It was a learning experience for all involved: for a nation, its citizens, the club developers, their employees, and clients.
From the moment in 1994 that Paul J. Kuebler and Vladimir Y. Grumlik first discussed the possibility of opening a Gold's Gym in Moscow, while riding a chairlift at a ski resort in France, the two understood that nothing about the undertaking would be simple, straightforward.
It was just two short years since Communism had crumpled, and Russia was just beginning to learn and practice the ways of capitalism. Infrastructure of every sort'e.g., real estate, banking, law, government regulation'was lacking or weak. Many of the shortcomings of the Communist system'e.g., an inbred bureaucracy, a reliance on bribes and kickbacks'were still in evidence. The political climate remained cloudy. And the average Russian, though invariably a sports fan, barely knew what 'fitness' meant...
'Boys are playing basketball around a telephone pole with a backboard bolted to it. Legs, shouts. The scrape and snap of Keds on loose alley pebbles seems to catapult their voices high into the moist March air'...
To put it simply, Americans are overweight and out of shape, and it's taking a tremendous toll on them, the economy, and the nation's healthcare system. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified obesity as the No. 1 health hazard in the U.S. today...
E-Mail Marketing: Avoiding Legal Pitfalls (In Brief)
To Start A Heart New Study Documents Value of Defibrillators in Health Clubs
E-mail is a fast, convenient, and inexpensive way to market club memberships and to keep in touch with current members. It can also be used to attract people to one's Website, where they can learn more about the facility and its services, purchase products and gift certificates, etc...
The first major study of the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in health clubs has demonstrated that, when utilized by trained staff, the devices can have a dramatic impact on the survival rate of individuals stricken with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)...
Vision Mission: Idea To Reality (Editor's Welcome)
Intentions, Good - Results, Better (Letter from the President)
The vision thing...
Gary Heavin, the founder and CEO of Curves International, put it most clearly, perhaps: 'My advice to club owners is to innovate'to look at the same things that others see, but to see something different...
The obesity crisis has stepped into the spotlight as the most pressing healthcare issue'in the U.S., and, increasingly, in countries worldwide. The race to find and field solutions has begun, and associations, companies, government agencies, charities, and entities of every conceivable sort are off and running'prompting, at least on my part, an admiration tempered by skepticism...
As I write this 'Memo,' reflecting on the developments of the past year, and considering the industry's potential and prospects for the year to come, this is what I see: I realize, as never before, how perfect the franchise concept'which combines the power of a recognized brand with the power of onsite ownership'is for this industry. Among the pioneers that have demonstrated this fact irrefutably: Gold's Gyms International, Powerhouse Gym, and World Gym...
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It was a learning experience for all involved: for a nation, its citizens, the club developers, their employees, and clients. 
'Boys are playing basketball around a telephone pole with a backboard bolted to it. Legs, shouts. The scrape and snap of Keds on loose alley pebbles seems to catapult their voices high into the moist March air'...
The first major study of the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in health clubs has demonstrated that, when utilized by trained staff, the devices can have a dramatic impact on the survival rate of individuals stricken with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)...
