The Founders of The Workout LA on Creating a Body-Positive Fitness Experience

By: Valeria Ramos

The start of a new year inevitably brings millions of Americans to the doors of gyms, fitness studios, and workout classes. 

However, when breaking a sweat begins to feel like a punishment and focus is centered on numbers on a scale rather than the strength of one’s body, attendance numbers begin to dwindle. 

This is where The Workout LA comes in. Founded by two former professional dancers who also happen to be best friends, Nicole Haworth and Ashley Layfield offer dance-based fitness classes with one goal: to empower women and encourage an appreciation for their bodies. 

Haworth and Layfield chatted with us on our Office Chats podcast and shared their inspiration behind starting a fitness experience of their own as well as how they plan to grow The Workout LA in the coming years. 

With more than five years as top trainers in the fitness world working with celebrity clients at Tracy Anderson Method and ModelFIT, Haworth and Layfield are pros when it comes to helping others sculpt and strengthen muscles. 

However, feeling like there was something left to improve when it came to working out their clients, the dynamic duo set out to create a unique fitness experience rooted in meaning. 

“What was missing was this driver of self-acceptance, in LA especially,” said Layfield “Because everyone is so concerned with how they look and what they put in their bodies, going to the gym can feel like a punishment. We wanted to make something where you’d walk away and feel really good about yourself.”

Although The Workout LA boasts a dance-based method, the founders share that attendees don’t need to worry about learning choreography, just feeling connected to their bodies and breaking a sweat to some music. 

“You feel like a dancer while you’re doing this great workout that’s set to high-energy, empowering music,” said Haworth.

Fittingly, The Workout LA plays a lot of Beyoncé. 

Plans to scale their business include launching workouts on Instagram TV, establishing their own studio in Los Angeles, and working with Layfield’s non-profit, The Heartbeat Movement, which brings dance and performance opportunities to California’s special needs community. 

With a friendship as strong as their six-packs, Haworth and Layfield are duo dead-set on creating a business aimed at empowering women through fitness and self-love.

To learn more about The Workout LA’s story, listen to our conversation with Haworth and Layfield on our Office Chats podcast, now streaming on Spotify and iTunes!