Latest news with #CrunchFitness
Axios
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Cleveland has more gyms per capita than the national average
The Cleveland metro area has a higher gym-to-person ratio than the national average. Why it matters: You can console yourself with this trivia as you're housing fried food at the Ohio State Fair or sipping on a lime lager at the beach. By the numbers: Bridgeport, Connecticut has 27.5 gyms for every 100,000 residents — the most in the country — while the coastal elites in Boston (20.6) and San Diego (20.4) aren't far behind. What's next: The latest crop of high-end gyms are setting themselves up as both a place to pump iron and take work meetings — though hopefully not at the same time. Other popular gym chains, like Planet Fitness and Crunch Fitness, are swapping out cardio equipment to make room for more weights — reflecting our "increasingly muscle-obsessed population," as Bloomberg put it.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fitness Ventures Opens 60th Crunch Fitness Location, Marking Major Milestone in Nationwide Growth
New $5M, 60,000-Square-Foot Crunch 3.0 Model Launches in Des Moines, IA DES MOINES, Iowa, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fitness Ventures LLC, one of the nation's fastest growing franchisee of Crunch Fitness & 2nd largest franchisee, has officially opened its 60th Crunch Fitness location with a brand-new, 60,000-square-foot facility in Des Moines, Iowa. Located at 1200 E Army Post Rd, the new club is the company's second Crunch in Iowa and expands its footprint to 60 open locations across 28 states. Built as a Crunch 3.0 model, the Des Moines location represents a $5 million investment and introduces the latest in club design, layout, and member experience. It reflects Fitness Ventures' ongoing commitment to innovation and member value. "This milestone represents much more than just a number," said Brian Hibbard, CEO of Fitness Ventures. "Our expansion into new markets like Des Moines reflects the strength of our team, our model, and our mission to make high-value fitness accessible across the country." The club features top-of-the-line cardio and strength equipment including Olympic squat racks, a group fitness studio, dry saunas, various group fitness classes, performance turf, HydroMassage®, tanning, and the innovative HIITZone™, and Crunch's welcoming "No Judgments" atmosphere. Fueling this momentum is Fitness Ventures' strategic partnership with Meaningful Partners, a purpose-driven private equity firm that invested in the company in 2024. This relationship has helped accelerate growth through a mix of new club development, mergers, and acquisitions. With more than 14 additional locations currently in presale, Fitness Ventures is on pace to reach 75 open clubs by the end of the year. Looking ahead, the company plans to open 20 new locations annually, continuing its aggressive and disciplined growth strategy into new and existing markets. "We're not just growing fast, we're growing with purpose," Hibbard added. "The Des Moines club is another strong step forward in a long-term plan to deliver value to both members and investors." For more information about Crunch Des Moines South or to join now, visit About Fitness Ventures, LLC Founded in 2016 by Brian Hibbard, Fitness Ventures, LLC is one of the fastest-growing franchises within the Crunch Fitness system. The Company operates over 70 locations across twenty-eight states, with several more in development. With a unique operating and development strategy and a keen focus on execution, Fitness Ventures LLC operates some of the highest volume Crunch locations in the system and boasts industry-leading financial returns. More at About Crunch FitnessCrunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of 'No Judgments.' Crunch serves a fitness community for all kinds of people with all types of goals, exercising all different ways, working it out at the same place together. Today, we are renowned for creating one-of-a-kind group fitness classes and unique programming for our wildly diverse members. Headquartered in New York City, Crunch serves three million members with over 500 gyms worldwide in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, and India. Crunch is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe. CONTACT: Hiba Abduljawad, hiba@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE FITNESS VENTURES Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The CEO of Crunch shares his 4-step routine to feel younger as he ages — from Pilates to creatine supplements
The CEO of Crunch said a routine of weightlifting, walking, and Pilates keeps him healthy at 58. His supplement stack includes creatine, a hot trend for muscle-building, brain health, and longevity. He said long-term fitness is about functionality, with a balance of strength, mobility and cardio. Marine Corps. vet Jim Rowley has been lifting heavy weights for decades, but his first few Pilates classes left him frustrated, sweating, shaking — and eager to go back for more. Rowley is the CEO of worldwide gym franchise Crunch Fitness, and has more than three decades of experience in the fitness industry. After his military service, he rose through the ranks at 24 Hour Fitness, becoming division president before going on to help launch UFC Gym, later taking the lead at Crunch. He told Business Insider that the lengthening, strengthening effect of Pilates has helped him ease the achy joints and tight muscles from decades of hard work in the gym and at the office. "It changed my life, to be honest with you. I became much more limber," he said. Crowley, who recently turned 58, said Pilates is now one of the foundational building blocks in his four-part longevity routine. He also changed up his weightlifting routine, honed his supplement stack, and has a cardio routine rooted in his military experience. "As you're active and aging, why would you not want to have more strength, more muscle, and greater mobility?" he said. Rowley said starting Pilates about three and half years ago helped him focus on muscles that hadn't gotten much attention over the years, including stabilizers in the the hips. "Pilates was an opportunity for me to try to lengthen, strengthen, and activate some of the smaller muscles," he said. Now, he goes to class twice a week for an hour per session, often with his wife. The Pilates classes he takes are mostly attended by women, Rowley said. He expects to see the gender balance shift: the challenge and resistance training in the workouts offer a lot for men who want to work on building muscle and athleticism. "There's a strength component instead of just the mobility and the balance," he said. "The biggest benefit for me has been my core strength has gotten through the roof." The improved stability has helped relieve back pain, which can come from muscle imbalances. Rowley still lifts weights, but has tweaked his routine so that instead of focusing on a big bench press as a point of pride, he's working more with dumbbells and machine exercises. Dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion, which can help promote mobility and joint health. Exercise machines provide stability and a fixed range of motion, so you can focus on targeting specific muscle groups. Both types of exercise are good for building muscle, with less strain or injury risk than intense barbell work. "I don't lift for ego anymore," Rowley said. Rowley is a self-proclaimed "supplement freak" who takes an estimated 40 pills a day, from a multi-vitamin for nutritional balance to probiotics for a healthy gut. The list is carefully curated from his decades of experience in the fitness industry. At the top of his must-have list is creatine, a naturally-occurring compound in the body that provides energy to the muscles so you can push through a few more reps. It's also a hot trend for longevity thanks to recent research suggesting it helps support a healthy brain and heart as we age. "There's a lot of supplements out there that are pure garbage," Rowley said. "Creatine to me is like a life source. I can tell you that my muscles feel better, my muscles fill up, I have the ability to go longer in the gym." Rowley's supplement regimen also includes: Vitamin D, which supports energy and the immune system. Magnesium, linked to better sleep and muscle health. Glutamine, for improved muscle recovery. Fitness for a long, healthy life isn't just about lifting big weights, or even having sculpted and lean muscles. Good cardio health is a crucial part of longevity, and benchmarks of aerobic fitness like VO2 max are increasingly a source of bragging rights in the fitness world. For Rowley, it comes down to functionality, and whether you can keep up with the activities of your life. "We look at the aesthetic of lean muscle and muscle mass as, wow, that person spends time in the gym, but could they run a mile? Could they run two miles or three miles?" he said. His definition of peak fitness goes back to the Marine Corps. standard of military fitness: the ability to do 20 dead-hang pull-ups, rep out 100 crunches in a minute (or hold a plank for more than three minutes) and run three miles in 18 minutes. However, as we age, running can put stress on the joints, so Rowley said he focuses on walking as much as possible, aiming for 10,000 steps a day for low-impact cardio and to reduce his time sitting. Walking is cardiologist-approved exercise, and the benefits for a healthier heart start at as few as an extra 500 to 1000 daily steps. Hitting the full 10,000 steps a day is a big commitment to stick to consistently, but Rowley said the payoff is better resilience and functionality as you age. "It's not easy to do, but what's harder: making that decision now or dealing with negative health in your older years? So choose your hard," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
29-06-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
The CEO of Crunch shares his 4-step routine to feel younger as he ages — from Pilates to creatine supplements
Marine Corps. vet Jim Rowley has been lifting heavy weights for decades, but his first few Pilates classes left him frustrated, sweating, shaking — and eager to go back for more. Rowley is the CEO of worldwide gym franchise Crunch Fitness, and has more than three decades of experience in the fitness industry. After his military service, he rose through the ranks at 24 Hour Fitness, becoming division president before going on to help launch UFC Gym, later taking the lead at Crunch. He told Business Insider that the lengthening, strengthening effect of Pilates has helped him ease the achy joints and tight muscles from decades of hard work in the gym and at the office. "It changed my life, to be honest with you. I became much more limber," he said. Crowley, who recently turned 58, said Pilates is now one of the foundational building blocks in his four-part longevity routine. He also changed up his weightlifting routine, honed his supplement stack, and has a cardio routine rooted in his military experience. "As you're active and aging, why would you not want to have more strength, more muscle, and greater mobility?" he said. Pilates classes: to build muscle and mobility Rowley said starting Pilates about three and half years ago helped him focus on muscles that hadn't gotten much attention over the years, including stabilizers in the the hips. "Pilates was an opportunity for me to try to lengthen, strengthen, and activate some of the smaller muscles," he said. Now, he goes to class twice a week for an hour per session, often with his wife. The Pilates classes he takes are mostly attended by women, Rowley said. He expects to see the gender balance shift: the challenge and resistance training in the workouts offer a lot for men who want to work on building muscle and athleticism. "There's a strength component instead of just the mobility and the balance," he said. "The biggest benefit for me has been my core strength has gotten through the roof." The improved stability has helped relieve back pain, which can come from muscle imbalances. Dumbbells: for better range of motion during strength training Rowley still lifts weights, but has tweaked his routine so that instead of focusing on a big bench press as a point of pride, he's working more with dumbbells and machine exercises. Dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion, which can help promote mobility and joint health. Exercise machines provide stability and a fixed range of motion, so you can focus on targeting specific muscle groups. Both types of exercise are good for building muscle, with less strain or injury risk than intense barbell work. "I don't lift for ego anymore," Rowley said. Creatine supplements: for a healthy brain and body Rowley is a self-proclaimed "supplement freak" who takes an estimated 40 pills a day, from a multi-vitamin for nutritional balance to probiotics for a healthy gut. The list is carefully curated from his decades of experience in the fitness industry. At the top of his must-have list is creatine, a naturally-occurring compound in the body that provides energy to the muscles so you can push through a few more reps. It's also a hot trend for longevity thanks to recent research suggesting it helps support a healthy brain and heart as we age. "There's a lot of supplements out there that are pure garbage," Rowley said. "Creatine to me is like a life source. I can tell you that my muscles feel better, my muscles fill up, I have the ability to go longer in the gym." Rowley's supplement regimen also includes: Vitamin D, which supports energy and the immune system. Magnesium, linked to better sleep and muscle health. Glutamine, for improved muscle recovery. 10,000 steps a day: for cardio without joint pain Fitness for a long, healthy life isn't just about lifting big weights, or even having sculpted and lean muscles. Good cardio health is a crucial part of longevity, and benchmarks of aerobic fitness like VO2 max are increasingly a source of bragging rights in the fitness world. For Rowley, it comes down to functionality, and whether you can keep up with the activities of your life. "We look at the aesthetic of lean muscle and muscle mass as, wow, that person spends time in the gym, but could they run a mile? Could they run two miles or three miles?" he said. His definition of peak fitness goes back to the Marine Corps. standard of military fitness: the ability to do 20 dead-hang pull-ups, rep out 100 crunches in a minute (or hold a plank for more than three minutes) and run three miles in 18 minutes. However, as we age, running can put stress on the joints, so Rowley said he focuses on walking as much as possible, aiming for 10,000 steps a day for low-impact cardio and to reduce his time sitting. Walking is cardiologist-approved exercise, and the benefits for a healthier heart start at as few as an extra 500 to 1000 daily steps. Hitting the full 10,000 steps a day is a big commitment to stick to consistently, but Rowley said the payoff is better resilience and functionality as you age. "It's not easy to do, but what's harder: making that decision now or dealing with negative health in your older years? So choose your hard," he said.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Women usher in strength training's new era
Gyms are making space. The future of strength training is female. New flex. Once dominated by men, Crunch Fitness CEO Jim Rowley told Bloomberg that women now account for 50%+ of lifting platform usage. Meanwhile, Planet Fitness is removing more than 40% of cardio machines across 1,700 locations to meet growing demand for weights and functional training, Fitt Insider reports. Validated. Between 2011 and 2021, women's use of free weights increased by 150%, while resistance machine use jumped 558%, per Harrison Co. On Strava, strength training uploads climbed 25% in 2024, making it the fastest-growing sport among women. Longevity lift. More than aesthetics, resistance training is essential for aging well, boosting bone density, preserving muscle, and improving metabolic health. A call to arms, experts like Dr. Stacy Sims and Dr. Gabrielle Lyon are pushing strength as a cornerstone of women's healthspan. Stronger together. Still, 73% of US women—and 83% of women 65+—don't meet CDC strength guidelines, creating a major opportunity for services, coaching, and products tailored to female lifters. Punchline: Strength is the new cardio, and women are leading the charge — transforming gyms, supplements, and the future of healthy aging. This story was produced by Fitt Insider and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
