Los Angeles Sets the Bar for Fitness & Pilates, Per The Fit Guide
The Fit Guide expected Los Angeles to perform well in delivering a five-star fitness experience — but even they were surprised by how brightly it shined. So, what can other cities learn from LA studios?
The Fit Guide (TFG), an independent rating system for the fitness industry, has circled the globe since its 2023 launch, anonymously evaluating top boutique gyms and studios in New York City, London, Sydney and Dubai — but its latest launch in Los Angeles earned the highest scores yet while it leads the pack when in Pilates.
TFG rates clubs across five categories—reception, facilities, group class experience, public areas and digital and technology offerings—scoring each location against more than 250 objective standards to ensure consistency and fairness.
Los Angeles, however, earned an average score of 87.6% across all clubs evaluated, topping the global average of 80.5%.
“We expected LA to score well, but we were genuinely surprised by just how high the results came in,” The Fit Guide co-founder Jack Thomas said. “The city has a reputation for great hospitality, strong personality and standout design—and our first year of evaluations really reflected that.”
The City of Angels is home to ten clubs that earned The Fit Guide 5-Star Award and 12 that received the 5-Star Class Experience Award, with TFG recognizing Los Angeles for having the best branding and design elements globally.
TFG’s 2025 Los Angeles 5-Star Award Winners (its top award for the overall experience) includes the following studios:
● Solidcore, Santa Monica
● Bunda, Santa Monica
● Circuit Works Santa Monica
● CycleBar, Culver City
● Orangetheory, Brentwood
● Pilatesmith, Culver City
● Pvolve, West Hollywood
● Speir Pilates, Venice
● TruFusion, West Hollywood
● Vibe Cycle, Hollywood Hills
Award of Excellence Winners include:
● Aviator Nation Ride, Santa Monica
● Barry’s, West Hollywood
● BFT, Santa Monica
● BoxUnion, Sherman Oaks
● Burn, Brentwood
● Camp, Santa Monica
● Carrie’s Pilates Plus, West Hollywood
● F45, Santa Monica
● Rumble Boxing, WeHo
● SoulCycle, Brentwood
● Sweat Yoga, Santa Monica
● The Bar Method, Studio City
● The Studio (MDR), Playa Vista
● Y7 Studio, Silver Lake
Los Angeles also claimed the top spot for sales and revenue generation and outperformed all other cities in Pilates, earning an average score of 88.1% compared to the global average of 77.6%. The city saw four Pilates studios taking home TFG’s 5-Star Award. According to TFG, the only other Pilates concept worldwide to score its highest award was Vaura Pilates in Sydney.
“Pilates is booming worldwide, with an explosion of new studios and concepts in recent years,” Thomas tells Athletech News. “But our research shows that while many clubs have invested heavily in design and high-end fit-outs, too often they miss the mark on hospitality and member experience. LA’s Pilates scene stood out as an exception—care for first-timers and beginners, along with genuine efforts to connect and personalize the experience, all scored very well.”
Los Angeles also stood out for its ability to close the deal, underscoring its strength in sales from understanding a client’s needs to clearly displaying a price list, steps consistently missed in every other city TFG has visited, co-founder Matt Lavender tells ATN.
“From our conversations with club owners and managers, it’s clear that many boutique studios still lack a strong sales process and a positive attitude towards selling,” he added. “That’s why it was encouraging to see LA perform better in this area—it’s an important step for the financial health of the industry.”
The sunny city also shined for its spotless facilities, earning the highest cleanliness scores globally and nearly perfect marks across all visits. Similarly, its reception services were on point, averaging 79.8% compared to the global average of 73.7%.
Three areas of improvement for LA-area operators? Offering showers, as the city had the lowest percentage of clubs with them at just 63.3% and providing exercise modifications, with only 69.2% of instructors offering alternatives for injuries or inexperience—the lowest global score in that category. Instructor punctuality is another area in need of attention, with LA scoring the lowest worldwide.
Next up for TFG is Miami, where the independent rating system will conduct its round of evaluations later this year in pursuit of the world’s best fitness experiences. TFG then plans to revisit London, Singapore, Sydney and Dubai.