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FUNCTIONAL TRAINERS
The popularity of the functional trainer continues: Easy to maintain, easy to use and great results
I
t doesn’t happen often – but when it does, what a mess. “Functional trainers are pretty much indestructible, and they re-
quire very little maintenance,” says Francis McCarthy, owner of equip- ment service and sales company QCS in Oakville, Ontario. “I’ve had some in the field for two or three years that have required no repairs at all.” But occasionally a client will take
the maintenance into his own hands, without asking for guidance, and will lubricate the guide rods himself. Not usually a problem, says McCarthy. It’s a simple and quick job that involves spraying on some silicon and then wip- ing off any excess. However, if you use a product like
WD-40 or, even worse, engine oil – McCarthy has seen them both used – you’ll either dry up the guide rods or create an incredibly sticky mess that your equipment technician will have to clean up.
McCarthy routinely gives custom-
ers a crash course on how to lubricate their cable motion equipment, which results in him visiting some clients as infrequently as once a year. “It takes a lot of neglect and a dirty,
dusty environment to get a functional trainer into disrepair,” says McCarthy, whose clients are primarily in the ho- tel, police, fire and residential markets. “Along with lubricating the guide rods, you really just need to regularly wipe the frame, housing, cables and guide rods with a damp cloth.” Darcy Rash, owner of Axxis Gym in
Edmonton, and his staff find their ca- ble motion equipment so easy to main- tain that they do it themselves. They have new cables manufactured by an outside company and then install them themselves. “We’re a fairly serious gym,” says
Rash, who has owned the gym for about three years. “We have mem- bers who compete in power lifting
and figure competitions and who play hockey and football. But we also have lots of members who are beginners. Once they’ve been shown how to use the cable motion equipment by one of our personal trainers, it’s easy for them to use.” At the Dovercourt Recreation
Association in Ottawa, Alanna George reports that their multi-station func- tional trainer is one of their most pop- ular machines and is always well-re- ceived by members. “I feel that it’s really one of the most
essential pieces for a fitness centre,” says George. “It’s great for pulling- type actions that access the back muscles that are often underdevel- oped and tight from too much sit- ting and driving. A functional trainer is really versatile because it lets you change the angles of pull compared to a traditional track- based piece of where the joint angles are already set up for you.”
Total Gym GTS The Total Gym GTS provides a full-body, intense workout in 30-minutes without the use of any additional accessories. Quick and easy transitions between exercises facilitate a fast- paced cardio-strength workout that delivers observable body-shaping results in a commercial facility or in your home. Total Gym GTS is the award-winning equipment anchor for GRAVITY, the time-efficient, personal training, group fitness and Pilates program that is generating ex- citement and variety in commercial facilities around the world. For more information, contact STAK Fitness at 877-782-5002 or visit
www.stakfitness.com.
42 Fitness Business Canada July/August 2014
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