The North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) is a regional affiliate of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). Its annual North American Championships (NAC), which features big names, are scheduled for Aug. 5-10, 2024, in Scottsdale, AZ.

All the countries on the North American continent are part of NAPF, whether continental or island nations. The following countries have fielded athletes at this event:

Aruba

Belize

Canada

Cayman Islands

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Jamaica

Mexico

Panama

Puerto Rico

Trinidad and Tobago

USA

US Virgin Islands

The contest will run for six days and feature classic and equipped powerlifting. The roster has 366 lifters representing 13 countries, and all age classes will be represented:

Sub-Junior (SJ) — ages 14-18

Junior (JR) — ages 19-23

Open

Masters 1 (M1) — ages 40-49

Masters 2 (M2) — ages 50-59

Masters 3 (M3) — ages 60-69

Masters 4 (M4) — ages 70+

[Related: How to Watch the 2024 EPF European Bench Press Championships]

[Related: Joe Borenstein (83KG) Sets Unofficial IPF World Record Raw Total of 865 Kilograms]

Athletes to Watch

Below are athletes to keep eyes on at the 2024 NAC:

Open Classic

Gavin Adin (USA) — 2021 Junior World Champion and former squat world record holder

Ray Williams (USA) — many-time world champion and world record holder

Heather Connor (USA) — two-time world champion and deadlift world record holder 

Open Equipped

Taylor LaChapelle (USA) — current IPF world champion

Rhaea Stinn (Canada) — current IPF world champion and bench press world record holder

Carlos Campos Murillo (Costa Rica) — bronze medalist at the 2023 IPF Equipped World Championship and Masters world record holder

Full Livestream Schedule

Note: All times are Mountain Standard Time (UTC -7). The schedule is subject to change. 

Monday, Aug. 5 

Special Olympians — all classes — 9:00 a.m.

Classic Women all — 43KG-57KG — 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 6

Classic Women all — 63KG-69KG — 8:30 a.m.

Classic Men SJ & Masters — 53KG-74KG — 1:00 p.m.

Classic Men JR & Open — 53KG-74KG — 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 7

Classic Women all — 76KG class & Open 69KG — 9:00 a.m.

Classic Men all — 83KG — 3:00 p.m.

WADA Anti-doping Seminar — 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 8

Classic Women all — 84KG-84+KG— 9:00 a.m.

Classic Men all — 93KG — 3:00 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 9

Classic Men all — 105KG-120KG— 9:00 a.m.

Classic Men all — 120+KG class & Women Equipped all — all weight classes — 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 10

Equipped Men all — all weight classes — 10:00 a.m.

The full roster with nominated totals is available on Goodlift (http://goodlift.info/live.php), and the event will be live-streamed on the MassLift YouTube channel.

More Powerlifting Content

JamaRR Royster (93KG) Hits Unofficial IPF World Record Raw Squat of 357.5 Kilograms

FISU World University Powerlifting Championships Results

“A Coin Flip With Death”: Powerlifter Jared Maynard Says Lifting Weights “Saved” Him From Rare Disease

Featured image: @napfpowerlifting on Instagram

The post How to Watch the 2024 NAPF North American Championships  appeared first on BarBend.

The 2024 Phoenix Pro Men’s Physique show is set for Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, at the Westworld Scottsdale in Scottsdale, AZ.

Promoters Ed and Betty Pariso will host 13 IFBB Pro League competitors who will face the fans and judges for the opportunity to win and qualify for the 2024 Men’s Physique Olympia in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024. If the winner is already qualified, no other qualification will be awarded.

2024 Phoenix Pro Roster

The roster for this event is below, with names in alphabetical order, courtesy of the IFBB Pro League:

Ommie Ali (United Arab Emirates)

Jake Alvarez (United States)

Charles Carter (United States)

Rodrigue Chesnier (United States)

Jo Cho (United States)

Charjo Grant (United States)

Hossein Karimi (Iran)

Burak King (United States)

Mohamed Lutfalla (Bahrain)

Amilcar Sotillo (Venezuela)

King Stevenson (United States)

Tj Terry (United States)

Austin Witty (United States)

[Related: 2024 Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Preview]

[Related: Machines Only: The Chest Workout Nathan De Asha & Urs Kalecinski Use 1 Week From Competition]

Athletes to Watch

These three competitors are among the favorites to win in Arizona.

Charjo Grant

Charjo Grant has placed as high as fourth on the Olympia stage but has yet to qualify for the 2024 Olympia. This season, he competed once, placing fifth at the 2024 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro. His most recent win was the 2023 San Antonio Pro.

Hossein Karimi

Hossein Karimi has competed five times in 2024. He placed third in Atlanta, at the 2024 St. Louis Pro, and at the 2024 Tri-City Pro. He is trying to return to the Olympia stage after missing out in 2023. He was tied for 16th overall in 2022.

Rodrigue Chesnier

The 2022 and 2023 winner Phoenix Pro champion is back to defend the title in his 2024 season debut. He will compete for his fifth career pro win. Chesnier was in the 2023 Olympia, tied for 16th place overall.

Other Notes

This is one of two Men’s Physique shows taking place this weekend. The other is at the 2024 Tampa Pro in Tampa, FL. If the winner of that show is not already locked in for the Olympia, they could also qualify.

More Bodybuilding Content

Training Partners Make You Stronger: Watch Wesley Vissers Train Chest With 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman

Olympia-Life Balance: How Chris Bumstead Prioritizes Family, Training, & Everything Else

Bodybuilder Hadi Choopan Uses Chariot Extensions to Grow His Hamstrings — Here’s Why They’re So Effective

Featured Image: @iamcharjo on Instagram

The post 2024 Phoenix Pro Men’s Physique Show Preview appeared first on BarBend.

The 2024 Tampa Pro is slated for the weekend of Aug. 2-3, 2024, in Tampa, FL. This IFBB Pro League contest features 10 of the 11 pro divisions. The winner of each show qualifies for the 2024 Olympia, set for Oct. 10-13, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV, if they have not qualified already.

Fans who won’t be in attendance to watch the action live can purchase the show’s pay-per-view livestream to see all ten divisions in their entirety for $24.99. The show is available on the promotion’s website.

2024 Tampa Pro Rosters

The athletes competing in all 10 divisions are below, with names in alphabetical order:

Men’s Open

Lewis Breed (United Kingdom)

Tim Budesheim (Germany)

Christian Caldwell (Australia)

Yi-Shan Cheng (China)

Phil Clahar (United States)

Alphonso Cromartie (United States)

Jon Delarosa (United States)

Mohamed Foda (United Arab Emirates)

Dorian Haywood (United States)

Jordan Hutchinson (United States)

Hamza Jawad (Qatar)

Charly Joung (United States)

Rico Lara Rivas (Brazil)

Jason May (United States)

An Nguyen (United States)

Felix Norman (United States)

Sarhan Sarhan (Palestine)

Nathan Spear (United States)

Vladyslav Sukhoruchko (United Arab Emirates)

Mariusz Tomczuk (Poland)

Eric Wood (United States)

212 Bodybuilding

Filippe Abreu (Brazil)

Moe Alzidan (United States)

Marcus Costa (United States)

Brock Credell (United States)

Alex Dos Anjos (United States)

Cam George (Australia)

Boas Henrique (Brazil)

David Henry (United States)

Jordan Janowitz (United States)

Brandon Laird (United States)

Ricardo Plata (Colombia)

Metalisko Rojas Suarez (Bolivia)

Jordan Wise (United States)

Morad Zahir (Morocco)

Classic Physique

Bryan Adams (United States)

Dancovea Anderson (United States)

Theodore Atkins (United States)

Marvin Babon (Bermuda)

Justin Badurina (United States)

Angel Bajana (United States)

Colin Brannagan (United States)

Joe Brighty (United Kingdom)

Victor Manuel Compan Ruiz (Mexico)

Alex Connors (Australia)

Austin Espy (United States)

Vince Gentile (United States)

Farzad Ghotbi (Canada)

Seth Goss (United States)

Mahfuz Hawit (Honduras)

Brad Helm (United States)

Jim Holcomb (United States)

David Kampfe (United States)

Kyrylo Khudaiev (United States)

Nick Koeu (United States)

Jon Lofthouse (United Kingdom)

Alex Maldonado (United States)

Elvernie Mcghee (United States)

Dion Merrill (United States)

Jesse Norris (United States)

Kelvin Ogbebor (United States)

Bo Otobo (United States)

Dominic Semenza (United States)

Fabiony Sylvain (United States)

Tim Tevin (United States)

Stephen Thames (United States)

Jason Theobald (United States)

Sergio Urey (Bolivia)

Montrey Walter (United States)

Alexander Westermeier (Germany)

Gabriel Zancanelli (Brazil)

Benjamin Zimmerman (United States)

Men’s Physique

Ricardo Cenat (United States)

Jonathan Cetera (United States)

Rob Clark (United States)

Sadik Hadzovic (United States)

Drew Jenkins (United States)

Jarrett Jenkins (United States)

Mehdi Kabbadj (United States)

Mark A. Lancaster (United States)

Misel Lozanic Serbia

Sheldon Martin (United States)

Julio Martinez (United States)

Ziya Mousavi (United Kingdom)

Eric Neal (United States)

Geobanny Paula (United States)

Wilson Peralta (United States)

Puwanat Putoya (Thailand)

Ahmed Shokry (Egypt)

Denny Singh (United States)

Daniel Sosa (United States)

Mario Stewart (United States)

Dawid Wachelka (Poland)

Cordell Waddey (United States)

Chris Walding (United States)

Deke Walker (United Kingdom)

Mike Wynn (United States)

Women’s Bodybuilding

Mayla Ash (United States)

Michaela Aycock (United States)

Tina Chandler (United States)

Victoria Dominguez (United States)

Cris Goy (United States)

Lisa Kudrey (Canada)

Janeen Lankowski (United States)

Kristina Mendoza (United States)

Sheena Ohlig (United States)

Anastasia Rider (United States)

Kyna Squarey (Canada)

Marilyn Yee (United States)

Fitness

Anna Adams (United States)

Savahannah Byczek (United States)

Annika Drescher (Germany)

Michelle Gales (United States)

Amber Steffen (United States)

Jeanine Taddeo (United States)

Aurika Tyrgale (United States)

Figure

Amanda Almodovar (United States)

Andre Arceneaux (United States)

Thais Cabrices-Werner (United States)

Angelika Chapman (United States)

Manon Dutilly (Canada)

Marie-Solange Essoh (Cameroon)

Karine Hajjar (Qatar)

Melissa Hardesty (United States)

Courtney Jacobs (United States)

Samantha Jenkins (United States)

Constance Jones (United States)

Andi Lampart (United States)

Gabriela Linhartova (Czech Republic)

Michelle Mahn Lehigh (United States)

Adrienne Matthews (United States)

Kristen Mcgregor (Jamaica)

Corrie Morales (United States)

Kelsey Newby (United States)

Christina Patrick (United States)

Amber Peguero (United States)

Lena Ramsteiner (Germany)

Tamika Robinson (United States)

Mayra Rocha (Mexico)

Danielle Rose (United States)

Lauren Roussel (United States)

Blanca Siles (United States)

Akire Torres (Puerto Rico)

Aksana Yukhno (United States)

Caroline Zawadzki (United States)

Bikini

Aria Adamy (United States)

Samantha Bartley (United States)

Lorena Blanco Pita (Spain)

Ariana Brothers (United States)

Myra Colcord (United States)

Marisa Coutinho (Portugal)

Nina Di Tommaso (United States)

Ivi Escandar (Spain)

Reijuana Harley (United States)

Samantha Kwan (United States)

Sarah Neuheisel (Germany)

Ekaterina Opekunova (Russia)

Keria Orsatti (United States)

Elisa Pecini (Brazil)

Emily Pribula (United States)

Aspen Ranz (United States)

Alice Rocha (United States)

Selina Stansbury (United States)

Ali Taylor (United States)

Cindy Van Empel-Popowich (Canada)

Shey Webb (United States)

Women’s Physique

Eileen Aviles (United States)

Elena Aviles Romero (Spain)

Zama Benta (Brazil)

Racheal Brewer (United States)

Tatiana Bulut (Turkey)

Tracy Clark (United States)

Alyssa Coppolino (Canada)

Suzanne Davis (United States)

Gio Diaz (United States)

Jeannie Feldman (United States)

Erin Hughes (United States)

Adriana Johnson (United States)

Marina Kassinopoullou (Cyprus)

Oksana Piari (United States)

Paula Ranta (Finland)

Arniee Rivera (United States)

Blanca Rodrigues (United States)

Brandi Jo Zirkelbach (United States)

Wellness

Jasmine Baker (New Zealand)

Karmen Bosket (United States)

Casey Delong (United States)

Pierrette Ebami (Canada)

Kassandra Gillis (Canada)

Carrie Goforth (United States)

Melitza Guerrero (United States)

Grecia Hernandez (United States)

Adriana Leyva (United States)

Marcela Mattos (Brazil)

Lisa Meiswinkel (Germany)

Juliana Mota (France)

Alyssa Muoio (United States)

Kimberly O’Connell (United States)

Yami Partridge (United States)

Kimberly Riley (United States)

Melissa Seide (United States)

Chelsea Smith (Canada)

Carolina Surerus (United States)

Raechelle Veale (New Zealand)

Mara Walter (Brazil)

[Related: Machines Only: The Chest Workout Nathan De Asha & Urs Kalecinski Use 1 Week From Competition]

[Related: 4x Men’s Physique Olympia Champion Jeremy Buendia’s Tips for Building a Thicker Back]

Men’s Open Athletes to Watch

Below are early favorites in the Men’s Open contest to keep eyes on:

Jon Delarosa

Jon Delarosa surprised many fans earlier in the season when he finished fourth in the 2024 Arnold Classic and 2024 Arnold Classic UK contests. This is his first onstage appearance since those shows. He still needs to qualify for the 2024 Olympia.

Mohamed Foda

Mohamed Foda is the 2024 Chicago Pro winner, qualifying him for the Olympia. Should he win this show, no Olympia qualification would be awarded. Only pro show winners advance to the Olympia.

Tim Budesheim

Tim Budesheim has already competed five times this season. His best placing thus far was second at the 2024 Vancouver Pro, won by John Jewett. Budesheim most recently competed in the Tampa Pro in 2022, finishing eighth.

More Bodybuilding Content

Training Partners Make You Stronger: Watch Wesley Vissers Train Chest With 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman

Olympia-Life Balance: How Chris Bumstead Prioritizes Family, Training, & Everything Else

Bodybuilder Hadi Choopan Uses Chariot Extensions to Grow His Hamstrings — Here’s Why They’re So Effective

Featured Image: @ifbbjondelarosa on Instagram

The post 2024 Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Preview appeared first on BarBend.

2018 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Hafthor Björnsson returned to competitive strongman in 2024, scoring a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic. He’s currently amidst his rigorous prep for the 2024 Strongest Man on Earth (SMoE), the headline contest of the 2024 Shaw Classic in Loveland, CO, on Aug. 16-18, 2024.

On July 25, 2024, Björnsson achieved a personal record Atlas Stone lift of 260 kilograms. His session included a warm-up before the following:

Atlas Stones

Supersets — Fingal’s Fingers & Power Stairs

Björnsson discussed his training plans while traveling and how he’ll follow his coach’s training guidance while vacationing in Canada.

[Related: 2024 Giants Live World Open Events & Roster Revealed]

Warm-Ups — Atlas Stone

During warm-up sets, Björnsson hoists a 100-kilogram (220 pounds) Atlas stone over the crossbar of a yoke. His second successful stone weighed 153 kilograms (337 pounds).

Björnsson’s third stone weighed 170 kilograms (375 pounds). His fourth jumped 35 kilograms to 205 kilograms (452 pounds). He threw it over the bar with apparent ease for two repetitions. 

A study published in the PeerJ found that Atlas stones share biomechanical characteristics with Romanian deadlifts and front squats. (1) 

Working Sets — Atlas Stones

220 kilograms (485 pounds)

260 kilograms (573 pounds)

Björnsson expressed dissatisfaction with his 220-kilogram lifts, attributing the setback to illness and a loss of appetite. However, he acknowledged a need for increased training. He might attempt to lift 280 kilograms (617 pounds) at least once before the 2024 SMoE.

[Related: Mitchell Hooper & Will Tennyson’s 10,000-Calorie Eating Challenge — All Healthy Food?]

Supersets — Fingal’s Fingers & Power Stairs

Concluding his session, Björnsson trained Fingal’s Fingers in the parking lot of his gym, completing two reps before transitioning to power stairs. Starting with 240 kilograms (530 pounds), Björnsson did four repetitions for his initial two sets. For his final set, Björnsson worked Fingal’s Fingers again, followed by five power stairs with 240 kilograms.

Björnsson credits his rigorous training paying off with his new personal record Atlas stone of 260 kilograms.

“I want to win the Shaw Classic,” confirmed Björnssojn. “I have a good shot. Good events for me as I keep progressing, I’m confident in my ability to win the show.”

More Strongman Content

Watch Strongman Eddie Hall Hit a Chest Workout With “Those About To Die” Star Martyn Ford

2024 U105 America’s Strongest Man Results

Strongwoman Sandra Bradley Becomes First Woman to Lift the 154-Kilogram Fullsterkur Stone

Reference

Hindle, B., Lorimer, A., Winwood, P., Brimm, D., & Keogh, J. W. L. (2021). The biomechanical characteristics of the strongman atlas stone lift. PeerJ, 9, e12066. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12066

Featured image: @thorbjornsson on Instagram

The post “I’m Going to Win”: Hafthor Björnsson Sets Atlas Stone Personal Record Ahead of 2024 Shaw Classic appeared first on BarBend.

While some companies can make supplementing your health and wellness with the best multivitamins feel like a leap of faith, Ritual knows their customers value transparency. After testing over 50 multivitamins ourselves, we know the feeling. Each ingredient in Ritual’s product lineup — from gut health and skin care to protein shakes and prenatal vitamins — can be traced to its source, offering peace of mind about what exactly you’re putting in your body.

Boosting your health with supplements can be an expensive gambit, but on ritual.com, there are several ways to quickly cut the price by up to 35%. Whether you bundle several products together, take advantage of their welcome offer, or are a member of the military, Ritual serves up serious discounts no matter when you buy. Along with their holiday sales, here are a few substantial Ritual Promo Codes.

How to Find Ritual Promo Codes (2024)

Ritual’s traceable ingredients make their products some of the most transparent on the market. They also offer several impressive standing offers, in addition to sales around major holidays. Here are a few ways you can save a bit of cash while potentially boosting your health with Ritual. 

1. Ritual Bundles

Navigating to Ritual’s “Bundles” page will reveal a ton of options for stacking different products, which can save you up to 35% off your first order. Some are general, like their Gut & Skin Set, while others are more specific, like the Essential Multivitamin, Omega & Choline for Prenatal. If you are looking at multiple supplements from Ritual, snagging a bundle is probably your best bet. Just remember that this discount can’t be combined with other offers or discounts.

2. Ritual 20% Off Welcome Offer

To welcome you to the family, Ritual offers a 20% discount on your first order of “eligible, single items.” Most products seem to be eligible on Ritual’s website, so if you want to just try out one product instead of bundling several, this is the way to go. The discount is automatically applied the first time you complete an order at checkout, but maxes out at $15 per subscription.

[Related: Ritual Versus Care/of Vitamins Review]

3. Ritual Military Discount

Ritual’s offers one of the best discounts out there for active duty, veterans, retirees, military spouses, and military dependents — 20% off the first 3 months of a subscription. After verifying your status with ID.me, your discount will be automatically applied at checkout. You can apply this discount to multiple subscriptions, plus Ritual ships for free to APO/FPO addresses.

4. Free Shipping for Subscribers

Another good way to cut costs on Ritual’s wide range of products is to sign up for a subscription. When you subscribe, your My Ritual order ships for free. If you need to return your product, it may also be eligible for free returns within 30 days.

When Do Ritual Products Go On Sale?

In addition to Ritual’s standing deals — Bundles, Welcome Offer, and Military Discount — you can often find their products on sale around major holidays. As these days start to approach, check out BarBend’s holiday sales pages to potentially save even more.

New Year’s fitness sales

Presidents Day fitness sales

Memorial Day fitness sales

Fourth of July fitness sales

Labor Day fitness sales

Black Friday/Cyber Monday fitness sales

Our Favorite Ritual Products

The BarBend team of certified fitness pros has tried out several of Ritual’s most popular products ourselves and the results are in — we approve. Take a look at a few that stood out to our team.

Ritual Essential Vitamins for Women 18+

This daily multivitamin is designed for women 18 to 49 years old and features just nine ingredients, including hearty dosages of vitamins D, E, and B12, along with Folate and Iron. As BarBend editorial member Gabrielle Kassel explains, “Ritual’s in-house scientists combed through thousands of studies to find out what nutrients women are most commonly lacking — vitamins K2, D3, B12, and E, boron, iron, magnesium, folate, and Omega-3.”

BarBend tester pouring Ritual multivitamins.

Read our full Ritual Essential Vitamins for Women Review.

Ritual Essential Multivitamin for Men 18+

Ritual’s daily multivitamin for men packs in vitamins A, D, E, and B12, plus 22% of the recommended daily value of Zinc. Trying it out himself, BarBend editorial member Nick English says, “Ritual has made a surprisingly cost-effective multivitamin that looks great, smells great, and delivers highly absorbable nutrients in a well-designed capsule.”

Ritual Essential Multivitamin for Men 18+

Read our full Ritual’s Essential Multivitamin for Men Review.

Ritual Essential Protein Daily Shake

Ritual’s plant-based protein shake uses American peas as its source of protein. Each serving provides 20 grams of protein, 8 grams of EAAs, and 4 grams of BCAAs. While plant-based foods often do not provide complete proteins, the L-methionine added to this shake stood out in our expert reviewer Chelsea Rae Bourgeois’ 4.5 out of 5 rating for its formulation. “L-methionine is an essential amino acid. Our bodies can’t produce it on their own, so we have to get it from food sources like this protein supplement,” she says.

Our tester using Ritual Essential protein powder.

Why Choose Ritual

Whether you’re looking for a multivitamin, sleep aid, or protein powder, you’ll always know where Ritual’s ingredients come from and why they are there. Crafted by a team of PhD’s and MD’s, Ritual’s formulas are stocked with traceable, research-backed ingredients and dosages. “We found Ritual to be well-priced, nutritious, and remarkably transparent — three qualities that will bring a lot of peace of mind to Ritual’s consumers,” says BarBend’s Gabrielle Kassel. Here are a few reasons we think Ritual is worth a look.

Ritual’s products earn high marks from our testing team and RD’s.

Their formulas are transparent and ingredients can be traced to their source

Each supplement is third-party tested

You can get free shipping and discounts by signing up for a subscription

They offer 20% off your first purchase

You can save up to 35% by bundling select items

They offer a 20% military discount

FAQs About Ritual Promo Codes

The post Ritual Promo Code (2024): The Best Discounts on Some of Our Experts’ Favorite Supplements appeared first on BarBend.

Fitness Ventures LLC is the latest Crunch Fitness franchise group to eye aggressive expansion

Fitness Ventures LLC, Crunch Fitness’ second-largest franchisee, is getting more fuel and added direction as it pursues cross-country expansion.

Meaningful Partners, an investment firm focused on middle-market and growth consumer companies, has acquired the franchise group. 

Meaningful Partners will assist Fitness Ventures as it builds on its 47 Crunch locations across 25 different states, touching on its lengthy experience in scaling multi-unit businesses. New developments, mergers and acquisitions are expected following the agreement. 

“Crunch Fitness provides one of the most relevant offerings at deep value, meeting a long-term consumer theme of ‘quality at value,’” said Amin Maredia, co-founder and managing partner of Meaningful Partners. “We are thrilled to support Fitness Ventures in their mission to expand their reach and impact in the fitness industry.”

Meaningful Partners has a history of working with health and wellness brands. The group invested in Allies of Skin, a science-back skincare brand earlier this year as well as M2 Ingredients, a vertically integrated nutraceuticals platform that provides whole-body health benefits via organic functional mushrooms. 

“We are extremely excited about our partnership with Meaningful Partners as we continue to execute on our de novo and M&A growth strategy,” said Brian Hibbard, CEO of Fitness Ventures. “The Meaningful team’s background and experience in rapid scaling of multi-unit locations nationally makes them an ideal partner for our next growth phase. Our team is energized and excited to get to work.”

Jim Rowley, the global CEO of Crunch Fitness, even commented on the deal. 

“I have immense respect for Amin and his remarkable accomplishments,” Rowley said. “His leadership and vision have made a profound impact, and we are excited about the potential this partnership brings.”

Crunch currently has 2.5 million members across 460 gyms worldwide. Its “No Judgments” gyms operate in 41 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Spain. Under Rowley, Crunch has its sights set on aggressive expansion. 

Fitness Ventures isn’t the only Crunch franchise group looking to broaden its horizons. 

Earlier this summer, JF Fitness of North America added eight new gyms in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina after acquiring fellow Crunch franchisee Team Roldan. JF Fitness also aims to expand further after receiving an investment from Dallas-based private equity firm Trive Capital. 

CR Fitness, Crunch’s largest franchising group, earlier announced plans to launch a mega-Crunch club in Altamonte Springs, Florida, with 16 more locations set to open by the end of the year as well.

The post Crunch Franchisee Fitness Ventures LLC Acquired in Expansion Play appeared first on Athletech News.

Marc Mastronardi will head Equinox’s employee and membership experience, financial performance and club innovation as the luxury brand plans to open 25 new locations in the coming years

Equinox, a global leader in luxury fitness and wellness, has added a new face to its executive leadership team, naming Marc Mastronardi, a seasoned leader in the world of retail, as its new president.

Former Equinox president Scott DeRue departed the brand in January. 

Mastronardi has over 25  years of experience in the retail industry, serving multiple leadership roles for Macy’s, from head of customer experience and store operations to executive vice president and chief stores officer. As the latter, Mastronardi managed more than 500 store locations and 75,000 employees.

Harvey Spevak, executive chairman and managing partner of Equinox Group, says Mastronardi’s years of experience will push the Equinox brand to the next level.

“Equinox is an iconic global brand with a robust pipeline of new club openings ahead,” Spevak said. “Marc’s strong leadership and operating experience at scale will drive a culture of continued success as we accelerate towards our next phase of growth.”

Founded in 1991, Equinox runs over 107 luxury clubs worldwide with 25 new locations in the early stages of development as part of an expansion plan. The brand is well-known for its lavish design and offerings, including a new  $3,000-per-month longevity membership, fitness classes, personal training, spa services and merchandise. 

Mastronardi will head the brand’s employee and membership experience, its financial performance and club innovation.  

“I am looking forward to using my experience to build on the incredible momentum that Harvey and the talented Equinox team have created,” Mastronardi said. “Through innovation and a commitment to delivering an unrivaled member experience, Equinox is well-positioned for the future as the authority in high-performance luxury living.”

Mastronardi will officially take on the role on August 12.

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