A PoweredBy TRX Partner revives underused equipment into a differentiated, revenue-positive offering, and builds coaching careers along the way.
For Mount Desert Island YMCA, the challenge wasn't finding new equipment, it was finding the right program around equipment that was already sitting in boxes. Under the direction of Ross Goo, Health & Wellness Director, the branch turned a stalled TRX rollout into the coastal Maine Y's first true Small Group Training offering, building both community and a new revenue line in the process.
The Problem: Equipment Without a Program
Before this initiative, TRX had already been introduced at the branch once, and it hadn't worked. "We needed to initiate a small group training experience to build a differentiated revenue model and build community," Goo explains. The equipment itself wasn't the issue.
"The PoweredBy TRX program was perfect as we had the equipment, the X-mount anchors were just still in boxes!" Goo said. What the branch actually needed was support: training, marketing, and a fresh program position to relaunch it the right way.
Before: A Drop-In Class That Couldn't Gain Traction
In its earlier form, TRX at the Y was offered as a free drop-in group exercise class, led by under-trained staff. Without structure, incentive, or a defined space, it struggled to build regular attendance, a common trap for equipment introduced without a program behind it.
What Changed
The turnaround started with people and positioning. Instructors became officially trained TRX Pro Coaches with access to real program materials, and the branch carved out a defined space specifically for the workouts. Instead of a free-for-all class, TRX became a small group training series, six weeks, at an added cost, designed to build value, participant adherence, and visible progression.
"The additional revenue line has helped the department get into the black," Goo said.
Coaching Careers, Not Just Classes
The impact extended beyond members. One coach earned a raise and was retained by the branch even as outside commitments pulled at his schedule, a direct result of the value TRX Small Group Training created for him professionally. The branch's top trainer has picked up four one-on-one clients directly out of the program.
Many participants have also picked up TRX straps (or similar equipment) for home use, extending their training, and their connection to the program, beyond the branch's walls.
Member Feedback
The clearest signal of success is the simplest one: members look forward to their weekly session. Regular attendees have built a rhythm and a sense of camaraderie around the program that didn't exist under the old drop-in model.
Measurable Business Impact
Enrollment retention for the program currently sits at 62%. Attendance currently runs at once weekly per participant, showing room to grow toward the branch's four-times-per-week vision, and with it, room for revenue to build as utilization climbs. In the meantime, the program has already done something the branch had never done before. "A first in Small Group Training!" Goo said of the new revenue stream TRX introduced.
The Value of Being a PoweredBy TRX Partner
For Goo, the difference-maker wasn't just the equipment or the materials, it was the relationship. He described how the program let the branch step into a new offering with backing that felt collaborative rather than transactional. Being part of the TRX network has also given the branch a level of recognition unique to its coastal Maine community, without direct competition from another branded offering nearby.
Advice for Other Facilities
Asked what he'd tell other gym owners considering TRX, Goo's advice was direct: vet the buy-in from both members and senior leadership before launching, and scale the program accordingly from there.
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