Health and Fitness Equipment Considerations
Download
Report
Transcript Health and Fitness Equipment Considerations
Chapter 16
Health and Fitness
Equipment Considerations
SGMA
45 million Americans over age 6
trained w/ free weights
Has risen 101%
Total adult part. in free weight use risen 119% since 1987
Hand wts most popular up 16%
over 27 million part.
SGMA
Women comprised 45% of all people who exercised
with free weights.
Spectacular rise of weight training among women
(up 203% from 1987)
One of the most dramatic fitness trends of the late
20th Century.
SGMA
Under age 25 - 36%
Ages 25- 44 - 39%
Ages 45 and up - 25%
SGMA
But did you know?
Biggest boom - free weight users
55 and up
1987 – just over 750,000 participants
2001 – 6 million participants
=
700 %
What’s Popular?
Equipment
% of clubs offering
Free Weights
97%
Treadmills
95%
Upright Bikes
94%
Recumbent Bikes
93%
Climbers/Steppers
93%
Elliptical Machines
92%
Plate-Loaded Equipment
87%
Selectorized Equipment
81%
Group Exercise Studio
78%
Rowers
77%
Source: IHRSA 2002 Member Census
SGMA
Completed 1-3 yrs of college
of weight training population - 50%
North central region US –
11 million participants 114% jump since 1987
FACILITY EQUIPMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
Function
Versatility
Space
Safety
Durability/Maintenance
Cost
Staffing
Equipment Function
Consider your club’s mission
What type of equipment would serve your target
market the most effectively?
Consider SES, Age, Families, Gender
Place each piece of equipment into a category
> % Free weights = Lower SES, more men
Cardiovascular/strength/abdominal/group ex.
Ask yourself 4 questions
What kind of image do I want to project?
Who will be using the equipment?
What is the basic purpose of the equipment?
Will there be an emphasis on strength or endurance equipment?
FUNCTION
What kind of image do you want to project?
Who will be using the equipment?
What is the basic purpose of the equipment?
Will there be an emphasis on strength or
endurance equipment?
Free Weights vs. Machines
Free weights can be intimidating
If your mission is multipurpose, you want a higher %
of machines
Machines help people feel comfortable
Older population & women will be more likely to join
Free weights are still important
Don’t skimp on quality or buy used free weights
Get rubberized DB & plates rather than iron
Upholstery should match selectorized machines
User Appeal
Convenience and Comfort
Soft padding
Easy adjustments
Small incremental weight adjustments
Smooth resistance patterns
Go to the vendor factory and try out machines
Brand Names
Instant credibility and appeal
VERSATILITY
Is it multi-functional?
Can the novice operate it and can the
experienced benefit from it?
Can it accommodate a variety of populations?
(aging, obese, youth…)
Versatility
Should be reasonably portable
Adjustments
Design changes over time
Maintenance issues
Consider placement and potential removal
Can various sized people fit on the machine?
Are the adjustments easy for the average person?
How many adjustments does one have to make?
Multipurpose
Can the piece serve more than 1 function?
If so, how likely is it that people will use the 1 function?
SPACE
Determine how many pieces you need and
how many can fit in the available space.
Each station - ~46-50 sq. ft of space
Space Allocation
Each station needs ~ 46 sq./ft. of floor space
Take total sq./ft and divide by 46
Don’t forget to add in circulation space
Use manufacturer to help design if possible
Optimize space utilization
Plan for as many exercise “patterns” as possible
Indoor track around selectorized area
Free weights adjacent to selectorized machines
Abdominal mats near strength training areas
Wow Effect
When possible, place your newest, best equipment near the entrance
or on the outside of the fitness area
Will help the perceived image of the club
SPACE
Example:
7,500 sq ft exercise space/50 SF per station
feature 150 stations
breakdown – 50 cardio pieces
and 90 strength training pieces
10 core pieces
3:2:1 (:1/2) tread/ellip/bike/stair
SPACE
ACSM recommends:
Allow 20-40 sq ft for ea. pc. Equipment
Some experts recommend 46 SF/pc.
And 20-25 sq ft for ea. User
ADA guidelines
SPACE
Short on space?
“Jungle Gyms”
Dumbbells
Stability Balls/Medicine Balls
Tubing and Bands
Home Depot is your best buddy
when you are poor
SPACE
Tip: Can you get it in the front door?
Make sure you can get it in the door
Takes $$ to take door frame apart, not to
mention time
Durability
Usage patterns will cycle
Functional pieces get lots of use today
Pulley systems or Freemotion Fitness Equipment
Consider vendor warranties
Very important part of the sales package
Serves as a rough indicator of it’s life expectancy
http://www.freemotionfitness.com
Structural frame should be lifetime, upholstery only 6 months
Check out how its made
Joint, chassis, padding, bearings, chains & belts, electronics
Safety
Should be #1 priority
Inadequate equipment can be grounds for negligence
Safe place statutes
Entitle users to safe environments
Shrouds, bolts, welds, anchored to floor
Any weight stack should have a protective shroud to minimize risk of
injury
Cardiovascular Equipment
Place an additional burden of care on fitness centers
Keep electrical plugs grounded with fault interrupters
Lots of preventative maintenance required
Staff Supervision
No equipment is safe enough to take the place of staff
Ensure someone is supervising weight floor at all times
MAINTENANCE
In house or out?
Will it cost you more to maintain a cheaper
piece of equipment?
Parts, warranty, availability of vendor
MAINTENANCE
Tips:
Got space? Get 2
Chains turn equipment “religiously”
Cardio after 3yrs
Strength after 6yrs
Narrow choices to 2 or 3 of the best
manufacturers
WHAT KIND TO GET?
Cardiovascular Equipment
Commercial grade
Residential grade
Strength Training Equipment
Free weights
Selectorized
Plate loaded
Functional Accessories
What’s New and Hot (or just out there)
CARDIOVASCULAR
Are you going to have a cardio theater?
(individual monitors)
Televisions? Radio hookup?
Television monitoring kid’s room?
Electronic Surveillance?
CARDIOVASCULAR
Cardiovascular Equipment
What are we talking about?
Treadmills
Ellipticals
Stationary Bikes
Etc…
Treadmill
Lifefitness 9500 HR
Precor C966
Exercise Bikes
Precor C846-U
Precor C846-R
StairClimbers
SC 9500HR Stairmaster
StepMill 7000 PT
Elliptical Machines
Precor EFX 546
Life Fitness CT 8500
Specialty Machines
Cybex ArcTrainer 5000
Specialty Machines
Tunturi R780 Rower
Versa Climber
Specialty Machines
Nu Step
Scifit Ergometer
Specialty Machines
Brewer’s Ledge
Climbing Walls
CARDIO EQUIPMENT
Basic Package 3-4 pieces
1-2 Treadmills
1 Exercise Bike
1 StairClimber or
1 Elliptical Machine
$9,000-$18,000
Moderate Package 5-9 pieces
2-3 Treadmills
1-2 Exercise Bikes
1-2 StairClimbers
1-2 Elliptical Machines
$18,000-$35,000
CARDIO EQUIPMENT
Comprehensive Package 10-20 pieces
4-6 Treadmills
3-6 Elliptical Machines
2-5 Exercise Bikes
2-3 StairClimbers
1-2 Specialty Machines
$35,000+
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Free Weights
Selectorized Machines
BB, DB, Olympic plates
Pin adjustment, weight stack
Plate-loaded Machines
Uni-lateral, Iso-lateral
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Free Weights
Dumbbells, barbells, weight plates
Three planes
Benchs, racks, and trees
More economical
Proper training and supervision
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Selectorized Machines
Single-stations or Multi “jungle gym”
One or two planes of motion
Cables, belts, pulleys, chains
Novice
Size matters
Less stabilization required
Spotter/Babysitter - Staffing
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Nautilus Nitro
Cybex VR2
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Nautilus “Jungle Gym”
Nautilus Gravitron
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Free Motion
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Plate-loaded Machines
Unilateral
Iso-lateral (i.e. Hammer Strength)
Everyones putting out plate loaded
Better safety than free weights
Heavier weight workouts
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Hammer Strength Plate Loaded
Body Master
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Platforms
Power Lift
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Elastic Bands and Tubing
Three planes
ROM
Group Exercise Classes
Inexpensive
Portable
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Purchasing the Equipment
Take inventory
What do you have? What do you need?
Review the market
Get a clear picture of industry trends and proven
manufacturers
You may want to hire a consultant for this process
Some vendors represent a number of product lines – equipment
brokers
Identify staff members who may research the equipment for you
Writing specifications
For each piece – Brand X, Model B, or equivalent
Be flexibly to allow for more competitive bids
Purchasing the Equipment
Initiation
Request Review
Send it to the vendor – complete list
Payment
Evaluate bids on both equipment quality and price
Purchase Order
Prepare the specs and provide to bidders
Bid Evaluation
Manager assigns a code number to the item in the budget category identified
Specifications Prepared
Manager approves or rejects the request
Budget Review
Request made to manager
Cut check and mail in on delivery
Payment Schedule
50% down, and 50% on receipt of the equipment
Withhold 10% for 30 days to encourage prompt installation
Purchasing the Equipment
Getting Bids
Establish a list of responsible bidders (3)
Formal approach
A bid sheet is provided to each bidder on the list
Informally communicate with bidders after receiving them to ensure
you get the lowest possible price
Profit margin
History, delivery, service, dependability, size of inventory, financial
stability, promptness
Winning bidder will ultimately cut this to win
Will help the overwhelming service calls if they win
Stay with a single product line – if possible
All things being equal, keep as much of your equipment from the same
manufacturer as possible
Equipment Cost
Can break the bank
Point of diminishing returns on gadgets
Stick with a proven name brand
Name recognition and function attracts members
Cybex, Life Fitness, Hammer Strength, Precor, Ivanko
Should not represent > 3 to 5% of start-up cost
Refurbished Equipment
Elaborate treadmills w/fans, electronic selectorized pieces
Can save you ~ 30%, may be an option
Trade in value is $0.35 to $0.65 on the dollar
Consider the vendor agreement
Some will take trade-in value at a later date
Some provide maintenance agreements and free design and setup
STRENGTH EQUIPMENT
Accessories Add Up - $$
Budget it in
Don’t forget rubber mats
Storage Bins, shelves, and hooks
Take things up to save space
Dollars & Sense
Leasing
Purchasing
New vs. Used
Borrowing
Stealing (just kidding)
Dollars & Sense
Why Lease?
You can lease almost any kind of equipment
You choose the equipment you want
You get a longer term, smaller payments
You enjoy virtually 100% financing
You gain possible tax advantages
You can build your available credit
You can project costs more accurately
You keep both cash and machines generating profits
You can deal with budget restrictions
You can get a hedge against obsolescence
Dollars & Sense
Leasing Options
A fixed, predetermined end-of-lease cash buyout price.
A fixed, predetermined end-of-lease percentage buyout price.
End-of-lease refinancing of your equipment for a new lease term.
Turning your existing equipment over to the lease company at the end
of the lease term, acquiring new equipment and a new lease.
WHEN BUYING
Shop around
Test Drive
Check out competition
When on vacation
Distributor Demo
Used Equipment
Used equipment and brokers
Warranty and return-policy
Internet – Photos
Trade it in
Add quality pieces over time
Used Equipment
Donate Old Equipment
Operation Fit Kids
Maintenance
Internal
Cleanliness cannot be overemphasized
External
Don’t buy anything you can’t get repaired
#1 reason people leave a club
Develop a maintenance checklist for part replacement
Can be useful, assuming you have major brands
Consider the amount of equipment you have
Choose service provider with adequate resources
Average club has 31 cardio, 81 free-weight stations, and 27
resistance stations (1994) (higher today due to larger club size)
Maintenance Contracts
Plan to spend $100 to $500/month for external
contracts
Consider using in-house personnel
Investigate manufacturer parts availability
Equipment is fixed faster and less expensive over time
Don’t buy obscure equipment
Preventative maintenance
Can be worth thousands in parts and service if
done regularly
Recommendations
Variety is Key
Offers variety to workouts and
encourages results
(member-see progress=retention)
Essential to both exerciser motivation and
member/client retention
Resources
IHRSA.org
SGMA.com
First Fitness
Other Equipment
Laundry
Towel service?
If so, buy a washer-extractor
150 to 300 sq/ft for laundry room
Office Equipment
Telephones, desks, computers, postage meters, faxes, printers, furniture,
copiers, file cabinets
Can handle up to 125 pounds
Have been proven to be cost effective based on lack of breakdowns and efficiency
Factor in this equipment!
Locker-Room Equipment
15 to 25 sq./ft. per person expected to be in locker area at any one time
No more than 15% of membership will be occupying locker room at once
Permanent lockers should be available to accommodate 75% of users
Daily use lockers should comprise the remaining
Locker rooms typically allocate 25% to 35% of total facility sq/ft
Showers should be available for up to 1% of membership (20 showers for
2000 members)
Other Equipment
Fitness Testing
120-180 sq/ft
Counseling Room (PT)
90-120 sq/ft
Lounge equipment/fitness charts
Seminar room
Bike ergometer, skinfold calipers, anthropometric tapes, sit and reach box, BP
equipment, weight scales, desk & chair, office supplies, file cabinet
A/V Equipment – 20 sq/ft. per person
Tables & chairs
Gymnasium (50 x 84 feet) 5 feet around court for overrun
Basketball goals, volleyball standards, scoreboards
Ceiling height must be at lease 22 feet
3 square feet per spectator for bench seating