English edition | www.kieser-training.com 
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Dear Reader
It was by chance, and I was lucky, that I opened my first gym before the fitness wave started sweeping across Europe. At that time neither fashion nor big money was involved in that business; in fact it was no business at all. The very few gyms which existed were led by pure idealists, people who were in search of the most productive exercise rather than worrying about their cash-flow. It took a lot of patience and time to get my members to work out seriously. This has not changed: strength training is no fun, but it makes happy. Not only do people get rid of pain which they believe to be an inevitable part of ageing, but they feel permanently better due to their increased strength – and the corresponding feeling of lightness.
What has changed is the technology. Within the last forty years only two inventions were made, but fundamental ones. Firstly, the invention of the cam in exercise machines allowing to train the muscles according their physiological strength curve and se condly, the pelvis fixation in the lower back machine that made it possible to test and train those deep spinal muscles which are primarily responsible for eliminating back pain. These inventions have not made workouts easier, but more productive. This means less time spent training and safer training procedures. Efficiency, based on valid scientific data, will continue to be our goal.
I am happy that this first issue of our customer magazine in English marks a new milestone in spreading our concept across the globe.
It all started on the scrap yard
“It is not only the musculoskeletal system that develops with resistance. Similarly, ideas materialise and develop their momentum against a plethora of obstacles that try to stifle them.”
“You should train with weights. That will soon put you right”. These were the words of Ramon, a Spanish professional boxer back in 1958 following a pleural injury suffered during training prior to an important boxing bout. The club‘s doctor had banned me from training and competition for six months - a harsh sentence for a youngster who loved his sport. When I mentioned Ramon‘s recommendation to him, he smiled indulgently and said: “What an idea, you cannot speed up the recovery process. Rest is what you need.” I also mentioned Ramon‘s suggestion to my trainer and he said “Weights? That’s the worst possible thing in your situation. You have talent and we have great hopes for you. Don‘t ruin your career before it has really started.”
I was fascinated by the contradiction between the clear rejection of the “experts” and the specific but simple advice from the “practitioner”, obviously backed up by experience. I wanted clarity. Ramon showed me how to train with weights. Within a few weeks, I had recovered from my injury and the respiratory pain had disappeared. However, the most amazing thing was that my physical condition had improved beyond all recognition. My doctor was amazed. My trainer sulked. The changes in my body and my speedy recovery turned me into an enthusiast for a training that was almost unknown at that time.
Photos: © Werner Kieser
Boxing gradually lost its magic for me. I started to look at the literature on “strength”. What little I found in German came from East Germany, mostly translations from Russia. However, most of the literature was in English and so I learned English. I was spurred on by the feeling that I had discovered something of importance albeit not yet recognised. I became my first guinea-pig. I had been a somewhat weedy lightweight. I soon became a powerful middleweight and within 2 years an even more powerful light-heavyweight. My mother thought that I had gone far enough. She didn‘t like my appearance and said it wasn‘t normal. However, her concerns were unjustified as by then I had reached the limit of my genetic potential. When I saw my first fitness club, I was convinced that this was where my future lay. I was enthusiastic but had no money. I needed money for the “iron”. There was no such thing as a “fitness industry” at that time and all I had were a few illustrations from American journals. I found the iron I was looking for in a scrap yard. It was rusty and unattractive but it was cheap – only 40 centimes per kg. The plan was to use the pipes and bars to make the circular discs needed for the dumbbells. I then looked round for a second-hand welding torch, a drilling machine and a few hand tools. The result – my first gym.
(excerpt from Werner Kieser: “Age no bar to health”, first published in German in 2005, to be published in English in 2010)
Your muscles …
… cheer you up
Photo: Michael Ingenweyen
Pardon us, but may we spoil your foul mood? We have the perfect antidote to ill humour, tiredness, lack of training motivation and those general feelings of doom and gloom. What’s our secret? Lifting weights! Guaranteed side effects included! Strength not only enlivens tired muscles but revives the spirit as well. It’s logical when you come to think about it! Low back pain is such a curse and if we eliminate it then, hey presto, the clouds lift and cares disappear. And what’s more, it’s amazing for the posture. With that newly acquired back strength, we can walk tall in the truest sense of the word and our mood benefits. Try the following for yourself: First of all, let your whole body sag: hunch your back, let your shoulders droop and drop your chin - the classic posture of misery into which we all unfortunately fall. Now, straighten your back, extend the chest, pull the shoulders back and let your head tower over your spine. Notice the difference, it feels really good doesn’t it? Why: our posture acts like a mood barometer for the mind and we can quite simply switch on a good mood by consciously changing the way we hold our body. And what’s more: if we stand straight, we radiate uprightness, success and self-confidence and – just between ourselves, it is an effect that is not lost on others and influences how attractive others find us.
