This gym owner started a gym with just $12

What’s up Gym World?

Last week on the pod, Simon Anderson spent millions (twice) building out SOMA Health & Wellness Club.

This week, Amanda Fritscher started Lionheart Gym with just $12 and bought the building a year later.

Here’s her story: 👇

The lunch date

Amanda spent three weeks studying law before realizing she hated it. Then, she got invited to work out with a trainer at a small gym, loved it, and decided to become a personal trainer. At 25, she began coaching at West Coast Training Center and signed up 24 clients in her first month.

The owner of WCTC was wealthy, owned the building, and rented the 2,300 sq ft space to trainers. He was rarely around, and in 2015, Amanda noticed another trainer pocketing money from the others. Rather than get involved, she:

• Found the owner’s contact info.

• Took him to lunch for $12.

• Brought a business plan and asked to rent the entire space from him.

• Promised to make him money.

He agreed—but rented her the building at 3x his cost, leased her the equipment, and charged her a little extra to protect himself.

For a year, Amanda rented the gym to trainers and offered personal training. During that time, she met her now-husband, who had a fitness background. He suggested she stop renting and add large group training to use the space more efficiently, establish consistent programs, and increase profits.

After that year, the owner asked if she wanted to buy the building. As we’ve seen on Gym World, real estate is one of the best ways to build wealth. So, Amanda:

• Sold her car for the downpayment,

• Took a $15,000 loan,

• And the owner carried the rest.

Amanda eventually expanded into the space next door and opened a spin studio to diversify the business.

She added more programs over time and recently merged the studio with West Coast Training Center, rebranding as Lionheart Gym.

The gym now

Lionheart Gym is a 5,500 sq ft facility with 370 members. It offers:

• Strength training - $139/month

• Spin classes - $139/month

• Semi-private training - $35-$45/session

• Personal training - $50-$60/session

• Unlimited packages (strength, spin, yoga) - $189/month

The gym also has 2 infrared saunas, and 75% of its revenue comes from the unlimited package:

• 30 minutes of strength + 30 minutes of spin

• 30 minutes of strength + 30 minutes of yoga

Amanda gets people in the door through:

• Referrals

• Social content

• Local events

She also uses low-barrier offers for first-timers:

And while most businesses raise prices, Amanda runs a quarterly promotion to let new prospects experience her gym at a lower rate.

She’s got 35 staff running the gym, including:

• A general manager

• Coaches

• Content manager

• Front desk

• Cleaning crew

• Tech support

Quick wrap-up

While training clients, Amanda noticed another trainer stealing from the gym owner. Instead of getting involved, she invited the owner to a $12 lunch and pitched her plan to take over the gym.

Spoiler: It worked.

Within a year, she expanded the business, bought the building, and Lionheart Gym continues to grow today.

I think Amanda’s story shows resourcefulness, so I asked her for advice for other gym owners. She said:

• Don’t focus too much on money.

• Have a clear vision and mission.

• Serve your community well, and people will want to support you.

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

see ya in 2025,

j

📣 P.S. We share stories like this weekly—if you liked it, pass it on to a gym owner and tell them to subscribe.