1. LA Fitness just turned 30!

When the first LA Fitness first opened its doors, things were quite different. Cardio machines were basic, displays were simple, and there were no machine-mounted TV screens. Women donned leotards, tights and leg warmers as their preferred workout apparel, men often wore thigh-exposing spandex, short shorts, tank shirts or singlets, and pretty much everybody sported sweatbands on both their head and wrists. The year was 1984, and since then the trends, science, equipment and, yes, even the fashion of fitness have changed.

LA Fitness, too, has evolved drastically in ways we couldn’t even imagine back then…

During the 80’s…

2. The very first LA Fitness was built in Covina, Los Angeles County, California in 1984.
3. Our first logo looked like this.
4. TVs looked like this and were not convenient for placing anywhere in fitness centers, let alone on equipment.Today, many of our cardio pieces feature flat screen LCD TVs.
   
5. The first ever Group Fitness class at LA Fitness was held on a racquetball court. Instructors wheeled in a record player on a cart to help members dance their way into shape.
6. When LA Fitness first opened in 1984, racquetball was at its height in popularity, along with tube socks. Today, racquetball “shoot outs,” or tournaments, are still held at LA Fitness clubs across the United States and Canada.
7. Later in the 80s, we added some color to our logo.
   
8. By the end of the decade, there were 11 total LA Fitness locations open.

In the 90’s…

9. In the 90s, our logo changed again.
10. People began to kick, step and pedal their way to fitness! Kickboxing, step class and cycling skyrocketed in popularity in the 90’s and became a regular part of the Group Fitness class schedule.
11. The elliptical wasn’t even around yet! For cardio, you only had treadmills, stationary bikes and a step machine.
12. LA Fitness branched out of “The Golden State”! Our first club outside of California was a club we acquired in 1993 in Chandler Arizona. Four years later LA Fitness entered “The Sunshine State” when we acquired our first Florida club in Coral Springs in 1997.
13. Who said the 90’s didn’t have style? In 1998, the first design for the modern LA Fitness club that you’re so familiar with was put into place in Ahwatukee, Arizona. The design and layout have been the model for all LA Fitness clubs to this day.
14. The cassette players were out, and so were cassette tapes. The 90’s were the era during which CD’s reigned and the portable CD player dominated. Every time you entered a club, it seemed like more and more people had a portable CD player on them to boost their workout intensity.
15. By the end of the 90’s, our logo looked like this.
16. At the end of the millennium, there were 38 LA Fitness locations open.

Into the new millennium, the 2000’s…

17. ENTER the mighty ELLIPTICAL machine! We started offering elliptical trainers to our members in the early 2000’s and people with squeaky knees breathed a sigh of relief. Elliptical trainers can now be found at almost every LA Fitness location.
18. The century mark was hit as the 100th LA Fitness was opened in Winter Park, Florida.
19. LA Fitness went international in 2007! The first club outside of the U.S was acquired in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, Canada.
20. By the year 2010, LA Fitness had expanded to 325 locations.

Today…

21. Our logo is sleek and modern, but who knows what it will look like in 30 more years…
22. Technology has evolved dramatically! You can now use your smartphone to listen to your own personalized music, keep track of your progress and even to check-in to the club.
23. LA Fitness offers over 1.2 million Group Fitness classes every year…only these classes don’t use record players. They have music stations that allow instructors to personalize their playlists for every class.
24. The growth continues! Today there are over 600 LA Fitness clubs with more on the way.

Do you have a fun “#ThrowBackThursday”experience at LA Fitness you’d like to share? Leave a story in the comment box below with your fun experiences over the years at LA Fitness.

Be on the lookout for your chance to win an official LA Fitness 30th Anniversary T-Shirt!