Interactive Fitness continues to strengthen its sales team.
Sunnyvale, CA, June 8, 2013 – Jordan Lipp has joined Interactive Fitness as the Key Account Territory Manager for the Mid-Atlantic.
Jordan taught at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD where he founded a wrestling program and built it into a culture of success and winning in only three seasons. “The experience served as an outlet for me to relay my personal values to my student-athletes, and help them grow into proven collegiate student-athletes and citizens,” said Jordan.
While teaching, Jordan attained Master’s Degree in Health Promotion Management from American University. “What I studied is in accordance with Interactive Fitness’s goals: to transform lives and create a healthier environment,” said Jordan. “I am eager to join Interactive Fitness so I have the ability to influence people’s health on a large scale.”
“We are thrilled to have someone of Jordan’s quality join the Interactive Fitness team,” said Dan Toigo, Vice President of Sales. “Jordan brings a deep understanding of how to take the Interactive Fitness value proposition and show potential clients how to maximize their investment on many levels. Jordan’s drive is exemplified with his success on the wrestling mat during his career and leading young athletes to a very high level of achievement. We look forward to his ability to take the Mid-Atlantic territory to the same success.”
Contact
Jordan Lipp
jlipp@ifholdings.com
(216) 702-2732
Interactive Fitness continues to strengthen its sales team.
Sunnyvale, CA, April 29, 2013 – Andy Gray has joined Interactive Fitness as the Key Account Territory Manager for Ohio.
Andy is an AFFA certified personal trainer. A 1997 graduate from Mariemont High School and a 2001 graduate from Ohio University with a major in Sport Sciences and Business, Andy excelled in a career in sales with Clear Channel Radio until deciding to pursue his love for fitness and athletics on a full time basis in 2010.
“I am excited to join the talented team at Interactive Fitness and help bring our engaging products to more locations throughout Ohio,” said Andy. “I am confident that my unique background in advertising sales, personal training, and small business ownership will be a perfect blend to surely meet the needs of our valued customers.”
“I am pleased to have Andy join the Interactive Fitness Team,” said Dan Toigo, Vice President of Sales. “Andy brings deep roots in the Ohio area attending Ohio U. and performing as a division I track & field athlete. He is well versed in the health and fitness industry and brings and strong background of client services with his past experience. We are looking forward to big things from Andy and his ability to serve the Ohio market well with our unique value proposition.”
Contact
Andy Gray
agray@ifholdings.com
(513) 259-8190
Interactive Fitness continues to strengthen its sales team.
Sunnyvale, CA, April 22, 2012 – Amy Perkel has joined Interactive Fitness as the Key Account Territory Manager for Texas.
Amy brings over 12 years of B2B experience within the Texas marketplace. Most recently her experience includes training and product education for Nexersys and B2B sales at American Express.
“After being in the Health and Wellness industry for many years, I am thrilled to be joining Interactive Fitness and representing their Expresso and CyberCycle products,” said Amy. “Bringing fun, innovation, health, and engagement to people’s everyday lives is an dynamic yet challenging opportunity.”
“We are very excited to have Amy join the team,” said Dan Toigo, Vice President of Sales. “She brings high energy and the knowledge to deliver our unique value proposition to the club and YMCA markets in Texas. She has a proven track record of building valuable relationships and following up on client needs.”
What’s one of the hottest trends in home fitness? Expresso bikes for the home! We spoke to Norm Morrison, Product Manager and Trend Advisor at Gym Source—the nation’s largest most popular fitness retailer—who told us that the Expresso bike is a top-seller and one of the more high-profile machines that brings people into his showroom.
“We sell all the top brands at Gym Source, so we’re used to hearing customers rave about the equipment we sell,” explains Norm, “but the clients who come in asking about an Expresso bike are some of the most passionate and enthusiastic I’ve seen. They love the Expresso because it’s like no other training bike out there. Customers want the Expresso because they’ve tried it at the gym, had a blast, and decided they have to have one in their home. In fact, for many clients, the Expresso bike is the first serious piece of fitness equipment they’ve ever purchased—it’s just that cool.”
Norm says that in particular, customers love the Expresso’s high-resolution console display and exotic virtual locales. “Of course, the Dragon Chase is a perennial favorite,” he continues, “and there’s no denying that the social aspect of the Expresso is one of its best features. Cyclists can’t resist posting their times to Facebook or Twitter. The fact that friends can compete on the Expresso from anywhere and everywhere makes it so much fun, and keeps everyone coming back for more.”
The Expresso bike keeps exercise fun and adventurous, and experts like Norm agree that making fitness fun means that it’s more likely to become part of someone’s everyday routine. That’s good news for Expresso devotees, because the health benefits of stationary bicycling are numerous—and proven. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, cycling improves cardiovascular health, strengthens bones and rarely results in overuse injuries that are common in other forms of exercise. What’s more, regular exercise is proven to reduce the risk of heart attack, diabetes and high blood
pressure.
Norm appreciates what the Expresso Bike provides to Gym Source clients. “We’re passionate about fitness and about our customers’ well-being,” says Norm, “and we never get tired matching enthusiastic fitness fans with machines as fun and as effective as the Expresso Bike.”
I love working in the health and fitness industry. Every day, I get to meet passionate people who are dedicated to improving the lives of those around them. IHRSA is the fitness industry’s biggest trade show and over the past few years of attending it has become obvious that the most successful products are those that give people a platform to share their passion for health and fitness.
Expresso bringing together two Legends. On the left is G. Cisnero and on the right is M. Bogumill. Go to any all time leaderboard and you will find these guys in the top 10.
Let’s look at Zumba and TRX. These aren’t revolutionary new products. Zumba is, in essence, repackaged aerobics with animal print tights instead of fluorescent leg warmers. TRX is nothing more than a bunch of canvas straps hanging from the ceiling. This is basic stuff. What makes these products so successful and effective, is that they give great people a way to connect with others and share their passion for health and fitness.
Cardio equipment does not do this! In fact, it does the opposite! You walk in, you put on your headphones, and flip on the TV. You don’t interact which means there is no opportunity for connection. Have you ever tried to talk to a pretty girl on a treadmill watching The Bachelor? Good luck!!
We call this “Isolation cardio” and it’s a big problem! Most people keep working out and bring in friends because they feel like they are a part of something, not because they can watch Seinfeld reruns on a treadmills. The good news is that cardio equipment manufacturers are trying to change their ways. The bad news is that they’re not quite there yet.
For gyms looking into new cardio equipment, IHRSA 2013 was the year of Connected Fitness. With Connected Fitness, new equipment will talk to the cloud to store preferences and workouts for you. Most of the big boys now have something to show. Precor has Preva. Matrix has M-Power. Technogym has Artis. Free Motion has iFit. LifeFitness is working on it. And Interactive Fitness (my company) has eLive.
We were interviewed by kurriosity.com the social network for healthy living. Go to 2:08 for the interview.
Connected Fitness, done right, is a very good thing for gyms. Done wrong, Connected Fitness is expensive and leaves your gym no better off than it was before. So what’s the difference? Gym owners should ask themselves one question:
Does all this new technology actually help the people at my gym connect with each other or does it further encourage “Isolation Cardio?”
Unfortunately, what I saw at IHRSA was a lot of technology, but not a lot of reason to be excited. Cardio equipment is now going to help you create and track goals and this is a good thing, but beyond this I’m not thrilled with the direction of the industry. Most Connected Fitness solutions are built around saving media preferences, like what are your favorite songs, TV shows, or websites. Making it easier to find your favorite show is great for your TV. It’s not great for your workout. This will further encourage “Isolation Cardio” and all this technology which could be so powerful will instead be wasted.
At Interactive Fitness, our philosophy is different. Our Expresso bikes make exercise fun with virtual reality workouts so that you don’t need to be distracted with video or internet content. Our Connected Fitness programs, like the Top 100 “Team Cardio” monthly challenges give you a reason to interact and connect by aligning your goals instead of encouraging media driven “Isolation Cardio.”
As a smaller company we have to be ahead of the curve in order to compete. I can only hope that for the sake of the industry that over time we demand cardio equipment that stops competing with our couches for entertainment value and starts creating real and compelling shared exercise experiences.
By now you’ve probably noticed the traffic in your gym is starting to thin out. It’s sad but true. A lot of people have a hard time sticking to their healthy resolutions. So how did Expresso riders do compared to the rest of the world? Have we bucked the trend or fallen off the horse?
Well the stats are in and the numbers don’t lie. In February we rode 2.1 million miles. That’s the same as pedaling around the world 84 times or taking 4 trips to the moon and back. But you know what the best part is? We actually rode more this month then we did in January! 3,246 more miles per day or 5% farther! How cool is that! We are getting stronger and sticking to our goals. What’s our secret? Riding the Expresso bike is actually FUN! Shhhhhh, don’t tell anyone…
And once again, a big Congrats to our top 100 individual riders. You are the leaders of this virtual worldwide peloton. We solute your efforts and thank you for bringing the rest of us along for the ride.
We are excited to announce a new and partnership with the American Cancer Society Pedal to End Cancer. This year, for the first time ever, this event will be extended beyond the three hour spinning session by four clubs with connected Expresso bikes. Starting tomorrow, Friday, March 1 through Tuesday, March 5, these clubs will compete head to head live online to see who can ride the most to support cancer research. You can follow all the action here:
Since its inception in 2005, in New England, Pedal to End Cancer has raised more than $2.2 million, supporting the American Cancer Society in their unique mission to save lives and create more birthdays, by helping people stay well and get well, find cures, and fight back. For 2013, 90+ fitness gyms will host the event in early March and for the first time, four participating clubs with Expresso bikes will be able to track their mileage online. There is no fundraising minimum, but participants must register at pedaltoendcancer.org for $25 and select the club they will be riding at.
The rules are simple. Participants will sign in and ride the Expresso bike at their clubs from March 1st to 5th. All miles ridden on standard Expresso routes will contribute to their individual and team totals.
At the end of the challenge, the winning team and the top overall rider will be inducted into the Pedal to end Cancer Hall of Fame. Interactive Fitness will make also make a donation on behalf of their efforts.
Good luck to the riders and clubs and thanks to everyone for supporting such an important cause!
Arrowhead Medical Resources to Distribute CyberCycle & Expresso Virtual Reality Bikes throughout the Rehabilitation, Long Term Care and Senior Therapeutic Wellness Markets.
Sunnyvale, CA – Interactive Fitness has partnered with Arrowhead Medical Resources, LLC to distribute the line of virtual reality rehabilitation and exercise cycles throughout the United States.
The CyberCycle and Expresso are interactive exercise cycles that combine physical activity with engaging virtual environments and motivational features. It is the world’s first rehabilitative product to address both physical and cognitive decline in older adults.
Arrowhead Medical is pleased to represent Interactive Fitness cycles as one of our key new products within the senior rehabilitative market,” said Arrowhead Medical President, Dave Lutz. “The opportunity to actively engage seniors at multiple levels of wellness allows for their continued independence.”
Brian Dykhuizen, Arrowhead Medical’s VP of sales added, “These products allow Arrowhead Medical Resources to offer unique opportunities where both the therapy and wellness staff can utilize equipment through multiple ROI applications. This includes Medicare reimbursement and wellness memberships for the community of seniors as a whole. “
For Interactive Fitness CEO, Bill Stensrud, the fight against dementia is personal. “I am a 62 year old senior. My mother died of Alzheimer’s disease. Delivering the CyberCycle to the senior community may be the most important mission of my life.”
About Arrowhead Medical Resources
Arrowhead Medical Resources LLC, a Minnesota corporation was founded in 2005 by Dave Lutz. Brian Dykhuizen, vice president of sales, was brought on board in 2009. The company is a distributor of wellness and rehabilitation equipment to the senior care market, physical therapy clinics and hospitals throughout the Midwest, with a combined 50 years of experience in the therapy and wellness industry. Arrowhead Medical Resources is recognized as a leading distributor of Med-Fit, Nautilus One with FlexTech, MotoMed, KAT Balance Systems, PowerPlate, bioDensity, Chattanooga & most recently Interactive Fitness.
The Anytime Fitness Top 100 “Team Cardio” program is only a few months old, but already we’ve seen a number of incredible success stories. Jason Baker from Anytime Salisbury Downs was the world’s top individual rider last November and lost a 69 pounds with the Expresso bikes at his gym. Anytime Madison, WI became the world’s top virtual cycling team when members and staff banded together to ride a jaw-dropping 9,122 miles and burn 187,333 Calories on just two bikes this past December, staving off late surges from teams as far away as France.
What is so exciting about Team Cardio? Unlike group classes or member to member challenges, Team Cardio brings your club together by setting a common goal that everyone can work towards as a team. Regardless of fitness level, if you can pedal the Expresso bike, you can help. Mike Tortorice, Anytime Madison Area coach, summed it up best. When asked if he felt that Team Cardio had helped strengthen the bonds at his club he replied, “Absolutely… It’s hard to describe but it’s like we’re a family now.”
Recently we were able to visit the Anytime Madison Team to see how they were enjoying their new Interactive bike. While there, we were lucky enough to chat with a couple of members who helped ride the team to victory, as well as the Owner, Andy Gundlach, and his all-star staff. Each had a unique perspective on Interactive exercise and what it means to be part of the team.
Anytime Members Karen and Deb talk about what it is like to ride for Anytime Madison.
Frayah, Mike and Brad talk about the Team Cardio experience as a staff member.
Owner, Andy Gundlach, describes what attracted him to Interactive exercise and Team Cardio experience.
If you’re satisfied with run of the mill cardio equipment then read no further, but if you’re a club owner like Andy or a staff member like Frayah, Mike or Brad, and you think Team Cardio is right for your club, then click here to join the fun.
Today I’m proud to extend a long overdue congratulations to Gold’s Gym in Sterling, VA. The members and staff of this incredible club rode over 3,000 virtual miles and burned a whopping 119,091 Calories on just two Expresso bikes, to win the December Gold’s Gym Top 100 Challenge and earn a third bike for their club worth $6,999.
The Gold’s Gym Top 100 is the start of a revolution in cardio equipment that brings people together working towards a common goal with Expresso instead of isolating themselves. We call this new type of exercise “Team Cardio” and as Greg Custard, Area General Manager explains, it has a powerful effect on the club culture:
Why did you decide to get involved in the Gold’s Gym Top 100 and what did you do to promote it?
We do an in house challenge on the bikes. Members can win a free month to as much as a $100.00 visa gift card. they really look forward to the competition, so they really took wining the bike to heart once they saw we were on top after the first week they just kept it up. Rick Horton (23,000 calories) really got everyone involved.
Can you take me through some of the highlights for you and your team throughout the month?
We held the lead from start to finish. the biggest highlight had to be keeping the lead down the stretch. The Carmel Gold’s really turned it on towards the end. Their late push really got our members concerned we had members checking in and riding twice a day on the bikes.
What were the keys to victory?
I’ll keep it simple Rick & Trudy Horton, Dennis Rotherham, Isabel Raines, Lawrence Daughtrey and my kids Jack 15 Hanna 14 and Megan 12. New Years Eve when Carmel was making a big push about 2pm, no one on the bikes, my wife brought the kids in and they burned about a thousand calories!
What was the feedback like from your members and staff who joined the team?
They loved it. We have a real competitive group of members.
Do you think this experience strengthened the bonds at your club?
I don’t think most of the riders knew each other as well before the Top 100, now they do. They can’t wait for THEIR new bike to get here!
Lucky for us, two of the top riders from December were at it again while we were there to deliver the prize. 70 year old Isabelle Raines rode 213 miles and burned 6,641 Calories to help her club win and as you can Imagine she is a big fan of the bike. Isabel you may have old knees but you are definitely young at heart.
Top Rider, Rick Horton was a big part of the win for Gold’s Gym Sterling. As Rick explains, he has lost over 15 lbs! No doubt the 623 miles and 23,490 Calories he burned in December had something to do with it. Enjoy your new bike Rick. You earned it!
