Personal Trainer Break-Even Analysis: $225K Monthly Revenue

Fixed costs $18.1K/mo Overhead plus salaries

Contribution margin 80.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $22.5K/mo Monthly target revenue

Break-even timing Month 14 Ramp reaches breakeven

Break-even calculator

Test whether monthly session revenue covers trainer commissions, ad spend, payroll, and overhead.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Revenue is the cash coming in from sessions and classes each month. $ Low sales Strong sales Variable expenses These rise with sales, mainly trainer commissions and digital ads. $ Lean costs Higher costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $12,568 $14,700 revenue - $2,132 variable expenses

Margin ratio

85%

Covers fixed costs

$5,565 short

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly overhead contribution margin has to cover. $ Light overhead Heavy overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which personal training expenses are fixed, and which move with sessions or sales?

Cost classification

Break-even gets more reliable when rent, software, and insurance stay in overhead while commissions, ads, and product COGS reduce contribution margin. Misclassifying even one line can make Month 14 break-even look safer than it is.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Facility Rent	Fixed	Carry $3,500 per month as overhead from Month 1.	Tying rent to the number of sessions.
Utilities	Semi-variable	Start with the $400 monthly base and allow increases as studio use rises.	Treating utilities as zero-growth overhead.
Business Insurance	Fixed	Include $150 per month from the launch month.	Excluding insurance until claims happen.
Scheduling & CRM Software	Semi-fixed	Model $150 per month before client volume scales.	Counting the platform charge per session.
Cleaning Services	Semi-variable	Use the $250 monthly base, then adjust for traffic and class schedule density.	Ignoring high-use weeks when visits climb.
Trainer Commissions	Variable	Subtract the first-year 11.5% of revenue before contribution margin.	Treating trainer pay as fixed only.
Digital Ad Spend	Variable	Model the first-year 3.0% of revenue as acquisition spend.	Burying ads inside fixed marketing.
Branded Apparel COGS	Variable	Apply the first-year 2.0% of revenue to product sales margin.	Blending product margin with training margin.

How does break-even shift from lean to full-time studio operations?

Scenario table

Run-rate break-even gets easier as monthly revenue rises and variable costs shrink as a share of sales. Still, Year 1 EBITDA is -$67,000, so launch cash burn stays negative even when the model looks close to break-even.

Planning assumptions only; actual results will move with demand, staffing mix, and cost control.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean personal trainer setup	$22,950	$4,475	$18,133	80.5%	$342	Barely positive at run rate, so small misses can wipe it out.
Base studio model	$34,785	$6,471	$21,883	81.4%	$6,431	Clearer cushion after Month 14 if payroll stays aligned.
Full-time studio model	$87,750	$13,945	$29,800	84.1%	$44,005	Best cushion once trainer density supports the higher load.

How fast does break-even slip if bookings fall or costs rise for a personal trainer?

Stress test

The plan is close to break-even, but it’s fragile. A 10% booking drop, a $500 overhead bump, or a 5-point margin squeeze can turn a small cushion into a monthly gap.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$22,527	$423 cushion	Small cushion, so misses matter.
Revenue shortfall	Revenue falls 10% to $20,655.	$22,516	$1,505 gap	Fewer booked sessions push the month into red.
Fixed-cost pressure	Add $500 of monthly overhead.	$23,147	$197 gap	Rent or admin cost creep can erase the cushion.
Margin pressure	Contribution margin falls to 75.5%.	$24,018	$1,068 gap	Commission creep or ad spend can move break-even up fast.
Combined pressure	Revenue drops 10%, overhead rises $500, and margin falls to 75.5%.	$24,680	$3,034 gap	This turns a thin cushion into a real monthly loss.

Can this trainer hit 12 visits a day before locking the lease and hiring up?

Founder checklist

Yes, but only if you can hold 12 visits a day at a $76.50 average ticket and keep fixed costs near $18.1K a month. That is what makes Month 14 break-even believable before you commit to the lease and hiring.

1Daily Visits12/day

Twelve visits a day across 300 operating days is the floor for the Year 1 plan, so prove that flow before you sign the lease.

2Ticket Mix$76.50

Average revenue per visit is $76.50 once you blend $85 individual sessions, $35 group classes, $100 drop-ins, and $5 ancillary sales, and at 19.5% variable costs that leaves about 80.5% CM, or contribution margin.

3Fixed Load$18.1K/mo

Fixed costs run about $18,133 a month, including $3,500 rent and $13,333 payroll, so the space has to fit that load from launch.

4Staff Ramp1.0→3.0 FTE

Full-time equivalent staff rises from 1.0 trainer FTE in Year 1 to 3.0 in Year 5, so delay the next hire if bookings fall short of the 12-a-day pace.

5Launch Build$52K

The opening three months need about $52,000 in build spend for equipment, renovation, tech, website, and setup, so delay heavy outlay until demand is real.

6Cash Cushion$816K

The model needs a minimum cash balance of $816,000 and does not pay back for 38 months, so reserves have to cover a long ramp.