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Executive Summary

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

The US fitness equipment manufacturing industry consists of about 100 companies with combined annual revenue of about $3 billion. Major companies include Cybex International, ICON Health & Fitness, Life Fitness, Nautilus, and Precor. The industry is concentrated: the top five companies account for more than 50 percent of revenue.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by consumer income and demographic trends. The profitability of individual companies depends on unique product designs and effective marketing. Large companies have some advantages in brand recognition, but small companies can compete effectively by building unique products.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products are motorized treadmills, stationary bikes, stair climbers, rowing machines, and elliptical ‘cross-trainers,’ collectively called aerobic exercisers; and weightlifting machines (‘strength training’), and traditional weightlifting equipment (‘free weights’ and benches). In addition, there are a large number of ancillary products. This equipment allows individuals to exercise by themselves in a limited space. The two major market segments for fitness equipment are the home and the institutional exercise equipment market (including health clubs, corporations, apartments, and hotels). The home market is by far the largest and has grown significantly in the past decade. Products are made and marketed separately for the two segments.

Products for home use are mainly treadmills and exercise bikes. Cost is a primary consideration, so home equipment is generally built with lighter materials, as it is rarely used more than one hour per day.

SOURCE: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1ddebb/fitness_equipment

hi matt!  My road to physical fitness has been a bumpy one to say the least. Liife after finishing my college football career consisted of a sedentary work routine and an unhealthy weight gain to over 350 lbs. My big frame suited me well in the football gridiron but as time went on I could see my physique change into something I was becoming increasingly unhappy with. I could always motivate myself to join a gym and work out for a couple of weeks. Eventually I realized working out on a treadmill with random people around me watching me sweat like a hog just wasnt my cup of tea. The constant pounding on my joints and the twenty minute drive to the gym left me between a rock and a hard place. Allowing my gym membership to lapse for several months along with my body created a situation that badly needed a remedy. It was random chance that I came across your website and initially I was skeptical about making a purchase. But after speaking on the phone I realized my health is of paramount importance. I decided on a precor crosstrainer that doesnt adversely affect my knees at all…and on top of that the quality of the machine is superior than those at the gym that I was paying far too much money for every month.

I have lost nearly forty pounds, my energy is leaps and bounds above my previous self, I save TONS of time not driving to the gym. My outlook on life and overall mood is fantastic. I want to express my gratitude for helping me create a new possibility of the physical fitness in my life and I would highly recommend that anyone who wants the same please dont wait your health is worth it!!

Thanks, John

We are huge Cleveland Cavalier fans over here and very upset over their loss. I had already told myself that I was going to run for as many minutes as the Magic had points so I was on the treadmill for a while to say the least.

I run on the Precor C956 and I like it because the treadmill motor is strong and the speed picks up really fast. Inferior treadmills take a longer time to speed up because the poor quality of their motors. When I run, walk, jog, lift weights, swim, or exercise in any kind of way, I like everything to be as natural as possible. When you want to run fast but cant because the treadmill motor will not keep up with you, it can cause you to lose motivation, and ultimately prevents you from working out properly. Never let a machine interfere with you performing to the best of your ability!

When deciding which treadmill to buy, make sure you take into account its motor size and quality. Making sure you pick out a treadmill with a strong and durable drive and incline motors is key in finding the right unit. The treadmill drive motor controls the speed and the treadmill incline motor controls the elevation.