5 Rules for How to Raise Your Gym's Prices Without Losing Members

What's up, Gym World?

Nobody loves raising prices. But if you never do it, rent goes up, payroll goes up, and your margins quietly disappear while you're not looking.

This week, Mateo sat down with Mark Fisher, former owner of Mark Fisher Fitness and now a partner at Business For Unicorns, to talk about exactly that: how to raise your gym's prices without torching your member base.

Mark's been doing this for over a decade, both as an operator and now as a coach to hundreds of gym owners.

Here's what he had to say👇

Start With the Coach-to-Client Ratio, Not a Random Number

Most gym owners guess at their pricing, but Mark says don't.

Instead, figure out your coach-to-client ratio first, then work backward to what you need to net per client per month to make the math work.

Some rough benchmarks Mark shared:

• 6-on-1 model: aim for around $350/month average revenue per client

• 4-on-1 model: aim for around $400/month

• Large group: aim for around $185/month

Avoid the "No Man's Land" of 8 to 10 Per Class

If you're averaging 8 to 10 people per class, Mark says you're stuck in the worst spot in the business.

You're not small enough to charge premium, personalized rates. And you're not big enough to make the volume game work either.

His advice: pick a lane. Either commit to a true small-group model and price accordingly, or lean into a large-group model and focus on filling more spots per session.

Run the "Sold Out" Exercise Before You Touch Your Prices

Before raising anything, Mark recommends a simple gut check:

1. Figure out how many spots you actually have per week

2. Multiply that by what you currently charge

3. See what "sold out" revenue would look like

4. Subtract real expenses, including what it'd cost to staff a full gym

If the math still doesn't work at "sold out," that's your sign: it's time to raise your gym's prices.

Price Increase vs. Price Correction: Know the Difference

This is the part most gym owners get wrong, according to Mark.

A price increase is a small, expected bump; think 3-5%, the kind you'd build into an annual adjustment.

A price correction is bigger. Mark's rule of thumb: if the dollar amount is $60 or more, you're not doing an increase anymore. You're correcting.

Corrections need more thoughtful comms.

Increases don't need much explanation at all.

What Actually Happens When You Raise Prices

Mark's benchmark, based on watching this play out across hundreds of gyms:

• 1-2% of clients will cancel

• 3-5% will complain directly to you

• An unknown percentage will be quietly annoyed and say nothing

Mark says he's never seen a gym owner regret raising rates. He has seen plenty regret waiting five years too long to do it.

The Comms That Actually Work

Two mistakes gym owners make when writing the "prices are going up" message:

1. Over-apologizing. A long, guilt-ridden email makes members more anxious, not less.

2. Overselling the upside. Wrapping a price hike in "exciting news" language reads as tone-deaf. Members mostly just want the number.

Mark's format: state that prices are changing, briefly note what's improved, thank them for their business, and leave a door open for anyone who wants to talk one-on-one.

One extreme example from his own gym: early on, Mark let every member out of their contract rather than raise rates on people who'd signed up under a promise. He calls it "the Red Wedding." It worked out, but he doesn't recommend it as your default move.

Train Members to Expect It

If you've never raised your rates before, expect pushback the first time.

Mark's fix: set the expectation early. Tell new members at sign-up that rates increase annually. When it happens later, it won't feel like a surprise.

TL;DR

If you want to raise your gym's prices without losing your member base:

• Base pricing on your coach-to-client ratio, not a guess

• Avoid the 8-10 person "no man's land" for group classes

• Run the "sold out" math before deciding you need to raise rates

• Know whether you're doing an increase (small, routine) or a correction (bigger, needs more care)

• Expect 1-2% cancellations and a handful of complaints—that's normal

• Keep the comms short, honest, and light on apology

• Set expectations early so future increases don't blindside anyone

If you're thinking through your own pricing but still unsure about raising your rates, this article is worth a read.

cheers,

j