CrossFit taught the world how to move, and now through MetFix, Greg Glassman wants to teach them how to eat.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper sits down with Peter Shaw, former CrossFit flowmaster and current head of the MetFix Seminar Team.

The pair explore how MetFix is building on top of CrossFit rather than competing with it by shifting the focus from fitness alone to overall health.

Peter explains that MetFix emphasizes metabolic health education so trainers can confidently work with the 80% of people suffering from chronic disease.

The opportunity for gym owners is significant: MetFix adds a revenue stream, and it creates a pathway to attract clients who want to reverse diabetes, lose weight and get healthier.

Peter also discusses building relationships with medical professionals and positioning yourself as a health authority in your community.

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“Effect of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Deprescription …”

“Virta Health champions its nutrition therapy …”

MetFix Website

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1:55 - Intro

3:42 - Fitness vs. health landscape

13:24 - MetFix and CrossFit

21:01 - Opportunity for gym owners

40:02 - Why choose MetFix?

Twenty years of gym ownership will teach you things no course ever could.

Chris Cooper’s gym, Catalyst, recently turned 20, and today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain's founder is sharing 22 lessons he’s learned over the last two decades as a fitness entrepreneur.

Chris reveals the early mistakes that nearly cost him everything and the systems that finally gave him stability and freedom. He also explains how mentorship and self-improvement helped him acquire critical skills and avoid expensive missteps.

You’ll find out why coaching skills rarely determine long-term gym success and what actually separates gym owners who survive from those who eventually burn out.

Among Coop’s top lessons: Fix yourself before fixing the business, consistency matters more than intensity, and gym owners aren’t selling workouts—they’re selling hope.

Tune in for two decades of hard-won wisdom that could save you years of pain and tens of thousands of dollars.

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1:04 - Pre-2005 to 2009

27:15 - 2010 to 2013

44:06 - 2014 to 2017

59:13 - 2018 to 2021

1:11:45 - 2022 to 2025

Hyrox affiliation gives Rob Sowden-Taylor 25 to 40% of his gym’s leads and creates long-term members who stick around for an average of 2.5 years.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with Rob, owner of Ion Strength and Conditioning in Wales, to break down exactly how he uses Hyrox as a client-acquisition tool.

Rob shares how he structures Hyrox simulations to maximize participation and revenue, running more than 120 people through them in just four hours.

About half his event participants are existing members—boosting average revenue per member—and the other half are new people, providing fresh leads for his gym’s ongoing services.

Tune in to get the complete blueprint for implementing a Hyrox program that generates leads and boosts revenue.

Read Rob’s full Hyrox ROI breakdown, linked below.

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Rob's Hyrox ROI Breakdown

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1:06 - Rob’s new Hyrox lead stats

8:35 - Running Hyrox simulations

12:09 - Where leads come from

15:43 - Pricing the simulations

24:16 - How to set up an event

If you put all your clients on podiums and celebrate their achievements, they'll stay longer and you'll earn more.

Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper breaks down the in-house competition he’s refined over 15 years: the Intramural Open. The four-week event can be run completely on its own or combined with the CrossFit Games Open.

Two-Brain's signature fun competition is a win for everyone: Clients get podium moments they can’t get anywhere else, and gym owners see measurable improvements in retention and average revenue per member. Plus, Coop has added a special bring-a-friend workout that's an A+ marketing opportunity.

From setup logistics to post-competition revenue boosters, Coop lays out the exact steps for running a successful team competition in your gym. You’ll even learn how to offer pre-event programs and specialty clinics to generate additional revenue before the competition begins.

Chris also shares survival tips to avoid burnout and refresh the open if you've run the event before.

If you’re ready to boost revenue and retention and fill your gym with good vibes to start 2026, this episode is for you!

To download the Intramural Open guide, head to Gym Owners United via the link below.

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8:04 - Setting up the Intramural Open

11:51 - Pre-open activities

18:14 - Points and scoring

23:51 - Results = more money

28:28 - How to refresh the open

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains why gym owners need to stop consuming clickbait speculation about CrossFit’s sale and start working on what actually matters: their businesses.

Stop paying the “distraction tax”—hours spent watching videos, scrolling comments and worrying about things you can’t control cost you opportunities to generate revenue, build client relationships and preserve decision-making capacity.

To give you a concrete plan to improve your business in a time of uncertainty, Coop walks through a five-step process you can use to objectively measure the value of any gym affiliation using real numbers:

✅ Check local search volume for the brand
✅ Track where your leads come from
✅ Calculate marketing ROI with a simple formula
✅ Measure revenue from affiliation programs
✅ Assess retention value among engaged members

If you decide to rebrand, Chris also covers the true costs, from domain changes and social media updates to new signage and content, so you understand what’s actually required.

The key takeaway: CrossFit LLC (or any brand affiliation) has never had less impact on your success than right now. Your coaching, client relationships and business systems actually drive results.

Watch this episode to get the decision-making framework that will help you make smart, data-driven choices about affiliation. Then get back to work.

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Measuring the Value of Affiliation

The True Costs of Rebranding

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1:09 - Don’t get distracted

2:53 - Help with affiliation decision

9:31 - A rebranding plan

12:48 - Get back to work

14:15 - The decision to make now

Industry data reveals that 2026 could be the best year gym owners have ever seen.

Revenue is up across every gym model, average revenue per member is rising, and even the lowest-performing gyms are earning more than they were a year ago.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper presents data from Two-Brain’s latest “State of the Industry” report and highlights 10 reasons gym owners should be optimistic for the year ahead.

He explains why personal training and small-group training continue to outperform during uncertain economic times, how predictable competition formats such as Hyrox are driving retention and revenue, and why gym owners are finally starting to charge what their services are actually worth.

He also looks ahead to some of the biggest opportunities for gym owners in 2026: closing the business knowledge gap and using AI as a tool to make human coaching even more valuable.

Tune in for the full breakdown, and to see the data for yourself, download the “State of the Industry” report via the link below.

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State of the Industry

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0:25 - Revenue and recession proofing

2:24 - Opportunities with Hyrox and MetFix

7:13 - Success with small-group training

13:59 - Charging more and keeping clients longer

18:05 - Business knowledge and AI tools

About 65% of small businesses fail by Year 10, so very few gym owners get to see what works across two decades of ownership.

But Bill and Staci Russell have endured to achieve something rare: Their gym, CrossFit Cleveland, has been their sole source of income for nearly 20 years.

In this episode, Bill shares hard-earned lessons learned from surviving multiple economic cycles, overcoming staff challenges, adjusting to market shifts and making personal pivots in the fitness industry.

Bill and Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper—another two-decade gym owner—review practical lessons younger gym owners often miss, including:

- Demand must be present before you commit to a facility.
- Your first target market is often wrong.
- Staffing mistakes compound over time.
- Culture problems can be prevented before they appear.
- Surviving is not succeeding.
- Smart, ethical exits and transitions are possible.

Whether you’re early in ownership or deep into it, insight from these two long-serving entrepreneurs can help you make better decisions that will set you up for years of profitability, success and happiness.

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5:55 - Proof of concept

12:41 - Knowing your target market

22:24 - Hire slow, fire fast

37:55 - New gym owner mistakes

43:25 - The secret to 20 years

Why do most gyms plateau at 122 members? The answer: leadership.

In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain CEO Chris Cooper explains how your leadership skills determine whether your gym grows, stalls or shrinks.

Your gym will rise to the level of your leadership and fall to the level of your worst staff members. To take your gym to increasingly higher levels, you must evolve as a leader.

Chris presents the four phases of leadership for gym owners and lists the skills required to climb the ladder:

✅ Founder—Master self-leadership with focus and discipline.
✅ Farmer—Build team leadership through clarity and systemized delegation.
✅ Tinker—Develop peer leadership by collaborating and mentoring.
✅ Chief—Become a better storyteller and improve your ability to create and inspire new leaders.

To avoid outpacing your leadership development, Chris recommends you build your gym business plan with 150 members as your first target—not 300. If you try to go big too soon, you'll always slide back to 120-150 members.

But if you learn to serve 150 people in a rock-solid business and develop your CEO skills, you can acquire as many members as you want or move on to the next legacy-building project.

Watch this episode to get clarity on your current leadership phase and learn exactly which skills you need to break through to the next level.

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2:17 - Why gyms plateau at 122 members

9:02 - Founder: self-leadership

11:35 - Farmer: team leadership

14:43 - Tinker: peer leadership

18:20 - Chief: tribe leadership