12 Online Fitness Business Success Stories
Thinking of starting an online fitness business?
Online fitness is growing rapidly in popularity because it’s convenient, affordable, and accessible to everyone. The best part is that you can stay in your home to start.
Starting an online fitness business can be a great way to make money and help people. When you start an online fitness business, you don’t have to worry about overhead costs like rent or maintaining a physical location - all you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
In this list, you'll find real-world online fitness business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a online fitness business that makes money.
1. Stronger U ($6M/year)
Mike Doehla, the founder of Stronger U, came up with the idea for his online nutrition consulting company after realizing the importance of service and experience in the crowded dieting industry. He wanted to provide a solution that worked for people when nothing else did, focusing on personalized coaching, community support, and evidence-based strategies. In just over 4 years, Stronger U has become an 8-figure business with revenues over $500k monthly, largely driven by word-of-mouth referrals.
How much money it makes: $6M/year
How many people on the team: 54
Stronger U is an online nutrition consulting company with an 8-figure business receiving revenues of over $500k monthly, offering clients a unique nutritional experience through a 1-on-1 coaching approach, boasting an NPS of 78.6 and rated highly on Google Reviews and Facebook.
2. Gym and Fitness ($1.8M/year)
Dave Barnes, a former Olympic athlete in archery, came up with the idea for Gym and Fitness after experiencing a disappointing process of setting up his own home gym. Frustrated with the lack of range and steep prices offered by local gym equipment stores, he found a small business that had everything he needed at competitive prices and started selling the equipment on eBay. After realizing the demand, he decided to stock up on more equipment and the early Gym and Fitness business model was born.
How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $550
How many people on the team: 50
Gym and Fitness is one of the largest online retailers of home gym equipment in Australia and New Zealand, servicing 450 customers a week and generating $150k/month in revenue, and founder Dave Barnes shares tips for aspiring founders.
3. TeamFFLEX ($984K/year)
Ryan recognized the limitations of gyms, from people not being able to afford it to people who aren't able to hire a trainer due to availability issues. Taking this online could be massive. Not physically fit at the time and ready to dive into self-development, Ryan started TeamFFLEX with zero dollars and a lot of drive within.
How much money it makes: $984K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
This case study is about a former personal trainer who launched his online personal training platform, TeamFFLEX, starting with no money and a lot of drive, and grew it into a 6-figure business in less than a year, now doing $48,000 a month with potential for continued growth.
4. NutritionHQ. ($960K/year)
Ricky Hall, the founder of NutritionHQ, was inspired to start his nutrition store after his own personal weight loss journey. After seeing a picture of himself overweight, he purchased a book about nutrition and supplements, lost over 50 pounds, and became passionate about helping others improve their health. This passion led him to open his first store in 2000 and eventually start NutritionHQ in 2015 after leaving a franchise concept that didn't align with his values. The business has since experienced impressive growth, with overall sales in 2020 beating the previous year by 21.2%.
How much money it makes: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $175K
How many people on the team: 0
NutritionHQ is a successful franchise offering expert nutrition coaching, customized supplement plans, and the best health & wellness products, generating over $80k per month, set to expand massively to hit their 2030 goal of 100 locations with the system generating over $10 million in revenue.
5. Tobias Young Fitness ($360K/year)
Tobias Young, IFBB Pro and Online Fitness Coach, developed his online fitness coaching business after years of personal training experience. With a focus on helping business professionals and entrepreneurs transform their bodies and lifestyles, Tobias's program quickly grew to a multi 6-figure income with clients achieving impressive results, such as losing over 20 lbs of fat within the first 12 weeks. Through email marketing and social media outreach, Tobias attracts and retains customers while continuously improving his program. With plans to scale his business through paid advertising and a dedicated team, Tobias's future looks bright.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How many people on the team: 2
Tobias Young, an online fitness coach with over 20 years of industry experience, shares his journey of starting an online fitness coaching business that now generates a multi-six figure income and his tips for attracting and retaining customers through email marketing, social media, and identifying a target audience.
6. Sweat from Home ($300K/year)
Co-Founder and CEO Kyle Bergman, along with Co-Founders Brendan and Bethany, came up with the idea for Sweat from Home after they were laid off from their fitness studio due to the pandemic. They realized the gap in the market for interactive and live-streaming group fitness workouts and leveraged their existing community to launch the platform. With over 800 classes held, 10,300 satisfied customers, and monthly recurring revenue of $25,000, Sweat from Home has quickly become a go-to platform for at-home workouts during the pandemic.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 10
Sweat from Home is a two-way, interactive, and live-streaming group fitness workout startup that has held over 800 classes since March 2020, generates $25k in monthly recurring revenue, and has donated over $7k to 6 different charities; they aim to become the world's best live-streamed fitness class.
7. Serena Hannah Athletics ($168K/year)
After discovering her passion for fitness and experiencing the challenges of being a Black athlete, Serena Jenkins-Hannah decided to create a fitness brand that empowers women to shape and tone their hourglass figure. She started by selling her #1 selling item, the Hannah Booty Band System, on Amazon, where she made over $100,000 in sales within a year and a half. However, she faced challenges with Amazon's platform and decided to branch out to Shopify to gain more control over her business.
How much money it makes: $168K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
How many people on the team: 0
Serena Jenkins-Hannah created a fitness brand, Serena Hannah Athletics, that has generated over $100,000 in sales over a year and a half, with $70,000 of those sales coming during COVID-19, through selling their #1 item, the Hannah Booty Band System, on Amazon, and has now expanded to Shopify to add cash flow.
8. Sweet n Salty Body Works ($120K/year)
Ann Rivera, a registered nurse with a passion for helping people, came up with the idea for her body contouring spa after seeing the amazing results she could provide with just two machines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her business, SAS Body Works, offers a range of services including cavitation, radio frequency, cryo body sculpting, and more. Despite facing challenges with marketing and pricing, Ann is determined to grow her business and provide exceptional results for her clients.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $80K
How many people on the team: 2
Ann Rivera grew her body contouring spa to make $10k in revenue within months of opening, with help from low-overhead equipment and social media advertising.
9. Endorphitness ($120K/year)
Perry knew she wanted to work in the fitness industry since college. She started as a personal trainer and her clients inspired her to start an online coaching consultancy.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0
Haley Perry, founder and CEO of Endorphitness, built an online platform offering at-home health and fitness programs that has grown to garner $10K in monthly revenue through a one-stop-shop for all things health and fitness related and a loyal customer base that values the sense of community fostered through the platform.
10. Bold Tribe ($112K/year)
In June 2015, Temo Valle founded Bold Tribe with the goal of offering high-quality sports products for CrossFit. After conducting detailed market research, Valle identified resistance bands as the ideal starting product. Through strategic branding and content creation on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, Bold Tribe has become the #1 brand for resistance bands in Mexico, achieving impressive sales growth year after year.
How much money it makes: $112K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
How many people on the team: 5
Bold Tribe, a Mexico-based company, became the #1 resistance band brand in the country, with a sales growth rate from $25,000 in 2016 to $550,000 in 2020, by initially investing $300 in testing the product through one of the popular marketplaces.
11. Haley Hughes ($42K/year)
they are doing, offer support, and remind them of my services. I also actively engage with my social media followers by posting informative and relatable content, hosting fitness events, and attending networking groups. Word of mouth referrals from satisfied clients have been a major driver of new business.
How much money it makes: $42K/year
How many people on the team: 1
RDRx Nutrition is a successful private practice that offers individual nutrition coaching, boasting profits of $1,800-$2,100 per month after just one year of business, and achieving a client base of over 2200 followers on Instagram alone.
12. Ro Anwar Fitness ($24K/year)
Oliver Anwar, the founder of Roanwarfitness.com, came up with the idea for his online personal training business after realizing there was a demand for customized training and nutrition plans. He started by offering free coaching to friends and relatives to validate his products and gain credibility. With an initial investment of only $100, he designed various coaching packages and used social media, particularly Instagram, to drive traffic to his website. Additionally, he utilized the Sweatcoin app to offer free programs and attract more customers.
How much money it makes: $24K/year
How many people on the team: 1
Oliver Anwar, an online personal trainer and founder of Roanwar Fitness, has built a profitable business that offers bespoke training, nutrition and lifestyle coaching to busy professionals which generates around $2,000 USD per month and was featured on the New York Times Best Seller Chris Guillebeau’s Side Hustle Podcast.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
