Stop Building a Business That Requires Split Shifts

You're Not Tired Because You Work Hard. You're Tired Because Your Schedule Is Broken.

I had a mentorship call last week with a coach who's been following the right advice, and for all intents and purposes, she’s crushing it… the issue? It’s not sustainable.

She’s absolutely gassed and tells me she’s burning out.

If you know me, I called “bullshit!”

Hell, she's only billing around 25 hours a week of actual client time.

I knew she was tired because her systems weren’t built to run the business she was running.

She's tired because her day is split in half: 6-9 am training clients, dead time until 4 pm, then 5-8 pm training more clients.

Her entire day is fractured around other people's schedules. She's productive for 6 hours but present for 14.

If you're reading this and your stomach just dropped, you're not alone. This is the default business model for most gym owners and personal trainers. We build our schedules around client convenience, then wonder why we feel like we never have time for anything else.

Here's what I've learned building a business that doesn't require me to be "on" from sunrise to sunset: The split shift isn't a badge of honour. It's a design flaw.

The Hidden Cost of Split Shifts

You think the problem is just the dead time in the middle of the day. That's not the problem.

The problem is you can't do deep work in a 4-hour window between training sessions. You can't plan. You can't create content. You can't build systems. You sure as hell can't relax.

So what do you do? You fill it with admin tasks. Answering emails. Posting on social media. Grocery shopping. Maybe a training session if you're lucky. Then you show back up for evening clients, already mentally depleted.

By the time 8 pm rolls around, you're cooked. You've been "at work" for 14 hours, but you've only billed 6. And the business work that actually moves the needle? That got squeezed into fragmented 30-minute chunks between everything else.

This is how you build a business that owns you instead of serving you.

You're Solving the Wrong Problem

Most coaches try to fix this by working harder. Fill the dead time with more clients. Add group classes. Launch an online program. Pack the schedule tighter.

I did the same thing in my twenties. I thought the answer was more—more clients, more revenue, more hours. What I learned the hard way is that more volume on a broken structure just breaks you faster.

The real solution isn't working more. It's about restructuring your business around your life, not your clients' schedules.

The Framework: Architecture First, Business Second

Here's the systematic approach I use with coaches in CCU when we rebuild their schedules:

1. Define Your Ideal Day Structure

Not "what would clients prefer." What do YOU need to operate at your highest level?

For most coaches, this looks like: Deep work in the morning when you're fresh. Client-facing work in a consolidated block. Clear boundaries on when you're done.

2. Audit Your Current Revenue Sources

Break down where your money actually comes from:

• One-on-one training (your time for money)

• Group classes (leveraged time)

• Memberships (recurring, low-touch)

• Online coaching (asynchronous)

The goal isn't to eliminate hands-on coaching. It's about understanding what requires your physical presence and what doesn't.

3. Build Leverage Into Your Model

You have three options to escape the split shift trap:

• Hire and fill trainer schedules(they take the evening slots)

• Shift to group-based programming(train more people in less time)

• Grow recurring revenue(memberships, online coaching) that doesn't require you to be on-site

Most successful coaches do all three, but you start with one based on what you're best at.

4. Consolidate Your Client-Facing Hours

This is the part that feels scary: You tell clients your new schedule.

"I'm consolidating my training hours to mornings only. Here are your options: shift to morning sessions, work with one of my trainers, or transition to online programming."

Some will leave. Most won't. And the ones who stay will get a better version of you.

5. Protect Your Business-Building Time

Once you consolidate client hours, that afternoon block becomes sacred. This is when you build systems, create content, develop your team, and work ON the business instead of just IN it.

No "quick sessions." No "just this one client." The structure is the strategy.

What This Actually Looks Like

One of my mentees just redesigned her entire 2026 around this framework. Her goal: 15 hours per week of client-facing work, all consolidated in the mornings. Afternoons dedicated to business development and team growth.

To hit her revenue target of ~$29k/month, she's:

• Growing memberships from 42 to 75

• Filling two trainers' schedules at 20 hours each

• Maintaining her own morning client block

• Adding leveraged group programming

Same revenue. Better business. Her entire day back.

The Real Question

The real question isn't "Can I afford to restructure my schedule?"

The real question is: How much longer can you afford not to?

If you're ready to stop designing your business around everyone else's convenience and start building one that actually serves your life, let's talk.

CCU applications are open at https://coachescorneru.com/contact-us.

Keep Raising the Bar,

Paul Oneid MS, MS, CSCS