Whenever you meet successful business owners and ask them about the secret of success, the answer you will probably get will be client satisfaction and a competitive pricing plan. With the changing scenario of the fitness industry, clients seek workout plans that align with their fitness goals and offer personalized guidance and tangible results. As a fitness business owner, you might face challenges determining the appropriate pricing plan for your clients. This challenge may raise a question in your mind: How much to charge for a workout plan that attracts clients and increases profitability?
As per Askwonder’s research, 46% of clients quit their fitness goals due to the higher price charged by the gym for personal training sessions. So, to provide your clients with a good fitness experience, you have to price your gym workout programs reasonably. The reasonable price enables you to attract clients and compensates you well for your hard work. Moreover, there are undoubtedly other factors that affect the pricing structure for your fitness center. Here, we will discuss all these factors and enable you to draw an effective pricing for your gym workout plans.
How much to charge for a workout program?
As a fitness business owner, you have to understand the importance of proper pricing in improving your client’s user experience. You must analyze your value as a trainer, plan depth, customization, and market research before defining a price for your gym workout plan. So, your clients must be willing to pay for the price that balances profitability and affordability. Here are the factors determining how much to charge for a workout plan.
Depth of the workout plan
The depth of the workout plan encompasses its intricacy, specificity, and effectiveness in achieving your client’s desired fitness goals. It goes beyond the exercises and sets, delving into strategies that consider fitness levels, objectives, and preferences. So, a plan you offer your clients incorporates elements such as progressive overload, exercise selection, and recovery protocols.
Moreover, it also includes the level of guidance and support you provide your clients during their fitness journey. A well-structured plan addresses various fitness, strength, endurance, and mobility aspects. The depth of a workout plan directly affects its value proposition. For example, if you offer your clients a workout plan that ensures the level of guidance and support, you can charge a higher price.
Duration of plan
The length of time for which a plan is designed plays an essential role in determining its value and pricing. The plan’s duration can be varied and can be defined as short-term or long-term. Based on these plans, the pricing structure can be determined. Usually, short-term plans cover specific areas like weight loss and last for a few weeks to a couple of months.
So, for such a short-term plan, you have to charge a lower price due to the short duration and narrower scope. Moreover, a long-term plan extends over several months to years, providing your clients with a roadmap that shapes their fitness journey. For long-term strategy, you have to ensure your client’s regular check-ins and personalized attention and may charge a higher price for your extended commitment.
Your value as a personal trainer
Your value as a trainer is quite important in determining the fee structure for your gym’s workout plans. Your value as a trainer is similar to a price tag that offers hints at your knowledge, credentials, and special skills and conveys the price justified by your skill set. Your clients can pay a higher price for your gym if they perceive it as a brand.
For example, if you have been in the fitness industry for 10+ years, have all the necessary certifications, and have an impressive track record, you can charge a higher price for personal training sessions. According to NASM’s reports, a good personal trainer can charge up to $150,000 per session. Your value as a trainer lies in your ability to prescribe exercises and educate and inspire your clients to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Competition
Whether you operate a loyal gym or offer online fitness coaching, you must know about the competition and how much they charge for the same service. In a market saturated with fitness professionals, you must offer workout plans that consider your competitors’ pricing strategies to remain competitive.
For example, in your area, all the fitness centers that offer yoga classes sell their fitness plans between $100 and $200 per month. You have to provide the same price to your clients until the yoga workout program in your gym offers significantly more value than your competition. Thus, analyzing your competition encourages you to refine your fitness services and pricing models so that you can stand out in the crowded market and offer the best value to your clients.
Technological innovation
Technological innovation in the fitness industry for the past few decades has impacted how workout plans are created, delivered, and priced. With the rise of fitness apps, gym management software, online platforms, and wearable devices, you can leverage technology to add value to your workout plans and justify your gym workout program pricing structure.
With gym management software, you can streamline studio operations. You can easily schedule classes, track progress, and customize workout programs with precision. Thus, by embracing technological advancement, you can enhance the effectiveness and convenience of your workout plans to justify your gym pricing structure.
Pricing strategies for workout programs
After analyzing the factors that can impact a workout program’s pricing structure, you can offer your clients an affordable pricing strategy that aligns with their fitness goals. Here are some of the pricing strategies that most gym owners use. Select the one that suits you.
Tiered pricing
Tiered pricing is one of the popular pricing plans used by the majority of gym owners to offer courses, memberships, etc. The idea behind this price structure is to provide different pricing for the same product instead of having one. With different prices, some additional features will be added to the product. Thus, it allows the gym owners to attract new clients and earn extra money.
For example
Basic: A 4-weeks training program
Standard: A 4-week training program with trainers’ support
Premium: A 4-week training program with a nutrition plan and trainer support.
This difference in pricing structure with additional features attracts different segments of clients towards the gym.
Package deals
Package deals involve bundling up several offerings together to make the bundle more attractive to clients. The idea is to develop several products or services, list the price of each product or service, and provide special offers to the clients.
For example:
- A 4-week workout plan with support–$129
- Setting your nutrition ebook–$50
- Supplement guide–$15
All these would cost you around $194, but a gym owner can offer everything at half price to their clients. This pricing plan is quite popular in online personal training program sessions.
Subscription models
This pricing plan is suitable for both online and offline fitness. In this model, clients pay a fee every month to access the workout plan. For example, you offer your clients a monthly subscription of $60. Your clients must pay $60 each month to access the workout plan and the gym premises.
Freemium model
This strategy allows the gym owners to offer the base version of their service or product free to their clients. Then, they charge for additional features, etc. For example, you can create a basic 2-week plan for free and offer your clients a free version. After the 2-week plan, your clients have to pay you extra costs for:
- Adjustment of the workout plan
- Ongoing accountability and support
Cost for weekly personal training programs
According to Askwonder’s research, the pricing for a four-week workout plan is between $30 and $60, depending on the depth of the workout. However, an eight-week plan costs between $60 and $100. Moreover, the pricing structure for a 16-week workout plan is between $120 and $200.
Bottom line
Whether you are a gym owner or a personal certified trainer with 10+ years of experience in the fitness industry, selling virtual or on-location workout plans can be highly profitable.
But before finalizing the pricing structure for your plan, you must ensure that you offer a price that is market competitive and aligns with your clients’ fitness goals.
