ILARIA

Ilaria Montagnani is an internationally acclaimed fitness expert who founded Powerstrike in 1995.

Her fitness philosophy: push physical limits to build mental and physical strength, is based on her martial arts background and love of strength training. Her innovative approach to fitness seamlessly integrates martial arts disciplines into group exercise programs, making them accessible to people all over the world through her vast On Demand Library as well as her dedicated team of instructors who she carefully trained.

Born and raised in Florence, Italy, Ilaria developed a passion for fitness from a young age. Her journey led her to New York City, where she pursued her first black belt in Shorinjiryu Karate. Demonstrating her commitment to martial arts, she continued to train in Iaido, Japanese sword training.

While pursuing her black belts, Ilaria discovered her love of strength training, which she found complemented her Karate training and turned her body into a powerful machine. Spending time both at the dojo and at the gym, Ilaria found a creative way to bridge the gap between martial arts and group fitness by creating group fitness programs such as POWERSTRIKE Kickboxing, Atletica and Forza – a sword training class aptly named after the Italian word for ‘strength’.

In an industry where fitness trends come and go, her programs have remained successful over the years because they are more than just a series of exercises. They are carefully choreographed routines, designed to challenge and strengthen the body and mind. They teach physical discipline that inspires mental strength – the physical exertion required by these workouts conditions participants to tackle other areas of their lives with equal fortitude. In addition to showing measurable progress, they are also fun and exhilarating, which keeps her dedicated students coming back for more.

Founded by Ilaria Montagnani in 1995, Powerstrike quickly became a globally renowned fitness company whose signature workouts have inspired hundreds of thousands of people over the years.

Powerstrike’s workouts are based on Ilaria’s philosophy – push your physical limits to build mental and physical strength. Holding two black belts in Karate, as well as pushing herself daily in her own strength training, Ilaria created both strength and cardio programs that embody and mirror her love of martial arts and passion for strength training.

In an industry where fitness trends come and go, Powerstrike’s programs have remained successful over the years because they are more than just a series of exercises. They are carefully choreographed routines, designed to challenge and strengthen the body and mind. They teach physical discipline that inspire mental strength – the physical exertion required by these workouts conditions participants to tackle other areas of their lives with equal fortitude. In addition to showing measurable progress, they are also fun and exhilarating, which keeps you coming back for more.

Powerstrike’s programs have been featured by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Shape, The Today Show and Good Morning America, among many others. The workouts are available at Equinox locations around the New York Metropolitan area, through Ilaria’s Virtual Studio and On Demand Library.

In its 25+ years, Powerstrike has made its workouts available throughout the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Spain and Italy, and continues to grow through a dedicated team of instructors, personally trained by Ilaria.