FITNESS SPORT No 1 year 2003

Introduction to a new sport

As maybe you already know, the fitness industry has a new sport: STRENFLEX ® ! Many may ask why this sport was created. The answer: Because there is no sport for thou sands of enthusiastic and physically active fitness studio members world wide. The past few issues of Fitness Tribune contained information about MFI, which was the old name for the new sport. The name STRENFLEX ® had yet to be registered worldwide as a trademark, which is a mandatory requirement even for novelties in the fitness industry. Now the new sport is official. STRENFLEX ® has been launched successfully and offers a platform for competitive fitness sport without diets, body watching, expen sive choreographies or doping sup plements of any kind. Au contraire, it is the only sport discipline known to man in which people can participate at any age (muscles know no age, as you may well know). One of the four STRENFLEX ® age categories begins at 60 years of age. In addition, there are eight different weight classes. The following disciplines are part of STRENFLEX ® The ultimate Fitness Sport STRENFLEX ® - the ultimate fitness sport that gives you the “kick” you need to turn the strength, barbell and cardio training, stretching etc., into action at last, and lets you measure your performance against others. This new FITNESS lifestyle is opening up to a much wider audience because STRENFLEX ® combines performance with good looks and the feel good

that five exercises are strength-based, four address muscular endurance, two are cardiovascular exercises and three are based on stretching. Both men and women over the age of 18 can actively participate in contests. However, STREN FLEX ® not only offers something to fitness enthusiasts, but STRENFLEX ® also ben efits fitness studio owners. It will enable them to attract new members and can help fitness studios in motivating long term members to keep up their regular training activities (lower fluctuation rate). To retain these customers, a studio owner need not participate in every expensive trend - STRENFLEX ® alone should be enough. Everyday studio routine is made more exciting with STRENFLEX ® train ing. Furthermore, not everybody has to participate in competitions, but studios accredited by the STRENFLEX ® organiza tion can award competitive titles such as STRENFLEX ® Studio Master. In addition, these studios can offer and conduct basic workshops. Studio members, who have completed such a basic workshop, will be eligible to compete in national and international championships (European and World Championships). via Internet or TV that they will descend upon the nearest local gym. STRENFLEX ® is easy to follow and understand, not just for the participants, but also for specta tors - whether on TV or live. Miss Fitness, bodybuilding and/or aero bic contests are out - because only very few competitive sportsmen and women can take part. Aside from this, these types of competition rather tend to dis courage new clients who are really inter ested in fitness from seeking membership of a gym. Sylvia Gattiker, president of the STREN FLEX ® organisation, will answer ques tions and provide more information. To get in touch with her: Tel.: +41 1 883 73 91 or info@strenflex.org

INTRODUCTION

the competition: bench press at 60% of body weight, squats (70%), clean & press (30%), adductor press, hand strength measurements, dip series, pull-up series, push-up series, trunk bends, rope jump ing, interval course, forward bends, splits and shoulder flexibility. For participants 35 years and older, cycling or rowing is substituted for rope jumping. This means

factor. It’s the first and only sport suited to this kind of lifestyle.

STRENFLEX ® - the trend-sport for the healthy and modern Fitness lifestyle STRENFLEX ® is the singular answer to the call for a sport which enhances the image of our industry and which takes into con sideration the three pillars of strength, endurance and flexibility as its basis.

STRENFLEX ® fully embodies the philosophy behind the desire for fitness. But it is not only the gyms which will be revolutionised. STRENFLEX ® symbolises the way, the trend “back to the roots”, back to free weight training, cardio training and stretching. Hun dreds of thousands will be so enthused by STRENFLEX ®

Who is Sylvia Gattiker, first president of STRENFLEX ® ?

2 STRENFLEX fitness sport International 1