pole that accommodates up to 10 users simultane- ously. The latter employs four Olympic weight plates to provide stability, and can be wheeled away for storage. “Fun is all about success, empowerment, and growing within a group,” Holman contends. “Our experience has shown that, when people join a RIP-COREFX class, they feel empowered because of the freedom of motion it offers and the challenge it provides the core muscles. Members get hooked, see results, and make friends—what’s not fun about that?” “Our members have been taking RIP-COREFX
RIP-COREFX does group ex outdoors
meaning that they’re modes of FT best experienced without shoes. Taking note of the growing popular- ity of barefoot running, and understanding that feet are central to all movement, Pura Vida introduced barefoot training. An awareness of how the feet move, and a focus on strengthening them, improves balance, posture, strength, and grace. “Functional training should challenge your mind, as well as your body,” insists Heather Bahlman, the club’s fitness director. “It’s fun because it’s sensory and because it makes people think. They’re not bored and they tend to forget about their everyday worries. “Barefoot training challenges your body and
balance and, in doing so, also challenges your core, so you’ve really got to be involved.”
classes, and they love them,” attests Pete Stipher, the CEO of Impact Fitness Nashville in Tennessee. “The variety, challenge, and camaraderie really get them enthusiastic, and they have a blast!” Stipher is now introducing RIP-COREFX to his second club in Illinois.
• The BallBike Pro S 700, created by Fit One, LLC, in Canton, Ohio, is the world’s first combination of a stationary recumbent bike and a core stability ball and provides a totally new cardio experience. Sitting on the ball, more comfortable than normal bike seats, the user engages in “active sitting” as they pedal. The ball is nestled between two side handles, safely facilitating side-to-side movement, bouncing, and front-to-back motion. Cycling increases muscle activity, and, depending on whether or not the user grips the handles, their core is engaged in different ways. The resulting cardio/core workout is suitable for most popula-
“Any class that poses a challenge for people, but leaves them
feeling energized, not beat-up, when the class is over; gets them involved with each other; and stimulates both their body and mind—that’s going to be a great experience for members.”
FULLY FUN-CTIONAL EXERCISE ACCESSORIES
In addition to the FT equipment produced by many of the industry’s leading manufacturers, there are also a growing number of new core-centric and/or functionally-friendly products, designed and mar- keted by a variety of suppliers, that are proving popular in clubs. Among them are the following:
• Pete Holman, the owner and president of Aspen Core Fitness, in Aspen, Colorado, produces the RIP- COREFX, a 43" bar with a sport cord attached to one side, and the RIP Group Ex Station, a vertical
tions; can be modified, in terms of intensity, from easy to intense; is very time-efficient; and, attests Rick Suarez, Fit One’s CEO, is guaranteed to be fun.
• The Ugi Ball (pronounced yoo-gee), from Ugi Fitness, Inc., in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is 15" in diameter, is “squishy” like a beanbag, and provides the bounce-back of a stress ball. It can be utilized in virtually any group-exercise setting and for a variety of exercises, including agility, plyomet- rics, and sport-specific classes, such as Ugi Golf and Ugi Volleyball; there’s also Ugi Flow, a yoga/ Pilates-inspired stretch and strength routine.
> www.
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