Podcast · 64 episodes

Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

by Matthew Januszek · English

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 going day after day. It's not about shortcuts for dreamers; these people prove that constant hard work fueled by the right frame of mind is what makes dreams a reality. Join Matthew Januszek, co-founder of Escape Fitness, as he delves into the mindset of leadership and success.

Business Health & Fitness

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Latest episodes

Are the Biggest Fitness Brands Losing Their Grip on the Consumer?Whether major fitness brands are losing consumer control, amid consumer-led shifts in wearables trust, GLP-1 adoption, premium “value” gyms, and niche strength equipment; plus a cautionary note on…20 Sep 2026 · 42 min

LIFTS Episode 141 – The YMCA Is Over 180 Years Old. How Have Its Gyms Stayed So Relevant?LIFTS Episode 141, recorded at the Life Fitness and Hammer Strength YMCA Innovation Summit, explores how YMCAs stay relevant for 180+ years by staying mission-focused while adapting facilities,…13 Sep 2026 · 41 min

LIFTS Episode 140 – Your Members Know More Than You Think | Life FitnessHow Life Fitness and Hammer Strength are responding to more knowledgeable consumers (driven by social media), shifting gym business models (HVLP to ultra-luxury), and the move toward connected,…6 Sep 2026 · 42 min

All episodes

LIFTS Episode 139 – The Member Has Changed. Has the Fitness Industry? | ABC Fitness Round TableLive ABC Fitness Round Table on how the fitness industry is changing, focusing on AI, GLP-1s/peptides, shifting consumer behavior (Gen Z/millennials), wellness vs “fitness,” and how gyms can build…30 Aug 2026 · 54 min · 27 chapters

LIFTS Episode 138 – ABC Fitness Mid Year Report: The Fitness Industry Has a Habit ProblemABC Fitness’ Mid-Year 2026 Wellness Watch Report argues the fitness market has moved beyond “access/inspiration/novelty” toward “systems that help keep people going” via reinforcement, habit…25 Aug 2026 · 50 min · 17 chapters

LIFTS Episode 137 – The Future of Fitness Won't Be Built Around Equipment | Andy PeatHow fitness gyms should evolve beyond equipment and standalone content, using TVs as a “TV operating system,” stronger strength training (especially for women), recovery-focused spaces, and AI for…17 Aug 2026 · 49 min · 13 chapters

LIFTS Episode 136 – The Man Who Built Boutique Fitness Reveals What's Next | Anthony GeislerEvolution of boutique fitness and what’s next in longevity-focused “boutique” ecosystems.9 Aug 2026 · 1 h 8 min · 26 chapters

LIFTS Episode 135 – Inside SWTHZ: Building the Starbucks of Contrast Therapy | Nico VaranoContrast therapy recovery and SweatHouse’s private-suite model (infrared sauna + cold plunge + vitamin C shower) positioned as a distinct category for stress relief, sleep improvement, and…2 Aug 2026 · 46 min · 16 chapters

LIFTS Episode 134 – Everything You Know About Longevity Is Probably Wrong | Oliver PatrickLongevity and “healthspan” are mainstream but often oversimplified; lifestyle still drives outcomes via epigenetics, while direct-to-consumer lab testing and wearables are accelerating…26 Jul 2026 · 59 min · 24 chapters

LIFTS Episode 133 – Latin America's $7.5 Billion Opportunity | The Fitness Market Everyone Is MissingLatin America’s fitness growth opportunity (penetration 2.15% vs North America >20%), projected market expansion ($4.6B in 2024 to $7.5B by 2029), and what U.S.19 Jul 2026 · 50 min · 19 chapters

LIFTS Episode 132 – Inside Athletech New York: How the Best Fitness Brands Are Adapting | LIFTS Live in New YorkEOS Fitness (and broader “halo sector” fitness) adapting to boutique fitness trends, retaining members via instructor-led culture, and building trainer capability; plus ISSA/AppleTech discussion on…12 Jul 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 24 chapters

LIFTS Episode 131 – Inside Athletech New York: The Biggest Ideas Shaping Fitness LIFTS LIVE in New YorkThe episode is a panel at Athletech New York focused on how fitness brands are evolving post-COVID, and how “wellness” is being operationalized inside gyms and studios.5 Jul 2026 · 1 h 25 min · 40 chapters

LIFTS Episode 130 – The CEOs Rebuilding Fitness | Leadership Lessons from the Industry's Biggest TransformationsLeadership lessons from fitness/longevity transformations, centered on “recovery” as the next generation of health measurement and performance, plus how CEOs rebuild companies through disruption and…28 Jun 2026 · 38 min · 15 chapters

LIFTS Episode 129 - Wall Street's Fitness Investment Playbook: What Builds Value & What Kills Deals | with Aarti KapoorInvestor view of what drives value in fitness/wellness deals, why iconic boutique brands like SoulCycle declined, and how today’s capital flows to HVLP (high-volume, low-price) and some mid-tier…21 Jun 2026 · 51 min · 17 chapters

LIFTS Episode 128 - One PhD. 5.5M Members | Retention Science That Could Change the Industry | with Dr. Paul BedfordModern gym retention—why “members” leave, how to measure retention when people use multiple facilities, and how to design experiences that reduce anxiety and create repeatable habits.14 Jun 2026 · 55 min · 21 chapters

LIFTS Episode 127 - The HYROX Effect | Will Every Gym Need a Strategy to Survive?How fitness competitions (HYROX, DECA, ATH-EX, Spartan-style events) are turning gym training into a “sport,” driving gym upgrades, retention, and community; whether it’s a fad and how gyms should…8 Jun 2026 · 47 min · 17 chapters

LIFTS Episode 126 - Why the Fastest-Growing Workout Category in America Is Also the Most Misunderstood | with Dr. Brent AndersonWhy Pilates is the fastest-growing workout category yet still misunderstood; whether it’s peaking vs continuing to expand; and how “method + system” (Joseph Pilates’ contrology) drives outcomes and…31 May 2026 · 58 min · 18 chapters

LIFTS Episode 125 - Is the Fitness Industry Ready for the Performance Medicine Era? | with Dr. Nestor RodriguezWhether the fitness and healthcare industries are ready for “performance medicine” (proactive, data-driven health aimed at recovery, longevity, and full performance), and how to integrate wearables,…24 May 2026 · 36 min · 15 chapters

LIFTS Episode 124 – The $128 Million Recovery Tech Collapse: What Really Happened at Aescape | with Frank BrittEscape’s reported $157M insolvency and pivot after 125 days under new CEO Frank Britt; why the original Robots-as-a-Service go-to-market failed, and how a “platform-powered robot” model plus falling…17 May 2026 · 42 min · 18 chapters

LIFTS Episode 123 – Fitness Technology Is No Longer Software. It's Infrastructure | with Al NoshirvaniFitness technology as infrastructure, not just software—how operators should evaluate AI and “agentic” tools, modernize payments, and use tech to improve member experience, staff productivity, and…10 May 2026 · 50 min · 17 chapters

LIFTS Episode 122 – Your Gym Isn't Growing… Because Your Members Don't Show Up | with JJ CreeganWhy gyms don’t grow when members don’t show up; how to diagnose funnel gaps and build scalable operations using SCREAM (Systems, Culture, Execution, Action); “disappearing middle” market pressures;…3 May 2026 · 45 min · 25 chapters

LIFTS Episode 121 – If Aging Is a Disease… Can We Cure It? | with Dr. Jonathann KuoLongevity medicine as “aging as a disease,” blending concierge care, advanced diagnostics, and interventional therapies (peptides, regenerative medicine, hyperbaric oxygen, plasma exchange, ozone,…26 Apr 2026 · 52 min · 23 chapters

LIFTS Episode 120 – The Molecule Matters: How NAD Actually Works in the Body | with Rachele PojednicNAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) biology and why “NAD boosting” is popular in longevity/IV wellness clinics; what NAD vs NAD+ means; how NAD declines with age; and how delivery method (IV vs…19 Apr 2026 · 55 min · 23 chapters

LIFTS Episode 119 - The Golden Era of Fitness? Longevity, Mental Fitness & Human Performance | PerformX Special (Part 3 of 3) | with Giles Denning & Phil LearneyPerformX (Part 3/3) argues the fitness/wellness industry is entering a “golden era” focused on longevity, mental fitness, and human performance.12 Apr 2026 · 29 min · 11 chapters