Gym Trends That Influenced The Gym Industry

Whether you are a commercial gym or home gym user, it's helpful to identify gym trends to ensure that you are training in the right ways and keeping up with the competition, along with current fitness styles. Many of these modern approaches are rooted in traditional methods. Still, you might argue they are better for you as these modern approaches are refined with enhancements in technology and human biomechanical knowledge. Some Physical Training Instructors refer to this as the evolution of fitness.

The gym community has taken a more competitive approach to group fitness in recent years. We have seen the emergence of Crossfit Games and the enormous popularity of Hyrox, which has taken the fitness industry by storm. 

These group competitions have grown in popularity, and as a result, there is increased demand for gym equipment to service the exercise members do. Sporting trends are changing the landscape of gyms globally; we must acknowledge how public popularity is forcing gyms to adapt much more quickly to get ahead of the curve and keep their customers satisfied.  

What specific changes have gyms made to adapt to these trends?

The most common change for smaller gyms is refitting, and this can be a costly process that can cause downtime and pauses in operating cash flow.  As a result, smarter gyms have created spaces where trending machines can operate, such as rowing machines, ski machines, air bikes, and other on-trend machines driven by demand. Larger chains reconfigure more efficiently, thanks to space and the ability to sell or decommission older machines in place of new machines. 

What Gym Equipment has been in demand? 

The gym equipment varies according to the type of activity; we have outlined the primary changes caused by the excitement around certain training types.

Image source: (Licenced Envato elements) 

Body Pump—Grew in popularity over decades. Initially developed in the 1990s by Les Mills, it slowly became adopted by Gyms around the UK from 1997 and gained in popularity up until the first lockdown, when it blew up and turned into a 100-million-a-year muscle machine, according to theindependent.co.uk. The rise of Body Pump saw sales of pump sets, as shown in the image above. 

Cross Fit - Hit the scene in 2013, and the number of searches tripled from 2017 to 2020, according to GitNux. The popularity grew until 2023 when market saturation and concerns over the high-impact nature of the exercises saw a migration to Hyrox. Cross Fit saw increased demand for Wall Balls, Competition Kettlebells, Assault Bikes and Speed Ropes. 

Image source: (Licenced Envato elements) 

Hyrox - In 2021, the first race was run in London; 522 people attended roll-on in 2023, and 2024  saw 24,000 joining the race. There is no question that Hyrox has emerged to gain meteoric levels. It continues to be the hottest group activity in the fitness space. Hyrox has shown demand for skis, rowers, and pull-up bar attachments. Weight-sleds are a great piece of exercise equipment for Hyrox training. The market is evident for this type of fitness equipment, according to Mirafit.  

Image source: (Licenced Envato elements) 

How have these Gym fashions impacted Gyms? 

In an increasingly competitive fitness space, the popularity of these trends is causing gym owners to navigate challenges. The charts below are from Google Trends data and demonstrate the sheer growth of online searches, which speaks to the popularity and unprecedented demand; Hyrox is an example. It supports the user interest and excitement around this discipline.  

*Based on worldwide data for 5-year search trends for the term ‘Hyrox' 

To help put this into perspective, Google data shows that the number of searches for Hyrox in the first four months of 2024 was 117% higher in ¼ of the year than in the whole of 2023. Based on the first quarter, the projection for the rest of 2024 is a 700% increase from 2023. The data evidences a highly engaged trend that is spreading through the global fitness industry at pace.  

What are some of these challenges? 

Supply of equipment —If a trend explodes like this, it can be a challenge for gyms and home users to get equipment and for suppliers to stock it fast enough. We only need to revert back to the global pandemic to see how supply can dry up quickly. 

Staying current—Being able to adapt and include new desirable machines will help keep your gym goers happy and engaged. With so many gyms available to fitness enthusiasts nowadays, it is crucial to stay current to avoid losing otherwise loyal customers to other gyms that have adapted and are getting equipment. As a home gym user, you face the same challenge of ensuring that you have modern equipment that is doing the same as the commercial versions. 

Avoiding over-commitment—If you are a gym owner, over-commitment is a concern because it makes pivoting as new trends come through much more difficult. It is a balance between having enough trending equipment alongside a handful of core items traditional to gyms. As a home gym user, your space is a premium, so overcommitment is still a concern.  

What are the takeaways?

In summary, what four things should you do as a home gym or commercial gym owner to combat trends?

There are several recommendations and precautions you can take: 

• One - Sign up for industry newsletters. Universally, as a gym owner or home user, industry news will typically spot trends as they begin because they have a global view of the market. 
• Two—Join Social media groups. These could be things like the UK Gym Group on Facebook or indeed LinkedIn Groups, which discuss the industry challenges and updates and keep you informed. 
• Three—Speak to suppliers. Sign up for their newsletters and news updates. Typically, suppliers will get a feel for change, and you can use this insight to help you make your own decisions. 
• Four—Industry magazines. Consider getting some industry magazines. These will always address the newest trends and discuss workout styles and equipment that suit them. 
• Five - Listen to your intuition. As mentioned previously, get a robust supplier. Only overcommit to equipment if you are sure that you or the business can tolerate it. Remember that trends change, and you may need to adjust accordingly. 
• Six - Don't see these as issues. By changing your view on the optics, you will give yourself the best chance of success. View the change for what it is an exciting opportunity to train differently or to engage your members. Trends are often positive because they encourage excitement and drive user engagement.