Stuff You Should Read: 7/28/10

Written on July 28, 2010 at 5:46 am, by Eric Cressey

Here is this week’s list of recommended reading:

Push-ups for Baseball Pitchers – The why, how, and when.

The Truth About Leg Extensions – I just remember this article being really fun to write – mostly because I knew I’d get a lot of hate mail about it.  I was right about that.

Simple Asymmetry Fixes – It might be easier than you think!

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Ignorance is Bliss

Written on June 3, 2008 at 8:07 pm, by Eric Cressey

Researchers have just produced aerial photos of an “uncontacted” tribe in the Amazon rainforest.

Going with my gut instinct, I’m going to venture a guess that hut pictured below is the tribe’s gym. Yes, that’s exactly what it is. How intuitive of me…

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it doesn’t have a Smith machine, leg extension, or rotary torso machine. In fact, I’m guessing that these folks don’t care about their six-pack abs or what’s going on at XYZ internet forum. I am, however, guessing that they a) move a lot, b) don’t eat refined crap, and c) probably have better mobility and are healthier than most people who claim to be “in shape.” I doubt any of them have heart disease, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, or even that nauseous feeling you get after your girlfriend forces you to watch “The Batchelorette” while you could be watching a Red Sox no-hitter.

So, for those of you who think you can’t learn anything from a tribe in the Amazon, think again. Move more – and without machines. Wear shoes less. Eat more green stuff and meat (and preferably kill it yourself with a spear). Stand more and sit less. Train your body for function.

Smith Machine Salaries

Written on February 13, 2008 at 12:27 pm, by Eric Cressey

As of July 1, 2006, the IHRSA reported that there were 29,000 commercial fitness centers/health clubs in the U.S.

Now, this is a few years old – and we’re in a growing industry (this number had more than doubled since 1995). So, just for the heck of it (and because I’m not going to search around too hard to find the new info), let’s say that there are 32,000 now – plus another 3,000 hotel gyms.

Next, assume that of these 35,000 exercise facilities in the US, 80% have purchased Smith machines; that’s 28,000 Smith machines in the country. I’ve seen these retail at anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 – so let’s just say that retail at $1,500. Figure a 30% profit on each one, and here’s what you get:

28,000 x $1,500 = $42 million

$42 million x 30% = $12.6 million

Let’s assume that these gyms replace their Smith machine, on average, every three years.

$42 million / 3 years = $14 million
$12.6 million / 3 years = $4.2 million

So what does this tell us?

Smith machines are a $14 million/year industry in the U.S alone.

There may be 42 people in the U.S. grossing six figure incomes from Smith machines alone.

Scary thought….

Now, just imagine: leg extensions are even more popular than Smith machines.

Scary thoughts, indeed.