What STRONG Pilates does

STRONG Pilates is an Australian boutique fitness franchise founded in Melbourne in October 2019 by Michael Ramsay and Mark Armstrong, both former F45 franchisees. The company operates a vertically integrated franchise model built around two proprietary, exclusively-licensed hardware innovations: the Rowformer, which combines a reformer Pilates bed with a Concept 2 rowing machine featuring progressive spring tension and PM5 monitoring, and the Bikeformer, introduced in 2023, which pairs a reformer with a stationary bike. Studios deliver 45-minute low-impact, high-intensity group classes supported by Instructor-Assist Technology (visual cue displays controlled remotely by instructors), Mobility Screens for guided stretching, and a six-format class portfolio (STRONG BODY, STRONG 360, STRONG LOADED, STRONG PILATES STRENGTH, STRONG PILATES ONLY, STRONG STARTER). Member booking and membership management run through the STRONG mobile app (iOS/Android) powered by third-party platform Hapana.

The company generates revenue through a mix of franchise fees (initial territory sales and recurring royalties from 130+ territories sold/reserved across 14 countries), consumer-facing studio memberships and class packs, introductory offers, and STRONG Academy instructor training fees. Its primary customer segments are fitness consumers seeking Pilates-cardio hybrid workouts and entrepreneur franchisees seeking to own boutique studios under a proven model with comprehensive onboarding and pre-sale campaigns delivering 175+ members on launch day. The company has expanded rapidly across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, UK, Canada, US (with a second global HQ in Hermosa Beach, California), and Japan (via a master franchisee partnership targeting 50 studios over 5 years), reaching 100+ studios open globally, 37,000+ members, and 1,000+ trainers. STRONG operates as a private, founder-owned company with no disclosed institutional funding, growing primarily through franchise-driven unit economics rather than capital-intensive direct expansion.

Name

STRONG Pilates

Legal name

Strong Pilates Franchising Pty Limited

Website

https://strongpilates.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STRONG Pilates is an Australian-founded boutique fitness franchise operating 100+ studios across 14 countries, offering 45-minute Pilates-cardio hybrid workouts on proprietary Rowformer and Bikeformer machines. The company serves fitness consumers via monthly memberships and class packs, and entrepreneur franchisees via territory sales and the STRONG Academy instructor training program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Fitness

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Pilates Instruction (Mat & Reformer) (HSADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strength & Conditioning Personal Training (HSADAAAB), Online/Remote Personal Training & Programming (HSADAAAM)

Keywords

• Boutique fitness studios
• Reformer pilates classes
• Fitness franchise network
• Pilates cardio fusion
• Instructor training program

Headquarters

HQ city

Elwood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Studio Memberships: Monthly unlimited memberships allowing members to attend unlimited classes at studios. Members can also put memberships on hold for up to 30 days per year.
2. Class Packs: Per-class or multi-class packs available for purchase through the app or at studios.
3. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchisees who purchase the right to open STRONG Pilates studios. Territories sold and reserved across multiple countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Spain, UK, and Japan.
4. Introductory Offers: Entry-level offerings including STRONG Experience (10 days for $50) and single intro classes ($20) to attract new customers.
5. Instructor Training (STRONG Academy): Revenue from training aspiring instructors through the 2-week intensive STRONG Academy program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

STRONG Pilates operates a franchise network of boutique fitness studios delivering 45-minute, low-impact, high-intensity full-body workouts that fuse reformer Pilates with cardio (rowing or biking) and strength training, using its proprietary Rowformer and Bikeformer machines. The company sells franchise rights to entrepreneurs seeking to open STRONG studios across multiple countries, and runs the STRONG Academy instructor training program for certified fitness professionals.

Product overview

STRONG Pilates is a fitness franchise offering a unique workout concept that fuses Pilates, cardio, and strength training. The core product ecosystem centers on proprietary equipment—the Rowformer (reformer Pilates + rowing machine) and Bikeformer (reformer + bike)—supported by the STRONG App for bookings and membership management. The company operates over 100 studios across 14 countries, offering six distinct class formats: STRONG BODY (full-body Pilates with cardio bursts), STRONG PILATES ONLY (pure Pilates flows), STRONG PILATES STRENGTH (Pilates with strength focus, no cardio), STRONG 360 (combined Pilates + strength + cardio), STRONG LOADED (progressive overload with dumbbells), and STRONG STARTER (beginner introduction). Supporting services include STRONG Academy for instructor training, proprietary instructor-assist technology with visual queue displays, and Mobility Screens for guided stretching. The company was founded in 2019 and has grown to over 37,000 members and 1,000+ trainers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rowformer: Exclusively-licensed machine that is half reformer Pilates and half rowing machine, combining progressive spring tension, vinyl anti-microbial seats, resistance bands, and Concept 2 rowing machine with proprietary foot plate and seat system.
• Bikeformer

Products and services

• STRONG BODY

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ calories burned per 45-minute class
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• STRONG Pilates Japan (SPJ)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Master franchisee partner established for Japan market expansion. Led by Chair and CEO John B. Boardman with extensive fitness market experience. Plans to roll out 50 studios in Japan over 5 years. This is a flagship expansion partnership for the brand.
• Concept 2coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerEquipment supplier for the rowing component of the proprietary Rowformer machine. Features Concept 2 rowing machine with PM5 monitoring and proprietary foot plate and seat system integration.
• HapanacoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking platform provider powering the STRONG app and website booking system. Hapana terms of service apply to use of the booking platform.
• Michael RamsaycoreOthersCo-founder and CEO of STRONG Pilates. Previously owned high-performing franchise fitness studios including some that were highest performing in their market in Australia.
• Mark ArmstrongcoreOthersCo-founder of STRONG Pilates alongside Michael Ramsay. Both founders have extensive experience in the fitness franchise industry and identified the gap for a low-impact, high-intensity model.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• YogaWorks: Multi-location US yoga and Pilates studio chain offering reformer classes and teacher training. Comparable offering but US-centric footprint that doesn't directly compete in STRONG's APAC core.

Direct peers

• Club Pilates: Largest Pilates-focused franchise in the US with hundreds of studios offering reformer-based group classes. Competes head-to-head for the same low-impact Pilates enthusiast and franchisee entrepreneur.
• SLT: Boutique Pilates/Megaformer studio with cardio and strength variations and a multi-country franchise and licensing model. Closely matches STRONG's hybrid low-impact / high-intensity class formats.
• Solidcore: Boutique fitness chain built around a proprietary Pilates-inspired reformer-style machine with high-intensity, low-impact programming — directly analogous to STRONG's Rowformer positioning.
• Lagree Fitness: Pilates-adjacent proprietary Megaformer methodology combining slow-tempo resistance work with reformer mechanics. Targets the same low-impact, results-driven member and competes for the same trainer talent.
• F45 Training: Global functional-training franchise founded in Australia with a similar group-class, time-efficient boutique model. STRONG's co-founders are ex-F45 franchisees, making F45 the closest operational and franchise-DNA comparable.
• Body & Soul Pilates: Australian boutique Pilates studio chain offering reformer and mat classes. Direct regional head-to-head in STRONG's home market for members and franchise locations.

Broad incumbents

• Xponential Fitness: Public franchisor of boutique fitness brands including Club Pilates, CycleBar, and StretchLab. Represents the consolidated, PE-backed competitive threat and a benchmark for franchise-roll-up economics in STRONG's category.
• Barry's Bootcamp: Iconic global boutique fitness brand combining treadmill cardio with strength intervals. Targets the same premium-tier boutique member and competes for franchise and instructor talent in overlapping geographies.

Emerging players

• Row House: Boutique indoor-rowing franchise that overlays strength intervals on the erg — a partial feature overlap with STRONG's Rowformer concept. Emerging challenger for the rowing-meets-strength consumer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/strongpilatesHQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strongpilates
• Instagraminstagram.com/strong

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STRONG Pilates