At the ATN Innovation Summit, industry leaders explored how gyms, clubs and studios can not only stay relevant in the GLP-1 era, but also become trusted weight-loss companions for their members
Americans’ waistlines may be shrinking in the age of weight-loss medications, but the opportunity for the fitness industry is only growing.
Still, many fitness operators, coaches and wellness platforms are at a critical crossroads. Can they remain essential? And more importantly, are they approaching the business of losing weight the right way, or are they already too far down the wrong path to turn back?
Those questions and more took center stage during “Monetizing Muscle in the Age of GLP-1s,” a panel at the ATN Innovation Summit 2025 moderated by ATN founder and CEO Edward Hertzman.
The discussion brought together Edward Zouroudis, co-founder and CEO of Evolt; Mitchell Keyes, vice president of operations at Anytime Fitness – Purpose Brands; Jeff Zwiefel, strategist and advisor to Life Time. Life Time; and Cyrus Massoumi, founder and CEO of Dr. B, to explore how gyms can merge science with sweat and coaching with care in the age of GLP-1s.
Not a Quick Fix
One key theme was accountability, as Massoumi argued that GLP-1s shouldn’t be handed out without commitment to lifestyle changes. It’s a stance that may be a hard pill to swallow for some consumers.
“We only actually prescribe to people who commit to working out,” Massoumi said of the Dr. B platform. “We won’t let them move forward unless they’re committing to that up front.”
That commitment appears to make a difference. “Whereas the average weight loss that’s lean muscle mass is about 30% (for the general population taking GLP-1s), for people on our program, it’s generally sub 5%,” he said.

Zwiefel echoed Massoumi’s point, noting the importance of dosing, nutrient support and biomarker tracking to mitigate negative side effects and lean mass loss. “We’ve learned a ton,” he said.
While public perception often views GLP-1s as a shortcut, Massoumi stressed that responsible prescribing demands more discipline than many realize. Instead, he said, the industry has witnessed a troubling surge in misuse in the last two years. He believes that both telehealth and fitness operators must align around accountability, not access.
“What telehealth brands like Dr. B and what fitness brands can do is really to collaborate and to make sure that they’re holding the patient accountable, that they’re only giving them these treatments if they’re going and showing up to the gym, they’re only giving them these treatments if they’ve committed to the lifestyle change,” Massoumi said.
When that happens, he added, GLP-1s become a temporary tool, where people can take weight-loss medication for three to six months and have long-term benefits.
“I think so much of the medical community is talking to patients like this is something you’re going to take for the rest of your life,” he said. “And what we’ve seen is in our patient population, that’s not true.”
The Business of Body Composition
When accountability becomes the standard, tracking progress becomes even more essential. That’s where body composition data plays a pivotal role.
For Evolt’s Zouroudis, the ability to measure and track progress is non-negotiable. The company has seen a surge in demand for its body composition scanners in the era of weight-loss medications.
“Previously, 67% of that population was telling us (their goal was) fat loss,” he said. “The last few years have shifted… probably 54% now is muscle and better health.”

Anytime Fitness, which uses Evolt’s body composition scanners across its clubs, is putting that data to work, Keyes said.
“The reassessment tells you, are you making progress? Are you doing the right things? How can we manipulate the programming and training, nutrition and recovery to ensure that you’re getting the best results?” he said. “And if you are… high five, handshake, and you drive referrals through that process.”
Care & Coaching as the Next Revenue Frontier
For Zwiefel, the rise of GLP-1s signals a strategic opening for operators to package meaningful offerings that support members and strengthen the bottom line.
“We have an amazing opportunity, unlike ever before, to be the leaders of ensuring that the consumers are being supported the right way,” he said.
That opportunity, he said, lies in delivering holistic solutions that blend fitness, healthcare and accountability.
“Personal training, assessments, reassessment, nutrition, protein…” Zwiefel said. “There’s no question that there’s incremental revenue generation opportunities and amazing stickiness, because once that customer creates that connection to a doctor that’s trusted and a fit pro that’s trusted…it’s powerful.”

Even so, he finds many members are hesitant to disclose their medication use, despite growing demand.
“This drug, like testosterone, has (been) somewhat taboo,” Zwiefel noted, adding that 35% of Americans say they want to be on GLP-1s. “Our members don’t like to come in and admit they’re on it…but it’s coming.”
Operators, he said, must prepare to manage that reality with care.
“We’ve got to think about things like bone density and avoid the misuse,” he said. “This is a $111 billion (market). It’s been 4% of the population. It’s going to be 9% or double digits by 2030. It’s a megatrend that’s here to stay.”
Monetizing Responsibly
For gyms looking to tap into this market, panelists stressed the importance of doing so legally and ethically.
“There are three industries in this country that are heavily regulated: alcohol, tobacco and health care,” Massoumi said. “It is against the law in about 30 states to actually pay for a doctor referral. What that means is, if you send a lead to a telehealth company, they’re paying you for that lead. It’s a criminal offense. Someone can go to jail for that.”
Many in the fitness space may not fully grasp the implications, he warned, encouraging operators to educate themselves and structure partnerships carefully. “You have to be very sensitive to health care laws,” he added.
Long-Term Empowerment
As GLP-1 medications become more mainstream, the fitness industry is being called to evolve. With new clients entering gyms in pursuit of long-term health, often for the first time, panelists agreed that education is more than a value-add. It’s a necessity.

“The average consumer… just doesn’t know where to start,” said Keyes. “As you educate the consumer, you empower the consumer… that’s where you really (evolve) from being a trainer to a coach.”
That shift, from transactional instruction to long-term guidance, may be the industry’s biggest opportunity, panelists agreed. Empowered members are more likely to stay engaged, ask better questions and commit to sustainable change.
This article is based on a live discussion held during the ATN Innovation Summit 2025, a two-day event dedicated to the future of fitness and wellness. See here for more Innovation Summit coverage.