Let’s Build a Stronger Future Together

Have you ever…

…dreamed of controlling your destiny and building your own legacy?

…wondered if what you are doing in your career really matters?

…felt like your growth and income potential is capped by those above you at work?

…been frustrated as a business owner that you lack support and feel like you are always spinning your wheels?

If so, we would love to talk! We have built a meaningful and successful franchise business model to unlock your potential and help you achieve more than you could venturing out on your own.

We have taught hundreds of people just like you to launch their own business that focuses on the REAL NEEDS of people in your community to get and stay in shape, especially as they age.

Whether you picture yourself in the studio, hand-on with your team, or running a more executive business behind the scenes, we have the game plans to show you exactly how to get there.

And, you will be able to look back at hundreds or thousands of people’s lives that have been improved because of your work!

See What Franchisees, Coaches, and Clients have to say…

Studio Owners Testimonials

Ryan and Sommer Hahn, multi-unit franchise studios in Omaha & Lincoln, NE

Owners since May of 2020

We were looking for a business opportunity to transform lives and create community. We knew the fitness industry could accomplish both, but we were concerned about the number of non-differentiated businesses competing over the same people. But then, we discovered The Exercise Coach! With their proprietary machines powered by artificial intelligence, combined with Certified Exercise Coaches, their clients were getting the results that matter most to them in just two, 20-minute workouts per week! Their science and technology-based approach removes the barriers that are keeping 80% of individuals on the sidelines. A truly unique health and fitness business. In addition, with founders and a leadership team rooted in exercise science and nutrition, with strong values, and who are in business and doing business for all the right reasons, we knew we found people we could partner with as franchisees. We absolutely love being a part of The Exercise Coach brand. We are in the business of making a difference in people’s lives. We couldn’t ask for a better way to be in business.

Owner since 2021

New to franchising, I was drawn to The Exercise Coach due to their proven track record, unique offering in the fitness market, strong leadership, and comprehensive support. The last few years have translated into a steady stream of engaged clients, sustainable growth and a fun collaborative team environment. The investment was a smart decision yielding significant returns that have exceeded my expectations. With The Exercise Coach, I am not just a business owner but part of a thriving community of continuous innovation, learning, and a passion for helping people achieve optimal health. It is truly a labor of love and has been an exceptional and fulfilling journey, personally and professionally.

Owner since 2013

I have been in The Exercise Coach Franchise system for over 15 years. I began as a client in 2008 and have now been a Franchisee owner since 2013. My own personal experience as a client led to my desire to own my own studio. I love many things about being an Exercise Coach Franchisee. The number one thing I love is the satisfaction you get from impacting people’s lives in such a meaningful way every day. Seeing a client’s improved ability to perform activities, increased activities with family members, beneficial health benefits and many other outcomes make this the most rewarding career I have been associated with. While initially deciding to become a franchise owner, I really loved the business model itself. A small real estate blueprint and small staff blueprint make this a very manageable business. The continued support you receive from the Franchise is such an important factor as well. With a relatively small initial investment, The Exercise Coach provides an excellent opportunity to make a great return on that investment.

Owners since 2017

Owning The Exercise Coach Studios has been one of our greatest joys. This is a business that changes people’s lives every day. We have been able to develop our team of coaches & managers to scale to 3 locations in 4 years, all while raising our 3 daughters and having time for other projects and work we are passionate about. The Exercise Coach’s marketing and analytics systems make it so easy to oversee our business anytime, anywhere. The camaraderie of the owners in this system is second to none – all of us share a passion for what we do and we have a collaborative, supportive, & uplifting culture.

Courtney Bastian, West University, Houston, TX

Certified Exercise Coach/Manager since 2014

I absolutely love The Exercise Coach. I’m passionate about being a Certified Exercise Coach and I love bragging that I work for a company that helps transform people’s health and empowers them to take their lives back. We can absolutely transform a client’s life in a safe manner, and in a very short period of time. I also have experienced continued personal growth in moving into a manager position and I am able to pour into the other coaches, and have them pour into me as well. We feel like a family and we all work with the same goals of helping clients stay healthy and enjoy their lives, no matter what age. I love being a part of The Exercise Coach family and I could not imagine being anywhere else.

Certified Exercise Coach/Manager since 2013

The Exercise Coach is NOT your ordinary gym and the coaches are not ordinary personal trainers. Certified Exercise Coaches do so much more than help conduct a good workout. Everyone’s story is a little different. That’s what makes working with each and every client extremely rewarding. The Exercise Coach has a mission to help everyone achieve great strength and health, and it all starts with muscle. I love that we get to share our knowledge and expertise in strength training, and that we also help provide nutritional support so that clients can reach their overall goals. I personally have helped clients get stronger, lose weight, get off medications, lessen depression/anxiety, lower blood sugar, gain self-confidence, reduce pain, manage stress, and the list goes on and on. I get to help coach and inspire people each and every day to be the best version of themselves. I am honored that our clients choose us to be a part of their success and their health journey. Watching them succeed and achieve gives my life a purpose. My profession is something I get excited talking about and I hope it’s contagious!

Certified Exercise Coach/Manager since 2012

Working for The Exercise Coach gives me the opportunity to help people of all ages achieve their health and fitness goals. In our studios we are able to create a positive and safe environment for our clients. More than that though, creating relationships with coworkers and clients has been a growth experience for me personally. The Exercise Coach provides the most effective and efficient workout program and there is no other place I would recommend or ever consider working for.

Dr. Matt E., Client, Northwest Omaha, NE

There is absolutely no other exercise program on the planet that can offer this much benefit per minute of time. This system replaces what would have required an hour or more in a gym with an expert personal trainer carefully moving heavy weight plates and makes it manageable in a fraction of the time. The Exercise Coach is unquestionably a significant leap forward in the world of personal health.

Sandy L., Client, Germantown, TN

I’ve been a client at The Exercise Coach over two years. I joined with the goal to retain strength and flexibility. I am very pleased with my results. I attend sessions two days a week and play golf at least two days a week. I have noticed that my endurance and flexibility have much improved in my golf game. So glad I found this place; you can’t beat a 20-minute workout!

Ann L., Client, Worthington, OH

After the first session, I understood just how challenging and rewarding the 20-minute session is. I can do almost anything for 20 minutes. I didn’t believe it at first, but I do now. I have improved my strength everywhere and have more stamina. I feel healthier and it’s been easier to control impulse eating. I went to Alaska in June and we hiked or walked all day, every day for 1.5 weeks, and I was able to keep up. As a Type 2 diabetic, that is important. I have shared the results with my physician and he is pleased with my progress. I have definitely noticed a difference in core strength. It’s a small, intimate environment, I love it! Most of the clients are near my age, and no one judges. The staff is awesome! They could give classes on proper customer service. The facility is clean. The schedule works well for me, but it is flexible if something changes. If someone hasn’t exercised for years, this is a great way to start. You don’t have to worry about being in a gym with 50 other people. Great way to get back on track! I highly recommend it.

Letha W., Client, Sandy, UT

This is the first time I have stuck with a workout consistently and I am just passing the 1 ½ year mark. I have always wanted to build more muscle and felt overwhelmed at the gyms and the Exercise Coach is a much more comfortable place to work out with the awesome coaches helping you. And there’s no comparing yourself to others because you work off your results from previous workouts that are saved. No one even knows what level anyone else is at. I have increased my strength. I am grateful I reached out of my comfort zone and gave it a try because now it’s a very safe and fun place to work out.

What Makes us Special?

Targeting the Forgotten 50+ Demographic

Phenomenal Support and Training Systems

Simple and Lean Business Model

Nationally Recognized and Trusted Franchise Team

Proprietary Fitness Technology and Protected Territory

We Target a Smarter Market!

Fitness is a MASSIVE $33 Billion Industry… and yet, many people feel left out.

Look around boutique studios and big box health clubs, and you will find very few people among their membership base from the large and growing 50+ demographic in the US.

These consumers control much of the disposable income in the U.S. and are the fastest growing demographic in the country. Unfortunately, many fitness businesses simply fail to provide this huge market segment with any solutions they want.

The Exercise Coach will teach you how to reach, sign up, train, and retain clients that other fitness business struggle to attract!

We Guide You, Every Step of the Way!

Site Selection

Full Territory Demographic Evaluation, Site Analysis, Real Estate Guidance and Launch Project Management

Training

Proprietary Exercise Coach Fitness Certification for Coaches and Franchisees – Requires no Previous Fitness Experience

Marketing

Digital and Print Client Lead Generation Driven by Corporate Marketing Team

Client Acquisition

Full Sales Training and On-Going Coaching for You and Your Team

Business Coaching

KPI Business Reviews Throughout Your Business Ownership Experience

Collaboration

Multiple Franchisee Peer Support Groups and a Manager Mentor Programs Available

We Build Smart and Simple-to-Manage Studios!

When you think fitness, you might picture cavernous gyms or large group studios with 30+ people in each class. This not only intimidating to many prospects, but it also drives up costs for the franchisee.

An Exercise Coach can be fully built out in as little as 1,000 square feet and can be located in Class A or B Office, Retail or Medical Office buildings.

This flexibility and small space requirement drives buildouts and rents lower, reducing start-up costs and managing ongoing operating expenses.

At full staff, a studio only requires 3-5 employees, and can be staffed with a mix of part-time or full-time.

Without a large staff to manage, franchisees experience fewer turnover issues and can hire from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Some of our best coaches and managers didn’t come from the fitness industry, so staffing is nothing like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

These unique advantages power either the single-unit owner to spend more time with their clients, or the multi-unit owner to focus on the behind-the-scenes elements that drive growth forward.

We’ve Become a Big Deal, Together!

The Exercise Coach has grown from 2 locations in Illinois, to over 400 territories awarded worldwide, and throughout this growth has maintained a laser focus on franchisee satisfaction and healthy culture.

And the industry has taken notice…

We ARE The Cutting Edge of Fitness Technology!

Each Exercise Coach studio utilizes Exerbotics – revolutionary fitness equipment that allows coaches around the country to provide a super-efficient and safe 20-minute workout, and allows clients to see real results and track progress.

Our Past and Future Together

Founded in 2000 by Brian and Gerianne Cygan, The Exercise Coach was always inspired to bring health-oriented strength training to people who felt alienated by the standard gym scene. A few years into their entrepreneurial efforts, the Cygans realized that people in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and beyond were more likely to sign up and stick as long-term clients.

Seeing the life transforming impact they were having on their clients, the Cygans dreamed about spreading their influence across the country. They knew that there was some very specific technology needed to standardize their method at scale and differentiate from competitors.

In 2009 the Cygans negotiated an agreement with Exerbotics® to begin building The Exercise Coach franchise system and opened the first Exerbotics-enabled franchise location in Late 2010. In 2015, the Cygans assembled a team of investors to acquire the Exerbotics technology that had powered their initial growth to 40 units in development.

Since 2018, the brand has seen steady and impressive growth, despite navigating a pandemic and the related challenges. As of the start of 2023, The Exercise Coach has grown to 200+ units operating across the United States and 40 units open and operating in Japan. This makes The Exercise Coach the largest personal training chain in the U.S. In addition, the leadership team is driving a steady pace of 30-50 sites opening each year over the next few years.

Our future is strong, secure, and stable. We want reasonable growth and to find the RIGHT partners to be a part of our continuing story!

Are You the Right Fit?

Franchising is a Two Way Process…

While you may have a lot of questions about whether or not The Exercise Coach is a good fit for you, we will be looking at it the same way!

Who do we want to work with?

People Who Are Motivated to…

Make a Difference – Positively impact the lives of their coaches, clients and community members

Make a Profit – Motivated to achieve financial success and see this as their responsibility

Build Each Other Up – Work well together, collaboratively, with mutual respect for the franchisor, vendors and all other stakeholders

Some Things We Look For…

Leadership and Mentoring Abilities

High Relational I.Q.

Personal interest in Adopting the Workout and Improving Their own Health and Wellness

Positivity and Solution-Orientation

Kind and Generous with their Words and Actions

FAQS

Do I have to have a fitness background to own this business?

No! In fact some of our most successful franchisees come with little to no exercise experience.

They bought the business because they saw themselves in the clients shoes.

How much does it cost to open a location?

We provide this in a detailed breakdown in our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Since this updates yearly, or sometimes even more frequently, we do not publish this on our website, but would be happy to work with you soon to see if you qualify! What we can tell you is that it is a lot less expensive than virtually any other fitness brick-and-mortar investment.

What are you Franchise fees and Royalties?

Our first unit franchise fee is $49,500. We do offer discounts for multi-unit franchise developers as well. The royalty is 6% of Gross Sales, and we also collect 1% of Gross Sales for our Brand Fund.

Is financing available to get open?

Yes it is — through a large network of third-party financing companies. Many of our current franchisees have used SBA or business loans, personal loans, bank lines of credit and other methods to finance their studios.

How long does it take to open an Exercise Coach location?

From the time you sign a Franchise Agreement to opening the unit, it is typically 5-8 months. This range depends largely on real estate availability and how long it takes to get a lease signed. From lease signing to opening can be as little as 60-90 days.

Where do these locations succeed the most?

We have top performing locations in urban neighborhoods, suburbs, exurbs and even smaller cities. We find that the franchisee and their team are the #1 factor to success, meaning you don’t need to ‘get lucky’ finding the perfect territory, but rather, you can succeed in a wide variety of geographical areas.

This franchise offering is not being offered by us or by anyone acting on our behalf or with our knowledge to residents of (nor is it otherwise specifically directed to any person in, nor will any franchise or business opportunity be located and/or sold in) California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington or Wisconsin, until the offering has been registered and declared effective and an approved disclosure document has been properly delivered to the prospective franchisees.

Want to Learn More about the Nation’s Smartest Fitness Franchise?

We’d love to talk to you!