Studio for Personal Trainers in Lisbon: Where to Work Without Monthly Rent [2026]

Introduction

The question I have been hearing from other PTs in Lisbon for years is "how much are you leaving to the gym". The answer ranges between 0% and 60% of revenue, and the difference, by the end of the year, is thousands of euros that stay out of the PT's pocket. But the rent or commission figure is only half of the story. The other half is risk: how much you pay in months with zero clients, how much it costs to cancel the contract, and who keeps the client-PT relationship when you leave.

This guide was written by a PT working in Areeiro, based on data verified on the official pages of chains (Vivagym, Element) and on my own direct experience across several models. It covers the three paths available in Lisbon in 2026, does the maths on what each one means in net retention of your revenue, and explains why the MySelf Studio model (no monthly rent, no commission) is structurally different. The article is honest about the limits: there are scenarios where MySelf is not the best choice, and I say clearly which.

If you prefer to skip to the numbers, the table in the middle of the article makes the direct comparison across three scenarios (20, 60 and 120 sessions per month). If you want to understand why each model charges you the way it does, read in sequence.

The 3 Space Models for a PT in Lisbon in 2026

1. Fixed monthly rent (Vivagym, Element, several low-cost chains)

In this model, you pay the gym a fixed amount every month, regardless of how many clients you train. In exchange, you get access to the space, the equipment, and in some cases the potential flow of chain members. You set the price of the session, charge the client directly, and keep 100% after paying the rent.

The figures verified in May 2026, directly on the official PT recruitment pages:

• Vivagym PT MOVE (access to 1 club, chosen from 43 nationwide): around 154.86€ per month in the first 6 months (average).
• Vivagym PT DUO (access to 2 clubs): around 190.60€ per month per club, i.e. 380€ per month for the 2 clubs.
• Element Gyms: 200€ per month fixed.

The advantage is cost predictability (you know exactly what you will pay) and access to chain equipment (cardio area, machines, group class space). In some cases, the gym gives you visibility with existing members, which can help generate leads in the first months.

The structural downside is simple: the fixed cost kills you in low-volume months. At 20 sessions per month, the Element rent represents 28% of revenue; at 10 sessions per month, 57%; at zero sessions (holidays, illness, transition), it is a 200€ loss. In some chains, there are also minimum hours of attendance or non-compete clauses that limit where else you can work.

For PTs with an already packed schedule (40+ sessions per month), a stable pipeline and who value the chain ecosystem, this is the financially optimal model in absolute terms. For any other profile, there is friction.

2. Commission per session (Holmes Place, several premium chains)

Instead of fixed rent, the chain takes a percentage of every session you sell. There is no fixed monthly cost, but there is, as a rule, contractual exclusivity, a minimum number of hours and an annual contract with penalties for early termination.

Percentages are rarely published officially. The market estimates between 40% and 60% for the gym. On a 60€ client session, the PT takes home between 24€ and 36€. On a 50€ session, between 20€ and 30€.

The structure has another quirk: sales are often intermediated by the club's commercial team. The gym sells PT packages directly to members (with aggressive upsell), and assigns the hours to the PT. That means two things: you have less control over who your clients are and over the client-PT relationship, and you become dependent on the club's commercial management. If the club has a bad sales year, your revenue sinks with no immediate alternative (because exclusivity prevents you from working elsewhere).

The advantage for a PT starting out is the lead flow: members already exist at the club, the commercial team handles the sale, and you train. In a premium chain, you can start with 30-50 sessions per month almost immediately after being hired. For a junior PT with no personal network, this can be the only model that pays the bills in the first 6-12 months.

The downside grows with seniority: as you build your own client base and the client-PT relationship matures, the client is yours, but the gym keeps taking 50%. A PT with 5+ years' career in a commission chain leaves on average 1,500€-2,500€ per month of revenue on the table at the chain, without a proportional advantage.

3. Pay-per-session (the MySelf Studio model)

The studio charges the PT only the hours actually booked. No monthly rent. No commission on what you charge the client. The client pays the PT directly. No exclusivity clauses, no minimums, no annual contract.

The MySelf studio rate ranges between around 10€ and 18€/hour depending on the payment mode (one-off, pack or subscription) and the time of day. On one-off, the rate is higher (around 18€/h). On mid-tier packs (Casual, Regular, Frequent), it drops to around 12-13€/h. On the Pro subscription (high volume), it comes close to 10€/h. A PT may have 2 clients in a month or 30 clients; they only pay the hours actually used.

The advantage is structural on three fronts. First, zero fixed cost on one-off mode: months of holiday, illness or seasonality do not create a loss. Second, maximum revenue retention: the client pays you directly, without financial intermediation. Third, total flexibility: 5am to midnight, 7 days a week, with no exclusivity clauses preventing you from working in other spaces at the same time.

The downside is honest: you have to generate your own client base. MySelf does not give you a flow of gym members, because the gym is yours while you are there, with no shared members. If you are starting out without your own network, pay-per-session on its own does not replace the lead flow of a chain. Most mature PTs use MySelf as a complement or transition once they already have a portfolio built.

The Real Maths: What Is Left in Each Model

A cross table with 3 typical scenarios (junior PT, mid-career PT, senior PT), in sessions/month x 35€ per session (average PT price in Lisbon in 2026). At MySelf, I consider the rate mode that fits each volume: one-off (~15€/h) for low volume, pack (~12€/h) for mid volume, Pro subscription (~10€/h) for high volume.

The reading has three important points.

Fixed rent becomes progressively more efficient with volume. At 60+ sessions, Vivagym and Element retain 90% or more of revenue. For PTs with a packed schedule and a stable pipeline, this is the financially optimal model in absolute terms. But note that this absolute advantage comes with lock-in: fixed rent every month, possible contractual exclusivity, and dead cost in low-volume months.

The commission chain keeps half the revenue in every scenario. There is no economy of scale for the PT, the chain always keeps its margin. For PTs who build their own client base, this model becomes progressively unfair as the client-PT relationship matures (the client is already yours, the gym still takes 50%).

The MySelf pay-per-session adjusts to volume via packs and subscriptions. At 20 sessions per month it sits at 57% retention (one-off); at 60, at 66% (pack); at 120, at 71% (Pro subscription). It does not beat Vivagym or Element at high volume in absolute terms, but it is the only model where the hourly rate tracks the PT's schedule growth with no clauses, no minimums, no dead rent. And at low or variable volume, it beats every other model.

The Dead Cost of Fixed Rent: When It Really Hurts

This is the part nobody explains to you when you sign the PT contract at Vivagym or Element.

The monthly rent does not disappear in the months when you do not work. Going on holiday 4 weeks in August? You still pay 200€ at Element. You catch COVID and stay home for 2 weeks? You still pay. Your schedule dropped from 60 to 30 sessions in a quarter due to seasonality or two clients leaving? You still pay in full.

At 200€ per month x 12 months, that is 2,400€ per year of fixed cost, before you generate any revenue. If in 2 of those 12 months you cannot keep normal volume (your holidays + market seasonality), that is 400€ of rent paid "with no return". The maths gets worse for a PT who started at the beginning of the year and is building a portfolio: in the first 3-4 months, it is common to do 10-15 sessions per month, and the rent eats 50% to 80% of the revenue generated.

In the commission model, dead cost does not exist (there is no rent), but there is another hidden cost: the exclusivity clause. In chains that operate by commission, the typical contract prevents the PT from working at other gyms. That means you depend on the member flow of that specific club, and if the club has poor commercial management or loses members, your revenue sinks with no immediate alternative. The flexibility that "self-employed" commission promises is often just marketing: in practice, your tie is more rigid than at a rent-based chain.

The MySelf Studio Model in Detail

The studio's hourly rate sits between 10€ and 18€ per hour depending on the mode (one-off, pack or subscription) and the time of day. No monthly rent. No commission. The client pays the PT directly.

Session capacity: up to 2 clients on the same hourly rate. If you charge 35€ per client and have 2 clients in the same hour, you generate 70€ of revenue for a single hour paid to the studio (around 12€ on a pack). Net per hour worked: 58€. For duo sessions (partners, couples, pairs of friends), it is the most economical model in Lisbon.

Privacy: the entire studio is reserved for you during your hour. There is no sharing with other PTs or with gym members. For content creation (Reels, photos for Instagram, demo videos), you have the whole set and a focused client, without background noise or shared equipment.

Full professional equipment: Olympic bar and plates, dumbbells up to 25kg, multifunction machine, treadmill, two adjustable benches. Enough for most strength, conditioning and mobility plans. It is not geared towards Hyrox-specific training (no sled, ski erg or sandbag), nor for large groups.

Opening hours: 5am to midnight, 7 days a week. If you want to train clients at 6am or at 11pm, you can. Most chains run between 7am and 10pm, and the extreme hours (early morning, late evening) are blocked for external PTs. For PTs working with executives before the office or with parents after dinner, this extended timetable is a differentiator.

No clauses: no exclusivity, no minimums, no annual contract. You can work simultaneously at MySelf, in other chains, outdoors, at clients' homes. The studio is just one more tool in your kit, not a boss.

The client pays you directly: no financial intermediation by the studio. You charge however you want (Stripe, MB Way, bank transfer), issue your own receipt, and do your own accounting. The studio only charges you the booked hour, separate from your commercial relationship with the client.

Payment modes to the studio: three options to match your volume.

• One-off sessions: pay hour by hour, no commitment. Higher rate (around 18€/h). Ideal for a PT starting out, seasonal, or in a testing phase.
• Packs with a validity window: 45 to 90 days to use X hours. Hourly rate drops to around 12-13€. Ideal for a PT with a stable volume of 8-12 sessions per month.
• Pro monthly subscription: high volume. Hourly rate gets close to 10€. Ideal for a consistent PT above 18-20 sessions per month.

Moving between modes is fluid: you start on one-off, switch to a pack when volume stabilises, and migrate to Pro when the schedule is full. There is no lock-in between modes.

When MySelf Is NOT the Best Option

I am honest about the limits of the model. It is not universal.

If you already have a packed schedule (40-60+ sessions per month) for 1+ year with a stable pipeline. The fixed rent at Element or Vivagym becomes progressively efficient with volume. At 60 sessions per month, the Element rent represents 9% of revenue, and you get access to the full ecosystem (cardio area, group classes to complement your clients' training, machines that MySelf does not have). In net absolute terms, it wins (1,900€ vs 1,380€ in our example). If your strategy is to maximise absolute revenue above all, and you have the stability to sustain the monthly rent, a rent-based chain is rational.

If you depend 100% on the gym's member flow to generate leads. If you have no personal brand or network, MySelf will not give you clients. You have to build a portfolio via Instagram, referrals, partnerships, events. A pure junior PT with no network, in a commission chain during the first 6-12 months, makes sense despite the high cut, because the lead flow makes up for it. In parallel, you can start building a personal presence in order to transition later.

If you want to offer group classes (yoga, RPM, body pump, body combat). MySelf is not geared towards large groups (more than 2 people at a time). For that format, a chain or a studio specialised in classes are better options. MySelf is for 1-on-1 or 1-on-2 sessions.

If you value the social ecosystem of the club. In chains, the daily interaction with other PTs, members and the commercial team is part of the professional experience. In a private studio, the relationship is you plus client. For some PTs, that is a relief (no distractions, no internal politics); for others, it is isolation. It is a personal preference, not right or wrong.

If you are none of these profiles, and are comparing options for starting a career, transitioning from a chain, or complementing your current work, MySelf is probably the option that best fits your volume. To understand the client's perspective on the models, read the article dedicated to clients looking for a PT in Lisbon. For market context, the comparison of the main chains in Lisbon and the comparison of private gyms in Lisbon cover the rest.