Fitness Industry Intelligence
The Career Network for Health, Fitness & Performance
Keeping quality staff has been a persistent challenge that affects every gym, studio, and club. Annual turnover hovers near 100 percent, and replacing a single employee costs clubs upward of $3,000. This disrupts member experiences, creates strain on existing teams, and prevents businesses from reaching their full potential.
Coach360 addresses this head-on with the launch of FitHire by Coach360, effective December 1, 2025. This evolution, starting as Marketplace by Coach360, introduces AI-powered matching technology designed to solve retention problems by making better placements from the start. FitHire combines media, community, storytelling, and technology to create a hiring platform that understands candidates and employers at a deeper level.
FitHire is a platform meant to connect qualified candidates with the right career path. Rather than simply listing open positions, the platform celebrates organizational culture, mission, and values through storytelling. Coaches, trainers, and operators can explore opportunities that align with their professional goals and personal values in a trusted, neutral environment.
The platform already connects over 40,000 coaches and trainers with more than 2,000 clubs and studios worldwide. This established network provides the foundation for what comes next: FitScore™, an AI-powered assessment tool currently in development.
FitScore™ will help clubs and studios evaluate a candidate’s retention potential before extending an offer. Using verified data and behavioral insights, the tool gives operators intelligence they need to make informed staffing decisions. The goal: reduce the costly cycle of hiring, training, and replacing staff by identifying better long-term matches upfront.
This technology addresses the root cause of high turnover. When employees join organizations that align with their work style, values, and career aspirations, they stay longer. FitScore™ aims to facilitate these matches by analyzing factors that predict long-term success in specific environments.
Coach360 is currently raising capital on a SAFE note to accelerate FitScore’s development and expand platform capabilities. The investment will fund technology advancement, team growth, and marketing efforts as the company scales globally. Founder and CEO Kathleen Ferguson emphasizes that FitHire provides a comprehensive solution: “We’re building the ecosystem that powers the future of fitness careers. FitHire will redefine how our industry attracts, develops, and retains its most important asset—its people.”
Better hiring starts with better information. For years, the fitness industry has operated on instinct, referrals, and limited data when making staffing decisions. FitHire changes that equation by providing clubs with insights that predict retention and help coaches find environments where they’ll thrive.
Cultural fit and values alignment matter as much as certifications and experience. When both sides have access to deeper information about compatibility, retention skyrockets and the industry grows and thrives. That’s how you build stable teams, reduce costs, and create workplaces where talent wants to stay—and that’s what FitHire sets out to accomplish.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
Wendy Fortino was training for the 2008 Olympic Trials when an injury ended her season. She lost on the track, and at the same time, she was losing the identity she’d built since adolescence. Running the 800 meters had been her life through high school, college, and into her professional career. When that disappeared, she found herself in unfamiliar territory, trying to figure out who she was without the sport that had defined her.
Her boyfriend, a bodybuilder, suggested she try a figure competition. She didn’t know much about the sport but entered anyway. She won the overall at her first show, then tried fitness and won again. That was over a decade ago. Since then, she’s become an eight-time Figure Olympia competitor and has built a career in media, hosting shows for Muscle & Fitness and Mr. Olympia TV while running her own posing company, Polished Presentation.
Wendy’s relationship with athletics started on the track. Running middle-distance events through high school, college, and eventually at the professional level gave her more than medals and personal records. “The 800 meters shaped me; it taught me discipline, heart, and how to suffer with purpose,” she explains. By 2008, she was training for the Olympic Trials, wholly absorbed in the pursuit that had consumed her teenage years and early adulthood.
The injury that ended her season dismantled everything. “I lost the identity I had spent my entire life building,” Wendy recalls. She processed the loss quietly, trying to navigate a world where the singular focus that had given her life meaning had vanished. Many athletes who face this moment never find their footing again. Wendy did, but not in the way anyone would have predicted.
Her boyfriend (now husband), a bodybuilder himself, saw someone who needed direction and encouraged her to try a figure competition. She barely understood the sport but showed up anyway. That first show resulted in an overall win. “Suddenly, I felt a spark again; a sense of purpose and possibility,” she says. Figure became her focus, and she never looked back.
Wendy’s motivation has shifted throughout her career, adapting as she has grown. Early on, competing proved her ability to rebuild after devastation. She needed to show herself that losing everything she thought defined her didn’t mean losing herself entirely. The stage became the place where she could demonstrate resilience in real time.
As years passed, her “why” deepened. Competition became a vehicle for self-discovery and a way to test her limits, explore her capacity for growth, and understand how many versions of herself she could embody without abandoning her foundation. Each Olympia appearance represented another chapter in an ongoing conversation with her own potential.
Now, her purpose has shifted again. While she hasn’t officially retired from competition, Wendy has stepped into media, storytelling, and content creation. As a media specialist for Muscle & Fitness and host of Hot Seat Muscle & Fitness, she captures what unfolds behind the scenes. Her work with Mr. Olympia TV and Femme Flex Friday gives her platforms to share the vulnerability, emotion, and determination that shape athletes’ lives. “I love giving people a window into the heart behind the physique,” she says.
She also runs Polished Presentation, a posing company where she helps competitors refine their stage presence. This work allows her to pass forward the knowledge she accumulated during her own competitive years, helping others avoid the missteps she navigated alone.
Wendy will share her insights and experience at Career Lab by Coach360 on January 17th, 2026, in Santa Monica, California. This event brings together fitness professionals, competitors, and industry leaders for education, networking, and career development. Attendees will hear directly from someone who has built multiple successful careers within the same industry—first as a competitor, then as a media personality and business owner. Buy tickets now to secure your spot at this event.
Wendy Fortino’s path from track to bodybuilding to media demonstrates how endings can become beginnings when you’re willing to step into uncertainty. Her story doesn’t fit the mold of someone who always knew where they were headed. Instead, it reveals that building a meaningful career often means embracing what you didn’t plan for.
The willingness to pivot, to let go of one identity and construct another, is a stepping stone toward Wendy’s immense success. Her work stems from the same quality that helped her survive the loss of track. She shows up, does the work, and figures out the next step as she goes.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
Los Angeles gears up to host the seventh annual Connected Health & Fitness Summit this February, bringing together over 700 industry leaders for three days of strategic programming and high-level networking. The February 18-20 event has expanded its scope, placing longevity science and GLP-1-era adaptations at the center of its agenda, alongside the traditional fitness and wellness content that built its reputation.
This year’s Summit creates a commercial hub where fitness operators, healthcare executives, and technology leaders converge to discuss what’s driving revenue and retention. With confirmed attendees from Cigna, Mayo Clinic, Barry’s, 24 Hour Fitness, Google, Netflix, and Amazon, the event creates a rare environment for direct access to decision-makers who control budgets and partnerships across multiple sectors of the health economy.
CHFS has built its following by curating content that speaks directly to industry needs. The three-day program includes sessions on topics such as “Adapting Your Offerings for the GLP Era,” “Cracking Corporate Wellness,” and “Turning the Newest Longevity Science into Member Value”—all designed to equip brands with the strategies they need to align with shifting consumer behavior and win employer partnerships.
The Summit attracts an audience of 60 percent who hold C-suite positions, creating a concentration of senior leaders, founders, and executives for great inspiration, insight, and networking. This curated mix includes representation from fitness chains, boutique studios, pharmaceutical companies, wearable technology firms, hotel and spa operators, investors, and connected fitness platforms.
Programming this year digs into how brands can translate emerging longevity science into differentiated offerings that drive retention and revenue. Sessions cover hyper-personalized health solutions, integrated data strategies, and emerging models of preventive care—practical topics that help companies shape and lead in what some estimate as a trillion-dollar longevity economy. The agenda balances big-picture vision with case studies on data-driven personalization, AI applications, connected wearables, and new revenue streams like GLP-1-aligned services.
The 2026 lineup features over 80 speakers across more than 40 sessions, with names like Dr. William Ajayi, Global Head of Wellbeing at Netflix; Dr. Jessica Ruff, Section Head at Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine; Amber Taylor, Chief Digital Product Officer at Les Mills; and Sadie Lincoln, CEO of Barre3. These speakers bring perspectives from organizations actively working through the challenges facing the health and wellness space.
Confirmed attendees span a remarkable range of the health ecosystem. Marsh McLennan, Third Space, Crunch Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness, Extension Health, Fountain Life, Lifeforce, Myfitnesspal, Playlist, and LinkedIn all send representatives to this year’s event. This mix creates opportunities for fitness operators to connect with healthcare providers, for technology companies to meet potential partners in the gym space, and for brands to explore collaborations with pharmaceutical and wellness companies working on longevity-focused solutions.
The focus on longevity as a growth engine reflects a shift happening across the industry and the world. Consumers increasingly view fitness as part of a broader health strategy that includes preventive care, personalized nutrition, and medical intervention. CHFS gives brands the tools to understand how these pieces fit together and how to build offerings that capture this expanding definition of wellness.
The event includes workshops and networking activities designed to facilitate conversations that drive growth. Pre-day activities help attendees connect before the main programming begins. At the same time, structured networking sessions throughout the three days create opportunities to meet with specific types of partners or potential collaborators. The agenda balances learning opportunities with relationship-building time, recognizing that both serve important functions. It is an intimate event that is not to be missed.
From February 18-20, an opportunity to meet the people who matter, learn from brands already implementing longevity-focused strategies, and position your business for shifts across the health economy presents itself in the heart of Los Angeles.
Registration for the Connected Health & Fitness Summit is open now. With 700+ attendees and a packed agenda of commercially relevant sessions, the event sells out each year to an intimate group of committed individuals propelling the industry forward.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
What once centered on whole foods prepared at home has given way to a food supply dominated by products engineered in factories rather than grown on local farms, or even backyards. These ultra-processed items now fill roughly 70 percent of grocery store shelves. San Francisco’s city attorney has decided enough is enough, filing what may be the nation’s first government lawsuit against the corporations behind these products.
The legal action names ten major manufacturers, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Kraft Heinz, accusing them of deceptive practices that have left cities and counties to foot the bill for resulting health consequences. This case could set a precedent for how communities hold food companies accountable for public health costs and the detriment they cause to overall health.
Decades of food science research and marketing strategies have reshaped the food industry and have redefined what food is. Ultra-processed foods—those containing ingredients like emulsifiers, artificial colors and flavors, and preservatives—have become dietary staples for millions of families.
These products appeal to busy people and budget-conscious shoppers with their convenience and low prices. Children consume more than 60 percent of their daily calories from these foods, while adults aren’t far behind. The packaging often features health-washing words like “natural” or “whole grain,” creating an illusion of nutritional value that doesn’t match the ingredient list inside.
Research published in recent months has connected ultra-processed food consumption to serious health outcomes. Studies link these products to increased risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, cognitive decline, and depression. The evidence suggests that harm extends to every major organ system, creating a cascade of chronic conditions that burden healthcare systems nationwide.
San Francisco’s legal action, filed in California Superior Court, seeks damages for the costs local governments bear treating diseases linked to ultra-processed food consumption. City Attorney David Chiu argues the manufacturers have engaged in unfair and deceptive practices, violating state competition and public nuisance laws. The suit claims these companies knew their products caused harm but prioritized profits over public health.
The ten defendants represent some of the most recognized names in American food manufacturing. Their products range from sugary cereals and chips to items marketed as healthy alternatives like breads, granola bars, and frozen dinners that carry misleading health halos. Chiu points to marketing tactics borrowed from the tobacco industry playbook with colorful packaging, cartoon characters, and partnerships with toy manufacturers that specifically target children and low-income communities.
California has already taken steps to address ultra-processed foods in schools. The state recently passed legislation defining these products and creating a framework for removing them from school menus. Additional laws have banned certain food dyes and additives linked to behavioral issues in children. San Francisco itself prohibited fast-food restaurants from offering free toys with meals back in 2010.
The city attorney’s office brings a strong track record to this case. Previous victories against tobacco companies netted a $539 million settlement in 1998, while a case against lead paint manufacturers concluded after 19 years with a $21 million award. These successes show San Francisco’s willingness to pursue lengthy litigation against powerful corporations when public health is at stake.
Food industry representatives have pushed back against the lawsuit’s premise. The Consumer Brands Association, representing many named defendants, argues that no agreed-upon scientific definition of ultra-processed foods exists. They contend that classifying foods as unhealthy simply because they undergo processing misleads consumers and worsens health disparities. The trade group emphasizes that manufacturers follow FDA safety standards and increasingly offer products with reduced sugar, sodium, and synthetic additives.
One has to wonder why so many foods are legally allowed to be sold across the United States when they’re banned in other countries, but San Francisco is setting the precedent by saying enough is enough. Food should be fuel, and nobody should have to sacrifice health because they can’t afford it, they’re being misled with health-washing claims, or because they live in a food desert with no better alternatives.
San Francisco’s decision to pursue food manufacturers in court signals a turning point in how communities view corporate responsibility for health outcomes. The costs of treating diet-related diseases have grown too large for local governments to absorb without questioning who should bear that burden.
This lawsuit also represents a reckoning with how food science and marketing have reshaped what Americans eat. For decades, corporations engineered products to maximize palatability and profits while obscuring nutritional realities through clever packaging and health claims. Whether courts ultimately side with San Francisco or the manufacturers, the case forces a long-overdue public conversation about who benefits from the current food system and who pays the price.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
The fitness wearable market stands at a pivotal moment. With projections showing growth from $14.59 billion in 2024 to $36.95 billion by 2032, these devices have become essential health tools for millions. People buy smartwatches and fitness bands for the accountability that real-time data provides and the ability to push and progress to new goals. This surge reflects a broader cultural shift where individuals take ownership of their wellness.
The numbers tell a compelling story about how deeply wearables have integrated into daily routines. North America leads with 41 percent market share, while the Asia Pacific region shows the fastest growth at 15.17 percent annually. What started as step counters has sophisticated health monitors that detect irregular heart rhythms, track recovery patterns, and even flag potential sleep apnea.
Fitness wearables enthusiasm stems from their ability to have a concrete way of managing growth and goal progression. Someone trying to improve cardiovascular fitness can see their resting heart rate drop over weeks or a person struggling with sleep can identify patterns that correlate with poor rest quality.
Smartwatches dominate with 47 percent of the market, and their success reveals what users value comprehensive tracking within a single, wearable form factor. People want ECG capabilities alongside workout metrics and sleep analysis. They want notifications, music control, and payment options without pulling out their phone. The convenience factor drives adoption as much as the health benefits. When a device seamlessly integrates into existing routines it becomes indispensable.
Sensors account for 22 percent of component market share because they’re the engine behind every metric these devices provide. Sensors and technology are constantly improving and the technology becomes more precise and important. As these components become more precise and energy-efficient, battery life is extended and devices shrink in size, making them easier to wear during all activities, including sleep.
Future wearables will capture more nuanced health signals with less user intervention. Current devices track basic metrics well but struggle with context. The next generation will layer multiple data streams to provide holistic insights. If a company gets it right, it will do everything in one device. Instead of telling you that you slept six hours, they’ll explain why that sleep felt unrefreshing based on interruption frequency, REM cycles, and overnight heart rate fluctuations, and give you tips for improvement.
Accessibility improvements will drive market expansion in regions where wearables currently lag. The Asia Pacific region’s rapid growth reflects dropping prices and rising smartphone penetration. As manufacturing costs decrease and competition increases, entry-level devices will offer core tracking features at price points that make them viable for broader demographics.
Integration with healthcare systems is another exciting component. Wearables currently live in a consumer ecosystem where data syncs to apps, users review their own metrics, doctors rarely access the information. Healthcare providers increasingly recognize the value of continuous monitoring data for chronic condition management, post-surgical recovery tracking, and preventive care. These devices become diagnostic tools when you mix the data with your healthcare provider.
Smart clothing and legwear, growing at 15.51 percent annually, signal where innovation focuses next. Sensor-embedded shirts track breathing patterns and posture. Smart socks monitor gait and balance for elderly users or athletes recovering from injury. These products expand the definition of wearables while solving the same fundamental problem of giving people detailed feedback about their bodies that wasn’t previously available.
People want agency over their health, and passive observation doesn’t cut it anymore. Wearables provide granular visibility into how daily choices—sleep schedules, activity levels, stress management—compound into long-term outcomes. That transparency creates behavior change, and the world’s health improves.
As these devices become more accurate, affordable, and medically relevant, they’ll shift from optional fitness tools to standard preventive care equipment. The person who catches an irregular heartbeat early, adjusts their sleep routine based on recovery data, or monitors a chronic condition without constant doctor visits experiences healthcare that’s proactive and will increase overall longevity. The real takeaway is that technology should improve our health, not cause it detriment
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
The spaces we occupy shape our wellbeing in ways that go beyond our everyday imagination. Environmental health examines how our surroundings—the air we breathe, the water we drink, the things we touch and put on our bodies—impact our physical state. While we can’t control outdoor pollution or city water treatment, we hold considerable power over our indoor environments. Small, deliberate changes in our homes can reduce exposure to chemicals and toxins that accumulate over time.
Creating a healthier home doesn’t require a complete overhaul or expensive renovations. Simple swaps and additions can significantly improve the quality of your indoor environment. Whether you’re dealing with allergies, respiratory sensitivities, or simply want to minimize your exposure to toxins, these practical adjustments offer a starting point for building a cleaner living space.
Environmental health focuses on how external factors in our surroundings affect our bodies and health. This includes everything from the chemicals in cleaning products to the quality of the water flowing through our taps. Unlike genetic factors or lifestyle choices, environmental elements can (to an extent) be modified once we identify them.
Indoor air can contain two to five times more pollutants than outdoor air, according to EPA research. These pollutants come from everyday sources like furniture off-gassing, synthetic fragrances, cleaning agents, and even the dust that settles on surfaces. Water quality varies, with aging pipes and treatment processes introducing their own set of concerns. Using EWG’s database for tap water, you can see the levels of pollutants like arsenic and lead in your tap water. Practicing good environmental health habits means making conscious decisions about what enters your home and what stays.
While perfection and living a fully non-toxic lifestyle isn’t a reality, there are steps you can take to dramatically reduce your exposure to these harmful chemicals which can lead to infertility, cancer, and other diseases. Lowering your overall exposure to substances that may compromise your health over time is fairly easy with the right education and understanding. It’s all about making small, consistent changes that create meaningful impact without overwhelming your budget or daily routine.
A quality water filtration system addresses contaminants that may be lurking in your tap water. Reverse osmosis systems remove heavy metals, chlorine, and other dissolved solids, while activated carbon filters handle chlorine and organic compounds. Pitcher filters offer an affordable entry point, though under-sink and whole-house systems provide more comprehensive coverage. You can also go to water stores, where you can buy five gallons of water for less than a 12-pack of plastic water bottles—a triple win for cleaner water, less microplastics, and an affordable price point.
Air purifiers with HEPA filters capture particles as small as 0.3 microns, including dust, pollen, mold spores, and pet dander. Look for models with activated carbon filters to handle odors and volatile organic compounds. Place units in bedrooms and main living areas where you spend the most time. Change filters according to manufacturer guidelines as a clogged filter doesn’t make a difference in the safety of your air quality.
Certain plants naturally filter indoor air. Snake plants and pothos remove formaldehyde and benzene. Spider plants tackle carbon monoxide and xylene. Peace lilies absorb ammonia and trichloroethylene. While you’d need numerous plants to match a mechanical air purifier’s output, they add humidity and oxygen while removing small amounts of airborne chemicals, not to mention, the uplift in vibe of any room filled with plants.
Ditch synthetic fragrances found in commercial candles, air fresheners, and plug-ins. These products release phthalates and other compounds linked to hormone disruption and respiratory issues. Fresh flowers, herbs in small pots, or bowls of dried lavender and rosemary provide subtle, natural scents.
Replace conventional all-purpose cleaners with white vinegar diluted with water (1:1 ratio). Add lemon juice for cutting grease or a few drops of tea tree oil for antimicrobial properties. Baking soda works as a gentle abrasive for sinks, tubs, and countertops. Mix it with water to form a paste for tougher stains.
Swap commercial glass cleaners for a mixture of water, vinegar, and a splash of rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels—they clean effectively with just water and reduce waste. For laundry, choose fragrance-free detergents or make your own with washing soda, borax, and castile soap. Skip fabric softeners and dryer sheets entirely; wool dryer balls soften clothes without chemical residue.
Look for products certified by Environmental Working Group or made with plant-based ingredients. EWG’s database gives you a full rundown of ingredients, their toxicity rating on a scale from one to 10, and it’s free to use. You can also use the increasingly popular Yuka app, which does require you to pay, but is an easy and effective way to know if your products or food is laced with hidden chemicals.
Your home represents your primary environment—the place where you spend the majority of your time, where your body rests and recovers. The cumulative effect of daily exposure to chemicals, pollutants, and toxins adds up over months and years. Making intentional choices about what you bring into this space is a form of self-care and is an often overlooked portion of overall health.
You don’t need a complete renovation or a large budget to start improving your environmental health. A water filter here, a plant there, swapping one cleaning product at a time are ways to make incremental adjustments with major benefits. Each small decision compounds, creating a living space that supports your health and doesn’t undermine the hard work you put in to taking care of your health in all of the other ways.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
Two childhood friends from El Paso, Texas, found their calling in Los Angeles fitness, spending over a decade mastering their workouts before opening their own location. Damon Dayoub and Jason Spradlin started at Training Mate’s West Hollywood flagship 13 years ago, where they met Luke Milton and formed a friendship that eventually turned into a partnership, leading them to open their location in Encino. The gym is the culmination of years spent learning what makes a training facility work and building relationships that last.
Training Mate Encino opened its doors in October with a clear vision to create a space where personal attention and professional expertise rule. With workouts that push members and challenge them, the community aspect is the cherry on top of the Valley’s Hottest Gym.
As an athlete through high school and college, and later as an actor maintaining peak physical condition, Damon discovered Training Mate when the West Hollywood location first opened 13 years ago. The community and workout style resonated immediately, becoming a central part of his routine. After all those years of taking Training Mate classes across Los Angeles, Damon tagged his buddy of over three decades, Jason, and started to build the vision.
Spradlin’s athletic background runs deep as well; he competed in 110M High Hurdles track at UCLA. He and Dayoub have been friends since fifth grade, and they discovered Training Mate together all those years ago. The decision to open their own franchise was a natural one after they had conquered the rest of their lives side by side. The next step was to co-own a business. They’re both dedicated to helping others reach their goals and to providing a safe, fun, and challenging environment to do so.
Their combined experience taking classes at Training Mate and their close relationship with Milts gave them a thorough understanding of what works in a training environment and what clients respond to. That knowledge base now informs how they run their Encino facility, from programming decisions to the culture they’ve built among trainers and members.
Training Mate Encino prioritizes making workouts enjoyable and providing a strong community to improve accountability and tackle the loneliness epidemic. When I spoke to Damon, he shared that some studios’ focus skews too heavily toward intensity without balancing it with genuine fun. Jason and Damon are building a strong community where members feel supported and encouraged. They take the time to get to know the people in their classes, ask them individually what their goals are, and help push them in class and cheer them on in their lives outside the gym.
The real joy comes from watching members accomplish goals they didn’t think possible. Dayoub describes the profound sense of gratitude he experiences when clients progress through their health journeys. Whether it’s someone landing their first box jumps and the joy on their face afterward, or another working toward pull-ups, these moments of achievement fuel the owners’ commitment to the business.
I know the joy Damon describes is genuine, as I have had the pleasure of working under Damon and Jason at the Encino location. They both show up each day with a smile on their face, whether it’s at 5:30 am, teaching their fifth class of the day, working alongside members in smaller classes, or genuinely connecting with each person who walks through the door. It’s a profound pleasure to assist them in accomplishing all of their goals. They’re incredible leaders who are kind, compassionate, and easy-going.
When asked about the greatest challenge of opening up a fitness business, Damon said dealing with permits and construction regulations tested their patience. Still, the process taught them valuable lessons about bringing a vision to physical reality. Outside of those logistical hurdles, the business has operated smoothly.
Dayoub and Spradlin make it look easy. Three decades of friendship mean they already know how the other thinks, what they value, and where they’ll compromise. That history shows up everywhere at Training Mate Encino—in how they run classes, hire, and treat the people walking through their doors. Members pick up on that consistency. So do the trainers working alongside them.
The real measure of their success is the moments when someone nails a movement they thought was out of reach, and Damon or Jason is right there to witness it. Those breakthroughs—the box jump, the pull-up, the confidence that comes from doing something new and challenging—justify every permit headache and construction delay. They’re the reason these two friends decided to do this together, and they’re what keep them showing up at 5:30 am with the same enthusiasm they bring to their last class of the day.
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About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
The healthcare startup Dietitian Live has published findings that suggest a mind-centered approach may shift how we think about metabolic disease. Drawing from an internal study of 113 participants, the company reports that combining medical nutrition therapy with subconscious belief work led to significant drops in A1C levels—with 81 percent of pre-diabetic participants reaching normal A1C levels and 28 percent of Type 2 diabetics achieving similar results without the use of GLP-1 medications.
The data, verified by an independent researcher at UC Davis, is what the company describes as the largest documented reversal of its kind. While the findings come from an internal cohort and will require broader clinical validation, they point to a new conversation about the role of mindset in metabolic health.
This announcement arrives as the medical community grapples with rising rates of chronic metabolic disease and the limitations of medication-only interventions. Dietitian Live’s approach centers on a proprietary method called Quantum Mind Architecture™, which aims to address the subconscious belief patterns the company believes drive biological outcomes. The results suggest that participants who engaged with this framework experienced measurable physiological changes, opening questions about how belief systems interact with biology.
Dietitian Live launched in 2022 as a telehealth platform connecting clients with licensed dietitians through remote sessions. The company was founded from a recognition that conventional nutrition care often exists within restrictive clinical settings, limiting who can access it and how it gets delivered. By creating a secure digital platform, the founders aimed to remove those barriers and offer care that reaches people where they are.
The company operates across 49 states and has conducted over 200,000 sessions, with more than 80,000 of those fully covered by insurance. Services are available in three languages, and the company has established partnerships with over 350 organizations to extend its reach.
Sessions incorporate principles from quantum physics, neuroscience, and epigenetics, drawing on concepts like neuroplasticity and heart-brain coherence. The company refers to this framework as Quantum Mind Architecture™, a system designed to help clients align their internal state with their health goals. Dietitians trained in this method work with clients on nutrition, sleep, movement, stress management, and mindset, treating these elements as an interconnected system of wellness.
The internal study examined 113 participants across pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes categories. Among those with pre-diabetes, 81 percent reached normal A1C levels without GLP-1 medications, while 92 percent achieved the same with GLP-1 support. For Type 2 diabetics, 28 percent reverted to normal A1C levels without GLP-1s, and 19 percent did so with the medications. All results reached statistical significance at p<0.001, according to the company’s report.
Dr. Kamil Borkowski, a research scientist at UC Davis, independently verified the findings. The company notes that participants engaging in belief-based work showed outcomes that were 38 percent better than those using GLP-1 medications alone within the same cohort. These comparisons are internal and do not constitute a clinical trial comparing the two interventions head-to-head, but they do raise questions about how psychological and physiological factors interact in metabolic disease.
Co-founder Emma Franta offered perspective on the findings: “Belief has always been a biological force. Now we can capture it, cultivate it, and harness it to heal. This is the rise of subconscious medicine — a frontier that goes past pharmacology without opposing it.”
The company has issued a call for collaboration with academic researchers, healthcare systems, and policy organizations to expand the field of belief-biology research. Dietitian Live seeks to establish a new CPT code that would allow insurance billing for what it calls Belief Practitioners—a proposed class of clinicians trained in subconscious medical work. The company also invites partnerships with employers, insurers, and global health organizations to pilot programs that integrate this approach into existing healthcare infrastructure.
The gap between what we believe about our health and what our bodies do may be narrower than we had once believed. Dietitian Live’s findings suggest that the internal narratives we carry might function as active participants in our biological reality. If that holds true under broader scrutiny, it means chronic disease care has been addressing only half the equation, focusing on what goes into the body while largely ignoring what happens in the mind that directs it.
Whether subconscious medicine becomes a standard pillar of healthcare or remains a niche intervention depends on replication, refinement, and scale. But the early numbers hint that healing might start with changing the story before changing the prescription. For the millions living with metabolic disease, that possibility alone warrants attention.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
Ten years of dedication culminated at the Natural Olympia when Mark Black claimed the title of top amateur natural bodybuilder in the world. The 41-year-old San Diego native went professional in two categories, marking a milestone in a career built on discipline and determination. His path to the stage began at age 30, sparked by a personal commitment to pursue excellence without performance-enhancing substances.
Black’s competitive success is one piece of a larger story rooted in recovery and redemption. Clean and sober since 2009, he made a promise to himself and his faith that no substances would enter his body. Finding bodybuilding later in life gave him a channel for the resilience developed through earlier challenges. His natural approach demonstrates alternatives exist for those seeking competitive success without compromising long-term health.
Black trains under Jim Gonzalez, recognized as the number one coach in natural bodybuilding with over a hundred competitive wins to his name. Gonzalez earned Coach of the Year honors last year while leading a team that produces top-tier natural athletes. The partnership has positioned Black among elite competitors, with the INBA/PNBA federation now lobbying to include natural bodybuilding in the Olympics within four to eight years.
The push for Olympic recognition gained momentum following the recent addition of flag football and breakdancing to the Games. Open categories would likely comprise the Olympic competition format, creating opportunities for athletes across four weight classes. Black sees the four-to-eight-year timeline as his own preparation window, viewing the potential development as motivation to continue refining his craft.
His competitive philosophy is based in longevity and sustainable practices. The gym he co-owns houses natural competitors all the way up to their 80s, all maintaining impressive physiques through proper training and nutrition. This multigenerational presence challenges assumptions about aging and athletic performance.
The Gym opened in Chula Vista during COVID-19 lockdowns, defying closure orders to serve members who signed waivers accepting personal responsibility. Black and his business partners operated through what they termed “fitness prohibition,” pulling clients through back doors while facing media attention and government pressure. Members later reported doctors crediting their continued exercise routines with surviving COVID infections, validating the risk the facility took to remain operational.
This defiance established The Gym’s reputation within San Diego’s fitness community. The operation expanded to East County in December 2023, replicating the Chula Vista location’s success. With 11 locations across Southern California, Arizona, and Florida, The Gym maintains DNA inherited from the original Gold’s Gym before its corporate sale—hardcore training spaces where Olympic-caliber athletes work alongside everyday members pursuing personal records.
The freelance training model is a new one for me, and it’s something pretty remarkable. The Gym’s trainers own and operate independent businesses without paying rent or splitting fees with management. They maintain their $30 monthly membership, and their clients must also hold memberships at the same rate. This structure eliminates overhead typically associated with training, allowing coaches to keep 100 percent of session fees while building their businesses within an established ecosystem.
Trainers at The Gym include IFBB pros, natural bodybuilding champions, posing coaches, dietitians, strength and conditioning specialists, and mobility experts. The facility refers walk-in clients to trainers based on specialties and reputation, helping coaches grow their books without marketing expenses. Members also sell meal prep services from refrigerated cases, creating interconnected microeconomies within the larger gym environment.
Requirements for trainers focus on organization and self-sufficiency rather than specific certifications. Candidates must arrive with established business models, client management systems, and professional references. Experience matters more than credentials, though certifications provide leverage when attracting new clients. The model favors outgoing personalities capable of building rapport and managing independent schedules without institutional support.
The 14,000-square-foot expansion planned for fall 2024 will double the East County facility’s footprint, accommodating growing membership and trainer populations. The Chula Vista location maintains its position as headquarters, housing many of the top 10 natural bodybuilders globally. Both facilities reject corporate uniformity—no polos, no standardized procedures, just equipment, expertise, and space for serious athletes to pursue their goals.
Black runs his gym the way he approaches bodybuilding—no shortcuts, no gimmicks, and definitely no corporate playbook. The $30 membership for trainers and members makes this a feasible and sustainable model for everyone to succeed.
Most gyms talk about supporting their trainers while structuring everything to extract maximum value from their work. Black built a space where IFBB pros train alongside 80-year-old bodybuilders because nobody’s getting squeezed. Trainers show up, do their work, keep their money, and stick around.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
Migraines can feel like an unavoidable part of life, especially when you’ve tried every remedy and nothing seems to work. For years, I dealt with debilitating migraines and chronic body pain that disrupted my daily routine and goals. Then I started working with Bobby Aldridge from BAMmetrics, someone who approaches migraines differently than most. Bobby doesn’t just focus on the pain, he looks at the body as a connected system where alignment, mobility, and strength all play crucial roles in preventing those painful episodes.
Through our work together over the past year, I’ve learned that migraines often stem from issues we can measure and address through intentional movement. Bobby’s approach centers on understanding your body’s position, tracking progress with concrete metrics, and building strength in proper alignment rather than layering exercise on top of dysfunction. This perspective has changed how I think about pain management and what’s possible for long-term relief for myself and others suffering from migraines.
Bobby Aldridge created BAMmetrics as a way to quantify mobility for better posture and performance. His background in movement science led him to develop a system that doesn’t rely on subjective feelings but uses measurable markers to track progress. This approach helps people identify restrictions before they become painful compensation patterns and provides clear feedback on whether interventions are working.
The philosophy behind BAM Metrics challenges conventional wisdom about treating pain. Rather than isolating the area that hurts, Bobby examines the entire kinetic chain. A migraine that seems to originate in your neck might actually result from hip misalignment or compensations starting in your feet. This whole-body perspective explains why traditional treatments often provide only temporary relief—they address symptoms without correcting the underlying postural imbalances creating the problem.
Bobby’s method focuses on what he calls “lengthen while you strengthen.” Instead of passively elongating muscles, you mobilize while actively strengthening, which reduces the muscle tension that triggers headaches and improves blood flow throughout the body. The wall serves as a primary assessment tool, offering immediate feedback on alignment discrepancies between your right and left sides.
Migraines have several root causes that relate directly to how we hold and move our bodies. Forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and tightness in the cervical spine create chronic tension in specific areas: the suboccipital muscles where many migraines start, the trapezius muscles, and throughout the cervical region. This constant tension restricts blood flow to the head, setting the stage for recurring headaches.
What many people don’t realize is how issues elsewhere in the body contribute to head pain. Problems in your hips, knees, or feet create compensations that travel through the kinetic chain, eventually manifesting as neck and head tension. Your pelvis serves as the foundation for overall body function—when it’s misaligned, everything above and below suffers. This explains why you can’t successfully treat neck pain in isolation or expect lasting results from approaches that ignore postural fundamentals.
Bobby has created the BAMmetric method which has a test-retest approach and provides immediate feedback on what’s working. You perform a movement, do specific soft tissue work, then retest to see if the issue improved. This removes guesswork and shows exactly which interventions address your particular restrictions.
Medicine ball push-ups highlight differences in how your right versus left side moves. Runner’s stretch tracks alignment improvements over time. These metrics give you concrete data rather than vague feelings about whether you’re making progress as most do without a way to measure.
Paying attention to how long you’ve been sitting, working on the computer, or texting helps you understand what activities create issues. You learn to notice patterns—maybe certain movements the day before triggered today’s tightness, or perhaps specific postures during work hours set you up for evening headaches.
The connection between brain and body plays a critical role in recovery. Bobby emphasizes that positive reinforcement matters, even when you’re in pain. Instead of focusing on limitations or fearing that migraines will always control your life, you actively work toward improvement. This means telling yourself “I am healing, I am getting better, I am going to get these migraines to go away” rather than dwelling on what you can’t do.
This mental approach affects how your nervous system responds to treatment. When you believe change is possible and actively track progress, your body follows that directive. The measurements and metrics support this mindset because they provide proof that things are shifting. Seeing measurable improvements in your wall test or noticing increased range of motion reinforces that your efforts are working.
Bobby’s method includes specific exercises designed to restore proper function. Windmill movements open up fascia and lengthen the entire kinetic chain, reducing neck tightness. Single-leg rows with a band connect your foot to your glute to your opposite shoulder, mimicking natural walking patterns and improving overall balance. Hip hinge exercises open your adductors and work your hamstrings while creating pelvic tilt without stressing your back. These movements address multiple areas simultaneously, building strength in positions that support proper alignment.
Once you’ve established better positioning, you work on releasing muscle tension in specific problem areas identified through your assessment. Then you strengthen in proper alignment, using exercises that connect different parts of your kinetic chain. Only after completing this groundwork do you move into performance enhancement, where intense workouts become safe because they’re no longer built on top of compensatory patterns.
Most people approach pain management by chasing symptoms, treating the head when it hurts or the neck when it’s tight. This reactive cycle provides temporary relief at best. Bobby’s work demonstrates that lasting change comes from understanding your body as an interconnected system where alignment in one area affects function everywhere else. The pelvis influences the neck, foot position impacts shoulder tension, and improving mobility in your hips can eliminate headaches that seem unrelated.
Migraines don’t have to be a life sentence. Through consistent attention to measurable markers, intentional movement that addresses your specific restrictions, and a mindset focused on progress rather than limitations, you can create lasting change. The key lies in being willing to look at your body differently—not as a collection of isolated parts but as a unified system that functions best when everything aligns properly. That shift in perspective makes the difference between managing pain and actually resolving it.
About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.
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