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I thought it to be appropriate on this 4th of July weekend to write an article in honor of our first responders who contribute so much to all of our communities throughout the country. Most of us recall the incredible bravery of the first responders to the 9/11 terrorists attacks on our freedom. Unfortunately only a few of us know the tragic story of how many of those responders suffered greatly from the exposure to toxicity caused by the destruction. This was on my mind as I travelled to the Ft. Worth, TX area to visit a fire station where we had recently donated and installed a HOTWORX sauna as a part of the Kick the Ash out of Cancer program for fire fighters.

HOTWORX is honored to be recognized by the Haltom City, TX Fire Department for its support in donating and installing HOTWORX infrared training saunas at all three of their stations. On behalf of the company, I was presented with an incredible fire bell that will be displayed with pride at our headquarters in Marrero, LA. Firefighters do a tremendous service for our communities and at great sacrifice to their bodies in the line of duty! They are bombarded with toxic substances and they put themselves at much greater risk for cancer than the rest of the population. This incredibly well organized fire department team in Texas has now incorporated the HOTWORX sauna into their detox protocol. Big thanks go out to all of our firefighters who keep us safe! We are blessed to provide a small measure of help to all of these brave community warriors. Remembers these folks as we celebrate freedom on this 4th of July.

Infrared sauna usage has become a very popular means of an additional way for the body to remove toxic substances. The evidence is very clear that sweating from exposure to an infrared sauna is a method for detox. We certainly recognize that most detox happens through internal organs and removed as waste in feces and urine, and that toxic gas is removed from exhalation. But, a fitness expert is no expert in my opinion unless they recognize that sweating, and especially infrared sweating, is also a means of removal of toxic wastes from the body. The science proves this. It is time for the experts to admit that sweating is an added detox event and not just a body cooling mechanism! If I can detox through sweating even in small amounts then it is worth it to me along with all of the the other benefits of infrared training.

In a 2018 article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information was reported from an extensive search of medical databases for studies that revealed health results from regular sauna bathing on humans from the year 2000 forward for all types of saunas. Quoting from the conclusion, “Regular dry sauna bathing has potential health benefits.” (1) The article included a compilation of both traditional and infrared sauna research and the data is overwhelming to support the conclusion.

I will let the debate continue to rage over the actual health benefits of sweating out toxins, but for me, the fact that it makes me feel so good to sweat from an infrared workout is evidence enough.

I am not promoting the infrared sauna as the end all be all of detox, but rather it is another effective way to increase detox!

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(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/

HOTWORX established the first ever international fitness competition for virtual instructors in 2018. The annual competition is now in its 5th year and it has become an integral part of how the brand recruits fitness talent to serve as members of the 7 person virtual instructor annual lineup. This competition amounts to a global tryout for the VI fitness team.

Using a search/competition format has been an effective method for finding talent and for keeping the lineup fresh each year while also welcoming back repeat competitors who continue to raise the bar. The online voting round is now in full swing but will be closing out this Thursday the 30th at midnight. Be sure to click on the image above and cast your vote!

I must admit that before we opened the first HOTWORX studio, I questioned whether or not virtual training at a gym would be as effective as traditional live instruction. To my delight, when we opened I watched customers fall in love with the VI format. They loved the fact that the workouts always started on point and on time in sync with their Burn Off App appointment. I watched as customers actually resonated with and developed a familiarity with virtual instructors much like they do with any other on screen TV personality. And, the workout results were amazing, as can be attested by the thousands of unsolicited 5 star reviews online.

Based on the power of the virtual instructor program we had created for HOTWORX, the corporate team was more than encouraged to move forward and find ways to enhance the program. This is what brought us to the decision to create the annual Virtual Instructor Competition.

VI’s are required to compete each year to earn a spot in the top 7. This requirement keeps virtual instructors “combat ready” to perform at the highest level for the benefit of HOTWORX members. At the end of the day, the VI program exists to deliver the highest level of workout results to the clients!

Please take a moment and vote for your favorite competitor! CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Sometimes people will ask me what I think constitutes being “overweight”. Overweight can mean different things to different people. Somebody asked me that question online just a few days ago and it inspired me to write this article. I wrote back to them my answer with a football analogy which I will share here after a few paragraphs.

One definition of it, and the meaning that I buy into is this: Overweight is the point where you feel that your movement is becoming restricted and your motion is slowing down due to excess pounds of fat. Another result of this is that you look like you are carrying excess fat in the mirror and you begin to lose confidence in yourself. That meaning is more of an athletic definition for sure. I’m an athlete, so that is my perspective.

Then there is the beauty definition which can be a little more elusive and less concrete. As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would suggest that the eye of the beholder of how you look and how you feel should be yourself and nobody else. It is you that sees you more than any other person. You look at yourself multiple times every day in the bathroom and at the gym, and anywhere else there is a mirror that you can’t avoid. Only you can determine what overweight looks like to you. Without a doubt, if someone makes a comment that you need to tone up it will have an impact on the way you look at yourself. At the end of the day, though, you have to determine where you are on the confidence meter when you look into the mirror.

So, when can you look at yourself in the mirror and feel a satisfactory sense of confidence? Sometimes you need a trainer to help you set the bar for yourself. None of us are perfect and we can always find ways to improve our health and our looks through the guidance of a fitness instructor and a good gym.

In the old days there was the BMI chart to tell us whether we were overweight. Those days are gone, thank goodness. The BMI chart is somewhat of a folly. It forces people into a height = perfect weight categorization and that is just not realistic. It was developed in the early 1800’s and it is not an accurate protocol for a modern fitness world.

People are born into and grow up to become all sizes, shapes, colors, thoughts, and preferences. There is no one size fits all as we have come to understand. There is only one size that is best for each individual based on who they are. The determination of what is a lean and efficient weight is your call, but you need to be honest with yourself and set the appropriate fitness goal!

And never forget this. Excessive amounts of body fat is detrimental to your health!

Consider an excerpt from the Harvard Medical School:

Excess body fat contributes to major causes of death and disability, including heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, and depression. Faced with these risks, it's no wonder that you want to know how much you should weigh. (1)

I was watching a Bloomberg biography and interview with Diane Fürstenberg, a Belgian fashion designer who makes New York her home and is best known for her wrap dress. She made this statement: “The more you can be you, the happier you will be!”

Of course, we know now that body fat% is a more precise measure of composition in stark contrast to the BMI (Body Mass Index) measure. This is why HOTWORX, the first 24 hour infrared fitness studio franchise, places more emphasis on the measure of body fat to determine an appropriate weight. When you are leaner you will have more muscle and less body fat, no matter what body type you have based on genetics.

I have an extensive background as a football player and as a football fan. I love that game! Therefore, life is like a football team to me. I see the world through the lens of a football game. I use football analogies every day to get my point across as a franchise company CEO. So here is a football analogy as it relates to the definition of what is “overweight”.

A football game requires 22 players to be on the field during play. Eleven on offense and eleven on defense. All 22 players on both sides of the football require different skill sets. These skills vary in requirements of speed, agility, strength, height and weight. No two positions on either side of the ball (meaning offense on one side and defense on the other) have the exact same requirement, and no two players are ever exactly the same, not even twins! Everybody is different in the way they move, look, feel and think! This diversity combined with competition is what makes the world go around!

The point is this. We are all different in shapes and sizes and every individual sees life from a unique perspective. A starting defensive tackle in the NFL is the right weight for that position and it might be 350 pounds. Whereas a starting wide receiver on offense is the right weight for his position too, or he wouldn’t be in the huddle. The receiver might weigh only 185 pounds though. Same team, same sport, same league, vastly different “perfect” weight for those individuals playing different roles. So goes life!

What is your “look good” to you? What is the weight that you move best with? When do you find your sense of confidence? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the beholder is you for you.

The mirror will tell you what looks good to you! Ultimately, you need to put in the work at the gym to get the result that you want, whatever that result might mean to you!

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(1)  https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/abdominal-obesity-and-your-health

Have you ever taken yoga from an instructor who skips the warmup? What about a personal training session with a trainer who starts you off with no warmup sets or active stretching? It happens a lot in the fitness industry and most of the time the customer isn’t aware of how important the warmup is, or that it was never executed properly, if at all, by their instructor. All workouts should incorporate a proper warmup every time for a variety of reasons.

Don’t skip the warmup!

The workout warmup initiates dialogue with the mind and body. You have to enter a workout with the right intentions. From the moment you begin your warmup, before the intensity of the main workout begins, it is important to connect your mind with your body as you begin to move from posture to posture and/or from rep to rep. Warming up, and especially warming up inside of an infrared sauna, can help to initiate the mind/body link. Focus means nothing during a workout if the connection is lost, or if it never begins. A fully conscious practice will elevate this awareness beginning with the proper warmup.

Thus, the warmup is your opportunity to begin to find your workout focus. I can tell you from experience that warming up inside of an infrared sauna for a workout is the best warmup you're going to find. From the moment that you walk into the radiance of the infrared heat in the sauna, you begin to find more mental clarity and your muscles begin to loosen. You are receiving good waves of energy like that you would feel on a beach under the warmth of the sun but without any of the harmful rays. Endorphins fire up in that moment too and continue to fire throughout the entire infrared workout session. This fosters better mental function and, of course it make focus easier to achieve.

The warmup is vital to help with workout injury prevention. Warm up stretching is easier inside of an infrared sauna due to the heat and infrared promoting improved blood flow. Elevated circulation is important for your workout but you shouldn’t try to force an immediate elevated heart rate by going straight into a workout with no warmup. You have to ramp up like a plane taking off of a runway. HOTWORX calls this warm up the “Launch Phase”. Going straight to a workout set is unsafe for you heart and it is unsafe for the rest of your muscles. Ramp up first. You need to ease into it before going straight to high intensity. Muscle injuries happen often due to lack of proper warmup.

“Warm-up and stretching are essential to preventing muscle injuries by increasing the elasticity of muscles and smoothing muscular contractions. Improper or excessive stretching and warming up can, however, predispose to muscle injury.” (1)

Warming up, and doing it properly is essential to your fitness routine and will increase your mental focus while preventing injury. This is why virtual instruction is such an advantage. You will know that the warm up will always be performed and done right with a virtual trainer from a well produced workout video like that of a HOTWORX session.

Don’t skip your workout warmups!!!
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(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2692118/

Each week I have the privilege to meet with and speak to new HOTWORX franchise owners on a Zoom meeting we call Orientation Day. In O Day, as we call it, I listen to each new franchise owner as they describe how they came to know the brand. Most of them become franchisees because of the workout experience from being a member of one of our locations. They often rave about the effectiveness of the workouts and that they became obsessed with the 3D Training after their very first visit to HOTWORX.

This past week one of our new owners made the comment I hear often. They spoke of the fact that there are so many different workout types that enable them to cross train with endless workout combinations.

Cross training is one of the most important components of a well organized fitness program. Pro athletes have known this for many years.

Here is the reason…

By practicing cross training an individual is able to work muscles and make strength, flexibility, cardio and endurance gains from all different angles, thereby reinforcing the performance for the main activity, or sport. For example, one might be training for a mountain hike, or a mud race, or snow skiing, and they will use a combination of isometrics including hot yoga, hot Pilates and various hot HIIT workouts such as rowing and cycling to accelerate sports performance in ways that a more pigeon holed approach, such as only doing indoor rowing, could never do.

Cross-training can be defined as the practice of engaging in two or more activities of sports or types of exercise for the purpose of increasing performance in one’s main sport.

Science backs up the belief in cross training as “…studies suggest that different types of exercise can lead to different sport-specific adaptations to the heart, creating a more well-rounded cardiovascular base for exercise and sport.” (1)

The importance of cross training cannot be denied, and not just for fitness. Cross training is important in business as well. When employees know enough about all departments of a company they tend to do better in their area of expertise and perform at a higher level for their own department. Inter-departmental communication is vital to produce this positive effect on productivity.

The bottom line for fitness is this. It makes sense to strengthen all areas in the orbit of the main sport!
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(1) https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/cross-training#benefits

This past week I had the pleasure of attending our annual Franchise Success Cruise with co-workers and franchise owners. It was great to hang out with everyone, but there was no HOTWORX on the ship, so I had to resort to old school workout practices. On one day I went to the weight room first to train shoulders and then needed to do cardio, but since I hate the monotony of treadmills, I went to the top deck to run on the track. When I finished my run I then headed to the spa for a session in the convection heat sauna with a temperature of 180 degrees of hot air Fahrenheit. All of this took at least two hours out of my day. The old school way of working out wastes too much time. Time is our most valuable commodity. Why waste any of it? I was really beginning to miss my HOTWORX studio back home.

Training inside of an infrared sauna is a fitness game changer for time management. Take back an hour from your weekday and reduce your necessary gym time. Think of what you can accomplish with an extra 5 hours during your work week!

What about sweating? I noticed when I was running on the boat deck track that it took forever to break a sweat. Not so inside of the HOTWORX infrared sauna. As the infrared energy and heat immediately begins to penetrate the skin, a detoxifying sweat is rapidly induced from the infrared infused exercise. And, did you know that infrared sweating produces up to 7X more detox as opposed to that of traditionally heated saunas? As explained by Christiane Northrup, M.D., far-infrared light reaches deep into the body, where toxic substances are stored. Below is a quote from one of her recent articles online:

While most sweat is comprised of water and little salt, studies show that 15-20% of infrared sauna-induced sweat is composed of cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, heavy metals, sulfuric acid, and ammonia (as well as sodium and uric acid.) In other words, an infrared sauna may enable your body to eliminate environmental toxins through sweat. (1)

Sweat matters, and for more than just cooling the body. Infrared sweating enhances the detox process!

When I am home I train with a very fast pace and get it all done in 45 minutes consisting of weights for 30 minutes immediately followed by a 15 minute HIIT session at HOTWORX inside of the infrared sauna at a much lower 125 degrees. Infrared heat is way more effective and can work at a much lower and more physically tolerable temperature when compared to “old school” convection heat saunas.

There are numerous benefits that come as a result of training inside of an infrared sauna from increased flexibility and better circulation to pain relief, and the list goes on and on. For me though, the greatest advantage is the conservation of time!
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(1) https://www.drnorthrup.com/infrared-sauna-sweat-toxins/

The importance of the mind/body connection is well documented when it comes to athletics and fitness. It requires mental clarity and focus. Athletes and fitness professionals alike are always searching for new and better ways to make this connection.

That said, there is something about exposure to infrared that fosters the ability to achieve higher levels of focus. When I am running on the beach under the radiant warmth of infrared from sunlight, or if I am inside of an infrared sauna for a workout, my ability to focus on the mental connection to the body increases. Why does this happen? Is there a scientific reason, or is it just the environment itself?

Increased blood flow = better focus

In one study, researchers noticed that the thermal effects from infrared sauna treatments increases blood flow. It is well known that decreasing blood flow is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Increased blood flow is good for the brain and it is important to keep it that way. In the study, scientists “attempted to clarify the beneficial effects of far infrared light using the 5xFAD mouse… We exposed 5xFAD mice to far infrared light for 5 months. Among the far infrared-exposed AD mice, body weights were significantly decreased, and the levels of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein were significantly increased in selected brain areas (compared to those in non-irradiated AD mice).“ (1)

A good mood and more energy = better focus

The brain needs ample energy to fend off depression. Some psychiatrists believe that one cause of depression is indeed low brain energy, or slow brain metabolism. In addition to exercise, infrared is a very good metabolism booster! Infrared light stimulates neurons (brain cells) to produce more energy enabling the brain to carry out its activities (the activity of focus, for example) more efficiently.

What about the activity of memory? Can infrared exposure improve memory? Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a key molecule involved in the learning and memory process. “Changes in BDNF expression are associated with both normal and pathological aging and also psychiatric disease… Some interventions like exercise or antidepressant administration [such as infrared treatments] enhance the expression of BDNF in normal and pathological conditions.” (2)

Another study involved a group of 21 people diagnosed with major depression. Participants who received the invisible [infrared] light sessions “experienced significant improvement in mood during a series of treatments compared with those who received a “sham” treatment in which they wore the headset but received no light.“ (3)

When you workout in an infrared sauna you are exposed to and are absorbing radiant energy. You will experience a better mood during training sessions as well as more cellular stimulation. People tell me all the time that they feel energized when they workout in the HOTWORX sauna. It is important to be in a peak state during workouts and this requires focus.

A better mood and more energy enhanced by infrared can help you to obtain a higher level of focus.
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(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8211253/
(2) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2019.00363/full
(3) https://giving.massgeneral.org/stories/infrared-light-depression-research/

Fat slows you down! If you want to be a lean, mean productive machine, then you need to lose the fat. Of course, this is not a new revelation. You need to burn off the fat to improve your health and to energize your mind and body.

So, how does fat burning work? The main constituent of body fat is triglycerides (excess calories from over eating are stored as this type of fat) and they must be burned up through oxidation. This can be accomplished with controlled caloric consumption and through training, especially infrared fitness training. Calorie burning during and immediately after infrared workouts can accelerate this fat burn process.

Through infrared exercise itself your body will burn fat. This happens because your muscles gain energy for exercise from processing fat and sugar that is supplied from your blood. Exposure to infrared radiation and intense exercise heats up the body. This creates an oxygen deficit. Your body burns calories and oxidizes fat for fuel during and after these workouts in a complex chemical process that leads to the excretion of most of the excess fat through your lungs. Hot exercise can increase your metabolism to accelerate this oxidation process. In general, for every 1.8 degrees of core body temperature increase, the metabolism rate increases by over 10%.

I devoted several pages in my book, HOT EXERCISE, to the topic of fat burning. You can grab a copy on Amazon or at any HOTWORX studio. Below is an excerpt:

Unlike working out in a traditional air-conditioned studio or gym, infrared energy and heat penetrate the skin by 1.5 inches and so, as described above, can accelerate the fat-burning process. Fat breaks down and becomes water-soluble particles at approximately 100.5°F. When fats are broken down into particles, they are more easily flushed by exercise postures, forcing them out of the body through bodily functions, including infrared-induced sweating and through the liver, kidneys, bowels, and lungs.

Infrared exposure, therefore, causes your metabolism to speed up as the waves of energy interact with the cells in your body. This is important, considering that impaired metabolism is associated with obesity. Low-level inflammation is also a contributor to obesity. Compare this fat-burn effect to the melting of candle wax. In the candle-making process, the wax must be heated to its melting point, which is in the 115–120°F range for most types of wax. Fat breaks down as well when your body is heated.

The American Heart Association recommends doing a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily.(1) Studies have shown that exercising with the level of frequency as recommended by the AHA can lead to a significant reduction in levels of blood triglycerides.

The bottom line is this. You can burn more fat through infrared exercise!
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(1) https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults

HOTWORX is the originator of the 24 hour infrared fitness studio. One of the main advantages of this concept is the innovative use of virtual fitness instruction. Each HOTWORX location with 10 workout saunas has over 1700 individual workouts available to members in each 24 hour day, which is an unprecedented amount of workout capacity, especially for a small boutique fitness center.

The only way to enable a studio with that much workout capacity is through the use of virtual instruction that can be served up to the monitors with certainty and frequency in an automated manner. HOTWORX developed this technology several years ago for its franchise. This tech requires custom software development and professional workout video production.

The use of technology has allowed HOTWORX to create workout programming that significantly reduces the cost of labor for its franchisees and that has eliminated the problems caused by live instruction due to human error in terms of discipline, queuing and punctuality!

In order to produce high quality workouts on video to be served up virtually, there still has to be a talented fitness instructor on the set to lead the workouts for filming. This is why HOTWORX decided several years ago to hold an international Virtual Instructor Competition each year at their franchise convention. Recruiting is happening right now for the 2022-23 season. The deadline for fitness instructors to apply to compete is this Sunday, May 15!

The company is looking for the 7 exceptional instructors to deliver the very unique infrared training versions of everything from yoga, pilates and personal training to HIIT workouts like Hot Thunder which uses the patented Thunder Row machine exclusive to the HOTWORX brand. The company has launched a global search for the 7 best to lead these innovative workouts to tens of thousands of members on a 24/7/365 basis. HOTWORX invented 24 hour yoga and created a wide range of infrared isometric and HIIT workout options beyond just yoga delivered in a patented sauna to customers via virtual instruction.

If you have experience as a certified instructor in group fitness with a specialty in one or more of the following disciplines:Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Indoor Cycling, Indoor Rowing, Personal Training, Resistance Bands, All Other Forms of Isometrics, Athletic Stretching, and TRX/Suspension Training, then consider applying before the deadline, click HERE. The Top 7 will represent the company throughout the year as Virtual Instructors and as brand ambassadors of the “Burn Off Movement” promoting the HOTWORX 3D Training Method of fitness!
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The seven winners will each receive a one year contract that includes a prize package worth well over $10,000 in cash and travel, meals and hotel accommodations to cover at least two trips to New Orleans per year for filming and photo shoots. This year the top 15 will be flown to Scottsdale, AZ to compete in the finals at the HOTWORX franchise convention to be held at the fabulous Phoenician Resort and Spa! Virtual Instructors will also become eligible to represent the company making special contract appearances at franchise grand openings and anniversary events.

For the second year, the company will be filming the entire competition process for the airing of the web series to be launched on Youtube in January. The series will consist of 5 “webisodes” to document the progress of the 2022-23 VI Competition season and workout video filming.

If you are a certified fitness instructor who has what it takes, apply right now before the deadline in a few days!! Click HERE!
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I am confounded at times when I see a video or read an article from so called fitness experts who extol the ineffectiveness of training in the heat. They even claim that there is no detox from sweating. Have they smelled their own sweaty clothing lately? The craziness about this is the fact that there are an incredible array of benefits from hot exercise and from absorption of infrared energy, and they are WELL DOCUMENTED by respected scientific journals and other verifiable sources. In my book, HOT EXERCISE, I cite from many of these reputable sources.

I suspect that part of the reason that they might make these unfounded claims, aside from just being a part of the antiquated fitness establishment, they workout for fitness only, and not for some activity goal, or athletic endeavor. When you establish a goal in fitness that uses your fitness program as a preparatory tool to help you become a better skier, or a better hiker, or a better runner, or better at yoga for an upcoming retreat, etc., then the game changes for the positive and it forces you to discover the truth in terms of what works. Some of the fitness establishment “experts” are simply on the wrong side of history for shaping the future of fitness. The truth is that when you go outside of your comfort zone you make gains in fitness, as in life!

Infrared acclimation training forces your body to adapt, or “acclimate” to extraordinary conditions and in the process delivers incredible fitness results. One example of this for me is the training that my climbing team did prior to our recent Kilimanjaro trek. My training partner, Jeremy and I used infrared cycling mainly as our acclimation training for a climb that took us through 4 distinct weather conditions from a rain forest at the equator through the moorlands, a desert, and then to arctic cold with ice at the top. We added an oxygen restrictive mask during Hot Cycle to the last 3 months of training before Kilimanjaro.

For those who would claim that training in the heat is ineffective, they simply have not done the training to understand the difference. Our cardio conditioning would never have been where it was if we would have prepared for the climb in an air-conditioned gym! Infrared training may not be for everyone, but for those who want more from their workouts in less time, it has to be a part of the workout mix.
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It is well known that infrared sauna sessions can increase blood flow and expedite the absorption of oxygen into the bloodstream. This is due to the nitric oxide effect. It is also well known that better circulation is generally associated with better health. Of course, we know that better circulation equates with a more efficient cardiovascular system and metabolism for fat oxidation.

Better circulation = more oxygen to the body. More oxygen to the body = more fat burning.

How you breathe during an infrared sauna session is important for fat burning as well. Breathing through the nose can generate even more nitric oxide effect which is one reason why yoga and other forms of isometrics that encourage proper breathing are so effective for cardio conditioning. Think about the potential for increased circulation from exercise combined with proper breathing performed inside of an infrared sauna!

Here’s another way to look at it…

It’s possible that the combination of proper breathing through the nose combined with infrared exposure can stimulate the brown fat cells to burn more fat for energy.

Breathing through the nose creates nitric oxide, a signaling molecule for vasodilation. Modern fitness programming should take into account the importance of this nitric oxide effect. And, instructors should explain this scientific reason for breathing through the nose more frequently than the mouth! They mostly focus on the calming effect of breathing without explaining why that occurs.

HOTWORX, the originator of the 24 hour infrared fitness studio, has created multiple forms of infrared isometrics with a focus on proper breathing including shortened versions of yoga, pilates, barre and other isometric workouts performed inside of the HOTWORX patented infrared sauna. The combo of exercise with infrared energy and heat, known as 3D Training, can greatly improve circulation. Research suggests that increased circulation can help to burn more fat.

Being overweight is caused when too much white fat is present in the body. There are two types of fat, white and brown. Brown fat has blood vessels and burns energy, and has recently been discovered to exist in humans. The object of one study with mice was to determine whether the brown fat can use up white fat when stimulated by increased blood circulation.

“Increasing the blood flow in brown fat causes it to burn more calories in mice and may help treat obesity, a new study in the Journal of Applied Physiology reports.” (1)

The study was reported by sciencedaily.com and the heading of the report reads: Turning on Blood Flow Turns on Fat-burning Brown Fat in Mice. In the study researchers used a drug to induce more blood flow in the brown fat of normal-weight mice. The result of this was an increase in the consumption of glucose indicating higher activity by the brown fat. The theory is that consistent stimulation of brown fat can reduce the amount of white fat.

This is promising new science in support of what we believe is happening every day with modern fitness techniques such as hot exercise. Training inside of an infrared sauna, when done with the proper zero impact form of isometrics or HIIT, can be a super effective fat burning tool because of the increased blood flow and oxidation. There are thousands of positive reviews online to support this from an anecdotal standpoint.

In fitness, it’s all about the results. Maybe it is time to give 3D Training a try!
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(1) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160301120046.htm

Anthony Walker has made a name for himself in the NFL as a linebacker known for his range, physicality and leadership on the field. Recently Anthony decided to put that competitiveness to work off the field as well in the fitness business. Just a few weeks ago he signed a HOTWORX franchise agreement for the purchase of a development license in the Aventura area of the South Florida market. He originally became introduced to the benefits of infrared training by his dad at another location in Florida.

I had the opportunity to meet with Anthony on a video call and it was an honor to hear some of his NFL stories and also his journey thus far with HOTWORX. When we spoke he was super pumped about his investment into the fitness industry with the unique HOTWORX franchise.

His dad discovered the workouts first and joined HOTWORX following an open heart surgery. He found the infrared training to be excellent for his recovery and for his breathing. This happens because the infrared heat actually opens up the arteries to allow for better circulation and oxygen transport into the blood stream. This is known as the nitric oxide effect. Nitric oxide, a signaling molecule, is produced with exposure to infrared heat. Nitric oxide triggers vasodilation which improves the transport of oxygen throughout the body.

Anthony is pictured below at an young age with his dad:

During our video call Anthony shared with me his high level conditioning experience following the COVID lockdown at the Pembroke Pines location in South Florida. He told me about his amazing results from the short 15 minute workouts, and explained how the workout was awesome and tough!

HOTWORX workouts are designed for all levels so that a professional athlete can get a very high intensity session and so that a beginner can go at their own best pace to get what they need as well.

Anthony also spoke to me about how HOTWORX infrared training has helped him with preparations for the hot temperatures of NFL training camp to help his conditioning, in his words, “go to next level”. He also explained that he uses HOTWORX during football training off days as a means of active recovery.

For those of you who might wonder what type of fitness tracking device he uses…it’s an Apple Watch. In terms of fitness data tracking, Anthony expressed to me how effective the HOTWORX Burn Off App has been for workout consistency and maintaining a routine.

HOTWORX is honored to welcome Anthony Walker into its franchise team of infrared fitness studio owners!
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"The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat." -Napoleon Hill

It’s been almost two months since our HOTWORX team climbed to the summit of Kilimanjaro. That magnificent mountain, “Kili”, as it is referred to by the locals, is the world’s tallest free standing mountain. I can tell you that when viewed in person, it is a giant. It makes all of the mountains that I have seen when I snow ski look small. It is surreal when looked upon from a few kilometers away.

I remember when the four of us went to the top floor of the hotel in Moshi to take our first glimpse in daylight of what we were about to scale. It was emotional to view it for the first time. It was breathtaking! Photos did not do it justice, and there it was, that legendary mountain created from a raging volcano around a million years ago. It was now in our plain view with all of its magnificence. In that awe inspiring moment though, reality set in for the HOTWORX Kilimanjaro Team. Our 5 day cardio and HIIT workout was about to begin, and our infrared sauna 3D Training would soon prove vital to the success of the climb.

If you are considering a major hike, or mountain to climb, then I would highly recommend the HOT CYCLE at HOTWORX with an oxygen restrictive mask. You will need to ease into the mask for only a few minutes at first, then build up to using the mask during the entire HIIT workout. In addition to breath training for low oxygen environments, the cycling resistance for lower body is perfect movement for hike training and of course it is superb for cardio conditioning. Know this, climbing a mountain requires extreme levels of cardio performance. Check with your doctor before attempting this type of training.

There are an estimated 30,000 people who attempt to climb Kili each year and there are summit success rates based on the length of time for the climb and based on the route taken to the top. The faster the route, the harder the climb, and the lower the probability of summiting. The trek we chose was the shortest route with the lowest summit success rate at just 27%. I will say that we never even considered the possibility of not summiting. It was simply not an option for us for two reasons. First, because we had incredible desire to conquer that route and get to the top, and second we wanted to hoist a Sacred Mountain Retreat Center flag at the summit to raise awareness to the center and what they do for our wounded veterans and first responders.

I am happy to announce that our marketing department has just released a short video documenting the trek. Take a few minutes to watch it below:

Desire is a powerful tool for taking action. The power of desire lies in its aim, which is to alter reality. A strong desire to accomplish something will force you to do the things that are necessary to achieve that new reality. If you want to climb a mountain, it will be the desire to get to the top that leads you train in an infrared sauna, for example. Desire propels you towards the new world that you want. Desire creates a force in fitness for those who want to stay in shape. Desire creates a force in athletics for those who want to win.

Find your highest level of desire and you will take the action that is necessary in proportion to your goal.
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Quick Note:
Our “Hiking for Heroes” deadline for donations to Sacred Mountain Retreat Center is April 29 at noon. Corporate will match the amount that is raised! CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE

I have to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our franchise organization with this article. Last Friday, April 1st, the company turned 26 years old! I thought it appropriate, and upon suggestion from some of our team members, this blog post is dedicated to our two franchises, the legacy Planet Beach, and to our newest concept, HOTWORX. From our meager beginnings in 1996, and through many obstacles, triumphs, mistakes and lessons learned, we were able to grow the franchise organization into one really cool spa brand and one great fitness brand! Here’s a look back…

It was April Fool’s Day 1996. On that day a franchising company was born in New Orleans. What would eventually spawn HOTWORX Franchising began with one lone tanning salon that had just changed its name from Electric Beach to Planet Beach with a unique new logo.

Back then we had zero experience as a franchisor, but we had a dream and a strong work ethic that our organization carries forward to this day. The experience my business partner Nancy and I did have, though, was a few years of health club membership sales experience, and it gave us a profound advantage as we pressed forward to bring our knowledge in the health club business to bear as we introduced it into a very different industry. Poised with our new brand name and logo, we launched an effort back then to expand operations through a method known as franchising.

As a new franchisor we launched head first into franchising. I had just exited as an owner of three Gold’s Gym locations as a licensee. Nancy had moved home to New Orleans from California where she had managed a Gold’s Gym for the owner and former heavyweight boxing world champion, Ken Norton. She became the GM of my Gold’s location in Gretna prior to becoming my partner in franchising. So, even though we had no experience as a franchisor, what we did have was experience with operations of licensed health clubs.

Mistakes were made along with the victories that we celebrated, and we came to understand that those challenges were really nothing more than lessons learned and opportunities to innovate. We managed through major external challenges such as Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill and an industry collapse. At times we could have thrown in the towel, and at one point even our lawyers advised us to file Chapter 11, but we just kept fighting. We doubled down on our resolve. You have to keep going! You may have to pivot, but you can never just stop. Loss of momentum can crush the entrepreneurial spirit. You have to invent your way out of tough situations.

So, we kept going, rebuilding and building…and we will keep going, rebuilding, inventing and building again and again. After all, we are used to rebuilding here in New Orleans, a la Katrina and Ida. Rebirth. It’s what we do in NOLA!

Very soon we will be launching something spectacular for our spa brand to finally shed the baggage of the “tanning salon” past and catapult the original franchise into a future of spectacular business expansion.

All the while, the fitness brand, HOTWORX, continues into hyper growth by design!

Sometimes, in fitness, in life, in business, we need to take a look back, though, to reflect on where we came from. A business birthday is the perfect moment for that. Here are some highlights since the beginning of our franchise organization:

Major company hurdles and milestones 1996-2022

1996 - April 1, Franchising began for Planet Beach
2007 - Planet Beach peaks at 387 locations open
2008 - Great Recession stalls growth; Pivot towards spa equipment
2010 - National Tanning Tax passed by Congress; Industry shrinks by 80%
2010 - Planet Beach pivot with “spray & spa” tagline
2014 - “Yoga in a Sauna” moment of inspiration in Jamaica; Invention of what was to become the HOTWORX Infrared Workout Sauna
2015 - Sauna comes to market in the summer at International Franchise Expo - Javits Center, NYC
2016 - Sauna name is rebranded to HOTWORX; Decision to open a new franchise concept in Oxford, MS - the first ever 24 hour infrared fitness studio
2017 - Opened first company HOTWORX location and 3 franchise locations; Burn Off App introduced with calorie burning leaderboards and rolling 90 day personal challenge, workout burn and after-burn programmed to sync with Apple Watch and Fitbit; multiple innovative new isometric and HIIT workouts introduced, all ZERO impact
2018 - Opened 29 Locations, ended with 33 open; first ever Virtual Instructor Competition Held at Convention in Lake Tahoe
2019 - Opened 56 Locations, ended with 89 open; HOTWORX sauna patent granted; Hot Barre None workout developed, deployed and later trademarked; Virtual Personal Trainer for FX Zone created
2020 - Opened 70 Locations, ended with 159 open; COVID lockdown Waiting List Strategy + continued marketing during COVID lockdown; no charge to members during lockdown; HOTWORX at Home created
2021 - Opened 81 Locations, ended with 240 open, Thunder Row launched, patented and made exclusive to HOTWORX franchise locations
2022 - Opened 40 Locations in 1st quarter, 289 more projected to open by Dec. 31 for a year end projection of 500+ open; 881 Units sold for future development, of which 309 Units in active development pipeline; Diet Trax software deployed as new feature of the Burn Off App

The company has come a long way since 1996 for sure. At times the lessons were painful and we had to “fail forward” as I like to say, but giving up has never been an option. I tell folks that HOTWORX might be a young, emerging franchise, but that the company is managed by a team of seasoned franchise veterans.

I am very happy to report that HOTWORX is on track to achieve the goal of 500 locations open in our 5th year of age as a franchise. Take a look at the growth chart below representing the open location expansion history and projection for 2022:

So, what have we learned through the years in franchising? First, gross revenues are not important! Yes, you heard that right. For entrepreneurs, the most important number is the amount that you can keep. Profit creates way more opportunity. BY FAR, the most important goal of a franchisor should be the profitability of the franchise locations. True profit, though, can only be made through a laser focus on the service and the experience of the members who join seeking results! The customers are always at the top of the pyramid with the franchisor and the franchisee at the base in support of those at the top! There is no other way.

We believe that franchising is a team sport and I will devote a future blog post to that topic, and maybe even a book one day. Another thing that is super important is the organizational effort to give back to our communities, and we do that through initiatives to raise money for veterans and first responders who have been wounded and are in need.

             …click here to support our wounded vets: https://gofund.me/b250a78a

We also give back through our fire station program to donate HOTWORX saunas for detox in support of firefighters.

There is another area where we are placing emphasis that is supremely important. Transformation to clean energy is vital to the health of the planet and very important for all businesses.  Our franchise is committed to an offset program to achieve carbon neutrality throughout the entire franchise company by 2030. We are developing a very unique, innovative and financially beneficial idea to accomplish this objective for our franchise locations. Stay tuned…

Here’s to many, many more revolutions around the sun for this franchise organization!!!
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Research has shown that exercise and exposure to infrared energy and heat can accelerate the metabolism. When infrared training is combined with intermittent fasting and a disciplined logging of food intake, your fitness results can catapult onto the fast lane. So let’s take a brief look at all three of these actions.

Infrared (IR) Workouts

How does an IR workout rev up your metabolism? IR elevates your heart rate rapidly to your target workout range, and in the process helps to improve your blood circulation. This works to bring more oxygen to your cells. Oxygen is necessary for every metabolic process.  More efficient circulation helps to speed up oxidation of fat molecules too. The more oxygen our bodies can take in and process, the more fat we can burn.

“The metabolic rate of the body is the overall rate of tissue oxidation of fuels by all the body's organs.” (1)

The takeaway here is: IR workouts improve oxidation!

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is defined as method of eating intervals which split a day (or a week) up into eating periods and fasting periods. For example, we fast already during our sleep, but some choose to extend the sleep fast beyond waking and go without eating breakfast and then in the evening cutting off food well before bedtime, such as a hard stop at 7pm. Energy used during sleep should be for workout recovery, not for digestion. This is the method that works for me, but it is by no means the only way or the way that might work best for everyone.

There are many benefits from intermittent fasting including the increase of mental clarity gained by forcing the burning of fat for energy, known as ketosis, as opposed to the use of sugar for energy. Intermittent fasting can also lower the risk of developing diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing insulin resistance.

I am a believer in fasted infrared cardio workouts in the morning and ending food intake at 7pm during the week. Intermittent fasting intervals for me extend beyond when I wake up each morning. My first meal is usually around 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For me, this diet tactic has worked to accelerate my fat loss while retaining muscle.

The takeaway here is: Fast for 16 hours (includes sleeping hours) straight, then eat during the next 8 hours.

Diet Tracking

If you are serious about toning up, losing weight and burning fat, then it is vital that you adopt a method for tracking your daily nutritional intake. Ideally, it would be super convenient if you had one app that can schedule your workouts, track your calories burned (including the one hour post-workout after-burn), as well as track your food intake with a daily log to keep your calories in a deficit to your intake. Your target calorie intake should be 10% less than your burn off from workouts and BMR (basal metabolic rate). The HOTWORX Burn Off App performs all of these vital fitness functions making it super convenient for members. Diet Trax, a nutritional tracking log that easily displays caloric deficit and meal balance of macros (% of proteins, carbs, fats), was recently added to the Burn Off App lineup!

The takeaway here is: You get what you measure in life!

Here is the bottom line. Infrared training, such as that of the HOTWORX 3D method, utilized while practicing a sensible intermittent fasting approach to food intake and disciplined food tracking is a proven pathway to incredible fitness results. Use this 1,2,3 fitness power practice, and…

Make results a lifestyle! 👊🔥

(1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/metabolic-rate

We talk a lot about wellness in this weekly HOTWORX Blog, and rightly so. Infrared training is a super healthy form of exercise. Health is everything and feeling great is supremely important… but so is looking good.

When we look good, we feel even better, and we have more confidence. Outward appearance is a reflection of how we feel inside. So, in light of the fact that it is now officially spring as of the Sunday before this post, I think it’s appropriate to write about the aesthetics aspect of fitness.

It’s beach time!

I just returned home this week from a trip to an amazing Tony Robbins seminar in Fiji and on my way back I found myself with an extended layover at the Los Angeles airport. I decided I might as well head over to the Mecca of Bodybuilding, Gold’s Gym in Venice, to get a chest workout in. I have always said that if you can’t get motivated at that gym, then you just can’t be motivated. Celebrities and champions of all types of sports train there. The energy level is always high.

When I was there I saw the giant photos of all the bodybuilding greats and it reminded me of my own competitive past. I have always been involved in athletics, and after playing college football, I turned to fitness and then to bodybuilding to fill my athletic void. During my bodybuilding career, my most memorable competition was when I once trained for an entire year to compete for the NPC Collegiate Nationals that was to be held on my 21st birthday. That was back in the great rock ’n roll decade of the 80’s when I was a senior at Ole Miss.

I saw that competition in a magazine for the year before and in my mind I resolved that I could compete with those guys on that stage if I trained hard enough for it. In that moment of visualization I was in, fully committed to the competition and dedicated to do my best to win. It was time to focus hard on that new goal. Tunnel vision and laser focus can combine as a powerful force in fitness, and that is what I had for an entire year in preparation for that event.

Laser focus on the right fitness routine can produce an amazing set of before and after photos! Try it for 90 days and see what happens in the mirror as you beach prep for this summer.

Back to my competition story…

Bodybuilding is an extreme version of training for aesthetics. It’s not for everyone, but the information that can be learned from bodybuilding competitions can be invaluable to a person in pursuit of a fitness career. The sport teaches how to transform the body into a symmetrically balanced form.

The year of hard work and laser focus paid off. I won that competition, and went on to a career as a fitness professional, and I still LOVE my career to this day! You know what they say, right? If you have a passion for what you do, you will never see it as work. Your job will be a labor of love. It’s so true. You will still have stressful times, but your love for what you do will give you wings and grant you the will to power through all of the problems. The same is true for your personal fitness program. Find the right program, and make it a passionate lifestyle! After all, it’s a choice. Choose to love it.

I tell that story to illustrate the results that are possible when you live a passionate fitness lifestyle. After all, fitness is about results! I tell everyone that the purpose of HOTWORX is to provide the highest level of motivational experience and fitness results for its members.

The swimsuit season is here!

It’s time to double down on your workouts, and put some of the focus on aesthetics. You don’t have to compete in a bodybuilding contest, though. You just need to commit to the right program for your beach season goals. With the option of HOTWORX 3D Training for impressive calorie burns and super charged sweating, there has never been a better time to train for beach readiness.

I think back to my cardio sessions as I was training for that competition and I wish I would have had HOTWORX then. “Ripped to shreds” could have gone to an entirely different level. Back then I rode a stationary bike every training day (which was 6 days a week) with full sweats and a towel around my neck to force a good sweat. Nowadays I could get the same cardio and even more sweating done in half the time with HOTWORX infrared training sessions!

If you’re not passionate about your fitness program, then it’s time to change. If it’s a grind, then you’re falling behind! Find a program that has a higher usage rate than the average program and you can bank that people are enjoying their workouts and getting better results. The health club industry standard is: 18% of all members use the club on a regular basis, but for HOTWORX the usage rate is north of 30%.

The key to the summer shred is working out with passion. Sweating and shredding should be fun. Given the right environment, conditioning can be exciting. It happens when you find the right studio to join.

You just might find your fitness passion when you shred with an infrared sauna workout this swimsuit season!
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Every week I read about, and I listen to, numerous new success stories about how infrared training at HOTWORX has helped customers go beyond their fitness goals. The results I am witnessing are truly amazing. The main reason for these spectacular fitness outcomes is due primarily to the calorie burn from the training method. The significant calorie burn happens when the various exercise options are combined with heat and infrared energy. With this in mind, fitness enthusiasts should remember to focus on the calorie burn during the workout, and the one hour post-workout after-burn. The calorie burn is what can supercharge the metabolism! I can tell you from experience using the HOTWORX training method to condition for mountain climbing that the more calories that you can burn while keeping within your heart rate limits is what will yield spectacular fitness results.

Use a fitness tracker!

A fitness tracker is an essential tool for your workouts. These devices such as the Apple Watch and the Fitbit can track multiple fitness data such as heart rate, calorie burn, oxygen levels, steps, and more. For fitness results, though, the most important data to track is calorie burn and heart rate. The highest calorie burn that can be obtained while keeping the heart rate in a range that is reasonable for safety, is the preferred approach for workout optimization.

The calorie burn is the best measure to predict your fitness results!

Monitor your heart rate to keep within your desired range! Infrared saunas can get you to your target heart rate faster allowing you to shorten the warmup period and get you ready for the main workout. Your target heart rate is the minimum beats per minute at which you can achieve an increase in your level of cardiovascular fitness. Be smart. If you have a heart condition, you need to be sure to discuss your target heart rate with a doctor prior to beginning any type of exercise program.

Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., uses an elliptical trainer in his home, and his machine has electrical sensors for his hands to automatically monitor his heart rate. He says that, “It gives me a sense of how hard I’m working,” and that, “Knowing your target heart rate and trying to achieve it can be very motivating.” (1)

You can do a quick calculation of your maximum heart rate by simply subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you are 35, then your heart rate max would be 185. Your target heart rate during workouts should generally range between 70-85% of your heart rate max.

Keeping up a consistent workout regime with a good calorie burn is required for achievement of your fitness goals. Your workout pace should be in close range with your target heart rate at all times during your workout. During workouts, you can stop and manually track your heart rate by checking your pulse, but why do that when you can use an Apple Watch, or whatever device you trust these days.

Use the technology of infrared and tracking to your advantage in fitness while you come to understand the importance of calorie burn for results.

(1) https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/understanding-your-target-heart-rate?amp=true

The practice of foam rolling as a part of your workout routine can be helpful for detox, especially when combined with exposure to infrared heat. If you are informed of the benefits of infrared saunas, then it is likely that you already know that studies have shown the level of toxic waste is up to seven times more prevalent in infrared induced sweat as opposed to that of a traditional sauna. When you add foam rolling to your workouts, you add more detox as well.

Here’s why…

Self-administered, deep tissue foam rolling enhances circulation when pressure is applied to the skin and heat is released. This helps to usher waste out of cells. Organs then work to perform their natural toxin/toxicant removal process. So, the primary way that massage from foam rolling helps to release toxic substances is by improving circulation and then allowing the liver and kidney to do their jobs. In addition to improving blood flow, the practice of foam rolling provides moisturization to the fascia and causes a myofascial release of muscle tension and pain trigger points.

Self myofascial release is a technique that can be performed with a foam roller to smooth out muscle trigger points and areas of tightness. Foam rolling results in short-term flexibility and longer term flexibility when practiced over time.

When we become ill, one of our defenses for fighting off sickness is fever. Warming of the body moves blood toward the skin. This increased circulation of blood to dissipate heat helps to clear out internal organs. In a similar way compared to fever, infrared sauna heat exposure combined with compression and body heat generated through foam rolling improves circulation and oxygenates cells.

As circulation increases your cells expand and toxins that have built up move through the blood to your main filtration centers: The Liver and The Kidneys.

“studies indicate that general massage efforts aiding the removal of metabolic waste may assist in the body’s physiological and psychological healing processes of detoxification.” (1)

Foam rolling can help to elevate your mood too…

Foam rolling forces a kind of mindfulness that is similar to meditation. This mindfulness causes a better connection of the mind to the body part that is being rolled. This tension relieving exercise can create a sense of euphoria as you increase dopamine levels in the brain while you become more present in the moment.

According to a US News report online, “Foam rollers offer many of the same benefits as a sports massage or deep-tissue massage – but without the big price tag. This is why you have to get on board! We only get one body. You should be treating it better than your car or house. Think about what one month, six months or two years from now will look like if you stick with foam rolling. Now, consider all the released toxins, build-ups, inflammation and reduced or non existing issues. You will absolutely feel the difference, I promise – my clients say they've never felt better in their tight areas. Foam rolling also helps you relax and is a great stress reliever.” (2)

Here’s some great advice from alignment expert Lauren Roxburgh:

“By addressing the connective tissue and bringing in fresh oxygenated blood every time you get on the roller, you’re bringing in circulation, you’re smoothing out that density and wringing out the toxins,” says Roxburgh. “Once you’ve gotten rid of the density and the thickness, the muscles are more activated underneath…” (3)

In another article she goes on to say that foam rolling, “frees up blocked energy, wrings out toxins, and thins scar tissue…” (4)

All of the isometric workouts offered at HOTWORX incorporate foam rolling as a part of the cool down, or “landing phase” of the session. The best way to know how it works is to try it. I invite you to experience the feeling after a workout that incorporates foam rolling inside of an infrared sauna!
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(1) https://www.integrativehealthcare.org/mt/detoxifying-effects-of-bodywork-and-massage/#references
(2) https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/10/25/a-guide-to-foam-rolling
(3) https://people.com/health/foam-rolling-can-help-reduce-appearance-of-cellulite/
(4) https://www.humnutrition.com/blog/foam-rolling-lauren-roxburgh/

I am amazed sometimes when I see very smart people making outlandish claims about infrared, and it is obvious that they have a very limited understanding of infrared saunas. They will make statements as if an infrared sauna is some sort of danger box that should be avoided like the plague. This view comes from a lack of knowledge and most likely from a lack of experience with actually using IR saunas. Quite the opposite is true.

That said, it’s common knowledge that an infrared sauna is one of the best tools out there for pain relief and workout recovery. This is one reason why HOTWORX decided to combine the recovery aspect of IR with zero impact exercise, a perfect mix of workout with environment and a smart method to save time and prolong the life of bones and joints. Why not practice active recovery, or what I like to call a “recovery workout”, inside of an infrared sauna? Makes sense, and in practice, it works very well. It took me only a few minutes to find these (among the thousands of) unsolicited online comments from actual studio customers:

I just returned from climbing the tallest mountain in Africa with three team members who also applied HOTWORX zero impact infrared training. If an active recovery workout like that of HOTWORX can work to condition athletes for climbing a mountain the size of Kilimanjaro, then it can work very well for mainstream fitness objectives too, as noted with the anecdotal evidence above.

Inside of an infrared sauna an individual will experience non-ionizing radiation in the form of heat that is generated by the IR heaters. Non-ionizing simply means that this form of radiation will not alter human DNA and is, therefore, harmless. This “good” radiation is infrared energy and has many positive benefits. It is in contrast with, and not to be confused by, for example, some wavelengths of UV radiation and X-rays that are ionizing and can alter DNA, which can be harmful.

IR saunas have a distinct recovery advantage over traditional saunas for two reasons. One, individuals can experience effectiveness at much lower temperatures than convection heat saunas, and, two, IR induced sweating has been shown through studies to contain up to seven times the amount of toxic substances when compared to traditional sauna sweat. IR energy  penetrates the skin and goes to work at the cellular level to help break up toxic substances. When infrared energy enters the body, it goes to work breaking up fats and toxic substances trapped in water molecules. These wastes products are then removed from the body through the skin in the form of sweat, lungs as we breathe, kidneys filtering blood, colon by way of stool, and the liver converting fat-soluble toxins and toxicants into water-soluble substances for excretion from the body through the kidneys by creating urine. 

It is thought that infrared induced sweating can help to cleanse the body and make for a more efficient workout recovery!

“When the cells are free from toxins, they function more effectively and have less risk of sickness and disease.”(1)

IR energy and heat for recovery creates a unique training advantage and is a smart use of workout time! Why not experience recovery WHILE you are working out as opposed to the old method of working out and then going to the sauna.

👊🔥

(1) https://www.thelifeco.com/en/blog/benefits-of-exercise-during-your-detox/

Our mission involved a major cardio challenge.

We were to get to the top of Kilimanjaro with the fastest, most difficult route to raise money and awareness of a place in the Black Hills of South Dakota known as Sacred Mountain Retreat Center @sacredmtn. They provide an incredible program for wounded veterans and first responders. Please give them a look and donate to their cause for our nation’s heroes if you can! Here’s the link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mt-kilimanjaro-climb-for-wounded-warriors

We accomplished the climb up and down the legendary Mount Kilimanjaro in 5 days ascending through four distinct climate zones beginning with the rain forest jungle, then on to the Heather-Moorland Zone leading to the Highland Alpine Desert, then on to the Glacial Arctic Summit. Take a look at the success rate chart for Kilimanjaro below and you will see that the 5 day route has a low 27% success rate:

The most important reason for success on this mountain is a high level of cardio conditioning. The climb is a constant, hours on end, high intensity interval training session with super high levels of energy expenditure and lessening of available oxygen levels for breathing as you go up. Therefore, superb cardio conditioning is a must! I can say that our HOTWORX 3D Training with altitude masks proved to be a major reason for our excellent cardio conditioning on Kilimanjaro.

Our final ascent began at midnight on the third night. We all knew that the weather conditions would be less than favorable and that all of our HOTWORX training was about to be put to the ultimate test. Proper conditioning is important for any sport, but for what we were about to do it was going to be make or break.

Climbing “Kili”, as the locals call it, requires a healthy heart that has been conditioned for extreme energy expenditure and prolonged hard pumping of blood to supply oxygen throughout the body. Cardio training is where your focus needs to be to prep for a climb like this.

When we finished our climb on the 5th day, back at the park entrance, we met two girls from the Czech Republic and one of them said that she had been weight training to prepare for the climb. My bet is that she did not make it to the summit. Weight training alone will not prepare you for this climb. This is a cardio challenge!

Prior to arriving in Tanzania, myself and my training partner Jeremy used oxygen restrictive masks while we would do cardio inside of the HOTWORX saunas. We relied on Hot Cycle and Hot Thunder, and it proved to be a game changer on the mountain. Two weeks prior to our trip to Africa I actually used the oxygen restrictive mask while snow skiing to get a feel for even lower oxygen at higher altitudes.

Now here we were. The guides woke us up out of our sleeping bags around 11:30pm on the third night. None of us slept well for the three days leading up to this point. I remember tossing and turning in my sleeping bag with earplugs in and thinking about anything and everything hardly ever experiencing true sleep leading up to the summit night. None of us had good sleep prior to summiting.

Adrenaline took over. Now it was time to focus like we had never focused before. We all expected this to be hard, but we didn’t know what we didn’t know…

The HOTWORX team was stepping out into the dark to climb a mountain where we had never been. We had butterflies, but we were ready!

Seven hours and fifty-one minutes later, through sleet, snow, below freezing temps and a 4000 foot vertical climb over boulders, we did indeed achieve our objective.

Probably the most treacherous thing we experienced on our way to the top, though, was a trek through a thin path in the glacial ice at 19,000 feet, in the dark with a straight drop into the crater just to the right of us. This was somewhere between Gilman’s Point and the summit, known as Uhuru, the Swahili word for “freedom”.

The summit is referred to as “Freedom Point” by the locals in honor of their independence gained from Great Britain in 1961. This seems appropriate for our climb, Hiking for Heroes!

We made the summit at 7:45 a.m. It was very emotional at the top as all four of us huddled together in gratitude for our successful climb. We had accomplished what we came to do. All the way from New Orleans, LA, four people bound together as a team to climb the legendary Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world by taking the shortest and most difficult route. What a feeling it was to be at the top of Africa!

My sincerest congratulations go out to my team members. John Carlton, we call him “Jay”, a former Marine and franchise owner of HOTWORX in Raleigh, NC who is a diabetic and he managed this through a monitor that was attached to his body throughout the entire climb. This dude is tough as nails and I am proud to have climbed Kili with him. Victoria Price is an Army Sergeant, an executive for HOTWORX corporate and a franchise owner of the HOTWORX location in Gretna, LA. She scaled the mountain like a champ and took in video footage for the company being the professional that she always is and I could not imagine her not being a part of this team. Jeremy Harwell, an Ole Miss grad with a degree in exercise science and the very first HOTWORX manager who helped put the brand on the map. Jeremy is my training partner. Brother we knew we would do this! I love all of you guys and can’t say enough about what it has meant to have climbed this mountain with you! We did it.

To put this into perspective, about 30,000 people attempt to climb Kili each year. Most attempt the longer routes with the higher probability for success. If we assume that one fifth of the 30,000 attempt the hardest 5 day route (and I doubt it is that many), then that would be about 6000 people. Of that number, based on the 27% success rate, then only 1620 people in the world successfully scale the toughest Kilimanjaro route per year. Being in that number is why the emotions ran so high when we reached Freedom Point!

You can see by the photo below that I burned 5,460 calories during the time it took to get to the top on the final climb, which is an astonishing amount of calories for one workout session. By far it was the most that I have ever burned in one session, and we still had to climb down! Going down is always challenging but a LOT easier on the cardio, for sure.

When making workout decisions, you need to ask yourself a question. What is the appropriate challenge for my level of fitness? It goes without saying that you should make sure that you have no heart issues before you begin any fitness program, but especially if you train for something like climbing a mountain. Talk to your medical professional about BP checks, EKG, or even a DNA test prior to creating a training routine for general fitness and for prep training to attempt anything like climbing a mountain or running an obstacle race, or even for something as easy as jogging.

When I made the decision to take on the 5 day Marangu route up Kilimanjaro, it was based on knowledge I obtained online, my training methods, and a gut feeling that it was appropriate to my level of fitness and that of those who joined me on the trek. Turns out it was the right route for us as a fitness team. We all four agreed that it was the most difficult thing that we had ever done, but because we conditioned our bodies using the HOTWORX training method, we were ready for the challenge of KILIMANJARO CARDIO!
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SO the trek begins in a few hours. We leave our hotel which is literally down a dirt road in the middle of nowhere between the town of Moshi and the giant Mt. Kilimanjaro here in Tanzania. The hotel itself, Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel, is pretty nice, though, and with excellent customer service.

Looks like I’ll have to improvise a bit since KLM Airlines lost my main duffle bag. At least I have my hiking boots!

All of the 3D Training at HOTWORX is about to be brought to bear and put to the test on the 5 day climb. The route we are set to take is the Marangu route which has a 27% summit success rate. We have a good team and we are ready and feel very honored to be a part of this Hike for Heroes.

I want to give a big shout to Jerrid Geving and Sacred Mountain Retreat Center working wonders in the Black Hills of South Dakota for wounded veterans and first responders! This is for you guys and the incredible work that you do.

There is still time to support this cause as we are raising funds based on each foot that we climb from sea level to the top. A dollar per foot to the top is our goal, and whatever amount we can raise, HOTWORX corporate will match that amount!!! Let’s all do what we can for those who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom! Please click here: https://gofund.me/b250a78a

I’ll have a summit recap next week! 👊🔥

I always refer to the HOTWORX 3D Training Method as active recovery. I actually call it a “recovery workout” in conversation a lot. I hear it from customers as well.

One HOTWORX member posted this to her Instagram recently @cupcakesarenice:

I was tired of exercise that made me hurt. It seems counterintuitive that you should be in constant pain to get healthy, right? HOTWORX keeps me healthy and in shape while letting me live a PAIN FREE LIFE. It is a real game changer.

I can say that for me, it has been a game changer too. From snow skiing to paddle boarding and climbing mountains, it has been the pain free way to train for activities that I like to do, and to keep fit in general.

Myself, representing HOTWORX as CEO, and three others, Jeremy Harwell-my training partner and franchise performance coach for HOTWORX, Victoria Price-corporate executive and franchisee of HOTWORX and John Carlton-franchisee of HOTWORX, are headed to Africa this week to climb Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Sacred Mountain Retreat Center (SMRC). Our marketing department has dubbed this trip “Hiking for Heroes” as SMRC provides recovery to our nations wounded veterans and first responders. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY!!! If you wish to support the cause please visit GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/b250a78a

I mention the Kilimanjaro climb because it is super relevant to this article. All four of us used the HOTWORX training method of no impact and infrared absorption to get ready for the trek. Infrared absorbs into the skin and accelerates the workout recovery process, which is why there is way less soreness. You don’t have to crush your body to prepare for an event like climbing a mountain, or even for a social event that requires, for example, losing weight for a wedding. For the athlete or for general fitness, Isometrics and HIIT are perfect zero impact workouts that work well inside of an infrared sauna to deliver fast results and minimize the probability of pain.

In addition to the customer’s comment above, I would note that the HOTWORX method has always been based on a ZERO impact workout design. When you can get your intensity level and heart rate to the training zone that is necessary for fitness without doing damage to your body, then it is a win for pain management as well. It’s a workout recovery WHILE you are working out!

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I’ll be 59 in March and I want to continue snow skiing and climbing mountains for as long as possible. With that in mind, I know from personal experience the best way to keep the action going is to practice infrared training for fitness. Physically, I feel as good as I did in my 20’s, but it takes work to maintain. I incorporate infrared HIIT with cycle or rowing after weight training Monday through Friday, and I add in 2 isometric infrared sessions as well during the week.

Infrared training can extend longevity for activity, no matter your age, young or old and no matter the activity. For me, snow skiing is my go to. I can say that I am skiing now better than ever and I’ve been skiing for 26 years, since I first took a ski lesson at Snowmass in Aspen, CO at the age of 32. When I started training inside of a HOTWORX sauna I immediately began to notice better performance on the slopes.

What is the magic that makes infrared training work so well?

Largely, it is the penetration of non-ionizing infrared radiation into the body while you workout that makes the difference, but the heat generated and the air quality of the infrared environment enhances the training results as well. I write about this extensively in my book, HOT EXERCISE, which is available on Amazon or at your local HOTWORX studio. Here is an excerpt to note:

WORKOUTS IN A hot environment created by infrared heaters yield many benefits beyond the typical hot yoga studio environment, including greatly accelerated workout recovery and detox, along with improved metabolic efficiency. Additionally, the air is much more comfortable to breathe during workouts in infrared heat.

On the other side, away from the UV radiation (to the right of the visible spectrum as depicted by the diagram), the longer infrared light waves fall just outside the visible spectrum. We know that the wavelength of infrared is non-ionizing and therefore does not damage human DNA. In fact, infrared wavelengths can penetrate the skin up to 1.5 inches or more and can provide many positive benefits to the human body. Some of these benefits include:

Detoxification
Improved blood circulation
Lowered blood pressure
Suppressed sunburn cell formation
Treatment for arteriovenous fistula
Improved sleep
Reduced pain and stiffness
Lowered side effects of diabetes
Improved mood
Inhibited growth of some types of cancer cells
Improved motor functions
Lowered nasal inflammation (allergic rhinitis)
Increased rate of caloric burn
Accelerated injury recovery
Improved immunity functions
Lowered stress (1)

I’m not a big fan of the term biohacking, but when you consider the benefits of placing your body in the environment of an infrared sauna for training, then, based on the results, it is easy to see why many fitness professionals describe infrared training as a bio hack. Don’t misinterpret though, this is not an easy way out. Infrared training is a way to get way more fitness results in less time due to a change of environment using technology with the right workout type.

You still gotta do the work!

But, adding infrared to your fitness war chest will increase your longevity for activities. I am living proof.

👊🔥

(1) Smith, Stephen P. HOT EXERCISE. New Orleans. HOTWORX 2020

The breakout year was 2014.

Looking back, it was a year of self discovery for me, but also one of business discovery. It was a year of self discovery due to a change in my personal fitness path. I found yoga, or maybe yoga found me. Either way, I had begun a hot yoga routine called the Bikram method and was determined to get good at it for a way to improve my cardio and flexibility. I had no idea, though, that it would lead me to the most profound business change in all of my entrepreneurial career.

Back then, I had spent the better part of more than a decade as a franchise CEO trying to find a way to break out from an industry that had been decimated by the Great Recession and governmental regulation. I am speaking of Planet Beach and the aftermath of the collapse of the indoor tanning industry. The industry shrank by approximately 80% in a very short period of time. It was a rapid decent…actually, it was a free-fall.

For me, stating it mildly, it was a very difficult time to be a CEO of the largest tanning salon franchise in the industry. It was difficult for all of us in the organization. Fifteen years of hard fought franchise growth had evaporated just like that! We had to downsize our corporate team from almost 100 people to less than 20 in a very short amount of time. But, what doesn’t kill you, or your organization, will make you and your organization stronger, as long as you don’t give up. Those of us who survived the fallout and remained in the organization became tough as nails. I work with that core group every day and am so grateful to be on they same team with them to this day!!

When life throws lemons at you, MAKE LEMONADE!!!

So there I was at the end of 2013, CEO of a franchise that was a fraction of what it used to be. I was back to square one it seemed, and I had been at the drawing board for a long time trying to figure out a way back to growth, but with no luck. It was time to create luck! I needed to find the courage to win again. A shock to my system was way overdue, a cold slap in my face was in order…something very uncomfortable was needed. I thought, “why not do something with my fitness routine?”

Fitness has always been my first love. I’m 58 now. Forty years ago, at the age of 18, I went to work part-time for a gym during my college football offseason and fell in love with the health club culture and business. After sports, I continued my fitness but the routine became just that, a routine of weights and traditional cardio. I needed to cross-train. Fast forward to 2013… I had been stuck in the same training rut for over 30 years. It was time to spice things up and reinvigorate. It was time to face the unfamiliar to me in my fitness, change what I was doing and make a freakin’ move. I needed to do the same in business, but it took a cold slap to my fitness program as an umph to get me out of my business funk.

As an athlete, I knew full well that pain must come first in order to achieve gain. For this former football player and competitive bodybuilder, something beyond weight training and a treadmill needed to happen. I decided to try yoga, but not the traditional yoga, it had to be hot yoga.

It was almost 2014, I was in Miami for the new year, and that is when I walked into a yoga studio for the very first time. Even though that first Bikram session kicked my ass, it instilled a newfound determination into my psyche. From that moment, and to this day, I am a hot exercise believer. So much so, I decided to write a book that I entitled, HOT EXERCISE.

I suppose it was inevitable, as an entrepreneur, that my thoughts in 2014, after taking on a yoga practice, would lead to a yoga business question, which was, “How can this be improved and sold to the public in a different and more beneficial way?”

Hot yoga changed my thinking!

And then came yoga in a sauna…

In August of 2014, myself and a group of colleagues went on a retreat to a magical little place in Negril, Jamaica, The Caves. We just returned from our third trip to the Caves two weeks ago on our Employee of the Year trip, which is what inspired me to write this blog article. Say hello to Leon if you ever go there. Back to the story. It was on the cliff at the exact spot where I am pointing to in the photo, that Jerome, who is pictured next to me, after a long conversation about fitness, yoga, and workout recovery, made the statement, “Dude, they should do yoga in a sauna”.

Enlightened by what he had just said, I told Jerome that I was going to go back to New Orleans and design an infrared sauna for just that purpose.

When you change your thinking, you change your life!

Burn the ships! It was time to take the island! Life would never be the same for me and our organization after that split second in time. I gained certainty in that moment. The big problem had been solved. The search for a new purpose was over. It was time to take massive action on what would become the patented HOTWORX infrared workout sauna.

At HOTWORX, we say that yoga in a sauna is BEYOND HOT YOGA! Indeed it is. In fact, what used to take me 90 minutes to accomplish with hot yoga only takes 30 minutes at HOTWORX! We expanded BEYOND HOT YOGA to include Hot Pilates, Hot Bands, Hot ISO, Hot HIIT and more to include over 10 different workouts for customers to cross-train with.

I tell that story to make this point. You have to understand that business, like warfare, is a game of strategy. Sometimes you go through long periods of retreat and then stalemate to find your way forward. You may have to invent a new product as your weapon for a new strategy to finally break out into the open. I think I heard one of our virtual trainers at HOTWORX say that there is always a breakdown before the breakout. So true.

The one thing that you can take to the bank is that if you think about a problem long enough and hard enough with the intent to find a solution, and if you place your body and mind outside of your normal, or your comfort zone, you will find that solution.

I used to ride a Harley and when I would ride, the combination of freedom and focus on the road made me think of things I wouldn’t normally think of. I was outside of my norm. I experience the same thing with hot exercise. Hot yoga inspired the conversation that led me to a new life. When I train in an infrared sauna I sometimes think of solutions to problems that I wouldn’t think of anywhere else.

I hope my story can inspire others to workout in an infrared sauna. It has been the most positive and transformational change that I have ever experienced in my life. The mental and physical benefits of hot exercise are numerous, but remember this: hot exercise can trigger thoughts that will help you to solve problems, big and small on a continual basis.

Maybe it’s time for you to do yoga in a sauna! 👊🔥

What you see with your eyes is the most advanced form of photo-reception.  But did you know that scientists have recently discovered that humans have light sensor molecules within the body, but outside of the eyes? These light sensing photoreceptors outside of the eyes can be found on your skin, in your central nervous system and in other internal organs.

Your body’s biological clock (which causes jet lag) is determined by these non-visual photoreceptors. Subconsciously, these extra-ocular receptors regulate behavior from exposure to various forms of light such as that of infrared. With exposure to the right wavelengths of light, your skin can assist in transforming light into some very positive benefits. Infrared light is known to be a good therapy for the effects of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). We also know that Infrared light raises serotonin levels uplifting to your mood. A great workout requires a good state of mind and a positive attitude. For that reason alone, infrared exposure during training is a nice addition to your workout environment!

HOTWORX introduced the 24 hour infrared fitness studio franchise to address this need to leverage the fitness benefits of infrared light. The franchise developed its 3D Training Method combining (1) exercise with (2) heat and (3) infrared energy to accelerate workout results and to maximize the positive effects of a fitness workout regime.

Extra-ocular photoreceptor cells play a vital role in maintaining your health. “Recent research with rodents at Johns Hopkins University by Samer Hattar’s group suggests that non-visual pathways can regulate mood, learning ability and even the sensitivity of conscious vision.” (1)

It is well known that plants respond to light exposure through photosynthesis, and now we know that similar responses exist within humans through light sensitive molecules outside of the eye. Your skin can sense whether it is day or night. We all know that skin responds as well to UV light with a defensive reaction known as tanning. Infrared light from the sun and/or from an infrared sauna is absorbed through the skin up to 1.5 inches and trigger many positive metabolic functions.

Here’s another reason to train with infrared. Studies suggest that exposure to infrared light can actually have beneficial effects with collagen and can counter UV damage to the skin.

If you haven’t already, you should introduce your photoreceptors to infrared while you train this year! Your fitness program will thank you.
👊🔥

(1) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/seeing-without-eyes1/

It’s a new year, it’s 2022. Maybe this year should be the year to make detox a priority. Your body is invaded daily by harmful substances known as either toxins from natural, organic sources or toxicants like air pollution which are human made. There are two ways to rid your body of harmful toxins and toxicants, (1) working out, and (2) consuming a sensible diet. The best way to attack these poisons in your system is a consistent practice of infrared training and a proper diet.

If you allow toxic waste to build up within your body, over time it can lead to insulin resistance and many other negative reactions.

Did you know that retention of fat from over-consumption of calories can cause a toxic waste buildup in your body? When you take in more calories than you burn, you will build up excess toxic substances that remain in your system slowing your metabolism and causing disease over time.

I like these quotes from Dr. Mark Hyman in one of his blog articles:

“In the quest to conquer the two biggest epidemics of our time—diabetes and obesity—we’ve got to turn our attention to the heavy burden environmental toxins put on our bodies…If your body’s detoxification tools aren’t up to snuff, waste will build up. Overtime, the damage is similar to what happens when trash collectors go on strike and don’t pick up the garbage off the streets. The waste piles high, making the neighborhood smell bad and creating a breeding ground for illness.” (1)

A personal detox strategy is a must for 2022! Make it a one, two punch of infrared training + proper diet.

The simple first step is to lead with an infrared fitness program now. HOTWORX pioneered the 24 hour infrared fitness studio making access to multiple hot exercise workout types available to people everywhere. Infrared energy from the workout sauna actually penetrates into the body and works to help burn fat and release toxic substances from your cells. The more calories you burn and sweat you generate during a workout inside of an infrared sauna, the more detoxification you will experience.

Never forget how vital it is to track what you burn off and what you consume! You get what you measure, and when you measure what you do, the truth from the data will make you change bad habits into good habits. Transform your bad habits into good ones this year!

The HOTWORX Burn Off App allows users to track the calories that they burn during infrared workouts, and it now provides an innovative way to track calories consumed while integrated into a rolling 90 day workout and diet challenge.

Change your workout program now for a better detox in 2022! Add infrared to your training to get your workout regime on track first, and then focus on your diet for even more detox. Track everything this year.

To sum it up, the best fitness detox strategy to deploy is one of infrared training combined with a sensible diet. Working out inside of an infrared sauna increases detox in two obvious ways: (1) sweating, and (2) fat burning. The skin is the your largest organ for elimination of toxic substances. Sweat induced from infrared energy absorption is 7 times more effective than sweat induced from traditional saunas. A sensible diet focused on quality, organic foods and one that limits the number of calories to less than what is being consumed (a 10% caloric intake deficit to what is being burned is preferred), will keep the metabolism lean, clean and operating efficiently. Make your commitment to this detox strategy and take immediate action on it!

Detox is a normal function that we can either help or hinder depending upon our positive (or negative) fitness habits! For 2022, choose infrared training for detox and track your diet to enhance the cleansing process within your body.

No need to wait, do it now!! 👊🔥

(1) https://drhyman.com/blog/2012/02/20/how-toxins-make-you-fat-4-steps-to-get-rid-of-toxic-weight/

By now you probably know that HOTWORX pioneered the combination of heat, IR energy and exercise to create the 3D Training Method. The company holds multiple fitness patents, and it is clear that innovation is fundamental to the franchise.

Since the opening of the first HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio in February of 2017, the franchise has introduced many new innovations to the industry including 3D Training with isometrics and HIIT, infrared sauna workouts around the clock including the first ever access to hot yoga 24/7. Countless smaller innovations have also been layered in without fanfare making a huge difference in the studio experience for the customer.

Last week I announced the company’s intention to launch an innovative new update, Diet Trax, (which is now available) to its workout Burn Off App. What I did not expand upon, though, was the fact that Diet Trax is fully integrated into the existing 90 day workout challenge making it the very first offering of its kind for any health club.

The HOTWORX Burn Off App now combines two rolling 90 day challenges (every 90 days a new challenge begins), for (1) 3D Training progress, and now integrated with a (2) diet tracking tool. With the new app update, HOTWORX Sweat Everywhere members can be engaged in a 90 day workout challenge that is 100% in sync with a diet challenge simultaneously. The workout data is automatically populated to the 90 day diet challenge making calorie tracking more convenient than ever before. It’s the ultimate fitness tracking two-for-one challenge app!

The premium level, Sweat Everywhere membership allows customers to challenge themselves in a rolling, in-sync, dual track 90 day workout and diet competition. Until now the highest level of performance was level 6. The ultimate level 7 has now been created to encourage the integration of proper dieting with the HOTWORX infrared workouts.

Training comes first, but proper food intake is equally important and is what will polish off a good infrared workout routine. Both workouts and diet require tools to make them more effective. This is where the infrared sauna and Burn Off App as a tool for fast and efficient workouts becomes vital, and now, for diet there is the Diet Trax nutrition and calorie tracking update as a tool married to the training program to complete the Burn Off App.

No matter the type of diet you practice, from paleo to keto and everything in between, Diet Trax provides the perfect solution for daily tracking to your calorie deficit goal and balancing of macros to keep your levels of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in line with what is best for your body.

You get what you measure in life! 👊🔥

‍

At the end of the day, we all know that a successful fitness program requires two things, 1-working out, and 2-proper diet. Some would debate that one is more important that the other. I fall into the camp that believes working out is the foundational activity followed by a proper diet. Both are equally important to good health, but I would argue that working out must be priority number one. This is why the primary focus of HOTWORX will always be to provide the most effective workouts possible in the shortest amount of time necessary. The workout is where fitness begins. Then comes the diet.

That said…

Have you ever needed to begin a weight loss program but struggled with the vast abyss of nutritional options out there? Fitness dieting doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it works much better when it remains simple. The math of weight loss is easy. You lose weight when you take in fewer calories than you burn off. All you need is consistency and a reasonable path to follow, and one that is sustainable over time.

Over the years of fitness that I have experienced, I have discovered that the most effective long term approach to dieting is to follow the 10% calorie deficit rule. What is that? Simply put, if you consume 10% less calories than you burn off each day on average, you will lose weight and shed fat in a sustainable way, and it will become a part of your fitness lifestyle. You can turn into a lean, fitness warrior machine if you take this approach. I am a believer in this because I do it myself and I have watched countless others achieve fitness success with this method.

What you need is a great app that keeps you on a 90 day challenge, is tied to your workouts, and helps you to track your daily calorie burn and calorie intake with a succinct and readable dashboard. The dashboard needs one main calorie progress bar and three supplemental progress bars for macros. The macros bars should let you see how well balanced your nutrition is in real time. We designed a great dashboard for Diet Trax! Diet Trax is your 90 Day Diet Challenge that is in sync with your 90 Day Workout Challenge. By the way, did you know it takes 90 days to form a good (or a bad) habit? Diet Trax will help you to form a good diet habit!

Diet Trax is a simple diet tool to compliment your training sessions, and one with technology that auto-syncs with your workout data too! For those studio goers who want to up their game to the ultimate level, HOTWORX will release this fitness tool to the market next week on January 1, 2022.

Now ready and on schedule for launch, this BURN OFF APP upgrade is the latest addition to the HOTWORX premium membership plan, Sweat Everywhere. Diet Trax and the ultimate fitness Level 7 will take your fitness where it has not gone before. Level 7 is for all of you fitness warriors who are chompin’ at the bit to jump start the new year.

Proper dieting depends on the fitness goal of the individual. However, there are some basic truths that cannot be denied when it comes to your nutritional intake. Most people struggle to maintain their most ideal fitness weight. For the vast majority, ideal weight requires weight loss and maintenance once the goal has been achieved.

In a world where people seem to change diets as often as they change socks, success can be found in consistency and simplification. I’m reminded of a scene in one of my favorite movies, Contact with Jodie Foster. Foster’s character, Ellie, was called to testify before congress, and in that scene one Senator used the term Occam's razor to make an argument that the most simple explanation tends to be the correct one. The website, merriam-webster.com, defines Occam’s razor as, “a scientific and philosophical rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.” (1) Most of us just call this the KISS principle, aka keep it simple stupid. Dieting advice has been “multiplied unnecessarily” for sure. Let’s stop the madness.

Diet Trax makes it simple again. The key to losing weight is easy math. When you consume less calories than you burn you will lose weight. There is no need to complicate this. You just need a tool for consistency and simplicity. Diet Trax integrates the data from HOTWORX workout calories burned with an advanced daily diet tracking log to allow users to view progress towards the goal of a 10% deficit of calories consumed to calories burned throughout the day and pursuant to a 90 day diet challenge that is in sync with a 90 day workout challenge. You get what you measure in life!

There you have it, the keys to fitness success…simplicity, consistency and measurability.

You get all three with the HOTWORX BURN OFF APP and the all new Diet Trax.

👊🔥

(1) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Occam%27s%20razor

Two weeks ago, Dec. 7 marked the first year anniversary of the official publishing date of my first book, HOT EXERCISE. My original intent for the book project was to provide the franchise and the public with a comprehensive guide to the brand and all things relevant to infrared fitness training. As I have travelled around the country to HOTWORX studio locations for book signing events I have had the opportunity to listen to customers, franchise owners and staff members who confirm that HOT EXERCISE is delivering on that purpose. 

I remember when we opened the very first HOTWORX location only four years and nine months ago. It seems like a lifetime in terms of location development, but back then, customers would come into that first studio and would look around at the rows of workout saunas with an expression as if they were staring into the future. It still happens like that all around the USA and at our international locations in Ireland and Australia. 

When we set out to launch the HOTWORX franchise with that original location in Oxford, MS, we stated a goal to have 500 locations open within our 5th year of operations. We didn’t really think about how advanced the workouts were or the level of innovation we were bringing to the fitness industry table, we focused on how to get faster and more efficient fitness results through technology for our clients, and that remains our number one focus today. Then, and now, we know that laser focus on client results will be the reason we reach our initial 500 open location goal. Every day we work towards that goal, if for no other reason, because we believe that it is possible! We know that we can get there if we continually provide our members more than what they bargained for. We are on track to hit that goal and open the 500th location in 2022!

Not too long after we launched the franchise, I began to envision a book to help explain the purpose of HOTWORX. The title of the book came to me as soon as I made the commitment to the book project. Shortly thereafter, I also imagined the subtitle. HOTWORX truly represents, and in fact created the “Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier”.

So, as it turns out, through our mission to create a better way to workout, we discovered this new fitness frontier. Some people may call this luck, I would opt for a Tony Robbins quote, “The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.”

Another quote I live by is this one from General Patton: “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” My book would have never been completed, much less published, if I had waited for the perfect timing or an “adequate” level of information. You have to TAKE THE FIRST STEP into the abyss and keep moving, otherwise you will sit on the sidelines and watch others do it. Wouldn’t you rather be in the game? I would rather be on the field and running plays with an innovative playbook. 

When I made the commitment to the book and then finally, after over a year of writing, had compiled a VERY rough draft of a manuscript, I found myself at an impasse. The draft lacked a logical flow and cohesiveness, and I knew that I really did not have a very well organized table of contents. There was no logical structure to the manuscript. I soon realized that I needed to learn what I needed to know. When you hit a wall like that, the first thing you have to do is admit what it is that you are ignorant of. I knew that I needed book structure, but I lacked the expertise to make it happen. I needed a coach! 

In that moment I turned to the internet and found a website that offered book authors a list of qualified editors who specialized in every aspect of book development. That was it. I needed to hire a coach for an author, an editor! The name of that website was reedsy.com which I highly recommend to indy book authors like myself. 

I hired a developmental editor who happened to be from the UK. She was awesome, and a well seasoned book editing veteran. It was what I needed at that moment in time. After that, my book project was finally on a track to the finish line. The moral to that story is, learn what you need to know when you need to know it!

I am forever grateful to all of the folks who have purchased the book and who help to spread the word of how fast and effective the HOTWORX fitness training method is. I’m happy to report that the book, in its first year, has remained in the top 50 and has ranked as high a #8 as a Best Seller in the Business Franchise category on Amazon.

For those who are new to HOTWORX, I want to welcome you all to the Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier. 👊🔥

Click here for a copy of HOT EXERCISE.

I hear from HOTWORX members who are athletes and those who are average fitness enthusiasts all the time who tell me the same thing. They tell me about how energetic and cleansed they feel following an infrared training session. The reason for this feeling is due to the exposure to infrared energy during the workout. Far-infrared radiation penetrates the body up to 1.5” and stimulates cells into action, thereby detoxing and rejuvenating the body and brain.

Infrared is a form of radiation, but don’t let that scare you. Infrared radiation is a non-ionizing (will not alter DNA) energy from light. Light travels in waves and it is largely the length of the wave that determines the response that humans have to exposure. Out of all forms of radiation, far-infrared (FIR) has the most beneficial impacts for humans with zero negative effects. I like the descriptions below from Livescience.com:

Infrared radiation (IR), or infrared light, is a type of radiant energy that's invisible to human eyes but that we can feel as heat. All objects in the universe emit some level of IR radiation, but two of the most obvious sources are the sun and fire. (1)

The shorter "near-infrared" waves, which are closer to visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum, don't emit any detectable heat and are what's discharged from a TV remote control to change the channels. The longer "far-infrared" waves, which are closer to the microwave section on the electromagnetic spectrum, can be felt as intense heat, such as the heat from sunlight or fire, according to NASA. (2)

Infrared light, or IR, is an invisible form of radiant energy. It is interesting to note that everything in the universe emits IR. Humans emit IR. Obviously, in our solar system, the main source of IR is our Sun.

Within the spectrum of light, IR is positioned at the end of red visible light and ranges all the way to the microwave area. IR varies in wavelength beginning with the shorter near infrared to the longer, non-harmful and more penetrating FIR light.

“The longer, far infrared wavelengths are about the size of a pin head and the shorter, near infrared ones are the size of cells, or are microscopic.” (3)

The patented HOTWORX workout sauna utilizes an IR heater design and configuration that emits 95% far-infrared energy and 5% mid-range IR for clients during workouts. This is important for heat generation and for better absorption through the skin.

Add some energy from light to your workouts. Ride the wave of the FIR workout movement! 

👊🔥

(1) https://www.livescience.com/50260-infrared-radiation.html
(2) https://www.livescience.com/50260-infrared-radiation.html
(3) https://www.univie.ac.at/geographie/fachdidaktik/FD/site/external_htmls/imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ems/infrared.html

Before I began practicing the HOTWORX 3D Training Method, my workouts were, well, boring and less effective. It was nothing special. There was no unique method. I would lift weights and either run outside or use a treadmill in the gym for cardio.

Back then, I remember always being a bit winded when I was on the slopes for snow skiing. After I began HOTWORX workouts inside of the infrared sauna, I have never been winded on the slopes again. The 3D Training Method results have been stellar for me. I ski like crazy now and never seem to be tired or out of breath. The X factor is the HOTWORX training method utilizing isometrics and HIIT. Among many of the benefits of this type of training, there is also the consistency aspect of the method itself that guides the user into a high level of focus in the workout moment.

The most important thing for any workout is FOCUS. There are a million different ways to do a workout, but there is only ONE workout that matters and that is the one you are doing right now. Make it count. This necessity for focus is where a training method becomes important. A focused training method is the best path to great results. A well developed method creates a mindset for focus and consistency.

I am always amused at the folly of, let’s call it workout schizophrenia. Some trainers simply cannot find it within themselves to focus on a method. They are all over the map and even self righteous about it. At HOTWORX, we know that the training method is everything. HOTWORX training method combines a very structured use of isometrics and HIIT inside of an infrared sauna to deliver fast and effective results. There are thousands of 5 star reviews out there from customers who validate the HOTWORX 3D Training Method.

The data speaks volumes. For HOTWORX the number one reason a customer will leave a 5 star review is the workout method. It’s the workout that drives customer satisfaction. Over 50% of the comments in the thousands of raving reviews is about the workout! I always see comments like, “Best workout ever”, “It’s so fast and the results are amazing”, and, “I never sweat so much before”.

When we peel back the layer to see what is behind that level of positive validation, what we find is the integrity of the workout method! A training program that is all over the place never works well. Just like everything in life, and especially for fitness, discipline and consistency always delivers the greatest results.

Winning in business requires the same discipline and consistency. In the case of the HOTWORX franchise, and for the same reasons that other successful large brands like Starbucks, uniformity is vital. As CEO of HOTWORX I am a freak about maintaining the integrity of the brand and in particular, the discipline and consistency of the workout method! Sounds like common sense, right?

The reality is, some people may never understand what it takes for a team, or a brand to win. A franchise is both a brand and a team. Over the years I have come to understand how important it is to know that franchising requires teamwork. The franchisor is the coach with the playbook, the franchisee is the player scoring the points by executing the playbook.

In fitness, a franchise will never reach a world class level without a consistent, and well executed training method that is delivered on point to the brand standards and in unison by the franchise owners on the field of business operations. A stellar training method that is uniform and consistent across all locations delivers the goods for the customers.

The training method is without a doubt the most important part of the winning fitness playbook!

👊🔥

What does it mean to endure?

The simple answer to that question is to last. The best fitness programs pay attention to endurance. The Dictionary.com definition of endurance is:

Noun:
1-the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships, etc.
2-the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina (1)

The body and the mind can become more durable through fitness. Endurance is durability!

Professional athletes have used extreme environments such as altitude using mental toughness to force their bodies to acclimate so that when they return to a more normal field of play their performance is much greater.

Look at it this way. Baseball players use weights added to their bats when they warm up on deck before stepping up to the plate. Of course, they do this so that their swing is more powerful when the weights are dropped from the bat. The same logic is applied when heat is added to a workout environment. After an infrared workout, when returning to the familiar, you will notice how everything in the normal world is easier! Infrared training is your weighted bat preparing you for a better swing in real life.

Infrared training is a proven way to build mental and physical endurance. Placing yourself into a workout that forces you to acclimate to an out of the ordinary environment builds endurance more efficiently than training in an air-conditioned weight room or studio.

Here’s a real life example of building endurance with infrared heat acclimation. Before I began training in HOTWORX infrared saunas I would get winded when snow skiing. It wasn’t long after I started training in a sauna that I noticed that I was not winded anymore on the mountain. The X factor was the HOTWORX 3D Training! It helped me to build a high level of endurance for the slopes.

Beyond the heat acclimation, training inside of an infrared sauna favors endurance training because it naturally enhances your ability to focus. Better focus yields more workout intensity. The enclosed sauna environment and the soothing infrared absorption is very advantageous for the mind to body connection which requires high levels of awareness. I talk about this in my book, HOT EXERCISE. Here’s an excerpt:

Envision high levels of focus and determination just before your workouts. Rid your mind of daily stress and focus on your workout. Never forget that the workout environment can make or break the mind/body connection.

One of the reasons we created the HOTWORX® workout sauna was to provide a tool to help workout focus. Inside the infrared sauna, the setting is private, intimate, and designed for no more than three clients. With the infrared energy and heat at 125°F, enhancing the ability to be present at the moment for all your workouts, your training sets will be more engaging. Your mental connection with your body movement in these small-group training sessions will always be higher than that of open, air-conditioned workout rooms packed with too many people.

In summary, fitness programs should pay special attention to the build-up of mental and physical durability for clients, and the combination of mental focus and acclimation to beyond normal workout environments is the key to building endurance. Training inside of an infrared sauna like that of the HOTWORX patented workout sauna provides fast and effective endurance training results.

The next time you go to the gym, think about endurance. Think your training to a higher level. Ask yourself, “Am I focused on building up my ability to outlast any tough situation?”

Train for a mind and body that is built to endure! 👊🔥

(1) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/endurance

There are moments in life that leave and indelible impression upon a persons psyche. Some people refer to these as seminal moments. These types of moments plant a seed in our minds that change us forever. These moments can be positive or they can be negative, but we have a choice as to how we use them. You can always turn these moments into a positive force for fitness and for life.

When I was a student at Ole Miss I was a typical junior in college somewhat torn by the question of what my major should be. I settled for political science. I’m a news junkie, so that major did fit, but at heart I’m an artist. If I had it to do over again, because hindsight is 20/20 of course, I probably would have majored in art. I did take 9 hours of art classes at Ole Miss and each of those three classes taught me things that I have carried forward in my career to this day. I find, in business, that some of my most enjoyable discussions are those that involve art in the form of marketing and brand symbology.

So here is a story from one of my college art classes that gets to the point of this article…

It was 1984, half way through the semester on this spring day, and I found myself seated at an easel along with about 20 other art students in Drawing 111. The studio classroom was located in Ventress Hall, an old, red brick building built in 1889 that looks like a castle. At that time Ventress Hall was home to the Art & Art History Department of Ole Miss. The building stands next to The Grove on campus.

When the art teacher came into the room on that day, she said to all of us, “Class, today we are going to learn perspective.” Then she said, “Now, I want you all to take your pencils and place a dot on the center of your drawing pad.” So we all proceeded to do just that. When we were done, she went straight to the point with this statement: “Now class I want you to never forget that all perspective flows from that one point of origin!” My life would never be the same again after she said that. My view of life had just been altered. The way I looked at everything shifted. Her statement was more than just a lesson about how to draw, it was a life lesson.

Here it is, 38 years later, and I am still telling that story. It changed my philosophy on life in that moment. Since that time, I think about perspective, point of origin, and the “why” in everything that I see. Everything has a point of origin and if we can focus on the why, then we can break through to another level of understanding, and motivation.

It takes something profound to forge a mental tectonic shift. It takes a powerful statement, along with an exercise and an image to leave such an impression. It was the point of origin statement from the teacher along with the motion of drawing the dot, and then looking at the dot itself to create that life changing moment for me.

What does this have to do with fitness? EVERYTHING!

Fitness requires movement. Movement requires motivation. Motivation requires a spark, a moment that moves you, a point of origin that makes you take the first step…a WHY! This is the reason a training environment must be filled with encouragement. This is why HOTWORX uses wall imagery of fitness professionals encouraging you to take fitness action, otherwise known as motivational posters! A well done motivational poster can evoke a response for fitness like the one life changing experience in my art class. A shift in your fitness perspective might be in order.

Find your workout point of origin!

Remember, it takes a statement, an image and action to create a change of mindset! Find the right studio. Take the action and DO the workout.

Change your fitness perspective.

Change your life 👊🔥

I’ve written on several occasions about the importance of scheduling a future event as a training motivator for your fitness program. There’s nothing that will get you moving more than looking forward to a trip to a far away place that involves a bucket list activity.

Maybe it’s a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, or a hiking trip to Machu Picchu in Peru. Whatever it is, near or far, make it motivating to you!

In the case of myself and my training partner, Jeremy, we decided to plan the climb of a legendary mountain. We thought, why not climb Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa?! Mt. Kilimanjaro is also the 6th tallest mountain in the world from the Earth’s core. The shorter route to the top takes 5 days and that is the route we will trek beginning this December 10th. This route has a 27% success rate to the summit. It will be a challenge for sure.

We decided to add even more of a reason to make the climb by turning it into a fundraiser to benefit Sacred Mountain Retreat Center in South Dakota. Sacred Mountain is a very special place for wounded warriors and injured first responders to find therapy and solace on their route to recovery. HOTWORX donated two workout saunas to their weight room a few years ago and has been a supporter of the retreat center since that time.

We will be testing our infrared training for sure on this mountain, but we are determined to get to the summit for our warriors and first responders! Our goal is to raise $1 per foot to the summit which will amount to $19,341 as a donation to Sacred Mountain through this fundraiser. Maybe we can raise well beyond that amount by the time we get to the top! If you want to join us in the fund raise to give back to our freedom fighters, you can click on this link:‍

https://gofund.me/b250a78a‍

You might be interested in our weekly training routine to see how we have been preparing for the climb. Here’s how it looks:

-Weight training each body part per week 7:15am including Monday-chest, Tuesday-back, Wednesday-shoulders, Thursday-arms, Friday-quads, hams, calves.

-Hot HIIT (high intensity interval training) 5X week 8am immediately following weight training. Usually Hot Cycle Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Hot Thunder on Wednesday and Friday.

-Hot Isometrics (yoga, pilates, warrior) 2-3X per week in the evening. Hot Bands in the evening or during lunch every other week.

You might have expected a more ballistic type of training routine for prep to climb one of the tallest mountains in the world, but I am living proof that high level training can be accomplished with ZERO impact workouts like that of HOTWORX. There is no reason to wear out your joints and bones as you prepare for such activities. Zero impact works well for athletic training just like it does for general fitness.

One of the most difficult things that I have done was to climb to the top of Camelback in Scottsdale, AZ at mid-day in August with rock temperatures toping 150º. I can attribute my ability to reach that summit to the infrared training I practice at HOTWORX! 

Jeremy and I will now apply the HOTWORX training method to Kilimanjaro.

Elevate your fitness!

Let’s do this 👊🔥

I often compare brushing teeth to working out.

Why?

To answer the why let me ask another question. Would you skip brushing your teeth in the morning? I would hope that all of us would answer with a resounding NO.

We are taught as a kid by our parents to never forget to brush our teeth each morning. We were taught this because our parents knew that germs can cause tooth decay if not taken care of by cleaning with a tooth brush and toothpaste every day. Our parents helped us to form a very healthy daily habit.

Unfortunately, for the most part, we were not taught to lead an active lifestyle though. Just as your teeth will decay if neglected, so will the rest of your body and mind if neglected. Why are we not teaching our kids to lead an active lifestyle with the same urgency that we are teaching our kids to brush their teeth? The oral cavity is only a small part of the body.

Imagine how healthy we could become as a society if our kids were encouraged to stay active daily in the same way they are taught to brush their teeth. And, what if a kid was taught to practice fitness at a young age in order to form a daily habit for their entire body and for their mind? This is at least as important, perhaps even more important than our daily routine for our teeth!

So, again, what does toothpaste and your workout have in common? A good fitness routine is a habit just like brushing teeth. You should always be in competition with yourself to get better. Getting to a better version of you calls for creating winning habits. The great Vince Lombardi taught us that winning is a habit. 

Win the battle of you v. you!

You’ve likely mastered the skill of protecting your teeth for quality oral health, but what about the rest of your body? Consider your workout to be the “toothpaste” for the rest of your body. A great workout can cleanse your body from within through detox and can make your stronger so that your body lasts longer. A great workout can also detox your brain and make it more resilient to keep you sharp as you age. But working out is not a “sometime” thing. It has to become a habit. Find a workout routine that is gets you results and make that workout a habit.

Speaking of results, your workouts can be even more effective in less time when you train in an infrared environment like that of HOTWORX, a 24 hour infrared fitness studio franchise. 

There are no excuses for neglecting the rest of your body and the health of your brain. Brushing your teeth in the morning should be the reminder that your workout is required as well for the day. Make your workout a daily win for yourself!

I’ll wrap up this blog post with the full Lombardi quote:

Winning is not a sometime thing, it’s an all time thing.
You don’t win once in a while: You don’t do things right once in a while.
You do them right all the time. 
Winning is a habit!

                    Vince Lombardi

Remember that quote every time you put toothpaste on your brush and clean your teeth. Apply the winning “toothpaste” principle it to your fitness program. Show up and do the reps because it is a daily winning habit.

Excellent fitness requires the formation of a good habit like brushing your teeth in the morning. Form a winning workout habit!

👊 🔥

Every Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. sharp our corporate team meets in person at the office training room with others who work from cities around the country on video to kick off the week with a “corporate voice” meeting. At the end of that meeting I like to tell my franchise team to go out and “CRUSH IT” for the day or the week in business. Workouts should be attacked with the same fervor for optimum results. But, there are ways to attack your fitness routine that are smarter than just brute force repetitions.

You can crush your routine without having to beat down on your body from constant high impact blows. Known as ballistic training, or jump training, this form of plyometric movement is one way to crush it, but the long term result could be very crushing to your body. Unless you are a professional athlete competing in a sport that requires jumping and running, the results you are looking for do not require you to workout in that way. I like to snow ski and climb mountains, but my training is 100% low impact, and it serves me very well for those two sports. Now, at 58, I feel like I am in better shape for those outdoor activities than I was in my 30’s. I credit that to my training at HOTWORX.

If your goal is to be the most fit version of yourself, then think about the long term effects from your training. Think about the quality of your life 20 years from now. What will the effects of the workouts you do today be over time?

Find the right program for longer term fitness so that you can do the same things you’re doing in your 20’s and 30’s when you are 60. Plyometrics over time could wear down your knees and lower back! Crush your workout without crushing your body.

Train intelligently!

The smart way to train is to practice zero impact repetitions. Add infrared energy and heat to that and you will double down on your results too.

No doubt, the smart way to crush it in fitness is to get the most from your workout during the time you are in the gym without aging your body prematurely. The best way to do that is to train in an infrared sauna.

Training should enhance the longevity of your body, not the opposite.

HOTWORX popularized infrared sauna training with the advent of “yoga in a sauna”. Yoga and other isometric forms of exercise inside of an infrared sauna can easily provide clients the ability to reach their appropriate level of intensity and heart rate without the pounding on the knees and lower back and all of the other joints in the body. In other words, HOTWORX workouts allow the customer to crush their workouts without crushing their body! 👊🔥

Four years ago, in the early stages of the HOTWORX franchise development, when I would write about the effectiveness of infrared training and the massive sweating and detox that occurs inside of the sauna, I was met with with resistance from some of the leaders in the traditional yoga circles. The yoga experts swore that sweating was only good for cooling the body temperature and that no Detox occurs. These were the non-hot yoga leaders, of course. Even in the face of mounting research and evidence to the contrary, they stuck to that line. We know that detox does indeed occur from sweating and infrared induced sweating causes a 7X increase in detox. Research confirms this.

Common sense confirms it too. Sweating is good for you. One of the ways toxins and toxicants are removed from the body is through sweat. Sweating provides a cleanse from within. The most efficient and fastest way to a good sweat is from working out in an infrared sauna.

I wrote about detox in my book. Here is an excerpt from HOT EXERCISE Chapter 8 - HOTWORX for Detoxing:

“SHERRY ROGERS, MD, author of Detoxify or Die, has this to say about toxic substances and detox:

“Studies now confirm that diet and environmental chemicals cause 95% of cancers. Since the far-infrared sauna is the safest, most efficacious, and economical way of depurating stored toxins, this makes it a household necessity.”

I remember seeing a newsfeed declaring, “1 in 6 deaths on the planet are linked to pollution.” My first thought was, How shocking, and my second was just sadness. We are destroying our environment and killing ourselves in the process. When I searched to find that news story, I discovered the Lancet Commission on pollution and health. From the Lancet Commission report, I learned that pollution causes more disease and premature deaths than any other thing in the world today, including 9 million premature deaths in 2015, a full 16 percent of all deaths for that year! This was three times more than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria and 15 times more than all forms of violence including wars.”

With the amount of pollution in the air we breathe, the liquids we drink, the items we touch, and the food we eat, all of us need to have a detox plan. Why not elevate your detox while you’re getting your workout?

Upgrade your fitness. Train in an infrared sauna for more sweat and greater detox!👊🔥

As a business professional, over time I have come to view the generally accepted method of creating a corporate mission statement as flawed. I’ve learned that the best mission is one defined out of the results that customers experience when they use an exceptional product. The mission primer is an excellent product and/or service.

I believe that the products and services should speak for themselves. A well designed product comes first. And, because of that belief in product first, as an entrepreneur and as a CEO my highest priority is to create products and services that give fitness customers what they need in an effort to save them time and to create for them a higher quality of life. Then, to that point, the product is released into the market and then the chips will fall where they may.

At the end of the day, a product IS WHAT IT IS, and it will speak through the customer as to whether it is good or bad.

In the case of HOTWORX, our main product is the workouts. We let the workouts do the talking! Then we listen to the product through the voice of the customers. We may not hit it out of the park every time, but that is always our goal. When we need to adjust based on the feedback, we do so and keep moving forward.

Great products create great movements and the movement defines the mission!

A cause that evolves out of the gathering of like minded people is the most powerful mission there is. I call this a de facto mission.

The term De facto means:

“Something generally accepted or agreed to without any formal decision in its favor.” It is an adjective meaning: “in fact; in reality” (1)

In other words, a de facto mission is a purpose created in an organic way. In the case of HOTWORX, the de facto mission sprang forth out of the customers who delighted in the use of the innovative 3D Training Method which involves the use of exercise combined with a heat and infrared energy environment. The results for customers was and is amazing. Early on, it was very evident that they were getting much more out of their workouts in way less time than the trips to the other more traditional health clubs.

Many large and small businesses waste so much time, spending countless hours in meetings to create a contrived and lengthy, often esoteric corporate mission statement. And then, they go so far as to require their staff to memorize it. Sound old school?

An authentic, organic mission is the best way to ignite everlasting passion in a product or service! The language of the products and services will speak through the words of the customers who use them. If the designers have done their job, then the products and services will scream through the masses in the form of a multitude of 5 star ratings! This should be the goal. This is a grass roots approach opposed to the old school management in the sky method. When the product speaks in this way, then the true mission of the brand can be understood by management.

For HOTWORX, the true mission presented itself through the results that members were experiencing. What they experience is MORE WORKOUT in LESS TIME. Organic, and out of the customer base, a de facto mission statement materialized for HOTWORX…

MORE WORKOUT, LESS TIME!!!

(1) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/de-facto

I just read an article that reported the 2020 ranking for the obesity rates of all of the USA by state. The highest obesity rate was 39.7% for the worst state, Mississippi, and 24.2% for the best, Colorado. Even the best is terrible though.

How can 24-40% of the state populations be obese? How did we get here? What will we do about it?

The wrong mindset it what got us here! The question is, can America change the collective complacency of settling for things the way they are?

We all know of the many health risks that are associated with being overweight. And, now, the current pop trend is promoting a belief that it is ok to be overweight. I hear it in the culture all the time. It’s like America is doubling down on obesity now in the name of “it’s ok to be comfortable with your body”. What does that even mean? Is it ok to be overweight? We all should be looking for ways to step outside of our comfort zone, and step into fitness results!! I’m sorry but it takes a little pain today to have strength tomorrow.

So, nowadays you have to show a vaccination card to eat at a restaurant, but it’s ok to gorge yourself with giant portions at that restaurant 🤨.

These days, when we consume way more calories than we burn off, well that is ok somehow, because it’s acceptable to be less concerned and less active as long as we are “comfortable in our own skin”. Where I come from we call that a cop out! Can we please lose the “everyone gets a trophy mentality”!? It’s time for America to realign its collective mind! Let’s focus on a more active and higher quality of life.

It’s NOT ok to be overweight! In fact, it is way more deadly to be overweight than the risk of dying from COVID over the long term! In the last three years approximately 900,000 have died in the United States as a result of obesity. It has been an ongoing epidemic in this country for a long time! Sad.

“According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, close behind tobacco use. An estimated 300,000 deaths per year are due to the obesity epidemic.” (1)

It’s not easy. I get it. We all go through periods of weight gain that we need to address…

The key is to measure what you do for your fitness in terms of the calories that you burn and the calories that you consume. It takes a daily commitment to tracking calorie burn and calorie consumption! Learning how to do this is easy and there are apps that can help. HOTWORX is developing a great new addition to its Burn Off App that will allow customers to track calorie consumption in great detail and in an easy to use way. More to come on that soon…

The calorie tracking is the easy part. What is difficult is the commitment to remain consistent, and the execution thereof. If you want to be healthy, it takes a striking moment of mindset realignment! A new training seriousness is in order.

I find that the best mindset for fitness performance is that of a warrior…a fitness warrior!

One of the best ways to burn more calories is to train like a warrior and to workout in an infrared sauna. I know it may sound daunting to those who have never tried it, and it does take a few sessions to acclimate your body and mind to such an extreme environment…but the results are worth it.

Take on the fitness warrior mentality!

Summon the inner warrior that exist within you. We all have it. It just needs to be discovered. When you realign your mind to a warrior mentality, you will achieve great things in fitness.
👊🔥

(1) https://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/obesity/mortality.htm

Working out is like brushing your teeth. You have to get it done! If you fail to brush your teeth they will decay. If you fail to work out the rest of your body will decay! I like to use a motorized toothbrush because it is more effective than an old school brush. It cleans more thoroughly in the same amount of time than the old manual brush. I like to get the same effectiveness with my workout time as well.

Gaining more effectiveness with any task is always smart…

The smart way to train is to get the most results possible in the given amount of time you are at the gym. When you add heat and infrared energy to the workout environment you can 3X your gym time effectiveness. We call this 3D Training when the elements of heat and infrared energy are combined with exercise. Training in a 3D environment accelerates detox and burns more calories in less time, not to mention the fact that your muscles are actively recovering inside of an infrared sauna while you workout. Now that is a smart routine. I can never go back to the days of working out in an air conditioned gym and the drudgery of a treadmill. I prefer to work out in full color, if you will, not black and white. Give your training more perspective. Add more dimension to it.

HOTWORX goes beyond the 3D training though when it comes to a smart workout…

The HOTWORX training method uses a zero impact approach with programming that incorporates yoga, pilates, bands, barre, and other creative forms of isometrics along with cross-training options using HIIT with cycles and rowing for no impact as well. It makes good sense to reduce the probability of injury with zero impact exercise. And, it’s easy to gain the appropriate level of intensity when you train with infrared at 125º.

Training with the use of an exact schedule, heartbeat data that can be managed with with your smartphone and virtual trainers who start on time and instruct with the same level of energy and proper form is also a very intelligent way to do a workout!

To sum it up, it’s always best to train hard but your fitness will skyrocket when you begin to do a smart workout in conjunction with the physical effort!

We opened our franchise convention this year in San Antonio with 800 in the audience and another 300 watching online. Right after the national anthem which was sung by our brand ambassador, Rachel Bradshaw, we presented a big reveal with fog, rock music and a curtain drop to unveil Jeremy, Victoria and Virtual Instructor Ashlee B killing it to the beat under the spotlights with the most unique fitness rowing machine on the planet!

It has been a journey to get to this point with a rowing machine that would fit in the HOTWORX infrared fitness saunas, and one that would be different and more effective for hot exercise. I researched the world over to find a rower that would work for the franchise, but never could find the perfect one. I knew that it had to be a water rower because customers want to feel like they are actually rowing like in a boat on the water. The problem was that no model would fit properly in the sauna and they all had the same single water tank and restrictive single cable rowing handle that required both hands to do the same exact motion. To me that was not really rowing. Fitness rowing needed to truly emulate rowing a boat. I imagined also that we could design a new rower that would solve both of those problems and that is exactly what we set out to do almost 2 years ago. 

By adding dual water turbo tanks, changing the traditional belt system to cables and adding swivel handles as hand grips with two swivel top and bottom pulleys in the front, we were able to change the game for workout rowing. Below you will see the first design that was submitted to the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office drawn to fit perfectly inside the sauna:

The design and drawing was the easy part. Finding the right manufacturing partner, not so easy. Getting to a working prototype, not so easy. The manufacturing process can be very messy and nail biting even. I’m a person that believes impatience is a virtue because sometimes we veil procrastination as patience. I must admit, though, getting a new machine invention to market definitely does take some patience, but with hard and fast deadlines! 

After many prototypes and many engineering iterations later, we finally got to a working prototype. Here’s a funny story that happened when we received the second round of prototypes from yet another manufacturing partner. One of our awesome franchise operators from Houston, Michael Abdouch and his wife Darlene came to New Orleans to meet up with a few of us for dinner, but the day they came into town, I also wanted Michael to give the prototype a try. Michael is a fitness fanatic and I would say a rower aficionado. He hopped on one of the prototypes, and being the power rower that he is, he broke the cable pulley system within the first 30 seconds! It was a bitter sweet moment because I felt dejected that it broke, but it let me know exactly what we needed to do to fix the problem permanently! Failure is merely another lesson as long as you never give up!!

That was just one of the many manufacturing hurdles. The executive in charge of the “Thunder Row” development, Victoria Price, tackled each of the challenges head on to deliver finished and fully functional units on schedule and ready for the big reveal at the convention.

I’m very pleased to announce that the new rower invention is now patented! It took a year and half to obtain the patent. I consider that fast compared to the four years it took to obtain the sauna patent. 

My Instagram post yesterday @hotworxceo read as follows:

Thursday I received an email from our IP attorney informing me that the patent for the Thunder Rower was allowed by the USPTO! On the same day we also received another patent for a fitness product that we will reveal at a later date…stay tuned for that one. That makes three patents for fitness devices that are now owned by the company. Innovation is key!

Look for the newly patented “Thunder Row” machines and the innovative new workout associated with them, HOT THUNDER coming soon to a HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio in your area 👊🔥

We can all agree that time is a valuable commodity. Time is money, right!? If time is money, then it certainly has value when it comes to how time is spent with your workouts. Why not get more from your workouts in less time? That makes total sense to everyone for sure.

I was inspired to write about the quality of time this week because I spent the first four days of the week in New York City doing market research with the new franchise ownership group who was recently awarded 10 licenses to develop HOTWORX locations throughout Manhattan. With a town square named “Times”, you know you’re in a city with a culture that values the use of time. For that reason, we believe that a fitness concept with a mission to make better use of time for its members will be a hit with New Yorkers. The de facto mission of HOTWORX is to provide MORE WORKOUT in LESS TIME.

I have received many comments on social media from members who have moved to the Big Apple, and from those who live there and simply can’t wait to have a HOTWORX in New York City. One former customer from our original location in Oxford, MS sent me a message on IG stating that, “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for Hotworx to come to NYC!!!!” I suspect that there are many other potential customers like her who will love the MORE WORKOUT, LESS TIME approach to infrared fitness in New York City.

I like to call it the Big Apple Project. 

It began with a husband and wife team who were awarded multiple HOTWORX licenses for another state. Soon thereafter, I was approached by them about their idea to form a franchise ownership group for Manhattan in New York. Then, in August the group came together to invest in 10 franchise licenses for HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studios to cover the Manhattan market. There were two new partners who came into the project, one a very successful NY investment banker, and the other an expert fitness trainer and NY real estate professional. Both of the two new partners to the Big Apple Project have lived and worked in Manhattan for many years. I can say firsthand that this team has great chemistry and a lot of brain power. This core group will do very well in Manhattan!

NYC is a place where time is always of the essence and the energy level is always very high. I love the fast pace of the city and the get it done attitude. To that point, I actually wrote my book, HOT EXERCISE, with an underlying theme of how to get more done in less time as it relates to fitness. Here are a few excerpts from the book introduction:

TIME IS PERHAPS the most valuable commodity we have in life. We might even go as far as to say all human advancement is the result of an effort to improve the quality of time…

The bottom line is most of us want to live longer and have a better quality of life. Goods, services, and experiences that maximize the use of our precious time will always be in demand…

The HOTWORX® Infrared Training System, known as 3D Training, is the result of time quality evolution, too. It is the perfect fitness method for the modern world, and it addresses those four things that people demand from their fitness programs. As you will see when you read through the rest of this book, it makes a lot of sense to combine heat and infrared energy with exercise to achieve the most efficient workout possible.

Welcome to the bold new infrared fitness frontier!

Infrared brings another dimension to the fitness table. This is the dimension of energy absorption as a new workout room component. Now people can add components of heat and exercise with infrared energy to the fitness experience for three times the results!

For a deeper dive on how to accelerate your fitness results with maximum time efficiency, you can grab a copy of the book on Amazon where it is a bestseller in the small business and franchise category, or you can find one at your local HOTWORX studio.

Accelerated infrared fitness is coming to the Big Apple soon! Be on the lookout. 👊🔥

It began with a great workout…a workout like no other…Athletic Yoga in an Infrared Sauna! In the beginning we described it as “Beyond Hot Yoga”. It will always be about great workouts for our clients so that they can experience spectacular results!

We opened the first HOTWORX location on February 13, 2017, just four and a half years ago. This past Friday, on the 10th of September, our Franchise Recruitment Department closed on the 1000th location license. The brand is poised for explosive growth now with over 210 locations open and close to 300 units in the active opening pipeline, and another 490 in the early stages of development. This momentum will enable HOTWORX to achieve its goal of 500 locations open in its fifth year which will happen sometime in 2022.

This is by design. Before we opened the first location we set out to launch the new brand with a goal of 500 open locations in our fifth year. Countless hours of thought and planning went into the franchise launch. The corporate team galvanized around the strategy and set out on a rapid development course with a mission to deliver fast, convenient, and effective workouts to our studio members. The mission to provide MORE WORKOUT in LESS TIME sounds simple, but the actual process of creating a new franchise is very complex and requires a team of executives who are devoted to the cause.

I am amazed sometimes when I listen to the whining from former associates to businesses who either quit or were fired or otherwise released from their duties who fail to understand what it really takes to grow a franchise to a certain level of momentum. If you want loyalty from the customer, you must give loyalty to them first!

Health clubs, and professional trainers, sometimes fail to place the client at the top of the pyramid. It is the member of the studio who should be exalted! Without them the instructor would have no-one to teach. It is the customer who creates the purpose for the fitness instructor and not the other way around. The instructor is there to illuminate the path, not to shine the light on themselves!

Even the greatest product in the world would never gain traction without a core team that is loyal to the customer mission above themselves. We look for virtual instructors who are more concerned with their clients, and HOTWORX customers, than they are about promoting themselves. For HOTWORX, It will always remain 100% about the great workouts for our members.

It is the franchise organization of long term players and not short term takers that makes the difference in building powerful business momentum. A core team of franchise executives who have banded together for a long term common cause will always outshine and outperform hired guns who are in it for themselves.

When a solid team is given the right product at the right moment in time, then business magic happens. This is the case for HOTWORX. The core franchise organization was in place already and then they were presented with a stellar product idea that they rallied around, and those who made the cut with the organization have given 100% to get the brand to this most remarkable milestone of 1000 licenses granted.

This next year will be one of FOCUS.

In fact the theme for our 2022 franchise convention will be FOCUS. A dedicated team, combined with incredible levels of focus on the customer is the secret sauce. Those who focus on themselves over the customer will never make the cut!

The FOCUS has to remain like a laser on the development of great training sessions in support of great franchise locations that deliver MORE WORKOUT in LESS TIME to the customer base. If HOTWORX can continue to do this, then the recruitment of the next 1000 locations may come even faster than the first!

As focused fitness professionals, it’s the mentality of MOMENTUM and RESULTS that achieves great things for CLIENTS FIRST, and then for the business!

Here’s to the first 1000!!!

👊🔥

I always like to say that people can always do more than they think they can do. I believe that. I’ve seen it in action so many times with myself and others. I know that there is always one more rep within when I am working out, and when I am working.

There is always a higher level of performance. What seems to be impossible is possible when we put our minds into focus on turning the “not possible” into a “what if” or a “I think we can do this” set of ideas. And, the first good idea always begets another. When you access your inner warrior mentality you can power through to the next level!

Negativity can kill productivity, though. It’s like a cancer and it will grow if it is not cut out with a knife! Positivity is your knife. Get rid of the negative thoughts. The positivity of possibility is the cure for any negative situation. Rip away the negativity and focus on the solution. The key is to say to yourself and, then to your team, “we will do this, and we will get it done by this date”. Once that declaration and commitment is made, then the magic of “how” it will be done begins to unfold.

HOTWORX is a fitness company born out of a process like that and the corporate team as well as the customer base is also a reflection of just that sort of attitude. Prior to the creation of the HOTWORX concept, our sister brand Planet Beach was our only concept and the one that we built the organization upon. Since the founding of Planet Beach in 1996 as a tanning salon franchise we have weathered many crises as a New Orleans based company including Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill, the Great Recession and imposition of a federal excise tax on indoor tanning that cratered the industry. Recently, we powered through the global pandemic and now another hurricane just ripped through New Orleans as a major category 4. But we survived all of those events with pure grit and through the power of positive critical thinking to emerge from all of that a much stronger franchise company than ever before.

Call it an attitude or call it a mindset, but in critical moments you need to summon your inner warrior. The energy of that mindset can bring you from the brink of failure back to a positive decision making moment. Be the warrior. Choose to win!

We experienced a few of those critical moments this past week while we were dealing with the aftermath of yet another crisis, Hurricane Ida. I usually take a vacation in August and this year was no different. I was on a vacation in Europe back in 2005 when Katrina hit New Orleans and had to take an emergency flight back home via Houston. This time I was on a vacation in Mexico when the cat 4 Ida slammed into south Louisiana. History rhymes, as they say, and I found myself once again getting back home via Houston, and renting a truck to drive into the war zone.

While I was still in Mexico on Monday, the day after the storm, we were able to gather most of our employees onto a video meeting at 8:30 a.m. for a roll call to check on the safety and whereabouts of our team of storm refugees. All week we held the 8:30 roll call meetings to reconstitute the organization and to keep on trucking through the aftermath. I witnessed some amazing accomplishments this week in response to the crisis. Our franchise recruitment team held a virtual orientation day on Tuesday just as scheduled and our warehouse team managed to find a way to ship out a substantial number of franchisee orders for the week from a warehouse with no power and no shipping companies available to pick up the goods. Where there is a will there is a way!

With our employee recruitment efforts we look for team members who want to win. It’s the attitude that makes the difference! Our team is resilient because we hire winners who want to excel.

We also look for customers who want to win. In fact, our corporately stated target customer is a 30 year old gainfully employed female who wants to discover her inner warrior! We call her “Eileen”. We focus all of our marketing energy to please her as our ideal customer. This does not mean that the target is the only audience that we attract, though. What happens when we target such a specific group and strive to delight them? In addition to our ideal customer base, we then attract customers from 18 to 80 who want to discover their inner warrior too!

It all boils down to who you choose to hang out with as a company. We choose to surround ourselves with those who want to discover the power of their inner warrior!

This is my third year in a row now to travel to Tulum, Mexico which is considered to be one of the world’s top yoga retreat destinations. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a vacation that involves fitness. While I did enjoy taking the different yoga sessions, I soon began to wish that I had access to a HOTWORX yoga session down here. I prefer the 30 minute sessions and the athletic style of HOTWORX Hot Yoga as opposed to the 1 hour to 90 minutes of non-heated yoga. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone!

The faster paced, 30 minute athletic style yoga provided by HOTWORX suits me best. It’s more intense, faster, safer, and more effective for those reasons and for the fact that you are practicing yoga inside of an infrared sauna at 125º F. The intense zero impact approach to cardio is a safer, more productive method for the modern fitness enthusiast. Today’s fitness customers want faster results with less chance of injury.

Speaking of evolved yoga styles, read the excerpt below from my book, HOT EXERCISE:

No offense, but the days of Richard Simmons–style workouts have long passed. In the modern world, customers want more than old-school aerobics. People want more out of the time they have for fitness. People want more, and fitness professionals have responded with new and better workouts! Companies like HOTWORX® have responded to this demand with more efficient workout tools and routines.

As a result of this new fitness reality, the discipline of yoga has made a tremendous leap forward into the mainstream of the industry through many expanded methods and styles. One such method is a more fitness-oriented, athletic style of yoga.

As stated by wanderlust.com, “Yoga has shifted from being a form of physical therapy to being straight-up exercise.” Modern yoga forms such as that of HOTWORX® deliver more of a “Namaslay it” approach to yoga, giving clients therapy- and athletic-style exercise.

HOTWORX® yoga was created to meet the demands of the 21st-century fitness customer who wants “more workout in less time.” HOTWORX® Hot Yoga incorporates a fast-paced, athletic style with active-recovery (due to heat and infrared energy) training sessions for beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts alike.

If you are up for an evolved version of yoga, then you should plan to give yoga in a sauna a try. HOTWORX invented yoga in an infrared sauna, with a more athletic approach so that clients can obtain more workout in less time.

NAMASLAY IT👊🔥

Did you know that exposure to the energy of infrared light can greatly improve your circulatory system? It is well known that working out can improve your circulation by strengthening your heart and pumping blood faster through your body, but when you add infrared heat to the workouts your circulation can improve even more.

Research tells us that far-infrared exposure greatly elevates nitric oxide production in the body. This increased level of nitric oxide causes the relaxation of blood vessels. Practically every cell type in the body produces nitric oxide. It is considered to be one of the most important molecules for vascular health.

Nitric oxide is a vasodilator. The relaxing of the blood vessels causes them to widen to allow for more blood flow and a lowering of blood pressure.  As a vasodilator, this intra- and extracellular signaling molecule relaxes the inner muscles of your blood vessels, causing the vessels to increase in width.

HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio franchises utilize a patented far-infrared sauna system for client workouts. Far-infrared radiation, which is non-ionizing and, therefore, a good form of radiation, produces thermal and non-thermal effects on the human body. These positive effects include increased arterial blood flow, reduced blood pressure, capillary dilatations, and an overall improvement in blood circulation. We know about the stimulation of nitric oxide production, but all of the reasons why far-infrared produces these effects is yet to be fully understood. What we do know is that it works very well to improve the circulatory process.

Additionally, as demonstrated by research and not commonly known, infrared energy improves the blood flow to your bones.

According to one such research project…

“The results of the present study show that infrared radiation remarkably improves intraosseous blood circulation, and these effects continue for at least 30 minutes. It is, therefore, suggested that infrared radiation can be used as a measure of thermotherapy in some bones to improve intraosseous blood circulation.” (1)

Healthy bones require efficient blood flow. Blood flow to the bones supplies the necessary nutrients and oxygen, as well as performs the vital function of removal of metabolic wastes, acids and carbon dioxide.

Good circulation is vital to your health. A consistent practice of infrared exercise should become a permanent part of your weekly fitness routine.

(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10487033/

After recovering from climbing Camelback Mountain in the outdoor infrared and under the Phoenix midday sun last week, I noticed an incredible rejuvenation of my entire body. With a calorie burn of 2600 calories you could say that I compacted nearly two weeks worth of gym workouts into that one 3 hour and 20 minute session on the mountain. It was intense, but the result was well worth it.

I thought I would be more sore from that climb, but, due to prep from the infrared sauna training at HOTWORX I powered through the recovery very well to my surprise. I can tell you that weight training and the infrared cardio sessions seemed much easier this past week resulting from that experience too.

Workout intensity is so important. There is only so much that can be accomplished with a just doing the reps, or going through the motions approach. It takes a mind over matter mentality to go to the next level of intensity though.

That climb proved to me once again how important it is to push yourself to what your real “best pace” is when working out. When you do go there, you will be surprised at the gains that you can make in a short period of time. You can reverse the physical tendency towards entropy for a period of time and make substantial gains rapidly, even at my age of 58!

The point is, don’t do just enough to maintain. Don’t just go through the motions. Yes, showing up to the gym is half the battle, but you have to take on the other half of the battle too. Give a little extra next time. Find the energy and fight the good fight!

Though we may never defeat the force of physical entropy, we can certainly improve our longevity and quality of life if we choose to do battle against it every day.

Entropy is the degradation of something from order to chaos. It has been said that entropy is one of the few concepts that provides evidence of the existence of time. Over time things break down from order to chaos. This process can be stalled.

The intensity of our fitness programs will help us to fight back entropy and preserve the order of our physical bodies. We are living longer as a species because we are bio-hacking our way into a better future. The use of infrared training in the battle against entropy is one such bio-hack. An understanding of our physical battle against entropy can help to promote a longer, and healthier experience as we live out our time on this planet.

Stephen Hawking in his book, A Brief History of Time, states that, “The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.” (1)

Over time, the order of a healthy human body degrades to the chaos of a lower level of health and eventually death. We can’t escape this but we can find ways to increase the quality of our workouts to fight back entropy. One such way is through an infrared fitness program. Without a doubt infrared creates a more intense workout environment, and intensity is your offense against entropy.

Maintaining and improving physical fitness requires an input of energy from an outside source. Energy can be obtained from dietary means, infrared stimulation and from mental focus on a physical goal. In the case of hiking Camelback, water and electrolytes with simple carbs provided the dietary means, and an absolute focus on getting to the top of the mountain provided the energy drive to keep moving towards the goal. The outdoor absorption of infrared from the sun provided an additional cellular stimulation.

So there it is. Diet, movement and a goal. This is the battle plan against entropy as we all do what we can to live longer with more quality of life.

So, wake up and make your bed. Begin your first step of the day with self discipline . Don’t let your day begin with chaos.

Entropy can get the best of businesses too. Without the input of outside energy from new products and new customers a business will succumb to the force of entropy in the same way that a complacent human being loses form and becomes out of shape.

The only way to stay “in shape” is to fight the force of entropy with intensity!

(1) Hawking, Stephen W. A Brief History of Time. New York, Bantam Books, 2017.

I am a firm believer in using vacations as motivation for a fitness program. When you purchase the plane ticket and reserve your hotel room with a deposit, then there is no turning back unless you want to lose your money. “Burn the ships,” right?

I like to plan trips around some sort of physical activity. I do this because when you have a vacation goal that involves a fitness activity or something physical to accomplish, then your weekly workouts will have more meaning, and therefore, you will get better results! Go for that vacation bucket list activity, then get in the infrared sauna and train for it.

If I go to Cabo, I take at least one day and devote to paddle boarding from the beach to the iconic El Arco rock formation at the very tip end of the Baja Peninsula. When I travel to Colorado, or some other ski destination, of course I will snow ski every day. As I am writing this blog post, I am in Scottsdale, AZ the day after an incredible hike to the summit of Camelback via the Echo Canyon trail.

I considered this hike a training and conditioning opportunity for the Kilimanjaro climb coming up in October. I had no idea, though, the level of difficulty of the Echo trail. The taxi driver took me to one less difficult trail first that was closed (apparently due to the extreme heat), and then he took me to Echo Canyon which was open but with only a few people actually hiking and not too many cars in the parking lot. When I got to the entrance of the park, the ranger came up to me as I exited my ride to give me advice. My driver handed me an extra water bottle (thankfully) and then the ranger proceeded to say to me, “Hey, you know you picked the worst time that you could possibly do this, right?” And then he went on to tell me about a person that had died on the mountain just last week. The ranger then wished me luck and gave me electrolyte powders to mix with the water bottle.

Without a doubt, I never would have been able to scale to the summit in the mid-August Phoenix heat without my 3D Training at HOTWORX. The infrared sauna workouts acclimate the body for extreme environments. Also, the cardio and endurance conditioning was a great prep for the climb. Turns out that the extra water and the extra electrolytes beyond the Gatorade gummies that I had packed was also part of the difference that allowed me to get to the top in mid-day, mid-August Phoenix heat. The terrain was mostly boulders that had to be scaled, but the heat was the biggest obstacle. The ranger told me that as I got higher to the summit the rocks would actually get over 150º F to the touch. I saw one guy up there who had full finger gloves on which would have been helpful when grabbing the rocks for balance and leverage.

Earlier that morning I trained legs with some serious sets of extensions and DB lunge walks, but something told me I shouldn’t train calves since I was planning to hike a mountain later that day. Thank God I saved my calves for the climb.

As I got to the end of the first “tourists” part of the climb (about a quarter of the way up), the make shift steps, the handrails and the safety fence ended and it was 95% boulders and rocks from then on. If found it useful to have small objectives of reaching a spot with some shade for a break. The shade was very limited so I would look up, see a bush with a little shade and climb until it got to that spot for my workout intervals on the way up. I can tell you that it was one of my best HIIT workouts ever with 2566 calories burned on the climb up and down!

Fortunately for me, earlier that day I went to a sporting goods store and found a great pair of Adidas hiking shoes that performed really well on those boulders. I also purchased a camelback backpack with a water bladder with a zip pocket for electrolyte gummies. The 3D Training prepped me physically and mentally and the hydration and electrolytes gave me the energy to accomplish my goal.

No matter what your vacation fitness activity goal might be, I can assure you that it will make your weekly pre-vacay workouts more powerful and you will feel amazing when you get to the finish line on your trip. 

Five minutes of bliss at the top makes it all worthwhile!👊🔥

I set out on a mission to write a book a three years ago that would explain infrared fitness from the history to the science through the lens of how we provide this service at HOTWORX franchise locations. The book was officially published on December 7, 2020 and the audible version was released shortly thereafter. I’m happy to report that the book recently reached top 10 status on the Amazon Best Seller list for the Small Business Franchise category.

HOTWORX is a franchise based on the business of getting clients exponential fitness results. The mission is to provide more workout in less time, and if customers can achieve their very best results at the franchise location, then the profits to the business are sure to follow. This is a customer centric, end user first philosophy!

It was natural that a book was to be written about infrared training and how a results driven philosophy is deployed by a company like HOTWORX. Thus HOT EXERCISE, the book about infrared training was published. Below is an excerpt from chapter 2:

The Infrared Factor

WORKOUTS IN A hot environment created by infrared heaters yield many benefits beyond the typical hot yoga studio environment, including greatly accelerated workout recovery and detox, along with improved metabolic efficiency. Additionally, the air is much more comfortable to breathe during workouts in infrared heat.

Infrared was discovered in the early 1800s by astronomer Sir William Herschel, who noticed radiation when he used a thermometer to measure the temperature of the invisible parts of the light spectrum. Since that discovery, and with the application of electricity, entrepreneurs have been working to monetize infrared. One of the first widespread uses of an infrared application was for heaters that were used to cure the paint of military equipment during World War II. Toward the latter part of the 20th century, infrared saunas began to gain popularity as an alternative to the traditional convection heat saunas for personal therapy and relaxation.

Then, in February 2017, HOTWORX® introduced the first 24-hour infrared fitness studio. The HOTWORX® workouts are shorter because good results can be obtained more quickly with the incorporation of heat and infrared energy into the workouts.

The word is getting out, due, in part, to the publishing of the book! Everyone should be privy to the information and have an opportunity to experience the amazing results that HOTWORX members are achieving through the use of 3D Training with exercise in the heat combined with infrared energy. Heat + Infrared Energy + Exercise constitutes a 3 Dimensional approach to training. 3D training can yield fitness results far beyond that of a traditional approach. The proof of this can be found in a quick scan of what customers have to say in the reviews that they post online. Here are three such reviews:

“It is by far the BEST workout you will ever have. It works out every part of your body in 30 minutes and you burn 2x the amount of calories. My Doctor weighs me ever week and checks my muscle mass in 3 weeks I have gained 3% muscle and lost 4%fat. What other workout can say that?”  Monica - Las Vegas, NV

“I absolutely love HOTWORX! I have never seen results so quickly with any other workout I have done. Seeing results so fast has also encouraged me to keep going and not giving up!” Nikki - Marrero, LA

“The most amazing workout ever.”  Adrienne - Dallas, TX

If you are looking for exponential fitness results on a tight schedule and you want to learn about the benefits of infrared and 3D Training, grab a copy of HOT EXERCISE and then head over to a HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio.

We just left an amazing franchise convention in San Antonio, TX this past week. It was great to finally get the company together in person again after two years. The theme of the convention was “Power” and I made the point in my opening “State of the Company” address that power requires motivation + energy. For that reason, everything we do with the HOTWORX concept is done with motivation + energy in mind. From the convenience of the 24/7 availability of hot yoga and many other workout types to the array of encouragement posters on the walls of the studio (even the image on the vending machine encourages action), motivation and energy are front and center for the customer. Repetition of message is necessary to create actions towards good workout habits. Your habitat can determine your habits! Place yourself in a great environment and you can expect a great outcome.

Just before the convention, our Director of Marketing for Franchise Performance, Laura Valenti, handed me a book to read called The Culture Code. The book has an enlightening passage that reminded me of how important emotions are to the retention of information. The author states that, “emotions create a series of mental connections (I call them mental highways) that are reinforced by repetition”. (1) A fitness studio should evoke positive emotions in a way that encourages the pursuit of personal energy for personal power! In fact, the entire studio should be a culture factory of encouragement and empowerment for energy and action. Words and imagery matter. They should be presented in an unforgettable manner and in a way that moves people to take positive action.

Motivation and energy are useless without action!

Did you know that training in an infrared sauna actually provides for absorption of energy from light while you workout? Infrared is a form of energy from light and it penetrates the skin up to an inch and a half while it vibrates cells of the body into metabolic action.

When you combine the power of positive mindset energy with the power of energy from infrared light workout magic can happen. This magic is not an illusion though. This workout magic is in the form of compounding results. Why stay in the old world of two dimensions (heat + exercise) when you could experience the energy and the exponential results of three dimensional training (heat + infrared energy + exercise)? 

You can quite literally “bring the energy” into your workouts with exposure to infrared light.

Next time you head to the gym think about how important energy is for training. You need the mental energy produced from the environment and the physical energy produced from infrared light.

For your next workout, add some more energy to the equation!

(1) Rapaille, Clotaire. The Culture Code. Crown Business, 2006.

Franchising can be a wonderful business model for delivery of fitness products and services to the customer, who, of course, is the end user. In a perfect franchising world, the customer will never know, at first, that the business is an independently owned and operated entity. In this ideal scenario, the look and feeling of the brand is experienced as ubiquitous in all locations no matter where the member of the fitness studio goes. When the customer comes to develop a relationship with their home location, though, they will soon get to know the owners and the staff of the franchise and will come to understand at some point that it is a franchise owned location of the national, or international brand.

The way it works best is when the franchisor and the franchisee know and accept that they are in a partnership to deliver the highest level of experience possible for the workouts, the concept and the customer service. In this partnership arrangement, based on a franchise agreement, the most effective way to look at it is the franchisor as the “coach” responsible for the business concept and the workouts playbook with the “plays” (much like that of a football game) executed by the franchisee as the “player” bringing superior customer service to the field of operations. This coach/player franchise paradigm works very well in the context of teamwork to deliver awesomeness to the customer. 

In many franchise organizations the franchisor sells products and equipment to the franchisee, and, as is the case with the HOTWORX franchise, this is done to maintain integrity of the brand with respect to patents and trademarks, to streamline the supply chain, and to ensure uniformity in the partnership from the franchisor to the franchisee. This is also done, as in the HOTWORX case, to reduce the monthly royalty fees that the franchisee pays to the franchisor for the right to use the trademark and the system, or “playbook” if you will. That is how the “partnership” works between the franchisor and franchisee. Of course the franchisor needs to make money and so does the franchisee, but it has to be accomplished with the understanding that nothing works without the needs and wants of the end user being met at the highest possible level on a continual basis!

That said, it must be recognized in franchising that there is only one true customer, and she is the end user, period. 

The franchisor and the franchisees together constitute the franchise company. They must remain united together to deliver the goods to the customer. All efforts by the franchisor and the franchisee must be made to understand the customer. The franchise brand must represent who the customer is and the organization must know her so well that the company delivers what she wants before she even knows she wants it! 

This requires brand teamwork.

Teamwork is vital to the success of any fitness franchise location. Again, in franchising it is 100% essential to understand that there is only one customer and she is the end user of the products and services. The franchisor and the franchisee must accept that this has to be the focus point for everything. They can never lose sight of this. When the end user is delighted, then everything else falls into place. Nothing is more important than great results for the END USER who is THE CUSTOMER in a fitness business.

Why do people train with others? What makes a small group of two or three people when training more effective? Why do professional athletes train with a partner, or a one-on-one coach?

People want a more powerful workout.

The definition of power according to Webster’s is having an “ability to act or produce an effect.” (1) Without a doubt, when you workout with friends and family or a training partner, the training sessions will be more intense, and therefore more effective. Thus, workouts are more powerful when you train with others. When someone is there to encourage you to go one more rep or to add weight to the stack, or to hold that isometric ten seconds longer, you are likely to do it, even when that trainer is on a screen. When there is a virtual trainer and people with you in an infrared sauna, you can bank that you will get an intense workout.

I can’t tell you how many times either myself or one of my training partners has successfully pushed the other to do more while cycling in the sauna, or other infrared workouts that involve things like a wall sit! It happens every time I train with a partner. It’s just a fact that you train harder in the presence of another human, even if they aren’t your official training partner and they are just there training next to you. You perform at a higher level when you are in close proximity to people.

Why is this true? The first answer is accountability. A training partner (or just another human next to you) will up the accountability of your fitness game. Your partner will not want to let you down, and vice versa, when it comes to showing up for workouts and when it comes to workout performance of the reps and completion of the entire sessions. Humans naturally want to do their best when around others in a fitness session. The second answer is fun. It is more fun when you train with others. When a workout is fun then it will be less of a grind. Why not make trips to the gym more fun? The camaraderie is what makes it fun. The third answer is accomplishment. The sense of accomplishment is just better when shared as success with others and/or your training partner(s).

So, if your goal, and it should be your goal, is to perform your workouts at the highest level that you possibly can, then you should consider finding a training partner, or two. Training with one or two (any more is a crowd) partners will up the power of your game, guaranteed.

(1) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld

I hear from HOTWORX customers all the time who mention how “energized” they feel during and after their workouts in the HOTWORX infrared workout saunas. I experience this too. So, why does this happen? Energy makes power, so let’s explore the power of infrared energy.

Most people associate heat with infrared and rightly so, but what most do not realize is that infrared (IR) is a form of radiation, a non-ionizing, good for you type of radiation. Not all radiation is bad. In fact, 50% of the planet’s energy from the sun is infrared. But, what does this radiant infrared energy do to your body to make you feel so alive after a workout session in the sauna?

Infrared energy penetrates the body up to 1.5 inches beneath the skin. When IR energy interacts with the cells of your body it excites them which creates heat. It literally vibrates your cells into action. So, the next time you feel the good vibes of the sunlight at the beach, or in the workout sauna, remember what is going on inside your body thanks to IR radiation from the sun.

An infrared sauna recreates the IR experience like that of a day at the beach, and HOTWORX takes it a step further by delivering great workouts in the sauna with IR exposure. Of course, the IR is invisible but the feeling is undeniably apparent.

“Even though infrared radiation cannot be seen by the human eye, it can definitely be felt. Infrared energy is felt as heat because it interacts with molecules by exciting them, causing them to move faster which increases the internal temperature of the object absorbing the infrared energy.” (1)

When infrared energy is absorbed by the photoreceptors in the cells metabolic events begin to fire off. Yes, photoreceptor molecules are found throughout the body and not just in the ocular area. Note that “Photoreceptor cells display the highest rate of oxidative metabolism of all cells in the body.” (2) This metabolic boost jump starts natural processes of the body into action. For example, nitric oxide, a cell signaling molecule, plays a big part in one of these natural processes when triggered. It helps to relax arteries for increased blood flow enabling greater oxygenation. Of course this means faster nutrient delivery throughout the body which provides more energy availability.

And when this happens…

“Having a high metabolism can also give you energy and make you feel better.” (3)

The power of IR energy lies in its ability to accelerate cellular activity which increases your metabolism. When you finish an IR sauna workout your body is metabolizing at a much faster rate than at resting and at a much faster rate than what would be experienced from a traditional, non-IR workout. In this state, your body is highly stimulated from an infrared workout. This is where the feeling of energy comes from.

Now is the time to feel the power of infrared energy with your workouts!

(1) https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Infrared_radiation
(2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/photoreceptor-cells
(3) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-ways-to-boost-metabolism#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1

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With workouts, and life, we reach a certain level of achievement and that is where we remain at times, in the “comfort zone”, if you will. Leaping higher to a new level of performance requires a certain mindset. By that I mean you have to make a commitment to yourself. Make a decision and then execute. If you want to execute, you first have to make the absolute commitment. And what about focus? You cannot break out unless you have a laser focus on what it is you have made the absolute commitment to. This requires you to have a mindset out of the old adage, BURN THE SHIPS!

So, by now you are probably wondering what this has to do with your workout. The answer is EVERYTHING. Breaking out from a workout plateau is at least 95% psychological. It takes the development of a 100% commitment MINDSET. 

The other 5% comes from what you have in your fitness tool box. Infrared cross-training is one tool that can help to inspire higher levels of motivation and commitment to training with variety of workout types to keep things interesting and to cross-strengthen muscle groups in support of whatever athletic endeavor you might have as a base such as hiking, skiing, surfing, etc. 

Recently, I was invited to participate in a podcast episode with the guys from Signal Fire Media in Wilmington, NC. Big thanks to our franchise owners, Danny Richani and Craig Cadogan, and their GM, Anthony Sciscento, for setting up the interview. When I got to the Signal Fire studio I immediately noticed the “Burn the Ships” flag hanging up as seen in the photo with podcast hosts Rob Rens next to me and Matt Mylott next to him. They are great guys who are two of our nations finest Marine Corp veterans. I would call it a very motivating and plateau busting podcast show, for sure! Check it out when you can. “Every day, we set out to demolish the villain of self-doubt” is stated on the homepage of their website, which I encourage you to visit at signalfire.media. (1)

BURN THE SHIPS comes from the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez. When Cortez landed on the shores of the Yucatan to conquer Mexico from the Aztecs for the glory of Spain, he encountered resistance from his men at first. Faced with trepidation from his troops, he began uttering the words, “Burn the Ships” repeatedly. Legend has it that he uttered these words, “If we are going home, we are going home in their ships”. When they burned the ships their level of commitment to the mission was elevated to the extreme, and the rest can be read in the history books.

Most people don't want to do the work! It is NOT the workout by itself that is going to get you over the hump. The workout is merely the activity, but to perform the activity better you have to want to, and that is an activity of the brain, not the biceps. ‍

It's the MINDSET! ‍

Cross-training can help to strengthen your muscles but you can cross-train until you are blue in the face and you can do a different workout every day of your life until you are dead but if you don't make the commitment to break the current pattern mentally, then you will never get to the next level.  And, that is what a plateau is, a failure to go higher. It takes a higher level of commitment. 

When I was in high school and in college I was always in better shape than the rest of the team after about a month into fall practice. This was because I made a commitment to run my sprints all out, as fast as I could possibly run on every sprint. Because I approached it in that way, pretty soon I was in shape, barely winded and standing after a sprint while half of the team was bent over panting at the end of each sprint. The next level is a MINDSET, period. Sometimes I get fired up about a topic and I tell it like it is because I have been there myself. 

You want to climb a mountain? Go freaking do it. You will never do it though if you have a mindset of mediocrity! It takes an all in, Burn the Ships mentality to break a plateau. Plateau breaking is a mental game, Folks!!

Burn the ships that are holding you back from achievement of your fitness goals! Feed your mind daily with positive motivational content. Stop looking back and focus on what you are doing today to blow past the plateau and create the future level of fitness that you want.

(1) https://signalfire.media/

Most gyms open with new equipment, new floors and paint focused on the facility itself. The facility should be awesome and clean at all times but it takes more than a pretty facade to make a home, as it has been said. What it takes to make a gym a home is what happens on the inside to get its members the results they are looking for. This is where a training method comes in. A well defined training method with consistent principles makes the fitness house a home.

The HOTWORX training method has been developed by athletes for the benefit of all fitness seekers. This method is based on three principles: 3D Training, Consistency, and Cross-Training. Let’s breakdown all three. I will take a few excerpts from my book HOT EXERCISE here.

3D Training

Three dimensional training requires an element beyond heat. HOTWORX uses the power of infrared energy that absorbs into the skin up to 1.5 inches vibrating the cells of the body into action for improved functioning with improved metabolism on the inside and glowing skin on the outside.

By combining the elements of exercise, heat, and infrared energy through the use of our patented sauna for each of the isometric and HIIT workout types, the HOTWORX® 3D Training experience provides an array of time-efficient benefits in every single fitness session. (1)

Consistency

It is important to remain consistent with your workout regimen by always showing up to the gym for your scheduled workouts, for sure. But what is equally important, and what most people never think about is the consistency of the actual workout types that they are performing. This is where integrity of workout type choreography comes into play. Many fitness trainers never pay attention to this most important aspect of consistency. Take yoga for example. Some yoga trainers promote a “change your flow or change your postures every time you come in”, and with that, measurement of performance goes out the window! Without a way to measure your performance against your last workout then there is no way to know whether you are making progress! A consistency of flow and postures is vital to progress in yoga, and any other workout type.

“WE ADHERE TO THE fundamental workout principle of CONSISTENCY because muscles strengthen most efficiently from practice through a logical training sequence. Therefore, the choreography and production of each HOTWORX® workout type pay special attention to the consistency of flow and postures for isometrics, and consistency of intervals for HIIT. This is a vital component to provide for performance measurability and to accelerate the progression of strength and skill. Muscles respond to signals and cannot be shocked or confused. Muscle strength is gained through training method consistency.” (2)

Cross-Training

This technique involves the use of multiple different workout types during a day of training or throughout the training week. For example, Hot Yoga might be practiced three times per week and, in addition, a few sessions of Hot Cycle is also performed as well as Hot Pilates in support of the Hot Yoga which is the preferred/foundational workout type for the member. The use of multiple workout types, or cross-training, delivers better results for the member when she practices her love of yoga with more strength, balance, and endurance for the postures.

WE EXPLORED THE POWER OF cross-training for consistent variety in an earlier section and know that we made it a cornerstone component of the HOTWORX® training method when we created the first-ever 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio. As a professional trainer, I knew that we had to keep our individual workouts consistent and familiar to our customers while keeping things exciting for them with variety and options. Cross-training by practicing different types of workouts has been around for a long time, and it can provide stimulation for muscle development beyond just keeping to the same workout type every session. (3)

Find a gym that promotes a solid training method! 👊🔥

(1) Smith, Stephen P. HOT EXERCISE., HOTWORX, 2020.
(2) Smith, Stephen P. HOT EXERCISE., HOTWORX, 2020.
(3) Smith, Stephen P. HOT EXERCISE., HOTWORX, 2020.

Last year, just prior to our franchise convention for HOTWORX and Planet Beach in preparation for my keynote, I decided to analyze our customer ratings and comments to gain a richer understanding of why our studio members give a 5 star rating. My motivation was to develop a lesson to benefit our franchise owners so that they too could gain insights from the reasons why customers love HOTWORX. Armed with this new understanding it was my hope that our franchise organization could then focus and double down on the most important things.

Often, a research project will take the researcher down an unexpected path, and that is the beauty of an unbiased approach to analysis of business data. Seeking the truth may lead you to facts that you did not know existed before and to insights that can be extremely valuable to your business.

What I discovered early into the research was a three part pattern (see pie chart above). It became clear to me that the workouts, the concept and the customer service were the reasons behind why a customer would take the time to give a 5 star rating and leave a comment for HOTWORX. I found that all ratings comments could be placed into one of those three buckets. After analyzing hundreds of ratings from all across the country, north, south, east and west, I then calculated the percentages based on the number of the comments. I am currently updating the same research for 2021.

The most important reason for a 5 star rating was, and is the workouts. More than 50% of the comments were about the workouts. HOTWORX customers love the 3D training, including the virtual delivery, the instructors, the “more workout in less time’, the variety of workout types both isometric and HIIT, and the detox from the incredible sweat, as well as the natural high from the absorption of infrared energy…the list goes on. Many of these comments included statements like “best workout of my life”. It is the responsibility of the franchisor to continue to produce great workouts, and HOTWORX remains committed to this calling.

The next component is the franchise “concept”. Anecdotes such as, “I love that I can workout anytime I want” and “there are so many different workouts to choose from” along with “the 24/7 access is great with my crazy schedule” fall into this bucket at 20% of the data analyzed. The concept is also the responsibility of the franchisor. In the same way that a great football coach is committed to new plays to improve an offense and discipline to execute those plays, a franchisor must bring well timed innovations to the brand and to keep the look and the feel of the studio professional, vibrant and true to the brand identity.

The third item, and the one that is the most important to the profitability of the business is CUSTOMER SERVICE. It was mentioned 30% of the time based on the number of references in the reviews. I grew up in Mississippi, “The Hospitality State” and graduated from Ole Miss, “Where Everybody Speaks”. Because of that I had a huge upbringing based on the importance of hospitality. Ole Miss is famous for the ginormous festivities in The Grove. Tailgating there is truly an art form of Southern Hospitality. Business owners should view customer service as hospitality and as a form of art! There is no best practice that will ever trump CUSTOMER SERVICE. This is the component that is completely in control of the franchise owner and their staff. Obviously, for the HOTWORX franchise, we place the supreme level of emphasis on how we relate to our customers.

HOTWORX views the franchise organization as a team executing a game plan. The franchisor is the head coach and each franchise location is a player. We view each location as a player on the field of operations executing the concept and the workout playbook while putting points on the board through superior customer service. Customer service should always be a proactive offense. Offense scores most of the points, and the points = profits in the game of business.

Execution of the complete pie chart as depicted above is what makes a fitness franchise profitable. It takes all three pieces of the pie to complete the circle of customer satisfaction for a fitness studio. HOTWORX will always strive for great workouts, a great concept and great customer service.
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Last week I had the honor of attending a signing event for my book HOT EXERCISE at one of our top franchise locations in the country, Myrtle Beach, SC. The owners, Monty and Dixie Porter, have done a wonderful job and their members are absolutely passionate about HOTWORX. 

Pictured with me in the photo is Elizabeth Foster who has an amazing story about her journey with fitness. After meeting her and listening to what she had to say, I asked her if I could publish her story in a blog article. Here it is in her own words:

This is Elizabeth from HOTWORX Myrtle Beach. I hope you’re doing well and enjoyed your time at the beach. It was a pleasure meeting you on  Saturday. I saw you on Sunday, too. You looked very focused and I didn’t want to interrupt so I didn’t say, ‘Hi’. You asked if I would be willing to write up my ‘health’ situation/story and how HOTWORX helped me, etc.

Diagnoses in chronological order with treatment:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: rest, clean diet, and B12

Fibromyalgia: Lyrica & Cymbalta, GF diet

Localized Scleroderma: Methotrexate and Plaquenil, topical creams, GF diet

Anxiety & Depression: Cymbalta

Raynaud's: none

Rosacea: clean diet and topical creams, GF diet

Hyperparathyroidism & Osteopenia: removal of large mass on parathyroid gland, increase calcium intake.

I have been dealing with these culminating autoimmune issues for 7 years! My life before was MUCH different. I completed CrossFit sessions several times a week and ran the other days. Shortly after the birth of my son, Brooks, my health started to deteriorate. I couldn't work out without waking up the next morning unable to get out of bed. Slowly, the weight crept and muscle left my body. It seemed like anything I did to maintain or lose weight never worked. My thyroid is healthy and TSH levels have always been pretty stable. 

HIIT training just hurt too much to the point I couldn't walk, walking made me ache for days, and my motivation was super low because of my depression. After my parathyroidectomy in June 2020 I felt relief from CFS.

July 2020 I saw my gynecologist and she told me I had two cysts on my uterus. I solved one health problem only to gain another. So frustrating!

My teacher friend, Carian, started going to HOTWORX in June and would send me informational blurbs about the health benefits to gain from being in an infrared sauna (she knew I was constantly in pain and struggling mentally). Because of Covid-19 and the immunosuppressants I was taking, I was extremely hesitant to go anywhere. As a matter of fact, my husband took care of everything outside of our home (grocery shopping, filling up gas tanks, appointments for our dogs, and taking care of his elderly parents' needs). 

So after much thinking, towards the end of July I decided to give HOTWORX a try with my friend Carian by side. Dixie Porter (with the kindest heart) was amazing and knowledgeable about all things HOTWORX. My free HOTWORX session was Warrior and I haven't stopped going. After one month of time in the infrared sauna, my uterine cysts were gone! I received no hormone therapy and my gynecologist and I both concurred that because of my time in the sauna my cysts 'went away’.

I always tell people that I may not look like I have burned 130,000 calories in less than a year, but I have TONS of non-scale victories!

I have been medication free for 5 months!! I do NOT take medicine for ANY of my autoimmune conditions, fibromyalgia, anxiety or depression! As a matter of fact, my scleroderma is in remission! When I visit my rheumatologist and endocrinologist (Medical University of SC), we talk about my symptoms (not just test results) and the time I spend in an infrared sauna. They all echo what the research says about infrared heat and agree that my time in the sauna is leading to my health success and improvements. 

I can't say enough about the relief I feel from my fibro pain. Do I still have flares? Yes, when I skip the sauna! But they aren't anywhere as bad as when I was taking medicine to control pain.

AND I can walk without feeling pain the following day. I can do HIIT exercise (in the sauna) and get out of bed the next day!

Thank you for listening to my story and for using your knowledge to create something that has and can benefit people in many different ways. I am so thankful because I am now able to come home from a long day of teaching and play with my son and cook my family dinner and do all the stuff a mom wants to do! Take care and be well!

Elizabeth Foster

I can write blogs until I am blue in the face about the benefits of infrared training, but they will never be as powerful as what you just read. The most rewarding part of my job is when I visit our studios and hear of the transformational fitness results. 

As franchise owners, we are in business to make money for sure. But, when you can generate revenue by providing a good service at a fair price, and offer something that can greatly improve the lives of the customers that you are there to serve, then it all makes sense.

Thanks so much Elizabeth for sharing your story. Keep “earning the burn” over there in Myrtle Beach! 👍🔥

As a follow on to last weeks blog post, I want to expand on the term “power” as it relates to fitness. Fitness programs are more powerful when the mind and body are in sync. The world’s greatest athletes have mastered this, and we can all master it. A better understanding of how our mind controls our actions will lead to more results from our workouts.

The brain is the launch center for body actions. Or, the power station, if you will. Here’s how it works:

“The brain’s motor system is contained mostly in the frontal lobes. It starts with premotor areas, for planning and coordinating complex movements, and ends with the primary motor cortex, where the final output is sent down the spinal cord to cause contraction and movement of specific muscles.” (1)

Of course, mental direction and the responding movements all happen within the same physical body. Here’s some food for thought…perhaps a better way to describe the connection of mind and body is the awareness of body/mind singularity and not a division that needs to be connected!

When an athlete achieves greater mind/body awareness, then movements become automated like a machine with more accuracy and speed. At this level, actions become auto-responsive when necessary, and this is the level where greatness can be achieved in fitness. 

It takes FOCUS to remain in a heightened state of awareness during your workout, but it is well rewarded with better form, better breathing, more flexibility and greater intensity. More awareness of the mind as a part of the body will yield greater fitness results, guaranteed.

I find it easier to practice awareness of mind/body, or mind within body, when I train inside of an infrared sauna. This is yet another benefit of infrared to add to the list. There is something about the environment inside of a HOTWORX sauna that can be noticed when you enter, and it immediately takes you to another state of mind. The best way that I can describe this is it reminds me of walking out to the beach on a warm sunny day. 

Absorption of infrared energy has been proven to improve mood, alleviate depression and has been used effectively to treat SAD (seasonal affective disorder). I find that when my skin begins to absorb the energy of infrared, that my mental state immediately turns more positive, and that positivity leads to greater mental clarity.

Training in an infrared environment fosters mind/body awareness!

Again, the awareness of mind within body helps to sync the two as one for better performance in fitness. The next time you go to the gym make an effort to “bring it” with more focus and thought. 

Think mind-within-body while you train and soon you will become a powerful automatic workout machine! 👊🔥

(1) https://theconversation.com/how-our-brain-controls-movement-and-makes-new-connections-when-parts-are-damaged-63520

Your personal “power” is important to your fitness! That said, let’s dig a little deeper to understand what power really is.

The short answer to the title of this article is that the power of something, whether mechanical or natural, is the measure of what that thing can do in a certain amount of time. I am intrigued by this because I am a believer that time is the most valuable commodity we have. How we use time determines our trajectory in life. In physics, power is defined by the equation below:‍

Power = Work divided by Time, or P=W/T‍

“The standard metric unit of power is the Watt. As is implied by the equation for power, a unit of power is equivalent to a unit of work divided by a unit of time. Thus, a Watt is equivalent to a Joule[unit of work or energy]/second. For historical reasons, the horsepower is occasionally used to describe the power delivered by a machine. One horsepower is equivalent to approximately 750 Watts.” (1)

For example, a car that has an engine rated with more horsepower can propel itself faster in a shorter duration of time, meaning it can perform more work in less time. The generally accepted power rating for a car is how fast it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. Power ratings can be created for all machines and even for productivity of businesses and human beings. 

We can apply the power equation to any machine, business, or person for that matter. In fitness, think about your workout. The workout itself is more powerful if you can achieve more results from it in a shorter amount of time.

The HOTWORX mantra is, More Workout, Less Time.

“A person is also a machine that has a power rating. Some people are more power-full than others. That is, some people are capable of doing the same amount of work in less time or more work in the same amount of time.” (2)

Many people would consider Benjamin Franklin to be a “powerful” historical figure in American history. Let’s take a look at his legacy of productivity…

Ben Franklin was born in the early 1700’s in Boston.  His dad was a candle and soap maker named Josiah Franklin, who fathered 17 children. Franklin’s formal education ended at age 10 and he began his career as a printer’s apprentice. After a dispute with his brother he moved to Philadelphia where he went on to work as a printer and then became a successful entrepreneur founding the Philadelphia Gazette and Poor Richard’s Almanack.

We have all heard the wise old adage that states, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”, but you may not have known that it comes from Franklin’s almanac.

Ben Franklin also developed a library, an insurance company, a hospital and a school that would later become the University of Pennsylvania. Not to mention, he became one of the founding fathers of the United States and a signatory to all four foundational documents for the country including the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris peace accord with Britain, and the U.S. Constitution. I think we could say that Ben Franklin represents the definition of personal power. But wait, didn’t he do more? Well, he did not discover electricity, like most think, but he did make the connection of lightning to electricity on June 10, 1752 by flying a kite during a thunderstorm and collecting ambient electricity into a jar! This is important to note for a blog post on power. Why? Because the collection of electricity and then accessing it for energy is the modern method for creating power. Learning this is helpful in understanding how you can create personal power for yourself in fitness.

Franklin’s electrical experiments spanned a decade and led to terms that we use today such as battery and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod to protect ships and buildings from a direct lightning strike. So, the next time you turn on the lights or your TV you can think about the power of Ben Franklin!

Collecting energy for the creation of power is as important to a human as it is to a machine. Human power comes from the energy collected mentally and physically. For our minds we collect information as energy to translate into brain power, and for our bodies we collect nutrition from what we eat and what we absorb through our skin for physical power. ‍

You can power up your fitness program with infrared energy.‍

The HOTWORX workouts are known as 3 Dimensional Training due to the combination of exercise + heat + infrared energy. With 3D Training your body absorbs infrared energy as a source of power to your metabolism! Combine that with motivation from brain power and you’ve got yourself a personal fitness power station!

A more powerful fitness routine happens when you accomplish MORE WORKOUT in LESS TIME!

So, collect your energy and unleash your power 👊🔥

(1) https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/energy/Lesson-1/Power

(2) https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/energy/Lesson-1/Power

In just its 4th year now the unique HOTWORX Virtual Instructor Competition is in full swing as we approach the upcoming franchise convention in San Antonio for July 19-21. This year I am pleased to announce that we are filming a web series to document the progress of the 2021 competition season. The series will consist of 5 “webisodes” including the following:

Episode 1: HOTWORX: The Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier‍

This first episode will showcase infrared fitness and explain why the company chose to create an international competition to recruit a team of fitness instructor talent each year. It will feature interviews with the CEO and other corporate team members who are responsible for bringing the competition to life, as well as interviews with current virtual instructors.‍

Episode 2: Narrowing Down the Best of the Best

‍The second episode will give an overview of what the competition is, and what the company is looking for. The marketing team will explain the process of recruiting for applicants and will feature application evaluations and the online voting round. The corporate team will select top applicants that will move to the next round where online voting will begin. The top 15 and the fan favorite will be announced. ‍

Episode 3: Everybody is Earning the Burn‍

This episode plays out at the franchise convention in San Antonio at the La Cantera Resort. Here you will get to know the top 15 competitors and watch interviews with top franchise owners as well. Episode 3 will feature the judging panel when they evaluate candidates during the Mental Readiness Interview Round and the Technical Form & Workout Cueing Round.‍

Episode 4: Championship Round‍

July 19th: Opening Day of Convention, Top 15 Introduced to Franchisees. 

July 20th: Virtual Outdoor Workout where each competitor will lead an isometric/yoga/pilates style workout segment for all attendees of the convention. Competitors will talk about how the competition is going along with interviews with franchise owners, judges and the CEO during this episode.‍

Episode 5: And the Winner is…‍

The Final day: interviews with the CEO, judges, franchise owners, competitors continue as excitement builds towards the final round. During the final round on the main stage competitors will experience the Earn the Burn Posture Challenge while being asked interview questions on stage. Imagine holding a plank for 5 minutes with perfect form while being asked a detailed interview question! This episode will feature the potential virtual instructors while they are put to the final test leading up to the announcement of the 7 winners including 5 virtual instructors, 2 virtual personal trainers and the award for the overall MVP of the competition.

What HOTWORX is looking for is seven team players to serve its members as virtual instructors this year, just like every other year since the inception of the competition. This is an athletic endeavor and the company requires a teamwork mindset, especially from the virtual instructors who are selected!

In the last pages of the book I published last December, HOT EXERCISE, you will find an essay entitled A Franchise is a Team. In that essay I make the case for how important it is to view a franchise system as a team in the same way that Patton viewed his army as a team. In the HOTWORX franchise it is a must to find virtual instructors who value teamwork and the right attitude for team success. Here is an excerpt from those final pages in the book:

When you view franchising as a team the entire organization makes perfect sense. The way I look at it is with the franchisor as the coaching staff and each franchise location as a player on the team. For HOTWORX and our sister brand Planet Beach it works very well as viewed in that paradigm. A paradigm is not just how you look at something, though, it is also how you think about something. With the franchising model, it must be viewed as a team but always thought of as a team too. Franchising flourishes when understood truly as a team with coaches and players striving to outperform each other and to surpass competitors from other brands.

The application round closes out on May 31, so if you know of any fitness instructors who might have what it takes, invite them to apply to compete to become a HOTWORX Virtual Instructor for the 2021-2022 workout video filming year. 

Look for the web series to air this Fall!

As CEO of HOTWORX I am blessed to meet our newest franchise owners each week with our online Orientation Day Zoom Meeting. A few weeks ago I was honored to meet with two new franchisees who are brothers, and who are also medical doctors, Daryl and Craig Perlman from Long Island, New York. I asked them if they would allow me to conduct a casual Zoom interview with them to help all of us understand the benefits of 3D Training from the perspective of a medical doctor. They agreed, and I conducted the interview with them while traveling to Florida recently. I have included a clip from that video in this blog post. For those who want to take a deeper dive and hear from two well informed doctors on the subject of infrared therapy and working out, you really should take the time to watch the clip.

For our franchisees and their team members who are reading this, be sure to pay close attention to the “Doctors Corner” segment during the opening day of this year’s convention in San Antonio where I will be interviewing the brothers on stage and taking questions for them from the audience.

During the Zoom meeting on that ride to Florida I learned some really cool things about infrared energy from their perspective. For example, did you know that the skin can actually age more rapidly when exposed to the super high temperatures of a traditional convection heat sauna? Daryl pointed out the fact that higher temperatures in conventional saunas can cause thermal stress to the skin, whereby resulting in degradation of collagen and premature dermal aging. Of course, the opposite is true of the lower temperature heat from an infrared sauna which is very rejuvenating for the skin.

He also gave a deep explanation of how infrared can induce a “runner’s high” and how over time, with consistent infrared therapy, there is a breakup of protein clumps that cause the brain to age.  

I also learned something very interesting about the receipts that we all receive at checkout in almost every store where we go to shop. When we use alcohol based hand sanitizers and then accept the receipt by touch at any given store, we are absorbing super unsafe levels of BPA! Fortunately, HOTWORX has never used paper receipts and has only given out receipts digitally. We did this to prevent the use of paper and to do something good for the environment, but we had no idea that we were preventing such high levels of toxic exposure to customers as well.

There’s a lot more to learn from this off-the-cuff conversation with two doctors who really know the science behind fitness and infrared.

Take the time to view the video below…

Those who know me as a fitness trainer know my stance on the importance of accountability. This holds true for me in business as well. That stance is simple. Without consistency there is little or no accountability. I am talking about consistency of doing the same exact exercises over and over until you reach near perfection. It is the practice of the exercise that is important, not changing the exercise every time!!! 

So the important question here is this. How can we improve the quality of our fitness journey to achieve more results? 

Answer:  MEASUREMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY of your fitness balance sheet.

How can we improve our fitness balance sheet?

Answer:  CONSISTENCY of practice.

There must be a consistent pattern of action to enable proper measurement. So, how can we improve workout consistency? 

Answer:  SAMENESS of FLOW and POSTURE sequencing.  

Tony Robbins says that “repetition is the mother of skill” and I concur.  It likens to the old adage, practice makes perfect. Of course, you can never reach absolute perfection in any endeavor, and that’s ok. It’s the quality of the pursuit of perfection that matters most. Practice exercise with reps over and over again focusing on form and function until you get the results that you are looking for. By way of example, take the exercise known as the plank, which is a stationary push up position posture. You could spend months perfecting your posture for the 60 second plank hold. When you reach a high level of performance, it is imperative that you keep such a fundamental exercise in your workout so that you can know how much stronger you get each time you perform it. Strength gains are addictive, but only when you recognize them through measurement. This is known as the progression principle in training. The most fundamental exercises and postures should be practiced and proper sequence should be done every time to allow for a foundation of strength and flexibility as well as to foster measurability. 

Sameness equates to “saneness” in isometrics, and in all forms of exercise. Many trainers get so caught up in the flawed tendency to change workouts every day and they forget that one of the most important elements to achievement of results is measurement, and, therefore, accountability! How can you know if you are improving if you can’t measure performance against a previous level? You can’t. And with that flawed change approach, accountability goes out the window!

Accountability through consistency is one reason why the Bikram and Ashtanga yoga styles have been so popular. It is the results obtained from the consistency and accountability that keeps people engaged and returning to the gym, and NOT from the changing of exercises, or postures! The flawed change approach creates a sugar high of short term perceived results, whereas a common sense approach based on consistency fosters long term sustainable results based on a solid progression principle.

Consistency is of paramount importance to your fitness routine. Workout types such as yoga, Pilates, Iso and barre should remain familiar in posture and in flow for performance measurability.

Practice of the posture is infinitely more important than changing it! 

Cross-train for variety but keep your workout types consistent in posture and flow. Consistency provides measurability which creates accountability!

The 24 hour infrared workout studio HOTWORX provides many workout types and are each choreographed for consistency of flow and posture. The path to optimum results is through focusing your energy on perfecting each exercise with your form and intensity, not changing it. When your focus goes to exercise form and intensity, you will never be bored. Forget the “sugar high” and focus on what’s right! 

Think “practice” as in yoga, and any other forms of exercise, as you progress down the path of fitness. For proper “practice” of anything, that thing must be repeated over and over to obtain higher and higher levels of skill and positive results! The only way to know where you stand with those results is through accountability and measurement. 

You can’t play the game without keeping score! Failure to measure your fitness results is like a business that failed to pay attention its financial condition. In business, the balance sheet is a snapshot of the health of your business at any given moment in time. You can keep a fitness balance sheet too.

Consider the mirror, the scale and the way you feel today as your personal fitness balance sheet. Improve your workout balance sheet through consistency of practice, measurement of results, and accountability to your fitness commitment.

I was on a Florida vacation recently and the first couple of days were very dreary due to the rain and no sunshine. We even had a tornado come through one day while I was at a gym with my daughter. The lights went out during the storm but it didn’t slow down my weight training on that leg day. 

Certainly, you expect the beach and lots of sunshine when you travel to the Sunshine State. Our trip began began with a mood kill. Finally, on day three of the 5 day trip the sun came out and it was like flipping a switch from sadness to happiness, just like that!

Turns out there is science behind this phenomenon. Try walking from the shade of a palm tree on the beach out into the direct sunlight. Imagine that for a moment and feel the warmth of the sun. That warmth is infrared energy. The radiant heat from the sunlight makes you feel awesome, doesn’t it? Infrared energy can work magic for your mood. 

This is why training inside of an infrared sauna, like that of a HOTWORX fitness sauna, feels so good from the moment that you step into it. Have you ever tried outdoor yoga at the beach? I highly recommend it because the feeling of isometrics in the sun is amazing. This is how it feels inside of an infrared sauna too. The infrared energy penetrates the skin up to 1.5 inches and goes to work delivering good vibrations on the cellular level to boost your metabolism and accelerate detoxification, and to lift your spirits.

The human eye cannot see infrared energy but we can feel it as heat. In the year 1800 the great British astronomer, Sir William Herschel, conducted an experiment to measure the difference in temperature between the colors in the visible light spectrum. His experiment involved the placement of thermometers inside of each color within the visible spectrum. When he measured the temperatures he noticed and increase from the blue to the red. He then placed the thermometer just beyond the red and noticed an even warmer reading on the thermometer. In that moment he discovered infrared. (1)

So, the next time you move from the shade of that palm tree blocking the sunshine into the light on the beach, you can remember that you know the science behind that feeling!

(1) https://science.nasa.gov/ems/07_infraredwaves

A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of attending a sauna donation ceremony for the Waxahachie, TX Fire Department. The entire HOTWORX franchise organization would like to commend Chief Ricky Boyd and all of the firefighters there for such an outstanding job. We also want to recognize the franchise owners of the Waxahachie HOTWORX Studio, Janie and Pat Sullivan and their staff for nominating the fire department and for raising $3,000 in cash as a donation to the Waxahachie FD as well!

HOTWORX corporate has made a commitment to donate and install the patented HOTWORX workout sauna in select fire stations that have been nominated by franchise owners. These fire station infrared saunas provide a means for firefighters to detox their bodies after exposure to untold levels of toxic substances as they fight fires to protect communities throughout the world.

Also, last week I had the pleasure of meeting one of our newest franchise owners, Daniel and Robin LaBerge. They purchased a license to open a HOTWORX studio franchise in Manchester, MA, a suburb of Boston. Daniel is a firefighter with many years of experience. As we began to talk in the Zoom meeting, Daniel told me the story of fighting a fire once and then three days after battling that fire, when he was playing a game of hockey he could smell the smoke and toxins exiting his body. Detox through sweat is real my friends, and especially for firefighters!

I have researched the sweat and detox connection thoroughly and have written many blog articles on the topic. Without a doubt, sweat provides a means to assist internal organs in the removal of toxic substances from the body. It is for this reason that we decided to begin to provide infrared workout saunas for firefighters. Unfortunately, firefighters have a shortened lifespan compared to the rest of the population due to cancer caused from the fires that they fight. Elevated exposures to poisons released from the fires are absorbed into their skin. We owe a debt of gratitude to these fine men and women who sacrifice so much to protect our communities. 

Infrared induced sweating is 7X more effective for detox as compared to a traditionally heated sauna sweat. We hope that our HOTWORX infrared saunas can begin to play a small part in helping fire stations with their detox programs. In the words of Chief Perry Bynum and the firefighters of the Haltom City, TX Fire Station #1 where we installed our first fire department sauna, let’s “Kick the ash out of cancer”. 

We look forward to donating and installing as many saunas as we can for fire stations throughout the world to help firefighters “Rock the Detox!”

Did you know that a good night’s sleep can improve your detox program? This is especially important for your mental health because good sleep = great detox for your brain. We all have experienced a bad mood from sleep deprivation. If poor sleep and bad moods become a pattern for you then it needs to be corrected quickly. In fact, if left unchecked, chronic insomnia can cause dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

Throughout the day toxins build up in the brain. Then, while we sleep toxins are removed from the body through cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF. If these toxic substances are allowed to build up, over time they can cause disease. In order for proper cleansing of these toxins from the brain to happen there must be quality sleep. 

Take note that your sleep position can affect quality snoozing. As reported by neuronation.com, mice were used in a study to determine the best way to stimulate nightly brain detox. Mice were tested sleeping on their side, back and stomach and it was discovered that their metabolic waste left the body most efficiently when they slept on their side. As the study concludes, “this shows that sleeping on our side is the best way to stimulate our brain’s nightly detoxification process. (1)

I have written many articles on this subject and have devoted a chapter in my book to the fact that infrared energy and heat exposure, especially when combined with exercise, is excellent for sleep. 

Infrared heat and exercise is a one, two punch knockout to insomnia! 👊🔥 

Here is an excerpt from my book, HOT EXERCISE, out of the chapter on sleep:

In a sleep study involving heat, an infrared sauna was used to determine how effective it was for patients who suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). As of the date of the study, there was no definitive therapy for CFS. Ten inpatients were observed. Perceived fatigue was significantly decreased following infrared sauna therapy. Negative mood, anxiety, depression, and fatigue were significantly improved. No patients reported any negative effects from the infrared therapy. The study concluded that thermal infrared sauna therapy may be a useful and safe treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. (2)

Add more muscle tissue as a result of exercise in the sauna coupled with infrared fat burning, and you will certainly improve your metabolism. Armed with a better metabolism, you will burn more calories and improve your detox during sleep!

Practice more 3D Training with heat and infrared energy combined with isometrics or HIIT and you will get longer, deeper sleep resulting in more improved detoxification.

P.S. - Be sure to check out my blog article for next week. It will feature a very insightful interview I conducted with Dr. Craig Perlman and Dr. Daryl Perlman, brothers who recently purchased a HOTWORX franchise for Long Island, NY!!!

(1) https://blog.neuronation.com/en/the-right-sleeping-position-will-help-your-brain-detox/

(2) Smith, Stephen P.  HOT EXERCISE: HOTWORX and the Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier. HOTWORX 2020.

Sauna design matters when it comes to effectiveness. Infrared saunas come in many sizes, shapes and forms. Obviously some designs are more effective than others. The problem with the evaluation of infrared sauna design is that there exists some serious misinformation online coming from those who lack credentials and have no research to back up their claims. Yet, when it comes to evaluating an infrared sauna environment, it is fairly straightforward.

How to Measure for the Presence of Infrared

Some self proclaimed detox experts amuse me. They provide big words but zero research to support their claims of what constitutes an infrared environment. It’s really simple to measure. You can use an EMF meter. Where there is infrared, there is also an electromagnetic field, aka EMF. EMF travels with IR waves. The level, or density of EMF is measured in a unit known as milligauss (mG). Please take a few minutes to view my video above if you haven’t already.

Now that we have that cleared up, let’s turn to an effectiveness comparison of sauna types…

Traditional v. Infrared Sauna

If you have ever stepped into a traditional convection heat sauna, you probably noticed that the temperature was very hot, as high as 180 and possibly even heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is because the old school saunas heat the air that surrounds you rather than radiating into your body. The air needs to be hotter for the traditional sauna to be effective. And guess what, that is exactly how the heat feels inside of those saunas, like hot air pounding around your skin. Breathing is not very comfortable either at those super high temperatures. People want to sweat when they enter a sauna, and traditional saunas rely on higher temperatures to produce sufficient sweating. 

What I just described is in stark contrast to how it feels to walk into a properly designed infrared sauna like the HOTWORX fitness sauna. When you walk into a HOTWORX sauna you immediately feel as though you stepped out from the shade of a palm tree and into the soothing warmth of the sunlight on the beach. Of course, the sun radiates an abundance of infrared light.

More Effective Breathing

What about the air and breathing in an infrared sauna? Due to the penetrating heat and infrared energy, the infrared sauna can operate at a much lower temperature and with close to zero humidity delivering a more effective session for clients. Customers always comment that the air inside of the HOTWORX sauna is awesome and easy to breathe. Lower humidity and lower temperatures allow for a much more comfortable workout environment inside of the sauna.

More Effective Sweating

Expect to sweat more and faster inside of an efficiently designed infrared sauna. This is accomplished at a much lower temperature as noted above. In fact, studies have shown that not only do you sweat more, your sweat contains much higher levels of toxic substances than that of traditionally heated sauna exposure. 

A well designed infrared sauna, like that of the HOTWORX fitness sauna, will produce highly effective sessions for clients. As is always the case, though, the only product opinion that truly matters is that of the customer! 

Ultimately, any sauna design effectiveness will speak loudly in the form of its number of 5 star reviews 👊🔥.

In last week’s blog post I wrote about the body’s largest organ, the skin, and how it acts as a border exchange by allowing entry of toxic substances into the body as well exiting them through sweat detox. What I want to expand upon this week is why detox is so important for health.

So, why detox?

In a nutshell, buildup of toxins and toxicants within your body can cause tremendous damage to your health. 

Did you know…

Out of more than 87,000 chemicals used in the United States, over 3,000 of them are used in the food supply and more than 10,000 chemicals are used in the form of preservatives, solvents and emulsifiers for packaging and to extend shelf life. EPA studies have shown that human fat biopsies contain styrene in 100% of samples. It has also been found that most people range anywhere from 400 to 800 chemicals in fat cells that are very difficult, if not impossible to metabolize. (1)

Doctors are seeing more symptoms from toxicity in their patients over the most recent decades. Patients are suffering from hormone imbalances, obesity, mental efficiency slowdown, loss of memory, fatigue, loss of vitality, and sleep disorders, to name a few. (2)

Unfortunately, there’s more…

Data continues to mount in support of the belief that chemical exposure is disruptive to the endocrine (hormonal) system causing diabetes and obesity. According to the Endocrine Society, evidence is clear that these hormone enemies are also tied to “infertility, prostate cancer, undescended testicles, testicular cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and neurological issues. Sometimes these problems apparently occur in adults because of exposures decades earlier in fetal stages.” (3)

What can we do?

Develop a personal detox plan that is a part of a daily regime of fitness and wellness. Remember that the liver is the main detoxifier of the body and it can become overloaded. This can be remedied through a practice of yoga and sweating. A program such as HOTWORX can provide more detox through a variety of yoga and other isometric workouts inside of an infrared sauna with twisting postures to aid the liver and lymph system through increased circulation, better metabolism efficiency and sweating induced from the radiant heat. 

You should also begin to practice a daily diet that is clean and free from chemicals along with a cleanse every 90 days.

It takes daily focus to practice detox. If you can repeat your detox plan daily, soon it will become a part of your fitness lifestyle!

(1) https://www.bioenergymedicalcenter.com/blog/testing-for-toxins

(2) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-importance-of-detoxif_b_9379300

(3) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-importance-of-detoxif_b_9379300

The skin acts as your body’s border exchange for toxic substances. When you contact things your body absorbs substances through your skin. Often what we grab, hold or touch can be toxic to our bodies. Metals are easily absorbed into the body when we touch cans and other metallic surfaces. 

Obviously, as we emerge from the throes of a pandemic, we all have a heightened awareness that washing of the skin can prevent the intrusion of unwanted germs and other toxic agents. But as we are bombarded daily by the environmental pollutants, some do inevitably cross the skin border. There needs to be a conscious effort to rid the body of them through detoxification and send them back across the skin border. 

Sweating helps. When we sweat, toxic substances are released through our skin back to the environment as a supplemental detox pathway.

Consider these excerpts from my book, HOT EXERCISE:

The skin accounts for approximately 7 percent of body weight and acts as a border exchange between elements outside and within the body. If manipulated properly, the workout environment can greatly enhance the body’s ability to enable the exit of toxic substances through the skin using sweat as the transportation medium. Toxins and toxicants that exit through the skin are more easily controlled than that of the internal organs. Twisting postures that accelerate circulation combined with deep penetrating infrared energy and heat can greatly enhance this process during workouts.

What is more, far-infrared sweating is superior to traditional sauna sweating because FIR saunas generate more sweat at lower temperatures (for HOTWORX®, the ideal workout temperature is 125°F). In contrast, conventional saunas require 180°F to more than 200°F to get similar sweating volume results. It is worth mentioning again that sweat from an infrared sauna has been proven to contain five to seven times more toxic waste than that of a traditional sauna. (1)

Did you know that when you supplement your internal detoxification process with sweating from exercise and sauna usage, you can take stress off of your internal organs as well as rid your body of additional amounts of toxic waste? Also, note that exposure to an infrared sauna accelerates vital organ metabolism including the kidneys and large intestines for increased elimination of toxic substances.

The primary method of detox is through the liver and kidneys but leftover waste particles are stored in fat, and sweating through the skin is the secondary system used by the body to rid itself of these toxins and toxicants.

Why is detox so important?

Toxicity buildup causes: increased free radical damage, calcium displacement reducing bone strength, damage to all internal organs inhibiting natural detoxification process, DNA damage, erratic gene expression, cell membrane damage inhibiting signaling, and hormone imbalance. (2)

Through his website, morrisonhealth.com, Jeffrey Morrison, MD, informs us that “Every time we sweat, our skin functions as one of the most effective ways to eliminate almost any toxins, even heavy metals and chemicals. When done correctly, saunas are a very safe and effective way to enhance the sweating process.” (3)

When you sweat the waste remains on the surface of your skin. Be sure to wipe the sweat from your skin during and after your infrared sauna workout session to keep the toxic substances from re-entering. Hint…carry a good rally towel with you during workouts.

Common sense lets us know that sweating is good for us. So, SWEAT IT OUT and pay attention to your detox border exchange!

(1) Smith, Stephen P. (2020), HOT EXERCISE, HOTWORX and the Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier. HOTWORX

(2) https://naturemed.org/how-toxins-cause-disease/

(3) https://www.morrisonhealth.com/detox-way-live/

While planning for the release of my book, HOT EXERCISE, the release of an audio version was always in the works. We wanted to make the information in the book available in every format. We released the paperback and the ebook first in October and then the hardcover with an “official” publication date of Dec. 7, 2020.

The audio version was just released this February 1. When I was searching for the right narrator, I received numerous sample readings of the book from various actors/narrators and I listened to as many as I could. There was a voice from one narrator that I kept going back to because it kept me engaged with such an eloquent command of the English language. The voice was that of Amy Gordon, a very talented actor/comedian/singer. Born in Seattle and based in New York, Amy has worked worldwide with performances on Broadway, the Sydney Opera House, Kennedy Center, Just for Laughs, and not to mention appearances in numerous movies.

In addition to the incredible bio as a successful performing artist, she is a huge fan of fitness and happens to be incredibly fit. She was the perfect choice to be the voice for HOT EXERCISE. I want to invite you all to listen to a sample on Amazon as soon as you can.

Amazon has a great new feature for book lovers. It’s called Whispersync, and it allows a reader to switch from wherever they left reading the ebook and pick up automatically with the audio version and vice versa. Imagine reading at home and listening when you drive without having to find your spot. Pretty cool! More reading in less time. I love great little tech innovations that make life easier by saving time in the same way that HOTWORX does for fitness customers who are looking for more workout in less time.

The audio version of HOT EXERCISE is helping to keep the book on Amazon’s top 100 Best Seller list for the Franchise Small Business category with its rank climbing as high as number 10 (ranked #24 as of 3/14/21). The hardcover and the paperback versions are available at HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio franchise locations across the USA, Ireland and Australia.

HOT EXERCISE is a must read and/or listen if you are looking to understand the science behind the fusion of infrared energy, heat and exercise known as 3D Training. Let the audible book guide you into the bold new infrared fitness frontier.

My franchise business experience dates back to the late 80’s when I became involved with Gold’s Gym as a licensee. I realized then how important a brand name is and how important brand uniformity is as well.

Yesterday we held our weekly online Orientation Day for HOTWORX new franchise owners and the topic of marketing came up during my presentation. This topic led me into a discussion about our target customer audience and the importance of fitness studio culture and brand identity.

I think we would all agree that the identity of a brand, or of an individual for that matter, is extremely important to the health and well-being of both. When a brand or a human loses their sense of self, then as the saying goes, “Houston, we have a problem!” In franchising, it takes a commitment to uniformity by all franchise locations working together as a team to preserve and to promote a branding ID. 

There is nothing more detrimental to a brand than a loss of identity. In marketing we call this an identity crisis. Many brands that once dominated their industries have died a slow death due to the loss of brand identity. JC Penney and Sears come to mind. Brands that allow for inconsistent messaging will eventually lose the power of their brand if they don’t correct the problem through a return to marketing discipline. The loss of brand identity can happen without notice over time like a slow growing tumor that eventually needs to be extracted. Hopefully it can be removed before it’s too late for a business. The best solution, though, is through prevention from it ever happening. This is accomplished through brand consistency.

“When a business devotes itself to delivering the same experience from one touchpoint to the next, customers begin to feel familiar with that brand.Trust and understanding develop, and you end up with a relationship that promotes loyalty, advocacy, and bigger profits too! In fact, consistent brands are up to 4 times more likely to boost their visibility on any platform.” (1)

The key is to create a strong identity in the beginning, and stay true to it! Company messaging must remain true to the brand vision, true to its purpose and remain connected to a brand promise. As franchise owners, we owe consistency to our customers! The corporate “voice” must remain the same across the entire organization.

Here is an excerpt from my book where I describe the importance of teamwork as a franchise brand:

In the late ’80’s and early ’90’s I was a licensee of three Gold’s Gym locations. At that time, Gold’s was “licensing” out their brand name rather than full on franchising of a system of operations. I really enjoyed being an owner of Gold’s Gym locations, and still love to take trips out to the original Gold’s known as the Mecca of Bodybuilding in Venice, CA. I always say that if you can’t get motivated in that gym, then you just can’t be motivated.

I still love that brand, but a business cannot stand on its name alone. One of the reasons that I moved on from ownership of Gold’s Gym was due to their lack of system standards at that time and the lack of uniformity amongst their licensees. The brand is of utmost importance, but the biggest advantage of franchise ownership is access to a proven operating system. A great system can catapult the brand to stratospheric levels.

After three decades of franchising, I can tell you that a franchise system MUST be viewed as a team. Teamwork is the only way that a franchise can thrive and succeed in the marketplace. (2)

General Patton said “an army is a team.” A franchise is a team too!

The company operations and the company marketing MUST send out the same consistent and uniform messaging in order to remain true to the organizational ID. If this is not done in a repetitious manner, then the power of the brand will begin to erode.

That said, I am reminded of this Tony Robbins quote: “Repetition is the mother of skill” Yes, developing a brand identity is a SKILL that takes practice to master and a franchise organization must practice together as a team to grow and to maintain a powerful brand!

To inquire about franchising, or to learn more about the organization, please visit https://www.hotworx.net/franchising

(1) https://medium.com/@steve_fabrik/avoiding-an-identity-crisis-the-dangers-of-inconsistent-branding-2e1d127a7462

(2) Smith, Stephen P. (2020), HOT EXERCISE, HOTWORX and the Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier. HOTWORX

‍

I was part of a trainer to trainer dinner conversation this week at our bi-annual end of filming VI (Virtual Instructor) dinner, and the topic was, of course infrared training, but as it related to “diet”. The nutritional discourse between myself, Jeremy Harwell (original HOTWORX general manager and current franchise business coach) and HOTWORX Virtual Instructor Ashlee Buchert, inspired me to write this blog.

Our talk began with the fact that there are so many “diets” out there. I would say, though, the prevailing diet for our discussion was the Paleo. Paleo is a very effective approach to fat loss, but is certainly not the most popular diet in the mainstream. Keeping to my Paleoish loyalty, I ordered the redfish over vegetables, which was delicious there at Katie’s Restaurant in Mid-City New Orleans.

Prior to my dinner conversation I ran across a U.S. News & World Report article online regarding healthy eating and the ranking of best diets for 2021. The article, entitled “Best Diets 2021” ranked more than 40 diets.  Yes, you read that right, over forty. Wow… 

Why so many? I can tell you from my years of fitness training and diet planning for athletics, general fitness, and for aesthetics, different nutrition works for different people and different dieting works at different moments in the preparation timeline for athletic performance, or in preparation to look good at the beach or in that favorite outfit. Much more than a destination, though, let’s remember that diet is a journey, and nutrition needs vary as we progress through life in pursuit of vitality and longevity.

Let’s go back to my dinner conversation. As fitness experts, all three of us at the table agreed, the name of a particular diet represents merely a category, and that category can be morphed to fit the nutritional needs of the moment for any fitness program. For example, while most of us perceive a Paleo diet to mean “eating like a caveman” with high protein and large amounts of red meat, it may mean eating nuts, veggies and fish to another person, such as myself. I have recently cut way back on red meat, opting for more fish as a protein source. Chicken (of the baked variety) has always been a protein go to for me.

Out of the 40+ ranked diets in that U.S. News article (1), I have selected 7 that matter the most in my opinion as a trainer. At the end of the day, after a category has been discovered by the client to work for them, it boils down to planning for two things: 1-daily caloric intake (and burn off), and 2-percentages of food intake based on grams of proteins, fats, and carbs.

Let’s call these the “Burn Off Diet” recommended seven: 

1-Paleo

2-Vegetarian

3-Semi-vegetarian

4-Mediterranean

5-DASH

6-Low Carb (Atkins)

7-Mind (Dash+Mediterranean)

Do your research on at least these seven diets, and once you have found, or chosen your diet, you can then begin to discover your personal nutritional pathway. Next, begin to focus on what your daily calories and gram percentages should be. 

You will need to determine, based on your BMR, what your total maximum caloric intake can be for a day. This should be about 90-95% of your BMR to allow for a caloric daily deficit if your goal is to tone up and lose some weight. Then, with your chosen diet category, plan your percentage of proteins, fats, and carbs that you will stay within each day. Next step is to track this data daily until you can do it in your sleep. Learn it like you learned your math tables in grade school!

Also, know that infrared training can play a huge role in the success of your healthy eating plan by helping your body to become more efficient by ridding itself of toxic substances and torching the calories on a consistent basis. 

With a clean eating and a revved up metabolism your fitness program will blaze the trail for your body and mind as a lean, mean infrared Burn Off Diet machine.

(1) https://health.usnews.com/best-diet

The word “radiation” gets a bad rap sometimes. Indeed, there are very harmful forms of radiation that we all should avoid, but there are “good” forms of radiation too. Infrared is one of those good forms of radiation.

First of all, what is radiation. I have had a fascination with the evolution of words since I can remember. One college course I took at Ole Miss was the history of the English language (which was also one of the most difficult college courses that I have taken) that expanded my passion for the history of words even further. So, to better understand radiation, it is important to study the etymology:

It derives from the Latin word radius meaning "beam of light” and “spoke of a wheel” and then evolving to radiare, representing "to beam, shine, gleam; make beaming,”and then to radiatio "a shining,” and then adopted into English in the late-15th century to form the word we have today, radiation, which is the "act or process of emitting light.”

Our word, radiation, is defined today as waves of light that emit from a source of origin. We know that waves travel in different lengths that are measured from crest to crest, like that of waves in the ocean. Human exposure to some wavelengths can be harmful while exposure to other wavelengths is not harmful. Infrared wavelengths are of the non-harmful variety and are actually very beneficial to humans when they penetrate the skin. Generally, the longer the wavelength, the less harmful to the skin and other organs.

The sun, like all stars, emits enormous levels of radiation including massive amounts of infrared.

Have you ever wondered why you feel warmth from the sun? The warmth that you feel is infrared radiation (IR). This radiation is why a vacation to the beach is so beneficial to your body and mind. When you lay out in the sun, you are exposed to IR. Maybe it’s time to plan a trip to the beach. Make sure you find a resort that offers yoga at the beach! Add exercise therapy to that of IR exposure therapy and you will get a 2 for 1 special with your time at the beach.

If I could offer up a recommendation, I would suggest any number of hotels on the beach in Tulum, Mexico. Tulum is a beach yoga paradise. Of course there are other such destinations, but since I have been to Tulum I can recommend it as my first choice for a beach/exercise destination.

Seek out the good radiation.

The reason IR is not harmful is because exposure to it poses no risk of altering your DNA. It is a non-ionizing form of radiation. While at the beach you can lotion up to block out the UV and still soak up the IR.

Of course, you can find exposure to IR without having to go to the beach and without any UV to worry about. At HOTWORX you can do IR yoga and many other IR workout types including isometrics such as Pilates, glute workouts, band sessions, barre, and HIIT with cycles, rowers and total body trainers.

The good radiation with exercise can do wonders for your health…

“In fact, infrared wavelengths can penetrate the skin up to 1.5 inches or more and can provide many positive benefits to the human body. Some of these benefits include:

Detoxification
Improved blood circulation
Lowered blood pressure
Suppressed sunburn cell formation
Treatment for arteriovenous fistula
Improved sleep
Reduced pain and stiffness
Lowered side effects of diabetes
Improved mood
Inhibited growth of some types of cancer cells
Improved motor functions
Lowered nasal inflammation (allergic rhinitis)
Increased rate of caloric burn
Accelerated injury recovery
Improved immunity functions
Lowered stress (1)

Seek out the therapeutic goodness of infrared with exercise and begin to experience the benefits today!

(1) Smith, Stephen P. HOT EXERCISE: HOTWORX and the Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier, HOTWORX, 2020.

I’m writing this blog today from the Black Hills of South Dakota. When I am here I am reminded of the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted in America. Politically, I consider myself an independent.  Maybe it’s the fitness trainer mentality, but I don’t lean toward the left or the right, I lean hard toward merit, meaning I believe that what you put in is what you get out of life.

So, with me here in Deadwood, SD is my business partner Nancy Price, her husband Jerome (who I work out with most mornings along with Jeremy Harwell, AKA The Wrecking Krewe), their daughter Victoria who was recently promoted to sergeant in the Army, Kasie Banks our HOTWORX Executive Marketing Director, my girlfriend Brittany and our daughter Bria. We travelled to attend a benefit gala for Sacred Mountain Retreat Center, a special place in the Black Hills for our country’s wounded warriors and first responders. The HOTWORX franchise organization is a proud supporter of our military and the first responder professionals who give so much to keep our communities safe. There is a reason these folks are frequently referred to as our nation’s finest.

Sacred Mountain Retreat Center brings in people suffering from PTSD, drug, or alcohol abuse for a 7-day program. “As a kid and growing up, we loved the Black Hills,” said Founder and President of Sacred Mountain Retreat Center, Jerrid Geving. “It’s just a neat and interesting place and our slogan is ‘where the hills heal the heroes’ and I feel there’s a lot of truth to that. No one gets turned down, military, first responders, if they’d like to come to the facility, they’ll have to go through a little bit of a vetting to see where they fit in,” said Geving.

2021 Winter Gala…

HOTWORX has donated and installed many workout saunas at various fire stations across the country and will continue to do so in an effort to support the fitness and detox needs of our firefighter first responders. For Sacred Mountain as well, fitness plays a major role in recovery from both physical and mental injury. Two years ago we donated and installed two HOTWORX saunas into the Sacred Mountain Retreat Center weight room providing therapy for warriors in need of physical and emotional wellness.

Saturday night, at the gala, I had the privilege to witness the presentations from military personnel and first responders who gave everything to defend our liberties and to keep us safe. I felt a great sense of humility as I listened. It made me think that, as civilians, we should never complain about the petty inconveniences that we deal with at times. We should think about those who have sacrificed and have been forced to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to find normalcy once again after giving it all to save lives and on the battlefield in the name of freedom.

We can all be inspired by these stories and we can access our own inner warrior spirit. If it takes thinking about our wounded warriors out there to muster the motivation for one more rep, then so be it. We can all do much more than we think we can. Do it for your family. Do it for yourself.

Do it to respect those who make it possible for all of us 👊🔥

In previous blog posts I have written about fat loss through infrared training. In this article let’s take a deeper dive into the attack on fat and the process of oxidation.

First off, always remember that training momentum is important for accelerated fat loss. This is evident in a study published by the National Library of Medicine in 2010. In the article entitled, “Aerobic Fitness Determines Whole-body Fat Oxidation Rate During Exercise in the Heat”, the results of a study of trained and untrained subjects in a heated environment were made known.

The study was conducted with individuals who were in shape and those who were not in a trained state in a workout environment of 96.8º F. It was discovered that trained subjects oxidized more fat than untrained subjects in the heat. A little food for thought, what if that study were conducted in 125º infrared heat? The point here is that it should be the goal of all fitness clients to get to a “trained” level of conditioning as soon as possible.

“In the heat, whole-body peak fat oxidation occurs at higher relative exercise intensities in TR [trained] than in UNTR [untrained] subjects… Moreover, TR subjects oxidize more fat than UNTR subjects when exercising at moderate to high intensities…” (1)

So, that seems obvious the fact that the more you get in shape, the more easily you burn fat. Let’s look into the science a little more though.

How does fat burn?

It’s an intercellular journey. Lipolysis is the pathway for the breakdown of fat through hydrolysis (chemical breakdown of a compound when it interacts with water) and is used to mobilize energy stores during exercise or fasting. This fat burning, or “oxidation” process, occurs within all of the cells in the body as fat is transformed into energy.

First, fat is stored as triglycerides. Triglycerides then need to be broken down into fatty acids to be used as fuel.

“If fatty acids are supplied to healthy mitochondria and oxygen is present, fatty acids will be broken down to carbon dioxide. This process is not too dissimilar from burning a log in a fire. You need the fireplace, some wood and oxygen.” (2)

The penetration of IR (infrared radiation) during a workout stimulates cellular activity. It is possible that this heightened cellular activity makes the oxidation of fat more efficient and, therefore more rapid.

There is substantial anecdotal evidence crediting infrared training with accelerated fat loss. HOTWORX has pioneered the use of infrared saunas for isometric and HIIT workouts. Since the introduction of the HOTWORX 3D Training Method only a few years ago, an incredible amount of user testimonial evidence of fat loss success has been generated online.

Make 2021 your year of fat incineration with infrared training!

(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21164544/
(2) https://www.mysportscience.com/post/2015/04/02/fat-burning-how-does-it-work

In physics, “force” is an influence that produces or changes the motion of an object. For humans, force is a word that represents the strength and/or energy that is required to generate action. Force is a powerful tool in life.

Any successful endeavor requires the buildup of substantial force. In fitness, and in business, if we want big results, then we need to take massive action all of the time! Massive action requires great force. Not a little bit of force, a lot of force. To be a great force, you need to gain physical and mental strength through workouts and research.

I am sure some of you who are reading this have been exposed to the teachings of Sun Tzu and the ancient wisdom through his book Art of War. What does Sun Tzu have to say about force?

First let’s ask, what is required to create force? In my view the best path to massive personal force is through a constant stream of inspiration and development of courage. Art of War teaches us that “The principle on which to manage an army is to set up one standard of courage which all must reach.” (1) This principle can work on an individual basis too. To create your own massive level of force you need to set the courage threshold under which you will not allow yourself to go.

Sun Tzu also states that you must “Know your strengths and weaknesses: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” (2)

You have to know your own strengths and weaknesses, but you also need to learn everything you can know about your enemies.  I am not talking about other people or other competitive businesses here, though. I am talking about the personal enemies that keep you from achieving higher levels in fitness and in business.  These enemies include low motivation, and lack of discipline. These success killers must be recognized and dealt with at all times. These enemies manifest themselves in the form of sloppy procedures in both business and personal daily activities. This is straight up laziness. With the HOTWORX franchise, we have a t-shirt for that and it reads DON’T BE LAZY!

Find the force to start your day and kiss the laziness goodbye forever.

It’s a personal choice, a simple A, B decision:
A-I will become a force to recon with, or B-I will not.

It’s time to choose A and never look back. There comes a point in life where we make this choice for our fitness and for business. If you choose to walk through door A, though, know that you have to keep choosing A over and over because B is not an option anymore. Door A requires even more force to maintain your new level and go beyond.

To create more personal, and professional force, we could all do better if we heed the advice of Sun Tzu and create our mind and body victories BEFORE we confront the daily battles. Art of War teaches us that,“…the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won.” (3) What is meant in that passage is that every battle is won during the planning phase.

Summing it up, we should have an A plan every day for taking massive action as a part of becoming a force.

Be a force!

(1) Sun Tzu, The Art of War
(2) Sun Tzu, The Art of War
(3) Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I recently attended an online Tony Robbins seminar. I took pages of notes but there was one phrase I heard that made an indelible impression on my brain. That phrase was, “repetition is the mother of skill”. In the context of that presentation by Tony, he was referring to the improvement of skills in business, but know that repetition is just as important to your fitness program.

Most of us, as fitness enthusiasts, are familiar with repetitions, or “reps”, as a unit of a workout set. For example, we do one set of 12 reps, or one set of 8 reps, and so forth. Without mindfulness, reps can become robotic and mundane as we go through the motions of a workout, or life in general.

What it takes to use repetition as a “Mother of Skill” is awareness and focus on the reps as a form of practice. Don’t let your reps devolve to the mundane! Elevate repetition to the understanding of what it is, and that is practice.

Yoga is a practice of posture repetitions. The more you practice it through posture reps, the better your skill becomes. This is true in all forms of fitness, but it takes awareness of the practice and a mental connection to the physical performance of the reps to gain the full benefit.

Practice your reps with FOCUS!

With the HOTWORX workout method, there is a great deal of attention that is paid to producing virtual workouts with emphasis on queuing for focus, repetition and workout consistency. The HOTWORX method produces increased levels of strength and movement skill through consistent “reps”.

One of the biggest mistakes that fitness trainers make is to force inconsistent workouts onto clients. Some trainers just don’t understand, or refuse to recognize how important consistency is to practice and building up of movement skills. Strength and movement gains are made from consistent, frequent, exercise reps!

Consistency my friends, and repetition, is the mother of skill in fitness.

So most of us have heard by now that the new Apple Watch measures blood oxygen levels. This feature, known as a pulse oximeter, reports oxygen saturation (also known as SpO2). This reading can let you know how well your body is processing oxygen, which is key to workout performance, especially if you train hard and if you live or workout in high altitudes. As a snow skier, I know this measurement can be important to track when on the slopes.

This data is not just for altitude performance, though. The tech world has now brought the pulse oximeter to the masses for use in fitness programs. For fitness, the importance of the data that this meter provides cannot be denied. Blood oxygen levels determine how much oxygen reaches the muscles. When you train more often your body will become more efficient for oxygen utilization and through the data, you can see when and how this happens.

Normally humans need 550 liters of oxygen per day, but when you workout the need for oxygen is 2X, 3X or more. Normal levels of oxygen range from 95-100%, but will drop during a workout as your body works to process the need for more oxygen.

A pulse oximeter is non-invasive and can be worn on the wrist now as a feature within a fitness tracker. It utilizes infrared light to measure the % of hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries the oxygen where it is needed throughout the body. Hemoglobin changes color depending on the amount of oxygen it carries and this is what enables the device to measure the oxygen level. As the hemoglobin changes color, it absorbs a different amount of infrared light.

“In Apple Watch Series 6, the optical heart sensor has been redesigned to add blood oxygen measurement capabilities. During a blood oxygen measurement, the back crystal shines red and green LEDs and infrared light onto your wrist. Photodiodes then measure the amount of light reflected back.” (1) The advanced Apple algorithms record the color of the hemoglobin to determine the level of blood oxygen.

Higher SpO2 means better training recovery. Higher blood oxygen levels can go a long way to prevent over-training. Higher SpO2 will also give you more oomph for aerobic endurance. “A SpO2 of 88 to 92 percent will give you the most beneficial training adaptations without causing undue fatigue.” (2)

Since your blood oxygen levels drop during exercise it is important to train in an environment that enables ease of breathing.  This is why working out in infrared heat is more efficient for your body as opposed to training in a studio that is heated with old school HV/AC systems that blow hot air in allowing higher levels of humidity. Radiant heat from infrared heaters creates a dry environment making it much easier to breath. Good breathing is key to raising your blood oxygen level!

Why not know everything that you can about your health!?

Now that we can easily measure our own fitness data, as a trainer, I would be remiss not to recommend that you invest in a new Apple Watch and make the effort to keep track of your oxygen for training performance.

Train hard, breath in, and track your data!

(1) https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211027

(2) https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/pulse-oximeter-altitude-training/

Any product innovation, including, and especially that of fitness trackers such as the Apple Watch and FitBit, is an evolution by design to improve the experience with time. Fitness trackers actually use time as the basis for what they track. The most important data for fitness is the number of calories burned within a given amount of time, and this is the main metric that is measured by a tracker.

TIME is FITNESS!

If you haven’t invested into a fitness tracker for yourself, then you should consider it for 2021. How you manage your time with respect to how you perform during a workout is vital to your fitness. In order to reap the most workout benefit for the time dedicated, you should know the calories you are burning during your training time. The more calories burned per workout, the better the workout!

Your heart rate is also an important metric, and now with Apple Watch Series 6 you can see your blood oxygen level too. Blood oxygen level indicates how well the oxygen from the lungs is delivered to cells throughout the body. Higher blood oxygen levels can benefit your exercise program and this will be the topic for next week.

In the introduction of my book, HOT EXERCISE, I begin with an explanation of time as the most valuable commodity in life. I suggest in that intro that we “might even go so far as to say all human advancement is the result of an effort to improve the quality of time.” Time is valuable. Some people say time is money. I say time is fitness! How you use your fitness time can be improved with the right fitness tracker. At HOTWORX we recommend the Apple Watch and FitBit. The Apple Watch is better and provides more features, but is more expensive. FitBit is a really good, less expensive option. Both devices sync directly with the HOTWORX Burn Off App, a members only app for our studio clients.

The fitness tracker market stood at $31 billion in 2019 and is forecast to grow to $92 billion by 2027. This industry has an interesting history with the first known fitness tracking device dating back to the 1700’s with the invention of the pedometer in Switzerland. United States president and founding father, Thomas Jefferson, is credited with producing the first pedometer in America. Of course, a pedometer is used to track number of steps taken.

“Fitness trackers, as we know them today, first surfaced in 1965 with the Manpo-kei, which translates to ‘10,000 steps meter’ and was invented by Dr Yoshiro Hatano. Dr Hatano, a Japanese professor at the Kyushu University of Health and Welfare, was researching at the time how to combat obesity.”

Now, to the point of my article. I recommend that you buy a fitness tracker and get rid of the wall clock. This will discipline yourself to look at your wrist for time and for all of your fitness data. Wearing a tracker will force you to analyze your vital fitness stats throughout the day and will result in better workout performance.

Strap a tracker to your wrist for 2021 and begin to equate TIME with your FITNESS!

(1) Smith, Stephen. HOT EXERCISE. 2020

(2) https://www.hfe.co.uk/blog/a-study-of-fitness-trackers-and-wearables/

‍

Twenty-twenty was tough. It’s time to focus on YOU again! Work on your body and improve your mind this year through fitness. When your mind and body are in sync, strengthening together, a more powerful you will be the result.

At HOTWORX we believe and promote this equation: MIND + BODY = POWER.

The word power comes from the Latin word potere, meaning "to be able”. Power is the enabler of force, and force is our leverage to more productivity. Everyone wants to be a force and feel more powerful, but not everyone is willing to put in the work. Choose to do the work this year!

Back to power. What is power really? Power, simply put, is the ability to do something. Doing more than what has been done before should always be the mission. So, let’s ask ourselves, “What will it take to increase our personal power in 2021 so that we can all do more?”

Personal power needs two things, physical might and mental efficacy. Becoming a more powerful you requires continual development of physical and mental strength. Infrared training can help by providing faster workout recovery and heat shock proteins for better results. The cool thing about developing physical strength is the fact that when you workout you are conditioning your mind for development as well. When the mind and body connect as one with an excellent fitness routine, both mind and body gain power through strength.

I have written several articles on the mental benefits of infrared training. I’ve found that a good workout in the morning before the work day begins is great for mental efficacy, and a lunchtime workout can give you an added edge for data analysis, research, and decision-making in the afternoon.

Power up this year with a commitment to train harder and think smarter!

Workouts before work and during the work day are highly encouraged within our organization.

A fit workforce is a powerful workforce!

As reported by ACE (American Council on Exercise) “…when you’re done working out, brain blood flow — enriched with higher levels of BDNF — returns to normal. According to Ratey, this is the optimal time for focusing on tasks that require serious brain power.” (1) Therefore, it makes sense to train before work or during the work day.

One synonym for power is the word mastery. Gaining a professional mastery at work is the only true form of job security. Anything that can give you an edge at work like developing a brain with more “efficacy” will not only make you invaluable to your work team, it will make you more money. Better decision-making and greater capacity for processing information will give you more power. Gaining more personal power means that you will accomplish more in less time. Building power for work will set your career up for positive professional momentum.

With 2020 in the rearview, a focus on developing your personal power through infrared fitness this year is a worthy resolution for 2021.

(1) https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/6726/exercise-to-boost-your-job-performance/

It’s the day after Christmas and all through the house, visions of fitness and detox ring out! ’Tis the end of 2020, and collectively we shout…SCREW COVID! It’s time for the counter attack!!

A little levity can help sometimes…😊

But yes, thank God, it’s time for our counter attack in the battle of the bulging holiday waistline. Fortunately, we can burn massive calories with hot infrared yoga 24 hours a day now, along with many other cutting edge hot exercise options, such as pilates, core training, HIIT, barre, and band workouts at your nearest HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio.

I ran across this information in a recent fitness article:

“According to a study from Wren Kitchens, the average person packs away a huge 5,373 calories during Christmas day. That's twice the recommended daily average for men and three times the RDA for women.” (1)

That is an incredible amount of calories for one day. RDA aside, the average BMR for men is 1800 calories, and for women is 1400 calories. What that means is that we should not eat more than our BMR (basal metabolic rate) if we want to maintain our weight.  If we eat more than our BMR, then we will begin to gain weight. So, on Christmas Day we consume around 3 to 4X the number of calories that we should. After a year like this, though, I think we may all be feeling a little more than the usual Christmas pudginess.

Most of us have taken in too many calories from food and other indulgences leading up to and including Christmas Day 2020. But it’s been extra difficult this year. The pandemic leading up to Christmas has wreaked havoc on our daily routines including our normal fitness and diet habits. In my research for this blog post I ran across evidence of rising obesity and diabetes due to COVID.

“It appears that while we are tackling anxiety due to pandemic, and eagerly looking forward to solutions, basics of diet and lifestyle have been ignored.” (2)

I’ll attempt to speak for us collectively again…Screw COVID!!!

Why not counter attack against the fat and toxicity NOW in our personal fitness battles? There is no need to wait for January, let’s attack now!

I am a big fan the great motivator Tony Robbins. He teaches the importance of taking massive action. Ponder his quote:

"The path to success is to take massive, determined action.”  Tony Robbins

It’s time to put 2020 in the rearview. We can all look forward by supplementing our fitness with infrared training into a much better year. The HOTWORX 3D training method with heat, infrared energy and Isometrics or HIIT can help with torching more calories in less time. This can be a major weapon in the Christmas calorie counter attack!

So, let’s all take this week before the new year to map out our goals for 2021 and determine our resolutions, and remember there is no need to wait when it comes to our fitness commitment. Let’s reclaim our fitness.

Counter attack now 👊🔥

(1) https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a758447/the-unbelievable-amount-of-calories-you-eat-on-christmas-day/

(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7333608/

Drink plenty of water! How many times have you heard that? It probably makes you think of your mom or a school teacher telling you how important it is to drink water when you were a kid. It’s important to drink water, for sure, and it is especially important to hydrate when you train. But, the act of hydrating your body can be even more effective when you supplement the water with a nutritional additive.

It seems, sometimes, that people think about drinking water as an either or exercise, meaning either you are drinking plain water or you are drinking something else. The fact is, that you’re still drinking the same amount of water, even after it has been altered with supplementation.

I am an advocate of proper hydration before, during and after workouts. Water is not enough during a training session, though. I can give up this next story as proof.

Recently, I travelled to the island of St. Lucia for a corporate retreat with my colleagues and significant others. The highlight of the trip for myself, Jeremy Harwell and Todd Matherne was our scaling of a volcanic mountain, the Gros Piton. Prior to the climb I made sure to pack a canteen that had been filled with water mixed with an electrolyte/amino powder blend that would be perfect to give me what I needed for the trek up the mountain. Unfortunately, as I crossed a small stream at the base of the mountain on the beach, I slipped on a rock and the water bottle bounced off of my belt and escaped into the stream as I watched it head out to sea. That was not a good start for that climb. Fortunately for me, Jeremy had packed a few extra electrolyte gummy tablets. Sure enough, about half way up the Gros Piton, my body began to shut down its productivity as it was craving nutrition. I felt seriously depleted at that moment. Jeremy offered me a few of those electrolyte tablets and almost immediately after taking them in, my body recovered fully! It was like magic.

The moral to the story is… Give your body what it needs when it needs it, and know that water alone is not enough during a great workout.

I recommend using a powder supplement to your water during and after your infrared sauna workouts. HOTWORX has developed a “During and After” powder that is awesome for training and is easily mixed with your workout water.

No doubt we are all looking forward to leaving 2020 behind and now is the time to plan for an awesome new year of fitness. As you begin to think about how you might change your regime for better performance in 2021, consider improvements for how you hydrate!

HIIT, especially infrared sauna HIIT, is a calorie scorcher and a fat oxidizer! A great body of research exists to back this up. It has been proven that HIIT for 15 minutes can burn more calories than an hour of treadmill jogging.

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is perfect for the holidays. If you are like most, a quick HIIT workout may be all you have time for right now. Last Monday was the official publication date of my book, HOT EXERCISE,

and for the next few weeks you might see a few excerpts from it in the weekly blog posts. In the book there is a chapter on HIIT and how beneficial it is when combined with an infrared sauna environment. The excerpt below gives a good HIIT training overview to encourage you to try it for the holidays to conserve your time for family and still reap the benefits of fitness amidst the holiday madness.

HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING, or HIIT, in normal outdoor climates or in air-conditioned indoor workout environments, when done properly, is an effective addition to any fitness routine. However, when HIIT is combined with infrared energy and heat, the human body responds with a supercharge to its metabolism and with the extra advantage of accelerated detox!

Studies have shown that HIIT training creates significant increases in muscle ability to oxidize fatty acid during exercise. The increasing body of research continues to prove the effectiveness of HIIT for fat burning and weight loss. One such study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology recorded data showing that HIIT can increase whole-body fat oxidation by 36 percent.” (1)

HIIT requires a burst of high-intensity sets or “intervals” that can shoot the heart rate to 80 percent of max or higher during those intervals. The high-intensity interval bursts are usually accomplished with increased speed from pedaling or rowing, for example, or from increased resistance levels, or from both increased speed combined with increased resistance.

I have consistently worked out at 90–95 percent of my HR max during the HOTWORX® 15-minute HIIT sessions. The infrared heat conditions the body to reach the target HR much faster than traditional weight rooms or fitness studios. Most trainers recommend that clients work hard enough to achieve 80 percent HR max during HIIT sessions. I would recommend that clients try to achieve a range of 75–85 percent of HR max to start before pushing it to higher percentages. By way of definition, the formula for HR max is as follows: take 220 and subtract your age. For example, as of the writing of this chapter, I am 56, so my calculation is 220 – 56 = 164 HR max.

Benefits of HIIT

HIIT is great for weight loss and is generally accepted as more effective for weight loss than traditional cardio or weight training. Logging just a few short HIIT sessions per week can greatly enhance any weight-loss effort. Studies have shown that HIIT improves body composition by decreasing fat mass and increasing lean body mass in both males and females.

HIIT Plus Infrared

Now, let’s take HIIT one step further. What about HIIT when combined with an infrared energy and heat environment such as that of the patented three-person, semi-private, HOTWORX® infrared fitness sauna? HOTWORX® introduced this type of workout in February of 2017, and since then, this HIIT form of 3D Training (infrared energy + heat + HIIT) has become wildly popular with studio members.

No doubt, HIIT creates a more effective workout in less time…but when combined with IR energy and heat, the results compound to create even more workout efficiency.

Inside the original HOTWORX® 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio in Oxford, Mississippi, the right side of the studio is all HIIT. It consists of a row of saunas dedicated to 15-minute HIIT routines equipped with either Schwinn cycles or Keiser Total Body Trainers. All HOTWORX® studios are equipped with these HIIT saunas.

With perfectly choreographed low-, medium-, and high-tension intervals throughout the 15-minute HIIT workouts, more can be accomplished in less time than ever before. Of course, this is another HOTWORX® original. The bike workout is called Hot Cycle, and the cross-row workout is known as Hot Row. The total-body trainer workout, appropriately named Hot Blast, is unique in that you’ll experience a chest press, rowing, and leg press all at once, and what an incredible full-body workout it is in just 15 minutes!

Give yourself just 15 minutes a day for HIIT during your holiday season this year and keep fitness ready as the new year approaches.

(1) www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/top-10-health-benefits-hiit-high-intensity-interval-training/

Franchising has always been a team sport. From my perspective, as a former competitive athlete, all business is a game, and therefore, a sport. And, when it comes to sports, I prefer playing on a team.

I have been involved in franchising now, as an entrepreneur, for over thirty years. I appreciate the challenges that small business owners encounter on a daily basis. I have always said that small business owners should be knighted for their service to the country. We face overly burdensome regulations that grow more onerous with each passing year it seems. In the face of that, it takes strong operational systems to win the game of business. You have to band together to make it work. This is why franchising as an entrepreneurial team is so important.

Franchising leads the way for small business ownership by allowing entrepreneurs to be in business for themselves but not by themselves. Being part of a brand team through franchising is an historically predictable path to success versus the mom and pop route. Ninety percent of all franchises are successful past 5 years as opposed to only 20% of non-franchised business start-ups.

We hear all the time that small business is the job growth engine of the economy. In fact, according to SBA (1), small businesses are responsible for “64 percent of net new private-sector jobs, 49.2 percent of private-sector employment, 42.9 percent of private-sector payroll, 46 percent of private-sector output, [and] 43 percent of high-tech employment.”

I recently published a book, HOT EXERCISE. The paperback and hardcover were released to all of our franchise locations this week along with the ebook released on Amazon this week. The audible version will be released in January. In the final pages of the book, following the book conclusion, I wrote a final “lagniappe” chapter about the importance of franchising as a team. An excerpt is provided below:

In the late ’80’s and early ’90’s I was a licensee of three Gold’s Gym locations. At that time, Gold’s was “licensing” out their brand name rather than full on franchising of a system of operations. I really enjoyed being an owner of Gold’s Gym locations, and still love to take trips out to the original Gold’s known as the Mecca of Bodybuilding in Venice, CA. I always say that if you can’t get motivated in that gym, then you just can’t be motivated.

I still love that brand, but a business cannot stand on its name alone. One of the reasons that I moved on from ownership of Gold’s Gym was due to their lack of system standards at that time and the lack of uniformity amongst their licensees. The brand is most important, but the biggest advantage of franchise ownership is access to a proven operating system. A great system can catapult the brand to stratospheric levels.

After three decades of franchising, I can tell you that a franchise system MUST be viewed as a team. Teamwork is the only way that a franchise can thrive and succeed in the marketplace. Franchising is a difficult business model when compared to all company owned organizations such as Starbucks where each location is fully controlled by the corporate headquarters and can mandate uniformity from the top down with compliance held in place by employees who want to keep their employment. Franchising is more difficult because it relies on expansion through a federation of independent business owners connected together by a document know as the franchise agreement. Uniformity of the brand depends on adherence to that document and can at times be testy when brand standards are not met. The best way to keep the uniformity in a franchise organization is to view it as a team effort.

General Patton said “an army is a team.” A franchise is a team too!

When you view franchising as a team the entire organization makes perfect sense. The way I look at it is with the franchisor as the coaching staff and each franchise location as a player on the team. For HOTWORX and our sister brand Planet Beach it works very well as viewed in that paradigm. A paradigm is not just how you look at something, though, it is also how you think about something. With the franchising model, it must be viewed as a team but always thought of as a team too. Franchising flourishes when understood truly as a team with coaches and players striving to outperform each other and to surpass competitors from other brands.

With our corporate structure, the department responsible for support of the franchise locations is the Franchise Performance Department. The VP of that department is considered the “Head Coach” who supervises a staff of business coaches each responsible for training and motivating a group of 50 franchise locations that are each considered a “player” on their team. The performance score of each location “player” is their level of profitability.

Franchising is a team sport!

Fitness and athletics go well together, and for a fitness franchise like HOTWORX, “teamthink” resonates. Teamthink is always more powerful than an individual thinking alone. A great idea from one person has no power until it is manifested through action with a group of people. They say great minds think alike, and when multitudes of great minds begin to think and act for a team to build a special brand for everyone, magic begins to happen. The result is something extraordinary for the franchisor, the franchisee, and ultimately for the customer.

To inquire about franchising, or to learn more about the organization, please visit HOTWORX.net.

As a postscript:

One of the most important structures to place into a franchise organization at the appropriate level of growth (usually when a franchise reaches 50 open locations) is a Franchise Advisory Council (FAC). An FAC is made up of franchisees nominated or elected by their peers to serve as owner representatives from regions where there exists a critical mass of franchise locations. FAC members meet with the Franchisor to provide feedback from the field and to participate in discussions to improve the operations of the entire franchise team. The importance of the FAC cannot be over emphasized. With the HOTWORX franchise, three official meetings are held each year and special meetings are called when needed for emergencies such as the COVID-19 crisis. Many system improvements have resulted from these meetings. A couple of ideas that resulted from HOTWORX FAC meetings include the implementation of our Virtual Personal Training program (that was transitioned to a home workout service during COVID lockdowns), and a new APP feature to allow customers to view available workout sessions by time rather than just by workout. Those are just two that come to mind.

Teamwork is a vital component for a healthy franchise organization.

A franchise is a team!

‍

(1)  https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/FAQ_Sept_2012.pdf

I recently published a book entitled HOT EXERCISE. The official release date is this December 7th in the midst of the holiday season. It seems like a mad rush every year during this time to get it all done. Sometimes people place their fitness program on the back burner to free up more time for holiday preparations. Instead of sacrificing your workouts this year, why not incorporate a more efficient workout program into your schedule?

In my book, the first paragraph reads as follows:  “Time is perhaps the most valuable commodity we have in life. We might even go as far as to say all human advancement is the result of an effort to improve the quality of time.” (1)

I have thought to myself and have listened to others remark that the pandemic has made them even more aware of the preciousness of time. We only have so much of it! Every moment needs to count for something good, especially during the holidays.

This need for improvement of time quality is why we created the HOTWORX infrared training system. Infrared energy and Heat when combined with proper exercise is what we call 3D Training. Three dimensions, if you will, including Heat, Infrared Energy and Exercise will massively improve your use of gym time. “It is the perfect fitness method for the modern world and it addresses those four things that people demand from their fitness programs.” (2)

Those four fitness demands include:

1-The desire to look better

2-The need to move better

3-The need to feel better

4-The goal to live longer

With these fitness goals in mind, Three Dimensional Training is one sure method for getting more done in less time with your workouts. Workout efficiency is the key to a high quality use of gym time. It is the fusion of heat and infrared energy into the workout that elevates efficiency.

Three Dimensional Training amps up the efficiency by (1) accelerating your metabolism through deep IR penetration at the cellular level, (2) getting you to your target heart rate sooner through faster warm-up, and (3) forcing your body to acclimate to the heat that conditions you for optimum performance in normal everyday environments.

During this holiday season, I am thankful for the fast, efficient infrared training option. It gets me to my fitness goals faster so that I have more time for family and friends this Thanksgiving and Christmas. Gone are the days of just going to an air-conditioned gym. Training in an infrared sauna is a multi-dimensional experience that gets me in and out of the fitness studio in no time. It is like going from fitness black and white to full living color.

(1) Smith, Stephen P. HOT EXERCISE. New Orleans, HOTWORX Franchising Corp., Dec 7, 2020.

(2) Smith, Stephen P. HOT EXERCISE. New Orleans, HOTWORX Franchising Corp., Dec 7, 2020.

In this year of the pandemic it’s easy to allow yourself to be dragged into a downward spiral of negativity.  Don’t let it happen! It’s not the correct response to adversity. There is a way to keep moving in a positive direction, and even catapult yourself to a much higher level amidst this seemingly awful situation we find ourselves in.

If you focus on the gloom and doom, then that is exactly what you will get. You get what you focus on in life! What is required right now, and always, is a focus on the positive.

For times like these, I frequently point out this fact. The greater the adversity, the more profound the opportunity. Adversity is merely a problem to solve. As business executives, this is what we do.  And in personal life adversity can be approached in the same way.

Positivity is the key. The path to positivity begins from the inside. Summon your “inner warrior” to find the courage necessary to attack the problem, and to overcome the adversity. The inner warrior is the fighter inside all of us. We all have one. It’s the will to succeed, the will to win. It’s powerful. It’s the force that makes you do more than you ever thought you could.

Your inner warrior will force you to focus, for as long as it takes, to come up with a good solution to any problem. Call up the warrior to find a good strategy to face up to and overcome the adverse situation. This force can make you mentally ready for the moments of inspiration that solve great problems.

This is especially important for fitness. That fighting spirit will take you to another motivational level for more reps and better postures.

You know it works, but HOW do you access your inner warrior? It takes desire first. I am reminded of a business associate who used to ask this question all the time, “How big is your want to!?” Your level of desire will determine how quickly you find the strength within that I am referring to as your inner warrior. You gotta want it bad enough though, and when you do, then you will know the positive force of your inner warrior!

So, take all of your adversity including the pandemic, your critics, and any obstacle to your fitness self-discipline and throw them in the ring with your will to succeed. Then tap into and UNLEASH the power of YOUR INNER WARRIOR to defeat them all!

As a fitness blogger who began writing weekly articles for almost five years now, I suppose it was natural that I would write a book at some point. It was always in the back of my mind, even before the HOTWORX blog, but the book topic did not reveal itself to me until a little while after we introduced our, now patented, infrared workout sauna to the marketplace in the summer of 2015.

I actually introduced the term “hot exercise” through the HOTWORX blog a few years ago. It was around that time that the book topic became clear to me, and that the name of the book would be Hot Exercise. From there, I made the commitment to write and publish the book.

Almost simultaneously, the subtitle for the book came to me as well. HOTWORX the brand, and Hot Exercise the book, were always meant to be integrated as one for the benefit of the franchise. For that reason, I had to ask myself, “How do I describe the innovation of HOTWORX as a book subtitle to Hot Exercise?" It soon made sense to me that HOTWORX and the Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier would be the right descriptor for the book as a subtitle. Writing the book then became a labor of love in my spare time (which I do not have a lot of) and an effort that spanned over a two year period.

I am very happy to announce today that my book, Hot Exercise, is published and is now available in paperback on Amazon. The official date of publication, though, is this December 7. On that date the hardcover and paperback will be released for shipment to all of our franchise locations and will be available for purchase when they arrive at all HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studios and Planet Beach spas. Also on that December 7 release date, the eBook will be made available for purchase on Amazon. In the spring of 2021 look for the release of the Hot Exercise audible version.

The purpose of the book is twofold. First, clearly I want the book to create a wider audience for our franchise brands so that we can recruit more members into our franchise locations. Secondly, and equally as important, the book serves as an educational text to introduce the public to the history, the science, and the benefits of infrared fitness training.

So now, it is with great excitement, through the publication of this new book, that I call out to fitness thrill-seekers everywhere who are looking for cutting edge training results. Welcome to HOT EXERCISE and the bold new frontier of infrared fitness!

Enjoy the read.

I have written article after article on the topic of workout consistency and its importance for training measurability and ultimately for best fitness results. For fitness beginners and for many who are past the beginner level, they have not yet arrived to the place where they understand this. They need to break the limiting mental pattern of thinking that they should do something different during every workout with respect to postures or exercises within any given workout type.  This thought pattern is shortsighted and stems from lack of training experience mostly.

You gotta put in the reps to get to a professional, results oriented pattern of thinking and action. This takes work. There are tools, like the HOTWORX 3D Training Method, that can help you get more from your workouts to help you break out from a limiting mindset sooner, but it still requires that you do the reps consistently. Over time, through repetition, you will come to an undeniable mental connection with the extension and flexion of the rest of your body.

Pay attention to trainers who actually put in the reps themselves, and who have done the work consistently over time. To me there is nothing worse than a so-called fitness trainer who lacks the discipline to consistently do the work themselves. Wisdom comes to those who actually do the work. Arm chair fitness training is just as foolish as arm chair quarterbacking.

Break the pattern that limits your thinking and your action. It takes mental toughness to motivate your body to do the work! Have you achieved the perfect plank or the perfect eagle pose? Get the fundamentals right before you even think about layering something different onto your program. When you are ready for more challenge, then there are two ways you can up your game without sacrificing workout consistency:

1-Focus on perfecting every exercise and every posture and this mindset alone will satisfy your urge for something new.  Something new should be the gains that you measure in form and strength each time you practice the rep! If you focus on your form and your intensity for every rep and every posture, then you will never experience boredom and you will begin to develop a pattern of professionalism through connection of your mind with your body.

2-Practice cross-training by layering workout types. Make sure the workout types are consistent with respect to the flow of postures and/or exercise sets for measurability of gains.

It is easy to allow yourself to fall into limiting physiological patterns. According to the legendary life coach and motivational speaker, Tony Robbins, these habitual, negative and disruptive patterns must be interrupted. Interrupt a limiting pattern with a sound training method! Choose your training program wisely.

Establish a pattern of unlimited results! Find the discipline to focus on measurable results. Do the reps, perfect your form, measure your results! Commit to workout type consistency. Your long term fitness results depend on it!

According to Zig Ziglar, the legendary motivator and sales master, you are always the most productive the day before your vacation. I would certainly agree with that, and note that you always spend that day tying up all of your loose ends for work as well as all of the packing and planning for your departure the very next day.

Sense of accomplishment is important in life. There is no better vacation than the one that is taken based on achievement of a goal, or the one that involves accomplishment of a goal while on vacation, or both is even better. I believe that there is no better motivation than that of a well planned vacation. A good vacation is a great reason to get up early, train hard, and work passionately!

Plan for a vacation if you need to be motivated.

Make fitness a part of your vacation too, and come up with an event during the vacation that motivates. I have written on this topic several times because I know how effective it is when used as a part of a personal fitness program.

We just returned from a company vacation retreat in St. Lucia. We were there last year and three of us scaled the famous Gros Piton as a part of the trip. This year it became a mission to climb it again and to beat the time of the previous year.

For weeks leading up to the trip, Jeremy Harwell and I trained hard with the weights and infrared Hot Cycling inside of a HOTWORX sauna at the corporate headquarters. This year Todd Matherne, one of our HOTWORX partners in the Marrero, LA franchise location, joined myself and Jeremy for the climb.

We arrived by boat to the beach at the foot of the Gros Piton. Greeted by one random cow and a couple of locals, there we were, three fitness athletes determined to beat the time set by the group of three the year before.

In 2019, the time it took to scale from the entrance of the mountain at the beach up to the summit (2,618.9 ft.) and back down to the starting point was four hours and thirteen minutes. This year we made the up and down trek in three hours and forty-four minutes slashing the prior year’s number by 29 minutes representing a 25% improvement in performance. Who wouldn’t want 25% more productivity!?

Speaking of productivity, my calorie burn last year as a 56 year old was 2,769 calories in four hours and thirteen minutes.  This year, at 57, my burn was 2,541 which was close to the same amount of energy spent but in 25% less time to complete the workout, a big conditioning improvement year over year that I totally attribute to infrared training for cardio and endurance.  All three of us agreed that the Gros Piton climb was by far the best HIIT workout we had ever experienced. In terms of calorie burn, it was at least 5 workouts compacted into one three hour and forty-four minute session. Compared to the average fitness routine it would be like combining two weeks worth of workouts into one training session.

No thanks to COVID, the climb almost didn’t happen, though. St. Lucia has very strict COVID policies and it literally took gaining permission from the Minister of Health for us to gain access to the base of the mountain. Much thanks goes out to the Ladera Resort General Manager, Christian Gandara, for helping us out. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! I also want to give a big shout out to our mountain guide and the Ladera yoga instructor, Anston, for the friendly motivation and professionalism.

Same as last year, the climb took us up a makeshift trail that consisted of dirt paths turned into mud, steep wet rocks, railings (where there was railing) made of branches that were randomly nailed together, trees, giant roots, vines and stumps, along with many other winding obstacles as we made our way up the crude pathway. This year we had to factor in inclement weather as an additional handicap. We faced rain and wind all the way up and down. But, again, what a rush it was to get to the top…,

[embed]https://youtu.be/MtcnyQ1F7ac[/embed]

and to finish at the bottom of the mountain again with a better time!

The point here is to advocate for the use of a vacation as a means for continual fitness motivation. Your vacation goal may involve a destination for multiple yoga days, or hiking, or snow skiing. The options are limitless from paddle boarding to surfing to cliff jumping. I would encourage you to include a fitness event during your vacation, but your objective may simply be to look good on the beach or at the pool. That’s ok too as long as it provides motivation for your workouts throughout the year.

Whatever you do, plan your next vacation now and begin to use it to elevate your vacation motivation mentality!

The health club industry as we used to know it is likely to have been changed forever by COVID-19. Post-lockdown fitness customers are still looking for gyms and studios, but, they want a health club that can provide a sense of safety through social distancing and cleanliness. They want to join a gym, in fact, most are to the point of going stir crazy, but they need a really good reason to leave home during these times.

For HOTWORX, beyond its dedication to cleanliness and distancing, the company has another way to provide an elevated sense of safety. The safety lagniappe (cajun for “a little something extra") is delivered through the application of heat and infrared radiation (IR). Using the patented infrared workout sauna as a tool, HOTWORX gives clients the opportunity to train in a private, enclosed IR sauna space. This is appealing to members and gives them an excellent reason, a longing actually, to get out of the house for workouts and for detox.

Recently, I was listening to one of the major business news outlets, Bloomberg I think it was, and a story grabbed my attention. It was news concerning how long the coronavirus lives on flat surfaces such as the face of cell phones. I was shocked to hear how long the virus can live on those surfaces, but I was happy to hear that when the temperature reaches 100º F+ it dies quickly.

We know that heat can kill the virus, and now there is mounting epidemiological (medical branch that deals with control of disease) evidence to suggest that frequent sauna bathing can reduce the risk of pneumonia and viral infection.¹

The modern world should pay attention to the ancient use of heat and radiation from the sun as a therapy for all sorts of medical issues including viruses. Of course, infrared from the sun envelopes our planet daily as a natural antiseptic and can also be generated inside a sauna for use with a fitness program. Exercise is also an age old remedy for health issues.

As we work to combat the pandemic, all businesses must continue to find ways to alleviate the safety fears of their customers. This is especially true for the fitness industry. And, even after the virus is finally defeated, combining IR, heat and exercise will continue to make perfect sense for health clubs in the 21st century.

¹ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7372531/

Fitness professionals hear a lot about fasted training these days.  How does it apply to infrared workouts?

Let’s explore this.

First, what is fasted training anyway? Simply put, it is training on an empty stomach.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to discipline yourself to train in the morning without breakfast. Most trainers believe that a steady state of cardio is the best way to benefit from fasted training. In fact, all workouts can be applied with a fasted approach for added fat burning.

As reported by the Huffington Post, accredited practicing dietitian, sports dietitian and nutrition consultant, Jessica Spendlove states that, ”The benefits of a fasted workout include increasing aerobic capacity and increasing the fat utilization (the use of fat as a fuel source).”¹

My advice is to train hard in the morning and stop eating no later than 8 p.m. the night before. Following your morning fasted workouts, you can begin eating again and you should consider an acai bowl with added protein as a breakfast to follow the fasted workout. Keep your food intake intervals from 8-12 hours, then back to the fasting interval.  Be sure to hydrate with water and try mixing it with a “During and After” workout amino/electrolyte powder (less than 10 calories) to give your body what it needs during and after fasted infrared training.

In addition to more efficient fat burning, working out in the morning has been proven to elevate your energy for the rest of your day. This is a huge advantage for a business executive. I can speak to this from years of experience. Training in the morning can skyrocket your work productivity with more energy and focus.

Some experts believe that a sensible approach is to train in the morning on a 12 hour fast (let’s say your last meal was at 8pm and your fasted workout begins at 7 a.m. with breakfast at 8 a.m.). This amount of time leaves just enough carbs in your system to get you through the workout and still allow you to burn more fat. Others would argue that more fasting time is necessary to obtain the most fat burning benefit. I agree that longer fasting intervals can lead to more fat burning during the workout, 16 hours is optimal, but 12 hours is better than something less.

This type of fasting is known as intermittent fasting since it involves a daily cyclic approach to eating. If you want to unleash your warrior, then practice daily intervals of a 16 hour fast and meals during the other 8 hours. Remember that your primary goal with fasting is to burn more fat while keeping the muscle.

So what happens when your fasted cardio is done inside of an infrared sauna? Fat burning goes to the next level! Infrared exposure elevates the release of fat and the oxidation of it through the lungs.

One study found that regular infrared sauna use can result in a 4% drop in body fat over a period of four months.²

It may be time to try intermittent fasted infrared training and see how much more fat you can burn during your workouts. 💪🏽🔥

¹ https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/06/08/how-fasted-workouts-can-help-you-achieve-fitness-goals_a_22131508/² https://infraredsauna.com/weightlossstudy.pdf

There are those who train and there are those who train harder. This blog post is for those who train harder…those who want even more. Always remember that you get out what you put in! If you put more into your workouts, you will get more results from them.

When we opened the very first HOTWORX location in Oxford, MS, we wanted to offer something beyond the already unique infrared workout schedule. That is why we created the “Bonfire Workout”.

We all know what a bonfire is, right?

A bonfire is a controlled, open air fire that is used as a part of a celebration. The Bonfire Workout is a celebration of physical endurance. Let’s keep the fitness bonfire burning!

A bonfire is meant to be a spirited event. When I think of a bonfire, I am reminded of high school days and football pep rallies. At least once per football season, the cheerleaders would hold a bonfire rally to raise the energy level of the entire school in an effort to bring about a victory against a rival.

So, what constitutes a Bonfire Workout? Simply put, it is elevated cross-training.

HOTWORX wanted to give a name to a single session infrared cross-training workout. By that, we mean a workout that consists of back-to-back training sessions done without rest or time in between and inside of an infrared sauna. For example, a Bonfire might be Hot Yoga immediately followed by Hot Cycle, or Hot Pilates followed by Hot Iso and then Hot Blast. A true fitness warrior might start with Hot Warrior and then go straight to Hot Bands and cross-train to Hot Row for a third session without a stop.

Bonfire cross-training is a great way to condition the body with multiple workout types. The variety of workout movements strengthens alternate muscle groups to make your body more efficient for multi-purpose tasking. Because of this multi-workout type approach, greater strength can be gained for the body as a whole.

Greater levels of endurance can be the result from a Bonfire workout too. Multiple workouts back-to-back and acclimation to an infrared heat environment promotes greater levels of endurance. The endurance training through a Bonfire Workout can make your body more durable to defend itself against injury.

You can always do more than you think you can. Add another workout.

Try the Bonfire!!!

In last week’s blog article I touched on the importance of consistent training to achieve a mind/body connection for a higher level of fitness results. This week let’s delve into the world of mental focus for body results.

As you read through this post, keep in mind that training in a heated, infrared energy environment can heighten your cognitive awareness. In a previous blog article I reported research of findings that sauna use substantially increases norepinephrine levels, a hormone that increases focus and attention span.  Infrared heat also induces the production of the hormone prolactin promoting the growth of myelin. Myelin insulates nerve fibers in your brain and is a factor in determining speed of cognition. An infrared sauna can help you to attain the all important mind/body connection during workouts.

Training consistently inside of an infrared sauna is highly recommended for a faster path to a more effective environment for mind/body awareness.

I went to great lengths last week to drive home the point of consistency for training results.  Drilling down a bit on the same topic, consistency of workouts and exercise postures is important if you want to understand how you can connect your thoughts to your movements. It’s time to graduate your program. Athletes who reach high levels of success know how important this is to the game. Mind/body connection will be your ticket to high level fitness success as well.

In one 2019 article, “5 Ways a Consistent Yoga Practice Can Change Your Mind, Body and Life”, the author states that consistency with yoga, “Creates a mind-body connection for optimal mental, physical and emotional health: When you’re able to connect your movements in your body with self-awareness in your mind, it can create confidence and a holistic impact on your mental, physical and emotional health. This powerful combination can translate to success in both your personal and professional life.”¹

It’s important to know that the word “yoga” originates from the Sanskrit root word “yui” meaning union. In the most ancient Hindu scriptures The Veda, written in Sanskrit, the word ‘yoga’ is used to mean “yoking”, or “coming together” as a way to describe the focus and concentration for an individual’s attention.

Based on its history, yoga is the exercise form that is most often referred to when fitness professionals write about the importance of mind/body connection, but yoga is not the only workout that can be improved in that way. Pro athletes cross-train hard with many workout types to achieve this level of awareness and they reach this through consistency of exercises and repetition with the utmost of focus and determination.

FOCUS is the bridge between the mind and the body!

Let’s take a simple plank posture, for example. When you focus on proper form while in a plank you are forcing your mind to stay in the game with you. Conversely, when you allow yourself to become distracted, with thoughts of boredom, or just because you might have lost your discipline for a moment, you will disconnect the mind from the body. When you are engaged with yourself during training you will never get bored. Getting bored is not possible when you train with a high level of focus and intensity. Anything less is just plain laziness. Own that plank!

Get your mind in the moment and focus your body into perfect form for every posture, set and rep.

Where you focus is what you get!

Goals do wonders for mental focus and muscle performance. Determine what you want to achieve with each and every set for each and every posture and turn your focus to that. If you remain consistent with your practice like that, then you will begin to excel with much better form.

Your newfound awareness from the union of mind and body will result in greatly improved breathing and oxygenation, as well as strength and flexibility gains. Focus your mind on your body and make every workout moment count!

¹ https://thriveglobal.com/stories/5-ways-a-consistent-yoga-practice-can-transform-your-mind-body-and-life/

There is some confusion in fitness these days with respect to the importance of workout consistency and how it should be applied. Some trainers are promoting a “change your workout every time you come in the gym” mentality which creates an unacceptable vulnerability for risk of injury to the client. This is an undisciplined, even sloppy, approach to exercise sequencing. When there is no systematic workout plan, then you can expect a much lower quality of results. It should always be about the RESULTS of a program and this is the reason why many yoga styles such as Ashtanga and the original hot yoga routines base their programs on a set posture sequence.

Results driven fitness programs require consistency.

This is not to say that a fitness method never changes, it does and it should. But change should be a slow, sensible and methodic evolution of improvement for a workout method. This is the ONLY logical way for a fitness system to progress. The person practicing a fitness method should evolve and progress with their personal regime in this same way too. One master Ashtanga instructor puts it like this, “It is all about what is appropriate and practical, rather than blind faith, dogma, or just doing random stuff because I feel like it”.1

The HOTWORX 3D Training Method leans heavily toward the Ashtanga and the original hot yoga philosophy for consistency, and was developed out of yoga as a fusion with isometric exercises inspired from years of athletic training and other fitness practices. Therefore, HOTWORX isometric workouts can be described as a blend of strict yoga posture sequencing and athletic discipline.

HOTWORX, like Ashtanga, has a more athletic style and places a major emphasis on development of flexibility and strength through consistent isometric posture sequences. This is important because clients need to balance one with the other for flexibility with strength, as well as finding balance with exercise for the upper body/lower body, left side/right side, mind/body and so forth.

Like HOTWORX, Ashtanga appears to be a fusion style as well. It is believed to have evolved into a set practice based on influence outside of yoga. According to yogatemple.com, Ashtanga posture sequences were developed using a fusion of yoga and movement practices taken from gymnastics. “Based on no evidence to the contrary, it seems obvious to me that Prof. T. Krishnamacharya invented the Ashtanga sequences, borrowing many of his ideas from Western gymnastic training. I think that is a great thing that he borrowed from other systems and invented something very valuable, while still adhering to the traditional foundation of Yoga. It is Yoga for the modern woman and man.”2

Back to consistency now. Consistency is crucial to your workout results. This is why the HOTWORX 3D training method promotes REGULARITY of exercise flow and sequencing for a solid training method and not the latest whim. Know that above all else you should remain consistent with your workouts!!! Seek programs that value consistency.

Workout consistency is everything! Take yoga again, for example. The original style of hot yoga grew to incredible heights using the same exact posture sequence for every workout...but why!!?  Results for the customer!!!  That’s why. It’s all about results and workout consistency is the key to spectacular results!!!

Change is inevitable in everything we do, but it is how we create it and how we plan for it that makes the difference!

There are a thousand different ways to progress with the exact same exercise! For a workout type like yoga or Pilates, sameness equals “saneness”. Have you perfected your eagle pose!? Consistency is the key to fitness results my friends!!!

I am amused by people who pine for different exercises with the same workout type in every training session. It reminds me of a serial entrepreneur who can never find the right business to stick with, or a child that just can’t remain focused on one new toy for more than five minutes. Sticking to a solid fitness routine is imperative for high level results. Don’t quit. See it all the way through.

Some people, for whatever reason, have no discipline to a logical sequence and have no patience to allow for methodic evolution. They opt, rather, for an out of focus, schizophrenic approach to fitness in the name of “I’m bored”. “I’m bored” never accomplished anything! Those who are stuck in that mindset allow themselves to get bored because they have not yet graduated their fitness mentality. They can change, though, and when they do finally begin to understand how to “get their mind right” they will never get bored again, even with the most fundamental of postures such as the plank, for example.

The boredom excuse is a cop out.

I consider each exercise a challenge to make it my most successful set yet. How many of us can truly say that, “I have now perfected my Eagle pose to the point where I should leave it behind for something different?” Or, how many of us can say, “I have now done the most number of push ups that I will ever be able to do with the most perfect of form?” Now we should stop doing those two fundamental exercises, right? Absurd!

Graduate yourself!

If you find a level of focus and bring your mind into the game, you will then strive for progress in every exercise you do. From that point you will never have another “boring” set no matter how many times you do it! Accept that fitness takes discipline. Get your mind into it and make it fun through a constant competition with yourself. No more excuses, just results for your body and mind. Own it!

HOTWORX 3D Training with heat, infrared energy, and exercise promotes workout integrity through consistency with all of its workout types. I challenge you to perfect your form and intensity through each and every workout posture before you even think of moving on from it!!! Remain consistent!!! Don’t stop doing something because you don’t like it. When you master it, I guarantee you will like it. On the flip side, when you try to do everything, you will become the master of nothing, and there is your recipe for failure and lack of results.

In an article published by Australian Women’s Health in December 2019, it is argued that workout consistency is the most important factor in muscle development. The article by Lauren Williamson points to new research proving that it trumps variety of exercises and heaviness of weights. Most professional trainers, however, should already know the importance of exercise flow and regime consistency for measurability and results progression.

Consider this. “If your gym goal is muscle gains then consistency is more important than creativity, a new study has found.”3 Consistent exercise protocol performed over and over again is also what helps you to connect the mind to the body.

Trainers can’t help it sometimes, though. They have to show their creativity, but the fundamentals of exercise progression should never be compromised in the process. This is why consistency must remain the glue, or the integrity that holds an entire workout method together and ultimately yields awesome results for clients.

“Practicing each pose in the precise sequence, and receiving personal attention from the teacher, provides an organized learning method that is safe and steadfast.”4 For HOTWORX the personal attention and sequence precision is provided by means of private small group virtual training inside of a patented infrared workout sauna.

There can be no compromise when it comes to workout method integrity!

Do the right thing for your fitness. Commit to consistency. This requires training discipline. It is not easy, but as the old saying goes, nothing good in life comes easy.

1 https://www.yogatemple.com/the-evolution-of-ashtanga-yoga-2 https://www.yogatemple.com/the-evolution-of-ashtanga-yoga-3 https://www.womenshealth.com.au/consistency-most-important-factor-for-building-strength-muscle-growth-resistance-training4 https://www.yogaoutlet.com/blogs/guides/ashtanga-yoga-basics

Infrared is electromagnetic energy and a form of radiation found in the invisible area of the light spectrum. We know that infrared energy penetrates the human body up to 1.5 inches experienced as a subtle warmth of radiant heat to the body. The wavelength of infrared is longer than visible light and more easily absorbed by human skin.

Far Infrared radiation, such as the IR generated inside of a HOTWORX infrared workout sauna, stimulates the body’s immune system by boosting metabolic functions and generating the production of white blood cells which enhances the body’s ability to fight off infections.

It is possible that viruses cannot survive long in an infrared radiation environment such as a sauna. According to the Health Estate Journal, in an article about the technology company IOBAC, “Viruses may simply overheat in infrared radiation and die. Indeed, previous research on the SARS virus showed that ‘heating and UV irradiation can efficiently eliminate the viral infectivity’.

We know that there are many benefits from IR exposure including reduction of inflammation, pain relief and improved sleep. The list is long, but the latest information regarding use of IR for fighting viruses is one very timely application for a benefit to health.

In the Health Estate article cited above, Paul Woolvine, the CEO of IOBAC stated: “We are not suggesting FIR is the silver bullet for fighting COVID-19, but…its ability to act as a complementary therapy in the fight against airborne microorganisms must warrant serious consideration. We’re thus calling for any potential partners able to put this technology through the necessary tests and clinical trials, with the aim of (hopefully) putting it to good use in the fightback against RNA viruses, including COVID-19.”

The journal article goes on to talk about how FIR (far infrared) can reduce joint pain and improve circulation from the penetration of IR into the skin and tissues.

Science is just now beginning to understand the full range of health benefits to humans from the exposure to IR. We know that IR is naturally generated from the sun and we also know that a sunny day at the beach is one of the most effective natural therapies that there is. It is no surprise that entrepreneurs and health professionals alike would want to find ways to recreate and repackage infrared radiation in a convenient offering for those who want to use it for its benefits on a daily basis.

¹ https://www.healthestatejournal.com/story/32462/can-far-infrared-heating-combat-fight-covid-19² https://www.healthestatejournal.com/story/32462/can-far-infrared-heating-combat-fight-covid-19

The HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio franchise chain has become uniquely positioned to benefit from its concept in response to customer needs during the pandemic. The ability for the brand to adapt its workout appointment technology for social distancing has been a real fitness advantage for studio members. According to the needs of each market, franchise locations can restrict workouts to only one person per workout inside of the completely enclosed saunas, or, if the local COVID requirements permit, limit to two persons six feet apart inside of the individual infrared workout saunas. The precise distancing, private sauna workout rooms, and the fact that infrared exposure helps to improve immunity, has been important for clients during this pandemic.

For Ivan and Carley Ostrander, owners of the newly opened HOTWORX franchise in Midland, TX, the COVID crisis has not stopped them from setting membership records for the franchise. This location reopened after the lockdown using the two person, six feet apart approach and it has been very well received by their customers.

The Midland, TX studio opened March 6, 2020 just before the national COVID lockdown. Of course, right after opening for business they were forced to shut down on March 20th. When they closed for the lockdown their active member count was 387. Upon reopening on May 18, the active member count stood at 365 after a surprisingly small number of member cancellations from the lockdown. Since that time the active member count skyrocketed reaching 1000 on September 8. As of writing this article, there were 1022 members and still climbing. This is incredible for a 1910sf studio. And, most of these members joined as a result of a recommendation from a friend, or as we call this in the fitness business, as a referral. This word of mouth business expansion is always the best way to grow!

When asked about his success, Ivan states with confidence that, “I support my operations in every way and pay attention to the things we have control over vs. complaining about the things we do not.”

As a franchise professional for many years, I can attest to how important that is knowing that the franchisor is responsible for creating and maintaining an operating system and must retain control over certain things such as branding and technology while the franchisee holds the key for delivering the products and services directly to the customers using the franchise system. Magic can happen when the franchisor and the franchisees operate with a high level of teamwork and precision. Midland, TX is one great example of the power of franchising with professionalism as a team.

Ivan attributes his high level of location success to his team. “Without them and their knowledge of the Brand and the potential that is within them as a team, I am doomed to have lesser results. My team is great and I believe 100% that if they were not as strong as they were, I would only have 600 members. They are hungry, knowledgeable, and goal getters. I set the goal, they raise the goal, not me. I support them personally and professionally and they love HOTWORX.”

The Midland location was recognized at the HOTWORX Virtual Convention this July for having the highest number of new members based on the COVID Reopening Waiting List Day promotion for which they posted 62 new members on that day, May 27th.

Every storm cloud has a silver lining. The key to success during a crisis is to find that silver lining. For HOTWORX customers, the silver lining is faster workout results in a safe and smart environment. The patented HOTWORX infrared sauna delivers a private workout environment with precise distancing in an enclosure for safety and provides for a highly effective workout during these very strange times.

It is safe to say that you probably have never seen or read about a workout that is described as a “recovery workout”. Rather, it is more likely that you have heard those words used individually such as “recovery” from a “workout”. The conventional wisdom would say that you need to recover from a tough workout by going to the sauna after training. But conventional wisdom never factors in quality of life advancements based on innovation.

Enter the “recovery workout”!

Why not recover from your workout WHILE you are working out?! It is now possible. The recovery workout was inspired through unconventional wisdom, from the fitness road less travelled if you will, all in the effort to achieve stand out results rather than to blend in with less effective old school workout methods of the past.

HOTWORX created the 3D Training Method which uses (1) heat, (2) infrared energy and (3) exercise to deliver more than just another workout.  The combination of heat and infrared energy creates a major boost to your metabolism while you workout and this acceleration of the circulatory system and cellular activity causes your body to respond quickly to repair the muscle damage from working out during the workout itself.

Conventional workout programs waste precious time. Why not workout in an infrared sauna and kill two birds with one stone?  The workout and the recovery can happen simultaneously. We call this MORE WORKOUT, LESS TIME! There is no need to spend an hour for a workout and then another 30 minutes for recovery in the sauna when you can accelerate your workout and recovery into one 30 minute session for both! That decision will save a complete hour of your day for other meaningful things such as your career or family time. The HOTWORX workout will give you the same results in one third the amount of time.

There are many benefits from working out in an infrared sauna in addition to muscle recovery. Detox and accelerated sweating can help to make your body clean from the inside out and the improved sleep can certainly uplift your mood and quality of life on a daily basis. The list of health benefits to this infrared “recovery workout” method is long. All you have to do is google search for the benefits of exposure to infrared to see the body of research. When you read the evidence and envision infusing your body with the environment of an infrared sauna during your workout, you can then just imagine your results!

No need to just imagine what can happen, though, here is an actual results story for you. Dr. Alvin S. Perry, a college professor of entrepreneurship, book author, and speaker (check out his website here) became a member of HOTWORX in 2019 at the franchise location in Sandy Springs, GA. His before and after results below speak for themselves…

Dr. Perry was recently awarded a license to develop a HOTWORX franchise in Atlanta, GA.

Maybe it’s time to combine infrared energy and heat to your fitness and begin a “recovery workout” practice.

Fitness and discipline go hand in hand. You can’t experience a successful training program without discipline. If you are not willing to commit to discipline, then you will fail in your attempt to transform yourself into a person who lives with an active and fit lifestyle.

Discipline can be easier than you think, though, and can lay the groundwork for a better quality of life through fitness. The key is to find a smart program that encourages workout method discipline and makes it easy through the use of technology.

HOTWORX has made infrared training easy, accessible and disciplined through the use of its Burn Off App. This app allows members to set workout appointments based on a 24 hour schedule. It also enables users to sync with their Apple Watch or Fitbit to track calories burned during the HOTWORX workout and for the one hour calorie after-burn following the workout.

Discipline is also important with respect to workout consistency. There’s an unfortunate tendency for trainers to lose discipline when it comes to solid and consistent workout methods. Many trainers fail to even pre-plan for workouts, and fail to base their training on any method at all. Working out, like everything in life, yields more positive results when discipline is applied through method and consistency. The truly professional trainers understand workout method discipline. HOTWORX also understands the need for the practice of a disciplined, consistent workout method.

There are many different workout types for customers to choose from today, so it is important to find and only consider training methods that are based in discipline and consistency.

So, what does it mean for a training method to be based in discipline and consistency? A training method should stand for something and should have integrity as opposed to a haphazard approach like what is unwittingly being promoted by so many trainers in the industry today. The sad thing is the average fitness customer is influenced by these schizophrenic approaches to the point that they think it is actually good to do yoga, for example, a million different ways. One of the most successful workout methods ever conceived is Bikram yoga. Bikram never deviates from a 26 posture sequence with the exact same postures in the same order every workout, every time! This “sameness” to me equals saneness in training!

There are so many ways to progress with a single posture, or a single exercise.  For example, one might set a short term goal to make it through an eagle pose on each leg without losing balance. Or one might set the goal of holding a stretch by not bending the knees and holding the toes for an entire stretch. Every workout should be a practice to improve the execution of postures and exercises. But to make the workouts meaningful, there must be a standard for measurement. This is one reason why consistency of workouts is so important. This is why Bikram workouts are so effective and why the results are much better in contrast to the “let’s change our workout every time” approach. It takes discipline to remain consistent, but it is imperative if you want to achieve great results with your program.

The HOTWORX infrared training program values workout method integrity through consistency and discipline. A smart, disciplined approach to training in an infrared environment will yield the most results in the shortest amount of time, which is what we all want.

Most people launch a calorie-burn mission to lose fat and drop weight. As a general rule, it takes a 3,500-calorie burn to lose a pound of body weight—which sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?

No need to worry, this can be accomplished with just four HOTWORX® sessions because the average person burns 250–450 calories during a 30-minute infrared workout and experiences another 350–600-calorie after-burn during the 60 minutes immediately following the workout.

One of the reasons for this increased calorie burn is that elevating your body’s core temperature accelerates your metabolism. In fact, for every 1.8°F your body temperature goes up, your metabolism increases approximately 10–13 percent.¹

Naturally, when training in a heated environment—whether it’s running outside in the Vegas heat during the middle of summer or practicing yoga inside of a HOTWORX® infrared sauna—your body’s core temperature will elevate more rapidly than when you are working out in an air-conditioned gym or fitness studio. Rapid elevation of your core temperature reduces the time required for your warm-up phase by 50% and allows you to get to the calorie burn faster.

With an infrared studio, it takes only a short time with a workout such as Pilates or yoga to generate an incredible calorie burn and supercharge to your metabolism for weight loss. And, the added bonus is that you will experience the same high-level energy spend during the post-workout after-burn as your body works off calories to achieve homeostasis!

It’s also important to know that through exposure to infrared during exercise, your body will burn fat because your muscles gain energy from processing fat and sugar that is supplied from your blood.

If your goal through the infrared burn-off process is to lose weight, then I recommend combining your infrared workouts with a daily practice of keeping your body in caloric deficit by eating less calories than your basal metabolic rate (BMR). You can easily calculate your BMR through any number of websites. Just Google around and find one that you like.

According to livestrong.com: “When your body is in this state of caloric deficit, it uses your fat stores for energy in a complex chemical process that eventually leads you to excrete most of the excess fat via your lungs.” Researchers determined that “the fat actually excretes as about 85 percent carbon dioxide through the lungs and 15 percent water through your urine, feces, sweat, and tears. . . .”²

As you achieve muscle gains and weight loss through infrared training, be careful not to begin to consume more calories than you use again, though, because your body will return to filling up the deflated fat cells causing you to gain weight once again.

¹ in Coleman, “How Does Body Temperature Affect Metabolism?,” FitDay, ac- cessed May 22, 2020, http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/ how-does-body-temperature-affect-metabolism.html.² Andrea Boldt, “How Does the Body Excrete Fat?,” Livestrong, updated April 23, 2018, https://www.livestrong.com/article/34745-body-excrete-fat/.

In my research for the blog this week I came across a very interesting article published in June of 2016 in the medical journal Frontiers in Microbiology. The article summarizes the findings of a study conducted with the use of mice exposed to a deadly strain of influenza, the Avian Virus H5N1.

This flu strain is a highly contagious virus causing very serious human respiratory infection and has a high rate of morbidity. The study was conducted to see the effect of heat shock therapy in mice. In the abstract of the journal article the author states that:

“Short-term heat shock, as a stressful condition, could induce the expression of heat shock proteins that function as molecular chaperones to protect cells against multiple stresses.”¹

Of course, exposure to an infrared sauna session creates a condition of stress that requires the human body to acclimate to heat which causes a short term heat shock producing HSPs, or heat shock proteins, that can serve to improve the immune system.

In the study, mice were separated into two groups, those exposed to heat shock in an incubator, and those that were not exposed to heat prior to inoculation with the deadly flu strain. The results were pretty incredible.

The mice group that was not exposed to heat treatments began to die after day 7. The group exposed to the heat shock experienced a reduction of viral replication in lung tissue, less weight loss, and increased survival rate of the H5N1 infection. The data in the study reported that “short-term heat shock provided beneficial anti-HPAIV H5N1 properties in mice model, which offers an alternative strategy for non-drug prevention for influenza infection.”²

This study demonstrated that, through the stimulation of heat shock proteins in mice, a very effective immunity response was created in the host to counter against the infection by certain bacteria. This is important modern evidence proving the benefits of heat therapy for immunity.

But, we already know that heat exposure is an age old health practice and that sweating has been used as therapy for centuries.

An advocate of sauna usage, functional medicine expert Alejandro Junger, MD, reminds us that sweating inside heated enclosures has been a medicinal practice of cultures dating back to ancient Roman, Greek, and Russian civilizations, as well as that of Native American sweat lodges. Dr. Junger explains how sauna exposure can create a state of self-induced fever, which can condition the immune system for better performance. He points to the fact that skin is our largest organ and is a major toxic waste elimination channel, and through sweating, “one activates and intensifies the elimination of toxins.”³

It is well documented that sweating induced from exposure to an infrared sauna is seven times more effective for detox than that of exposure to a traditional, convection heated sauna. To the point of this article, though, sweating results from exposure to heat, and heat shock generates HSPs in humans. It has been demonstrated time and again that heat shock proteins improve the immune system!

¹ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908103/² https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908103/³ “The Power of Infrared Saunas,” Goop, accessed May 22, 2020, https://goop.com/ wellness/detox/the-power-of-infrared-saunas/.

I’ve been working on a book based on the topic of hot exercise that will be released soon and the introduction section talks about the value of time. In the opening sentences my remarks are as follows:

“Time is perhaps the most valuable commodity we have in life. We might even go as far as to say all human advancement is the result of an effort to improve the quality of time.”

Working out takes time. If you believe, as I do that time is valuable, then why not seek to pack as much quality into the limited amount of time you have for fitness! Makes sense, and I don’t know anyone who would disagree with how important quality of time is for a workout.

How can we improve the quality of time for our workouts?

In retail there is a term we are all familiar with, BOGO. Buy one get one free is a tried and proven sales technique. It works because everyone wants to get more for the money that they spend on an item. This same logic can be applied to fitness and what can be obtained by a customer based on the time they have to spend on a workout.

At HOTWORX, giving customers more effectiveness with less time spent is of paramount importance. The HOTWORX workout method, known as 3D Training, is based on three dimensions experienced simultaneously, (1) Heat, (2) Infrared Energy, and (3) Exercise. This fusion of experiences ups the quality ante and makes for a very powerful workout yielding a massive calorie burn, super charged detox and increased anabolic strength gains for muscle tone and healthy bones.

As a CEO with many years of experience in franchising, I have come to realize that mission statements can become meaningless if not tied to the actual quality of the product. Many companies rely on a mission statement itself to somehow inspire people to be a part of a mission. The mission statement means nothing, though, if the company is not actually on a mission. I believe that a true company mission can only be realized through great products that provide immense satisfaction to the real heroes of a brand mission, its customers. This can only happen when a company maintains an absolute focus on creating products that give  more than what is bargained for. In fitness, customers should get more workout in less time, and this requires a higher level of workout quality.

We launched HOTWORX to provide a very high quality workout. Shortly after the launch, we realized that our customers were getting way more results in less time than that of traditional workouts. We wanted that to happen for our customers because we believe that time is the most valuable thing that they posses. The quality of the product, born out of the innovative 3D Training method, is what launched the company mission, not some esoteric rhetoric in a mission statement.

It was out of this focus on the value of the customer’s time that there then came a true, albeit, “de facto” mission statement for HOTWORX: MORE WORKOUT, LESS TIME™. I would probably call it more of a statement of quality, but the fact is the HOTWORX workout itself has inspired what I like to call the “Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier”. And that new frontier propels the organization towards providing a higher quality of fitness, a “mission” if you will, to deliver a much better use of time for the customer’s benefit.