Body Bar Systems Celebrates 20 Years Strong

Original Product, The Body Bar®, Still Widely Used Today

BOULDER, Colo. ? April 17, 2007 - Body Bar Systems, Inc., a premier fitness company specializing in products and educational tools for fitness enthusiasts of all ages and abilities, will begin celebrating twenty years of success today.

Body Bar Systems? first product was the original Body Bar, a weighted bar encased in high quality rubber for a secure and comfortable grip. Today, The Body Bar® is considered an industry standard and is used widely in more than 20,000 clubs, personal training studios, physical therapy centers, spas, military bases, high schools, colleges, and homes worldwide. Over the last 20 years, its versatility has increased to include resistance training, stretching, balancing, yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and cardiovascular training. It is often used in tandem with other fitness tools such as the Step® and exercise ball. The weight of a classic Body Bar ranges from three pounds to 36 pounds.

?It is gratifying to be able to celebrate our 20th year in business,? commented Arno Niemand, owner and chairman of Body Bar Systems. ?It has been a great team effort. All of us are grateful for Body Bar enthusiasts worldwide, especially our clubs and dealers who made this possible.?

Mr. Niemand, along with Richard Boggs, co-founder of The Step Company, and the late Steve Block, co- founder of SPRI® Products, pioneered group exercise equipment in the 1980s.
?Congratulations to Arno and his team for their contributions to the industry with The Body Bar over the past 20 years,? commented Richard P. Boggs, CEO of Body Training Systems, a division of The Step Company.


?Before The Body Bar there was no ?weighted bar,?? said Sherry Catlin, president of Body Bar Systems, five-star presenter, international fitness consultant, and Body Bar Master trainer.
?Even though there are copies, Body Bar created and continually grows the market through quality and innovative programming and education. Now, after 20 years, it is used in thousands of clubs, fitness centers, schools and homes worldwide. The simplicity and ease-of- use makes it the perfect tool to work with every market from kids to seniors, and from de-conditioned to Olympic athletes. It is one tool I won?t train without. Life is complicated; fitness should be simple. The Body Bar does it all.?

?Being in the fitness industry for over 25 years, I have seen literally hundreds of fitness products come and go,? said Jim Ramondetta, original Body Bar Systems partner and owner of Berkshire Fitness, Inc. ?The Body Bar has truly stood the test of time. The Body Bar revolutionized the group exercise world with safe, productive, and fun strength training. Its beauty is its simplicity and its versatility. Don’t mistake Body Bar for some quick fix or fad. This is an intelligent, proven, product line, dedicated to results. Experience this innovative, user-friendly, goal-oriented line of products today.?

In the last 20 years, Body Bar Systems has introduced many other educational programs and tools, such as manuals, workshops, training tools and DVDs. The newest addition to their product line is the Body Bar Flex?, a flexible fiberglass composite rod with easy-grip durable rubber casing and end caps. The Body Bar Flex fits all ages and can be use for balance and stretching as well as strength training due to its unique patented technology which offers resistance ranging from zero to 40 pounds when bent into an arc.

Gordon Brown, a composites specialist, developed both the Body Bar Flex and the Power Body Bar Flex?. ?Body Bar Systems? commitment to fitness education over the past 20 years makes them uniquely qualified to launch innovative products like the Body Bar Flex,? said Mr. Brown. ?Through education, Body Bar Systems has helped trainers and home users find limitless ways to use the Body Bar Flex for strength, conditioning and stretching. Elementary school students, golfers, senior citizens, and elite athletes have all benefited from the Body Bar Flex, proving that Body Bar Systems? dedication to education and innovation makes the company truly exceptional.?

Fitness Industry Leaders Offer Congratulations

?Congratulations, Body Bar Systems, on your 20th anniversary. With all the equipment that has come before and after, the Body Bar is still my number one choice when teaching a body conditioning or sculpt class! Everyone sees results and the variety of different resistance weight makes it ideal in a multi-level class where modifications are necessary. Its shape is easy to use and provides lots of opportunity for creativity. Body Bar Systems, you’re not getting older, you’re getting better!?
Carol Scott
President, ECA World Fitness Alliance


?My preference for strength training equipment, both in my club for my students and for instructors, is the Body Bar. It is an extremely versatile piece of equipment, unlike any other. The ability to program for a large variety of participants is at your fingertips, literally, with the Body Bar. The company also provides unsurpassed educational products through live education and DVDs that allows me to elevate my instructors, and my own classes. Lakeshore is a Body Bar facility; I am a Body Bar supporter. I congratulate Body Bar Systems on 20 years in the industry, helping instructors think outside the box and enabling us to increase strength, endurance, and functionality in every client we teach.?
Shannon (Griffiths) Fable
2006 American Council of Exercise (ACE) Group Fitness Instructor of the Year
Group fitness director of Lakeshore Athletic Club ? Flatiron ? in Colorado, www.lsac-flatiron.com
Owner of Sunshine Fitness Resources, www.sfresources.com

Television Fitness Contributors

?I have been using the Body Bar for quite a while, and now I?m also a fan of the new Body Bar Flex. The products really work and are fun to use, so I?m thrilled that Body Bar Systems is now celebrating 20 years of success. I send my warmest congratulations and look forward to future innovations from Body Bar Systems.?
Eric Harr
Fitness contributor for CBS, weekly columnist and the best-selling author of several books including The Portable Personal Trainer (Random House) and Triathlon Training in 4 Hours. Mr. Harr featured the Body Bar Flex on the CBS Early Show on January 1, 2007.Week (Rodale). www.ericharr.com.

?Happy Birthday Body Bar! I am a huge Body Bar fan. I use it nearly every day right in my own home, to shape, tone and strengthen my entire body. I haven?t used any strength machines at the gym in more than five years! I love it so much. I?ve used Body Bar on my national television show, and featured it several times on ABC?s nationally syndicated View From the Bay. It?s simply one of the most important, most practical and most result-oriented pieces of equipment on the market today. Thank you Body Bar Systems for 20 years of making my life healthier and better overall ? here?s to the next 20!?
Jennifer Jolly
Host, national fitness show, All That?s Fit on the Fine Living Network www.fineliving.com Fitness contributor for ABC
Jennifer is writing her first book, set for release in fall of 2007.
www.jenniferjolly.com (coming soon)

Body Bar Master Trainers

?Body Bars have been my fitness toy of choice since its inception. Not only is the Body Bar a must for every strength training workout, it also allows me to perform jumping and balancing moves when placed in the vertical position. I love the fact that I can create fabulous creative workouts with this simple tool. ?
Mindy Mylrea
2004 Can Fit Pro Presenter of the Year
1999 IDEA International Fitness Instructor of the Year
World Aerobic Champion
Creator of Gliding? www.glidingpro.com /www.glidingdiscs.com

?In my work as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer I have found the Body Bar to be one of the most versatile tools there is. When it comes to functional training, the Body Bar allows for complete freedom of movement through multiple planes of motion creating an endless array of exercises.?
Keli Roberts
2003 Recipient of the IDEA Instructor of the Year
Nautilus Institute Advisory Board Member
ACSM-HFI
ACE Gold Personal Trainer
ACE Group Exercise
AFAA

Personal Trainers

?The Body Bar and The Body Bar Flex provide my clients with a variety of exercises to do in an outdoor boot camp setting that we otherwise could not simulate without such equipment. My clients love using the bars, are not intimidated by them, and it?s a great way to get them to progress from light dumbbells. The Body Bars allow my clients to increase their intensity while performing a variety of fun, functional and safe exercises.?
Kelli Calabrese, MS, CSCS
Flower Mound, TX
Editor, Personal Fitness Professional
Clinical exercise physiologist
Adventure Booth Camp instructor
Author of ?Feminine, Firm & Fit.?
2004 Personal Trainer of the Year (Online Training) - Personal Fitness Professional
www.KelliCalabrese.com.

?Being a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and promoting mostly functional and core training, I not only use Body Bars, but encourage clients to purchase their own. What a great tool to have! There is no assembly, the bar takes up so little space, and is very affordable whether we buy one bar at a time or a variety of them. I especially appreciate the ease of toting my Body Bars to an office setting for small group training which incorporates circuits with Bosu®, the Step, and the Sball. The videos offered by the Body Bar Master Trainers are the best instructional videos available and I refer back to them often to brush up on technique, ideas, sport-specific exercises, and to review certain combos that they have designed. Honestly, I can?t remember how I trained without them!?
Robin McIntire, ACE, CT, CTA, CTE
Greeley, Colorado
Owner, Training With Passion, LLC
AFFA, AAAI/ISMA.


Clubs

“I like The Body Bar because it is versatile and you can use it to work the entire body, both for strengthening and core stability. It has a comfortable grip and it is easy to work with. You can easily take The Body Bar from a club setting to your home. Happy Birthday!”
Annette Tannander Bank
Personal Trainer
Rally Sport Health and Fitness Club
Boulder CO
CSCS and CMT certified
Former Track and Field Olympian for Sweden
Nordic Walking Trainer
www.rallysportboulder.com

“Our clients love using Body Bars in their workouts. Whether in fitness classes or in the weight room, they provide fun variations in programming and offer endless combination possibilities with other props. Our ?props? to Body Bar Systems on their 20th anniversary!”
Elie Cossa
City Fitness Gym
Washington DC
www.fitphysique.org


?I?ve seen many fitness trends come and go over the years, but many don?t last very long. Tools like the Step and the Body Bar endure because they show results, are fun to use, and are kinder to the body long-term when using low-impact cardio techniques. Congratulations to Body Bar Systems on 20 years of success!?
Linda Kennoy
Instructor, YMCA
Studio owner
Boulder, CO

?Body Bar products are simple, multi-functional and fun. The Body Bars and Smart Bells® keep workouts creative and challenging. No facility or trainer should be without these products.?
Stephanie S. Willner, MS
Boulder, Colorado
Cycling director at the Flatiron Athletic Club
Exercise physiologist


About Body Bar Systems, Inc.
Founded in 1987, Body Bar Systems provides the infinite workouts and solid educational tools that fitness enthusiasts of all ages and abilities still choose after twenty years - because they work. The company has created a strong presence through the original weighted fitness bar, The Body Bar®, and the extensive ?Master Your Body? DVD series of workout programs. Body Bar Systems is committed to enhancing the fitness and well being of the world by providing quality products and education with passion, integrity, and fun. www.bodybar.com 1-800-500-2030.
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Contact Information

Marilyn R. Kroner

President

Kroner Communications

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