McFit
German low-cost fitness-club brand built around accessible memberships, extensive equipment and flexible opening hours.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
McFit is a German fitness-club brand and the largest brand of the RSG Group by membership in its home market. Rainer Schaller developed the concept in the 1990s around a straightforward proposition: make regular gym training affordable and accessible to a broad population rather than serving only dedicated bodybuilders or premium wellness customers. The first McFit studio opened in 1997 in a converted industrial building in Würzburg, Bavaria, following the company’s establishment in 1996. The format emphasized a large floor area, duplicated strength and cardiovascular equipment, simple membership terms and long opening hours. The brand expanded from southern Germany into the Ruhr area and Berlin. By 2006 it had become Germany’s largest fitness-studio chain by membership, with almost half a million members. In 2007, McFit acquired the German competitor Fit24 and established a Berlin headquarters for marketing, public relations, creative work and fitness development alongside its registered headquarters in Schlüsselfeld. Its 100th German studio opened in Munich in 2008. Celebrity endorsements involving professional boxers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, together with television and sporting-event sponsorships associated with broadcaster Stefan Raab and ProSieben programming, helped make the brand widely recognizable outside the traditional gym sector. International expansion began in 2009 with entry into Austria, Italy and Spain. McFit reported one million members across Europe by 2011. The company later experimented with different studio environments and related concepts. A 2014 design project by Michael Michalsky produced the “Home of Fitness” interior concept for selected German and Austrian locations, using a more domestic and lifestyle-oriented visual language while retaining the chain’s mass-market positioning. Over time, studios also added women-focused training areas, functional-training zones and course rooms, although the core proposition remained equipment-led rather than centered on extensive wellness amenities. McFit was historically associated with 24-hour, 365-day operation at many clubs, transparent pricing and a deliberately limited service model. In its early format, services common in more expensive clubs—such as swimming pools, saunas and extensive spa facilities—were generally excluded, and shower use was initially charged separately. The model evolved as membership packages became broader: many contracts came to include showers, group fitness and access to multiple McFit locations in Europe, subject to the applicable terms and local operating arrangements. The business became increasingly international and multi-brand. In 2015 the parent organization added High5, and in 2016 it introduced John Reed Fitness while renaming McFit GmbH as McFit Global Group. The group adopted the name RSG Group in 2019 and developed a portfolio of fitness, lifestyle and related brands. McFit remains one of its principal mass-market brands, while the group also operates concepts aimed at different price points and audiences. The geographic footprint subsequently changed. RSG Group sold its Polish McFit business and studios to Medicover in 2022. The Polish operation increasingly became separate from the international McFit network, including changes to access systems and membership interoperability. In 2024, RSG Group sold its Spanish McFit studios to Dutch low-cost operator Basic-Fit N.V. McFit therefore continues to have a major presence in Germany and operations in Austria and Italy, while Poland and Spain are former markets of the RSG-controlled network. During the COVID-19 pandemic, McFit also created temporary outdoor training areas in German and Italian locations under a special hygiene concept, allowing restricted exercise during periods when indoor studios were closed.
History
McFit emerged from Rainer Schaller’s 1990s effort to create a discount-oriented gym format. The business was founded in 1996 and opened its first studio in 1997 in Würzburg, using a converted industrial hall of approximately 700 square meters. The location embodied the early concept: a large, functional training floor with relatively little emphasis on luxury, wellness or hospitality. By concentrating on machines, volume and accessible pricing, McFit sought to make gym participation less intimidating and less expensive than the traditional fitness-club model. The chain expanded through Germany during the late 1990s and early 2000s, adding studios in the Ruhr area and Berlin. It reached approximately half a million members and became Germany’s largest fitness-studio chain by membership in 2006. In 2007, the business retained its registered headquarters in Schlüsselfeld while establishing a second corporate base in Berlin for marketing, communications, creative development and fitness-related activities. The same year, it acquired Fit24, an important German competitor. The 100th German studio opened in Munich in 2008. Brand awareness grew through sports and entertainment. Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko served as celebrity ambassadors for a five-year period beginning in 2008. McFit also sponsored television formats and sporting events associated with Stefan Raab and ProSieben, helping position the company as a mainstream consumer brand rather than a specialist service for committed athletes. From 2009, McFit entered Austria, Italy and Spain. Membership across Europe reached one million by 2011. Although the brand remained centered on independent training, its facilities gradually broadened. Selected clubs introduced course rooms, functional-training areas and women-focused zones. A 2014 “Home of Fitness” design concept by Michael Michalsky gave certain German and Austrian studios a more residential and lifestyle-oriented atmosphere. This did not replace the basic low-cost format but illustrated the brand’s willingness to test new environments and customer experiences. McFit’s original operating model was based on simple, transparent membership access and high utilization of equipment. Clubs commonly offered long or continuous opening hours, with many German and Austrian locations operating around the clock throughout the year. The chain initially omitted swimming pools, saunas and other wellness facilities, and shower use could carry a separate charge. Later packages generally included showers, courses and wider club access, reflecting the maturation of the concept and changing expectations in the fitness market. The parent organization expanded beyond a single chain. High5 was added in 2015, John Reed Fitness in 2016, and McFit GmbH became McFit Global Group in 2016 as the organization developed an umbrella structure for multiple brands. In 2019, the group adopted the name RSG Group. McFit consequently became one brand within a broader portfolio rather than the name of the entire corporate group. The international footprint later contracted. RSG Group sold the Polish McFit subsidiary and its clubs to Medicover in 2022. After the transaction, Polish operations increasingly diverged from the international McFit system, including changes to access cards and cross-border membership recognition. In 2024, RSG Group sold its Spanish McFit studios to Basic-Fit N.V., ending the group’s direct operation of the brand in Spain. The COVID-19 pandemic forced indoor fitness studios to close under public-health restrictions. McFit responded with temporary outdoor training areas in selected German cities and in Italy. The outdoor program used registration, time limits and a specially developed hygiene framework. It represented an operational adaptation to exceptional conditions rather than a permanent replacement for the indoor club model. McFit remains an active RSG Group brand with its principal presence in Germany and additional operations in Austria and Italy.
- 2024
Spanish studios are sold to Basic-Fit
[1]RSG Group sells its Spanish McFit studios to Basic-Fit N.V.
- 2022
Polish business is sold to Medicover
[1]RSG Group exits Poland by selling its Polish McFit subsidiary and studios to Medicover.
- 2019
The parent group becomes RSG Group
[1]McFit Global Group adopts the RSG Group name.
- 2016
McFit Global Group is created
[1]McFit GmbH is renamed McFit Global Group as the organization becomes an umbrella for multiple brands, including John Reed Fitness.
- 2015
High5 joins the group portfolio
[1]The parent organization adds High5 as part of its broader multi-brand development.
- 2011
European membership reaches one million
[1]The group reports one million members across its European operations.
- 2009
International expansion begins
[1]McFit enters Austria, Italy and Spain.
- 2008
100th German studio opens
[1]McFit opens its 100th German location in Munich.
- 2007
Berlin corporate headquarters is established
[1]Berlin becomes a base for marketing, public relations, creative and fitness functions; McFit also acquires Fit24.
- 2006
McFit becomes Germany’s largest chain by membership
[1]The company reaches almost half a million members and becomes the leading German chain by membership.
Products and positioning
Mass-market, low-cost and high-volume fitness with simple memberships, broad accessibility and extensive self-directed training equipment.
Membership service · 1997
McFit gym memberships
The core McFit offering is a recurring membership that provides access to the brand’s fitness studios and training areas. The proposition is designed around affordability, straightforward access and high club capacity rather than premium hospitality. Depending on the contract and location, membership benefits can include use of multiple McFit studios, showers, group classes and other areas. Cross-border access and package benefits may vary following changes in the group’s international footprint.
Fitness service · 1997
Strength and resistance training
McFit studios provide extensive resistance-training equipment, including machines and stations for major muscle groups such as the legs and chest. Equipment is typically supplied in multiples to support a large number of simultaneous users. This equipment-led model is central to the brand’s identity and allows members to follow self-directed routines without requiring a premium personal-training environment.
Fitness service · 1997
Cardiovascular training
Cardio zones commonly include treadmills, cross-trainers, steppers and rowing machines. The broad equipment mix supports endurance workouts alongside resistance training and is intended to serve beginners as well as experienced members. High equipment availability and extended opening hours are important parts of McFit’s convenience-oriented value proposition.
Fitness service
Group and functional fitness
Although McFit began as a predominantly equipment-focused chain, many studios later added course rooms and functional-training areas. These facilities broaden the service beyond conventional machine training and allow members to participate in organized or circuit-style workouts. Availability depends on the individual studio and applicable membership conditions.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Outdoor training during COVID-19 restrictions
Germany · Italy
During indoor-studio closures, McFit created temporary outdoor training areas in selected car parks and tented sites. Sessions required advance registration and were limited in duration under a special hygiene framework.
Outcome. Provided restricted training access during pandemic closures.
- 2008Klitschko ambassador partnership
Germany
Professional boxers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko promoted McFit as celebrity ambassadors over a five-year period, linking the brand to high-profile sport and physical performance.
Outcome. Expanded mainstream brand visibility.
- 2008Television and sporting-event sponsorships
Germany
McFit sponsored television formats and sporting events associated with presenter Stefan Raab and ProSieben programming, helping move the brand beyond specialist fitness advertising.
Outcome. Increased public awareness in Germany.
Brand decisions
2024
Exit from SpainM&ABackground
RSG Group adjusted its geographic portfolio in a competitive European low-cost fitness market.
Action taken
All RSG-operated McFit studios in Spain were sold to Basic-Fit N.V.
Aftermath
RSG Group no longer directly operated the Spanish McFit network.
2022
Exit from PolandM&ABackground
RSG Group revised its international portfolio and decided to leave the Polish market.
Action taken
The Polish McFit subsidiary and its studios were sold to Medicover.
Aftermath
The Polish operation increasingly separated from the international McFit network, including changes to access-card systems and cross-border membership recognition.
2016
Creation of the McFit Global Group umbrellaStrategyBackground
The organization was diversifying beyond the original McFit chain through additional fitness and lifestyle concepts.
Action taken
McFit GmbH was renamed McFit Global Group and used as an umbrella structure for constituent brands.
Aftermath
The broader group later adopted the RSG Group name in 2019.
2007
Acquisition of Fit24M&ABackground
McFit was expanding its German club network and competing in the growing discount-fitness segment.
Action taken
The company acquired Fit24, described as its most important German competitor at the time.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened McFit’s domestic scale.
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