Today there are more health clubs and health club members in the United States than ever before. As a result, the fitness industry is extremely competitive, clubs have become increasingly sophisticated and members’ expectations have risen. Owners and operators face constant challenges to distinguish their offerings and to stay profitable.
Exercise equipment – particularly cardiovascular machines – is the core of every fitness center, and exercisers today demand a significant variety in order to cross train, maintain motivation and ultimately provide compelling results. Typically health clubs have favored “horizontal” machines – treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, rowers and skiers – that require the body to move in a horizontal plane or round-and-round motion. On “vertical” equipment, such as stairsteppers and total-body vertical trainers, exercisers move up-and-down, offering significant advantages to club members who want efficient workouts and to operators who contend with limited floor space.
Same old horizontal workouts (been there, done that)
Certainly, horizontal cardiovascular machines can provide effective workouts and accommodate virtually all individuals. But many tend to offer only lower-body exercise, which may produce joint impact, or the cardio machines may do up to 30 percent of the work for an exerciser which can result in a smaller caloric expenditure compared to totalbody routines and thus, may produce unsatisfying results. Essentially, one must work for longer periods of time, or at a greater intensity level to match the calorie- and fat-blasting offered by totalbody vertical trainers. Clearly, horizontal cardio-machines probably don’t offer the best solution for members who are short on time and expecting results.
Members who do not achieve results over time either become non-members or simply find another facility that better meets their needs.
Furthermore, space constraints limit how many horizontal machines can be available, particularly because they have significantly larger footprints than vertical trainers. Also, because equipment like treadmills and ellipticals generally has many more moving parts, they require more maintenance and service.
Moving on up
An exceptional total-body cardiovascular solution is the total-body vertical trainer. In addition to delivering valuable variety that can jump-start members’ routines, these newly redesigned trainers accommodate all fitness levels and provide several important benefits:
• Highly-effective workouts – totalbody, fluid exercise engages more muscles for better conditioning and greater caloric expenditure without jarring impact
• Time efficiency with greater caloric expenditure – research shows that using a total-body vertical trainer elevates the heart rate faster and burns more calories in just 20 minutes or less compared to horizontal equipment like treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes
• Better cardiovascular conditioning – lifting the arms above the heart and head (as opposed to forward and back on horizontal machines) enhances circulation and maximizes cardiovascular endurance; plus, working against gravity challenges exercisers to push-and-pull their own body weight without an opportunity to cheat
• Significant versatility – redesigned units with shorter step heights accommodate beginning exercisers, and sport trainers with 20″ step challenge athletes; also, the machine can be used as a total-body climber, a lower-body stepper or while seated to work the arms or legs only
• Ease of use – new interactive voice modules simplify getting started, offer motivating programs, and function as a personal trainer by giving instruction and feedback
• Incredible space efficiency – vertical climbers need only about 43″ x 46″ of floor space, which is half of that required for a treadmill or elliptical – so two vertical climbers can be placed in the space of one treadmill
• Virtually maintenance free – vertical trainers are simple to operate, with minimal upkeep required, highly durable and an average life expectancy of eight- to 10- years
Go vertical
Although club operators should offer a variety of cardiovascular equipment to satisfy all members, the total-body vertical trainer is about as close to a perfect solution as you can get. Clubs can transform exercise routines and stay at the forefront with vertical training equipment.
Brett Collins is the Sales and Marketing Manager of VersaClimber. He can be contacted at 800.237.2271, or by email atbcollins@heartrateinc.com.
