Escape Your Limits

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, our guest is Oliver Patrick, a leading lifestyle management expert and physiologist who is reengineering traditional health screening models into a contemporary lifestyle medicine approach.  Patrick has spent years developing and delivering advanced health assessments, firstly for Nuffield Hospitals where he led the largest team of applied physiologists, wellbeing advisors and nutritionists in the UK and later for Viavi, a Harley Street based company he co-founded in 2009.  Patrick also co-founded the first lifestyle medicine gym, runs a corporate wellbeing consultancy service and owns a unique education platform, designed for the fitness sector, that drives practical coaching skills in all aspects of lifestyle. In today’s podcast, recorded at the 2023 Escape Fitness Growth Summit, Patrick explores: The limitations of traditional health screening models. The benefits of a lifestyle medicine approach to wellbeing. Defining the term ‘lifestyle’.

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, our guest is Roy Simonson. Whilst he may not be a household name, there are few gym-users who would not have seen or trained on equipment he designed or inspired. Roy revolutionalized the fitness industry with his game-changing strength equipment innovations. Firstly, when in his early twenties, Roy sold his company, Eagle Fitness, to CYBEX, where as Head of Product Development, he introduced its highly acclaimed VR and VR2 lines and launched more than 100 new strength and cardio products. Fast forward to 1999 and his cable-based weight stack machines, designed by his own company Ground Zero Designs, later renamed Freemotion Fitness, made it possible to train in multiple planes. This effectively launched the concept and application of ‘functional training’ to the masses. Since then, Roy has gone on to design for other major equipment brand including Resolute and Eleiko. Alongside has professional success, Roy has enjoyed 30 years of competitive s

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, our guest is David Mariani, a Strength & Conditioning Coach for ATG (Athletic Truth Group), who has trained thousands of people around the world, with his main purpose to help get them pain-free.    David currently trains athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB as well as pro’s around the world. He’s worked with individuals from age 6 up to 86, as well as working with many Doctors, Physical Therapists, Trainers and Coaches by training and educating them in ATG methodologies. Today, David Mariani talks about:  The benefits of training backwards. The importance of leaning into discomfort. The emotional and psychological toll of injuries. Best practice for training specific muscle groups.  Dealing with top athletes where mistakes are costly.  Rebuilding the ability to pain free.  To learn more about David Mariani, click here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mariani-1b4847bb/ Subscribe to our channel and turn on your notifications so you never

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, our guest is David Minton, Founder of The Leisure Database Company, leading specialists in the leisure sector, offering key market intelligence and analysis across the fitness industry.  The annual State of the UK Fitness Industry Report that The Leisure Database Company creates, audits the fitness space to provide an insightful overview of the ‘state of play’ and help businesses and individuals gather valuable intelligence needed to make key decisions. Now nicknamed the ‘Daddy of Data’, Minton is recognised as one of the most insightful experts in the fitness space, a sought-after speaker who uses his expert industry knowledge to help businesses make key decisions and gain competitive advantage. Today, David Minton shares insights from this year’s report including:  Why the industry is worth more than ever before. The importance of personalistaion. The boom of the luxury sector. The impact of Covid, inflation and energy prices. The need to c

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, our guest is Billy Blanks, Inventor of Tae Bo, a martial arts-focused fitness programme that became one of the most successful home workout programmes in history.  Now taught worldwide, many Hollywood stars have utilised Tae Bo techniques at the Billy Blanks studio and Billy himself has starred in a number of films and TV shows, becoming a celebrity in his own right. Since then, Billy has become a keen businessman, extending his fitness offering, nurturing industry partnerships and in May this year, Billy hit the road again for a Tae Bo tour of America.  Today, Billy Blanks shares all about: What it takes to be a rockstar trainer  Tae Bo as a lifestyle, not a trend Why you should never use choreography Creating community with your team and members  Why having dyslexia made him live in fear when he was younger How to put on your daily power Winning the hearts and minds of your clients  To learn more about Billy Blanks, click here: https:

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, our guest is Flex Lewis, nicknamed the ‘Welsh Dragon’ and an undeniable force to be reckoned with in the world of professional bodybuilding. From humble beginnings, he conquered the competitive landscape by creating a record-setting 7-time Olympia 212 Showdown Champion. His sculpted physique and undeniable charisma propelled him to the top, solidifying his status as one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of the sport. Since retiring from professional bodybuilding, Flex has been busy taking his learnings from the sport into business with the opening of The Dragons Lair Gym, first in Boca Raton, Florida and more recently as a Las Vegas location.  Today, Flex Lewis shares all about: ·        Challenges of opening ‘The Dragons Lair’ Gym amidst the global pandemic ·        The importance of ensuring the right culture in a training environment ·        The discipline to approach each Mr. Olympia as if it’s his first ·        Working his way

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, our guest is known as the “real life hulk” due to his ability to go from a 6’6 310lb athlete to a 360lb mass monster.  At a young age, Martyn Ford started out as an emerging cricketer, but his professional athlete dream was cut short when he faced a devastating injury. Little did he know that this would be his steppingstone to a successful career in the fitness industry. His work ethic and mindset in training carried over to other pursuits that led him to be an internet sensation, a fitness influencer with over 4 million followers worldwide, an online fitness coach, and a successful actor. He has starred in Hollywood Blockbuster films such as: Fast & Furious 9, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and The Machine. He also signed a professional MMA contract with KSW.   Today, Martyn Ford shares all about: ·         How he transforms his body for each role in the film industry using what he learned as a PT ·         His methodology for bulking his body with

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, Jerry Brainum is returning for his second interview by popular demand. He has a distinguished background as a competitive bodybuilder who trained alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger during the 70s. Beyond his achievements in bodybuilding, he boasts over 30 years of experience in researching and writing about all aspects of fitness. His remarkable career includes serving as the editor of Muscle and Fitness magazine for a decade, as well as being an editor-at-large for Flex magazine and a regular contributor to Ironman magazine for 28 years. In our last interview, he debunked the truth of steroids, bodybuilding, and the deathly effects of “safe supplements.” Today, he passionately shares: •                     The drawbacks of Ozempic and other fat loss burners as a weight loss solution •                     The only drug that is known to extend lifespan even in middle-age people •                     And the science behind creatine, where it comes from,

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, our guest has more than 20 years of experience directing the fitness provision for some of the best known, high end multi-site operators including Holmes Place, Virgin Active, David Lloyd Leisure, and Aspria. Rob Beale is currently the Fitness Director of Third Space, which is a collection of high-end, luxury health clubs in London. They strive to provide outstanding fitness spaces that members feel are their own with state-of-the-art amenities and experiences. Today, he shares his expertise about: •                     How to attract the best personal trainers in the world, and the experience/mindset they need to have to succeed and be qualified to work at the Third Space •                     How premium operators are adapting their gym floor design to serve their clients’ needs •                     And what new trends in health, wellness, and recovery will likely be popular in the next couple of years   To learn more about Third Space, click her

On this week’s special midweek episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we were at the European Health & Fitness Forum where we caught up with people from the industry to get their thoughts on: The state of the fitness industry today What they think are the biggest challenges facing the industry And what their predictions for the future To name a few, we sat down with: IHRSA’s CEO & President, Liz Clark CEO of Anytime Fitness, Chuck Runyon And CEO of SweatWorks, Mohammed Iqbal Enjoy this week’s special midweek episode!   To learn more about EuropeActive, click here! https://www.europeactive.eu/ To learn more about IHRSA, click here! https://www.ihrsa.org/ To learn more about Anytime Fitness, click here! https://www.anytimefitness.com/ To learn more about SweatWorks, click here! https://www.sweatworks.com/ To learn more about Singapore Fitness Alliance, click here! https://sgfitnessalliance.com/ To learn more about Basic-Fit, click here! https://www.basic-fit.com/ To learn more

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we sit down with a prolific bodybuilder, actor, and Internet star. Whether it’s building his body or building a business, Kali Muscle is known for outworking everyone. Turning his life around after a prison sentence, he kicked his PT career off at 24 Hour Fitness before succeeding as a larger-than-life YouTube star. With his success in bodybuilding, having over 3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, and starring in several films and commercials, it comes as no surprise that his business ventures took him into the supplement and food industry. In this week’s episode we talk about his recent heart attack and how it changed his outlook on life. We also cover: •                     How his diet and supplementation has been altered drastically •                     His open and honest discussion of his steroid usage and thoughts on performance enhancement drugs •                     And how he’s adapted his training and eating habits to his new li

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we continue our journey at FIBO by sitting down with prominent members of Europe Active at the European Health & Fitness Forum. We were able to pick apart the brains of: The Fitness Director of Armah Sports, Julio Papi,  The CEO of Exi, Grace McNamara The Vice President Global Enterprise of Sports Alliance GmbH, Jennifer Halsall-de Wit The COO & Owner of BlackBox Publishers, Kelby Jongen The topics of discussion ranged from:          The movement for diversity, equity, and inclusion gaining tremendous momentum in the fitness industry          What the trends are in the fitness programming space          And why exercise plays a vital role in combating obesity, along with anti-pharmaceuticals and medication To learn more about EuropeActive, click here! https://www.europeactive.eu/ To learn more about Armah Sports, click here! https://armahsports.com/ To learn more about Exi, click here! https://www.exi.life/us/ To learn more about Sports

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we hit off our journey at FIBO in Cologne, Germany by sitting down with prominent members of Europe Active at the European Health & Fitness Forum. EuropeActive is a 21 years old association that is ambitious to get more people, more active, more often. We were able to spend time with the following guests during this episode: Barrie Elvish, CEO of AUSActive & Amy Thompson, Owner & CEO of IDEA Health & Fitness Association Rene Moos, CEO of Basic-Fit Karsten Hollasch, Global Private Equity Leader in Financial Advisory of Deloitte Dita Charanzová, Vice President of European Parliament Phillip Mills, Founder & Executive Director of Les Mills International David Stalker, President of EuropeActive The topics of discussion ranged from: • How the fitness sector must develop effective strategies to attract and engage younger generations to encourage them to utilize their facilities. • How digitalization is changing the landscape of the fitn

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we sat down with the man who has over 20 years of experience within the fitness industry. By diligently working hard and climbing up the ladder, he found himself as VP of 24 Hour Fitness, and worked in almost all major markets throughout the US. Now, Adam Sedlack is the CEO of gym conglomerate, UFC GYM. Under his leadership, UFC GYM has quickly grown from a start-up to the 14th largest fitness business in the US. Internationally, UFC GYM has expanded into 28 countries with 541 gyms in development, and significant near-term growth prospects under both an owned and a franchised model. Today, he shares with us: •  The way he navigates his business economics to continue expanding •  The value of the personal trainer model within his community •  And his top tips on how to stand out in a crowded fitness market   To learn more about UFC GYM, click here! https://www.ufcgym.com/

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we delve into the latest developments in the fitness industry at IHRSA 2023. BFS (Boutique Fitness Solutions) hosted a one-day track that was specifically designed for boutique fitness businesses at all stages of development. Through 8 impactful sessions, boutique business owners, industry leaders, suppliers, and investors came together to discuss proven methods for successfully launching, managing, and scaling their businesses. There, our co-hosts, Matthew Januszek & Emma Barry, sat down with various boutique fitness owners to find out what’s new in the boutique sector, how they’re future proofing their businesses, and more! To learn more about BFS, click here! https://boutiquefitnesssolutions.com/ To learn more about GoSaga Inc., click here! https://www.gosagalife.com/ To learn more about Boutique Fitness Broker, click here! https://boutiquefitnessbroker.com/ To learn more about Jibe Cycling Studio, click here! https://www.jibecycling.com/ To lea

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, Escape Fitness had the opportunity to attend IHRSA 2023. The convention offered brand new learning experiences with featured speakers from various industries, giving fitness professionals the chance to discover parallels and innovations across a wide spectrum of expertise. There, our co-hosts, Matthew Januszek & Emma Barry, walked the floor to find out what's new at the tradeshow, what the latest fitness trends hitting the market are, and what else is happening in the fitness world! With so much to see, and so many new people to talk to, this event will have multiple episodes. Keep your eyes peeled over the next couple of weeks for more episodes! To learn more about IHRSA, click here! https://hub.ihrsa.org/ihrsa-2023-tradeshow To learn more about JK North America, click here! https://jkproducts.us/ To learn more about Myzone, click here! https://www.myzone.org/ To learn more about Precor, click here! https://www.precor.com/ To learn more about Life

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast we sit down the hottest celebrity trainer in Hollywood. Best known for his work in transforming Michael B. Jordan for his lead role as Adonis Creed in Creed III. Corey Calliet’s expertise in sculpting physiques for the big screen, he has allowed him to enter the motion picture industry through major studios like Universal Pictures, Marvel, and Walt Disney. Due to his bodybuilding physique, he was deemed as one of the 50 Most Fit men in the world alongside Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Conor McGregor. He can also be seen flexing his transformation skills as Lead Trainer on Revenge Body by Khloe Kardashian.   Today he shares his secrets about: ·       The techniques he uses to transform his clientele for movie ready status ·       His bodybuilding background, and what it takes to build an impressive physique ·       And the correlation between attitude and philosophies in training to help with real world success To learn more about Corey Calliet, clic

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we sat down with a biomechanist and inventor who specializes in the study of human movement and locomotion. With his 20 plus years of expertise in the industry, he has in-depth knowledge of the feet in relation to athletic performance, and the natural human function of locomotive abilities. David Weck is the CEO and Founder of BOSU Fitness where his inventions focus on building the rotational, pulsing, and coiling abilities of the athlete. We had the opportunity to visit him at his WeckMethod Lab in San Diego where he spills his plethora of knowledge to us about: • The exponential difference of being coiled versus being stiff/braced when working out • His opinion about traditional power moves that are overused and disadvantageous • And why the fitness community isn’t supporting his methods To learn more about David Weck & The WeckMethod, click here! https://www.weckmethod.com/

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, our guest today has a PhD in Exercise Physiology, is an author, lecturer, and a successful Strength & Conditioning Coach with various online programs. The key elements of his programming include the ‘7 Pillars of Movement’ and the ’10 Principles of Exercise Progression’. Dr. Pat Davidson’s philosophy is heavily grounded in biomechanics of human motion, identifying opportunities for training high-performance athletes, and improving the recovery rates of rehabilitation patients. Today he talks us through:     The issues with functional movement tests, and how complex overall movement is        What the McDonald’s process is in fitness and how it can be beneficial in assessment        And what type of training you must do based on your skeletal build To learn more about Dr. Pat Davidson, click here! https://www.drpatdavidson.net/

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast. To wrap up our series at the Connected Health & Fitness Summit, we sat down with Jon Canarick, a Managing Partner with over 20 years of consumer private equity investment experience. Since joining North Castle in 2001, Jon has actively managed North Castle’s investments across a variety of Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Living sectors and across all job functions at North Castle. Having started his NCP career as an Associate, Jon has played a crucial role in the development of North Castle and many of its portfolio companies. Jon currently sits on the Board of Directors of Therabody, Five Iron Golf, Echelon Fit, CR Fitness, Encore Vet Group, The Escape Game, Barry’s, and SLT. Today he tells all about: ·       If the American economy is facing a recession ·       Why the value of Peloton went down exponentially, and how fittech companies should avoid the same fate ·       What trends are currently happening in the commercial equipment s