Chris Cooper's Blog, page 17
March 18, 2025
The Free-Trials Challenge: Busting Myths With Data
If you use free trials at your gym, I have a challenge for you.
Here’s my position: You should stop doing free trials and use free consultations instead.
But I’ll never ask you to trust me. If you’re skeptical, you’re exactly like me. I don’t take assertions and opinions at face value, either.
So here’s your challenge if you’re convinced free trials are the best way to get clients into your gym:
1. I want you to track your close rate for free trials for the next 90 days. Of all the people who come in for free trials for the next quarter, how many sign up? What’s the percentage?
2. I want you to start tracking length of engagement (LEG). On average, how long do free trial conversions stay at your gym?
When you have those numbers, I want you to compare them to mine. Then we’ll know exactly what you should do at your gym to make it more profitable.
Hard NumbersData Set
I’m going to lay out my data for you now. As I said, I’m not asking you to trust me. I want you to grill me, analyze the numbers and come to your own conclusions.
My numbers come from this huge data set:
We work with 1,000 gym owners at a time, and we track every key performance indicator in these gyms. We know their average revenue per member (ARM), length of engagement (LEG) and profit margin, and we know how many leads they get, how many prospective clients come to free consultations, and how many people purchase services.We have an alumi network of about 1,500 gyms, whose data we collected and analyzed over a period of years.We collect data from about 15,000 gyms in our annual “State of the Industry” report. (Get it here.)Close Rate
Here’s a critical number:
In gyms that track their data—far too many do not—free trials produce a close rate below 30 percent.
In simpler terms, if 10 people come to a gym and do a free trial, fewer than three sign up.
This is a very bad number, but it’s easy to miss that fact if you aren’t tracking your close rate. Without hard data, it’s easy to say, “Free trials work for me,” or, “I get new clients every month.”
In Two-Brain gyms, we train gym owners to close at 70-80 percent using free consultations (as sales expert and mentor Nick Habich said on a recent episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” if your close rate is above 80 percent, your prices might be too low!).
So top gyms using consultations sell to seven or eight of the 10 people who show up for appointments, and free-trial gyms sell to fewer than three of the 10 who show up for trial workouts.
Length of Engagement
Here are your next critical numbers:
Data from across the industry shows that free trials produce an average LEG of 7.8 months.
We track LEG very closely in Two-Brain gyms, so we know that free consultations produce an average LEG of 23 months.
Clients who come in by consultation stay almost three times as long as those who come in via free trial.
It’s worth saying that 3X LEG doesn’t just produce better financial metrics for gyms; it also produces better results for the clients. We both know you can’t do a lot for a person in seven months. But you can change a life in two years.
I’ve heard “experts” say that free trials are a good idea because they are a low barrier to entry.
These stats prove they are actually a very low barrier to exit.
Origins of the Free Trial Myth
My argument in favor of consultations is based on numbers. Compare your data to mine and let’s discuss.
With that out of the way, I’ll just tell you where the free-trial myth came from. The concept was not founded on data.
The free-trial myth came from the martial-arts world in the mid-‘80s, when “The Karate Kid” was a hit and business was booming. The best way to handle the flood of people was to throw them all in a free class, have them launch a few Chuck Norris kicks and sign them up. So many people were coming through the funnel that all you had to do was say, “Try it. If you like it, sign up. If you don’t, don’t sign up.”
This thought process worked its way into CrossFit culture around 2006, when a business consultant named John Burch—who was coming from the martial-arts field—presented it as the way to onboard people when speaking at a CrossFit affiliate gathering.
The problem: No one had any data to prove this approach was working or that it was the best approach. But it found fertile ground in the minds of coaches who didn’t want to sell and had been taught that “free markets reward excellence.” Translation: Be a good coach and you’ll get lots of clients. (This is not true.)
The trial mentality spread from CrossFit to other franchises, but, still, no one can produce data that proves trials are better than consultations.
Here’s the reality: Free trials work if you have unlimited lead flow. If you’re in a new market with a new product and you don’t have any competitors, you’ll have a lot of leads. These leads are called “early adopters,” but every market has a finite number.
I burned through them at my gym in the early days, and then I realized that I was closing one of 10 people in my group-coaching gym with trials and nine out of 10 in my PT gym with consultations.
After I started business coaching, I really dug into the data to verify my personal experience. Here’s the truth:
Free trials work very rarely for a very short period for gyms that are the first to market.
Everybody else should use a consultative process.
I’m going to tell you exactly what that process looks like in the follow-up post.
But for now, I’ll just restate my challenge if you’re not convinced:
1. Track your close rate for free trials for the next 90 days. Is it above 70 percent?
2. Track your LEG. Is it at least 23 months?
If you can’t beat my numbers, here’s the good news: Your gym business can switch to free consultations today, and your metrics are going to skyrocket.
If you don’t want to wait for my follow-up post on free consultations, click here to talk to an expert about improving your gym immediately.
The post The Free-Trials Challenge: Busting Myths With Data appeared first on Two-Brain Business.
March 17, 2025
Free Trials Are Hurting Your Gym. Here’s What To Do Instead.
To watch this episode on YouTube, click here.
The post Free Trials Are Hurting Your Gym. Here’s What To Do Instead. appeared first on Two-Brain Business.
March 13, 2025
How to Save CrossFit: The Path Forward for Affiliates and HQ
In 2020, Berkshire Partners bought CrossFit Inc. from Greg Glassman. The brand was on a slight decline from its peak, when it had over 15,000 affiliates worldwide and was certifying nearly 50,000 coaches per year.
Greg got paid a reported US$200 million on the sale, which he well deserved. But thousands of people—affiliates, coaches and athletes—still depend on the brand for their living. Many have set aside careers, taken on enormous debt or worked for over a decade to bring the CrossFit method to their communities.
Now the brand is shrinking, and Berkshire Partners wants out.
I was an affiliate owner for 14 years, worked for CrossFit HQ for six, and now mentor more CrossFit affiliate owners than anyone else in the world through Two-Brain Business. I’ve written books about CrossFit and business, and we have the largest data set for gyms in the world. For the last 10 years, I’ve tried to do for CrossFit affiliates what CrossFit HQ should have been doing all along.
This is my opinion on how a new buyer can turn the ship around.
What Does CrossFit Sell?
Let’s start with the question: What does CrossFit sell?
CrossFit Inc. has four products:
1. The CrossFit methodology (free since the beginning, with daily workouts and articles on CrossFit.com).
2. The CrossFit coach certifications (arguably, still the best in the world for producing hands-on coaching knowledge).
3. CrossFit affiliation (a license to use the CrossFit mark in your gym’s name and marketing).
4. CrossFit sponsorship (access to the huge audience of CrossFit affiliate owners, coaches and fans for a fee—mostly done through the Games but also the Affiliate Partner Network).
In the early days, the CrossFit revenue model followed a predictable trajectory from No. 1 to No. 4: Someone found the workouts online. They tried them. They loved them. They wanted to become a coach. They attended a seminar and fell deeper in love. They wanted to help more people and make a living coaching CrossFit. They opened an affiliate. A few saw opportunities to sell a product back to the affiliates or CrossFit community (programming, T-shirts, supplements) and did so.
And now, each product is shrinking. The company is likely worth less than it was when purchased from Greg Glassman. But the method still works. It’s fun and effective.
So why don’t we have 30,000 affiliates worldwide?
I’ll start with my area of expertise and offer the first step in a turnaround: fixing the affiliate model.
CrossFit affiliates are closing at an alarming rate. The public story is that the brand is thriving, but behind the scenes, thousands of gym owners are struggling to keep their businesses open—not because they’re bad coaches but because they don’t know how to run businesses.
For years, CrossFit HQ has believed that great coaching alone would make affiliates successful. But the truth is great coaching isn’t enough—a gym owner must be great at business, too.
The problem is that CrossFit HQ never taught gym owners how to run businesses.
Worse, the information they did provide was often misleading or harmful.
The Timeline: How We Got Here
To understand why CrossFit affiliates are struggling, we need to look at how business education was introduced—and rejected—over the years:
The model—introduced in 2006 by John Burch and promoted by various CrossFit “experts,” most of whom have now disappeared—helped drive early growth but created unsustainable businesses. The early message to affiliates was, “Pack your classes, keep prices low and just make it work.”
The result?
Most CrossFit gyms have operated at breakeven (or worse) for years. And now, as competition grows and rent increases, many are going under.
The Truth: The CrossFit Brand Is Built on Affiliates, Not the Other Way Around
Many people believe the CrossFit Games were the primary driver of CrossFit’s growth. That’s false. The real marketing engine has always been the affiliates themselves. Each affiliate is a self-funded marketing machine—bringing in members, spreading the brand and growing the movement.
When an affiliate closes, CrossFit loses a part of its biggest marketing tool.
Greg Glassman understood this at some level. But his libertarian philosophy was simple: The best gyms will survive, and the weak ones will fail. He believed CrossFit’s job wasn’t to help affiliates—it was just to certify trainers and let the market decide which gyms were good.
But here’s the problem: Glassman never defined what made a gym “good.”
A “good” affiliate isn’t just a gym with great coaching.A “good” affiliate is a gym that is financially sustainable.
CrossFit HQ never provided a real business framework. That’s why affiliates fail—not because they’re bad at coaching but because they were never taught how to run gyms.
Failing affiliates don’t produce coaches for the certifications.
Failing affiliates don’t produce registrations for the CrossFit Games Open.
Failing affiliates don’t produce customers for FITAID or those cool T-shirt companies.
Failing affiliates don’t pay their affiliation fees, either. They deaffiliate or go out of business.
How to Fix CrossFit (Before It’s too Late)
If CrossFit HQ truly wants to save its affiliates—and by extension, its brand—it must take immediate action, starting with the affiliate program.
1. Acknowledge That Affiliates Fail Due to Poor Business Systems—Not Poor Coaching
The Level 1, 2 and 3 courses are some of the best coaching certifications in the world. But they are the worst courses in the world for preparing gym owners to run businesses.
A coach does not automatically become a successful entrepreneur just because they take a seminar. In fact, the business courses that HQ has run have been actively harmful—they were built on outdated models that encourage breakeven operations and overwork.
HQ must acknowledge this failure and commit to fixing it.
2. Teach Affiliates Basic Business MetricsEvery new affiliate should know how to read a profit-and-loss statement before they open.They should understand average revenue per member (ARM) and length of engagement (LEG) —the two most critical numbers in gym profitability.They should know how to price their services correctly instead of relying on the failed “big-group” model.
A Level 2 coaching credential should not be a requirement for affiliates. A business education should be required.
3. Prequalify Any “Mentors” Who Give Advice on the CrossFit Platform
Right now, CrossFit chooses its business mentors based on how long they’ve owned gyms—not on how successful their gyms are.
Many of the mentors they put on stage never ran profitable gyms.Many survived by working as CrossFit Seminar Staff trainers—not by running a gym.Others run gyms that are for sale, failing or on their third owners.
This must stop. If someone is going to mentor other affiliates, they must prove their success with data.
This is true for CrossFit meetups, roundtables, online seminars—any forum in which affiliates can be led astray by opinions or salespeople. Though John Burch created the problem, it still carries on today—attend any affiliate Zoom call with a guest speaker and count the times someone asks “where’s your proof?” It never happens. We all trust anyone CrossFit puts in front of us to give business advice, and that’s a mistake until they’re actually vetted.
4. Track and Publish Affiliate Business Metrics
CrossFit HQ should collect and share real data from affiliates—not just coaching credentials.
This means:
Annual financial reports for affiliates (average revenue, net profit, member retention).Leaderboards based on business success—not just how long someone has owned a gym.Highlighting profitable affiliates as role models instead of just the loudest voices in the room.5. Rethink the Big-Group Model
Greg Glassman’s original CrossFit gym was 1,200 square feet. He ran small-group personal training, not massive group classes.
HQ keeps pushing the big-group model because:
It requires affiliates to hire more Level 1 trainers (which HQ certifies).It leads to higher insurance premiums (which HQ profits from through the RRG).It forces affiliates to lease larger spaces and take on debt (which locks them into long-term commitments).
But this model is failing. If HQ advocated for semi-private training and ARM-focused pricing, more affiliates would thrive.
6. Work to Bring Former Affiliates Back
While the 2024 price hike wasn’t received well, it shouldn’t be reversed. CrossFit does deliver around $5,000 worth of value per year. Most of us who were at legacy rates were overdue for an increase (my affiliate fee hadn’t changed in 14 years, and I was wildly underpaying).
However, the L2 requirement is an obvious money grab; no one (even at HQ) believes holding an L2 coaching credential equips someone to own a business.
7. Recruit New Affiliates From Other Certifying Bodies (Such as the NSCA)
CrossFitters who take the L1 aren’t the only future gym owners in the world. Many personal trainers will someday open their own gyms. Why wouldn’t they be attracted to leveraging the CrossFit brand? Because the “CrossFit vs. everyone” stance dies hard.
8. Redefine the Brand
It almost doesn’t matter what the definition is: Right now, the brand has no definition. Ask someone on the street for the difference between CrossFit and Orangetheory, F45 or bootcamp, and they’ll probably mention the equipment or say, “I don’t know.”
The original “Forging Elite Fitness” tagline could have been maintained while explaining that elite fitness is possible for average people. Instead, we now have “CrossFit is for everyone,” which—while technically true—is not a differentiator. Everything’s for everyone now. Planet Fitness’ “lunk alarm” might induce bile in the throats of CrossFitters, but it’s a better brand differentiator than anything CrossFit has published in the last five years.
9. Leave the Core Certifications Alone
Keep the renewal period the same instead of shortening it to three years. Reintroduce true subject-matter experts from outside the CrossFit ecosystem instead of looking only at the usual suspects. Find experts in weightlifting, not just the CrossFitter who’s best at weightlifting. Ditto for all physical skills and business skills.
This is how you make the brand antifragile: by attracting the best in the world, not the best in the office.
10. Evolve the Method
This is the suggestion most likely to have me burned at the stake. But when Greg left, no one was responsible for doing science anymore. That means the method—once derived through scientific process—has become dogma. Instead of addressing new thinking about aerobic (Zone 2) training, for example, the common response in CrossFit Media is:
“We don’t do that because we’re CrossFit.”“We don’t follow fads” (whatever that means).“We kinda do that sorta sometimes.”11. Vet the “Affiliate Partners”
When you sell your audience to an advertiser, you are renting out their trust. Don’t sell to Big Soda. Stay on mission or lose the room.
What’s Required for Real Change?
CrossFit is, reportedly, building a “Level 1 Course for Business.” This could be helpful or it could exacerbate the problems.
As history has shown, real reform usually doesn’t come from the institutionalized model. In Soviet Russia, the “reformers” didn’t change anything because they were incentivized to keep things the same: The model was feeding them; who cares about anyone else?
Private equity purchases a company that seems to be set up and running smoothly but hasn’t yet capitalized on all of its opportunities for revenue. They are resistant to changing a working model—for good reason. Their MO is always to capture more money from everyone in the ecosystem: to charge more for affiliation, to sell more sponsorships, to capture more of the revenue by selling products directly themselves instead of partnering with the established experts.
Similarly, choosing one of the long-term CrossFit “elites” to institute real reform in the affiliate model will probably have the same effect. Fewer and fewer of the affiliate managers actually own gyms—their incomes come from HQ. Their incentive is to resist change, not to upset the apple cart. Change will likely have to come from outside.
When I was asked, in 2018, “what’s the best thing we can do for affiliates?” by then-COO Bruce Edwards and then-CEO Jeff Cain, I responded with the same list that I just shared above. One of the people at the breakfast table said, “That sounds great, but we’re never going to do it.”
At the time, I was despondent. But in 2025, after seeing CrossFit’s growth stall, then go backward, I’m actually glad to have a position outside the “inner circle” because it means that I can work for affiliates without being influenced by the motives of private equity.
I’m a huge CrossFit fan. Greg Glassman changed the industry. In 2017, while sitting with him at his kitchen table, I asked Greg, “Why should an affiliate continue to pay the affiliation fee year after year?”
At the time, I thought the question was rhetorical: I didn’t think I’d ever deaffiliate.
His answer: “If I were using something that someone else had created, I’d want to pay them for the privilege.”
Fair enough. Greg deserved to become very wealthy for creating something effective, powerful and fun.
But now that Greg has been paid, the company needs direction and leadership. That means the company needs real change to grow. I’ll leave it to others to comment on the programming or the Games or the certifications and courses. I’ll stick to what I know from 14 years of affiliation and after publishing stuff for other affiliates every single day for the last 13 years:
It all starts with the affiliates.
Give them help from real experts with real data instead of regurgitating the old myths louder and faster.
The affiliates aren’t the fruit of the CrossFit tree. They’re the roots.
Make the affiliates stronger and then get out of their way.
They’ll save CrossFit.
The post How to Save CrossFit: The Path Forward for Affiliates and HQ appeared first on Two-Brain Business.
When Your Coaches Don’t Suck: The Rewards for Developing Staff
To watch this episode on YouTube, click here.
The post When Your Coaches Don’t Suck: The Rewards for Developing Staff appeared first on Two-Brain Business.
Essential Resources for Fitness Coaches and Personal Trainers
Introduction
A gym is only as good as its coaching. A great coach doesn’t just show up to teach a class; they create an environment where members can thrive and feel motivated to reach their goals. They run engaging, effective workouts, and they build connections with clients. Whether you’re a gym owner looking to advance your coaching staff or a fitness coach striving for personal growth, ongoing professional development is essential to success.
Why Professional Development Matters for Coaches
For coaches, developing your skill set means learning how to program more effectively, how to create meaningful client connections, and, ultimately, how to help your clients best. The most successful coaches invest in their career growth and commit to continuous learning.
Why Coach Development Matters for Gym Owners
For gym owners, investing in your coaches means better client experiences, improved retention and more revenue. By providing your coaches with resources to develop their careers, you can ensure they deliver clients great results and stay committed to your gym for the long term.
Types of Coach Development Resources
In this guide, we’ll walk you through a comprehensive list of resources for fitness coach development. Whether you’re a gym owner looking to support your team or a trainer seeking the next step in your career, these tools will help you build a strong foundation for success. We’ll cover:
Certification programsProgramming resourcesWorkshops, webinars and other eventsNewsletters and blogsYouTube channels and podcastsSocial media accountsBooks
Then we’ll talk about how to make the most of these resources and why it’s action—not knowledge—that matters the most.
Certifications for Professional Growth
Why Certifications Matter
Certification programs can provide coaches with valuable knowledge that can help them better serve their clients. They can also enhance a coach’s reputation and credibility in the fitness industry and open up more opportunities for career advancement.
Why Certifications Aren’t Everything
While certifications can be valuable tools for coach development, they are not the sole measure of a coach’s effectiveness. A coach can have a wall full of certifications and still fall short if their clients aren’t getting results and aren’t enjoying their time at the gym.
Top Certifications for Fitness Coaches
Here is an overview of some of the most popular coaching certifications.
NSCA Certifications
A well-respected certification for personal trainers, the NSCA-CPT focuses on evidence-based strength and conditioning principles, programming, and client assessment for general population training. Also through NSCA, the CSCS is designed for coaches working with athletes and emphasizes injury prevention, sports performance, and strength and power development.
NASM Certifications
The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) offers various certifications, with the Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) being one of the most popular. It focuses on corrective exercise, movement assessments and individualized programming. NASM also provides advanced specializations in areas such as performance enhancement and corrective exercise.
Functional Movement Screen Level 1 (FMS)
FMS offers live and online courses designed to help fitness professionals understand the importance of functional movement screening and learn how to use an FMS to make effective, individualized programming decisions for their clients.
Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC)
The CFSC emphasizes hands-on coaching and movement quality to ensure trainers can apply what they learn in real-world coaching environments. It focuses on practical skill development rather than just passing a written exam.
CrossFit Certifications
The CrossFit certification path starts with Level 1, an introductory course covering fundamental movements and coaching principles. Level 2 focuses on improving coaching skills, class management and cueing. Levels 3 and 4 are advanced certifications requiring extensive experience, testing and practical assessment.
Nutrition Certifications
Certified nutrition coaches focus on providing general dietary guidance and promoting healthy eating habits. Check out our full guide on choosing a nutrition certification program here.
How to Choose the Right Coaching Certification
Choosing the right coaching certification depends on the coach’s career goals, client base and interests. Some certifications focus on general fitness, while others focus on specialties such as personal training, rehabilitation and nutrition coaching.
Ultimately, gym owners and coaches should evaluate whether a new certification will genuinely help the coach better engage clients and get them to their goals more effectively. The focus should always be on creating real value for clients rather than just accumulating credentials to appear more qualified.
Programming Resources for Fitness Coaches and Gym Owners
Many coaches and gym owners choose to outsource their programming to trusted providers who offer structured, tested workout plans that help coaches deliver high-quality training without spending hours on programming themselves.
NCFIT
Founded by CrossFit Games champion Jason Khalipa, NCFIT offers comprehensive programming for gyms, coaches and individual athletes. Their programming is designed for group classes and planned for the entire year. It includes detailed class plans and coach highlight videos, along with daily development for coaches.
Bonus: NCFIT’s platform Coach Like a Pro offers a five-week professional development course for coaches, which includes live calls with Jason, Matt “MDV” DellaValle, and Gabe Yanez, as well as detailed video modules.
Mayhem Affiliate
Functional fitness and CrossFit gyms that subscribe to Mayhem Affiliate receive the exact, structured programming that CrossFit Mayhem uses, along with warm-ups, cooldowns, coaching videos and programming notes.
Subscribers also have access to programming for the following focus areas: At Home, Bodybuilding, CrossFit Kids, L.I.F.E Class (for older athletes), Pre Teens, Teens, Endurance, Running, Spin and Burgener Strength.
Misfit Affiliate
Misfit Affiliate offers gyms and coaches general physical preparedness (GPP) programming for six days per week. Misfit notes that their programs “don’t shy away from heavy, high skill or odd object movements,” and all workouts include coach’s notes, scaling options, teaching progressions and more.
Affiliates also gain access to “Competitor Extra” training pieces for athletes who want more challenge, as well as specialty class programming, including weightlifting and on-ramp for new clients.
CompTrain
CompTrain provides gyms with weekly lesson plans from world-champion coach Ben Bergeron. All workouts come with video walkthroughs and whiteboard briefs for coaches and are tested a month in advance. A CompTrain subscription also includes a monthly live call led by Ben.
Also included in the subscription are programming philosophy insights and coach development materials from the CompTrain team.
RTS Program Design Mentorship
Led by Mike Robertson, co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (I-FAST), RTS Program Design Mentorship provides personal trainers and coaches with six months of instruction and Q&A calls to refine their training philosophy and learn how to build stronger programming.
Mentorship also includes a one-on-one onboarding call to customize the process to the coach’s needs, as well as an exit call where Mike provides feedback and answers final questions.
Coaching Workshops and Events
Coaches who want to stay ahead in the industry can take advantage of live events, workshops and conferences where they can learn from top professionals and engage in hands-on training.
Two-Brain Summit
Each June, Two-Brain hosts an annual summit in Chicago for fitness entrepreneurs, split into two tracks: one for coaches and one for gym owners. At the summit, coaches are guided through practical exercises by industry experts such as Jason Khalipa, Bill Parisi and the Mayhem Nation team.
Coaches Congress
Held four times a year—in London, Australia, Stockholm and Berlin—Coaches Congress is designed to help coaches take their confidence and knowledge to the next level by providing them with cutting-edge techniques and a supportive network of peers.
Perform Better
Throughout the year, Perform Better hosts three-day functional training summits for coaches, therapists and personal trainers in Chicago, Ill.; Long Beach, Calif.; and Providence, R.I.; as well as specialized seminars such as fascia training.
NASM Events
The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) sponsors a variety of live events, including the HFA Show (formerly IHRSA) in Las Vegas and the OPTima Europe Fitness Conference in Serbia.
IDEA Fitness Conferences
IDEA Health & Fitness Association provides personal trainers and group fitness instructors with practical education, trends and research through conferences such as the IDEA & ACSM Health & Fitness Summit in Denver, Colo., and IDEA World in Sacramento, Calif.
NCSA Events
Every year, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA) holds an annual conference in the U.S. and Europe. NSCA also hosts several regional events each month to bring the latest research directly to coaches.
Power Monkey Camp and Events
Hosted in the spring and fall, Power Monkey Camp is a week-long camp where athletes, coaches and gym owners learn and train alongside world-class coaches and elite athletes. Power Monkey also leads shorter events—including gymnastics and weightlifting courses—at gyms around the world, which are open to coaches and athletes of all levels.
Newsletters and Blogs for Ongoing Learning
Newsletters and blogs can provide personal trainers and coaches with bite-sized insights that help them stay up-to-date on the latest trends and research.
“Stronger by Science”
“Stronger by Science” is a weekly newsletter that includes summaries of cutting-edge research in exercise science, as well as practical training tips. With a free subscription, readers also receive 28 squat, bench and deadlift training programs.
“Daily Catalyst”
In the “Daily Catalyst,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares his gym’s day-by-day group class programming, as well as a short podcast each week to preview the workouts.
“The BarBend Newsletter”
In condensed three-minute reads, “The BarBend Newsletter” gives its readers resources and information on strength sports—weightlifting, bodybuilding, strongman and more.
“5 Reps Friday”
Published by Jonathan Goodman, founder of the Personal Trainer Development Center, the “5 Reps Friday” newsletter includes tips on health, marketing and making more money as a fitness professional.
“Morning Chalk Up”
Spearheaded by Joe Genetin-Pilawa, a CrossFit masters coach, “Morning Chalk Up” focuses on the latest news in CrossFit. Premium subscribers also receive access to practical fitness and nutrition information from experts such E.C. Synkowski and Ben Bergeron.
CrossFit’s Learning Library
CrossFit’s learning library includes daily blogs on all things CrossFit, from common movements to training through injuries.
YouTube Channels and Podcasts for Coaches
Podcasts and YouTube videos provide busy coaches an easily digestible way to continue furthering their education while on the go.
“Strength Coach Collective”
Featuring legendary fitness coaches such as Dan John and Mike Burgener, the “Strength Coach Collective” podcast aims to help fitness professionals bridge the gap between new science and proven training methods that get clients results. The podcast is accompanied by a free public Facebook group where coaches can come together to share knowledge.
Jason Brown
On his YouTube channel, strength and conditioning expert Jason Brown breaks down training methods and specific movements, with a focus on the Conjugate Method, energy systems development and full-body training.
“Squat University”
Through ”Squat University,” coach, speaker, author and doctor of physical therapy Aaron Horschig focuses on helping athletes overcome pain and increase strength. His bite-sized videos are full of research-backed information trainers can apply to their coaching practices.
Jeff Nippard
Jeff Nippard, pro bodybuilder and powerlifter, focuses his YouTube channel on helping viewers build muscle through science. He breaks down exercise routines, diets and debunks common misconceptions around muscle growth.
N1 Education
Founded by Kassem Hanson, N1 Education and Training offers certifications and online education for personal trainers and coaches. On their YouTube channel, N1’s videos center around how coaches can better serve clients through individualized programming tailored to their individual goals and needs.
“The Sevan Podcast”
Hosted by Sevan Matossian, former head of media for CrossFit Inc., “The Sevan Podcast” is best known for its unfiltered conversations with a wide range of guests within the fitness industry, such as authors, athletes and business leaders.
Social Media: Who to Follow and Why
Many fitness experts share valuable insights on coaching strategies on their platforms. Following these professionals can help coaches stay informed and inspired.
Mike Burgener
On his social media, Mike Burgener, legendary Olympic weightlifting coach and founder of Burgener Strength, shares video demonstrations as well as updates on his “geezer” training program for older athletes.
John Rusin
Named one of America’s top 50 fitness experts by Men’s Health, John Rusin uses his social media to share proven tips for strength training, as well as short video demonstrations of workouts.
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr, owner of Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning, posts on a variety of fitness-related topics on social media, including training efficiency, full-body mobility and cardiovascular health. He also shares video demos of common movements along with their coaching cues.
Michael Israetel
Competitive bodybuilder, BJJ black belt and RP Strength co-founder Michael Israetel posts content on hypertrophy training, primarily sharing videos of his and others’ workouts.
Eric Cressey
Eric Cressey, director of player health and performance for the Yankees and president of Cressey Sports Performance, focuses his social content on training for baseball athletes. He also provides general tips on athlete development, nutrition and sleep habits.
Books for Further Learning
For fitness professionals interested in in-depth knowledge on a particular topic, books are a valuable resource.
“The Anatomy of Speed”
Written by Bill Parisi, founder of the Parisi Speed School, “The Anatomy of Speed” dives into the biomotor systems that drive speed and converts this science into application so coaches can tailor training to their athletes’ needs.
“Easy Strength”
“Easy Strength” by Dan John and Pavel Tsatsouline challenges common misconceptions about strength training while exploring the history and principles of effective training. The book aims to help athletes and coaches refine their methods and improve performance.
“Starting Strength”
“Starting Strength” by Mark Rippetoe is a widely respected guide to barbell strength training that offers a simple but effective approach to building strength through fundamental lifts. It includes in-depth instruction, biomechanical analysis and proven programming strategies.
“Conscious Coaching”Brett Bartholomew’s “Conscious Coaching” emphasizes the importance of relationships when coaching strength and conditioning. Focusing on practical psychology, the book is designed to help coaches build trust and enhance engagement with their clients.
“Advances in Functional Training”
“Advances in Functional Training” by Michael Boyle, co-founder of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, focuses on the evolution of functional training and includes techniques for personal trainers, coaches and athletes.
“Help Best for Coaches”
Written by Chris Cooper in collaboration with several Two-Brain mentors, “Help Best for Coaches,” to be published in late May 2025, provides personal trainers and coaches with a practical framework for getting clients to their desired outcomes more quickly and effectively. The book also equips coaches with the skills and knowledge to move from “good” to “great” and build a sustainable career in fitness.
Tips for Making the Most of These Resources
Set Learning Goals
Start by identifying specific areas of your coaching that need improvement, such as client communication, programming or teaching cues. Then set clear, measurable goals. This will help you prioritize the resources that align with your goals, ensuring you get the most out of your investment.
Invest Time and Money Wisely
With so many resources available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Prioritize quality over quantity, focusing on tools that will offer the highest return on investment for your specific needs. Be mindful of your time and finances, ensuring you’re dedicating both to resources that genuinely enhance your coaching practice.
Focus on Application
Knowledge alone won’t make someone a better coach—action will. A coach can read every book, take every course and follow every top trainer on social media, but if they never apply what they learn, their coaching won’t improve. Focus on immediate application in real-world scenarios and adapt as you go. The more you practice, the more you’ll improve.
Don’t Overlook the Fundamentals
As important as coach development is, the best coaches excel at the fundamentals: clear communication, corrective feedback, relationship building and consistency in execution. Showing up prepared and demonstrating professionalism also go a long way when it comes to career growth.
Conclusion
Coaches, your career growth is in your hands. Professional coaches don’t wait for opportunities—they create them. Take ownership of your development, apply what you learn and surround yourself with like-minded professionals who push you to be better. Join the Strength Coach Collective Facebook group to connect with thousands of coaches who are committed to learning, growing and leveling up in their careers.
Gym owners, your coaches are the ones who are delivering your product on a daily basis. Empower them with tools and knowledge to help them deliver more value to your members and grow their careers within your gym. If you’re ready to take this a step further, book a call to learn how mentorship can help you elevate your coaching team.
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March 12, 2025
The 5-Minute Coach Development Plan You Can Use Today
The best steakhouse in town didn’t earn that title because of one thing.
Sure, it might have the best steak. But it’s surely elite in other areas, too: ambience, cleanliness, hospitality, service and so on.
It’s the same deal in a gym. Your operations, marketing, retention and service delivery must be world class if you want to be the best gym in town.
Offering great service in an unprofitable business is a bad plan, and I’ve seen it sink too many gyms. But offering bad service in a well-run gym is also a mistake.
If you’ve got a handle on your business—your gym is stable and profitable and it pays you enough to support your family—you should improve service delivery.
I brought in gym owner and mentor Oskar Johed to describe the benefits of elite coaching and tell you how to start working toward it today.
Rewards for A+ Service Delivery
With partner Karl Solberg, Oskar owns CrossFit Medis and CrossFit Sickla in Sweden, and Oskar is also a longtime member of CrossFit’s Seminar Staff.
Oskar and Karl run great businesses, so they can invest a lot of time in upgrading service delivery. They’ve even created a detailed coach ascension plan to create careers for trainers. You can see that here:
Oskar’s gyms charge more than others nearby, and he says having world-class coaches makes it easy to do that.
“Our prices are far higher than the competitors or the other alternatives,” he said. “Our average revenue per member is $250, $260, and the average CrossFit gym around us, they charge maybe $110, $120. And it’s not because of anything else—like our equipment isn’t better. The only things that we can point to are the confidence that we can charge more and the ability to back it up.
“So I think it’s pretty obvious to say that if you have a product that is superior, it is far easier to do price increases and charge more up front than if you have a product that you may not necessarily trust yourself.”
In the U.S., gym owner and mentor Kenny Markwardt said a skilled coach at his gym generates significant revenue through a specialty program, and Oskar confirmed that great coaches allow an owner to successfully develop premium service packages that boost gross revenue.
Oskar offers semi-private coaching at his gyms, and the program places great demands on trainers. Instead of leading a group through one workout, a semi-private coach implements individualized programs in a group setting. They might coach one client through a deadlift workout while helping another with endurance training, and so on.
The coach circulates among all six clients and makes sure each feels they are getting a large amount of personal attention. Most gyms will cap semi-private training at four people per coach, and even that volume requires great skill. Oskar’s semi-private groups serve six people, which ups the revenue per hour but increases demands on coaches.
“They’re so good that they can handle six individuals with quite varying demographics. They’re doing different stuff in a 50-minute session, and the clients all see the value to pay for that, which is far higher than our group service,” Oskar said.
Delivery of high-value services produces a measurable effect on revenue and average revenue per member, but it can be challenging to measure the effects of great coaching on client results if you don’t use Goal Review Sessions. We recommend gym owners meet with clients every 90 days to review progress, celebrate success and adjust plans to ensure goals are accomplished.
Oskar’s contention is that coach evaluations are an “upstream action” that ensures “downstream success” in these client meetings.
For example, if a coach is trained to become better at identifying and correcting faults in the deadlift, the client will develop more efficient movement patterns that allow more weight to be lifted. Similarly, an experienced coach who knows how to improve aerobic capacity will be able to help a client hit a 5-km PR faster than an untrained coach who guesses with programming.
“If a coach is very effective at teaching, this client is going to progress faster, and thus they’re going to stick around longer and be willing to pay us more money,” Oskar said. “I can evaluate a coach, and I know that it’s likely someone’s going to be getting results faster if they are effective.”
With that in mind, three things are obvious:
1. You must evaluate your coaches.
2. You must have criteria for evaluating coaches (review this video for ideas).
3. You must have a schedule for evaluating coaches. If you don’t plan to evaluate trainers, you won’t.
The Start-Today Plan for Improving Service Delivery
Don’t think you can’t improve your coaching if you don’t develop a complete evaluation system immediately.
If you want a shortcut, just download my sample evaluation form here. You can hit the ground running with that.
But you can move even faster, with a tip from Oskar:
“I think every coach should at least have one thing to work on right now. Like, ‘This is my biggest issue. I want to work on this one thing.’ I think that you should at least check in with each coach to look at their craft once a month. Now that could be a five-minute check.”
You could literally implement this tactic today: Simply check in quickly with each coach and agree on a basic point of focus for the next two to four weeks. It could be keeping whiteboard briefs to no more than three minutes, or it could be using at least one tactile cue in each session, or it could be greeting a client by name at the beginning of every session.
If you start with this simple plan, service delivery will improve. While that’s happening, you can spin up on a full evaluation and development plan.
But take a step toward becoming the best steakhouse in town today:
Grab a coach and use five minutes to give them one thing to work on right now.
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March 11, 2025
Business Skills Solid? Time to Improve Your Coaching!
Can good coaching really produce a good business?
No.
Good coaching is part of a good business, but it’s far from the only part.
Think about it: The best coach in the world won’t keep a gym open if her pricing, marketing, retention and operations are bad.
Certifying bodies like CrossFit and the NSCA send a different message, of course, but they’re selling coaching credentials.
The “technician’s curse”—laid out in “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber—is the belief that just being good at your job will make you good in business. After mentoring hundreds of gym owners around the world, I can confirm that your business will fail if you are an A+ trainer who has D- business skills.
With that said, bad coaching can hurt a business, too.
Personal example: My gym once lost a high-value client who was visiting town for a few months because she didn’t get the coaching she was used to getting elsewhere. She quit, and the $2,400 refund was painful as hell.
Here’s the reality: Most gym owners are excellent coaches who lack business skills. Two-Brain mentors work with them so their business skills match or exceed the level of their coaching. If we don’t do that, they’ll lose their platform for coaching. I’ve seen this happen far too often.
Once the business is stable and can support the owner and the training team, then we can improve the coaching. Service delivery is important. Here are three ways to improve it.
1. Pursue advanced credentials—Obtain additional training in a field where you currently hold a credential.
2. Expand beyond your credentials—Obtain a credential in a new field or learn new things so you have more tools.
3. Focus on client outcomes—Realize that you have enough knowledge to change lives and dedicate yourself to applying that knowledge better.
The first two are obvious, but remember that you do not need a doctorate in exercise physiology to change a client’s life. More credentials feed the ego and fill the business card, but at some point you really don’t need more.
Instead, I’ll focus on No. 3: producing better results for clients.
Improved Client Outcomes
The best trainers are those who get clients the best results fastest. They “help best”: They get clients to their goals quickly and increase lifespan and healthspan.
To dramatically improve service delivery, start measuring your coaches’ ability to produce the outcomes clients want as quickly as possible.
My upcoming book—written with the help of some great collaborators—is called “Help Best,” and in it I define success like this:
1. The client tells you, “You’ve changed my life.” Document every time you hear this statement because that’s the best way to measure success here.
2. The client stays at your gym for at least two years. If they can build a habit that lasts for two years, it’s probably going to last a lifetime.
3. They continue exercising after they leave the gym. They might quit one method but they don’t quit moving. That’s a win.
4. They had a life-changing moment. This could be anything from meeting a spouse at the gym to running their first 5-km race to having a doctor show them a dramatic heath improvement they earned in the gym.
5. They brought in a friend or they built relationships that reinforce their healthy lifestyle. This is critical because people are the average of the five others they spend the most time with. If they’re around people who care about fitness, they’re more likely to keep training.
6. They’ve got a very clear goal, they achieve that goal, and then they set a new goal.
It should be clear that these six successful client outcomes aren’t a result of adding more certifications, but they are clearly part of a great fitness business. That means we need to pursue knowledge that helps our clients reach their goals, not just add more letters after our names.
Pushing the Industry Forward
The fitness industry right now lacks true scientific leaders who are good at connecting science and research with application in the trenches to get people to their goals and help them build habits.
CrossFit founder Greg Glassman was great at bridging that gap, but there are very few leaders in the fitness industry like Greg today. We have science leaders such as Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman, and they’re putting out amazing work.
But we have a gap between science and training. For example, you can listen to Attia’s podcast all day long and still not know exactly how to help a client today. I earned a four-year degree and had no idea what to do when I got my very first client!
I want to bridge the gap between science theory and application in the trenches because we have a proven system for quickly getting fitness businesses to an eight or nine out of 10. When Two-Brain clients stick to the plan, their businesses become better than their coaches, so their biggest opportunity for growth is to improve their service delivery. Improving their coaching means improving client outcomes.
To help with that, we have a new project called “Strength Coach Collective.”
Join the Facebook group.Subscribe to the YouTube channel.Listen on Apple or Spotify.
I and the other hosts will line up guests who can help you understand how to make science applicable so you can get clients to their goals. The guest list includes Dan John, Jason Khalipa, Mike Burgener, Jonathan Goodman, Bill Parisi, Michael Rutherford, Jason Leydon, Stan Efferding and many more.
I don’t have anything to sell you—no credential, no certification. We’re doing this to help gym owners improve outcomes for clients because that will improve their businesses. My single goal is to make gyms better.
When your business is running on solid systems and it’s stable and profitable, improving service delivery and client results is the next logical step for you.
But great coaching isn’t about credentials or making your clients better at CrossFit or Pilates or whatever. It’s about getting better client results faster.
Measure the results you’re delivering, then elevate your coaching and change more lives. After all, that’s why we got into the fitness industry in the first place.
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March 10, 2025
The Real Value of Coaching (And Why It’s Not Enough on Its Own)
To watch this episode on YouTube, click here.
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March 7, 2025
The FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule: What Gym Owners Need to Know
By Matthew Becker, Gym Lawyers PLLC
If your gym offers recurring memberships with automatic renewals, you need to be aware of an important update from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule, part of the broader Negative Option Rule, is designed to protect consumers by making cancellations as easy as sign-ups. With compliance deadlines approaching, American gym owners must take action to ensure their membership agreements and cancellation policies align with these new federal requirements
Here’s what gym owners need to know—and what steps they should take—to avoid compliance issues and potential fines.
What Is the FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule?
The Click-to-Cancel Rule is part of the FTC’s Negative Option Rule, which aims to prevent deceptive practices related to automatic renewals, subscriptions and free trials that convert into paid memberships.
The key change? If your gym allows members to sign up online, it must also allow them to cancel online—without unnecessary obstacles or hoops to jump through.
This rule applies to any business offering recurring-payment services, including fitness centers, martial-arts studios, personal training centers, and online coaching programs.
The FTC finalized the rule in March 2024, and unless it’s legally contested, businesses must be in compliance by May 2025. While challenges could delay enforcement, gym owners should prepare now to avoid compliance headaches down the road.
Key Provisions for Gym Owners
1. Cancelling Must Be as Easy as Signing Up
Under the new rule, your cancellation method must match your sign-up process in simplicity. This means:
If members sign up on your website, they must be able to cancel on your website—without needing to call, email or visit in person.You can’t use long-winded forms, multi-step processes or confusing menus that frustrate customers.You can’t require members to speak with a representative before they can cancel (no forced “exit interviews”).If a member joins by coming in for a No Sweat Intro/free in-person consultation, an exit interview would be acceptable; however, you must process the cancellation first. You can’t have the exit interview prior to processing the cancellation.
What to do now: Review your sign-up process and make sure your cancellation method mirrors it. If your gym relies on a phone call or in-person visit to cancel, you’ll need to implement an online cancellation option.
2. Clear and Conspicuous Disclosures
The FTC is cracking down on businesses that don’t provide clear information about renewals, fees and cancellation policies. Before a customer is charged for renewal, they must be notified about:
The cost and frequency of the recurring charge.The exact cancellation process.Any important restrictions, notice periods or fees related to cancellation.
What to do now: Check your membership agreements and website terms to ensure they clearly outline cancellation terms and renewal disclosures. These terms must be easy to find—not buried in fine print.
3. Express Consent for Automatic Payments
To prevent misleading enrollments, the FTC now requires businesses to get explicit written consent for automatic charges. This means gym owners must:
Clearly separate the agreement to be charged automatically from other membership terms.Not hide renewal terms within lengthy contracts or checkboxes.
Some software providers might need to update their client management systems to accommodate this rule.
What to do now: Audit your payment authorization forms and digital checkouts to ensure they include separate, explicit consent for auto renewals.
4. “Save the Sale” Tactics Are Limited
A common business practice is to offer discounts or pauses or make other retention efforts when a customer tries to cancel. While this isn’t entirely banned, the FTC states that:
Businesses must first process the cancellation request before presenting any offers.Customers cannot be required to listen to additional offers before canceling.
What to do now: Update your staff training and scripts to ensure that retention efforts don’t delay or obstruct a cancellation request.
Why Gym Owners Need to Act Now
Many gyms aren’t compliant yet, and waiting until the last minute could mean rushing costly updates. Here’s why you should start making changes now:
What Gym Owners Should Do NextAudit Your membership agreement: Ensure cancellation terms are clear, compliant and not buried in lengthy contracts.Update your website and software: Add an online cancellation method that mirrors the sign-up process.Train your staff: Make sure your team understands the new rules and doesn’t create unnecessary barriers for members who are trying to cancel.Monitor legal challenges: If lawsuits delay enforcement, stay informed—but don’t assume compliance won’t eventually be required.Consult legal experts: Don’t navigate this alone. A legal audit can help you identify compliance gaps before they become an issue.
Matthew Becker of Gym Lawyers PLLCNeed Help Updating Your Membership Agreements?
Gym Lawyers PLLC specializes in protecting fitness business owners from legal pitfalls. If you’re unsure if your membership agreements or cancellation policies comply with the new FTC rules, schedule a free legal audit with our team today.
Final Thoughts
The FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule is coming, and gym owners need to act now to stay ahead of compliance requirements. The best approach? Make cancellations simple, transparent and hassle-free—not only to avoid legal trouble but also to build trust with your members.
Start reviewing your agreements today so that when enforcement kicks in, your gym is ahead of the game.
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March 6, 2025
Raising Rates Without Losing Clients: It Can Be Done
To watch this episode on YouTube, click here.
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