STRONG Pilates has launched CONNECT, a new in-studio technology platform that integrates tablets with the fitness franchise’s proprietary Rowformer and Bikeformer machines, as the Australian-founded company prepares for further expansion of the system across its international network.
The technology is being introduced in two phases, beginning in Australia and the United States, with a second phase planned for later this year that will add expanded data capabilities, deeper technology integration and a global rollout.
Technology and personalization
CONNECT is designed to deliver workout programming from a central system directly to equipment in STRONG studios, removing manual setup requirements and standardizing class delivery across the network. The system also creates a foundation for more personalized, real-time feedback, with additional features planned for the second phase.
The platform’s integrated tablets introduce STRONG Zones, a performance-feedback system that displays individual intensity ranges based on each member’s workout output. Colour-coded zones are intended to provide real-time coaching information while the system retains previous performance data to help inform future sessions.
STRONG co-founder and chief executive officer Michael Ramsey said the technology reflects the company’s focus on using innovation to change how its studios operate and how instructors work with members.
“We’re a brand built on innovation, always looking for ways to elevate STRONG’s member experience, streamline operations and better equip our instructors to deliver exceptional coaching,” he said.
Ramsey said the launch represents a significant development for the company as it continues expanding its studio network and technology platform.
“CONNECT is the next evolution of STRONG. We’ve been building towards this for years, and seeing it come to life across our studios is a milestone for our business. It pushes the brand forward in a way the industry hasn’t seen before and sets a new standard for boutique fitness globally. Over the next year, we will be introducing even more features that will completely transform the member experience,” he said.
Second phase planned
The second phase of CONNECT, scheduled for later this year, will add deeper technology integration and expanded data capabilities before being rolled out globally across STRONG’s international network.
The company also plans to introduce a rewards platform that will recognize member milestones and record lifetime performance metrics within the system. Another planned feature will allow workouts to be assigned level-based goals and assess members according to age, gender and fitness levels, placing them in categories called STRONG, STRONGER or SUPERHUMAN.
Members will receive real-time recognition as they reach their workout goals, while enhanced performance information will be used to tailor training zones to individual characteristics and training efforts.
Nic Davidson, STRONG Pilates’ head of technology, led development of CONNECT and said the system is intended to make workouts more consistent while tracking individual performance.
“CONNECT has been built to deliver a streamlined, consistent experience for our members, challenging them at every workout,” he said.
Davidson said the technology is also intended to automate processes for studios while giving members more information about their performance.
“We’ve created technology that automates complex work processes and tracks individual performance metrics so members can continue exceeding their benchmarks. This is the most advanced innovation for STRONG to date and will set a new standard for personalised member training. Wait until you see what Phase Two will bring,” he said.
Standardized studio experience
CONNECT’s first and second phases include wireless workout synchronization with STRONG TV, which displays the current class in instructional order and is designed to eliminate manual uploads and member navigation.
The system also standardizes workout metrics across STRONG equipment, allowing the company to use the same measurement approach across its studios. Members will receive immediate post-workout performance summaries, while instructors will have studio-wide visibility into intensity levels through the STRONG Zones system.
Phase Two will expand the system’s personalized STRONG Zones by using individual training efforts to establish colour-coded intensity ranges. The enhanced metrics will take age, gender and fitness level into account when calibrating training zones.
CONNECT will also retain members’ performance information from individual sessions through its Performance Memory feature. The company says the data will be used to measure progress over time.
The planned Milestone Recognition feature will add an integrated rewards system to recognize milestones and lifetime metrics in workout summaries and highlight goals in real time as they are reached or exceeded.
STRONG said all instructors will receive training through the STRONG Academy to support consistent delivery of the new system.
Global expansion
STRONG Pilates was co-founded by Ramsey and Mark Armstrong in 2019. The Australian-founded fitness format combines Pilates, cardio and strength training through its Rowformer and Bikeformer equipment, which incorporates a rower or bike with a Reformer.
The company says it now has more than 47,000 members worldwide and more than 117 operating studios across 14 countries, with a further 200 studios confirmed to open.
The initial CONNECT rollout in Australia and the United States will be followed by the planned Phase Two expansion later this year, extending the technology across STRONG’s growing international studio network.
In an interview with Retail Insider, Ramsey spoke about the latest developments with the company.
Question: What business objectives is STRONG Pilates hoping to achieve with the launch of CONNECT, particularly in terms of member retention, engagement and studio growth?
Answer: At its core, CONNECT is about making the STRONG Pilates experience more personalized for the member and more scalable for the business.
One of the challenges with traditional group fitness is that you can have 20 people in a room with 20 different fitness levels, but they’re essentially given the same performance target. CONNECT allows us to move away from that. Through STRONG Zones, real-time performance feedback and eventually personalized benchmarks based on a member’s previous training, we can give people a clearer understanding of how hard they should be working and whether they’re progressing.
From a retention perspective, that matters because people are more likely to stay engaged when they can see their progress. CONNECT creates that feedback loop: what did I achieve today, how does that compare with my previous sessions and what am I working toward next? Phase Two will build on that with personalized fitness levels, milestones and rewards.
For STRONG, another major objective is scalability. CONNECT creates one technological and programming standard across the network, so as we open studios in new markets, we can maintain much greater consistency in how a STRONG class is delivered. That becomes increasingly important as you go from 100 studios to several hundred globally.
Q: How much has STRONG Pilates invested in developing CONNECT, and how does the company expect the technology to affect studio operating costs and instructor efficiency?
A: In terms of development costs, the project is ongoing. The Connect tablet is like an iPhone that can updated on an ongoing basis so there are no fixed costs, it’s something that will continually be developed year on year. Previously, instructors and studio teams had a number of manual steps involved in setting up programming and equipment for classes. CONNECT delivers programming directly through the integrated tablets on our Rowformers and Bikeformers and wirelessly syncs the workout with STRONG TV, removing much of that manual setup. That gives instructors more time to focus on the part of the job technology can’t replace: coaching, motivating members and creating energy in the room. It also gives them better visibility into how members are performing, so rather than spending the class constantly communicating generalized effort cues, they can provide more targeted coaching.
As STRONG Pilates scales, those efficiencies become increasingly valuable. If we can simplify class delivery while improving consistency and coaching quality at the same time, that’s a meaningful operational advantage for both existing and new franchisees.
Q: What data will CONNECT collect from members, how will that information be used to personalize workouts, and what measures are in place to protect members’ privacy?
A: By the end of 2026 (phase 2), CONNECT will be able to track individual training efforts across sessions and retain performance history, allowing members to see their progress over time and giving instructors more context to tailor their coaching.
During class, STRONG Zones translate effort into a simple colour-coded display, so members can understand in real time whether they’re training at the intended intensity. Phase Two will take that personalization further, with training ranges calibrated using factors including a member’s age, gender, fitness level and previous efforts.
Our goal is to use technology to make group fitness more individual. You’re still getting the energy and community of a STRONG Pilates class, but the benchmark you’re working toward becomes personalized to you. Members can then be rewarded based off their performance i.e. if they hit a personal best on the rower or bike, or achieve a streak of classes with 90-100% effort, they will receive prizes and incentives to keep improving and becoming a stronger version of themselves.
Members’ privacy is important, the data will sit in a secure data warehouse where STRONG users can access their information only, ensuring they feel safe and comfortable on their own fitness journey.
Q: With more than 124 operating studios and another 200 confirmed to open, how important is CONNECT to STRONG Pilates’ strategy for maintaining a consistent member experience as the franchise expands internationally?
A: It’s hugely important. When you’re operating 10 or 20 STRONG Pilates studios, it’s easier to maintain consistency through hands-on oversight. But as you scale across 14 countries, with more than 200 additional studios confirmed to open, you need the right systems in place to ensure that same STRONG experience is delivered consistently across every location.
CONNECT gives us that infrastructure. Programming can be delivered centrally and directly to the equipment, performance metrics are standardized across machines, and instructors are working within the same system regardless of whether the studio is in Melbourne, Toronto, London or New York.
For me as a founder, that’s incredibly important. I don’t want growth to dilute the experience that made people want to join STRONG in the first place. Technology should allow us to grow without compromising that experience.
It also makes innovation much more scalable. As we develop new programming or features, we have a connected network through which we can introduce them consistently rather than asking hundreds of individual studios to implement them independently.
Q: What does Phase Two add to CONNECT, and how will features such as personalized fitness levels, performance tracking and milestone rewards change the way members train and interact with the STRONG Pilates brand?
A: Phase Two will build on CONNECT by making the experience even more personalized and giving members more ways to understand and celebrate their progress. Members will be able to work toward individualized performance targets based on factors including age, gender and fitness level, with their progress reflected through STRONG, STRONGER and SUPERHUMAN levels. The system will also track longer-term performance and recognize achievements and milestones, both during workouts and over time, creating a clearer sense of progression and giving members more reasons to stay motivated and engaged.
That means we’re moving beyond looking at workouts as isolated 45-minute sessions and giving members a longer-term view of what they’re achieving.
That’s important because fitness isn’t really about what you did on one Tuesday morning; it’s about what you’re able to do after three months, six months or a year of consistent training. CONNECT gives us a way to make that progress visible and rewarding.
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