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.

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State of the Industry

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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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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.

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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

Unleash’d Strength Gym generates 15 times as many leads as the average fitness facility and sets eight times as many appointments.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” owner Joseph Strada reveals the tactics that produce 200 leads and 60 sales appointments per month.

He walks through his marketing funnels, explaining how he earns leads through organic social media outreach, paid Meta ads and referral-driven events such as monthly pancake breakfasts.

Each funnel includes a systemized, VA-driven follow-up process that turns interest into booked appointments instead of lost leads.

Joseph also explains how he improved his online presence by auditing his website and optimizing his gym’s Google Business Profile to boost SEO.

Two-Brain teaches clients to build and operate four marketing funnels that produce high-value clients regularly. If you aren't turning leads into members, analyze your funnels and remove the clogs fast—a mentor can help.

Use the link below to find out how to use the Prescriptive Model to close sales and get results for clients.

Also linked below: “Help First” by Chris Cooper

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The Prescriptive Model

"Help First"

Gym Owners United

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2:57 - Lead-generation strategies

15:02 - Automations and hiring a VA

22:15 - Optimizing show rates

27:35 - Sales process and closing

30:25 - Advice for gym owners

Most coaching gyms add just five clients a month—but the world’s best fitness facilities are consistently adding more than 20 with stellar sales systems.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper analyzes the data behind top-performing marketing funnels, and he reveals which tactics landed these owners on our Top 10 leaderboards, from instant lead follow-up to simplified booking procedures, consistent organic marketing, airtight lead nurture and sales practice reps.

You’ll also learn how mentors help gym owners identify weak spots in their funnels and tighten their systems so they can add large numbers of ideal clients month after month.

Tune in to discover exactly how elite gyms around the world are generating more leads, booking more appointments, increasing show rates and closing more high-value sales.

Get Coop’s “Generate 30 New Leads in 30 Days” guide in Gym Owners United, linked below.

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1:49 - Marketing and sales leaders

7:33 - Strong systems

10:37 - Lead nurture

11:49 - Events and niches

13:00 - Consistency and tracking metrics

The fastest way to figure out what people want is by asking the right clients the right questions.

Today, Mike Warkentin sits down with gym owner Toni Roy of Breathe CrossFit to break down how the Pumpkin Plan transformed her business.

Following the steps, Toni created a list of clients who bring her the most joy and a second list with her highest-value clients. Typically, a gym owner circles the clients on both lists to ID the members they want to replicate. In Toni's case, the groups had zero overlap.

This insight pushed her to rethink her offerings and create a hybrid membership built around CrossFit, personal training and nutrition—a combo that delivers better results for clients and boosts average revenue per member.

Now, regular Goal Review Sessions allow her to continue the conversation: She can catch problems early, celebrate successes and upgrade prescriptions to serve clients better.

Toni also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the new-moms group she developed with her Two-Brain mentor. The support-centered program is already turning into a relationship-building referral funnel.

Tune in to learn how to identify your best clients, provide more value and grow your revenue.

Use the link below to buy your tickets to the 2026 Two-Brain Summit and hear from Pumpkin Plan creator Mike Michalowicz!

Get the exact questions to ask in your Seed Client interviews via the link below!

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Two-Brain Summit Tickets

Seed Client Interview Questions

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1:46 - Using The Pumpkin Plan

6:14 - Ask what clients want

10:09 - Increased ARM

13:28 - Tips for doing the exercise

16:29 - Taking action with a mentor

You won’t build a successful gym by guessing what people want. You just can't read minds—but every entrepreneur tries to do that, and it's costly.

Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper provides the simple fix: Start using the “just ask method"—a proven way to boost every single metric in your gym.

Chris walks through exactly which questions you must ask to improve your gym’s marketing, sales, retention, pricing, ROI on expenses, staff development and net owner benefit.

The key insight: Don't guess; just ask.

For example, you might assume clients want a kettlebell class because you love kettlebells. If you meet with clients and ask what they want, you might discover 10 of them are training for running events, and you have a prime opportunity to boost average revenue per member with a race prep program.

Or perhaps you can't hold onto staff people. What if you ask what they want to earn and accomplish, then show them how to do it? They'll stay longer and allow you to focus on building the business as the CEO.

Watch to discover the questions top gym owners ask to improve every key performance indicator and build incredibly profitable businesses.

Get Coop’s “Exactly What to Say” guide in Gym Owners United, linked below.

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Gym Owners United

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0:01 - Stop guessing & just ask

5:17 - Improve your marketing & sales

13:25 - Boost client retention & value

17:53 - Cut expenses & pay yourself more

25:13 - Payoff of the “just ask” method

In 2015, Corey Lewis expanded to a second gym before he was ready. He ended up with two failing locations instead of one thriving facility.

This mistake nearly sunk his business. Now, as a Two-Brain mentor, Corey helps gym owners avoid feels-good-in-the-moment traps that come with severe long-term consequences.

In this episode, Corey joins Mike Warkentin to break down some of the most costly mistakes gym owners make:

✅ Expanding before systems are in place.
✅ Promoting staff too quickly.
✅ Abdicating instead of delegating.
✅ Discounting rates.
✅ Chasing shiny objects instead of caring for "the golden goose."

Corey explains how mentorship helps gym owners see past emotion to make decisions based on data.

For example, if a gym owner is avoiding a much-needed rate increase, Corey will run the numbers, lay out the plan and provide accountability. He's successfully guided dozens of Two-Brain clients through this process: None lost all their members, and all made more money.

Don't make mistakes that will take years to fix. And don't avoid correcting your errors because you don't have a plan. Get help, make smart decisions and reach your Perfect Day sooner.

Use the link below to get free tools to help you run a profitable gym!

Don't have a gym yet? Start one with help from Two-Brain—just click the link below.

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Free Tools

Start a Gym

Gym Owners United

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2:33 - Expanding too soon

5:44 - No systems and poor retention

10:17 - Promoting staff who aren’t ready

13:09 - How to avoid costly mistakes

20:59 - Resources to start a gym