This gym makes $85k/mo from small group training

What’s up Gym World?

14 years ago, Ben Supik started Activate Body Personal Training in a small room with just a couple of pieces of equipment and 20 clients.

Now, Ben is making $85k a month with his small group training model, and he’s planning to expand to four locations by the end of next year. He came on Gym World to break it all down with my co-host, Mateo:

Here’s what he said: 👇

Building Activate Body 🏗️

Ben knew he wanted a career in fitness after taking an exercise science course in college. He started as a personal trainer at a big box gym but didn’t like their model because “their incentives didn’t align with what they claimed.” So, in 2010, he:

• Quit

• Subleased a small room with just a couple of dumbbells and benches

• Brought 20 clients with him for 1-on-1 training

While most gym owners focus on marketing to grow, Ben spent his first 1.5 years without it. The gym wasn’t growing, so he took a revenue-building course and switched to a small group model for better profitability.

Around that time, Ben also became an early adopter of Thumbtack—an online directory that connects individual service providers with customers. If someone needed a personal trainer, they could find one through the platform.

Most users joined as individuals, but Ben was strategic and signed up as a gym. He asked clients for 5-star reviews, and by 2015, Activate Body was ranked the #1 personal trainer in the US.

Within a year, the gym was full, so Ben expanded to a larger space where he still trains today and generates $85k a month.

Here’s what the business looks like: 👇

The space 📍

Activate Body has an L-shaped footprint with two gym floors on opposite sides, so two small group sessions can run simultaneously.

There’s a cafe/smoothie bar in the middle, as well as an outdoor patio for members to hang out.

The training 🏋️

Ben offers small group personal training for people 40+ with little to no fitness experience who want to build stronger, pain-free bodies.

Each 45-minute session has one coach training six people, all with customized programs.

Members can choose to train:

• 1x a week for $100/wk

• 2x a week for $125/wk

• 3x a week for $150/wk

The marketing 📣

Today, most of Ben’s leads come from:

• Meta ads

• The gym’s website

• Referrals

And since his target demographic mostly uses Facebook, he doesn’t bother with organic on Instagram.

The selling 🤝

Activate Body has a simple 4-step sales process:

1. Opt-in: Prospects provide their contact info to learn more about the gym.

2. Phone call: The front desk quickly calls the lead and schedules a free strategy session with the general manager.

3. Tour: The prospect tours the gym with the GM.

4. Offer: The goal is to sell them on a low barrier offer of $149 for 28 days of unlimited small group training.

The staff 👔

The gym is open 6 days a week, 14 hours a day, except on Saturday. It has 9 staff members, including:

• 1 full-time front desk person and 3 part-time for support

• 1 full-time coach and 3 part-time for support

• A General Manager who handles sales and retention

If you skimmed… 🔎

Ben started with 1-on-1 personal training but switched to a small group model to make the business more profitable. With the right systems in place, he now makes $85k a month.

When asked what’s next, Ben said he wants to be the ‘Rolls Royce’ of small group personal training and plans to open two more locations next year.

For more on Activate Body, watch or listen to Ben’s full interview on Gym World.

cheers,

j

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