ST Bureau
Mumbai
Based on the firm belief that fitness should extend
beyond dumbbells and machines, MultiFit is one of the few gyms in the country
that focus on functional training. It challenges the conventional gym imagery
by abandoning traditional equipment and narrow goals, instead using simple
tools like ropes and tires improve one’s performance at everyday activities.
The brand was established by Samir Kapoor as way to bring a fresh perspective
to health.
beyond dumbbells and machines, MultiFit is one of the few gyms in the country
that focus on functional training. It challenges the conventional gym imagery
by abandoning traditional equipment and narrow goals, instead using simple
tools like ropes and tires improve one’s performance at everyday activities.
The brand was established by Samir Kapoor as way to bring a fresh perspective
to health.
Functional training looks at movement more than exercise.
MultiFitters consider babies as their heroes citing their accurate movements
and self-motivation. The regimes at MultiFit involve Intense Functional
Interval Training (iFIT). Every circuit in iFIT consists of a series of
activities done in a loop such that each 20-second work out segment is followed
by a 10-second break. The regimes also focus on calisthenics, the practice of
using one’s own body weight for exercise. Work out sessions are also conducted
outdoors to break the monotony. Conducted in open air arena, their Paleolithic
work outs involve actions that mimic those of people living in the stone age
like chopping wood with an axe or drawing water from a well. Boot camps are
organised in the countryside, entailing 48 hours of rigorous exercise in the form
of cycling, swimming, trekking and so on.
MultiFitters consider babies as their heroes citing their accurate movements
and self-motivation. The regimes at MultiFit involve Intense Functional
Interval Training (iFIT). Every circuit in iFIT consists of a series of
activities done in a loop such that each 20-second work out segment is followed
by a 10-second break. The regimes also focus on calisthenics, the practice of
using one’s own body weight for exercise. Work out sessions are also conducted
outdoors to break the monotony. Conducted in open air arena, their Paleolithic
work outs involve actions that mimic those of people living in the stone age
like chopping wood with an axe or drawing water from a well. Boot camps are
organised in the countryside, entailing 48 hours of rigorous exercise in the form
of cycling, swimming, trekking and so on.
In an exclusive interview with Startup Terminal, Samir Kapoor, Founder of MultiFit shares more insights about the venture and future goals.
Excerpts:
ST: Please tell us more about your
organization.
organization.
Samir
Kapoor: Launched
in July 2015, MultiFit is India’s Fastest Growing Functional Fitness Studio
brand. Driven by its highly qualified and experienced trainers, MultiFit delivers
a unique brand of functional fitness aimed at creating the perfect balance
between Mind-Body-Soul, through its propriety ‘iFit’ model of functional
fitness.
Kapoor: Launched
in July 2015, MultiFit is India’s Fastest Growing Functional Fitness Studio
brand. Driven by its highly qualified and experienced trainers, MultiFit delivers
a unique brand of functional fitness aimed at creating the perfect balance
between Mind-Body-Soul, through its propriety ‘iFit’ model of functional
fitness.
 |
| Samir Kapoor, Founder, MultiFit |
It aims to make fitness a lifestyle choice, by making the workout both
enjoyable and effective, for every individual they engage.
enjoyable and effective, for every individual they engage.
A perfect antidote to boring gyms, MultiFit is focused on cross
Functional Training. The core idea is to cut out the entire monotony from the
session to make it as enticing as your favourite sport. To deliver this core promise,
MultiFit has been built around its trainers who understand functional fitness
and its various nuisances extremely well. All our trainers are either certified by the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or are well under way in getting it,
giving them enough knowledge to shed light on the importance of functional
fitness and the best way to practice fitness thus, resulting into staying fit.
Functional Training. The core idea is to cut out the entire monotony from the
session to make it as enticing as your favourite sport. To deliver this core promise,
MultiFit has been built around its trainers who understand functional fitness
and its various nuisances extremely well. All our trainers are either certified by the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or are well under way in getting it,
giving them enough knowledge to shed light on the importance of functional
fitness and the best way to practice fitness thus, resulting into staying fit.
Currently, MultiFit has 8
operational studios across Pune, Jaipur, Mumbai and Gurgaon. In this month of March
2017, three more MultiFit studios are slated for launch in Pune and five more
signed MultiFit studios are slated for launch through April – May 2017 across
Mumbai, Jaipur and Pune, taking the total count to 16 functional fitness
studios across 4 cities. By end 2017, MultiFit is targeting 30 functional
fitness studios across India, including one in Manchester, UK.
operational studios across Pune, Jaipur, Mumbai and Gurgaon. In this month of March
2017, three more MultiFit studios are slated for launch in Pune and five more
signed MultiFit studios are slated for launch through April – May 2017 across
Mumbai, Jaipur and Pune, taking the total count to 16 functional fitness
studios across 4 cities. By end 2017, MultiFit is targeting 30 functional
fitness studios across India, including one in Manchester, UK.
ST: What was your idea/inspiration
behind starting up a new venture?
behind starting up a new venture?
Samir
Kapoor: Having spent most of my career in the
corporate world which included stints as AVP, Bank of America and VP at
Standard Chartered bank, the entrepreneurship bug first bit me almost 4-5 years
ago. But interestingly at that time it was not in the fitness business but in
another booming sector namely education. However, while running a slew of
education institutes both at the primary and higher education level was a very
lucrative business, earning me loads of money, it did bring to me very high
levels of stress and body fatigue. A friend then suggested I should start
taking care of my body and more importantly my personal fitness levels. I took
that advice and joined a good gym near my house in Kalyani Nagar. I was amazed
by both the results and experience and it prompted me to share this with my
friends and those around me. What I realized was this issue was not unique to
me but symptomatic of the larger young highly aspirational urban population of
our country. It was at that very moment that I decided that the fitness
industry more importantly functional fitness was to be my next venture. Two
years down the line am extremely happy and proud of having launched MultiFit.
Kapoor: Having spent most of my career in the
corporate world which included stints as AVP, Bank of America and VP at
Standard Chartered bank, the entrepreneurship bug first bit me almost 4-5 years
ago. But interestingly at that time it was not in the fitness business but in
another booming sector namely education. However, while running a slew of
education institutes both at the primary and higher education level was a very
lucrative business, earning me loads of money, it did bring to me very high
levels of stress and body fatigue. A friend then suggested I should start
taking care of my body and more importantly my personal fitness levels. I took
that advice and joined a good gym near my house in Kalyani Nagar. I was amazed
by both the results and experience and it prompted me to share this with my
friends and those around me. What I realized was this issue was not unique to
me but symptomatic of the larger young highly aspirational urban population of
our country. It was at that very moment that I decided that the fitness
industry more importantly functional fitness was to be my next venture. Two
years down the line am extremely happy and proud of having launched MultiFit.
ST: What business opportunities do you
see in India particularly in your sector?
see in India particularly in your sector?
Samir Kapoor: The number of people
enrolling into gyms has steadily increased due to the prevalence of lifestyle
disorders, but that’s where the buck stops. If certain studies are to be
believed, only 40-50% of memberships get renewed. The major reason for this is
monotony; when everyone adopts a tactical approach, how is one to
differentiate?
enrolling into gyms has steadily increased due to the prevalence of lifestyle
disorders, but that’s where the buck stops. If certain studies are to be
believed, only 40-50% of memberships get renewed. The major reason for this is
monotony; when everyone adopts a tactical approach, how is one to
differentiate?
A
closer look at the fitness industry though does reveal some startling facts.
While the industry, in 2015-2016 grew to around INR 4,579 Cr.
(USD 0.76 billion) and continues to grow at a rate of 16%-18%, only 28% of the
industry is organized. What is even more astonishing is that membership
penetration is currently estimated at a very 0.5% only. The opportunity thus
for the fitness industry in India is very large. In the current calendar year,
it is slated to breach the
INR 7,000 Cr. (USD 1.18 billion) and going forward, for the next 25
years, fitness consumption will grow 25-fold in next 25 years.
closer look at the fitness industry though does reveal some startling facts.
While the industry, in 2015-2016 grew to around INR 4,579 Cr.
(USD 0.76 billion) and continues to grow at a rate of 16%-18%, only 28% of the
industry is organized. What is even more astonishing is that membership
penetration is currently estimated at a very 0.5% only. The opportunity thus
for the fitness industry in India is very large. In the current calendar year,
it is slated to breach the
INR 7,000 Cr. (USD 1.18 billion) and going forward, for the next 25
years, fitness consumption will grow 25-fold in next 25 years.
ST: How has been your entrepreneurship
journey so far?
journey so far?
Samir
Kapoor: My personal entrepreneurship journey has been
extremely satisfying and fruitful thus far. Both my ventures in Education and
Functional Fitness have done extremely well and have set scorching growth
rates. In fact, not only have we for instance been able to make a successful
start and re-scripting the very ideology of fitness and gyms but have also
managed to do so at what I would call an awesome space. MultiFit has gone from
one fitness studio in May 2016 to 16 signed fitness studios across 4 cities and
a 10,000+ strong MultiFitter family as of today. This success has only egged me
on to do more and achieve more and I am not content with merely being India’s
fastest growing functional fitness brand but I surely want to emerge as India’s
largest fitness brand by 2020.
Kapoor: My personal entrepreneurship journey has been
extremely satisfying and fruitful thus far. Both my ventures in Education and
Functional Fitness have done extremely well and have set scorching growth
rates. In fact, not only have we for instance been able to make a successful
start and re-scripting the very ideology of fitness and gyms but have also
managed to do so at what I would call an awesome space. MultiFit has gone from
one fitness studio in May 2016 to 16 signed fitness studios across 4 cities and
a 10,000+ strong MultiFitter family as of today. This success has only egged me
on to do more and achieve more and I am not content with merely being India’s
fastest growing functional fitness brand but I surely want to emerge as India’s
largest fitness brand by 2020.
ST: What challenges do you face in your
day to day professional life, if any?
day to day professional life, if any?
Samir
Kapoor: I so wish we could have 48 hrs. in a day.
There is so much I want to do and so little time that it does become a huge
challenge for me. Having said that, coming from a strong HR background I
completely believe in teamwork and the fact that to build something good and
big, it has to be teamwork and you are as good as your team. I am fortunate
that at MultiFit we have been able to build a very young but strong team and a
clear validation of this is fact that the soul of our studios truly lies in our
Trainers. This has really taken a lot of pressure off me enabling me to focus
on achieving my now seemingly gigantic goals.
Kapoor: I so wish we could have 48 hrs. in a day.
There is so much I want to do and so little time that it does become a huge
challenge for me. Having said that, coming from a strong HR background I
completely believe in teamwork and the fact that to build something good and
big, it has to be teamwork and you are as good as your team. I am fortunate
that at MultiFit we have been able to build a very young but strong team and a
clear validation of this is fact that the soul of our studios truly lies in our
Trainers. This has really taken a lot of pressure off me enabling me to focus
on achieving my now seemingly gigantic goals.
ST: How big is your team? Are you
planning to hire more?
planning to hire more?
Samir Kapoor: At MultiFit, we have a team of over 100 top notch trainers and around
another 20-25 administrates and support staff across 4 cities. But with the pace
of studio openings we have seen this number is rapidly changing every month.
another 20-25 administrates and support staff across 4 cities. But with the pace
of studio openings we have seen this number is rapidly changing every month.
ST: What are your future plans?
Samir Kapoor: Our aim is to emerge as India’s largest
fitness brand by 2020 straddling all aspects of the fitness ecosystem and a
strong chain of over 250 fitness studios across India.
fitness brand by 2020 straddling all aspects of the fitness ecosystem and a
strong chain of over 250 fitness studios across India.
Send your feedback at startupterminal@gmail.com
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