With more than 25 years working in the fitness market and founder of the pioneering luxury gym Les Cinq Gym, I learned that events like the Arnold Sports Festival South America are not just business fairs: they are thermometers of what the increasingly demanding customer expects to find in gyms and brands in the segment.
The 2026 edition, which generated an impressive R$1.2 billion and more than 110,000 visitors, confirmed by Savaget Group, the organizer of the largest multi-sport event in South America, consolidated a paradigm shift: wellness is no longer an extra, it is the central axis that, even though the consumer may not be aware of it, is transforming the way the market sees it.
For those operating in the premium segment, the focus has moved away from pure aesthetics and towards assisted performance and monitored longevity.
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Arnold 2026 made it clear that the public with high purchasing power does not just want to “pull iron”.
The panel about The New Premium at the Management Congress, in which I participated, as a reference in the high-standard service segment, it confirmed what we experience on a daily basis: customers today seek a high-level experience.
Bodybuilding now shares space with neuroscience and integrative health rooms. The use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to interpret health metrics (sleep, heart rate variability and glucose levels) has transformed training into one with a closer to clinical perspective.
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While large networks continue to grow, Arnold 2026 validated the success of niche Training Centers (TCs).
The luxury customer wants exclusivity, but they also want to belong to a group with a strong identity.
Extreme personalization and close relationships are the tools against the “commoditization” of fitness. Gyms that operate as high-performance clubs are the ones with the best retention metrics.
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As the founder of a luxury business, I see that our role has changed: we no longer just deliver cutting-edge equipment, but rather a curation of health. Arnold South America 2026 proved that the Brazilian market has matured.
Anyone who doesn’t understand that fitness is now part of a larger ecosystem of science, mental and physical health, and unique experiences will be left behind in “old fitness.”
