Strategic intelligence for fitness professionals
Strategic intelligence for fitness coaches, gym owners, and brands. Expert data, analysis, and industry trends to grow your fitness business.
Latest articles (608)
The Gym Operations Report: Member Retention Benchmarks for 2026
The Gym Operations Report: member retention benchmarks for 2026. 1 in 3 members leaves each year. Three operational levers to change that number.
4 in 5 Trainers Say Client Acquisition Is Getting Harder
4 in 5 trainers find client acquisition harder in 2026. The real causes, the coaches who are still growing, and a concrete framework to follow.
Brand Watch: WHOOP at $10B — What It Means for the Fitness Market
Brand Watch: WHOOP raised $575M at $10B in March 2026. Abbott and Mayo Clinic in the round. What it signals for the wearable market and connected health.
Xponential Fitness Opens Strategic Review: Sale on the Table
Xponential Fitness, the company behind Club Pilates, Pure Barre, and YogaSix, opened a strategic review on April 6 that could lead to a sale. Analysis of a franchise giant under pressure.
Hybrid Coaching Is Now the Dominant Personal Training Model in 2026
The 2026 personal training industry annual report is out. Hybrid coaching is dominant. Here's what the data says about income, client acquisition, and which strategies are actually working.
GLP-1 and Coaching: Why Trainers Who Adapt Are Winning in 2026
Millions of people on GLP-1 medications need coaches who understand muscle preservation. The trainers who've figured this out are building premium client bases in 2026.
Workout Anytime's Conversion Strategy: A New Franchise Growth Model
Workout Anytime just shifted its growth strategy: instead of building new clubs, the chain wants to convert existing gyms to its brand. An approach that says something important about the state of the fitness market in 2026.
24 Hour Fitness Acquired by Its Founder: What It Actually Means
The founder of 24 Hour Fitness just reacquired the chain he built — 21 years after selling it for $1.6 billion. This return isn't nostalgia. It's a clear investment thesis in a fitness industry in full consolidation mode.
Specialization vs Generalism: The Real Revenue Impact in 2026
The 2026 coaching industry data is clear: generalist coaches face the most competitive pressure, while specialists attract clients who come to them. Here's what it means for your business.
Vuori at $5.5B: How a Yoga Brand Became a Billion-Dollar Disruptor
Vuori just raised $825 million at a $5.5 billion valuation. For a brand founded in 2015, that's an extraordinary trajectory. Here's what explains that number — and what it says about the premium activewear market.
Sports Nutrition M&A Q1 2026: The Deals That Matter
Q1 2026 was busy for supplement sector M&A. Create Wellness raised $20M. Lonza sold its capsule division for $3B. HUL acquired OZiva. Here's what these deals collectively say about where the sector is heading.
24 Hour Fitness: Its Founder Just Bought It Back 20 Years After Selling It
Mark Mastrov just reacquired 24 Hour Fitness 20 years after selling it for $1.6B. Here's what his turnaround playbook looks like and what it means for the mid-market gym segment.
UK Active's New CEO Comes From Media, Not Fitness — Here's Why That Matters
UK Active's new CEO Cameron Saunders comes from Fox, Sky, and Paramount. Here's what that hire signals about the fitness industry's real challenge in 2026.
The $241B Activewear Market by 2032: What the Numbers Tell Fitness Brands
The global activewear market hits $241.8B by 2032. The real story is in the segments: smart fabrics, sustainable materials, and wearable tech integration.
Crunch Franchisee CR Fitness Raised $350M to Open 100 More Gyms
CR Fitness raised $350M from Sixth Street to open 100+ Crunch gyms. Here's what the deal signals for independent gym operators and where PE capital is flowing.
Danone Buys Huel for €1B and Herbalife Acquires Bioniq: Reading Q1 2026 M&A
Danone's $1.1B Huel acquisition and Herbalife's $55M Bioniq deal signal a consolidation wave in functional nutrition. Here's what it means for independent brands.
Gym retention metrics 2026: what the data shows on churn
50% of gym members quit within 90 days. The 2026 data reveals exactly which attendance thresholds, PT habits, and class behaviors predict who stays.
AI tools for coaches: what's actually worth using in 2026
64% of trainers now use AI tools. Here's what's actually worth your time in 2026, and what still requires a human coach.
Adaptogen market 2026: ashwagandha, rhodiola, lion's mane by the numbers
The adaptogen market hits $11.32B in 2024, growing to $18.82B by 2032. Here's how ashwagandha, lion's mane, and rhodiola stack up by evidence and channel.
Workout Anytime: Anatomy of a Franchise Model That Grows Counter-Cyclically
225 clubs by targeting 20,000-80,000 population cities ignored by Planet Fitness. The anatomy of Workout Anytime's business model and Q1 2026 expansion.
Les Mills and Life Fitness Partner Up: What It Changes for Gyms
Les Mills programs now live on Life Fitness equipment. What it costs, what it returns for gyms, and what it signals about the commercial equipment market in 2026.
State of Personal Training in 2026: Numbers, Trends and What's Changing for Coaches
The personal training market hits $40.7B in 2026. Online coaching is 28% of revenue. The numbers, trends, and what's changing for coaches.
Sports Supplements: The Q1 2026 M&A Activity and What It Reveals About the Industry
Sports supplement consolidation accelerates: Nestlé acquisitions, DTC brand valuations at 4-6x EBITDA, and the rise of adaptogens. What it reveals about where the sector is heading.
CrossFit Still Hasn't Sold: CEO Gone, BeSport Now the Leading Bidder
CrossFit's sale process has stretched past a year with no deal closed, CEO Don Faul gone, and Swiss company BeSport now the leading bidder.