personal trainer

assistant manager

kids club attendant

club manager

district manager

Fitness Connection

Former General Manager

I worked at Fitness Connection as a General Manager for a little under a year, and during that time I experienced more instability than I’ve seen at any other company in my career. From the moment I started, there were constant changes at the leadership level. I watched managers around me get promoted one week and fired the next. Several restructuring phases took place in just a matter of months, and each one created more confusion, stress, and uncertainty for everyone on the management team.

Turnover was extremely high at all levels. Many managers left on their own because the expectations were unrealistic and the workload was overwhelming. Eventually, the company made a decision to let go of a large portion of the staff at once, cutting teams in half and leaving the remaining employees stretched thin. The latest I’ve heard is that they are now eliminating the HR department entirely, which only adds to the sense that the company is moving in the wrong direction.

What becomes very clear is that Fitness Connection cares primarily about numbers. The pressure to hit metrics is nonstop, often at the expense of employee well-being. You’re expected to work long hours, carry the weight of missing staff, and constantly push for results—even when the resources aren’t there to support success. And if the company doesn’t see what they want fast enough, they let you go without hesitation.

Overall, the environment is unstable, stressful, and unsupportive. If you’re considering a management role here, be prepared for constant changes, very little job security, and a company culture that prioritizes profit over people. I gained experience, but the instability and lack of support made it a tough place to build a long-term career.

When we first opened everything was more or less fine, after 90 days the first cuts were made to the team, and nothing was lost. But very shortly after that, everything changed. Management stopped communicating with us, corporate sent down two gargoyles to 'change' how we were running things even though we were one of the few facilities they had coming out on top at the end of the month and we immediately saw a reduction in new joins from the atmosphere they brought along with an almost 150% increase in prices after the first four months. When positions came open for promotion they were not filled in, we would have 'float' managers brought in from other clubs. When staff or a member brought an issue to their attention nothing was done unless management thought it may cause a scene at the front desk or if someone left a negative review online. We constantly had our hours and days changed regardless of our availability and whether we were full or part time, when I left no one but management was full-time because 'extra hours' weren't in the budget even though we had less than half of the staff we started with. I know myself and two other people were cut from 60+ hours a pay period to less than 40, and trainers were not consistently being paid. There was also no clear path on who to report pay or shift issues with because of the company's inability to retain managers. Many of us were told we held 'levels' that the paper work was never done for, which caused some financial problems for many of us.

The company offers flexible hours and reasonable pay, making it suitable for students. However, several concerns have been raised about the management practices. Managers often approve PTO requests but later rescind approval, requiring employees to work on their planned days off or face disciplinary action. The workload disproportionately falls on assistant managers and teammates, with assistant managers facing additional responsibilities and potential disciplinary actions if goals are not met.
Promotion within the company appears straightforward but involves unethical practices, as management often overlooks required tasks to avoid potential issues. Raises occur frequently, but employees are expected to learn independently without structured training to achieve higher levels and teach others. Additionally, management delivers feedback firmly but does not readily accept feedback from employees or managers, and expects employees to adapt to their teaching methods regardless of individual learning preferences. Overall, there is a notable disconnect between corporate management and employees.

I can confidently say that this is 1 of the most toxic work environments I have ever been apart of. Before Corporate at FC changed everything and got rid of their Personal Training department, work was fine, it was less stressful.
Once they got rid of everything and shifted to Front desk and Sales team only, it changed everything.
Corporate has directed the sales dept. in lying to guests looking to sign up. I've stood next to a sales manager and listen to him lie about other gyms in the area in order to make them try and sign up with Fitness Connection. There are a few sales people who actually try to help guests and have morals. Then there are many willing to lie to people to just get numbers. Fitness Connection use to pride itself on "Helping the underprivileged community" now they only want to sell over priced supplements and drinks.  Manager demands to that we hit a sales goal for ProShop to the majority gym members who cannot afford the prices as is. They are members at FC because the gym membership pricing.
Every business needs profit to succeed, but lying to get ahead is not the right way. 

When I started working with this company as a certified personal trainer. Even if you don’t have a client, there is always something to do. If you like a job that’s going to keep you busy, productive, & on your feet, this is the opportunity for you! 

Trainers are compensated very nicely in their first few months for training. Coworkers are well knowledgeable & will put you on the fast track of learning different things to keep the facility running well. I was promoted to a level II trainer in only 2 months. CPT’s get paid well for sessions as well. 

Management with this company goes above and beyond to make sure you’re going in the right direction. They check in with you thru 1 on 1 meetings, often. That way, there’s no surprises. If you make mistakes, they’re understanding & take the necessary steps to coach you to improve. They truly want to see you grow. 

Hours are flexible! However, if you make too many changes with your schedule— hours will be cut and they will find a replacement quick! Even though it’s a great workplace environment, it is still cut throat. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Team work from the other staff members 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Multiple stress factors first being the expectation to work 8am till 8pm 4 days a week and also be expected to work 6 out of 7 days 2nd being held accountable to hit your KPI and get your sales staff do hit theirs as well. Example in a single day with 4 staff working GM get 2 membership and other sales staff get 4, per shift

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
High pressure sales. When trained was told to look for tricks to hit my numbers. Staff try to work together to hit goals but ultimately each member is trying to hit their numbers first 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
8am walk the gym 9am collect sales numbers 10 am report sales goals to DM, hold a staff huddle setting expectations for the day and motivate them to hit their sales, work front desk, clean gym, 1pm report progress on sales have another sales manager meeting to motivate them to sell, clean gym work front desk 6pm report sales numbers.. clean gym then respond to any issues in gym.

Fitness Connection has deep, ongoing issues with management and employee growth. Promotions are not based on performance, results, or consistency, but on favoritism and personal relationships. I was passed over for multiple promotions despite having stronger numbers and better results than those who were promoted. My metrics were clear, my performance was consistent, and my work ethic was proven—yet none of that seemed to matter. Leadership offers little transparency around advancement, no clear development path, and minimal feedback on what it actually takes to move up. This creates a discouraging environment where hard work goes unrewarded and motivation steadily declines. Instead of developing talent, management overlooks high performers while promoting friends, which ultimately hurts morale, culture, and long-term growth. If you’re seeking a workplace where merit, accountability, and measurable results truly matter, this organization will likely leave you frustrated and stalled.

Where do I even start? I was with the company for 3 years most of it as the kids club supervisor. Well respected till I got fired without write ups or a warning. My entire team got fired the same day. They had us come in to open and had the audacity to ask us to stay after firing us for the rest of the shift. The company is a complete joke. Management isn’t even qualified for their position. I had to numerous times solve problems I wasn’t trained to solve. The work environment was divided by departments and very toxic. Felt like we were looked down upon when Essentially we were an important part of the company. 

The best part was working with the kids and gaining the love, trust, and respect of the parents. Definitely the only thing I enjoyed. But I wouldn’t ever work here again. They don’t pay enough for the lack of respect. 

The position was fine, along with reasonable training and ramp-up time. The problem is that there is a new CEO every few months, and never a shortage of bright ideas that are poorly executed and seldom challenged in a meaningful way. The pay is commensurate with the role, so long as you do not highly value time outside of work. Turnover for every position from C-suite to individual contributors is extraordinary, and there seems to be a consistent human capital crisis. 

Amazing day to day community and environment. Active and on your feet, lots of smiles and laughs. Young, energetic teammates with similar goals in fitness and life. Good customer connections most of the time and lots of opportunities build relationships with them. The management choices are often young, positive and supportive, yet sometimes inexperienced and driven by sales quotas rather than the benevolent desire to improve the lives of the members that they are selling to. Overall good experience with decent pay (depending on location and management staff). 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Personal trainer 2 salaries reported	$14.25 per hour
Assistant manager 11 salaries reported	$22.09 per hour
Kids club attendant 3 salaries reported	$46,500 per year
Club manager 4 salaries reported	$76,875 per year
District manager 2 salaries reported	$102,500 per year

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