Barbells & Business

In this episode of Barbells and Business, we sit down with Jamie Walton, the founder of Method Training in Newcastle, to dive into the world of running a successful CrossFit gym. Jamie shares his journey from opening a gym to managing growth, building a strong community, and navigating the challenges unique to CrossFit box owners. If you’re a gym owner, prospective gym owner, or fitness entrepreneur, this episode is packed with invaluable insights on scaling your gym, creating a sustainable business, and maximizing member retention. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your gym, Jamie's expert advice will help you unlock the secrets to running a thriving fitness business.

Key Takeaways:

• How to successfully open and grow a CrossFit gym
• Essential strategies for member retention and community-building
• Key challenges gym owners face and how to overcome them
• Tips for managing staff and running day-to-day operations smoothly
• Insights into effective marketing strategies for a fitness business

Tune in to learn from Jamie’s experience and gain practical tips for growing your own gym business!

Are you an independent gym owner looking to grow in 2025? In this episode, we sit down with Rob Handy, founder of the Independent Gyms Group, to explore the biggest challenges and best opportunities for gym businesses today.

Rob shares practical strategies, success stories, and the powerful resources his organisation provides to help independent fitness facilities stand out in a competitive industry. From marketing and member retention to navigating industry changes, this conversation is packed with value for gym owners, managers, and fitness entrepreneurs.

What you’ll learn:

• Key trends shaping independent gyms in 2025
• How to attract and retain members without a massive budget
• The top tools and support resources from Independent Gyms Group
• Real-world advice from someone supporting 1,000+ gyms across the UK

If you run a local fitness business or dream of opening your own gym, don’t miss this one.

In this episode, we sit down with Jason from Elevate Fitness in Bidford who opened his gym right before the covid lockdown. Instead of quitting, he did whatever it took and started delivering takeaways to keep his dream alive.

He shares what it was like starting out as part of a franchise, which he left behind, and how he's obsessively focused on building the best gym possible.

Thinking about opening your own gym? Before you dive in, hear the truth no one’s talking about. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on all the unexpected challenges we faced—from council red tape and planning permission nightmares to hidden costs and real-world setbacks. We also introduce our new co-host, who shares their own hard-earned lessons from the trenches of gym ownership. If you're dreaming of running your own fitness space, this is the episode you can’t afford to skip.

Today I spoke to Matthew Walker from Pioneer Performance which is a successful personal training gym In Newcastle. Matthew shares his story of starting his first gym at a young age and how he has taken his business to the level it's at now.

Welcome to the Business & Barbells podcast. This is a podcast for gym owners by gym owners. Whether you own a gym already or are looking into opening your own gym for the first time, this is a place for you to get an insight into the business and gain some valuable ideas to assist your own business.