III.

Industry Analysis
a. Describe the latest trends in the industry
More people utilize wearable technology to monitor and
record biometric data.
Heart-rate monitors have been worn for years to
monitor exercise intensity during a workout, but in the
past few years a number of wearable devices have
been introduced that help us track calorie burning all
day long, while also monitoring our sleep habits at

night.
Online video-on-demand workout programs will become
increasingly common.
From television shows to VHS tapes to DVDs, people
have long used video technology to follow a homebased workout led by an experienced instructor. Videoon-demand services have been growing in popularity
and an explosion of online, video-on-demand workout
programs developed specifically for mobile devices
that will allow fitness consumers to enjoy an instructor-

led workout anywhere they choose.

Online personal training goes mainstream
The primary difference between video-on-demand
workout programs and online personal training is that
the former offers workouts for general goals while the
latter delivers specific, progressively challenging

programs to achieve well-defined fitness outcomes.

Functional training will recede from our lexicon and the
concept of loaded movement training will become more
popular.
Traditional free-weight resistance training features
curvilinear movement patterns that move the
resistance directly against the downward force of
gravity. On the other hand, loaded movement training
(LMT) is defined as the process of moving a mass
through gravity (the definition of the term shifting) in a
task-based, multiplanar movement pattern. LMT is the

progression of functional training, which has become

an overused term to describe a variety of activities
more suited for a circus performance than a weight

room.
Group-based training programs will be personalized to each
individual participating in the workout.
Taking a group exercise class meant moving the same
way at the same time and same speed as everyone
else in the room. Technology to track intensity and
work-rate (via heart-rate monitors) on a screen in the
front of a studio allows an instructor to provide a group
workout that allows each participant to work at his or

her own comfort level.

Participation in one-on-one personal training will decline at
large health clubs in favor of small group or semi-private
training programs.
Small-group training programs will continue to grow in
popularity and more health clubs will feature fee-based
small-group programs as the primary way to deliver an

instructor-led workout experience to their members.

Workout programs will move away from pure High-intensity
Interval Training (HIIT) and start featuring more intelligent
program design that allows for proper recovery from the
stresses of exercise.
Recovery is the component of the workout program
that is most often overlooked, even though the body
becomes stronger in the time period after workout, not
during the workout itself. HIIT is popular because it
produces results, but performing too much highintensity training too frequently could lead to
overtraining or soft-tissue injury. It also could be a
reason why participants stop exercising. This is
starting to change as educated fitness professionals
are beginning to recognize that recovery is key for
their clients success.

Trainers and clients will begin to use biomarkers to track

progress from an exercise program.
Personal trainers starting to use blood testing to help
assess a clients fitness level and physiological status.
Personal trainers wont be taking blood from their
clients. Clients will use a dedicated collection sight to
withdraw blood, which will then be sent to a lab for
processing. Personal trainers will not diagnose any
health issues, but instead will watch markers such as
testosterone or cortisol to identify whether a client is in
an optimal anabolic or muscle building state or is
experiencing a period of stress, which could elevate

levels of cortisol and be an indicator of overtraining.

Competitive formats like American Ninja Warrior, parkour,
Spartan Race and obstacle course races will continue to grow
in popularity.
NBC Sports is now televising Spartan Races, and the
emergence of gyms designed specifically for parkour
or free-running, this category of extreme bodyweight
training will continue to experience exponential growth

over the coming year.

Old-school group-exercise programs and full-service health
clubs will make a comeback.
Fitness enthusiasts gravitate back to multipurpose
health clubs that can offer a variety of different
workout experiences under a single roof.

b. Characteristics of the firms in the industry

i. Average firm size
ii. Cost structure
iii. Typical profit margins, gross and net
iv. Seasonal patterns
v. Other important characteristics
c. Industry outlook/forecast