Guide 10 of 10 to opening a gym · The first months
New member onboarding: first class to day 14
Onboarding a new member starts before the first class and lasts about two weeks. Before class, their details, waiver and a health questionnaire are done on their phone. At the first class, someone greets them by name and scales the workout. The second class is booked before they leave. Over the next fourteen days, there are three short touchpoints. This guide has the day-by-day plan, ready-made messages, and what changes in opening week, when many new people arrive at once.
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What onboarding is, and why it ends at day 14
Onboarding is the set of steps that takes someone from “I signed up” to “I train here on Tuesdays and Thursdays”. It ends when they have a habit: set days, a set time, and at least one familiar face in class.
Fourteen days is not a magic number. It is short enough not to leave someone alone, and long enough for four to six classes. Pick your own window and measure it the same way every time.
Before the first class
Anything that can be done before class should be. Then the first class is for training, not for filling in forms at the door.
- 1.Details: name, contact, emergency contact and date of birth.
- 2.Waiver and house rules, accepted on their phone.
- 3.A pre-exercise health questionnaire, such as the PAR-Q+.
- 4.Goal and background: what they want, and how long since they last trained.
- 5.First class booked, at a time when the coach knows they are coming.
The PAR-Q+ is a physical activity readiness questionnaire designed for everyone. It starts with general health questions. A yes leads to follow-up questions and, in some cases, a recommendation to speak to a health professional. The gym does not interpret the clinical result: it uses it to know when to ask for that conversation before starting.
Hi [name]! Tomorrow at [time] is your first class with us.
Address: [address]. [Where to park or which transport to take.]
Bring comfortable clothes, a water bottle and a towel. We have changing rooms with [what there is].
Arrive ten minutes early. [Coach] will be waiting to show you around.
If you have an injury or any questions, reply to this message. We will adapt the workout.
The first class, minute by minute
| When | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes before | Greeting by name, quick tour: changing room, water, where equipment lives | Class coach |
| Start | Introduce them to the group, and pair them with a regular | Coach |
| During | A scaled version of each movement, and one correction at a time | Coach |
| End of class | A short question: how did that feel, and what was hardest | Coach |
| Before they leave | Book the second class, on their phone, right there | Coach or front desk |
The second class is booked before they leave the first.
The second class is the step that depends most on you. The first time, people come out of curiosity. The second time, they come because they decided to return, and a booking made on the spot helps that decision.
What the coach needs to know beforehand
The coach should open the class list and see who is new, with their name and any injury note. Someone greeted by name feels expected.
The first 14 days
Three touchpoints are enough, as long as they are personal and short. More than that starts to feel like a campaign.
| Day | Touchpoint | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 or 2 | Message from the coach who taught the class | Ask how their body feels and remind them of the next class |
| Day 7 | Two-minute chat at the end of a class | Check the timetable fits and the plan is right |
| Day 14 | Call or chat with the owner | Revisit the goal, and book the next two weeks of classes |
If someone has not booked anything for seven days, do not wait for day 14. Call that day. The question is simple: is the timetable working for you?
Hi [name]! Great to have you in class on [day].
How is your body today? Some soreness in the first days is normal.
Your next class is [day] at [time]. If you need to change it, you can do it in the app.
How have these two weeks been?
Are the days and times you picked working?
What did you want to achieve when you signed up? Is that still the goal?
Shall we book the next two weeks of classes now?
Opening week: many new people at once
In a gym that is opening, almost everyone does their first class in the same week. The plan above still applies, with some adjustments.
- Cap the number of first-timers per class. If a class has twelve spots, decide how many can be first classes.
- Put a second coach in the busiest classes of week one, just to look after newcomers.
- Run small-group fundamentals sessions before regular classes.
- Split the day 2 messages between coaches, so nobody writes fifty messages in one evening.
- Write down who came and when. Without a record, each person's day 14 gets lost.
Fundamentals or straight into class?
| Model | For | Against |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals sessions before classes | Safe technique, and a group of people who started together | More coach hours, and one more step before regular classes |
| Regular class with scaling | They join the routine right away and meet the group | Needs an attentive coach and few first-timers per class |
| One personal session, then regular classes | An unhurried assessment, tailored to the person | One-to-one hours that need paying for |
In technical disciplines such as CrossFit or reformer Pilates, fundamentals protect the person and the class. In yoga or simpler functional training, a well-scaled regular class can be enough.
What changes from one discipline to another
| Discipline | What matters most in onboarding |
|---|---|
| CrossFit and hybrid training | Lifting technique, and scaled loads and volume from the first class |
| Reformer Pilates | How each machine works, the springs, and safety getting on and off |
| Yoga and barre | Modifications for limitations, and what to do when something hurts |
| Small group training | An initial assessment and goals, because the group is small and the coach follows each person |
What to measure
Two numbers tell you whether onboarding works. Count them by joining month, so you can compare October's joiners with November's.
- Second class within seven days: of the people who did a first class, how many did a second within the next seven days.
- Attendance in the first fourteen days: how many classes each new person did in that window.
If the first number drops, look at the first class or at how the second gets booked. If the second number drops, look at the timetable and the day 7 chat.
After day 14 comes the habit-building phase, up to ninety days.
People who trained somewhere else
Someone coming from another gym already knows how to train, but not how yours works. Their onboarding can be shorter, and it is still needed. Show them the booking rules, the equipment and the people at their time slot.
Also ask what they liked about their last gym and why they left. The answer tells you what to expect, and sometimes what to change.
I know the person's name, and any injury or limitation.
I have a scaled version of every movement in today's workout.
I picked someone in the group to introduce them to.
I kept two minutes at the end to talk to them.
I know how to book their second class with them, on their phone.
Common mistakes
- Making someone fill in forms at the door while class is starting.
- Giving them the full workout in the first class, with no scaling.
- Letting them leave without the second class booked.
- Sending a sequence of automatic emails instead of one message from the coach.
- Keeping the injury note somewhere the coach cannot see before class.
How this works in Rummo
In Rummo, a new member creates an account, accepts the waiver and books their first class on their phone. Digital waivers are on paid plans. Each member has a stage: lead, trial, signed up, active, paused or left.
The coach sees on the class list who is coming for the first time. A follow-up list shows who has not trained for 7, 14 or 30 days, with their name and phone number, one tap from a call. Members get notifications in the app and by email.
Member records, stages and follow-up are on the members page. See member management
Frequently asked
- What should happen in a new member's first class?
- A greeting by name ten minutes before, a quick tour, a scaled version of the workout, and the second class booked before they leave.
- How long should gym onboarding last?
- Until the person has a habit: set days, a set time and a familiar face. Two weeks is a practical window for close follow-up.
- Should new members fill in a health questionnaire?
- It is good practice. The PAR-Q+ is a physical activity readiness questionnaire designed for everyone. A yes tells you when to ask the person to speak to a health professional before starting.
- How many messages should I send a new member?
- Three personal touchpoints in the first fourteen days are enough: day 2, day 7 and day 14. If they do not book for seven days, call straight away.
- Do I need a fundamentals course?
- In technical disciplines, it protects the person and the class. In simpler ones, a well-scaled regular class may be enough. It also depends on how many coach hours you have.
- How do I onboard a lot of people in opening week?
- Cap first-timers per class, add a second coach to the busiest classes, and split the follow-up messages between coaches. And record who came and when.
- Do experienced members need onboarding too?
- Yes, a shorter version. They know how to train, but not your booking rules, your equipment or the people at their time slot.
- Who should run the day 14 conversation?
- The owner, or the coach the person sees most. Someone they already know by name, who can change their plan or timetable if needed.
Sources
- PAR-Q+ and ePARmed-X+ · PAR-Q+ Collaboration, 2025
Rummo team
Written by the people who build Rummo, management software for gyms, boxes and studios: classes, bookings, members and payments.
Reviewed
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