Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith Review: How Did 2 Former Professionals Build a 6-Figure Fitness Business? |IPPEI

Updated On 2025-07-31

Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith Review

Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith are the co-founders of Propane Fitness, an online fitness coaching company. Jonny is a former KPMG accountant turned world-class powerlifter. Yusef is a former NHS doctor turned competitive gymnast. Both have competed nationally and internationally in powerlifting, achieving over 400 Wilks scores. Together, they have scaled to over 6 figures. Propane Fitness also has a business coaching program called Propane Business. It helps fitness professionals get 30 online clients in 12 weeks.

Reviews for Propane Fitness are positive. It’s been around for 15 years. Students like Jonny and Yusef’s coaching style and fitness expertise. Watson’s business acumen from his accounting background and Smith’s medical knowledge creates a uniquely professional and evidence-based coaching experience.

Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith say that they “help trainers achieve freedom through online coaching” and have “the exact systems we used to build PropaneFitness to 100k/year and quit our day jobs.” In my experience running an online business since 2014, starting an online fitness coaching gig like what their Propane Business course’s strategy teaches is like being Ken Burns trying to create a film on the Civil War while surrounded by a dozen other filmmakers doing the same. You have the deep historical knowledge (fitness expertise) and a passion for storytelling (marketing skill), but the market is oversaturated with similar content. It’s hard to stand out and differentiate your brand without a unique selling point, making it difficult to attract and retain clients. You need to continuously update your content to keep up with the latest trends and information. Plus, every client is different, requiring unique fitness plans, which takes time and effort to create. It’s like being a renowned fashion designer at New York Fashion Week, where the industry is constantly evolving with new styles every season. Just when you think you’ve nailed the latest trend, the fashion world shifts again, requiring you to update your collections. You need to spend on ads to gain visibility online.

This article reviews Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith and how they were able to create a 6-figure coaching business using their respective professional expertise. It also covers their Propane Fitness program and how they help other coaches with the Propane Business program.

Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith: Pros and Cons

Pros

Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith have legitimate professional backgrounds outside fitness, bringing real business expertise
Both have national and international athletic achievements

Cons

Limited information available about founders outside Jonny and Yusef’s own marketing materials
Reviews primarily come from their own platforms rather than independent sources

How Did Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith Build Their 6-Figure Fitness Empire?

Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith built their 6-figure business by transitioning to online coaching instead of traditional personal training. This allowed them to work with multiple clients simultaneously and widened their market reach to an international level. They use targeted Facebook ads for lead generation and their “no-call funnel” strategy to convert their audience. They offer free 14-day challenges that naturally lead to their full coaching program offer. They describe this strategy as converting without making any sales calls. Jonny and Yusef also expanded their business to offer consultation services with their Propane Business program.

Jonny and Yusef founded Propane Fitness in 2008. This was long before the market for online fitness coaching was saturated. Both founders had jobs to support their business as it grew in the initial years. Watson brings accounting and business systems expertise to the business, while Smith contributes medical knowledge to the programs.

Who Is Jonny Watson?

Jonny Watson is a former chartered accountant turned fitness business owner from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Prior to co-founding Propane Fitness, he worked at KPMG for over 3 years. This experience sharpened his skills in financial analysis, business systems, and strategic planning. So far, he’s trained over 1,400 fitness professionals to transition from gym-based personal training to online fitness coaching.

Watson was also a competitive powerlifter who has competed at the national level 7 times. He represented the United Kingdom in both European and World Championships through the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). His personal records are remarkable: a 165kg bench press, 250kg squat, and 317kg deadlift, all achieved at a bodyweight of 91kg. Jonny has an economics degree from the University of York. Jonny Watson has been the director of Propane Fitness since 2016.

Who Is Yusef Smith?

Dr. Yusef Smith is a former NHS doctor turned fitness entrepreneur from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. He worked in investment banking, in asset management, and as an NHS doctor at the Royal Victoria Infirmary for 2.5 years. His medical expertise is in human physiology, anatomy, and evidence-based practice. Yusef also has degrees in mathematics and business.

Smith was also a competitive athlete across multiple disciplines, including powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and gymnastics. He has competed at national and international levels through the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). His personal records at a bodyweight of 78kg include: bodyweight plus 72kg weighted dip, 90kg snatch, 240kg deadlift, 150kg bench press, 120kg clean, and 200kg squat. He did this all while maintaining a single-digit body fat percentage.

What Is Propane Fitness?

Propane Fitness is an online fitness coaching service founded by Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith in 2008. The company specializes in helping clients achieve physique and performance goals through systematic training and nutrition programs. Their personalized training and nutrition coaching have helped over 5,000 clients worldwide.

Can Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith Help You With Propane Business?

Jonny Watson and Yusef Smith can help you with your own fitness business through the Propane Business coaching program. It helps you transition from traditional gym-based personal training to scalable online coaching. The 12-week intensive covers lead generation, offer creation, and transitioning to group coaching models. ‌

The Business Foundations Course tackles setup, legal considerations, and financial management.
The Fast-Track Launch Program guides you through getting your first clients as soon as possible. Facebook advertising training takes up the bulk of the program because of the importance of marketing in the business model. There are also ready-to-use templates and Facebook community support.

How I Generate Leads Without Paying Ads and Earn Over $52K a Month

WordStream says that the average cost of Facebook Ads for the fitness industry is $1.90 to $3.29 per click with a 14.29% conversion rate. As online fitness coaching becomes more saturated, this cost will only increase. Beginners may find it expensive and difficult to create and run effective Facebook Ad campaigns.

In my opinion, local lead generation is more stable because you receive consistent passive income without much time and effort needed like owning a float in the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade. Once the float (lead gen site) is designed and your spot (search engine ranking) in the parade is secured, you watch as the crowd (customer) gathers year after year, excited to see your creation pass by. The work is upfront, but after that, the income keeps flowing with minimal effort. Running an online fitness coaching business is like launching a new show on Netflix. While the platform offers global reach, it’s also saturated with countless popular shows like Britain and the Blitz vying for attention. Unlike an online fitness coaching gig where your business is highly dependent on clients, local lead gen doesn’t rely on maintaining relationships with clients. Once the system is in place, the revenue is typically earned by simply collecting leads for businesses on a recurring basis like a wildlife camera trap in the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo. Once the camera is set up in the right spot, you don’t need to interact with the animals or monitor them constantly.

For example, my site Torrance Premier Custom Cabinets 2540 Pacific Coast Highway Torrance, California 90505 310-634-1936 https://torrancecustomcabinets.com/ drove 3 custom cabinet project leads for my client last month. It generated $32,913 in revenue, which got me $3,291.30 for a 10% commission even while enjoying my favorite restaurant’s best-sellers.

I generate leads without paying ads by generating free traffic using SEO. I use the same tactic in my local lead generation business that earns me over $52K a month. This involves ranking websites and renting them out to local service-based businesses.

conclusion

Check out our local lead generation program to learn how to generate free leads for your own business. You can even earn while learning by applying the lessons to generate leads for my long-term client and earn a commission.