adidas Training and Bumble Unite to Disarm Gymtimidation by Helping the Community Discover their Ultimate Gym Buddy

Today, adidas Training and Bumble unveil a partnership to tackle intimidation felt at the gym, or gymtimidation, a barrier to training which impacts athletes at all-levels. Coming together to offer a new adidas interest badge, which members can add to their profile to let potential matches see their interest in fitness, the collaboration is designed to create space for next-gen gym enthusiasts to connect and realize the research-backed benefits of training, together.

Rooted in the belief that stronger communities build stronger individuals, this partnership marks the latest milestone in adidas Trainings' commitment to facilitating greater participation and enjoyment in training for its community, alongside other longstanding collaborations with sports powerhouses such as Les Mills, with more to come for 2024.

To get closer to next-gen training attitudes, adidas commissioned international research to unearth the effects of intimidation in the gym, finding that nearly one-in-three have avoided the gym completely as a result². The driving factors include fear of being judged (nearly one-in-five), not being confident in how machinery works (one-in-three), uncertainty on how to push to the next level (over a quarter), and no one to workout with (one-in-three)³. When looking at ways to combat these feelings, seven-in-ten say a gym partner helps overcome feelings of discomfort and intimidation, with six-in-ten likely to be more motivated, and half even going more often⁴.

By simply opening Bumble, Bumble For Friends mode or Bumble For Friends app, members will be able to add adidas' "Gym buddy" interest badge to their profile, to swiftly identify fellow members who are in search of a new workout buddy. Giving members the reins, they can then spark up conversation to connect on their specific goals, from starting weight-training for the first time, to tackling the next pull-up PB. The gym buddy badge helps members explore the potential of a meet in-real-life to work towards workout goals, together.

Dr Josephine Perry, Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist said:

"Gymtimidation can put many people off training, and this means they miss out on all the mental and physical benefits that come with a regular exercise routine. A gym buddy can be a great way to overcome gymtimidation. Research tells us that this kind of social support improves our enjoyment of exercise and when we enjoy something we simply do more of it.

Having someone you feel accountable to, and is alongside you in the gym, means you work harder and train for longer. When you add to this the psychological safety that comes from having a shared goal and knowing that person is not just physically but also mentally on your side, your motivation gets boosted, and you can get the most out of your time in the gym."

Aimee Arana, adidas Global, General Manager, Sportswear & Training:

"At adidas, we know that next-gen athletes can be pressured by negative-self talk which can form a barrier to training, so disarming these self-limiting beliefs with community-first solutions is important to us. Partnering with Bumble,a platform dedicated to creating empowering community connection, perfectly supports our mission in helping athletes of all-levels become stronger and unlock their individual training goals. We know Strength training also remains a top priority for the next generation and are proud to release the SS24 Strength collection, a collection that demonstrates our eternal commitment to best serving the athlete's needs."

Olivia Yu, Bumble's Global VP of Partnerships: "Everyday, people around the world come together on Bumble and Bumble For Friends to connect over shared interests and we know that physical and mental health are two of the most important.Teaming up with adidas Training for our new 'Gym buddy' interest badge helps encourage emotional support and empowerment as the foundation of a connection,whether it be romantic or platonic, to challenge the intimidation, or gymtimidation of showing up as you are." 

Understanding that over three-quarters have experienced clothing or footwear issues during bodyweight or weight exercises⁵ ,each piece in the adidas Training SS24 Strength Collection is made in part with recycled materials and is built to enable athletes to feel their strength. Featuring adidas material constructs such as AEROREADY technology, which uses sweat-wicking and absorbent materials to keep athletes feeling dry, and ADISTRONG technology, developed from athlete insights and body mapping studies, the high-performance drop includes: