Written By: Nardus Talijard (@flamwoodbarbell)
Yup. For reals folks. Believe the hype. You can have your very own Muscle Cave. And it’s surprisingly affordable too if done right!!
You don’t have to go far to prove it either. One of my favourite articles on this subject (and also the one that convinced me to go down the garage path) is “The Garage Gym” by Greg Glassman that is freely available to read on the Crossfit Journal. He says:
“The garage gym tradition is revered and respected. The number of athletes training in garages, barns, and abandoned buildings is legion. Many of these are world dominant in their sport.”
Nevertheless, here is the list of 10 things I think you should know or do :
1. You probably (unless you are loaded as hell) won’t be able to stock your Palace of Fitness all at once from the start. For me, this wasn’t really a con as I really love the process of bargain hunting and getting my grubby little paws on quality deals. (I’m constantly on eBay…Local Whatsapp groups…Facebook groups…etc – constantly actively looking at deals).
2. Carrying on from the above mentioned you will need to know your prices on equipment (new and used) so that WHEN that deal strikes, and believe me it comes around every now and then only, you are ready to decide if it’s a good deal…like when you see BigFoot you better be ready to take a pic – cause he most probably might not come around again soon
3. You will have your very own personal fitness facility within 50 yards of your living room.
4. You can train when and how you want. Want to squat naked? No probs. Want to set stuff on fire? No probs. Want to listen to Gangster Rap loudly when you train? No probs. Point being is………….YOU CAN DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT.
5. You will need to either get hold of quality programming for your facility or dabble in your own programming. I have done both, BUT, I have found that whilst doing quality programming for yourself is by no means impossible, its time consuming and you might end up programming around your weakness and cherry picking movements to avoid….this happens to an extent, even if you are aware of it. For the last year I have bought programming for my facility and I can’t be happier. I simply execute the plan.
6. JUST START. I got hold of the following items first up – a bar, some plates (not a lot), a kettlebell (you pick your weight – most versatile for men is a 24kg and for the average gal I suggest a 16kg), make your own wallball or see if you can get a messed up one to tape up from your local box, some form of a bar to do pull-ups from and lastly a cheapy cheap speed rope. Sorted – you have started a garage gym. All the rest will come in good time…
7. Fix up / Install / Do something to improve your gym EVERY weekend. Even small stuff counts – putting up brackets etc…no job is too small. It adds up.
8. Get some friends to join you for free. Once you get like 3-5 regulars – start charging them small fees. Explain to them that your gym isn’t really all about the Benjamins and all, however, rent needs to be paid and some equips need to be maintained from time to time. I didn’t get a single negative response from this – however, you need have your friends already on a regular routine for a couple months at least before taking the plunge. Your customers need to be able to see what you bring to the table right.
9. Once you get a few paying customers, start saving up the fees and hit up Black Friday specials each year. THIS IS THE BIGGEST TIP OF ALL. Works like a charm.
10. Last but not least. Only do this if you absolutely LOVE fitness. ONLY if you have already made up your mind that this is something you are going to maintain for a lifetime. DO NOT start this from the outset as a business to only make money – you will not last and you will have a plethora of used equipment gathering dust in your garage. On the upside, if you do love fitness – congratulations – this will be the best decision of your life.
Hopefully, the above mentioned gave you some ideas and tools to get you started on your path to becoming a fellow garage gym owner. If you are planning on starting your own garage gym and need some more tips or advice please go check out my page @flamwoodbarbell, please like and share the posts and do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. I also provide programming for garage gym owners/athletes as I have a wealth of experience and know the tricks to get a ton done with minimal space and equipment.