How to Make Money Running Fitness Boot Camps
Fitness boot camp isn’t much different than those miliary boot camp scenes you’ve seen in the movies. You’re probably envisioning a mammoth instructor in sun glasses and a brimmed hat, barking at recruits and forcing them to do push-ups in the mud, right?
If you become a fitness boot camp leader, you’ll play the role of the tough instructor with the heart of gold, and your friends and family will play the new recruits. You’ll lead them through a series of exercises (called “circuits”) and fitness games, building their athletic ability and confidence — and growing your bank account.
Bootcamp Basics
A boot camp is an instructor-led, outdoor fitness class. Unlike working as a personal trainer, you don’t need to be a certified strength and conditioning coach. If you’re fit and fun, you’ve got what it takes to run a successful, highly profitable boot camp.
Upfront costs are minimal. In fact, I’ve run boot camps that didn’t require any investment at all. You don’t need any equipment because boot camps are usually based on bodyweight exercises, and if you take advantage of free online marketing tools and social media, you can sell out a session without spending a single dollar.
If you want to earn $100 an hour or more and enjoy bossing people around, check out the following tips for running a kick-ass boot camp.
Invite Participants Well in Advance
It was a Thursday evening when I decided to run my first boot camp on Saturday morning. I invited my friends, family and some neighbours from my building. The invitations went out that night but nobody responded until Friday morning. Saturday morning came, and I had two attendees — not nearly enough to run a boot camp. I cancelled it and resent the invitation for the following Saturday. The two people that had signed up for my original Saturday session didn’t sign up again, and I had to reassure those that did, that I wouldn’t be cancelling again. Not good, right?
It’s better to prelaunch than relaunch. Give yourself time to get enough attendees. Send out email, Facebook and Instagram invitations ahead of time. Call your family and friends and get them to commit. Keep them engaged until the date and then rock your session to keep them coming back.
Create and Practice a Workout Plan
Design your fitness program well ahead of time, and do a run-through at home. Consider what’s available at your planned location and design exercises around that equipment: stairs, playgrounds, sand and trees can all contribute to an excellent workout. If you need more incentive, check out these apps and side gigs that pay you to get healthy.
Make sure you have enough activities planned to carry you through the allotted time. Running short will slow down the pace of the workout, and the pressure will make you sweat more than the exercise.
Send a Reminder and a List of Items to Bring
The night before, send out a reminder email to your participants and include a list of items they should bring: water bottles, proper footwear, sunscreen and the like. This will minimize the disorganization caused by people borrowing items from other participants as the class is about to start.
Organize Your Paperwork
The morning of your first boot camp can zap your energy more than the boot camp itself. You’ve got to be organized, especially if you’re expecting a big turn out.
Create a sign-in sheet with each participant’s name and email, and have them sign in as soon as they arrive. This is especially important to collect contact information from people who may not have been on your original invitation list, such as friends of friends. Building a list of happy clients will make organizing your next boot camp a breeze.
Also, come prepared with a standard waiver releasing you from any liability for injuries, similar to the ones that gyms and fitness coaches make you sign before participating in an exercise program. For more information on waivers, check out this post. If you plan on running boot camps as a long-term source of income, speak to your insurance agent about options for professional fitness insurance.
Follow Up with a Promotion
Each year, my gym runs this promotion: if you bring a non-member for a workout, you get a free month of membership. The gym gets to build a list of prospective future clients, and you save some money.
Try running the same promotion with your boot camp. After your first session, send a thank-you email to all of your attendees (you’ll have the list that doubled as your sign-in sheet). Invite them to your next session and let them know that if they bring someone new, their next session is on you.
If your first session was a total knockout, your first group of attendees will bring a friend and double your second session’s attendance. Have everyone sign in with their name and email, and watch your list continue to grow.
Starting a fitness boot camp with zero up-front costs can be as simple as inviting your friends and family to the park for an hour of communal sweating. If you charge $10 per person and sign up 10 people, you’ve made a cool $100 for an hour’s work. All you need is some basic fitness knowledge, a space in the park and a portable music dock.
Mike Thorpe is a freelance writer and professional trainer based in West Palm Beach, Florida.
