Before there was CrossFit and P90X, there was Joe Weider's mustache. That iconic mustache and the entrepreneur who wore it—Joe Weider—who built one of the most famous brand names in fitness, passed away on March 23, with his final age of 93 probably his last endorsement for a lifestyle he'd been selling since 1936.

It's a sad truth that Joe Weider's passing probably would have gone largely unnoticed by the general public if not for a public announcement by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former California governor and (still) current Hollywood action star posted his condolences to both his Twitter account and official website.

For boys who spent time in the gym in a hopeless attempt to recreate Arnold's physique, the Weider brand was a common sight. Across squat towers, bench press seats and plates was the Weider name in a font that looked as strong and heavy as the equipment itself. And thanks to Arnold's attachment to the brand, the Weider name on something meant quality.Continue reading...

Reebok’s shoes are generally made for athletic use, but the brand now means something else for 150 of its employees across the globe. That’s the number of folks that were sent packing in a recent company restructuring, according to the Boston Herald.

About 65 of those folks came from the company’s US headquarters in Canton, Mass. “Today, we continued this reorganization with the implementation of a new global-direct operating model between the global organization in Canton and our markets, and a streamlining (of) our satellite creation activities,” Matt O’Toole, Reebok’s chief marketing officer, stated.

It also eliminated its European HQ in Amsterdam and its Asia-Pacific office in Hong Kong. That’s too bad, considering the company that is now a subsidiary of Adidas got started in the United Kingdom way back in 1895. Still, Reebok has been a drag on Adidas since its acquisition in 2006, as the Wall Street Journal noted last month. Now it's time for a little fiscal, and physical, fitness.Continue reading...

Since Miami-based Zumba Fitness got started back in 2001, it has rapidly grown into a global phenomenon, bringing new music and dance moves to millions of people, of all ages and shapes, worldwide. The dance class can now be found in 125 countries and has grown nearly 800 percent in just the last three years, according to the company.

Over time, it has introduced a number of different classes in order to hit as many markets as possible: Water! Wheelchair-bound! Kids! You name it. Now the company is expanding into the apparel business. According to a press release, Zumba Fitness has a new line of branded clothing that will be sold exclusively at Harrod’s in Britain for the next two months and then, naturally, beyond.Continue reading...

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that Skechers has agreed to pay $40 million to settle false advertising charges that, as to USA Today puts it, "mislead consumers with claims that its toning sneakers would do everything from help them lose weight to make their 'bottom half their better half' without ever going to a gym."

The settlement, which will be used to provide refunds to buyers of Shape-ups and other Skechers toning sneakers, is believed to be the FTC's largest ever involving consumer refunds, David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, told USA Today.

“Skechers’ unfounded claims went beyond stronger and more toned muscles. The company even made claims about weight loss and cardiovascular health,” stated Vladeck in a press release. “The FTC’s message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims.”

The announcement follows Reebok's $25 million settlement in September following similar FTC charges regarding its toning shoe marketing claims. Skecher's settlement was larger than Reebok's, Vladeck told USA Today, because it has a bigger slice of U.S. market share for toning sneakers. Skechers' toning shoes were promoted with celebrity endorsements by Brooke Burke, Joe Montana and Kim Kardashian (in a 2011 Super Bowl commercial).Continue reading...

Who knew you could lose weight eating Cheerios? The oat-cereal brand has been spun a lot of different ways over its six-decade history, from a playful and convenient baby food to a government-certified cholesterol fighter.

Sales of Cheerios boomed a few years ago after General Mills focused on the heart-healthiness of oats. Then the feds fired a shot across GenMills' bow, instructing the company that Cheerios had gotten a bit too cheerleady in its front-of-package messaging about the cardio benefits of oats.

So now Cheerios has rebooted and re-emerged, this time as a weight-loss brand. A new partnership between Multi Grain Cheerios and Meredith's Fitness magazine is limited to 7.5 million specially marked boxes of the cereal that are supposed to be available in supermarkets through mid-year.Continue reading...

The chips are down for Sears, as they have been so often over the last few decades. Its latest round of closings of its Sears and Kmart stores, announced shortly after Christmas, may be the first ring of a death knell that could attend what used to be America's biggest retailer and the namesake of the building that originally was known as Sears Tower, in Chicago.

But Sears continues to go down fighting. In the past, it continually has attempted to offset its failing relevance as a retailer of soft goods and concentrate on areas and brands where Americans continue to rely on Sears, including Kenmore appliances and Craftsman tools.

The latest tactic: taking advantage of Sears' underappreciated but significant role as an outlet for fitness equipment. Few know that the retailer is America's no. 1 seller of fitness equipment, so it's stepping up its attention to the sector through branded content, community and conversation.Continue reading...

Today adidas is unveiling the brand new adizero Rush, described as "one of the lightest running shoes on the market that helps athletes of all levels turn up the speed." A new 30-second TV spot, which you can watch below, celebrates high school athletes and the energy of team sports, debuts today on YouTube ahead of premiering on TV on Sunday.Continue reading...

Since signing a sponsorship deal in 2010, Reebok has sponsored the annual CrossFit Games — an elite competition for those addicted to CrossFit's punishingly tough workouts that push the body to the point of pain — and now it's rolling out a new collection of CrossFit shoes and apparel, which it's promoting on Twitter with a #reebokcrossfit hashtag.

The brand's description on its new commercial, above: "The Sport of Fitness has arrived. Fitness that's about retraining your body and rewiring your mind. This is about altering your definition of exercise. Reebok wants you to become part of a thriving community, where people are passionate about fitness. Where anyone, from world-class athletes to stay-at-home moms, can see drastic improvements and measurable results through hard work. This is a place where everyone you see, talk to, and sweat with becomes part of your fitness lifestyle. Welcome to the community Reebok has embraced. The CrossFit community. 3, 2, 1 ... GO."

For more, watch Reebok's 'making of' and intro to CrossFit videos below.Continue reading...