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This gym makes 7-figures from semi-private training

& how to double your hourly earnings 👇

Author

John Franklin
August 16, 2024

Hey Gym World,

Brian Bott from Aspire Fitness was our pod’s first-ever in-person guest.

Like James Pratt, Brian has been obsessed with training and coaching for 20 years. After college, he started a semi-private training program at a gym, spent nearly 10 years grinding it up to $50k a month and refining his craft before opening his own space.

Last time, we talked about how his two gyms generate 90% of their revenue from semi-private training.

I shared four things I liked about his system, and Brian walked us through the process of buying a $1.1M building for his gym.

This time, we’re unpacking his entire 7-figure business model.

Here it is: 👇

The gymsđź“Ť

Aspire Fitness has two New Jersey locations: one in Colts Neck, the other in Rumson.

Colts Neck opened in 2015, followed by Rumson in 2021. They’re both situated in highly affluent areas.

Both gyms are under 3,000 sq ft and together have 285 members.

And like many gyms, Brian caters to busy moms but also works exclusively with high-level wrestling athletes.

Before he became a gym owner, Brian trained wrestling athletes and built a strong reputation. Others like Mick Breuckner or Eric Cressey & Pete Dupuis have a similar story.

The training 🏋️

The majority of Aspire’s clients do semi-private training.

The gyms also provide group classes and 1-on-1 personal training.

One coach trains four people at a time, and everyone gets an individualized program.

Brian says most prospects come in seeking a customized experience.

Coaches use templates and adjust the movements to fit with each client’s goals.

Brian recommends using templates from people you respect and tweaking them for your audience. Mike Boyle, Jay Ferruggia, and Rachel Cosgrove are some of his favorites.

And while it’s tough tracking nearly 300 unique programs, this rare flexibility sets Aspire apart.

The selling 🤝

Aspire takes prospects through a 3-step sales process:

  1. Book a free intro: This helps them see if the gym is the right fit.

  2. Talk with a coach: The coach evaluates the prospect’s goals, ability, and injury history to make a plan.

  3. Pick a membership: Prospects then choose between 1-4 sessions per week.

Then, it’s time to start getting results.

Brian says if someone wants a specific result, they need a specific plan to get there.

The packaging & pricing 🏷️

Semi-private memberships at Aspire depend on:

  • Whether clients choose annual or month-to-month agreements

  • How often they want to train

Everyone starts with a 3-month commitment, and most members choose annual agreements.

Prices range from $299 a month for 1 session a week to $699 a month for 4 sessions a week.

Brian says 80% of members opt for 2 sessions a week at $499 a month, and many like to add group classes to their membership.

Group classes are $200 a month for twice a week, and 1-on-1 personal training is $1,200 a month for 2-3 sessions a week.

According to Brian, prospects who want 1-on-1 training end up choosing semi-private because it’s cheaper and offers nearly the same program. He’s transparent about this during the sales call.

How to double your hourly earnings đź’°

Semi-private training is a premium service that deserves a premium price.

We’ve featured plenty of gym owners who charge between $300 to $899 for this service.

If you offer personal training, here’s how to use this model to double your hourly earnings: 👇

Service: Personal training

# of Clients: 1

Hourly Cost: $120

Brian suggests pricing semi-private sessions at two-thirds of your personal training rate. In this case, it works out to $80 per session.

Calculation: ($120 / 3) x 2 = $80

If you have just three clients in a session, you’ll earn twice as much as you would with personal training:

# of Clients: 3

Cost: $80 per client per session

Total Hourly Earnings: $240 ($80 x 3)

Some of the best gym owners like Mike Baker, Cassie Day, and Dan Purington use a similar model with groups of six. If you scale your sessions to six clients, you could make four times your personal training rate ($80 x 6 = $480).

You can see how quickly this approach adds up.

Pro Tip: The people we talk to get new semi-private clients to commit to specific timeslots, like Tuesday and Thursday at 9 AM. This helps ensure key slots are full before adding more sessions.

The model won’t work if you have a bunch of sessions with only 1 or 2 people attending.

CliffsNotes for gym owners đź“ť

Many owners struggle with two locations, but Brian has two successful semi-private training gyms in a competitive market by:

  • Refining his systems and processes

  • Maximizing his revenue

  • Putting in the hard work

  • Being great at what he does

Now, he’s grown his business into a 7-figure empire.

For a complete overview of Aspire Fitness and other business insights, watch or listen to Brian’s full interview on Gym World.

catch you later,

j

đź“Ł P.S. If you found this interesting, share it with a gym owner who’d think so too.