Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates #394 Kenny Santucci - Why People Are Surging Back To Gyms and In-Person Coaching
Aug 28, 2025
Kenny Santucci, founder of Strong New York and owner of The Strength Club, discusses the fitness industry's evolution and its growing community focus. He reflects on the importance of prioritizing health over luxury spending and critiques the perception of fitness as a status symbol. Kenny highlights the popularity of events like Hyrox and emphasizes the demand for in-person coaching. He also urges listeners to foster a supportive environment for all fitness enthusiasts through community engagement and upcoming events.
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Messaging Worked But Behavior Lags
- Kenny argues fitness messaging has succeeded: people now take exercise seriously and have knowledge available.
- The challenge is converting the large demographic doing nothing into regular movers.
Prioritize Training Over Status Purchases
- Prioritize spending on exercise over status goods because training reduces future healthcare costs and improves life quality.
- Kenny volunteers time to convince people to work with specialists when they need help rather than follow random online trends.
Resistance Often Masks Avoidance
- Kenny says many who claim they 'hate' fit people actually avoid effort and refuse to do the work themselves.
- He warns against using drugs like Ozempic as a lifelong crutch instead of a catalyst to start healthy habits.