In Conversation with ThriVast

I sat down with my good friend Sam, an avid fitness aficionado and the CEO of ThriVast – a fitness and active apparel brand, to discuss gyms closures and reopening, fitness apparel businesses, and working on our fitness during the pandemic and lockdown.

Businesses in general have been heavily impacted due to the global pandemic and nationwide social and economic shutdowns which were a consequence of the necessary lockdowns. Along with the hospitality industry, the fitness, sports, and leisure industry were hit one of the hardest and that extends to the fitness apparel businesses as an extension.

As well as catching up with Sam, I wanted to know how his city felt and coped with the virus and lockdown as well as how he maintained his fitness being a fellow fitness enthusiast. Considering that he has business in the industry, my thoughts also turned to how his business was affected and what his company is doing to give back and promote health, fitness, and wellness.

Hi Sam, how’s it going in New York City, one of the heaviest hit Cities? How’s the city cleaning up?

I’m doing well, thanks. Yes, NYC was definitely one of the first cities that were hit the hardest in the beginning but also recovered one of the first thankfully. As of today Monday July 30th, the city is now entering phase 4 which means that still no gyms are open but you’re allowed to workout in an outdoor area. In 2 weeks however the gyms, swimming pools will finally be open so we’re all very much looking forward to that.

You and yours all well?

Yes. I am well and healthy thanks to G-D.

How long was the city on lockdown for and how long were the gyms shut?

The city went into full lockdown on 20th March which lasted for 80 days. Gyms were obviously shut straight away and are still shut. Hopefully they will be reopening over the next couple of weeks which we are all looking forward to.

That’s good and positive. Gym’s leisure centres will be reopening here in the UK on the 25^th of July with restrictions and new guidelines in place of course.

Did you stay active and keep working on your fitness from home?

Thankfully we have a private gym in the basement of my apartment building here in NYC so I felt very lucky during this pandemic that I was at least able to keep the fitness momentum going.

What did you do to stay fit?

So for the first month i didn’t even use the gym in the basement because I was nervous so I ended doing workouts at home which meant a lot of body weight exercises, time under tension, and reps etc.

Yes, we know all about the body weight exercises. It’s quite different to how we would train at the gym because of the lack of equipment. But it’s all about adapting really. If there’s one thing we can do with fitness, it is adapt the way we train and utilise our body and movements to work on and maintain our fitness levels.

Was it difficult? Did you find it challenging to work out at home without equipment? How about your diet and nutrition?

The most difficult part for me was motivation because your home is where you’re most comfortable so it was all about going into the workout mindset, so I had to train myself that it had to be done regardless. Nutrition was the same as usual.

That’s a good point about home comfort. It does make it difficult when we the sofa is a few feet away. But as you said, it’s about pushing yourself and getting yourself into the right mindset.

Did it help that you had a trainer instructing your daily workouts and fitness plans?

If I didn’t have an online trainer during these difficult times, I honestly doubt I would have worked out at all so yes it was exactly what I needed that give me that push and to get into the right mindset.

Wow, so having an online trainer really helped you. It’s amazing how much health, wellness, and fitness content was put online by some amazing fitness professionals over the lockdown helping thousands of people effectively workout at home. Some professionals have also put some incredibly comprehensive home fitness and training programs on the LIFE ON FITNESS platform as well which you can find here.

Were you missing the gym and equipment?

Absolutely! As I said, it’s less motivating having to work out at home. The gym is the place we go to exercise, so just going there already puts you in the mindset you need.

What is ThriVast? What is its mission?

Thrivast is an active wear and lifestyle brand. We believe feeling good shouldn’t be a privilege; it should be a way of life. That’s why I created a brand that specializes in the best quality organic cotton, quick drying, and anti-sweat clothing to help me optimize my workouts. Our goal mission is to, with Thrivast, create a go-to brand which is both affordable and easily accessible to all our consumers’ worldwide. We pride ourselves in having the highest quality apparel, keeping up with the latest trends, looking out for our customers’ best interest and instilling our passion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle on you.

Why did you launch ThriVast?

I found the regular gym stores very expensive and not affordable so I decided to start this brand with the intention that if you’re passionate about fitness then the gym clothing shouldn’t be an excuse not to workout.

Love that. It’s so easy to find and excuse not to exercise, and with ThriVast, the price of good quality active wear isn’t one of them.

Did you see a downturn on sales over the last few months?

In the beginning yes, but we have seen people starting to buy again.

Also, many people have lost their jobs over this time, have and will find it hard to spend money.

Yes, this is why our store with its low prices is helpful in these circumstances.

There are those who started their fitness journey for the first time during lockdown and there are those who took a break from their fitness, would you agree?

Absolutely agree. But now that gyms are starting to open, now’s the time for no excuses.

But people are excited to get back to their exercise for their wellness if not only for their physical fitness…

Exactly, as you say it’s about wellness and mental health.

Now that people are going back to the gym and want to continue or start to get healthy again, do you think that people will need new active wear?

There is no reason to spend money just for the sake of it but if you did want to feel good and feel motivated, sometimes it can help with a new look.

True, we agree with that as you say, fitness shouldn’t be about spending money just because there are things you can buy. But sometimes it is motivating.

Which means many people may need new gym clothes, can they get them at Thrivast.com?

Sure, again no need to spend if it’s not necessary but if you’re looking spend within budget and guaranteed quality than ThriVast is for you.

Do you find that new gym clothes can reinvigorate your energy and fitness?

It can give you a fresh new start and feel good factor. It is recommended, but if you don’t have the funds for it, you can always put it in the basket and wait till perhaps you receive an email with a coupon.

What are you doing at ThriVast to help people restart their fitness journey?

We’re offering a great exclusive ‘back to gym’ discount for the entire store (even for sale items) for a very limited time. 15% off storewide.

So 15% discount on all of ThriVast stock? That’s very generous…

Sam chuckles: Yes, but it is for a limited time so grab it whilst it’s still around.

Why are you offering this?

Because we know how important it is for people to feel good and have the right active wear, but don’t have too much money to spend especially in these challenging times. So we want to do what we can to help.

How important are the clothes we wear when training?

Super important – simply because we are what we wear.

(Laughing) I’ve never heard that one before.

If you can give a small bit of advice for people working or starting to work on their fitness, what would it be?

Look at today, not tomorrow.

Any final thoughts?

Treat your body like a temple and your body will treat you better back.

What I appreciate a lot and I think many people can appreciate is that while you do sell active apparel, you have made it clear several times throughout our conversation that people shouldn’t feel forced to buy, and only purchase if they can or need it.

This is not a sponsored interview, but we are happy to be able to be part of making fitness more accessible in any way we can. We want to promote health, wellness, and fitness and glad that you have given us the chance to share your thoughts and generous discount offer.

Get an exclusive 15% discount on all ThriVast products by clicking here (the discount will be applied automatically at checkout), or by applying this code lifeonfitnessbtg15 at checkout on thrivast.com.