Located in Venice, California, Primal Moves is part movement studio, part community hub, part lifestyle. The practice was born in Ibiza and has since found a natural home in one of the world's most active neighborhoods. We sat down with Gus, CEO of Primal Moves North America, to hear how it got here and what makes it different.
Can you share your journey from athlete to studio owner?
I grew up as a multi-sport athlete and trained hard all the way into my late 20s. Then I broke my back skiing, and everything changed. For almost a year I was told not to lift, not to run, not even to do a pushup.
My recovery forced me to completely redefine what I thought healthy meant. I could no longer chase performance or aesthetics. I had to pay attention to how I felt. The shift from how I looked to how I felt transformed everything.
At 33, I radically changed my training and nutrition. I focused on sweating daily, eating in a way that supported recovery, and waking up pain-free. My workouts shifted almost exclusively toward cardio, yoga, and bodyweight strength. Mobility replaced strength as my north star.
When I found Primal Moves in Ibiza in 2021, I immediately fell in love with Nick [Brewer, founder of Primal Moves], the practice, the community, and most importantly, the feeling. It wasn't just a workout; it was belonging. I knew I wanted to bring that feeling to more people. Opening Primal’s first U.S. location has been a dream come true.
What inspired you to open Primal Moves in Venice?
The word "inspire" comes from the Latin inspirare, meaning “to breathe into”. There are five people most responsible for breathing life into this dream: Nick, my brother Tyler, my best friends Rameet and Leon, and my business partner and dear friend Patrick. I always wanted to build a business with my brother and my best friends that aligned with my purpose.
In 2024, I asked Nick to bring Primal to the U.S. and specifically to Venice; he thought about it for less than a minute and said, let's do it.
What is the Primal Moves method, and what makes it different?
Primal Moves is a lifestyle, and the practice itself is the heartbeat of that lifestyle.
What makes it so special isn't just the movements, it's the community. So many of the relationships here are built during class because we encourage conversation. You're not walking into a dark room with loud music where no one speaks. You're moving, sweating, and challenging yourself alongside people you can actually connect with. That shared effort — the ability to talk, laugh, struggle, and grow together in real time — is where the magic happens.
Primal is also evolutionary. We’re constantly refining the studio offerings; it grows as we grow. That responsiveness keeps it alive and authentic.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Primal is that there’s nowhere to hide. We use the handstand as our litmus test. To hold a handstand, you have to develop strength, mobility, balance, breath control, and full-body awareness. You can't fake it. It demands presence and consistency. And when you build that in the studio, it carries into the rest of your life.
Primal Moves’ approach emphasizes mobility and transitions. Why are those elements so important?
Mobility is the foundation of everything we do. Your ability to move pain-free will ultimately define your healthspan — how long you can live well, independently, and at the pace you choose. Mobility is freedom.
Transitions are how we turn that freedom into growth as the building blocks of progress. Instead of isolating movements, we teach people how to move between positions with control and confidence. That's where coordination, resilience, and real-world strength are developed. When students start flowing from one position to another with control, they're not just getting stronger, they're gaining confidence in their bodies.
What do you want someone to feel when they walk into class for the first time?
I want them to feel welcome and refreshed by the authenticity of the space and our staff, as though they are stepping into one of their childhood best friends' houses where they can take their shoes off and simply exist.
How has the studio evolved since opening?
We intentionally chose a gradual, community-led soft opening rather than a traditional grand opening, prioritizing experience and cultural fit over short-term metrics. This approach allowed us to validate demand, iterate in real time, and build a deeply engaged member base before scaling spend or complexity. We've hosted a class every day since May 2025, managing construction around class times and even inviting members to help build the sauna, paint, and reorganize the space.
We initially planned to enclose the studio into multiple rooms, but the community told us what made it special was the size and spaciousness. I would have never imagined that we'd be using the space as we are today; we simply didn’t have enough information when we started.
What's ahead for Primal Moves?
We are focused on growing Primal Moves from a movement modality into a lifestyle brand. We want to remind people there is no shortcut to health: sleep well, drink good water, eat whole foods, move your body — all with your friends and family. We want to build community centers for wellness lovers around the globe, in the places our community is already spending their time.
Why did you choose Manduka as your studio equipment partner?
Our goal is to choose the best partner in every aspect of our business. We are a lifestyle brand and we want to feel great about the quality of the products we use and represent. The Manduka PRO Mat is the Cadillac of yoga mats: always comfortable, durable, and reliable.
The Primal Moves Playlist
Primal Moves keeps the energy grounded and alive with a mix of timeless classics, electronica, and global sounds that move with the practice. From Fleetwood Mac to RÜFÜS DU SOL, it's the kind of playlist that makes you want to stay on the mat a little longer.
Learn More
To discover more about the Primal Moves method, check out the Primal Moves Style Guide, visit their website primalmoves.com, and follow along on Instagram @primalmovesvenice.
Partner with Manduka
Interested in bringing Manduka into your studio space? Explore our Studio Equipment Program to learn more.
