Club Solutions Magazine

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218

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Aug 2026

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Podcast by Club Solutions Magazine

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August 24, 202613 min

GLP-1s Are Changing the Business of Weight Loss — Here's Where Health Clubs Fit In

A new research paper reframes weight loss for the GLP-1 era and it puts supervised resistance training at the center of the conversation. This 52-page paper, published in the journal Pharmaceuticals, is focused on optimizing weight loss in the GLP-1 era and is primarily written for physicians. Hosts Luke Carlson and Rachel Chonko break down what it means for club operators working with a growing population of GLP-1 users. This Episode Covers: - New research introduces "high-quality weight loss" — why the scale is no longer the metric that matters. - Muscle preservation becomes the industry's next big job as more members turn to GLP-1 medications. - Why GLP-1s, resistance training, and nutrition need to work together, not separately. - The case for supervised resistance training as clubs' biggest commercial opportunity in the GLP-1 era. 📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed on our website. 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud 📺 Watch on YouTube 👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

August 19, 202630 min

Balancing Innovation, Culture and Growth with Crunch Fitness CEO Chequan Lewis

What can eight years running restaurant franchise operations teach a fitness brand about growth? Chequan Lewis, the CEO of Crunch Fitness, says the lessons translate more directly than most operators would expect and they come down to the small, repeatable moments that happen on the gym floor everyday. As Crunch pushes past 550 clubs and prepares to plant its flag internationally, Lewis argues the brand's next chapter depends on getting those granular details right, club-by-club, check-in by check-in. Lewis joined Club Solutions Magazine editor and podcast host Taylor Gabhart to discuss his transition from Yum Brands to fitness, Crunch's franchisee partnership model and the "three Es" — experience, execution and evolution — that guide the brand's approach to innovation. The conversation offers operators a clear framework for balancing growth ambitions with the day-to-day consistency that keeps members and franchisees invested for the long haul. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/ Visit our website: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClubSolutions Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clubsolutionsmag/ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/club-solutions-magazine Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clubsolutionsmag

August 17, 20268 min

New NSCA Position Statement Says Female Athletes Don't Need a Different Training Prescription

The science says the fundamentals if strength and conditioning don't change based on gender and that has real implications for how operators program and market to women. In this episode, hosts Luke Carlson and Rachel Chonko break down the National Strength and Conditioning Association's newly published position statement on strength and conditioning of female athletes. The paper challenges a wave of social-media-driven claims about how women "should" train and offers operators a clearer, evidence-based framework for programming. This Episode Covers: - Why syncing workouts to the menstrual cycle isn't backed by current research - Individual differences matter more for programming than male vs. female category - Women start with less upper body strength on average — here's what that means for training focus - Why simplifying training for women (not overcomplicating it) may be the key to boosting participation 📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed on our website. 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud 📺 Watch on YouTube 👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

July 27, 20269 min

Closing the Gap Between Wearable Data and Member Coaching

A comprehensive meta-analysis published in Digital Medicine examines years of research on wearable accuracy across generations of the device. For fitness professionals, the findings offer a clear, evidence-based answer to a question members ask everyday: how much should I actually trust my watch? This Episode Covers: - A major new meta-analysis breaks down Apple Watch accuracy across generations of the device - Heart rate and AFib detection prove highly reliable, often within one beat per minute of clinical devices - Sleep and step count land in the "moderately accurate" range - Calorie burn and VO2 max are the least reliable metrics — sometimes off by 100% - What this means for how operators talk to members about their wearable data Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/ Visit our website: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClubSolutions Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clubsolutionsmag/ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/club-solutions-magazine Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clubsolutionsmag

July 22, 202621 min

Todd Scartozzi on Building Value Into Every Retro Fitness Membership

The high-value, low-price gym floor doesn't look — or feel — like it did a decade ago, and the operators who've caught on are the ones pulling ahead. Todd Scartozzi, the COO of Retro Fitness, joined the Club Solutions Magazine podcast to unpack how strength training, recovery amenities and a hospitality mindset are reshaping what members expect from an HVLP membership and why clubs that ignore the shift risk falling behind. Scartozzi traces his path from two decades in hotel operations to running Retro Fitness' growth engine. He digs into Gen Z and Millenial members' pivot toward strength and specialized training, how recovery has moved from an add-on amenity to table stakes and why value perception — not price alone — now drives HVLP loyalty. For operators rethinking their floor plan or membership tiers, Scartozzi's playbook offers a concrete blueprint. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/new... Visit our website: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com Follow us on Facebook: / clubsolutions Follow us on Instagram: / clubsolutionsmag Connect with us on LinkedIn: / club-solutions-magazine Follow us on TikTok: / clubsolutionsmag

July 20, 20268 min

The Simple Coaching Cue That Could Boost Member Strength Gains

A systematic review finds that lifting and lowering weights slowly outperforms self-paced training for both nervous system adaptation and strength gains. The paper, published in the journal Healthcare, is by a team of Stanford researchers examining how lifting tempo affects the brain-to-muscle connection during resistance training. For operators coaching strength training, the findings offer a clear, low-cost coaching cue that could meaningfully improve member outcomes. This Episode Covers: - Tempo training uses a metronome to slow both the lifting and lowering phase of each rep - Across 12 studies, tempo training improved nervous system adaptation where self-paced training showed no change - The tempo-controlled group also saw significantly greater strength gains - Researchers suggest even bigger benefits may exist for injured populations, pending future study 📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed on our website. 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud 📺 Watch on YouTube 👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

July 13, 20269 min

Eccentric Training: The Missing Piece in Your Members' Strength Programs

New research reveals why lowering the weight — not just lifting it — may be the most valuable, most overlooked element of resistance training. A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Sports examines the comparative benefits of eccentric versus concentric training across healthy adults, older adults and clinical populations. For operators, the findings challenge a widespread blind spot in how strength training is coached and programmed on the gym floor. This Episode Covers: - Eccentric vs. concentric training: what the latest meta-analysis reveals - Why lowering the weight may matter more than lifting it - The link between power, rate of force development, and longevity - How eccentric training benefits clinical populations, including COPD patients - What this means for how trainers should be coaching strength work 📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed on our website. 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud 📺 Watch on YouTube 👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

July 6, 20267 min

Small Changes, Big Payoff: The Longevity Mindset New Research Says to Have

A new study finds that modest, concurrent improvements in sleep, exercise and nutrition can add years to lifespans — without a lifestyle overhaul. In Episode 21 of The Research Debrief, hosts Rachel Chonko and Luke Carlson break down a newly published study in The Lancet examining how small, combined changes in sleep, physical activity and nutrition affect long-term health and lifespan. This Episode Covers: - New Lancet study tracks an eight-year population cohort to measure how sleep, activity, and nutrition impact lifespan and health span - Small, combined changes — not major overhauls — produced the biggest results - Just 5 more minutes of sleep, 2 more minutes of exercise, and 2 extra veggie servings per day added a year to lifespan - A slightly bigger set of changes, including fish and whole grains, added four years - Why thesee evidence-backed basics are missing from most clubs' longevity offerings 📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed on our website. 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud 📺 Watch on YouTube 👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

June 23, 202627 min

Marketing Beyond Acquisition with Eric Goodstadt of UpSwell

Fitness marketing's old seasonal playbook is breaking down and clubs that focus too much on January are leaving money on the table the other 11 months. That's the data-backed case from CEO Eric Goodstadt of UpSwell, the fitness marketing platform that works with more than 4,000 facilities nationwide, ranging from big-box gyms to boutique studios. Goodstadt joined Club Solutions Magazine editor and podcast host Taylor Gabhart to unpack two trends reshaping how clubs market and retain members the flattening of seasonal demand and a strategic pivot from constant acquisition toward maximizing the value of existing members. The conversation covers whete to start when marketing to certain member segments, the rising cost of new members and why the first 180-days determines whether a membership lasts six months or four years. Listen to the full conversation here.

June 10, 202631 min

Building a Fitness Business That Doesn't Need You with Scott Gillespie

Succession planning isn't a finish line — it's a process that starts years before any leader steps back. Scott Gillespie knows this better than most. A 40-year fitness industry veteran, Gillespie owns Saco Sports and Fitness, a multigenerational outcomes-based health club, and a F45 training studio in Maine, along with many other roles in the industry. Gillespie joined Club Solutions Magazine editor and podcast host Taylor Gabhart to discuss how he prepared his team to lead Saco without him in the building. The conversation covers how crisis reveals character in future leaders, the gradual step-back strategy that eased both staff and members into the transition, and why documenting systems two decades ago made the handoff possible today.