Global personal training company Ultimate Performance has expanded its footprint in Los Angeles with the opening of a new private gym in Santa Monica.
The new outlet is located at 732-734 Montana Avenue, the space the Medley pharmacy once occupied, before it closed in February 2023. Despite acquiring the space some time ago, it only opened on Friday after being delayed by the permitting process with the City of Santa Monica.
“I think we've had [that space] for a long time, over a year … maybe a year and a half. The build out didn't take that long, but the permitting, as per the city of Santa Monica, is a different beast. So that was really the thing that slowed us down,” says Emily Schofield, Los Angeles Regional Manager.
This new outlet joins another new opening in Century City, marking the company’s third and fourth locations in the city. Ultimate Performance already operates gyms in Brentwood and West Hollywood. In fact, the Brentwood gym was the company’s very first foray into the US in 2018.
Founded in London in 2009, Ultimate Performance has grown into an international fitness brand with 27 locations across eight countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Australia and Singapore.
“We typically operate in fairly affluent areas because our program is designed for people that usually have intensive careers and they want a program that's just like, maximum results, minimum time, right? That's our kind of, our slogan,” Schofield says.
This is not a gym where one simply walks in and starts working out. By signing up, sessions are arranged so that you’re under constant, one-on-one supervision from a personal trainer. Hence, there are never more than a handful of gym goers inside and there is never any wait time for any of the machines. Moreover, the instruction goes beyond the four walls of the gym itself as nutritional and dietary guidance is also included and advice on “lifestyle adjustment” in order to achieve personal fitness goals.
“We work very closely with our clients on and off the gym floor to make that happen,” Schofield says, adding, “Usually, the client comes in for a consultation and they talk to us about what their goals are and what they're looking to achieve. We then pair them with a trainer that we feel like is the right fit for them … and then we facilitate and coordinate that between the client and the trainer to a [determined] schedule with us.”
Continuing the somewhat specialized format, one doesn’t purchase an annual membership or anything like that, the instruction comes in the form of a package of sessions, each lasting one hour. The smallest package on offer is 18 sessions.
Ultimate Performance emphasizes client results over volume, compensating trainers based on outcomes rather than the number of sessions delivered and the company reports its average client trains 2.7 hours per week.
The new gyms are outfitted with custom fitness equipment, including Watson Pro dumbbells and Atlantis machines, and are designed to reflect what the company calls its “next generation” of facilities. There are also plans to expand into the adjacent space formerly occupied by Menchie's Frozen Yogurt.
“We've just put out advertising over the windows and we intend to build out that space. We just wanted to get the pharmacy space done first, and then could start working on that space,” Schofield says.
The company has worked with several high-profile clients, including actors Glen Powell, Olivia Colman, and Lamorne Morris. It also plans to expand its North American footprint, with eyes on opening 20 gyms in the US in the next five years.
“We’re probably going to expand more through California and through Los Angeles, but we haven't got any actual sites confirmed yet,” she says.
Check out ultimateperformance.com for more information.
