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LA Fitness (
LA Fitness was founded in 1984 by founder Chinyol Yi and Louis Welch in
doing business as
A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...
LA Fitness International LLC) is an American gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...
chain with more than 700 clubs across the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The company was formed in 1984 and is based in Irvine, California
Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...
.
History
LA Fitness was founded in 1984 by founder Chinyol Yi and Louis Welch in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Through the mid-1990s, the company expanded by acquiring under-performing fitness clubs in southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
, and by developing, opening and operating newly constructed properties.
In 2007, the company expanded outside of the United States by acquiring six fitness clubs in Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada. In 2010, the company acquired ten locations in Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
from Pure Fitness Arizona. Within a year, all but one of the former Pure Fitness clubs were closed.
In the 2009 Collier Township shooting, also referred to as the LA Fitness shooting because it took place in an LA Fitness health club in Collier Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, four people were killed.
On November 30, 2011, the company completed the acquisition of 171 clubs, for $153M, from Bally Total Fitness
Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation was an American fitness club chain. At its 2007 peak, prior to the filing of the first of two Chapter 11 bankruptcies, Bally operated nearly 440 facilities located in 29 U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, South K ...
. LA Fitness then began closing some former Bally Fitness clubs near existing LA Fitness facilities and remodeling others.
On July 2, 2012, the company completed the acquisition of all 33 Lifestyle Family Fitness Clubs in Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. According to Lifestyle CEO, Stuart Lasher, "we evaluated our option to remain an independent company or to sell to a larger organization. After careful consideration, the board of directors has made the decision to sell all the Lifestyle Family Fitness clubs in Florida to LA Fitness."
On December 23, 2013, LA Fitness announced the acquisition of The Buffalo and Rochester Athletic Clubs in western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
.
On December 30, 2013, they completed the acquisition of all 10 Vision Quest Sport and Fitness clubs in the greater Seattle area.
Starting in 2018, LA Fitness offers high-intensity interval training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a training protocol alternating short periods of intense or explosive anaerobic exercise with brief recovery periods until the point of exhaustion. HIIT involves exercises performed in repeated quick bu ...
classes at certain renovated clubs for a separate fee, incorporating heart rate monitor
A heart rate monitor (HRM) is a personal monitoring device that allows one to measure/display heart rate in real time or record the heart rate for later study. It is largely used to gather heart rate data while performing various types of phy ...
s by Myzone.
In early 2020, LA Fitness launched their new down market Esporta Fitness Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs (usually known as just Esporta) was a chain of health clubs in the United Kingdom, which also once owned clubs in Spain. The clubs offered a wide variety of different fitness facilities, including gyms, swimming pool ...
brand (intended to compete with high volume low price gyms such as Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness (PFIP LLC) is an American franchisor and operator of fitness centers based in Hampton, New Hampshire. The company reports that it has 2,039 clubs, making it one of the largest fitness club franchises by number of members and loc ...
), and rebranded several former LA Fitness locations as Esporta Fitness.
See also
*PureGym
PureGym Limited is a British chain of no frills health clubs based in the United Kingdom with multiple gyms around the world. The chain is headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire, with additional offices in London and Southampton.
It is Brita ...
, which bought all LA Fitness-branded gyms in the United Kingdom in 2015
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:La Fitness Health care companies established in 1984 Health clubs in the United States Companies based in Irvine, California Privately held companies based in California Private equity portfolio companies Madison Dearborn Partners companies 1984 establishments in California American companies established in 1984 Medical and health organizations based in California