November 26, 2001 Masters of Muscle

Volume 4 | Issue 8

Body Masters is at the top in the art of designing and manufacturing high-quality strengthening and conditioning equipment.

You’ve probably seen its name on the state-of-the-art equipment you use at your health and fitness center or gym. In fact, the reason you chose that facility could very well be that it uses this equipment. The company is Body Masters Sports Industries, Inc., of Rayne, La. People throughout the world have come to rely on the high-quality, high-results equipment bearing Body Masters’ name.

“We are a privately held strength and conditioning equipment manufacturer, and we are proud of this because many of the big players are public companies. We are also proud of achieving a reputation of being able to offer the highest-quality equipment in the industry, which we manufacture right here in Rayne,” says Brian Bille, marketing director of the 22-year-old company.

In just a bit over two decades, the company’s commitment to superior quality has paid high dividends. Body Masters is one of the leading manufacturers of commercial-use weight-resistance exercise equipment in the world. “This is due to our experienced and skilled employees, many of whom have been with us for over 10 years,” says Bille. Those employees number 250 people, and its manufacturing facility measures 100,000 square feet.

Team Sports
Body Masters does not just manufacture fitness and workout machines. The company also designs and engineers state-of-the-art equipment based on its cutting-edge scientific knowledge. It employs a powerful staff of experts in the fields of biomechanics, engineering, sports medicine, computer-aided design, manufacturing, sales and distribution. With this focused team approach, Body Masters continues to offer the industry the highest-quality exercise equipment by ensuring safety, top-notch functionality and durability.

Body Masters’ major markets include health and fitness clubs, corporate wellness centers, universities and colleges, rehabilitation and physical therapy centers, government facilities and high schools. “We have a comprehensive product line of over 110 different pieces of equipment and accessories,” Bille says. “When we design our equipment, our experts make sure the design matches the body’s natural strength curve, so the equipment delivers the most natural motion possible. Each piece of equipment is the most biomechanically correct machine on the market, which lessens the potential for injuries.”

Body Masters offers the industry’s most extensive line of selectorized, plate-loaded free-weight and multistation exercise equipment. The research and development division subjects every new product to a comprehensive development process, resulting in products that integrate training goals, ergonomics, engineering safety and maintenance. Typical quality-assurance testing includes more than a million repetitions with the full weight stack.

Using total quality management practices and a combination of computer-aided design with finite element analysis and high-repetition prototype testing, Body Masters makes products that deliver the highest structural integrity available in the industry. The strength and durability of each machine is just about guaranteed, as Body Masters uses high-strength carbon steel tubing to provide exceptional structural integrity.

The Adonis Factor
Knowing well that good body health promotes good mental and emotional health, the company is a master at designing equipment targeting specific muscle groups for a full body workout. All of Body Masters’ equipment is designed to deliver the most user-friendly exercise to any user — from the hesitant beginner to the resident Adonis-Hercules.

The Circuit Master™ line of products presents a diverse range of configurations — from a two-station system to a 12-station system, depending on the customer’s requirements. This allows an exercise facility the flexibility to design its own particular circuit training system, with specified components to fit the unique needs of the facility’s clients. Circuit Master’s™ modular machines can be linked together to create exactly the kind of workstation that fits both space and exercise requirements. “This series uses 25 percent less floor space and costs about 35 percent less than equivalent freestanding equipment,” says Bille.

The company’s newest product launch is its CX Series of selectorized equipment, “which keeps all users in mind, from the everyday fitness guru to the most unconditioned person who might never have been to a gym before,” Bille explains. The CX Series includes about 30 different machines, each designed for targeted weight training for particular muscle groups.

“We designed the CX Series to be as easy to use as possible,” Bille says. “Baby boomers are starting to work out more, and they might be going to the gym for the first time in their lives. People will find there is a very easy learning curve when using this series.” Instructional placards on each machine further enhance the CX’s user-friendliness feature.

Olympian Heights
Responding to the needs of its customers has long been a distinctive characteristic of Body Masters. In fact, the CX and Circuit Master™ series, the company’s newest product lines, were developed in response to customers’ particular requirements.

David Hart, vice president of operations, notes, “We’ve gone through a fairly radical change from a make-to-stock process to a make-to-order process in a lean-manufacturing operation.” The dramatic change in manufacturing processes is good news for customers, allowing Body Masters to be more flexible in dealing with customer demand. “Going to a make-to-order process eliminated a lot of problems for us, such as rework or out-of-stock conditions. We’ve also been able to reduce our inventory significantly — by about 40 percent on both our work in process and in our raw material inventories,” Hart adds.

Maintaining its high quality standards will be critical as Body Masters surges into new growth opportunities. Bille says the new CX Series will help push the company into other high-potential markets down the road. Some areas promising the most growth for the company include existing markets and facilities such as YMCAs, “which offer a more affordable way for people to get involved in a good fitness program,” says Bille.

“We are looking to increase our market share and become a more dominant player in the industry,” says Hart. “Right now, we are in the midrange and we hope to get a larger toehold.” Body Masters will accomplish this goal through growing its existing business and by becoming more competitive in its product offerings.

The company also plans to boost its customer service beyond the levels offered by its competition, many of which are still running make-to-stock operations. “Our lean manufacturing and make-to-order processes give us a distinct competitive advantage over our competition and will help us grow into other markets,” Hart says.

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