How to easily run a popular 6-week fitness challenge

Everyone loves a fitness challenge. They build community, create accountability, and give members a reason to show up consistently. For gym and studio owners, they are also one of the most effective ways to attract new members, re-engage lapsed ones, and bring in a reliable burst of revenue.

At Clubworx, we have found that six weeks is the sweet spot. Long enough for participants to see real results. Short enough that people commit without hesitation.

Key Takeaways:

• Six-week challenges work because they sit at the right balance of duration -- participants can visualise the finish line from day one, which reduces drop-off.
• Automated messaging sequences triggered by membership start date can deliver the full challenge communication -- including welcome emails, weekly check-ins, and motivational reminders -- without any ongoing manual effort.
• Online sign-up forms with electronic waivers and payment collection allow challenges to run seamlessly for both in-person and remote participants.

Setting up your 6-week challenge in Clubworx

Getting a challenge live in Clubworx takes less time than you might expect. Here is how to do it.

Create a membership for the challenge. This is where you set access rules and payment terms -- upfront, weekly instalments, or whatever suits your pricing model.

Build an automated sequence. In Clubworx, create a new sequence called "6 Week Challenge." When setting it up, choose a trigger that enrols participants automatically. If you want messages to go out relative to each person's individual start date, use the "Membership Due to Start" trigger.

Use the advanced filter options to set: Membership Name [is] [6 Week Challenge].

Set up your messages. You can write your own from scratch or drag in pre-built email templates and adjust the timing. A typical sequence might include:

• A motivational message a few days before the challenge starts
• A Day 1 welcome email
• A Day 3 check-in
• A Day 7 celebration marking the end of the first week
• Weekly progress nudges through to the final week

Messages can be email, SMS, or a mix of both. You can also schedule tasks for yourself -- call-backs, check-ins, or any point where a personal touch is warranted.

Clubworx's sales and marketing automation tools handle the sequencing so that once you have set it up, it runs without you needing to be across every message manually.

Getting sign-ups

Promote the challenge through your usual channels -- social media, email list, in-studio signage -- and direct people to a Clubworx online sign-up form. Participants can register, agree to your terms and conditions or waivers electronically, and pay, all in one flow.

This makes challenges easy to run for remote or hybrid participants as well as in-person members, and removes the admin overhead of managing paper forms or manual payment collection.