Health and Fitness Club Industry News: Chains
Tuesday, October 7th, 2025
IHRSA Statement on Passing of Fitness International Co-CEO & President Louis Welch
Posted: September 21, 2023 in Chains
BOSTON, MA - IHRSA President & CEO, Liz Clark, issued the following statement regarding the announcement of the passing of Fitness International Co-founder, Louis Welch... Read More...
More Than 3 Million High School Students Signed Up For Planet Fitness’ ‘High School Summer Pass’ Program and Put Fitness First This Summer
Posted: September 20, 2023 in Chains
HAMPTON, N.H. - Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, announces that more than 3 million high school students signed up for its High School Summer Pass initiative this year. Teen participants in the program, which just wrapped its third year, logged 14.5 million workouts during a span of three-and-a-half months. Read More...
Midtown Athletic Clubs Announces Executive Appointments
Posted: September 20, 2023 in Chains
CHICAGO, IL - Midtown Athletic Clubs, a leading owner and operator of premium tennis and athletic clubs across the U.S. and Canada, announces the executive appointments of Alex Schwartz as its corporate Chief Marketing Officer and Matt Tilburg as the General Manager of its flagship property, Midtown Athletic Club & Hotel in Chicago. Read More...
EōS Fitness Unveils State-of-the-Art Modern Fitness Oasis in Houston Inner Loop
Posted: September 20, 2023 in Chains
HOUSTON, TX - Houstonians can now get their heart pumping at the new EōS Fitness located just minutes from downtown Houston. Bringing 34,000 square feet of high-end workout space to the bustling Fourth Ward neighborhood in Houston, EōS continues to elevate the fitness experience in Texas. Read More...
24 Hour Fitness Selects Kalibrate as Location Intelligence Partner
Posted: September 20, 2023 in Chains
DALLAS, TX - 24 Hour Fitness, one of the largest fitness center operators in the U.S., has selected Kalibrate to serve as its location intelligence partner. This engagement will include a combination of customized analytics and software that will support 24 Hour Fitness in its real estate decision-making processes. Read More...
Fitness Industry Leader Louis Welch Passes Away at 71
Posted: September 19, 2023 in Chains
IRVINE, CA - Fitness International, LLC ("Company") is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Louis Welch, Co-founder, President and Co-CEO of the Company after a two-year battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family and loved ones. Louis’ impact on the Company and the health club industry cannot be overstated. He co-founded LA Fitness in Southern California in 1984. Read More...
EōS Fitness Surpasses One Million Members, Continues Nationwide Expansion
Posted: September 19, 2023 in Chains
DALLAS, TX - EōS Fitness, the fast-growing High Value, Low Price (HVLP) gym with more than 125+ locations open or on the way nationwide, celebrated a major milestone this month when its one millionth member joined the EōS family. The gym also announced three new locations as part of its ongoing aggressive growth strategy. Read More...
Empire Portfolio Group Debuts New Warren, New Jersey Orangetheory Fitness Studio
Posted: September 18, 2023 in Chains
WARREN, N.J. - Empire Portfolio Group ("Empire"), a leading Area Developer and Franchisee of Orangetheory Fitness, the heart rate-based interval training fitness franchise, announces it will open a new studio in Warren, New Jersey. This significant expansion solidifies Empire's presence in New Jersey, becoming their 14th location in the state. Read More...
Planet Fitness Announces Leadership Transition
Posted: September 15, 2023 in Chains
HAMPTON, N.H. - Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT) (the "Company"), announces that Craig R. Benson, a member of the Company's Board of Directors, has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Benson's appointment follows the decision by the Board to transition to new leadership, resulting in Chris Rondeau's departure as the Company's CEO. Rondeau will continue to serve as a member of the Company's Board of Directors and will be nominated for re-election at the Company's 2024 Annual Meeting. Rondeau will continue to serve the Company in an advisory role as contemplated under his existing agreements with the Company to help ensure a smooth transition. In connection with this transition, the Board is engaging a leading executive search firm to assist in a comprehensive search process to identify a permanent CEO, with both internal and external candidates being considered. Read More...
Life Time Continues Pickleball Expansion with Opening of 22 Courts at Life Time Kingwood in Humble, Texas
Posted: September 15, 2023 in Chains
HOUSTON, TX - Life Time (NYSE:LTH), one of the nation's premier healthy lifestyle brands and largest provider of pickleball courts, programming and leagues, is opening its largest outdoor pickleball development with 22 new courts opening adjacent to its Kingwood club in Humble, Texas on September 15. Life Time currently operates nearly 600 permanent pickleball courts across its network of athletic country clubs in North America. Read More...
Self Esteem Brands Announces AF National Franchising LTD as Master Franchisee for Anytime Fitness Clubs in All of Canada
Posted: September 7, 2023 in Chains
WOODBURY, MN - Self Esteem Brands (SEB), the parent company of a global portfolio of fitness, health and wellness franchise brands, announces that AF National Franchising LTD has granted Anytime Fitness master franchisee for all of Canada, which now includes 225 franchised Anytime Fitness clubs. Read More...
Crunch Franchise Announces Newest Location in Sunrise, Florida
Posted: September 6, 2023 in Chains
SUNRISE, FL - Crunch Franchise announces the upcoming opening of Crunch Sunrise, a $5 million, 60,000-square-foot fitness facility, with state-of-the-art equipment. Crunch Sunrise is located in a newly renovated space previously occupied by 24-Hour Fitness. CR Fitness Holdings LLC. is operated by Vince Julien, Geoff Dyer, Tony Scrimale and Jeff Dotson, who combined have more than 100 years of experience in the fitness industry. The CR Fitness team currently operates 53 locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas. Crunch Sunrise will be the eighth location to open in South Florida. Read More...
Crunch Fitness Becomes First Gym to Enable Amazon One Palm-Based Entry for its Members
Posted: September 5, 2023 in Chains
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Crunch Fitness announces it is the first fitness brand to introduce the Amazon One palm recognition service as an entry option for its members at select Crunch locations nationwide. Members who choose to use the convenience of Amazon One no longer need their Crunch membership tags or mobile app to enter; they can simply hover their palm over an Amazon One device to enter the fitness facility. Amazon One is currently being piloted at nine Crunch clubs across the U.S., including five in San Francisco, three in the New York City and one in the Los Angeles area, with more locations rolling out the technology in the coming months. Read More...
Life Time Unveils Company’s First Ground-Up Pickleball Club in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Posted: September 5, 2023 in Chains
CHANHASSEN, MN - As pickleball continues its explosive growth trajectory, Life Time (NYSE: LTH), on of the nation's premier healthy lifestyle brands and the largest provider of permanent pickleball courts in the country, announces the groundbreaking of Life Time Pickleball Chanhassen, the company's first ground-up pickleball location in the country. Read More...
Burn Boot Camp Launches First-Ever National Brand Campaign: “We Are Burn Boot Camp”
Posted: September 5, 2023 in Chains
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - As one of the fastest-growing boutique fitness franchises in the country, Burn Boot Camp unveils its inaugural national brand campaign: "We Are Burn Boot Camp." This initiative emphasizes the deep community connections and confidence that are cornerstones at every Burn Boot Camp facility. As the anticipation for this campaign builds, Burn Boot Camp is also gearing up to officially launch a brand-new app, further enhancing the member experience. Read More...
EōS Fitness Opens Doors to New Gym in Phoenix
Posted: September 1, 2023 in Chains
PHOENIX, AZ - EōS Fitness, a nationwide gym chain that got its start in Arizona and now counts more than 125+ locations open or on the way, is welcoming members to its newest location in Phoenix. The brand-new gym features 40,000 square feet of high-end amenities, including top-of-the-line cardio equipment, smart technology strength training machines and innovative recovery options. Read More...
Bay Club Continues to Deliver on Growth Strategy With Bay Area Country Club Acquisition
Posted: August 31, 2023 in Chains
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Bay Club Company ("Bay Club") announces the first milestone that underscores a continued growth plan along the West Coast–the acquisition of Crow Canyon Country Club ("Crow Canyon"). Crow Canyon's acquisition and subsequent expansion mark a pivotal step forward as Bay Club embarks on a significant trajectory of growth. By year-end, the company's footprint will expand to encompass more than 25 locations, including 11 Campuses, 135,000 members and a workforce exceeding 4,000 employees. Read More...
California Family Fitness and Shoot 360 Team Up to Transform Basketball Training
Posted: August 30, 2023 in Chains
SACRAMENTO, CA - California Family Fitness (CFF), one of Sacramento’s leading health and fitness clubs, announces the launch of Shoot 360, one of the world's leading immersive basketball training experiences, at its Rocklin Sports Complex. Shoot 360 combines cutting-edge science and technology with hands-on, one-on-one coaching to deliver in-person skill development, digital gamification and virtual competition. Read More...
Life Time Debt Upgraded by Moody’s; Company Closes on $45 Million Sale-Leaseback Transaction
Posted: August 24, 2023 in Chains
CHANHASSEN, MN - Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. ("Life Time" or the "Company") (NYSE: LTH) announces that Moody's Investor Service ("Moody's") has upgraded the company's issuer credit rating to 'B2' from 'B3.' As reasons for the upgrade, Moody's cited the company's improving performance, including membership, revenue and EBITDA trends, and steps the cmpany is taking to continue to improve its balance sheet and reduce leverage. Read More...
9Round Kickboxing Fitness Inks Deal to Become Karate Combat’s Official Worldwide Fitness Partner
Posted: August 23, 2023 in Chains
GREENVILLE, S.C. - 9Round, the world’s largest kickboxing fitness franchise, announces it will become Karate Combat’s Official Worldwide Fitness Partner. 9Round has a global presence with nearly 500 locations across 18 countries. Karate Combat is distributed to over 100 countries and has long-term, exclusive contracts with fighters from over 30 countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, UK, Spain, Australia, Japan and Morocco. Read More...
