SHOKK, the youth fitness brand, has opened its first US site in Anaheim, California, as part of plans to expand its global operations.

A second site in California has already been planned, with five more set to follow including Nashville, Tennessee. The Anaheim facility has been equipped with the latest SHOKK equipment, covering cardiovascular, resistance, and group exercise. Interactive products such as SHOKK Wushu and the SHOKK Dance Mat System will also be available.

SHOKK has revealed that is has been looking to expand into the American youth fitness market for some time, but had been unable to find the right opportunity. Darren Wright, director of SHOKK USA, said: "It has always been important to offer a full package and SHOKK is the only brand which provides a complete turn-key youth concept. "With the constant threat of childhood obesity, this is a great time to open a youth gym and introduce the SHOKK treatment to America."

Marlon Carter, another director of SHOKK USA, said: "I have been determined to offer young people a new fitness incentive, but had difficulty finding the right product. While the US fitness market is more mature than the UK market, the SHOKK concept is at least five years ahead in development terms than anything we have in the US." The new site is the 15th country in which the SHOKK concept has been rolled out. The company's first Australian site opened in Melbourne in June, with developments also in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Iceland.

A new SHOKK facility is also expected to open in Guangzhou, China, by the end of the year, which the company says will be the world’s largest standalone youth fitness centre.