personal trainer

instructor

fitness instructor

front desk agent

member experience specialist

Retro Fitness

I truly loved being part of the Retro Fitness brand. The new leadership structure brought clarity, strong operational systems, and consistent accountability across locations. It’s a company that values performance, culture, and community impact.

Typical Day:
A typical day as General Manager included reviewing leadership board metrics, analyzing P&L and KPIs, driving membership growth, overseeing retention strategies, proshop marketing, smoothie bar sales, managing staff development, and maintaining strong community outreach. The role required hands-on leadership,  from sales support to member engagement, while ensuring operational excellence and brand standards were upheld daily.

The owners I worked with were exceptional professional, respectful, generous, and deeply committed to the success of the club and team. I always felt well treated and valued in my position.

Corporate support was invaluable. Ongoing training, structured systems, and leadership development opportunities were consistently provided, which helped strengthen both operational knowledge and executive decision-making skills.

I ultimately transitioned because, as a General Manager, I was not permitted to teach group fitness classes. While I fully respected the role expectations, group fitness instruction is my true passion, and I felt called to return to the teaching floor and direct community engagement.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve with Retro Fitness and for the leadership growth I experienced during my time there.


As a competitor and health fanatic, I thought working in a gym would be great. I have experienced working under 2 different managers since I was there. 
One manager wasn't there at all and was very much dependent on his staff to do his work. Luckily, as a team we were able to cover shifts and working anything out as far as the register system not working, billing, and opening and closing at night.
Once that manager was fired, the staff was under another manger who was afraid to make profound calls on the team and what should be done. Often times it was left up to me to make sure shifts were covered. Often times I have opened the gym when I wasn't suppose to work because the manager at the time was unable to be reached. 
I was also basically in charge of making sure that machines were fixed and making sure that vendor orders came in correctly. 
Meanwhile, this manager comes in around 2pm to play catch up on what was done. 
Often there wasn't no communication as far as new promotions or procedures unless we were notified by a potential member or by another staff member.
As a far as the staff was concern, we all worked very well together was able to cover each other shift when another couldn't work or if the front desk looked like it was getting to crowded. 
We were all gym rats so hanging out and working as well wasn't uncommon especially when someone else was on duty and that person wasn't. As co-workers, we loved the gym!

My time spent with RetroFitness allowed me many great opportunities to not only have a positive affect on our 3000 members, but allowed them to positively affect me. 
A typical day would start by reviewing 13-15 daily reports generated from the previous days activities. Once the paperwork had been tended to, position evolves into a customer service based position. Meeting and greeting the members as they move through the facility as well as assisting in the correction of any/all member issues. Several times during the week I was able to get out into the surrounding community and meet with local businesses to promote the gym as well as go over any promotions we might be offering at the time in an attempt to consistantly build a larger/stronger member base.
A manager is only as productive as his team. My experience with my team was definitely a great one. From Retro Corporate, to the facility owners, as well as my personal staff, they all made the job possible and it was sad to say good bye after many good years together.
After many years with the company, I found the most difficult part of the job was the time consuming commute. A typical week consisted of 55-62 hours in the gym, with a typical commute being anywhere from 60min upto 90min each way depending on traffic conditions. After 7yrs the commute/traffic/time away from my family had definitely taken its toll.

A day at work consists of many different tasks and multi-tasking alot. My job is to maintain memberships and keep up with different reports. I try to transition the canceled members but joining the gym again with a phone call and email. I have to change members credit card information on their account. I collect monthly dues from members. If a persons account is in collections, I have to speak with financial companies and first credit to remove them from damaging their credit. I also have to give tours of the gym while selling memberships. I'm great on the cash register. I also have to create signs for around the gym that say what new products we sell, or new promotions. At Retro Fitness, I learned how to multi-task and how to provide the best customer service. I like to interact with members and talk to them about their workouts. My coworkers are okay with their job. Some lack skills that can be fixed, such as filing paperwork correctly, or remembering membership packages. The hardest part of the job, which isn't even that hard, is dealing with rude, unhappy customers. I make sure everyone is satisfied and if their not, I try to come up with a solution that'll benefit Retro and the customer. The most enjoyable part of my job is getting to know people and how they like our service that we provide them. It is a great feeling knowing that people think your gym is excellent, good environment and clean!

A typical work day included answering the phone, using the company software to search members’ accounts to retrieve the necessary information to answer their questions, take their payments, and many other functions. In addition, you will be making protein shakes, giving tours, signing up customers for memberships, entering prospects into the system who are trying out the gym with the goal of converting them into annual memberships, clearing the weight floor off all equipment and debris, restocking all dispensers and supplies, and a host of other tasks. 

I learned a lot about customer service and how much more there is to running a gym than just “lifting things up and putting them down”, most of which was stated above.

The management and workplace culture was good in my experience. 

The hardest part of the job was not always being able to clear the weight floor during very busy periods that could last for a few hours at a time. It can and will get very cluttered out there.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the experience I gained in the industry, as well as all the people I met over a period of seven years; both employees and members, many of whom I consider friends. 

Open business at 4:45 am, enter member changes and other information into Datatrak, create promotional displays using Microsoft, update social media sites such as Facebook with class schedule/club promotions, assist customers with updating personal/billing information, collecting past due payments, submitting payments to collection agency, collecting cash receipts for products and services, balance register.

Most enjoyable part of the job would be seeing life changing results in individual clients. Hardest part of the job would be dealing with unruly customers. Upper management is laid back, yet very by the books.

At this place of employment I have bettered my customer service skills, constantly dealing with people. I have learned about marketing and product display, having to create promotional displays throughout the facility based on the target market. Developed family package and rewards memberships, as well as promotions to introduce it. I schedule employees, having to keep the hours within a certain parameter. Oversee productivity of other employees.

i worked from 5-11PM during peak hours. i couldnt really do much because it is crowded and people are using everything. the most i could do is rerack weights people leave on the floor and equipment and sweep the floor. its gets boring when you cant do anything except just stand some where keeping a eye over things.  i always put things back where they belong but the moment i turn my back its back on the floor again. i make a spot look nice and real quick its a mess again. people are jerks, they never re-rack what they use and assume its your job to clean up after them. the pay is garbage. i only got 9.25$ a hour and worked only 21 hours a week. pay is bi-weekly. there are NO BENEFITS. there is only 1 porter per shift. so if the next guy is out the person before has to do a 12hour shift. the co-workers where i was at where nice and the managers a a-holes. the hard part of the job is dealing with so much people in one place. its more enjoyable when its slow because more work can get done. why do they give it this job code a fancy name of "floor tech"? just call it porter. giving it floor tech is like adding insult to injury on such a trash job.

I enjoyed my experience at retro fitness in cooper city because the employees were very friendly, open and productive in their work. Everyone did what they needed to while also making the gym members feel welcomed and accepted. The staff is always positive and makes for enjoyable work shifts. The management treats the staff wonderfully and tends to whatever hours needed to be changed for the schedule while also letting the employees trade shifts with each other. Every shift was basically making sure the gym members are greeted in a friendly manner, making smoothies for the members, making sure the counters are always clean and making sure everything is stocked up. Signing people up for the gym was a rewarding feeling because you could see how eager and excited they were after getting a membership and you were the one to make them feel comfortable and welcomed. The hardest part of the job was helping people the best that you can even when their in an upset mood and doing the best to solve their issues despite them speaking negatively towards you.

I go to the gym at 4: 45 in the morning.  I switch on the light and the equipment needed to be turned on.  Open up the safe to get $100 from it to keep in the cash register.  Record the number of smoothies sold from previous day.  I select a movie from Netflex for the theater for the movie of the day.  Fill up hand sanitizer, paper towel and cleaning solution dispensers.  Check both men and women's locker room to make sure they are in good conditions.   Replenish drinks in the refrigerator.  Water Plants than I unlock the door @ 5 a.m. for customers.   During the morning, I handle calls for all different reasons.  I make smoothies and ring up sells of snack and drink.  I walk around once a while to make sure the weights and attachments are put away.  Before I clock out for the day, I have to balance the cash draw out.  There hardest part of the job is be able to be at work at 4:45a.m when it's really cold and snowing.  The most enjoyable part of the job is free membership for the gym and the members.

The job itself is really not hard. You clean pretty frequently which is easy, talk to members, sign people up and handle any member account issues. It should be a easy going job; however, the culture of the place is absolutely terrible. 
Management is a joke. There is clear favoritism, childish behavior, and no communication. You will learn about promotions and things going on in the gym from social media. If you are not a favorite of management, you will be treated horribly. Management will lie to you and try to tell stories. Management is the root cause of the toxic environment. 
The pay is not worth the mental strain this place causes you. You are paid the bare minimum and do not get PTO until a year of employment. Then you get ONE day paid. 
Most of the members are great and will converse and get to know you, others are entitled and treat you as if you are the scum of the earth. 
If you’re looking to get into the fitness or sales industry, look else where. This place is not worth it. You will be overworked and never acknowledged. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Personal trainer 8 salaries reported	$24.19 per hour
Instructor 6 salaries reported	$26.67 per hour
Fitness instructor 1 salary reported	$18.00 per hour
Front desk agent 2 salaries reported	$15.99 per hour
Member experience specialist 2 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour

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