By Dara Mormile
So many exercise programs exist for every fad and body type.
You might even say there are too many to choose from!
But what about specialized workouts and regiments built into a unique app for LGBTQ+ individuals that makes them feel confident, accepted, and healthy?
Entrepreneur Sam Leicht understands that not everyone lives near a big city where they can network and find common health goals in the gay community. Preferred Health Magazine spoke to Leicht about the motivation behind his exciting app Pridefit - which has notably been called the #1 LGBTQ+ fitness community in the world!
"We are a unique and vibrant group of queer people who are in similar positions looking for accountability and a sustainable healthy lifestyle."
Sam Leicht,
founder of PrideFit
"We are a unique and vibrant group of queer people who are in similar positions looking for accountability and a sustainable healthy lifestyle," he said with confidence.
A Wisconsin native, Leicht pursued musical theater before discovering his passion to be a health coach. He waited on tables and pursued acting and when he moved to New York City, where he's lived for seven years now. Fitness was a stronger passion and he was motivated to start his own business, leading to the design of Pridefit - a judgment-free open space for the gay community and beyond. Pridefit officially launched earlier this year and now garners over 1,000 members globally.
"I used to hate fitness," he admitted. "Growing up in Wisconsin, exercise and being gay did not mix. That's why I created Pridefit. In many small towns across the country, it may be hard to find a gym and space that's accepting and welcoming and provides unique plans to start a healthy routine. But in the Pridefit world, we're here for you to achieve that confidence - no shame and no judgment."
His personal training career took him around the country for nine months before he returned to New York and acted on the side.
"I didn't really like the lack of autonomy that acting had," he said in earnest. "With fitness, people achieve a certain confidence and awareness about their body, so I brought all of my personal training online and started building this queer fitness community that I didn't set out to create by any means."
Leicht knows the difficulty and discomfort felt by many queers when it comes to sticking to a self-care routine.
" I wanted to create a private space for the LGBTQ+ community where they could also connect in real life with other people like themselves," Leicht said, noting that there are two other coaches who guide all members individually through their personal journey and specific goals.
Of course, he's constantly tasked with answering the question - 'Why do we need a gay fitness app and what makes Pridefit truly different?'
"Instead of just creating something and posting it with some video on an app, we check in with our members on live calls and make sure they're sticking to that long-term commitment to their goals through interactions - not just 'here's a workout routine, go and do it on your own.' We focus on the community part of it - lifting each other up and motivating each other without any embarrassment or intimidation. People stick with it for a long time because they feel so positive and supported while they're doing it. And we're not going to tell anyone to go to the gym three times a day or force anyone to follow some routine that's not realistic for them."
The app, which touts useful nutrition/grocery shopping hacks, also has a few fun peer-to-peer tabs to navigate - including a 'Gayborhood' that gives members access to joining local events and meeting other LGBTQ+ people for virtual gay book clubs, meetups and gaming, among other non-fitness related hobbies. Pridefit even hosted its 3rd Annual 5K run in June with hundreds in attendance and tproceeds from the event going to The OUT Foundation.
The growing population of transgender individuals also brings a new challenge to the app, as many in the transitioning stages may want to look more/less feminine or masculine and don't have the resources at a traditional gym to make them feel comfortable. Those who are taking various hormones to enhance heir new identities may have different nutritional and fitness needs.
"Our aim in the next 6 months is to actually bring on more trainers who can help transgender populations feel more comfortable reaching their goals," Leicht said. "But our approach will be the same: to focus on long-term sustainable health when someone comes to us and says 'I don't feel like myself in this body'. Those are conversations we can openly have because we're such a tight-knit community."
There are three basic programs included in the paid version of the Pridefit membership:
Pridefit Home: provides a complete fitness program that makes you sweat without leaving your home; geared toward beginner to intermediate athletes and only requires one set of dumbbells.
Pridefit Gym: is geared toward intermediate athletes with access to a gym.
Pridefit Build: is a combination of workouts and nutrition training specifically designed to sustainably add muscle mass. Build is for advanced athletes and focuses more on strength and hypertrophy than HIIT.
If you're part of the queer community and find yourself in an uncomfortable crowd at your local gym - or you just don't know where to start your weight-loss journey - check out Pridefit.com - where thousands from around the world are connecting with a common goal:
"Build Muscle, Sweat Confidently, and Get Energized!"
SAM LEICHT is a health coach, entrepreneur and actor based in NYC.
In addition to his wellness company, Sam uses his social platforms to make health and wellness information accessible for all. Sam was last seen on Broadway in "The Lightning Thief".
