Clubindustry

LA Fitness has sure had its share of legal battles lately. We recently posted a story about an Orlando woman who is suing the Irvine, CA-based company for contracting Legionnaires’ disease. more

I recently got an e-mail from Adam Zwyer, director of marketing and operations for SPRI Products Inc., saying his company sent a fitness care package for the soldiers stationed in Iraq that we featured in this story about their DIY gym.

Zwyer wrote: “In today’s economy this is not something that we can do for very many organizations, but as we read the article, we knew we should help. We appreciate the things they do for us, and we hope that the items we could provide are helpful to them, and maybe … in some way … say ‘thanks’ and ‘we support you’ to the people who use them.”

The package included several sizes of medicine balls and Kettle bells, braided tubing rubber resistance bands, jump ropes, balance products and ab training slings, as well as a DVD training set on Kettle bells for the soldiers in Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery, Washington Army National Guard, under the 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, to use at their post near Habur Gate, Iraq.

As a writer, it’s great to know that not only are these stories being read, but they’re also promoting goodwill efforts!

I came across a nice feature and sidebar on Bally founder Don Wildman from the Los Angeles Times. The stories were published last month, but in case you missed these—as I did—enjoy.

The feature is about the 76-year-old’s extreme workout routine, which made me feel extremely inadequate after reading it. The sidebar is about how Wildman served in the Korean War before building a fitness empire that would become Bally Total Fitness.

Wildman’s peak physical condition made me wonder: Who would win in an MMA match between Wildman and Jack LaLanne?

I recently received an e-mail from a club operator who has been dealing with a sensitive issue at his club. He’s at a loss about what to do, so I thought I’d share this issue with you in hopes that someone out there has come across a similar situation and has a solution for him.

He has a group of about 60 to 90 women from Somalia who are members of his club. They emit a strong odor that has taken over the women-only area of his club and the women’s locker room. more

Crunch has been known in the industry as a bit of an eccentric club company (see: peek-a-boo showers, pole dancing classes and cardio striptease), but the image for its recent Gym Shorts campaign is a bit of a head-scratcher. more

Casey Conrad, a consultant in the industry, informed me that she will be embarking on a little adventure starting July 27. She’s going to travel across the United States to various health clubs in the country to discover what they are doing at these facilities, and then she is going to blog about her visits.

I thought this was a great idea. It reminded me of when our magazine did its Fitness Across America series in 2003 and 2004. I was fortunate enough to visit some wonderful clubs in the Southwest one year and then the Midwest another year. I felt like these visits helped me understand this business more, and they gave me a better appreciation for all the wonderful people in the industry who are truly trying to serve others.

If you are interested in being a club that Casey visits on her trip, let her know by going to this site, where she has her route mapped out. Each club she chooses not only gets the publicity from her blog, but they also get a $1,295 training package for free.

We’ll keep you updated on Casey’s blog as she progresses around the country.