Australia’s fastest growing fitness franchise has got some fierce competition

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The Australian fitness industry is now worth $2.4 billion - and a big chunk of that is because of our fastest growing fitness chain, F45. The cult-like franchise revealed to news.com.au that, as of last year, it had made a whopping $620 million in revenue based on a formula that has even attracted US actor Mark Wahlberg. The self-described “fitness enthusiast” took a minority stake in the franchise, which naturally helped boost the brands profile. He had reached out to Aussie F45 CEO Rob Deutsch after “falling in love with the concept” in November last year when he took his first class.

And now F45’s sights are set on further global domination. “Our core focus is to continue global expansion and break into new markets, particularly in the US where he hopes to hit 10,000 studios,” Deutsch told news.com.au. April saw F45 launch its newest model, Prodigy — a specially designed high interval training (HIT) program for kids between 11-17 years of age. Deutsch confirmed that they’re currently selling around fifty F45 franchises a month globally. He said this is expected to grow to 70 to 80 a month by end of this year, taking it to more than 2,000 franchises globally. It’s safe to say F45’s reign isn’t over just yet, but with plenty of fierce contenders disrupting the industry — anything is possible.

Zadi is one of Australia’s newest boutique female-only gyms and despite having only been open for 11 months, its expected to turnover apprimately $600,000 by the end of the year. It was launched by Fernwood personal trainer and mum-of-two Adala Bolto, whose unique idea is now backed by her former employer. Zadi Training, which bills itself as “a movement of badass babes who get s**t done” is a mix between CrossFit and a nightclub — without the champagne. She wanted a gym that targeted millennial women and high-quality training but that was also fun and funky.

In 2017, she pitched the concept to Fernwood chief executive Diana Williams, who agreed to back her. The pair co-founded Zadi in June last year with a studio in Sydney’s Surry Hills, followed by Neutral Bay in November. Neutral Bay is estimated to be at capacity by the end of this month, and both locations have been growing on 20 per cent average month on month They are receiving inquiries every week from people interested in franchising with an estimated 95 per cent of members who are attending, achieving fast results. Zadi is set up as a female only “nightclub” with all workouts developed by Exercise Scientist Damien Kelly. They have also partnered with TechnoGym to create bespoke technology to help franchisees roll out the programs easily, and clients track their results.