Some of the hottest trends in the fitness industry are being developed in Orange County, prompting several locally based companies, including LA Fitness, UFC Gym and Fitwall, to aggressively expand their brands while offering very different experiences to their members.
Inside Fitwall’s 1,900-square-foot Fashion Island gym, which opened in December, a group of 15 people are transfixed on improving their lower cores, mimicking movements on individual monitors above them as they cling to workout walls and upbeat music plays in the background.
If arm bars, fighter-style “ultimate daily training,” and Brazilian jiu-jitsu is more to your liking, then UFC Gym’s 6,200-square-foot location in Lake Forest might be the preferred destination, complete with the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand’s iconic octagon cage.
Maybe the traditional setting of LA Fitness’ new $5 million remodel in Fountain Valley suits your workout regime, or the calmer digs inside Club Pilates’ several OC locations can produce your moments of Zen.
The former, which reopened in July, is one of 43 clubs that parent Fitness International LLC will open this year. The Irvine-based chain is the county’s 12th largest private company, with an estimated $1.7 billion in annual revenue, and employs about 300 in Irvine and 24,000 companywide.
The company earmarks about $30 million annually for renovating gyms, which now exceed 660 in the U.S. and Canada. Memberships start at about $30 a month.
“Our value proposition is pretty hard to beat: the amount of classes, amount of equipment, amenities, activities, moderate price point,” said William Horner, senior vice president and chief real estate officer. “I think we cover the broadest spectrum.”
LA Fitness is scouting several locations for expansion in Southern California, and it plans to open a club at the former Osh Orchard Supply site on Goldenwest Street in Huntington Beach and in Baldwin Park in the San Gabriel Valley of L.A. County next year.
“We have been working on quite a number of deals in L.A. County, Orange County and the Inland Empire,” Horner said.
UFC Gym
Santa Ana-based UFC Gym has ridden the wave of its mixed-martial-arts parent company, which oversees one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. Ultimate Fighting has drawn about 650 million viewers around the world.
The local unit has expanded to more than 120 locations in the U.S., Australia and Canada since it was established in 2008 by offering a shared experience built on discipline and a motivational atmosphere.
“We knew we had something special,” said UFC Gym President Adam Sedlack. “Nobody wears headphones, everyone is high- fiving. You feel part of this incredible community.”
A key acquisition of LA Boxing in late 2012 included a headquarters property and about 55 gyms, primarily in the West.
The brand, which is co-owned by Northern California-based New Evolution Ventures, will open 35 gyms this year that are primarily franchised-run outlets, with a smattering of large signature locations. New Evolution is headed by 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and industry veterans Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney.
The company has recently leveraged key partnerships with athletes, such as UFC fighter BJ Penn and former Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash, to expand the brand to Hawaii and Canada, respectively.
UFC Gym has laid out the blueprints for a major expansion: 4,000 clubs and 1 million members in five years.
“We have very ambitious goals in a relatively short period of time,” Sedlack said. “Orange County will be the hub for the entire UFC Gym platform around the world.”
The gym has about 120,000 members who pay a monthly fee of at least $80 to access more than 40 classes a week, including boxing, kung fu, Muay Thai, power yoga, hot hula, and multifunctional and suspension training.
The clubs attract nearly as many women as men, possibly through the influence of the sport’s biggest star, Ronda Rousey, or the growth in women’s self-defense classes. The customer base is largely comprised of married couples in the 35- to 45-year-old range and their children.
“They come in, and the kids train together,” Sedlack said. “They create a lifestyle together.”
Irvine-based Fitwall, which launched in 2013, sold its first franchise license late last year in Calabasas. The company has a location in Solana Beach and Michigan and plans to open a gym in Denver in January.
The clubs have attracted more than 1,000 registered members who pay up to $175 a month to participate in 40-minute, high-intensity training sessions that track progress and activity through heart monitors.
“It just delivers more bang for the buck in every type of exercise,” said Fitwall President Mike Webb.
Manhattan Beach-based Skechers USA Inc. co-founder Jeff Greenberg enjoyed the routine so much he partnered with private investor Jake Silverstein to take a majority stake in the company last month, providing capital to extend the brand in the U.S.
“I really thought it was unique,” said Greenberg, who took the chairman position as part of the transaction. “It’s very energetic, fast-paced, and there’s never a dull moment.”
He declined to discuss financial terms of the deal.
The workout, synched to music, video instruction and personal coaching, incorporates a 7-foot-by-30-inch wall with foot and hand grips—known as a workout wall—and suspension ropes for resistance training.
“I believe our technology is better than anyone else’s,” Greenberg said.
The company’s headquarters has 27 workers and features a test lab equipped with workout walls and more traditional equipment.
Fitwall, which has gained franchise commitments for 12 gyms, aims to sell an additional 30 studios next year and 100 to 175 in 2017.
“We’re really focused on franchise sales and really focused on growth,” Webb said.
Call it a recurring theme on the local landscape of fitness providers.
Club Pilates
Club Pilates, which was acquired in April by Irvine-based LAG Fit Inc. on undisclosed terms, is scouting more than 50 locations to expand its offerings, which include classes and training programs geared to various levels of Pilates enthusiasts.
The exercises are designed to enhance concentration, control and breathing.
LAG Chief Executive Anthony Geisler was LA Boxing’s first franchisee and launched its franchise system as president before the sale to UFC Gym.
