Discover Strength

What Discover Strength does

Discover Strength is a privately held, founder-controlled boutique fitness franchise founded in 2006 by Luke Carlson in Minnesota. The company delivers evidence-based strength training in 30-minute sessions performed twice weekly, staffed entirely by certified exercise physiologists with degrees in exercise science, a higher qualification standard than the typical personal trainer. Its core products are 1-on-1 Personal Training (30-minute sessions) and Small Group Training (45-minute sessions, up to three clients per trainer), supported by MedX Low Back Therapy, BOD POD body composition testing, and a live Virtual 1-on-1 Training offering delivered remotely. Operations are managed through an online scheduling platform and a mobile app available on iOS and Android.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model in which customers purchase individual sessions or auto-pay subscriptions, with in-person 1:1 sessions priced at $65-$87 and small group sessions at $42 per session, with higher rates in premium markets. Revenue is generated across 37 company-owned and franchise studios concentrated in affluent suburban and urban markets across 14 U.S. states, following the launch of a national franchise opportunity in 2022. The company has accumulated 727,000+ workouts delivered over 20 years of operation and maintains brand recognition through Inc. 5000, Franchise Times Top 200+, and repeated Best Places to Work recognitions. The customer base consists primarily of time-constrained busy professionals and outcomes-focused fitness enthusiasts in suburban markets. The company has no disclosed external investors or parent entity, with expansion being funded through operational cash flow and franchisee capital.

Name

Discover Strength

Legal name

Discover Strength Personal Fitness Center, Inc.

Website

https://discoverstrength.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Discover Strength is a privately held boutique fitness franchise operating 37 studios across 14 U.S. states, delivering evidence-based 30-minute strength training sessions twice weekly with certified exercise physiologists to time-constrained professionals and fitness-focused consumers in affluent suburban markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Fitness Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Strength & Conditioning Personal Training (HSADAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Group Personal Training (Semi-Private) (HSADAAAN), Online/Remote Personal Training & Programming (HSADAAAM), Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training (HSADAEAB)

Keywords

• Strength training services
• Personal training
• Boutique fitness
• Exercise physiology
• Fitness franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices40 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. In-Person Personal Training Sessions: Revenue generated from individual 30-minute strength training sessions delivered 1:1 by certified exercise physiologists. Customers pay per session or through auto-pay subscription plans. Pricing varies by market.
2. Virtual Training Sessions: Live virtual training sessions delivered remotely. Priced at $46 per session (auto-pay) or $52 single session. Provides an additional revenue stream and customer convenience channel.
3. Small Group Training: Small group strength training sessions offered at select studios. Provides a more affordable per-session price point while generating revenue from multiple clients simultaneously.
4. Body Composition Testing & Specialty Services: Additional diagnostic and therapeutic services including body composition testing and low back therapy programs, offered as add-on services to the core training offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Discover Strength operates a boutique fitness franchise delivering evidence-based 30-minute strength training sessions twice per week, led by certified exercise physiologists. Core services include 1-on-1 Personal Training, Small Group Training (up to 3 clients per trainer), and Virtual 1:1 Training, supplemented by MedX Low Back Therapy and BOD POD body composition testing across 37 studios in 14 U.S. states.

Product overview

Discover Strength is a boutique fitness franchise offering evidence-based 30-minute strength training workouts performed twice weekly, guided by certified Exercise Physiologists. The core service portfolio consists of 1-on-1 Personal Training (30-minute sessions) and Small Group Training (45-minute sessions, up to 3 clients per trainer), both built on peer-reviewed scientific research. Virtual 1-on-1 Training extends the model remotely. Supplementary offerings include MedX Low Back Therapy for specialized medical rehabilitation and Body Composition Testing utilizing BOD POD gold-standard analysis. The company also provides a mobile app for scheduling and account management. Discover Strength operates a franchise model with locations across 14 states, and offers internal career development through its Leadership Accelerator Program and General Manager Perks Program for employee growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1-on-1 Personal Training

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TrueMedminorOthersTrueMed is a payment partner enabling customers to use HSA/FSA funds for Discover Strength services. This partnership reduces the cost barrier for health-conscious consumers who wish to use pre-tax health accounts to pay for fitness services.
• Life FitnesscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLife Fitness supplies commercial-grade fitness equipment to Discover Strength studios. The Life Fitness equipment is used as the core training apparatus for the brand's evidence-based strength training programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kieser Training: Strength-training specialist using medical-grade strength equipment in supervised 30-minute sessions. Closest international comparable to Discover Strength's evidence-based, equipment-led strength training protocol and supervised by credentialed staff.
• F45 Training: Global boutique functional-training franchise with 45-minute group sessions. Comparable on franchise-led expansion model, premium group-fitness positioning, and targeting busy professionals, though F45 emphasizes functional metabolic conditioning rather than strength training.
• GYMGUYZ: In-home and on-site personal training franchise bringing 1-on-1 sessions directly to the customer. Comparable premium 1-on-1 personal training model targeting time-constrained professionals, with a different delivery channel (mobile vs. studio).
• Fitness Together: National 1-on-1 personal training franchise operating small private studios with semi-private options. Closest direct comparable to Discover Strength given 1-on-1 in-studio model, premium per-session pricing, and franchise-led growth.
• The Exercise Coach: Boutique 1-on-1 strength and conditioning concept using technology-guided workouts in 20-30 minute sessions. Highly comparable to Discover Strength on session length, strength-training focus, and premium small-studio positioning.
• OrangeTheory Fitness: Large boutique group-fitness franchise built on a science-backed, heart-rate-monitored workout methodology targeting busy professionals. Directly comparable in target customer (time-constrained professionals), evidence-based positioning, and franchise scale.

Broad incumbents

• Xponential Fitness: Public franchisor of multiple boutique fitness brands (Club Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, Rumble, etc.). Relevant as a broad incumbent showcasing the franchise-led boutique fitness model at scale, providing a strategic reference for portfolio growth.
• Equinox: Premium national fitness club operator with Personal Training programming and a high-end affluent professional target. Comparable premium positioning and exercise-professional staffing, though operates large-format clubs rather than small studios.
• Life Time Fitness: Large premium multi-format health club chain with personal training, group classes, and recovery services. Comparable on targeting affluent suburban professionals, premium pricing, and personal training as a core offering, though at significantly larger scale and broader format.

Emerging players

• StretchLab: Boutique assisted-stretching franchise within the Xponential Fitness portfolio. Comparable as a single-service, time-efficient boutique offering adjacent to strength training, often co-located in similar real-estate formats and targeting overlapping consumer profiles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dscvrstrength
• Facebookfacebook.com/discoverstrength

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Discover Strength