TLS Product Roadmap - Part II - Training
At TLS, our mission is to deliver the most effective workout in the US through ultra-personalization. You’ve asked how we’ll achieve this, and we’re excited to share our 4 part plan.
The Four Pillars:
Data: Scanners and software track your unique metrics (strength, mobility, progress) in real time.
Training: Teachers use that data to engage you personally, even in a crowd.
Equipment: Smart, adaptive tools optimize your tailored routine.
AI: Instant, 24/7 guidance keeps you on track, anywhere.
By anchoring our strategy in these core pillars, we’re poised to amplify our brand’s reach and stand out boldly against the competition.
In this update, we’re zooming in on TLS Training—a game-changer in our journey.
💸Note: at the bottom we have updated the status on the studios and investments.
Background: What happened to training?
Training has long been the industry's Achilles' heel. For years, the fitness space leaned heavily on third-party providers to handle instructor training. But as brands fragmented and diluted their identities, the quality of training suffered.
These third parties often prioritized profit over purpose, treating training as a cash grab rather than a way to empower instructors. Master Trainers would cash their checks and leave, while studios were stuck with inconsistent results.
Why Traditional Training Fails. The old model was broken for four key reasons:
Expensive: Upwards of $3,000 per person put it out of reach for many.
Inflexible: One weekend a year? Good luck fitting that into real life.
Ineffective: Trainees left unprepared to lead on the floor.
Generic: It wasn’t tailored to the TLS way—our unique heartbeat.
See below about training from one of our Austin competitors: $3,000 for Lagree training. What do they get from it? Just a Lagree certification which limits them to only teach at declining Lagree branded studios.
Bringing it in house: Our First Attempt
In 2024, we took a swing at fixing this by bringing training in-house. We slashed the cost to $500–750, hosted a three-day intensive, handed out packets, and did it our way.
🚨Spoiler alert: it flopped. 🚨
But why? We’ve got some of the best trainers in the country! The issue wasn’t talent—it was the process. Sure, we got great instructors on the floor, but it took over 50 hours of our time per trainee. Plus, the system didn’t scale beyond Austin, leaving places like Houston high and dry.
This workout isn’t something you can master in a single weekend with one instructor. It demands dynamic content, real-time feedback, quizzes, class participation—a living, breathing process. We realized we had to tear it down and start over.
Our New Process: Something that is Working
Here’s how we’re revolutionizing TLS training in 5 Steps:
Free Tryout: Once a month, anyone can join a free session at any studio. They teach a 7–10-minute routine, and we spot the raw potential.
Culture Fit: April, our culture captain, hops on a 15-minute video call with each candidate to ensure they vibe with our vision.
TLS Portal: Those who make the cut unlock a 100-hour digital training program packed with top-tier videos, quizzes, and resources (more on this below).
Video Submission: Trainees submit a mock class video for April’s review.
Live Mocks: They team up with their studio Captain to polish their skills in real-time classes.
Notice that the Captains don't get involved until step 5, limiting their training exposure. Step #3, the TLS Portal, is perhaps the greatest training innovation we've done to date.
TLS Training Portal: Optimizing Training
In February, we partnered with an elite training software program to launch our own training. We spent months recording hundreds of videos, quizzes, documents, presentations and more. It allows us to see who is taking courses, who is struggling with quizzes, and who is not trying at all.
We put the work on the trainee and focus our instructors' precious time on the last step of getting them floor ready.
Does it work? We are currently training 54 new instructors at once (vs 10 max), we are saving about 90% of our time, and a higher percentage of the trainees are progressing through!
An early success but we are at the beginning of a long road. See the actual training portal home screen below.
Conclusion: Solving the Problems
Our new system tackles the four flaws of traditional training head-on:
Expensive: We made it free. High costs were blocking great talent, so we removed the barrier. To keep trainees invested, they teach 20 free classes to offset our investment—an efficient win-win.
Inflexible: We’re constantly tweaking videos and content as new challenges pop up.
Ineffective: Real-time progress tracking and mock class videos let us coach from afar, ensuring quality no matter the city.
Generic: One person is managing 54 trainees right now. In April, we’re rolling out automations to cut our time commitment by 80%, freeing us to focus on growth.
This is truly an ever evolving program. We take the trainees' feedback and use it to create new training content.
We’re building the most elite, effective training portal in the fitness world. Imagine an instructor leaving TLS for a city without us—other studios would be floored by their skill. That’s the standard we’re chasing.
At its core, TLS is about delivering the ultimate workout. That starts with a personalized experience powered by the best-trained team on the planet.