r/gymowner

EDIT: Thanks to everyone who joined us today! We’re always answering questions in our Skool Group, so make sure you join us there too: https://www.skool.com/gymlaunch/about

It's Mike, Gym Launch President. I've got two hours cleared on my schedule, so let's get into it.

I’m here to talk about growing your gym, any challenges you’ve had along the way, and also to share what we’re seeing work right now in 2026. 

If you’re not sure what to ask… think about “what keeps me up at night” about my business… that should get the gears turning. 

Drop all your questions here in this thread.

I'll be working through 'em as fast as I can until 2PM EST.  Ask away. 👇

— Mike Ferreira 

https://preview.redd.it/5rvxweknwzsg1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c7a3b15992af5715cc0f0756b7fbf23553e1751

Does anyone here own a small gym that isn’t a personal trainer and started with the business model of really just hoping to get memberships and maybe rent space to private trainers? So much information out there about small/medium/large sized gyms, read many stories of guys bootstrapping with 5k or less in equipment renting small spaces and building from there, to guys with just tons of capital killing the game from day 1 because they had options.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for 20 years but not in the gym space. I love working out but don’t want to train anyone, business first so my brain isn’t “build a gym so you can workout there” because numbers need to make sense. I have between 20- 75k I’d be willing to invest between getting a space about 3-4000 sq ft, filling up the space with a ton of equipment purchase second hand whether from other gyms or Facebook etc, I’ll make it work.

However I’m really wondering why $3-$3500/rent plus let’s just toss another $1000 in utilities and misc. I’ll call it $5000 all in to just keep the lights on, why selling memberships at $55-65/month basically 90+ clients will cover that, is this so unreasonable?

Now people will ask yes but now how about employees, my profit etc, I’m just simply trying to find out first why a simple model like this won’t work, im not to worried about “making xyz amount just yet” I’m admitting being ignorant to it as my expertise was in the laundry world not fitness.

Anyone run a gym under 5000 sq ft? I’m looking to chat with anyone specifically only in the United States so understanding the market will be easier for me if I can point to a specific state or city, I just don’t know enough about Canada or other countries to make it make sense