By: Maria Williams

The fitness industry is an ever-changing space with new brands popping up every year, and endless information seeping through the pipeline—but one company has long been privy to this world. After 25-plus years, the CEO of BODi Carl Daikeler shares 5 major lessons learned along the way. 

You may have heard of the popular fitness company Beachbody known for its at-home workout programs, including the P90X program with Tony Horton, with a mission to make working out doable even outside of the gym. The company now goes by BODi, and this name change is a reflection of an expansion of the brand’s meaning.

With a strong brand identity for over two decades, the change may come as a surprise to some, but for CEO Carl Daikeler—who co-founded the company in 1998—this is all part of maintaining the mission and applying the lessons learned throughout his leadership in the fitness industry. 

“I am driven more by the positive impact our company has on people’s lives than I am by making money,” Daikeler says, a sentiment that has lent itself to the lasting success of BODi. 

“This is the power of being in this business for 25 years because we know what people love, what programs they finish, and how they can achieve healthy, long-term, sustainable results. We’re the best in the world at this because there aren’t many companies that have been doing it for as long as we have. And nobody else tests every single program like we do to make sure they work as promised.”

We sat down with Daikeler to find out his top 5 lessons learned over the years and how BODi continues to lead the fitness industry two decades later:

Fitness Is Weighed Down By Looking Good Versus Feeling Good

Despite the legacy that is Beachbody, what exactly led to the name change to BODi? It all comes down to a shift in what society deems as being in good shape. 

“The Beachbody name had served us really well. It’s super interesting and connotes summer and beaches and feeling good about yourself. And for the better part of two decades, we had not seen the name implicated with standards of what a ‘beach body’ means,” explains Daikeler. 

“But more and more we saw, in press and social media, the phrase ‘beach body’ was being used by gossip columns to talk about celebrities who were seen at the beach … and in social media, particularly post-pandemic, we saw the term acquiring negative connotation.” With a mission statement since their inception of helping people achieve their goals to lead a healthy, fulfilling life, the evolution of this sentiment was not accurately representing what BODi stands for.

“We know that fitness and nutrition are the greatest prescription for health and longevity in the world,” he continues. “It was exciting to open up our potential market and the way people view the benefits of lifestyle change as broader than swimsuits, weight loss, abs, and biceps, and more to both the internal and external benefits of a healthy lifestyle.”

Fitness Programs Need To Appeal To Unique Schedules, Fitness Levels, And Fitness Goals

“There are so many people who are still waiting to find the thing that appeals to their schedule, convenience, what they want to spend their time doing, and their tolerance for pain. And we’re always trying to find a way to get there,” Daikeler says. Some people don’t have time to go to the gym, or may not even want to, and rely on squeezing in a workout at home—these are the people BODi caters to, and as the company has evolved, realizing these individuals need a system.

“This is what is radically different about BODi. We create these programs that, for a period of time, you commit yourself to to meet whatever goals are meaningful to you. Not every person thrives on a “do-it-yourself” fitness model, and BODi’s programs provide a solution. 

People Who Don’t Like Fitness Need A Goal-Orientated Regimen 

What many people don’t know about Daikeler is his disdain for working out—an ironic take given the industry he works in. But that’s one of the foundational aspects BODi was created on.

“Unless I have a short-term mindset and project-oriented routine, I have a very hard time staying consistent,” Daikeler shares. “At the very beginning, Power 90, which was our first system program (a 90-day in-home boot camp), was designed because I needed to get myself in shape. But if I’m thinking about forever, I’m not going to do it because I’ll always have forever to get there.” 

“For 25 years now, it’s been variations on the theme of saying to people ‘You can do this program as many times as you want, but the goal is always to just start and finish the one you’re in.’ It helps people find both consistency and gratification when they finish a program – all leading to a long term sustainable, rewarding, healthy lifestyle.”

Beginners And Part-Timers Are Underestimated In The Fitness World

For a time, beginners were grossly underrepresented in fitness and the advice they were given was extremely marginal, likewise, a lack of workout options for part-timers was prevalent. “Even though we have programs for 21 days, 60 days, and 90 days, there are some people with schedules that only allow for three days a week.” 

Noticing this gap in their ecosystem of individuals who want comprehensive and effective “part-time” workouts, Daikeler and the BODi team created a new program called 3 Day Split, by Super Trainer Autumn Calabrese, released on April 1st, 2024.  

“It’s a combination of paying attention to the ecosystem and the feedback we’re getting: Where’s demand in the current ecosystem and who’s underrepresented and who do we not yet serve,” says Daikeler. 

To Be Successful You Must Be Willing To Change 

“It’s very difficult to stay relevant and contemporary in this industry. You must be willing to change and look for where the consumer demand is. And BODi, going from VHS to DVD to digital and now offering what we call Digital Program Purchases, is not afraid to pivot and experiment.”

Daikeler’s willingness to experiment and continuously meet new trends has been attributed to BODi’s continual leadership in the fitness industry, making them “the best in the world to get long-term, sustainable fitness results.”

To learn more about Carl Daikeler’s company BODi, visit the website here. 

Published by: Martin De Juan