How to Remove Yourself From Coaching in Your Gym

1. Source The Best Coaches

2. Have a Transition Plan

3. Brand Your PTs

4. Allow For Failure

It’s almost impossible to scale a fitness studio if you’re the only coach.

Sooner or later, you’ll get stuck delivering sessions and the business will stop growing.

When we decided to launch our gym, we had one rule:

“Remove ourselves from coaching in the first 6 months”.

3 months in… and we’ve achieved it. But it wasn’t all plain sailing.

Here’s how we did it:

#1 - Source The Best Coaches

After 5 years of mentoring personal trainers, we had an unfair advantage.

We got to work with the most gifted coaches; many of whom were local to us.

So we didn’t have to look far to form our team (or ‘avengers’ as we like to call them!).

Our advice to you however, is to not settle for mediocre coaches.

You’ll only harm the business in the long-run, and members don’t like to see coaches come and go. 

If you need to spend more to attract talent, do it.

#2 - Have a Transition Plan

At the start of launching a fitness studio, you’ll likely deliver a lot of the sessions yourself.

This comes with its downsides…

Members will fall in love with you and dismiss the idea of another coach.

That’s why it’s important you transition your coach in over an extended period of time.

Depending on the number of sessions you’re looking to hand over, we recommend the following:

• Week 1 - Coach shadows you

• Week 2 - You shadow coach

• Week 3 - Coach covers all sessions

• Week 4 - You check-in with members

At the end of the month, your new coach should feel comfortable. Plus your members will appreciate you for checking in.

The positive feedback will also empower your new coach.

#3 - Brand Your PTs

Your fitness studio is a brand.

And you are the face of that brand.

So it makes sense to put your coaches front and centre too.

Create content on their behalf, banter with them in public and highlight their quirks.

Your members will get to know them more as they become part of the furniture.

Here’s an example of how you can put the spotlight on your coaches:

#4 - Allow For Failure

Probably the most important thing when it comes to outsourcing any work.

If your coaches are scared to slip up, they’ll likely lean on you for everything.

And soon, you’ll find yourself micro-managing every little thing. Not fun!

At Revamp, we give all our trainers autonomy over their own sessions.

Sure there is a programme to follow, but they’re given the flexibility to lead it in any way they choose.

Members love our coaches for different reasons. This wouldn’t be the case if we insisted they become robots.

Last Word…

If you decide to launch a fitness studio, understand one thing:

Your coaches are your biggest asset.

They are the reason members continue to pay.

And they are the reason you’re able to spend time growing your business.

Treat them with kindness, honesty and let them fly.

That’s it from us.

— Cardy Brothers