Health clubs have a secret money pit — and it’s not the leaky roof over the cycle studio. It’s the small group training program that’s full of energy, enthusiasm and lost potential.
Ask most club operators about their group training numbers, and the response usually falls into one of two categories: a proud smile with spreadsheets to back it up, or a nervous laugh followed by, “We mostly do it for member engagement.” In other words, it feels good, but it’s not exactly paying the bills.
The issue isn’t that group training can’t be profitable — it absolutely can. The issue is structure. Too often, small group training is treated like a side project instead of a defined business unit. Random programming, inconsistent pricing, casual attendance and reliance on a few superstar coaches create a model that’s fragile, unscalable and difficult to measure.
Turning group training into a profit center doesn’t require gimmicks. It requires owners to think like operators: clear systems, clear standards, and a clear path for members.
- Standardize the Experience: Members don’t need every session to feel like a surprise party. They need reliability. When session quality, coaching language and flow are consistent, trust is built. Trust leads to higher attendance, easier referrals and fewer “I’ll think about it” conversations at renewal time. If every visit feels like a coin toss, cancellations will do the talking.
- Price It Like It Has Real Value: Small group training often lives in pricing limbo — not quite PT but more than group fitness. The safest move becomes the worst one: underpricing. If the program delivers coaching attention, structured progression and real outcomes, it deserves a premium position. Members aren’t paying for random circuits; they’re paying for belonging, clarity and results they can’t manufacture alone.
- Create Pathways, Not Drop-Ins: Drop-ins are convenient for schedules but terrible for culture and forecasting. Committed blocks — whether called seasons, cycles or programs — create accountability and predictable revenue. When participants join as a team for a set timeframe, they show up more often, stay engaged longer and become easier to renew. Pathways create stories; stories create retention.
- Empower the Coaches: Coaches aren’t just leading workouts; they’re leading relationships. When they’re trained to know each member’s goals, track progress and bring consistent energy, they become the most valuable sales and retention asset in the building — without ever “selling.” Invested coaches turn hesitant trial members into loyal regulars.
- Measure What Actually Matters: Counting heads in a session is a start, not a strategy. Operators should track renewals, referral rate, average visits per participant and revenue per time slot. Those metrics reveal whether group training is a feel-good extra or a disciplined driver of recurring income. Data doesn’t replace culture, but it confirms whether culture is working. The goal is simple: small group training that pays its own way and then some. With clear systems, strong coaching and structured commitment, the same program that once ran “for engagement” becomes a reliable engine for profit, retention and member loyalty.
Jeffrey Kline is the President and Co-Owner of TRIBE Team Training® International and a member of REXRoundtables. He can be reached at jeff@tribeteamtraining.com.
