GX3 FitCamp
Orfeu
The fitness industry, like many others, was upended by the pandemic. The good news is, according to a survey by McKinsey, 68% of people prioritize their health more post-pandemic. The industry will rebound, but it will also completely evolve.
In response, a host of entrepreneurial companies have emerged. Peloton. Mirror. Tonal. No surprise if those sound familiar. But they only represent one end of the spectrum, home gyms.
On the other end is another type of entrepreneur. Just as innovative, but they want you out of your home and out of the gym.
Remote work and the desire to be outside have created new expectations of what any experience should be. It is in this space that we find fitness entrepreneurs like Coach Santi, founder of GX3 FitCamp, who not only runs an indoor/outdoor gym, but also creates specialized equipment.
Entrepreneurs like Santi have been reinventing fitness long before the pandemic. Therefore, the pandemic impacted them differently because many of them were already thinking differently. I had a chance to interview Santi and learn about everything from the relationship between space and ideas, to manufacturing, to the future of fitness.
Chaka Booker: What lead to your approach to fitness?
Coach Santi: My own experience in gyms told me something was missing. The physical layout didn’t support the workouts I wanted. Some are too small and feel congested. If the gym is too big, you can’t quickly shift between different types of exercises. Indoor/outdoor solves that. Small enough to customize, but it feels spacious. I used to train people at local gyms but couldn’t shoot videos because management didn’t allow it. But I wanted videos for marketing. I solved that with outdoor workouts at first, then eventually my own indoor/outdoor space. As an entrepreneur you are sometimes solving a smaller problem, but that leads to a bigger idea.
Booker: How can a fitness entrepreneur distinguish themselves in an industry that seems well established?
Santi: Ask yourself, “What is the workout I wish I could do more of, but for some reason can’t?” For me it was sand. Beach workouts. So, GX3 has a huge sandbox area which allows us to strengthen muscles and tendons with exercises you can’t do any other way. I suggest finding a niche but go broad in that niche. A lot of our workouts are …….