From certifications to hiring events, 24 Hour Fitness is rethinking how to attract and grow talent and meet evolving member expectations
24 Hour Fitness is taking a novel approach to leadership in its gyms, making sure every general manager (GM) can also serve as a certified personal trainer.
The fitness operator has partnered with the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) to roll out the initiative, requiring GMs to complete ISSA’s Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) coursework by the end of November.
“Our General Managers are the heartbeat of our clubs,” 24 Hour Fitness senior vice president of club operations Chris Schmidt said. “By equipping them with the industry’s gold-standard personal training certification, we’re raising the bar for leadership in fitness.”
The partnership impacts nearly 250 GMs across 24 Hour Fitness clubs and includes ISSA providing enrollment support, progress tracking and ongoing guidance through its learning management system.
“Certifying 24 Hour Fitness’ General Managers is about more than adding credentials,” ISSA CEO Warren Heffelfinger said. “When leaders understand the science and art of coaching, they can inspire teams to deliver an exceptional, consistent experience in every club.”
Later this month, 24 Hour Fitness will host a hiring event on ISSA’s Career Connect platform, intended to connect ISSA-certified coaches with opportunities across its clubs nationwide. Joint activations on social media and through influencer partnerships are also planned to boost recruitment.
The initiative comes as Gen Z rewrites the rules for what members expect from gyms. Analysts at TD Cowen expect younger consumers to expand the overall fitness market in the years ahead, driving not just memberships but also growth in personal training and small group classes. Personal training, in particular, is becoming a key revenue driver, with some operators reporting strong year-over-year gains.
