Inside Gold’s Gym’s new personal fitness app

“Health club members are desiring more and more flexibility in their workout routine,” said Adam Zeitsiff, chief information officer for Gold’s Gym. “These days, people can’t always get to the gym and want some variety when they’re not in the gym.”

Each in-app workout is led by Gold’s Gym coaches, so the brand’s voice and expertise carries through to the app. Gold’s Gym flew select coaches into the brand’s headquarters in Dallas to record workouts in a studio the brand built itself.

“We didn’t go find consultants who have great voices. We didn’t give them a script and went, ‘Read this,’” said Zeitsiff. “You could do a coach’s workout in the app, and then you can go walk in and see them in your gym.”

Of course, new customers mean new data. Apps can be treasure troves of information and helpful for retaining consumers. Take Gold’s Gym competitor Equinox, which uses its app to match behaviors to members so it can better serve them.

Gold’s Amp, said Zeitsiff, has the potential to reveal a lot about its customers. Gold’s Gym will be able to see which workouts are the most popular, which routines users combine and which coaches are generating a following through the app. The brand will use this information to evolve the app as well as its gym offerings. For instance, if the brand sees that only 70 percent of workouts are being completed through the app, that might mean workouts are too long for the user, and the brand will adjust accordingly.

Zeitsiff did not say how much the brand spent on creating the app, only that the amount is “definitely bigger than a breadbox.” He added that Gold’s Gym will offer more digital offerings in 2018, along with a social marketing campaign around Gold’s Amp.