Reinvention to Revolution: Hotworx Builds a New Category in Fitness

From college football and Arena Football to professional bodybuilding, fitness has always been an essential part of my life. Growing up around athletics taught me about the importance of competition and discipline. As an 18-year-old working part-time at my local gym, I discovered something even more defining: a passion not just for fitness, but for the business of fitness.

Need to evolve

I opened my first fitness center in 1986. I was immediately hooked, energized by the activity in the gym and fascinated by the systems operating behind the scenes. That entrepreneurial spark set me on a path that would eventually lead to the development of Hotworx, a 24/7 infrared sauna fitness franchise with more than 800 locations worldwide.

But before we get to how Hotworx became the revolutionary fitness brand it is today, we have to first look at the business I built just before that: Planet Beach.

I founded Planet Beach in 1995 as a tanning salon and wellness franchise. It’s a brand that I still own today. Planet Beach grew rapidly and became a recognized name in the wellness space. But as consumer trends shifted and certain tanning beds began to fall out of favor with the public, I knew we couldn’t stand still. Reinvention has always been a part of my entrepreneurial DNA. When the market changes, you adapt or disappear; you need to invent your way out of the problem.

Creating the concept

I began incorporating hot yoga into my workout regimen. I loved the results: the sweat, the muscle activation, the recovery benefits. But hot yoga was rarely standardized. Many studios relied on inconsistent heating methods, and some even used a simple space heater to raise the temperature. I also grew frustrated with the time commitment. Dedicating 90 minutes to an effective exercise followed by a separate sauna session for recovery didn’t feel practical as an everyday routine.

While on vacation with business partners, someone casually mentioned, “People should exercise inside a sauna.” That statement stuck with me. It was the ultimate multitasking solution for getting the best benefits of infrared energy, heat, and exercise all at once. The original concept for Hotworx was born.

I quickly began designing what would become our patented infrared sauna built specifically for exercise. The vision was to combine infrared energy and heat with isometric exercise. Later, we added High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), delivered in short, efficient sessions. Our motto became, “More Workout, Less Time.”

Overcoming challenges

As with any great business idea, the early days came with challenges. The first was the name. We needed something strong and descriptive that signified this brand was built to withstand the test of time. Our initial name for the brand was Hot Box Detox, which was trendy but didn’t scream longevity or how innovative these saunas truly were. We needed a name that felt like a movement, not a moment. After one of the most challenging marketing exercises of my career, we ultimately chose Hotworx and trademarked the name.

Our next challenge was related to the equipment inside the saunas. I was inspired at a fitness trade show when I saw a demonstration for a new type of rowing machine for HIIT exercises. I imagined putting this machine in our saunas. But traditional rowing machines wouldn’t comfortably fit in the saunas, nor were they optimized for a heated environment. I went to the drawing board, literally, and designed our now-patented Thunder Row. This innovative machine features a 360-degree handle swivel, a double pulley system, and dual water turbo tanks to emulate the feeling of rowing through water.

The first studio

We opened the first Hotworx studio in Oxford, Mississippi, in 2017. Each studio features eight to 10 patented infrared saunas. With a maximum capacity of three people per sauna, we’ve created an intimate, focused workout environment without the pressure of a large group class.

Hotworx offers 12 different sessions, including 15-minute HIIT workouts, like rowing and cycling, and 30-minute isometric sessions, like Yoga, Pilates, Barre None, Stretch, and Warrior. All sessions are taught via virtual instruction and served up on a continuous cycle with access for members 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What started as a reinvention strategy evolved into an entirely new fitness category. We’ve developed a controlled environment that delivers both consistency for members and scalability for franchisees. Today, we serve more than 400,000 active members and have grown to more than 800 studios open around the world, including in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and, most recently, Dubai. We also have studios in development in Mexico. Our goal is to have 1,000 locations open and in operation by the end of the year.

Fitness has always been my foundation. However, building systems that help others succeed is what drives me. I’m proud that Hotworx represents the intersection of both, and we’re just getting started.

Stephen P. Smith is the founder and CEO of Hotworx.