Today, despite its well-publicized growing pains, F45 operates around 2,000 studios in 66 countries. But when Ramsay and Armstrong opened his F45 franchise in 2015, it was still his 10th franchise in the same space in Melbourne Port where he attends Strong Pilates classes. For the third consecutive year, F45 was featured as the world’s best-performing studio in terms of overall revenue. Ramsey and Armstrong duly reinvested their profits into five more of his F45 studios in Melbourne and Darwin.
But Ramsey’s biggest break was painfully literal. He tripped and broke his ankle while running in 2018. His rehabilitation was frustratingly slow and it turned out that having to wear a moon boot had the effect of weakening his lower body strength. Desperate, he turned to Pilates. Pilates was a type of exercise he never dreamed of doing before because of the misconception that it was a bit girly.
The writing on the wall says it all. Michael Ramsay is responsible for the internal facilities at the Strong Pilates studio.
Its positive influence quickly changed his mind. The functional movements of Pilates transformed Ramsey’s recovery, improving his overall flexibility while harnessing the strength of new muscle groups.
“I fell in love with Pilates,” he admits.
At the same time, Ramsey was losing his love for the F45. His studio was still doing well, but as a franchisee he felt stifled by having to follow a restrictive brand formula.
After that, I gradually started to find Pilates classes a little boring. “I missed the high-intensity element of training in the gym: getting your heart rate up and burning calories,” he says. “And when I did some research, I realized I wasn’t the only Pilates practitioner who felt this way.”
Strong Pilates is on track to exceed $35 million in total revenue by June.
Ramsey knew that the Pilates industry was rapidly growing internationally. However, he dreamed of unearthing a new format that could offer its benefits while increasing the physical demands. His research led him to his niche gym called HARDTFIT in Orange County, California. The owner there had just patented his Rowformer machine.
“I hopped on a plane, met the guy who built the machine, and did some training,” Ramsey recalls. “It was excruciatingly hard, but it gave me a huge endorphin rush, along with the amazing movement patterns of Pilates.”
Things moved quickly after that. In 2019, Ramsey and Armstrong sold F45 Studios and acquired the rights to Rawformer. “I needed a little R.”&But we turned that machine into a profitable business model that is scalable and franchisable,” he says. “It seems like things are going well, so it’s time to take Strong to other parts of the world.”
The business model does seem to be working. Strong expects his annual gross revenue to exceed $35 million by June. It has also evolved into a fitness product. Last year, Ramsey introduced the Bike Former. This is, as the name suggests, a combination of a reformer machine and an exercise bike rather than a rower. A wider variety of classes are also available. For example, Strong Loaded focuses on strength training, while Strong Sweat focuses on cardio and weight loss.
The Bikeformer is a combination of a Reformer machine and an exercise bike.
No matter what class it is, we guarantee that it will be carefully packaged. Each Strong studio must adhere to the brand’s visual identity of an all-white space with black accents to create a gender-neutral feel. Every detail of the interior, from the lighting to the workout soundtrack, is directed by Ramsey (R&B or hip hop for Pilates, deep house for rower or bike intervals). The studio is also scented with custom-made strong fragrances that Ramsay developed with a perfumer.
“It has a cognac flavor in it, because we play a lot of Jay-Z songs and he drinks it, too.”
When it comes to the actual workout, if your mental image of Pilates is a glorified stretching session, you’re in for a shock. My sore abs after two classes prove that Strong offers rewarding full-body sessions. One class is said to burn 800 calories, which is twice her calorie equivalent of standard Pilates.
Strong Pilates is designed to benefit all ages.
The biggest selling point is Strong’s ability to check multiple boxes by combining strength, mobility, and cardio in a fast-paced, exhilarating way. Another thing that appeals to me, as someone who has battled many knee and back issues, is that it is low-impact and gentle on middle-aged joints.
This wide range of benefits means that Strong attracts a wide range of demographics, both in terms of age (my class ranged from 20 to 60) and gender.
Can I register more? Yes, I honestly think so. However, there are no studios near my home yet. Again, given Strong’s relentless expansion, you won’t have to wait too long.
