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Two Gyms that Gross One Million? Financial Freedom is Possible in Fitness
Written by Emily Beers
It all started in 2006.
Gerry Washack and his brother Casey Washack opened their first gym, Next Level Fitness in California.
Four years later, in 2010, they created a program inside their gym called Fit in 42, 42-day fitness program.
The program quickly blew up, and they soon began licensing it to other gyms, not only in the United States, but also in Canada and as far away as Ireland. Pretty soon, there were 33 gyms running Fit in 42.
They soon realized that nobody knew the name of their gym, but their local market had all heard of the Fit in 42 program, so they decided to change the name of their gym to Fit in 42.
Before they knew it, the Washack’s had five Fit in 42 locations in California and were having the kind of success that’s rare for most gym owners.
Gerry’s attitude, though, was a why stop there frame of mind.
He wanted to take his career the next step, and he knew the best way to do that would be to surround himself around “people that are doing bigger and better things and further along than you,” he said.
Then, in 2019, ProFit founder and owner Tim Lyons had the idea to create an exclusive mastermind group, a group that would be restricted to high earning gym owners looking to learn from each other.
Gerry jumped at the opportunity to become one of the founding members of the group, which became the Iron Circle.
Where He Is Today
Six years later, Gerry owns five gyms in California: two Fit in 42 locations and three Strong Republic gyms, which offer semi-private training and cater to the 40-plus demographic. His top gym grosses 1.2 million dollars annually, while his second highest gym is knocking on the door to gross one million dollars. He also owns a salon.
Further, each year Gerry’s gyms consistently increase their gross by anywhere between 10 to 15 percent per year, a target he learned to shoot for through the Iron Circle.
“Everything I learn in the Iron Circle, it helps all my businesses,” Gerry said.
He added: “We have continued to grow because of the ideas and the high level conversations with people from the Iron Circle. Being around people that are continuously pushing to do more, it actually makes me want to do more. It makes me know what is possible.”
Ultimately, Gerry is proof that being a gym owner doesn’t have to mean working 30, 40, 50 hours a week in the gym, grinding away barely taking home a liveable wage, let alone running a business that turns a profit.
Today, Gerry no longer spends any time on the floor coaching, and could run his businesses remotely if he chose to, but he enjoys going in and seeing his managers in person, “providing them support and working with them so they can run the studios,” he explained.
Needless to say, Gerry is proof a gym owner can live a life like any other professional, a feat many gym owners believe is even possible.
Gerry’s Message: Seek a Business Coach
Nineteen years into the fitness industry, Gerry is all too familiar with the life of the average small gym owner, passionate about fitness, in the trenches doing all they can to help their clients. He was there too, once.
“I know the grind…I am very sympathetic,” Gerry said. “Ninety nine percent of them are great people who deserve everything, but they’re just trapped in what they know, and it’s just a grind, they’re just wearing themselves out. I have seen it so much. I see it all the time.”
Gerry likened being a small gym owner to being “on an island.” An island where you’re alone, and “you only know what you know.”
This is why you need to surround yourself with people who know more than you, he explained, people you can learn from, not only to provide education and advice, but to help you see what is possible, he said.
“If you're around other people that are doing bigger and better things, and are further along than you, now you know it’s possible. Kind of like the four-minute mile. It wasn’t broken, and then it was possible, and now everyone breaks it,” Gerry said.
He continued: “You gotta hire a [business] coach. Most gym owners were trainers and they were good at it, and they’re like, ‘I should own a gym.’ Well, you have no clue about business. Or you might have a little clue, but there’s so much [to learn]. And if you’re still training most of the time, how are you running a business if you’re in the business? You can’t train full-time and expect to run a business, and have the energy to run a business.”
“That’s the missing piece most gym owners don’t realize. They need help to keep learning business.”
You don’t have to settle for “just getting by.”
Gerry scaled two gyms to nearly $1M+ each and stepped off the floor—because he surrounded himself with the right people.
👉 Curious if you’re a fit for the Iron Circle? Book a free strategy call and explore what’s possible when you stop going it alone.
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