High Intensity Business

What's the one proven thing that makes or breaks a strength training business?    Million-Dollar Trainer Pete Cerqua returns to the podcast to talk about getting people through your strength studio's doors with world-class customer service — and why it's non-negotiable if you're serious about becoming successful.   We talk about why it matters, how it looks in practice, and why all the details mat...

Ever wonder why some strength training businesses thrive while others quietly fade away? Want to make sure you're on the right side of these trends? Discover Strength CEO Luke Carlson returns to talk about the quiet gold rush that's happening right now and how you can take advantage of the boom.    We talk about what types of fitness businesses are booming, how they're winning over clients, the bi...

If you're not using AI in your strength training business yet, you could be missing out on a lot more than you think.   EverStrongSF Founder Abe Williams explains how he runs a more efficient strength studio now with the help of AI, and he walks through what he did, how he did it, and what you can do with it, with real-world examples.   We also talk about how Abe's clients reacted to ARX machines,...

Want to start your own strength training business, but you're worried about how much you need to spend before you launch? HITuni Founder Simon Shawcross says you probably don't need as much money as you think you do, and he lays out some realistic options if you want to start a successful business on a budget. We go into practical options that actually work, how to find your first few clients, how...

Body by Science was released 15 years ago — does it still hold up? How does Dr. Doug McGuff approach working out today?   Blain Duesing and Dr. John D'Ambrosio decided to ask him about it (along with a few other questions) on the Fitless podcast.    In this episode, they dive into the origins of Body by Science (like how John Little convinced him to write it), how Doug used to work out then and ho...

There may be pitchforks, so watch your head: What if the secret to bigger gains for your clients was doing almost nothing in the gym?   Nautilus North Founder, prolific author, and master strength trainer John Little returns to talk about his one-set-per-week experiments and the surprising results he's seen with this protocol.    We dive deep into how much exercise you really need to drive results...

What if the secret to building a thriving strength studio isn't just better workouts, but becoming the kind of trainer clients actually want to keep coming back to? The Garage Gym Founder Aldon Tibbs talks about how he went from powerlifting and mainstream personal training to building a HIT studio that gets people hooked and spontaneously generates referrals.    We also talk about what you can le...

What's happening at this year's Strength Forum and what can you get out of it?   Discover Strength CEO Luke Carlson sits down to talk about what might be the most important and meaningful event for strength training business owners in 2026.    We talk about why this matters for you and your strength training business, what makes this different from every other fitness event, who will be there and...

If all roads lead to Rome in high-intensity strength training, what should you focus on to get the most meaningful results?   In a bit of a role reversal, I'd recently had the privilege of being a guest on the Fitless Podcast , hosted by Dr. John Ambrosio (DC) and Blain Duesing, and they've kindly let me also release the episode here on HIB.   We go into some of the biggest lessons in strength tra...

What adjustments should you make (and why) when designing HIT workouts for your personal training clients?   Strength Space Founder Dr. Bryce Lee returns to the podcast, and we go deep into HIT workout design, talking about fatigue, recovery, selecting exercises for different types of clients, negative-only protocols, dealing with exercise-induced headaches, and so much more!   If you want to know...

Why do some personal trainers seem to just get clients so easily?   Blain Duesing talks about the specific things that you can do that can turn you into a client magnet, and we break down what you can learn from his approach, step-by-step, to understand why people won't be able to help but do your marketing for you and even get you referrals — if you just approach training them in a very specific...

What's the one thing that many strength studio owners forget that both grows their fitness business in the long term and keeps their clients fit for life?   Tim Dettmann returns to the podcast to talk about the most important factor that makes you – and your clients – successful and fit for life: strength training longevity.   We talk about why this matters as a core principle and how to design HI...

What if the secret to growing your strength studio wasn't just more ads or longer days, but the right mix of sharp marketing, tight client session management, and smart training choices? Fitness and More Founder Steve McKinney returns to talk about his surprisingly strict 15-minute sessions, how he manages his daily activities while maintaining discipline and happiness, and how he keeps clients ha...

You've got your personal training business going and you have your ideal clients in mind, but how can you attract more of them effectively without being pushy about it?   This is probably one of the most effective ways to attract clients without being all sales-y about it: the "Client of the Week" email.    We'll talk about how it works, why you'll love it, and maybe even why your other prospects...

What's it like to be a HIT strength coach training high-performing athletes at every level?   Matt Brzycki is a highly regarded university lecturer and strength coach with more than 40 years of experience working with athletes from college to the NFL.    He returns to the show to share how he used HIT to separate great athletes from average ones, the timeless strength training principles that matt...

MedX is already a legendary HIT machine brand, but someone quietly made them better.   Discover Strength CEO Luke Carlson returns to talk about his experience discovering, using, and kitting out strength studios with MedX Europe's version of MedX machines — including the ones that you didn't think existed!   Luke talks about the differences between MedX US and MedX EU, the differences and improvem...

Is High-Intensity Training still the smartest way to build and grow a strength training business today?   HITuni Founder Simon Shawcross returns to talk about how the strength training world is training and how HIT personal trainers and studio owners can adapt and continue to thrive.   We talk about what clients are increasingly looking for when it comes to fitness, how AI is changing the way ever...

If you wanted to average over 100 client workout sessions a week, how would you do it?   One of the best to ever do it, Doug Holland, talks about how he does his 30-minute HIT Client workouts from start to finish, and he does so in the most Doug Holland way possible (so make sure your kids are out of earshot when you listen to this one!).   We go into detail about new client intro sessions, runnin...

Are you a personal trainer or strength studio owner who feels pulled in too many directions while trying to grow your business? This episode is your guide to time blocking, one of the most powerful tools you can use to grow your strength training business while getting back more free time for the rest of your life's important things. We'll talk about what time blocking actually is, how you can ada...

How can a strength training business help you earn almost 3x more than you used to while giving you more free time and a lot less stress?   Renfo Max Pro Founder Daniele Schittone knows exactly how that feels, because he's done just that! He joins the podcast to talk about how he went from working in the hotel industry to almost burning out as a personal trainer, and finally having it all click fo...

What's the best way to get more people to strength-train at your studio?   There's probably no one better to talk about being really effective in marketing than Tim Dettmann, who isn't just a marketing expert in title, but he's actually done the work to attract over 20,000 new clients!   In this episode, we talk about the mindsets and the frameworks that let you attract more new clients, how to tr...

How can you build a successful strength training business that stands the test of time?    In this episode, Luke Carlson talks about the 20 biggest lessons he's learned about making Discover Strength successful over 20 years in business and how you can apply it all to your HIT personal training business.   We talk about everything from the workout, marketing, branding, training your staff, creatin...

What makes your strength training business stand out amongst your competition?   That's a question that every HIT business owner needs to answer and build a process for if you want to be seriously successful, and this previously members-only episode with marketing expert Hannah Johnson goes into exactly how you can create your own "Proven Process".   We talk about why this matters, what effect it...

Are you a personal trainer or strength studio owner who wants to grow your business without burning out or overspending on fancy setups?    fit20 CEO Walter Vendel returns to the podcast to talk about how his focused and simple approach has helped him grow a HIT business empire that shows no sign of stopping — and what you can take away from his business model.   We go into how fit20 was able to s...

Could this study be the nail in the coffin for the high-volume HIT versus low-volume HIT debate?   Dr. James Steele returns to talk about a new study that dives deep into the high-versus-low conversation that the high-intensity world has gone back and forth on for decades.    James talks about the studies that have touched on this before, how they designed this one so that it really provides meani...