Club Solutions Magazine

Scaling a fitness franchise is less about adding features than about refusing to let complexity creep in. Stephen Smith, the founder and CEO of HOTWORX, has built a 913-location infrared fitness brand that premise. He says the discipline of keeping operation simple, labor lean and the member promise clear is what makes growth repeatable. With 1000 locations in sight, his approach offers a blueprin...

Longevity is one of the most talked about topics in the fitness industry, but much of the conversation centers on trends with little evidence behind them. In this episode of The Research Debrief, hosts Rachel Chonko and Luke Carlson examine a systematic review and meta-analysis that identifies which lifestyle interventions actually support healthy aging and how operators can use the findings to sh...

For a brand approaching its 20th anniversary and reaching its 1500th location, standing still isn't an option. Tianna Strateman, the brand president of Club Pilates, joined the podcast to explain how the brand is evolving on two fronts at once: introducing a new circuit-style class format and rolling out studio refreshes system-wide, all while protecting the member experience that got it here. Str...

For a brand approaching its 20th anniversary and reaching its 1500th location, standing still isn't an option. Tianna Strateman, the brand president of Club Pilates, joined the podcast to explain how the brand is evolving on two fronts at once: introducing a new circuit-style class format and rolling out studio refreshes system-wide, all while protecting the member experience that got it here. Str...

A new randomized controlled trial published in Acta Diabetologica tracked older adults with type 2 diabetes and sarcopenia through 12 weeks of supervised resistance training and 12 weeks of self-managed home training to measure what happens when supervision is withdrawn. In the latest episode of The Research Debrief, hosts Luke Carlson and Rachel Chonko break down the paper and what its findings m...

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis examines how free weight and machine-based strength training compare across three outcomes: maximal strength, muscle hypertrophy and jump performance — a common proxy for power — and the findings may hold weight for club equipment decisions. Among the paper's central takeaways, no differences were detected between the two training modalities in a direct...

The fitness industry never stands still and the software that runs it can't afford to either. Member expectations now reach into wellness, recovery and GLP-1 programs, AI is reshaping sales and service, and operators are adding, trimming and changing services as their businesses evolve. John Heppenstall, the senior sales executive at Jonas Fitness, says the operators best positioned for what comes...

Vacant big-box retail has become one of the fitness industry's biggest real estate opportunities and VASA Fitness is leaning into that for its growth strategy. Chris Tarrant, the chief growth officer for VASA, joined Club Solutions Magazine editor and podcast host Taylor Gabhart to discuss VASA's adaptive reuse strategy, including how a Kmart redevelopment in Colorado Springs sparked surrounding i...

A landmark review from one of the field's leading researchers reframes structured exercise as a clinical tool for preventing chronic disease and puts health club operators at the center of the solution. This episode, hosts Luke Carlson and Rachel Chonko break down the review published in Cell Metabolism by longevity and exercise physiology researcher Dr. Bente Klarlund Pedersen. They walk through...

New research shows the gap between giving members a program and coaching them through it is bigger and more profitable than most operators realize. This episode of The Research Debrief examines a 10 week study comparing three approaches to exercise delivery. The findings offer a data-backed case for what supervision is actually worth — both in member retention and in results. This Episode Covers:...

A new review breaks down what we actually know — and don't know — about sleep's role in building muscle. This episode examines a paper published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal that reviews the mechanistic and observational evidence linking sleep to muscle hypertrophy. For operators, it's a timely reminder that member-facing messaging around sleep and recovery may be more black-and-white...

A new narrative review challenges the fitness industry's growing obsession with recovery tech and puts sleep, nutrition and training back at the center. This Episode Covers: - The "cake vs. icing" framework: sleep, nutrition and appropriate are the fundamentals, recovery devices are the icing. - Why simply not exercising — true rest — is one of the most effective recovery modalities, despite being...

A new research paper reframes weight loss for the GLP-1 era and it puts supervised resistance training at the center of the conversation. This 52-page paper, published in the journal Pharmaceuticals, is focused on optimizing weight loss in the GLP-1 era and is primarily written for physicians. Hosts Luke Carlson and Rachel Chonko break down what it means for club operators working with a growing p...

What can eight years running restaurant franchise operations teach a fitness brand about growth? Chequan Lewis, the CEO of Crunch Fitness, says the lessons translate more directly than most operators would expect and they come down to the small, repeatable moments that happen on the gym floor everyday. As Crunch pushes past 550 clubs and prepares to plant its flag internationally, Lewis argues the...

The science says the fundamentals if strength and conditioning don't change based on gender and that has real implications for how operators program and market to women. In this episode, hosts Luke Carlson and Rachel Chonko break down the National Strength and Conditioning Association's newly published position statement on strength and conditioning of female athletes. The paper challenges a wave...

A comprehensive meta-analysis published in Digital Medicine examines years of research on wearable accuracy across generations of the device. For fitness professionals, the findings offer a clear, evidence-based answer to a question members ask everyday: how much should I actually trust my watch? This Episode Covers: - A major new meta-analysis breaks down Apple Watch accuracy across generations o...

The high-value, low-price gym floor doesn't look — or feel — like it did a decade ago, and the operators who've caught on are the ones pulling ahead. Todd Scartozzi, the COO of Retro Fitness, joined the Club Solutions Magazine podcast to unpack how strength training, recovery amenities and a hospitality mindset are reshaping what members expect from an HVLP membership and why clubs that ignore the...

A systematic review finds that lifting and lowering weights slowly outperforms self-paced training for both nervous system adaptation and strength gains. The paper, published in the journal Healthcare, is by a team of Stanford researchers examining how lifting tempo affects the brain-to-muscle connection during resistance training. For operators coaching strength training, the findings offer a cle...

New research reveals why lowering the weight — not just lifting it — may be the most valuable, most overlooked element of resistance training. A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Sports examines the comparative benefits of eccentric versus concentric training across healthy adults, older adults and clinical populations. For operators, the findings challenge a widespread blind sp...

A new study finds that modest, concurrent improvements in sleep, exercise and nutrition can add years to lifespans — without a lifestyle overhaul. In Episode 21 of The Research Debrief, hosts Rachel Chonko and Luke Carlson break down a newly published study in The Lancet examining how small, combined changes in sleep, physical activity and nutrition affect long-term health and lifespan. This Episo...

Fitness marketing's old seasonal playbook is breaking down and clubs that focus too much on January are leaving money on the table the other 11 months. That's the data-backed case from CEO Eric Goodstadt of UpSwell, the fitness marketing platform that works with more than 4,000 facilities nationwide, ranging from big-box gyms to boutique studios. Goodstadt joined Club Solutions Magazine editor and...

Succession planning isn't a finish line — it's a process that starts years before any leader steps back. Scott Gillespie knows this better than most. A 40-year fitness industry veteran, Gillespie owns Saco Sports and Fitness, a multigenerational outcomes-based health club, and a F45 training studio in Maine, along with many other roles in the industry. Gillespie joined Club Solutions Magazine edit...

Being overweight and being unfit are not the same thing. That's the central finding of a new meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and it carries significant implications for how fitness operators communicate the value of exercise to members. Hosts Rachel Chonko and Luke Carlson break down the findings of the meta-analysis examining how cardiorespiratory fitness — not b...

As member acquisition costs continue to rise, one of the biggest growth opportunities for fitness businesses may already exist in your database. In this webinar, discover proven strategies to reconnect with former members and turn past cancellations into renewed relationships. From personalized outreach campaigns and targeted offers to smart use of automation and member data, our panel of industry...

The fitness industry has spent years talking about integrating with health care. David Flench, the president and CEO of the Medical Fitness Association, says the time for talking is over and operators who build the right structure now stand to fundamentally change the role fitness plays in the broader care system. Flench joined Club Solutions Magazine editor and podcast host Taylor Gabhart to disc...