Future of Fitness

Eric Malzone
  • 5.0 (63)
  • Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

We are putting a shoulder into the fitness industry and pushing it forward into the modern digital age. Eric Malzone, a 14-year industry veteran, entrepreneur, advisor, and coach, interviews the brightest movers and shakers in the fitness and health industries. Interviewing some of the industry's top executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders, topics will vary covering cutting edge technology, entrepreneurship, hot industry trends, and so much more. If you're in or around the industry, this is how you keep your edge sharp.

  1. 52m ago ·  Video

    Anton Marchanka (Zing Coach CEO) on AI Personal Training and Gym Member Retention

    Two thirds of Zing Coach's most active app users were already gym members. CEO Anton Marchanka explains why that one finding pushed the company out of consumer fitness and into the gym operator's own app. Get Eric's free Q2 State of Fitness Report: → https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ Eric Malzone sits down with Anton Marchanka, CEO of Zing Coach, to talk about why the AI personal training company moved from a standalone consumer app to a white label coaching product that runs inside a gym's existing app. Anton says nine out of ten users proactively share wearable, sleep and nutrition data, and that Zing's two-photo body composition scan lands within 2 to 4 percentage points of medical-grade DEXA in internal benchmarks. They also get into how an AI copilot could let a trainer triple their client load, why retention matters more than acquisition for US operators, and what members ask an AI coach most (trying to bargain their way into pizza is number one). Anton Marchanka is CEO of Zing Coach and spent about a decade running mobile businesses under the IAC umbrella, including a stint as general manager of Daily Burn. Thanks to Our Sponsors  EGYM: Connecting smart strength equipment across the fitness floor with personalized, AI-powered training experiences:  https://engage.egym.com/6GTrUv7?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=egym&utm_content=show_notes Perfect Gym: A leading fitness club management platform, part of Sport Alliance, now expanding across the U.S. market: https://www.perfectgym.com/en?utm_source=futureoffitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=perfectgym&utm_content=show_notes ► Get the State of Fitness quarterly report: https://q2-report.future-of-fitness.info/ ► Partner with Future of Fitness: https://futureoffitness.co/contact ► Follow Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malzone-8b452a3/ Connect with Anton Marchanka  Website: https://www.zing.coach/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anton-marchanka/

  2. 5d ago ·  Video

    Adam Shane (Yoga Joint New York) on Why a Suburban Fitness Brand Is Betting on Manhattan

    Adam Shane spent 13 years helping scale Barry's. Now he's putting his own money behind Yoga Joint, a Florida infrared fitness brand that fills suburban classes with 55-plus people, and he's taking it straight into Manhattan. Adam Shane, Franchise Owner and Managing Director of Yoga Joint New York, joins Eric Malzone to explain why he's flipping the usual boutique playbook and proving a suburban model in the city. He breaks down Yoga Joint's split between 60-minute Flow and 45-minute FIIT classes in 95-degree infrared rooms. He also explains why he's hunting for 3,500 to 5,000 square foot spaces when most of the industry is building 1,500 to 2,500. Adam shares his read on a boutique market that feels frothy, and he describes how details like elevators and stairwells quietly shape the member experience before anyone steps into class. Adam Shane is the Franchise Owner and Managing Director of Yoga Joint New York and the former Chief Development Officer and EVP of Operations at Barry's, where he spent more than 13 years scaling the brand after starting as its last domestic franchisee. Website: https://yogajoint.com | Instagram: @adamjshane Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod OUR SPONSORS: 🔗 Perfect Gym: https://www.perfectgym.com/en 🔗 EGYM: https://egym.com/

  3. Sep 27 ·  Video

    Dr. Heather McKee, PhD Behavioral Scientist, on Habit Formation and Fitness Motivation

    Dr. Heather McKee, PhD behavioral scientist and motivation science advisor at MyZone, joins Eric Malzone to explain why motivation is the wrong thing to chase first and what actually gets members to stick around past January. Dr. McKee argues that action creates motivation, not the other way around, and that operators should design for a member's ordinary Tuesday rather than their idealized best day. She breaks down why six week challenges quietly fail most members, citing Eric's own experience retaining just 4 percent of a 50 person challenge cohort six months later, and introduces the concept of competence matching, or stage matching people to exercise based on their actual confidence level rather than their ambition. The conversation also covers how AI can extend a trainer's reach from a few hours a week into dozens of touchpoints without replacing the human relationship. Dr. Heather McKee is a PhD behavioral scientist, motivation science advisor at MyZone, and Europe-based habit formation specialist who has consulted for lululemon, Starbucks, Unilever, and HSBC. Website: https://www.drheathermckee.co.uk | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drheathermckee Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod OUR SPONSORS: 🔗 Perfect Gym: https://www.perfectgym.com/en 🔗 EGYM: https://egym.com/

  4. Sep 22 ·  Video

    The New Science of Aging: Why Your Organs Age at Different Rates with Paul Coletta

    What if the next major shift in fitness and health isn't another wearable or blood panel, but knowing which of your organs is aging fastest, and whether the things you're doing to improve your health are actually working? Paul Coletta is Co-Founder and CEO of Vero Bioscience, a predictive health company commercializing Stanford research in proteomic organ aging. Before Vero, Paul spent decades building consumer businesses and brands across Disney, MTV, Hewlett-Packard, Jamba Juice and Urban Remedy. He isn't an MD or a PhD. Three years ago, he says he didn't even know what proteomics was. Then he became one of the first people to take what would become Vero's assay. The result showed that his kidney was aging significantly faster than his chronological age, even though the traditional markers he had been tracking, including creatinine and GFR, looked normal. Paul didn't believe the result, so he took it to his cardiologist. An ultrasound found a large renal cyst. It was benign, but the experience changed how he thought about what health data could tell us before traditional diagnostics flag a problem. That story became part of a much bigger question: Can we move from measuring health after something has gone wrong to seeing where the body may be heading, then intervene early enough to change the trajectory? Eric Malzone and Paul unpack the emerging science behind proteomics, the study of proteins and what they can reveal about the real-time function of the body. Paul explains why he thinks proteins offer a different layer of information than genetics, conventional bloodwork and whole-body biological age scores. Vero's Proteomic OrganAge™ analyzes roughly 11,000 proteins from a blood sample and maps those signals across 11 organ systems. The underlying research has been validated across more than 45,000 people, with longitudinal data extending over 17 years. Rather than reducing someone to a single biological-age number, the goal is to identify which parts of the body may be aging differently from the rest. As Paul puts it: "You're only as healthy as your oldest organ." But the measurement itself is only part of the conversation. Eric has talked for years about the industry's "now what" problem: consumers have more data than ever from wearables, bloodwork, sleep trackers and other diagnostics, but getting another score doesn't necessarily tell someone what to do next. Paul argues that the real opportunity is creating a closed-loop health system: measure what is happening, connect that insight to a targeted intervention, retest, and measure how the biology responds. This leads to a broader conversation about the longevity industry itself. As those categories continue to converge, the opportunity may be bigger than collecting more health data. It may be building systems that can turn that data into direction and give both consumers and clinicians a clearer picture of where to act next. CONNECT WITH PAUL + VERO Learn more about Vero Bioscience / join the waitlist → https://www.verobioscience.com/?utm_source=future_of_fitness&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast_collective&utm_content=paul_coletta Paul Coletta on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcoletta/ Vero Bioscience on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/vero-bioscience-inc/home/

  5. Sep 17 ·  Video

    The Assembly Founder Jon Ward on GLP-1s, Deal Flow and Fitness's Future

    Jon Ward left the influencer playbook behind at Plunge to build something with no media, no selling, and an NDA at the door — and he's already turned away over a hundred applicants to protect it. Jon Ward, Founder and CEO of The Assembly, joins Eric to unpack why he's betting on trust over reach in an industry drowning in pitches. Jon breaks down how GLP-1s are splitting the gym-going population in half, why brands like Evolve went from zero to over $100 million in under a year, and why he thinks "health" needs to stop being treated as an industry and start being treated as culture. He also gets into how The Assembly vets its members, what its Chatham House rules actually protect, and why he sees fitness as the best-positioned industry to own the next decade of health. Jon Ward is the Founder and CEO of The Assembly, an invite-only network connecting founders, executives, and investors across health, wellness, and longevity, and previously worked in brand growth at cold-plunge company Plunge. Website: https://theassembly.health | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonward007 Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod

  6. Sep 12 ·  Video

    James Hurlock (Fitura Brands Founder & CEO) on Scaling Padel and Pilates Franchises

    James Hurlock went from professional rugby to founding Fitura Brands, the multi-concept franchise platform behind Padel SWT, Core Precinct, and ContrasTheory. He explains why he's betting on three categories at once — and why he's deliberately taking the slow, expensive route to franchising. James Hurlock is the Founder and CEO of Fitura Brands, a Utah-based wellness holding company that launched in 2026 at a $20 million pre-money valuation. Before founding Fitura, Hurlock served as founding CEO of FS8, Chief Partnerships Officer at F45 Training, and Chief Brand Officer at The Picklr, where he helped grow the indoor pickleball franchise to roughly 70 locations across the US and abroad. In this conversation, he breaks down Fitura's three concepts — Padel SWT (big-box indoor padel), Core Precinct (hybrid reformer Pilates), and ContrasTheory (guided contrast recovery) — and shares why Fitura spent 12 months building infrastructure before selling a single franchise. James Hurlock, Founder and CEO of Fitura Brands, previously held leadership roles at F45 Training, FS8, and The Picklr, and played professional rugby for Northampton Saints Academy and London Saracens before captaining England Schoolboys. Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod

  7. Sep 7 ·  Video

    Jon Canarick, North Castle Partners, on Curves, Equinox, and GLP-1s in Fitness

    Jon Canarick has spent 25 years investing in gyms, and he's still trying to explain why doctors won't write a prescription for exercise. As Managing Partner at North Castle Partners, he helped build Equinox, turned around Curves, and backed Barry's long before boutique fitness was a category. Canarick walks through what actually changed in fitness private equity since he joined North Castle in 2001, from the corporate franchise wave that built 24 Hour Fitness and LA Fitness to Planet Fitness's pricing model, which he credits with pulling more Americans into gym memberships than anything else in the last quarter century. He details the failed attempt to combine Curves with Jenny Craig and a Cleveland Clinic nutrition program, a bet he calls a real failure despite the medical credibility behind it. Canarick also breaks down why GLP-1 drugs are reshaping the industry at the premium end through brands like Monarch and Miora, and why an LEK study showing 30% of big box gym members also pay for boutique fitness complicates the usual story about a shrinking middle class of gyms. Jon Canarick is Managing Partner at North Castle Partners, a private equity firm focused exclusively on healthy, active, and sustainable living businesses, where he has sat on the boards of Equinox, Curves, Barry's, Therabody, and SLT. Website: https://northcastlepartners.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jon-canarick-4340362 Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod OUR SPONSORS:  🔗 Perfect Gym: https://www.perfectgym.com/en 🔗 EGYM: https://egym.com/

  8. Sep 2

    Quarterly Report: Q2 Big Five with Andy Beckman of Garmin, Life Time Sheds Members on Purpose, Peloton's First Profit Ever, Xponential's 5x Problem

    Garmin Health's Andy Beckman joins hosts Eric Malzone, Juliet Starrett, and Alex Alimanestianu for the quarterly roundtable, talking wearables and the Training Peaks acquisition before the group digs into a full quarter of fitness industry earnings. Andy Beckman explains what Garmin Health actually does, from employee wellness and insurance underwriting to military fatigue tracking and the pilot study that flagged COVID cases 48 hours before symptoms appeared. Juliet Starrett and Alex Alimanestianu then break down the numbers: Garmin posted a record quarter with revenue up 11% to $2 billion and its fitness segment growing 25% to $757 million, Lifetime grew revenue 13.7% to $866 million while deliberately shrinking its membership base toward higher-paying clients, and Peloton logged its first full year of net profitability even as subscriptions fell 9%. Xponential Fitness comes up as the quarter's cautionary tale, with a new leadership team and a debt-to-EBITDA ratio the hosts call unsustainable. The episode closes on Procter & Gamble's acquisition of supplement brand Thorn, New York City's new click-to-cancel law, and a widely shared article questioning the accuracy of Blue Zones longevity data. Andy Beckman leads Garmin Health, the division that connects Garmin's wearables to partners in corporate wellness, insurance, clinical research, and remote patient monitoring, after joining the company in 2008. Website: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/health/ | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/beckmanandy Get Eric's weekly industry newsletter: https://futureoffitness.co Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@futureofofitnesspod OUR SPONSORS: 🔗 Perfect Gym: https://www.perfectgym.com/en 🔗 EGYM: https://egym.com/

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5
out of 5
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About

We are putting a shoulder into the fitness industry and pushing it forward into the modern digital age. Eric Malzone, a 14-year industry veteran, entrepreneur, advisor, and coach, interviews the brightest movers and shakers in the fitness and health industries. Interviewing some of the industry's top executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders, topics will vary covering cutting edge technology, entrepreneurship, hot industry trends, and so much more. If you're in or around the industry, this is how you keep your edge sharp.

Information

  • Creator
    Eric Malzone
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    580
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Future of Fitness
  • Show Website
    Future of Fitness

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