Top 32 Gym & Fitness Franchises: AUV, Costs & Stats (2023)
If you’re considering getting into the fitness industry, buying a franchise can be a great option. Yet, which franchise should you choose? There are many franchises you can choose from, from standard membership gyms, to pay-per-class fitness centres, stretching centres, personal coaching and more.
In this article we are giving you our top 25 picks of the best gym and fitness franchises in the US.
For each we’re giving you the key financials: the average initial investment cost and Average Unit Volume (AUV). Also, if you want to dig deeper, you’ll find the links to our complete review for each franchise below.
Initial Investment
Average Revenue
Anytime Fitness
Revenue:
Investment:
Anytime Fitness is an American fitness chain that operates health and fitness clubs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The franchise was founded in 2002 in Cambridge, Minnesota, by Chuck Runyon, Dave Mortenson, and Jeff Klinger. It is a subsidiary of Self-esteem Brands and is headquartered in Woodbury, Minnesota.
It provides gym fitness centers offering convenient access and one-on-one, small-group, and large-group training and coaching services.
Anytime Fitness began franchising in 2002 and currently has over 4,700 gyms in 50 US states and over 50 countries globally.
Planet Fitness
Revenue:
Investment:
Planet Fitness is an American operator of fitness centers headquartered in Hampton, New Hampshire.
The chain was founded in 1992 by Michael and Marc Grondahl, who later partnered with Chris Rondeau, the current CEO. Its first location was in Dover, New Hampshire.
It operates fitness training facilities offering exercise machines and free weights, fitness training services, and other related services.
Planet Fitness’ franchising journey began in 2003, and currently, the brand has more than 2,400 fitness clubs in all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Australia.
Orangetheory Fitness
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1,247 | $1,381,000 | $805,000 |
Orangetheory Fitness is an American boutique fitness studio franchise founded in 2007 by exercise physiologist Ellen Latham in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The franchise operates contemporary fitness studios offering members access to exercise equipment, including cardio and strength equipment, and other related services and ancillary merchandise related to the Orangetheory concept.
Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, Orangetheory Fitness began franchising in 2010 and currently has more than 1,500 studios in 50 states and 25 countries worldwide.
Club Pilates
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 667 | $287,000 | $545,000 |
Club Pilates is an American chain of fitness boutique studios based in Irvine, California.
Founded in 2007 by Allison Beardsley, the franchise offers a 500-hour online and in-studio training program for its instructors that covers human anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, and applied kinesiology.
Club Pilates began selling franchises in 2012 and now has more than 800 gyms in the US and globally and is known as the largest Pilates brand.
F45 Training
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 650 | $458,000 | $633,000 |
F45 Training is an Australian chain of fitness centers and one of the fastest-growing franchises based in Austin, Texas, United States.
It was founded in 2013 by Rob Deutsch and Adam Gilchrist, the first studio in Sydney, Australia.
F45 stands for Functional training in 45 minutes, meaning the training is a mix of circuit and hiit all to be completed within the 45 minute mark. Each studio follows the same series of exercises and workout format.
It began franchising in 2013, with the first franchise opening in the US in 2015. Currently, F45 training has over 3,300 studios sold in over 67 countries worldwide, with 550 in Australia and 650 in the US.
Pure Barre
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 603 | $336,000 | $260,000 |
Pure Barre is an American chain of health clubs specializing in barre, which combines ballet exercises, Pilates movements, and yoga stretches. It operates studios that provide indoor Pure Barre classes under the “Pure Barre” brand.
The franchise was founded in 2001. It is owned by Exponential Fitness LLC, headquartered in Irvine, California.
Pure Barre began franchising in 2009 and now has more than 600 units in the US and Canada.
Snap Fitness
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 585 | $783,000 | $194,000 |
Snap Fitness is a privately owned American health and fitness club franchise headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
The chain was founded in 2003 by Peter Taunton. It operates fitness studios that offer a high-quality workout experience featuring 24/7 intensity training that includes functional, cardio, strength, group, and personal training options.
Snap Fitness began franchising in 2004 and currently has more than 1,100 clubs in the US and 20 other countries.
Burn Boot Camp
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 343 | $315,000 | $401,000 |
Burn Boot Camp is a fast-growing American franchise of fitness studios for women based in Huntersville, North Carolina.
It was founded in 2012 by husband and wife Devan and Morgan Kline in Huntersville, North Carolina.
Burn Boot Camp studios offer challenging and transformative 45-minute workouts, complete nutritional support, trainer-focus meetings, a complimentary child watch, and access to online workouts.
The chain began franchising in 2015, and today it has over 335 gyms in 40 US states.
Fit Body Boot Camp
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 317 | $198,000 | $167,000 |
Body Boot Camp is a franchise of fitness clubs headquartered in Chino Hills, California.
The club was founded in 2009 by Bedros Keuilian.
Fit Body Boot Camp studios offer 30-minute workouts that include warm-ups and cool-downs and utilize high-intensity interval training, which involves cycles of cardio, strength and resistance training.
It began franchising in 2011 and currently has over 355 fitness clubs worldwide, with 317 in the US.
Crunch Fitness
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 286 | $3,092,000 | $1,864,000 |
Crunch Fitness is an American fitness studio chain based in New York City.
The chain was founded by Doug Levine in 1989 in NYC’s Greenwich Village and began as a fitness studio in a small basement.
Crunch Fitness has two brands, Crunch Fitness and Crunch Signature:
- Crunch Fitness is the standard format: it offers group classes, advanced HIIT classes, and traditional gym services instead
- Crunch Signature Clubs are mainly premium, full-service clubs with monthly memberships located in major metropolitan areas and offering a wide array of services, classes, and amenities. There are only 28 Crunch Signature gyms in the world.
The chain started selling franchises in 2010, and today it has over 400 gyms in the US, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica, and Australia. Of these, 92% are franchised owned.
CycleBar
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 234 | $417,000 | $336,000 |
CycleBar is an American fitness club franchise and the world’s largest cycling studio chain, headquartered in Irvine, California.
The chain was founded in 2004 by Bill Pryor and his sister Alex Klemmer. It offers a variety of low-impact, high-intensity indoor cycling workouts that are inclusive of all fitness levels.
CycleBar began its franchising journey in 2015 and currently has more than 250 fitness centers in the US and globally. It is also part of the Xponential Fitness family of brands along with Club Pilates, Row House, Stretch Lab, Yoga Six, and AKT.
Premier Martial Arts
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 218 | $303,000 | $286,000 |
Premier Martial Arts is a fast-rising martial arts franchise committed to instilling important life skills through the power of self-defense.
Founded in 2004 by Barry Van Over, the brand offers a wide range of services to children and teens of 3-17 years and adults of all ages, including freestyle martial arts, taekwondo, karate, kickboxing, krav maga, group fitness and jiu-jitsu.
Headquartered in Tennessee, the martial arts franchise is a subsidiary of Unleashed Brands and uses a monthly subscription model for its fitness services.
Premier Martial Arts started franchising in 2018. Today, the brand operates in over 228 locations worldwide, with 218 studios in the US.
StretchLab
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 203 | $230,000 | $529,000 |
StretchLab is an American chain of fitness clubs owned by Xponential Fitness, based in Irvine, California, along with other fitness chains such as Club Pilates, Row House, CycleBar and Pure Barre.
StretchLab was established in 2015 in Los Angeles, California, by Jeff Flores and RJ Wamsley.
Its studios offer one-on-one and group-assisted stretching sessions.
StretchLab started franchising in 2017. As of today, it has over 208 licensed locations globally, with 203 in the US.
Stretch Zone
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 187 | $161,000 | $358,000 |
Stretch Zone is the world’s largest practitioner-assisted stretching franchise, offering high-quality fitness services in the health and wellness niche.
Founded in 2004 by Jorden Gold, the health and wellness company uses proprietary tables and the patented Stretch Zone Stabilization System to improve mobility and muscle function.
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Stretch Zone covers a wide demographic base, offering a low-cost fitness strategy and great ideas to promote healthy living.
It uses certified staff and science-backed technology to deliver a personalized stretch experience to increase the livelihood of its clients.
Stretch Zone started franchising in 2015 and boasts over 200 studios in the US today.
Workout Anytime
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 173 | $1,519,000 | $512,000 |
Workout Anytime franchise is a health and fitness company founded in 1999 by John Quattrocchi and Steve Strickland.
The brand started as a simple concept in Douglasville, Georgia, growing steadily to become a health and fitness industry leader.
Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Workout Anytime provides convenient, flawless and exceptional fitness services 24 hours daily, including cardio, personal training and weight loss programs.
The fitness company stands out with its superior fitness equipment, a results-based approach, and a blend of monthly fees and “value-priced” membership. Workout Anytime started franchising in 2007. Today, the chain has over 180 gyms in 22 US states.
TITLE Boxing Club
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 173 | $402,000 | $365,000 |
TITLE Boxing Club is a leading boutique fitness franchise in the United States that is synonymous with boxing fitness centers that offer high-energy boxing classes.It was founded in 2008 by Danny Campbell in Overland Park, Kansas, where it is headquartered.
The chain began franchising in 2009, and currently, it has over 145 gyms in the US, with 139 being franchise owned.
Gold’s Gym
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 164 | $4,044,000 | $1,638,000 |
Gold’s Gym is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers headquartered in Dallas, United States.
The chain was founded by Joe Gold in 1965 in Venice Beach, California.
Its studios offer a variety of cardio and strength training equipment as well as group exercise programs, resistance training equipment, personal training and locker room services, a kids’ club, and a “pro shop” selling clothing, drinks, accessories, supplements and nutritional products.
Gold’s Gym began franchising in 1980 and now has more than 600 studios in the US.
The Exercise Coach
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 157 | $258,000 | $234,000 |
The Exercise Coach is an American franchise and operator of personal fitness boutiques utilizing Exerbotic proprietary technology.
It was founded in 2000 by co-founders Gerianne Cygan and her husband Brian Cygan in Lake Zurich, Illinois, where it is headquartered.
The franchise is based on revolutionary fitness science and fitness data platforms and offers personalized, time-efficient programs for those above the 50s to help them lose fat, build muscle and have an overall healthy outlook and physique.
The Exercise Coach began franchising in 2010 and currently has more than 199 units worldwide with 157 franchises in the US.
YogaSix
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 152 | $397,000 | $302,000 |
YogaSix is an American franchise of boutique yoga, health and fitness clubs that promotes modern yoga practices at any skill level.
Its clubs offer a broad range of heated and non-heated yoga classes, sculpt classes, slow flow and deep stretching.
The brand was founded by Bill Koman in 2012 and it is currently part of the Xponential Fitness brand family alongside Stretch Lab, CycleBar, Club Pilates, Pure Barre and others. It is headquartered in Irvine, California.
Its franchising journey began in 2018 and as of today, it has more than 155 franchises globally, with 152 of these in the US.
Fitness Together
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 115 | $292,000 | $350,000 |
Fitness Together is a gym and fitness training studio headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
The chain is managed by WellBiz Brands, Inc. and offers private, personalized fitness sessions using cutting-edge technology to deliver the desired results.
Founded in 1984 by Rick Sirkosi, the company provides virtual and in-studio training using curated programs tailor-made to suit every client’s needs.
Fitness Together started franchising in 1996.
Today, the chain has 132 franchised locations in the US.
The Camp Transformation Center
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 105 | $287,000 | $495,000 |
The Camp Transformation Center is a fitness gym in Chino Hills, California specializing in group training with flexible workout programs, transformative nutrition plans and dependable fitness trainers.
Founded in 2010 by Sam Bakhtiar and Alejandra Font, the gym franchise serves clients throughout the US and Mexico.
The Camp Transformation Center provides a series of challenges that set it apart, including the 6-week weight loss program, hard body challenge and elite training.
Franchising since 2017, The Camp Transformation Center has opened 110 stores worldwide with 107 franchises in the US.
Retro Fitness
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 95 | $1,681,000 | $998,000 |
Retro Fitness is a full-service gym franchise founded in 2004 by Eric Casaburi.
The fitness club store provides a full range of fitness services, including small-group strength training, personal training, conditioning and team workouts.
The chain is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida and has been franchising since 2006.
Today, Retro Fitness has 89 locations worldwide all of which are franchises based in the US.
Row House
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 86 | $365,000 | $223,000 |
Row House is a chain of indoor rowing studios headquartered in California.
Established in 2014 by Eric Von Frohlich and Debra Strougo, the boutique fitness brand was built around the rowing concept as an exercise.
It views rowing as the most effective workout that delivers results while remaining the exciting and risk-free exercise every fitness enthusiast craves.
Row House opened its franchising doors in 2017.
Today, the boutique fitness brand has 93 locations worldwide, with 86 rowing studios in the USA.
UFC Gym
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | $3,059,000 | $2,963,000 |
UFC Gym is the ultimate leader of MMA-inspired fitness, founded by Jim Rowley in 2009 as a brand extension of the famous Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Based in California, UFC Gym specializes in Daily Ultimate Training, mixed martial arts (MMA), cardio boxing, cardio kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai boxing and core training.
It offers membership tiers and fitness classes, from group fitness sessions and private MMA training to MMA-inspired youth programming plus personal and group training.
UFC Gym targets men, women, kids and anyone keen to experience the full benefits of MMA-inspired training.
Today, UFC Gym operates in more than 150 locations, all franchised in the USA.
Blink Fitness
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | $1,476,000 | $1,937,000 |
Blink Fitness is an American gym franchise owned and managed by Equinox Holdings, Inc.
The fitness company was founded in 2011 by Stephen Ross and has been at the forefront of the competitive fitness industry with its unique approach to exercise.
Based in New York, the brand aims to make fitness enthusiasts appreciate the positive feelings they get from training.
It provides simple workout menus, state-of-the-art strength training and cardio equipment with affordable services.
Blink Fitness puts mood above physical benefits and has been franchising since 2015.
Today, the gym franchise has over 107 gyms worldwide, with 96 franchises in the USA.
ILoveKickboxing
ILoveKickboxing is a chain of boutique fitness studios headquartered in Merrick, New York.
It was founded in 2009 by Michael Parella and operates trainer-led classes that combine cardio kickboxing with full-body HIIT workouts.
The idea behind ILoveKickboxing was to encourage members and communities to connect with their inner strength and build self confidence.
ILoveKickboxing began selling franchises in 2012 and now has over 91 gyms globally and 80 franchises in the US.
Jazzercise
Jazzercise is a dance fitness brand headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It was established in 1969 by Judi Sheppard Missett in Evanston, Illinois when she began holding “just for fun” classes that began with a jazz warmup and renamed them Jazzercise.
In 1977, she started videotaping routines and distributing them to instructors. The Jazz Exercise became a phenomenon, with the founder releasing books, records and videos in the years that followed.
Jazzercise began franchising in 1982 and as of 2022 has 7761 locations worldwide and 5836 franchises in the US.
Today, Jazzercise combines dance, strength and resistance training with popular music for a full-body workout. Franchises offer different classes combining cardio, strength, Pilates, hip-hop, yoga and kickboxing. Instructors lead 60-minute classes through dance routines that are choreographed to popular tunes.
Jazzercise has grown with a presence in more than 32 countries, more classes than ever before and more than $97 million in system-wide sales.
9Round
9Round is a kickboxing gym franchise based in Simpsonville, South Carolina. It was founded in 2008 by Shannon “The Cannon” Hudson, a world-champion kickboxer, and his wife Heather, an avid fitness enthusiast. The first 9Round location opened on Butler Road in Greenville, SC and by 2012, the brand had opened more than 100 locations.
Going by its mission of “making members stronger in 30 minutes, physically and mentally,” the brand offers the 9Round Fitness program that combines strength, aerobic workouts and circuit training programs for a whole-body fitness workout. It includes a system of nine challenging circuit training stations that incorporate boxing and kickboxing exercises and include personal trainer assistance and nutrition services.
9Round began franchising in 2009, and currently it has 602 locations, including 194 international locations and 402 franchises in the US.
The brand has grown tremendously, offering the ultimate full-body, high-intensity workout to fitness enthusiasts and becoming a leading fitness center with locations in different countries across the globe.
GymGuyz
GymGuyz is an in-home mobile personal training and fitness franchise company headquartered in Melville, New York.
The franchise was founded in 2008 by Josh York. Currently, GymGuyz offers a dynamic, personalized training program to clients who want to lose weight or improve their general fitness by carrying out a free personal assessment and assigning them personal trainers who then design a flexible program to meet their needs.
GymGuyz has revolutionized the industry for those who are looking for flexible fitness schedules or don’t like the gym experience. The fitness programs are fun and challenging, each session is different and motivating and the program can be designed for one-on-one, group, or corporate workouts.
GymGuyz began franchising in 2013, and as of 2023, it has 157 locations, including 118 franchises in the US.
30 Minute Hit
30 Minute Hit is a boutique fitness concept that offers a fun, fast-paced and convenient boxing and kickboxing circuit for women.
It was founded in 2004 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, by Deanna and Jackson Loychuk with the aim of empowering women of all ages, shapes, sizes, abilities and fitness levels. The gym concept is exclusively for females: the classes, equipment and training and the brand does restrict members to specific class times.
30 Minute Hit offers a high-intensity, action-packed boxing/kickboxing circuit workout designed just for women with fast-paced, challenging and empowering 30 minute workouts suitable for all levels of fitness in a friendly and non-intimidating environment.
It has developed into more communities expanding into the US in 2019, with eight franchises and several others under development.
Its franchising journey began in 2006 and as of 2022, it has 76 locations, with 17 franchises in the US.
CKO Kickboxing
CKO Kickboxing is a kickboxing franchise headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey, that offers kickboxing classes for both beginner and advanced levels.
CKO Kickboxing was founded by Joseph Andreula in 1997 in Hoboken, New Jersey, as “Take it to the Max.” It became a popular workout for people to burn fat, reduce stress and tone up, and by 2004 it had opened nine more locations in New Jersey and New York.
Today, CKO Kickboxing is a leading fitness kickboxing gym across the country that helps people reduce weight and keep fit through fun, engaging one-hour group fitness classes and allows them to work at their own pace.
According to the brand 80% of the members end up becoming franchisees. CKO Kickboxing embraces the concept of kickboxing to develop a total body workout that produces real results for everyone, no matter their age, gender or fitness level.
CKO Kickboxing began franchising in 2007 and currently it has 69 franchised locations in the US.
SPENGA
SPENGA is a fitness franchise concept founded on the three pillars of spin, strength and yoga. The fitness studio is headquartered in Homer Glen, Illinois.
SPENGA was founded in 2014 and works on the three principles of ride, represent and relieve to achieve the mental and physical development of its members. It is designed in 60-minute workout sessions combining heart-pumping spin, HIIT training and a full-body soothing yoga workout to help improve endurance, strength and flexibility.
Combining these three separate workouts into one session, SPENGA is well-positioned to offer members convenience and motivation without having to go to three separate gyms.
SPENGA began franchising in 2015, and by 2022, it had 63 franchises in the US and one company-owned location.
Disclaimer
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