The Los Angeles-based fitness concept combining infrared heat, red light therapy and strength training has gained momentum across California
In a city saturated with fitness trends, Burn LA has managed to carve out a unique concept. Founded by Maria Chase, Burn blends high-intensity training with red and blue LED light, infrared heat therapy and recovery-based programming, earning a dedicated following at its four Southern California locations.
With a fifth studio opening soon in Westlake Village and plans to move to the East Coast, Chase is scaling the longevity fitness brand.
At the heart of the Burn Method are two signature classes: Burn45, a weighted workout, and IsoBurn, a low-impact isometric class inspired by Pilates and barre. Both are conducted under red and blue LED light and in a heated infrared environment.
“What if recovery and training could happen at the same time?” Chase told Athletech News. “I had never seen or experienced any workout under RED light or a heated weight training class. Both therapies are rooted in science with a wide range of proven benefits—cellular regeneration, improved rate of recovery and anti-aging.”
Chase’s fitness journey didn’t begin in her 20s like many professional athletes. In fact, she picked up weights for the first time at age 35, after the birth of her second child. Within months, she was competing, and winning, on IFBB Pro bodybuilding stages, even though the Bikini division is typically dominated by much younger women.
The concept for Burn started with a personal moment.
“My daughter was watching me try on clothes, and I said something negative about my body. I saw her looking at me, and I knew I never wanted her to hear that again. I needed to be strong and confident — for both of us,” Chase said.
Determined to reframe her relationship with her body, Chase studied everything from massage therapy and personal training to Barre, TRX, Pilates and nutrition. That education is apparent in Burn’s layered programming, where resistance training is blended with low-impact muscular precision and longevity-focused therapies.
credit: BURN LA
“I believe weights are the fountain of youth,” she said. “But I also believe in supporting muscular conditioning through different modalities. IsoBurn is the perfect complement to Burn45 — it works underneath larger muscles to tighten and strengthen from the inside out.”
Despite a crowded fitness landscape in Los Angeles, Burn has sold out classes and attracted a community drawn to both results and the studio’s elevated environment. Much of that growth, Chase said, is due to her team and her business partner, actor-turned-entrepreneur David Charvet.
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“In under two years, he’s become the force of nature behind us all,” she said. “We’re growing fast because I have the most dedicated and incredible team. Our instructors are our soul. Our regional manager, Emma Anderson, is our MVP. She’s training the next generation of studio managers.”
While much of Burn’s success has been built on results — “if a workout doesn’t deliver real, proven results, people fall off,” Chase noted — community has become a cornerstone of the brand.
“I don’t look for the typical instructor,” she said. “I want people with authentic, good energy. What happens in our classes is an energy exchange, and that creates connection.”
With new California locations on the horizon and plans to launch on the East Coast, Burn’s expansion is underway.
“Burn is my dream come to life,” Chase said. “When I moved to LA, I knew almost no one. I risked everything. And now I see every day what’s possible when you follow something you believe in.”