About World Gym


World Gym is an iconic, globally recognized gym brand. Our mission is to change the world by improving people’s lives through fitness. With over 250 locations across six continents, World Gym is one of the largest global fitness gym chains. During our 20+ years of dedication to bringing innovative workouts and the best fitness facilities to Taiwan, we have successfully established over 100 clubs across the island.

Our Story

From California to Taichung: A Global Fitness Legacy

World Gym was founded in 1976 by fitness industry pioneer Joe Gold and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 7-time Mr. Universe World Bodybuilding Champion. Together, they opened the first World Gym in Venice Beach, California!

The gym attracted numerous celebrities and bodybuilding enthusiasts. Inspired by this success, Joe Gold decided to expand the business to other cities in the United States. He hired Mike Uretz to help him achieve this growth goal. During the 1980s and 1990s, World Gym successfully and rapidly expanded with franchise locations across the United States and to international markets.

From Taichung to the World: Leading a Global Brand

In October 2024, World Gym Taiwan acquired World Gym International (WGI), securing global rights to the iconic World Gym brand. This historic acquisition established Taichung as the new global headquarters of the World Gym brand, symbolizing Taiwan's rise as a central player in the global fitness industry.

Building on this momentum, World Gym has ambitious plans to further expand its footprint worldwide. Over the next two years, the company aims to open 30–50 new stores annually and accelerate growth to 100 stores per year by strengthening the franchise network and exploring new markets.

With its roots in California and its heart now in Taichung, World Gym is poised to lead the global fitness industry into an exciting new era, bringing its mission of health, wellness, and community to millions worldwide.

Rapid Growth in Taiwan: A New Fitness Powerhouse 

In 2001, World Gym opened its first location in Taichung Dean (now Taichung Xuefu) Taiwan. One of the first of its kind in Taiwan, the World Gym Taichung location provided members with a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness center equipped with a range of premium amenities including spa, sauna, and swimming pool.

The company succeeded in creating a professional, fun environment where people could get fit, feel good and live better – and World Gym quickly became popular in Taiwan. From 2001 to 2023, World Gym experienced rapid growth by steadily adding locations and acquiring facilities, most notably 6 California Fitness Centers in 2010.

Today, World Gym is the largest fitness chain in Taiwan with over 100 locations across the island! We are recognized as an industry leader in workplace culture, corporate sustainability, and service quality. And we remain committed to building strong, healthy communities in Taiwan by improving people’s lives through fitness.

Key Milestones

2025
  • Signed Master Franchise Agreements with Brazil and Mexico.
2024
  • Acquired World Gym International (WGI) and secured global rights to the World Gym brand, including immediate franchise revenue from over 250 international locations across six continents.
2023
  • Expansion into retail services introducing energy drinks, apparel, and accessories to offer members with more comprehensive fitness services.
  • Active integration of AI technology to provide posture analysis and integrate health data into the World Gym member app through the InBody test.
2022
  • World Gym Online, the online video platform, was officially launched to enter the home fitness market.
2018
  • Established World Gym Express clubs, returning to the essence of fitness with compact spaces offering strength and cardio equipment.
  • Established FitZone clubs, introducing heart rate-based group training programs complemented by MYZONE heart rate belt technology.
2016
  • Exclusively partnered with MYZONE to offer heart rate belts, adding fun to workouts and enabling trainers to monitor members’ training data.
2012
  • Launched the World Gym Sport series, designing unique fitness equipment based on each club’s location and conditions. The first club opened at Hsinchu Big City (now Hsinchu Zhonghua) with an indoor heated swimming pool
2010
  • Acquired all six California Fitness locations in Taiwan
2009
  • Formed a joint venture with Dong Gong Corporation to establish Jing Gong Health World Co., Ltd., planning World Gym Elite clubs at landmark locations in Taiwan, creating premium fitness facilities.
2004
  • World Gym entered Taiwan for the first time.

World Gym Awards

  • 2022|Selected for the 6th PwC's Sustainability Impact Awards - ESG Category with the "Exercise? I'm In!" project
  • 2021|Selected for the 5th PwC's Sustainability Impact Awards - ESG Category with the "Best Support Comes from the World" project
  • 2021|Won the Gold Award for Best Happiness Enterprise in the 1111 Human Job Bank Evaluation
  • 2021|Recognized as a Five-Star Enterprise and won the Five-Star happinese promotion Awards in the Workplace Happiness Evaluation program held by Taichung City
  • 2020|Received the Reader's Digest Trusted Service Award
  • 2020|Selected for the 4th PwC's Sustainability Impact Awards with the "Back Mountain Master" Training Equipment Program
  • 2020|Recognized as a Four-Star “Happy Workplace” by Taichung City
  • 2020|Received the National Brand Yushan Award – Outstanding Enterprise Category
  • 2019|Top 10 Enterprises Golden Torch Award of Taiwan
  • 2018|Recognized as a "Happy Workplace" by Taichung City
  • 2018|Received the National Brand Yushan Award – Outstanding Enterprise & Most Popular Brand Categories
  • 2018|Received the iSports Certification for Sports Enterprises by the Ministry of Education