New technologies and services
Fitness innovations lead to global licences with Reebok
Company
Progressive Sports Technologies
Loughborough graduate
Ross Weir
Sports Technology
An experienced personal trainer with a lifelong interest in fitness innovation, Ross Weir pitched an idea for a novel piece of exercise equipment to Mike Caine, his tutor in Sports Technology, in 2001.
Ross had been developing a multi-purpose whole body exercise system that is easy to use and could transform from a step platform for aerobic work outs into an incline / decline bench or seat for strength and toning. Seeing a gap in the market for home and gym use, Ross and Mike formed a company, Progressive Sports Technologies, to commercialise the concept. Having started out with an innovation grant from the then Department of Trade and Industry, they secured an exclusive worldwide licence with global brand leader Reebok less than 2 years later.
Ross is a named inventor on over a dozen patent applications including The Deck, Gripmaster and Ab-Pump, a hand protector and a core toning system that are also now licensed to Reebok. Progressive now works with a host of global sports brands including Nike, Speedo, Reebok and Umbro, helping validate new apparel and equipment to improve sports performance.
Progressive also works closely with UKSport, the UK's high performance sports agency, to develop new technologies to optimise athletic performance for the London 2012 Olympics.