cult.fit: One Rep At A Time

The thought behind the show

One Rep At A Time was conceptualised under the brand's Cult Transform program - focusing on "habit building for life" rather than short-term, unsustainable fixes (I mean, we've seen enough of the latter). The show aimed to democratise fitness by providing expert-led, enthusiast-hosted, actionable advice that listeners could integrate into their daily routines (and diets). While we led the creative vision, Timbre Media and (later) Trifecta Records managed the professional production and distribution across all major platforms.

We were ideally placed to do this

The name & identity

The brand was keen to keep the name related to just starting, and being consistent. One Rep At A Time (internally and affectionately, ORAAT) worked well. The runner up: The First Set. Look, we even found this from our Google Photos :')

The content strategy

Just like a good fitness program should not overwhelm yet had a mix, we wanted to ensure a weekly cadence in an HIIT style. We worked on:

We would vary things quite a bit - in the build-up to women's day, we had a week of themed women's content. The shorter episodes also had a 'cool-down' section with a small piece of trivia at the end.

Who we had on

We were quite proud of the guests we had - covering a variety of topics, perspectives and vibes.

• Elite athletes: Olympian swimmer Nisha Millet, boxer Mujtaba Kamal.

• Entrepreneurs: Shashank Mehta (The Whole Truth), Arthi Deiva (STRIVE), Sohil Wazir and Dr Navneet Deora (Blue Tribe Foods)

• Authors and creators: Krish Ashok (Masala Lab), Kunal Rajput (Unlock, Breathe).

• Medical experts: Dr. Rizwan Khan (sports massage/recovery), Dr. Satish Ramaiah (sleep science), Dr Shama Shah (psychologist)

• Fitness specialists: Miten Thakker (cycling coaching), Shona Prabhu (nutrition), Naveen Sharma (yoga).

• Internal experts and trainers: Rishabh Telang, Pooja Naik, and Rahul Huidrom & Chandni Haldurai.

  
  

The cool-down

Eventually, Chuck transitioned off the show to focus on other ventures. The podcast continued its journey under a new title, The Health Project, carrying forward the foundations we laid.

During its time, it was much-beloved and had a following (Chuck once even got a DM from a fan of the show imploring him to restart it!)

What the project was a showcase of

Hosting ORAAT was unlike anything we've done. We think it's a good demonstration of our ability to think as both content creators and content marketers. Needless to say, we know we can helm a podcast like this, come up with ideas, think of ways to market it, have a network of potential guests to call on, and so forth.

Looking at it another way, we also think the show is an example of how creators can eventually monetise: Chuck was running Simblified for ~7 years before the show which didn't make him too much money, but that skill and reputation helped here. It remains a showcase he uses during his sessions for The 6% Club.

Where can I listen?

The episodes are still out on most podcasting platforms. Here it is on Spotify.

The first 58 episodes are by us.