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Could one slot pay 2–3× more?

The same hour delivered to four clients at $45 each pays $180/hr — vs. $75 for one client. This calculator compares your 1-on-1 hourly take against semi-private and small-group models so you can see exactly where the leverage is.

Your inputs
The result
Group revenue
per hour
per-client × group size
$ 180 /hr
vs. 1-on-1 hourly $75 2.4×
Per-client session rate 1-on-1 rate × (1 − discount) $45
Weekly revenue (group) revenue/hr × sessions/week $3,600
Weekly revenue (1-on-1, same hours) 1-on-1 rate × sessions/week $1,500
The number worth quoting

A semi-private trio at 40% discount pays 1.8× the 1-on-1 hourly

At a $75 1-on-1 rate, three clients at $45 each yields $135/hr — vs $75 solo. Going to four clients (small-group) pushes the same hour to $180 and a 2.4× multiplier without raising any individual's price.

Updated quarterly · Q1 2026 · Sources: PTDC — 'Double it, divide by three' pricing formula (Jonathan Goodman) · Precision Nutrition Coaching — semi-private revenue audits · by.coach internal benchmarks from independent-trainer surveys

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How this is calculated

Revenue per hour — not session rate — is the right pricing lens once you allow group formats into the mix. The calculator scales the same hour of your time across different group sizes and discount levels so you can compare apples-to-apples against your current 1-on-1 model.

  1. 1
    Per-client session rate
    1-on-1 rate × (1 − discount%)

    The discount is what each client saves vs the 1-on-1 price. Industry convention: 'double it, divide by three' for a trio (33% discount). For larger groups, 40–50% discount is common.

  2. 2
    Revenue per hour (group)
    per-client rate × group size

    This is the hour-by-hour comparison number. Even a modest 1.5× multiplier on 20 weekly hours adds up to thousands per month — without you working an extra session.

  3. 3
    Weekly revenue (group vs solo)
    revenue/hr × sessions/week (each scenario)

    Compare the same number of delivery hours in each model. The gap is what's left on the table by running pure 1-on-1.

  4. 4
    Revenue multiplier
    weekly group revenue ÷ weekly 1-on-1 revenue

    A multiplier below 1.0× means the discount is too steep for the group size — the math doesn't justify the format. Above 1.0× is the actual lift you're capturing.

Sources
  • · PTDC — 'How to Run Profitable Semi-Private Training' by Jonathan Goodman
  • · Precision Nutrition Coaching — small-group business benchmarks
  • · IDEA Fitness Industry — group training compensation surveys

FAQ

What's the 'double it, divide by three' pricing formula?
For a trio: 2× your 1-on-1 rate ÷ 3 = per-client semi-private rate. At $75 1-on-1 that's $50/client × 3 = $150/hr (vs $75 solo, a 2× lift). Clients save 33% per session vs going 1-on-1, you double your hourly take — both sides win. The formula stops working past 5–6 clients because attention dilutes; switch to flat group pricing at that point.
How big of a group can you actually coach well?
2–4 clients (semi-private) keeps near 1-on-1 quality with individualized programming. 5–8 (small group) needs templated programming and stricter time discipline but still allows real coaching cues per person. 10+ (class) is essentially group fitness — energy and accountability over individualization. Match the discount to what you can actually deliver: a 50% discount for a class of 12 is fine; a 50% discount for 1-on-1 disguised as 'semi-private' is just an unannounced rate cut.
Why use revenue/hr instead of session rate?
Because a $45 session rate from each of 4 clients is $180/hr — invisible if you only track session rates. Pricing per hour delivered is the apples-to-apples comparison across solo, semi-private, group, and online formats. Every 'should I move to groups?' decision should be made against this number, not against the rate any individual client pays.
How do I price online groups?
Online groups carry lower per-client rates (typically 30–50% below in-person equivalents) but support larger sizes more comfortably — programming + check-ins scale better than 1-on-1 coaching. A $40/client × 10 clients model is $400/hr of programming time, blowing past any in-person revenue you can realistically schedule. Use this calculator's same math: 1-on-1 online rate → discount → group size → revenue/hr.
When should I NOT switch to groups?
If your differentiator is elite individualization (rehab, executive 1-on-1, specialized strength sport), the discount required to attract group buyers usually crashes the multiplier under 1.5× — not worth the operational complexity. Groups also need a steady flow of clients who can train at the SAME time slot, which is harder for trainers serving busy professionals with fragmented schedules. Start with one semi-private slot to test before reorganizing the roster.
Can I share my result?
Yes — the URL updates with your inputs as you type. Copy the link from your browser address bar; opening it in another tab will hydrate the calculator with your exact numbers, and the social preview image will show the revenue multiplier. No login required.
The full guide

Group vs Individual Coaching: The Revenue Math That Should Change How You Train

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