Jim Pisani on the Future of Life Fitness & Hammer Strength

At the recent FIBO trade show in Cologne, we had the opportunity to meet Jim Pisani, CEO of the iconic American brands Life Fitness and Hammer Strength. He was happy to answer our questions.

Interview by Pierre-Jacques Datcharry 

Can you introduce the vision and strategy for Life Fitness and Hammer Strength over the next five years?

Jim Pisani: 

Thank you. Our number one priority is bringing complete clarity to our strategy. Our ambition is to become the "training partner of choice." 

To achieve that, we rely on two iconic brands—Life Fitness and Hammer Strength—that each serve a distinct purpose for both fitness facility operators and what we call the "Everyday Athlete."  We are proud to be the single-source partner for our customers. 

Our strategy is built around listening and co-creating with customers. Being customer-centric means listening first and then delivering the best possible solutions. 

With a combined 55 years of heritage, our challenge is taking that legacy and bringing it to life in new, innovative ways—not only through products, but also through service and meaningful partnerships. 

From the operator perspective, we aim to be a single supplier for: 

• Cardio
• Strength
• Functional training
• Accessories
• A connected digital ecosystem

Facility Connect gives operators real-time visibility across their entire equipment fleet. 

We also provide world-class equipment wherever Everyday Athletes choose to train: 

• Commercial gyms
• Premium hotels through Atmos
• Residential facilities

The Life Fitness Connect app bridges the operator and the athlete, while Workout Intelligence Powered by AugieAI™ will personalize every workout session in real time. 

Our footprint today: 

• More than 250,000 fitness facilities
• Presence in 160+ countries
• Over 1 million workouts every day
• More than 300 patents

When you became CEO, what was the very first thing you changed? The organization, the products, or the brand positioning?

Jim: 

Without question, our first priority was our culture and our people. 

When you inherit a company with such an incredible history and talented employees, the first step is clearly defining: 

• Our mission
• Our vision
• Our purpose

Only then can you build effective processes. 

Next, we clarified the identities of our brands. 

Rather than creating multiple brands, we adopted a two-brand strategy. 

These are two powerful brands that meet real customer needs. 

Life Fitness brings 55 years of innovation—it even invented the original Lifecycle bike. We recently opened our new innovation center, the Nieto Jones Center. 

We also refined our brand architecture: 

• Life Fitness is the leader in premium cardio and the complete fitness experience.
• Hammer Strength is the undisputed leader in strength training and athletic performance.

Our equipment is designed around natural human movement, not an average body type, drawing upon decades of biomechanical research. 

Symbio has won five international design awards since 2024, including the Red Dot Award and the iF Design Award 2025. 

Is it easy today to clearly communicate the role of each brand to operators and members?

Jim: 

The key is ensuring each brand serves a distinct purpose. 

Everything begins with the Everyday Athlete. 

Life Fitness and Hammer Strength serve different needs—from cardio to pure strength—but together they provide customers with a single, unified solution. 

Life Fitness delivers connected fitness experiences through the Life Fitness Connect app, which brings cardio and strength together in one platform, including EVOLT body composition integration. 

Today, a connected digital ecosystem is essential. 

We integrate it across every market segment: 

• High-value, low-price gyms
• Premium clubs
• Hotels
• Residential facilities

Hammer Strength focuses specifically on performance. 

Because of our long-standing relationships with universities and professional sports, it has become the trusted strength brand for elite athletes and professional sports organizations. 

Everything operates within one integrated ecosystem.

Do you believe there are two opposing fitness worlds today—the digital model (such as EGYM) and traditional strength training (such as Hammer Strength)? Or are they complementary?

Jim: 

They're complementary. 

The world is changing, and we need to remain flexible. 

Some athletes want connectivity. They want to understand their performance and stay motivated through data. 

We support that through partners like EGYM, with whom we collaborate through an open API. 

But we also recognize there's a large audience that prefers traditional training: 

• Free weights
• Power racks
• Squats

Many people simply want to train without a digital layer. 

For me, these two approaches work perfectly together. 

If you had to describe today's fitness market in just three words, what would they be?

Jim: 

I would choose: 

Personalized

People increasingly expect technology to adapt to them. 

Purposeful 

Fitness has evolved beyond appearance toward longevity and overall health. 

Lifelong

Training is no longer a phase of life. 

It has become a lifelong commitment because people understand its long-term benefits. 

What is the single biggest trend shaping fitness today—longevity, athletic performance, or lifestyle wellness?  

Jim: 

Longevity is by far the most transformative trend. 

It's an enormous market. 

As people age, they stop training for appearance and begin training so they can: 

• Play with grandchildren
• Play golf into their 90s
• Maintain their quality of life

Gym operators benefit because longevity creates long-term member retention. 

Our engineering heritage helps protect joints and reduce injury risk so people can train for decades—not just a few seasons. 

Today, 45% of Americans take supplements aimed at healthy aging. 

Longevity is no longer a niche. 

It is the market. 

What will be the biggest change for fitness clubs in the future—technology, business models, or facility design?

Jim: 

The biggest transformation will come from the business model. 

By 2030, leading operators will generate meaningful revenue beyond membership fees through: 

• Personalized health services
• Data-driven coaching

For example, Workout Intelligence Powered by Augie AI™ uses artificial intelligence to understand members' biometric needs and recommend personalized training. 

Fitness clubs must become open ecosystems. 

The connected fitness market is expected to reach $9.9 billion by 2033. 

For a fitness operator, what creates the most value: new equipment, digital services, or business support?

Jim: 

It's where all three intersect. 

You need: 

• Durable premium equipment
• A digital platform that increases operational efficiency
• Strong member engagement to drive retention

None works effectively without the others. 

Facility Connect helps operators manage equipment usage, usage patterns, and maintenance alerts through a single dashboard. 

Meanwhile, Symbio's Adaptive Flex Deck automatically adjusts to each athlete's stride and preferred running surface to deliver a better workout experience. 

What is the primary objective of your partnership with content providers such as Les Mills?

Jim: 

Retention. 

For our customers, member retention is everything. 

Les Mills brings energy and motivation that, combined with our equipment, increases long-term member engagement. 

Today, Les Mills reaches 7 million participants every week across more than 100 countries.

As CEO, where do you spend most of your time: customers, products, or people?  

Jim: 

My people. 

My role is to define the vision, ensure the strategy is clear, and demonstrate to every employee and partner that we genuinely care about them. 

If the culture and guiding principles are healthy, success follows. 

As I grow older, I also want to make sure I'm preparing others to succeed after me. 

Personally, I begin every morning with a workout. 

Whether on a Symbio treadmill or under a Hammer Strength barbell, I'm simply another Everyday Athlete who also happens to lead this company. 

A word about your partners in France and Belgium? 

Jim: 

They do an exceptional job. 

The phrase "best in class" truly applies here. 

I'm delighted by how closely aligned we are in our vision. 

The way Henri Valcke treats his employees—as family—perfectly reflects our own values. 

We can have honest conversations that help us improve, but they're always constructive. 

I understand why we've enjoyed such success in the French market over the past fifteen years. 

Finally, what advice would you give an independent gym owner who wants to remain the leader in their local market?

Jim: 

We often focus on technical specifications and equipment design while forgetting the human side of the partnership. 

My advice is simple: 

Never lose sight of human interaction. 

The best ideas often come from collaboration and observing how people actually behave inside a gym—what I call ethnography. 

Sometimes the solution isn't found in a machine's specification sheet. 

It's found in hospitality and communication. 

Play the long game. 

If you help someone change their lifestyle, you've succeeded. 

This is a difficult business, but genuine human relationships are what distinguish independent gyms from large chains, where people often come and go without meaningful interaction.