“More leads will fix my business.”

That’s what many gym owners think. But in reality, packing your gym with new members won’t matter if they don’t stay.

Yes, gyms with packed classes and buzzing energy seem successful from the outside. But behind the scenes, most of them are constantly replacing members who drop off after a few months.

It’s because large group training gyms attract customers who bounce between multiple memberships. They usually chase novelty more than results, which means they’ll join your gym for a bit, but the moment they lose interest, they’re gone.

Semi-private gyms, on the other hand, keep clients for years because their structure and personalization make a real difference. Members stay engaged because they see measurable improvements and rely on their coaches for more than just workouts.

In this episode, Tim and Randy break down the key factors that drive long-term retention, why pricing plays a bigger role than you think, and what gym owners need to change to stop the cycle of constant client churn.

They also point out common mistakes gym owners make, like focusing too much on making workouts “fun” rather than effective and failing to educate clients on why structured programming leads to real results.

So, if you want to build a gym that keeps clients for years – not months – this episode is for you.

Tune in to learn how to turn short-term memberships into lifelong clients!

Key Takeaways: 

• Intro (00:00)
• Large group gyms struggle with retention (00:54)
• Mid-range pricing leads to higher attrition (02:22)
• Success comes from keeping clients longer (07:51)
• Structured programming beats random workouts (10:08)
• Educating clients improves retention (12:43)
• Semi-private gyms become wellness hubs (15:55)

Additional Resources:

- Schedule your SpringBoard call

- Apply to join The Iron Circle

- Check out our Switch to Semi-Private course

- Get 30 days of Semi-Private Pro on us!

- A tool for deciding on new gym services – 5-Question Matrix

- Tim's new book – Built to Win by Tim Lyons 

- ProFit Accelerator: Helping Training Gyms Grow to 30K/month and Beyond Facebook group 

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