Run a Profitable Gym

Chris Cooper
  • 4.7 (94)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

Run a Profitable Gym is packed with business tools for gym owners and CrossFit affiliates. This is actionable, data-backed business advice for all gym owners, including those who own personal training studios, fitness franchises, and strength and conditioning gyms. Broke gym owner Chris Cooper turned a struggling gym into an asset, then built a multi-million-dollar mentoring company to help other fitness entrepreneurs do the same thing. Every week, Chris presents the top tactics for building a profitable gym, as well as real success stories from gym owners who have found incredible success through Two-Brain Business mentorship. Chris’s goal is to create millionaire gym owners. Subscribe to Run a Profitable Gym and you could be one of them.

  1. 6d ago

    The Future of CrossFit With Bruce Edwards

    Big news: CrossFit is not for sale. Bruce Edwards, the new CEO made that a condition of taking the job. At the 2026 Two-Brain Summit in Chicago, Chris Cooper sat down live on stage with Bruce for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of CrossFit. Bruce isn’t a newcomer to CrossFit. He was an original client of Greg Glassman in the late 1990s, one of the early guinea pigs who helped shape the methodology. He later owned CrossFit Aptos, served as COO of CrossFit and has now returned as CEO with a clear mandate: Fix the perception problem, rebuild affiliate value and bring the movement back to its roots. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris asks the big questions affiliate owners are asking, and Bruce shares his honest vision for what comes next for CrossFit. Tune in to hear a candid conversation about CrossFit’s future under Bruce’s leadership. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:20 - Why Bruce almost said no to the CEO role 6:43 - CrossFit’s North Star 8:46 - The Games vs. the affiliate story 13:22 - The future of CrossFit media 15:00 - Do GLP-1s have a place in fitness? 20:25 - Bruce's stance on partnerships 28:15 - A message to de-affiliated owners 30:07 - What affiliates should do right now

    33 min

  2. Jun 8

    The Only 3 Types of Social Media Content Gym Owners Need

    This episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym." Get a free audit of your gym’s Instagram with our custom GPT tool: GymIG.com If you’re a gym owner who wants to post more content but doesn’t know where to start, this episode is for you. Many gym owners have the misconception that they simply need to post more. But getting the right mix of content actually matters more than how often you post. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin breaks down the three types of content every gym owner needs to be posting on Instagram. He shares real examples from gyms who are doing this well and walks through exactly how to replicate their posts. You’ll learn how to use your gym’s Instagram page to make people like you, trust you and move closer to doing business with you.  Tune in and walk away with a simple three-post-a-week plan you can start this week. Links AI Gym Instagram Audit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:55 - Why variety beats volume on social media 1:07 - Posts that get people to buy from you 2:43 - Social proof that actually works 7:30 - Building connection through Instagram 10:10 - Becoming a trusted voice 11:31 - Your exact weekly posting plan

    13 min

  3. Jun 4

    Is HYROX Here to Stay? What Gym Owners Need to Know

    HYROX just crossed 4,500 affiliates in North America. A year ago, that number was under 1,500. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Eric O'Neil, Head of Affiliates for HYROX (Americas), to talk about what’s driving that growth, what the best training clubs are doing differently and what’s coming next for gym owners who want to capitalize on the HYROX opportunity. Eric explains how the affiliate program works, including the pre-sale ticket process and how HYROX markets affiliate events through their regional newsletters. He also shares what separates the training clubs bringing 50-plus members to race day from the ones that never quite find their footing. The conversation covers the full picture for gym owners who want to run a profitable HYROX program: - Running sims and camps - Adding personal training as an upsell - Building a 365-day HYROX calendar around local race weekends - Tapping into the massive pool of non-members who show up to these events Eric also addresses the elephant in the room: Is HYROX here to stay, and how should gym owners think about the investment? If you’re HYROX-curious or already affiliated and want to get more out of it, this episode is worth your time. Get the full toolkit for generating ROI from HYROX affiliation via the link below. Links HYROX Toolkit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:40 - HYROX affiliation growth 6:00 - HYROX trends in Europe and the Americas 12:37 - How the pre-sale ticket process works 14:32 - Sims, camps and monetizing events 21:56 - Youth HYROX 35:50 - Building a 365-day HYROX calendar 44:34 - Is HYROX here to stay?

    47 min

  4. Jun 1

    This ONE Gym Instagram Mistake Is Costing You Leads (& How To Fix It)

    This episode contains several visual examples. For the best experience, head to our YouTube channel "Run a Profitable Gym." Is your gym’s Instagram actually getting you members? Or just likes? In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin reveals the five Instagram mistakes gym owners make that silently kill their lead flow. Then he shows you exactly how to fix them. And fixing just ONE can completely transform your business. John walks through each mistake with real examples from gyms that are getting it wrong and gyms that are getting it right—including a breakdown of one of the best gym Instagram pages in the business and why it works so well. One gym got 50 million views on a single post, but zero clients from it. Don't make the same mistake. If your Instagram isn’t converting leads, watch this episode and then get an instant audit of your page at GymIG.com. Links AI Gym Instagram Audit Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 0:43 - Mistake 1: No pin post sequence 4:04 - Mistake 2: No conversion content 8:35 - Mistake 3: Only posting, never talking 13:08 - Mistake 4: No personality 16:06 - Mistake 5: Chasing vanity metrics

    19 min

  5. May 28

    How to Run Gym Ads That Actually Work in 2026

    Struggling with paid ads for your gym? Here's what's actually working in 2026. Today on “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin sits down with Colm O'Reilly, Two-Brain's paid ads specialist, for a tactical breakdown of everything gym owners need to know about Facebook and Instagram ads right now. In this episode, Colm covers the real numbers behind paid gym ads: what you should expect to pay per lead, what a client actually costs to acquire and how to know if your ads are profitable. John and Colm explain why ads amplify your other marketing funnels and how Meta's Andromeda update changed the ads game. Colm introduces a simple “BUT” formula for writing ad copy that speaks directly to your ideal client's goals and objections and breaks down campaign structure for both beginners and advanced gym owners. The pair also discuss what to say on that first phone call, how to handle the pricing question and how to keep cold leads warm for months after they first clicked. Watch this episode and walk away with a clear starting point for running profitable gym ads in 2026. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro  2:51 - Ad math and budgeting basics 7:39 - What to expect from your ad spend 10:34 - The Andromeda update and creative strategy 13:03 - The “BUT” framework for ad copy 15:57 - Campaign structure for gym owners 22:15 - Lead ads vs. landing pages 24:13 - Lead nurture and what to say on the phone 32:24 - Troubleshooting ads that aren't working 34:01 - Should you hire an ad agency?

    38 min

  6. May 25

    The Simple Paid Ads System That Gets Gym Owners More Leads

    Paid ads have changed. Here’s what gym owners need to know to make them work in 2026. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper close out Marketing May with the paid ads funnel. You build this funnel last because it’s the one that amplifies everything else. John explains why the old ads playbook is dead—Meta’s Andromeda update changed how ads are targeted and delivered—and what that means for gym owners. Chris and John share why gym owners need to know how to run their own ads and understand their ad math, rather than just outsource to an ad agency. They walk through exactly how to create an effective ad campaign and even deliver two clear action steps to help you get started: one for gym owners who have never run an ad, and one for gym owners who are already running them and want better results. This is episode 4 of 4 in the Marketing May series. If you missed the previous funnels, check them out via the links below. Links The Referral Funnel The Social Funnel The Content Funnel Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro 1:31 - Media buying is dead 5:56 - The 5-1-30 post 10:10 - How to generate content ideas 15:40 - Campaign structure & tracking 18:28 - Your action steps

    25 min

  7. May 21

    A Week of Gym Content in 30 Minutes With AI

    No time to make content for your gym? Not anymore. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain founder Chris Cooper walks you through the exact system he uses to turn one idea into a full week of content in 30 minutes with AI. Chris demos the entire workflow live, starting with a brain dump audio recording answering a question that came up naturally in his gym. Then he uploads the audio and transcript into Claude with a prompt that generates a week’s worth of content: - A podcast script - A blog post - An email newsletter blurb - Five Instagram carousel slides - A YouTube description and thumbnail For gym owners who want to go further, Chris also shows the AI stack he uses to create fully polished and edited video content for YouTube and short-form reels. After this episode, you’ll have the system and  tools you need to create consistent content every week. Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:00 - Intro  4:17 - Brain dump & QuickCast   5:34 - Claude workflow  10:25 - Podcast distribution  18:27 - Descript AI video editor  26:12 - Reels with OpusClip

    31 min

  8. May 18

    The Content Strategy That Gets Gym Clients

    Chris Cooper has been publishing content since 1998. It got him fired from one job—but it also built all of his businesses. In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Two-Brain CEO John Franklin and founder Chris Cooper give gym owners a step-by-step content system that builds trust, brings in leads and keeps working long after you hit publish. Chris shares his personal content creation process: how he plans everything during his 25-minute drive to work and then spends another 10 minutes producing the content with AI. He also explains why AI search is changing the game, with 30 to 40% of your audience searching for your gym using tools like ChatGPT. The pair also share the four principles your content should follow to get results: local, helpful, shareable and authority-building. You’ll see real examples of the kind of content that works and walk away with a clear starting point for your gym’s content strategy.   This is episode 3 of 4 in the Marketing May series. Next week: the paid ads funnel. If you missed the previous funnels, check them out via the links below. Links The Social Funnel The Referral Funnel Gym Owners United Book a Call 2:35 - Content vs. social media 3:43 - The content playbook 9:40 - Distributing content 13:40 - Where AI comes in 16:14 - Your action steps

    18 min
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4.7
out of 5
94 Ratings

About

Run a Profitable Gym is packed with business tools for gym owners and CrossFit affiliates. This is actionable, data-backed business advice for all gym owners, including those who own personal training studios, fitness franchises, and strength and conditioning gyms. Broke gym owner Chris Cooper turned a struggling gym into an asset, then built a multi-million-dollar mentoring company to help other fitness entrepreneurs do the same thing. Every week, Chris presents the top tactics for building a profitable gym, as well as real success stories from gym owners who have found incredible success through Two-Brain Business mentorship. Chris’s goal is to create millionaire gym owners. Subscribe to Run a Profitable Gym and you could be one of them.

Information

  • Creator
    Chris Cooper
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.2K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Run a Profitable Gym
  • Show Website
    Run a Profitable Gym

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