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The 4,300-Square-Foot Sweet Spot: Why D1's Prototype Is Built Around Training, Not Real Estate

Written by D1 Training | Aug 27, 2026, 4:01:27 PM

Warm Up

  • Why is D1 Training’s prototype 4,300 square feet? We started with the athlete experience and built from there. The result is a purpose-built facility that elevates the athlete experience and maximizes the potential of the business.
  • Every square foot has a purpose. D1 Training brings the Division 1 training experience to communities, with specialized equipment, strength training, turf, and training zones working together to support how athletes move, train, and progress.
  • D1 locations can vary in size. Typical facilities range from approximately 3,700 to 5,000 square feet. Locations can be larger or smaller depending on the market, community, and available real estate.
  • Franchise owners get unmatched support from D1. Our team helps with real estate, facility design, and development so you can bring the D1 experience to your community.

When you’re evaluating a fitness franchise, it’s easy to look at real estate through one question:

How much space can I afford?”

At D1 Training, we started with a different question:

“How much space does it take to deliver the Division 1 Training experience well?”

Our proven D1 facility prototype is 4,300 square feet, with typical D1 locations ranging from about 3,700 to 5,000 square feet.

When we work with a franchise owner, we take a deep dive into the market, the community, and the available real estate to determine the best path forward. Our proven facility design provides the blueprint, but it’s built to adapt to your location and needs. We want to help you find the right space for the right opportunity and make every square foot count.

Our locations and layout provide room to deliver group training, personal training, strength, performance, and conditioning under one roof, while maximizing the potential of the entire space.

And here's the best part: you don't have to figure it out yourself.

 

1. We Give You the Blueprint

One of the advantages of becoming a D1 franchise owner is that you don't have to figure out your facility layout from scratch.

We've spent years optimizing how the space should function, what equipment is needed, and how the facility layout can support bringing the Division 1 training experience to communities. You get the benefit of that experience through a proven facility design that can be adapted to your specific market and location.

And because no two markets (or buildings) are exactly alike, our team provides hands-on support throughout the real estate and facility development process, from identifying potential locations and evaluating sites, to determining how the D1 layout can work within a specific space.

Then once you have the right site, you don't have to stare at an empty floor plan wondering where to put the turf or how to configure the weight room. We've got a blueprint. And we'll help you make it work for your location.

 

2. Built for How Athletes Train

D1 isn’t a traditional gym where members come in and use equipment however they choose. Our facilities are designed around a structured, coached training experience, supporting both group and personal training.

D1 athletes move through five primary training areas as part of our 5-Star Training Program: 

  • Warm-Up
  • Performance

  • Strength

  • Core & Conditioning

  • Cool-Down

The layout is designed to give athletes and coaches the space they need to move efficiently through each part of the workout, with expansive turf space, dedicated personal training areas, and a weight room with approximately 6–7 strength training racks.

The strength and conditioning weight room has always been at the heart of Division I athletic training. D1 was built to bring that same caliber of coaching and equipment to everyday athletes.

Our facilities feature specialized equipment designed around our performance-based 5-Star training model and the way athletes move, train, and progress. In many newer locations, that includes custom-produced D1 equipment designed for durability, performance, and seamless integration into the layout and flow of a high-intensity training environment.

3. Designed, Tested & Refined.

Our approach goes all the way back to D1’s first location.

In 2002, founder and CEO Will Bartholomew secured a small 2,500-square-foot space in a Nashville community and got to work. He installed the patio cover that would become the turf area, laid out the weight room, painted the walls, and handled the countless details it took to turn an open space into D1’s first training facility.

“What I really wanted to do was provide the general community the same experience I had as a Division I athlete—unbelievable coaching, guidance, and an environment where people could come and train with purpose.”
— Will Bartholomew, Founder & CEO

Over the years, D1 has continued to refine the model—testing what works, optimizing the layout, and challenging ourselves to deliver a better training experience.

That commitment to getting better every day—for our franchise owners and the athletes we serve—has shaped how we design our facilities. Today, D1 locations typically range from about 3,700 to 5,000 square feet, with our proven prototype at approximately 4,300 square feet.

This 4,300-square-foot prototype is a deliberate, data-informed standard, not a cost-driven compromise.

Every square foot has a purpose. The footprint gives franchise owners the space they need to deliver the full D1 experience while making the most of the facility for both the athlete and the business.

You Pick the Goal, We Help You Get There.

You don't have to be a real estate expert or facility designer to become a D1 franchise owner. Our team provides unmatched support throughout site selection, facility design, and development, so you can focus on building your business.

Request more information about becoming a D1 Training franchise owner toda