above: Yoga, Pilates and tone are blended into the FS8 concept.
Photography by Jason Lee
Anthony Licitra believes his team’s approach to FS8 will be a game-changer for people looking for new methods of physical advancement. In early summer, FS8 will open at 121 Towne Street in the Harbor Point area. The innovative fitness brand combines reformer Pilates, yoga, and cutting-edge technology to offer transformative full-body workouts. Licitra opened an FS8 studio in Fairfield last year.
“The first thing you need to distinguish yourself is a great product,’’ Licitra says. “You want to have a smart location. You want easy accessibility. And you want great energetic teams with the people you hire. You have to create a great experience and develop a community within the gym that makes people feel comfortable coming in. It’s a lot of little things that go into it, but you need a great product and operations.”
Licitra has the experience and proven success to make FS8 a winner in Stamford. He spent 13 years in the business world in accounting and finance. In 2018, he co-founded and scaled F45 studios in Stamford and Norwalk. Those locations became top-performing franchises and were later acquired by Club Sports Group, the largest F45 franchisee group in the world, and Licitra now runs the studio operations for CSG. “We have seven years of proof of concept in Stamford,” Licitra says.
FS8 brings a whole new approach to fitness with revolutionary, science-backed techniques to lengthen, strengthen and mobilize clients’ bodies with a full-body workout that ties into physical and psychological well-being. “We’re focusing on strength and flexibility, and getting people to rethink how Pilates, tone and yoga can work for them.”
The secret sauce to FS8 is a smorgasbord of workouts and plans that accommodate people with different goals, motivation and fitness levels. The 50-minute classes can be scheduled via monthly memberships or class packages. “Clients understand what kind of workout they need,’’ Licitra explains. “Some clients come six or seven days a week and make FS8 their entire fitness program. Some come once a week and use it to supplement their fitness. Some want to dabble, some want a little more, some a little less. You need to meet the clients where they are.”
The FS8 model includes 3,000 workouts that feature a blend of strength, balance and mobility. All the classes include an instructor and television monitors that help clients ensure they are making proper movements. Reformer Pilates uses a machine that is equipped for resistance, a sliding carriage, ropes, a footbar and other elements. The machine provides adjustable resistance and allows for a wider variety of exercises and the ability to target specific muscle groups.
Classes begin with warmup yoga movements, followed by the focus for that particular session and a cool down. “The benefits of training with reformer Pilates and yoga are that it’s going to be easy on your joints, you’re not going to get as sore, and you’ll see improved flexibility and muscle lengthening,” Licitra says. “It will improve your balance, coordination, and even cardiovascular level.”
Licitra brings more than experience in the personal fitness space to the endeavor. His business background is equally important, along with his own athletic experience. He served as the captain of his high school basketball team at Glastonbury and Keene State College before launching his professional career. The combination of experience and skills, along with his passion for fitness, leads to a promising path for FS8.
“You learn so much through sports,’’ Licitra says. “You learn what leadership is, and you learn who are good leaders and who are not strong leaders. Having seen that and building leadership skills can transition into anything in life. Teamwork and collaboration are important when you’re on a team. Everything is earned, and nothing is given. Sports have taught me so much, and those lessons have transitioned into my professional career.”
FS8
121 Towne Street
Harbor Point in Stamford