Ste McGrath: Building Seven-Figure Fitness Businesses

In an industry saturated with unrealistic promises and get-rich-quick schemes, one business coach stands out for his radical honesty and proven track record. Ste McGrath, founder and CEO of Collective Coaching, has helped over 1,000 online fitness coaches achieve six-figure incomes by teaching them something most business coaches won’t admit: success takes time, strategy, and relentless execution not overnight miracles.

From building his own seven-figure online fitness business to creating a coaching empire projected to hit £1.5 million in its first year, McGrath’s journey offers a masterclass in scaling fitness businesses the right way.

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From Teacher to Seven-Figure Fitness Entrepreneur

Ste McGrath holds a REPS Level 3 qualification, a degree in Exercise and Sport Science, and a PGCE in Education. His background as a competitive bodybuilder, fitness model, and former athlete gave him the technical foundation, but it was his teaching qualification that would prove most valuable in his entrepreneurial journey.

In 2019, McGrath launched Get Results Training, his online fitness business. What happened next was extraordinary. McGrath built Get Results Training into a seven-figure online fitness coaching business, helping over 500 clients achieve body transformations while operating from both Manchester, UK, and Dubai.

McGrath and his team were early adopters of coaching software, giving them a competitive advantage. Rather than relying on Google Sheets and weekly emails like most coaches at the time, they provided daily feedback and engagement, creating an experience that completely outperformed competitors.

But as his success grew, something interesting happened. Other fitness coaches started approaching McGrath, asking how he’d built such a profitable business. McGrath initially helped these coaches for free, but eventually realized he needed to charge for his time and that there was a huge gap in the market.

The problem was clear: most fitness coaches had spent enormous amounts of time and money bouncing between different courses and coaches, trying to piece together the business knowledge they needed. McGrath saw an opportunity to consolidate everything into one comprehensive program.

In January 2022, McGrath officially launched Collective Coaching and made the bold decision to shut down Get Results Training to focus entirely on this new venture. The gamble paid off spectacularly. Collective Coaching was projected to hit £1.5 million in revenue in its first year, with a team of 13 experts.

The Collective Coaching Model: Honesty Over Hype

What makes Collective Coaching different from the countless other business coaching programs targeting fitness professionals? McGrath’s approach is built on three foundational principles: realism, adaptability, and comprehensive support.

Realism Over False Promises

McGrath emphasizes an approach based on realism, consistently approaching businesses with honesty and focusing on achievable goals rather than building false hope. His messaging is refreshingly blunt: you’re not going from £2,000 per month to £10,000 overnight.

This realistic approach stands in stark contrast to the typical business coaching industry, where inflated promises and cherry-picked testimonials are the norm. McGrath understands that setting realistic expectations creates trust and leads to better long-term results than overpromising and underdelivering.

Adaptive, Not One-Size-Fits-All

Initially, Collective Coaching focused on finding clients in the right financial position with the right business model, but as the business scaled, this approach wasn’t sustainable. McGrath made a critical pivot.

The team moved away from the one-size-fits-all model and adapted their system to meet clients where they were, broadening their scope to include people not in the ideal business model or financial position. This flexibility allowed them to help a much wider range of fitness coaches succeed.

The program now operates on two tiers:

The Kickstart program targets coaches going from zero to £5,000 in recurring revenue, while the CEO program serves coaches from £5,000 recurring upwards, with some clients now doing £50,000-£60,000 per month. Both programs focus specifically on building one-to-one coaching businesses online.

Team-Based Comprehensive Support

Collective Coaching is a one-stop shop where online fitness coaches receive business and marketing advice from experts in digital marketing, branding, sales, copywriting, video, and finance structure.

This team approach means clients aren’t just learning from one person’s experience they’re getting specialized expertise across every critical business function. It’s the difference between getting generic advice and receiving tailored guidance from specialists who understand the nuances of their particular discipline.

Why His Content Is Genuinely Helpful

Ste McGrath’s educational content and coaching programs stand out in a crowded marketplace for several compelling reasons:

1. Battle-Tested Systems from Real Experience

McGrath isn’t teaching theory he’s teaching exactly what he used to build a seven-figure fitness business. Every strategy, every system, every piece of advice comes from actual implementation and results. He knows what works because he’s done it himself, at scale, repeatedly.

His experience building Get Results Training to serve 500+ clients gives him credibility that most business coaches simply don’t have. He’s walked the walk.

2. Transparency About Money

McGrath takes an unrestricted approach when it comes to talking about money. In an industry where discussing finances is often considered taboo or “sleazy,” McGrath openly shares income numbers, pricing strategies, and financial results.

McGrath believes being financially motivated leads to being a better coach because improving finances requires getting people better results. This refreshingly pragmatic view challenges the fitness industry’s often hypocritical relationship with money.

3. De-Stigmatizing Direct Outreach

One of the biggest mental blocks holding fitness coaches back is the fear of reaching out to potential clients. McGrath highlights the value of direct messaging and argues it shouldn’t be viewed as a sleazy tactic.

McGrath acknowledges the fitness industry has done itself a disservice by making jokes about “sleazy DMs,” creating a problem they now need to solve collectively. His content helps coaches reframe outreach as service rather than spam, empowering them to overcome this critical business hurdle.

4. Educational Background Enhances Teaching

With his PGCE in Education, McGrath prides himself on providing clients with the tools they need to continue making progress independently once they feel comfortable. He’s not building dependency he’s building capability.

This educational approach means his content focuses on principles and systems that coaches can apply and adapt, rather than rigid tactics that only work in specific situations.

5. Free Value Through Multiple Channels

Client testimonials consistently praise McGrath’s generosity with free content. One business owner stated that McGrath’s free trainings and YouTube channel were better than many other business coaches’ paid courses.

With 52,000 followers on his business coaching Instagram account and 57,000 on his fitness coaching account, McGrath maintains a strong social media presence where he regularly shares actionable business advice.

6. Focus on Sustainable Business Models

McGrath warns against scrambling to create five different revenue streams, having learned this lesson the hard way when he complicated his own business model. He teaches coaches to focus on mastering one primary offer before diversifying.

This emphasis on simplicity and focus helps coaches avoid the overwhelm that comes from trying to do everything at once a common trap that leads to burnout and business failure.

His Unique Edge in Content Creation

Ste McGrath brings several distinctive advantages that differentiate his content and coaching:

Real-Time Relevance

Unlike coaches who built their businesses years ago and now teach outdated strategies, McGrath shut down his fitness business in 2022 meaning his experience is current and relevant. He understands today’s market dynamics, current platform algorithms, and what’s working right now.

The Teaching Advantage

His formal education background sets him apart. Most fitness business coaches are former trainers who learned business on the fly. McGrath is a trained educator who understands pedagogy, learning theory, and how to structure information for maximum retention and application.

Dual Perspective

Having successfully built both a fitness coaching business and a business coaching company gives McGrath unique insights. He understands both sides of the equation what fitness coaches need to learn and how to effectively teach it to them.

Challenging Industry Norms

McGrath isn’t afraid to take controversial stances. His openness about money, his defense of direct messaging, and his realistic timeline expectations all go against conventional fitness industry wisdom. This willingness to challenge norms creates memorable, distinctive content.

Systematic Approach

McGrath uses a unique blend of scientific and experience-based techniques to help clients achieve their potential. This combination of evidence-based principles and real-world application creates robust, reliable systems rather than gimmicks.

Scale of Proven Results

Over 1,000 clients have achieved six-figure salaries with McGrath and his team’s help. This isn’t a handful of cherry-picked success stories it’s systematic, repeatable results at scale. That track record speaks volumes.

The Online Fitness Coaching Industry: A Goldmine for Those Who Know How

McGrath’s decision to teach fitness business coaching couldn’t have come at a better time. The industry data overwhelmingly supports that online fitness coaching represents one of the most lucrative and fastest-growing opportunities in the entire fitness sector:

Explosive Market Growth

The online fitness coaching industry is experiencing unprecedented expansion:

• The global online fitness coaching market reached $18.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.2% from 2025 to 2033, reaching an estimated $52.1 billion by 2033
• Digital fitness, including virtual training and fitness apps, was valued at $16.4 billion in 2022 and is growing at an impressive 26.72% CAGR through 2030
• The global online/virtual fitness market is expected to reach $114.02 billion by 2029 with a 31.2% growth rate
• The fitness app market is expected to grow by $1.68 billion by 2024 at a 12% CAGR

These aren’t incremental gains this is explosive, transformative growth that creates enormous opportunities for coaches who position themselves correctly.

Massive Geographic Opportunity

• North America remains the largest regional market for online fitness coaching, accounting for approximately 38% of the global market in 2024 with a market size of around $7.1 billion
• Asia Pacific is rapidly emerging as the fastest-growing regional market with a projected CAGR of 16.1% from 2025 to 2033
• The United States leads with 64.19 million gym members and growing digital adoption

The global nature of online coaching means fitness professionals can access clients worldwide, not just in their local market exactly what McGrath teaches his clients to leverage.

Consumer Behavior Shifts

The pandemic fundamentally altered how people approach fitness:

• Nearly 38% of U.S. consumers started using online workout services during COVID-19 and plan to continue using them in the future
• In 2024, 9.76% of people globally are using fitness apps, expected to grow to 12.2% by 2027
• Online training was ranked as the #1 fitness trend in 2021, jumping from #26 in 2020

This isn’t a temporary COVID bump it’s a permanent shift in consumer preferences toward digital fitness solutions.

The Personal Training Market Is Thriving

The broader personal training industry provides the foundation for online coaching success:

• The personal fitness trainer market will expand from $45.14 billion in 2024 to $47.55 billion in 2025, reflecting a CAGR of 5.3%, and will grow to $60.31 billion by 2029
• The personal fitness trainer industry is projected to witness a CAGR of 5.3% between 2025 and 2035, reaching $85.3 billion by 2035
• Employment of fitness trainers is projected to grow 12% from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations
• About 74,200 openings for fitness trainers are projected each year over the decade

Strong Income Potential

The financial opportunity for online fitness coaches is substantial:

• Personal trainers typically earn $150-$500 per client monthly and maintain 15-25 active clients for in-person training or 20-30 for online models
• Trainers who carefully manage expenses can maintain profit margins of 50-70%
• NASM certified personal trainers earn an average of $61 per hour for one-on-one sessions
• Independent personal trainers typically earn $50-$100+ per hour
• According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a personal trainer is $61,005 as of 2024
• Full-time personal trainers make about $50,000 per year with the potential to make $130,000 per year as their careers progress

The Online Advantage: Higher Margins, More Clients

Online coaching offers superior economics compared to in-person training:

Online trainers avoid gym rental fees (30-40% of revenue), reduce equipment needs, minimize transportation costs, and can operate from anywhere with internet access, improving profit margins by 20-30 percentage points.

Online trainers can serve 20-30 clients or more significantly higher than the 15-25 typical for in-person trainers because digital delivery is more time-efficient and doesn’t require physical presence.

Online trainers aren’t limited to clients within driving distance, allowing them to attract clients from higher-income areas regardless of where they live, effectively arbitraging geographic price differences.

These structural advantages explain why McGrath focuses exclusively on teaching coaches to build online businesses the unit economics are simply superior.

Diversification Opportunities

Online coaches have multiple revenue streams available:

Group training classes with 6-10 participants at $20-$35 per person generates $120-$350 compared to $60-$100 for individual sessions, with minimal additional overhead.

Digital products like pre-recorded workout programs ($30-$150), educational ebooks ($15-$50), or subscription-based content libraries ($10-$30 monthly) provide passive income streams with virtually zero marginal costs.

Future-Proof Industry

Multiple factors ensure long-term industry health:

• The global fitness industry is valued at $257 billion in 2025 and growing 5.6% annually
• The personal training industry’s market outlook continues to be positive going forward with continued high demand
• Rising health awareness, aging populations seeking fitness guidance, and technological advancement all drive sustained demand

The data is unequivocal: online fitness coaching represents one of the fastest-growing, highest-margin, most accessible business opportunities available. The coaches who learn the business skills to capitalize on this opportunity—exactly what Ste McGrath teaches—will thrive.

The Critical Gap McGrath Fills

Here’s the uncomfortable truth about the fitness industry: most personal trainers fail not because they lack technical expertise, but because they lack business acumen. They’re excellent coaches but terrible entrepreneurs.

This is where McGrath’s value proposition becomes crystal clear. He’s not teaching people how to program workouts or coach nutrition—there are countless resources for that. He’s teaching the business fundamentals that determine whether a fitness coach eats steak or ramen:

• How to attract premium clients rather than price-sensitive bargain hunters
• How to price services for profitability rather than competing on cost
• How to structure offers that clients actually buy
• How to deliver services efficiently without burning out
• How to scale beyond trading time for money
• How to market authentically without feeling like a sleazy salesperson

These are the skills that separate six-figure coaches from those struggling to pay rent. And they’re skills that most fitness education programs completely ignore.

Learning from Someone Who’s Walked Both Sides

Perhaps McGrath’s greatest advantage is his unique position: he’s not just a successful fitness coach turned business coach. He’s someone who:

1. Built a fitness business to seven figures and 500+ clients
2. Systematized that business to the point where it ran without constant intervention
3. Successfully exited that business to pursue the next opportunity
4. Built a business coaching company that hit seven figures in its first year
5. Scaled that coaching company to serve over 1,000 clients

This progression demonstrates not just success, but systematic, repeatable success across different business models. It shows someone who understands principles, not just tactics.

When asked about a significant challenge, McGrath identified taking a step back in his role as CEO as the business grew. This self-awareness about the challenges of scaling the people challenges, the systems challenges, the leadership challenges gives him insights that most coaches who’ve only worked with a handful of clients simply don’t have.

The Verdict: Realistic, Proven, and Profitable

Ste McGrath’s approach to fitness business coaching stands out because it rejects the industry’s typical playbook of inflated promises and overnight success stories. Instead, he offers something far more valuable: honest assessments, realistic timelines, proven systems, and comprehensive support.

Client testimonials consistently mention that McGrath’s free content is better than other coaches’ paid courses, that he understands there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and that client experience is always at the center of every decision.

His content is helpful because it’s:

• Real – Based on actual experience building two seven-figure businesses
• Current – Relevant to today’s market, not outdated strategies
• Comprehensive – Covers all aspects of business, not just one piece
• Honest – Sets realistic expectations rather than selling false hope
• Systematic – Teaches replicable processes, not one-off tactics

His unique edge comes from:

• Formal education background enhancing his teaching ability
• Dual experience in both fitness coaching and business coaching
• Willingness to challenge industry norms and taboos
• Team-based approach providing specialized expertise
• Massive scale of proven results (1,000+ six-figure earners)

Most importantly, he’s teaching in an industry with extraordinary opportunity. With the online fitness coaching market growing at 13-31% annually, reaching toward $52-$114 billion in the next decade, and offering 50-70% profit margins for those who structure their businesses correctly, the potential is enormous.

For fitness coaches willing to learn the business skills they weren’t taught in their certifications, willing to invest in systems and processes, and willing to approach their coaching as a business rather than a hobby, Ste McGrath offers a proven pathway to six-figure success.

The opportunity is there. The market is growing explosively. The margins are attractive. What most fitness coaches lack isn’t talent it’s business knowledge. And that’s exactly what McGrath provides.