The Lowdown
Launching in 2020 – when gyms closed – Brawn’s mission was to keep international competitions going. And they did this through virtual events. They kept the competitive spirit alive, despite restrictions.
Lockdown meant Brawn could test their technology in the global strength community. These virtual events were hugely popular, with record-breaking numbers of participants from more than 20 different countries.
When everything closed during lockdown, Brawn saw an opportunity to gamify weightlifting. This meant linking the physical training environment with the virtual – giving lifters of all levels a chance to compete against each other.
The Problem
Weightlifters in gyms are often tricky to engage. Unlike cardio buffs – digitally tracking their progress in spin classes or as they pound the treadmill – weightlifters have been stuck in the offline world.
And in an age of Peloton and Strava – where users can compete with friends and even complete strangers – weightlifters needed something too. They needed help benchmarking, keeping focused and reaching their full potential.
So, Brawn tasked us with developing an app that would give weightlifters that immersive and inclusive experience they were looking for.
The Solution
Until now, powerlifters have needed just two things: a barbell and the desire to push their bodies to the limit. But the powerlifting community had been crying out for digital tools to help them analyse and adapt their lifting.
While empowering individual lifters to track and analyse performance, Brawn also saw benefits for gyms. With an app like this, they’d have more engaged members and lower membership churn.
Gyms typically experience a membership churn of 30-40% every year. So, having a stronger, more engaged community helps reduce this figure for a more profitable business. And there hadn’t been an obvious way to engage lifters and make them feel they’re a valued part of the gym.
Instead, InGym would place the lifter at the centre of their gym experience and make them feel more included. We worked with Brawn to develop this market-expanding app. InGym is the first fitness app to focus specifically on weight training. We’ve created a platform to give lifters that much-needed immersive and inclusive experience.
The Product
- Creates an experience
- Now lifters can create meaningful connections. They have a link between the physical space in the gym and the wider lifting community. It breaks down social barriers for a more inclusive experience.
- Builds a community
- Lifters can choose to fly solo or connect with the wider community. And they have full control over sharing and visibility of progress.
- Allows competition and sharing
- We now have a platform for lifters of all abilities to share their achievements. They can exchange tips and knowledge with peers, and document their journeys.
- Records and develops
- Lifters can journal their physical and virtual results and record their powerlifting stats and session history.
67% used the app within a week of download and over 40% use the app every week. Brawn’s app is a market first. Without it, weightlifting would remain analogue and disconnected.
