Can Arnold Schwarzenegger Build the Ultimate Fitness App?
The bodybuilding legend has quickly grown a community of dedicated fitness enthusiasts as he officially launches “The Pump”
Arnold Schwarzenegger has done it all: former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, politician. Now 76, The Terminator is focused on his wellness media company, Arnold’s Pump Club, and a new fitness app.
Dubbed “The Pump,” the app opened as a soft launch to its 5,000 founding members last April, quickly amassing a growing fitness community with over 10 million downloads. In addition to the app, there’s also a daily newsletter and an AI-powered podcast that reads the latest tips from the newsletter.
Now, the devoted-to-fitness Schwarzenegger is ready to unveil The Pump app to the masses, writing on social media that the last eight months have been spent building and improving the app based on its founding members.
Upon downloading The Pump and signing in, users receive an incoming video call from the actor, welcoming them to The Pump and explaining his concept and excitement for his new venture.
“I have been a fanatic about fitness, and I’ve been on this fitness crusade now for five decades because I want to make sure that everyone kind of feels the pleasure of being fit and strong like I always did,” Schwarzenegger says on the call. “But now I’m especially pumped up because of the power of the internet.”
Fitness for All
In his message, the former California governor assures that his new app isn’t just for those who are experienced with fitness training (although they will find great programs) but that The Pump is also suitable for those who have never stepped into a gym or lifted a weight.
As he wraps up his “call,” the celebrity and fitness pro emphasizes his new app’s positive spirit and community-building approach.
“Everyone will be built up,” he said. “Everyone will feel good because, to me, it’s all about building people up. Not just the muscles, not just the strength, but also the ego. Make them feel good. That’s what this is all about.”
Access to the app is $99.99/year or $9.99/month, which unlocks training plans created by Schwarzenegger and his team, a motivating community and a personalized habit tracker, plus guided workout videos and instructional tips.
Users begin with a 90-day program called The Foundation, with a plan based on their lifestyle, preferences, fitness experience and goals. The habit builder is used to support meeting healthy goals and create lasting practices. Instead of just lending his name to the mission, Schwarzenegger is steeped in the program, routinely hosting Q&As for users and acting as an approachable resource.
In keeping with his promise of “fitness is for everyone,” free workouts and motivational material are still available for those who aren’t ready to invest in The Pump app.
Star Appeal
Notoriety can help fuel fitness businesses and platforms, as seen with Chris Hemsworth’s Centr, a fitness and wellness ecosystem spanning content and fitness products and the Mark Wahlberg-backed F45 Training.
Although “Thor” catapulted Hemsworth to fame, with fitness enthusiasts taking note of his physique as a personal goal, Schwarzenegger has had a longstanding cult-like following. One fan community, TheArnoldFans, was able to score a lifetime membership to The Pump app and meet and greet with the fitness celebrity and actor.
Consider, too, that Schwarzenegger’s newsletter hit 310,000 subscribers in just three months of its launch last year, without the power of advertising dollars, flexing the strength of his organic fan base. In a similar vein, all 5,000 spots for the Pump App sold out in 72 hours without ever spreading the word on social media.
As for what’s ahead for The Pump, that remains to be seen — but it appears Schwarzenegger is taking the approach of delivering quality instead of banking on quantity, assuring that after 90 days, users will see results and be hooked.
“This is the best workout program you’ve ever had. Just trust me,” he wrote. “This isn’t like the fitness apps that let you go from one program to another because that’s not how you will progress. And I would rather have 100,000 users with amazing progress than a million frustrated they’re stagnant.”
