Crunch Fitness is bringing boutique reformer Pilates into the big-box gym, launching Crunch Reform Pilates at 20 clubs across eight US states beginning in July 2026. The move plants one of the high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym sector’s largest brands squarely inside the fastest-growing category in fitness, and signals where mainstream operators believe the next wave of member demand is heading.
Crunch Reform Pilates is a dedicated, instructor-led reformer studio built inside existing Crunch clubs, combining hands-on coaching with integrated lighting, sound, reformer machines and digital programming screens. The first studios open in California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado and Michigan, with more sites planned based on member response.
Crunch Reform Pilates is a reformer-based Pilates studio concept embedded within Crunch’s full-service gyms. Rather than spinning off a standalone boutique, Crunch is layering a premium modality on top of its existing low-cost membership base — letting members access reformer classes without the standalone-studio price tag.
The format leans on the same equipment and atmospheric cues that define dedicated studios: reformer machines, mood lighting, sound design and on-screen programming, paired with live instruction. It is designed to feel approachable to first-timers while still delivering the resistance training experienced Pilates clients expect, echoing the resistance-and-barre crossover seen in Pure Barre’s reintroduced Reform class.
Because Pilates is now the most-reserved workout in the country. Pilates leads class reservations in every region according to ClassPass data, and that demand has spilled well beyond boutique studios into mainstream gyms hunting for higher-margin, differentiated offerings.
“The demand for Pilates has evolved far beyond the boutiques,” said Jake McLendon, Crunch vice president of group fitness.
Crunch is not alone. Rival HVLP operator Vasa Fitness recently added reformer classes to its Studio boutique lineup, while Amped Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and World Gym have all invested in Pilates. The trend tracks a broader convergence of boutique modalities and value-priced gyms — a dynamic explored in Club Pilates’ studio business model and across the global boutique fitness expansion landscape.
The launch reflects a maturing supply chain. The concept builds on a December 2025 move by CR Fitness, a top Crunch franchisee, which announced a dedicated reformer Pilates studio at its $12 million club in McKinney, Texas. Equipment-and-content firms report a surge of operator interest as HVLP gyms race to add reformers at scale.
For operators in fast-growing wellness markets, Crunch Reform Pilates is a useful template: it shows how a value-priced gym brand can capture premium boutique demand without launching a separate concept or doubling real-estate costs. In markets across the Gulf and Southeast Asia — where reformer Pilates is still early but accelerating — the hybrid “studio-inside-the-gym” model offers a capital-efficient way to monetize the same category that is driving standalone studio growth. As the boutique-versus-big-box line blurs, the brands that win are likely to be those that can offer both experiences under one membership.
Source: Athletech News — Crunch Fitness Launches Reformer Pilates Concept at Gyms Nationwide
