Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Are the Biggest Fitness Brands Losing Their Grip on the Consumer?

September 20, 2026·41 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Is the fitness industry still telling consumers what they want — or are consumers increasingly telling the industry what it needs to deliver? In this episode of LIFTS, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal unpack some of the biggest stories shaping health, fitness and wellness. They discuss the questions being raised around wearable accuracy, how WeightWatchers has responded to the rise of GLP-1s, and why consumers using GLP-1s could represent an important opportunity for the fitness industry. They also look at the changing gym floor as value operators move towards more premium experiences and consumers become increasingly knowledgeable about specific equipment brands, training modalities and recovery. With new equipment companies building audiences through social media and digital-first strategies, Matthew and Mo ask whether some of the industry's established brands risk losing relevance with a new generation of consumers. Plus, they discuss new strength research suggesting consistency beats complexity, and why creating sustainable exercise habits could be more important than increasingly complicated programming. Are the biggest fitness brands still shaping the consumer — or is the consumer now shaping them? Chapters 00:00 Are Consumers Taking Control of Fitness? 00:44 The Biggest Stories Shaping the Fitness Industry 01:08 Can You Trust Your Wearable? 06:50 WeightWatchers, GLP-1s & the Fitness Opportunity 12:25 Why Value Gyms Are Going Premium 15:47 Is the Consumer Now Driving the Gym Floor? 19:23 Sponsor – Fitness On Demand 19:50 Are Single-Brand Gym Floors Becoming Outdated? 27:54 What's Happening With FitLab? 30:39 Why Consistency Beats Complexity in Strength Training 36:15 What Does the Future of Fitness Look Like? Sponsored by Fitness On Demand and EGYM Fitness On Demand: https://www.fitnessondemand247.com/ EGYM: https://egym.com/ 📩 Subscribe to the LIFTS Newsletter: https://www.liftspodcast.com/newsletter 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/escape-your-limits-lifts/id1321349827

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