FitDeck is a set of playing cards used for fitness purposes. Each card has a different fitness activity on it. The company offers over 40 different themed decks for specific sports activities, like basketball or a dumbbell themed deck. They also offer specially customized decks as gifts for corporations or sports teams, etc.
The company was founded by Phil Black, a graduate of Harvard Business School and a Navy Seal. Phil Black is a talented investment banker, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker. Each FitDeck set comes with its routines, instructions, and illustrations.
Are They Still an Active Company?
They were acquired by Implus. The product is still available on Amazon, though.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Phil Black came to Shark Tank seeking an investment of $300,000 for a 20% stake in his company. Black brought his cards with him to demonstrate how they worked to the Sharks. He started the pitch by showing how each card was differently illustrated and had a separate exercise. Then showed how there were different themed decks for different exercises like Cross Training or Yoga.
Black went on to share the company’s sales so far. He shared that they had sold almost 500,000 sets for over 7 years. He added that although his sales in the past year had just been $640,000, he had still managed to break even. He quickly added that previous average sales had been $700,000 with profit at $120,000 on average.
The Sharks seemed a little hesitant once they realized that he’s only managed to sell 500,000 units in the past 7 years. Robert Herjavek went first, asking where exactly the money was going. Phil responded by claiming that the money goes into research and development for the decks and creating promotional videos for the product. He added that he was planning on using the Shark Tank investment to develop a FitDeck app and shares that the app is already selling 1000 downloads per month at $9.99.
Mark Cuban’s main point of disagreement was that the mobile app market was very competitive, so it would be difficult for the app to find success. In his exact words, it wouldn’t have an “equitable outcome”.He was unwilling to invest and stepped out first.
Kevin O’ Leary was the second to step out even though he liked Phil’s long and varied resume but he found the company valuation questionable. Even though Phil shared that he’d built the brand around being a former Navy Seal, Kevin wasn’t convinced.
Daymond thought an app was too risky an investment even though he doesn’t exactly disagree with the deck concept. Herjavec thought the business model was faulty and the average profits were too low, which doesn’t bode well for the future. Lori had the same problem as Daymond. Even though she liked the concept behind the decks, she didn’t think it would be easy to form a niche market around the app.
Kevin was the last Shark to call quits on FitDeck, leaving Phil with no choice but to leave Shark Tank without a deal.
Overall, the FitDeck Shark Tank review was negative.
Our Review of FitDeck
We decided to try FitDeck to see how it would fare in real life.
The good news is that FitDeck comes in a compact box that’s easy to store and can be carried around in different places. It has a wide variety of options to choose from for different exercises such as pilates, cross training, basketball, and more. They have separate decks for kids and seniors too. The instructional and safety manuals make them adaptable for novices and experienced players.
The app doesn’t have that many users and because there are so many different workout apps on digital stores, it’s now outdated. The number of alternatives prevent the app from finding its niche on the market for exercise apps.
Pros and Cons of FitDeck
Pros of FitDeck
- Easy to carry for travel
- Specialty decks for kids and seniors
- Instruction manual for different exercises
Cons of FitDeck
- Expensive
- Other alternatives on the market
- Outdated app
Who Is FitDeck for?
The product mainly targets people who want to work out but need more incentive to get started or guidance on what routine to do and when.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Although FitDeck was somewhat unique for its time as a set of playing cards for different exercises, there are other alternatives on the market now.
CoachDeck Basketball Drill Cards is one good alternative to FitDeck. It is targeted at youth sports volunteers and parents who want to get young players to practice different types of basketball drills. In many ways, it is similar to FitDeck. The only difference is that the cards are color-coded for different types of basketball techniques such as shooting, drilling, or passing.
Coaches can use the card to prepare a unique combination of basketball playing routines for each player. The purpose of this deck is to provide a fun way to practice professional basketball drills.
Like the FitDeck, the CoachDeck also comes with an instructional manual that doesn’t just feature instructions for how to use the cards but also on practicing safety while playing.
Our Final Thoughts
FitDeck makes for an interesting game for people who want interesting workout routines. It is perfect for young people who like to experiment with different exercises. However, the deck is expensive and now that there are so many apps available online, it won’t be as successful on the market.
The FitDeck app is free on iOS but it doesn’t have that many reviews even though the rating is decent. The deck would still be interesting to use for high school sports teams and can easily be used by coaches who want a fun way to train players.
