Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Today, we are speaking with the Executive Director of a family-owned and operated company that has become the world’s largest group fitness provider. What began as a single gym in Auckland, New Zealand, more than 50 years ago has evolved into a business with a network of more than 140,000 trained instructors who deliver exciting training programs to millions of members each week. Driven by the defining philosophy to “make people fall in love with fitness,” he has spent decades dedicated to pushing the envelope to offer life-changing fitness experiences to the masses. This ambitious mogul opens up about how he harnessed technology to expand the market, dealt with setbacks and failure, and how digital fitness is shifting the club industry Please welcome the founder and Executive Director of Les Mills International, Phillip Mills, to the Escape Your Limits podcast. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video – https://youtu.be/HipEWhEWh0A Phillip Mills heads up one of the most recognisable brands in fitness. More than 50 years since the launch of the company, he continues to drive the business forward on his father’s mission to “make people fall in love with fitness.” In 1997, Phillip established Les Mills International, a separate company to Les Mills NZ, in order to take licensed fitness programming to the global market. Always one step ahead of the game, he was quick to realise the power of digital and the opportunities it created to engage and inspire. A focus on enhancing the in-club experience through Trip, the fully immersive cycling experience, Phillip also began rolling out development for Les Mills On Demand. Hailed as the Netflix of Fitness, Les Mills On Demand provides anytime, anywhere access to quality group exercise classes – extending operator influence into homes and daily lives. The goal? To grow the market and drive participants back to their local club. Today, LMI continues to drive a “fitter planet,” working with operator partners to engage even more participants across the world. Les Mills International is on a mission to create a fitter planet. For them, that means helping people fall in love with fitness. What began as a single gym in Auckland, New Zealand, more than 50 years ago has evolved into a business with a network of more than 140,000 trained instructors who deliver exciting training programs to millions of members each week. Visit www.lesmills.com to learn more about Phillip Mills and the world’s most popular workouts.   Episode highlights - You do not freeze during a recession. You find ways to add value to your business. 30% of the world’s population are using some kind of gym. Your best defence against the virus is to be fit and healthy. You must do what you love and love what you do. What your best defence against COVID-19 is Marketing to the out of shape and deconditioned market Why Les Mills built huge studios in their clubs What makes Les Mills different than other fitness brands The importance of music and group fitness His views on failure and success Join Matthew Januszek in this insightful conversation with Phillip Mills.

In this episode, psychologist and author Kelly McGonigal discusses the mind-body connection and the importance of physical activity during the pandemic. She explores the positive impact of movement on mental health, happiness, and personal success. The conversation touches on topics such as collective joy, addiction, hope molecules, stress responses, and the evolutionary reasons behind hormone release during exercise. The chapter also emphasizes the power of dance and gratitude in enhancing joy and resilience.

“Anything that comes at the cost of your peace, is too great an expense.”  As a speaker, author, consultant, coach, and mentor, Herman Siu helps both individuals and businesses find positive growth. As a 6th generation Shaolin Temple Descendent, Herman shares his ancient wisdom and practices to help better every facet of a person’s life. His mission is simply ‘to inspire you to live an abundant life full of simple solutions’ motivated by the belief that in order to change the world, we must change ourselves.  In this episode, Herman discusses how rebelling and playing sport helped him learn leadership skills, the importance of being a producer not just a consumer, how we all need to process at an elite level in order to also perform to our potential and the steps we can all take to embrace the hurdles in life and find greater peace.  For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video – https://youtu.be/yd8YJzdF5O4   Herman Siu is a 6th generation Shaolin Temple Descendent who shares his ancient wisdom and practices to help better every facet of your life.  Through his deep knowledge of Chinese medicine and nutrition, he's healing clients and audiences worldwide, helping them to rediscover their creativity and potential from childhood, before we were tainted by society, television, politics and other cultural influences and offering powerful messages of mentorship and advice to anyone in search of positive growth.  As a speaker, author, consultant, coach, and mentor, Herman Siu helps both individuals and businesses build their personal blueprint for continuous evolution and success. Herman's unique set of skills allows him to help his clients understand exactly what is holding them back, what their blind spots are, and what they can add to their strategy to get better results.Every day our world is bursting with new information, but people are starving for more guidance and wisdom than ever before. Herman's understanding of the link between the metaphysical world and today's digitally-driven society in the urban jungle puts him in the upper echelon of today's East-meets-West humanitarians. Through his mission, Herman dedicates his days to helping others unlock their true potential. Visit www.hermansiu.com to find out more  Episode highlights -  How curiosity can lead to greater understanding How sport can teach valuable leadership skills  Understanding how important it is to feel a sense of purpose  Understanding the link between emotions, food and eating How to become more of a ‘producer’ rather than just a consumer How to find and maintain balance between work, health and family life What small steps can be taken to start making meditation more of a regular routine   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Herman Siu…

What has Covid-19 taught us and how will its influence the industry moving forwards? In our first interview with Martin, back in June 2020, Martin was based in the UK, overseeing LifeFit Group's six brands, including Fitness First, Barry's Bootcamp, elbgym, Smile X, The Gym Society and New Moove. He talked about leading from the front in a crisis and the challenges of reopening facilities after lockdown 1.0. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Martin Seibold Today, as the world continues to deal with the effects of a global pandemic, Martin has moved back to his native Germany. In this episode, he talks very candidly about the challenges Covid has presented and its impact on business, plus how this current crisis will impact the industry moving forwards For more information on the Escape Your Limits podcast visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video version – https://youtu.be/LtJFPGiWLeI Martin was destined to map out a career in the fitness industry. He grew up in Germany, where, at a young age, he started working in a gym owned and managed by his parents. The gym became IHRSA’s first facility member and was acquired by Fitness First as part of the brand’s global growth strategy. Martin as appointed marketing manager and, within six years, the business had expanded to over 90 clubs. Martin’s talents did not go unnoticed and in 2006, Fitness First’s Founder, Mike Balfour asked Martin to relocate to the UK to head up the brand in the territory. Today, Martin is leading multi-brand strategies and teams around the world, implementing humble growth strategies for the long term success, not just of the Fitness First brand but for the entire LifeFit Group brand portfolio. The LifeFit Group unites multiple fitness brands from the boutique, high-value-low-price and premium segments under one roof, including Fitness First, Barry's Bootcamp, elbgym, Smile X, The Gym Society and New Moove. The Group is committed to inspire and support its customers to live their best lives through personal, fun and focused health and fitness experiences. For more information visit www.lifefit-group.com Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Martin Seibold…   Episode highlights - How business leaders need to step outside of a situation, clear the diary and concentrate on a clear plan without interruptions Why it’s important, as a leader, not to be sat in HQ but to be highly visible, out with the customers, the teams, the partners. How the German and the UK governments differed in their management of the pandemic.  National versus regional lockdowns. Which is the favoured approach and why Should gyms be allowed to open? A single Fitness First Club in Germany recently won a lawsuit which declared the club should have been allowed to open. The brand attracted a lot of international attention for its actions It’s important to get decision makers and influencers into facilities to see how they operate and the safety measures in place How the industry has been guilty of focusing on servicing the minority and how this has to change if we are to address some of the major global health issues affecting the population How we have to, as a population, focus more on creating positive lifestyle habits.  How presenting our industry as part of the COVID solution openly in marketing and promotion is resonating with people and influencing behavioural change How do we turn the tide on inactivity? What population groups should we be targeting? How adjusting the environment can attract new segments of the population. The answer to growth lies in diversity of offer rather than trying to convert people into ‘gym lovers’, offer them an environment they will enjoy People enjoy human interaction and this is why coming out of the first lockdown, Fitness First saw such a healthy engagement amongst the membership. It also accounts for the fact that going into second lockdown there was no big spike in cancellations How being upfront and transparent has resulted in a retention of 75% of revenue during second lockdown How Smile X successfully plugged ‘white spots’ in urban areas across Germany The challenges of creating and monetizing a digital product Learn from the lessons and practices of other industries As a leader, it’s important to preserve the business. This means making difficult decisions around staffing levels and cost management. This is one of the biggest challenges. The other challenge is how to keep staff engaged and motivated during times when they are not able to fulfil their day jobs. How this pandemic will affect the industry in terms of number of facilities and percentage of population engaged How the population’s heightened awareness of the need to maintain personal health will be a main growth driver for the sector post Covid-19  

How to optimize training outcomes through heart rate training Jesse N. Thomas MS CSCS, a self-confessed science geek, is one of the industry’s leading heart rate training experts. Jesse has dedicated his life to helping athletes train for success. He has spent decades applying the vast array of knowledge gained from years of studying for multiple degrees in kinesiology and exercise physiology to helping coaches, instructors and athletes optimize training outcomes through the delivery of insight and education. In this episode, Jesse discusses the merits of heart rate training and the important role of the coach in teasing out optimal performance from individuals training in a group setting. He also explores how heart rate monitoring can flag negative training outcomes and the necessity of applying training strategies that drive a specific outcome. This is an episode not to miss for anyone looking to get the most out of their heart rate training  For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video Version – https://youtu.be/xr6qxyFnmRY   Jesse N.Thomas MS, CSCS, has dedicated a lifetime to competitive sports. His coaching has helped high performance athletes all around the world to improve physical performance and increase mental strength. Jesse studied for and achieved multiple degrees in kinesiology and exercise physiology, applying education to teach the importance of energy management and seeing the bigger picture of performance. With years of experience developing master training teams around the world for globally recognised brands such as UFC, ICG and Life Fitness, he's now sharing this information in his book, The Ultimate Heart Rate Training Guide and has established himself as one of the world’s leading authorities in Heart Rate training. Fitness Deconstructed is an exercise and fitness educational resource aimed at coaches, athletes, trainers and fitness minded individuals keen to enhance their understanding of Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology in order to optimize training practices. Jesse also works with a diverse portfolio of international fitness brands – from equipment manufacturers  - including MyZone and Life Fitness to commercial fitness operators, developing product and equipment specific training programs delivered via written content, presentations and workshops. Through Fitness Deconstructed, Jesse has developed leadership and competencies of thousands of athletes, trainers and coaches around the world. Today, Jesse continues to fulfil his ambition to effect positive change through education and practical application. His passion is Heart Rate training and his book: ‘The Ultimate Heart Rate Training Guide’ is available now via Amazon. Visit www.fitnessdeconstructed.com to find out more about Jesse’ coaching, education and content creation.     Episode highlights - Why it was important to improve the accessibility and availability of heart rate training education  Most commercial fitness operators could get more out of their heart rate training equipment and programming if coaches and instructors were better informed Training outcomes can be achieved in a multitude of different ways. Understanding cardiovascular dynamics and how the heart goes into cardiac remodeling when demand is placed on it will determine the effectiveness of the training application on the outcome. How controlling training variables and applying consistency will lead to the attainment of goals in the shortest possible time frame  How heart rate monitoring can be a useful indicator of the effectiveness of recovery strategies. Varying intensity - the ‘rollercoaster of diversity’ is the key to performance success whether training for an event or training for life Why questions have been asked about the accuracy of Karvonen’s 1950s heart rate training zone equations and what this has means now for the application of heart rate training zones in populations where a maximal heart rate test is not appropriate How training at an intensity as low as 68% maximum heart rate (in MyZone’s Blue Zone) can still be classified as High Intensity Interval Training  How the overtraining effect impacts heart rate How steady state and HIIT training effects the neurological capacity of the heart How the type of training undertaken translates into performance outcomes. Defining what you want the outcomes to be will determine the make up of your training regime. Individuals are the product of their training The importance of personalized warm up prescription to effective training If training for life, what is the ultimate mix of weight being shifted and time allocated to training  How regular interval training differ from HIIT training How the ability of a coach to offer modifications impacts the effectiveness of training for individuals working out in a group setting The role of education in helping participants to train smarter Choosing the right heart rate monitor for your training requirements? Most cardio equipment has a fat burning metric. How legitimate is this as an indication of the training effect How inconsistencies in heart rate behavior can be indicative of underlying health issues Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Jesse N. Thomas

Long before Conor McGregor, today's guest was responsible for bringing mixed martial arts to the masses, inspiring an iconic era of growth for the UFC. Fighting in the first MMA event to break one million pay per views, he also coached the first ever series of the Ultimate Fighter show and has been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Today you can see him on TV and the big screen in guest appearances and acting roles around the world, or most recently breaking up fights and de-escalating tension during Huntingdon Beach riots. Please welcome former UFC lightweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer, Chuck Liddell to the Escape Your Limits podcast. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video Version – https://youtu.be/x8blHv2w3fU Chuck ‘Iceman’ Liddell  is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion instantly recognised by his trademark Mohawk. He has an extensive striking background in Kenpo, Karate, and Kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  Liddell had 23 fights in the UFC including two historic wins over Tito Ortiz  and is widely credited with bringing MMA into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment. On July 10, 2009, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.  Liddell holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Business Accounting, from the California Polytechnic State University, is the father of five children and is married to Heidi Liddell.  Chuck Liddell is one of the richest MMA fighters in the world, with an estimated net worth of $14 million. Since official retirement in 2020, Chuck has dabbled in reality TV, appearing in Dancing With The Stars, and continues to enjoy his passion for acting. To date, Chuck has appeared in 30 TV shows and films from 1981 – 2020. Visit www.chuckliddell.com to find out more about Chuck Liddell’s story   Episode highlights - Pre competition preparation. How being ‘ice cool’ before a fight helps to focus the mind How a determined mindset in the ring transfers to business and other aspects of life. The need to look for creative ways to achieve How to become proficient enough to compete at the top level. Select core skill elements to focus on and become a master of these. Once the foundations are in place, build on these Why skill evolution and continual learning is vital to success How adversity drives success. Turning a defeat into a driver for achievement in the future How much of today’s fighting is about strategy and how much is raw skill execution How important is mindset? What role does mental attitude play in success? How being able to read fighters and know when the right time is to throw that killer punch  Why it is important to train across multiple disciplines and pick out what works for you? Why John Hackleman, long term coach and friend, played no part in the final fight Hard core fans enjoy great fighters compete but showboats like Connor McGregor help to attract new ‘casual fans’, growing the sport and turning a fight more into a party or an event Is it more important to fight to win or fight to entertain the fans? Was a highly competitive mindset something you were born with?  People who are really good at what they do work hard at what they do. Success has been the result of hard work, driven by a love of the sport The strong work ethic that has driven success in sport translates into other areas of life and business but it’s not so easy Failure only happens when you give up. If you want to think like a winner, be a winner, keep moving. Pick a direction and keep going  If you make a mistake you need to get over it quickly, get back to work.  Mental toughness is an everyday thing. It can’t be turned on and off. You have to focus on it. If you don’t, it can slip. You’ve got to believe in yourself. Dealing with retirement was hard. The whole purpose in life disappeared. It’s been really important to find new things to focus on UFC has changed. There is a lot more hype, more theatrical around the fights now. The main event should remain in the ring The story behind the mohawk How did a UFC Hall of Famer find the ‘Dancing with The  Stars’ experience   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Chuck Liddell

An insight into the power of the mind to create positive, lasting change. Crystal Dwyer Hansen Dwyer Hansen is a Transformational Life Coach with a belief that all people have unlimited potential for greatness if they only understand how to tap into their own inner resources. Through her years coaching, and as a Wellness/Nutrition Expert, she has seen people experience profound and lasting transformations in relationships, careers, health and wellness. In this episode, Crystal discusses the importance of mindset in creating lasting change, loving the foods which love you back and the launch of her new book ASK! The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video version – https://youtu.be/dG5Hd_S2HZQ Crystal Dwyer Hansen started her career in real estate and modelling, obsessed with helping people improve their lives and to be their best through whatever means she could. Wanting to better understand what it took to transform lives and improve both mindset and wellbeing for anyone, she made a huge pivot to study and research every opportunity she could. She graduated from one of the largest providers of holistic healthcare education in the country, earning certifications in transformational life coaching, and clinical hypnotherapy. Today, Crystal is an international speaker, researcher, author and entrepreneur with expertise in the field of human potential to help people use their minds proactively and evolve their consciousness to live a fulfilled, happy life. Crystal’s personal coaching, speaking, CD and video programs, books, and articles have helped people all over the world. She is a Member of the International Coaching Federation, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, the founder of Crystal Vision Life, Ltd, (crystalvisionlife.com) and Skinny Life™ a wellness company (skinnylife.com). She travels the world with her husband, best-selling author and entrepreneur Mark Victor Hansen, speaking, inspiring, and teaching leadership and together they have released a new, co-written book called ASK! The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny. Visit www.crystalvisionlife.com to find out more about Crystal’s coaching, speaking opportunities and written work. Episode highlights  ● Why it is important to continuously ask honest questions, of yourself and others, in order to increase understanding, reward and joy. ● Why people have such a roller-coaster cycle when trying to maintain weight loss programmes and how to learn to love the foods that love you back. ● How to learn to love yourself and not wrap your own identity around your weight. ● Why doing subconscious, deep-mind work can help when working towards a permanent change in your weight and your awareness. ● Why a singular state of being shouldn’t negatively influence your personal identification. The importance of separating from this identity and how to start creating the new, positive persona and mindset. ● How negative messages that we receive through our lifetime can become self-defeating, how to go back and do a ‘mind excavation’ to identify where negative thinking started and how to stop this repeating by replacing it with a new thought process. ● How the idea of self-love and self-image are connected and the importance of appreciating your unique qualities. ● Why it is important not to compare yourself to others because the more you try to compete, the unhappier you will be. It’s about making it your business to care for yourself. ● Why you should look at food like you’re an artist - like you’re discerning and picky about what you’re going to fuel your body with. ● Why you need to stop thinking of exercise as pain and punishment and start asking yourself what activity you find fun. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Crystal Dwyer Hansen…

PureGym's CEO, Humphrey Cobbold, discusses advocating for the fitness industry during COVID-19, navigating career changes, evolving business strategies, adapting to challenges in the gym industry, balancing micromanagement and autonomy, building a well-rounded leadership approach, and pushing personal limits through Ironman races.

Forget what you think you know about protein and muscle. Dr Gabrielle Lyon is a medical doctor with a revolutionary approach to health, wellness and longevity called muscle-centric medicine. In this episode we break the stereotypes surrounding building muscle; we discuss good and bad protein choices, and we explore how to deal with obesity as a nation. This is a lesson in what we can all do to improve the long term health of ourselves and our community. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast   Dr Gabrielle Lyon studied nutritional science for seven years and has a doctorate in osteopathic medicine. She specialises in helping patients and clients take control of their body and mind, through an innovative approach called muscle-centric medicine. This shifts the focus from fat loss to muscle gain, for better metabolism, reduced risk of disease and better long-term health. Her knowledge and insight has helped everyone from entrepreneur Bedros Keuilian to elite military operators such as Navy SEALS to perform at their best.   Muscle-Centric Medicine is the most revolutionary aspect of Dr. Lyon’s methods. Her ground-breaking concepts eliminate unwanted body fat and build muscle, allowing for continued metabolism boosts and long-term wellness. The key is to eat the right kinds of protein, and enough of them, at each meal. This stimulates the body’s natural muscle-building process, called “muscle protein synthesis”.   HIGHLIGHTS • What the science is behind brain activity, body composition, waistline and muscle mass. • Why we're failing at addressing obesity issues, and how nobody knows what the optimal muscle mass is for anyone. • Why progress in regards to muscle mass is all about improvement, as everyone has a different starting point to meet their physical, mental and longevity goals. • How your diet is affecting your glucose levels and muscle mass, and what this means in relation to your protein, carb and fat intake. • What effect concentrating on muscle first will have on cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and other issues, compared to concentrating on more stereotypical or traditional focus points. • How much protein you should be eating, where you should be getting it from, and why information you've heard already may not be reliable based on the balance of emotions and facts. • What difference stress and recovery makes on testosterone levels, and how sleep disruptors such as alcohol affect your whole body. • How modern medicine has a fundamental flaw that can be revolutionised by taking a different approach of prevention instead of treatment. • Why researchers and healthcare professionals need to be OK with being wrong, especially when it comes to forwarding education and insight about new approaches to longevity.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Gabrielle Lyon…

Understand the science and specificity to outspend the competition and win. On this week's Escape Your Limits podcast, CEO of Alloy Personal Training Rick Mayo talks about what it takes to build a global franchise and target a demographic that holds 70% of the nation's disposable income. A pioneer of personal training and former trainer for Madonna, he's internationally recognised as an expert in systems and scaling, helping millions of members around the world through a mantra of assessment, accountability and actualisation. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video Version - https://youtu.be/1d3YbuCIjhc Rick Mayo started out training people in their homes to pay his way through college, doing something he loved to do. He opened one of the first facilities dedicated to training, all one-on-one, and soon growing the business to a million dollars of PT a year. Through circumstances such as staff leaving to set up their own studios, Rick's income went from $83k a month down to $12k a month. That became the birth of a systemised process to training, from welcome, through memberships, to programming and across the whole experience. With more rapid growth, Rick began using his model in other gyms, and soon it was in 2000 clubs worldwide. Alloy Personal Training's mission statement is: Real people + alloy programs = real results. No one person is the same, nor is the journey toward a healthier, active lifestyle. So why should workouts be the same? Trainers tailor the Alloy programmes for all clients who walk through the doors — no matter their fitness level. From the first session with us, Alloy works to help clients reach their goals and become their best version of possible. On the franchise side... Alloy offers a combination of personal service, effective technology, 30 years of experience and a formula for incredible results for both members and fitness franchise owners. The numbers prove it. Alloy's revenue per member and retention rates are among the highest in the fitness industry today. For more visit alloypersonaltraining.com   Episode highlights - How the studio within a larger gym model, or box within a box, started out. Also why creating a space and environment is key to member experience or maintaining revenue, but what's changed in recent years. What the differences are between price points and member experiences for large gyms and studio models, and what you need to focus on as an owner or operator. How operational commitment from general managers can support personal trainers to upsell members into coaching, even on a large scale. Why success is like weight loss in that you have to change your expectations or change your habits. It takes hard work to get better, and some people don't want to do that if they're happy where they're at. How a systemised approach to training, programming, service and experience gave Rick's business the rapid growth it needed to start interesting other gyms in using his model. And how this has created the opportunity to build his own franchise business off the back of it. What the formula to profitability is, and how you can use it to outspend your competition even in a saturated market. How you can look to the automotive market when it comes to marketing to an ageing demographic, as not many young people walk into a Porsche dealership. Why the ageing demographic offers greater lifetime value and will give your business much higher retention rates compared to the stereotypical clientele of a gym. How it's good advice if you have the assets to go digital, but it doesn't mean that it's a great idea for classes alone. The audience on the other end are going to hold you accountable. What you should be scaling to as a personal trainer or bootcamp operator to make more money off fewer people while they pay less.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Rick Mayo…