Noah Neiman and Andy Stenzler have big plans for their new boutique fitness brand, which features strength training, high-intensity cardio and a distinct form of self-defense training they call “street defense”
A new boutique fitness brand is coming to New York City, and it’s got the makings of something special.
Rumble Boxing co-founders Noah Neiman and Andy Stenzler are launching The Pack, a new concept that combines strength training, high-intensity cardio, and boxing/MMA-inspired self-defense into a single group fitness workout.
Neiman and Stenzler have big plans for the brand, which is set to open its doors this August in New York City.
“We have an incredible location, we have an incredibly novel and impactful workout, and we have an incredibly curated, world-class brand,” Neiman tells Athletech News.
A Three-in-One Group Fitness Concept
Neiman calls The Pack an “evolution” of his fitness career, which includes co-founding Rumble and serving as an instructor at Barry’s. His new concept combines three core modalities: strength training on Technogym benches, cardio on Rogue Assault Bikes and self-defense moves performed on a “BOB” bag, also known as a body-opponent bag.
“We’re calling it ‘street defense,’” Neiman explains, adding that it includes elements of boxing, Muay Thai and other MMA disciplines.
“It’s our take on self-defense, because I think there’s a specific (sometimes negative) connotation on what self-defense is,” he says.
Classes will run for 50 minutes, and they’re designed to help people build real-world skills for self-defense while also getting into great shape.
“I want to build these incredible functional skills that you can apply to the real world, God forbid, if you need them. (And) these three modalities are going to get you in the best shape of your life,” Neiman says. “It’s unique; it hasn’t been done before in group fitness.”
More Than Just Fitness: Inside The Pack’s Approach
Fitness programming isn’t the only thing that’ll make The Pack unique, Neiman believes. The brand features distinct branding, including a three-headed dog “Cerberus” logo that serves as a nod to Greek mythology, The Pack’s three fitness modalities and Neiman’s pet dogs.
The Pack plans to sell merchandise featuring its logo in an effort to create brand awareness, similar to what Rumble has achieved.
“You’ve got to have a cool flag to fly,” Neiman says. “You want to create something so powerful that people want to rock that logo and show the world that they’re a part of something bigger than themselves.”
Music is another key differentiator. The brand is working with Grammy Award-winning producers to create what Neiman calls “a unique boiler room sound that’s curated only for The Pack.” The Pack also plans to partner with local run clubs, top health and fitness brands, and big names in the world of music, while organizing philanthropy initiatives.
While all of these elements sound exciting, Neiman stresses that above all else, he wants The Pack to be a place that fosters community, something he believes is lacking in most gyms and studios.
“Everyone says, ‘Oh we’re this really cool community. Respectfully, it’s actually the opposite. It’s very un-inclusive, clicky and transactional,” Neiman says of modern-day boutique fitness. “You just go to work out, and that’s it. I don’t want to build a space like that. I want to build a world that makes people feel confident, gets them in the best shape of their lives and teaches them real-world, valuable skills that we’re calling street defense, aka preparedness.”
Coming to NYC This Summer
The Pack is aiming to open its doors in early August, with pre-sales expected to become available to the public starting on July 15th.
The brand’s first studio will be located on 23rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in the Flatiron/Chelsea area of Manhattan, which Neiman and others have referred to as the “fitness corridor” for its central location in NYC and its close proximity to other top brands. In fact, The Pack will be very close to where Rumble started back in 2017.
Neiman expects his new group fitness concept to have a similarly successful grand opening event.
“When we opened up Rumble in 2017 right down the block, between Sixth and Seventh, we did over 650 customers a day,” he says “I anticipate pretty much the same thing because it’s such an easily accessible point.”
Rumble currently has over 100 locations in major cities across the world. While Neiman has a similarly grand vision for what The Pack can become, for now, he and his team are focused solely on making sure studio number one is a success.
The rest will come later.
“I’m not thinking about scale at all,” Neiman says. “I’m thinking about, How can I make this first location as incredible for our client as possible? How can I make it an incredible place to work for our trainers, for our front desk staff and our clean team? How can I build something that is real, that is unique (and) that is impactful?”
