OHM Fitness Experiences Electrifying Growth Across Country

The Hot New EMS Fitness Franchise Has Established A Development Pipeline of Over 150 Studios Just Six Months After Opening its First Location & Launching Franchise Sales

In 2021, experienced franchisee and entrepreneur Doug Payne was introduced to electro muscle stimulation (EMS) through business partners, Eric Hamann and Steve Belknap. Initially, he couldn’t quite grasp how realistic the idea of building a business around EMS would be, because even he was a bit skeptical.

However, after digging into extensive research on EMS, Payne, Hamann and Belknap were astounded by their findings. EMS was proven to deliver insane results, but wasn’t very accessible unless you were an elite athlete or celebrity – or you were prepared to drop serious money. They had a vision to make the concept approachable, efficient and innovative – a far cry from the way EMS was being used today in expensive personal training settings where you are tethered to a machine that’s more like physical therapy than fitness. They saw an opportunity to deliver EMS through high-energy, low-impact group fitness classes. Thus, OHM Fitness was founded. The first studio opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in August 2022 and within six months, the hot new fitness franchise had eight territories in development totaling more than 150 future studios.

The OHM Fitness Experience

The concept is one of the first fitness franchises to use EMS technology wirelessly in a group setting, offering a high-tech experience that packs the benefits of an intense two-hour workout into one low-impact, 25-minute session.

Upon entering the studio, guests are immersed in a high-energy experience complete with curated music and lighting sequences that are synced to the pace of the workout. They change into an EMPower Bodysuit, OHM’s wearable technology, which has electronic pads that deliver electronic pulses to your muscles. During the class, a certified fitness instructor controls each person’s suit individually based on their fitness levels and goals.

These EMS pulses are proven to produce impressive results with a desirably low rate of wear and tear on the joints, ligaments, and muscles. Normally, the body’s central nervous system can only send one pulse per second that controls up to 55% of your muscle fibers during an exercise, the EMS technology within the wireless EMPower Bodysuit activates 95% of the muscle and is able to send impulses to muscle fibers up to one hundred times faster, causing muscles to feel fatigued faster than a traditional weight training exercise, which is how it shrinks a two-hour workout into just 25 minutes.

“At OHM Fitness, we help you beat your brain at its own game,” said Payne.

“Your brain sends electrical signals to your muscles to make them move. But muscles can only contract about once per second or repetition. OHM Fitness lets you use science and technology to actively game the system.”

This low-impact workout is ideal for all fitness levels, has been connected to researched-based benefits such as fat loss, skin health, energy, stress and anxiety levels, muscle strength, and acute and chronic pain.

OHM’s Experienced Founding Team

The creation of OHM Fitness has allowed Payne, who serves as CEO, to leverage two very different facets of his life. Over the last 15 years, Payne has had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most successful concepts at the franchisor level, including Massage Envy, European Wax Center and Orangetheory Fitness. He also worked as an area developer for Orangetheory Fitness and a multi-unit franchisee for European Wax. This experience gave him a deep understanding of all areas of franchising. Plus, given the nature of the EMS technology that is the core component of the concept, Payne has been able to utilize his initial training and background in electronic engineering with the United State Navy and then with Boeing. His co-founders Hamann and Belknap have also been partners with Payne in European Wax Center and a number of other businesses.

In November 2022, OHM Fitness unveiled some major news that European Wax Center co-founder Joshua Coba was joining the franchise. Coba founded European Wax Center (NYSE: EWCZ) with his brother in 2004 and began franchising the concept in 2008, growing it to more than 900 open locations and more than 300 additional licenses in development. He retired from the concept in 2017 but remains a shareholder and supported the company through its $180 million IPO in 2021.

Coba and his wife, Jenni, flew out to Scottsdale to check out the concept after hearing about this new fitness franchise that Payne was developing.

“We were instantly impressed,” said Coba. “The 25-minute class with the level of results this workout delivers plus the low impact it has on the body is a simple sell once you experience it. This is one of the most exciting franchise concepts I’ve seen in a long time. Plus, it’s an affordable investment with a relatively low cost to get up and running.”

Coba joined OHM Fitness as a minority investor and he was awarded the South Florida area developer rights, with a total of 34 franchise licenses. He and Jenni will open and operate multiple locations themselves.

Electrifying Growth Across The Country

With more than 150 locations in the development pipeline, OHM Fitness could quickly become one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country. Locations are currently in development to open in the next six to twelve months in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, San Diego, South Florida, New Jersey and Washington D.C.

The very first territory, Arizona, was sold before the first location even officially opened. Alexis Krisay and Melissa DiGianfilippo purchased the area representative rights, including 35 total licenses across the state of Arizona. The duo are co-founders of a leading creative, PR & social media agency, Serendipit Consulting, with extensive branding, PR and marketing experience for franchise concepts like Orangetheory Fitness, Drybar, Perspire Sauna Studios, Modern Acupuncture and more. Their agency was sourced to build the OHM Fitness brand and activate the marketing and PR efforts, and immediately the entrepreneurial women saw an opportunity.

“While we are experts in branding, storytelling and marketing, we have always been obsessed with health and wellness and we have learned the ins and outs of franchising over the years by supporting some of the country’s top brands,” said Krisay. “It was obvious to us from early on that OHM Fitness was going to be the next big thing and we knew we had to be a part of it.”

OHM Fitness is a special first-to-market franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs and experienced franchise industry professionals who are eager to capture their share in the $96 billion dollar fitness industry. The initial franchise fee is $39,000 and the total estimated initial investment ranges from $337,500 to $612,700. For more information about franchise opportunities available in your area, please visit OHMFitness.com or email [email protected]