Start a The Exercise Coach Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #200 Ranked #159 last year

Initial investment: $260K - $390K

Units as of 2025: 252 26.6% over 3 years

Are you ready to find a coaching program that works? Opening a The Exercise Coach might be just for you!

The Exercise Coach, which was founded in 2000 and began to franchise in 2010, is one of the leading personal fitness coaching and gyms in the U.S. With over 140 locations, they are committed to providing an amazing gym atmosphere with personalized programs to meet your fitness needs.

A solid candidate for a The Exercise Coach franchisee understands the need for effective exercise, effective team leadership skills, a drive to build a thriving local business, and a passion for helping others, all while building up their employees.

Why You May Want to Start a The Exercise Coach Franchise?

Opening a The Exercise Coach franchise may mean that you will work in one of the best personal coaching franchises out there. They believe that their commitment to quality classes and great equipment is a key factor in keeping them one step ahead of their competitors.

A The Exercise Coach franchise is an excellent opportunity to encourage people to look after their mental and physical health, and The Exercise Coach has established itself as a stellar gym. Their program, strength changes everything™, provides personalized, time-efficient programs that help people lose fat, build muscle, and have an overall healthy outlook and physique.

What Might Make a The Exercise Coach Franchise a Good Choice?

Opening a gym franchise gives you a share in the huge fitness industry. This industry also overlaps with the healthcare and self-care industries, which are equally as large.

The Exercise Coach is an evolutionary fitness science and an industry-leading proprietary fitness data platform. The Exercise Coach’s smart 20 ™ fitness system may be the world's smartest, simplest, and most scalable fitness business opportunity. By utilizing their proprietary equipment and technology platform, they may be able to offer some of the most advanced fitness and exercise solutions in the world. This may draw in regular clients, allowing for steadiness in their franchises.

To be part of The Exercise Coach team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. It is also important not to forget about ongoing fees, which will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How to Open a The Exercise Coach Franchise

To get started with The Exercise Coach, you will likely need to fill out a franchise request form. After that, you may complete and submit an official franchise application and review their Franchise Disclosure Document with their development staff. You'll also have the opportunity to meet existing franchisees, check available territories, and discuss multi-unit options.

Once you have signed on board, you will attend a discovery day at one of their corporate training locations. You may meet the leadership team and experience the workout and studio environment. You will attend an intensive training program to equip you with the necessary skills to run day-to-day operations.

The Exercise Coach wants you to grow and strives to work hand in hand with you to help set up your fitness center and give you the necessary support after opening your doors.

Company Overview

About The Exercise Coach

Industry	Health & Wellness
Related Categories	Fitness , Miscellaneous Health Services
Founded	2000
Parent Company	Exercise Coach USA LLC
Leadership	Brian Cygan, CEO
Corporate Address	531 Telser Rd. Lake Zurich, IL 60047
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2010 (15 years)
# of employees at HQ	14
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Asia
# of Units	252 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a The Exercise Coach franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$49,500
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$259,840 - $389,970
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$100,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	The Exercise Coach has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	10 hours
Classroom Training	64-90 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes