In an industry where most personal trainers struggle to earn a living wage, one entrepreneur has cracked the code on building a thriving online fitness business and he’s teaching thousands of others to do the same. Zakk Colburn, founder and CEO of the Personal Trainers Business Incubator (PTBI), has built a seven-figure coaching empire by helping fitness professionals escape the paycheck-to-paycheck grind of gym employment and launch profitable online coaching businesses.
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From Busser to Seven-Figure Entrepreneur
Zakk Colburn’s story begins in an unlikely place: working as a busser, expelled from college with no clear direction in life. Without a four-year degree, he pursued fitness as a career, starting his own online fitness coaching business in 2018 and quickly scaling it to six figures while gaining the freedom to work from anywhere in the world.
In 2020, recognizing an opportunity during the pandemic when trainers desperately needed to pivot online, Colburn launched the Personal Trainers Business Incubator. His first year alone brought in $250,000 in sales working entirely by himself. Since then, the business has exploded: by 2022, PTBI reached $1.3 million in revenue with a team of 15 employees.
Now 28 years old with a seven-figure net worth, Colburn has positioned himself as a leading authority on social media marketing for fitness professionals. With over 10 years of experience working with 400+ fitness clients and mentoring more than 1,000 personal trainers, he’s proven that his methods work at scale.
The Personal Trainers Business Incubator: A Comprehensive System
PTBI is designed specifically for three types of fitness professionals:
- Newly certified trainers who want to work for themselves immediately rather than taking low-paying gym jobs
- Existing coaches struggling to figure out how to succeed online
- In-person trainers ready to quit their nine-to-five and build location-independent businesses
The Five Pillars of Business
Colburn structures his teaching around five essential pillars that every successful online coaching business needs:
1. Mindset & Leadership Building the confidence to step into the role of an online coach, become a leader in the space, and take control of your destiny through business ownership.
2. Creating a Unique Offer Developing a service that stands out in a crowded industry and provides a clear, compelling product to sell.
3. Social Media Marketing Understanding how to create content that grows your following, establishes authority, and attracts ideal clients through platforms like Instagram.
4. Sales Process Building a system to confidently sign clients without being pushy or salesy turning prospects into paying customers.
5. Delivery System Establishing processes to manage clients efficiently and deliver high-level results that keep them coming back for more.
The PTBI Promise
The program’s goal is to help trainers scale their earnings to $10,000-$20,000 per month, with over 2,000 personal trainers having gone through the program. The investment reportedly sits around $8,000 according to Reddit discussions, though Colburn offers a money-back guarantee if students don’t hit 20-30 paying clients (with conditions that require students to “hold up their end of the agreement”).
Why His Content Is Genuinely Helpful
Zakk Colburn’s teaching stands out in the fitness business coaching space for several compelling reasons:
1. Built on Personal Success, Not Theory
Unlike coaches who teach without having done it themselves, Colburn was previously earning around $30,000 per month in his own fitness coaching business, primarily from cold Instagram messages. He’s walked the path he teaches, experiencing both the struggles and the breakthroughs firsthand.
2. Addresses the Real Problem
Most personal trainers are excellent at fitness but terrible at business. The industry is filled with certified professionals who can design perfect workout programs but can’t market themselves, sell their services, or manage their business finances. Colburn recognized this gap and built an entire curriculum around the business fundamentals trainers never learn in certification courses.
3. Social Media Mastery
Colburn’s expertise in leveraging Instagram for client acquisition is particularly valuable in 2025. He built his personal brand using social media and teaches authentic, valuable, relatable content creation. This approach helps trainers build trust the foundation of the business-to-consumer (B2C) relationship in fitness.
4. Proven Results with Real Students
The program features documented success stories:
- Cooper Heller, a college dropout, grew to $15,000 per month within a year
- Craig McClure enrolled while in high school and scaled to $60,000 per month by age 22
- Jake Weber left his in-person training job earning barely $2,000 monthly and now makes over $30,000 online
- Cali Fournier-Arauz transitioned from military service to coaching, increasing her rates fivefold
- Francis Rances left his job at Chipotle and now earns over $23,000 monthly
5. Community and Support Structure
PTBI now includes a team of five success coaches assisting students with course modules laying out step-by-step instructions on starting an online coaching business. The program combines intensive education, an active community of like-minded individuals for networking, and hands-on one-on-one mentorship.
6. Continuous Iteration Based on Market Feedback
Colburn takes student success seriously, constantly updating materials based on market trends and client results. The program has evolved from a $5,000 product into a comprehensive system that reflects what’s currently working in the market.
7. Multi-Platform Educational Approach
Beyond the paid program, Colburn offers value through multiple channels:
- “The Journey” podcast with a 4.7 rating, covering life lessons, business building, and success principles
- Free mini-courses on going full-time in under 90 days
- His book “Cutting Strings” on Amazon
- Active social media presence on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook
- Regular free content addressing common objections and questions
His Unique Edge in Content Creation
Zakk Colburn possesses several distinctive advantages that differentiate his content in the crowded fitness business coaching space:
The “No Degree Needed” Appeal
Colburn’s story resonates powerfully with young people questioning the value of traditional education. Some high school graduates chose to join his program over going to college, believing that learning sales and business operations under Zakk would be more beneficial than university. This positioning appeals directly to certification-only trainers who feel disadvantaged without business degrees.
Instagram-First Strategy
While many business coaches teach complex funnels and paid advertising, Colburn built his initial success purely through organic Instagram engagement. Before working with paid advertising agencies, he was generating $30,000 per month mainly from cold Instagram messages. This proves his system works even without a marketing budget crucial for trainers just starting out.
Speed and Urgency
Colburn emphasizes rapid action and implementation over perfectionism. His messaging consistently pushes trainers to start quickly, fail fast, and adjust on the fly a contrarian approach in an industry often paralyzed by credentialism and over-preparation.
Relatable Struggle Story
The expelled-from-college, worked-as-a-busser origin story creates immediate relatability. Many trainers come from similar backgrounds—athletic but academically average, working service jobs, unsure of their path. Colburn’s story proves that fitness passion plus business systems can trump traditional career paths.
The “Quit Your Job” Promise
Colburn’s messaging speaks directly to trainers’ deepest frustration: being underpaid, overworked, and dependent on gym schedules. His mission is clear and compelling: help fitness coaches start their online business and scale to $30,000+ per month.
Youth and Energy
At 28, Colburn represents the generation that grew up with social media and understands its nuances instinctively. His content style matches the platforms he teaches on—fast-paced, direct, and optimized for short attention spans.
The Online Fitness Coaching Industry: A Field With Explosive Growth
Zakk Colburn’s timing couldn’t be better. The industry data overwhelmingly supports that online fitness coaching represents one of the fastest-growing opportunities in the entire wellness sector:
Massive Market Size and Acceleration
The online fitness coaching market 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
- The global fitness industry overall is valued at $257 billion in 2025, growing at 5.6% annually
- Digital fitness and virtual training, valued at $16.4 billion in 2022, are growing at a remarkable 26.72% CAGR through 2030
- The global online/virtual fitness market is expected to reach $114.02 billion by 2029 at a 31.2% growth rate
These growth rates far exceed traditional gym-based fitness, making online coaching one of the fastest-growing segments in the entire wellness economy.
North America Leads the Opportunity
For trainers in the United States Colburn’s primary market the opportunity is especially strong:
- 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
- The United States will generate $16.51 billion in digital fitness revenue in 2025
- The United States dominates with 64.19 million gym members and growing digital adoption
Post-Pandemic Permanence
Initial skeptics thought virtual fitness was a temporary COVID phenomenon, but the data proves otherwise:
- Nearly 38% of U.S. consumers started using online workout services during COVID and plan to continue using them in the future
- Online training was ranked as the #1 fitness trend in 2021, up from #26 in 2020, and has maintained strong relevance
- The digital fitness revolution has made virtual workouts and fitness apps mainstream, with hybrid fitness models now standard offerings
The convenience and accessibility of digital fitness solutions have permanently changed consumer expectations.
Superior Income Potential for Online Trainers
The financial case for going online is compelling:
- Online personal trainers in the U.S. earn approximately 8.67% more than gym-based trainers, with a $50,299 average annual salary
- Online personal trainers can earn around $61,014 per year ($29.33 per hour), compared to in-gym trainers averaging $46,908 per year
- Independent and online trainers can scale their income beyond what’s possible with in-person hourly sessions
- Online trainers can serve a global client base, scale income through pre-recorded programs or subscriptions, and avoid limitations of location-based work
Strong Overall Employment Growth
The personal training field shows robust job market strength:
- Employment of fitness trainers and instructors 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 on average over the decade
- Fitness trainers and instructors held about 370,100 jobs in 2024
- The personal fitness trainer market will expand from $45.14 billion in 2024 to $47.55 billion in 2025, reflecting a 5.3% compound annual rate, and is projected to grow to $60.31 billion by 2029
Rising Consumer Demand for Personalization
The market increasingly favors the type of customized coaching that online platforms enable:
- 51% of customers prioritize personalized experiences when choosing a fitness service
- Personal trainers using AI and data-driven insights attract more consumers
- Customers increasingly seek digital fitness solutions that can be accessed anytime and anywhere, wanting flexibility to choose from various workout options
- Personal training remains the most sought-after service in online fitness coaching, with strong demand for individualized workout plans, real-time feedback, and precise progress tracking
Technology Adoption Accelerating
The infrastructure for online coaching continues to improve:
- In 2024, 9.76% of people globally are using fitness apps, expected to grow to 12.2% by 2027
- Fitness apps are expected to grow by $1.68 billion by 2024 at a 12% CAGR
- The fitness app market is valued at $22 billion in 2024, growing at an annual rate of 14.3%
- Fitness technology such as wearable devices, fitness apps, and virtual training platforms are increasingly being integrated into gym offerings
Favorable Demographics
The target market for online fitness coaching is expanding:
- Millennials and Gen Z are driving demand for digital fitness and personalized experiences, with 79% prioritizing health and wellness
- The US fitness industry reached 77 million members in 2024, serving nearly 96 million total customers
- Fitness facility membership rose 5.6% in 2024, extending the industry’s strongest two-year growth streak on record
Asia-Pacific Emerging Markets
For ambitious coaches thinking globally:
- Asia Pacific is rapidly emerging as the fastest-growing regional market, with a projected CAGR of 16.1% from 2025 to 2033
- This represents untapped opportunity for English-speaking coaches who can serve international markets
Economic Advantages Over Traditional Gyms
The online model offers superior unit economics:
- No rent for gym space
- No equipment purchase requirements
- Lower overhead allows higher profit margins
- Ability to serve clients during off-peak hours
- No commute time between sessions
- Can work from anywhere with internet
- Easier to scale beyond hourly time constraints
The Challenge Zakk Colburn Addresses
Despite all this opportunity, most personal trainers struggle financially. The reality is stark:
- The median annual wage for fitness trainers was just $46,180 in May 2024
- The lowest 10% of trainers earned less than $27,580 annually
- Many gym-based trainers work part-time or variable schedules with no benefits
- Gym trainers are often constrained by local demand and gym policies that take a portion of their earnings
Colburn’s system addresses this wage trap by teaching trainers to:
- Build personal brands that attract clients directly
- Charge premium prices for specialized services
- Scale beyond trading time for money
- Create recurring revenue through online programs
- Leverage social media to reduce customer acquisition costs
The Long-Term Opportunity
The convergence of several trends makes this an ideal time to enter online fitness coaching:
Growing Health Consciousness: The global fitness market was valued at $104.05 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $202.78 billion by 2030, reflecting a robust CAGR of 8.4%
Permanent Behavior Change: Virtual fitness has moved from emergency solution to permanent preference, creating sustained demand.
Creator Economy Alignment: Fitness coaching fits perfectly into the creator economy model where individuals build audiences and monetize expertise directly.
Low Barrier to Entry: Unlike many online businesses, trainers already have the core skill (fitness knowledge) and just need the business systems.
Recurring Revenue Potential: Fitness is inherently subscription-friendly, with clients needing ongoing support rather than one-time purchases.
Global Scalability: Online coaching removes geographic limitations that cap traditional trainer income.
Potential Limitations and Considerations
While Colburn’s program shows documented success, prospective students should consider:
- The $8,000 investment is substantial for trainers currently earning modest incomes
- Success requires consistent effort in content creation and social media engagement
- The guarantee has conditions requiring students to complete all work
- The online fitness coaching space is becoming increasingly competitive as more trainers enter
- Building a significant social media following takes time and persistence
- Not all trainers have the personality or communication style suited for social media marketing
However, for trainers willing to embrace the business side of fitness and commit to the process, the data strongly supports that online coaching represents a viable and potentially lucrative career path.
Conclusion
Zakk Colburn represents a new generation of business educators: young entrepreneurs who’ve achieved success themselves and are building educational businesses around their proven systems. His content is helpful because it addresses the genuine pain point of talented fitness professionals trapped in low-wage jobs, provides a concrete roadmap for transition, and demonstrates results through documented student success stories.
His unique edge comes from his relatable origin story, Instagram-first strategy that works without large marketing budgets, youth and digital nativity, focus on speed and action over perfection, and simple compelling promise: quit your job and build a six-figure online business.
Most importantly, he’s teaching in an industry with extraordinary fundamentals. With the online fitness coaching market growing at 13.2% annually toward $52 billion by 2033, online trainers earning 8.67% more than gym-based trainers, employment in the field growing 12% through 2034, and 51% of customers demanding personalized experiences that favor online models the opportunity is substantial and growing.
For fitness professionals willing to learn business skills, embrace content creation, and commit to building a brand, Zakk Colburn’s PTBI provides a structured system for transitioning from the paycheck-to-paycheck gym trainer lifestyle to a thriving online coaching business. The industry data confirms what Colburn’s teaching promotes: online fitness coaching isn’t just a viable career path it’s one of the fastest-growing opportunities in the entire wellness economy.
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