S/o Cult fitness classes - which ones are going to last?

[Anonymous]

Please please please let Orange Theory fade away. I am so over listening to my friends detail their workouts and class schedules ad nauseum.

[Anonymous]

I think an individual barre studio or chain could be a cult but that barre itself is not a cult. My PT actually really encourages barre because the focus on "functional movement" makes it very sustainable for people with injuries or as you age. I use Barre3 and they are really, really good at providing modifications when needed and focusing on movement that builds strength and mobility without pain or overdoing it.

I think where "cult" comes in is when the organization uses the endorphins and mental high of exercise to convince both clients and staff to overcommit their finances, time, or sanity to the enterprise. I think CrossFit and some of these other trendy chains can become cult-like because they want you to be coming every day or close to it, and they often push people to exercise in ways that may be bad for them longterm or could injure someone who doesn't have the right form or training. A lot of those places also create competitive hierarchies, which I think is ripe for abuse -- you should not have to compete for access to coaching, for instance. But some of these studios will treat high performers differently or given them special treatment, which creates dangerous incentives for people to overtrain or work through pain or injury.

I also think a lot of these companies exploit their workers, and that has a cult-like effect, too. Many of these companies hire students with the promise of reduced-rate or free classes, then pay them minimum wage and treat them very poorly. They also cultivate the vibe of "we are family" and will imply to employees that if they complain, don't show up for unpaid trainings or social events, etc., that they aren't being team players or don't really belong there. I think often people who are drawn to this environment are drawn in because of the camaraderie and sense of belonging, so treating employees this way feels especially wrong because you are exploiting people's desire for connections and belonging. Which, yes, is what cults do.

So I'd pay attention to how the studio itself is run. I don't think exercise automatically becomes a cult. But there is something uniquely vulnerable about going to an exercise studio and signing up for a class. There are lots of crappy people in the world who will try to exploit that vulnerability if it makes them money or allows them to exercise power over someone. Some of those crappy people work in the fitness industry. But that doesn't mean all fitness businesses are cults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The cults change but they always remain.

/former solidcore junkie.

+1 from a fellow former solidcore junkie (I miss it desperately sometimes, though, truth be told)

What did you replace it with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been cult fitness classes for the last 30 years. The overall concept isn't going anywhere. They last as long as they are profitable, so Billy Blanks isn't putting out Tae Bo classes anymore but others have stepped in.

Personally I think people see a bunch of people having success with something and throwing themselves into it and they call it a cult because on some level, they either 1) want to feel superior about whatever fitness thing they do or 2) want to feel better about the fact that they don't do anything at all. And I used to be a number 2!

I have a peloton and am fully in the 'cult' and have been amazed at how much people want to talk down about it. I mean its not hurting anyone, and for a lot of people like me it has changed their life in a very positive way! I really feel like calling these things culty is just a projection of whatever insecurities a person has.

NP. I think you are being overly defensive. To me, Peloton is absolutely a cult and you describe it in a very culty way. It is a specifically branded kind of exercise that is reputed to be better than other kinds. It is expensive. People who are into it talk about it A LOT and if someone is a Peloton person, they let you know about it really quickly. It may have changed your life in a positive way, but frankly, if you asked most cult members about their experience while they were still in the cult.

What all these things seem to have in common is that their adherents elevate the exercise to being above other exercise. You could ride a regular bike and experience success exercising. Peloton clearly works great for you, which is great for you, but you have clearly moved from your own category 2 to category 1.

OP, I like barre and it’s been good for toning for me. I think most fitness fads live on in some way. I have a friend who goes to Jazzercise, which I didn’t even know was possible in 2022!

I didn't really describe it at all, so I feel like you're putting a lot of words in my mouth. I think it is actually kind of weird that we call fitness things 'cults'. I mean people in scientology are continually farmed for more and more money, and less and less autonomy. I joke about peloton being a cult but at the end of the day its $40 bucks a month and the only thing telling me to get on the bike every day is my own head.

I agree that, like vegans, we talk about it too much. Everyone has jokes of course, but equating it to ACTUALLY being cultlike is a little cuckoo to me.

[Anonymous]

I really like Les Mills classes. Is that a cult? I don’t know, but they are effective

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been doing Barre for 6 years, not a cult at all. It doesn't have that same cult-like atmosphere or personality types.

Would you recommend it for someone who is looking to get toned? I am not looking to lose weight but my body changed post pregnancy and want to tone up butt primarily. I have never worked out in my life so am lost as to how to go about it.

I do Barre3 and highly recommend it. It's a great way to tone up - especially butt, abs, hips. I see tons of young moms in my class, many who are in your similar stage of life. Give it a try - you'll love it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever happened to step classes?

I still take step classes! (At the y, lol. I'm usually the youngest person in there by at least two decades!)...maybe not as popular as it once was but they exist!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever happened to step classes?

I still take step classes! (At the y, lol. I'm usually the youngest person in there by at least two decades!)...maybe not as popular as it once was but they exist!

Where? You can’t find them anymore.

[Anonymous]

I’m a trainer and fitness instructor. 33 years. I’ve seen so many come and go. My guesses -

CrossFit won’t last. The instructors are not well trained. There are a lot of injuries. It’s just not a great program for most people.

Barre will stay. It may change, but it’s not going anywhere. Great teachers for the most part. It’s safe. Lots of modifications are offered. It’s fun. And very effective.

Hot Yoga - I really hope this one goes away. And I teach hot yoga several times a week. I don’t think it’s healthy. The heat and sweat trick you into thinking you are working much harder than you are. And the “detox” is bullshi7. You’re not detoxing anything. Your kidneys do that.

Yoga - Not going anywhere. A certified RYT is generally really well trained. Knows anatomy. Will safely guide a class. Offer modifications both up and down. It’s great for your mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is here to stay.

Les Mills is already on its way out, which is a shame. I love Body Pump! Same with the Beachbody programs. P90X and Insanity are great programs, but are losing popularity quickly.

Peloton - Gone fairly soon.

Watch for more dance inspired classes like WERQ. They are quickly gaining popularity. Think 80s style aerobics with newer music.

[Anonymous]

I think the cult aspect is the concept that you feel compelled to share details about your workout, post on social media, and call out your DAILY accomplishments. Run a marathon? Post about it! Your 5th peloton ride this week? Post on a peloton specific page. It's not that interesting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a trainer and fitness instructor. 33 years. I’ve seen so many come and go. My guesses -

CrossFit won’t last. The instructors are not well trained. There are a lot of injuries. It’s just not a great program for most people.

Barre will stay. It may change, but it’s not going anywhere. Great teachers for the most part. It’s safe. Lots of modifications are offered. It’s fun. And very effective.

Hot Yoga - I really hope this one goes away. And I teach hot yoga several times a week. I don’t think it’s healthy. The heat and sweat trick you into thinking you are working much harder than you are. And the “detox” is bullshi7. You’re not detoxing anything. Your kidneys do that.

Yoga - Not going anywhere. A certified RYT is generally really well trained. Knows anatomy. Will safely guide a class. Offer modifications both up and down. It’s great for your mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is here to stay.

Les Mills is already on its way out, which is a shame. I love Body Pump! Same with the Beachbody programs. P90X and Insanity are great programs, but are losing popularity quickly.

Peloton - Gone fairly soon.

Watch for more dance inspired classes like WERQ. They are quickly gaining popularity. Think 80s style aerobics with newer music.

The fact that you would include yoga in there makes me question your credibility entirely. JFC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a trainer and fitness instructor. 33 years. I’ve seen so many come and go. My guesses -

CrossFit won’t last. The instructors are not well trained. There are a lot of injuries. It’s just not a great program for most people.

Barre will stay. It may change, but it’s not going anywhere. Great teachers for the most part. It’s safe. Lots of modifications are offered. It’s fun. And very effective.

Hot Yoga - I really hope this one goes away. And I teach hot yoga several times a week. I don’t think it’s healthy. The heat and sweat trick you into thinking you are working much harder than you are. And the “detox” is bullshi7. You’re not detoxing anything. Your kidneys do that.

Yoga - Not going anywhere. A certified RYT is generally really well trained. Knows anatomy. Will safely guide a class. Offer modifications both up and down. It’s great for your mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is here to stay.

Les Mills is already on its way out, which is a shame. I love Body Pump! Same with the Beachbody programs. P90X and Insanity are great programs, but are losing popularity quickly.

Peloton - Gone fairly soon.

Watch for more dance inspired classes like WERQ. They are quickly gaining popularity. Think 80s style aerobics with newer music.

The fact that you would include yoga in there makes me question your credibility entirely. JFC.

Agree. Also many parents with kids cannot workout at a gym. So there will always be some sort of home workouts. My DH had a personal trainer but left him for CrossFit. He has been doing it for 5 years now and is in far better shape than what his personal trainer could achieve. I think there are a ton of terrible personal trainers out there and it’s expensive to find one that is competent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think an individual barre studio or chain could be a cult but that barre itself is not a cult. My PT actually really encourages barre because the focus on "functional movement" makes it very sustainable for people with injuries or as you age. I use Barre3 and they are really, really good at providing modifications when needed and focusing on movement that builds strength and mobility without pain or overdoing it.

I think where "cult" comes in is when the organization uses the endorphins and mental high of exercise to convince both clients and staff to overcommit their finances, time, or sanity to the enterprise. I think CrossFit and some of these other trendy chains can become cult-like because they want you to be coming every day or close to it, and they often push people to exercise in ways that may be bad for them longterm or could injure someone who doesn't have the right form or training. A lot of those places also create competitive hierarchies, which I think is ripe for abuse -- you should not have to compete for access to coaching, for instance. But some of these studios will treat high performers differently or given them special treatment, which creates dangerous incentives for people to overtrain or work through pain or injury.

I also think a lot of these companies exploit their workers, and that has a cult-like effect, too. Many of these companies hire students with the promise of reduced-rate or free classes, then pay them minimum wage and treat them very poorly. They also cultivate the vibe of "we are family" and will imply to employees that if they complain, don't show up for unpaid trainings or social events, etc., that they aren't being team players or don't really belong there. I think often people who are drawn to this environment are drawn in because of the camaraderie and sense of belonging, so treating employees this way feels especially wrong because you are exploiting people's desire for connections and belonging. Which, yes, is what cults do.

So I'd pay attention to how the studio itself is run. I don't think exercise automatically becomes a cult. But there is something uniquely vulnerable about going to an exercise studio and signing up for a class. There are lots of crappy people in the world who will try to exploit that vulnerability if it makes them money or allows them to exercise power over someone. Some of those crappy people work in the fitness industry. But that doesn't mean all fitness businesses are cults.

This was a very informative comment for me, thank you!

[Anonymous]

Jiu jitsu -- will last. But is the cultiest of the cults.

Crossfit -- will rebrand, and already has, given HQ's toxicity. It creates A LOT of injuries, particularly if you in one of the 'boxes' that asks you to push yourself too hard and has useless trainers.

Yoga -- will last. Hopefully hot yoga won't last because that's just dangerous and dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a trainer and fitness instructor. 33 years. I’ve seen so many come and go. My guesses -

CrossFit won’t last. The instructors are not well trained. There are a lot of injuries. It’s just not a great program for most people.

Barre will stay. It may change, but it’s not going anywhere. Great teachers for the most part. It’s safe. Lots of modifications are offered. It’s fun. And very effective.

Hot Yoga - I really hope this one goes away. And I teach hot yoga several times a week. I don’t think it’s healthy. The heat and sweat trick you into thinking you are working much harder than you are. And the “detox” is bullshi7. You’re not detoxing anything. Your kidneys do that.

Yoga - Not going anywhere. A certified RYT is generally really well trained. Knows anatomy. Will safely guide a class. Offer modifications both up and down. It’s great for your mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is here to stay.

Les Mills is already on its way out, which is a shame. I love Body Pump! Same with the Beachbody programs. P90X and Insanity are great programs, but are losing popularity quickly.

Peloton - Gone fairly soon.

Watch for more dance inspired classes like WERQ. They are quickly gaining popularity. Think 80s style aerobics with newer music.

Crossfit has passed its cult phase. It is just like...a gym brand now? I feel like people were SO INTO CROSSFIT like a decade ago. Same with hot yoga. Why are you putting 'yoga' as a fitness trend, it is like...an ancient practice, of course it isn't going anywhere! It also isn't a branded experience, there are like 15 million yoga studios.

I feel like P90X and Insanity have already faded and Beach Body is going the way they did.

I agree cardio dance is rising but the rest of your post makes it seem like you don't really understand the question.

Personally I doubt peloton will go entirely, too valuable to have such a devoted static customer base, maybe they fail but if so they will be purchased not expunged.