as seen in

December '08 thru January '09

Part I of III
Fitness Technology:
Can you really get
Fit Faster?

In this series, we'll look at a small company with big plans for a strength training system so advanced, it has no rival. Amoung the many astounding claims, they say it is so effective that just one set is equivalent to the results of 3 or 4 conventional sets. The basic system can be integrated with club automation, advanced computer controls and features like voice command, pre-programmed routines and performance charting. For club owners, highly efficient and automated strength training equipment allow more people to workout in less time and get better results. This means higher client satisfaction and retention. If true, this could revolutionize the fitness industry.

The Afterburner® Strength Training System has been featured in Home Gym Magazine, SNEWS Magazine, as well as having been selected as one of 28 Hot New Products in Popular Science Magazine. The question is - Can you really get fit faster?

Next time you are in Honolulu, ask celebrity restaurateur John Miller about his former assistant Natasia Courchesne and he will say "she left to takeover her family business, but I think she is going to take over the world."
Ms. Courchesne explains: "My dad is an expert in computer and machine controls for jet engines used in power generation. As a fitness enthusiast, he and two other co-inventors came up the idea of how to dramatically improve on the basic exercise machine. He has applied his expertise for years to develop and refine the Afterburner® into a system that is unparalleled in performance and technology. At this stage, it's time for me to take over.

Patents are now in place both here and overseas and we are ready to enter the pre-commercialization phase with our automated fitness suites. We are inviting innovators in the industry to team up with us as we launch a pilot project and introduce this technology to the world."

Q1: So, what is it?
A1: The core of this technology starts with a new kind of weight stack, similar to a selectorized weight stack - like those used on great fitness machines everywhere. The difference is, instead of lifting a stack of iron plates, you are lifting a volume of water connected to a reservoir and control system. With the push of a button, the weight pumps up to allow you to start heavy when you are strong and then the weight will slowly begin to get lighter automatically as you fatigue during the exercise. You don't need to stop and adjust the weight. It's like having a built in personal trainer beside you helping you achieve the most from each and every repetition.

Q2: What is the main benefit?
A2: Getting better results, faster. With this method, the time spent exercising not only ignites your muscles for extra ordinary results to shape your body, but it also revs up your heart rate for an aerobic benefit comparable to any time spent on a bike or treadmill. Experts agree that muscle intensity, not the number of reps is what promotes all of the benefits associated with strength training. Afterburner® prolongs the intensity by maintaining the muscles more highly activated for multiple repetitions so you don't waste time with reps that just aren't effective.

Q3: Will it be expensive?
A3: The basic system uses a reservoir of water, a pump and throttle valve to control the amount of water in the load tank. Plans include a retrofit package for under $450.00. The automated studio uses computer controls with pre-programmed routines, voice control, performance reports and can be networked with a real or virtual personal trainer on the web are optional. These will be priced in the range of upscale home theatres. Either way, the results are the same; you can get fit faster with Afterburner.

Part II of III Fitness Technology: Can you really get Fit Faster?

In Part I, we learned about new fitness technology based on an entirely new kind of weight stack developed by Afterburner® Fitness Inc. The stack is part of an advanced strength training system that promises to deliver an ultra efficient workout by saving time and maximizing results. Retrofit designs are economical and easy to use and can be upgraded with advanced automated features like voice command, preprogrammed routines and can be networked to the web. As we continue our discussion with Ms. Natasia Courchesne, we will learn more about how it works and what makes it so fast.

Q4: How does it work?
A4: Getting results from your workout is not about the amount of time you spend in the gym or the number of reps you perform; it's about muscular activation. When muscle activation is sufficiently intense, it elevates heart rate and metabolism, and stimulates the natural processes of the human body to regenerate and become stronger and leaner than it was before.

To achieve this goal with a conventional machine, you must start with a heavier weight and push your muscles to fatigue, stopping to reduce the weight and then starting over again. This method is better than the old fashioned three sets of ten, but is still inefficient, awkward and wastes time. Machines fueled by Afterburner® technology allow the weight to be adjusted automatically during exercise; starting heavy when you are strong and reducing smoothly and gradually in proportion to your fatigue so you don't have to stop.

A The Load Tank holds up to 180lbs of water, it is raised and lowered just like a conventional stack, providing resistance due to gravity. B The Flex Hoses transfer water to and from the Load Tank and the Charge Tank, adjusting the weight during your exercise. C The Throttle is set once you have reached your desired intensity and controls the rate of flow, decreasing the weight continuously over multiple repetitions and in proportion to your fatigue. D The Charge Tank acts as the reservoir and houses the optional sensors and computer which can be remotely controlled from the web. E The Pump transfers water to the Load Tank with a push of a button at the start of your exercise or as an intensity boost. F Standard Plates can add an extra 100 lbs of weight if higher starting weights are necessary.

Q5: How fast is it?
A5: There is no denying the science behind this. Clinical research and testing was performed at a major medical university. The report, posted at www.afterburnerfitness.com, concluded that by comparison, test subjects would require three conventional sets of ten reps to achieve the same muscle activations of just the last three repetitions of an Afterburner® set. Even with these impressive results, we have made it even more effective with the support of the Canadian government's Scientific Research and Experimental Development Program. The Afterburner Strength Training System ignites your work out to make every rep count. Perform a full body workout in 20 minutes, maintain once a week, twice a week to tone up, become an athlete with 3 times per week.

Q6: Who can use it?
A6: The Afterburner® has been used by people from age 7 to 70+. Busy adults love it because it is so fast and efficient. Athletes value its unmatched ability to keep them at peak performance. Using water instead of 10 lb metal plates allows the weight to be precisely adjusted in a fraction of a pound which is important for sport and fitness therapists in the rehabilitation of minor injuries, or for developing strength, improving balance and mobility for the elderly or frail. Doctors and trainers can use our system to develop programs, record progress and even supervise your training live on the web.

Part III of III Fitness Technology: Can you really get Fit Faster?

In Part II, we learned about how the Afterburner® Strength Training System promises to be at the forefront of an exciting and new fitness technology. At its core, it incorporates a remarkable innovation that uses a patented fluid loaded weight stack, claimed to be unrivalled in its ability to provide you with all the benefits associated with strength training, much, much faster than ever before. Clinically tested and proven effective, there is no denying the science behind this one. Only the Afterburner® STS can automatically adjust the weight during exercise to match your available strength, helping to elevate and prolong muscular intensity. This method is highly efficient and saves you time because you don't have to stop and change the weight, and by maintaining elevated intensity, allows each and every rep to produce results for the ultimate in performance. The basic system is economical and easy to use, and can be upgraded as part of an Afterburner® Web Automated Fitness Suite. In this final part of our three part series, we resume our conversation with Ms. Courchesne to learn more.

Q8: What is an Afterburner® Web Automated Fitness Suite?
A8: Imagine the world's best strength training equipment integrated with an Afterburner® remote control weight stack and the most advanced automation features available - built right into a private exercise studio just for you. Add dual monitors for a full blown media center to play your favorite movies or music. Plug in your memory stick to display your personalized training program, workout history, and vital statistics. Use simple voice commands to start up your program and interact with a virtual personal trainer. The system charts your performance and records the changes to the weight, the number of reps and the range of motion of your exercise. For elite athletes or those who simply want the best, a personal trainer or sport therapist can connect live to remotely monitor or review your progress, make changes and offer advice.

Afterburner® Web Automated Fitness Suite Prototype 3.1, Toronto, Canada
Remote Monitoring and web cam support for Doctors, Sport Therapists and Personal Trainers

Q9: Earlier, you touched on your plans for a pilot project. Can you give us more details?
A9: We maybe only a small start-up company, but we are committed to excellence and innovation. This new technology is a powerful tool, and prior to full-scale commercialization, we want it to be bullet proof. We recognize that we can't do it alone, and so we have begun to assemble a host of specialists to form an Advisory Council. We presently have experts in financing, corporate governance, entrepreneurship and startup enterprises, intellectual property law, patent strategy, scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) and automation engineering. We are actively seeking to partner with the leaders and innovators in the fitness industry, including club owners, personal and sport trainers, physical therapists as well as the best manufacturers in the business to help us deploy, evaluate and refine this new technology to best serve those who will best know how to use it.

Our plan is to place twenty Afterburner® Web Automated Fitness Suites in various markets and locations nationally and internationally. These pre-commercialization units are ultra high-tech, and will be sold to our associates at a projected retail market price of approximately $20,000 each. What makes this unique is that the associates who participate will be invested in the company for up to a total of 10% ownership of the technology, with certain marketing rights and exclusivity to be negotiated on a case by case basis.

Q10: How can I see it for myself?
A10: We have a fully functional prototype of the Afterburner® Web Automated Fitness Suite ready for demonstration right now. For those who are not able to come in and try it personally, we will be scheduling demonstrations live from the internet. Although seeing may be believing, one very important fact to remember is that the ability to control the weight during exercise has never before been available, and so the full potential of this amazing technology can only be realized when you experience the results for yourself.