The gym where trainers start a gym for $18

What’s up Gym World?

Four years ago, Steve Pirt launched FlexWerk Fitness, and it’s changing the way personal trainers start their careers.

Instead of paying rent to a gym, signing contracts, or working under someone else, trainers at FlexWerk book private spaces by the hour ($18-$22) and get full access to premium equipment, top-tier tech, and a sexy training environment. They don’t have to worry about staff, cleaning, or overhead—and keep 100% of what they earn.

With two locations in Indiana and plans for 13 more next year (plus international expansion), Steve is building something entirely unique in the industry. For under $20, anyone can start a fitness business and start making money right away.

I had to get him on the pod to break it all down.

Here’s the summary:

The idea 💡

Back in 2000, Steve was a former wrestler and “gym rat” in Sacramento who practically lived at 24 Hour Fitness. One day, the General Manager asked if he wanted to train people. Despite having no experience or certification, he said yes—and landed 32 clients in his first 30 days.

Just five months later, Steve was asked to duplicate his results at another 24 Hour Fitness. So, he became General Manager and:

• Fixed the club’s biggest problems (operations and retention)

• Turned it into Club of the Year nationwide

• Did it again the next year at another location

In 2018, Steve became the National Director of Franchise Operations for UFC Gym, where he gained insight into the biggest challenges gyms faced worldwide:

• Front desk issues

• Struggles with general managers

• Hiring and retention problems

• Weak gym culture

At the same time, Steve kept hearing the same frustration from trainers—they wanted to go independent but lacked the resources like space, equipment, and a solid business model to do it successfully.

Seeing this gap in the market, he realized that by addressing these challenges and harmonizing operations, design, and technology, he could create a major business opportunity.

So, he studied companies like WeWork, Uber, and casinos to understand how they solved problems and improved efficiency. Using those insights, he developed a gym concept that:

• Removed common pain points

• Reduced friction

• Was fully app-driven

And in March 2020, Steve and his business partner signed a deal to open the FlexWerk HQ in Carmel, Indiana.

They chose this location because it had:

• The right demographics → A tech-savvy community open to app-driven fitness

• A growing market → Strong economic growth, high rankings from Forbes and Money Magazine, and an influx of newcomers

• Low competition → Fewer gyms made it easier to introduce a new concept

• An active fitness community → Plenty of fitness professionals to populate the model

What is FlexWork Fitness? 🏋️

FlexWerk is a premium fitness space for adults 18+. It’s built for:

• Fitness professionals - Trainers, coaches, influencers, and physiologists

• Clients - Those looking for 1-on-1 or small group training (trainers discovered through FlexWerk)

• Fitness enthusiasts - Travelers or anyone who wants an uncrowded space

The gym is fully app-driven, allowing anyone to reserve and pay by the hour for a training time and room on a first-come, first-served basis.

Inside, you’ll find a 3,000 sq ft facility with 8 private flexspaces:

• 4 Standard Rooms - 150 sq ft, fits up to 2 guests ($18/hr)

• 4 Plus Rooms- 230 sq ft, fits up to 5 guests ($22/hr)

The gym also provides exclusive amenities:

And every flexspace is designed with purpose. The rooms look and feel premium, with a thoughtful layout that maximizes every square foot:

• One wall is a vanity - full-length mirror for form checks

• One wall is equipment - vertically stored, imported from Italy

• One wall is technology - sound system, lights, and TV

• One wall is the entrance - sleek and minimal

There’s at least one host (staff member) on-site at all times to ensure an optimal guest experience. They:

• Manage the schedule

• Handle administrative tasks

• Ensure systems and procedures are followed

• Engage with guests and enhance their experience

And unlike most gyms, FlexWerk has no memberships or long-term commitments. Instead, it makes money by renting spaces.

Most revenue comes from personal trainers booking rooms by the hour for their clients, with the rest coming from individual guests and partnerships with hotels. Frequent users can pre-book 10, 20, 50, or 100-hour packages, with a 10% cashback incentive.

How does FlexWerk help personal trainers grow? 💪

After years of managing gyms and seeing the industry’s biggest challenges, Steve built FlexWerk to give personal trainers the tools and space to grow their business without the overhead of a traditional gym:

1. A private, fully equipped space - Each room has premium equipment and offers complete privacy, creating a high-end experience for both trainers and clients.

2. No contracts, no leases - Pay only for the hours needed ($18 or $22 per hour) and keep 100% of what your clients pay you.

3. Total flexibility - No rigid schedules or restrictions. You can train as much or as little as you want, whether it’s your full-time job or a side hustle.

Trainers can either bring their own clients or get leads through FlexWerk’s partnership with a lead gen company. The gym provides the leads, trainers sell their product, and FlexWerk takes a small deposit from each signup.

The gym also offers done-for-you services to help trainers build their brand and attract more clients:

• BrandWerk → Develop a unique brand identity

• MediaWerk → Create a consistent, professional look across ads

• WebWerk → Get an eye-catching website to showcase your biz

And Steve hosts monthly forums where trainers come together to share free content on business topics like marketing, scheduling, and sales conversations.

Who else can benefit from FlexWerk? 🤔

FlexWerk was built for personal trainers, but it’s also a game-changer for other fit pros and entrepreneurs looking for flexibility, low overhead, and a premium space to grow.

Fitness influencers

Many influencers monetize their brand through online coaching, challenges, and exclusive content. FlexWerk provides a private, high-end space to:

• Film workouts

• Train select clients

• Build their brand without gym restrictions

Trainers at boutique and franchise gyms

Many boutique studios only offer group classes and don’t allow their trainers to offer personal or semi-private training. This leaves skilled trainers looking for a way to grow their own business.

FlexWerk gives them the space and autonomy to do it. Trainers can run sessions on their own terms without renting a facility, signing contracts, or competing for space.

Aspiring gym owners

We’ve seen on Gym World that opening a gym can be expensive and risky. FlexWerk removes those barriers.

Trainers can launch their own business for under $20, train clients in a premium setting, and prove their concept before committing to a long-term lease or investing in expensive equipment.

What’s next for FlexWerk? 💭

With 21 years in the gym industry, Steve built a simple yet innovative concept that tackles the biggest challenges fit pros face in traditional gyms. FlexWerk is efficient, sleek, and fully app-driven.

But he’s not just reinventing gym spaces—he’s helping personal trainers scale faster by giving them the tools, space, and support to scale their business.

Right now, there’s FlexWerk HQ in Carmel and a franchise location in downtown Indianapolis. Steve plans to open 3 more locations this year and 10 more in 2026.

He’s focused on 5-6 metro markets like California, Florida, Texas, New York, Arizona, and Georgia—making it easier for operators to manage multiple locations. And it’s only a matter of time before FlexWerk goes global. There’s already drawn interest from Japan, France, Brazil, Mexico, and the Middle East.

For more on the business, be sure to watch or listen to Steve’s full interview on Gym World.

ttyl,

j

📣 P.S. If you found this interesting, pass it on to another gym owner who’d think so too.