2014
Meet the mastermind behind Amped Fitness, CEO Travis Labazzo: “Before Amped, I was working as a loan officer in Orlando when a good friend of mine called me up to tell me about a unique opportunity in the greater Cincinnati area. Said opportunity got me my start in the fitness industry as an Assistant Training Director at Urban Active. Although it wasn’t the position of a lifetime, the promise of growth made me uproot my life without a second thought. Having zero experience in the fitness industry (besides being an athlete myself) had its challenges, but for the most part, it came to me pretty easily. From that first day, I knew I belonged in the fitness industry and I haven’t strayed since.”
2016
Owners Travis Labazzo and Stephen Thomas set down their first Amped roots right smack downtown St. Petersburg FL. They brought together passion, high-energy, and fitness in a way that has continued to take the industry by storm. The gyms that have developed since the start of their first club in Downtown St. Pete, FL prove it. 👇
2018
Just a couple of short years later, Amped Fitness had grown to over 3 clubs in Pinellas County, FL. With plans to expand to the East Coast, Amped was gaining publicity all over the Sunshine State and was starting to make the Amped Fitness brand one to remember.
2020
Fast forward a few years, Amped Fitness along with the rest of the fitness industry was hit with one of the biggest challenges they would ever face: The Covid-19 Pandemic & global shutdown of all non-essential businesses.
Travis Labazzo said: “Having our freedom completely stripped away was a reality check to say the least. We all learned that we should NEVER take our freedom for granted. We felt completely helpless watching our employee’s stress build, wondering how they were going to pay bills, make rent, etc. Not to mention knowing we had members whose mental health depended on their daily trip to the gym.
For the first time in our lives, we couldn’t out-think or work our way out of a terrible situation. The national divide driven by fear made it almost impossible to succeed or continue to grow.”
So what did they do? They played offense, and fought not only for their right to work but for their health and the health of their community. They were willing to accept the consequences of this newsworthy event, even if that meant little public ridicule. In a display of solidarity and determination, Amped Fitness organized a respectful protest outside their Pinellas Park, FL facility to shed light on the impact of extended closures on local gyms and their employees.
This fond memory cultivated a strong sense of unity within the gym and community, and once FL officially gave the green light to reopen, Amped Fitness hit the ground at full speed and hasn’t stopped since.
2022
After being hit with the effects of the Pandemic, Amped Fitness regained a sense of drive and determination. In just a couple of years post-shutdown, they have scaled to 11 NEW LOCATIONS, beginning to dominate the Southeast. As each new club was opened, new amenities were introduced and the overall look and feel was improving tremendously.
This was a huge turning point for Amped Fitness, and as they continued to grow, they knew it was time to really dial in their business practices for what they had planned (foreshadowing)
They put their heads together and introduced the industry’s newest business model, EDLP. Based on the HVLP mode and created from scratch by AF, the Experience – Design – Low Price concept incorporates world-class amenities, ultimate aesthetics, and some of the lowest prices in the industry to create an unmatched experience for members and an unmatched opportunity for future franchise owners.
This revolutionary business model was designed to redefine their member experience while maintaining an affordable pricing structure. Embracing a member-first mentality, they created a unique concept that places unparalleled guest experiences at the core of their operations, establishing a new category in the industry.
2023
In just the first two months of 2023, Amped Fitness opened the doors of its 12th & 13th locations, all of which are still corporate-owned. In the early Spring, owners Labazzo and Thomas put their heads together and made the ultimate decision to take the next step in making Amped Fitness a global success: Franchising.
They brought on former F-45 BizDev Expert & Director of Franchise Business, Matt Smith in the late Spring to help begin the process of Franchising.
A few months later, Amped Fitness is in full-throttle franchise mode, with interested individuals coming at them from all angles. In the midst of the chaos, Amped has CONTINUED to scale on the corporate side by announcing 7 more clubs, bringing the running total to 20 corporate-owned clubs (with more still in the works). If that doesn’t scream HUNGRY for growth, we aren’t sure what does.
This brings us to the present, where Amped Fitness has grown to be one of the most rapidly-expanding and well-loved gyms in the industry. They have their unique amenities and culture to thank, there’s simply nothing else like it on the market.
There’s nothing average about Amped Fitness. Nothing vanilla, nothing basic. They took their time curating a custom and irreplicable aesthetic, combining a moody atmosphere, unique LED lighting, and a passionate staff to create an experience second to none. But the culture is really what sets them miles ahead of the competition. No matter which location you step into, you’ll not only see but FEEL the difference in energy. It’s encouraging, it’s inclusive, it’s DIFFERENT.
Now, with over 70k members, 12+ years of experience, and 20 clubs (and counting) they’ve revolutionized the world of fitness in just 6 short years.
Visit one: ampedfitness.com/locations
Own one: ampedfitness.com/franchise-opportunity
See the amenities: ampedfitness.com/blog/must-try-amenities
