Les Mills and Life Fitness Announce Partnership at HFA
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
Les Mills and Life Fitness are formalizing a partnership that reflects where the fitness floor is heading next: tighter alignment between programming, equipment and overall experience.
The deal, announced at the Health & Fitness Association Trade Show in San Diego, brings together one of the industry’s most established group training providers with one of its largest equipment manufacturers. Hammer Strength is included as part of Life Fitness’ portfolio.
At a practical level, the agreement starts with cycling. Les Mills will become the official cycle content partner for Life Fitness, while Life Fitness will serve as the official bike partner for Les Mills’ cycle programs. It’s a focused entry point, but it signals a broader intent to better connect content and equipment.
That broader play is already in motion. Both companies said the partnership will extend into new products, live events and connected fitness experiences, with additional details expected in the coming months.
For operators, this points to a more bundled approach. Instead of sourcing programming and equipment separately, the goal is to deliver a more cohesive experience where the two are designed to work together from the outset.
The pairing itself is straightforward. Les Mills drives participation through structured group training content, while Life Fitness brings global scale and engineering across commercial equipment. Together, they cover two of the most important levers in member engagement: what people do and how they do it.
There’s also a timing element. As clubs continue to rethink their floors and programming mix, the pressure is on to justify space, increase usage and deliver experiences that keep members coming back. Integration is becoming more valuable than standalone offerings.
Les Mills Managing Director Phillip Mills positioned the partnership around long-term engagement and helping clubs deliver more effective workouts. Jim Pisani, CEO of Life Fitness, pointed to the opportunity to elevate training environments and create more consistent experiences at scale.
The throughline is alignment. Content, equipment and delivery are being pulled closer together.
For operators, the takeaway is less about the announcement itself and more about what it signals. The industry continues to move toward integrated solutions, where the value is in how well everything connects.
