This gym built PT into 52% of its revenue

What’s up Gym World?

This week, we brought Bobby Armock on the pod. He owns a gym in Grand Rapids, Michigan, called Friction.

He bought the business four months before COVID hit, which forced him to rethink how the gym operated almost immediately. Today, personal training drives around 52% of total revenue, and the business looks very different from the CrossFit gym he took over.

Watch the full interview below or keep reading.

Starting with 100 clients before owning a gym

Before Bobby ever owned a gym, he already had a fitness business.

Shortly after college, he was working with around 100 personal training clients. He decided to pivot into physical therapy but quickly realized the limitations that came with insurance-based care.

That pushed him toward coaching instead.

Early on, he worked with a wide range of clients, including people dealing with serious injuries like strokes and paralysis. That experience shaped how he approaches training today. His focus is more on the outcome and less on the workout itself.

Eventually, he ended up coaching at a CrossFit gym. After managing it for 18 months, he found he enjoyed the operational aspect and approached the owner to buy it.

Buying the gym forced a shift

He went from being a coach with a full client roster to someone responsible for operations, staff, and long-term direction. Then COVID hit, which accelerated that transition and forced him to reevaluate the business model much faster than expected.

Instead of doubling down on CrossFit, Bobby expanded the scope of the gym. Friction shifted from being class-focused to becoming a multi-service performance facility, built around solving a wider range of problems for members.

At the same time, he made a key real estate move. He doubled the size of the facility while reducing his cost per square foot to less than half of what he was paying before. That gave him the physical space to expand services without increasing overhead at the same rate.

What the business looks like now

Today, Friction is structured more like a performance hub than a traditional gym.

It combines multiple services under one roof, allowing members to solve different problems in one place instead of going elsewhere.

The model includes:

• Personal training

• Group fitness classes

• Youth training through Parisi Speed School

• Nutrition coaching

• Specialty programs like powerlifting and gymnastics

• Integrated services like chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, and sports psychology

Business Breakdown

Revenue mix

Personal training leads the business, generating about 52% of total revenue. Group classes still play a role, but they’re not the primary driver. Youth programs and additional services add depth to the model.

Group classes

Classes are capped at 20 members, but typically run closer to 7–12 people.

This is intentional because Bobby has found that smaller groups allow for more coaching, better relationships, and a higher-quality experience.

Sales process

Everything starts with a conversation. And like I always say, more conversations equal more conversions.

From there, the process moves into intake, assessment, and building a clear plan based on the individual.

For youth athletes, that includes structured evaluations, benchmarks, and development plans. For adults, it’s more focused on lifestyle, goals, and long-term sustainability.

Systems and operations

Friction uses systems to keep the business consistent as it grows.

• CRM and automation through Kilo

• Lead nurturing with human follow-up

• Standardized assessments and onboarding

• Performance and nutrition tracking

• Staff accountability through KPIs

Team development

A big part of the model is building a strong team.

Bobby focuses on developing coaches into long-term professionals rather than short-term staff.

That includes:

• Promoting internally into leadership roles

• Weekly mentorship and check-ins

• Hiring for character and alignment

• Incentives tied to performance

The family-based model

One of the more interesting parts of this business is how it’s structured around families.

Kids train through the Parisi program. Parents are already in the building, watching sessions, which creates a natural entry point.

When a family signs up for youth training, parents get their first month of adult classes free.

Bobby’s reasoning is that you’re already paying the coach to run the session, and the parent is already there. So he created a way to get them involved.

The beauty of it is that once they start training, most of them stay. This is a great strategy because it doesn’t require new traffic. It converts the people already in your building.

The model extends beyond just parents. Siblings also train, and in some cases, extended family will join.

Over time, it becomes one household, all bought into the same gym.

Industry insight

More gyms are moving toward this type of model.

Less reliance on large group classes. More emphasis on personal training, semi-private training, and additional services.

We’re also seeing growth in youth performance programs, integrated health services, and family-based memberships.

The gyms that last tend to solve broader problems, not just fitness.

TL;DR

Bobby built Friction by:

• Driving 52% of revenue through personal training

• Using a consultation-first sales process

• Expanding into youth and family services

• Building an integrated service model

• Investing in coach development and systems

• Increasing space while lowering cost per square foot

If you found this valuable, share it with another gym owner.

until next week

j