When going to the gym or hitting the weight room – what is your overall goal? Naturally, a ‘top of mind’ goal is to ‘GET FIT’. Of course, you are not thinking ‘GET SICK’! That is a silly thought, but not if you think about how many people touched those handles on the equipment you are working out on and the GERMS they left behind. Gyms and weight rooms are a haven for germs. Although using gym wipes is a good practice, the bottom-line is that germs continue to live on the equipment. A gym should be a place where we go to Get Fit – Not Sick.

Good news…there is a solution – Black Iron Strength® Antimicrobial Copper touch surfaces on strength equipment. This solution is Chemical Free, Sustainable, and Works Continuously – 24/7/365.

This Video shows how Antimicrobial Copper works:

Let’s examine ‘Germs in the Gym’ in more detail:

• What makes germs including Super Bugs so dangerous?
• How are germs including Super Bugs spread?
• Why are gyms the perfect harbor for the spread of germs?
• What is the SOLUTION?

What makes germs including Super Bugs so dangerous? – The discovery of the first true antibiotic, Penicillin, in 1928 revolutionized the world of medicine. People no longer had to live in fear of death when they developed a bacterial infection. After the discovery of penicillin, scientists continued to develop better and stronger antibiotics to combat new strains of bacteria. These drugs gave us a sense of security and we overused them. Along the way, germs started to mutate and change so they could survive the drugs. Basically, these tiny organisms figured out how to ‘out-smart’ the scientists and Super Bugs developed. In 2014, these Super Bugs infected more than 2 million people in the US and more than 23,000 people died according to the National Institute of Health. Unfortunately, the number of infections and deaths are increasing every year. (1)

How are germs including Super Bugs spread? – Did you know the 80% of infectious diseases are transferred by touch?  On a daily basis, your hands touch many places and objects as well as skin to skin contact with another person. Do you honestly believe that every object you come in contact with has been properly cleaned and sanitized? Do you believe that each person you touch with your hands has properly washed their hands? According to the CDC, just 40% of healthcare personnel adhere to hand washing. If only 40% of healthcare personnel are compliant with hand washing, do you really think the rest of the population is washing their hands? You know the answer – NO!!!

Why are gyms a perfect harbor for germs? – Obviously, when you go to the gym or the weight room, you are working hard to build muscle or to simply to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Whatever your motivation, you are sacrificing precious time with a fitness goal in mind.  What rarely crosses your mind is that on every handle and every bar, there are millions of bacteria or viruses that have been put there by the hundreds or thousands of people who have lifted the same weight weeks, days, and years before you. No amount of cleaning will remove all the bacteria. Plus, the bacteria and viruses simply grow back. FITRATED completed a study examining gym cleanliness This study will grab your attention. Did you know that dumbbell you are using has 362x more bacteria than a toilet seat!!! (2)

What is the SOLUTION? – Germs including Super Bugs have a natural enemy – Antimicrobial COPPER! Multiple independent research studies have proven that antimicrobial copper kills 99.9% of bacteria in less than two hours. Antimicrobial copper works naturally so there is no special cleaning or maintenance. Plus, it is free of chemicals and never stops working. A recent peer-reviewed study published in the American Journal of Infection Control demonstrates the effectiveness of antimicrobial copper in a fitness environment. The study showed that equipment with antimicrobial copper handles had a lower bacteria count by an average of 94%.

Good news…Antimicrobial Copper handles are available on strength equipment. Black Iron Strength® is the leading and only manufacturer of antimicrobial copper fitness equipment. To see the full line of Antimicrobial Copper CuLEAN® equipment by CuVerro® , click here. Our goal at Black Iron Strength® is to make sure people GET FIT-NOT SICK when working out in the gym or weight room. 

1 Stop the Spread of Super Bugs. (2014). Retrieved from https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/02/stop-spread-superbugs
2 Examining Gym Cleanliness. (2019) Retrieved from http://www.fitrated.com/resources/examining-gym-cleanliness/