Athletech News caught up with Josh York, founder and CEO of mobile personal fitness franchise GymGuyz, to learn his secrets to industry-disrupting success and what’s next
In an era where convenience is king, GymGuyz is leading the transformation of the fitness industry in new ways. Home and on-site personal training franchises are disrupting the traditional gym model with their mobile approach — meeting clients on their own time at a location of their choice — and prioritizing human connection and accountability.
If you haven’t seen a GymGuyz van around yet, you will soon. Athletech News spoke with founder and CEO Josh York about what the fitness franchise business may look like in 2025 and beyond.
the art of convenience
“Convenience will continue to rule the world and it’s not going away,” York said.
It’s at the heart of GymGuyz, which remains nimble at a time when brick-and-mortar businesses are struggling to acquire expensive real estate.
GymGuyz customers can easily book a personal trainer and meet with them anywhere – at home, in the office, at a local park, or even virtually. Trainers offer one-on-one sessions or can lead a small group, while also offering customizable plans. Companies also use GymGuyz’s services to provide fitness services to employees in schools, hospitals and other places.
“Ninety percent of people who have a gym membership don’t go,” he continued. “The treadmill becomes the most amazing clothes hanger. Apps don’t work…AI – that’s not going to happen. People need human interaction and accountability, and some of the most successful gym models are based on you not going to the gym. Who wants to $10, $20 a month to cancel? It’s more of a mind game, they’re still not happy – they still want to lose weight or get stronger or be able to play longer with their kids and build up their stamina – — Whatever their goals are — and we can do that.”
York noted that GymGuyz clients are consistent, training and stretching two to seven days a week.
“We have businesses using our services seven or eight hours a day, five or six days a week,” he said. “I call it aggressive recurring revenue. But at the end of the day, it’s all about convenience, and that’s why we continue to dominate and disrupt the entire fitness industry.”
Thoughtful
York has such valuable insight, in part because of his own experience as a trainer, with a deep understanding of the highs and lows.
“When I started doing this from day one, I always knew that customers would be hard to come by,” he said. “Clients never show up. They’re late sometimes, or they can’t make it to a meeting. The whole idea came about when a client said to me, ‘I wish you could come to my house.’ I don’t have any equipment,” and I was like, Wow, no one has professionalized this concept. No one had ever franchised it. I will do it. “
He also offers advice to personal trainers who may be uncomfortable with technological advances in the fitness industry, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence aimed at hyper-personalized workout plans.
“This will never happen,” he said. “I was once mentored by a very good friend who always said don’t chase shiny objects. AI – it looks like a shiny object, but it doesn’t last long. You need human interaction “
As a personal trainer, Yorke also doesn’t hesitate to pursue the practical side of fitness.
“You can’t do (personal training) when you’re 60, 70 years old,” he said. “You can, but do you really want to? I love my life training, but I know I have to be able to make money while I sleep.”
GymGuyz offers a career path for fitness professionals and a wealth of opportunities for team members, he said. The model also allows franchise partners to tap into the booming fitness industry with low investment costs and a relatively quick launch.
“You start as a part-time trainer, then go to full-time training, go to area managers, district managers, general managers… We have a lot of scenarios where people don’t even have to put money in – their hard work, their sweat equity that they put into the business – —They took partial ownership of the franchise,” he explained. “Then I have owners who have actually gone into business and opened new franchises with their team members. So you can really become a trainer and have a career within our organization, And that’s not possible in many places.”
What’s the future for GymGuyz?
The personal fitness franchise is gearing up to launch new food partnerships and hopes to open additional locations in the Florida, Illinois, Texas, California, Seattle and Nevada markets. Carolina has open territory.
“Boston is another big market,” York said. “2025 will be an important and very exciting year for us.”
have Franchise Partner York said having the right mindset is crucial for the brand, adding that GymGuyz is very focused on finding the right franchisees.
“It’s not a one-day-a-week thing; It’s an everyday thing,” he said. “When you do that, you keep making small wins over and over again, and eventually you end up having an incredible business. I always make it clear: We don’t sell franchises; we only sell franchises. We reward them. We are looking for the right person. This is very important. “
While GymGuyz plans to add more services to its customers, one of its main strategic moves heading into the new year is to continue adding more revenue streams to its franchisees.
Earlier this fall, GymGuyz launched GG Drive, a data platform that allows franchisees to enhance their business and discover leads, sales pipelines, customer interactions, cash recycling, fitness Insights in areas such as package utilization and digitalization. Marketing efforts.
GymGuyz has also launched an assisted stretching service for its clients – a service that is extremely popular in the pursuit of health.
“Stretching is huge. It’s going really well and is continuing to expand and grow,” York said, noting that GymGuyz’s assisted stretching services offer more privacy than a physical location where clients share a room with others. experience.
In the long term, GymGuyz plans to serve the entire United States and expand its international footprint. But York seems most excited about the number of lives GymGuyz will change.
“Like I would say, it’s great to make a living. It’s much better to make a change,” he said. “This is what we do. We help people. We make a difference. We make a difference in the community and that will continue to grow.”
