Press Room

American Council on Exercise (ACE) and Gold's Gym International Forge New Partnership

Posted: Sep 29, 2000 in

SAN DIEGO—The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has been selected as the exclusive provider of professional fitness certification and continuing education for Gold’s Gym International, a franchise operation with approximately 550 clubs across the globe.

Through this agreement, ACE certification will be required for all fitness professionals working for a Gold’s facility. ACE, the largest nonprofit certifying organization in the world, sets the standards for certification in the fitness industry. Since 1985, nearly 100,000 people have taken ACE exams. Currently, there are more than 40,000 active ACE-certified fitness professionals in the U.S. and 77 other countries.

“Gold’s Gym International—the leading fitness franchisor—recognizes the importance of establishing and maintaining professional standards for fitness professionals throughout their organization,” says ACE executive director Ken Germano.

Bruce Ebel, director of national accounts at Gold’s, adds, “Integrating ACE products and services into Gold’s premier supplier system will provide franchisees even more access to quality goods and services to help build their businesses.”

ACE Faculty will be dispatched globally to train Gold’s fitness professionals as personal trainers and/or group fitness instructors, and to provide continuing education on business development skills, exercise techniques and practical training programs.

“As Gold’s Gym International has increased its presence in the U.S. and beyond,” says Gene Lamott, chief operating officer of Gold’s, “we’ve realized the importance of providing a quality certification program and continuing education for our staff. After extensive research, we chose ACE based on their ability to provide our fitness professionals with the skills needed to place Gold’s at the forefront of the global fitness marketplace.” Germano adds, “The long histories of high standards and consistent service established by both Gold’s and ACE make this strategic alliance a natural evolution for both organizations.” In accordance with the agreement, ACE will develop custom publications for Gold’s, including a magazine targeted to professionals and a general-interest consumer fitness magazine. And, ACE and Gold’s will jointly fund research projects to provide insight into the fitness industry.

Regarded as the pioneer of the health and fitness industry, Gold’s Gym opened it first location in Venice, Calif., in 1965. With the notoriety of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and the movie “Pumping Iron,” Gold’s Gym quickly became known as “The Mecca of Bodybuilding.” Today, Gold’s is the gym of preference for amateur and professional athletes and the entertainment industry. Gold’s Gym, the leading fitness provider for men and women, was recently recognized in the Millennium Edition of Guinness World Records 2000 as being the largest gym chain in the world. It is comprised of more than 550 gyms in 47 states and 26 countries and includes more than 2 million members.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation’s “workout watchdog,” ACE conducts university-based research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world’s largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log on to the ACE Web site at www.acefitness.org.