XSport Fitness

XSport Fitness is a former regional health club brand that operated large, full‑service gyms anchored by cardio and strength equipment, group exercise, personal training, and amenities such as pools, basketball courts, tanning, and childcare in select locations. The company focused on busy suburban and urban trade areas, often taking space in or near regional malls, power centers, and mixed‑use projects in core Midwestern and Mid‑Atlantic corridors.

The brand was founded in 1997, when entrepreneur Steven Rayman and his partners began opening big‑box fitness clubs under the XSport Fitness name around Chicago. Through the 2000s, XSport expanded into New York and the Washington, DC region, building a presence on Long Island and in Northern Virginia. By the mid‑2010s it had grown into a recognizable regional chain with dozens of locations and a reputation for 24‑hour access at many sites, competitive membership pricing, and a wide range of add‑on services including personal training, spa offerings, and in‑club retail.

As the model matured, XSport concentrated its portfolio in three main clusters: the Chicago metro area, New York and Long Island, and the Washington, DC / Northern Virginia suburbs. Its clubs typically filled large second‑generation anchor and junior‑anchor boxes or sizable inline spaces, supported by prominent signage, ample parking, and high interior volumes that could accommodate mezzanines and open training floors. This approach allowed the chain to backfill big boxes, extend operating hours, and consistently pull daily traffic from both commuters and nearby residents.

The COVID‑19 pandemic put sustained pressure on the fitness industry, and XSport responded by pruning its portfolio, closing weaker units and exiting select leases. A major turning point came in 2024, when Fitness International LLC, the parent of LA Fitness, acquired XSport Fitness. Following the acquisition, many former XSport locations were rebranded as LA Fitness clubs and are now commonly identified on consumer platforms as “LA Fitness – formerly XSport Clubs.” As of November 2025, XSport no longer operates as an independent gym banner and its legacy clubs function within the broader LA Fitness network under the Fitness International umbrella.

Over roughly the last five years, XSport’s story has shifted from regional growth to integration. The chain moved from a stand‑alone operator of big‑box health clubs to a portfolio absorbed into one of the country’s largest fitness platforms. For landlords and developers in the former XSport trade areas of Chicago, New York / Long Island, and Washington, DC / Northern Virginia, future decisions on renewals, relocations, and new club development are now made through the LA Fitness / Fitness International real estate program. The history of how XSport occupied large boxes, used signage and parking, and attracted recurring member traffic continues to inform backfill and repositioning strategies, but the tenant of record in these corridors is now LA Fitness rather than XSport.