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Equinox, the favorite fitness club of the fashion crowd, is doing more for their women members with the introduction of their groundbreaking EQX ARC program. Stephanie Musso, Vice President and Chief of Staff, Equinox, tells The Daily how they created the new program, all the benefits you can get out of it, and how you can sign up!
Why did Equinox decide to refocus on a women’s-only health and performance program?
Equinox has always led the industry in high-performance training, and we’ve consistently anticipated what our members will need next. EQX ARC is our next evolution of that. Women at Equinox have been asking for something deeper: strength training, longevity focus, and coaching that understands how their bodies actually work from hormones, to life stages to recovery patterns. With EQX ARC, we’re bringing together diagnostics, wearables, and specialized coaching to build a performance program designed around women’s biology through every phase of life.
Why do you think women have been overlooked for so long in this space?
Decades of sports science focused on male physiology have left women underserved, with most fitness marketing aimed at appearance rather than performance or long-term health. Equinox saw a clear opportunity to lead a more informed, science-driven approach. EQX ARC puts women’s physiology at the center, offering personalized, performance-forward training that supports strength, longevity, and results that actually reflect how women’s bodies function.
What will the program be like and who is it catered for?
EQX ARC is for women who want to perform better and feel better—whether that’s training for a first pull-up, returning to movement after having a baby, navigating perimenopause, or optimizing for longevity. It’s a personalized program for women built on three pillars:
- Diagnostics & Data – Hormone and biomarker testing through our partnership with Function Health, integrated with wearable data to track sleep, heart rate variability, and recovery.
- Coaching & Training – One-on-one coaching with trainers who have completed Equinox’s new Women’s Health Certification — an additional required certification developed by the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. This ensures every coach is trained to design protocols built around each woman’s physiology and life stage.
- Community & Education – Signature group strength classes, expert-led workshops, and curated content supporting women through different phases of life.
What are the benefits in a program catered to women?
The core benefit is that women feel understood and supported, and their results reflect that. When fitness programming starts with women’s physiology, the results speak for themselves:
- Programming that fits physiology – Training aligns with hormonal shifts, recovery needs, and life-stage changes rather than working against them.
- EQX ARC certified coaching – EQX ARC coaches have all gone through our proprietary Women’s Health Certification and are equipped to discuss conversations about and coaching around cycles, fertility, postpartum, and menopause are normalized and supported.
- Long-term outcomes – Strength, muscle mass, bone density, and metabolic health are especially critical for women’s longevity. A tailored approach to strength and recovery supports health span, not just short-term results.
- Community support – Training alongside other women navigating similar phases provides motivation, validation, and often improves adherence.
How did the program come together? What kind of research did Equinox do?
Equinox has been developing EQX ARC for years. We listened to our members, our coaches and the science, conducting extensive research into female physiology, hormones, and performance across the lifespan. We’ve partnered with leading experts to establish the EQX ARC Women’s Health Advisory Board and also worked with our Equinox Fitness Training Institute to create a dedicated Women’s Health Certification for coaches – an additional required certification for coaches participating in EQX ARC. The curriculum covers endocrinology, exercise physiology, and health considerations from preconception through menopause. On the data side, we partnered with Function Health for hormone diagnostics and lab testing, and integrated wearable insights so programs can evolve as a member’s body and life change.
What will the group fitness classes look like?
The flagship group class from EQX ARC is Stronger Women, a new Signature Group Fitness offering. The focus is on strength training with heavier weights and progressive overload—compound lifts, unilateral work, and structured training blocks. It’s designed for women and taught by women, with coaching cues and modifications that reflect women’s biomechanics and considerations like pelvic floor health, cycle phases, and energy fluctuations. While optimized for women, the class is rooted in performance and open to anyone who wants to train in that environment.
Who will be leading workshops?
EQX ARC workshops will be led by a range of experts:
- Women’s health physicians and endocrinologists
- Pelvic health and musculoskeletal specialists
- Performance coaches and exercise physiologists
- Mental health and behavior-change experts
Many of these women will serve on or work closely with our Women’s Health Advisory Board. They will help shape the program and bring it to members through workshops. Topics will include cycle-informed training, strength in midlife, pregnancy and postpartum return to lifting, stress and recovery, and nutrition for performance and longevity. Sessions will be hosted at select Equinox clubs as well as virtually, so members can access them regardless of location.
Will these be in all Equinox locations or will this be rolled out?
EQX ARC is launching in select Equinox locations first, with a broader rollout planned. The program currently has a waitlist, and we’re being deliberate about where and how we launch to ensure we deliver a high-touch, data-informed experience. As we refine the model and gather feedback, EQX ARC will expand to additional clubs and markets.
What is the EQX ARC Curated Collection exactly?
The EQX ARC Curated Collection is the storytelling and retail component of the program. It features stories from women at different life phases—early career, motherhood, midlife performance—and how they’re using movement to improve performance and wellbeing. Alongside those stories, we curate products that support women’s health, recovery, and performance, available through The Shop at Equinox. It combines inspiration with practical support: the narratives, tools, and recovery essentials that extend the program beyond just training sessions.
How do women sign up for this?
There are several ways to enroll:
- Join the waitlist on the EQX ARC page on the Equinox website to be notified when the program opens in your area.
- Speak with an Equinox membership advisor or club manager at participating locations, who can explain eligibility, onboarding, and how ARC integrates with existing memberships.
- Once enrolled, members go through an intake process that includes diagnostics, wearable setup, and a consultation with an ARC-certified coach.
What kind of feedback have you been receiving from members about this?
While EQX ARC is still in early stages, the initial response has been strong: we’re seeing significant interest and waitlist sign-ups from women who say they’ve been waiting for a program that takes their hormones, life stage, and performance seriously. Members are responding positively to heavier, strength-focused classes explicitly designed for women, and to working with coaches trained to discuss topics like perimenopause or postpartum recovery without stigma. Internally, our coaches and advisory experts view this as a meaningful shift—using diagnostics, education, and community to elevate women’s health and longevity. We continue to gather feedback and evolve the experience, but the signal is clear: women want and deserve this level of precision and care and Equinox is delivering it first.
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