How Fit Body Boot Camp Turns An Overlooked ‘golden’ Opportunity Into Franchise Profitability

With Fit Body Forever, Fit Body Boot Camp helps out a demographic that needs it most and puts their franchisees in a position for success

There’s a different understanding of what a person’s “golden years” are at Fit Body Boot Camp, the group fitness franchise specializing in high-intensity interval training (HIIT). While much of the concentration around fitness remains on Gen-Z and young adults, this brand caters as well to those aged 60-and-over with its Fit Body Forever program. 

Compared to Fit Body Boot Camp classes, Fit Body Forever sessions run a bit longer, drop a bit in intensity, but still carry the same HIIT principles to set up a challenging, safe exercise experience. They’re ideal for anyone who is actively aging, and in a certain sense, necessary.

“The truth is, in the fitness industry, they focus on the youth, the 20-somethings, 30-somethings or maybe early 40-somethings to get in shape for the summer,” said Bryce Henson, CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp. “But the reality of this situation is, the biggest need in the fitness industry is for older adults. We all need fitness. We all need strength training. We all need muscle development well into our later years.

Bryce Henson (credit: Fit Body Boot Camp)

Be that as it may, Fit Body Boot Camp isn’t just tending to an underserved population — it’s capitalizing on a “golden” opportunity. Consumer behavior, time management and the economics in play all contribute to that. 

Built For This

Older adults typically have deeper pockets than Gen-Zers or even Millennials. That, paired with their behavior compared to other demographics, makes them a worthwhile investment from a fitness perspective. 

“Adults 60 and older in the USA have the most disposable time and income,” said Henson. “From our last data poll, they control over 60% of all our country’s wealth. So, they have disposable time and disposable income — and that makes them a perfect client.”

As humans, as we increase our years, we also increase, or at least try to increase, our wisdom. The Fit Body Forever program also leverages that to its advantage. 

“They show up and they pay their bills,” said Henson. “There’s exceptions to everything but at the end of the day, most human beings get better with age, and because of that growth and maturation, they’re better clients to work with. Again, consistency and dependability.”

People are often happier and more agreeable when they feel cared for, especially if they’ve previously felt overlooked.

credit: Fit Body Boot Camp

“They’re just overall enjoyable to work with,” said Henson of Fit Body Forever clients. “They display a lot of gratitude, probably because of where they’re at in life and because there’s not a lot of other options for them. They feel extremely grateful for the opportunity.”

Henson said that gratitude even extends beyond the realm of fitness, as it also offers older individuals a chance to socialize. 

“As we age, we lose the social network, so this provides them that,” he added. 

Longevity & Retention

While still important, filling a gap in the fitness industry isn’t just about giving people a place to hang out or something they’ll appreciate. It’s about giving their bodies what they need along with their minds. Fit Body Boot Camp recognized that in launching Fit Body Forever.

“The fact is, we need to continue strength training far into our adult years,” said Henson. “With your overall health, there’s a lot of data that comes down to overall strength. There is a need without a shadow of a doubt. The data is clear. We all need strength training and fitness well into our entire life.”

Robert Linkul, the brand’s director of education, has been instrumental in taking this understanding further while tackling one of the biggest issues plaguing older adults. 

credit: Fit Body Boot Camp

“Linkul has brought a lot of data in around Sarcopenia, which is a progressive and generalized skeletal muscle disorder characterized by the accelerated loss of muscle mass and function, particularly strength, which increases the risk of falls, functional decline, being frail and then mortality,” Henson explained. 

“There’s a lot of data on this. As you get older, when someone falls and they break a hip, they exponentially put themselves at a higher risk for mortality, which is not good. So strength training helps with this in spades.”

Fit Body Forever combats that directly with programming that blends strength training with cardio. It also safe-proofs workouts by easing individuals into them with a custom onboarding assessment that verifies if someone can handle the workout before subjecting them to it. The brand also includes progress assessments to keep a watchful eye on everyone as they progress. There are also fewer members in Fit Body Forever classes compared to Boot Camp sessions, which makes it easier for coaches to keep tabs on everyone as well. 

Unlocking New Revenue

These insights and understandings by the Fit Body Boot Camp team are already translating into tangible results for those investing in them. Henson reports that the average location of Fit Body Boot Camp in 2024 that had a Fit Body Forever license or program within their business did over $200,000 in revenue more than the ones without. 

“As the data becomes more apparent, more of our locations are interested in getting on board, which is great,” said Henson. 

Henson also shared that in 2024, the brand had some locations with a 1% attrition rate. 

“That’s wild,” he said. “The industry standard is anywhere from 12 to 15%.”

Fit Body Forever’s alignment with off-peak hours also supports the revenue figure. Boot Camp classes are typically held during the morning hours, which leaves the brand with freed-up time and physical space in the afternoons. 

“Typically speaking up until this point, the studio was sitting bare without the opportunity to generate revenue,” Henson explained. “With the addition of Fit Body Forever, our location owners could fill up more sessions throughout the day; driving more revenue at times when they were typically a dead zone. That has been a huge win.”

That said, the demand for Fit Body Forever has grown to such a level that the franchise is in the process of adjusting its schedule to also feature the 60-and-up classes in the morning. Fit Body Boot Camp is onboarding another 30 locations at its World Conference in Atlanta, GA this August as well. 

This article originally appeared in ATN’s Technology & Innovation Outlook 2025 report, which maps the emerging tools driving business impact across the industry, drawing on operator interviews, executive-level insights and new market data. Download the free report.

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