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 episode, hosts Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with David Sherman-Presser to unpack why the fitness industry is rapidly becoming a media business, and what that means for gym owners, operators, and brands trying to stay relevant in a creator-driven economy.
They explore how attention, trust, and audience ownership are now just as important as equipment and square footage, why gyms are increasingly competing with creators rather than other gyms, and how platforms like YouTube are reshaping how fitness businesses are discovered, validated, and scaled.
From validating gym concepts online before investing millions, to understanding how long-form content builds trust at scale, this conversation breaks down what it really takes to build a modern fitness brand in 2026 and beyond.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why gyms are becoming media companies.
- How creators are changing the competitive landscape for fitness businesses.
- Why YouTube is a critical platform for trust and discovery.
- How gym owners can validate concepts digitally before scaling.
- The role of long-form content in building audience and authority.
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0:00 Welcome to LIFTS
1:10 Why Fitness Is Becoming a Media Business
3:09 Trust, Attention, and Audience Data
5:17 Why YouTube Dominates Fitness Content
10:16 YouTube vs TikTok Explained
14:17 Gyms vs Creators
19:20 Complementing Physical Gyms With Digital Media
25:00 Validating Fitness Concepts Online
31:09 YouTube Strategies by Gym Size
37:18 Building Repeatable Content Formats
44:34 Key YouTube Takeaways
53:59 Final Thoughts
