How a $130K/Month Large Group Gym Stays Personal

What’s up, Gym World?

How do you make a 14-person class feel personal, and build a successful large-group gym around it?

Nate Muller gives his coaches a target: 90 seconds of one-on-one interaction with every member, every class.

Not just “good job.” Actual back-and-forth.

His first gym, Green Lake Strength in Seattle, has about 450 members. Mateo toured his second location, Polaris Strength, to see how Nate brings that personal approach to a growing gym business.

From Tech Career to Large Group Gym Owner

Before owning gyms, Nate worked at Microsoft, Valve, and Humble Bundle. He joined his first CrossFit gym in 2011 and bought it in April 2020.

With coaches and a class schedule already in place, he focused on marketing. His starting plan: ask five members a week for a Google review.

By the end of 2022, he was running the gym full time.

How a Large Group Gym Stays Personal: The 90-Second Rule

Each coach aims to talk one-on-one with every member for 90 seconds during a class. In a full 14-person class, that's 21 minutes of individual interaction.

That’s more than a few “good jobs.” Coaches have to ask questions, listen, and follow up.

The point is for every member to feel noticed, not just coached as part of a crowd.

It’s a target, not a guarantee. Nate wants coaches working toward it in every class.

Progressions, Not Scaling

Classes follow a straightforward format: 20 minutes of warm-up, 20 minutes of strength, and 20 minutes of conditioning. Every workout includes progressions for different ability levels.

Nate uses “progressions” instead of “scaling” on purpose. He wants every member to feel the workout was written for them—not written for an elite athlete and scaled down for everyone else.

He also wants members focused on their own goals rather than chasing RX—the prescribed version of the workout—before they’re ready. He's concerned that pushing beyond their current ability can lead to injury and time away from the gym.

Why Location Matters for a Large Group Gym

Many CrossFit gyms choose industrial areas for cheaper space and fewer noise concerns. Nate thinks a smaller space near where people live is worth considering. He credits Green Lake’s residential location with helping attract nearby members through foot traffic and local search.

Build Reviews Into Your Large Group Gym

Nate’s online marketing at Green Lake started with a simple habit: personally email five members a week to ask for a Google review.

He says one or two typically follow through. At the time of the interview, the gym had collected 350 five-star reviews.

His process:

• Send the email himself. He’s tried automation, but says a personal email from the owner gets the best response.

• Ask around 90 days after sign-up, when members have had time to experience the gym and talk about their progress.

• Refresh the member list every few months. Along the way, check who left within their first 90 days and consider what the gym could have done better.

Add Revenue Without Losing the Large Group Feel

Green Lake generates $130K–$140K a month in total revenue. Large-group memberships account for roughly half of membership revenue, with specialty classes, individualized programming, and one-on-one training contributing to the mix.

Nate tests new programs with existing members first:

• Individualized programming launched at a discount while Nate and the members learned together.

• Specialty classes ran as additions to the schedule for about six months before becoming a separate membership tier.

Some classes had waitlists within an hour of reservations opening. That demand supported the move to a paid tier: members who wanted continued access had to upgrade.

What’s Next

At the time of the interview, Nate had owned Polaris Strength for a little under a year. He focused on growing the second location and rebuilding the marketing habits that worked at Green Lake.

He admitted he hadn’t consistently made his five weekly review requests for most of those first nine months. Now he’s restarting that routine, bringing back member spotlights, and giving marketing more attention.

TL;DR

Nate’s approach to growing without losing the personal feel:

• Give coaches a specific target for individual attention.

• Build workout options for different ability levels.

• Ask five members a week for a Google review.

• Review early cancellations for gaps in onboarding.

• Test new programs with current members before rolling them out more broadly.

Want to put Nate’s review strategy into practice? Start with our Google Business Profile optimization handbook.

cheers,

j