Issue No. 365 of Fitt Insider distilled the year-end reports from the platforms that see how people actually train. Across the board, the story was the same: everyday athletes are prioritizing strength, longevity, and social connection.
Two of those three — strength and social connection — are exactly what Cadoo is built to power. When the whole industry's data points at group workouts and lifting, the brands that turn those trends into engagement win the year.
The 2025 data: strength and community are surging
The issue pulls year-end insights from the biggest names in fitness tracking:
- Strength is now foundational — Gen Z is twice as likely to lift, and women logged more sessions than men, per Strava and Garmin data in the issue.
- HYROX-style hybrid classes on ClassPass grew 432% year over year, while Pilates led global trends with 66% growth, per the issue.
- Community is becoming infrastructure — Strava Clubs nearly quadrupled and race participation climbed, per Fitt Insider, with Tonal's State of Strength report echoing the shift toward longevity-driven training.
The issue's read: as strength, hybrid formats, and social workouts converge, fitness is shifting from aspiration to everyday lifestyle.
Operators are building for the social athlete
The News & Notes shows the industry moving to capture that appetite:
- PureGym relaunched 56 New York and New Jersey gyms after acquiring Blink assets, per Fitt Insider.
- adidas backed ATHX to enter hybrid fitness, per the issue.
- Flex partnered with Ladder to make strength training eligible for HSA/FSA spending, per Fitt Insider.
These are industry references, not Cadoo partners — but they confirm the demand. The open question for every operator: how do you keep a member's strength habit and their workout crew alive week after week?
Cadoo turns strength and social into a game
Cadoo meets both trends head-on. Members bet money with friends on reaching fitness goals, so a strength challenge becomes a social competition with real stakes — Strava Clubs energy, but with skin in the game. Recurring challenges keep a friend group lifting together long after motivation fades.
And it's built for strength specifically. Cadoo-verified workouts confirm the effort: the camera counts reps only, form-scoring pushups, squats, and more. Steps and distance come from Apple Health or Google Health Connect for hybrid goals, giving operators honest engagement data across both.
The trend, turned into shareable proof
Every finished challenge can produce a skinned, shareable video branded to your gym or app — so a member's PR becomes content that markets your brand, the way this year's data shows athletes flooding social with their sessions. Social accountability plus money on the line is what turns a 2025 trend into a durable 2026 habit.
On our roadmap (not live yet), winnings could convert into credit or perks at your business, tying the strength-and-social boom back to your bottom line. See it at cadoo.games/brands or reach the team at Tim@cadoo.io.
Frequently asked questions
How does Cadoo capitalize on the strength-training boom?
Cadoo runs camera-verified rep challenges for movements like pushups and squats, form-scoring each rep, and lets members stake money with friends on hitting their goals. That turns the strength surge the 2025 data captured into a social competition members keep coming back to.
Can Cadoo handle hybrid, multi-activity goals?
Yes. Camera-verified reps cover strength movements, and steps and distance sync from Apple Health or Google Health Connect for endurance and hybrid goals, matching the hybrid formats that grew fastest in 2025.
How does Cadoo recreate the Strava Clubs kind of community?
Members compete in recurring challenges with their own friends and stake money on the outcome, so the group stays accountable to each other between sessions. It's the social-workout momentum from this year's reports, with real stakes added.
Can members redeem their winnings at my gym?
Redeeming winnings for credit or perks at a partner brand is on our roadmap and not live yet. Today, Cadoo's value is strength-and-social engagement between visits and shareable branded content members make for you.
