Club Industry expo returns to Chicago

It was a sea of musculature as Club Industry, the expo for fitness business professionals, returned to Chicago after spending last year in Las Vegas.

The conference/exhibit took place Oct. 23-25 at McCormick Place.

The name of the game this year was efficiency, as various exhibitors and items (ranging from software to suspension items) underscored how people can accomplish more things in less time. As columnist/TV personality Andrea Metcalf told Windy City Times, people can get a lot more done and achieve results faster “even if they exercise 10 minutes a day, as opposed to working out two or three times a week.”

Some of the interesting exhibitors included:

—Orange Theory Fitness: The company says it “is the first of its kind and only heart-rate-monitored, high-intensity interval training based on science.” Facilities would employ Orange Theory Fitness spaces (about 3,000 square feet) that include free weights, suspension training and treadmills.

—NuStep: There is no excuse for not exercising with this unit, as the abled and disabled alike can use the recumbent cross-trainer. Features include grab rings (for support); a 360-degree swivel seat that supports up to 400 pounds; and arm adjustments.

—Bilt: With former Olympic decathlete Dan O’Brien working out on this machine, it was hard to miss this unit. Underscoring the theme of efficiency, machines allow a combination of weight resistance and movement. Tennis icon Andre Agassi and his coach, Gil Reyes, came up with the machines with names such as The Quad and C.O.D.

—Glute Force: Yes, you read that name correctly—and, as you can guess, the multifunctional machine focuses on the derriere. (People can also strengthen their hamstrings and abdominals.) Figure/bodybuilding professionals Jeannie Keating, Jerry Hornback and Paula Hornback developed Glute Force.

—HydroMassage: This bed delivers a wave of water that spans the full length of the user’s body. Supposedly, 10 minutes are all that’s needed—stay much longer and people might fall asleep.

—Performance Pin: This smart invention allows people to use weight machines without having to stop to adjust weight levels. Say you’re lifting at 80-, 120- and 160-lb. levels, with Performance Pins at the 120 and 160 marks; once you’re done with the 160 (and the weight makes contact), that pin is ejected, automatically making 120 the next weight you lift.

—Karma wellness water: Available in five varieties—body (raspberry/guava/jackfruit), mind (orange/mango), balance (acai/pomberry), vitality (pineapple/coconut) and spirit (passionfruit/green tea)—Karma has vitamins and nutrients stored in the bottles’ caps until the user releases them into the water. The flavor’s pretty nice, I must admit.

Photos by Andrew Davis