Feeling pressured to run a Black Friday deal at your gym? Don’t do it.

Your gym is a premium service provider, and it should compete on results and relationships, not price.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder and CEO Chris Cooper breaks down the dangers of discounting and explains why most gym owners who offer sales end up trapped in the “discount death spiral.”

Black Friday deals attract the wrong clients and weaken your brand, and you have better ways to grow your gym during the holiday season.

Coop shares simple, high-value alternatives, including running bring-a-friend events and adding bonus offers that don’t undercut your pricing.

Tune in to learn how to make this Black Friday your most profitable yet—without slashing your rates or cheapening your brand.

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Gym Owners United

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1:20 - Why not offer discounts?

2:43 - 5 dangers of discounts

7:26 - Focus on value instead

8:07 - Run alternative promotions

13:36 - Use the Prescriptive Model

Can a gym be profitable with just 15 to 20 members? The answer is yes—and Oskar Johed is proving it.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin sits down with Oskar, co-owner of two thriving CrossFit facilities in Sweden, to talk about why he chose a different path for his third gym: a small-group training model.

Oskar breaks down the advantages of small-group training, from lower overhead and reduced staff burnout to higher client retention and stronger profitability.

In a small-group model, gyms with limited square footage can break even with just a handful of high-value members—and scale up to major profitability with 80 to 100 clients.

Oskar also explains why individualized attention in small-group settings produces better results and how he uses affinity marketing and community partnerships to grow without relying solely on ads.

Listen and find out how to blend the best of group and personal training to build a sustainable, profitable gym.

Links

The Prescriptive Model

Semi-Private Launch Playbook

Gym Owners United

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2:46 - The burnout problem

7:52 - Pricing small-group training

14:20 - Using the Prescriptive Model

18:40 - Advantages of small group

27:32 - Oskar’s marketing strategy

If you try to scale your gym the wrong way, you might kill it.

In this episode, Two-Brain founder and gym owner Chris Cooper shares how his first attempt at scaling nearly bankrupted his family. But you don’t have to guess like he did.

Today, Coop walks you through safe, profitable scaling using small-group and semi-private training.

He explains the difference between the two services and how to transition existing clients into them, whether they’re coming from one-on-one or big-group training.

You’ll also learn how to price small-group training correctly and connect members to fill sessions quickly.

If you’re looking for a tested method to grow your gym without burning out or going broke, tune in to hear the exact steps.

Links

Gym Owners United

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0:18 - Coop’s big mistake

3:10 - Going from PT to small groups

8:13 - The data on small groups

10:17 - Going from big to small groups

13:22 - Advertising small group training

Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” host Mike Warkentin talks with attorney and former gym owner Matthew Becker of Gym Lawyers PLLC about how to use AI safely in your business without creating massive liability.

Matthew breaks down the legal risks gym owners face when using AI tools, including operating outside their scope of practice, violating privacy laws and infringing on copyright.

Improper AI use can even increase exposure to lawsuits and eliminate liability protection.

So how can gym owners use AI without endangering their businesses?

Matthew recommends fitness entrepreneurs use AI as a research and education tool, not as a substitute for professional services, and leverage it to streamline admin work, generate ideas and polish client-facing materials.

Check out the full episode to find out how to save time with new technology while keeping your gym insulated from legal risk.

You can get in touch with Matt at Gym Lawyers PLLC via the link below.

Links

Gym Lawyers PLLC

Gym Owners United

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3:06 - Scope of practice dangers

7:32 - Increasing exposure & liability

14:23 - Skipping professional support

17:12 - Uploading confidential information

25:34 - How to use AI safely

CrossFit changed the fitness industry forever—but with affiliate numbers declining, gym owners are asking, “What’s next?”

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper digs into why affiliate numbers keep shrinking, where former CrossFit gyms are going and what gym owners can do right now to stay competitive.

He explains how novelty-driven methods such as Hyrox are pulling attention and why the lack of clarity from CrossFit HQ has created uncertainty for affiliate owners.

Coop lays out a solution for managing methods and giving clients what they want in confusing times: adopting the Prescriptive Model. Instead of just selling class packages, he shows you how to actually coach clients with tailored prescriptions that blend strength, aerobic and high-intensity training to get results.

Done right, this approach improves retention, helps clients accomplish goals and ensures your gym thrives no matter what brand name is on the door.

Tune in to learn how to implement the Prescriptive Model in your gym and build a business that wins—whether it is affiliated with CrossFit or not.

Links

Gym Owners United

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3:03 - Why affiliates leave CrossFit

6:36 - Hyrox taking over competition

9:09 - Who has the best classes?

11:46 - Why ClassPass doesn’t work

13:57 - Solution: The Prescriptive Model

The key to steady gym growth and stronger retention? Turning your best members into your best recruiters.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper explains how to use affinity marketing to strengthen your community, keep members longer and bring in more people just like your favorite clients.

Passive referral programs rarely work, so Chris shows you how to actively connect your clients’ families, coworkers and friends to your gym.

He even provides an inside look at Two-Brain’s Affinity Marketing Cheat Sheet, shows you exactly when to ask for referrals and explains how to start those conversations without making them feel awkward or transactional.

Tune in to learn how to build a referral system that generates steady growth and improves retention at the same time.

Links

Gym Owners United

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1:18 - When to ask for a referral

5:53 - Duplicating your best clients

13:35 - The goal review conversation

20:52 - Hosting group events

24:35 - Affinity marketing highlights

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper presents hard numbers and explains why the gap between 3% and 5% churn can be the difference between stability and collapse.

He shares lessons from two decades of studying the science of retention, showing how most gyms don’t fail because they need more leads but because they can’t keep the people they already have.

Coop explains why contracts aren’t the answer, why chasing Facebook leads and six-week challenges can actually erode your community, and how gyms with 300+ members can get into trouble fast if they’re bleeding members.

Chris also breaks down the two key metrics every gym owner should track to boost retention and revenue—length of engagement (LEG) and average revenue per member (ARM)—and explains why retention is really just “sales over time.”

Tune in for Coop’s full retention playbook, then apply his tips to keep members longer, change more lives and build a profitable business that lasts.

Join Coop’s free retention workshop on Sept. 30 at noon Eastern in Gym Owners United (linked below).

Links

Gym Owners United

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0:19 - When clients stay longer

7:10 - 3% versus 5% churn

11:29 - A better retention metric

13:11 - Onboarding and goal reviews

17:24 - Keeping people for 2 years

Kevin Munoz gives his training plans away for free—and still closes 80% of sales! Find out how he does it in this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym.”

Today, host Mike Warkentin talks with Munoz about how he built $500+ average revenue per member (ARM) at his gym, Peak PT. Kevin shares the exact strategies that helped him land on Two-Brain's Top 10 ARM leaderboard, which runs from $502 to $854.

At Peak PT, Kevin uses Two-Brain's Prescriptive Model to sell, and he'll give prospective clients an entire training plan in free consultations to boost the "know-like-trust factor." He shows so much value that eight in 10 prospects sign up even though they could walk out with a free training plan.

There's more: Munoz explains why cutting low-value services boosted his revenue, how semi-private training fits into his business and why overdelivering during his on-ramp program makes conversions to recurring memberships simple.

He also details the community partnerships, referral systems and client events that keep new leads flowing into his gym without heavy reliance on paid ads.

Tune in for a step-by-step look at how one gym used systems and value to acquire better clients, increase retention and produce ARM north of $500 per month.

Links

Gym Owners United

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0:52 - What drove his ARM increase?

8:05 - Where to find high-value clients

10:56 - High-conversion sales process

15:12 - Finding Two-Brain to now

25:16 - #1 tip to boost ARM