Fitness leaders join forces with FR60, ANT+

● Concept2 produces innovative indoor rowing products. They have been working with ANT+ heart rate straps for several years and are in the research and development phase of ANT+ enhancements to provide automatic sync with fitness compatible watches such as the FR60.

● Mad Dogg Athletics and the Spinning® program are the worldwide leaders in indoor cycling bikes, products and education. Together with Star Trac, Spinning provides indoor cycling certification, continuing education and the patented line of indoor cycling bikes to over 30,000 facilities worldwide. Star Trac and Spinning will be launching a bike computer at IHRSA with ANT+ technology. Spinning will also offer the FR60 to their instructors and enthusiasts.

● Nautilus is dedicated to changing the game in health and fitness. Nautilus is launching a new line of indoor cycling bikes at IHRSA along with two consoles incorporating ANT+ technology.

● New Leaf®, a unit of Angeion Corporation, specializes in assessing fitness and metabolism to provide personalized exercise plans. New Leaf uses ANT+ in its assessment technologies to reliably calibrate heart rate to metabolism. Personalized heart rate zones, measured fat and total calories can load to the FR60, Forerunner 305 and Forerunner 405 so users train at the appropriate intensity based on their unique metabolism.

● Octane Fitness focuses on creating and producing superior elliptical cross trainers that customers use to fuel their lives. Octane Fitness plans on integrating ANT+ technology in future products.

● Woodway sets the standard as the manufacturer of one of the world’s finest treadmills. They are announcing a treadmill, Desmo Elite, in the third quarter of 2009. Among the many new features of the Desmo Elite, Woodway plans to incorporate the ANT+ technology to sync with the FR60 and Garmin ANT+ heart rate strap.

● YMCA of Greater Kansas City will offer Garmin fitness products to their members to create family experiences and also to support members and corporate wellness programs in tracking progress.

When used with Garmin Connect — Garmin’s online training site — the FR60’s benefits continue long after the workout. By pairing the FR60 with Garmin Connect, users can automatically log their workouts, track their totals, share workouts with coaches, friends and family and participate in an online fitness community with similar interests.

Available in men’s and women’s versions, Garmin’s FR60 comes with a wireless USB ANT Stick that plugs into the user’s PC or Mac and automatically downloads workout data stored on the watch to a personal computer. No cables are necessary as the FR60 quickly synchronizes with the computer once it is in close proximity. While the FR60 processes much of the same data as its GPS-enabled predecessors, those functions are packaged in a very compact device the size of a typical fitness watch. The FR60, which is not GPS-enabled, can track and record up to 15 hours and 100 laps of detailed exercise data. Available in three colors – red, lilac and black – the streamlined FR60 comes packaged with a heart rate monitor, and the foot pod is available in select FR60 bundles.

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