Run a Profitable Gym

The future belongs to gyms that specialize. The data proves it: Small group training has a 7% higher profit margin than large group training, and length of engagement in niche gyms is double the industry average. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper lays out how niching down will transform your gym. Yes, you can find and own a niche without kicking out existing clients. When you niche dow...

Buying a gym can be one of the best business decisions you’ll ever make or one of the most expensive mistakes of your life. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain Business CEO John Franklin and attorney Matthew Becker of Gym Lawyers PLLC walk you through exactly how to buy a gym without overpaying, buying a disaster or landing on legal landmines. Matthew has handled over $50 million...

If you burn out, your gym dies. That’s why taking care of your mental health is the best business decision you can make. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper explains why burnout happens to gym owners and how to prevent it. If you pour your energy into clients all day, manage staff, call leads, clean bathrooms and run your business, then go home and scrape the bottom of the bowl...

Most gym owners stay stuck because of fear. Fear of failure. Fear of confrontation. Fear of making things worse. But here’s what Chris Cooper learned after 15 years of mentoring gym owners: The only thing stronger than fear is love. You have to love the local people who need your help more than you fear publishing that Instagram post. You have to love your family enough to fire that coach who’s hu...

The Two-Brain Summit is back for its 10th year this June in Chicago, and it’s bigger than ever before! Get your tickets via the link below and make June 6-7 the most valuable weekend of your entire year. Headlining the owners side, bestselling author Mike Michalowicz will teach you how to stand out and attract the right customers to your gym. You’ll also hear from fitness business experts such as:...

For almost a decade, CrossFit affiliate owners followed a misguided mantra: "CrossFit is done in big groups only." In 2026, we know this is false. CrossFit is an incredible tool you can use to get clients fit, and you can deliver coaching one on one, in semi-private groups, in small groups and in big groups. The more individual attention a client receives, the higher the rate. That'...

What if every one of your clients paid $400 or more per month? You probably wouldn't need more clients, staff, equipment or space, right? In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shows exactly how 10 top gym owners have solved the "need more clients" problem by earning world-class revenue from existing clients. In short, they price coaching...

 In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," fitness entrepreneur Daniel Purington reveals the system that produced these world-class stats at Woodslawn Fitness in Oregon: 170 members $350 average revenue per member 36-month length of engagement Daniel serves his members in just 2,000 square feet of space and has capped membership: He accepts just four new members per month. To acquire th...

When gym owners need more clients, most jump straight to ads, social media or complicated marketing campaigns. Another path will produce much better results faster. In this episode, Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares the zero-cost strategy he used to fill a new program at his gym in less than a week: affinity marketing. Instead of chasing cold leads, use affinity marketing to leverage your best...

Many gym owners hire the wrong mentor for the wrong reasons. They pick the cheapest option or someone who “really cares.” But "cheap" doesn't mean "effective" and caring isn’t enough. You need results when you invest in mentorship. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper walks you through the Mentor Match exercise, a step-by-step process for identifying exactly the r...

You have access to endless knowledge and resources, but you can’t seem to put it all together and fix your gym. Why? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper walks you through the mind of a mentor—showing you exactly how they diagnose problems, prioritize solutions and guide gym owners step by step. He reveals the three reasons gym owners need more money: - Expenses are too high. -...

Don’t let potential members slip away! Get the free “1-Hour Marketing Audit for Gym Owners” here .  Joe Rouse ran Two-Brain's  “1-Hour Marketing Audit” on his gym and uncovered gaps in his funnels—even after 12 years in business. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike Warkentin sits down with Joe, owner of Breakaway Fitness & Performance, to find out what he discovered using Chri...

Your gym is leaking leads. But you can fix it in 60 minutes with this marketing audit. Get a free copy of the 26-page audit workbook here . In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper walks you through a complete one-hour audit of your gym’s marketing funnel—from lead generation to closing sales. He demonstrates the audit live with his own gym, Catalyst, revealing every problem he find...

The median gym owner brings home $61,000 per year, but the owners on Two-Brain’s latest leaderboard earn between $189,000 and $357,000 annually. What’s the difference? In this episode, Mike Warkentin sits down with top earner Ryan McStockard to find out exactly how he secured his spot on the leaderboard. In 2020, Ryan took zero income in some months just to keep the gym alive. Then, in 2021, he in...

The top gym owner on Two-Brain’s leaderboard takes home $29,767 per month. That’s $357,204 per year from a single gym location. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper reveals the Top 10 net owner benefit (NOB) leaderboard—showing exactly what elite gym owners actually take home each month. What sets these owners apart? Chris shares their top tactics, such as nurturing leads, selli...

When your gym is stable and the fires are out, what's next? Two-Brain’s Tinker Mastermind provides an elite level of mentorship for gym owners who are ready to build wealth, scale their businesses, learn to lead and create lasting legacies. This is the fun part of entrepreneurship—the part where you have choices: build investment portfolios, acquire real estate, franchise your concept, create...

Stop trying to clone yourself when you hire coaches. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper explains why hiring for personality and training for skill is the smartest path to building a team that lasts. Most gym owners hire based on certifications and technical knowledge. Then they micromanage every rep, correct every cue and watch their coaches burn out within two years....

Feb. 13, 2026, is Two-Brain’s 10th anniversary—a full decade of solving every problem in the gym business. In this special episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper tells the complete story of how Two-Brain Business became the biggest mentorship practice in the fitness industry. The journey started long before 2016. In 2005, Chris opened his first gym, and by 2008, he was b...

Different gym owners need different leadership books. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares a simple plan to help you use the contents of any book to improve yourself and your business, and then he recommends specific books in each realm of leadership. Self-Leadership (to go fast, go alone): “Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty “The Creative Act” by Rick Rub...

Could your gym use an extra $5,000 in revenue this month? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper shares three proven tactics gym owners can use to generate more revenue from clients they already have: 🏁 Tactic 1: Run a Hyrox simulation or similar fitness race event. 🏋️‍♀️ Tactic 2: Launch a specialty program, such as weightlifting or running. ⬆️ Tactic 3: Sell u...

In the last year, three marketing agencies have asked Chris Cooper to buy them out—and dozens of others have disappeared. The average lifespan of a gym marketing agency is 18 months: They churn through gym owners, only to vanish, rebrand and repeat the cycle. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Coop pulls back the curtain on why agencies keep failing, and then he lays out a better marketing...

The 10th annual Two-Brain Summit happens June 6-7, 2026, in Chicago, and this year’s theme will change how you think about scaling your gym. Today, Chris Cooper reveals the event’s headlining speaker—bestselling author Mike Michalowicz—and the “Power of 10” theme that will guide every session. The Power of 10 framework covers: How to take your 10 best clients and replicate them. The 10 weekly acti...

Tickets to the Two-Brain Summit are $200 off until Feb. 1. Get yours via the link below! This year's headliner: Mike Michalowicz, entrepreneur and author of multiple bestsellers, including “The Pumpkin Plan,” “Profit First,” “Clockwork” and “Get Different.” Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Mike joins Two-Brain CEO John Franklin to explain why most gyms are swimming in a sea of sameness, invis...

CrossFit taught the world how to move, and now through MetFix, Greg Glassman wants to teach them how to eat. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper sits down with Peter Shaw, former CrossFit flowmaster and current head of the MetFix Seminar Team. The pair explore how MetFix is building on top of CrossFit rather than competing with it by shifting the focus from fitness alone to ove...

Twenty years of gym ownership will teach you things no course ever could. Chris Cooper’s gym, Catalyst, recently turned 20, and today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain's founder is sharing 22 lessons he’s learned over the last two decades as a fitness entrepreneur. Chris reveals the early mistakes that nearly cost him everything and the systems that finally gave him stability and freedom....