Fitness Business Insights with Matt Robinson

Dean Foley spent years being told the same thing every other PT gets told. Go online. Scale. Get off the gym floor.

So he tried it. Two years of cold DMs, content he didn't enjoy, and a business model that never felt right. And then 2024 hit. A relationship ended. Family illness. Relocation. Rock bottom.

What came next is worth hearing.

In this episode, Dean shares the honest story of how he went from construction worker to PT, throug...

If you've invested in business coaching before and it didn't deliver, you're not alone. And it probably wasn't your fault.

In this episode, Matt Robinson shares his own experience of paying £3,000 for a coaching program that turned out to be AI-written content, fortnightly 15-minute calls, and a library of videos with no clear starting point.

He opens up about how it happened, why it happens so often in the coaching industry, and wha...

Most personal trainers are sitting on hidden time they don't even realise they have and it could be the difference between a business that grows and one that stays stuck.

In this episode of the Fitness Business Insights Podcast, Matt walks through one of the most overlooked problems in a PT's working day: the gap. That mid-morning or early afternoon lull between client blocks that quietly drains your productivity, your evenings, and...

We're approaching the halfway point of the year and if you haven't stopped to check in with yourself and your business yet, now is the time.

In this episode, Matt Robinson walks you through a structured mid-year review designed specifically for personal trainers. Rather than just looking at the numbers, Matt takes you through 8 powerful questions across two sections that help you take stock of where you are, what's working, and wher...

This episode contains an interview with York-based PT Chris Mair about rebuilding his business after relocating, going from zero clients in a new JD Gym to 18 direct-debit clients (21 including three in his front-end offer) and nearing full booking within months. 

Chris explains his background (8–9 years as a PT, sports science degree, PureGym, COVID pivot to outdoor training and a container-gym setup in Scotland) and why...

Most fitness business owners share the same bottleneck: the operator. Because you’re often the founder, marketer, CFO, and coach, your business can’t grow beyond your own capacity, skills, and decision-making. 

This episode reframes growth as an “executive coaching” problem and shares a practical four-step self-coaching framework to raise your ceiling without defaulting to hiring. 

Step 1 is Clarity ...

Most PTs think business intelligence is just tracking revenue. But that's not the case.

Real business intelligence answers two questions: What's actually creating my results? And how do I use that to scale without adding hours?

In this episode, I break down the two levels of business intelligence every PT business needs:

Level 1: The Foundation The core metrics you must track to stop guessing what's working: people spoken to, leads ge...

Most PTs understand the Paid Pipeline concept. They know why free decisions don't work. They know what needs to change.

But knowing and doing are two different things.

In this episode, I walk you through exactly how to take the Paid Pipeline from theory to reality and get your front-end offer live and selling within 30 days.

We cover:

• What implementation actually means (and why it's simpler than you think)
• What success looks like in...

Most PTs are stuck because they're missing structure. They've got good coaching skills. They know how to deliver results. But their business feels chaotic: inconsistent leads, unpredictable revenue, no clear next step.

The difference between PTs who thrive and PTs who plateau is systems and structure. The best ones are following a proven system, that works!

In this episode, I'm breaking down the exact system I've developed over years...

Most PTs think the only way to scale is to add more 1:1 clients. Andrea Lea thought the same thing until burnout forced her to rethink everything.

In this episode, Andrea shares her journey from coaching 'anyone and everyone' to building a thriving business around niche group training: women's weightlifting and mum's fitness classes.

The result? She now works just two days a week, generates more revenue than ever, and has the work-li...

Most PTs think they're stuck at £2k because they're not good enough at closing. They're wrong.

The real reason? Their pipeline is broken. They're running free taster sessions, getting zero sign-ups, and then wondering why conversion feels impossible.

In this episode, I break down the exact mechanism that keeps PTs trapped at the ceiling and why free decisions create free-level commitment.

Then I show you what changes when you flip the...

>>Book your free Business Breakthrough Call HERE

Most personal trainers on a gym floor are doing their marketing, lead generation, and sales completely wrong and it's costing them thousands of pounds every single month.

They're posting on social media and hoping for the best. They're offering free consultations to anyone who shows interest. They're spending 45 minutes with people who say "I'll think about it" and disappear. And...

So many personal trainers are chasing £10k months like it’s the finish line.

But most of the stress in your business doesn’t come from “not earning enough”… it comes from not having a system for the money you already make.

In this episode, I break down the money framework I wish I had years earlier and the real moment that forced me to take it seriously. 

(Spoiler: it involved a broken knee and a pr...

Most coaches don’t realise they’re trapped in The Fitness Matrix.

They copy what everyone else is doing, chase the same tactics, and end up building a business (and service) that doesn’t even fit who they are.

In this episode, I’m joined by Tashan (Empower Movement & Wellbeing) to break down his journey in the industry and the practical principles he’s used to build a coaching model that’s more...

In this episode of Fitness Business Insights with Matt Robinson, we tackle one of the most frustrating problems in the fitness industry:

People know what a personal trainer is. Many of them know they’d benefit from coaching. They may even follow you, watch your content, and see you around the gym.

So why aren’t they buying?

The answer often isn’t visibility. It’s what Google calls the “messy middle”...

In this episode of Fitness Business Insights with Matt Robinson, I share a simple story about getting my car tyres replaced and why it perfectly explains how most fitness professionals completely misunderstand lead generation.

A local garage owner was frustrated that I booked through a third-party platform instead of going direct. From his perspective, he “lost” a percentage of the job. From a business perspective, he&rs...

Everyone says competition in the fitness industry is getting worse.

The data says otherwise.

In this episode of Fitness Business Insights, I break down the latest UK fitness industry numbers and reveal something most coaches are missing: in-person personal training competition is no longer rising at the rate demand is.

Using up-to-date 2026 gym membership data and registered PT numbers, I explain why:

• Gym memberships are growing fa...

In this episode of Fitness Business Insights with Matt Robinson, I’m joined by Carly Killen to explore what happens when the traditional fitness career path no longer fits.

Carly’s journey spans working as an NHS dietitian, transitioning into personal training, building a client base in commercial gyms, moving into private facilities, and ultimately creating a business that aligned with her values, energy, and lifestyle.

...

In this episode of Fitness Business Insights with Matt Robinson, I break down the latest fitness industry data and explain what it actually means for personal trainers, coaches, and gym-based fitness businesses.

Most coaches aim to be evidence-based in their training, but make business decisions based on guesswork. In this episode, I share up-to-date UK fitness data from January 2026 and show you how to use it to improve your market...