Can we eat to starve cancer?

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ÉNERGIE POWERS GULF FITNESS STREAM

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                       ÉNERGIE POWERS GULF FITNESS STREAM

The first énergie Fitness Club franchise in the Middle East has been launched this week in Doha, Qatar.

Located on Airport Road, the stunning new £2m facility boasts state-of-the-art Precor cardiovascular and resistance equipment, dedicated boxing/combat studio, locker rooms, private personal training studio, a VIP locker room, as well as dedicated customer amenities and services.

The club opening will also bring énergie’s unique émpower programme to the Middle East, which offers a six week results guaranteed fitness solution as a means of introduction to a fitness club.The club opening is part of a number of new clubs being opened in Qatar and across the Middle East during 2010. The expansion plans for énergie Group in the Middle East are headed by Operations Director Nad Miyan; “The response to the energie fitness club concept in Qatar has exceeded our expectations and budget! We opened the club with 750 members and enquires are at unprecedented levels”. The énergie Group is the market leading fitness and wellness franchise in the UK and has launched global expansion plans with clubs opening across the Europe, Middle East and Africa. Énergie has an active Master franchise recruitment drive, looking for like minded businesses to develop the range of énergie niche brands worldwide.an Spaticchia, énergie CEO is delighted with the opening in Qatar, he said: “This is a momentous time for the énergie Group and completes a vision I had many years ago. We have great plans for Qatar and the Middle East which we believe will grow with the same success as we have had in the UK.”

Énergie Doha Airport is owned by GSSG Holdings under a Master franchise agreement from British based énergie.

More information is available at the group’s website www.energiefranchise.com

For all press enquiries, please contact:

Leigh Strathearn or Abbi Oakley at Perception PR on 01908 698909 or email on

L.Strathearn@perception-pr.co.uk

Leigh Strathearn

managing director

Perception PR

Suite 164

Milton Keynes Business Centre

Foxhunter Drive

Linford Wood

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tel: 01908 698909

mob: 07990 520498

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Business Is Booming at AnyTime & Snap Fitness

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    As cross-town rivals, Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness are in corporate arm-wrestling match of sorts for bragging rights as the nation’s foremost industry operator. The two fitness featherweights both operate small, 24/7 neighborhood fitness and health clubs and are enjoying explosive growth since coming online earlier this decade, a stark contrast to the plethora of U.S. companies that have slashed expansion plans or downsized operations in the wake of the national recession.Currently, Snap Fitness has 1,100 U.S. locations, including about 110 in Minnesota.
The company has locations sold for about another 900 clubs, company, including some in Minnesota, Snap Fitness CEO Peter Taunton said this week in a speech to the Minnesota chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. The group honored Snap Fitness as its 2010 Emerging Growth Winner award.Snap Fitness could realistically add another 100 locations in Minnesota since it can place its 2,700- to 3,200-square-foot clubs in communities with as few as 3,000 people, Taunton said.Meanwhile, Anytime Fitness has about 1,300 clubs in 49 states and five countries. It has sold master franchise rights to about another 1,000 clubs, said Mark Daly, the company’s national media director.In Minnesota, Anytime Fitness has 115 locations. In 2010, the company plans to add another 300 fitness clubs including about 10 in Minnesota, Daly said.Advertisement Both fitness operators are eyeing overseas expansion as a key part of their growth, too. Anytime Fitness has sold master franchise rights to individuals in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and expects to enter the Japanese market this year. Meanwhile, Snap Fitness is currently in New Zealand, Australia, India, Mexico and Canada, and anticipates entering China, Europe and Brazil soon.

That Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness are growing by leaps and bounds is a testament to the two companies carving out a niche in the $20 billion-per-year U.S. gym, health and fitness club industry that has upwards of 50 million members, according to retail observers.Lower capital costs With their clubs’ typical footprint ranging from 2,700 to 4,000 square feet, Anytime and Snap Fitness enjoy much lower capital costs for their start-ups compared with bigger-box operators, said David Brennan, co-director of the Institute for Retailing Excellence at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

 For example, a typical LifeTime Fitness club, with its resort-like amenities, is usually 110,000 to 115,000 square feet and costs about $15 million to erect. In contrast, the typical cost to get Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness clubs off the ground ranges upwards of $200,000. With their smaller-size clubs, the two companies are also able to fit their fitness centers into neighborhood areas, such as strip shopping malls, that make their locations easily accessible for consumers, Brennan added. Lower capital costs also mean lower threshold to achieve profits. For example, Taunton said he’s found the typical Snap Fitness club can break even with as few as 220 to 250 members. Nevertheless, the national recession has still left its mark on Snap Fitness. These days, even franchisee wannabes these days are having trouble securing bank financing, Taunton said. In a bid to break down that financing barrier, Snap Fitness has started in some cases, offering to guarantee 40 percent of a franchisee’s bank loan and have equipment vendors cover another 30 percent as inducement to win over bankers, Taunton said.

“That is music to the banker’s ears, that we are willing to step outside of the box and put some of our skin in the game,” Taunton said. Whatever their growth and financing challenges, Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness have become fierce, direct competitors. And that has upped the ante for the two companies as they search or prime real estate spots even in smaller markets, Brennan said. “They (Snap and Anytime) are looking for the same or similar segment of the market,” Brennan said. “I don’t think they can co-exist in the same trade areas.”Meanwhile, there is an aura of business bravado between the two companies.
Anytime Fitness touts itself as the No. 1 co-ed fitness club company in the world and the originator of the neighborhood fitness model, whose features include 24/7 availability to members and integrated security and tracking systems to protect them. Responding to Anytime’s talk, Taunton told Finance & Commerce, “They (Anytime Fitness) like to take credit for a lot of things,” He considers his company as the innovator in the small fitness club niche, including offering no contract memberships. Taunton added that Entrepreneur magazine last year rated Snap Fitness No. 1, in the category of fitness franchises. But Anytime Fitness spokesman Mark Daly isn’t impressed. He countered that Anytime Fitness has snared several accolades, including industry Visionary of the Year award in 2009 from the International Health, Racquet and Spotsclub Association, with the company’s founders being recognized for identifying a niche and developing a new business model.

“Our first club opened in 2002,” Daly said. “Snap’s first club [opened] well after that. Enough said.”

Denise Austin is still going strong

Denise Austin is still going strong
By Vicky Hallett




 

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Most people greet strangers with a "pleased to meet you." Denise Austin prefers a more direct approach: "Touch my tummy."

The fitness guru who has peddled 20 million workout videos and DVDs, written a library of books and spent 21 years hosting her own TV show welcomed me into her Alexandria home with that line, and of course, I obliged. My finger reached out and connected with the firmest substance I'd ever encountered.

"How many people have done that to you?" I needed to know. "Oh, thousands. Presidents, CEOs," she said, beginning with Bryant Gumbel, when she was the fitness correspondent on "Today" from 1984 to 1988. Jealous after getting a feel of Austin's stomach, he warned her, "Wait until you have kids."

Even more impressive than her tight tummy is that at 52, the mom of two girls -- ages 16 and 18 -- is still a powerful force in the youth-obsessed fitness field. She has just released two more DVDs as well as a new book, "Denise's Daily Dozen" (Center Street), which features a program promoting 12 one-minute exercises for every day of the week along with a meal plan and loads of lists about de-stressing, rewarding hard work healthily, boosting your energy and more.

But Austin wanted to draw my attention to her latest project: a freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread. I wasn't about to turn that offer down, and the scent wafting from the kitchen gave me an excuse to ask: "Can I look inside your fridge?" She opened the stainless-steel door to reveal precisely the grocery list she recommends in the book: bags of leafy greens, a rotisserie chicken, sliced fruit. "I was sort of hoping to see just a six-pack of beer," I told her.

"We have that, too! Everything in moderation," she said, dragging me outside for a peek at the back yard.

There's a gorgeous sunken tennis court, which makes sense, given that her husband, Jeff, a lawyer, was once a pro (and his sister Tracy Austin won the U.S. Open). Next to that is a pool and a grassy area, where Austin sometimes films outdoor segments. The blond California girl has lived on the East Coast for decades, but that doesn't stop her from making her workouts alfresco as often as possible. Upstairs, there's a balcony off the family gym, and whenever the weather cooperates, Austin drags her weights out there, and sometimes even her stationary bike.

So why is she in Washington, far from the nation's fitness capitals of Los Angeles and New York? "I'm just a mom around here," she said. While work takes her to the West Coast about once a month, she can manage most business from her home office and still be around to cook dinner for the family.

Austin is rarely recognized, except, she admitted, "when I open my mouth." Fans who hear her distinctive voice immediately parrot back their favorite Austin-isms, including "If you rest, you'll rust," and "If you don't squeeze your butt, no one will."

She really says phrases like that. "None of it's scripted," she said of the nonstop talk during her workouts. "I'm thinking, 'I'd love to know why I'm doing this.' . . . We all need motivation."

Yes, even Austin has days when she just wants to sink into the couch. But to keep her 100 percent natural looks (She can still furrow her brow!), she knows she has to work at it. "Strength training is the key to fighting the aging process. Nothing can droop or sag if you're firm," she said. She's unapologetic about her appetite for dessert and for the Idaho potatoes she's always hawking on TV, but her diet has changed over the years to incorporate flax seed, lentils and quinoa.

After all, in 30 years in the industry, including a stint as The Post's fitness columnist in the late 1980s, Austin has learned more than how to do a crunch. She's constantly monitoring the latest research and calling her buddies from her two terms on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. "I've been saying Vitamin D to people for the last three years," she said.

Her best resource also happens to be her role model: Jack LaLanne. The 95-year-old gave Austin her start on "The Jack LaLanne Show" in 1981, and they still chat regularly. Whenever he sees her, he asks her to feel his legs.

So maybe Austin will still be using that tummy line in 40 years. (Meanwhile, she's planning a new television show and promoting DeniseAustin.com, with no sign of retirement.) "I love to know I'm helping people," she said. "Why would I quit that?"

 Amerishape / Fitness Life Marketing.

Fitness center unable to pay local workers because of Fair Finance Billing Company

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Dozens of employees in Montgomery and Prattville will head into this week unable to get to the pay checks that they've earned during the past month because the federal government raided a finance company that manages those checks.About 45 employees who work for three Future Lady Fitness centers have not been paid in a month because the company cannot get the money from its billing firm.

Frank Allen, president of the company that operates the workout centers in Montgomery, Prattville and Jackson, Miss., said he hopes to pay employees soon.But Allen says that like his employees, he is a victim of the situation.Problems started late last month when the FBI raided the Akron, Ohio, offices of Fair Finance, the company that Future Lady contracts with to handle its billing and collections, including direct withdrawal from members who choose to pay that way.
Officials in Indiana and Ohio suspected Fair Finance was part of a pyramid scheme. During the raid, the FBI seized the company's business equipment and all its funds. That meant the company could not forward payments to its clients, including Future Lady Fitness.
Allen said it has been difficult to get information from the FBI and impossible to get it from Fair Finance.When the Montgomery Advertiser tried to call Fair Finance on Wednesday, the phone also rang unanswered.

"I haven't had anybody to talk to," he said.

Allen relies largely on published reports in Ohio media outlets that indicate the company could try to reopen by the end of the year."We are hoping they will open back up, get their computers back and we will get our money," Allen said.If that happens, he plans to take his business to another billing firm, but he knows there are plenty of pressing problems.

Workers missed paychecks on Dec. 7 and Dec. 21, and Allen said he also is behind on rent and utility bills.So far, most of the workers have stayed and the building landlords where his businesses are located have given him extra time to pay.Although Allen said it has been hard to get answers about what is going on, he does know one thing -- he intends to keep the businesses open.

"I am very confident things will work out," he said. "We are trying to do what is right."He said the company is not a new business and that he has grown it responsibly. The Prattville location has been open eight years. He opened in Jackson five years ago and in Montgomery three years ago.

Very Important Health News Items From Kimberly-Clark

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http://www.haiwatchnews.com/

Very Important Health News Items From Kimberly-Clark

When someone develops an infection at a hospital or other patient care facility that they did not have prior to treatment, this is referred to as a healthcare-associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) infection (HAI). Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a global crisis affecting both patients and healthcare workers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at any point in time, 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections acquired in hospitals. A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report published in March-April 2007 estimated the number of U.S. deaths from healthcare associated infections in 2002 at 98,987. The risk of acquiring healthcare-associated infections in developing countries is 2-20 times higher than in developed countries. Afflicting thousands of patients every year, HAI often leads to lengthening hospitalization, increasing the likelihood of readmission, and adding sizably to the cost of care per patient. Financially, HAIs represent an estimated annual impact of $6.7 billion to healthcare facilities, but the human cost is even higher. Until recently, a lack of HAI reporting requirements for healthcare facilities has contributed to less-than-optimal emphasis being placed on eliminating the sources of healthcare associated infections. However, growing public anxiety regarding the issue and resulting legislation on state and local levels demanding accountability is serving to accelerate initiatives to combat HAIs. To learn more about the impact of healthcare-associated infections for both medical professionals and patients, please visit www.haiwatch.com.

About Not on My Watch Prevention Campaign

To protect patients by reducing the risk of HAI, healthcare professionals must continually update their knowledge of infection management. A part of an ongoing commitment to quality care and infection prevention, nationwide doctors and hospitals are partnering with Kimberly-Clark to deliver continuing education programs on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention to staff and management. As simple as education sounds, busy doctors and nurses on the front lines of delivering care can find it difficult to find the time to take advantage of scheduled programs within their hospitals.The HAI Education Program is part of a national infection awareness campaign for healthcare professionals called “Not on My Watch” and will provide the facility with a toolkit that contains informational flyers, patient safety tips and posters.The "Not on My Watch" campaign provides accredited continuing education (CE) programs based on best practices and guidelines as well as research available on reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections.

For details about the "Not On My Watch" campaign, and the HAI Education Bus please visit www.HAIwatch.com.

HAI Education Bus

Kimberly-Clark, it’s our mission to find innovative ways to develop and maintain a variety of accredited education, equipping healthcare providers with critical insights and information on today’s important clinical issues. That’s why we’re proud to introduce the HAI Education Bus, an impressive new one-of-a-kind mobile classroom that brings accredited CE education right to your door. Look for this tour bus as it makes its way across the country, delivering education about healthcare-associated infections and other critical healthcare issues from the plains of Texas to the California coast to New York City and places in between.

About Kimberly-Clark Health Care

At Kimberly-Clark Health Care, we deliver innovative healthcare solutions that you can depend on to meet the demands of your fast-paced world, supported by in-service training, clinical research and accredited education. Our solutions help you prevent, diagnose, and manage major issues in these clinical areas: Infection Prevention (Protection & Infection Control, Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Surgical Site Infections), Digestive Health and Pain Management.

About Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being.With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 137-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com

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Contact Kimberly-Clark
Barbara Dunn


HAI Watch News

barbara@haiwatchnews.com

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accredited education, acinetobacter, aids, bloodborne pathogens, burkholderia cepacia, cdc, ce, centers for disease control, chickenpox, cjd, clinical research, clostridium difficile, clostridium sordellii, continuing education, creutzfeldt jakob disease, cross contamination, digestive health, drug resistant, ebola, gastrointestinal infections, gi infections, global crisis, hai, hai education bus, hai education program, hais, hand hygiene, healthcare associated, healthcare associated infection, healthcare associated infections, healthcare facilities, healthcare professionals, healthcare settings, healthcare workers, hepatitis a, hepatitis b, hepatitis c, hiv, hospital acquired, hospital acquired infection, hospital infection, in service training, infection awareness campaign, infection control, infection management, infection prevention, infectious diseases, influenza, kimberly clark, kimberly clark corporation, kimberly clark health care, lengthening hospitalization, methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, mrsa, mumps, nationwide doctors, norovirus, nosocomial infections, not on my watch, pain management, parvovirus, patients, pneumonia, poliovirus, post operative normothermia, rubella, s. pneumoniae, sars, ssis, surgical site infections, tuberculosis, vancomycin intermediate staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin resistant enterococci, vap, varicella, ventilator associated pneumonia, ventilator associated pneumonia and surgical site infections, viral hemorrhagic fever, visa, vre, who, world health organization

Health Club News.....Funny weight loss clip from www.petecohen.tv, UK's hottest TV life coach.

http://www.petecohen.tv/

 
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Health Club News...As a personal trainer, Ms. Fitness USA is a regular person's champ

Taryn Bagrosky won the Ms. Fitness USA competition in August and took sixth in the Ms. Fitness World event. (Cyrus McCrimmon
The Denver Post )It takes some nerve to sign up with a personal trainer whose taut abdominals and sinewy biceps represent an impossible dream for most of us.

Imagine learning that your personal trainer was among the winners of the Ms. Fitness USA competition."It's a little intimidating," Mary Stribling says of Taryn Bagrosky, 29, who won August's Ms. Fitness USA competition, and went on to place sixth in the international Ms. Fitness World contest. The Ms. Fitness title is not a beauty pageant, although Bagrosky, with her honey-streaked long hair, dramatic eyes and lithe body, solidly belongs in the "hot" category. The competitors perform a 90-second routine that's part uber-aerobic dance, and part parkour, the fluid urban running discipline.
"Lots of leaps," Bagrosky says.agine 'So You Think You Can Dance,' but incorporating one-armed push-ups and a lot of dynamic moves." Her Ms. Fitness routine would look at home in a Cirque du Soleil program. (In fact, some of her Ms. Fitness competitors are Cirque performers.) She disarms clients daunted by her successes by redirecting their attention to their own accomplishments. "There's nothing cooler than hearing a 50-year-old woman say she's in the best shape of her life," Bagrosky says.She's so modest," says Barb Carlson, 40, who began training with Bagrosky last spring. After working out twice a week under Bagrosky's supervision, she's lost 10 pounds and dropped at least one dress size.
"But I don't work with her because I want to be a size 2 or a certain weight," Carlson says.

"Of course, I want to look good. But I want to do it the right way. I want to be happy in a strong body."
Under Bagrosky's terms, that means combining aerobic exercise, flexibility moves, resistance exercises (like weightlifting), isometrics and nutritional adjustments. Carlson finds herself more disciplined about what she eats because she reports her diet to Bagrosky during their sessions.

Bgrosky believes firmly in a workout routine that constantly evolves. Boredom kills motivation."If you're bored on the Stairmaster, then go to Red Rocks and run the steps," Bagrosky says."I try to go to Red Rocks at least once a week in the summer."r interest in fitness is avocation and vocation. As an adolescent, she danced competitively. After earning her health and exercise science degree at Colorado State University, Bagrosky moved to New York, where she worked as a fitness specialist for NBC.In addition to writing a health and wellness newsletter, Bagrosky led spinning classes and supervised weightlifting classes for Tom Brokaw and dozens of producers.



"They mostly wanted to work off stress," she said. "We did a lot of spinning."When she moved back to Denver, Bagrosky began working with clients at a small studio just off busy South Colorado Boulevard in Glendale. She teaches Pilates, floor classes, and is a devotee of functional fitness — exercises and stretches that strengthen the body core muscles and condition the body for real-life tasks and situations — lifting heavy boxes or avoiding a fall. "There's a lot of flexibility involved in her routines, a lot of strength, and a lot of range of motion," says Stribling, who dreads but appreciates Bagrosky challenges, such as doing biceps curls while standing on one foot."The balance stuff is really great," Stribling says."If you don't work on that, and you lose your footing, your brain doesn't go 'Whoa, what's this?' when you slip on the ice. I've noticed myself catching my balance, and I know it's because I've been practicing that with Taryn."Bagrosky counts Stribling and Carlson among the clients she calls "lifers," which she defines as "people who'd cut out housekeepers or fancy dinners before they'd cut fitness from their budgets." Most of her clients are women, ranging in age from 21 to 81 and from triathletes to the clinically obese.She keeps things upbeat during workouts, sharing calorie-cutting tips, nutritional advice and recipes for seasonal treats, such as her low-fat oatmeal-protein pumpkin muffins.t's not pumpkin bread, but it's close enough to be seasonal," she says."You want to treat yourself, but everything in moderation. I tell my clients that their bodies are my business cards. So many people don't realize the connection between being overweight and having back and knee problems. If they just lost the weight, they would feel so much better."



Claire Martin: 303-954-1477 or cmartin@denverpost.com

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Stamford Athletic Club installs Cybex pink treadmill and supports breast cancer research

   Why would Stamford Athletic Club purchase a pink treadmill? Because its manufacturer, Cybex International, Inc. will pay 10¢ a mile to support breast cancer research for every mile logged on the new pink treadmill for the month of October, 2009, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“Although the positive effects of exercise have long been known to reduce obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease – less well-known is that exercise can reduce the risk of breast cancer.” states Paul Juris, Ed.D, Executive Director of the CYBEX Institute. “Data supports women of any age can reduce their breast cancer risk up to 23% with 6 or more hours/week of moderate exercise.”

Glenn Colarossi, Managing Director states “Stamford Athletic Club recognizes that breast cancer is the #2 cause of cancer death in U.S. women. We want to be part of the national effort to find a cure, for our members who are women and for women everywhere. When CYBEX offered us the opportunity to join the partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, we enthusiastically accepted. We think members will choose to work out on the pink treadmill Additionally, we will open our Club to all individuals, not just members, to walk/run on this treadmill to raise even more money towards finding a cure. So many people have been impacted by this terrible disease, that I don’t want to limit this fund raising effort just to our members” said Glenn Colarossi. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime by funding clinical and translational research worldwide. For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.

About STAMFORD ATHLETIC CLUB

Stamford Athletic Club has been serving the greater Stamford community for over 15 years, twice voted the “Number one health club in Farirfield County”. What makes SAC stand out from its competitors is its warm and friendly environment, “where you fit in”. Instead of loud vibrating music, every member has a personal flat screen TV to view while on a treadmill, bike or elliptical machine. There are no lines and there is ample free parking. In addition to a state of the art fitness center. Stamford Athletic Club also offers personal training, a four lane Jr Olympic lap pool, full court basketball, racquetball, and a wide variety of exercise classes. For more information visit www.stamfordathletic.com. 75 Third Street Stamford CT 06905 357-7555

About CYBEX

Cybex International, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment for commercial and consumer use. The CYBEX product line includes a full range of both strength training and cardio training machines sold worldwide in over 85 countries under the CYBEX brand. Products are designed and engineered using exercise science to reflect the natural movement of the human body. Accommodating users from the first-time exerciser to the professional athlete, CYBEX products are available for a wide range of facilities from commercial health clubs to home gyms. For more information on CYBEX and its product lines, please visit the Company’s website at www.cybexintl.com. The weasel abides.

About The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. The Foundation supports scientists at top universities and academic medical centers worldwide conducting the most advanced and promising breast cancer research that will lead to prevention and a cure in our lifetime. A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs. In October 2008, $34.5 million was awarded to 166 scientists across the United States and in Australia, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. And for the eighth consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator’s highest rating, four stars, thus outperforming over 99% of the evaluated charities, while the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades. For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org or call 1.866.FIND.A.CURE.

© Copyright by StamfordPlus.com

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Jonathan Adler and Mark Fisher "Going the Distance"

Going the Distance
With 23 clubs and counting, Sport & Health is the largest fitness chain in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Locally owned and operated for more than 30 years, the company is led by CEO Jonathan Adler and President and COO Mark Fisher, two dynamic leaders who have created a plan that will allow the company to grow systematically over the next five years, while also improving its existing locations.

Left to Right: Jonathan Adler, CEO; Mark Fisher, COO and President, Sport &  Health Clubs, in the virtual cycling studio at Old Town Sport & Health fitness center in Alexandria, Va.

Anyone who has been lucky enough to live in or visit our nation’s capital knows that it is truly unlike any other place in the world. Brimming with diversity and steeped in history, the Washington Metro Area is comprised of innumerable neighborhood enclaves that often retain unique identities within the larger construct of D.C. Recently, Washington was named the “fittest city in the USA” by the American College of Sports Medicine – a distinction that happens to perfectly coincide with Sport &  Health’s plans for expanding its presence and upgrading its clubs.

THE HISTORY

Adler happens to be a native D.C. resident, with a background as diverse as the metro area he serves. A true entrepreneur with a head for sales and marketing, Adler has achieved success in publishing and Internet start-ups over the years. He began working full time in the publishing business at the tender age of 19, while studying business at the University of Maryland. In December 2005, Adler was already a member of Sport   Health when he jumped at the chance to buy the company with four other friends and colleagues who were real estate partners and fellow club members. “I was looking for a business with recurring revenue and, more importantly, one that would allow me to positively impact people’s lives,” he shares.

As the other half of this executive team, Fisher brings a wealth of industry-specific experience to the table. Having worked in clubs since graduating from college in 1982, his first real gig was at U.S. Swim and Fitness – a growing company that also served as a training ground for Bahram Akradi of Life Time Fitness and several other industry veterans. The company was eventually purchased by Bally’s, prompting Fisher to open his own club. After locating a strong market in Wichita, Kan., he opened six clubs in the area over the course of 14 years. In 1996, he decided to take some time off and sold the clubs to private parties. By 2002, after several years of owning a hospitality-based business, Fisher was ready to jump back into the industry. He knew the CEO of Sport & Health at the time from his involvement in the exclusive Young President’s Organization (YPO), and opted to take a position upon joining the company that was beneath his real experience level in order to become familiar with the many changes that had occurred in the industry. By 2006, after several promotions, Fisher had assumed his current role and was deeply involved in making the company the best it could be.

PUTTING MEMBERS FIRST

Over the years, Sport &  Health has capitalized on the unique makeup of the Washington Metro Area by tailoring its approach to doing business accordingly — from programming to marketing, the clubs choose options that will appeal directly to those who live and work within a three-to-five mile radius of each location. The result is a wide variety of sports, mind-body and fitness programming for members.

“Our clubs are not cookie-cutter,” says Adler. “We choose the programming for each club by analyzing extensive demographic information which outlines the preferences of each club’s membership base – and the surrounding community as a whole.” For example, programming in one club may be more family-oriented, while programming at another location would be more focused on attracting active businessmen and women. According to Adler, being a locally owned and operated company allows them to more easily manage this variety, especially since both he and Fisher believe in getting out of the office and into the clubs on a regular basis. “I don’t manage from my office – our entire management style is very inclusive,” states Fisher.

Technology has also played a leading role in allowing Adler and Fisher to properly evaluate the performance of the clubs’ many programs. When Adler assumed his position at the helm of Sport & Health, the company was still using an outdated DOS system that was very slow to generate reports. They turned to CSI for help, and systematically updated the company’s hardware and software. Now, they are using a real-time system which everyone has access to, that can easily track and determine member preferences – an essential component in managing multiple locations that offer such a wide variety of programming. “We can look at the percentage of our membership that is engaged and determine how it is affecting retention,” Adler says.
Perhaps one of the most important ways Sport &  Health stays in contact with members and keeps a finger on the pulse of the communities it serves is through systematic communication with members when they are outside of the clubs. “We are big believers in e-mail and using online technology for keeping in touch with our members,” says Fisher. According to Adler, they reach out to all members on a monthly basis – either to let them know what’s going on in the clubs, or to ask them for feedback, or both. In addition, spot surveys are conducted quarterly and every member is surveyed annually using in-depth metrics designed to measure all aspects of each club.

    Community involvement is another key component of staying in touch. Sport & Health has raised more than $1 million in the last few years for charity, and managers and employees are expected to get out into the community where their clubs are located. This grassroots approach also applies to the company’s guerilla marketing choices, which Adler says have driven down the cost per sale while driving up closing ratios. And, the company’s record sales the last few months are solid proof that this technique is working. “Our member referrals are up because we are actively encouraging members to bring new people in, while our employees’ involvement in the communities has gone a long way to build trust,” Fisher shares. Adler agrees, stating, “With my business and marketing background, I’m a big believer in the power of the Internet and using marketing techniques that involve an unconventional approach, relying on time, energy and imagination instead of a big marketing budget,” he says.

HANDS-ON MANAGEMENT STYLE

According to Adler and Fisher, another major component to the success of Sport & Health has been the company’s outstanding Senior Leadership Team, general managers and employees – basically, the people who are out in the clubs running the show every day. “The most important thing to remember is that companies are always driven by the people who work there,” says Adler.

When asked how they have been able to locate and foster such a strong team, Fisher says they looked for “drivers” and were fortunate to find many already within the company. “We want to be the premier employer of fitness personnel in the region,” he shares. Adler agrees, stating, “We are both a great place to work and a tough place to work – our interview process is very detailed; our general managers typically go through seven or eight different interviews prior to joining our team.” In addition to exceptional management, Sport &  Health prides itself on the quality of its personal trainers; they accept fewer certifications than many other clubs, and all new hires must do an audition and interview with multiple general managers.

According to Adler, they also pay above average in order to attract and retain the best employees. This has allowed them to feel comfortable empowering managers and giving them real responsibilities – they are expected to understand what it takes to operate all aspects of the business. “We expect them to know members’ names and to spend three hours a day at the front desk, but we also expect them to be involved in discussions on marketing, pricing, compensation, etc.,” says Adler. “Our managers have a very strong influence and can really impact their club’s performance,” adds Fisher.

Neither Adler nor Fisher believe in a “top down” management style. Instead, both prefer to have as many heads as possible contributing to the betterment of the company. “You have to align your goals and expectations by developing a clear purpose, mission and value statement,” Adler shares. Fisher agrees, adding, “We have shifted the focus of the company culture and now everyone is committed to, and focused on, being a progressive, driven, energized health and fitness corporation.” To them, this means becoming better than they were last year, last month, last week, even yesterday. In practice, having regular inter-club competitions is a key part of this philosophy. Achievements like having the highest retention rates, the best member surveys or breaking a sales record do not go unnoticed, and rewarding positive change creates urgency and fosters a dynamic, high-energy environment.

More than 20 years ago, Fisher’s mother gave him a book that has now become an integral part of the culture at Sport & Health. An outwardly unassuming volume, “Rhinoceros Success,” by Scott Alexander is often mistaken for a children’s book at first glance. Its content, however, illustrates the importance of being “like a rhino” in life by taking charge and staying focused on your goal, while also being unafraid, thick-skinned and unstoppable in the face of challenges. “Today, this philosophy is enmeshed in the company – our screen savers are rhinos, clubs that “crash through” their sales goals get “Rhino Awards” and our conference room is called the “Rhino Room,” says Fisher. And it’s obvious that both he and Adler are willing to walk the walk. “Everyone needs to know what good performance looks like,” Adler says. “We are in front of them enough and are consistent enough to set the example.”

FIVE-YEAR PLAN

In case you haven’t heard, Sport & Health received $25 million in financing through PNC Mezzanine Capital and CMS Mezzanine Fund earlier this year, which has allowed the company to restructure senior debt — enhancing its capacity to grow and improve its network of clubs. Over the next five years, Sport & Health will continue to upgrade existing locations and has plans to acquire or build three new clubs per year in the D.C. area. For new clubs, they have a 20,000 square foot urban model and a 40,000 square foot suburban model, both of which have the capacity to provide the variety members have grown to expect. – CS

Keys To Success:

BECOME incredibly efficient at managing expenses, but always make sure that any changes will not have a negative effect on the member experience. Instead, focus on getting better terms from vendors and doing away with unnecessary waste.

INCLUDE key employees in the decision-making process. Get them involved in finding solutions to your club’s challenges – they are on the front lines of your business and will have important insights to share.

MOTIVATE your staff by creating inter-club competitions and rewards for outstanding achievement.

KNOW your community and service its needs. More people today are joining clubs that are conveniently located close to home or work, so understanding what your club’s dominant demographic really needs will help you keep members happy.

FIND ways to get managers and employees involved in community events. This is a great way to earn trust, and remember: You get what you give!

ASK your members to tell you what they think. Staying in touch with members and actively engaging them in the direction your club takes is paramount to remaining relevant in their lives.

HealthClubNews......Very 80s fitness center commercial

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From 1986, an ad for a number of different fitness centers in the Sacramento area owned by Wenmat, Inc. Don't know if any of them are still around, but I always loved the music on this commercial and knew it'd be a true 80s relic 20 years later. I swear there are some colors that didn't even exist until the 1980s.

Health Club News

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www.hybridfitness.tv Video series from the IHRSA 2009 convention detailing new strength equipment, lifting tools, conditioning equipment and other fun and crazy stuff. The Ab Coaster is profiled here.

Fitness Company Nautilus Selling All Assets of its Commercial Business

Fitness company Nautilus, Inc. has decided to focus its resources on its branded consumer businesses and sell substantially all of the assets, liabilities and ongoing operations of its commercial business. Assets of the Company’s commercial business include a manufacturing facility and three warehouses in Virginia. In December 2008, Virginia Governor Kaine announced the manufacturing facility, saying Nautilus, Inc. would invest $1.7 million to expand in Grayson County and bring the site's 60 jobs to Virginia. He said Virginia successfully competed with Oregon and China for the project, and approved $50,000 from his Opportunity Fund to assist Grayson County with the project. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $100,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds for the project, and the Virginia Department of Business Assistance said it would provide training assistance through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. Nautilus announced in August 2009 that it was making a strategic change to focus its efforts on a consumer business model and, as a result, would begin exploring strategic alternatives for its commercial business. After discussions with potential acquirers for the entire commercial business, the Company believes that its shareholders will benefit from the orderly disposal of assets associated with the commercial business either by selling the entire commercial business as one entity or selling individual assets. “We believe this divestiture is in the best interest of our shareholders and will enable us to improve margins, utilize capital more efficiently, and focus our organization on the branded consumer fitness business where we see superior growth opportunities,” stated Edward Bramson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nautilus, Inc. “Our business model and operations are now positioned to place greater emphasis on the brands in our direct-to-consumer and retail businesses and will enable us to better leverage our restructured consumer operating model.” As previously announced, the Company has engaged Robert W. Baird & Co., whom will now actively assist in the sale of the commercial business. Headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE:NLS) is a global fitness products company providing innovative, quality solutions to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle.

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Contours Express & Fitness Life Marketing Team Up to bring 100 new members into the gym for a lifestyle change program by Amerishape Weight Loss System

Fitness Life Marketing Health Club News @ Yahoo! Video

Fitness Life Marketing... Tara and staff from Contours Express in Elizabeth City has helped just over 100 new members start a lifestyle change program that is designed to change their diet and exercise lifestyle. http://www.healthclubnews.com

Fitness Life Marketing make headlines on http://www.healthclubnews.com/

Fitness Life Marketing....Health Club News. Pat and her staff at Before and After Fitness have helped over 120 new members make a lifestyle diet and exercise change along with the AmeriShape weight loss and exercise system.

Copper Ranch Health Club becomes an eyesore to the Hailey City Council

That's how one member of the public summed up the health and fitness facility at the Copper Ranch development in the Woodside neighborhood of Hailey, at a Monday meeting where a fourth extension of the facility's building permit was requested.


The facility, which has been under construction since fall 2006, is 70 percent complete, said developer Jeff Smith, CEO of Lido Equities of Beverly Hills, Calif.Improvements to the exterior, the construction-site appearance of which Woodside residents have consistently complained about, can't be completed until internal work is done.Potential funding and club partners have fallen through, Smith said, leaving him without the funds to complete the building.

"I apologize for it taking so long, but the market has been dismal," Smith said. "We are certainly in no way abandoning that site."

Negotiations, including with a national health club chain he declined to name, are ongoing, he said, but the health club's building permit expires Wednesday. If it were allowed to lapse and a new one applied for, additional inspections and other expenses would be required. Smith asked the Hailey City Council to extend it for 180 days; there is no statutory limit on the number of times an extension request may be applied for.

"Four extensions, it's enough for that neighborhood to deal with," said Hailey resident Peter Lobb. However, he recommended the council approve the fourth extension because to not do so could put the future of the project in jeopardy. "I think you're going to have to give it to them and hope for the best."

The council did more than hope. It required the developer to come back in a month and describe, with pictures, how the exterior of the site will be improved to allay neighbor concerns. If they aren't satisfied, council members said, they could rescind the extension."Let's assume it might look this way longer than any of us may wish or anticipate," said Councilwoman Martha Burke, acknowledging the challenges the club faces in a down economy.

"We all share that hope, but if it doesn't look good to the neighbors, at some point we're going to have to yank it," said Councilman Fritz Haemmerle. "This has been less than attractive for far too long."Smith said his company has been working to improve the site for the past two weeks, and will continue to do so to make the health club less of an eyesore.

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Contours Express - The Better Idea in Women's Gyms

Contours Express is The Better Idea in Women's Gyms because we use Real Weights For Real Results, never hydraulics like Curves and most of the other circuit training gyms.

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My two weeks of steroid hell

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Fitness fanatics are increasingly turning to drugs to bulk up — but is it really worth it? One writer tries them.

It is a criminal offence to sell steroids. Anyone caught doing so will be prosecuted,” reads a sign in my London gym. The members seem decent, so I was surprised that steroids could be a problem.

“Some members said, ‘I don’t know if you know what’s happening in the changing rooms but we think it’s steroids because we see small packets’,” says Sara Dove, of the Manor Health Club. “We immediately launched a crackdown.”

Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of the hormone testosterone, and promote the storage of protein and tissue growth. They can be used to treat wasting conditions, such as those caused by Aids, or to induce male puberty, but, increasingly, fitness enthusiasts use them to build up muscle size and strength.

I decided to investigate the issue in a TV documentary. Five fitness clubs out of ten I contacted said they had noticed a rise in members using or asking about steroids.

For many it can go wrong. In April this year, 17-year-old Matt Dear died from swelling to the brain after taking bodybuilding pills. It is thought he took the drugs to bulk up for selection into the Royal Marines. The same month, the Liberal Democrats uncovered figures showing a 42 per cent rise in the past five years in the number of under-18s admitted to hospital for steroid poisoning. For adults, the increase was 64 per cent. The drugs are a Class C substance; it is legal to possess or import them for personal use, but illegal to supply them. They are easily obtained on the internet from sellers in countries where it is legal to supply without a prescription.

Anabolic steroids’ potential side-effects include elevated blood pressure, changes to cholesterol levels, mood swings, acne and premature balding. In women, they can disrupt menstrual cycles, increase body hair and deepen the voice. They are most dangerous if the user doesn’t know technical details about dose, diet, body recovery and cycles.

I found it startlingly easy to get hold of steroids online. I spent £42 on a course of Anabol, a brand of the compound methandrostenolone. Dr Ken Checinski, senior lecturer in addictive behaviour at St George’s Hospital, London, warned me I might see effects on my skin and mood within 72 hours, even on a 5mg daily dose.

I had planned to continue the Anabol for a month but after two weeks I had to stop. Within half an hour of taking a tablet I felt my heart rate increase and found it hard to concentrate. By Day 5 I had put on 4lb, was suffering headaches and having trouble sleeping. By Day 10 I had eczema and my period failed to start. I kept my gym routine the same, visiting four times a week. Yet my workouts felt less gruelling. I noticed my wrist aching after a gym session, so I assumed I had been lifting weights with more vigour than usual. After two weeks I had put on 9lb. I was tearful, impatient and hardly sleeping.

Despite the side-effects, I can see the appeal. I had a marked increase in muscle definition which, for a man, would be desirable.Mark Osbourne, a fitness trainer, explains. “Attention has shifted from fitness to body image. My male clients ask if I can build their chest and shoulders.”

For my film, I followed 27-year-old Jan, who has used steroids for more than seven years. It is hard to ignore his lean, sculpted look. “When I was growing up I was skinny. Clothes wouldn’t fit me and I got bullied,” he says. “Then, at 17, I’d had enough so I took to the gym. I started with protein powders; one thing led to another and I started on steroids just before I turned 20.”

Jan, like many users, wants to see anabolic steroids declassified. He believes that if they were sold over the counter people would seek advice and that it would stop amateur users damaging themselves.But Dr Checinski says that letting people take them freely would fuel the body-obsessed culture. “They can’t be sold ethically over the counter — it’d lead to a surge in people taking them and becoming ill.”

Anytime Fitness expanding to Mexico

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Anytime Fitness Inc. plans to open its first fitness center in Mexico within the next six months, the company announced Friday.

Hastings-based Anytime has signed a master franchisee agreement with Mexican-American entrepreneur Rodrigo Chavez, who already operates an Anytime location in Roanoke, Texas. He also owns several construction-related businesses.


Chavez plans to open five Mexican clubs within a year, then grow to 50 clubs within three years and 100 clubs within five years. He will focus on popular tourist destinations like Cancun, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Los Cabos, hoping to attract resort workers as members.

“There aren’t many good fitness options for most people who live in Mexico,” Chavez said in a statement. “Resorts are 24-hour operations. People who work at the resorts are familiar with that concept and I’m sure the fact that Anytime Fitness clubs are open 24 hours will be very popular with people who want to make a better life for themselves and their children.”

Anytime has more than 1,200 clubs open in 48 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company has nearly 750,000 members worldwide.

New iPod Nano, equipped with video camera, might not be welcome at Twin Cities gyms

     When Brandon Layland works out at Life Time Fitness in Wayzata, he often carries his iPod Nano. Like many other gym rats, he regards his ultracompact Apple music player as essential workout gear.

But Layland, 18, might have a problem if he upgraded to the newest Nano, recently released with a video camera. The video-taking capability has forced Chanhassen-based Life Time to restrict Nano use in its 84 facilities in 19 states for privacy-related reasons. Other fitness centers in Minnesota are considering similar Nano restrictions.

Compact camera-equipped devices, such as cell phones, have been gadgets non grata at health clubs for years. The Life Time chain, for instance, has long forbidden their use in locker rooms because of the potential for compromising photos or video footage to be distributed online.

And with the new Nano fitting this category, its use in locker rooms for any reason is forbidden, said spokesman Jason Thunstrom. Discerning whether someone is taking video or just queuing up a music mix can be difficult.

The new Nano's use for music listening would be tolerated in workout areas, Thunstrom added, but shooting videos with it while exercising is a no-no. As other Twin Cities health clubs learn about the Nano's video features, they are beginning to formulate rules regarding its use. The YMCA of Greater St. Paul and YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis restrict photography to the lobbies except during family events monitored by staffers, said Bette Fenton, vice president of marketing and communications. At other times, photo- and video-capable gadgetry must be kept in lockers or gym bags, she said. The new Nano likely would fit into this category, she said.

Likewise, the YWCA of St. Paul this week began studying the Nano and how it would fit into its gadget-using rules. All cell-phone use is restricted to YWCA lobbies and parking areas, partly because of concerns about photography and also to encourage good gym etiquette, said Tamara Burch, director of health and fitness. The use of photo and video devices in locker rooms is prohibited, she said.

"We want to make sure (patrons) aren't taking pictures that invade someone's privacy," Burch said.

How health clubs can curb Nano use remains to be seen. The new Nano is indistinguishable from its camera-less precursor, especially when tucked into a protective case.

Nicole Palacios, of Vancouver, British Columbia, has long been accustomed to slipping her Nano into a silicone protector and strapping it around her arm while at her gym. Her beloved iPod was recently stolen, though, so she likely will get the camera-equipped Nano, which she will promptly slap onto her arm to fire up her hip-hop mixes while working out. "I wouldn't use the camera," said Palacios, a health writer and fitness instructor. Some health club patrons will be eager to use the new Nano because of another first-time feature in an iPod — an FM tuner, which lets patrons use gym TVs with preassigned FM frequencies.

While the Nano looks to be a concern at big workout facilities, it is less of an issue at small Twin Cities health clubs. SweatShop Health Club in St. Paul, for instance, has a general policy of discouraging electronics and encouraging face-to-face interaction among its clientele, president and owner Gayle Winegar said. The club has no TVs, she noted, and exercise machines are arranged in circles to foster conversation.

In this intimate environment, where patrons know each other, shenanigans involving cameras are highly unlikely, Winegar said.

Likewise, The Firm in Minneapolis "is not a typical big-house club" with extensive locker room facilities that would encourage patrons to linger and possibly use recording devices on the sly, said founder Kelly Miyamoto.

"We've had no trouble thus far," she said. "Our clients tend to police themselves very well, and we are thankful for that."

Camera use in changing areas is not a concern at 1,200 Anytime Fitness facilities in 48 states because the small rooms can be used by only one person at a time, said Mark Daly, spokesman for the Hastings-based company.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata can be reached at jojeda@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5467. Get more personal tech at twincities.com/ techtestdrive and yourtechweblog.com. Follow twitter.com/jojeda.

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North Park Fitness muscles its way into gym biz

To say Chezz Bruce exercised surprising strength in choosing to open North Park Fitness a few months ago is not sacrificing fact for pun. After all, across the street from his University Avenue and Grim Avenue location is Undisputed Fitness and Training Center. A few blocks east sits UrbanBody Gym and Juice Bar, and about the same distance west is the neighborhood’s oldest workout facility, Stern’s Gym.


“I’ve had people tell us it’s a lot,” Bruce said, acknowledging the healthy competition. “But we had our vision of what we wanted and it was completely different from any other gym in North Park.”

Bruce, along with Danielle Schuh, who are business as well as domestic partners, passed by the vacant location about a year ago and decided it was time to move from working at a gym to owning one.

“We just knew it was the perfect spot,” he said. “We always liked to go to restaurants around here, and when we saw the space and the big windows, we said that was it. A year later, we’re here.”

Their years of personal training and other gym experience — Bruce, 33, has been in the fitness industry since he was 17 — contributed to what they set out to achieve with North Park Fitness, Bruce said.



“We didn’t want it to be about us as people but about the gym. We wanted a community gym, a friendly place that is clean and comfortable,” he said. “A lot of the corporate gyms are more about sales. We want this to be a place where you can get healthy and stay healthy.”



To encourage members to look forward to their workouts, Bruce said he and Schuh invested in the latest equipment, such as Promax free weights, a Body Master strength training system and top-of-the-line cardio machines. Everything is generously spaced throughout the 4,000-square-foot gym’s ground-level floor with its floor-to-ceiling windows. Upstairs are classrooms that will host yoga, boxing and Pilates classes beginning this month. Bruce said they plan to add more equipment and classes, including spin, boot camp and Zumba.



“It’s not crowded and it never will be,” said Bruce. Although he and Schuh have registered 300 members since the gym opened, he said there is ample space for up to 1,000 members, based on his experience. “Typically about 60 percent who sign up don’t come regularly and even more only go once a week or so. But a lot of people don’t go because they aren’t sure what to do when they get to a gym. We want to change that, to show how to be safe and see results.”



Monthly membership fees range from $15.99 to $29.99 per month depending on down payment, which covers use of equipment, classes and towel service. While restrooms and changing rooms are provided, North Park Fitness does not have amenities found in most larger gyms, such as showers, a pool or a sauna.



“This is an in-and-out kind of gym,” Bruce explained. “That lets us put our money into the equipment and keep the prices low with no contracts.”

“And air conditioning,” he added with emphasis, pointing to the ceiling ducts. “We have really, really good air conditioning. That’s important.”



New members also receive two complimentary personal training sessions with Bruce, Schuh or Bruce’s brother, who is also an experienced trainer. Rates for further sessions range from $30-$50 depending on length of contract.



Bruce said he is pleased with their decision to open the gym. “We love it and we’re having a good time doing it,” he said. “If there’s anything a member wants here we try to provide it. We want people to feel at home here.”



And feel at home the owners do — they recently leased an apartment on the third floor above the business.



North Park Fitness

Hours: Mon.-Fri., 5 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat., 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

3049 University Ave., 92104

(619) 255-4830

www.northparkfitness.com





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24-hour Anytime Fitness Club to open in Rock Hill ...Health Club

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24-hour fitness club to open in Rock Hill


Anytime Fitness signed a lease in Greystone Station, a strip mall developed by Rock Hill's Robert Beaty. The center also includes a Subway and other stores.The club expects to open by November, owner Crystal Fouts said. Members can work out at any time, any day of the year by using a security-access key to get into the door, even when the club is not staffed. Weights and cardiovascular equipment are available.Fitness clubs have surged in popularity in recent years as more people try to get in shape. Anytime Fitness was ranked as the ninth-fastest growing franchise of any type in America by Entrepreneur magazine.The strip mall is a block west of Mount Gallant Road. It's the first development project for Beaty, the owner of Animal Supply House. About 60,000 cars use that stretch of Celanese daily.The club also offers tanning services. For more information, call Fouts at 803-328-2348 or visit anytimefitness.com.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Gold's Gym Rare Early Footage...Health Club News

Health Club News looks back at the Rare Early Footage of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Gold's gym was the health club of choice during the early years of bodybuilding.

GHOST in Gym - Caught on security cameras ACTUAL VIDEO

Motion sensors at a gym in Kansas turned the security system on 9 times... and when the security videos were viewed, only a ghostly orb was captured roaming through the gym.Paranormal unexplained mysteries supernatural spirit orb aparition ghost ghostly encounters haunting haunted house

InfinitiOne By National Acceptance Company... "Takes Health Club Industry By Storm!"

     InfinitiOne by National Acceptance Company creates the most simplified member tracking and management tool available to the fitness industry. This new software and hardware management system is designed to be “plug and play” by club owners who do not have time and money to spend on similar much more expensive systems. Even though InfinitiOne was built on simplicity,this does not mean that it has limited options. The system can be fully integrated with a 24/7 Electronic Door Lock Strike (supplied by Spectrum Fitness) and photo identification allowing large or small facilities alike to remain competitive in their demographic areas.

Unlike many other management systems, there is no software to download and install. The InfinitiOne Management System is entirely web based and is backed up and restored continuously. This requires little to no maintenance of the end user, while securing all data to regulatory PCI Compliancy. InfinitiOne is basically an extension of NAC’s secure client website and can be configured to update customer data from the site in increments as small as fifteen (15) minutes.

It is fast, accurate, and simple to use!

NAC continues to expand upon the InfinitiOne system and creating additional capabilities that are to include, locker management, session tracking (which can be very appealing to tanning salons), salesperson and trainer assignment, and substantially greater reporting capabilities. This means that even after your initial installation of InfinitiOne into your facility, the web based application can be updated by NAC and newer versions released without requiring the end user to go through detailed software updates. The hardware requirements for InfinitiOne are minimal and inexpensive. A customized PC (monitor not included) will be preinstalled with all of the necessary operating systems, software and drivers at NAC and shipped with required cabling. InfinitiOne can be modified to work for an hourly fitness facility or 24/7 club with door lock system. Either way, a barcode reader is available along with “keytag” membership cards that contain your company’s logo and any other pertinent information. The 24/7 configuration does require additional hardware for the door lock and optional security and anti-tailgating products. It is highly recommended that all of these items be purchased through NAC but not required, however purchasing these items independent of NAC may prevent the ability for NAC to support various hardware selections, if they are not compatible with the InfinitiOne software.

The simplicity, low cost and effectiveness of the InfinitiOne system will allow health club owners of all areas maintain accurate membership schedules while obtaining the power needed to compete at a higher level. Contact an NAC representative today to receive a rate quote for hardware and software service at (800) 992-6024 x003. © National Acceptance Company, a division of Outsource Services, Inc. 2007, all right reserved

P. O. Box 6368 - Harrisburg, PA 17112 
1-800-992-6024 -
Email@WeCollectBest.com




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