New gym in South End offers barre, yoga, cycling, boot camp — and free child care

Hive Fitness is opening in lower South End later this year with the goal of bringing an intimate and high quality boutique fitness experience to Charlotte — at inclusive and affordable pricing.

A membership to Hive Fitness costs between $59-159, depending on the level of classes and commitment. Members can take a variety of classes in four studios as well as have access to an open gym.

Hive Fitness’s 14,000-square-foot building at 129 Southside Drive contains four distinct fitness studios, each dedicated to one type of fitness class: barre, yoga, cycling and bootcamp. Each studio will offer five classes a day on weekdays, giving members about 20 class options a day, and a few classes on Saturday mornings.

In addition to the group fitness, the gym has an open weight room, cardio equipment and amenities that you would expect at a boutique fitness studio: a smoothie bar, lounge, free child care and locker rooms with showers.

Personal trainer Rob Jenkins came up with the concept for Hive when he was training his friend Josiah Boling in his home gym about a year ago. Boling was attending several different fitness studios in Charlotte in order to take a variety of classes needed to achieve his optimal level of fitness.

“He [Boling] kind of explained that he was going to three different [fitness] places in Charlotte, and his fiance was going to the one as well. They were spending a combined $500-600 a month on [fitness] memberships, which for most people is completely unattainable,” Jenkins said. “So we started talking about if there was a way that we could improve that.”

Boling and Jenkins decided to partner up to design and open a gym that would give Charlotteans a variety of high-quality fitness classes at an affordable price. Jenkins estimated the average fitness studio in Charlotte at about $160 a month for unlimited access, so the owners decided to set the most expensive Hive membership at $159 a month. This level includes unlimited classes from all four studios and open gym access. The lowest priced membership is $59 a month, which includes open gym access and one class a month.

Although Hive’s pricing similar to a big box gym, Jenkins has plans to cultivate a culture of community that one would find at a small boutique studio. “We actually are going to keep an eye on our membership numbers, particularly in our open gym. We don’t want it to get to the point of overcrowding,” he said.

Also, expect small class sizes, Jenkins said. “The quality of instruction that you’ll get at our place will be on par with boutique studio quality instruction at other studios in Charlotte’s.”

Hive Fitness

Open mid-December

129 Southside Drive

Instagram: @hivefitnessclt