Top 10 Reasons Upper Body.indd - SciFit

y Denton Smith
Are you getting the most
from the cardio equipment
in your facility? Are there
products for everyone? Do
you have products for those
members who may have a
temporary lower-body injury,
or have simply overworked
their legs? There has never
been a better time to consider
adding upper-body cardio
to your cardio mix. There is a
wide range of choices in this
product category and more
reasons then ever to make the
leap to upper- body priority
cardio.
1. Create a Focus on Upper-
Body Exercise:
If you are like most, over 90%
of the cardio equipment in
your club is lower-body priority
and the other 10% is likely
total-body exercise. Your totalbody
equipment is usually a
lower-body driven exercise
with the arms simply going
along for the ride. Educate
your clients on the benefits
of upper-body exercise. Did
you know your heart has to
work two- and-a-half times as
hard to pump blood through
your arms as it does to pump
the same amount of blood
through your legs? The blood
vessels in your arms are smaller
Ten Reasons for
Upper Body Cardio
and offer a greater resistance
against the flow of blood.
2. Lower-Body Injury and
Membership Retention:
Provide an exercise solution
for your members who have
incurred a temporary injury
Educate your
clients about
the benefits
of upper body
exercise.
to a lower extremity and may
wish to freeze or stop their
membership. Do not lose this
member; offer them an upper-body
cardio and strength
workout until they have recovered
from their injury. Keep
their exercise habits alive! Not
to mention, your cash flow.
Several products offer both
strength and cardio on the
same machine and are ideal
solutions for those with shortterm
injuries.
3. Strengthen Shoulders:
Most shoulder injuries are
not serious enough to stop
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members from training or
playing recreational sports,
but they do inhibit optimal
results. Many are due to weak
or under-trained rotator cuff
muscles. This is often because
we train primarily with linear
movements. Your members
can best strengthen and rehabilitate
the rotator cuff tendons
and associated muscles
with a rotary exercise movement.
Some equipment companies
offer internal/external
rotation attachments specifically
designed to strengthen
the rotator cuff.
4. Attract New Members:
Offer upper-body cardio
equipment for prospective
members who have lost the
use of their lower extremities.
Look for upper-body exercisers

that offer swivel seats, for easy
transfers, and with wheelchair
platforms, for maximum ease
of accessibility.
5. Appeal to Cyclists and
Runners:
Many of your members ride a
road bike, run, or jog for the
majority of their lower-body
conditioning. These members
often fall victim to local leg fatigue
and would gladly use an
upper-body cycle for supplemental
upper-body exercise.
6. Keep Them Coming Back.
How many members have you
lost because they walked on
a treadmill, but did not feel
comfortable in your weight
and machine area, and decided
to walk at home? Using
an upper-body cycle can help
integrate them into other parts
of your facility and would give
them a reason to come back.
7. Alternative Strength
Training:
An upper-body cardio machine
with isokinetic resistance
can provide primary strength
training for the most deconditioned
member and supplemental
strength training for
the strongest athlete. Strength
training with Isokinetics is not
intimidating and is safer for
individuals new to strength
training workouts.
8. Cut Down on Treadmill
Use:
Dividing cardio time between
upper body and lower body
will significantly cut down on
your treadmill usage. Remember,
treadmills are the most
expensive pieces of equipment
in your facility, to both purchase
and maintain.
9. ADA Tax Credit:
Many upper-body exercisers
are wheelchair accessible and
approved by the American’s
with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Take advantage of the ADA tax
credit. If your facility qualifies,
a 50% tax credit is available.
That is a tax credit, not just a
deduction.
10. Cross Training:
Cardiovascular cross training
provides benefits that are
not attainable from any other
method of training. Focusing
on upper-body only cardio for
at least 1/3 of an individual’s
workout is logical because the
human muscular structure is
approximately 1/3 upper body
and 2/3 lower body. This blend
of exercise is crucial to the balance
of major muscle groups.
Upper-body cycles are not just
for people with lower-body
injuries or disabilities. Upper-
Upper-body cycles
should be a part of
every person’s cardio
workout.
body cycles should be a part of
every person’s cardio workout.
Simply stated, your cardio area
should have a mix of at least
15% upper-body only with
another 15% all body. If your
cardio area does not have this
blend, your member retention
rate may be significantly less
than it should be, and your
closing rate with the deconditioned
members is also probably
lower than it should be.
Denton Smith is the President of
SCIFIT Systems, Inc. He can be
contacted at 800.278.3933, or by
email at dsmith@scifit.com.