Top Level Trainer

Elevate your brand presence with a straightforward strategy. While wrapping your vehicle may not be necessary, having a strong brand is crucial. Ensure you have a distinct logo, wear branded merch at every training session, and maintain a consistent social media presence. Involve your clients, friends, and family—encourage them to wear and promote your brand everywhere. Regularly post content, share client success stories, and deliver high-quality material. By staying visible and engaged, you’ll build momentum and grow your business. It’s all about effective promotion, strategic marketing, and genuine dedication. Combine these elements, and watch your business thrive.

Here’s why becoming an online trainer might not be the best path. Despite what flashy Instagram gurus might suggest, online training requires an entirely different skill set. This includes mastering persuasion, copywriting, web funnels, basic programming, email marketing, and using complex software like ChatGPT. The online fitness space is also heavily saturated, making it challenging to stand out. To hit six figures online, a trainer would need around 30 clients, which is not only tough to acquire but also a hassle to manage. In contrast, with just 10 to 12 real-world clients, the same income level can be reached much more efficiently. For real-world trainers, growing their business through referrals and maintaining a manageable schedule can lead to more money and freedom. Sticking with what they're good at and doubling down on it can bring significant rewards.

Trainers have three significant opportunities to reach six figures, and the final one is the most impactful. First, establishing a strong brand is essential. People are more likely to engage with brands rather than just individuals. By branding themselves, trainers can stand out and differentiate their services. Second, forming a joint venture partnership with a private gym or training facility in the community can provide a home base, a pool of potential clients, and a consistent place to train. Lastly, semi-private training offers the greatest potential. Trainers can start by overlapping client sessions and eventually bring in a training assistant as demand increases. This approach not only maximizes hourly earnings but also begins to provide more freedom. By following this three-step process, trainers can significantly increase their income and move closer to achieving a six-figure business.

Semi-private training is vital for scaling a personal training business to six figures. Trainers often face increased workload with each new client—more hours, more standing, and less personal time, which can lead to a subconscious resistance to taking on additional clients. Semi-private training helps solve this issue by allowing trainers to work with multiple clients simultaneously, maximizing efficiency and leverage. Implementing semi-private sessions enables trainers to build effective systems, enhance their business operations, and boost their professional status. This model also creates opportunities for hiring a training assistant, providing the freedom to take time off without losing income. Embracing semi-private training can help trainers overcome initial hesitations, improve client outcomes, and achieve significant business growth.

Considering opening your own training studio? It's a decision that requires careful thought. The fitness industry landscape has shifted significantly, with major players dominating the market. Before diving in, ensure you have a clear purpose and outcome in mind. Don’t start the process unless you already have 20 to 25 clients. This client base will not only fill your studio from the outset but can also help fund its launch. Once established, running a studio transitions into a game of systems, operations, and marketing, demanding a shift in your approach. Owning a studio should primarily be driven by the goal of increasing revenue. If done right, it can be lucrative, but it’s crucial to enter with a well-informed strategy. Opening a studio was a strong move two decades ago; today, it requires thoughtful consideration and preparation.

A major reason trainers aren't hitting six figures is often tied to their billing system. Many trainers rely on monthly billing for personal training, which can be problematic. While monthly billing might work for group training, it’s not the best approach for personal sessions. For personal training, monthly billing, especially for unlimited sessions, can be a huge mistake. This model doesn’t account for variations in client attendance or special circumstances like vacations. Instead, consider using training packages. They allow you to influence client usage and manage sessions more effectively. Switching to training packages can significantly impact your revenue, potentially increasing it by up to 50%. By structuring your offerings this way, you can ensure clients get the most value while maximizing your earnings.

Managing over 12 personal training clients is a whole new level. If you've been handling just a few clients, you might think you've got it under control. But once you cross that 12-client threshold and hit six figures, everything changes. At this stage, your approach needs to shift. You’ll need to post more content, start building mini systems to streamline your operations, and seriously consider hiring your first employees, like training assistants and an administrative assistant. It's also crucial to solidify the setup of your business—this means implementing semi-private training sessions, securing a reliable training space through a joint venture, and ramping up your marketing efforts to continue growing. While anyone can manage 10 or 12 clients, scaling beyond that requires a different mindset and strategy. Knowing this in advance will help you prepare for the next level.

If a trainer isn't hitting six figures yet, it's often because their product isn't generating buzz. For example, one successful trainer built a six-figure business within an apartment complex by ensuring every aspect of their training sessions—professionalism, branding, and energy—was exceptional. The quality of their work was so noticeable that residents couldn't help but ask, "Who’s that trainer?" In a close-knit environment like that, word of mouth spreads quickly. Clients would talk about their positive experiences, leading to two or three new clients from each existing one. Within just a month, this trainer was fully booked and had to hire an assistant to keep up with demand. This story highlights that achieving a six-figure income in personal training is more attainable than many realize. However, it requires a commitment to delivering top-notch sessions and creating a brand that naturally attracts attention. Once a trainer becomes buzzworthy, getting the 12 clients needed to hit six figures becomes much easier.

Semi-private training is essential for the future of your business. This model involves training multiple clients simultaneously at one-on-one prices, and while it might seem daunting at first, it's a game-changer. Trainers often worry about managing multiple clients at once or feel hesitant because clients signed up for one-on-one sessions. However, you'll quickly find ways to adapt and provide quality attention to each person. The demand for prime time slots from multiple clients is a strong reason to embrace semi-private training. Rather than turning clients away or overworking yourself with back-to-back one-on-one sessions, you can accommodate more people without burning out. Additionally, relying solely on one-on-one sessions means every new client adds more time on your feet, which can become exhausting. Over time, this can subconsciously make you less eager to take on new clients. Starting with semi-private training is a practical step towards scaling your business. It allows you to maximize your time, increase your income, and maintain a high level of service. From here, you can explore adding training assistants or even setting up your own studio. Embrace semi-private training today to set your business on a path to growth and sustainability.

Personal training offers one of the biggest opportunities in the services industry, or any industry, to hit six figures. This isn't about getting rich quickly; it's about being genuinely passionate about fitness, being in great shape, and fully committing to the game. If this describes you, personal training provides a unique advantage: you can achieve a high income with relatively few clients. Unlike other service industries, such as chiropractic care where clients are seen less frequently, personal trainers have the potential to see clients multiple times per week. This frequency, combined with competitive rates, means that having just 10-15 clients can propel you to the six-figure mark. And if you're good at what you do, referrals will naturally flow in, helping you build a thriving business. However, this path is only viable if you're in it for the right reasons—helping people and embodying a fitness lifestyle. If you meet these criteria and are committed to excellence, personal training could be the perfect career path for you, offering unparalleled business opportunities.