Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with David Sherman-Presser to unpack why the fitness industry is rapidly becoming a media business, and what that means for gym owners, operators, and brands trying to stay relevant in a creator-driven economy. They...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S, your bite‑sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode of, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Dr. Bill Andrews: molecular geneticist, inventor, and telomere pioneer to explore what actually causes human aging and whether it can be slowed, stopped, or even reversed. Key topics covered: What telomeres a...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this annual predictions special, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Anthony Vennare, co-founder of Fit Insider, to review how their 2025 fitness predictions performed and to forecast what's coming in 2026. Key topics covered: Which 2025 fitness and wellness pr...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S, your bite‑sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Mohit Kumar, Co‑Founder and CEO of Ultrahuman, to explore the explosive rise of smart rings and the future of wearable health technology. Topics covered include: Mohit's unconventional founder journey and early...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Dr. Nick Barringer, a former U.S. Army performance leader, tactical nutrition expert, and human performance consultant, to explore how tactical training principles translate to success in business, leadership, a...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S,  your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Jay Worthy, CEO of Myzone, and Vahid Zadeh, CTO of Myzone, to explore the real future of wearable fitness technology, human motivation, and behavioral science. With data fatigue growing across the fitness indus...

In this episode of LIFTS, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Will Brereton: longtime group fitness leader, Les Mills presenter, and founder of SH1FT Fitness. They dive deep into how group fitness has evolved over the decades, why hybrid community is the new frontier, and how instructors, technology, and member expectations have transformed. Will shares powerful insights from the fro...

In this episode of LIFTS, Matthew and Mohammed sit down with Hazlo founder Sam Moore to explore the cultural, psychological, and physiological shift away from alcohol. They dive deep into the rise of sober‑curious culture, the influence of wearables on health behavior, the real effects of alcohol on mood and sleep, and the explosive growth of alcohol alternatives. Sam shares his personal journey f...

In this episode of LIFTS, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with fitness technology veteran Leon Rudge for a deep dive into three major stories shaping the industry: the Basic‑Fit/Clever‑Fit mega‑merger, the Strava vs Garmin lawsuit, and Ladder's push into integrated nutrition tracking. Leon also shares insights from four months immersed in Southeast Asia's digital‑nomad tech hubs...

In this episode of the LIFTS Podcast, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Dr. Sean Pastuch, founder of Active Life, to challenge the industry's obsession with recovery rooms and redefine what it truly means to treat fitness as healthcare. From debunking lazy innovation to outlining a blueprint for gyms that prioritize people over gadgets, this conversation reimagines how fitness prof...

In this special remote episode of the LIFTS Podcast, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Liz Clark and Anton Severin of the Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA) to unpack the 2024–2025 Global Fitness Report and explore the intersection of data, health, and the future of fitness. Recorded across three continents, this conversation dives deep into how exercise is redefin...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Dan Uyemura, CEO and Founder of PushPress, to explore how AI and technology are reshaping the fitness industry while keeping the human touch at the core. Key topics include: Why boutique gym owners remain optim...

Join hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal for a special series of sit-down interviews recorded live at W3Fit North America. From recovery trends to leadership lessons, these conversations uncover what's really shaping the fitness industry today. Key highlights include: Jarrod Saracco on the real ROI of recovery and why most clubs still can't monetize it. Hillis Lake on 40 years of strength tr...

Live from W3Fit North America, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with guests Star Sage and Loryn Huff to discuss the latest fitness industry trends. From billion-dollar wearable valuations to AI-powered recovery and celebrity-backed fitness ventures, this panel explores the future of wellness. Key Topics: Oura's $11B valuation and the future of wearables. Closed vs. open data ecosystems...

Live from W3Fit North America at the Four Seasons Westlake Village, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal host a special onstage edition of the LIFTS podcast. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore the future of the fitness industry—from AI gyms and private equity consolidation to the booming recovery market and the resurgence of strength training. Discussion highlights include: What makes...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. This week, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Marco Benitez—former Taekwondo champion turned biomedical engineer and now CEO of rook, a health tech company that transforms wearable data into actionable health insights. Together, they explore how wearables are reshapin...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with entrepreneur and engineer Rami Alhamad, co-founder and CEO of Alma, an AI-powered nutrition companion. From his early days building PUSH, the pioneering strength-tracking wearable later acquired by WHOOP, to hi...

In this special debate episode of the LIFTS Podcast, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by guest co-host Jack Thomas (Fitness Business Asia) to moderate a high-level discussion on the impact of ClassPass for boutique fitness owners. Industry voices Jeff Bladt (ClassPass/Playlist) and Rachel Hirsch (Wellness Growth Ventures, The 2% Club, and studio owner) share opposing perspectiv...

On this week's episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we welcome Owen Hanson, a dynamic entrepreneur, former athlete and the ultimate example of crime to come back. Once a USC football player with a bright future, Owen's competitive drive led him to build a multi- million-dollar bookmaking business — but that success came at a cost. Drawn deeper into the criminal underworld, Owen became entang...

In this episode of the LIFTS podcast, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Lauren Foundos, founder of Forte (recently acquired by Echelon Fitness). Lauren shares her journey from Wall Street bond trading to becoming a pioneer in digital fitness, her lessons from building Forte, and her insights on the future of the fitness industry. Highlights: - How Lauren transitioned from Wal...

In this episode of LIFTS, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Michael Ramsey, co-founder of Strong Pilates, to explore the explosive growth of Pilates worldwide. Ramsey shares his journey from F45 franchise success to launching Strong Pilates, a unique fusion of strength, cardio, and Pilates that has rapidly expanded across 14 countries. The discussion covers the evolution of b...

Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal speak with Royi Metser, Founder & CEO of Avelo Running, about the explosive growth of running, the evolution of smart footwear, and how data-driven insights are changing the sport forever.   In this episode, you'll learn: How Gen Z and women are driving the second running boom. Why running clubs are replacing bars as social hubs. The challenges big brands faced...

Matthew and Mo dive into this week's hottest fitness topics — from personal diet experiments to the future of wearables in healthcare, political plays in fitness, market shifts in Pilates, and the explosive rise of Hyrox. This no-guest episode is packed with insights, debates, and predictions shaping the fitness industry. In this episode: • Matthew's 5-week results on the Warrior Diet. • Mo's take...

In this episode of LIFTS, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal welcome Star Sage, a leading force in the recovery and wellness industry. Star shares her expertise from years at Hyperice and how recovery is now central to events, gyms, hotels, and even Gen Z culture. Highlights include: How Hyperice helped redefine recovery in mainstream culture. The shift from cocktail hours to compression lo...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with Sal Pellegrino, Executive Director of FISA, to uncover key trends shaping the fitness industry. From Gen Z's influence on gym design to tariffs and global supply chain issues, this conversation delivers actionable in...