LIFTS Episode 114 - The Future of Personal Training, AI & Human Intelligence | at Connected Health & Fitness 2026
Escape Your Limits & LIFTS · Wendy de Knoop
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Show Notes
Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Recorded live at Connected Health & Fitness Summit 2026, Matthew Januszek and Mohammed Iqbal sit down with three industry leaders to unpack the convergence of fitness, technology, wellness, and human intelligence.
Guests include:
- David Van Daff (NASM): A 30-year fitness industry veteran representing the National Academy of Sports Medicine, discussing certification evolution, AI in training, and the expanding expectations placed on personal trainers.
- Jeff Yasuda (Feed Media Group): Co-founder of Feed FM, sharing insights on music, AI vs HI, ecosystem trends, and how human curation still powers engagement.
- Julian Barnes (BFS): Co-founder of BFS and co-chair of Connected Health & Fitness 2026, offering data-driven insights on studio growth, mindset, and the role of people in an increasingly automated world.
Key Topics include:
- How personal training evolved pre and post pandemic.
- Why AI will not replace trainers, but trainers using AI may dominate.
- The rise of ecosystem thinking in connected fitness.
- AI vs HI: why human intelligence still matters.
- The mindset separating scalable studio operators from everyone else.
- Why tech must serve frontline staff, not overwhelm them.
- The demographic challenge facing gyms and studios.
- How coaches and trainers remain the most powerful influencers in fitness.
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00:00 – Intro & Personal Training Evolution
05:00 – AI and the Future of Trainers
11:30 – Career Pathways in Fitness
19:41 – Jeff Yasuda on Music & Ecosystems
25:55 – AI vs HI Debate
36:52 – Julian Barnes on Growth & Mindset
45:38 – Do Not Forget the People
53:43 – Technology, Labor & The Future