April 28, 2025
When we brought the original workout sauna (called HOT BOX DETOX back then) to market back in 2015, there were only two workout types offered including Hot Yoga and Hot ISO. Hot ISO was, and still is a very pure isometric workout, thus the name Hot ISO.
April 21, 2025
Can your body recover from a workout during the workout in between sets and do cells use proteins for recovery during that time?It is a great question that needs to be addressed!
April 13, 2025
In the evolving world of fitness, infrared technology is pushing the boundaries of performance and recovery. Two of the most effective training methods—High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Isometric Workouts—introduced to the industry as a one, two punch with infrared by HOTWORX, are being taken to a whole new level when combined and performed inside an infrared sauna environment.
April 7, 2025
Folks who read this weekly blog know that I am a big advocate of planning fitness trips. I do these at least twice per year and they involve hiking or snow skiing usually. Sometimes I will throw in surfing. The key is to plan for it and give it everything you have when your event happens.
March 31, 2025
March 24, 2025
The HOTWORX Training Method works very well for hundreds of thousands of members across the USA and other countries. No other training method combines as many workout types to get you to your goals.
September 29, 2019
Inside of a sauna the close proximities lends itself to isometrics as opposed to dynamic motion and more ballistic styles of training. Professional trainers who design workout programs understand that there exists an opportunity for intense workouts with almost no impact to the human body from a properly choreographed infrared sauna routine.
January 28, 2024
Everyone should have the opportunity to experience the detox, the mental clarity, the anabolic effect, the balance improvement, the cardio gains, the accelerated fat oxidation, the metabolism boost, and the skin glow that comes with infrared training at HOTWORX.
April 13, 2020
Life is not fair. This we know. So what?! Just because life does not present a perfect path for all of us to follow, there is no need to waste time by sitting around asking why. Why doesn’t matter. Just know that we need to work hard and stay positive!
May 13, 2019
I believe in advancement through merit. Merit is the only fair standard. It is a quality that values individual ability and achievement. Of course talent is important, but, as in sports, abilities can be improved to an incredible extent based on the heart of the athlete. Merit calls for a strong work ethic and drive combined with high personal standards to establish a winning attitude.
February 18, 2019
There is an epidemic in the fitness industry today and it is a “plague” known as workout consistency ignorance! As the old saying goes, Ignorance is Bliss! In fitness, though, it is not bliss. It causes chaos.
January 24, 2022
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.
February 9, 2025
Yoga is often associated with flexibility training and deep breathing, but did you know it can also be an incredible workout that makes you sweat?
February 20, 2017
Your yoga mat, and towel is a personal thing. These two items are as important to an isometric workout as a good pair of Nike’s are to a runner. When people experience yoga, pilates and other forms of isometrics with a really good mat and towel they will never go back to a lesser quality experience.
August 20, 2023
Workout consistency means more than just showing up to the gym on a regular basis. The consistency of the workouts that you do is just as important. That requires a workout sequence that remains the same with very little variation. I call this the principle of sameness.
August 29, 2021
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.
January 21, 2018
As a fitness professional and as an owner of many fitness facilities throughout my career, I am amused sometimes to listen to overzealous trainers and fitness center owners who destroy good workouts because they think that a workout type should be different every time. For example, some will listen to people who think they need a different yoga posture sequence for every workout and these trainers
February 10, 2020
There seems to be elements of mass delusion in the world of fitness training these days. What do I mean by that? Well, before I explain, let’s gain an understanding of the word schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a psychology term and when used in general conversation refers to “a mentality or approach characterized by inconsistent or contradictory elements.”¹
June 21, 2016
As a fitness entrepreneur I am always looking for ways to give my clients the very most out of each visit to the gym or spa. Let’s face it, time is the most valuable commodity in life. On average, we all have a little more than 80 years worth of time on this planet. What we do with our time is important, to say the least!How we use our gym time can greatly enhance our longevity (and quality) of life so that we can beat the 80+ year average.
August 16, 2021
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.
March 23, 2020
Working out is an essential component of living a healthy lifestyle. Depending on where you live, chances are that your gym has now been required to close as the wave of coronavirus sweeps through your country. There is no certainty as to when your gym or studio will reopen which adds to the anxiety.
August 19, 2018
Elevate your energy, improve your mood and get more done! How can you do this? Exercise, of course. Workday workouts accelerate blood flow to your brain… and they improve your productivity!!!Here are some thoughts and research to get your work productivity ramped up:
June 5, 2017
I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t want a better workout in a shorter amount of time. This is why we created the 3-Dimensional workout. When you add elements of (D1) heat and (D2) infrared energy to your (D3) workout, then you can accomplish way more in less time.
March 29, 2021
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.
June 19, 2022
Sometimes people will ask me what I think constitutes being “overweight”. Overweight can mean different things to different people.
May 23, 2021
Your personal “power” is important to your fitness! That said, let’s dig a little deeper to understand what power really is.
August 12, 2019
Here's the bad news first:Aside from the cosmetics, belly fat is a major health problem!As quoted from one New York Times article, “If your waist measures 35 or more inches for women or 40 or more inches for men, chances are you’re harboring a potentially dangerous amount of abdominal fat.”¹
September 11, 2022
It’s not enough to just say you want to lose 20 pounds. In fitness, as in business, everything should be based on a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goal.
December 15, 2024
Our bodies are exposed to toxins from food, air, water, personal care products, and the things that we touch. A detox routine can support the liver, kidneys, and digestive system in eliminating these harmful substances, reducing their impact on overall health.
November 7, 2021
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.
March 26, 2023
Snow skiing and workouts performed in an infrared sauna each require you to step outside of your comfort zone, one for cold and one for heat. Both forms of exercise generate massive calorie burns for each session, much more than traditional exercise in an air-conditioned gym. So, why not practice exercise in an environment that yields greater results in a shorter amount of time?
May 16, 2021
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.
November 5, 2023
As a fitness trainer, it’s motivating to see studies that add to the mounting body of evidence proving how important exercise is to human health. The truth is, weight loss without exercise is just not enough.
October 8, 2016
That sounds like an oxymoron, right? How can you recover from a workout while you are actually working out? Is that really possible? Yes it is possible.When you combine isometrics with infrared heat, then you will certainly experience recovery during the workout itself! This happens due to the penetration of the radiant infrared heat energy.
August 11, 2024
I usually write at least one blog article per year about the topic of keeping yourself motivated by setting a date and planning for a fitness oriented vacation. I think it is super important to take a vacation, when you know that you’ve earned it, so you can reset your mind and your body.
September 24, 2023
Do you want to be a winner for your health and fitness? Or, do you want to be a warrior for it? Why not be both?! It boils down to discipline.
March 9, 2020
As I write this blog article, the entire planet seems to be over reacting to fear of the Coronavirus. I get it. The media needs to sell tickets and the Coronavirus is the show. I am not trying to make light of the situation, but common sense needs to prevail. (On a positive side note, right now is probably one of the best times to invest in the stock market!)
January 11, 2021
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.
August 8, 2021
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.
March 11, 2019
I have written about this before, but I will continue to write on this topic to remind myself and blog readers of the importance of this simple fitness strategy. Vacations are the greatest motivators of all to get people moving towards a fitness objective. I write this blog post today from Park City, Utah during one such vacation. Obviously my trip involves snow skiing.
March 16, 2020
As we all manage through the current COVID-19 pandemic, we know that it is important to maintain a healthy immune system and working out is one of the best ways to ensure just that. That said, precautions should be taken at the gym during this time, such as wiping hands and wiping down any surfaces with gym wipes prior to use and limiting gym use during peak times. Also, given that this is a virus transmitted through the eyes and mouth through touching, gym goers should consider using virtual instructors and trainers instead of the traditional hands on trainer approach.
April 16, 2017
Doesn’t it just seem logical to workout in the morning before your work day? There is no doubt that a great morning workout can elevate your day. Here are five good reasons to consider making morning the time for your daily exercise.
October 27, 2024
Infrared saunas are increasingly popular for their unique health benefits, with devotees often swearing by the soothing warmth and revitalizing effects. Beyond relaxation and skin health, an infrared sauna session has the potential to promote profound cellular benefits through the production of heat shock proteins (HSPs).
October 6, 2024
In the realm of fitness and athletic performance, workout recovery is often overlooked. For that reason, I decided to write a follow on article from last week’s “workout recovery” blog post. This week, I want to emphasize the importance of reducing inflammation to accelerate muscle healing.
April 14, 2024
In today's fast-paced world, where stress and toxins bombard us from all angles, finding effective and holistic ways to rejuvenate our bodies is more crucial than ever. One such method gaining traction in fitness and wellness circles is infrared therapy.
November 22, 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.
December 27, 2017
Let’s talk turkey. We have all spent time on the couch sleeping off a good holiday turkey and dressing meal. Then, when we woke up, someone in the family said something like this, “I see that tryptophan just got the best of you this year, hahaha!” True, something did make you sleepy, but it likely was not just the Christmas turkey.
January 6, 2020
As a 2020 resolution, you should join in on what I like to call the “Bold New Infrared Fitness Frontier”. Remember that nothing changes in the comfort zone!
November 20, 2016
A hot 30 minute isometric workout is definitely good for everybody, but generally there are two reasons that clients will use this type of session, and they are:1. General Fitness: 80% of clients who practice a form of hot exercise do it for their main or their only fitness routine.
September 16, 2018
HOTWORX decided in 2017 to make an effort to support firefighters as a way for our company to give back to communities where we do business. This year we will donate and install at least four saunas to fire stations in Haltom City, TX, Houston, TX, Oxford, MS, and Kenner, LA.
December 11, 2017
As an owner of many gyms and fitness facilities throughout my career, I can tell you that one of the most frustrating aspects of gym management is dealing with trainer staffs and group fitness instructors. As a certified trainer myself, I have a great deal of respect for the fitness trainer and group instructor professions, but I am a realist.
March 31, 2024
It’s Good Friday today as I am writing this blog article. That being the case, I thought I would write about my own workout routine and what my typical Friday workout looks like.
June 6, 2021
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.
January 8, 2023
As I pack for my trip to Argentina tomorrow to climb the tallest mountain in the Southern and Western Hemisphere with our HOTWORX Climbing Team, I am thinking about cardio. Cardio conditioning is the most important physical aspect leading to the success of any mountain climb.
April 10, 2023
The fitness “trifecta” will always be the simultaneous goals of shedding excess body weight, firming and strengthening the muscles and, of course, ridding the body of unhealthy substances, aka detox.
February 26, 2018
Well, we certainly see that phrase, “timing is everything”, used in almost every life endeavor from cooking to athletics and from comedy to rocket launches to political campaign launches. So whether you believe in the phrase or not, certainly we can all recognize that timing is involved in everything. Consider the quotes from these accomplished historical figures:
April 10, 2017
I was handed a copy of March 2017 Muscle and Performance magazine by a co-worker recently. She was excited to point out an article that featured the annual American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends” and she was happy to tell me all of the trends that HOTWORX currently offers within the top 10 for this year.
August 28, 2022
With fall upon us now and as we look to the holiday season approaching, we might need to arm ourselves with an added means of fitness motivation as this year winds down…
March 17, 2024
As a result of exposure to the environment, pollutants bombard our bodies every day. We breathe in toxic substances, we eat them, they invade our skin as we touch them, and we even wear them.
November 26, 2023
Here we are again. Another year, and it’s the week after Thanksgiving…the annual battle of the bulge begins.
May 20, 2019
I would submit to you that conventional thinking will never out discover unconventional thinking. We have all heard the expression, “think outside the box”. Unconventional thinking is an out of bounds practice and requires the courage to allow the mind to explore. You Imagine better things, and then you think hard to create a path to those things.
October 23, 2017
As I was returning from my son’s football practice today, I noticed a news feed across my phone that declared, “1 in 6 Deaths on the Planet are Linked to Pollution”. I thought to myself, how shocking, and my second thought was how sad. We are destroying our environment and the result is that we are killing ourselves in the process.
August 16, 2016
It takes a special person to achieve the highest level of motivation for a workout practicing solo with no other people around. Even when training by yourself, you always achieve a higher level of performance if you have a trainer to push you or if you are simply in a workout environment such as a gym or a park where there are others around.
June 5, 2018
Summer is here and we are all looking to tone up fast for the weekend trips to the beach! One of the most efficient ways to get your body toned quick is through infrared training. One of the reasons for this is due to the elevated heat shock protein (HSP) production during exposure to a heated infrared sauna and during exercise.
October 9, 2022
During my flight home to New Orleans yesterday my mind began to reflect on my quick little trip to New York. If you are a business person or a fitness professional, NYC is super appealing because it’s a place that screams productivity, and I love that!
December 4, 2016
Thanksgiving has passed and we have all consumed an inordinate amount of calories already. Black Friday is gone, Cyber Monday is over, and now it’s Christmas party after Christmas party and then here comes the office Holiday party and, of course, it’s on to New Year’s Eve. There’s bowl game after bowl game to watch and bowls and bowls of chips to eat while you watch…
February 12, 2018
There is a very good reason why we designed the HOTWORX infrared sauna with the precise interior dimensions that it has. We wanted to create the perfect workout environment for three people to train together as a group.
February 26, 2023
When HOTWORX introduced 3D Training to the fitness world there was no system for recruiting talent to serve as virtual instructors. Recruitment by referral and scouting at fitness conferences was how it happened. There had to be a better way to find the right talent for the role. The recruitment process should be different in keeping with the unique culture of the HOTWORX brand itself.
February 3, 2025
Infrared (IR) light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that lies just beyond the visible spectrum, between microwaves and visible light. It has longer wavelengths than visible light but shorter wavelengths than microwaves. Infrared radiation is often associated with heat because many objects emit infrared energy as a result of their temperature.
May 19, 2024
Every athlete should always want the best gear to support the best outcome from the game, and these days, everyone wants their gear to be friendly to the environment. In today’s world it makes sense that fitness athletes and exercise enthusiasts seek out the best eco-friendly gear for high level experience and results!
February 4, 2024
Season three of the HOTWORX Virtual Instructor Competition TV Show has just been released, and there is no other fitness competition like this one.
October 16, 2022
At the beginning of 2022 we introduced Diet Trax to the HOTWORX lineup. In conjunction with the introduction of Diet Trax we also introduced a new level of fitness achievement, the ultimate Level 7.
January 22, 2023
Fitness success requires will, and will requires an acknowledgment that your mind can indeed control where you take your body. Elite athletes know that when your mind is right you can do things with your body that you once thought not possible, and out of reach so to speak.
February 18, 2024
Have you ever stopped to think about fitness and the term “working out” itself? There is a reason why working out and workout starts with “work.” Fitness requires work.
July 7, 2024
In the ever-evolving world of fitness and wellness, innovations that combine traditional techniques with cutting-edge technology are highly sought after. One such promising fusion is the integration of infrared energy and heat with isometric workouts.
July 26, 2016
If you missed the first ever HOTWORX Conference, you missed a unique workout. It was likely the first large group isometric workout ever in the mid-summer heat on the top of a hotel on the Strip in Las Vegas.
May 25, 2016
Most hot yoga and hot pilates studios use traditional heating methods that simply heat up the air in the room. The original hot workout idea was to recreate the climate in India at around 104 degrees and 40% humidity. While this may be closer to the climate in India, it is not the best environment for working out. Infrared heat is the same as the heat that radiates from the sun and it provides for a much drier studio and, therefore, much more comfortable for workouts.The same is true for saunas. In a traditional sauna.
May 30, 2017
As a fitness trainer with many years of one-on-one and small group training experience, I can certainly understand how the thought of relinquishing in-person training to a virtual instructor would cause angst throughout the personal training industry. What we have found, though, is that customers love the virtually instructed workouts with small groups of three people.
August 5, 2019
First of all, let’s clear the air when it comes to the way we throw around the term toxins. Most people use the word toxins to describe all toxic substances. This is wrong. There are two forms of toxic substances, toxins and toxicants. The word “toxin” should only be used in describing natural forms and “toxicant” should be used to describe non-natural sources.
November 24, 2024
If you’ve ever finished a tough workout dripping in sweat, you know the undeniable sense of accomplishment it brings. But sweating is more than just a sign of hard work; it’s a critical bodily function with a host of benefits for your health and performance.
March 18, 2019
Over the past three years I have written many articles concerning infrared and fitness. Sometimes I am still asked very basic questions such as “what is infrared?” And, sometimes, well, actually more than just sometimes, I am still looked at with a deer in the headlights expression when I begin to explain “infrared fitness”.
October 3, 2021
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!
January 5, 2025
To understand how infrared induced sweat acts as an additional detox pathway for the body, we should first take a look at a few questions about the science.
November 11, 2019
There are hundreds of fitness apps in the marketplace but there is only one app that is dedicated to infrared sauna training available 24/7 and that is the Burn Off App from HOTWORX. The HOTWORX Burn Off App was designed to keep clients on a rolling 90 day infrared fitness challenge. When a new member joins a HOTWORX studio and begins to use the Burn Off App, they start their first 90 day challenge and every 90 days thereafter the challenge resets.
June 30, 2024
How would you like a workout for your skin? With the HOTWORX Method, 3D Training uses heat as well as infrared energy with exercise. Not only is this an excellent method for muscle fitness, it is also a great workout for your skin.
September 6, 2021
I always like to say that people can always do more than they think they can do. I believe that.
September 26, 2021
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.
October 2, 2022
Common sense tells us that you should drink water or some healthy form of sports drink while you do a workout. Of course you should drink when you’re thirsty!
June 27, 2022
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.
November 19, 2023
A high powered tool can improve the quality of any task. But, the tool can’t do it all. People have to make the tool work for them.
July 12, 2021
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?
September 22, 2024
In a world where fitness programs change like the wind, one enduring strategy stands out: training in small groups. Specifically, working out with two friends can transform your fitness journey in ways you might not expect.
July 19, 2021
Franchising can be a wonderful business model for delivery of fitness products and services to the customer, who, of course, is the end user.
May 11, 2020
During this time of global concern over external cleanliness such as washing of hands and surfaces of things, it is probably good to begin thinking about cleansing the body from the inside as well. For millennia humans have practiced sweating as a way to clean the body from the inside out. Heat therapy has been around since the dawn of civilization. Historical examples date back to the heated bathhouses of the Roman Empire and American Indian sweat lodges as cultural evidence of the importance of heat and sweating for wellness. Without the benefit of modern scientific research, the ancients knew how important sweating was for internal cleansing. Over a thousand years ago the Finns even used the communal village sauna as a place for childbirth.
March 11, 2024
There are some gross misconceptions out there about the benefits of sweat, and they are held by so-called fitness experts. This select fitness crowd just will not allow themselves to believe that sweating is good for you in more ways than as a body cooling mechanism.
August 4, 2024
Like everything in life, when you are laser focused on a specific outcome, you will make the right decisions in your path towards achieving that goal. So it goes with boutique fitness marketing.
December 10, 2023
A couple of years ago a good friend, who happens to be a banker from New York, said to me, “Steve, the thing that people like about HOTWORX is the fact that it checks off all of the boxes.” I had never really thought about it that way until he said it.
July 5, 2021
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?
January 15, 2023
Fitness training in a fasted state is a dietary form of hermetic stress. This type of stress is caused by the energy restriction of the fasted state, and when exercise is added to the equation even more stress is created.
July 28, 2024
In the pursuit of optimal fitness, many individuals focus on specific types of exercises—whether it's lifting weights, running, or practicing yoga. While specialization can lead to improvements in a particular area, it will leave you bored and always wanting something new when you really need consistency within the workout types that you practice.