Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

On this week's episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast , we are joined by Dr. Jim Stoppani, a renowned expert in exercise science, sports nutrition, and supplementation, with over 15 years of experience helping millions transform their lives through science-backed training and nutrition plans. He earned his PhD in exercise physiology and a minor in biochemistry from the University of Connecticut...

Welcome to this week's episode of LIFTS, your bite-size dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts Matthew Januszek , Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks , are joined by Dr. Ted Vickey, a fitness technology strategist, who is CEO of disruptive health technology company, FitWell and the author of a new, groundbreaking book: ' 'The Fitnes...

Welcome back to L.I.F.T.S, your bite-size dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories hitting the headlines. On this week's episode, hosts Matthew Januszek , Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks , lift the lid on some of the stories driving the fitness, health and wellbeing newsfeeds. In this episode, headlines discussed include: Josh Harris's Acquisti...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guest, Alex Alimanestianu, a seasoned executive and Angel Investor with significant experience in the fitness and wellness industry. He served for a long time as CEO of T alent S ports International, and in addition to his leadership there , Alex has been an active investor in the f...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S. This episode is the final instalment of a three-part series recorded live at Beyond Activ, New York City – a fitness focused leadership, investment and business development event held in September 2024. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek , Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of Sweatworks get under the skin of the industry to e...

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S. This episode is part-two of a three-part podcast series recorded live at Beyond Activ, a leadership, investment and business development event in September 2024. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek , Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of Sweatworks , talk to four guests from both sides of the fence - the operator and suppliers...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by Jack Thomas, Co-Founder of The Fit Guide, the only global, independent rating system for premium fitness clubs and studios. This episode discusses The Fit Guides comprehensive report on fitness industry standards, evaluating global clubs across various modalities. This episode delves...

On this week's episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast , we are joined by legend, John Brown, a trailblazing American bodybuilder who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite facing racism and discrimination in the sport, Brown achieved incredible success, winning the Amateur Mr. Universe title in 1981 and 1982, as well as the Mr. World title three times. John went on to raise three boys, al...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by special guest , Anna Gudmundson , CEO of stress management technology company, Sensate.  This episode digs into the value of stress management and tuning into the Vagus Nerve tone in order to take a more holistic approach to mental and physical health. It dives into the emerging tech...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by special guest , Huw Edwards CEO of ukactive. This episode explores the opportunities for ukactive to collaborate with the newly appointed Labour government in the UK, positioning the physical activity sector as a key player in addressing public health challenges. The discussion focus...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guest , Ross Campbell, Founder & CEO of Beyond Activ, one of the largest and most influential global networks for health, fitness, wellness, sports, hospitality and leisure businesses. This episode discusses the evolution of fitness and healthcare conferences, with a focus on the rec...

Paul Chek, the absolute master of corrective and high-performance exercise kinesiology, stress management and holistic wellness has launched Spirit Gym, a concept he is calling 'his greatest creation yet'. For more than forty years, Chek has been applying his unique, whole-body treatment and education approach to positively influence the lives of his many clients and students, often succeeding whe...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guest, Dr. Paul Bedford, the "Retention Guru", researcher, international speaker and fitness industry expert on retention, attrition and customer experience.  This episode revolved around strategies to boost retention, from emphasising the importance of personalisation, empathy and...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by special guest , former pro-athlete, serial entrepreneur and Chief Concept Officer at MADabolic , Brandon Cullen This episode unpacks how new developments in entertainment, pharmaceuticals and technology are attempting to influence population behavior and encourage more people to enga...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guest, Eric Durak, President and Founder at Medical Health and Fitness and an absolute wealth of knowledge and experience spanning 30+ years in the industry.  This episode is centered around healthcare innovation, from the latest Apple Watch innovations through to understanding oppo...

Welcome to a very special episode of LIFTS. Today, hosts Matthew Januszek , Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks , meet with David Minton to discuss key takeaways from his pioneering 'State of The UK Fitness Industry 2024 Report'. David is founder of The Leisure Database Company, a market intelligence company that produces the UK fitness industry's most valuable a...

On this week's episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast , we are joined by Shawn Ray aka 'The Giant Killer', former professional bodybuilder, 13-time Mr. Olympia Finalist and one of the most rebellious, outspoken athletes in the sport still to this day.  Not one to shy away from speaking openly and honestly, this episode takes a deep dive into the significance of performance in bodybuilding, ethi...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guests, Austin Cohen ,   Founder and CEO, FlexIt and Justin Turetsky , part of the founding team and COO, FlexIt This episode dives into the personalization and data-led fitness experiences taking New York City by storm! This fast-paced debate explores the ethics and safety of genet...

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guest, Ty Menzies, global CEO of Lift Brands, an international franchise organization that is parent brand to Snap Fitness. This episode discusses how the industry has had to adapt to the current hybrid work environment, fitness trends versus fads, GLP-1s as well as the barriers to...

On this AI-focussed episode of the LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal , Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guest, Eric Malzone, founder of The Future of Fitness podcast, to discuss all things AI technology.   They debate the opportunities and challenges surrounding AI, the rapid pace at which the technology is not only evolving, but learning from us, and the im...

Discussing the current state of the commercial fitness industry, highlighting both volatility and evolution.   Bryan O'Rourke, CEO of Core Health & Fitness joins us for the 31st episode of LIFTS with hosts Matthew Januszek, CEO of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks.  Throughout the interview they discuss the need for leaders to adapt and innovate to stay ahead of the curve, w...

On this week's episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast , we are joined by Dr. Rand McCain, aka 'The Longevity Doctor' to explore whether death is predetermined by genetics or whether we can make informed lifestyle choices that extend health span and override the influence of our genes. Dr. McClain earned his medical degree at Western University and completed his internship at the University of S...

Welcome back to the latest episode of LIFTS, this week Matthew Januszek, CEO of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks speak with John Ford, Chief Product Officer at EGYM.   John has a vast knowledge of the fitness technology industry, he is a board member of the Fitness Industry Technology Council. Our first topic this week is around the recent announcement from Planet Fitness,...

Welcome back to LIFTS, on this special episode, Matthew Januszek, CEO of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks discuss the recent changes at Xponential Fitness and the departure of Anthony Geisler with Jon Canarick, Managing Partner at North Castle Partners, they are the leading small cap consumer private equity firm focused in the Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Living sectors...

On this week's episode of LIFTS, Matthew Januszek, CEO of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks speak with Bruce Smith, Founder of Hydrow, the leading connected rower that brings the on-water experience of rowing straight to your home. They discuss Hydrow's recent developments, including the acquisition of a digital resistance training company aimed at transforming strength trai...