Lose 12 Inches - Shark Tank Update

Lose 12 Inches appeared on Shark Tank Season 4 as a fitness program business created by Ryan 'Cowboy' Ehmann, a former professional rodeo rider turned personal trainer who developed his unique exercise system after suffering chronic back pain that threatened his rodeo career. The program was based on the concept of exercising within the proper heart rate zone, which Ehmann called the 'Cowboy Fit Zone,' to maximize fat burning and achieve 'rodeo abs' in the shortest amount of time.

His system included DVDs, personalized software to customize workouts, and his own exercise equipment called 'Rodeo Abs,' which had already achieved over $1 million in sales in Australia and Germany. Ehmann's energetic cowboy persona and authentic personal story resonated with audiences, as he had successfully used his own methods to overcome back pain and return to competitive rodeo.

The business was designed to move from internet sales to infomercial marketing to build brand awareness and scale revenue. During his pitch, Ehmann dramatically demonstrated his results by revealing his muscular physique while delivering his presentation with authentic Western enthusiasm and cowboy yells.

He sought $120,000 for 25% equity, valuing his company at $480,000, with plans to leverage his charismatic personality and proven track record to compete in the crowded fitness program market.

Lose 12 Inches secured a deal with Daymond John, who invested $120,000 for 25% equity, believing strongly in Ehmann's brand potential and authentic energy despite other Sharks' skepticism about the cowboy persona and business model. The partnership developed into a unique friendship that lasted over a decade, though it never achieved significant financial success.

John not only became an investor but also a client, using Ehmann's workout system personally and praising the results. Despite the initial optimism and John's mentorship, the business struggled to scale beyond its niche market, and Ehmann eventually pivoted his fitness expertise into new ventures.

In 2021, he rebranded and opened Barre6, a boutique fitness studio in Merrick, New York, offering 28-minute workouts designed to create 'Instagram bodies' through high-intensity interval training. The new concept represented a departure from the cowboy-themed fitness program toward a more mainstream boutique fitness model.

In a 2023 Shark Tank update segment, John candidly admitted that after ten years, they had not made any money from the original investment, but emphasized that the relationship had been valuable for the friendship and personal connection. As of 2024, Ehmann continues operating his single Barre6 location despite earlier plans to expand to multiple locations, with the original Lose 12 Inches program no longer actively marketed, representing a business that succeeded in building relationships and brand recognition but failed to achieve the projected financial returns.