ABOUT GYM ACADEMY

Gym Academy offers consulting, coaching, and AI-powered software to streamline the gym growth process.

Founded by Bob Thompson & Josh Lynch, we are on a mission to help gym owners get freedom. We do that by helping passionate fitness professionals build profitable gym businesses that run without them.

0 in Additional Revenue Generated for Gym Owners

0 Gym Owners Coached or Impacted

0 Years of Fitness Business Experience by our Founders

HANDS ON IMPLEMENTATION REAL RESULTS

Whether you're a seasoned gym owner or just starting out, our comprehensive programs are designed to give you real-world systems that put your business at the top of your market.

We don't just teach marketing; we create business transformations.

Explore our programs

Done-For-You Marketing

Our marketing implementation is designed to give you a steady flow of qualified leads without you becoming a marketing expert overnight.

Business Systems

We build operational frameworks that ensure your gym runs profitably and efficiently… with or without you present.

Ongoing Coaching

Mentoring with proven experts in the industry to not only help you get immediate results, but make sure you build sustainable long-term success.

Bob Thompson

Founder

Bob co-founded Gym Academy after discovering the formula for predictable gym growth - something that had eluded most fitness professionals.

After spending years running his own training studio where he hit a ceiling of $20,000/month in revenue while working 60+ hour weeks, Bob began developing a systematic approach to gym marketing and operations.

By implementing his Flywheel Attraction System and shifting from generic offers to unique positioning, his gym scaled to $350,000/month through eight locations, while he worked fewer hours. Eventually, he expanded into franchising.

When other gym owners started asking how he'd achieved these results, Gym Academy was born. You can learn more about Bob’s upcoming book.

Josh Lynch

Co-Founder

Josh originally dreamed of building a nationwide fitness franchise and opened his first training studio, a Crossfit, while working full time as a police officer.

Marketing innovation became that path forward. Josh tested numerous client acquisition methods and, over the course of 5 years built his single location into a $80,000/month revenue generator working just 25 hours per week. He honed his systems and developed a client journey that resulted in 95% monthly retention rates and consistent referrals in one of the most competitive fitness markets.

After this location spitting profits for years while he invested into real estate, he asked himself, "What's next?"

Enter Gym Academy. Leveraging his past marketing and operational experience, Josh joined forces with Bob to help other gym owners achieve similar transformations. Over the course of three years, their system has been implemented in over 500 gyms nationwide.

With Gym Academy, Josh blends his business acumen with a passion for helping other fitness professionals. You'll often see him in our training videos and coaching calls - when he’s not crushing workouts or spending quality time with his wife and seven kids.

Our Story

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Bob • 2011

Bob started his fitness career as a personal trainer at a sports performance facility where he quickly became the top trainer and manager.

In just his second year, he 4X’d the business, setting gym records and being fast tracked for leadership in the franchise. He realized, however, that despite his success, he was trading hours for dollars with no path to true financial freedom.
Josh • 2012

Josh began his career opening a Crossfit studio focused on creating a supportive environment for clients intimidated by traditional gyms.

By 2016, he had grown his single location to $40,000/month in revenue but was still working 60+ hour weeks and struggling with inconsistent marketing results. He began systematizing every aspect of her business, from lead generation to client retention.
Bob • 2012-2015

After leaving his job, Bob opened his own training facility focusing on small group personal training for athletes.

During his first two years, he grew the business to $20,000/month in revenue but hit a ceiling. Although he excelled in training clients and had built a good reputation, he quickly realized that working 60+ hour weeks and having no systems was not sustainable if he wanted freedom and a life outside the gym.

This is when he discovered how to get clients to come to him, instead of him chasing them, and cracked the code on getting clients, building a team, and opening locations.
Josh • 2016

After getting stuck at 40,000 per month Josh dialed in his offers, his marketing, and his retention systems that allowed him to build a million dollar gym that operated without him.
2017 The breakthrough

After testing dozens of marketing approaches, Bob developed the Flywheel Attraction System that generated consistent leads at a fraction of the cost. By creating a unique offer, implementing automated marketing funnels, and developing a No-Selling Sales Method, he transformed his business model. In 2017, he opened his seventh & eight locations on the same day, which became profitable the day the doors opened and both did over $400,000 in revenue in their first year, and $550,000 in revenue in their second year.

Meanwhile, Josh created a client journey that boosted retention rates to over 85% - far above industry average. Which allowed him to hit those $80,000 months
2018 Building scalable systems

Having solved the client acquisition and retention challenges in their own gyms, both founders were able to step away from day-to-day operations. Their gyms continued to grow while they worked fewer than 20 hours per week, focusing on strategy rather than daily tasks.
2020 Creating the methodology

The founders spent the year documenting their systems, frameworks, and methodologies while testing them with a small group of gym owners. The results were crazy - most participating gyms saw 30-50% revenue growth within six months.
2022 Gym Academy is born

Gym Academy officially launched with just these two co-founders dedicated to helping gym owners implement proven growth systems. The initial cohort of 50 gym owners achieved remarkable results, with an average revenue increase of 43% in the first year.
2022 Building the technology

The Gym Academy AI platform was developed to automate lead nurturing, follow-up, and client communication. This technology allowed gym owners to maintain high-touch relationships with prospects and clients without requiring constant attention.
2023 From small business to established company

An explosive year of growth resulted in over 30 new team members positioning Gym Academy as the leading consulting company in the fitness business industry.
2024 Inc. 5000

Gym Academy is nationally recognized as one of the fastest growing private companies in America, placing 27th on the Inc. 5000 list.
Today Building the future of fitness business

AI is amongst the most disruptive technologies in business today. Our proprietary GymAcademy.AI software now helps streamline your business in a way that's never been possible before.

From AI-powered lead nurturing to automation, client acquisition & so much more.