Escape Your Limits & LIFTS
LIFTS: Every week, our intrepid hosts Matthew Januszek of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal of SweatWorks will discuss the breaking fitness industry news, providing their own perspective on the headlines whilst provoking thoughts and conversations. All delivered in a quick-fix, approximately 30-minute podcast. ESCAPE YOUR LIMITS: Inside the minds of fitness industry influencers. Find out what drives, fuels and motivates the leaders in health and fitness. Each episode of Escape Your Limits reveals the mental, physical and emotional ingredients involved in standing out above everybody else. Discover why successful people keep going when most people stop, and what keeps them...
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LIFTS Episode 136 – The Man Who Built Boutique Fitness Reveals What's Next | Anthony Geisler
<p >Welcome to another episode of LIFTS, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness and human performance.</p> <p >In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Anthony Geisler, CEO of Sequel Brands and one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the fitness industry.</p> <p >From helping pioneer the boutique fitness movement to building and scaling some of the industry's most recognised brands, Anthony has spent more than two decades shaping the way people experience fitness. But as the industry continues to evolve, where does the next wave of opportunity lie?</p> <p >Anthony...
LIFTS Episode 135 – Inside SWTHZ: Building the Starbucks of Contrast Therapy | Nico Varano
<p >Welcome to another episode of LIFTS, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness and human performance.</p> <p >In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Nico Varano, CEO of SWTHZ, one of North America's fastest-growing recovery and wellness brands.</p> <p >Recovery has become one of the biggest growth opportunities in health and fitness, with consumers increasingly seeking experiences that help them reduce stress, improve performance and build healthier habits. But what does it take to build a business around recovery?</p> <p >Nico shares his journey from becoming SWTHZ's very first franchisee...
LIFTS Episode 134 – Everything You Know About Longevity Is Probably Wrong | Oliver Patrick
<p >Welcome to another episode of LIFTS, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness and human performance.</p> <p >In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Oliver Patrick, Co-Founder of Future Practice Ltd, Clinical Director of Pillar Wellbeing and one of the fitness industry's leading voices on longevity, preventative health and behavioural science.</p> <p >As longevity becomes one of the fastest-growing trends in health and wellness, gyms, wellness operators and consumers are investing heavily in everything from red light therapy and hyperbarics to peptides, wearables, blood testing and recovery technologies. But are we...
LIFTS Episode 133 – Latin America's $7.5 Billion Opportunity | The Fitness Market Everyone Is Missing
<p >Welcome to LIFTS (Latest Industry Fitness Trends & Stories), where we explore the future of fitness, wellness and human performance.</p> <p >While much of the fitness industry's attention remains focused on North America and Europe, one of the world's biggest growth opportunities is emerging across Latin America.</p> <p >In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Maria Gonzalez, CEO of ClubFitness and Board Member of the Health & Fitness Association (HFA), to explore why Latin America is becoming one of the most exciting fitness markets in the world.</p> <p >With gym penetration averaging just 2.15...
LIFTS Episode 132 – Inside Athletech New York: How the Best Fitness Brands Are Adapting | LIFTS Live in New York
<p >Welcome to a special edition of LIFTS x Athletech, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness and human performance.</p> <p >Recorded LIVE at Athletech in New York, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by five industry leaders to discuss how the world's leading fitness brands are adapting to one of the fastest periods of change the industry has ever experienced.</p> <p >As consumer expectations evolve and AI, education, technology, partnerships and community continue to reshape the market, today's operators are rethinking everything from group fitness and member engagement to talent development and business strategy.<...
LIFTS Episode 131 – Inside Athletech New York: The Biggest Ideas Shaping Fitness LIFTS LIVE in New York
<p >Welcome to a special edition of LIFTS x Athletech, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness and human performance.</p> <p >Recorded live at Athletech in New York, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by five industry leaders to discuss the trends already transforming the fitness industry and what operators need to do to stay ahead.</p> <p >As fitness, healthcare, AI, wearable technology, recovery and longevity continue to converge, today's leaders are redefining what a fitness business looks like. This conversation explores how operators are embracing innovation, leveraging technology, building stronger communities and preparing their...
LIFTS Episode 130 – The CEOs Rebuilding Fitness | Leadership Lessons from the Industry's Biggest Transformations
<p >Welcome to a special edition of LIFTS x Connected Health & Fitness, brought to you by Cascadia, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness, and human performance.</p> <p >Recorded live during an exclusive CEO Leadership Dinner at the Connected Health & Fitness Summit in New York, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by three industry leaders to discuss what it takes to lead through transformation in one of the world's fastest-evolving industries.</p> <p >As fitness, healthcare, AI, longevity, and consumer expectations continue to converge, today's leaders are navigating unprecedented opportunities and challenges. This conversation explores how...
LIFTS Episode 129 - Wall Street's Fitness Investment Playbook: What Builds Value & What Kills Deals | with Aarti Kapoor
<p >Welcome to LIFTS, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness, and human performance.</p> <p >In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Aarti Kapoor, investment banker, fitness industry advisor, and one of the leading voices at the intersection of fitness, capital markets, and business growth.</p> <p >This conversation explores how investors evaluate fitness businesses, what separates scalable brands from lifestyle businesses, and why some concepts attract capital while others struggle to generate interest.</p> <p >Drawing on her experience advising fitness and wellness brands, Aarti shares how investors assess opportunities, the key...
LIFTS Episode 128 - One PhD. 5.5M Members | Retention Science That Could Change the Industry | with Dr. Paul Bedford
<p >Welcome to LIFTS, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness, and human performance.</p> <p >In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Dr. Paul Bedford, founder of The Retention Guru and one of the fitness industry's leading authorities on member retention, customer experience, and consumer behaviour.</p> <p >After analysing more than 5.5 million gym member records worldwide, Dr. Bedford has spent decades helping operators understand one of the biggest challenges facing fitness businesses today: keeping members engaged for the long term.</p> <p >This conversation explores why retention remains one of the most...
LIFTS Episode 127 - The HYROX Effect | Will Every Gym Need a Strategy to Survive?
<p >Welcome to LIFTS, where we explore the future of fitness, wellness, and human performance.</p> <p >In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Mark Hartnett-Morgan (ATHX Games), Nicolas Denby (GymSync), Emily Leroux (DEKA International), and George Crook (HYROX Training Zones) to explore one of the most significant trends reshaping the fitness industry today: the rise of competition fitness.</p> <p >What started as a niche category has rapidly evolved into a global movement. HYROX events are selling out around the world, DEKA continues to expand internationally, and more operators are beginning to rethink how...
