The Club Insider Archives: October 2011
Medical Fitness Association Provides Portal to the Future
20th Anniversary Celebrated With New Leadership Lead By Ken Germano
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesKen Germano is a great guy, and he's now the Executive Director of the Medical Fitness Association (MFA), a role for which he's perfectly suited. This cover story will share important facts from Ken about MFA that should help you realize the significant potential the medical fitness world potentially provides your club. Please do read on.
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The Number ONE Reason Your Members Are Not Getting Results
and Nine Other Culprits That Kill Their Success
By: Donna Krech
Donna KrechIn 1982, I entered the fitness business. I was so excited to learn about getting great results for my members! Instead, I learned how to use what was commonly referred to as a "pitch book." People would join, work out for a while, then leave.
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Improving Your Disaster Personality
By: Will Phillips
Will PhillipsMore than one in four of every small business will experience a significant crisis in the next twelve months. This ratio holds true on an annual basis. Thus, the odds are your club will have an emergency in the next four years.
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Give Back and Get Ready!
By: Chris Russo
Chris RussoThere are just two months until Christmas and the New Year, the most important time of the year in this industry. It's time to prepare, know your plan and make sure you are ready.
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Does a "Green" Design Equal More Profits?
By: Bruce Carter
Bruce CarterBeing eco-friendly is the practice of making educated choices that result in less damage to the environment while using fewer resources. Going green seems like an obvious focus for any health club owner, especially since the business is all about being healthier. The sustainability movement can be incorporated in various parts of a club, including a club's design.
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Listen To My Ideas!
By: Misti Burmeister
Misti Burmeister"Fifty percent of our employees will be eligible to retire in the next two years," said Peter, the CEO of a major utilities company. "I want to be sure we're doing what's necessary to keep our young employees and motivate the older ones to mentor them." Sound familiar? It's a troubling chorus that's echoing down company halls across the nation
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Programming Tip of the Month
Try Something Different
By: Sandy Coffman
Sandy CoffmanMy Programming Tip of the Month for October comes from a personal experience. We all know that people should cross train to get the most out of their fitness routines. We know that we should diversify our activities so that we don't get bored.
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Planet Fitness to Sponsor The Biggest Loser
NEWINGTON, N.H. - The Biggest Loser reality television show features obese contestants and their weight loss efforts over several months, with the winner walking away with $250,000. Season 12 of the show will air at 8PM on Tuesday nights on NBC network stations. During its first seven years, The Biggest Loser averaged more than 5 million viewers per week.
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Red Lerille Honored
CHICAGO, IL - Red Lerille is a true legend in the club business. His story is an amazing one of a can-do guy achieving goals he's set by posting a picture on the wall where he works. Red Lerille wanted to be Mr. America, so he put a picture of the Mr. America at the time on the wall. He showed up on time, ready to work and became Mr. America in 1960.
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Health and Fitness Industry Urges C-Suite Executives to Lead America to Wellness by Taking Landmark CEO Pledge
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is urging America's business leaders to become personally involved in leading the United States to wellness by taking the CEO Pledge, a key component of the United State's first-ever National Physical Activity Plan.
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24 Hour Fitness Named Among Top 20 Military Spouse Friendly Employers
SAN RAMON, CA - 24 Hour Fitness has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Military Spouse Friendly Employers of 2012 by Military Spouse magazine after a recent survey of more than 5,000 companies. The publication's fifth annual list showcases organizations that are most successful in hiring and recruiting the spouses of active U.S. servicemen and servicewomen.
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Industry Veterans Align to Form Instant Force in Fitness: FIT Brands
COLUMBUS, GA - A trio of fitness industry veterans have come together to form an elite entity that instantly becomes a force in the field.
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IHRSA Applauds Introduction of Federal Legislation to Improve Employee Wellness by Promoting Physical Activity in the Workplace
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) strongly supports the Workforce Health Improvement Program (WHIP) Act introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). This important legislation is a significant step toward promoting primary prevention and will provide American businesses and their employees with the support they need to improve wellness in the workplace.
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Crunch Fitness Inks Deal to Open 30 Franchises in New Jersey
NEW YORK, NY - In its first year, Crunch Fitness Franchise, known for making Crunch's innovative classes and No Judgments philosophy available and affordable to gym-goers across the country, has opened 12 locations throughout the United States and Australia and has inked deals to open an additional 100 clubs throughout the United States and beyond.
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NBC's The Biggest Loser Kicks Off Another Season With Iron Grip Free Weights
ORANGE COUNTY, CA - The new fall season of NBC's The Biggest Loser may feature new contestants, new trainers and new challenges, but it will still have Iron Grip's premium urethane Olympic weight plates, urethane dumbbells and Olympic bars in the show's gym at "The Ranch."
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XSport Fitness Continues Its Rapid Growth Throughout Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. By Opening New Locations and Offering a New $9.95 Price Point
BIG ROCK, IL - XSport Fitness continues to expand its brand throughout the Chicagoland, New York and Washington D. C., areas by adding five new facilities, which represents a 20% unit growth rate. Additionally, XSport is initiating a new price point for its XSport Fitness Express model that meets the needs of budget conscious consumers that have a desire to join a fitness facility.
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Tony Torre Hired as National Sales Director of Visual Fitness Planner
FORT WORTH, TX - Tony Torre has joined Visual Fitness Planner as National Sales Director, announced Visual Fitness Planner President/CEO, Daron Allen, and Founder, Mario Bravomalo. The Visual Fitness Planner is a completely customized technology platform, creating a unique, visually powerful and successful sales and retention process for facilities in the health and fitness club industry. Currently, the Visual Fitness Planner is serving 1,000+ clubs around the world.
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New Affordable Care Act Initiative Helps Create Healthier Communities, Fight Chronic Disease
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced grants to 61 states and communities with over 120 million residents to fight chronic disease, which is the leading cause of death in Americans. Created by the Affordable Care Act, Community Transformation Grants help states and communities tackle the root causes of chronic disease such as smoking, poor diet and lack of physical activity.
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Life Fitness and The American Council On Exercise Name America's Top Personal Trainer To Watch
SCHILLER PARK, IL - Life Fitness, the global leader in commercial fitness equipment manufacturing and the American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's leading authority on fitness and the largest non-profit fitness certification, education and training organization in the world, have named Nicole Nichols as America's top Personal Trainer to Watch. Nichols was selected after a six-month, nationwide competition that also recognized ten other finalists from around the country.
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Club Industry's 2011 Best of the Best Award Winners
CHICAGO, IL - Determination of what is "the best" in any area is often subjective. That does not stop people from lining up to offer their opinions, though, and that subjective nature does not make any winner less worthy.
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Norm's Notes for October 2011
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Publisher and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in!
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