and the packaging of Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. This time, the topic was how clubs can still finance their business.

Financing in Trying TimesBy Dan Pace

Bosley, l., Pace

| IHRSA Report | Member News

caption

In terms of providing support services—including payment processing, software management suites, and permanent interactive marketing programs—ASF International, based in Denver, Colorado, is unique in that, for 35 years, the

company has focused on the fitness industry exclusively. “Long tenure in an industry can actually be a disad-

vantage if you resist change and believe that everything you do is right—just because that’s the way you’ve always done things,” observes Bob Riches, the president of ASF. “But if you use your experience to help you decipher business cycles, and if you know how to make those cycles work for your clients—rather than allowing the shifts to dominate them—you’ve got a win/win situation for both your customers and your business.”

Embracing change has helped ASF expand its client base to nearly 3,000 companies in the U.S. and Canada. CBI spoke with Riches about the way the firm utilizes and builds on technology, along with its other strengths, to continue growing.

Strengths “Our principal strength is our customer service,” assesses Riches. “To make our customer-facing staff as excellent as possible, we recruited our human resources and employee development director from Nordstrom, one of the country’s premier customer-service retailers. We view our representatives as an extension of the clubs we serve: the way we treat club members reflects directly on our clients.

“Another core asset,” he continues, “is our technology and the speed with which we adapt. Rapidly changing technology means that we’re constantly evolving. We’re always looking for ways to improve the processes and programs we provide. For example, in terms of processing and collecting member payments, we can often resolve issues with member accounts without the club even knowing that there was a problem. It’s our ability to keep abreast of current technology, while planning for tomorrow’s, that can make the difference between a client’s being able to grow their business or simply hold on and try to keep things from falling apart.”

Opportunities “As we all know, the economy is in its worst state in more than a decade,” acknowledges Riches. “It’s a real problem for some businesses, but what we’re seeing is that it’s leading some clubs to increase their outsourced billing. When the economy is good, clubs can survive even if they lose out on some of their member payments—but now isn’t that time. In this tumultuous economic environment, it’s essential to have timely follow-up on past-due accounts and problem EFT or credit card accounts, which represents an opportunity for us.”

Concerns “We often find it difficult to explain, to articulate, the true value that our services can bring to bear on behalf of our current and prospective clients. There’s so much misinformation in the market about third-party processors. Sometimes, clubs think that they’re too small to use a third party, while others may think that they’re too large, but, in fact, there’s a solution for every type of club. As we improve our offerings, it’s up to us to make sure that our message gets out into the market in a clear and compelling way.” —|

Full Disclosure ASF International

Pro Forma: ASF International

Year founded: 1973

2004-2007 year-over-year percentage growth: 10.25%

Number of employees: 150

Number of clients: 2,700

Leveraging TechnologyASF International has been in business for more than three decades, and President Bob Riches cites its rapid, timely, deployment of new technology as the key to its longevity and success. Documenting the claim, he notes that ASF has recently released new versions of its Online Point of Sale and Appointment Scheduler. “Both programs are fully integrated into our member database to allow better tracking of sales, as well as the tracking of sessions purchased, scheduled, used, and remaining,” he points out. The programs also include a complete reporting package that can deliver on-demand sales and inventory data; and the Appointment Scheduler offers automated text messages to trainers for appointments scheduled, changed, or cancelled.

ASF has also introduced a Locker Tracking System, and has updated its club-management software, introducing a tool to calculate sales-conversion ratios. “Combined with the ability to track lead sources, it allows club owners to pinpoint strengths and challenges in their marketing and sales processes,” explains Riches.


Bob Riches



Body Bar Systems, Inc.u Body Bar Systems, Inc., an official sponsor of USA Wrestling and a premier sponsor of the USA Women’s Wrestling program, has signed 2008 U.S. Olympic wrestler Marcie Van Dusen to represent the company in various marketing endeavors, including several trade show appearances. “I’ve been a Body Bar devotee for some time, and recently ordered my own set of Body

Bars, so I already feel like part of the company,” says Van Dusen, who was one of only four women wrestlers to represent the United States in the Beijing Olympics. Adds Arno Niemand, the owner and chairman of Body Bar Systems, “Marcie has all the attributes that the Body Bar community embraces: she is a hard worker, team player, fierce competitor, and strong leader.” —|

Body Training Systemsu At the Body Training Systems (BTS) Summit in Portland, Oregon, BTS educated and motivated more than 350 owners, managers, and instructors. The event included the Business of BTS Management

Seminar, three additional sessions that focused on retention, REX Roundtables for Executives, Best Practices for owners and managers, BTS Intensive workshops, and BTS Super for instructors. In other news, BTS has partnered with The Alaska Club and MVP Sports Clubs to supply branded group-fitness programs. The Alaska Club operates 17 premier health and fitness clubs in Alaska, and MVP Sports Clubs owns and operates seven fitness and sports facilities in Orlando and Michigan. “We’re looking forward to increasing sales, retention, and profitability for these successful organizations,” says Rich Boggs, the CEO of BTS. —|

Expresso Fitnessu Expresso Fitness recently promoted Jeff Thomas to East regional sales director and hired Steve Rice as West regional sales director, for a combined total of 20 years of experience in the fitness industry. Both Thomas and Rice manage and support national accounts; direct Expresso’s regional managers; and provide dealer support on training, service, and product sales. As former director of key accounts for Expresso, Thomas worked with national

sales and customer support teams to develop strategic accounts across North America. Prior to Expresso, he directed sales operations for Technogym USA. Previously, Rice was national director of sales training and development for Technogym USA, where he was responsible for implementing a solution-selling methodology, and designing all training and development programs for the sales team. —|

FD-Groupu FD-Group, a design-build firm, has augmented its senior management team with four new members. Bill Stewart was hired as chief financial officer (CFO) after 14 years at the Atlanta National Golf Club, most recently as vice president and CFO. Jack Parlo, a 36-year veteran of the construction industry, has been promoted to chief operating officer (COO) after spending the last three years as the director of operations at FD-Group. Sharon Chapman recently joined the company as construction manager; previously she spent nine years at Gold’s Gym/The Burris Corporation, in Irmo, South Carolina, in a variety of capacities, including director of operations and project coordinator. And Heather Moore, an interior designer at FD-Group for two-and-a-half years, was promoted to director of interior design. —|

Gerfloru The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and Gerflor, the parent company of Taraflex Sports Flooring, have extended their current exclusive four-year agreement for an additional four years, through December 31, 2012. This agreement with the world’s largest volleyball organization makes Gerflor an official supplier at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and Gerflor also supplied 14 volleyball courts in seven locations for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The FIVB, which includes 218 affiliated national federations, has authorized Taraflex courts with Sport M Plus flooring for all its sanctioned compe-titions and events internationally. The working relationship between Gerflor and the FIVB originated with the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. —|

Life Fitnessu Located in the Red Rocks in St. George, Utah, Fitness Ridge Resort and Spa recently built a new, state-of-the-art fitness center with the help of Life Fitness. The equipment company

ASSOCIATE NEWS

Van Dusen

Thomas

Rice

Stewart

Chapman



advised owners Cameron and Michelle Kelsh on developing a comprehensive, easy-to-use, motivational fitness center with a custom layout that includes a full line of Life Fitness Signature

Series strength equipment, treadmills, elliptical cross-trainers, and Lifecycle exercise bikes. “We’ve already had so much success in the new fitness center that we plan to double our workout space with more Life Fitness equipment,” notes Michelle Kelsh. The Fitness Ridge Resort and Spa features accommodations for up to 100 people, including an outdoor pool, full-service spa, and workout center. —|

Matrix Fitness Systemsu For the second quarter of 2008, Matrix Fitness Systems reported a U.S. sales increase of 48.3% over the corresponding 2007 period, and a global sales jump of 41% over the same timeframe last year. “Much of our domestic growth can be attributed to an increase in the number of trade

shows we attended in 2008, and to our expanded sales team, which has helped us to penetrate new markets,” notes Chris Clawson, the president of Matrix. In other news, Matrix has hired Daniel Clayton as vice president of strategic accounts. Clayton was formerly the group development director at Virgin Active, and the managing director of Technogym in Asia. Matrix has also created a new Matrix Advisory Panel (MAP) that is tasked with adding value for clients. —|

Paramount Fitness Corp.u In response to a 22% annual sales growth in 2007 and an additional 17% sales growth in the first quarter of 2008, Paramount Fitness Corp. is extending its manufac-

turing and warehouse facilities to more than 200,000 square feet at its Los Angeles headquarters. “Our phenomenal sales growth, combined with the release of innovative new products like the 7.85T and 7.55T treadmills and the PFT-200A Functional Trainer, required the expansion of our facility to meet future demand,” explains Jim McIntyre, the vice president of sales and marketing for Paramount. Operating under its original ownership, Paramount has more than 100 commercial fitness products, including treadmills, the Paramount SP and XL Circuits,

the Fitnessline Circuit, functional trainers, plate-loaded machines, free weights, and the MP Series and Modular System multi-stations. —|

Precor, Inc. u Kudos to Precor, which was named the Best Cardio Equipment Supplier for the second consecutive year in Fitness Management’s Nova 7 “people’s choice” awards, which are based on votes by health club profes-sionals worldwide. In addition, Precor’s Cardio Theater system earned the Best in Entertainment award for the fifth consecutive year. Precor president Paul Byrne attributes the honors to industry-wide recognition of the company’s innovative Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT), and integrated entertainment services from Cardio Theater hardware. “We’re moving beyond established bound-aries of fitness equipment to help facility customers add value and create new revenue and business opportunities, and the response worldwide has been very encouraging,” notes Byrne. —|

Star Trac u Congratulations to Star Trac, which was recently named Vendor of the Year 2008 by Gold’s Gym Inter-national at the 2008 Gold’s Gym Convention in Las Vegas. The award is given based on a survey of Gold’s Gym franchisees, input from Gold’s Gym International, and a review by the National Vendor Program’s senior management team. The recipient consistently exceeds expectations and has an exemplary track record in every aspect of its relationship with the Gold’s Gym family, including franchisees and their staffs, company-owned Gold’s Gyms and their staffs, and the National Vendor Program. “Our team works tirelessly to over-service all accounts, and we appreciate the recognition that Gold’s Gym has given us,” says Paul Ireland, the vice president of North American sales for Star Trac. —|

< ASSOCIATE NEWS

President Steve Nero

CORRECTIONS:Two of IHRSA’s associate member companies have changed their addresses:• Power Systems, Inc., is now located at 5700 Casey Drive,

Knoxville, TN 37909; 865-862-7856; 800-298-2057 (FAX); www.power-systems.com.

• Gerflor Sports Flooring, LLC, is at 206 W. Campus Drive, Arlington Heights, IL 60004-1402; 847-394-3944; 800-323-6792; 847-394-3753 (FAX); www.gerflortaraflex.com.


116 C l u b B u s i n e s s I n t e r n a t i o n a l | M O N T H 2 0 0 8 | w w w . i h r s a . o r g

NEW MEMBERS

AlaskaANYTIME FITNESS *3415 Airport WayFairbanks, AK 99709907-322-7170Mr. Nate Werner

ArizonaSNAP FITNESS 7545 S. Houghton RoadTucson, AZ 85747 Mr. Frank Robles

SNAP FITNESS 1454 W. Gurley Prescott, AZ 86301 Mr. Keith Conrad

ArkansasSNAP FITNESS 12567 Steamboat Drive Fayetteville, AR 72703 Mr. George Faucette

CaliforniaL.A. FITNESS *920 S. Fremont Ave.Alhambra, CA 91803626-310-3030

ColoradoSNAP FITNESS 5058 E. Hampden Ave. Denver, CO 80222 Mr. Alan Fraze

SNAP FITNESS 710 Golden Ridge Road Golden, CO 80401 Mr. Brad St. Clair

FloridaANYTIME FITNESS11915 Beach Blvd.Jacksonville, FL 32246904-807-9800Mr. Chris Kuthan

CLuB 50 OF TALLAhASSEE3111 Mahan DriveSte. 11Tallahassee, FL 32308850-216-2003Mr. Marty Stein

L.A. FITNESS *5631 Coral Ridge DriveCoral Springs, FL 33076954-752-9400

L.A. FITNESS *10058 Gulf Center DriveFt. Myers, FL 33913239-344-9600

SNAP FITNESS 1111 N.E. Jensen Beach Blvd.Jensen Beach, FL 34957 Mr. Dan Beahan

SNAP FITNESS 9360 Oakhurst Road Seminole, FL 33776 Mr. Greg Miller

SNAP FITNESS 424 Luna Bella Lane New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 Ms. Jane Radell

GeorgiaNORTh GEORGIA AThLETIC CLuB *6120 Georgia 400 N.Cumming, GA 30041678-513-8144Mr. Brian Glover

SNAP FITNESS 2525 Auburn Ave. Columbus, GA 31906 Mr. Davey Solomon

SNAP FITNESS 2715 Buford Hwy.Duluth, GA 30096 Bob & Sue Light

SNAP FITNESS 2100 Roswell Road N.E. Marietta, GA 30062 Mr. Mark Kirkpatrick

SNAP FITNESS 914 Lee St. Jefferson, GA 30549 Mr. Fred Barber

HawaiiPACIFIC ISLAND FITNESS74-5583 Luhia St.Kailua Kona, HI 96740808-334-1977Mr. Pasqual Bernal

IllinoisSNAP FITNESS 111 W. Oak Knoll Drive Hampshire, IL 60140 Ms. Carolyn Chesta

SNAP FITNESS 211 N. Walnut St.Byron, IL 61010 Mr. Bill Hahn

IndianaSNAP FITNESS 3620 Paoli Pike Floyd Knobs, IN 40117Mr. Jerry Hardesty

IowaSNAP FITNESS 710 W. 2nd Ave. Indianola, IA 50125 Mr. Kevin Puk

LouisianaSNAP FITNESS 1905 Carter St. Vidalia, LA 71373Mr. Craig Watson

SNAP FITNESS 3601 Jackson St. Alexandria, LA 71302Mr. Aaron Polk

MassachusettsKINGSBuRY CLuB MEDFIELD, INC.2 Ice House RoadMedfield, MA 02052508-359-7800Ms. Lisa Berlinski

MichiganMS. FIT *4640 W. River Road N.E.Comstock Park, MI 49321616-784-0200Ms. Barbara Freeman

SNAP FITNESS 26700 Gratiot Ave. Roseville, MI 48066Mr. Steven Kwapisz

SNAP FITNESS 15368 Haggerty Road Northville, MI 48170Mr. Nofal Paulus

SNAP FITNESS 33322 W. 12 Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334Mr. Eric Wizenberg

SNAP FITNESS 2401 Ontario Drive St. Johns, MI 48879Mr. Ryan Sietsema

MinnesotaSNAP FITNESS 4445 Nathan Lane N. Plymouth, MN 55442Mr. Bill Adams

SNAP FITNESS 56 E. Broadway Forest Lake, MN 55025Mr. Faamati Winey

IHRSA Membership Eligibility StandardsMembers of the association must comply with IHRSA’s baseline health, safety, and ethical standards. To learn more, visit www.ihrsa.org/standards or contact IHRSA at 617-951-0055.



MississippiSNAP FITNESS 960 Brookway Blvd. Brookhaven, MS 39601Mr. Brandon Browning

MissouriSNAP FITNESS 631 N.E. Woods Chapel Road Lee’s Summit, MO 64064Jack & Sabrina Cannon

MontanaGRANITE hEALTh AND FITNESS *3838 Ave. BBillings, MT 59102406-294-5040Mr. Scot Schermerhorn

New JerseySNAP FITNESS 1351 Route 38 W. Hainesport, NJ 08036Mike & Adele Foxwell

New YorkL.A. FITNESS *110 New Moriches RoadLake Grove, NY 11755631-619-2222

QuALITY CARE PhYSICAL ThERAPY, P.C.32 E. 37th St.New York, NY 10016212-684-1472

QuALITY CARE PhYSICAL ThERAPY, P.C.752 Willoughby Ave.Brooklyn, NY 11206718-443-8195

SNAP FITNESS 835 Fairport Road East Rochester, NY 14445Mr. James LaLonde

North CarolinaSNAP FITNESS 3913 Providence Road S. Waxhaw, NC 28173Tripp & Elyse Drawdy

SNAP FITNESS 4705 S. N.C. Hwy. 150 Lexington, NC 27295Ms. Mindy Faircloth

OhioSNAP FITNESS 317 E. Garfield Road Aurora, OH 44202Mr. Patrick McCoy

OklahomaGOLD’S GYM BROKEN ARROW2360 W. Kenosha St.Broken Arrow, OK 74012

GOLD’S GYM WOODLANDS6612 S. Memorial Ave.Tulsa, OK 74133

OregonSNAP FITNESS 515 Taggart Drive N.W. Salem, OR 97304Mr. Randy Muir

PennsylvaniaThE PuMPhOuSE1617 Main St.Burgettstown, PA 15021724-947-2474Mr. John Cherok >



SNAP FITNESS Minno Drive and Cinema DriveJohnstown, PA 15905Mr. Jason Davis

SNAP FITNESS 785 Starr St. Phoenixville, PA 19460Mr. Chris Dowd

SNAP FITNESS 1143 N. 5th St. Perkasie, PA 18944Mr. Carl Fish

SNAP FITNESS 45 W. Baltimore Pike Glen Mills, PA 19342Mr. Bill Liney

SNAP FITNESS 1 W. Shirley St.Mount Union, PA 17066Mr. Ralph Park

South CarolinaThE SPA AT NORTh BEACh LLC2584 S. Hwy. 17 Garden City, SC 29576843-361-2772Ms. Rene Talbert

South DakotaSNAP FITNESS 1516 S. Sycamore Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57110Mr. Bruce Anderson

TexasGOLD’S GYM 1335 E. Whitestone Blvd.Cedar Park, TX 78613

SNAP FITNESS 6911 Frankford Dallas, TX 75201Mr. Phillip Reinkemeyer

SNAP FITNESS 1710 S. Colorado St. Lockhart, TX 78644Neal & Rebecca Janke

UtahDESERT PALMS hEALTh & RACQuET CLuB, INC.120 W. 1470 S.120 W. HiltonSt. George, UT 84770435-628-4617Mr. John Sorenson

WashingtonSNAP FITNESS Jefferson Square Seattle, WA 98116Dr. Marissa Benavente, MD

WisconsinSNAP FITNESS 1009 Egg Harbor Road Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235Ms. Carol Rosenstock

SNAP FITNESS 2045 Atwood Ave. Madison, WI 53704Ms. Amy Bloom

BermudaCOuRT hOuSE *Ste. 128248 Par-la-Ville RoadHamilton, HM 11441-292-8357Ms. Sue Pell —|

< NEW MEMBERS

| IHRSA Report | Calendar


| IHRSA Report | Calendar

Save the date | 2009 IHRSA Events

2008-2009 Industry Events

Out of Shape by Stan Tran

MARCh 16-19, 2009IHRSA’s 28th Annual International Convention and Trade ShowSan Francisco, CAwww.ihrsa.org/convention

MAY, 20097th Annual IHRSA Legislative SummitWashington, DCwww.ihrsa.org/summit

JuNE 1-5, 20094th Annual IHRSA UniversityBarcelona, Spain | IESE Business Schoolwww.ihrsa.org/university

AuGuST, 2009IHRSA Institute for Professional Club Managementwww.ihrsa.org/institute

OCTOBER 22-25, 20099th Annual IHRSA European CongressDublin, IrelandThe Burlington Hotelwww.ihrsa.org/congress

OCTOBER 29-31, 200910th IHRSA/Fitness Brasil Latin American Conference & Trade ShowTransamerica Expo Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil www.ihrsa.org —|

DECEMBER 3-6 27th Annual Athletic Business Conference & Expo San Antonio, Texaswww.athleticbusiness conference.com

FEBRuARY 19-22, 2009IDEA Personal Trainer Institute Alexandria, Virginiawww.ideafit.com

MARCh 6-8, 2009Arnold Sports Festival Columbus, Ohiowww.arnoldexpo.com

APRIL 23-26, 2009IDEA Fitness Fusion Conference Rosemont, Illinoiswww.ideafit.com

MAY 20-24, 2009 International Festival for Physical Culture and Sports Moscow, Russia

MAY 27-30, 2009Club Industry East Boston, Massachusettswww.clubindustryshow.com

AuGuST 6-7, 2009Health & Fitness Business Expo & ConferenceDenver, Coloradowww.healthandfitnessbiz.com

AuGuST 12-16, 2009 IDEA World Fitness ConventionAnaheim, Californiawww.ideafit.com —|

COMING SOON IN

u Super Bowl Spirit: Football legend Joe Montana gives CBI a sneak preview of his IHRSA ’09 keynote presentation

u’09 Aspirations: Industry leaders from around the globe share their professional and personal goals for the coming year

u Flooring Fixes: Experts weigh in on clubs’ most common flooring mistakes… and the most attractive solutions

u Diabetes Dilemma: A number of IHRSA operators are devising effective strategies for tackling one of the nation’s most pressing health problems

u Certification update: The sometimes divisive issue of third-party accreditation gains a new—and influential—devotee

u Silent Partner: In F.I.T. Extra, club-management software applications are hard at work behind the scenes —|

CLuB BuSINeSS INTERNATIONAL

To obtain complete details about, or to register for, all IHRSA events, log on to www.ihrsa.org/meetings..org

| Marketplace |


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EXERCISE YOUR POTENTIAL.Continue your career path in thefitness industry with our team ofhighly motivated & well compensatedindustry professionals at one of our18 state-of-the-art athletic clubs &spas located in CO, FL, GA, MA, MD,MN, MO, NM & TX.

Find Fitness Jobs Fast

Post your resume on ActiveCareers.com

for free!

It’s the first step towards landing a

great job in the fitness industry.

| Marketplace |


UrbanActive_708:FM ads 6/11/08 11:52 AM Page 1

visit www.ihrsa.org

GENERAL MANAGERS MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORS

Sport & Health Clubs, Washington DC’s premiere provider of over 20 multi-purpose health clubs, is looking for talented industry professionals to join our team!

We want DYNAMIC individuals who will build and develop teams; drive sales; implement and improve business tactics; foster member relations; and most importantly, make $$$!

Sport & Health offers competitive salaries, aggressive bonus & commission plans, a great benefits package, a 401(k) plan, ongoing training and long term career opportunities.

For a complete listing of our clubs and amenities, visit us at www.sportandhealth.com.

Send resume and salary requirements to [email protected].

Looking for a Job in the Fitness Industry?ActiveCareers.com is the Answer!

ActiveCareers.com connects job seekers with exciting and rewarding opportunities at fitness clubs and companies located around the world. It’s free — and easy — to post and edit your resume and cover letters and to apply instantly for jobs. You can even set up automatic searches to receive e-mail notification of new, relevant job openings in your area! Other free resources include: compensation data, sample job descriptions, articles on key employment issues, fitness industry HR news and much more. Log on today — and be sure to check out our Featured Employers — they’re hiring, right now!

www.ActiveCareers.com

visit www.ihrsastore.com

| Marketplace |


ConsultingIf you’ve heard

Every excuse in the book

We have a new marketingcampaign that overcomes theexcuses prospects have fornot exercising and gets them toenthusiastically join your club!

888•349•4594www.clubads.com/everyexcuse

humorous & eye catching

adapts to any type of advertising

superb branding tool

appeals to all demographics

Works for referrals & former members

See your ad here!

Rates start at just $245 per issue for IHRSA members.

Visit www.ihrsa.org/classifieds or e-mail [email protected]

for details.

Business Opportunities

Earn 200,000.00+ Per Year

MMC® is looking for Licensees to purchase and run protected territories throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia

and South America. MMC® specializes in raising immediate CASH and Monthly Receivables for health clubs. We have a proven success track record since 1991. Our programs are no risk to the health club owners because our promotions completely pay for themselves. With today’s economy; the need for our services (raising CASH for health clubs), have sky rocked. If you love Sales and Marketing, want to own

your own business, work from your home offi ce and have the potential to earn more than $200,000.00 per year, then you

want to contact us in the United States toll free 1-877-620-8135 (904-307-6736) or visit our website @

www.healthclubconsultant.com Or email us @ [email protected]

You must be able to come up with a minimum down payment and operating expenses for three months. Operation

expenses include phone, fax, internet service, travel, food, lodging, personal

expenses etc. Running promotions for clubs is the fun side of this business. You are always working with new clubs and around different people. You are free of the everyday headaches and worries of

the average club owner. You are loved by all because you bring them what they

desperately need “CASH”!

What’s your Health Club

Really Worth?SalesValuationsAcquisitions

CALL 303.316.0331

HEALTH CLUB BROKERS

www.buysellhealthclub.com

The IhRSA Buyers’ Guide brings an

industry trade show right to your computer!

www.ihrsabuyersguide.com

JLR ASSOCIATES

Executive Search, Recruitment and Placement – Helping You Find the Right People

Call Jeff Randall at 781-251-0094 | [email protected]

Or Dennie Noecker at 609-430-8455 | [email protected]

WE HAVE IMMEDIATE OPENINGS!

www.jlrassoc.com

Missed an Issue?Did you know you can access the full text of

CBI articles from as early as 2001 on IHRSA’s website?

You can also download entire past issues, and purchase reprints!

To learn more, visit www.ihrsa.org/cbi

| Ad Index |

Page Advertiser

56 » ABC Financial Services, Inc. www.abcfinancial.com | 800-622-6290

97 » ABC Wipes by Spa Partners www.spapartners.com | 800-243-6772

29 » Aerobics and Fitness Association of America www.afaa.com | 800-446-2322

43 » Affiliated Acceptance Corporation www.affiliated.org | 800-233-8483

44 » AIREX www.bebalanced.net | 800-396-3130

2 & 3 » ASF International www.asfinternational.com | 800-227-3859

98 » Aspen Information Systems www.aspensoftware.com | 800-414-0343

117 » AV Now www.avnow.com | 800-491-6874

69 & 89 » BOSu by Fitness Quest, Inc. www.bosu.com | 800-497-8281

9 » CheckFree Corporation www.checkfreecompete.com | 800-242-9522

118 » Creative Agency Group www.creativeagency.com | 800-888-8381

4 & 5 » CSI Software www.csisoftwareusa.com | 800-247-3431

Inside Front » CYBEX International, Inc. Cover & 1 www.cybexinternational.com | 508-533-4300

80 » Electronic Billing & Collecting Services www.achbilling.com | 800-766-1918

31 » Expresso Fitness Corporation www.expresso.com | 888.528.8589

32 » Fitness Anywhere, Inc. www.fitnessanywhere.com | 415-655-4740

100 » Fitness Equipment Source Inc. www.fitnessequipmentsource.com | 800-748-5125

98 » Gerstung www.gerstung.com | 800-922-3575

38 & 39 » Global Fitness, Inc. www.globalfitness.com | 888-991-9991

88 » Gym Wipes-2XL Corporation www.gymwipes.com | 888-977-3726

16 » hampton Fitness www.hamptonfit.com | 805-339-9733

99 » hEX Tanning www.hextanning.com | 800-556-3201

74 » ThE INDOOR CYCLING GROuP, Cytech Gmbh www.indoorcycling.com | 49(0)911-54450

13 » Iron Grip Barbell Company www.irongrip.com | 800-664-4766

37 » Les Mills International, Ltd. www.lesmillsusa.com | 888-669-8876

Page Advertiser

Back Cover » Life Fitness www.lifefitness.com | 800-634-8637

11 » Matrix Fitness Systems www.matrix-fitness.com | 866-693-4863

81 » MicroFit www.microfit.com | 800-822-0405

14 » MotionSoft, Inc www.motionsoft.net | 800-829-4321

85 » MOTuS uSA www.motususa.com | 866-668-8766

100 » National Exercise Trainers Association www.netafit.org | 800-237-6242

34 » Nautilus, Inc. www.Nautilus.com | 800-NAUTILUS

18 » Octane Fitness www.octanefitness.com | 763-757-2662

79 » OPTP www.optp.com | 800-367-7393

45 » Paramount Fitness Corporation www.paramountfitness.com | 800-721-2121

Inside Back » Peak Pilates Cover www.peakpilates.com | 800-925-3674

86 » Polar Electro Inc. www.polarusa.com | 800-290-6330

94 » Power Systems www.power-systems.com | 800-321-6975

21 » Precor, Inc. www.precor.com | 800-786-8404

92 » Ready Care Industries www.readycare.com | 800-477-4283

88 » Salsbury Industries www.lockers.com | 800-562-5377

24 » SCIFIT www.scifit.com | 800-278-3933

87 » Sportsmith www.sportsmith.net | 800-713-2880

90 » SPRI Products, Inc. www.spriproducts.com | 800-222-7774

7 » Star Trac www.startrac.com | 800-228-6635

French » TEChNOGYM Cover www.technogymusa.com | 303-875-0306

27 » TRuE Fitness www.truefitness.com | 877-712-7209

51 » Volo Innovations www.voloinnovations.com | 604- 732- 4884

15 » WaterRower, Inc. www.waterrower.com | 800-852-2210


| Last Rep |

One Hundred Twenty MillionMembers by 2010

Tracy Pow

ell

Today, given economic uncertainty, as well as the growing impact of government on virtually every aspect of daily life, it’s more important than ever that IHRSA-member clubs support, and participate in, the ILC’s activities.

Bahram Akradi, the founder and CEO of Life Time Fitness, Inc., and the chairperson of the ILC since its inception, understood the need for involvement.

So, too, does Michael S. Levy, IHRSA’s chairperson ex-officio, who has succeeded Akradi as the head of the ILC and is eager to expand its constituent base even further.

Akradi, Levy, and I all agree, I think, that every club operator should be an active part of the ILC.

As the recent presidential race has once again demon-strated, participating in the political process is neither easy nor cheap, but the potential benefits are profound. That’s

clearly the case with respect to IHRSA’s long-term strategic goals:

• IHRSA intends to become the “go-to” information resource for the international club industry.

• As a leader in Washington, D.C., and in the field of health-promotion worldwide, it will become the organization that positions fitness as a primary solution to the healthcare crisis.

• Exercise will be recognized as an integral part of the healthcare continuum.

• National, state, and local governments will reward healthy lifestyles and disease- prevention initiatives.

• IHRSA-member facilities will become the primary entry point for consumers interested in adopting healthy behaviors.

• IHRSA will propose a variety of medical models for member clubs that want to increase physician referrals and third-party reimbursements.

To accomplish all of these objectives, we have to have credibility with federal and state decision-makers and strong relationships with key members of Congress; and we must sit “at the table” whenever wellness issues are being discussed. To achieve these aims requires strong organization and concerted action, but, in the final analysis, it depends upon the acts of dedicated individuals. People such as: Akradi; Levy; Phil Wendel, the owner of the Atlantic Coast Athletic Club (ACAC), in Charlottesville, Virginia; and Lloyd Gainsboro, the owner of the Dedham Health and Athletic Complex, in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Wendel, an active member of the ILC and chairperson of IHRSA’s public-policy committee, is in constant contact with his legislators, striving to make our industry “front of mind” whenever healthcare is being discussed. Lloyd has created the Grass Roots Executive Action Team (GREAT) to bring together industry leaders who share an understanding of the importance of public advocacy. He asks them to help IHRSA’s public-policy department recruit fitness professionals in key congressional districts to lobby legislators.

Akradi, Levy, Wendel, and Lloyd—all of them are wonderful examples of operators who are making health clubs an essential, recognized, and valued link in the healthcare continuum; and who are patiently, persistently, forging the political connections required to help our industry achieve its strategic goals. Won’t you enroll in their efforts, enlist in their cause, by joining the ILC? —|

As you probably already know, the Industry Leadership Council (ILC) has raised millions of dollars to assist IHRSA in its efforts to promote positive legislation that would help grow the industry, and to oppose negative legislation that might harm it. Now, here’s what you don’t know:

Showing‘Industry Leadership’


Joe Moore IHRSA President & CeO

Documents

December 2008 Club Business International