EXCLUSIVE: CorePower Yoga Launches First New Class in More Than a Decade, Plans for Growth in 2023
On Jan. 9, CorePower Yoga will launch its first new fitness class format in more than a decade: CorePower Strength X. The 45-minute class implements high-intensity strength training, using techniques from both high-intensity interval training and Tabata.
The goal with the new format is to diversify its consumer base to attract more male and nonbinary people — currently 80 percent of its consumers are female — and expand its offerings, as it adds 500 classes a week nationwide.
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“With the mainstreaming of the concept of mindfulness and the spotlight on the importance of mental health as part of an overall wellness commitment by individuals, we think the time is ripe to really go after consumers who don’t identify as women… We have a commitment and a strategy that we’ve been working on over the last couple of years on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. This is part of that, opening up our doors to a more inclusive yoga and fitness experience,” said Niki Leondakis, CEO of CorePower Yoga. “As we increase our student base and as we become broader in who that student base is, it’ll absolutely contribute to further geographic expansion.”
The company, which is marking its 20th anniversary this year, expects the CorePower Strength X launch to increase new student trials by 40 percent this January, translating to 25,000 new CorePower Yoga visitors. It is also expected to increase the company’s overall member community by 10 percent.
With circuit training, heavier weights, plyometric cardio, muscle group focus, resistance bands, and longer core and cardio sessions, CorePower Strength X brings a new type of workout to the studio.
“It was created as a way to help people train both the body and the mind through strength, cardio, and HIIT style elements, while creating an accessible pathway for students to incorporate yoga into their movement practice,” said Leondakis.
The new class format also aims to differentiate CorePower Yoga from its competitors.
“We have a position in the marketplace that’s very differentiated from other boutique fitness competitors. We have one leg in strength-building, one leg in performance-oriented fitness, and then one leg deeply rooted in the yoga world,” said Leondakis. “The unique value proposition of breath, movement and strength-building isn’t really replicated anywhere.”
The introduction of CorePower Strength X comes on the heels of CorePower Yoga’s ongoing commitment to modernize the business, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2020, the brand appointed Leondakis, formerly of Equinox Fitness Clubs, as CEO. Since then, the company, which was acquired by TSG in 2019, has implemented several new initiatives to modernize and expand the business, including a streamlined omnichannel booking platform, new POS systems in-studio, gender-neutral bathrooms and locker rooms and the application of customer data and predictive analytics to create personalized experiences.
While in-studio class attendance hasn’t reached pre-pandemic levels, CorePower Yoga, which says it is the largest yoga studio brand in the U.S. with more than 220 locations across 22 states, is aggressively expanding. In 2022, it opened seven new studios, with four new locations scheduled to open in the first quarter of this year. The brand enrolled 170,000 new members in-studio in 2022, while also homing in on its digital presence to expand its reach with on-demand and livestream classes.
