The VoicE Q3
Gold’s Gym has a
storied reputation
of being the home
of serious strength
training
Over its 30-year history, Hammer
Strength has grown into a trusted
strength training performance brand.
It makes plenty of sense then that
the two icons in the fitness industry
have worked together for decades.
It’s also not surprising that both have
evolved with the fitness industry.
When it comes to strength training,
evolution means embracing new
philosophies, while staying rooted in
proven techniques. This combination
allows clubs to cater to a wide range
of exercisers—broad appeal is essen-
tial in today’s competitive health club
market.
The Proven: The Power of
Progression
Progression is one key consideration
for helping exercisers at Gold’s Gym
find their starting point and build
a path to success. It’s what keeps
novices and new exercisers coming
back to the gym, and progression
is what gets results for experienced
workout warriors. It’s contingent
upon having a wide range of training
options.
Hammer Strength equipment variety
today isn’t just intended for sculpted
bodybuilders, like in the early days
when plate-loaded was popular at
Gold’s. The wide product offering
allows all types of exercisers to
improve and become motivated
based on the results that they see.
The value of strength training has
become much more apparent to
even moderate exercisers in the
past decade, but that doesn’t mean
that some novices aren’t slightly
intimidated by getting started with
a strength routine.
In the mid-2000s Hammer Strength
developed Strength IQ, an approach
to progression that still holds true
today. It is based around three
different strength training categories
—Fundamental, Developmental and
Specialized—and the equipment that
is the most suitable for each.
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• Fundamental strength-training
equipment should be easy to use
with minimal setup and machine-
defined paths of motion. It appeals-
to both novices and experienced
exercisers.
Equipment examples: Hammer
Strength Select selectorized strength
fits the category well. Hammer
Strength Select provides a “must-
have” strength training baseline and
offers an easy entry point for less
experienced exercisers.
• Developmental equipment is a little
more sophisticated and provides a
logical next step for slightly more
experienced exercisers. Strength
equipment with Iso-Lateral and
independent movement fits the
category. Developmental equipment
leads exercisers up the path of
progression.
Equipment examples: Hammer
Strength plate-loaded and MTS
selectorized equipment.
• Specialized strength equipment is
ideal for advanced exercisers. It in-
cludes free weights, Olympic lifting
and other modalities that focus on
user stabilization, independent
motion and user-defined paths of
motion. Exercisers don’t necessarily
have to be experts to use this type
of equipment, but they may need
guidance from certified personal
trainers. The emergence of perfor-
mance small group training has
placed an added emphasis on the
Specialized category.
The New: Performance Small Group
Training
It’s hardly a revelation to state that
group training is an extremely popular
draw for exercisers and new members.
The numbers bear that out.
The American College of Sports
Medicine’s 2019 list of top fitness
trends ranked group training at No. 2
and high-intensity interval training
(which can easily be done in a small
group training setting) at No. 3. And,
according to the 2018 IHRSA Health
Club Consumer Report, 27% of ex-
ercisers (both health club members
and non-members) participated in a
small group training session in 2017.
Small group training has all sorts of
possibilities. The excitement that
surrounds performance group
training can create an energizing
atmosphere around racks and rigs
and encourage participation from
exercisers at varying ability and
fitness levels.
Challenging performance group
training, with proper instruction from
a certified trainer, can incorporate
a wide range of options including
Olympic lifting, bodyweight training
and functional training. It can employ
equipment like kettlebells, free weights,
weight sleds, plyo boxes and more.
Smart performance training rewards
intensity with results.
Progression and performance can
both be powerful guiding philosophies
at any health club. They provide
challenges for every exercise, which
keeps them coming back to the gym.