This training gym has been profitable for 23 years

What’s up Gym World?

Andy McCloy has been in the industry for over 30 years. He opened BCI Sports Performance & Fitness 15 years into his career, and it’s been profitable since Day 1.

He’s running athlete and adult programs for 312 clients and is one of the most seasoned gym owners we know. So, it’s about time we had him on the pod:

Let’s break down his business:

The start of BCI 🏋️‍♂️

In his early 20s, Andy worked at HBI Fitness, where he met a mentor with an exclusive deal to provide personal training at Gold’s Gyms in the Washington, DC area. Later, he moved to Alabama and became a trainer at a Gold’s Gym, where he noticed it:

• Lacked structure

• Had no unified training system

• Wasn’t making money

Using his experience from Washington, Andy pitched the owner on running a personal training business to fix these issues. The owner liked the idea of making more money, agreed, and within a year, Andy took over the gym and expanded his services to two more fitness centers.

Andy eventually left Gold’s Gym to train and travel the country with a Belarusian Olympic tennis player. After that, he spent three years contracting with schools, gyms, and camps to build a reputation. He also launched the area’s first speed camps and clinics for youth athletes.

By then, Andy had years of coaching experience and was ready to open his own gym. Ironically, at the same time, D1 Training approached him to run their new facility nearby. He had three options:

1. Open his own gym and compete with an established brand.

2. Wait for the buzz around D1 to die down, then open his gym.

3. Join D1 and give up on opening his own gym.

In 2001, Andy opened BCI Sports Performance & Fitness with a full client roster and was profitable from Day 1.

What keeps BCI profitable 💪

Andy was 15 years into his career when he started BCI. Throughout that time, he:

• Learned the business

• Built his name

• Became an exceptional coach

He’s still in the same 5,600 sq ft location today and runs two sides of the business:

• Athlete training: A year-round program for 7-19 year olds, focusing on getting them lean, strong, explosive, and prepared for long-term athletic development.

• Adult training: Targets 35-55 year olds, helping them build strength, resilience, and live life without physical limits.

The athlete side has a 3-tier system designed to keep them engaged as they grow:

1. Development (8-11 y/o): Learn training basics.

2. Acceleration (11-14 y/o): Learn to train.

3. Elite (15-19 y/o): Train to compete.

Athletes train in groups of 12-15, with 2 coaches on the floor at all times. Most come in 3 days a week in the off-season and 2 days in-season, paying $45-$85 a week. So at minimum, we can assume each athlete generates $2,340 a year.

On the adult side, there’s small group personal training that costs $84-$124 a week and includes:

• 2 days of individualized training in groups of 6

• 2 days of strength and conditioning in groups of 15

• Nutrition coaching

And like James Pratt’s gym, four small groups train on one side of the room while the large group works on the other.

Every prospect goes through a 3-step sales process:

1. Schedule an intake interview

2. Come in for a tour: Meet with a staff member to discuss goals, build rapport, and find the right program.

3. Choose an offer: Commit to either a 12-month plan or a 13-week plan.

Most gym owners we talk to say offering benefits helps keep staff turnover low and attracts top coaches. This is important to Andy, so BCI has 8 staff, including 4 on the leadership team who receive:

• Salaries

• Health insurance

• Retirement matching

Alright, let’s recap 🔙

Andy’s been a gym owner for 23 years, and his gym’s been profitable from Day 1—something that’s rare in this industry. He made it happen by:

• Spending 15 years learning the business, building his name, and becoming an exceptional coach.

• Creating athlete programs with 12-month memberships that drive predictable revenue.

• Structuring his programs to ensure athletes continue renewing their memberships.

• Adding small group personal training, which is more premium (and profitable) than large group classes.

• Delivering results consistently to boost retention.

• Building a solid team that keeps the business running for him.

I asked Andy for his advice to aspiring gym owners. Here’s what he said:

• Know what you really want and why you want it.

• Find a mentor or example to follow and learn what works for them.

• Build a great team and take care of them.

And as for what’s next for BCI, Andy plans to keep growing the current location and hopes to buy real estate for it.

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

‘til next week,

j

📣 P.S. If you made it this far, tell a fellow gym owner to subscribe to the newsletter.