The most creative gyms of 2025 (so far)

Hey Gym World,

Mateo and I picked 7 of the most tactical and creative gyms we’ve featured on the pod this year. They stood out in:

• Branding

• Niche

• Social Media

• Onboarding

• Events

• Kids’ Programs

• Model

Watch the video below for our full breakdown, or scroll on to see the gyms growing faster, keeping more members, and making more money than most.

Branding

🏆 Our pick: Zach Peterson | Empyre Fitness

Branding is the heart of how people see your business. Zach faced skepticism for his heavily tattooed look, so he built a fashion brand to prove success comes in many forms. He took what he learned from that experience and used it to launch Empyre Fitness, a gym built around a strong identity and community.

By focusing on branding, Zach made it easier to attract members and grow quickly. In just 2.5 years, Empyre has over 300 members and is profitable. They’re already planning a second location with franchising in mind.

It’s an unusual mix: tattoos, fashion, and a successful gym, but it’s exactly what helped Zach build a standout brand that any gym owner can learn from.

Click the video for the full convo or read the article summary here.

Niche

🏆 Our pick: Damon Vincent | Train Unique

Some of Damon’s members drive over an hour just to train at his gym.

Why?

Because he serves a group most gyms overlook: athletes with intellectual and adaptive disabilities.

At Train Unique, he shares space with another gym, has just 159 members, and still brings in $45K per month. That success comes from going all-in on creating a structured, welcoming space with very little competition.

Even if this isn’t your niche, Damon shares a clear blueprint any gym owner can follow to launch a program like this. It’s a model that’s both meaningful and profitable.

Click the video for the full convo or read the article summary here.

Social Media

🏆 Our pick: Joe Strada | Unleash’d Strength

Over a third of Joe’s 600 members at Unleash’d Strength came from social media. And he didn’t get there by sticking to a strict content schedule or obsessing over strategy.

He kept it simple by posting quick, relatable videos that make fitness feel fun and approachable for everyday people. Most take less than a minute to make but reach thousands of potential members.

If social media stresses you out, Joe’s story shows that you don’t need to be a marketing expert to grow your gym online. We break down exactly how he does it so you can try it too.

Click the video for the full convo or read the article summary here.

Onboarding

🏆 Our pick: Jeremy Jones | The Collective

Most gyms see onboarding as a formality. At The Collective, it’s a competitive advantage.

Jeremy’s hybrid strength, cycling, and recovery studio scaled to over $100K in monthly revenue within a year, and a big part of that success comes down to how he brings people in. From the moment someone shows interest to well after they become a member, every step is intentional and personal.

It's one of the most dialed-in onboarding experiences we’ve seen. If you want to improve retention and create an exceptional client journey, Jeremy’s model is a great place to start.

Click the video for the full convo or read the article summary here.

Events

🏆 Our pick: Conor Oakley | Forged Fitness

What if one event could bring in new leads, energize your members, and add thousands in revenue without needing a huge space or complicated setup?

That’s what Conor Oakley figured out at Forged Fitness.

As the first HYROX affiliate in his area, he started running friendly competitions between local gyms. He’s already hosted five, with each bringing in over $2,000. They’re simple, fun, and easy for almost any gym to run.

If you want a high-impact, low-cost way to grow your community and your revenue, this one’s definitely worth copying.

Click the video for the full convo or read the article summary here.

Kids’ Programs

🏆 Our pick: Joshua Fry | OCR Academy

Got some space, a few hours on the weekend, and parents in your gym? You might be sitting on a goldmine.

At OCR Academy, Joshua built a kids’ program that now brings in 90% of the gym’s revenue. That includes $140K from summer camps and thousands more from birthday parties nearly every weekend.

If you already run a kids’ program, expanding it with special events could be a smart next step. So why not take a page from Joshua’s playbook? It might be the extra income your gym’s been looking for.

Click the video for the full convo or read the article summary here.

Model

🏆 Our pick: Joe Cicero | The Yard

We feature a lot of gyms running small group and semi-private training. But Joe’s running a concept that’s just as profitable and way simpler.

At The Yard, members train in private pods with their own equipment and reserve their sessions in advance. It’s a streamlined experience that generates $60K a month with 40% margins, all from a compact space in one of the most expensive cities in the country.

It also gives trainers a way to grow their own businesses without the cost of opening their own gym.

Whether you're a gym owner looking for a high-margin offering or a trainer tired of fighting for space, this model’s worth a closer look.

Click the video for the full convo or read the article summary here.

Alrighty, that’s a wrap on our mid-year roundup. Take whatever strategies fit your business, give ‘em a shot, and see how it goes.

Prefer listening instead? Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple.

And be sure to subscribe to the Gym World YouTube channel and blog so you never run out of ideas to grow your gym.

see you next Friday,

j

P.S. Share this article with another gym owner who’d find it valuable.