CHICAGO — LA Fitness is taking over XSport Fitness gyms, putting nine Chicago locations under different management starting Tuesday.
XSport members got the news late last week via email from Capital Fitness Inc., XSport’s parent company.
“Capital Fitness Inc (XSport Fitness) has made the decision to exit the health and fitness club business,” the email to club members reads. “As a result, we will be transitioning the operation of our clubs, including your home club, to Fitness International, LLC, doing business as ‘LA Fitness,’ effective July 16, 2024.”
LA Fitness will honor XSport memberships and will collect dues “in the same amount as before,” according to the email. Memberships with access to one club will be unchanged while members with access to multiple clubs also will be able to go to any LA Fitness-branded nationwide, according to the email.
XSport and LA Fitness did not return requests for further comment.
The announcement does not specify if any gyms will close. XSport operates nine gyms within Chicago, and LA Fitness operates 10. The deal will put nearby gyms under the same management, including LA Fitness’ Foster Avenue gym and XSport’s Elston Avenue location on the Northwest Side, as well as the East Lakeview gyms and South Loop locations.
Some XSport members are concerned the acquisition could result in slashed hours. XSport’s Chicago locations operate 24/7 while local LA Fitness gyms close between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. weekdays and earlier on weekends.
North Park resident Matt Rago works two jobs and worries his gym coming under the LA Fitness banner could mean less flexibility, he said.
“I think it’s unfortunate,” Rago said. “The 24-hour model is imperative to a lot of people, especially people with multiple jobs or jobs that are relatively demanding.”
Belmont Cragin resident Omar Vega also relies on the 24-7 model, hitting up his local XSport around 1 a.m. after he gets out of his bartending shift. He hopes the LA Fitness takeover will mean XSport gets a makeover.
“Anyone who goes to XSport can tell you they don’t have the best equipment or maybe their equipment is not working or needs to be worked on or is even missing,” Vega said.
The club handover means LA Fitness is continuing its expansion in the fitness industry.
In a $153 million deal in 2011, the company acquired 171 clubs, including 27 in Illinois, from the Chicago-based Bally Total Fitness. The following year, LA Fitness acquired two smaller clubs, Urban Active and Lifestyle Family Fitness Clubs.
Despite that growth, one expert said LA Fitness is hardly gaining a monopoly on the fitness club sector.
“The fact is, the fitness category, like the athletic footwear category, is enormous,” said Joe Pellegrini, a managing director at financial services firm Baird, focusing on the fitness and wellness sector. “My gut tells me that L.A. Fitness wouldn’t be pursuing this if they didn’t think it was a quality asset or an asset that had attributes that matched what they do very well.”
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