Solidcore
Solidcore is a United States fitness company known for high-intensity, Pilates-inspired strength-training classes using custom-built reformer machines.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Solidcore, stylised as [solidcore], is a United States boutique fitness company headquartered in Rosslyn, Virginia. Founded by Anne Mahlum in Washington, D.C., in 2013, the brand built its identity around demanding, full-body strength-training sessions performed on a custom-built reformer machine. Although its method is Pilates-inspired, Solidcore presents the workout primarily as a strength and muscular-endurance system rather than as a conventional Pilates studio format. The company opened its first studio in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Its early operations were modest, including a period in which the business was run from Mahlum's home in Northwest D.C. The studio concept was designed around controlled, slow and sustained movements that keep muscles under tension for extended periods. Classes typically combine a core-focused warm-up with sequences directed at different muscle groups, using resistance and precise movement to bring participants close to muscular fatigue. Solidcore's studios are part of the brand experience. Sessions are commonly held in dimly lit rooms with blue lighting, creating a consistent atmosphere across locations and distinguishing the company from traditional gyms and many mainstream group-exercise formats. The programming emphasizes controlled execution, core engagement, muscular endurance and a challenging, high-intensity experience. The machines used in class are purpose-built for the Solidcore method rather than being standard commercial Pilates equipment. The brand expanded nationally with financial backing from investment firms including Kohlberg & Company and VMG Partners. It ultimately grew to more than 160 studios across the United States, making it one of the larger dedicated operators in the boutique fitness category. Bryan Myers joined the company in 2017 after working in finance, strategy and development at Sweetgreen. He became president in 2019 and was appointed president and chief executive officer in 2021, leading national expansion and operational development. His appointment attracted attention because he was among a relatively small number of Black and LGBTQ+ executives leading a major United States fitness company. Solidcore has also developed initiatives connected to access and inclusion. In 2019, it introduced a Pay It Forward membership tier through which participating members could help subsidize memberships for people from marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ youth and people recovering from chronic illness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company offered complimentary online classes to healthcare workers and first responders nationwide; the program reached more than 15,000 participants in 2020 according to the cited reference material. The company continued to build its consumer profile through recognition from fitness and lifestyle publications. Good Housekeeping named Solidcore the Best Pilates-Inspired Studio in its 2024 fitness awards, while Well+Good recognized it as the Best Inclusive Gym in 2025. In September 2024, global investment firm L Catterton acquired a majority stake. In 2025, Solidcore partnered with wearable-technology company WHOOP to help users understand how workouts affect recovery and physical performance. The brand has also received visibility through reported use by public figures including Michelle Obama, Sydney Sweeney and Vanessa Hudgens. Its core proposition remains a standardized, equipment-led, high-effort group workout delivered through a growing United States studio network.
History
Solidcore was established by Anne Mahlum in November 2013 in Washington, D.C. The first studio opened in Adams Morgan, and the business initially operated on a small scale, including a period when Mahlum ran the company from her home in Northwest D.C. The original concept centered on a specialized reformer machine and a demanding class format that applied controlled resistance and sustained time under tension to full-body exercise. Rather than presenting itself as a conventional Pilates provider, Solidcore developed a hybrid identity combining Pilates-inspired equipment and movement with the intensity and training objectives of strength conditioning. Classes generally begin with core activation and proceed through carefully controlled sequences targeting multiple muscle groups. The method is intended to produce muscular fatigue while emphasizing form, stability, core strength and endurance. Dim lighting and blue-toned studios became recurring elements of the customer experience. The company expanded beyond its first Washington location with backing from investment firms including Kohlberg & Company and VMG Partners. Its studio base eventually reached more than 160 locations across the United States. National growth required the development of a repeatable operating model, instructor-led programming and a recognizable physical environment that could be reproduced across markets. Bryan Myers joined Solidcore in 2017 after holding a finance, strategy and development role at Sweetgreen. He became president in 2019 and chief executive officer in 2021. Under his leadership, the company continued its national expansion and operational development. His leadership profile also drew attention because he was one of the few Black and LGBTQ+ executives heading a major fitness company in the United States. Solidcore pursued social-access initiatives alongside its commercial expansion. In 2019, the company introduced a Pay It Forward membership tier that allowed members to contribute toward subsidized memberships for people from marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ youth and individuals recovering from chronic illness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Solidcore provided complimentary online classes for healthcare workers and first responders across the country. The program reportedly reached more than 15,000 participants during 2020, extending the brand beyond its physical studios at a time when in-person fitness operations were disrupted. The brand's visibility increased through media recognition and celebrity association. Good Housekeeping named it the Best Pilates-Inspired Studio in 2024, and Well+Good named it the Best Inclusive Gym in 2025. Solidcore has also been associated in public reporting with users such as Michelle Obama, Sydney Sweeney and Vanessa Hudgens, helping reinforce its profile as a high-end, culturally visible boutique workout brand. In September 2024, L Catterton acquired a majority stake in Solidcore. The transaction placed the company under the majority ownership of a global investment firm while leaving Solidcore as a specialized fitness brand focused on studio growth. In 2025, the company partnered with WHOOP, linking its workout offering with wearable-based recovery and performance data. Solidcore's development therefore spans three connected phases: the creation of a differentiated reformer-based training method, expansion into a national studio network, and integration of inclusion programs, digital access and fitness technology into the brand proposition.
- 2025
Partnership with WHOOP
[1]Solidcore partnered with WHOOP to connect workouts with recovery and physical-performance data.
- 2024
L Catterton acquires a majority stake
[1]L Catterton acquired majority ownership of Solidcore as the company continued its United States expansion.
- 2021
Bryan Myers becomes chief executive officer
[1]Myers was appointed president and chief executive officer of Solidcore.
- 2020
Online classes support healthcare workers and first responders
[1]During the COVID-19 pandemic, Solidcore offered complimentary online classes nationwide, reaching more than 15,000 participants according to the cited material.
- 2019
Pay It Forward membership introduced
[1]Solidcore launched a membership tier intended to help subsidize access for people from marginalized groups.
- 2019
Bryan Myers becomes president
[1]Myers became president and took responsibility for national expansion and operational development.
- 2017
Bryan Myers joins Solidcore
[1]Bryan Myers joined the company after working in finance, strategy and development at Sweetgreen.
- 2013
Solidcore is founded in Washington, D.C.
[1]Anne Mahlum founded Solidcore in November 2013, and the first studio opened in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.
Products and positioning
A premium boutique fitness brand positioned between Pilates and strength training, emphasizing controlled high-intensity movement, sustained time under tension, muscular endurance, core engagement and a distinctive studio atmosphere.
In-studio fitness class · 2013
Solidcore full-body classes
The brand's core offering is an instructor-led full-body workout performed on a custom-built reformer machine. Sessions use slow, controlled and high-intensity movements to maintain resistance and time under tension. Programming normally combines core activation with sequences for different muscle groups, aiming to develop strength, muscular endurance and stability. Classes are delivered in a distinctive dimly lit, blue-toned studio environment.
Digital fitness · 2020
Solidcore online classes
Solidcore has offered online workout content in addition to its physical studio classes. The digital format became particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the company made complimentary classes available to healthcare workers and first responders nationwide. The online offering extends the method beyond locations equipped with Solidcore's custom machines.
Membership program · 2019
Pay It Forward membership
Introduced in 2019, Pay It Forward is a membership tier through which participating members contribute to a fund intended to subsidize memberships for people from marginalized communities. The cited examples include LGBTQ+ youth and people recovering from chronic illness, linking access to the brand's broader inclusion and social-responsibility efforts.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Complimentary classes for healthcare workers and first responders
United States
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Solidcore provided free online classes to healthcare workers and first responders nationwide.
Outcome. The program reportedly reached more than 15,000 participants in 2020.
- 2019Pay It Forward
United States
Solidcore introduced a membership option that enabled members to help fund subsidized access for marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ youth and people recovering from chronic illness.
Outcome. The initiative became part of Solidcore's stated inclusion and access efforts; no additional independently documented outcome is available in the supplied material.
Brand decisions
2025
WHOOP data partnershipOtherBackground
Fitness consumers increasingly use wearable data to evaluate training load, recovery and performance.
Action taken
Solidcore partnered with WHOOP to provide users with information about how workouts affect recovery and physical performance.
Aftermath
The partnership connected Solidcore's studio workout experience with wearable-based performance and recovery tracking.
2024
Majority investment by L CattertonM&ABackground
Solidcore had expanded to a large United States studio network and attracted investment interest as a boutique fitness operator.
Action taken
L Catterton acquired a majority stake in the company.
Aftermath
Solidcore remained an active fitness brand and continued its studio and partnership activities. Deal value and detailed ownership terms are not stated in the supplied sources.
Recent events
- 2025
Well+Good recognizes Solidcore for inclusion[1]
Other
Well+Good recognized Solidcore as the Best Inclusive Gym.
- 2025
Solidcore partners with WHOOP[1]
Other
Solidcore partnered with WHOOP to give users data and insights related to workout effects, recovery and physical performance.
- 2024
L Catterton acquires majority stake in Solidcore[1]
M&A
Global investment firm L Catterton acquired a majority interest in Solidcore as the boutique fitness company continued expanding its United States studio network.
- 2024
Solidcore recognized as a leading Pilates-inspired studio[1]
Other
Good Housekeeping named Solidcore the Best Pilates-Inspired Studio in its annual fitness awards.
Sources1 sources
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