How to sell fitness programs & workout plans (examples + useful tips)

By Aleksey Haritonenko read
21 May, 2024
How to sell fitness programs & workout plans (examples + useful tips)

Have questions about starting your online fitness business?

Whether you’re a personal trainer, CrossFit instructor, or fitness enthusiast, consider Sellfy—a versatile platform for selling workout plans and fitness programs.

With features like PDF stamping (ideal for eBook workout programs), subscriptions (ideal for weekly meal plans and check-ins), and video-on-demand, you can grow your business and increase income without in-person interactions at the gym.

Ready to dive in? Let’s explore how Sellfy can help you create and sell your fitness programs online.

How much money can you make selling workout programs?

Your earnings from your fitness program depend on factors like audience size and niche specifics.

The beauty of creating passive income with fitness programs online is that whatever you earn adds to your income as an online personal trainer.

Still skeptical about potential earnings as a fitness influencer? Here are real numbers from those who sell workout programs and meal plans on Sellfy:

Infographics

Let me break it down:

An average of $4K+ pure income per month. Impressive, right?

The online fitness market is set to grow by 30% annually until 2026, showing clear potential for growth in the coming years.

But that’s not all—there’s a rising interest in online personal training programs. According to a VICE media report, 90% of Gen Z is willing to pay for exclusive online content, and this trend is extending to older generations in a post-COVID world.

How to sell workout plans online

Are you a sports educator in a particular discipline and want to share your knowledge? Selling online fitness classes is straightforward. Just follow these steps: decide on your product, choose a platform to host fitness classes, upload, and set pricing. Now, let’s delve into each step in detail.

1. Create your workout plans and online training programs

One of the first steps in selling workout plans online is determining the type of products you intend to sell.

Consider whether you can create a workout plan revolving around a particular benefit that you know people will want. Will your training plan also include a guide that explains your methodology or terminology?

Most of you (professional fitness instructors) are ready to share your knowledge. To set up an online fitness studio, you need to know how to transform your expertise into a marketable product.

Before discussing sales details, let’s explore digital fitness product options.

1. Downloadable PDF workout programs and meal plans

Selling workout programs as PDFs is an enduring fitness product for steady passive income. You don’t need much to start—just organize your knowledge into a well-designed PDF and use a user-friendly eCommerce platform for online training sales.

Example:

As a mother of four, Ashley Keller was always frustrated by the lack of parental workouts online. So, she came up with GlowBodyPT. After becoming certified as a Personal Trainer and Prenatal & Postnatal Exercise Specialist, she delved into research and crafted her own workout routines.

Sellfy store example GlowBodyPT

Now, she not only aids her 100K+ YouTube audience in getting fit, but also sells post-natal PDF workout programs and meal plans successfully on her Sellfy store.

2. Online fitness courses and bundles

Looking to sell fitness videos? Consider creating an online course package, as Emfitt did. A Sellfy fitness creator, she blends strength training with nutrition tips, offering a unique 6-week online fitness course, bringing her personal training online successfully.

3. Workout subscriptions

Offer a product with a recurring monthly/yearly subscription fee for more control over your earnings and easier customer retention. Subscription-based products allow real-time updates without constantly creating new ones.

Example:

Emilio Born understands the challenge of starting your fitness goal. As a professional fitness trainer, he cares about his audience and created a 12-week transformation fitness plan to break down entry barriers.

Sellfy Store example - Emilio Born

He also customizes plans for each potential customer through a questionnaire before they get access to fitness videos, meal plans, and weekly check-ins. So, consider whether you prefer offering customized or general fitness programs.

2. Choose your monetization strategy

There are two types of digital fitness products to sell: transactional (digital downloads) and subscription-based (online memberships). Let’s see how they work.

Transactional

Digital downloads are ideal for professionals with specific knowledge or product ideas, such as a PDF personal training program, meal plans, exercise videos, recovery tips, and stretching routines.

Sellfy store example - Tahlia Skye
Fitness product example: Fitness instructor Tahlia Skye is selling healthy recipe cookbooks on her Sellfy store

Subscription-based

Subscriptions allow you to offer a variety of products, such as workout and cooking videos, written materials, for a fixed monthly/yearly fee, growing your income with more subscribers. You can also create a membership level to attract more clients.

While both models have pros and cons, you don’t have to choose one over the other. Platforms like Sellfy let you offer a range of products, including digital and physical goods, subscriptions, video on demand, and print on demand.

3. Build your online store with Sellfy

We’ve discussed product types and found that combining monetization strategies is beneficial. For selling workout programs online, opt for a platform supporting digital downloads, subscriptions, and VOD.

Sellfy store example - the-shred-squad
Fitness product example: Sellfy creator Claudia Addison-Newland is selling short workout videos

Hands down, an eCommerce store is the simplest choice to kick-start your fitness business. With Sellfy, forget about hidden fees or regulations.

Sellfy provides all you need:

  • An online store
  • An integration to help you sell fitness products online with PayPal
  • Support for digital, physical & subscription products
  • Possibility to sell videos as digital downloads & VOD
  • Unlimited storage & bandwidth
  • Pre-designed store themes
  • Store embed options
  • Clean checkout process
  • Built-in marketing tools
  • 24/7 support

With Sellfy, creating a professional website with a clear and simple checkout is a breeze.

Here’s how to sell workout plans and fitness programs online with Sellfy:

  1. Create an account using a valid email address. Start with a 14-day free trial before choosing from three subscription plans (Starter, Business, or Premium).
  2. After creating an account, upload your fitness products by dragging and dropping files. Choose if your product is downloadable, streamable, or both. Set a price, hit Save product, and your product is live in your Sellfy store!
  3. Connect payment gateways in the final step. Sellfy works with two major processors: Stripe (collect payments from major credit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay) and PayPal (collect payments through a PayPal account, major credit cards, or local European methods).

4. Upload and sort your products

Uploading your fitness program on a Sellfy store is a piece of cake, but presentation is key.

Quick tips to enhance your fitness product’s appeal:

  • Include glowing customer testimonials for credibility
  • Provide a detailed description of what clients will receive
  • List required exercise equipment
  • Mention any additional materials to increase product value
  • Highlight immediate post-purchase access to your fitness program

Sellfy store with customer testimonials

To assure potential clients that you provide what they need, make your content accessible and organize it logically.

Here’s how:

1. Separate your products into categories

Every step a customer takes to find what they need is a chance lost to convert them into a paying client. Crucially, organize your products into clear and simple categories without overthinking it.

Here’s a helpful tip:

Consider identifying five people (or target audiences) for a specific workout plan, and then create categories accordingly.

2. Highlight best-selling products and newest arrivals

As a fitness instructor or influencer, you likely attract customers through platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. While most visitors may know what they’re looking for in your online fitness studio, don’t forget about first-time visitors. Feature some best-sellers to attract and win over new customers.

3. Make your free products visible

If you offer free content in your store, ensure it’s visible to all. Free content can be a key to future paying customers and a great way to grow your email list.

5. Price your fitness products

Numerous research studies address how creators should determine pricing for online products. I’ve broken it down into three key steps for perfect pricing:

1. Examine the pricing of other fitness instructors

Research competitors to set a pricing benchmark. For instance, Sellfy fitness instructors price PDF workout plans at $10-20 (condensed materials) or $20-50 (eBooks), and video courses at $80-200 (5-12 week programs). Consider pricing in these ranges with potential adjustments based on your sales.

eBook price range

2. Consider costs and expenses

The most direct method to set your product price involves calculating production and distribution costs. This step bypasses market research but requires careful consideration of all expenses, including the time spent creating the product.

For personal trainers, expenses may include online courses, first aid certification, equipment, marketing, and taxes.

3. Determined your desired earnings before setting the price

In this step, adopt a goal-oriented mindset by determining the desired outcome and figuring out the necessary steps to achieve it.

For instance, if the estimated production cost of your product is $30 and you aim to earn at least $1,000 per month based on audience size and past experience, adding a 50% profit margin would lead to a total charge of $45.

Connect with your audience: build your personal brand

Success in the fitness industry hinges on building a strong community. So, incorporating your personal brand and audience-building into your marketing strategy is crucial. Many successful Sellfy sellers are ready to share tips on integrating social media into your marketing approach.

Instagram

It’s hard to imagine any fitness business, whether online or offline, without a compelling Instagram profile featuring physique visuals or transformation content. Tips for boosting sales on Instagram include demonstrating the effectiveness of your products.

As a personal trainer, showcasing authentic results, like before-and-after pictures from clients following your workout plan, is a powerful promotional strategy.

Example of user-generated content

Always secure client consent for progress posts featuring their photos or videos. Never manipulate visuals; honesty builds trust!

Use Instagram Stories and Highlights to grow your online personal training business. Utilize them to capture products in action, share your daily life, promote special offers, showcase new products, and go behind the scenes with users of your products.

YouTube

If you’re considering selling workout videos, chances are you’ve tested the waters with a personal YouTube channel. While YouTube isn’t the best platform for video monetization, it’s excellent for audience growth.

Use YouTube to drive traffic to your online store by adding links in descriptions and comments, utilizing the end screen, adding a custom link to your profile banner, and setting up cards for increased site traffic.

Test new videos on YouTube to gauge audience popularity before adding them to your product selection.

Promote digital products on YouTube

TikTok

TikTok has revolutionized video content with unique algorithms, enabling personal trainers and fitness instructors to rapidly reach and gain thousands, if not millions, of new followers.

TikTok’s uniqueness allows for casual and entertaining videos, so forget about perfection and showcase your personality! A lot of the popular content on the “For You” page includes bite-sized, useful information. So, go ahead and share nuggets of intriguing information in a TikTok-friendly way.

Creating a TikTok video is simple:

Tap the “+” icon and start recording. If unsure where to begin, explore the app and view other fitness content for inspiration. It doesn’t mean copying someone’s content, but it can help shape your style.

Alternative TikTok content

Are you ready to start your online fitness business?

Selling workout programs online is an excellent way to earn money while reaching new audiences. Now you know exactly how to launch an online training studio, sell fitness programs online, and scale your business.

FAQ: selling fitness programs online

Do I need a personal trainer certification to sell training programs online?

Certainly possible! However, creating an effective online training plan requires knowledge and experience. The larger your audience, the better your chances of selling fitness programs online. Consider this only with some prior experience.

Where can I sell my workout plan?

The best way to sell your workout plans and fitness programs online is to create your online store on a platform supporting digital, physical, and subscription products, including VOD. For an effortless start in eCommerce, Sellfy is a perfect fit, allowing you to bring your fitness business online in less than 10 minutes.

Can I make money selling online personal training programs?

Absolutely! Creating and selling workouts online is a popular way for fitness instructors to build a passive income stream. An online fitness coach with an average audience can easily make $4,000 a month by selling their programs.

 

Aleksey is a Content Marketing Specialist at Sellfy. He loves using language and the power of words to make even the driest eCommerce topics fascinating. Using his degree in literary studies and passion for the latest trends, he creates well-researched and structured content to inspire other people and help them grow their eCommerce business.