HIIT Studio Break-Even Analysis: $409K Monthly Revenue Target

Fixed costs $33.1K/mo Salaries + overhead

Contribution margin 85% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $39.0K/mo Revenue target

Break-even timing Month 1 Launch month

Break-even calculator

Test monthly revenue against variable expenses and fixed costs to see the studio's break-even point.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Gross monthly sales before direct class costs and payment fees. $ Low sales Strong sales Variable expenses Costs that rise with classes and sales, like trainer pay, consumables, ads, and processing. $ Low costs High costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $65,610 $81,000 revenue - $15,390 variable expenses

Margin ratio

81%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs The monthly overhead base, including rent, salaries, and studio running costs. $ Lean overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which expenses are fixed and which move with sales for this interval training studio?

Cost classification

Break-even gets unreliable when steady overhead is mixed with volume-driven spend. Keep rent and salaried payroll fixed, then let fees, class pay, ads, consumables, and merchandise costs move with revenue.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Facility Rent, $8,000 per month	Fixed	Include the full monthly rent in overhead before calculating required sales.	Spreading rent across classes and making it look volume-driven.
Studio Manager, Lead Trainer, Certified Trainers, and Front Desk Staff	Fixed	Treat salaried full-time equivalent payroll as monthly overhead within the planned staffing range.	Combining salaried coach payroll with per-class trainer pay.
Trainer Class Pay	Variable	Model as a revenue-linked expense using the first year rate of 8.0%.	Putting coach class pay into one overhead bucket.
Payment Processing Fees	Variable	Apply the fee to sales volume; the first year rate is 2.5%.	Ignoring card fees until revenue is already overstated.
Marketing & Digital Ads	Variable	Tie acquisition spend to revenue in the model; the first year rate is 6.0%.	Treating ads as fixed even when member growth depends on them.
Class Consumables	Variable	Let supplies move with attendance and revenue; the first year rate is 1.0%.	Leaving mats, towels, wipes, and small supplies out of class economics.
Utilities, $1,200 per month	Semi-variable	Keep the base charge in overhead, but expect usage to rise as class volume grows.	Calling the whole utility bill fixed at higher occupancy.
Cleaning Services, $1,000 per month	Semi-fixed	Use the current monthly service as overhead, then step it up if more classes require extra cleaning.	Missing the service increase when the schedule gets fuller.

How does break-even shift from a lean month to a full HIIT studio month?

Scenario table

Higher class fill and more add-on sales lift contribution dollars faster than fixed rent and payroll. That’s why the lean case still shows a $127k gap, the base case reaches break-even, and the full case builds a wide cushion.

Planning assumptions only; actual results will move with attendance, pricing, labor mix, and class volume.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean Year 1 mix	$252k	$48k	$331k	81%	-$127k	Sales still miss the fixed-cost load, so break-even risk stays high.
Base Year 1 break-even mix	$409k	$78k	$331k	81%	$0	Contribution covers fixed costs, so the studio is at break-even.
Full Year 1 utilization	$815k	$156k	$331k	81%	$329k	Revenue leaves a strong cushion after fixed costs, so profit can absorb soft months.

What pushes this HIIT studio from break-even into loss?

Stress test

The plan sits at about $409k in break-even revenue, so there’s almost no cushion. A 10% revenue miss or a 10% fixed-cost increase drives about a $33k monthly loss, and margin pressure alone still burns about $20k.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$409k	$0 cushion	No room for slippage.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue drops 10% to about $368k.	$409k	$41k gap	A small attendance miss turns into loss.
Fixed-cost pressure	Overhead rises 10% to about $364k.	$449k	$33k gap	Rent or coach coverage creep erodes cushion.
Margin pressure	Variable expenses rise from 19% to 24%.	$436k	$20k gap	Discounting or heavier trainer pay cuts margin.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 10%, overhead rises 10%, and margin slips to 76%.	$479k	$85k gap	Weak demand and higher costs quickly push deep loss.

Can this HIIT studio clear break-even before you sign the lease and buy the gear?

Founder checklist

Before you sign the lease, make sure expected occupancy and pricing can cover about $33.1k of monthly fixed load and a roughly $40.9k monthly break-even revenue target. If early class fill lands below the Year 1 occupancy plan, the model gets tight fast.

1Demand proof55%

Confirm launch classes can hold the Year 1 occupancy assumption, because break-even depends on filling enough seats before the lease starts bleeding cash.

2Fixed load$33.1k/mo

Check that rent, utilities, software, insurance, cleaning, music, supplies, security, and salaried payroll stay near this level, since every extra dollar raises the break-even line.

3Margin mix81% CM

Verify that payment processing, merchandise cost, trainer class pay, consumables, and marketing stay near 19% of sales, or break-even sales will move up.

4Trainer ramp2.5 FTE

Lock the class schedule before you add more trainer hours, because Year 1 already carries 2.5 certified trainer FTE plus full-time manager and lead trainer roles.

5Cash cushion$825k

Stress-test the Month 2 cash low point, since the model bottoms near this level and a slow ramp can burn through launch reserves fast.

6Launch capex$154k

Hold equipment, build-out, AV, POS hardware, furniture, signage, and starter merchandise to this budget until class utilization proves the studio can fill seats.