October 2, 2026

NOBULL Reaches $1B, Creatine Gains New Audience, LA Fitness Opens 200th Pilates Studio

Listen On:
Presented by
AIIR logo

Fitness brands are expanding in every direction.

NOBULL enters its next phase of growth

The brand is expanding beyond training gear, centering its strategy on four areas: footwear, apparel, nutrition, and content.

  • Recently valued at $1B with apparel up 100%+, CEO Frank Bracken says the brand could reach $1B in revenue over the next few years.
  • NOBULL is also expanding beyond its digital-first model, starting with specialty retailers, pop-ups, and select wholesale partners.
  • The focus remains on hybrid training, group fitness, HYROX, running, and community — rather than traditional team sports.

After building the brand primarily online, NOBULL sees physical distribution as the next lever for customer acquisition and growth.

Creatine’s muscle-building benefits expand

A 12-week study of 64 adults ages 45 to 65 found that people taking 10g of creatine daily gained about 2.4 pounds of lean tissue — even without exercise.

  • Participants who combined creatine with resistance and aerobic training saw greater gains in leg press and bench press strength, along with improvements in time to exhaustion.
  • The creatine group also lost more body fat during a calorie-restricted program.

Creatine is already one of the most studied sports supplements, but new findings could broaden its appeal beyond athletes and gym regulars — particularly as more consumers focus on maintaining muscle while losing weight.

Big-box gyms scale Pilates

LA Fitness has opened its 200th Pilates by LA Fitness studio.

  • The company reached the milestone in roughly two and a half years, with studios now operating across 16 states and Canada.
  • The model puts Reformer Pilates inside existing LA Fitness clubs, giving members access to a boutique-style Pilates experience without leaving the club.

For LA Fitness, it’s another example of the big-box gym adding specialized experiences inside the existing footprint. With 600+ locations across the US and Canada, the company has plenty of room to keep expanding the format.

Strategic intelligence for the future of health.

We break down how fitness, wellness, and healthcare are converging — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

No thanks.