Perform Better

Perform Better
Name	Perform Better
Type	Private
Industry	Fitness equipment
Founded	1990s
Founder	Joe Dowdell
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Area served	North America, Europe, Asia

Perform Better is a United States–based commercial supplier and educational provider in the field of functional fitness and sports performance. The company operates retail locations, online storefronts, and a continuing-education program that serve strength coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and fitness professionals. Perform Better has influenced practitioner choices in equipment and pedagogy across club operators, university athletics programs, and rehabilitation clinics.

History

Perform Better was founded amid the rise of specialized fitness retail and the growth of the strength and conditioning profession during the 1990s, paralleling institutional developments such as the expansion of American College of Sports Medicine conferences and the professionalization exemplified by National Strength and Conditioning Association certification pathways. In its early decades the company aligned with manufacturers popularized by elite programs like University of Florida athletics and US Olympic Training Center facilities, supplying implements used by athletes in competitions including the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships. Perform Better expanded its educational reach by hosting events that attracted presenters associated with organizations such as Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and collegiate programs within the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

The firm’s trajectory intersected with broader industry shifts including the mainstreaming of functional training promoted by figures linked to CrossFit and the proliferation of small-group training formats seen in studios influenced by Les Mills International and boutique operators in metropolitan areas like New York City and Los Angeles. Corporate partnerships and distribution deals facilitated international sales into markets that include United Kingdom and Australia, while trade-show presences aligned the company with exhibitions such as IHRSA and RehabWeek.

Products and Services

Perform Better markets a broad array of implements and educational materials tailored to practitioners in performance and rehabilitation. Its catalog includes branded and third-party goods from manufacturers associated with professional teams like Manchester United and institutions such as Stanford University Sports Medicine; product classes include free weights favored by strength programs inspired by coaching staff from Ohio State University, plyometric equipment used by practitioners following methods from coaches at University of Oregon, and mobility tools popularized in clinics affiliated with Mayo Clinic. The company also distributes recovery technologies used by professional franchises in National Football League and equipment for speed development employed by sprint programs modeled on work at Jamaican Athletics training centers.

Beyond hardware, Perform Better offers printed and digital educational materials authored or presented by contributors who have affiliations with entities like International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation, United States Track & Field coaching groups, and investigators publishing in outlets such as Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The product assortment frequently mirrors protocol trends demonstrated at symposiums attended by delegates from organizations such as American Physical Therapy Association and European College of Sports Science.

Training and Certification

The company stages clinics, seminars, and symposiums that deliver continuing education for professionals credentialed by bodies like National Athletic Trainers' Association, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and American College of Sports Medicine. Presenters at Perform Better events have included practitioners and researchers associated with academic departments at University of Southern California and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as clinicians from specialty centers like Hospital for Special Surgery. Workshops emphasize applied methodologies derived from periodization concepts championed by coaches from Russian Olympic Committee–era programs, movement-screen paradigms influenced by work at Aspen Institute–affiliated initiatives, and rehabilitation protocols consistent with recommendations from American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

While Perform Better is not a primary certifying body equivalent to organizations such as NSCA or ACSM, its offerings provide contact hours and practical instruction that many professionals use to satisfy recertification requirements overseen by those institutions.

Sponsorships and Partnerships

Perform Better has engaged in sponsorship and partnership arrangements with professional teams and collegiate programs, collaborating with entities like New England Patriots facilities and university strength staffs at institutions such as Penn State University and Clemson University. The company’s partnerships have extended to product alliances with brands used by Olympic delegations and endorsed by coaches who have participated in international events such as the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games. In the education space, Perform Better has co-hosted events with organizations including Rehab Summit and commercial partners present at industry fairs like FIBO.

These relationships bolster product development feedback loops with practitioners operating within high-performance environments such as Real Madrid academies and rehabilitation units at hospitals like Cleveland Clinic.

Retail and Distribution

Perform Better operates brick-and-mortar showrooms in metropolitan hubs and maintains an e-commerce platform that ships to professional and consumer markets across United States and international territories. Distribution channels include direct sales to collegiate athletic departments, municipal recreation centers, and private training studios influenced by boutique operators in cities like Chicago and San Francisco. Inventory logistics have intersected with supply-chain partners that service franchises affiliated with multinational retailers present at trade events like CES and ISC West.

The company’s retail strategy combines demonstration spaces for practitioners with online product pages used by purchasers from organizations such as YMCA branches and corporate wellness programs coordinated by firms headquartered in regions like Silicon Valley.

Reception and Impact

Practitioners and commentators within strength and rehabilitation communities have recognized Perform Better for curating a comprehensive selection of implements and hosting influential educational events attended by professionals from institutions such as Harvard Medical School sports departments and coaches from University of Michigan athletics. Coverage in trade publications and inclusion in buyer guides alongside suppliers used by international federations such as World Rugby and FIFA have contributed to the company’s reputation. Critics and analysts note the competitive landscape includes specialty retailers and manufacturers that directly supply teams like Los Angeles Lakers and networks of clinics associated with Johns Hopkins Medicine, making ongoing differentiation dependent on educational offerings and product curation.

Category:Fitness equipment companies