Singer Tim McGraw partners with Snap Fitness to design fitness centers

Tim McGraw, the super buff country music star, is joining forces with Chanhassen-based Snap Fitness to open a line of fitness centers that reflect his music and workouts.

The gyms will be called Tru Mav Signature Clubs, a play on "true maverick," and will be co-branded with Snap Fitness.

The first are expected to open later this year or early next, Snap Fitness founder and chief executive Peter Taunton said. Exact locations haven't been selected, but the first few stores will be corporate-owned, with McGraw and Snap Fitness as 50-50 equity partners.

Future stores will be available for franchising, and McGraw will collect the fees. Taunton wouldn't say how many Tru Mav clubs might be expected to open in the U.S., but he said they likely would be in traditional markets where Snap Fitness operates.

"Tim lives a healthy lifestyle," Taunton said. "He approached us and said, I want to give back and one of the ways I want to do that is to promote the things I've done to live a healthy lifestyle."

The gyms will incorporate all the vital elements of McGraw's workout routines, including special cardio or strength-building equipment that he will help pick out. McGraw also will be involved in the look of the space and, as McGraw said in an e-mail, "Of course, I will be part of choosing the music!"

Members also will be outfitted with wearable technology and have access to fitness and nutrition coaches who can design custom workouts.

"We want to make sure these clubs have a touch and flair that is meaningful to Tim," Taunton said, "but at end of day will still deliver results."

McGraw, 49, maintains a rigorous fitness routine when on the road. Promotional photos show him doing handstands to work on strength and balance, and hoisting metal kettlebells to maintain those washboard abs.

"Nearly a decade ago, I changed the way I ate, and dedicated myself to live healthier," he said in response to e-mail questions. "That hard work has helped give me the energy to put on the best shows I can while on tour."

McGraw said this was his first business partnership in a fitness-related industry.

McGraw will perform a private charity concert for about 400 people at Taunton's Minnetonka home on Sunday. Taunton expects the event will raise about $400,000 for the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides education scholarships to children and spouses of killed or wounded soldiers.

Likewise, Snap Fitness will contribute profits from the Tru Mav partnership to the foundation, Taunton said.

Snap Fitness has nearly 2,000 gyms open or in development in 19 countries. Taunton launched the company in 2003.

Jackie Crosby • 612-673-7335