Crunch Fitness, a leading high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym brand, has unveiled Crunch 3.0, an ambitious design template that will see Crunch gyms across the country get aesthetic improvements, new equipment and group fitness enhancements, among other changes.
Crunch 3.0 gyms will feature redesigned front desk, reception and lobby areas, along with improved group fitness studios, additional functional training areas with turf, more strength training equipment, a dedicated recovery studio and better personal training spaces.
The new design comes as Crunch Fitness recently topped 3 million members with over 500 gyms worldwide. The fitness brand, founded in 1989 in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood, has been on an expansion tear over the last several years, buoyed by well-capitalized franchisees and private equity backing.
“After 35 years of success, we’re excited to reach three million members. This momentous achievement further cements Crunch’s leadership position in the high-value, low-price gym category,” Crunch CEO Jim Rowley said. “As we reflect on the past year, we are confident that we offer the most innovative fitness experience under one roof and the best gym membership value on the market.”
Inside a Crunch 3.0 Gym
Crunch 3.0 is modular, so franchise owners can choose which elements to place into their gyms, but highlights of the new design include:
Entry, Reception & Locker Room: Improved lighting and aesthetics; enhancements to the entry, front desk and reception areas; and modernized, upgraded locker rooms.
Group Fitness: Revamped group fitness studios featuring updated color palettes, enhanced overhead lighting, backlit mirrors, a lit instructor platform and digital timers. Franchisees can add a hot studio to their club for heated group fitness classes including yoga, Pilates, barre, HIIT, mobility and core.
HIITZone & Personal Training: A second turf area for functional training along with an improved HIITZone, Crunch’s proprietary group fitness and personal training area.
Strength Training Equipment: In line with the strength training surge, Crunch 3.0 gyms will feature additional free weights, strength training machines, resistance equipment and Olympic lifting platforms.
Wellness, Recovery & Longevity: In-house Relax & Recover studio featuring Hyperice equipment, red light therapy and infrared sauna, along with a dedicated stretching area, dimmed lighting and soothing music.
Team Member Experiences: A redesigned gym floor gives Crunch team members a more seamless flow from the front desk to personal training areas and a more prominent presence throughout the gym.
Crunch will unveil its first Crunch 3.0 gym in Plano, Texas, as part of a grand-opening celebration that will include prize giveaways and an appearance from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, a Crunch franchise owner.
After the Plano launch, Crunch plans to expand the new gym layout to other locations across the United States. All newly opened Crunch gyms will feature the Crunch 3.0 layout while existing locations can upgrade through a remodel program.
Low-Price Gyms Up Their Game
The launch of Crunch 3.0 comes as HVLP gym brands continue to add premium equipment and experiences, challenging the fitness industry’s status quo. Low-price leader Planet Fitness is adding strength training equipment, while upstart HVLP brands including Chuze Fitness, EōS Fitness and Vasa Fitness have added services like infrared sauna, recovery rooms and boutique-style group classes.
Crunch believes it’s got a leg up on the competition with Crunch 3.0.
“With Crunch 3.0, the value we provide our members is truly unparalleled,” said Crunch chief operating officer Molly Long. “Between the lighting, music, equipment, group fitness studios and overall aesthetics, the most in-demand offerings are coming to life under one roof at Crunch 3.0. We’re evolving the physical format of our clubs to meet the members where they are and taking a leap forward from an experience standpoint.”
Long believes Crunch offers the best value of any gym brand on the market, with memberships that start as low as $9.99/month (memberships can cost more depending on location and plan).
“We’re like a mall of fitness, but in a good way. We have these different boutique studios under a single roof, and they’re done in an incredibly high-quality way,” Long told Athletech News, referencing Crunch’s group fitness offerings. “People would have to pay hundreds of dollars (per month) at multiple boutique studios to come close to what they’re getting at Crunch.”
Long also pointed to Crunch’s new Relax & Recovery area, which was designed to help members escape the rigors of daily life – or the physical stresses of a hard workout.
“We’ve dramatically elevated our Relax and Recovery area to make it feel like a premium spa experience with great amenities,” she said. “It’s almost this little oasis inside of a club.”
Crunch 3.0 comes around seven years after Crunch 2.0, the gym brand’s original redesign that set the stage for the massive growth it experienced over the last several years. Expect the new Crunch 3.0 layout to last for a similar length of time.
“Every world-class retailer is on a remodeling schedule – generally, it’s between five and eight years where you have a major overhaul in your design,” Long noted. ‘That’s probably the same trajectory we’re looking to follow.”
