LA Fitness

History

In 1984, the first LA Fitness was founded by founder Chinyol Yi and Louis Welch in Covina, California.

In the mid-1990s, the company expanded by acquiring underperforming fitness clubs in Southern California, and by developing, opening, and operating newly constructed properties.

In 2012, Fitness International LLC launched its City Sports Club brand exclusively in Northern California. The City Sports Club brand was launched by rebranding a dozen former LA Fitness locations as City Sports Club, within the greater San Francisco Bay Area and the greater Sacramento metropolitan area. Initially launched with a dozen locations, City Sports Club, has since grown to twenty-one locations.

In 2020, Fitness International LLC launched its Esporta Fitness brand. The Esporta Fitness brand was launched by rebranding seventeen former LA Fitness locations as Esporta Fitness within the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The Esporta Fitness brand quickly grew through 2023 by rebranding former LA Fitness locations throughout the United States. At its peak, Esporta Fitness operated over 100 locations within the United States.

In 2022, Fitness International LLC launched its Club Studio Fitness brand. The Club Studio Fitness brand operates as a cutting-edge fitness experience that brings together boutique fitness classes and luxury amenities into one gym. This brand is marketed as a competitor to other luxury fitness brands such as Equinox and Life Time Fitness. Club Studio Fitness currently operates within thirteen states including (California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia). As of January 2026, sixteen locations are in operation, with nineteen more listed as coming soon or presale.

In 2024, Fitness International LLC began aggressively winding down the Esporta Fitness brand. Most Esporta Fitness locations were rebranded back to LA Fitness, while the underperforming locations were permanently closed. In 2025, Fitness International LLC shuttered the Esporta Fitness brand entirely. On February 27, 2025, with the sale of eight Esporta Fitness locations to Genesis Health Clubs located in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana, only three Esporta locations remained in operation. On April 1, 2025, the three remaining Esporta Fitness locations, located in California, Illinois, and Massachusetts, were rebranded back to LA Fitness, making the Esporta Fitness brand defunct. The Esporta Fitness website now redirects all visitors to the LA Fitness website.

Legal Issues

In 2018, two Black men were racially profiled and ordered to leave an LA Fitness location in New Jersey. Staff then called police on them twice while they were working out.

In recent years, Fitness International closed a Washington, D.C. gym, a Baltimore gym, a Chicago Esporta Fitness, and a Bronx location among other closures as they move to focus on the Club Studio brand. Community members have protested one of these closures that disproportionately impact Black members in Chicago. Following the protests, the gym was replaced by a new boxing gym UFC.

In October 2024, the Department of Justice sued LA Fitness for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, alleging that the company discriminates against members with disabilities.

In August 2025, the Federal Trade Commission sued Fitness International LLC for unfair trade practices, alleging that the cancellation policies at its LA Fitness clubs made it exceedingly difficult for customers to cancel their memberships. Fitness International LLC disputed the allegations.

In the last decade, several people have been found dead in the bottom of LA Fitness pools.

Operations

As of January 2026, Fitness International LLC operates LA Fitness in 633 locations within twenty-five U.S. states (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington) and two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Ontario).

Furthermore, Fitness International LLC operates City Sports Club in 21 locations within Northern California.

Finally, Fitness International LLC operates Club Studio Fitness in 35 locations within thirteen U.S. states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia), sixteen of which are currently open for business, with nineteen more locations listed as coming soon, or presale.

Acquisitions

In 2007, the company expanded outside of the United States by acquiring six fitness clubs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, the company acquired ten locations in Phoenix from Pure Fitness Arizona. Within a year, all but one of the former Pure Fitness clubs were closed.

On November 30, 2011, the company significantly expanded its portfolio by acquiring 171 clubs for $153M, from Bally Total Fitness.

On July 2, 2012, the company completed the acquisition of all 33 Lifestyle Family Fitness Clubs in Florida.

In October 2012, LA Fitness acquired 36 Urban Active clubs in multiple states.

On December 23, 2013, LA Fitness announced the acquisition of The Buffalo and Rochester Athletic Clubs in Western New York.

On December 30, 2013, they completed the acquisition of all 10 Vision Quest Sport and Fitness clubs in the greater Seattle metropolitan area.

In 2024, LA Fitness acquired XSport Fitness.

References

References

1. "LA Fitness History". Corporate Offices & Headquarters.
2. "Esporta Fitness".
3. (2018-04-27). "LA Fitness Racial Profiling".
4. (2024-03-14). "South Side Gym Closes".
5. (2024-03-14). "South Side Gym Closes".
6. (2024-10-08). "Doj sues LA Fitness".
7. (2025-08-21). "FTC sues LA Fitness operators over hard-to-cancel memberships". The Washington Post.
8. (2025-08-20). "FTC Sues LA Fitness for Making it Difficult for Consumers to Cancel Gym Memberships".
9. (2016-03-16). "Brampton Death".
10. (2018-03-30). "Man Found Unresponsive at Pool".
11. (2015-08-18). "yorba linda".
12. "LA Fitness | Find a Club".
13. "LA Fitness acquires Pure Fitness gyms".
14. Goldman, Stuart. (18 November 2011). "LA Fitness Acquires 171 Bally Total Fitness Clubs".
15. Quinn, Dale. (November 29, 2011). "LA Fitness buys Bally's locations in Tucson, elsewhere". Azstarnet.com.
16. "Lifestyle Family Fitness members left without answers as LA Fitness takes over".
17. Goldman, Stuart. (25 October 2012). "LA Fitness Completes Acquisition of Urban Active".
18. Feran, Tim. "LA Fitness acquires Urban Active".
19. Tobin, Tom. "LA Fitness buys 2 Rochester Athletic Club sites".
20. Goldman, Stuart. (20 December 2013). "LA Fitness Acquires Buffalo, Rochester Athletic Clubs".
21. (2014-01-02). "Fitness International purchases Vision Quest Sport and Fitness clubs".
22. Rehfeldt, Courtney. (2024-07-16). "LA Fitness Acquires XSport Gyms, Expanding in NY, Chicago".
23. Payne, Will. (2024-07-15). "XSport Fitness acquired by LA Fitness".
24. Hickey, Shane. (2015-05-29). "Pure Gym buys LA Fitness". The Guardian.