LA Fitness

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Fitness International LLC
LA Fitness
Company type Private
Industry Health Clubs, Exercise
FoundedNovember 1, 1984;40 years ago (1984-11-01)
Covina, California, U.S.
Headquarters Irvine, California
Area served
United States
Canada
BrandsLA Fitness
City Sports Club
Esporta Fitness
Club Studio Fitness
Website www.lafitness.com

Fitness International LLC is a North American gym chain with over 700 clubs across the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Irvine, California.

Contents

History

LA Fitness in Markham, Ontario, Canada LAFitness8555Woodbine5.jpg
LA Fitness in Markham, Ontario, Canada

LA Fitness was founded in 1984 by founder Chinyol Yi and Louis Welch in Covina, California. [1] Through the mid-1990s, the company expanded by acquiring under-performing fitness clubs in Southern California, and by developing, opening and operating newly constructed properties.[ citation needed ]

In 2012, Fitness International LLC launched its City Sports Club brand exclusively in Northern California. The City Sports Club brand was launched by rebranding a dozen former LA Fitness locations as City Sports Club, within the greater San Francisco Bay Area and the greater Sacramento metropolitan area. Initially launched with a dozen locations, City Sports Club, has since grown to twenty locations.

In 2020, Fitness International LLC launched its Esporta Fitness brand. The Esporta Fitness brand was launched by rebranding seventeen former LA Fitness locations as Esporta Fitness within the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The Esporta Fitness brand quickly grew through 2023 by rebranding former LA Fitness locations throughout the United States. At its peak, Esporta Fitness operated over 100 locations within the United States.

In 2022, Fitness International LLC launched its Club Studio Fitness brand. The Club Studio Fitness brand operates as a cutting-edge fitness experience that brings together boutique fitness classes and luxury amenities into one gym. This brand is marketed as a competitor to other luxury fitness brands such as Equinox and Life Time Fitness. Club Studio Fitness has plans to operate within nine states including California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Virginia. As of March 2025, eight locations are in operation, with five listed as presale, as well as five more listed as coming soon.

In 2024, Fitness International LLC began aggressively winding down the Esporta Fitness brand. The majority of Esporta Fitness locations have been rebranded back to LA Fitness or have been permanently closed. As of February 27, 2025, with the sale of eight Esporta Fitness locations to Genesis Health Clubs located in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana; only three Esporta locations remain in operation. [2]

Operations

As of 2025, Fitness International LLC operates LA Fitness in over 700 locations in twenty-five U.S. states (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington) and two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Ontario). [3]

Furthermore, Fitness International LLC operates twenty City Sports Club locations in Northern California.

In addition to the above locations, Fitness International LLC currently operates three remaining Esporta Fitness locations in California, Illinois, and Massachusetts until the brand is shuttered entirely. [4]

Finally, Fitness International LLC operates eight Club Studio Fitness locations, as well as five locations listed as presale, and another five locations listed as coming soon.

Acquisitions

In 2007, the company expanded outside of the United States by acquiring six fitness clubs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, the company acquired ten locations in Phoenix from Pure Fitness Arizona. [5] Within a year, all but one of the former Pure Fitness clubs were closed. [ citation needed ]

On November 30, 2011, the company significantly expanded its portfolio by acquiring 171 clubs for $153M, from Bally Total Fitness. [6] [7]

On July 2, 2012, the company completed the acquisition of all 33 Lifestyle Family Fitness Clubs in Florida. [8]

In October 2012, LA Fitness acquired 36 Urban Active clubs in multiple states. [9] [10]

On December 23, 2013, LA Fitness announced the acquisition of The Buffalo and Rochester Athletic Clubs in Western New York. [11] [12]

On December 30, 2013, they completed the acquisition of all 10 Vision Quest Sport and Fitness clubs in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. [13]

In 2024, LA Fitness acquired XSport Fitness. [14] [15]

See also

References

  1. "LA Fitness History". Corporate Offices & Headquarters. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  2. "Esporta Fitness". www.lafitness.com.
  3. "LA Fitness | Find a Club".
  4. "Esporta Fitness | Find a Club".
  5. "LA Fitness acquires Pure Fitness gyms". azcentral.com.
  6. Goldman, Stuart (November 18, 2011). "LA Fitness Acquires 171 Bally Total Fitness Clubs". American Spa. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  7. Quinn, Dale (November 29, 2011). "LA Fitness buys Bally's locations in Tucson, elsewhere". Azstarnet.com. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  8. "Lifestyle Family Fitness members left without answers as LA Fitness takes over". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. Goldman, Stuart (October 25, 2012). "LA Fitness Completes Acquisition of Urban Active". American Spa. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  10. Dispatch, Tim Feran, The Columbus. "LA Fitness acquires Urban Active". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 18, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. Tobin, Tom. "LA Fitness buys 2 Rochester Athletic Club sites". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  12. Goldman, Stuart (December 20, 2013). "LA Fitness Acquires Buffalo, Rochester Athletic Clubs". American Spa. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  13. "Fitness International purchases Vision Quest Sport and Fitness clubs". Kirkland Reporter. January 2, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  14. Rehfeldt, Courtney (July 16, 2024). "LA Fitness Acquires XSport Gyms, Expanding in NY, Chicago". Athletech News. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  15. Payne, Will (July 15, 2024). "XSport Fitness acquired by LA Fitness". NCTV17. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  16. Hickey, Shane (May 29, 2015). "Pure Gym buys LA Fitness". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved September 18, 2024.