Industry data reveals that 2026 could be the best year gym owners have ever seen.

Revenue is up across every gym model, average revenue per member is rising, and even the lowest-performing gyms are earning more than they were a year ago.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper presents data from Two-Brain’s latest “State of the Industry” report and highlights 10 reasons gym owners should be optimistic for the year ahead.

He explains why personal training and small-group training continue to outperform during uncertain economic times, how predictable competition formats such as Hyrox are driving retention and revenue, and why gym owners are finally starting to charge what their services are actually worth.

He also looks ahead to some of the biggest opportunities for gym owners in 2026: closing the business knowledge gap and using AI as a tool to make human coaching even more valuable.

Tune in for the full breakdown, and to see the data for yourself, download the “State of the Industry” report via the link below.

Links

State of the Industry

Gym Owners United

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0:25 - Revenue and recession proofing

2:24 - Opportunities with Hyrox and MetFix

7:13 - Success with small-group training

13:59 - Charging more and keeping clients longer

18:05 - Business knowledge and AI tools

About 65% of small businesses fail by Year 10, so very few gym owners get to see what works across two decades of ownership.

But Bill and Staci Russell have endured to achieve something rare: Their gym, CrossFit Cleveland, has been their sole source of income for nearly 20 years.

In this episode, Bill shares hard-earned lessons learned from surviving multiple economic cycles, overcoming staff challenges, adjusting to market shifts and making personal pivots in the fitness industry.

Bill and Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper—another two-decade gym owner—review practical lessons younger gym owners often miss, including:

- Demand must be present before you commit to a facility.
- Your first target market is often wrong.
- Staffing mistakes compound over time.
- Culture problems can be prevented before they appear.
- Surviving is not succeeding.
- Smart, ethical exits and transitions are possible.

Whether you’re early in ownership or deep into it, insight from these two long-serving entrepreneurs can help you make better decisions that will set you up for years of profitability, success and happiness.

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Gym Owners United

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5:55 - Proof of concept

12:41 - Knowing your target market

22:24 - Hire slow, fire fast

37:55 - New gym owner mistakes

43:25 - The secret to 20 years

Why do most gyms plateau at 122 members? The answer: leadership.

In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain CEO Chris Cooper explains how your leadership skills determine whether your gym grows, stalls or shrinks.

Your gym will rise to the level of your leadership and fall to the level of your worst staff members. To take your gym to increasingly higher levels, you must evolve as a leader.

Chris presents the four phases of leadership for gym owners and lists the skills required to climb the ladder:

✅ Founder—Master self-leadership with focus and discipline.
✅ Farmer—Build team leadership through clarity and systemized delegation.
✅ Tinker—Develop peer leadership by collaborating and mentoring.
✅ Chief—Become a better storyteller and improve your ability to create and inspire new leaders.

To avoid outpacing your leadership development, Chris recommends you build your gym business plan with 150 members as your first target—not 300. If you try to go big too soon, you'll always slide back to 120-150 members.

But if you learn to serve 150 people in a rock-solid business and develop your CEO skills, you can acquire as many members as you want or move on to the next legacy-building project.

Watch this episode to get clarity on your current leadership phase and learn exactly which skills you need to break through to the next level.

Links

Gym Owners United

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2:17 - Why gyms plateau at 122 members

9:02 - Founder: self-leadership

11:35 - Farmer: team leadership

14:43 - Tinker: peer leadership

18:20 - Chief: tribe leadership