P90X Archives - Athletech News https://athletechnews.com/tag/p90x/ The Homepage of the Fitness & Wellness Industry Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:53:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://athletechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ATHLETECH-FAVICON-KNOCKOUT-LRG-48x48.png P90X Archives - Athletech News https://athletechnews.com/tag/p90x/ 32 32 177284290 Nicole Dunn, Founder of Top Health & Wellness PR Firm, Wants a Better Future for Women https://athletechnews.com/nicole-dunn-dunn-pellier-media-profile/ Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://athletechnews.com/?p=104034 After a 14-year career in TV, Dunn pivoted and founded Dunn Pellier Media, growing it into one of the top PR firms in fitness In the public relations space, some are built with a natural passion or skill-set for the work, much like you’d say someone is a natural “go-getter” or “people person.” Nicole Dunn,…

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After a 14-year career in TV, Dunn pivoted and founded Dunn Pellier Media, growing it into one of the top PR firms in fitness

In the public relations space, some are built with a natural passion or skill-set for the work, much like you’d say someone is a natural “go-getter” or “people person.” Nicole Dunn, CEO of Dunn Pellier Media, is all of the above.

Dunn Pellier Media has worked with top brands such as F45 Training, Les Mills, Orangetheory Fitness, and Club Pilates, establishing itself as one of the top public relations firms in fitness. But while Dunn has always had the personal tools to build a top agency, getting to this point still took determination and savvy, especially in her early days coming from another industry.

Grinding to the Top

Before starting Dunn Pellier Media, Dunn spent 14 years working in television, at one point helping to produce a Dr. Phil spin-off series called “Decision House.” She led a 50+ member team, overseeing all aspects of production from talent and guest bookings to writing scripts.

“The demands were intense, often stretching into 16-hour workdays,” Dunn recalled. “Amidst the competitive landscape, particularly dominated by men, I started to question what I was doing and how hard I worked for someone else.”

That questioning eventually led her to create Dunn Pellier Media. After receiving guidance from a business coach and an all-female “mastermind” group in Los Angeles, she went on to launch the PR agency. 

“Initially, I was hesitant to leave television, but I realized that with the versatility of my skill set in producing television and the potential for crossover into public relations, that it would work,” she said. “Encouraged by my mastermind group and my husband’s collective wisdom, I leaped.”

Amid that leap, she had an inspiring and helpful partner beside her in Tony Horton. The P90X star became one of Dunn’s first clients and was instrumental in helping her interest in fitness blossom into a true passion. 

“Witnessing the profound personal transformations sparked by his workouts ignited a fire within me,” said Dunn. “In our early days, Tony challenged me to reevaluate my fitness regimen, bluntly dismissing that my ‘daily dog walks’ just didn’t make the fitness cut. His insistence and encouragement to create a workout routine was a pivotal moment that marked a profound shift in my lifestyle and my future career.”

As their partnership grew, potential clients started flocking to Dunn Pellier Media, hoping to replicate the success enjoyed by Horton. From there, a thriving business unfolded, eventually growing to expand its portfolio beyond personalities and feature a wider spectrum of health and wellness organizations. 

Dunn Pellier Media has worked with top fitness brands including Orangetheory (credit: Orangetheory Fitness)

Separation from the Pack

Besides its impressive client list, Dunn Pellier Media also distinguished itself from multiple competitors in the public relations arena. Working to be a “dedicated health partner” rather than just manning the PR department for its clients, DPM crafts and molds wellness narratives with impactful storytelling. 

The agency’s extensive experience and notable relationships across the industry also make a difference. Along with industry giants like Orangetheory and Club Pilates, Dunn Pellier Media also works with Bulldog Yoga, MyNetDiary and Essentia Mattress. 

“We have deep-rooted relationships with both the media and the wellness marketplace,” said Dunn. “For 17 years we have attended almost all fitness, wellness, and biohacking conferences to meet our community and make ourselves a part of this community.”

Dunn Pellier Media secured a nationally televised spot for Club Pilates (credit: Club Pilates/YouTube)

Those relationship-building skills trickle down from the top. 

“One of my greatest strengths lies in my ability to connect with people — a trait that has been evident since childhood, as my father often noted my natural gift for conversation,” Dunn said. “I’ve always been genuinely intrigued by people, eager to find out what drives them while learning about their passions. This innate curiosity serves as a significant advantage for our company, as it enables me to forge meaningful connections and foster growth opportunities in the fitness and wellness space.”

Additionally, Dunn Pellier Media’s specific focus on public relations in the health and wellness sector helps differentiate it from the pack. Few, if any, other companies stand so equipped on both the fitness and PR front. 

“What sets us apart is our genuine integration within the wellness community, a distinction few firms can claim,” said Dunn. “We’ve cultivated deep-rooted relationships and solid expertise in promoting fitness, health, and wellness brands.”

The Future of DPM & More 

Dunn sees merging Dunn Pellier Media with a prominent PR firm in need of DPM’s distinct health and wellness expertise as something to strive for in the long term future. 

“By joining forces with a much larger firm, we aim to bring our unique perspective and specialized knowledge to a broader audience, further solidifying our position as leaders in wellness-focused public relations,” she said. “Together, we can amplify our impact and offer clients a comprehensive suite of services that seamlessly blend expertise, community, and authenticity.”

However, a more immediate goal involves combating gender discrimination in health and wellness. In the current calendar year, Dunn mentioned an intent to address the disparity in funding for research into women’s health. 

With help from the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program, from which Dunn recently graduated, she plans to launch an online platform that will fill the gap in research and data for women aged 45 years and older. The project is still in its development phase, as Dunn noted she’s currently preparing a pitch deck to engage leading female funders invested in women’s health to have them help support the platform. 

“We can’t improve what we don’t measure, and this platform brings the data and research together for better health outcomes and reducing the cost of disease for women,” Dunn said. “We have been left out of critical health and wellness research studies and that needs to change!”

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Inside BODi’s Plan To Become the ‘Netflix of Digital Fitness’ https://athletechnews.com/bodi-netflix-of-digital-fitness-exclusive-interview/ Tue, 12 Mar 2024 19:48:12 +0000 https://athletechnews.com/?p=103883 Despite recent struggles, the brand formerly known as Beachbody expects positive cash flow for the first time since 2020 BODi, formerly known as Beachbody, the OG of subscription health and fitness systems, expects positive cash flow in Q1 — the first time since 2020 — following a “transformational” 2023. The company just released its financial…

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Despite recent struggles, the brand formerly known as Beachbody expects positive cash flow for the first time since 2020

BODi, formerly known as Beachbody, the OG of subscription health and fitness systems, expects positive cash flow in Q1 — the first time since 2020 — following a “transformational” 2023. The company just released its financial earnings, reporting a total revenue of $119.0 million in Q4 of 2024, compared to $148 million in the prior year period. Total revenue for the full year 2023 was $527.1 million, compared to $692.2 million in the prior year.

Despite the seemingly lackluster financial results, BODi’s executive team tells Athletech News they’re bullish on the company’s future, driven by a focus on improving cash flow and leaning into digital fitness and holistic wellness content, including an embrace of GLP-1s.

The company known for its high-energy fitness coaches such as Autumn Calabrese, Shaun T, Tony Horton and Shakeology protein shakes, underwent a major rebrand from Beachbody to BODi last year, adopting a more holistic approach to health and wellness. The move also included a major declaration from Carl Daikeler, the company’s co-founder and CEO: “Beachbody is dead.”

In place of the old and tired diet and fitness industry playbook, Daikeler explained his vision for the future — one in which a positive mindset was woven into the health and fitness experience, combatting what he called a “permanent dissatisfaction” that many consumers experience.

It’s not a quick fix, especially in a highly competitive industry, but BODi is encouraged by early results, including high search traffic volume following its makeover. Reflecting on 2023’s earnings, Daikeler says BODi’s self-described “turnaround plan” has been successful so far, with the company lowering its breakeven point and enhancing its liquidity.

“In 2024, our objective is fostering more profitable revenue streams and sustainable free cash flows, with a renewed focus on reshaping our nutrition business,” Daikeler said. “Our accomplishments in 2023 set the foundation for continued execution of our turnaround in 2024. We expect to have positive cash flow from operating activities and free cash flow in the first quarter.”

BODi has also offloaded its Van Nuys, California, production facility for $6.2 million, using the net proceeds to make a partial prepayment on its $5.5 million term loan.

BODi’s Financial Overhaul

Mark Goldston, executive chairman of BODi’s board of directors, partnered with Daikeler last year to guide the company’s transformation, drive profitability and unlock growth opportunities. He also serves as chairman and CEO of The Goldston Group and is a general partner of Athletic Propulsion Labs, a high-end performance athletic footwear company — lending his expertise to revitalize and reposition BODi back on its fitness throne.

“Since the start of the program, we are on track to achieve over $200 million in fixed costs and CapEx savings in 2024 over 2021, and introduced a more efficient sales and marketing model that aims to deliver a 1,000 (basis points) bps improvement in 2024,” Goldston tells Athletech News. “This dramatically lowers the revenue breakeven for the company. By building operating leverage into the P&L, our dramatically lower cost base has the potential to generate strong incremental profitability when we return to revenue growth.”

Mark Goldston (credit: BODi)

Last year, the company also introduced a new “Growth Game Plan” that rewards high-performing network sales partners within its subscription health and fitness system.

King of Fitness Content

Touting its extensive digital fitness library of 134-plus programs with widely-known titles such as P90X, Insanity, 21-Day Fix and Lift More, BODi is leaning into its content offering, having refined its appeal.

“We think of BODi as being the ‘Netflix’ of the digital fitness industry, and we are doing a much better job of leveraging that library,” Goldston said. “That includes creating our first-ever free BODi Previews tool that features over 120 individual workouts and allowing even more consumers to enter into our community.”

Goldston also shared that BODi is expanding its retail and direct marketing business to bring the benefits of its fitness content and nutritional products to a broader audience.

“Our BODi digital fitness app was recently named the #1 workout app last year by CNN Underscored, so we’re being recognized for the impact we’re making for modern fitness consumers,” Goldston said.

credit: BODi

Embracing Wellness & Weight Loss Drugs

Unafraid of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, BODi instead sees a significant opportunity. 

“With over 145 million American adults categorized as overweight and more than 75 million of those people considered clinically obese, the TAM for BODi is massive,” Goldston predicts, adding that many people who are considerably overweight may experience difficulty starting an exercise program and are self-conscious about going to a gym

“The GLP-1 drug movement is designed to address the 145 million people who are overweight, especially the clinically obese, and we strongly believe that those drugs will unlock a major TAM opportunity for BODi largely because a large group of people will lose enough weight to safely and comfortably consider starting an exercise program in the privacy of their own home,” he continued.

Goldston also referenced the need for GLP-1 users to maintain a healthy eating regimen, which he sees as a major “boon for BODI” in terms of its meal plans and nutritional supplement offerings. 

As for BODi’s fitness content, Goldston pointed out that the platform’s fitness programs can help offset the loss of muscle mass

“The GLP-1 drugs have been known to have an adverse effect on lean muscle mass, and therefore, the use of programs like those contained in the BODi library will help reduce the risk of losing lean muscle mass and help people maintain and gain strength while getting their weight under control and improving their overall level of fitness,” he said.

While BODi forges ahead, fortified by its vast digital fitness content and nutritional supplements, Goldston also sees the subscription health and fitness system taking center stage to meet an even bigger trend.

“I believe that the industry has truly embraced a more holistic approach to fitness,” he said. “While there is no easy fix to maintaining a healthy life, there are benefits to a balanced approach. Consumers continue to look for guidance and that is a fundamental core principle of our approach at BODi. At BODi, it’s that balanced approach that makes us unique.”

This article has been updated.

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BODi CEO Says Company in ‘Early Stages’ of Rebrand After Q1 Revenue Decline https://athletechnews.com/bodi-ceo-sees-positive-signs-in-early-stages-of-beachbody-rebrand/ Tue, 09 May 2023 20:13:40 +0000 https://athletechnews.com/?p=95022 BODi CEO Carl Daikeler pointed to strong customer demand and search traffic volume as signs that the company is on the right track The Beachbody Company held its first earnings call for 2023, a quarter that CEO Carl Daikeler said marks a “major transition” for the health and fitness company, which recently rebranded to BODi.…

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BODi CEO Carl Daikeler pointed to strong customer demand and search traffic volume as signs that the company is on the right track

The Beachbody Company held its first earnings call for 2023, a quarter that CEO Carl Daikeler said marks a “major transition” for the health and fitness company, which recently rebranded to BODi.

The company finished upgrading its subscription platform and simplified its business model, shifting to monthly content organized into three-week blocks with goals and objectives, having launched BODi in March. The single subscription plan better aligns with the company’s rebranding as it incorporates a mental health focus into its offerings.

Despite the significant changes, Daikeler believes BODi has much more to accomplish and that the company’s expanded BODi subscription platform is the “biggest and most important innovation” since the company’s inception.

Daikeler revealed that BODi is taking a more conservative view of its Q2 outlook, remaining assured that the company will achieve EBITDA profitability on a quarterly basis by the end of the year.

“I’m confident that this will be our next multibillion dollar opportunity to drive long-term sustainable growth,” the BODi CEO said. “We’re in the early stages of promoting this new premium subscription but I can report that we are already seeing promising customer demand based on the engagement and renewals of existing customers.”

Here are some key takeaways from The Beachbody Comapny’s first earnings call of the year, as Daikeler discusses key insight from Google search data, a looming recession and how he thinks weight loss medications like Ozempic can be a golden ticket for the company:

Q1 2023 results at a glance:

  • Total revenue was $144.9 million compared to $198.9 million in the prior-year period, a 27% decrease.
  • Operating loss improved to $27.4 million compared to an operating loss of $74.4 million in the prior-year period.
  • Net loss was $29.2 million compared to a net loss of $73.5 million in the prior-year period.
  • Adjusted EBITDA was ($0.9) million compared to ($19.1) million in the prior-year period.

BODi subscriptions

Daikeler revealed that BODi surpassed 500,000 subscriptions as of April 30, approximately double its total at the end of Q4 2022, an increase he says was driven by digital renewals and upgrades.

“The early strength in renewals demonstrates customers are recognizing that our pricing represents tremendous value associated with our rich catalog of over 120 programs,” Daikeler said. “I mean, everybody knows P90X, Insanity, and 21 Day Fix, but also our new BODi programming and the monthly release of new BODi blocks for general fitness consistency.”

Google searches

Daikeler pointed to data that revealed Google search traffic is up 287% in the first quarter over the prior year, as interested consumers have been looking up “BODi” using the search engine.

“Since the repositioning to BODi just in March, web traffic to our sites increased by 20% over February,” Daikeler said.

Plans to drive customer acquisition

Now that BODi and its offerings have been introduced, the company will focus on the execution of its go-to-market strategy, with Daikeler saying it’s time to “go on the offense.”

Since the company’s partner network forms the majority of sales generation, BODi has implemented new incentives to align its partners with its goal of driving subscriptions.

The company will host its annual Partner Summit in June, typically attended by around 10,000 partners. Daikeler said it will be an “immersive training” of the company’s network to align partners with its strategy and sales tactics to serve the “massive TAM of over 150 million people who are overweight or obese in the U.S.”

As for direct media acquisition, Daikeler confirmed that the company is working with an experienced social media and marketing agency to expand the reach of its message into TikTok and YouTube. Last month, BODi launched technology to communicate with customers through its app and text messages to boost customer engagement and build more targeted email marketing campaigns.

BODi’s view on a looming recession

When an investor brought up recession risk and cited IHRSA research that showed the fitness industry declined in terms of memberships during the 2008-2009 recession, Daikeler responded that BODi is a “very cost-effective alternative to the gyms.”

“We think we’re well positioned for that with our holistic approach to fitness, nutrition and now, positive mindset masterclasses,” added Daikeler.

The BODi CEO and co-founder noted that his fitness and nutrition company has existed for 24 years in some form or another, demonstrating its longevity.

Daikeler said: “If you look around the industry of nutrition and fitness solutions, there aren’t a lot of companies that have managed to have that kind of stamina and innovate over and over again and this launch of the health esteem category and the BODI subscription. This will be our fifth big innovation as a company. We’ve run this playbook before.”

Could weight loss drugs be an opportunity for BODi to shine?

Daikeler sees the surge in weight loss medication as an opportunity for BODi.

For weight loss medication patients to have long-term success, they’ll need an opportunity to overhaul their lifestyle, which Daikeler says BODi can help provide with its tools, especially those focused on mental health.

“We are the holistic fitness, nutrition and positive mindset resource for people who need to change their lifestyle at the same time that they contemplate prescription medication,” he said. “So we’re really in this ideal position. It feels like everything that we’ve done for the last 24 years has led up to this moment.”

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How BODi is Flipping the Script on the ‘Imperfection Economy’ https://athletechnews.com/bodi-ceo-carl-daikeler-exclusive-interview/ Fri, 21 Apr 2023 16:14:23 +0000 https://athletechnews.com/?p=94553 Beachbody’s pivot from goal achievement to health esteem is evident in the company’s new name, BODi Athletech News sat down with the spirited and candid founder and CEO of Beachbody, Carl Daikeler, to hear his perspective on where the industry is headed and why his company is making dramatic changes in its business model. What…

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Beachbody’s pivot from goal achievement to health esteem is evident in the company’s new name, BODi

Athletech News sat down with the spirited and candid founder and CEO of Beachbody, Carl Daikeler, to hear his perspective on where the industry is headed and why his company is making dramatic changes in its business model. What he told us, though at first surprising, speaks volumes about some of the challenges facing fitness players seeking to make more people fit and healthy.

“Beachbody is dead,” said Daikeler, co-founder, chairman and CEO of BODi, formerly Beachbody. 

He went on to explain. “We’ve had a mission statement for 24 years, which is to help people achieve their goals and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. And the programs that we’ve created, famous ones like P90x Power 90, Slim and Six Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs—I could list 100 of them—were the first of their kind to give people basically a legit fitness narrative that you might get from a trainer, but right in your own home, and on a finite timeline. We had 100 workouts that help you achieve your goals in 7 days, 21 days, 60 days, 90 days. It was awesome. And it helped people achieve their goals.” 

Then, suddenly, the company made the decision to change its name, and announced last October the platform would now be called BODi, a moniker it had been considering for its premium subscription.

When asked why such a drastic move, Daikeler’s response was immediate and candid.

“Because, not only is Beachbody dead, but the fitness and diet industry is largely dead. The industry continues to execute an old playbook that needs to convince people of their imperfection in order to engage them. Play one is you’re not good enough, you need to lose weight, so join my gym. And play two is, you are never good enough. There’s always something more to achieve. That’s called permanent dissatisfaction.” 

Daikeler’s aha moment came when he realized that this is the example he’s setting for his kids, ages 14 and 23.

“When we come up with programs, I think about what I want them to see as the legacy of this business that we’ve built. So I knew we had to flip that script.” 

Unlike many fitness executives, Daikeler didn’t come into this business through his athletic background, workout discipline or secret formula for helping get others in shape. If anything, it was the absence of these characteristics that attracted him to the space.

“I’m not a fitness person, I don’t like working out. I don’t like eating well. I was a quasi-athlete in school, but I wasn’t disciplined. I have no problem not exercising. I didn’t love it enough to sacrifice sleep for it unless I had some vacation or something coming up. But what would be psychologically very motivational for me was if I had a timeline. Going from day one to day 90, for instance.” 

This became the genesis of the business, and the part of the Beachbody mission that, Daikeler said, the company “ran the hell out of for 24 years.” The company has grown from its flagship P90x product to a collection of almost 100 digital exercise programs, a nutrition business whose core product Shakeology represents more than half of company sales, connected fitness programs that include a bike, and other products and services. The company went public in 2021 through a SPAC, or special purpose acquisition company, and is now traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Last year the company had 2.5 million subscribers and sales of almost $700 million. 

In the latter part of the last decade, two trends started to eat away at the Beachbody business model. The first was the digital revolution in media. Beachbody’s original strategy was to sign up a customer and ship him or her a box of DVDs with a note wishing them good luck with the 60- or 90-day program. By 2016, the company could no longer put off the shift to digital, which also shifted the customer relationship to a more continuous dialogue.

The second trend that made Daikeler question what Beachbody was doing was body positivity.

“I started to see some problems materialize, not just in our business model, but in the surroundings, people not responding with enthusiasm to what they used to, which were the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos.”

Although Daikeler claims that intrinsically there were health benefits behind those photos, those were overpowered by the negative reactions, and eventually the connotation of the name Beachbody began to undermine the company’s ability to deliver on its mission. Daikeler recounted searching Google for Beachbody, and instead of seeing his company listing, he would see Kim Kardashian “flaunting her beach body in Malibu,” indicating that the term was starting to take on a newer, narrow definition, not the one originally intended by the brand.

“It started to limit and, in fact, suppress our ability to achieve our mission statement.”

The industry continues to execute an old playbook that needs to convince people of their imperfection in order to engage them. Play one is you’re not good enough, you need to lose weight, so join my gym. And play two is, you are never good enough. There’s always something more to achieve. That’s called permanent dissatisfaction.” 

-Carl Daikeler, co-founder, chairman and CEO of BODi, formerly Beachbody

For the last six years, the company has been struggling to evolve from a company that was great at the first part of its mission, that of helping people achieve their goals in a fixed period of time, to one that also delivers on helping people lead healthy, fulfilling lives, which it feels it has failed on.

The company’s recent financial performance indicates it might not be a bad time for a strategy shift. In the twelve months ending December 31, 2022, total revenue dropped 21% compared to the same period in 2021 and 8% below its pre-COVID baseline. 

The missing element, according to Daikeler, is to help people feel better about themselves and to stop participating in the permanent dissatisfaction business.

“We made a decision last year that we were going to pursue a completely different category, one that we call health esteem, that combines immediate appreciation of who you are with a complete lack of a requirement to do anything in order to improve how you feel about yourself and be worthwhile in the world.”

On March 2, Beachbody added an entire new layer to its platform of positive mindset to help people love themselves. From moment one, before the first workout, it helps you, among other things, figure out how to eat more dessert, how to enjoy all the food groups that you want, and how to embark on a fitness program that lets you “have a real life.”

The health esteem routine will include masterclasses from authors and positive psychology experts to help people feel better about themselves and the world in general. The idea, says Daikeler, is that once you you’ve repaired your self-esteem and appreciate yourself, you can choose the right workout or nutrition program that serves you and helps you, not fixes you in a judgmental way.

Daikeler

“We’re not telling you that you need to lose 50 pounds. We’re saying we can get you strong enough, get your metabolism going, with maybe 15 workouts a month, which we call a body block. Do five workouts a week for three weeks, take the fourth week off or go walking or whatever. But give yourself the freedom to live life, have a vacation without thinking ‘I gotta stay on my program.’” 

“‘Do you feel good?’ is not a binary question, not black and white, it’s a continuum. And that’s what’s wrong with the industry we call the imperfection economy. It’s torturing its customers, telling them they’re not good enough.”

Daikeler recalls going into a gym that had painted across the wall the slogan “Proud, but never satisfied.”

“Can you imagine? I thought, ‘I need to get out of the industry as quick as possible if that is the mentality that we are promoting, never satisfied, never pleased with myself, which is why you have suicide, overeating, escapism, people who are overdoing plastic surgery, overtraining, and body dysmorphia.’ I refuse to participate in it anymore.”

He may have a point. Forbes publishes a list of the top New Year’s health resolutions each year. In 2023 the number one New Year’s resolution wasn’t lose weight, improve my fitness, or improve my nutrition. It was improve my mental health

Daikeler feels there is a lot of virtue signaling going on.

“The tech companies are all claiming that they’re not in the imperfection economy. But if you wear a monitoring device, and it tells you if you’re imperfect today and didn’t close your rings before midnight, that’s stress-inducing.”

“There are gyms that say they don’t allow judgment, but if you bang the weights, or grunt, they sound an alarm. What is that? If I make too much noise working out, the whole room is gonna judge me now?”

“It’s not enough to just change the name, you need to really change the direction of the company. And, can they take the weight watching out of the company by just taking it down to the acronym of WW? It’s still weight watching, right? How about self-esteem watching? What about feel-good watching? What about what-do-you-need-as-a-human-being watching??”

When asked how BODi will break through all the industry noise and walk the walk, not just talk the name change talk, he quipped: “It’s easy. I’m no longer in that business. You probably don’t even want me in your publication.”

“‘Do you feel good?’ is not a binary question, not black and white, it’s a continuum. And that’s what’s wrong with the industry we call the imperfection economy. It’s torturing its customers, telling them they’re not good enough. Then never telling them they are good enough. That is a recipe for a psychological impossible-to-escape cycle.”

Daikeler makes it clear that there’s nothing wrong with looking great, and if it’s a byproduct of feeling great, then even better. And the only way to serve the almost 150 million people in North America who are overweight or obese is to get out of the abs business and into the feelings business.

“Let us be this sunshine in your life, the thing that feels great, not this nagging voice that’s feeding into the judgment, the criticism, and the competition. Instead, this voice will say ‘Hey, back off, you need to take a day off to get your head straight. Because you’re in here for the wrong reason, man. Like, come back in when you’re doing this because it feels so good to push that hard.'”

“And then when it’s 5 a.m. and you’re lying in bed, you’re thinking, ‘I gotta get down there because I love the way I feel about this. I love the way I feel about myself. I love that I love myself enough to do this.'”

“I f#*@-ing rock.”

This article originally appeared in Athletech’s State of Fitness 2023 Insider’s Outlook report. Download the report here.

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P90X Creator Tony Horton Collaborates with Hot At-Home Fitness Platform Tonal https://athletechnews.com/p90x-creator-tony-horton-collaborates-with-hot-at-home-fitness-platform-tonal/ Mon, 30 Nov 2020 21:48:43 +0000 https://athletechnews.com/?p=21142 Tony Horton, the personal training guru who sold millions of DVDs now moves to content creator with five routines for Tonal’s “Live” program, with more to follow. Tony Horton, the man behind the intensely popular, intensely marketed and just plain intense P90X fitness program, has become a coach with Tonal, the much-hyped at-home fitness brand…

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Tony Horton, the personal training guru who sold millions of DVDs now moves to content creator with five routines for Tonal’s “Live” program, with more to follow.

Tony Horton, the man behind the intensely popular, intensely marketed and just plain intense P90X fitness program, has become a coach with Tonal, the much-hyped at-home fitness brand whose $3,000 adjustable exercise bench comes outfitted with a video screen for classes.

Horton, the media-savvy personal trainer to the stars who sold his program on a slew of infomercials about 15 years ago, will teach live classes on a format appropriately called Live. The classes will then be banked for utilization at the leisure of Tonal members.

Thus far, Horton, or “Coach Tony” as he’s called on Tonal’s website, has planned diverse five work lessons. Four — “Fit Full Body, “Legit Legs & Chest,” “Legendary Legs & Core,” and “Action Arms” — incorporate cardio and strength training. A fifth “Yoga Flex Flow” is yoga-themed. More will follow, Tonal promises.

Tony Horton became a household name with the P90X system, introduced in 2004, that promised radical bodily transformation within 90 days through intense exercise and meal planning. At a cost of about $120, buyers received 12 workout DVDs, plus supplementary material, that guided them through brisk, high-intensity workout routines for which they dedicated 90 minutes a day six or seven days a week. The accompanying meal plan regulated protein and carb intake in synchronicity to the program.

Horton hawked the P90X plan on infomercials and sold more than 4 million units. Predictably, a series of tweaked plans (like the P90X2 and P90X3), spin-off products and books came afterwards. Also predictably, interest subsided after five years or so. However, Horton’s experience in media, branding and home-based workout plans make him a natural choice for Tonal, as it seeks to increase its visibility and user base among the fitness diehards working out from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tonal’s workout machines uses a fold-out bench, resistance bands and a flat-screen TV for instruction, making it an easy-to-store setup of workout essentials. The electromagnetic resistance engine can generate up to 200 pounds of resistance, according to the company, creating an alternative to a bulky set of weights. Professional athletes have bought the device and the San Francisco-based company is raising funds to increase its profile. In September, Tonal announced it had acquired $110 million in investor funding, from the likes of Amazon, golfer Michelle Wie and several basketball stars, including Steph Curry.

So what should we expect from Tony Horton, whose P90X embodied the concept of beast mode? In an interview that came with promotional material for his Tonal package, the 62-year-old personal trainer said he has become more holistic.

“In my 20s and early 30s, my only focus was the aesthetic transformation that exercise and my not-so-healthy diet provided,” he said. “Later, in my 40s, 50s, and now 60s, I care much more about how exercise improves the quality of my life, and my mental and emotional wellbeing versus aesthetics.”

The post P90X Creator Tony Horton Collaborates with Hot At-Home Fitness Platform Tonal appeared first on Athletech News.

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