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Men Only Hydraulic Clubs Experiment With Concept
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One California gym owner wants to replicate the success of Curves -- only for men. His research shows that there are 12,000 30-minute women-only circuit training clubs and only 100 men-only such clubs – lots of upside potential. As women get fit will they make hubby go to the gym as well?
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With the popularity of Curves and the Bunch, who offer 30-minute women-only circuit training, will the same concept work for men? Well, a lot of companies are testing the theory. So far, there's Cuts for Men, and the Blitz, and they seem to be off to an admirable start.
"You have gyms that are more like meat markets and your wife doesn’t want you to go."
-- Steve Weller, co-owner of Halftime 30 Minute Fitness for Men
The latest entrant is a single gym called Halftime 30 Minute Fitness for Men which opened last Nov. 15th and offers a hydraulic circuit strictly for men. They charge $39.95 per month after an initiation fee of $149 which falls in line with many women-only clubs. Paul Hoesterey told the Dessert Sun why he would join a men only fitness center. His wife is a member of the nearby La Quinta Curves for Women. "I was jealous my wife had a place to go," he said. Another reason why Hoesterey joined is that he’s getting to a point where he is a bit rigid when he wakes in the morning. Although the 48-year-old plays racquetball three times a week, he was looking for something to do in his downtime. He has weights in his garage, but it’s so cluttered he can’t get to them. So, when he learned about Halftime, he signed on. "I’ve never been interested in going to a gym and seeing men grunt and look at themselves in the mirror and women running around in their underwear," he told the Dessert Sun. Steve Weller, co-owner of the gym said that the club is not about discriminating against women, but to give men a comfortable environment to work out and make friends.
Co-ed Gyms Too Much Like Meat Markets
"You have gyms that are more like meat markets and your wife doesn’t want you to go and many wives have the Curves to work out at," Weller said further. He also wanted a workout that fit into his schedule and that of other busy men. He researched the women’s 30-minute clubs and found out there were 12,000 across the country.
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"I wanted to see what they were doing right and how we can relate it to men," Weller said. The result, a 30-minute program with heavy duty, adjustable machines. And of course, the "men’s only" designation.
Franchise Coming He also found out that there are only about 100 men’s clubs in the country. Next year he and his brother, David Weller, will start to franchise other Halftime clubs. In the next 1 1/2 years, he plans to have three other locations in the valley -- one in Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Palm Springs.
Wives Urging Men to Get Fit
Weller said many men come in after the urging of their wives, who have gotten in shape through a similar fitness program. "One man’s wife wanted him to come in to get in shape for a trip they’ll be taking," he said. And although Halftime caters to a mostly 40 and older crowd, men are bringing their sons. "One man has a 15-year-old who is overweight and he plans to bring him in," Weller said.
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Slightly Different Recovery Stations
All circuits use some form of recovery stations between the machines. In the case of Halftime, they use the Step or they do cardio exercise from jumping jacks to jogging in place. "This lets the muscles recover while keeping the heart rate up," Weller said.
Special Golf Trainer
Halftime Fitness features The Core Golf Trainer, a machine that isolates the muscles used when swinging a golf club. Weller said the machine is designed to break bad habits and retrain the core abdomen muscles used in golf.
Posted: 12.15.2004
Source: Kelly O’Connor, The Desert Sun
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