Australia’s STRONG Pilates Readies US HQ, Plots Expansion

STRONG Pilates is coming stateside.

What’s happening: The Australia-based high-intensity Pilates concept will open an HQ in Hermosa Beach, CA to support expansion, with plans for six to eight US studios this year.

What it is: STRONG Pilates classes feature patented ROWFORMER and BIKEFORMER machines, combining a reformer with cardio equipment to deliver low-impact, full-body workouts.

Of note, 45-minute sessions are said to burn 800 calories, nearly twice that of a standard reformer workout.

Upping the ante. Founded in Melbourne in 2019 by two F45 Training franchisees, its hybrid workout is a unique approach in the booming Pilates market.

With 56 studios across AUS/NZ, UK/IRE, and APAC regions—plus 150 in the pipeline—US expansion will fuel popularity.

Pushing into new markets, co-founder Michael Ramsay plans to stay innovative:

“In Q1 2024, we’ll launch three new Rowformer innovations to effectively double our exercise library, with integrated heart rate and Concept2 monitor integration coming in Q4.”

Pilates+

Driven by demand for low-impact but ultra-efficient exercise, “athletic-style” Pilates is in.

• F45’s debuted VAURA Pilates in NYC and a flagship FS8 in Austin, with global franchising underway.
• [solidcore] will open 25 locations this year, with an emphasis on the West Coast.
• JETSET Pilates has 30 franchises in the works, with regional clusters in NYC and Miami.

But, not the first reformer riff in the LA area, Jay-Z-backed LIT Method sought to award 100 franchises in 2022 before closing its brick-and-mortar to sell its hardware DTC.

Takeaway: STRONG Pilates is scaling fast. For American competitors, that means getting creative to protect home turf.