# LA Fitness

Fitness International LLC is a North American gym chain with over 700 clubs across the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Irvine, California.

## History

LA Fitness was founded in 1984 by founder Chinyol Yi and Louis Welch in Covina, California. Through the mid-1990s, the company expanded by acquiring under-performing 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 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 has plans to operate within nine states including California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Virginia. As of March 2025, eight locations are in operation, with five listed as presale, as well as five more listed as coming soon.
In 2024, Fitness International LLC began aggressively winding down the Esporta Fitness brand. The majority of Esporta Fitness locations have been rebranded back to LA Fitness or have been permanently closed. As of 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 remain in operation.

## Operations

As of 2025, Fitness International LLC operates LA Fitness in over 700 locations in 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 twenty City Sports Club locations in Northern California.
In addition to the above locations, Fitness International LLC currently operates three remaining Esporta Fitness locations in California, Illinois, and Massachusetts until the brand is shuttered entirely.
Finally, Fitness International LLC operates eight Club Studio Fitness locations, as well as five locations listed as presale, and another five locations listed as coming soon.

## 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.