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LIFTS Episode 117 - Mark Mastrov, UFC Gyms & ABC Fitness on the Future of the Industry | LIVE at HFA 2026

Release Date: 03/29/2026

LIFTS Episode 117 - Mark Mastrov, UFC Gyms & ABC Fitness on the Future of the Industry | LIVE at HFA 2026

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 special episode recorded live from HFA 2026 in San Diego, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with three of the most influential leaders in the global fitness industry to break down where the space is heading next. Featuring insights from Mark S. Mastrov (24 Hour Fitness), Adam Sedlack (UFC Gyms), and Bill Davis (ABC Fitness), this episode dives into the rapid evolution of fitness business models, technology, member behavior, and the growing intersection...

LIFTS Episode 116 - GLP-1s Are Changing Fitness: What Gym Operators Need to Know | PerformX Special (Part 2 of 3) | with Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi

Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Welcome to the latest episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this special episode recorded live at PerformX, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal explore one of the most significant and rapidly evolving topics in health and fitness today: the rise of GLP-1 medications and what they mean for the fitness industry. Joined by Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, GP, personal trainer, health coach, and one of the UK’s leading educators on obesity management and lifestyle medicine, the conversation explores how these medications are reshaping the health...

LIFTS Episode 115 - From Gyms to Health Hubs: The Next Era of Fitness | PerformX Special (Part 1 of 3) | with Jaclyn Hughes, Tim Gray & Rez Barad

Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Welcome to the latest episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this special episode recorded live at PerformX, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal explore one of the most important shifts happening in the fitness industry today: the evolution of the gym into a health hub. Joined by Jaclyn Hughes (Ultimate Training Solutions), Tim Gray (Health Optimisation Summit & The Biohacker), and Rez Barad (House of Fitness), the panel examines how fitness, longevity, biohacking, and preventative healthcare are beginning to converge. As...

LIFTS Episode 114 - The Future of Personal Training, AI & Human Intelligence | at Connected Health & Fitness 2026

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. Recorded live at Connected Health & Fitness Summit 2026, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with three industry leaders to unpack the convergence of fitness, technology, wellness, and human intelligence. Guests include: David Van Daff (NASM): A 30-year fitness industry veteran representing the National Academy of Sports Medicine, discussing certification evolution, AI in training, and the expanding expectations placed on personal trainers. Jeff Yasuda (Feed...

LIFTS Episode 113 - From HYROX to Longevity Clinics: The Future of Fitness is Human | Connected Health & Fitness Summit

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 special live episode from the Connected Health & Fitness Summit 2026 in Los Angeles, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with four leaders shaping the future of performance, longevity, franchising, and workforce training. Guests include: Douglas Gremmen (HYROX): On building one of the fastest growing competitive fitness brands in the world and why purpose-driven training is the ultimate disruptor. Dean Kelly (Extension Health): On physician-led...

LIFTS Episode 112 – Why 60-Year-Olds Are Stronger Than 30-Year-Olds (Data Shocked Us) | Strength, Longevity & The Future of Fitness | with Troy Taylor

Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Welcome to the latest episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Troy Taylor from Tonal to explore one of the most important shifts happening in fitness today: strength as the foundation of longevity. Drawing on connected strength data from thousands of members, this conversation examines a surprising insight — in many cases, 60-year-olds are matching or outperforming 30-year-olds in relative strength gains. The difference isn’t age. It’s consistency, progressive...

LIFTS Episode 111 - Strength, Pilates & Wellness Are Booming, But Something Isn’t Adding Up? | Inside the Les Mills 2026 Global Fitness Report | with Sean Turner

Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Welcome to the latest episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by Sean Turner, CEO of Les Mills US, to explore one of the most persistent and misunderstood challenges in fitness today: member retention. Drawing on decades of experience as both a club operator and global brand leader, this conversation examines why retention is not a content problem, but a human one. Sean shares how confidence, belonging, and experience design play a far greater role in long-term engagement...

LIFTS Episode 110 - Strength, Sleep, and Longevity: What Most Men Get Wrong About Aging Well with Jeff Zweifel

Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Welcome to the latest episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by industry veteran, longevity advocate, and former Life Time executive Jeff Zweifel to explore one of the most overlooked and urgent topics in fitness today: men’s health and aging. Drawing on decades of leadership experience in the fitness industry, as well as firsthand exposure to emerging longevity and performance technologies, this conversation examines what actually drives long-term health outcomes and...

LIFTS Episode 109 - The Pilates Journal Expo 2026 | Los Angeles | Part 2

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. Recorded live at the Los Angeles Pilates Journal Expo 2026, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with leading voices shaping the future of Pilates. Guests include: Pilates experts Sean Bergara and Tracey Mallett, along with Reform RX founders Neal and Yvette McGaffin. In this episode, we explore: • How Pilates is evolving to meet modern strength and athletic demands. • Why men are increasingly embracing Pilates for longevity and performance. • The rise of fusion...

LIFTS Episode 108 - Moving from Analysis to Intervention with Debra Strougo

Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Welcome to the latest episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. In this episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal are joined by industry strategist and returning guest Debra Strougo, Founder of Row House and CEO of Fitizens to explore how the wellness consumer is everywhere and what that means for the future of fitness. Drawing on insights from CES in Las Vegas, global industry conversations, and real-world operator experience, this episode discusses AI, Pilates, and large-scale operators like 24 Hour Fitness. As wellness becomes a...

More Episodes

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 special episode recorded live from HFA 2026 in San Diego, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with three of the most influential leaders in the global fitness industry to break down where the space is heading next.

Featuring insights from Mark S. Mastrov (24 Hour Fitness), Adam Sedlack (UFC Gyms), and Bill Davis (ABC Fitness), this episode dives into the rapid evolution of fitness business models, technology, member behavior, and the growing intersection between fitness, healthcare, and longevity.

In this episode, we cover:

How technology and AI are reshaping the modern gym experience.
Why the traditional membership model is evolving (and what comes next).
The rise of recovery, longevity, and performance-driven services.
How GLP-1s, peptides, and medical wellness are influencing gym usage.
The growing importance of personal training as a retention driver.
Why younger generations are entering fitness earlier and using gyms differently.
The shift toward multi-gym memberships and “share of wallet” behavior.
How brands like UFC Gyms are expanding into new modalities like jiu jitsu.
The increasing role of personalization, data, and AI in fitness platforms.
What separates top-performing gyms from the rest.

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00:00 Intro: Live from HFA 2026

02:03 Mark Mastrov Interview

04:30 Technology & Industry Shift

09:21 Free Membership Model Discussion

13:16 Personal Training & Retention

18:47 Multi-Gym Membership Trends

22:03 Adam Sedlack Interview