With Studio LFT and other classes, Vasa CEO Rich Nelsen says the low-price gym brand “competes with small, expensive boutiques” on the group fitness front
Vasa Fitness, a fast-growing high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym brand, will add a boutique-style strength training class to its premium membership offering, bringing a new group fitness option to big-box gyms.
The new class, Studio LFT, will be available as part of Vasa’s premium membership tier, which costs $44.99 per month.
Studio LFT (pronounced “lift”) is designed to help Vasa Fitness members increase their strength and muscle mass to drive long-term metabolic and body composition improvements. Classes will be coach-led and include a variety of resistance-training equipment set up in stations. Workouts will allow for the development of strength across the entire force-velocity curve, with the implementation of advanced techniques to keep members engaged and lifting safely.
More details on LFT are forthcoming, but renderings of a planned group fitness studio show power racks, benches and plyometric boxes, giving a hint of the types of exercises that may be in store.
Studio LFT joins Vasa’s existing boutique-style class offerings in Studio Red HIIT and Studio Flow (infrared yoga).
“Adding strength training to HIIT and active recovery through infrared yoga will help members adopt a more holistic approach to achieving their fitness goals, and VASA members don’t have to join other boutique studios to get these benefits,” a company spokesperson says.
Studio LFT will debut as a pilot program at four of Vasa’s Colorado clubs in January 2025. After the pilot, Vasa intends to add the strength training class to its network of clubs across eight states.
Strength Training Surge
Studio LFT comes as many gym-goers prioritize strength training, especially women and Gen Z members. In response, HVLP gyms across the country are adapting, increasingly ditching cardio equipment in favor of free weights and functional-training spaces.
“For HVLPs to be successful, it’s critical to find ways to listen to members and deliver on-trend fitness programs,” said Vasa CEO Rich Nelsen. “Our research shows that the number one motivation for new members joining VASA is strength training.”
Vasa Bursts Onto the HVLP Scene
Founded in 2014, Vasa Fitness has quickly emerged as one of the United States’ top low-price gym brands, now with 61 locations in states including Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah and Wisconsin. Vasa has said it plans to add six to eight clubs in 2025, and is actively exploring opportunities to expand in new states in the Midwest.
The gym brand offers three membership tiers – a $14.99/month Basic membership; a $24.99/month Fitness membership; and a $44.99/month Studio membership, its premier tier which includes access to classes like LFT.
Among its points of differentiation from other low-price gyms, Vasa prides itself on offering top-tier group fitness classes, which the brand says are on par with pricier options from boutique studios.
“Our Studio membership has grown 68 percent year-over-year and our programming competes with small, expensive boutiques,” Nelsen says. “Studio LFT will serve our members by giving them even more opportunity to reach their fitness goals through a comprehensive suite of Studio classes and other amenities, all without having to spend hundreds of dollars each month across multiple gyms and memberships.”
Unlike many of its competitors in the HVLP gym space, Vasa doesn’t sell franchises, preferring to control expansion at the corporate level.
“We are focused on building a brand where we can tightly control the way our strategy and products are executed as we continue to scale our business and maintain our performance-driven, values-based culture,” Vasa chief brand and marketing officer Mindi Bridges has told Athletech News.
