The trainers who’ve lived it recognize the methodology.

“Great post. 10 out of 10. Most gyms treat trainers as plug and play. They’ll pay you just enough to keep you comfortable, give you just enough ‘atta boys’ to keep you bought in, but never enough to give you real ownership or skin in the game.”

“It’s true. People enter the training industry expecting to focus on coaching clients, but it quickly turns into nonstop sales — pushing memberships, chasing targets, and constantly being told you’re not doing enough. You never actually build a truly sustainable business.”

“It is such a scam. I was the front end director for a large family owned gym and the whole mindset of what’s expected for what you get paid for is backwards. When the owner asked me how to get higher quality candidates I said ‘pay them more’ — his first comment back: ‘great! We can then cut commissions.’”

“Your content is so unlike other trainers, and especially the big franchise guys. I’ve only worked in one commercial gym, but my experience mirrors your position. Working for myself was not only better for me, it was better for my clients.”

“The stripe subscription thing is so simple but so smart. No awkward ‘hey can you pay me’ texts. Just auto charge and move on. The consultation as filter is underrated too. When you’re hungry you say yes to everyone. Big mistake. One bad client takes more energy than three good ones. Low overhead is the cheat code. The last line is true. The training is the easy part. The operations is what kills people.”

“I insist this is what kept me in business with my semi private model. I still bill automatically. 75% of my business is semi private. Much like yourself I’m over a decade in the game. Self employed out of my own wee studio. Your whole post is golden, that whole list is why I’m doing well. No high ticket, no challenges, no nonsense, no deals, just simple, standard regular payments. Focus on it and it’ll feed families.”

“Been in the private/in-home game for 5 years now. If you want to make a good income whilst keeping it low stress, this is the way.”

“Excellent post. Took me years to figure some of this out. I’d say most people who stayed with me long-term didn’t ask about pricing except in passing. I’m always upfront about how much I charge and how I don’t do discounts, no exceptions. If anyone still objects, I encourage them to look into the many cheaper trainers in my area that don’t have 23 years of experience.”

“‘One bad client takes up the mental space of five good ones’ — this is the line most trainers learn 2 years too late. The written agreement point is huge too. When a no-show policy is in writing and signed, you’re not ‘being mean,’ you’re following the contract both of you agreed to.”