How does The Exercise Coach opening process work?
Exercise Coach USA, LLC expects most franchisees to open within 300 days after signing the Franchise Agreement. The current franchise page describes a shorter 5–8-month typical range, but that marketing estimate is not a contract promise. The 2026 FDD and signed agreement control: site approval, lease approval, buildout, trained personnel, licenses, insurance, equipment, systems, and written authorization must all be complete.
What must an applicant qualify for before signing?
The current FDD does not publish a numerical net-worth minimum, liquidity minimum, credit-score threshold, education requirement, citizenship rule, or required fitness-industry background. The official U.S. franchise page says prior fitness experience is not required and describes leadership, mentoring, relational ability, personal interest in health and wellness, positivity, and solution orientation as qualities the brand seeks.
- Approval remains discretionaryAn inquiry, application, qualification review, award decision, and contract signing are separate events.
- Choose the development pathA single Studio uses one Franchise Agreement; an Area Development Agreement requires at least two Studios.
- Name a Managing OwnerThe approved Managing Owner must hold binding decision authority and normally at least 20% ownership.
- Prepare the ownership entityOn request, provide organizational documents, a good-standing certificate, and authority to sign.
- Accept personal guaranteesEach owner and the owner’s spouse signs an Owner Agreement covering financial and brand-protection obligations.
- Confirm state offer statusRegistration and effective-date requirements vary; verify that the offer is effective in the intended state.
Because Exercise Coach USA, LLC does not disclose numerical applicant financial thresholds, ask which current criteria apply to the individual applicant, ownership group, proposed entity, and—if applicable—the full Area Development Agreement commitment. Meeting stated preferences does not require the franchisor to approve or award a franchise.
What happens from initial inquiry to written opening authorization?
The sequence below separates applicant action, franchisor approval, and outside dependencies. Site approval, lease approval, training completion, inspection, and opening authorization are not interchangeable milestones.
Complete the fit and qualification review
- Action
- Submit requested applicant, ownership, financial, and market information.
- Actor
- Applicant; Exercise Coach USA, LLC evaluates and decides whether to proceed.
- Timing
- No contractual application-review period is disclosed.
- Blocker
- Unpublished qualification criteria, state offer status, or unavailable development area.
Receive and review the current FDD
- Action
- Review the FDD, attached agreements, state addenda, and any Area Development Agreement.
- Actor
- Applicant, with legal, accounting, lending, and real-estate professionals as needed.
- Timing
- At least 14 calendar days before a binding agreement or payment to the franchisor or affiliate; the count starts the day after delivery, so the first permitted day is day 15.
- Next
- Reconcile the final execution copies with the disclosed forms before signing.
Sign the governing agreements
- Action
- Sign the Franchise Agreement, Gymbot Participation Agreement, Owner Agreements, and applicable ancillary documents; the $49,500 initial franchise fee and $5,000 initial training fee are due and nonrefundable at signing.
- Actor
- Franchisee entity, owners, spouses, Exercise Coach USA, LLC, and Gymbot, LLC.
- Timing
- After the federal disclosure period and award approval.
- Blocker
- Incomplete entity authority, guarantees, negotiated documents, or financing plan.
Propose and secure approval of a site
- Action
- Submit at least one site within 60 days and a complete site report with requested documentation.
- Actor
- Franchisee finds the site; Exercise Coach USA, LLC approves or disapproves it.
- Timing
- Approved site required within 90 days; the franchisor’s review target is 30 days after a complete report.
- Blocker
- Silence after the review period is disapproval; extensions are discretionary.
Obtain lease approval and landlord execution
- Action
- Have the lease reviewed, obtain franchisor approval before signing, and use best efforts to secure the Lease Addendum.
- Actor
- Franchisee, real-estate attorney, landlord, and Exercise Coach USA, LLC.
- Timing
- Lease and Lease Addendum due within 120 days after the Effective Date.
- Blocker
- A landlord refusal can lead to waiver of provisions or a requirement to find another site.
Design, permit, construct, and equip the Studio
- Action
- Hire a licensed and bonded architect, obtain plan approvals, complete the buildout, and install approved fixtures, signs, technology, and equipment.
- Actor
- Franchisee, architect, contractor, government authorities, approved suppliers, and Gymbot.
- Timing
- No universal construction duration is disclosed; it must fit the contractual opening clock.
- Blocker
- Zoning, permits, landlord work, materials, inspections, insurance, or Gymbot delivery and installation.
Complete training and certify the team
- Action
- Complete Management Training plus GSC and SBB Certification Training; hire enough certified Coaches.
- Actor
- Managing Owner, managers, Coaches, and franchisor-designated trainers.
- Timing
- All required trainees must finish to the franchisor’s satisfaction at least seven days before opening.
- Blocker
- Failed testing, missing trainees, travel scheduling, or fewer than three certified Coaches and 120 weekly coaching hours.
Finish pre-opening operating readiness
- Action
- Activate designated software, procure insurance, obtain licenses, complete staffing checks, and submit the grand-opening marketing plan.
- Actor
- Franchisee, FranBoost, insurers, suppliers, and relevant government authorities.
- Timing
- Marketing plan is due 60 days before projected opening; proof of insurance and licenses precedes authorization.
- Blocker
- Unapproved marketing, incomplete systems, missing licenses, or deficient insurance evidence.
Request inspection and written authorization
- Action
- Give 30 days’ notice of the proposed Opening Date, facilitate any in-person or virtual inspection, and correct deficiencies.
- Actor
- Franchisee completes corrections; Exercise Coach USA, LLC issues or withholds written authorization.
- Timing
- Open within 120 days after the lease or purchase contract, or after the Effective Date if the premises were already owned.
- Blocker
- No Studio may open before written authorization, even if construction and training are complete.
Which disclosed periods can delay The Exercise Coach opening?
These periods use different triggers and cannot be added into one opening duration. The 300-day figure is the FDD’s total estimate; the bars below show separate review, site, lease, marketing, training, notice, and opening requirements.
Days disclosed in the 2026 FDD and Franchise Agreement; each bar retains its own trigger.
Interpretation: the site and lease clocks run from the Franchise Agreement Effective Date, while the opening clock usually starts when the premises contract is signed.
Source: 2026 FDD cover and Item 11, pp. 24–25; Franchise Agreement §§5.1, 7.1, 7.2, 7.4 and 10.3(a), agreement pp. 9–14; FTC Franchise Rule Compliance Guide and 16 CFR Part 436.
Failure to identify an approved site, secure a fully executed lease and Lease Addendum, or open by the applicable §7 deadline is listed as a material default that may be terminated without a cure period. A 30-day extension is not automatic; Exercise Coach USA, LLC may grant one only after the franchisee demonstrates diligent good-faith effort and delay outside its control.
When does a proposed location become an approved Territory?
A Site Selection Area is only the search area stated in the Franchise Agreement; it is not the final protected Territory. The Territory is designated with the approved site and must include at least 5,000 qualified households, defined in the agreement as households with annual income of at least $120,000 when designated. That household test defines the Territory—it is not an applicant financial qualification.
Exercise Coach USA, LLC states that approval means only that the proposed location meets its minimum criteria. The franchisee remains responsible for real-estate, financial, zoning, construction, accessibility, and market due diligence, and the franchisor does not select, purchase, or lease the premises for the franchisee.
What must be complete before written opening authorization?
Management Training currently includes about five days and 64–90 classroom hours plus 10 on-the-job hours. The Managing Owner and initial managers must complete Management Training; owners and others who coach must complete GSC and SBB Certification Training. Training completion alone does not authorize opening.
| Readiness gate | Responsible party | Evidence needed before opening | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management and coach training | Managing Owner, managers, Coaches | Satisfactory completion at least seven days before opening | Item 11; FA §§5.1–5.2 |
| Licenses and local compliance | Franchisee and authorities | All required licenses; applicable zoning, building, health-club, employment, and safety compliance | Items 1 and 11; FA §7.4 |
| Insurance | Franchisee and insurer | Required policies and evidence of coverage | Item 8; FA §§5.1 and 7.4 |
| Buildout and equipment | Franchisee, contractor, Gymbot | Approved layout, completed corrections, installed Equipment Package and active Participation Agreement | Items 5, 8 and 11; FA §§6.2–7.4 |
| Staffing capacity | Franchisee | At least three certified Coaches and 120 hours of weekly coaching availability | FA §7.4(f) |
| Opening decision | Exercise Coach USA, LLC | Written authorization after any inspection and required modifications | FA §7.4 |
Required systems include franchisor-designated business-management, scheduling, customer-relationship, accounting, communications, and reporting tools. Gymbot supplies the proprietary EXERBOTICS equipment and software under the Participation Agreement, while FranBoost is the designated digital-marketing provider. Alternative suppliers may be proposed only through the written evaluation process described in Item 8; approval is not presumed.
How does an Area Development Agreement change the opening process?
An Area Development Agreement creates an obligation to open at least two Studios in a defined Development Territory according to a Development Schedule. The area developer signs the Initial Franchise Agreement with the Area Development Agreement and pays the first-unit fee plus the fully earned, nonrefundable development fee. A separate, then-current Franchise Agreement and ancillary agreements are required for each later Studio before site review, construction, or operation.
The Development Schedule can require a Studio to open earlier than the associated Franchise Agreement deadline. Missing a Development Schedule date is a material breach. Any extension is discretionary and requires proof of best efforts and unforeseeable delay—not lack of diligence or funding. For each later Franchise Agreement, Multi-Unit Operator Training runs remotely over six months, with at least five classroom hours and 20 on-the-job hours for the Managing Owner and up to two additional people. Standard Studio training remains separately applicable unless waived.
Who controls the critical opening dependencies?
The franchisee controls execution and timely submissions; Exercise Coach USA, LLC controls brand approvals and written authorization; landlords, lenders, suppliers, contractors, insurers, and government authorities control external dependencies that the franchisor does not guarantee.
Applicant and franchisee
Provide qualification information, form and maintain the entity, fund obligations, find the site, negotiate the lease, hire professionals, obtain permits and insurance, complete buildout, recruit and train staff, submit marketing plans, give opening notice, and correct inspection deficiencies.
Franchisor and affiliates
Exercise Coach USA, LLC decides applicant, site, lease, design, marketing, training-completion, and opening approvals. Gymbot supplies and configures the Equipment Package and EXERBOTICS system. FranBoost provides required digital-marketing services.
Third parties
The landlord controls lease acceptance; lenders control financing; architects and contractors control plans and construction; authorities control zoning, permits, licenses, and inspections; insurers control policy issuance; suppliers control production, shipment, and installation timing.
What should a buyer verify before signing and before opening?
- Current state effectivenessConfirm that the 2026 offer and any state addendum are effective for the applicant and proposed Studio state.
- Unpublished qualification criteriaObtain the current financial, ownership, management, and multi-unit standards that apply to the deal.
- Execution packageCompare every final agreement, guaranty, Participation Agreement, Lease Addendum, and attachment with the FDD forms.
- Site and Territory boundariesVerify the Site Selection Area, approved address, Territory map, qualified-household count, and reserved competitive channels.
- Critical-path datesPut the 60-, 90-, and 120-day triggers, proposed opening notice, training deadline, and marketing-plan date into one dated schedule.
- Landlord and buildout exposureConfirm the Lease Addendum, contingencies, permit path, landlord work, contractor schedule, and correction responsibility.
- Equipment and training capacityVerify Gymbot lead times, installation prerequisites, training dates, testing, and the staffing plan for three certified Coaches.
- Comparable franchisee experienceUse Item 20 contacts to ask recent openers and signed-but-not-open franchisees about site, lease, construction, equipment, training, and authorization delays.
What is the practical opening decision?
The verified path is qualification and award, federal FDD review, execution of the Franchise Agreement and related documents, site and Territory approval, lease approval, design and buildout, Gymbot equipment installation, systems and marketing setup, training and staffing, inspection, corrections, and written opening authorization. The total timeline is an official estimate—most franchisees are expected to open within 300 days—not a promised completion date.
The most important applicant-controlled dependency is securing an approvable site and lease early enough to preserve the 90- and 120-day contract clocks while funding and managing buildout, staffing, and training. The most important external dependencies are landlord cooperation, permits, construction, supplier delivery, and franchisor approvals. Before signing, verify the applicable state offer, unpublished qualification standards, exact Territory, extension conditions, and—under an Area Development Agreement—the Development Schedule date that may override the later unit-level opening deadline.
Public official references: The Exercise Coach U.S. franchise information; official brand website; official Studio locator; FTC Franchise Rule Compliance Guide; 16 CFR Part 436.
Contract basis: The Exercise Coach 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued April 20, 2026 and amended April 30, 2026; Items 1, 5–12, 15–17 and 20; Franchise Agreement §§5–10, 15 and 20; Area Development Agreement §§4–6. No verified franchise-controlled public FDD link was located, so the FDD citations are intentionally unlinked.