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Tracy Anderson Built a Fitness Cult for the 1% · The imuRgency Room

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When I was in that cult, then white people really had me
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waking up on Saturday mornings to run in the mud for multiple
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hours. Plus they had me paying $250,
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three, $100 a week just to work out with them.
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How fitness studios will use community and use language
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around community and say that they're fostering community, but
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it's really a way for them to exploit the loyalty of their
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customers and sometimes even the loyalty of their instructors.
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Hi, Barbie. Hi, Barbie.
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Hi, Barbie. OK, picture this.
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You live in one of the big cities, the LA's, the New Yorks,
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the Chicago's. If you're feeling a little spicy
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and you're trying to live your best life and finding community
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and staying fit and like, obviously being in one of these
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major cities fighting things like workout classes are a dime
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a dozen. Don't like bar?
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Try Pilates. Not your style.
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That's OK. Try Lagree.
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Oh, you don't have a death wish? That's totally fine.
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If not, you can always try out that new trending fitness
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workout that somehow involves mini trampoline.
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But if you can't find a workout for you or God forbid you can't
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afford it, then that's your fault and obviously not a
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systemic issue at all. Hey guys, stops emergency and
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welcome welcome back to my channel Today we're talking
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about luxury fitness classes and I tried to kind of give that
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with my fit. Like am I am I giving luxury
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fitness? Am I giving like I go to like
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solid core or something? Am I giving twunk?
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Am I giving I wake up at 6:00 AM to go to Lagree?
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Like work with me, people. I'm trying.
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So yeah, today we're talking about luxury fitness classes and
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specifically how it's beginning to seem that over the past
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couple of years, luxury fitness classes are starting to look
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less like actual fitness and more so along the lines of a
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cult. Now, I noticed some of you that
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may sound like a stretch walk with me.
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What do we think about when we think of luxury fitness or
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studio fitness? We think of things like
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overpriced matching sets, clean girl aesthetic, inspirational
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quotes, ridiculous, both slow and also fast at the same time,
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movements that you never really use in real life.
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And most importantly, the check denting monthly membership that
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is most definitely going to be in the three figures range.
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Now, health and Wellness obsessions are actually nothing
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new. They've always been a thing, but
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more recently we're starting to see an increase in like cultish
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mentality surrounding studio fitness and more specifically
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luxury fitness. Because yes, you do need the
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Aesop so and little Q-tips in your gym's bathroom.
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You do need the kilos products to shower with.
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Like it's an essential. And while there is a lot of
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content online about people praising and showing off how
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much their monthly memberships to their gyms and fitness studio
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classes are, that's not really what we're talking about in this
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video. We're here to see if luxury
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fitness has gotten out of hand and if it is in fact a cult.
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And if we're talking about the colting of luxury fitness, we
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need to talk one of the first pioneers in our modern day
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fitness industry. And to do that, we need to look
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no further than to Tracy Anderson and her fitness empire.
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So what really got the wheel starting for the studio topic
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was this Atlantic article called Inside the exclusive, obsessive
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and surprisingly litigious World of Luxury Fitness by writer
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Socho Gonzalez, who profiles the fitness mogul Tracy Anderson in
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her empire. And as it turns out, it may
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actually be closer to a cult than we may think.
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I mean, when you look at it, commercialized Wellness has
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always been something that's been a little too close to
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cultish for my taste. Like there is a very strong
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pipeline between like Wellness and holistic health and the more
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extreme cultish like anti science and medicine crew.
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But when it comes to Tracy Anderson and luxury fitness
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specifically, this article may be proving a cultish link for
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luxury fitness as well. So let's talk a little bit about
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that. You ever wonder where your
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favorite or not so favorite celebrities go to work out on a
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day-to-day basis to look the way that they do?
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The answer more often than not is Tracy Anderson.
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Even if you aren't super into the celebrity and pop culture
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sphere, the name Tracy Anderson may or may not sound familiar to
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you. Because from celebs like Gwyneth
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Paltrow to Madonna to Harry Styles to Tracy Ellis Ross, many
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of the upper echelon of celebrities or just like
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stupidly rich people have either tried or swear by the Tracy
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Anderson Method, which is basically this workout method
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that founder Tracy Anderson put together to help people get in
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shape and as thin as possible. And while the workout itself
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can't be simply defined as something like Pilates or
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Jazzercise, it really contains a hodgepodge of everything.
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But its foundation lies in dance and movement.
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And I'll take a second to talk about Tracy Anderson
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specifically. Tracy initially got her start as
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a dancer and really wanted to make it out on Broadway.
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When she eventually moved to New York, her focus shifted to
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fitness and incorporating her past in dance to create what is
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now known as the Tracy Anderson or the Tracy Anderson Method.
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And this method has turned into an entire empire with physical
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studios popping up in LA, New York, the Hamptons, Madrid,
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London, and coming very soon to a city near you, Miami.
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And it doesn't stop at just fitness studios.
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She also has retail stores too. So you too can support the Tracy
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Anderson workout clothes and merch to let people know that
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you are serious about your health and Wellness.
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And you are no brokey. No, I mean like actually no
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brokey. Like I'm looking at the site
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right now and like they sell basketball shorts for like 150
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bucks. I just know that if I'm paying
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$150.00 for some shorts my should be sitting OK.
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But she also sells these things called heart stones, which are
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essentially weighted rose quartz energy trainers that you can use
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in your Tracy Anderson Method workouts that cost you just the
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measly price of, oh, what does that say, $299?
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Like, if that isn't the most woo woo, And honestly, I can't even
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hate. If you're getting people to pay
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300 bucks for some weighted rose quartz, you got it.
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Who am I to judge? Anderson claims she's done her
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own research, accumulating data from over 150 women every 10
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days over the span of five years.
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And she says that for the work she's put into the method, she
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doesn't feel bad for the charging that she does for her
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products and for her services. And a quote from the article.
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And yet the study is not, of course, an actual clinical
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study. It was not performed by
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independent researchers and was not submitted for interview at
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an academic journal. When I followed up with
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Beltrani, the president, to ask if Anderson could share the data
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with me, he told me that they were proprietary.
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Even so, Anderson argues that only the close minded would
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ignore her findings because she is an outsider to the scientific
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establishment. What bothers her most is the
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idea that others are copying her moves without properly
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understanding the science. So essentially this alludes to
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the research not being technically legit, with it just
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being based off her own clients and generally kept super hidden.
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And based off of the success of Tracy Anderson and her method,
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people have opened their own studios as having use her moves.
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And she says what bothers her most about that is that they
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don't understand the science and the term science is being used
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pretty loose here. But the feeling of being
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protective over your business and method is completely
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understandable. No, actually, we keep talking
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about the business and the method and stuff.
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Let's breakdown what actually is going into this method to make
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it a luxury service. Super feeling exciting up to be
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a member. Actually, let me sell this to
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you like I'm a gym sales associate.
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So if you're thinking about becoming a member, it does start
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at $900 a month. And no, that does not include
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the initiation fee, which will be about the price of a studio
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apt 1500 dollars according to pop sugar.
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And like, I completely understand if that's not in your
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budget range, that's totally fine.
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If you do happen to be or whatever, you can actually
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download the app and subscribe for a monthly charge OF12999 or
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the low price OF69999 for six months.
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Yeah, that much for in app videos is crazy, especially
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because, you know, things like fitness Blender exist And look,
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no one ever said that this was meant to be accessible.
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I don't think that was ever the target demo, but it is really
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interesting to read in the Atlantic article that she also
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expressed A wish that she could make her workouts more
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accessible to people that are making a difference, like
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teachers. You know what I mean?
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Nurses, people who are underpaid and making a difference, they
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need it. Though she did not offer any
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specifics over how she do this. Like to that point, aren't you
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the owner of the company? Like, if that's something you
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wanted to do, couldn't you go and do that?
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She does see politics as a Wellness issue though.
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Not that she considers herself to be like a talking head for
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all things politics, but it is certainly interesting that yes,
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you're program is meant for the 1% and we don't need to pretend
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like it's not. And also yes, exercise is
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beneficial to people in underpaid high stress positions.
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And it just so happens to be that unfortunately this company
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seems to be a part of the luxury fitness gatekeepers.
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It is a pay to play system, but fortunately there are other
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alternatives. Now by no means am I here to
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tell you whether or not it's worth it or not because I am
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back to not the target demographic.
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I know. Shocker me.
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Unfortunately not the 1%. Like and subscribe please.
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I do think it's a little wild though to pay $900 to do this
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when you could just, you know, like dance for free in your room
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with your headphones on. Have a good time.
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Now what would it mean to compare Tracy Andersons method
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or just luxury fitness to a cult?
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I'm personally never want to throw language around Willy
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nilly like people are always talking, but truly what happens
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when the talk isn't cheap and it is what it is, you know?
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But by definition a cult has its religion tie definition that
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then has been adapted into a modern connotation, basically
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meaning that it doesn't have one solid true definition.
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But according to Britannica, a cult is defined as a usually
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small group devoted to a person, idea, or philosophy.
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On a more broad spectrum, I think Amanda Montel's
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classifications of the cult, especially when relating to
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fitness and Wellness, are really good.
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Shout out Cultish, the language of and sounds like a cult
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podcast like it says here through Fitness as Religion,
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that many modern fitness studios have adopted language and
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practices reminiscent of religious cults to create
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devoted followings. The trend capitalizes on the
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decline of traditional religious affiliation.
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Offering a sense of community, purpose and transcendence
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through physical activity. Citing things like charismatic
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instructors as like guru figures, specialized vocabulary
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and mantras exclusive to each fitness studio.
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The promises of personal transformation beyond just
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fitness, as well as things like a tight knit community with its
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own ritual, as well as the encouragement of recruiting new
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members in a very deep a minute to talk about our Lord and
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Savior type B. And when it comes to people like
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Tracy Anderson and the Tracy Anderson method, they use the
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term tamily, which is a combination of Tracy Anderson
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and family. I know referring to the avid
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users of the method and as well as people that actually have
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memberships. And it's really interesting that
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she's very adamant about not being a guru and more so a
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trainer because guru is usually associated with like cultish
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language. But now let's talk about the
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lack of language or rather speech of the Tracy Anderson
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method because it is a staple part of her class that she does
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not speak. You know, like when fitness
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instructors usually say things like, now deep in that lunge,
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get in there. Yes, Armando, fuel that burn and
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hold 5678. Yeah.
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Diva does under that because her philosophy is, and I quote, not
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speaking during the workout is a symbolic gesture in a sense of
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the need to tune out the noise and listen to what your body is
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telling you. I mean, to me that sounds a
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little woo woo, But if people like it, I love it.
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And I guess what works works, right?
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I think this kind of creates and enforces this in Group versus
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out group. His studio cost $900 a month and
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I got a sneak peek at their newest location, Tracy Anderson
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Santa Monica. His studio is as stunning as it
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is intimidating. The cult level, a solid element
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editor. These women don't just do Tracy
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Anderson, they are Tracy Anderson.
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If you're new, be prepared to feel like an absolute reject as
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you flail around trying to keep up.
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Because here's the thing, there is no talking, no instruction.
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The instructor just exists while you, desperate, really try to
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mimic her movements and pretend you're understanding what's
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going on. For those who ask, the TA is not
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as much hot at the day's wet and the workout.
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Think ballet, but make it interpretive dance.
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Need circus act? Needs Pilates?
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Steroids. And if you don't like a move,
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too bad. You're married to it for what
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feels like a lifetime before you're granted access to the
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next. Impossibly hard.
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I can't explain it, but I understand why it's so
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addicting. And you'll definitely catch my
11:07
hair again. If you enjoy mystery, sweating
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out your will to live and questioning you, you are.
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This is for you. Tracy Anderson.
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Santa Monica launches early. Like the girl that's who talk
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mentions if you're a beginner or new it's harder to keep up, know
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what's happening or how to really catch on and do the moves
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properly because the instructors aren't guiding you through it
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through things like verbal cues. And of course the people that go
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regularly, AKA those being in the in Group already have an
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idea of the movements. Leaving first timers or
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generally new people to be flailing around looking crazy
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trying to keep up in an already intimidating and vulnerable
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space like a workout studio. Like while you can afford to try
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and treat yourself to a luxury fitness class, it's still
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obvious that if you're not super committed, you're still not in
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that in Group. And if you want that form of
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community or if you want to bypass the whole humiliation
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ritual of like not knowing what you're doing and kind of making
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a fool of yourself at first, you've got to fork over the big
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bucks, which we're going to talk about soon.
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So yeah, there have been different cult like behaviors
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displayed from various different group workout classes, whether
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they be luxury or not. And some of those may have been
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harmful. But when speaking specifically
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about the whole Tracy Anderson method of it all, like yes,
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there is a cult following, but as long as you can afford it and
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can conform to the norms of the space and also art in some crazy
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sacrificial levels of that, it does seem like a pretty benign
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cult, if at all. Mike, it definitely doesn't hit
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all of the marks. We're following the American
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Montel school of thought here, but some are definitely there.
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Regardless of if it's a full-fledged cult or not, it is
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still so strange that people pay upwards of $900 a month for
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workout classes when life is already expensive enough for the
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rest of us as it is. And a part of Kelty's YouTube
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video, she points out that if you're devoting 2 hours a day
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for six days a week, which is generally the recommendation by
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regulars to see optimal results, and you're putting that much of
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your money in your free time into one space, it does give
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cultish vibes. And which in part I do have to
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agree with. Like that amount of dedicated
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devotion, both emotionally and financially really requires a
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level of introspection. I know what something are going
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to say. I know what something are going
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to say, Rumi, is that not just like the community that you talk
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about so much in your videos, like spending a lot of your time
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building a connection with a group of people that have mutual
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interests? Well, yes and no.
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Because yes, you are getting a community from these sorts of
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workout classes, group fitness, whatever, what have you.
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But community should not have to require a price tag.
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Like you shouldn't have to be paying to make and maintain
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these friendships. And let's not pretend there also
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aren't some very recent extreme examples of these workout
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classes kind of being a little culty, like one, for example,
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being solid core. Like one of my very good friends
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is a coach at solid core. Actually don't know if I should
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air that out given what I'm about.
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Say next. So a friend, you know who you
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are, and I'm very sorry, but Solid Core recently offered $100
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worth of class credits, which is about three classes if you got a
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Solid Core logo tattoo on your body, which realistically would
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just be the tattoo reimbursement if you're thinking about it.
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So we've officially reached the branding stage of the colting of
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group Fitness. Love that.
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And then there's definitely some stuff to be said about Soul
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Cycle, like, let's be real. Is Soul Cycle a cult?
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According to this The Cut article, it is, and I'm inclined
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to agree. Known for fostering an
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unapologetic Wellness obsession, Soul Cycle has become a nearly
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spiritual experience for the decreasingly religious Gen.
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Z. Let's review the hallmark of any
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cults, a special language so cyclists are all too familiar
14:02
with the terminology. Taking a journey through life's
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strenuous hills. Exhibit B being encouraged to
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support Soul Cycle apparel. Sure, a unified look and apparel
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is part of any brand these days, right?
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Well, let's combine this one with our following points, such
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as a connection to the Soul Cycle instructors.
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Riders maintain sacred bonds with their instructors.
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They develop favorites whom they Revere and eagerly await the
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sermons they deliver throughout each Soul Cycle session.
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Non familiar. Not to mention these mantra
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shove down your face on the like we aspire to inspire #4
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imparting beliefs onto riders who enthusiastically pass on
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messages like if someone asks you if you're back on or if you
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have an E order, you know you've hit your goal weight.
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Finally, we have the culture of Yes, in which Soul Cycle
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instructors are encouraged to say yes to anything the riders
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asked, even, Can I borrow your socks?
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This is meant to develop a sense of community and draw people in.
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So what do you think? Has Soul Cycle simply mastered
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inclusive marketing tactics, or does it possess the
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characteristics of a mild cult? No, I touched a little bit on
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community before when I was talking about the difference
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between like community and like paying to be in a space.
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But let's talk more specifically around the gatekeeping of
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community and also keeping fitness behind a paywall.
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Well, first let's start off by saying what's new.
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We've learned to commercialize and commodify everything else
15:15
about our lives. Truly, why should fitness be any
15:17
different? With the loss of things like
15:19
third spaces in our everyday lives, it seems that where we
15:21
workout has now filled that niche.
15:23
For many people outside of work and home, the gym has filled
15:26
that third space. But of course, these options do
15:29
not come without a price. On the lower end of the pricing
15:31
scale, you have gyms like Planet Fitness, which is definitely
15:33
more accessible in price, but which you're sacrificing in
15:36
price is sacrificed in the lack of group or general community as
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generally the goal and incentive there is just to get your
15:43
workout in and then dip. But of course, the more you're
15:45
able to pay, the closer you are to having it all.
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On the higher end, you have places like Equinox, which aside
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from the typical workout areas, you have things like personal
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training, juice bars, spas, community events, and communal
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areas where you can mix and mingle, do your actual work and
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just hang out with your fellow gym goers.
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And by the way, this is not just a presumed gatekeeping through
16:04
financial barriers. Think like, I'm not just pulling
16:05
this out of thin air. Equinox themselves has kind of
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validated this by acting a little wild in their marketing.
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Like if you remember back in 20 three, they launched a whole
16:13
campaign called we don't speak January, basically freezing
16:16
membership sign ups on January 1st, you know, the day everyone
16:19
starts their New Year's resolutions and says that
16:21
they're going to get in the gym this year and change their life
16:23
around. And while this may have been
16:24
some sort of retention strategy move, we can't act like those
16:27
initiation fees weren't going to bring in a ton of money.
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But I I'm no CFO, so we shall move on.
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But this truly shows that their whole intention behind this is
16:34
to garner a truly committed and loyal base of customers to join.
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So obviously the people that believe in New Year's
16:39
resolutions just won't cut it for their exclusive and very
16:42
serious gym. Again, creating a very distinct
16:45
in Group and app group here, a sense of allegiance, if you
16:48
will, to the community. Like it's like the whole
16:49
phrasing of and that's not what being a part of Equinox is
16:52
about. Like, let's be so serious here.
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Are you a gym or are you a frat? Choose quickly.
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But it's also the part where they go.
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We go beyond what's possible. We defy expectations.
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We are not moderation. We want it all every day and you
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deserve it. All that gives like kind of
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culty language, which again to reference at meter.
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Montel is using specialized vocabulary and mantras to make
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people feel part of the group, but it also delves a little
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deeper into the power of using exclusionary language and the
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power words and A quote from Montel.
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Language is a leader's charisma. It's what empowers them to
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create a mini universe, a system of values and truths, and then
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compel their followers to heed its rules, saying things like
17:26
Cultish groups use language as their primary tool to convert,
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condition, and coerce followers. They create a specialized
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vocabulary that bonds insiders while excluding outsiders.
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This exclusive jargon makes members feel special and chosen
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while also making it difficult to communicate with those
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outside the group. Again, in the words of Equinox,
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we go beyond what's possible. We defy expectation.
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We are not moderation. We want it all every day and you
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deserve it all. At Equinox, we do not speak
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January and neither do you. And again, sorry for the cutting
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back and forth, but does that not sound like wait, hold on,
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let me make sure I read this right Techniques working to
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reshape followers reality in worldview, aligning them with
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the leaders ideology. Nah, Nah, I'm just driven.
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I'm driven, I'm reaching, I'm pulling, I don't know, I don't
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know. And this is all just for your
18:08
regular gyms like let's get to the group workout classes of it
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all. So again, back in the world of
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Anderson, in that Atlantic article that we've been
18:14
referencing, A devout Tanley member, which again, sounds so
18:16
crazy to say, wait a second. I say that like I don't call you
18:19
all the roommates. Let me relax.
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But the Tanley member noted that when she let go of the regiment,
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she expressed guilt about the weight gain when she moved and
18:26
no longer had the space to work out.
18:27
But more than that, what she truly misses is how the method
18:30
made her feel and the environment and sisterhood that
18:32
we all had when we were there. She said it was more than a
18:35
workout. And hearing this quote, of
18:37
course, with what we've been talking about for the past
18:39
however many minutes, makes your ears break up.
18:41
Like, what do you mean by, yes, the community aspect does help
18:44
us get by in a lot of things, but it's crazy to consider the
18:46
loss of this community because of its paywall and physical
18:49
limitations. She didn't have space for her in
18:50
her house, nor does she have a gym nearby.
18:52
The family that you pay $900 a month to be a part of is now
18:55
gone. Now, this is the part of the
18:57
video we do a little experiment, but, you know, since I don't
19:00
really have the resources or wherewithal to pay $900 a month
19:04
to test the method right now, we're going to do the second
19:06
best thing, live vicariously through and watch someone else
19:08
do it. Yeah.
19:09
Yeah. Shout out to Kelty O'Connor in
19:11
her very thorough video, personally trying the Tracy
19:13
Anderson method as well as her general understanding of fitness
19:16
with her being an athlete and all.
19:17
And one of her conclusions was that, yes, the class was very
19:21
fun, but no, she didn't think that it was worth the price
19:23
point. Like maybe if you're a celebrity
19:25
like Madonna and want to pay for your privacy, Like actually,
19:27
let's take a second to imagine, like imagine you're just doing
19:29
like a Zumba class and all of a sudden, like an Ariana Grande
19:32
walks in, like I'm just picturing that ponytail going
19:36
everywhere doing those moves. Like, please go back to Kelty.
19:39
She did say that the class was about equal amounts of fun as
19:42
like any other cardio class. And in another segment of but
19:45
wait, there's more testimonials. My own researcher wanted to
19:48
share her experience, stating that coming clean as a former
19:51
hit group fitness studio girlie where she says they do get you a
19:54
bit with the community and empowerment rhetoric of it all
19:57
with the front desk knowing her name, asking her about her day,
19:59
celebrating milestones or would even hit her with the I haven't
20:02
seen you in the last week like deep in it and.
20:05
That membership cost around $150.00 a month and that was the
20:08
price post haggling. Like I myself have also done my
20:11
share of like group fitness classes more recreationally, but
20:13
I definitely see how like the more you get into it, the more
20:16
you get into it. You know, like they have things
20:18
like offside events, they celebrate holidays together.
20:20
And again, I'm not trying to demonize or dissuade anyone from
20:22
joining like group fitness classes because it truly it is
20:25
really sweet that this is so many people's third place and
20:27
sense of community. I'm just trying to say that the
20:29
whole pay to play do have a group of friends and community
20:31
doesn't necessarily stay right with me.
20:33
Like we see not just only in TikTok, there's but in a lot of
20:36
people's rhetoric or people trying to persuade you that it's
20:38
worth joining a gym that's upwards of $200 a month for
20:40
things like networking or putting you in the right rooms
20:42
with the right people. So yeah, people are definitely
20:44
paying for like the networking, which isn't necessarily
20:47
community, which is also ended up itself pretty interesting
20:49
because, yeah, like only other rich and like wealthy people
20:52
would have memberships, these luxury spaces that they can be
20:55
together in that doesn't revolve around anything like work or
20:57
like family related stuff. So like trying to pay your way
21:00
in there to network with them. It kind of gives like, you're
21:02
clearly here for some alternate agenda vibes.
21:05
Clearly you're here for an alternate agenda.
21:07
Why would you want to be here to provoke me like this?
21:13
But now to bring this all together, let's talk about the
21:15
commodification of hobbies, physical activity and
21:18
consistency. And just off the RIP, if there's
21:19
one thing I'm going to do, it's going to be blame capitalism.
21:21
Yeah. Because it seems like any
21:23
hobbies that we take up that are actually physical, whether that
21:26
be running, aerial skills, cycling, boxing, basically
21:28
whatever you can think of, there has been a way to commodify it.
21:31
And lately we've seen that with run clubs.
21:33
And I know I'm talking about this as someone that loves a run
21:35
club, that's my call. And like the run club that I go
21:39
to is free and as far as I know has always been free to enter,
21:42
which is why I don't necessarily understand how people are
21:45
commodifying and charging people to join a run club.
21:48
Like I saw this really funny tweet.
21:49
I don't know if I can put it here, if I can find it, but I
21:51
saw this really funny tweet of like someone complaining that
21:53
they want to join a run club, but they're charging to join the
21:56
run club. And like another person quoted
21:57
the tweet being like, what are they going to do?
21:59
Like stop you from running? Like that doesn't make sense.
22:02
Like unless they're running in like a closed off area, who's
22:05
going to stop you from just like joining them while they're all
22:07
running? Like they can't own the street,
22:09
you know, because outside is free and running is free.
22:12
So, well, what are you going to do?
22:14
Which then, if we're putting two and two together, if you're
22:16
asking what would you be paying for if again, their running is
22:20
free and the outside is free, what's the one difference here?
22:23
Oh, community and like I don't want to discount like the fact
22:28
that I know a lot of run club organizers do go out of pocket
22:31
to pay for things like snacks, electrolytes, drinks and stuff
22:34
like that and actually put a lot of work and effort into building
22:36
these communities. I'm just saying that it's a
22:38
shame that it's having to get to this point where a lot of run
22:41
clubs are starting to charge and kind of aside all the time that
22:43
we're being honest. Like yes, you can join this run
22:45
club, but in order to have like exclusive routes and exclusive
22:47
access to one-on-one trading with me, you do have to pay a
22:50
subscription of like 5999 a month.
22:52
I'm so sorry. Like, it's just a
22:53
commodification of things that are like the most natural to us
22:56
in things like Wellness, like Pilates.
22:58
I understand there is nothing natural about Pilates.
23:01
Being bent up and moving slowly in those positions has to be the
23:04
work of the devil. I'm sorry.
23:06
Charge for that because you're working for the devil.
23:07
Like running. Like you have Wellness places
23:09
where people pay to go sit in ice water.
23:12
Like, yeah, going to a lake in the morning to do that is not
23:14
necessarily doable or accessible to everyone geographically.
23:17
But, you know, it's like kind of one of those things that is
23:20
natural and also something that we've now commodified.
23:23
And again, I love me a little workout class.
23:25
Me and Barry's go together real bad.
23:27
So none of this is to put judgment on people at all.
23:29
Most of the harm, if any, is purely benign.
23:31
But also I do feel like people are getting scammed by like the
23:33
whole like Lux of the whole workout class because what do
23:36
you mean you're paying over $200 for a gym membership just to
23:39
move your body? Like that's not even talking
23:41
about Miss Anderson with the $900 classes.
23:43
Like I understand why it would be considered worth it for like
23:46
different instances, but still, like at its core, it is a little
23:49
wild. And since we're talking about
23:50
the commodification of of hobbies and like fitness and
23:53
like gatekeeping community and working out, we got to talk
23:55
about classes. Actually, everyone and their mom
23:58
have been trying to get me on class pass.
24:00
I've actually taken a class pass class once and class pass.
24:02
If you ever want to sponsor a video, please go ahead.
24:05
But I am going to talk about you really quick.
24:06
It feels like everyone is on that app to 1, like help with
24:09
the whole financial creep of going to workout classes and
24:12
finding community and stuff like that.
24:13
But I do think that when it comes to things like building
24:15
community, that is not necessarily the one stop shop
24:18
for your solutions, you know, sorry, I went on a whole tangent
24:20
there. I'm very passionate about this.
24:21
As you can tell. If you're unfamiliar, Class pass
24:23
is an app that lets you use a certain amount of credits to
24:26
purchase different classes and the classes vary from like
24:29
fitness to just lifestyle to whatever.
24:31
And the pricing scale for buying these credits is city based.
24:33
So like in LA $89.00 a month gets you 43 credits and the
24:36
classes vary depending on how much they cost credits wise.
24:39
If you've watched my previous videos about like convenience
24:42
and how things like delivery apps like Grubhub, DoorDash,
24:44
Ubereats and likes actually impact small businesses then
24:47
this might sound a little familiar.
24:48
Because independently owned fitness studios can choose to
24:50
join Class Pass for the increased visibility as well as
24:53
traction, but in doing so, they are sacrificing a lot of their
24:56
bottom line in profit. Like in a quote from this
24:58
article, Class Pass has cemented a firm position in the fitness
25:01
industry with many praising its model.
25:02
Well, Class Class may seem like a great deal for members.
25:04
Many dangers come from this option for studios and gyms.
25:08
For fitness junkies, class Pass is a great way to get a variety
25:10
of gyms and studios for an affordable monthly fee.
25:12
For gyms and studios, it's a great way to gain exposure to
25:15
potential new members but isn't always a reliable stream of
25:18
income. Basically saying it's kind of
25:20
like a win, lose, lose as a user, yeah, you get access to a
25:23
bunch of different gyms and classes for discounted rates,
25:26
but you're going to different gyms in different studios all
25:28
the time. It's harder to build a community
25:29
in one location because you can always choose a different
25:31
workout or a different class. And sometimes it's actually
25:33
incentivized to do so through the credit distribution.
25:35
And then on the business side, yeah, you can be having a lot of
25:37
new customers through visibility and stuff like that.
25:39
Then you lose out on a project because the app is taking a
25:42
portion and you're not getting a regular member paying a monthly
25:44
fee. It's a catch 22 or no one's
25:46
entirely winning but the company.
25:47
Then again, none of this is to demonize or like put down
25:50
anything. I understand some people really
25:52
love class pass and like the ability to move around and try
25:55
different things and explore different workout classes before
25:57
sticking to one or never really sticking to one.
25:59
But if we're searching for gyms and places where working out can
26:03
fill that third space, isn't this kind of doing the opposite
26:05
is an encouraging factor on class class to try out different
26:07
things, try new physical hobbies, new spas, and also as
26:11
of recently beauty as opposed to sticking to one place and
26:13
becoming a regular there. And also as a side note, we got
26:15
to admit at a certain point, at least for LA, the prices for a
26:18
lot of these classes has gotten a little insane.
26:21
Like 43 credits for studio classes in LA really ain't going
26:24
to get you too, too much, especially if you want to work
26:26
out consistently and God forbid daily.
26:29
Like like when you do the math on some of these monthly or
26:32
weekly memberships, some of them actually end up being cheaper.
26:34
But the whole thing about this commodification of like hobbies
26:36
and stuff like that is that in order to be consistent with your
26:39
hobbies, to be consistent with that community that you're
26:42
trying to build, you ultimately need to consistently pay.
26:44
And unfortunately, if you can no longer afford to do that,
26:47
especially in times like these where the economy is hard, the
26:50
job market is hard, then you lose access to that community,
26:53
which then poses the question, was that ever really a true
26:56
community to begin with if it was pay to play?
26:58
And that also kind of brings the opposite problem, brings out the
27:01
legitimacy of like free workouts versus paid workouts.
27:04
Like you always see when someone's like really serious
27:06
about their workout journey in the beginning and really wanting
27:08
to lock in and changing their life or like building that
27:10
community, The initial thought is always to go for the paid or
27:14
the group class. Like you're buying membership to
27:16
this gym, You're buying these memberships to class class,
27:18
you're buying like chunks of workout classes.
27:20
And that's to like establish some form of legitimacy or like
27:22
already have that pressure that you've like invested monetarily
27:24
in this. You got to see it through.
27:25
You very rarely see people do or feel especially validated by
27:29
taking the free route, like working out at home by doing
27:32
free little videos on YouTube or like daily hikes or daily runs.
27:34
Like those aren't seen as enough or necessarily as legitimate,
27:38
which is just like an interesting little aside.
27:40
Like why does paying for it make it feel real?
27:42
Like I like the whole motivation of going in the group that you
27:45
get from paying for group classes because group
27:47
accountability is real. And also you have the whole like
27:49
set cost files who are like, all right, I paid money for this.
27:51
I got to see it through. That's not really there to say
27:53
anything. It's more so like in times like
27:55
these, we need to start like having more of a internal sense
27:58
of motivation. Like don't spend the money and
28:00
just lock in and do what you need to do.
28:02
Paying for it does not make it more legitimate.
28:04
But yeah, to wrap up, is studio or luxury fitness a cult?
28:07
I mean, we got everyone wearing the same things, eating the same
28:10
things, drinking the same things, and following
28:11
charismatic leaders repeating mantras, investing their time
28:14
and money in it and drinking the proverbial kool-aid.
28:16
So sorry to bring the Steven back up again, but Amanda Montel
28:19
has a whole spectrum of cults from like, live your life to
28:22
watch your back to absolutely destructive.
28:24
Get the heck out of there ASAP. I don't think luxury fitness is
28:27
at the latter end of that spectrum.
28:29
I do think that cults in the way the way you use the term in
28:32
modern day, gives us more sociological framework when
28:34
analyzing a group phenomenon. So in a general sense, yeah,
28:38
broad definition wise, yeah, they're a cult.
28:41
But again, a pretty benign and harmless one at that.
28:44
Now, there are probably definitely exceptions to this
28:46
rule. So if you ever find yourself in
28:48
debt to a studio, isolated from your family, your other hobbies,
28:51
the people that care about you and are unable to or having a
28:54
hard time leaving, it's definitely a time to introspect
28:57
and potentially cut your losses and get as far away from there
29:00
as possible. But in the case of Tracy
29:01
Anderson, it's like a fun little culty vibe without the harm, you
29:04
know, like, you know how Frank, it's like, Oh my God, we're
29:06
cold. Like, yeah, those vibes.
29:08
At the end of the day, it's a fitness class for the 1%, like
29:10
Gwyneth Paltrow. Like, what can we do?
29:12
They're going to be just fine. I think the influence
29:14
certification of like luxury fitness, though, trying to sell
29:16
people expensive memberships they don't necessarily need, do
29:19
get in a little bit of the weeds and are just commercializing
29:21
things that can be done for cheaper or if not free, like,
29:23
again, outside is free for now. So take advantage, advantage of
29:26
it, and don't feel bad about taking advantage of it just
29:28
because you're not paying for it.
29:29
Because again, there are a ton of free or low cost ways of
29:33
finding community, building community and getting exercise.
29:36
All it takes is a little bit of research, which is the barrier
29:38
to entry there. But there are tons of free run
29:40
groups, walk groups, whatever group you really want to get
29:44
that aspect of community outside the gym, depending on location
29:46
of course, but by and large, yeah.
29:48
So basically the moral of the story here is the body is still
29:51
T and will continue to be T regardless of if you're paying
29:54
to get behind that pay wall or not that.
29:56
Thank you so much for watching. Special thanks again, Helix for
29:58
sponsoring this video. Go to helixsleep.com/emergency
30:01
to get 27% off site wide until the end of July and I'll see you
30:04
later. Peace.