Remember when you could launch a 12-week fitness challenge, put up a few posters, send a couple of emails and have 30 members sign up?
These days, it’s not always that easy.
I’ve spoken to plenty of gym owners across Australia and New Zealand who tell me their member challenges aren’t getting the same traction they used to.
But I don’t think member challenges are dead. I think the way we run and promote them needs to change.
Here are a few things I’ve learnt from running challenges in my own gyms and working with other gym owners.
1. Shorter challenges are often better
Personally, I think 12 weeks is a big commitment to ask of someone these days.
I’ve found 4–6 week challenges can be much easier to sell. They’re short enough to create urgency, but long enough for members to build momentum and see some progress.
Plus, you can run several throughout the year, giving members something new to look forward to.
2. Stop giving them away for free
One thing I’ve always believed is that members should pay to participate in a challenge.
Even if it’s only $49, $79 or $99.
Why?
Because when someone invests their own money, they’re generally more committed to getting a result.
It also gives you a budget to create a better experience, with prizes, extra coaching, events and resources.
Remember, you’re not just selling another few weeks of training. You’re selling an experience.
3. Make the value so good it’s hard to say no
Here’s where I think plenty of gym challenges fall short.
If your challenge is basically the same training, same timetable and same coaching your members already receive, why would they pay extra?
The best gyms create a value stack that makes participating feel like an absolute no-brainer.
Think about including:
- A launch night to build excitement and bring everyone together.
- InBody or Evolt body composition scans at the beginning and end to help track progress.
- Dedicated coaches providing accountability and regular check-ins.
- Bonus classes and nutrition seminars exclusively for challenge participants.
- Nutrition guides, recipes and meal plans to support members outside the gym.
- A private Facebook support group for encouragement, questions and sharing progress.
- Member of the Week giveaways to recognise effort and keep motivation high.
- An awards night with prizes to celebrate everyone’s achievements.
You could even donate a portion of every registration fee to a local charity, creating some extra goodwill in your community.
When you present all these extras together, members can clearly see they’re getting far more than their registration fee suggests.
The goal? Make the offer so ridiculously good that members would feel crazy not to take part.
4. Get local businesses involved and double your reach
One opportunity I think gym owners overlook is partnering with other local businesses.
Imagine your challenge participants competing for prizes donated by local cafés, massage therapists, physios or wellness businesses.
You get better prizes without blowing your budget, and your business partners get exposure to your members.
But don’t stop at asking for prizes.
Create Instagram collaboration posts with those businesses so your challenge gets promoted to both audiences.
Share the launch, prizes, participant stories and final results together.
It’s a simple way to extend your reach, build local relationships and potentially attract new members without spending more on advertising.
5. Market the results, not just the challenge
Probably the biggest mistake I see?
Gym owners spend weeks planning a challenge and about three days promoting it.
A poster at reception and one Instagram post aren’t going to cut it.
Give yourself 3–4 weeks to build interest.
And one of your strongest marketing tools is the results from your previous challenges.
Share genuine member transformations, testimonials, photos (with permission) and stories about what participants achieved.
These are far more compelling than another generic graphic saying ‘6-Week Challenge Starts Monday!’
Then clearly communicate your value stack.
Show members exactly what they’re getting, what makes this challenge different and why it’s worth joining.
Use email, SMS, social media, trainer conversations and a clear registration deadline to build momentum.
6. Spend a month preparing your coaches
Here’s something I think can make an enormous difference.
Spend the month before your challenge educating and preparing your staff.
Run internal workshops on nutrition, coaching, accountability, goal setting and how to help members achieve the best possible results.
Make sure every coach understands the challenge, knows how to support participants and is excited about delivering a fantastic experience.
After all, you can have the best prizes and marketing in the world, but if your coaches don’t deliver, members probably won’t sign up for the next one.
The better the results, the easier your next challenge becomes to promote.
So, are member challenges dead?
Not even close.
But I think the days of running the same generic 12-week challenge and expecting members to jump on board are fading.
Make them shorter, charge for them, create an irresistible value stack, get local businesses involved, prepare your team and market them properly.
A well-run challenge shouldn’t just generate extra revenue. It should help members get better results, build stronger relationships with your coaches and give them another reason to stay.
And the best part?
When you deliver an outstanding experience, your current participants become the success stories that help sell your next challenge.
Want help creating better campaigns, increasing member retention and growing your gym?
At GymHub, we work with gym owners across Australia and New Zealand to build better systems for marketing, sales, retention and team performance.
