Functional training is a popular exercise style that many fitness facilities are still working to effectively accommodate. This particular type of training involves exercises designed to ready and strengthen the body for everyday tasks and natural movements. When it comes to buying the right equipment, you want to ensure you find the right solutions for your gym or fitness center. We have put together a complete functional training equipment buyer's guide with 9 considerations you need to make informed decisions.
The hospitality industry has changed rapidly in the last decade with the rise of Airbnb and other rental marketplaces. One primary advantage hotels have maintained is the on-site fitness facility. However, if your hospitality business is missing a fitness center or your equipment is outdated, you could lose this edge. You might wonder, "Should I update my hotel gym? Are hospitality fitness centers important?" We have the answers you are looking for.
Advantage Sport & Fitness (ASF), a leading provider of high-quality commercial fitness facility design and equipment solutions, is excited to announce its expansion to serve the Mid-Atlantic Region, encompassing New Jersey (NJ), Delaware (DE), Maryland (MD), Washington, D.C. (DC), and Virginia (VA). This strategic expansion with vendor partners such as Precor, Escape Fitness and Power Lift, marks a significant milestone in the company's growth and dedication to designing innovative, customized fitness spaces for clients.
A new or updated fitness amenity can be a major draw for potential residents looking for multifamily housing, but why does this particular amenity carry so much weight?
If you own or operate a gym or fitness space, you already know that exercise is an essential part of a well-balanced lifestyle. It can also be a great way to connect with other people. Interactive fitness equipment allows users to try new things, whether it’s classes, games, or competitions, while getting their favorite workout in.
Each year in March, the world’s leading fitness equipment manufacturers unveil new products and features at IHRSA - it’s the moment we wait for to catch a glimpse of “what’s next.” This year, IHRSA was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop our vendor partners from releasing new fitness products that are sure to impact the industry.
There’s no question — due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re living in a different reality than we were just a few months ago. One question we are beginning to hear more is, “How can I prepare my facility to reopen to exercisers?” Read on for a few ideas and recommendations we’ve gathered based on what we have been hearing from our customers and industry partners.
525 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh’s fourth-largest corporate office building in the Central Business District, has just completed Phase 1 of amenity renovations that began in 2016, including a state-of-the-art corporate fitness center and tenant lounge. Even before the upgrades were complete, the new amenities already began attracting several big-name tenants, and the building has seen a surge in new signings since completion.
We are so pleased that we were able to participate in such a rewarding project. The new James J. McCann Center boasts a whopping 60,000 square feet of space compared to the 25,000 square feet in the previous recreation and athletics facility.
Home to the new regional headquarters of First National Bank, FNB Tower is a 22-story mixed-use development in Downtown Raleigh that completed construction in 2019 and hosts 325,869 square feet of Class A office, retail, and residential apartment space. ASF partnered with developer Dominion Realty Partners on their fitness amenity plans for 511 Faye, a luxury apartment community housed in FNB Tower that features high-rise views of the city and leverages the latest in fitness technology.
Our partners at Escape Fitness recently released the newest addition to their functional fitness line: the TIYR Sport. With hundreds of combinations for warm-ups, stretches, HIIT workouts, strength training, and sport-specific movements, the TIYR Sport is an ideal new tool to add to your facility. Reengage members with exciting workout opportunities that will appeal to any fitness level.
Our own Kim Hamilton (ASF Master Trainer + Business Development Manager) working out with the TIYR Sport
A gym-favorite evolved, the TIYR Sport is a versatile and compact tool that adapts to suit HIIT workouts, strength and flexibility routines, core and balance drills. It delivers a quick-fix opportunity to engage members with exciting programming in any location. With such a range of possibilities, the TIYR Sport empowers exercisers and inspires the betterment of body and mind.
The Original TIYR
Specifications: From 35in/90lbs - 45in/220lbs
Features: The original TIYR introduced the benefits of a reduced diameter with increased mass. It was designed with a reinforced base for practical use anywhere and will land flat when pushed over for added safety. Ergonomic handles for lifting and flipping also provide anchor points for attachments like battle ropes and power bands.
Available in four different size and weight levels:
The New TIYR Spo
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Specifications: 26.3in/22lbs
Features: Building on the popularity of the original TIYR, the smaller TIYR Sport allows you to enhance any functional training workout. The TYIR Sport features an anti-slip bottom and inner for enhanced stability, grip and safety, durable external grip handles for lifting and flipping exercises, and an inner ridge that can be gripped allowing for dynamic workouts.
The TIYR Sport also boasts a Cleangard-lacquered PVC top and outer side that are tactile and easy to clean. Designed to be eco-friendly, the TIYR Sport is made from recycled foam composite and is entirely recyclable.
With the TIYR Sport, users are able to perform more dynamic and functional movements due to its relatively low weight. At 22lbs, the TIYR Sport is light enough to allow beginners to participate while still being heavy enough to push intensity with more advanced exercisers.
Soon, there will be a full range Exercise Library and online training module available to support the use of TIYR Sport, and there are already several TIYR Sport workouts and exercises that can be found on the Escape MARS Screen. These workouts feature variations on planks, squats, swings, crunches, extensions, and more.
“The TIYR Sport is a great addition to the Escape Functional Tool lineup! This product can be used to push varying levels of fitness, from kids, to exercise beginners, to advanced athletes. And who doesn’t have fun slinging tire!
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Kim and Amen Iseghohi with the TIYR Sport
“It’s not just safe and creative, it looks like fun! It’s vibrant and dynamic. The TIYR Sport is the present and most definitely the future.”
Amen Iseghohi from Escape Fitness and Andrew Page from Axle Workout
If fitness factors into your business model or organizational values, you’ll want to make sure you’re informed, educated, and prepared to address the coming year’s top predicted fitness trends.
One of our largest projects of 2019 was designing and equipping the newly constructed Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-Being at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. It was an honor to be selected as the sole fitness provider for this endeavor, and we put all hands on deck to accomplish the vision for the space. Click to view photos of this magnificent new recreation center!
Leading into 2019, the Jamison at Brier Creek had big plans to update and refresh their apartment community. Near the top of the list was a nod to the increasing popularity of wellness and healthy living, with a project to upgrade their existing fitness equipment and convert a spacious movie theater room into a functional fitness and group exercise studio.
Many facilities claim to be ‘state-of-the-art,’ but without adressing these key factors, you risk being out-classed by your competition: Design, Functional, and Technology-Driven.
