Master Franchisee Has High Hopes for BFT, ‘Back to Basics’ Fitness in Europe
Tage Flugeim, who was the first to take Barry’s outside the United States, is betting big on BFT, the group strength and conditioning brand owned by Xponential Fitness
Tage Flugeim, the fitness entrepreneur credited with launching the first Barry’s outside of Los Angeles, in Norway, is now expanding Xponential Fitness’ Body Fit Training (BFT) brand in Scandinavia following a master franchise agreement that will see the establishment of up to 50 studios.
Since its inception in Melbourne, Australia, in 2017, BFT has landed athlete franchisees such as Tim Paine, Robbie Farah and the Aubusson brothers, and hit a milestone in March 2024 with the opening of its 300th studio.
Xponenital Fitness acquired the boutique strength and conditioning brand in 2021 and has big plans to scale it in North America, but BFT is making headway across the globe, including in Europe.
Flugeim is eager to expand upon that success, overseeing operations for a trio of flagship BFT locations in Norway, Denmark and Sweden that will serve as a successful model for future locations across the Scandinavian region.
“The first part of the plan is to get these three flagship studios open within a year, or as soon as possible — one in Oslo, one in Copenhagen and one in Stockholm,” Flugeim tells ATN, adding that BFT’s Oslo location has targeted late October for its opening.
After those three initial locations are established, Flugeim plans to build partnerships and attract sub-franchisees with the goal of opening 20 studios in the first five years and 40-50 BFT studios across Norway, Denmark and Sweden within ten years.
Hungry for Boutique Fitness
BFT’s coach-led, 50-minute group strength and conditioning classes provide a fitness experience that Flugeim says is ideal for the Nordic markets, and he’s confident that it will resonate with fitness consumers as he takes what he’s learned from his 15 years developing the HIIT-based Barry’s in the Scandinavian market.
“When we opened Barry’s in Norway, there was really no one else like us, so we had to teach the population what boutique fitness was, and that’s a whole different story now,” Flugeim says. “And also, franchising wasn’t that common in Scandinavia, especially in the fitness industry back then. Now it’s much more normal. But still, we don’t have that many brands.”
Ideal franchise partners range from personal trainers who want to advance their career by opening their own studio — “BFT would be perfect for those (individuals),” Flugeim says — to business partners who are thinking on a grand scale and may pursue an agreement for the Southern part of Sweden, for example.
“Right now, my doors are open for everyone who wants to talk,” Flugeim adds.
‘Back to Basics’ Approach Resonates With Consumers
The entrepreneur believes BFT’s systematic approach to scientific, progression-based and strength-focused workouts separates it from the boutique fitness pack. It’s also what attracted him to the concept in the first place.
“A lot of brands tend to go in that ‘nightclub direction’ — like red lights, DJ, champagne,” Flugeim points out.
In contrast, he says BFT is more “back to basics,” with a focus on the workout without all the extras.
“I can really see a place in the market for this right now,” Flugeim says. “Over twenty percent of the population in Sweden and Denmark are members of a health club of some sort, and health is really high on the agenda at the moment.”
