Bailey wants to find a workout she can actually stick with. There's just one problem: she has absolutely no idea what she's about to try.
In the pilot episode of Workout in Progress, PureWow associate producer Bailey is sent to try an unusual fitness experience chosen entirely for her—with the workout kept secret until she arrives.
Her mission is simple: survive the surprise, try something completely outside her comfort zone and determine whether this might finally be the workout that sticks.
Part fitness series, part comedy and part ambush, Workout in Progress turns one person's very relatable struggle with exercise into a social-first experiment in finding a workout she might actually enjoy.
Workout in Progress started with a conversation in the PureWow office.
Bailey, one of our associate producers, came in complaining about a new workout she'd discovered. She was naturally funny, but what really caught my attention was the way she described her ongoing struggle to find some form of exercise she would actually want to continue doing.
I thought: there's a show in this.
I developed Workout in Progress as a social-first series built around Bailey's personality and one simple rule: she wouldn't know what workout she was doing until she got there.
I researched unusual workouts around New York City, arranged access with the businesses and instructors, and then brought Bailey and a camera crew to document what happened. Keeping the workout secret gave every episode a built-in reveal and ensured that Bailey's reactions were genuine rather than rehearsed.
The format didn't require complicated production. Its engine was Bailey herself—the humor came from putting a naturally funny, relatable person into unfamiliar situations and letting her respond honestly.
This pilot established the formula: find the workout, keep Bailey in the dark, show up with cameras and see what happens.