BFT raises the stakes with its PODIUM Series

Competition meets community in a new initiative that's set to benefit members and franchisees alike

Body Fit Training (BFT) is taking fitness beyond the workout with the launch of its PODIUM Series – a new global competition designed to help franchisees drive member engagement, improve retention and unlock new revenue opportunities.

By bringing performance, competition and community together in one high-energy event, PODIUM gives franchisees a powerful new way to elevate the member experience while strengthening the brand’s commercial outcomes.

PODIUM takes BFT’s science-backed training model and reframes it as a structured competition inside the studio environment.

Members compete in teams of two, working through four performance zones designed to test strength, conditioning, endurance and overall work capacity. Results are tracked live on a leaderboard, adding pace and intensity to a format that remains grounded in measurable training.

The inaugural PODIUM event will be held on Sunday 2 August with final winners announced on 4 August. While the format introduces a clear competitive layer, it remains anchored in BFT’s core methodology of progressive, coach-led training delivered within a supportive group environment.

For BFT’s founder Cameron Falloon, PODIUM was created to evolve how members experience training without changing what makes BFT so unique. “We’ve always focused on measurable progress at BFT,” he commented, “so PODIUM is really about giving that progress a different stage.”

While PODIUM is built around competition, its wider impact sits in how it changes day-to-day behaviour inside the studio. Having a clear event to train towards encourages more consistent attendance, strengthens accountability and gives members a shared goal beyond their regular programming.

That shared connection deepens the relationships within the community – members are actively preparing to achieve a collective milestone, which naturally lifts engagement in the weeks leading up to the event.

“PODIUM supports member acquisition in a way that feels experiential rather than promotional”

For franchisees, that translates into stronger retention drivers and a more activated membership. It also creates an opportunity to introduce new people to BFT, with non-members able to participate in the experience to see BFT’s model in action.

PODIUM introduces an additional layer to the studio business model for franchisees. Alongside standard membership revenue, the event opens up ticket sales as well as local sponsorship, merchandise and event-day activations.

“By creating a high-energy entry point for non-members, PODIUM supports member acquisition in a way that feels experiential rather than promotional,” said Cameron. “Studios are able to showcase their coaching, culture and training in a live environment, which often converts more effectively than traditional marketing channels.”

Despite being developed as a globally scalable format that can be delivered consistently across BFT’s international network, PODIUM will allow each studio to adapt how they deliver the event in accordance with their local market. Franchisees are also supported end-to-end across programming, operations, sales and marketing to ensure delivery is simple, repeatable and commercially effective.

“Our focus has always been to build things that help our franchisees grow in real terms,” added Cameron. “PODIUM is simple to execute, but it works across multiple parts of the business – engagement, retention and local revenue. That’s what makes it valuable for our franchisees at a studio level.”

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