Stop Bleeding Members: Why 3% vs. 5% Churn Makes or Breaks Your Gym

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper presents hard numbers and explains why the gap between 3% and 5% churn can be the difference between stability and collapse. He shares lessons from two decades of studying the science of retention, showing how most gyms don’t fail because they need more leads but because they can’t keep the people they already have. Coop explains why contracts aren’t the answer, why chasing Facebook leads and six-week challenges can actually erode your community, and how gyms with 300+ members can get into trouble fast if they’re bleeding members. Chris also breaks down the two key metrics every gym owner should track to boost retention and revenue—length of engagement (LEG) and average revenue per member (ARM)—and explains why retention is really just “sales over time.” Tune in for Coop’s full retention playbook, then apply his tips to keep members longer, change more lives and build a profitable business that lasts. Join Coop’s free retention workshop on Sept. 30 at noon Eastern in Gym Owners United (linked below). Links Gym Owners United Book a Call 0:19 - When clients stay longer 7:10 - 3% versus 5% churn 11:29 - A better retention metric 13:11 - Onboarding and goal reviews 17:24 - Keeping people for 2 years