We are putting a shoulder into the fitness industry and pushing it forward into the modern digital age. Eric Malzone, a 14-year industry veteran, entrepreneur, advisor, and coach, interviews the brightest movers and shakers in the fitness and health industries. Interviewing some of the industry's top executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders, topics will vary covering cutting edge technology, entrepreneurship, hot industry trends, and so much more. If you're in or around the industry, this is how you keep your edge sharp.
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October 22, 202645 min
Spencer Tatum of TCU on Markerless Biomechanics, Wearables, and Athlete Engineering
Every check-in at your gym is a research data point, and most operators are sitting on it. Spencer Tatum of TCU’s Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering explains how gyms, health clubs and performance centers can turn the data they already collect into grant funding and better member outcomes. Get Eric’s free Q2 State of Fitness Report: → https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ Eric Malzone welcomes back Spencer Tatum, Chief Athlete Liaison at TCU’s Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering, for his third appearance on the show. Spencer explains how a shipyard’s workers’ comp problem turned out to be a heat problem, which they solved with a sensor built into earbuds workers already wore. He also covers how markerless biomechanics took a pitcher from 89 to 93 mph just by speeding up his pelvis, and why some athletes now stop wearing their wearables during competition. Spencer also lays out how off-the-shelf cameras are bringing research-grade biomechanics to any facility, and where digital twins are headed for performance and healthcare. Spencer Tatum is Chief Athlete Liaison at TCU’s Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering, with a career that includes training NFL, MMA, pro tennis and pro golf athletes and running 80,000-square-foot health clubs. Thanks to Our Sponsors EGYM: Connecting smart strength equipment across the fitness floor with personalized, AI-powered training experiences: https://engage.egym.com/6GTrUv7?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=egym&utm_content=show_notes Perfect Gym: A leading fitness club management platform, part of Sport Alliance, now expanding across the U.S. market: https://www.perfectgym.com/en?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=perfectgym&utm_content=show_notes ► Get the State of Fitness quarterly report: https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ ► Partner with Future of Fitness: https://futureoffitness.co/contact ► Follow Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malzone-8b452a3/ Connect with Spencer Tatum Website: https://www.thp.fit/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencertatum/
October 20, 202634 min
Why HYROX Is the Best Business Opportunity in Fitness Right Now
Is HYROX just a fad? Centr CEO Andrew Sugerman says the data says no: across 100+ HYROX race cities, not one has shrunk. Here's why gym owners can't afford to wait. Bring the official HYROX competition equipment to your gym with Centr: https://commercial.centr.com/?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=hyrox_authority_series&utm_content=ep01_andrew_sugerman_top Eric Malzone sits down with Andrew Sugerman, CEO of Centr, the official equipment partner of HYROX, to make the business case for HYROX. HYROX has 1.5 million athletes and more than 100 races across 300+ race days in 2026, and HYROX New York alone grew from about 10,000 athletes to 25,000 to 50,000 in three years. Andrew expects it to be bigger than the New York City Marathon in 2027. He explains why Centr chose to become the infrastructure of the sport instead of just a sponsor, what early-mover gyms are seeing now (from retention flywheels to class waitlists), and what HYROX athletes actually want from a gym. They also get into why waiting on the sidelines is the real risk, how gyms are bringing HYROX in without betting the farm, and the pitch Andrew would give any gym owner on the fence. 0:00 Trend, yes. Fad, no. 1:17 Welcome Andrew Sugerman 2:47 From Disney to Centr 3:39 Why Centr bet on HYROX as infrastructure 6:28 Inside HYROX New York City 8:41 Bigger than the NYC Marathon by 2027? 9:53 Racing HYROX with his son 10:50 What early-mover gyms are seeing now 13:27 The HYROX retention flywheel 14:31 HYROX doubling its US cities 15:41 How Centr helps gyms bring HYROX in 17:31 Layout and build-out planning 18:49 Is HYROX a fad? 22:04 Why waiting on the sidelines is risky 22:27 Lessons from CrossFit's early days 23:43 How gyms have transformed with HYROX 25:38 Elite athletes and HYROX careers 28:05 Why race equipment creates an emotional connection 28:37 You can still be you within HYROX 29:35 The pitch to a gym owner on the fence 31:40 Wrap up Questions answered in this episode: Is HYROX a fad? Andrew says it's a trend, not a fad. Of the more than 100 cities that host HYROX races, zero have shrunk. How fast is HYROX growing? HYROX New York grew from about 10,000 athletes to 50,000 in three years, and Andrew expects HYROX to double its US race cities from 10 to 20. What do HYROX athletes want from a gym? A like-minded community, a space built for HYROX training, equipment that replicates race day, and programming from coaches who know the sport. Do you have to convert your whole gym? No. Centr helps gyms design anything from a single HYROX corner to a full HYROX Training Zone, including layouts and class flow. What happens to gyms that get in early? Andrew has seen early movers grow membership steadily over 15 to 18 months, to the point of waitlists for classes. Andrew Sugerman is the CEO of Centr, the health and fitness company founded by Chris Hemsworth and the official equipment partner of HYROX. Before Centr, he spent 12 years at The Walt Disney Company running global publishing and digital media. He races HYROX himself, completing three events in four months, including one with his son. This is episode 1 of the HYROX Authority Series, presented by Centr. Connect with Andrew Follow Andrew Sugerman, CEO of Centr, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-sugerman/ Equip your facility with Centr commercial equipment and the HYROX Training Zone: https://commercial.centr.com/?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=hyrox_authority_series&utm_content=ep01_andrew_sugerman_connect Shop the Centr x HYROX Official Competition Equipment: https://shop.centr.com/collections/hyrox?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=hyrox_authority_series&utm_content=ep01_andrew_sugerman_shop Learn more about Centr: https://centr.com/?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=hyrox_authority_series&utm_content=ep01_andrew_sugerman_home ► Get the State of Fitness quarterly report: https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ ► Partner with Future of Fitness: https://futureoffitness.co/contact ► Follow Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malzone-8b452a3/ This Future of Fitness interview with Centr CEO Andrew Sugerman covers HYROX growth, early-mover advantage for gyms, Centr's role as the official HYROX equipment partner, and how operators can bring HYROX into their facilities, with practical takeaways for gym owners on the fence.
October 17, 20261 hr 6 min
Inside the $7.5B Merger Behind Mindbody, ClassPass and EGYM with Fritz Lanman & Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer
The Mindbody, ClassPass and EGYM merger created a $7.5B fitness giant. Its two co-founders explain why GLP-1s will hit gyms before AI does, and who really wins. FREE REPORT: Get the Future of Fitness quarterly industry report → https://quarterly-report.future-of-fitness.info Recorded live at Playlist Summit in Boulder, Eric Malzone sits down with Fritz Lanman (Playlist, parent of Mindbody, ClassPass and Booker) and Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer (EGYM), the co-founders of the combined company, a few months after the deal cleared regulators. Inside: why they're refusing to "integrate for integration's sake," why scale is what finally makes fitness investable, and the $8M clinical study EGYM is funding to prove strength training can help people on GLP-1s keep their muscle. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Why employers are about to become the biggest new source of money for gyms and studios - The GLP-1 problem companies are paying for, and how fitness can solve it - How Mindbody, ClassPass, Wellpass and EGYM fit together from the buyer's point of view - Why AI makes scale matter more, not less - How to get your staff to actually adopt AI "Rule number one is don't f*** up the other person's business." (Fritz Lanman) "When an employer decides to work with us, we want 100% of the workforce to do at least five minutes of strength training per week." (Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer) CHAPTERS 0:00 Rule #1 of a $7.5B merger 0:27 What happened between the announcement and approval 2:34 "Two alphas won't last a year" 5:07 ClassPass's first big wins in Europe 6:33 Why they're refusing to integrate 10:10 Why every operator should care about this deal 14:21 What $785M in new capital means for the industry 17:27 Fitness as preventative health by 2035 18:26 Why most people still don't work out (and the $8M GLP-1 study) 26:34 Sponsor: EGYM 27:54 Why employers will pay for your members' workouts 29:38 How Mindbody, ClassPass, Wellpass and EGYM fit together 32:04 The benefits manager is the real customer 36:11 Do GLP-1 users actually join gyms? 39:47 Why strength, Pilates and HYROX are booming 40:57 "Most people will be on a GLP-1 one day" 43:11 Why data is the real AI advantage 46:49 Why vibe-coded software is a security trap 51:21 How to get your team to actually use AI 56:59 How two strong-willed founders fight fair 1:02:47 What they need from operators 1:06:12 GLP-1s vs. AI: the final verdict GUESTS Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist (parent company of Mindbody, ClassPass and Booker) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fritzlanman/ Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, co-founder and CEO of EGYM https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-roesch-schlanderer-bb33137/ Thanks to Our Sponsors EGYM: Connecting smart strength equipment across the fitness floor with personalized, AI-powered training experiences: https://engage.egym.com/6GTrUv7?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=egym&utm_content=show_notes Perfect Gym: A leading fitness club management platform, part of Sport Alliance, now expanding across the U.S. market: https://www.perfectgym.com/en?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=perfectgym&utm_content=show_notes ► Get the State of Fitness quarterly report: https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ ► Partner with Future of Fitness: https://futureoffitness.co/contact ► Follow Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malzone-8b452a3/ ABOUT FUTURE OF FITNESS Future of Fitness is the business podcast for gym owners, franchise operators, health-tech executives and wellness entrepreneurs, hosted by Eric Malzone. Subscribe for conversations with the people building the business of fitness. #FutureOfFitness #FitnessBusiness #GLP1
October 12, 202646 min
Dr. Nicole Moyen (Eight Sleep) on Temperature, Women's Sleep, and Menopause
Eight Sleep's Dr. Nicole Moyen has data from millions of nights of sleep, and it shows menopausal and pregnant women want the coldest beds of anyone. So why has almost no research looked at temperature and sleep in women? Get Eric's free Q2 State of Fitness Report: → https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ Dr. Nicole Moyen, Senior Director of Science and Clinical Research at Eight Sleep, joins Eric to break down what close to 200,000 members and millions of nights of data say about temperature and sleep. In a study of nearly 100 peri- and postmenopausal women, the Pod cut hot flashes by 56% on average, whether or not they were on hormone replacement therapy. Her team has also followed more than 100 pregnancies from three months before conception to six months postpartum, and biometrics still hadn't returned to baseline at the six month mark. She also explains why sleep regularity is now a better predictor of all-cause mortality than total sleep time, and how trainers can start bringing sleep into client conversations. Dr. Nicole Moyen holds a PhD from Stanford, played Division 1 soccer, and worked in research at Fitbit and WHOOP before joining Eight Sleep, where she has spent four and a half years studying how to improve sleep through temperature. Thanks to Our Sponsor: Perfect Gym: A leading fitness club management platform, part of Sport Alliance, now expanding across the U.S. market: https://www.perfectgym.com/en?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=perfectgym&utm_content=show_notes ► Get the State of Fitness quarterly report: https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ ► Partner with Future of Fitness: https://futureoffitness.co/contact ► Follow Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malzone-8b452a3/ Connect with Dr. Nicole Moyen Website: https://www.eightsleep.com LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemoyen/?isSelfProfile=false
October 2, 202648 min
Adam Shane (Yoga Joint New York) on Why a Suburban Fitness Brand Is Betting on Manhattan
Adam Shane spent 13 years helping scale Barry's. Now he's putting his own money behind Yoga Joint, a Florida infrared fitness brand that fills suburban classes with 55-plus people, and he's taking it straight into Manhattan. Adam Shane, Franchise Owner and Managing Director of Yoga Joint New York, joins Eric Malzone to explain why he's flipping the usual boutique playbook and proving a suburban model in the city. He breaks down Yoga Joint's split between 60-minute Flow and 45-minute FIIT classes in 95-degree infrared rooms. He also explains why he's hunting for 3,500 to 5,000 square foot spaces when most of the industry is building 1,500 to 2,500. Adam shares his read on a boutique market that feels frothy, and he describes how details like elevators and stairwells quietly shape the member experience before anyone steps into class. Adam Shane is the Franchise Owner and Managing Director of Yoga Joint New York and the former Chief Development Officer and EVP of Operations at Barry's, where he spent more than 13 years scaling the brand after starting as its last domestic franchisee. Website: https://yogajoint.com | Instagram: @adamjshane Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod OUR SPONSORS: 🔗 Perfect Gym: https://www.perfectgym.com/en 🔗 EGYM: https://egym.com/
September 27, 202650 min
Dr. Heather McKee, PhD Behavioral Scientist, on Habit Formation and Fitness Motivation
Dr. Heather McKee, PhD behavioral scientist and motivation science advisor at MyZone, joins Eric Malzone to explain why motivation is the wrong thing to chase first and what actually gets members to stick around past January. Dr. McKee argues that action creates motivation, not the other way around, and that operators should design for a member's ordinary Tuesday rather than their idealized best day. She breaks down why six week challenges quietly fail most members, citing Eric's own experience retaining just 4 percent of a 50 person challenge cohort six months later, and introduces the concept of competence matching, or stage matching people to exercise based on their actual confidence level rather than their ambition. The conversation also covers how AI can extend a trainer's reach from a few hours a week into dozens of touchpoints without replacing the human relationship. Dr. Heather McKee is a PhD behavioral scientist, motivation science advisor at MyZone, and Europe-based habit formation specialist who has consulted for lululemon, Starbucks, Unilever, and HSBC. Website: https://www.drheathermckee.co.uk | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drheathermckee Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod OUR SPONSORS: 🔗 Perfect Gym: https://www.perfectgym.com/en 🔗 EGYM: https://egym.com/
September 22, 202645 min
The New Science of Aging: Why Your Organs Age at Different Rates with Paul Coletta
What if the next major shift in fitness and health isn't another wearable or blood panel, but knowing which of your organs is aging fastest, and whether the things you're doing to improve your health are actually working? Paul Coletta is Co-Founder and CEO of Vero Bioscience, a predictive health company commercializing Stanford research in proteomic organ aging. Before Vero, Paul spent decades building consumer businesses and brands across Disney, MTV, Hewlett-Packard, Jamba Juice and Urban Remedy. He isn't an MD or a PhD. Three years ago, he says he didn't even know what proteomics was. Then he became one of the first people to take what would become Vero's assay. The result showed that his kidney was aging significantly faster than his chronological age, even though the traditional markers he had been tracking, including creatinine and GFR, looked normal. Paul didn't believe the result, so he took it to his cardiologist. An ultrasound found a large renal cyst. It was benign, but the experience changed how he thought about what health data could tell us before traditional diagnostics flag a problem. That story became part of a much bigger question: Can we move from measuring health after something has gone wrong to seeing where the body may be heading, then intervene early enough to change the trajectory? Eric Malzone and Paul unpack the emerging science behind proteomics, the study of proteins and what they can reveal about the real-time function of the body. Paul explains why he thinks proteins offer a different layer of information than genetics, conventional bloodwork and whole-body biological age scores. Vero's Proteomic OrganAge™ analyzes roughly 11,000 proteins from a blood sample and maps those signals across 11 organ systems. The underlying research has been validated across more than 45,000 people, with longitudinal data extending over 17 years. Rather than reducing someone to a single biological-age number, the goal is to identify which parts of the body may be aging differently from the rest. As Paul puts it: "You're only as healthy as your oldest organ." But the measurement itself is only part of the conversation. Eric has talked for years about the industry's "now what" problem : consumers have more data than ever from wearables, bloodwork, sleep trackers and other diagnostics, but getting another score doesn't necessarily tell someone what to do next. Paul argues that the real opportunity is creating a closed-loop health system: measure what is happening, connect that insight to a targeted intervention, retest, and measure how the biology responds. This leads to a broader conversation about the longevity industry itself. As those categories continue to converge, the opportunity may be bigger than collecting more health data. It may be building systems that can turn that data into direction and give both consumers and clinicians a clearer picture of where to act next. CONNECT WITH PAUL + VERO Learn more about Vero Bioscience / join the waitlist → https://www.verobioscience.com/?utm_source=future_of_fitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast_collective&utm_content=paul_coletta Paul Coletta on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcoletta/ Vero Bioscience on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/vero-bioscience-inc/home/
September 17, 202646 min
The Assembly Founder Jon Ward on GLP-1s, Deal Flow and Fitness's Future
Jon Ward left the influencer playbook behind at Plunge to build something with no media, no selling, and an NDA at the door — and he's already turned away over a hundred applicants to protect it. Jon Ward, Founder and CEO of The Assembly, joins Eric to unpack why he's betting on trust over reach in an industry drowning in pitches. Jon breaks down how GLP-1s are splitting the gym-going population in half, why brands like Evolve went from zero to over $100 million in under a year, and why he thinks "health" needs to stop being treated as an industry and start being treated as culture. He also gets into how The Assembly vets its members, what its Chatham House rules actually protect, and why he sees fitness as the best-positioned industry to own the next decade of health. Jon Ward is the Founder and CEO of The Assembly, an invite-only network connecting founders, executives, and investors across health, wellness, and longevity, and previously worked in brand growth at cold-plunge company Plunge. Website: https://theassembly.health | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonward007 Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod
September 12, 202646 min
James Hurlock (Fitura Brands Founder & CEO) on Scaling Padel and Pilates Franchises
James Hurlock went from professional rugby to founding Fitura Brands, the multi-concept franchise platform behind Padel SWT, Core Precinct, and ContrasTheory. He explains why he's betting on three categories at once — and why he's deliberately taking the slow, expensive route to franchising. James Hurlock is the Founder and CEO of Fitura Brands, a Utah-based wellness holding company that launched in 2026 at a $20 million pre-money valuation. Before founding Fitura, Hurlock served as founding CEO of FS8, Chief Partnerships Officer at F45 Training, and Chief Brand Officer at The Picklr, where he helped grow the indoor pickleball franchise to roughly 70 locations across the US and abroad. In this conversation, he breaks down Fitura's three concepts — Padel SWT (big-box indoor padel), Core Precinct (hybrid reformer Pilates), and ContrasTheory (guided contrast recovery) — and shares why Fitura spent 12 months building infrastructure before selling a single franchise. James Hurlock, Founder and CEO of Fitura Brands, previously held leadership roles at F45 Training, FS8, and The Picklr, and played professional rugby for Northampton Saints Academy and London Saracens before captaining England Schoolboys. Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod
September 7, 202648 min
Jon Canarick, North Castle Partners, on Curves, Equinox, and GLP-1s in Fitness
Jon Canarick has spent 25 years investing in gyms, and he's still trying to explain why doctors won't write a prescription for exercise. As Managing Partner at North Castle Partners, he helped build Equinox, turned around Curves, and backed Barry's long before boutique fitness was a category. Canarick walks through what actually changed in fitness private equity since he joined North Castle in 2001, from the corporate franchise wave that built 24 Hour Fitness and LA Fitness to Planet Fitness's pricing model, which he credits with pulling more Americans into gym memberships than anything else in the last quarter century. He details the failed attempt to combine Curves with Jenny Craig and a Cleveland Clinic nutrition program, a bet he calls a real failure despite the medical credibility behind it. Canarick also breaks down why GLP-1 drugs are reshaping the industry at the premium end through brands like Monarch and Miora, and why an LEK study showing 30% of big box gym members also pay for boutique fitness complicates the usual story about a shrinking middle class of gyms. Jon Canarick is Managing Partner at North Castle Partners, a private equity firm focused exclusively on healthy, active, and sustainable living businesses, where he has sat on the boards of Equinox, Curves, Barry's, Therabody, and SLT. Website: https://northcastlepartners.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jon-canarick-4340362 Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod OUR SPONSORS: 🔗 Perfect Gym: https://www.perfectgym.com/en 🔗 EGYM: https://egym.com/
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