PRESS RELEASE

F4 Fitness Launches New Portable Device for Strength-Training

Uniquely compact and interchangeable device transforms virtually any pull-up bar into an assisted pull-up station.

Marlborough, England October 2004:  F4 Fitness announces the introduction of the V-Taper Shaper™ Pull-up Assist, a uniquely portable fitness device for enabling assisted Chin-ups and Pull-ups in the convenience of the home.

If you don’t do pull-ups … you should.

If you can’t do pull-ups … now there’s hope.

The basic pull-up is simply one of the best strength-building exercises for the upper-body.   This exercise is one of the most effective exercises for developing the V-shaped torso of the classic athletic physique – a body shape that apart from the bare visual aesthetics achievable for both men and women enables fashion to fit better as well.  This exercise doesn’t require expensive equipment and doesn’t require a trip to the gym, but can conveniently be done in the comfort of the home with something as simple as an inexpensive doorway mounted bar.  So why don’t more people do them?  Answer – they are just too hard and/or just too exhausting for most people to do as a regular part of their fitness regime.  Even though this exercise has historically been used as a normal test of strength and physical fitness, today most individuals are unable to perform even a single repetition using good form.

Due to the difficulty of pull-ups, most strength-training regimes involve functionally inferior alternative exercises such as the lat pull-down or the mechanically assisted pull-up.  Both of these exercises require large expensive pieces of equipment that are common in well-equipped commercial gyms but which are, in many cases, impractical for use in the home where many people prefer to work out.  F4 Fitness has addressed this issue with the release of the “Taper Shaper™”, a uniquely compact and portable device that transforms the typical doorway mounted bar (or practically any chin/pull-up apparatus) into an assisted pull-up station that offsets a select portion of the exerciser’s bodyweight and thereby enabling a good solid upper-back workout that is so elusive in the home without large and/or heavy pieces of equipment. The Taper Shaper™ provides: 1) proper and comfortable exercise form, 2) selectable levels of assistance, 3) effective and measurable results, and 4) portability to take anywhere and all this from a package no larger than a typical wash bag, in fact it even comes packaged in one.

The British Royal Navy has recognised the benefits and space saving attributes of the Taper Shaper™ and is currently deploying them on the ships in the fleet for the officer’s and midshipmen’s physical training purposes.  Lt. Commander Roger Saynor commented, “The Royal Navy is dedicated to the continuing physical fitness and peak performance of everyone within the force.  However, the limited space onboard each ship available for physical training requires the selection of highly effective and compact pieces of equipment that enable our personnel to perform the exercises that really matter most for staying in great physical shape.  The pull-up is one of these basic exercises, and the V-Taper Shaper™ is a good way for the Royal Navy Fleet Command to aid and encourage the implementation of this exercise.”

F4 Fitness founder Greg Finn added: “Many athletically-minded individuals find it very difficult to complete the prescribed repetitions of the pull-up exercise that are often suggested in resistance training programmes and will therefore avoid this fantastic muscle building exercise altogether.  This is unfortunate because the pull-up is one of the very best upper-body strength-building exercises and it can be performed in the home with very little equipment.  The Taper Shaper™ was developed as a way to add more variability to the pull-up exercise.  To achieve different results with bodyweight exercises it’s generally easy to add weight to the body but the ability to subtract weight by a measurable and variable amount previously did not readily exist outside the gym.  By reducing their effective bodyweight and maintaining good exercise form exercisers will be able to increase their repetition range and obtain both muscular endurance and strength-building results from this single highly functional and exceptional exercise.  I really believe that the Taper Shaper™ will help bring the pull-up exercise back into many athletes training schedules and it can really help complete a wide range of effective and balanced bodyweight exercises that can be privately performed in the home for true full-body strengthening and conditioning.”

About F4 Fitness

F4 Fitness is based in Marlborough, England and is dedicated to the design, development, production and distribution of highly effective and portable physical training devices and accessories to help encourage active and healthy lifestyles.