FITNESS SPORT No 1 year 2007

INTERVI EW

active sport point of view. Could this also be something the Inline Academy would consider in future? PU : That’s something I’m going to discuss with my staff. RK : Let’s talk about the Strenflex Fitness Sport Badge as a tool to motivate clients. The basic idea behind Strenflex is to moti vate clients and to retain them over the long term using this test (or a re-test if the initial attempt is not successful) and the Bronze–Silver–Gold success ladder, which for normal customers might take up to a year. Do you think this athletic challenge may provide a motivational boost? PU : Certainly. However, for this to hap pen, the idea must become known well beyond the individual gyms and the end customer must make something of it that’s ‘popular’, positive, something that’s good for his nimbus. RK : The Fitness Sport Badge and the basic test organised at events outside the gyms (e.g. with just 3 test exercises) has proven to be highly successful in attracting new clients and new members. Of course, all this comes with a give-away certificate and free advice on the test result. Do you feel that this marketing tool is entrepre neurially effective and cost-efficient on the bottom line? PU : I’m eager to learn more all the time. If the test – or the failure to pass it – proves to be a tool to attract new clients then we will definitely use it. I’m interested in the results. RK : Last question: You have said that VIP role models will most likely be a suc cessful method of achieving the vision of increasing the awareness of the unfit staff and instructors in our industry and to encourage athletic ones to rise to the challenge. You have now mastered this challenge successfully yourself, but would you also be prepared to encourage other industry players to get involved? It would be nice to see some of your staff come to the Strenflex stand at FIBO and try to emulate your success!

PU : My sentiments exactly! The core competence of a gym is strength train ing – today more than ever. I can run, get wellness treatments, therapies and dance elsewhere. On top of this is the fact that strength training for the whole body really is the best form of training there is. RK : Is, in your opinion, a sporting chal lenge such as the fitness sport badge, a suitable method of motivating employ ees, instructors, entrepreneurs, not just in our industry, to take a long term view of their fitness and to again do more for their fitness and health and to show it in this way. PU : If enough promoters and provid ers come to an agreement on this and promote the idea forcefully then people will become interested and demand will develop. RK : Could you imagine that organisations such as Inline and Injoy could make such „proof of fitness“ compulsory as a type of quality identifier for defining their own level of professionalism? Konstantin Deen of Deen-Club in Berlin has not employed any staff for years now, if they can‘t pro

Petra Zurkova attaches the Gold Badge to Paul’s lapel

PU : Based on Fitness Tribune and SFS Magazine articles on my Gold Badge, I’m definitely going to try and motivate and inspire others. That’s a promise! RK : Paul, thank you for talking to me. I’m sure there will be a number of industry pros who will take heed and rise to the challenge by gaining the Strenflex Fitness Badge over the coming weeks and months. I hope that your Promo talks with staff, gym owners, instructors and course lead ers will be successful and that the Inline and Injoy clubs will shine with many newly acquired fitness badges. While Paul is going about his man ager duties again I go online in one of his offices to enter this test as a new event, register Paul as a “new member” including his details (name, DOB, sex, age, address) and then enter his results achieved in the 6 tests – only moments later I get con firmation of the successfully com pleted test and the request to ‘print Gold Certificate’. The target has been achieved and I can present Paul with his certificate and Gold badge. His staff who thought he had been in a meeting with me were quite amazed when they learned he had passed the Strenflex Fitness Gold Badge Test, just like that, without anyone actually noticing … I believe that this will provide inspi ration for all and we’ll certainly see some of you at the fitness check in future. I wish all of you a successful year in your gyms!

vide proof of their fitness level. PU : I‘ll give it some thought!

RK : For more than 10 years passing out on all fitness trainer courses has been dependent upon the successful comple tion of a fitness test. The reason being to bring the very heterogeneous groups to a minimum level of fitness – also from an

20 Dips - no problem for Paul Underberg

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STRENFLEX fitness sport 17