CorePower Yoga
As more exercisers pick up the weights for the first time, “strength+” is coming to group fitness classes like yoga and cycling.
The latest: CorePower Yoga, the largest yoga franchise in the US, debuted a high-intensity format called Strength X. Developed with Nike Master Trainer Branden Collinsworth, the class features elements of circuit training, Tabata, and plyometrics using heavier weights and resistance bands.
It’s the brand’s first new class concept in 10 years.
For context: Strength training has overtaken cardio workouts as the most popular style of exercise while, according to Life Time, building muscle passed losing weight as the primary motivator to work out.
Moreover, per Mindbody, “sculpt” classes—usually resistance training blended with another modality like yoga or Pilates—were the fastest-growing workout of 2022, with class bookings growing 471% YoY.
Between the lines: An uneven recovery, traffic at yoga and cycling studios has been slow to rebound as digital platforms and smart stationary bikes effectively shifted a chunk of their business to the living room.
Seeking to create an experience you can’t get at home, boutique operators are turning to strength to bulk up power yoga, Pilates, cycling, and more.
- Last fall, [solidcore] founder Anne Mahlum raised $5M to launch a new holistic strength and conditioning concept.
- After pausing its pilot for the pandemic, Barry’s relaunched its RIDE x LIFT cycling and strength training combo class late last year.
- LIT Method, a hybrid low-intensity training concept backed by JAY-Z, recently debuted a portable resistance training device.
- Club Pilates, known for “cardio sculpt” classes, opened its 750th studio last year.
Looking ahead: Led by younger generations, strength workouts are in — and strength+ mashups are sure to resonate. In the near future, expect the sub-categories of strength training to multiply beyond sculpt, including primal movement, functional fitness, open-air lifting, and velocity-based training.
