I hope you use Two-Brain’s Intramural Open plan in your gym in 2026.
It’s certain to increase revenue and retention—we have 15 years of data to prove it.
The event works.
But if you’re currently overwhelmed and unsure if you can pull off a four-week in-house competition, I’ll lay out a “super shortcut” that will allow you to get the greatest reward for the least work.
In our “Intramural Open Guide”—get it here for free—I lay out a complete plan for the competition, and I even program the workouts for you (yes, you can sub in your own).
I set up the fourth workout so you can use it as a bring-a-friend marketing tactic embedded inside the full competition.
🗺️ Shortcut: You can use this workout on its own as a standalone, A+ marketing play.
In-House Bring-a-Friend Competition
The Simple Workout
As many reps as possible in 12 minutes of:
- 10 dumbbell push presses
- 8 dumbbell front squats
- 6 burpees over the dumbbells
This workout is accessible for beginners—you can get new people up to speed very quickly. The loads are up to you. Use light dumbbells with new people so they can keep moving and have fun.
The workout allows options:
- Each person can do the entire 12-minute workout.
- You can have all Partner 1s cheerlead while all Partner 2s do the workout, then switch.
- Pairs can divide up the work and do the workout together to increase support and interaction (e.g., Partner 1 does a round, then Partner 2 does a round while Partner 1 rests).
You’re a great fitness coach, so I won’t belabor the mechanics, I’ll just remind you to use a format that allows everyone to have fun. You can keep score if you want to—or not.
This isn’t an official competition, you aren’t trying to find the fittest on Earth, and you don’t need judges. Just get people moving and ensure they smile before, during and after.
The Marketing Plan
Here are your steps for success:
1. Put this event on your calendar for late February or early March. Announce it in your newsletter, on your blog and on social media. Put up a poster and have coaches mention it in every class or PT session.
2. You must do this: Talk to members individually and ask them to bring specific people by name. If you don’t know the names of your client’s family members, friends and colleagues, you must get to know your clients better. Example pitch: “Tim, you’ve mentioned your pickleball buddy Derek a few times. Would you bring him to our March 1 event? It’s a perfect way for him to try out the gym and see if he’d like to train with you so you guys can take the league crown this year.”
3. Schedule extra staff to handle intake and coaching. Collect contact details as people sign up or plan to capture info when people arrive on the day of the event. Names, phone numbers and email addresses should be fed into your client management system after the event.
4. Ensure people have a reason to stay after the workout—coffee, snacks, beverages, awards, etc. In the post-workout period, speak to every single guest. Congratulate them and talk to them about their fitness goals. If you can, sit down with each person to do a free consultation that day (step-by-step instructions are here). If you can’t, book them in for a consultation ASAP after the event.
5. Follow up with every guest after the workout personally. Congratulate them, ask if they have any questions and try to get them to book a consultation in the next day or two. Speed matters.
6. Add everyone to your long-term text/email nurture sequences. Bulking up your mailing list is a big win.
The Rewards
You will make sales if you follow this plan. You’ll get some right away and some from your nurturing efforts.
This easy event is a slam dunk: You’re simply giving existing clients a chance to bring in the people they know will benefit from your services. These are the warmest leads in the world, and they’ll arrive in the company of a trusted friend who keeps saying, “This place is amazing.”
And there’s a hidden benefit, too: When your members refer friends, they stay longer. No one says “join my gym” and then quits. When someone refers, they are invested in the success of the friend and will stay longer.
I’d wager it will take just six hours of your time to obtain all the rewards:
- Two hours for promotion.
- Two hours to run the event.
- Two hours to follow up.
Get this event on your calendar now!
And here’s your final tip: Document everything carefully so you can schedule another event in October and pull it off with almost no effort.
