Why Owning a Gym Might Be the Worst Career Move You'll Make
Look, I'm gonna start this with something that'll probably piss off half the fitness industry: owning a gym is NOT the pinnacle of success in fitness. There, I said it.
I know, I know. You're probably thinking, "Marcus, what the hell are you talking about? Every trainer dreams of opening their own place!" Well, that's exactly the problem. We've been fed this narrative that if you're not cutting ribbons and posting Instagram stories from your own four walls, you're somehow... less successful?
That's complete bullshit.
The Tony Gentilcore Reality Check
Recently stumbled across an interview with Tony Gentilcore, and honestly? The dude's got it figured out in ways that should make every fitness professional take notes. Here's a guy who co-founded Cressey Sports Performance - which, if you don't know, is basically the Yankees of sports performance facilities. But here's the kicker: he LEFT that empire to start something smaller, more focused, more... him.
Now he's running CORE in Boston, but here's what's really interesting - his business isn't just about the physical space. It's about coaching, sure, but also writing, educating, developing workshops. Multiple revenue streams, people. While everyone else is sweating over rent payments and equipment financing, Tony's built something that can actually... wait for it... ADAPT.
Remember 2020? Yeah, that little pandemic that shut down gyms worldwide? While gym owners were filing for bankruptcy, guys like Tony pivoted their workshops online. Because when your business model isn't entirely dependent on people showing up to lift heavy things in your specific building, you've got options.
The Old Model is Broken (And Probably Broke)
Let me paint you a picture of the traditional fitness career ladder:
- Get certified
- Work at someone else's gym for peanuts
- Build a client base
- Dream of opening your own place
- Take on massive debt
- Stress about overhead costs 24/7
- Realize you've become a landlord who occasionally teaches squats
Sound familiar? Yeah, that's because we've all been programmed to think this is "making it." But think about it - when did we decide that success in fitness meant becoming a real estate mogul?
Tony's approach flips this entirely. Instead of building a business around a building, he built it around his expertise. His workshops, his writing, his coaching philosophy - that's the product. The physical space? That's just one delivery method.
The Multi-Stream Reality
Here's what nobody talks about in those "open your own gym" fantasies - diversification isn't just smart, it's essential. Tony's not just relying on memberships or personal training sessions. He's got:
- In-person training at CORE
- Educational workshops (now online too)
- Writing and content creation
- Speaking engagements
- Digital courses
Each one of these feeds into the others. His writing establishes credibility for his workshops. His workshops showcase his training philosophy. His training results validate his educational content. It's a beautiful ecosystem that doesn't collapse if one piece falls apart.
Compare that to the gym owner model where if your lease gets jacked up or a competitor opens next door, you're basically screwed.
The Imposter Syndrome Plot Twist
Now here's something that really hit me from Tony's interview - even this guy, who's trained elite athletes and presented worldwide, still deals with imposter syndrome sometimes.
If THAT doesn't make you feel better about your own self-doubt, I don't know what will.
But here's the thing - and this is important - imposter syndrome isn't always bad. Sometimes it keeps you hungry. It keeps you learning. The moment you think you've "made it" and stop growing? That's when you actually become a fraud.
Tony's still evolving his workshops, still refining his approach. Because the fitness industry changes, and if you're not changing with it, you're dead in the water.
What This Means for You
So where does this leave you? Whether you're a trainer grinding it out on the gym floor or someone thinking about making a career change into fitness, here's what I think you should consider:
Stop chasing the gym ownership dream until you've built something that could survive without walls. Can you teach? Can you write? Can you create content that helps people even when you're not physically present?
Start with education. Tony didn't just wake up and decide to do workshops. He built expertise first, then figured out how to package and deliver that knowledge. What do you know that others need to learn?
Embrace the digital world. I get it, we all got into fitness because we love the human connection, the hands-on coaching. But the internet isn't going anywhere, and neither are the opportunities it creates. You don't have to choose between digital and in-person - you can do both.
Think systems, not sessions. Every successful fitness professional I know has figured out how to help people beyond just their one-on-one time. Programs, courses, communities - these things scale in ways that personal training sessions never will.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Here's something else that struck me about Tony's story - he rarely gives single workshops anymore. Think about that. He's so focused on providing real value that he won't just show up for a quick payday. He wants to create lasting change, which means deeper engagement.
That's the difference between someone who's built a real business versus someone who's just trading time for money. And honestly? Most of us are still stuck in that trading time trap.
The fitness industry loves to sell us these romantic notions - the passionate trainer who opens their dream gym and helps their community get fit. It's a nice story, but it's also a story that often ends with burnout, debt, and a lot of "what if I had done things differently?"
The Real Question
So here's what I want to know, and I'm genuinely curious about your thoughts:
What if we stopped measuring success in the fitness industry by square footage and started measuring it by impact? What if instead of asking "when are you opening your gym?" we asked "how are you helping people change their lives?"
Tony Gentilcore figured this out. He built something sustainable, adaptable, and honestly... probably more profitable than most traditional gym models. But more importantly, he built something that aligns with who he actually is and what he's good at.
The question is: what are YOU good at? And how can you build a fitness career around that instead of around some outdated template of "success"?
Because here's the thing - the fitness industry needs more educators, more innovators, more people willing to challenge the status quo. It doesn't need more empty gym spaces with trainers who are stressed about rent.
What's your take? Are you buying into the gym ownership dream, or are you building something different? Drop a comment and let me know where you stand on this.
And if you're one of those people who's been told you need to own a gym to be successful in fitness... maybe it's time to question who's telling you that and why.
