The Exercise Coach

What The Exercise Coach does

The Exercise Coach USA, LLC is a privately held personal-training franchise founded in 2000 by Brian and Gerianne Cygan, headquartered in Lake Zurich, Illinois. The company licenses and supports a network of 200+ independently owned and operated studios across the United States that deliver 20-minute, coach-led strength-training sessions twice per week, primarily targeting time-constrained adults, aging consumers (40+) seeking sarcopenia reversal, individuals pursuing weight loss or metabolic health improvements, and people with chronic back pain.

The service is differentiated by Exerbotics, a proprietary strength-training technology platform that incorporates sensors, robotics, and AI to calculate optimal resistance intensity for each user and display real-time strength-gain feedback on the machines and through a companion mobile app. The underlying equipment and methodology are anchored by research led by Chief Science Officer Dr. James Fisher, PhD (Solent University), whose published work on isolated lumbar strengthening underpins the program's clinical claims (e.g., 100–200% strength increases within 10 weeks).

The Exercise Coach monetizes through three streams: (1) recurring subscription-based personal training at each studio (Coach Credits / monthly plans), (2) franchise fees and royalties from independently owned studio operators, and (3) nutrition products, including the co-founder-authored Nutrition Playbook and the 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge. Customer acquisition is driven by a two-free-sessions offer, a multi-platform content footprint (blog, Strength Changes Everything podcast, and social channels), and franchise development marketing. Revenue, funding, and unit-economics data are not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Exercise Coach

Legal name

The Exercise Coach USA, LLC

Website

https://exercisecoach.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Exercise Coach is a US personal-training franchise operating 200+ studios that deliver 20-minute, coach-led strength workouts twice weekly using proprietary Exerbotics technology, serving time-constrained adults, aging consumers, weight-loss seekers, and individuals with chronic back pain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Training Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Strength & Conditioning Personal Training (HSADAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training (HSADAEAB), Weight Loss & Body Transformation Training (HSADAAAC)

Keywords

• Personal training services
• Strength training programs
• Fitness franchise
• Exercise coaching
• Wellness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Zurich

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Personal Training Subscriptions: The company generates revenue through subscription-based personal training services at franchise studios. Clients enter into Subscription Agreements, Flex Packs, or other Client Agreements with individual studio locations. Sessions are charged against Coach Credits or training sessions included in subscription plans.
2. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Each Exercise Coach studio is independently owned and operated by franchisees who pay fees to be part of the brand, likely including initial franchise fees and ongoing royalty payments for use of the proprietary technology, brand, and operating system.
3. Nutrition Products: The company sells The Exercise Coach Nutrition Playbook and related nutrition programs, including the 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge, which promotes whole-food nutrition combined with exercise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Exercise Coach delivers 20-minute, coach-led strength training workouts twice per week through 200+ independently owned franchise studios across the United States. Sessions use proprietary Exerbotics® computerized machines with sensors, robotics, and AI to calibrate the precise intensity each client needs and to track strength gains in real time. The offering combines these workouts with nutrition programs, including the 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge and the Nutrition Playbook, to support muscle preservation, metabolic health, and sustainable weight loss.

Product overview

The Exercise Coach® is a personal training franchise offering a unified service combining 20-minute, coach-led strength training workouts with proprietary Exerbotics® technology. The core product utilizes computerized machines with sensors and robotics to deliver personalized workouts twice weekly. The offering integrates several supporting products: the Exerbotics® Technology Platform for intensity optimization and progress tracking, the Nutrition Playbook™ for dietary guidance, the 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge™ for structured wellness programs, the Strength Changes Everything Podcast for educational content, and a mobile application for client access. The company positions itself as America's #1 largest personal training brand with 200+ locations across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Exerbotics®: Proprietary technology platform that calculates workout intensity and tracks strength gains.
• The 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge™

Products and services

• The Exercise Coach® Personal Training Service A subscription-based personal training service offering 20-minute, coach-led strength training workouts twice per week at franchise studios. Uses proprietary Exerbotics® computerized machines that calculate optimal workout intensity and provide real-time feedback on strength gains. Designed for individual consumers seeking efficient, personalized fitness results without long gym sessions.
• The Exercise Coach® Nutrition Playbook™ A standalone nutritional guidebook authored by co-founder Gerianne Cygan that provides whole-food nutrition principles. Eliminates grains, added sugar, and dairy for 30 days to support metabolic health and weight loss. Sold as a published book available for individual consumer purchase.
• The 30-Day Metabolic Comeback Challenge™ A structured 30-day wellness program combining whole-effort exercise with whole-food nutrition, designed to turnaround sluggish metabolism and optimize hormonal health. Customers can sign up for this challenge as a standalone offering to support weight loss and metabolic recovery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100-200% strength increase in lumbar muscles within 10 weeks with once-weekly training (60-90 seconds of muscle tension)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dr. James Fisher, PhDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief Science Officer and key scientific advisor who provides research backing for Exercise Coach methodology. Published researcher in muscular strengthening and lower back pain. Academic at Solent University in the UK with 15+ years of research experience. His research supports the company's claims about strength training outcomes including 100-200% lumbar strength increases.
• Gymbot, LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationAffiliated entity mentioned in Terms of Service as part of the 'Affiliated Entities' definition alongside Exercise Coach USA LLC. Likely the entity behind the proprietary Exerbotics technology and exercise equipment manufacturing.
• Brian and Gerianne CygancoreOthersCo-founders of The Exercise Coach in 2000. Brian brings expertise in muscular biomechanics and development of 21st century strength training machines. Gerianne is a Certified Health Coach and author of the Nutrition Playbook. They created the 'family culture' and proprietary approach.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Orangetheory Fitness: Orangetheory is a large-scale boutique fitness franchise combining technology-tracked, coach-led group workouts — directly comparable in franchise model, technology integration, and consumer demographic targeting.
• 9Round Fitness: 9Round is a boutique kickboxing-themed fitness franchise offering 30-minute circuit workouts in a franchise model — comparable in its time-efficient positioning, franchise scale, and small-format studio delivery.
• The Camp Transformation Center: The Camp Transformation Center is a fitness franchise focused on weight loss and body transformation with coach-led training programs — a direct comparable in weight-loss use case, franchise delivery, and target demographic.
• Club Pilates: Club Pilates is one of the largest boutique fitness franchises in North America with a comparable franchise-driven growth model, technology-enabled class experience, and similar target consumer demographic.
• F45 Training: F45 Training is a global boutique functional fitness franchise with a similar time-efficient, coach-led, technology-tracked class model and franchise-driven scale, making it a direct category competitor.
• Fitness Together: Fitness Together is a 1-on-1 personal training franchise with private studio environments and personalized coaching — the closest direct comparable to The Exercise Coach's small-studio, coach-led model and franchise structure.

Emerging players

• GYMGUYZ: GYMGUYZ is an in-home and on-site personal training franchise bringing coach-led workouts directly to clients — comparable in 1-on-1 personalized training positioning, though differentiated by mobile vs. studio-based delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Anytime Fitness: Anytime Fitness is a large, established 24/7 fitness franchise with thousands of global locations — a broader incumbent that competes for the same franchisee pool and consumer fitness spend, though with a different format.
• Crunch Fitness: Crunch Fitness is a broad fitness franchise operating traditional and boutique-style gyms at scale — an incumbent that overlaps in target customer (non-enthusiast adults) and franchise structure, but with a different format mix.
• Gold's Gym: Gold's Gym is an iconic global fitness brand with a mix of corporate and franchised locations — a broad incumbent competing for the same consumer fitness dollar and franchise operator interest, though at much larger format and brand scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/enjoystrength
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJn2uiUCAumWilp3k_eTk2Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/theexercisecoach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-exercise-coach-illinois
• Instagraminstagram.com/theexercisecoach/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/exercisecoach/_saved

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Exercise Coach