HFA Show 2026, formerly IHRSA, brought together nearly 10,000 professionals, approximately 380 exhibitors and 150 speakers from March 16 to 18, 2026 at the San Diego Convention Center. In the aisles of the largest annual fitness and well-being show, a few products have clearly taken the advantage, between motorless treadmills, compact strength rigs, high-end recovery zones and new forms of “clean” energy for members.
For French club managers, this Californian meeting looks a little more like a crystal ball each year on the 2027-2030 market. The innovations seen at HFA 2026 confirm three basic lines: domination of the force, rise in power of recovery spaces and arrival of concrete AI tools, to be placed in a French context.
HFA Show 2026: strength, recovery and AI in the spotlight
From the entrance to the trade show, the Innovation Alley, New Product Zone and Recovery Lounge areas set the tone: place for concrete solutions, ready to be installed on the ground. On the set, the major manufacturers were pushing a very visible “strength‑first” logic, with multi‑station and multi‑cable rigs capable of replacing three or four isolated machines, while freeing up space for small group trainings and dedicated gluteal areas.
This same search for efficiency was found on the well-being side. In the Recovery Lounge, Am‑Finn saunas, CryoBuilt cryotherapy cabins, red light devices and contrast therapy (hot/cold) from WellnessSpace Brands in particular sought to transform the “relaxation corner”. A few meters away, startups from Innovation Alley showed how AI is already used to drive personalized coaching.
BodyEnergy, Precor and Buzz Bomb: the products that made the difference
In the cardio segment, the mat BodyEnergy Ab‑Drive was a star. Completely motor-free and user-powered, it relies on a front abdominal roller and adjustable magnetic resistance to replicate the biomechanics of outdoor running. According to the manufacturer, each commercial unit would avoid around 5,400 kWh of electricity consumption per year, while remaining priced around $6,000, or a little over €5,500.
In the strength zones, Precor benefited from HFA 2026 to highlight its new Glutebuilder Belt Squat / Step-Up, designed for the glutes (middle glutes), while pushing the Stages Cycling bikes. On the energy side, sublingual sticks BUZZ BOMB of 50 mg of caffeine, without water and with a “clean label” profile, caught the eye of the clubs.