Gym owners are often seen as people who spend all day working out, but the reality is far different. They juggle long hours, endless responsibilities, and constant surprises while still finding ways to stay fit and keep their communities thriving. What looks like play from the outside is actually the hard grind of true entrepreneurship.
For some reason, many gym owners aren’t viewed as entrepreneurs. Instead, people tend to see them as fitness fanatics who coach a few classes a day and then spend the rest of their time working out. But like everyone else, life sometimes gets in the way, and gym owners don’t always have the time to train consistently. For example, if you ask a gym owner or coach about their workout program, you might actually hear them say something that sounds familiar to many people, something like, “I haven’t had time these past few weeks.”
“BUT YOU OWN A GYM!!”
As if simply owning the place makes it impossible to comprehend that they don’t work out every single day.
It’s easy to see a trainer or coach having a blast running a class and assume that’s their whole life. Unless you’re there every day. Unless you’re the owner. Most people have no idea what actually goes on behind the scenes to keep that business running.
Some gym owners run upward of 30 classes a week. Add in time for personal training clients, and they’re already working well beyond the standard 40-hour week on training alone.
Not to mention, many days start at 5 a.m. or earlier. The time adds up fast with daily fires to put out, Costco runs, programming, bookkeeping, covering for others, and very little flexibility in “time off.” Gym owners can’t just call in sick for the 6 p.m. class. If their trainer does, however, somebody has to be there to cover.
Even with systems in place to save time, it’s not uncommon for a gym owner’s day to start before 6 a.m. and not end until they lock up after 9 p.m.
In the tech world, there’s the philosophy of “9-9-6,” working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, to stay competitive. Many gym owners work those same hours or more over just five days and then still work weekends. Seventy-five hours a week isn’t uncommon. In most business circles, that’s considered a terrible work-life balance.
For gym owners, it’s just what they do. Not only are they entrepreneurs, but they’re some of the hardest-working people you’ll ever meet. And on top of it all, most of them still manage to stay incredibly fit.
They sacrifice and grind just like any entrepreneur. But to the outside world, what they do can sometimes look more like play than it does hard work. They may not come home at the end of the day visibly greasy like an auto mechanic who owns their own shop, or smelling like the kitchen of a chef/restaurateur, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work just as hard. The reality is, they show up not knowing what’s in store from one day to the next. Whereas one day might fly by with ease, there is no shortage of unexpected challenges creating difficulty along the way. That’s all part of the deal. And for the most part, they love it.
Gym owners can’t plan for the really bad days such as a flood after a torrential rainstorm. They just need to fix the problem at hand.
And knowing tomorrow is a new day, they will always have a good day ahead, making it easier to get through the bad.
And provided there isn’t too much of a chalk mess to clean up between classes, they may even be able to get a workout in.