The Exercise Coach Franchise

Values & History

Brian Cygan co-founded The Exercise Coach with his wife Gerianne in 2000. They operated two studios together until 2009 when they established an exclusive sales distribution partnership with Exerbotics. At the time, Exerbotics was an R&D company with a near market-ready line of robotic strength training machines. Upon the successful negotiation of this arrangement, Brian began advising Exerbotics and working on the satisfaction of legal requirements for the operation and sale of The Exercise Coach as a franchised business opportunity, which launched in 2011. In 2015 Brian assembled a group of investors to acquire Exerbotics. In addition to his role leading The Exercise Coach, Brian has since served as the CEO and chief innovator of Exerbotics.

At Exercise Coach, we work against the idea that gyms have to be an intimidating social scene. In fact, we have found that the ideal atmosphere for the application of cutting-edge, custom-coached exercise is private, comfortable, and always clean. The ideal exercise atmosphere also requires focused and professional coaches. At The Exercise Coach, our workouts are always guided by a caring, knowledgeable coach whose intent is to make every session as productive as possible. There is no guesswork as our coaches are trained to provide the right mix of friendly interaction and expert instruction.

We are willing to argue, any day of the week, that no brand has successfully poured more value into such an elegant package. We have heard from thousands of clients all over the country that they love “getting a great workout in 20-minutes, in a clean studio, close to home, guided by a friendly coach and customized by awesome computerized equipment.”

Industry Performance

Everyone knows they should exercise; however, only 10-15% of the US adult population does so on a regular basis. That means that nearly 9 out of 10 people are not exercising regularly. Most of the fitness industry competes for the small numbers of avid exercisers, who enjoy working out and consider it part of their lifestyle. But we have the perfect solution for the majority of people who have found traditional exercise tedious, intimidating, ineffective, or just unpleasant.

We have pioneered an approach aimed at the 50+ marketplace. There are 60 million adults in the U.S. over 50. In fact, in the U.S. someone turns 50 every 7.5 seconds! This population holds 70% of the country's discretionary income, and as customers, they are far more loyal, with an average length of membership that's two years longer than the average customer. And yet, 80% of them report that they are unsatisfied with the current fitness options in their marketplace. The hot, sweaty, crowded and large fitness scene just doesn't appeal to a sophisticated and older client demographic. Because there is no national brand in fitness that meets the unique needs and understands the challenges of adults in this age group, 81% of Exercise Coach clients are over 45.

Recognition

Training & Support

The Exercise Coach provides extensive training to franchisees—your success is our success! We also provide training and certification for your staff so you can be sure that everyone is delivering the same high-quality service that is expected of an Exercise Coach franchise.

In addition to training, we also provide an array of ongoing support, like our industry-leading CRM, which allows real-time access to crucial business and sales data to franchisees. Each location can be fully managed by a Lead Coach, freeing up the owner's time to work on the business, not in it. And best of all, a turnkey marketing system delivers consistent lead flow and we offer sales training and a custom sales platform to empower your coaches to follow up with each prospect and close more clients.

Ideal Candidate & Qualifications

We are currently seeking motivated franchise candidates who are serious about business ownership, and we're not just looking for fitness people! Our ideal franchisee is someone who would make a good Exercise Coach client. We're most interested in finding quality people who understand the need for effective exercise in their own lives and would feel good about delivering it to others. Additionally, our business is one where the owner can work on the business rather than in the business. You'll be hiring and managing others to deliver The Exercise Coach System to your clients, and they will receive in-depth training and certifications. This allows you to own more than one Exercise Coach Studio, if you so desire. Don't let your lack of fitness industry experience make you feel disqualified — in fact, some of our most successful franchisees came from other professions!

Purchasing a The Exercise Coach Franchise

Exercise Coach represents a small-footprint and low-cost alternative to the large gyms and group fitness studio franchises. A fully functional Exercise Coach can be located in as little as 800 square feet and can be opened with 2-3 employees to start. We offer two models — a Suite which is 800-1,200 square feet of space and a smaller equipment package, and a Studio, which is 1,200-2,000 square feet and features more fitness equipment. Once opened, there are very few operational challenges. Just market, sell, and grow your business while managing your coaching staff and spreading the message of fitness in your community.

The total initial investment to open an Exercise Coach studio ranges from approximately $7,6000 to $284,000, including our franchise fee of $49,500. Potential franchisees must have a minimum net worth of $500,000 and hold at least $75,000 in liquid cash. The Exercise Coach is proud to offer a 10% discount on the franchise fee to qualifying veterans.