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Home » Fitness » Unite Fitness Is Turning the 23rd Street Armory into a Huge Socially-Distanced Gym – Philadelphia magazine

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The local boutique fitness studio is transforming the 14,000-square-foot building into a group workout space for 24 attendees at a time.

Unite Fitness will be turning the 23rd Street Armory into a huge gym. | Photo courtesy Unite Fitness.

This past year has been, to say the least, a challenging time for Phillys previously thriving fitness scene. Were seeing beloved stalwart studios sadly close, national brands declare bankruptcy, new ones open, and the ones that remain afloat trying new tactics to remain nimble, hoping to somehow keep their businesses going while also keeping their members healthy.

One such new tactic comes from Unite Fitness, a fixture on the Philly fitness scene since it was founded by Gavin McKay in 2007. Unite specializes in energetic HIIT workouts that provide a mix of cardio, strength and recovery training. Before the pandemic, their studios were full of fun perks like cold brew coffee and kombucha on tap, plush towel service, and sweet-smelling shower products for after your sweat session.

But the perks (a smart add-on to compete with those offered by chain HIIT competitors like Barrys and EverybodyFights) werent what kept people coming back; the homegrown brand has a cadre of enthusiastic instructors and devoted members that have been training with them for over a decade.

Like all fitness studios, Unite has been trying to adapt and survive since the spread of COVID-19. To stay safe, theyve been offering virtual classes through their live and on-demand platform, which launched in late summer, as well as outdoor classes in locations around the city. And now, theyre trying a (quite large) new tactic. As of October, theyre taking over the 14,000 square feet of the 23rd Street Armory, so that they can provide safe, socially distant workouts in a new location as the seasons change.

The 23rd Street Armory (22 South 23rd Street) is usually host to large entertainment events and weddings. Whats particularly interesting about this space is that its classified as an indoor and outdoor event space its got two huge doors and multiple industrial vents. That means the guidelines theyre adhering to are for outdoor gatherings which is why they can manage and promote 24 people per class instead of ten people per class, the city-mandated requirement for indoor workouts in small boutique fitness studios. Its also likely a mutually beneficial agreement between Unite and the Armory, since large weddings are not the order of the day in coronavirus times.

The HIIT strength classes will consist of a strength series, paired with HIIT cardio bursts similar to our Unite Pump classes when we were in the studio, explains Mark Donohue, Unites director of branding and marketing. Unite is not moving in its typical treadmills and spin bikes to the Armory just yet but they hope to down the line, Donohue says.

In addition to the inherent airflow benefits of the space, Unite is taking the following measures to ensure safety and adherence to all local, state and national health ordinances:

Our team has worked tirelessly since the start of the pandemic to bring the safest, most effective workout possible to our members no matter what the format, said McKay, founder of Unite. If youre a member (or want to become one) you can look for their classes at the Armory starting October 1st. Get more information about membership, class pricing and the schedule here.

As our fitness brands continue to face changing norms and unprecedented challenges, theyre continuing to look for new ways to evolve Unites latest move is just one more example of that evolution. And weve got to hand it to them it seems like a pretty brilliant move to us.

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Unite Fitness Is Turning the 23rd Street Armory into a Huge Socially-Distanced Gym - Philadelphia magazine

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Home » Fitness » Unite Fitness Is Turning the 23rd Street Armory into a Huge Socially-Distanced Gym – Philadelphia magazine