New research challenges the industry's long-held belief that more volume drives better results, showing shorter, high-effort sessions may deliver better results for trained members.

In Episode 8 of the Research Debrief, hosts Rachel Chonko and Luke Carlson look at a controlled study that examines the effect of doing on set of an exercise to failure or close to failure when strength training. The conversation turns to how strength training can be more time efficient when only doing one set.

This Episode Covers:

- A breakdown of a new randomized controlled trial comparing one set to muscle failure versus one set with reps in reserve

- How proximity to failure impacts muscle hypertrophy, strength, endurance and power

- Why trained individuals saw significant improvements with just two 30-minute sessions per week

- What the findings suggest about reducing volume without sacrificing results

- How time-efficient, high-effort strength training models can reshape club programming and member engagement

Only 28% of the population engages in strength training and lack of time remains one of the largest barriers for people to do so. This research provides operators with a science-backed framework for delivering efficient, effective programming.

📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2026/03/one-set-to-failure-rethinking-strength-training-efficiency/

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud

📺 Watch right here on YouTube

👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research

Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

Clive Chesser, the CEO of PureGym, shares the evolution of the brand from its start in the UK to its global expansion across Europe, the Middle East and the U.S.

The conversation highlights the brand's success, Chesser's background, global fitness trends and the future of PureGym as it continues to expand.

Personal training is a common service in the fitness industry, but the reasoning behind why men and women choose personal training can be very different.

In Episode 7 of The Research Debrief, hosts Rachel Chonko and Luke Carlson look at an article written by Carlson and his colleagues at Discover Strength that surveyed the difference in men and women's choice to have a personal trainer. The conversation talks about the why and how club operators can use that towards the personal training experiences offered at their facilities.

This Episode Explores:

- A breakdown of new research on how men and women perceive the value of supervised strength training

- The six key elements of supervision: technical coaching, effort, motivation, program design, safety and accountability

- Where male and female perceptions align — and where meaningful differences emerge

- Why confidence and perceived self-sufficiency differ between men and women

- How these insights can help operators refine personal training messaging and positioning

This episode provides operators with research-backed clarity on what clients actually value in supervised strength training — and how those perceptions should shape marketing and service delivery.

📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed:

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud

📺 Watch right here on YouTube

👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research

Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

As recruitment challenges intensify and last minute coverage disrupts operations, fitness leaders are confronting a bigger question: Is people management built to scale — or are outdated systems hurting the member experience?

Rosanna Tucker, the CEO and co-founder of CoverMe, sat down with Club Solutions Magazine podcast host Rachel Chonko to discuss the creation of CoverMe and how it offers a digital platform that streamlines talent management, reduce chaos and enhances team communication.

Tucker shares the importance of addressing both operator and fitness professional pain points to create an effective solution. She highlights the need for digital infrastructure to streamline operations and how CoverMe allows for operators to focus on revenue-generating activities and member experience.

Listen to the full conversation here.

Exercise during pregnancy has long been encouraged, but clear guidance on what actually drives measurable physiological benefits has often been inconsistent.

Episode 6 of The Research Debrief unpacks a newly published systematic review and meta-analysis from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology examining how structured exercise training during pregnancy impacts maternal biomarkers. The conversation moves beyond general outcomes and dives into what the latest science says about inflamation, metabolism, hormones and immune function — and what that means for fitness operators serving pregnant members.

This Episode Explores:

- A new systematic review and meta-analysis examining how exercise training during pregnancy impacts maternal biomarkers

- Why combining aerobic and resistance training produces the strongest physiological benefits

- How moderate to vigorous intensity exercise influences inflammatory, metabolic and hormonal markers

- The importance of program duration — and why interventions longer than 12 weeks matter

- Practical guidelines for structuring prenatal programs in health club settings

This episode provides operators with evidence-based clarity on how to confidently program for pregnant members, highlighting that structured, longer-duration aerobic and strength training can positively influence key maternal health markers — creating opportunities for safe, strategic and science-backed prenatal offerings within clubs.

As fitness guidance continues to evolve, some of the most widely accepted ideas deserve a second look.

In Episode 5 of The Research Debrief, Rachel Chonko and Luke Carlson examine new research published in the Journal of Physiology that challenges widely shared advice about timing strength training around the menstrual cycle. The conversation breaks down what the science actually shows — and the much of the guidance circulating on social media may be unnecessarily complicated.

This Episode Explores:

- New research examining whether menstrual cycle phase impacts strength training effectiveness

- How muscle protein synthesis responds to resistance training across different cycle phases

- Why popular cycle-based strength training advice has gained traction — and what the data actually shows

- The implications of this research for coaching women in health club settings

- How simplifying strength training guidance can improve consistency and participation

This episode provides operators with evidence-based clarity, confirming that strength training is effective regardless of menstrual cycle phase — allowing clubs to coach women toward consistency, confidence and long-term engagement without unnecessary complexity.

📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2026/02/why-women-dont-need-to-time-strength-training-around-their-cycle/

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud

📺 Watch right here on YouTube

👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research

Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

What if the most popular cardio advice is actually slowing member progress — instead of accelerating it?

In Episode 4 of The Research Debrief, Rachel Chonko, our hosts examine new scientific research questioning the effectiveness of “Zone 2” cardio training for the general population — and what it means for health clubs, operators and fitness leaders.

This episode explores:

-Why Zone 2 training became so popular in media and podcasts

-The difference between endurance athlete training and everyday member needs

-What current research says about low-intensity vs. high-intensity cardio

-How short, higher-intensity workouts can outperform long steady sessions

-Why time efficiency is one of the biggest opportunities for clubs

-What this science means for programming, coaching and cardio messaging

If you operate, lead or work in a health club, this episode will challenge how you design cardio offerings — and help you better communicate results-driven guidance to members.

📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed:

https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2026/02/rethinking-zone-2-how-clubs-should-coach-cardio-now/

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdTzDt3DUmM

👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research

Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to receive industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox:

https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

What if one of the most confusing parts of strength training… is also one of the simplest?

In Episode 3 of The Research Debrief, our hosts break down a recent high-impact study that challenges one of the most persistent beliefs in fitness: that lifting heavier weights leads to greater muscle growth.

Drawing from research published in The Journal of Physiology by scientists at McMaster University, this episode explores what actually drives muscle hypertrophy — and why genetics, not load selection, plays a much larger role than the industry has long suggested.

This episode explores:

-Why “heavy vs. light” training doesn’t determine muscle growth

-What the research actually says about reps, load and training to failure

-Why genetics drive hypertrophy more than programming tweaks

-How perceived complexity keeps people out of the weight room

-Why clubs need to stop marketing offerings as “toning” vs. “muscle building”

-What this means for coaching, programming and strength training messaging

If you operate, lead or work in a health club, this episode will challenge how you think about strength training — and how you communicate its value to members.

📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research discussed: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2026/01/how-to-talk-about-strength-training-without-confusing-members/

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Es0iFGeEOBI

👉 Stay ahead of fitness, leadership and research

Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to get industry insights, trends and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox:

https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/

Sam Bernstein, COO of Chelsea Piers, sat down with Club Solutions Magazine podcast host Rachel Chonko to discuss the brand's growth and new locations.

Could healthy aging be the fitness industry's biggest opportunity?

In Episode 2 of The Research Debrief, Rachel Chonko, Editor-in-Chief of Club Solutions, and Luke Carlson, founder and CEO of Discover Strength, examine the scientific consensus on how exercise directly impacts healthy aging — and what that means for fitness operators.

This episode explores:

-Why healthy aging is the fitness industry’s biggest opportunity

-The “exercise phenotype” and why it matters

-The two types of exercise that matter most

-Using exercise to prevent and manage chronic disease

-Why the medical system falls short — and where clubs fit in

📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2026/01/the-research-that-redefines-exercise-programming-for-older-adults/

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or SoundCloud

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wBlCQ61ZD34

👉 Subscribe to the Club Solutions newsletter to get industry insights, trends, and research-driven strategies delivered straight to your inbox: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/newsletter/