News

November 20, 2007 - Press Dispensary - Fitness industry spending is at a record high, with seven million UK people registered as gym members*. But does money buy fitness? Not according to Phil Black, a former US Navy SEAL who has recently invented the world’s cheapest full-body workout equipment, 'FitDeck', which is no fancier than a deck of cards.

Black, who is now based in San Diego, conceptualised the deck-of-cards workout when he was a Yale undergraduate and honed it as a Navy SEAL. He says: “When you’re deployed in the jungle or a desert, you can’t bring your StairClimber or Bowflex with you. We relied on body-weight exercises, such as push-ups and squats, which were just as good as a workout."

He adds: “There’s an idea in the fitness world that the more expensive the exercise equipment or gym membership, the better the workout. Well, that’s absolutely untrue! You can achieve the exact same results by doing crunches, dips, flutter-kicks and other body-weight exercises. That’s what FitDeck cards are all about.”

FitDeck consists of only 'body-weight' exercises - which require no equipment or special machines. Cards are color-coded by upper, middle, lower and full-body exercises. Each card contains suggested repetitions for three fitness levels - beginner, intermediate and advanced. All muscle groups are used and each card displays a different exercise. 'Wild Cards' are also introduced to add an element of fun and surprise to the workout.

The user simply shuffles the deck to create over three million possible workout routines. They can discover dozens of fitness games for men, women, children, families and groups of all sizes. No equipment is needed for any of the exercises.

"People crave variety, enjoyment and a little competition to stay motivated," says Black, who did strictly pushup workouts with a standard deck for over 10 years before creating FitDeck. "Every workout is different - which keeps your body and mind fresh. Fitdeck has made fitness appealing for all the family. It offers a genuine path to better fitness - without the bells and whistles."

Available at www.fitnessdeck.co.uk as a stocking filler or gift, FitDeck costs £18.95.

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Notes for editors
About Phil Black
Phil Black was a US Navy SEAL officer from 1995-99 and, subsequently, an instructor from 1999-00. He founded FitDeck, Inc. in 2003. He is also an MBA, certified personal trainer, adventure racer, fitness enthusiast and father of twins.

Fitnessdeck is part of the Future Marketing Group. It has recently announced a partnership with FitDeck to introduce FitDeck cards in the UK, giving the group exclusive distribution rights in this territory.

* Source: Fitness Industry Associaton, July 2007.

For further information, product samples or photos, please contact:
Stephen Jamieson , Fitness Deck
Tel: 0793 166 5632
Email: stephen@fitnessdeck.co.uk
Site: www.fitnessdeck.co.uk