How Ascend Performance Uses LegitFit to Power a Community-Driven Strength & Conditioning Gym

196 Members. 105% Growth in Bookings Since Going Live. Fully Branded App.

Ascend Performance was founded by Matt Dickinson and his business partner Rob at the start of 2023 - but the story starts years earlier. Before opening their first gym, the pair spent over a decade working with local rugby academies and sports teams, combining strength and conditioning with injury rehab. When they launched Ascend, the goal was to bring that same professional-level care to the general public. Today, LegitFit runs the operational side of that mission, from bundled memberships to a fully branded app, and the business has grown into a 196-member strength and conditioning community.

Key Results

• 31% increase in active members since moving to LegitFit
• Monthly revenue up by 214% vs their first month on LegitFit
• Monthly booking volume up 105% since their first full month live
• Bundled small group and large group memberships combined into a single, streamlined offering
• Fully branded gym app adopted for scheduling, booking, and membership management from day one

Bringing Professional-Level Coaching to Everyday Members

Ascend's ethos comes straight from its founders' background in elite sport. Matt and Rob spent years delivering high-performance strength and conditioning and injury rehab in professional environments, and they built Ascend to bring that same standard to everyday members.

Personalization sits at the center of that mission - every member gets coaching built around them, not a generic program.

"Our goal is to bridge the gap between what the general public generally receive in regards to health and fitness coaching and injury rehab, to what we've delivered in professional sports for the last 15 years."

That mission extends beyond the training floor. With a thriving community of 196 members, Ascend hosts a social event every month to bring people together outside of training hours.

The Challenge: Two Membership Models, One Platform

Before switching to LegitFit, Ascend was running its small group and large group training as two separate offerings on a different platform. Matt and Rob knew which direction the business needed to go - they just needed software that could get them there.

"We knew that the small group personalized strength and conditioning was the better product and the way forward, so we wanted to make that the main thing."

Why Ascend Performance Chose LegitFit

LegitFit's bundled membership feature let Ascend combine its small and large group models into one streamlined offering, making the small group product the clear centerpiece without losing existing members. A clean, modern interface sealed the decision.

"Having our own app and a clean user interface was what's really appealing to us."

Giving Members a Seamless Experience With a Branded App

For Ascend, the branded app isn't just a nice-to-have - it's where members experience the brand outside the gym walls. Booking a class, checking a schedule, or reviewing membership options all happens in one place, under Ascend's own name.

"The best thing I like about the branded app is the user experience for our clients - it's so easy for them to see the schedule, book in, the memberships are so clearly available."

With the app, members can:

• View the full class schedule at a glance
• Book sessions directly from their phone
• See membership and bundle options clearly laid out
• Access their booked sessions in one central place

A Platform That Continues to Grow With the Business

For Matt, brand consistency isn't limited to what happens inside the gym - it's every touchpoint a member has with Ascend, starting from the moment they book. That's why having a platform that reflects their brand at every step matters so much to the team.

"Our mission is to provide an incredible fitness experience that gets people into the best shape of their life. Having our own app that coheres with everything that we do all adds to that experience of our members."

As Ascend Performance continues to grow its community and refine its small group model, LegitFit gives them the operational foundation - bundled memberships, branded booking, and a consistent member experience - to keep scaling that mission.

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