PFP July-August 2012

PFP’s 2013 Trainer of the Year Are You The Next Big Name In Fitness?

JULY-AUGUST 2012 WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

HELPING YOU PROSPER AS A FITNESS PROFESSIONAL

TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR

BUSINESS

Leverage your time and enhance your clients’ experience with fitness technology tools FITNESS SMARTPHONE APPS Getting your own app is easier than you suspect!

ONLINE TRAINING SYSTEMS Create a more meaningful client experience

JOURNEY TO SUCCESS:

Brook Benten: The story behind the creator of Best Buy’s best-selling fitness DVD

Are You The Next Big Name In Fitness? [ IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Trainer

www.clubindustryshow.com

of the

[ SPONSORED BY

Year 2013

www.power-systems.com

Fill Out Your Application Today!

www.bodymetrix.com

THE WINNER RECEIVES OVER $15,000 IN DONATIONS AND PRIZES:

• Free Precor AMT with Open Stride; winner's choice of either the 835 or 885 console (value up to $11,495)* • $500 Power Systems gift certificate • $200 in spending money for your time at Club Industry 2012 from Power Systems • Free flight to Club Industry 2012 in October in Las Vegas courtesy of Power Systems** • Free BodyMetrix Professional System – Ultrasound Body Composition ($1,895 value) • Free NFPT Personal Trainer Certification, Premier Package or Master Trainer Course ($500 value) • Free two-night stay at the Club Industry 2012 show hotel • 2013 PFP Trainer of the Year trophy • Winner announced on stage at Club Industry 2012 • Cover and Journey to Success spotlight in an issue of PFP

www.FitnessInsurance-KK.com

www.nfpt.com

www.abcfinancial.com

www.precor.com

*ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE AUGUST 3, 2012* *The unit will be shipped to a local authorized Precor installer after the winner has been notified and has determined which console they prefer. Precor will also pay up to $250 of installation/set up fee to the local authorized installer. Shipment via Precor's method/carrier of choice, to address/installer within the continental United States. Shipment/installation outside of the continental United States will be the responsibility of the winner. Award substitutions at equal or greater value at the sole determination and discretion of Precor Incorporated. **One domestic round-trip ticket from your location to Las Vegas.

Look for updates on this year’s TOTY competition on Twitter (#TOTY) and Facebook.

www.fit-pro.com/traineroftheyear

JULY-AUGUST

2012

TECHNOLOGY

Features

14

20

Featuring Brook Benten

By Georgette Pann

Journey to Success

Changing Figures, Impacting Lives One woman’s journey to captivate the masses

Mobilize Your Fitness Marketing with Your Own Smartphone App Reach customers faster, more frequently and more successfully

18

24

By Briana Boehmer

By Bruce Hymanson

Scale Your Business Beyond the Limits of a 24-Hour Day

Leverage technology to increase revenue, grow your brand and add value to those you serve

Strength Is Only Part of the Equation Functional training efforts add up to success for your clients

Staples

Columns 08 Be Better Five Points of Change

By Phil Kaplan

10 Treadmill Talk You Can’t do Today’s Job with Yesterday’s Technology and Be in Business Tomorrow

By Greg Justice

11 Top-Notch Training Technology Isn’t Just For Geeks Anymore

By Tammy Polenz

07 Letter from the Editor: Keep the Personal in our Profession amidst New Tools and Technology

17 Product Profile: BodyMetrix 26 Company Profile: Stretch U 27 Events Calendar 28 Exercise Spotlight: Bodyblade 30 New on the Market

12 Boost Your Business

How to Use Technology to Market Your Fitness Business

By Bedros Keuilian

12 Education Connection

ur

ck Che

Broaden Your Client Appeal with Functional Training

By Pete McCall

FAN

O Out

edia

PAG

fac ww. w E

ok ebo

.com

m /pfp

THEPUBLISHER

josh vogt josh@rbpub.com OUREDITOR

lindsay vastola lindsay@rbpub.com MANAGINGEDITOR

mike beacom mike@rbpub.com CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS

briana boehmer, bruce hymanson, georgette pann FEATUREDCOLUMNISTS

greg justice, phil kaplan, bedros keuilian, tammy polenz, pete mccall CIRCULATIONMANAGER

rachel spahr rachel@rbpub.com THEPRESIDENT

chad griepentrog chad@rbpub.com GRAPHICDESIGNER

kelli cooke

2901 International Lane Madison WI 53704-3128 Phone: 608.241.8777 Fax: 608.241.8666 Email: rbpub@rbpub.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS are free to qualified recipients: $36 per year to all others in the United States. Subscriptions rate for Canada or Mexico is $60 per year, and for elsewhere outside the United States is $80. Back-issue rate is $5. Send subscriptions to: PFP, P.O. Box 259098, Madison WI 53725-9098; or call 608.241.8777; fax 608.241.8666; email rbpub@rbpub.com; or subscribe online at www.fit-pro.com.

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307 www.scoopreprintsource.com. All material in this magazine is copyrighted Š 2012 by RB Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Any correspondence sent to PFP, RB Publishing Inc. or its staff becomes property of RB Publishing Inc. The articles in this magazine represent the views of the authors and not those of RB Publishing Inc. or PFP. RB Publishing Inc. and/or PFP expressly disclaim any liability for the products or services sold or otherwise endorsed by advertisers or authors included in this magazine.

PFP (ISSN 1523-780X) [Volume 14, Issue 4] is published six times per year (January/February, March/April, Spring 2012 Buyers Guide, July/August, September/October, November/December) by RB Publishing Inc., 2901 International Lane, Suite 100, Madison WI 53704-3128, 608.241.8777. Periodicals postage paid at Madison WI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: PFP | P.O. Box 259098 | Madison WI 53725-9098.

Letter from the Editor

EDITOR - Lindsay Vastola lindsay@rbpub.com

Keep the Personal in our Profession amidst New Tools and Technology

Now on Fit-pro.com Functionally Fit

Twice monthly via our E-News www.fit-pro.com/enews

By Brian Schiff

Column: This is What Sells

By Stephen Cabral

Column: Bring on the Competition!

By Cabel McElderry

For a moment, go back to the days not long ago where cell phones simply enabled us to make emergency phone calls, computers were primarily for word processing, and marketing meant putting an ad in the local paper. If you were not yet in the industry prior to the days of social media, email, blogs and smartphones, imagine how different your business would have been. You couldn’t showcase your before and after pictures to potential clients on your website. You would be tied up answering your phone for sales, appointments and cancellations (a landline of course). If you wanted to give a client a program to do on their own, you would have to type it, print it and then hand it to them, and chances are your reach would be limited to about a 10-mile radius.

Though we live in an age where technology and communication are seamless, accessible and omnipresent, at the core of what we offer our clients really has not changed.

We are still compassionate experts helping our clients achieve the best version of themselves. We need to use technology as a means to enhance our relationships and make our clients’ experiences more meaningful while not losing this sense of true personal connection with our clients. After all, we are personal fitness professionals.

I encourage you to continue to enrich your clients’ lives with an unmatched personal service while taking advantage of available technology. Leverage your time with email marketing systems and client management software; enhance your clients’ experience and results with online training systems, smartphone apps and cutting-edge body composition tools. Technology should not just make it easier for you to get more clients, add new revenue streams and build your brand, but should allow you to give those you serve more accessible opportunities to reach their goals.

This issue features some of the newest tools and technology, and highlights how you can successfully implement them to build your business while enhancing your clients’ experience: Many of you may aspire to have your own smartphone app. Georgette Pann gives us the checklist of how to make this possible, and it’s easier than you might suspect!

Ever feel limited by the number of hours in a day? Briana Boehmer, co-creator of 411Fit, offers solutions to leverage your time with online fitness programming.

Our Journey to Success feature this issue is Brook Benten. Read about her journey from baton twirler to the creator of Best Buy’s hottest selling fitness DVD. Don’t forget to submit your application for our 2013 Trainer of the Year contest or nominate someone you believe deserves the honor. As PFP’s 2013 Trainer of the Year, along with prestige and industry recognition, you will receive over $15,000 worth of incredible prizes including flight, hotel and spending money to the Club Industry conference and trade show in Las Vegas where you will be recognized as our winner, a Precore AMT with Open Stride ($11,495 value!), a $500 Power Systems gift certificate, a cutting-edge BodyMetrix Body Composition system, NFPT certification course and more! This could be a career-changing opportunity, don’t wait to apply!

Enjoy this issue of PFP, and be sure to share with us how you use technology to enhance your business on our new Facebook fanpage and on Twitter!

Personally committed to your success,

WWW.FIT-PRO.COM | JULY-AUGUST 2012 |

7

Be Better

5 Points of Change As we march forward in time, technology brings us new products, new access and new perceived “needs.” As the ground rattles and the landscape changes, we can either rock with the rocks and roll with the rolls … or we can get our footing and find a new peak on the new terrain.

I’ve identified Five Points of Change that make this an ideal time for personal trainers to grow and prosper, but not every personal trainer will embrace or capitalize upon the present opportunity. With a new perspective and recognition of the Five Points, you move into the small group of leaders who can carve out a new position in a field where respect and compensation are still lacking.

1. Personal trainers can become recognized members of the Allied Health Care Team There was a time we saw doctors as a potential source of “leads.” From a distance, the more aggressive among us tried to form referral relationships with medical professionals. We maintained a healthy respect for doctors and felt that they stood on a pedestal above. They were healers; we were trainers. Today, the escalation in chronic disease combined with the flawed attempts to “medicate people well,” opens a door for us to step up onto our own platform, one that allows us a peer-to-peer relationship with medical practitioners. Today, we can utilize exercise and eating interventions that are curative and that places us among the “Allied Health Care” professionals who work to help people restore lost health. Today, we can take on clients and establish relationships where doctors monitor biochemistry while we initiate change.

2. We have to look beyond macronutrition and understand nutritional support of cellular health As science comes to better understand chronic disease, it becomes evident that inflammation lies as the root cause, whether we’re discussing maladies of the brain, heart or respiratory system. Inflammation begins at the cellular level and without optimal nutrition, cellular health degrades.

When the cells become compromised, energy production, metabolic efficiency and immune function are also compromised. While we can direct people in the realm of exercise, and while most of us have developed a comfort level in discussing the impact of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, food today is not what it was even a decade ago. We need to become learned in how commercial food preparation destroys the health benefit

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of many of our long-endeared foods. We need to become learned in the virtues of saturated fats, the vital importance of gut bacteria, and we have to lead a path to help our clients gain access to foods that truly support health of the entire human organism.

3. Crossfit concepts aren’t the end-all, but they certainly “work” The “hit it hard and give it all you’ve got” exercise protocols may have some long-time physiologists cringing at the risk of injury, but there’s no question that they “work” to help healthy people find greater fitness levels. As an industry evolves, those who follow often wear blinders and see a wave as the entirety of the ocean. It’s important to note that at least 60% of our adult population struggles with fitness concerns, chronic issues, and biomechanical imbalances. While the Crossfit market is indeed a hungry one, if we are to prosper at the highest levels we have to discover how we can take concepts that “work” and modify them for all populations. It’s only with that power that we gain the respect among the mainstream that we deserve.

4. We have to recognize mediocrity and strive for quality and excellence The internet has made books all but obsolete. Ebooks, Kindle and Nook specials and podcasts pour out of the computer like rain. As you study the virtual product offerings, you’re bound to find that most of them are mediocre at best, both in content and in presentation. There are two messages here, one that will limit you, the other that will serve you. The limiting message is, “it’s easy to create a product and make a few bucks selling

it to people who respond to your advertising and marketing.” The better message is, “so many people are willing to put out mediocrity; if people are spending money on offerings that you see as inferior, it opens the door for you to separate yourself by injecting quality and respecting your own drive for excellence.” Those who provide the highest quality tend to also be those who are most connected to the idea of being “servants.” They give so they can benefit others and they take pride in anything they produce. If you have that as the operating system that drives your heart and passion, work a little harder, create a better product, make it tangible so it can be viewed and touched, and allow the marketplace to see that personal trainers are in fact professionals.

5. Texting is communicating, but doesn’t serve to meet the needs of the benefits of social bonding Any in-depth study of proactivity and motivation evidences the importance of mindset, of a sense of potential, and of social support. That means human interaction. We are social creatures by nature. When a family sits down to eat dinner together, that family experiences the cornerstone of familial bonding. When you touch a client’s arm in a show of confidence or support, when you look your client in the eyes and say “you can do it,” and when you tilt your head in empathy indicating that you care, the emotional bonding magic happens below the conscious level. You are in the people business, and while you can reach lots of people in short periods of time by simply hitting letters on your smartphone, you can’t touch them in a way that has served the top personal trainers in our field for the last 30 years. You can text reminders, tips and quick “check-ins,” but don’t mistake that interaction for the person-to-person bonding that creates long term clients who sing our praises. Taking it a step further, while an online and social media presence are valuable, personal appearances before organizations and groups is invaluable.

The landscape will continue to change, and with every new wave comes new opportunity. Opportunity isn’t always immediately visible, and most are initially blind to it, but a willingness to climb out of the undertow and ride a new wave is going to serve as a launch pad to new success for those personal trainers committed to being their best.

Phil Kaplan shares the keys to rising to the top of the field in his ASPIRE and Be Better programs. Visit www.bebetteracademy.com or email Phil directly at phil@philkaplan.com.

Treadmill Talk

You can’t do todaY’s job

with yesterday’s technology and be in business tomorrow

I

’ll admit that I’m not the most technologically savvy individual, but I was on the cutting edge with a custom-built MS-DOS computer software system for my personal training business in 1988. It was one of the first ever in the industry and I, unfortunately, held onto it way too long. I should’ve updated to a newer system long before I did. Though we are up to speed now, it could’ve been really bad had I not realized the necessity of stepping outside my safe zone and updating all of my business systems. Sometimes, you have to be willing to walk away from your “safe zone” with technology so you can run certain aspects of your business on autopilot.

The reason for staying current with technology is that it enables you to focus your time, energy and thoughts on your real job — relationship building. Today’s tech systems can serve as a database for client info, contracts, invoicing and billing, appointment schedules, financial records, payroll, sales, marketing, attendance records, and equipment and inventory records.

You can save a lot of time spent returning voicemails with online appointment scheduling for clients and trainers. All you need is a website that allows scheduling and cancellations, and automates session reminders by email.

This will also help you reduce no-shows and eliminate face-to-face payment and collection activities with auto billing and credit card processing.

Make sure you fully utilize your systems by pulling financial reports, attendance records, periodic client contact info updates and inventory reports that easily show you when it’s time to reorder supplies.

You can even use these databases to check your clients’ stats – weight, diet and fitness milestones, performance improvements – so you make adjustments to sessions as necessary and more importantly, take note of client accomplishments and let them know how they are progressing with their overall program.

You must have the motivation to overcome resistance to change and take the time and money to invest in new technology. It may be difficult at first, but in the long run you will certainly benefit. Take a look at where you’re spending your time and you’ll easily see what it means for you to have technology that will run certain business activities on autopilot. The key is for you to be able to build relationships and that takes face-to-face time.

Technology allows us to automate all aspects of our business (non-client interaction) — decreasing the time spent on overhead activities. So, you will be saving money and time while simultaneously improving customer service, increasing perceived value and boosting your professional reputation.

Greg Justice, MA, CPT, is the founder of AYC Health & Fitness (www.aycfit.com) and the Corporate Boot Camp System (www.corporatebootcampsystem.com). He has been actively involved in the fitness industry for more than a quarter of a century as a club manager, owner, personal trainer and corporate wellness supervisor.

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Top-Notch Training

TECHNOLOGY ISN’T JUST FOR

GEEKS ANYMORE

T

echnology and the Internet provide a variety of opportunities for fitness entrepreneurs. The web can be a great resource for increasing market awareness in order to promote yourself, your business and increase profitability through product and service sales.

There are online training programs like www.fitnessbuilder.com/ pro that allow you to train hundreds of clients at a time; MindBody, a complete business platform; Constant Contact, a comprehensive Internet marketing solution; GoDaddy with website answers; to free resources like Groupon, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Wordpress, SurveyMonkey, and others popping up every day. For many fitness professionals, the web is an incredibly underutilized resource limiting their full revenue potential.

Online platforms allow you to collect insurmountable data, build your customer base, and stay connected to clients, while never leaving the comfort of your office. Social media sites have taken on a life of their own and allow you to stay ahead of the game. Some ideas for using these sites include creating blogs with proper exercise and dietary tips, posting articles, uploading exercise pictures or videos, and offering online presentations. A simple search on how to build your business via the web can produce many ideas and resources.

Technology and the web, however, also have a downside. Be cautious not to bombard your customer or potential customer with information overload.

Always have an objective and establish yourself as a reliable expert by backing up the information you provide with credible studies or testimonials. While you don’t want to overload your client, it is important that you consistently add new information in order to keep enthusiasts coming back.

Here are some important things to remember when using any technology or online resource to promote your business or connect with clients:  Don’t start something if you are not going to sustain it  Maintain a consistent brand, theme and message  Make your messages simple and easy to remember  Make it visually stimulating with pictures, colors and videos Technology is also helpful for building your business. It can be a lead generator for sales and allow you to build a rapport with individuals that you may have never had the opportunity to meet otherwise. Over time your followers will come to trust you because of the information you provide. Regardless of the technology medium you choose, the key is to let them rely on you as their ‘personal’ fitness resource.

Tammy Polenz, CPT, has been actively involved in the fitness industry since 1991 as a personal trainer, club manager, corporate wellness consultant, and gym owner and designer. She is the author of Think Fit 2 Be Fit, founder of Vedas Fitness in Cleveland, and Wellness Director for Cleveland Hopkins Airport and has been featured in numerous fitness magazines and media. Learn more about Tammy at www.vedasfitness.com.

WWW.FIT-PRO.COM | JULY-AUGUST 2012 |

11

Boost Your Business How to Use tecHnology

to Market Your Fitness Business

F

rom time to time, big shifts take place in our industry that make the business of personal training more mainstream, more profitable, more systemized, and in this case, easier to market.

In recent years, technology has played a major role in making it easier to own and operate a successful fitness business.

The fitness business owner has indeed evolved – and technology has played a major role in the success of today’s entrepreneurial-minded fitness professional. One form of technology that has gained major popularity with fitness business owners is fitness marketing technology such as email marketing, e-newsletters, email auto-responders and online content delivery.

Fitness marketing platforms like FitProNewsletter.com have reduced the cost of advertising, prospecting and referral generation. Today, fitness professionals can easily deliver content-rich newsletters and email broadcasts to their clients, prospects and business contacts with a click of a button. Keeping yourself and your message in front of your community has become much less expensive and easier than ever before.

But content delivery and email marketing is not the only benefit here. Now you can quickly and easily build an email list of qualified leads and prospects by using the same technology to offer lead generating reports and ebooks on your website or blog in exchange for a prospect’s contact information.

Now imagine that after downloading your free report, your prospect automatically receives informative and educational fitness and fat loss content over a two or three week period that positions you as the local fitness expert and gets your list to know, like and trust you – which, in business, is the holy grail for converting leads into clients.

The most important aspect to all of this technology in marketing is that it allows you to do what you do best, all while your e-newsletter, auto responder and lead generators are working automatically, 24 hours a day, to get more prospects and clients into your funnel auto-responder series.

That’s the power of web-based technology today.

But it doesn’t stop there, because once you build an email list of leads, prospects, former clients and business contacts, email marketing technology can make sending promotional or re-activation emails easy. For example, FitProNewsletter.com comes with over half a dozen pre-crafted promotional email broadcasts designed to move prospects from your list and into your training facility. It is technology such as this that reduces the cost of marketing, automates the entire process and gives you more time to work with your clients.

Bedros Keuilian is known as the “hidden genius” behind many of the top earners in the fitness industry.

Visit his blog at www.PTPower.com for free tips, ideas, and strategies to grow your personal training business.

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Education Connection

Broaden yoUr client appeal witH Functional training

O

ften associated with explosive activities of performance training for athletes, functional training is much more than just hammering out kettlebell swings and flipping gigantic truck tires.

It’s best defined as results-oriented training that enhances the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). That means it could help your clients lift their children without experiencing back pain, walk through the mall free of knee or joint discomfort, or simply get off the couch easier.

If you use those results as the central component to how you sell your services, it could mean broadening your appeal to new and existing clients. Break the mold of selling 10- or 20-session packages and help your clients see real results. It’s hard for clients to see the value in 10 or 20 hours of exercise. Results-oriented training that targets specific problem areas or goals is a better way to appeal to people emotionally.

Offer functional training with these three results-oriented packages and you’ll satisfy the needs of more clients across the board: A Better Butt for Your Jeans: Just because you’re selling the ultimate butt sculpt workout, that doesn’t mean you spend 60 minutes every session doing glute activation lunges. Improve core strength and build muscle in the lower body with functional movements like standing medicine ball trunk rotations, stability ball Russian twists, standing cable rotations and compound exercises that boost energy expenditure while working multiple muscle groups such as stability ball knee tucks. The result will be a stronger core, which includes that firmer gluteus maximus most people want.

Stronger and Sculpted Arms: The same theory for butt packages applies to packages that tout stronger and sculpted arms. Boost muscle in the upper body with exercises like stability ball shoulder mobilizations that will give your clients the results they want, while helping them restore stability so they can lift more weight. Other exercises to incorporate include bodyweight dips, pull-ups (modified if necessary) or standing dumbbell overhead tricep extensions.

Beat the Scale: Although the name you give weight loss packages may vary with the audiences you’re trying to connect with (men, women, older adults or 20-somethings), the exercises you incorporate into workouts don’t have to. Promote total-body weight loss with functional exercises that work the entire body like dumbbell front squats, lunges with overhead press or overhead medicine ball slams.

Pete McCall, MS, CSCS is an Exercise Physiologist with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Learn more about functional training and how it applies to different clients at the ACE Functional Training and Assessment Workshop. New September dates and locations will be announced soon on www.ACEfitness.org/FTWorkshop.

Journey Journeyto toSuccess Success By Lindsay Vastola CURRENT TITLE: President, Cardiopump Fitness, LLC; Master Trainer for Hyperwear, Inc.; Kettlebell Expert & Advisory Board member for GoFit, LLC COMPANY NAME: Cardiopump Fitness, LLC CERTIFICATIONS: ACSM-HFS, ACE-CPT, RKC, AFAA Group Exercise Instructor EDUCATION: B.S. Exercise & Sport Science, minor in Business Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, May 2003, M.Ed. Physical Education, emphasis Sport and Fitness Administration, The University of Houston, Dec. 2004 FAVORITE WORKOUT EQUIPMENT: My body: two arms, two legs, and a core. Our bodies are the greatest piece of equipment any of us will ever own.

FAVORITE HEALTHY SNACK: Shrimp ceviche. It’s so good! I featured the recipe as episode 1 of my healthy cooking series, BB’s Back Burner.

CONTACT INFO: Facebook.com/brookbenten Twitter: @BrookBenten Email: Brook@Cardiopump.com Web: www.cardiopump.com www.brookbenten.com Phone: 512.657.1805

hether you’re watching one of Brook Benten’s best-selling workout videos, reading her blog or speaking with her on the phone, it’s difficult to not be inspired by her infectious personality and innate ability to captivate. Brook lives Austin, Texas and oozes enthusiasm, ambition, focus, resiliency and determination.

Brook always had aspirations to be in front of people, and her journey to success as a fitness professional is evidence that she was meant to do something big. She entertained crowds in Taylor, Texas as a high school baton twirler and after high school, she didn’t quite know what would give her that same “euphoria,” as she calls it. Brook knew that she wanted to do something else, something big. As she embarked on a college career, she found Step Aerobics at her local gym and was immediately hooked. With fitness, she found the same excitement as she did as a twirler.

Shortly after, she became an aerobics instructor; and so began her journey in the fitness industry. Here is her story in her own words…

LV: BB:

When you started teaching those first fitness classes just before college, did you ever think that fitness would end up being your career?

Initially, I became a group fitness instructor as a part-time job. My true career aspirations were to be entertaining on television. Teaching aerobics at the campus recreation center was just a part-time job to raise a little mad money. Within my first few months of teaching, I realized just how much my classes were helping people. I noticed that not only were women losing weight when they attended my classes, but they seemed to be standing taller with better posture... and exuding confidence they didn’t have before. My workouts weren’t just changing figures, they were changing lives!

I declared my undergraduate major as “Exercise and Sport Science,” and began a pursuit to become a fitness professional. As I neared the end of my undergraduate tenure, the Fitness Director at the Texas State University campus recreation center suggested that I further my education on to graduate school and get a master’s degree in the field.

LV: BB:

Tell me about your first jobs in fitness that played a role in propelling your career.

In 2001, Fitness Connection approached me about managing their group fitness program. I began serving as the Group Fitness and Instructional Programs Interim Coordinator at the University of Houston. I then worked as the Fitness Director at Southern Methodist University for five years. I played an integral part in a $54,000,000 renovation project. With a budget of $380,000, I bought all of the new equipment for the 15,000 square foot weight room. I increased the number of group fitness classes from six per week to 85 per week when I left. I launched a personal training program, a nutritional coun-

seling program and a massage therapy program. In 2008, I took a second full-time job teaching fitness classes for a Dallas group of apartment complexes.

Then one random weeknight, I asked my husband, “What do you think of me making a workout video?” He asked why. I responded, “Well, one, because I have the money for production, and, two, I can only reach so many people in my live classes- 20, 50, maybe 60. With video medium, I could reach millions!” If there’s one great thing I can say about my husband, it’s that he’s practical. He knew there would be an approximately $15,000 price tag to make a workout video, and was that really ‘worth it?’

Luckily, he took the leap with me and we made it happen.

LV: BB:

So you ended up making your first workout DVD. How did that turn out and what did you learn in the process?

I’d like to tell you that my first video was a huge success. Unfortunately, my first workout DVD was a learning experience. I used a novice production company, the lighting was poor, the set was ugly and my cheesy one-liners are not funny when you hear them 20 times.

Were it not for Petra Kolber, I would have given up on my video aspirations right then and there. Petra, my dear friend and mentor, watched my first video then called me with these words: “This is not great, but you have so much potential. You cannot give up. Please let me help you!” With Petra as my artistic director, my sophomore attempt was a hit! GoFit, LLC, the world’s largest distributor of packaged kettlebells, saw that video and approached me about being their new kettlebell expert. Since then, I’ve recorded seven DVDs for GoFit. GoFit also paid for me to make a revisited edition of my first DVD. The second attempt was a winner. “Kettlebell: Butts & Guts, revisited” became GoFit’s #1 video seller at Best Buy stores. The opportunity to reshoot that title and fix what I felt like I had failed at my first go-round was a victory, in and of itself; but the new version being such a hit was incredibly gratifying. I reflected on the original version, how bad it was… how it nearly convinced me that I was not cut out for video presentation. [In] hindsight, I’m glad I have that story to tell. I am glad that I can tell other aspiring fitness video stars that I made just about every mistake that possibly could have been made with my first DVD. Laugh about it, shrug it off and let them know even if their first attempt is not their greatest work, if they find the courage to pick themselves up and try again, the next one may be a Best Buy top-seller!

Changing Figures, Impacting Lives: One woman’s journey to captivate the masses WWW.FIT-PRO.COM | JULY-AUGUST 2012 |

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LV: BB:

As a fitness entrepreneur, what are some of the projects you’re currently working on?

Patrick Goudeau and I recently released the first widely distributed Hyperwear SandBell DVDs. SandBells have recently been placed in NFL, Major League Baseball, university athletic facilities, elementary ISDs and commercial fitness centers. They have also been featured on Dr. Oz, local news and other television mediums. In the next year, as popularity of SandBells continues to grow, I hope to have more opportunities to present additional interviews and workouts on this product. I also look forward to presenting additional workout videos for the home consumer, using GoFit products. I will be presenting at several 2012 Sara’s City Workout conventions including Dallas, Midwest and Boston Manias. I have written a strenuous 20-minute SandBell Tabata workout that will be featured in a fall 2012 issue of Prevention Magazine.

LV:

You’re now balancing not just being a fitness professional, but the challenges as an entrepreneur. What have you learned and how would you like to inspire other fitness professionals with similar aspirations?

BB:

In 2010, I left my jobs in Dallas to move to Austin, TX, and focus exclusively on my career as an entrepreneur: President of Cardiopump Fitness, LLC, personal trainer, video choreographer and fitness personality. It has been a wild ride! A quote by Michael Port has inspired me: “Successful entrepreneurs are comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

When clients cancel, companies don’t need your contract labor, or conferences decline your presentations, you start to question everything. Bills still have to get paid, but how? As fitness professionals, we post blogs, answer emails, return Facebook messages, and give free advice to people we meet on the streets. We lay ourselves down as bridges, because we desperately want to help people lead healthier lives. But in order for us to buy fresh organic produce, live in safe neighborhoods, drive fuel-efficient cars and live healthy lives ourselves, we have to make money! When you cannot afford the mortgage, no joy of helping people assuages the situation.

Learning to balance my personal time, eating right and splurging, family, faith, clients, classes and continuing education is a work in progress. After 13 years as a fitness professional, though, I can say I’m more balanced than I used to be, and less than I hope to be next time we visit.

As fitness professionals, many of us dream of changing the lives of hundreds, thousands, if not millions. Brook Benten’s dream of doing “something big” has become a reality for her; and not by luck or happenstance. Brook has dictated her success by getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, learning from her mistakes and mishaps, and being true to herself and those she serves. Brook is an inspiration for those of us who want to do something big. In whatever way “big” means to you, dream it, live it and make it happen.

Product Profile

SPONSORED BY

By Daniel Watts

BEYOND BODY

COMPOSITION

Ultrasound Offers Personal Trainers a New Tool for Accurate Assessments The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally, and along with it escalated health risks such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It has been projected that by 2020, three-fourths of all deaths will be attributed to these diseases.

This alone is frightening, but even more alarming is that society, as a whole, doesn’t understand the importance of body composition and how the distribution of body fat, particularly in the abdomen, directly influences these health risks. As personal trainers, the challenge is to motivate and educate clients while helping them to achieve their goals. The ability to accurately measure fat and muscle distribution and convey that information to your clients can aid and empower them in their quest to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

So, how do we explain abdominal fat and the associated health risks? Abdominal adipose tissue (fat) can be divided into subcutaneous and visceral layers, and has consistently proven to be a more reliable predictor of chronic diseases than traditional BMI assessments or body fat percentage. Subcutaneous adipose tissue can be further divided into superficial and deep compartments, separated by a thin layer of connective tissue known as fascia. Studies suggest that the superficial adipose tissue has a strong association with plasma leptin.

Plasma leptin is recognized as a key for the regulation of body fat content, and concentrations are higher in obese clients. By contrast, the deep subcutaneous adipose tissue is strongly related to insulin resistance in a manner nearly identical to that of visceral adiposity. Consequently, the ability to measure and quantify these abdominal adipose layers will offer trainers a new metric to evaluate the benefits of diet and exercise for each client.

Although there are many different methods of measuring body composition, not all can precisely measure and quantify abdominal fat. X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are now considered the gold standard for measuring subcutaneous and visceral layers of adipose tissue thickness and volume. Dual energy x-ray absorption (DEXA) produces a two-dimensional image of the body that can be used to calculate muscle, bone, and adipose tissue weight and volume with accuracies approaching CT and MRI imaging. However, DEXA cannot directly identify superficial or deep adipose tissue layers. All of these methods are expensive, require trained technicians, and are impractical for most personal trainers conducting routine body composition assessments.

Ultrasound imaging technology has long been a mainstay within the medical community because of its non-invasiveness and ability to measure tis-

sue structure in a variety of clinical settings. Portable, low-cost ultrasound imaging devices are now available which can measure body composition accurately, and also provide unique scan images that clearly show superficial and deep adipose tissue layers (see figure 1). Being able to show clients decreases in abdominal fat layers and tracking those changes over time validates the effectiveness of your clients’ diet and exercise program.

This proof can be used as a motivational tool that resonates far beyond numbers on a scale.

As personal trainers, shifting the focus from the scale to the importance of body composition can be challenging. Providing clients with high-tech, accurate assessment tools coupled with education, nutrition and exercise helps shift the paradigm, providing clarity, motivation and a mindset that will help each client achieve his health and fitness goals.

Daniel Watts is an Account Executive with IntelaMetrix, Inc. He can be contacted at 480.234.5555 or by email at dan@intelametrix.com. For more information, please visit www.bodymetrix.com.

WWW.FIT-PRO.COM | JULY-AUGUST 2012 |

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Scale I Your Business Beyond the Limits It seems to be a common sight these days – a person has a phone in hand, an iPad and computer nearby… multitasking to the nth degree. To say society is fast-paced is an understatement. We are “plugged in” 24-7. Despite this infinite stream of connectivity to others, many are not maximizing the most valuable pieces of technology interaction. This could not be truer in the health and fitness industry where proper utilization of technology has the opportunity to not just grow one’s business, but more importantly, to enhance the value of one’s services.

Providing successful fitness programming is not just a matter of dumbbells and crunches. When we talk about providing a meaningful service to our clients that produces tangible outcomes while still allowing for business growth, personal trainers and coaches know it comes down to much, much more.

Technology, when used effectively, can provide more effective client contact and allow for scalability in an industry that has significant time constraints. If you train a client for one hour, your time is limited to that one client — and so is your income. While there is no true replacement for one-on-one time, I am a strong believer in the power of technology that connects you to your clients.

As you continue to grow in the industry, explore implanting the following technology that will allow you to create better client accountability and feedback while expanding and growing your business to reach a much larger audience (including the ever-elusive corporate market):

Online/MObile COaChing COMMuniCatiOn SySteMS

Applications that allow you to truly coach your clients when they are not with you are one of the biggest opportunities available to expand your reach.

Training clients involves much more than just providing a workout. The days of paper logs, spreadsheets and phone calls have been replaced with robust tools that help you better track and communicate with your client so that you can help them succeed.

1) On an individual level – We know most individuals cannot afford to see you daily, but if they could they would! If you can provide the opportunity to coach outside of the gym you have not only enhanced your impact on the client, you have created a new revenue stream. Furthermore, you open the door for individuals who cannot afford one-on-one time to have the opportunity to receive your expert guidance. These

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systems also enhance monitoring and progress tracking so that you are truly with your client every step of the way. I’ve increased my client reach tenfold by using online coaching systems.

2) On a population/group level – Online coaching technology allows you to better interact with groups of individuals and run group-based programming. Group programming in essence scales your time, but online technology can scale it even more by allowing you to interact and monitor via the web. Whether you are running a weight loss program or a 5K training group, technology can enhance your group training.

What’s more, this same technology you use for groups can be expanded to corporations looking to run wellness programs. There is a fundamental need for more individualized programming in the corporate market.

Technology can help you scale this often large task.

Often trainers find success with free applications like myfitnesspal. However, if you are looking to truly customize what you are doing, tools like PTontheNet and The Gray Institute allow you to custom build and prescribe exercise routines to your clients. If you want to go even further with client/ coach interaction and include nutrition and group/corporate programming in addition to exercise prescription, systems like 411Fit may be a good fit.

SOCial netwOrkS

Twitter, Facebook and blogging are each unique and each very real ways to grow your business and scale your time. In the wellness and fitness industry, constant communication is fundamental — not just for your clients but for your personal brand.

1) Providing your expert advice – When you provide unique insight, people will listen. Whether it is a tweet, a Facebook post or a blog, make sure you are pushing out information that allows you to showcase your value. These mediums are not just advertising who you are; they are helping the industry grow.

2) Keeping your clients in the “know” – When you keep your social media outlets up to date, your clients are that much more in-tune with you and your business. It is a great way for you to keep participation and client retention high.

le

Leverage technology to increase revenue, grow your brand and add value to those you serve

By Briana Boehmer

of a 24-Hour Day W EBINARS AND WEB-BASED CONFERENCING There is nothing I love more than a well-run conference. Only problem is, it’s hard to attend all the great ones in the country on a budget! Technology has allowed us to break down this road block. By utilizing webbased conferencing and video systems, you can reach thousands of people with the click of a button. In essence, this form of technology marries the two technologies mentioned above: The ability to scale interaction on a more personal level and the opportunity to grow your brand. Web conferencing also puts a very personal touch on your services by allowing individuals to hear your voice and potentially see your face. Creating relationships with your clients is a process of personal contact, and this piece cannot be ignored!

I have found great success with using Skype for video chats and group calls. This free application is very user-friendly and 100% web-based, so it is portable! I have participated in several webinars via GoToWebinar as well.

If you are chatting primarily with your clients only, Google’s application can keep communication very organized for you.

While the technologies above have the ability to create more meaningful client-trainer relationships and grow your reach, don’t forget the biggest asset you have – YOU. Make sure that all of the tools above work to create a better platform for YOU to bring your value to your clients, peers and industry.

Briana Boehmer is the co-developer of Salus Inc., a company focused on highly individualized corporate programming. She is also a director of 411Fit, an online software service solution that provides innovative webbased tools for corporations, coaches and individuals pertaining to health and wellness management. She has a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a nationally certified personal trainer with NASM, and has been working in the health, wellness, and coaching field for the past 12 years. Learn more about 411Fit at www.411fit.com.

Your

mobilize Fitness Your

Marketing with own

Smartphone app Reach customeRs FasteR, moRe FRequently and moRe successFully BY GeorGette Pann

For those who are ready to take advantage of the technology, the explosion in smartphone popularity presents an unprecedented opportunity for cost-effective marketing that gets results.

According to statistics from the comScore Data Mine (www.comscoredatamine.com), approximately 76.8 million Americans owned smartphones in 2011, an increase of about 57% from 2010. That’s an incredible growth rate to take advantage of. The numbers alone present a strong argument for making use of smartphone technology for marketing your fitness business, but there are even stronger reasons.

Smartphones (including iPhones, iPads and phones and pads using Android or Windows Mobile technology) allow marketers to target their audience and interact with customers and potential customers like never before.

Smartphone marketing combines the best of internet marketing, traditional broadcast marketing and social media marketing to achieve a level of interactivity and connectivity that none have been able to achieve on their own.

I think smartphone marketing is especially suited to businesses in the fitness industry. In my experience as a fitness professional, individuals who un-

derstand the value of being fit and healthy well enough to act on it by hiring a personal trainer or joining a fitness boot camp are also people that understand the benefits of smartphone technology. They also tend to be people who like to stay connected. The reverse is also true. People who understand the value of technology and connectivity are also likely to understand the value of getting in shape, making this audience an ideal target for your marketing efforts.

Now, there are a variety of ways you can market your fitness business using smartphone technology, but I want to discuss one very specific tool that is particularly cost effective and versatile. That tool is the smartphone app.

In case you’re not familiar with smartphone lingo, an “app” is an application or program downloaded to a smartphone to increase its functionality. By having an app for your business, you can make information about your services more accessible and interact with your market more than previously possible.

Some businesses use apps to simply create a mini website that can be accessed via smartphone. While this is a good start, it’s a mistake to limit your app marketing. There’s so much more an app can do. Here are a few ways you can increase your business and revenue through a smartphone app. www.fit-pro.com | july-august 2012 |

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GET MORE CLIENTS Unique and useful app-accessible content: If you have good content available through your app, people interested in that content will download your app to gain access to the content. Once they’ve downloaded the app, you can use Push notifications and messaging to send offers or news related to your business.

Good content options include reports, ebooks, videos, electronic newsletters and other information products. Useful information to include in these items can be fitness or nutrition tips, exercise videos, workout routines, etc. Content can also include tools like web-based body fat calculators, calorie counters or nutrition and exercise journals. If your content is useful and updated frequently, customers will use your app more often, ensuring that they keep it on their phone.

Use QR codes to expand advertising: QR codes are similar to barcodes, but more complex and functional. Most smartphones are equipped for reading QR codes using their built-in cameras. By placing QR codes on your advertising, potential customers with smartphones can instantly access your app and get much more information about your programs and services than you could ever include in a piece of advertising.

With QR codes, your ability to sell your products and services is no longer limited to what you can fit in a four-inch ad, postcard or flyer. On your app, you can include detailed information about the services you provide, communicate via video and give prospects the opportunity to subscribe to your blog or newsletter. Plus, once they download your app, you can continue to market to those prospects through messaging.

Your app provides all the versatility of a website and QR codes allow prospects to access all that information instantly, without having to re-

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member or type in a web address. That means they’re more likely to access the information and media you make available and, therefore, increase your chances of making a sale.

Boost response to SMS advertising: Having your own app can increase response to text messaging advertisements by making more information about a service or promotion available quickly. If you run a campaign with a service like LivingSocial, which partners with businesses to send discount offers to its subscribers via SMS (text) messaging, you can include a link to your app in the offer so prospects can instantly find out more about the offer and the service. Just like using QR codes with print advertising, this strategy increases the likelihood that prospects will take advantage of the offer and position them to receive future communications from you.

Viral marketing: Most apps come equipped with a “share” function that allows users to easily share the app with their friends. Share functions encourage current customers and prospects to share your app and the content they find useful or interesting because it’s easy for them to do so. This is the most cost-effective form of marketing because there’s no additional cost other than maintaining your app.

INCREASE REVENUE FROM EXISTING CUSTOMERS Reward customer loyalty: Let customers scan a dedicated QR code whenever they come to your gym, boot camp class or training session and your app tracks how often they show up or make a purchase. Reward good customers with discounts and coupons that unlock after a certain number of scans. When customers are rewarded, they tend to come back, which ensures continued business for you.

Backend sales: Advertise additional products and services, like supple-

ments or workout apparel, directly to customers using SMS messaging through your app. You can also use your customer loyalty program and reward customers with coupons or discounts for items you want to promote; customers get to try new products or services at a discounted rate and you get to sell more products and boost revenue.

HOW TO GET YOUR APP Numerous companies on the web offer a variety of app-building services, everything from built-from-scratch custom app services to do-it-yourself systems. However, some services won’t have all the functionality you need to make mobile marketing work for your business, and some will have more features and functions than you’ll need, which you don’t want to pay for.

To ensure that fitness professionals, like yourself, have access to the features they need, along with customization to fit their fitness-oriented business, be sure to look for a solution where you pick out the features and styles you want to include in your app.

Take a look at some of the features you can include in your customized smartphone app:  Link to your website  List all your classes, programs, services and products, along with detailed descriptions  Add a tab for your blog  Link to your YouTube videos  Integrate with Facebook and Twitter  Include a fan wall for customer feedback

 Tell-a-friend feature lets customers share your app virally  GPS mapping and directions  One-touch calling to contact you immediately  SMS or Push messaging for updates, news and offers  QR code capability  Mailing list compilation  Event listings  Analytics for tracking how many people use your app and how they use it  Much, much more

You may also want to look for guarantees that your app will be accepted by iTunes and the Android app store. This is important because if your app is not accepted by these app stores, your customers won’t be able to download and install them.

Your clients and potential clients are connected in ways beyond “traditional” websites and online outlets; take advantage of the smartphone boom to raise your revenue through the roof and differentiate you from your competition.

Georgette Pann is the owner of NutriFitness Personal Training Studio and Bootcamps. She is the owner of FitMobileApps www.Fitnessbusinessapps.com and author and creator of the bestselling “Sure Victory Fitness Bootcamp Kit” www.thefitnessbootcamp.com.

WWW.FIT-PRO.COM | JULY-AUGUST 2012 |

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he idea that money is the ultimate measure of success and achievement in life is not, in itself, true. The truth is you first have to be a well-rounded, well-adjusted individual in order to find true happiness.

Without these fundamental attributes, you probably wouldn’t be able to soundly enjoy the benefits that money has to offer.

The human body is very similar in that muscular strength is often perceived to be the ultimate measure of success in the physical fitness world. But if that were the case, then why do so many strong people of all ages suffer from injury, pain, dysfunction and performance disabilities? Does strength alone, when used as a major part of the physical training regimen, provide your clients with the skills and benefits they need to be strong, stable and functionally viable? The truth is: strength is only part of the equation.

Power and stability, beginning deep in the core, are necessary foundations for a strong body to also be a healthy and functional body.

Let us imagine that you are granted the gift of either superior strength or infinite speed. Imagine that the strength would be strength like no other human being on this planet—the strength to lift an automobile off the road and simply toss it across the highway. And imagine that the speed would be an incredible speed—the ability to move in any direction: up, down, side to side; or to rotate so quickly that it looks as though you are standing still to the naked eye.

Which would you choose?

Do you want to be the strongest or fastest person on Earth? Based on traditional thinking about training and conditioning, most people would choose superior strength, not speed.

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Many trainers focus on building more massive bodies for their clients, rather than building faster, more controlled, more coordinated and balanced bodies.

Strength alone does not relate to quickness or speed of movement, nor does it protect you from injury due to uncontrolled acceleration or deceleration of the body.

Your nervous system creates the ability for muscles to respond with exquisite balance of contraction, precise metering of force production, and force reduction to refine movement and prevent injury. Possession of strength alone does not ensure that you can swing the bat fast enough to hit a 100-mile-per-hour fastball, or put one foot in front of another to prevent the loss of balance and falling. Only when you have speed and control of movement along with adequate strength will you have the right combination!

According to Sir Isaac Newton, force combined with velocity translates to speed, which equates to power. Therefore a “powerful person” really refers to a person with great speed and control of their body, not necessarily massive strength. The ability to move quickly and to accelerate or decelerate balances the body to perform with greater accuracy and with greater control. Strength is very important, but the integration of strength and speed of muscle contraction is key.

As a physical therapist, it has always been my contention that the difference between acute rehabilitation and the highest level of professional

sports training is simply where you are along the path or spectrum of training. Preparing for activity at any age requires attention to the elements that help us to perform better functionally. For this, we need to address the neuromuscular system using sensory and motor training; multi-planar, multidirectional and dynamic response training; control of force production and force reduction. We have receptors in our body called proprioceptors located in the skin, joint capsules, ligaments, muscle bellies and tendons that help us know where we are in space. That, coupled with skeletal muscle activation, gives us new feedback from our movements; and more communication between the proprioceptors, brain and muscles provide the functional loop we need to become more powerful in everyday life.

It is important to consider the physical and functional strength of an individual to know how best to help him or her achieve their goals. Muscle endurance also becomes a factor in training because as a person fatigues, they lose coordination, which translates to slower reaction time, decreased functional performance and an increased risk of injury. The best way to determine how well a person is equipped to perform a specific task is to watch them during that activity.

There are a number of functional assessment protocols available to test men and women of all ages, involving gait speed, timed functional reach, sit to stand, arm curls for time and strength, single limb stance, balance

reach, medicine ball throws, prone progression skills, active dynamic flexibility and more. The key to choosing the proper assessment for your client is to first understand their needs and wants, coupled with their personal performance goals. A young adult male or female may be more interested in improving response skills and accuracy during their tennis game. A golfer may be hoping to improve their swing mechanics and accuracy. An older adult may want to add a walking program to their exercise regimen, so they can do more traveling and hiking on uneven terrain. For some, functional performance includes the need to reproduce movement skills, combined with minimal strength, to perform the regular activities of daily living.

Your exercise prescription should combine the use of strength training (progressive resistance training) and functional training, which incorporates skills that will improve muscle contractile velocity, muscle endurance and tri-plane movement patterns to challenge the body. Also include movements that shift weight from one limb to the other, and activities that require controlled force production movement (concentric contractions) combined with reciprocal force reduction movement (eccentric contractions). This focuses on stabilization and balance in a multi-directional, progressive way, with simple to more complex movements and speed variations.

Plan to build the body from the center out, focusing on deep, dynamic, core stabilization using proximal stability before distal mobility. Initially, emphasize a wider base of support, which allows for a lower center line of gravity to fall within the broader base of support and provides a more solid foundation for balance. Progress the client by narrowing the base of support or adding a single limb stance to raise the center line of gravity, allowing the center of gravity to migrate outside the base of support for a more challenging, dynamic workout. Remember, muscle power is more closely related to functional performance than pure strength gains. Adding tri-plane movements by moving progressively from sagittal to frontal and transverse planes will require greater control of muscle coordination and reaction time.

Be creative when combining upper and lower body tri-plane speed drills by getting down on the floor and rising to a standing position, reaching outside your base of support, adding resistance to the extremities through various modes of application and be aware of the structural and biomechanical functional improvements you see. Your exercise program becomes a part of your ongoing assessment of your client’s progress and needs.

Transforming your training program design from a more traditional single-plane emphasis on isolated strength training may require some time for further educational development and tools, but the goal is to provide you with an expanded asset base of training potential, assessment skills and ultimately the implementation of a more functional tri-planar training regimen.

And remember, always communicate with your client’s physician or physical therapist prior to any program design if they are post-rehabilitation. Have fun and enjoy a more comprehensive approach to function, wellness and program design that will better meet the needs of your clients of all ages.

Bruce Hymanson, PT. Is the creator of the Bodyblade and the developer of the Bodyblade exercise training system. In 1991, Bruce introduced Bodyblade training to rehabilitation, professional sports, personal training and most recently, circuit, interval and group training.

Today Bodyblade training courses are recognized and presented internationally. www.bodyblade.com

www.fit-pro.com | july-august 2012 |

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Company Profile

SPONSORED BY

By Kendell McGowen, Stretch U Franchise Development Director

BUILD YOUR CLIENTELE WITH

STRETCHING

A program for individuals to increase flexibility and improve performance Stretch U is based on The Carey Stretch program created by Physical Therapist John Carey. For years, John has used his stretching regimen to help strengthen and rehabilitate athletes in all areas of professional sports. He is especially known for his expertise in helping professional athletes with debilitating injuries come back to the game in spectacular fashion.

Thanks to the revolutionary techniques perfected by John in thousands of settings you can experience the same triumph over physical limitations. The secret is hidden in the power of stretch. His innovative technique of stretching muscles, nerves and the myofacial system creates a highly significant improvement in performance and mobility.

A key factor in The Carey Stretch technique is how it encourages proper functioning of the nervous system and neurological mobility. Nerves follow pathways in the body, which often become constricted or impinge on proper nerve function. This causes a significant reduction in the body’s overall ability to perform a wider range of motion.

The extraordinary performance boost seen by professional athletes comes, in no small part, from the release of these constricted neural pathways, combined with the mobility improvements from stretching isolated muscle groups. The effect on everyday people can often be even more noticeable and dramatic.

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Benefits of The Carey Stretch program include:  Improved flexibility  Improved circulation and mental alertness  Stress relief  Reduced muscle tension  Increased range of motion  More power  Better performance  Prevention of cramps and muscle strains  Improved overall health

The Carey Stretch is a patent-pending method, in which all of John Carey’s experience helping professional athletes, through his extensive training in Australian and Norwegian schools of manual physical therapy, is condensed into a single, effective fitness regimen.

For More Information: Stretch U 855.787.3851 www.stretchu.com

Events Calendar july-august 2012 DCAC Washington DC August 2-5 | Washington DC

By DCAC Fitness Conventions Inc. www.dcacfitness.com

canfitpro International Fitness and Club Business Conference and Trade Show 2012 August 15-19 | Toronto, Ontario By canfitpro www.canfitpro.com/toronto

ACE Integrated Fitness Training 2-day Workshop August 18-19 | Burlington, NC August 18-19 | Seattle, WA August 18-19 | Kansas City, MO August 18-19 | Richmond, VA

By ACE www.acefitness.org

Dallas MANIA August 24-26 | Dallas, TX

By SCW Fitness Education www.scwfitness.com

Results Fitness Business Seminar September 7-8 | Los Angeles, CA November 9-10 | Providence, RI

By Perform Better www.performbetter.com

YogaFit Mind Body Fitness Conference September 13-16 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL

By YogaFit www.yogafit.com

Club Industry 2012 October 10-12 | Las Vegas, NV

By Club Industry Show www.clubindustryshow.com

PFP 2013 Trainer of the Year Presentation October 11 | Las Vegas, NV

By PFP Media www.fit-pro.com/traineroftheyear

For a complete listing, see our online Events Calendar at www.fit-pro.com/events. www.fit-pro.com | july-august 2012 |

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Exercise Spotlight

Exercises designed by Bodyblade速 For more information, visit www.bodyblade.com.

BodyBlade

速

sponsored by

Squat to overhead PreSS

1

This is a great functional exercise to increase strength and flexibility in the spine, hips, knees, ankles and shoulders in the sagittal plane.

1. Begin in a shoulder-width deep squat, thighs parallel to the floor, upper body and arms flexed forward so arms are parallel to the floor. Drive the Bodyblade forward and back in a push/ pull motion. Match the rhythm of the blade.

2. Slowly and gradually rise to a mid squat position so the hips and knees are at equal angles while keeping the arms directly in front of the body. Continuously drive the Bodyblade in a push/pull motion.

3. Once you reach the mid stance position in the lower body, maintain that stance while gradually continuing to move the upper body through a complete range of motion until the Bodyblade is directly over head. Continue driving the Bodyblade and maintaining the rhythm while moving to the overhead position. In this position, your goal is to achieve 180 degrees of shoulder flexion.

1

Modification: Change your squat from a wide base to a narrow base position to increase balance challenge. This is also great for cardio/strength training, circuit training and interval training.

Squat reaching Jab

2

3 28

A rhythmic and challenging exercise to improve core stability, coordination of the upper body and dynamic balance in the frontal plane.

1. Begin in a shoulder-width squat, holding the Bodyblade out to the side vertically parallel to your body. Drive the Bodyblade in a push/pull motion away from and toward your body. Gradually begin to move and extend your legs while maintaining the rhythm of the Bodyblade out to the side of your body.

2. Fully extend your legs and touch your toes to the ground on the leg opposite the Bodyblade side, while gradually moving your Bodyblade arm through a range of motion reaching laterally overhead.

3. Continue reaching while driving the Bodyblade and extend throughout the trunk so the opposite side leg is off the floor, transferring full weight on the same side leg as the Bodyblade.

Modification: For those that are more challenged with balance, progress from the mid position to the finish position by maintaining a toe touch on the opposite side leg.

| July-august 2012 | www.fit-pro.com

2

3

Bodyblade is a great tool for one-on-one, circuit and interval training with a small or and large group. The speed or rhythm (frequency) of the blade is always the same regardless of the intensity at which you drive the Bodyblade. Adding more flex in the blade (intensity of training) will add more strength and endurance challenge.

For each exercise, complete 10 repetitions from start to finish or move continuously for one minute going from start to finish and back while maintaining proper form, technique and matching the rhythm of the Bodyblade. Switch sides and repeat when applicable. For more information about training or education, visit our website at www.bodyblade.com.

Lunging RotationaL ab CRunCh

1

A challenging and dynamic exercise to build core strength and stability, lower body strength, balance, endurance and to develop strength and stability in the upper body throughout the transverse plane.

1. Long deep narrow based lunge (use wide based lunge for those requiring greater balance assistance) and rotate upper body to the side of the forward leg, holding the Bodyblade horizontal to the floor and driving the blade in an up/down motion.

2. Maintain the lower body start position without movement while slowly and gradually rotating your upper body through the midline toward the opposite side. Maintain the rhythm of the Bodyblade to challenge your core stability, coordination and balance during movement.

3. Still maintaining the lunge, complete the upper body rotation to the opposite side finishing on the back leg side of your body. The key is to master the movement of the upper body and match the rhythm of the blade while maintaining a stable platform in the lower body.

1

Modification: Try moving high and low in your lunge position while rotating the upper body, or alternate lunging forward while maintaining the smooth upper body rotation and matching the rhythm of the blade in an up/down motion.

CRouChing RotationaL Chest PRess

2

3

Movement and flexibility combined to increase stability and strength throughout the core, lower body and upper body in this total- body tri-plane exercise.

1. Begin in a shoulder-width squat while rotated to one side, hands at the level of the waist. Hold Bodyblade horizontal to the floor and begin driving at a 45-degree angle to the floor in a push/pull motion.

2. Gradually extend your legs while rotating your upper trunk across the midline of your body slowly arcing your hands and Bodyblade from the start side to directly in front of your body in a push/pull continuous motion.

3. Continue your rotation of the upper body across the lower body to the other side while gradually raising hands over head.

Complete rotation in the lower body to an extended toe touch position of the back leg.

2

3

Modification: Add a hop at the beginning of the exercise when moving into the squat position. This will elevate your heart rate and increase the strength challenge in the lower extremities.

www.fit-pro.com | July-august 2012 |

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New on the Market

Lindsay’s Review LES MILLS SMARTBAR Les Mills, an industry leader in group fitness solutions, has launched their newest fitness product and training system with the SMARTBAR. One of the drawbacks with the traditional barbell, especially in the group fitness or personal training setting, is the time it takes to switch out plates and safely secure them on the bar.

The SMARTBAR offers a sleekly designed barbell with plates that slide in and snap securely using a “gator” grip instead of the traditional clips or pins. The barbell is ergonomically designed for better grip and offers your clients a user-friendly and seamless way to quickly switch out their weights; no more wasting valuable training time! The SMARTBAR along with the SMART training program is a fantastic addition to any fitness professional’s equipment arsenal. Learn more about the SMARTBAR at www.lesmills.com/smartbar.

EXTREME HALF RACK

pro7

Perform Better introduces its new PB

The Power Plate pro7 takes you be-

Extreme Half Rack. This rack comes

yond balls, bands and bars to make

complete with weight storage for both

functional training simple. With

Olympic and Bumper plates, safety

pre-programmed

spot arms, bar holders, hook plates

routines including stretch and mas-

with a safety lock system, a knurled

sage, your clients will feel the differ-

P-grip pull-up bar and band attach-

ence in just one session. The pro7’s

ments. The adjustable pull-up bar al-

exclusive

lows you to make your rack 7’6” high,

Training software gets your Power

8’ high or 8’6” high. This rack is con-

Plate program off the ground with

structed of 11-gauge, 3” x 3” steel up-

just the push of a button. Power Plate small group and personal training

rights and is made in the USA. Check

sessions make immediate revenue and set you apart while delivering an

video

Functional

exercise

Interactive

out Perform Better’s 2012 catalog for more information.

out-of-this-world experience.

www.performbetter.com / 800.556.7464

www.powerplate.com

BIOSTEP 2

THE KLITCH

Biodex has redesigned

The Klitch is a new invention to let

their semi-recumbent el-

you easily attach your sneakers out-

liptical cross trainer, re-

side of your bag. Whether your shoes

cently re-introduced as

are dirty, wet and smelly or whether

the new BioStep 2 with

you ran out of room in your bag, The

exceptional

ergonomic

Klitch is the perfect solution. This

comfort. Its low-impact

unique gadget acts as a clip, secur-

elliptical motion reduces the jarring start/stop direction change often as-

ing both shoes together and allowing

sociated with other recumbent steppers, eliminating the need for users to

easy attachment to your bag. Don’t

lift or strike their feet on the footplate. Pivoting hand grips and articulating

risk damaging your clothes by carry-

footplates add to the comfort while strengthening the primary muscles as-

ing your cleats or dirty shoes in your

sociated with balance, gait and mobility. BioStep 2 is simple to use, requires

bag. The Klitch is perfect for sneakers,

minimal supervision and allows exercise to progress at a natural pace.

cleats, boots, sandals and many more.

www.biodex.com/biostep / 800.224.6339

www.theklitch.com

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| JULY-AUGUST 2012 | WWW.FIT-PRO.COM