FlexBand
by Jump Stretch
Jump Stretch Inc.
The Jump Stretch Company
Jump Stretch Inc. was founded by Dick Hartzell in 1980. Coach Hartzell, age 61 and father of three, has been selling rubber bands for 21 years. Before the success of the FlexBand, Dick was the head football coach of many Ohio high schools. Thinking that strength training should be done ballistically, Dick Hartzell searched for a safer way for his young players to gain strength, speed, and power. After watching some of his players recover from weightlifting injuries, he gave thought to using rubber bands to perform these exercises his players needed to maintain physical gains and avoid injuries.That's when it happened. He envisioned the words "Jump Stretch" in his mind.
An Idea is Born
Wasting no time, he wrote a note to "develop jump stretch". Shortly there after, he decided to part from the coaching business and began to develop first the rubberband equipment, and then the company Jump Stretch Inc. Within three months he had the product (a combination of bands and a platform base for doing squats and four other exercises) completely developed and ready for the US Patent Office. It was not until two years later that he received the actual patent. Initially calling the product "the jump stretch" it was not long until he decided to call the company "Jump Stretch" and the actual bands "FlexBands".
