Infrastructure investments, flagship facilities and franchise expansion signal a strategic approach to national scale.
The fitness industry continues to balance disciplined expansion with experience-driven innovation, as brands invest in executive leadership, premium facilities and adjacent lifestyle offerings. From CFO appointments and franchise infrastructure to large-scale club openings and youth performance growth, operators are positioning themselves for sustained scale in 2026 and beyond. Below is a look at the latest developments shaping the week.
Life Time Opens 92,000-Square-Foot Athletic Country Club in Cary, North Carolina
Life Time opened its first new athletic country club of 2026, in Cary, North Carolina. The 92,000-square-foot facility strengthens the brand’s presence in the fast-growing Raleigh-Cary market and marks its fifth location in the state
Designed as a holistic healthy living destination, the club features expansive strength and cardio floors, boutique studios, recovery and chiropractic services, nine pickleball courts, a resort-style outdoor pool deck, LifeSpa, LifeCafe, Kids Academy and dedicated work lounges. The opening aligns with continued investment in premium, all-in-one wellness destinations, with an additional mixed-use development planned in Raleigh that will include a rooftop beach club and Life Time Living residences.
PVOLVE Appoints Jesse McBain as COO of Studio Development
PVOLVE named franchise veteran Jesse McBain as COO of studio development to support the next phase of its national and global expansion. McBain brings more than 20 years of franchise leadership experience, including roles at Papa John’s, The Joint, Ellie Mental Health and Pause Studio, with experience as both a franchisor and franchisee.
PVOLVE reported strong momentum across its hybrid model in 2025, including 40% year-over-year digital membership growth, 33% studio membership growth and a 115% increase in franchise network revenue. The brand currently operates 32 studios, has awarded 80 territories and has more than 50 locations in development, averaging two openings per month.
STRIDE Fitness Opens Corporate Headquarters and Flagship Studio in Huntington Beach
STRIDE Fitness opened its new corporate headquarters and flagship studio in Huntington Beach, California, establishing a central hub for operations and national franchise growth. The studio showcases the brand’s 55-minute interval format blending treadmill-based cardio and strength training, powered by performance tracking technology and complemented by a dedicated Recovery Zone featuring Hyperice tools.
Led by CEO Shaun Grove and president and COO Anthony Badalian, both veterans of boutique fitness expansion, STRIDE is positioning the flagship location as both a premier training destination and a foundation for scalable franchise growth. Opening-week events in mid-February mark the brand’s formal launch in the market.
D1 Training Data Highlights Youth Performance as Franchise Growth Driver
D1 Training released new proprietary data showing cumulative athlete visits have grown more than sevenfold since 2021, reaching 5 million in the past year. The brand now serves more than 100,000 scholastic athletes annually, underscoring rising demand for structured, long-term youth athletic development.
Consumer research among D1 members found strong perceived benefits, with 96% of parents reporting improved physical fitness, 90% citing enhanced athletic skills and 85% noting injury prevention benefits. Personal development outcomes, including confidence, leadership and discipline, were also widely reported. With the youth training and conditioning market projected to reach $50.7 billion by 2035, D1 positions scholastic programming as a foundational driver of franchise growth.
Snap Fitness Reports Global Growth and Digital Investment in 2025
Snap Fitness reported strong global progress in 2025, driven by expanded strength and cardio innovation, enhanced group fitness and recovery offerings, and continued investment in its digital ecosystem. The 24/7 franchise brand now operates more than 1,000 clubs across 17 countries, serving nearly 1 million members worldwide. Global membership grew 4.9% in 2025, with several APAC and EMEA markets exceeding 10% growth.
The brand opened 48 new clubs globally in 2025 and plans an additional 85 in 2026. Alongside physical expansion, Snap Fitness evolved studio spaces to support group fitness, functional training and reformer-style programming, while strengthening digital tools to deliver on-demand and live content across its network. The integrated approach supports franchisees with scalable systems and maximizes space utilization, while reinforcing the brand’s “For the Feeling” philosophy centered on physical and emotional wellbeing.
Industry Implications
Taken together, this week’s developments reflect an industry investing in both leadership depth and experience evolution. Executive hires emphasize disciplined financial management and franchise infrastructure as essential foundations for scale. STRIDE and Life Time continue to elevate the in-club experience through premium environments and recovery-forward design.
Meanwhile, D1’s youth performance data highlights a high-growth demographic segment, and Snap Fitness demonstrates how the 24/7 model is evolving through smarter digital engagement, studio activation and hybrid programming. As 2026 unfolds, operators appear focused on sustainable expansion, operational sophistication and delivering differentiated experiences that resonate across age groups, markets and training preferences.
