I am curious as to how much one would be willing to pay each month to go to a small, but fully equipped hard core gym; loaded with power lifting, strongman, and olympic lifting gear and functioning as a place for athletes to train as well.
The most profitable gyms today appears to be geared toward personal training for the upper class stay at home mother. The large commercial gyms today seem to want to push out any lifters whos’ routine may be disruptive to the others. For example a golds gym I trained at removed the olympic/bumper plates to discourage dead lifting, their words were, quote: people have been getting a little carried away dead lifting. end quote.
I have checked out some cross fit gyms, but it is designed for cross fitters; it is not geared for serious power lifters, strongmen, or olympic lifters.
So my question is how much would you be willing to pay each month to train at a fully equipped facility that actually encouraged lifters to bail on a clean and press, has room for indoor sled pulling, prowler pushing and tire flips, not only had bands/chains, but racks with band rods (so you do not have to wrap the band around a dumbbell), reverse hyper and GHR machine, maintained a truly heavy and complete dumbbell set, had logs and farmers walk bar, etc.
In addition to how much you would be willing to pay each month, I am curious as to how much you pay each month now for what type of services and what your location is.
I am from Suffolk County on Long Island, pay $160 a month for mma and $50 a month of a generic gym membership. I would be more then willing to pay around $100 a month for a gym membership similar to what I described above in addition to the $160 I pay for the mma.
40 bucks tops. You can buy and trash your own equipment for more than that.
I went to a crossfit gym last monday and they told me I couldn’t do my own workout and had to follow theirs. FUCK THAT. Plus it’s $150 per person up there.
Damn dude, you’re already paying $200 a month on gym memberships. That’s a lot. I had a gym I went to that had everything you described and was paying $45/m, but the owner has a terrible business sense so I stopped going. Last I heard he’s not even open to the public anymore, he just trains HS athletes. I’m going to a gym I love now that’s $70/m. That’s about my limit.
Let’s see, I got a few tires for free, a couple sledgehammers for $15 each, a few hundred pounds of weights for a couple hundred bucks in my shop… To me it’s more about the atmosphere than the equipment. I’d pay to be able to train with a group of guys who help me get bigger and stronger than I could get on my own, but I wouldn’t pay a dime just based on what gear they’ve got in the building.
The gym I train at now is more of a fighter’s gym, but has all of the weights, strongman equipment, prowler, etc. (although that shit is outdoors. Don’t know who really does that inside). But I pay 50 bucks. Wouldn’t pay more.
Thanks for the posts. I hear what your saying Melvin, I have a good set up at home, but it lacks the environmental intensity that I get when I am, say, training mma with a group of people.
I have been considering opening a training facility like I described above, but the numbers are too tight at $50 a month; that is why I asked how much one would be willing to spend. Thank you all for the input.
I used to pay $99 monthly at my Krav gym before I worked there, price has gone up to $119 per month since then, for unlimited classes. Currently I also train at a boxing gym that charges $60 per month (I pay less because I teach private lessons there, but it’s not my home base, so its not free) & a Lifetime Fitness for $69 per month.
Several mma gyms around here charge based on time used, so using the place 2 times per week costs $30 (or whatever), more times cost more money.
You could also charge for private coaching, and for seminars on specific types of training, or whatever sport you focus on, and you should receive a percentage of anyone else’s fees when they coach at your gym.
What people are willing to pay will not only be a reflection of their desire to be there, but also of their economic station. Assuming your clients will come from around the area of the gym, that should factor in.
Jtrinsey is right about coaching/environment. I pay more than I really care to for my own coach, but he’s so damn good I fork it over without complaining.
To elaborate on my earlier post- I have weights and boxing equipment in my basement, so I always said that I wasn’t going to pay for a gym so I could do the same shit that I’d be doing there.
But once I passed using 65 lbs. on dumbells, I needed a gym, and the prowler, tires, uppercut bags, etc. were all things that I didn’t have and couldn’t put in my own basement.
Plus, I’ve met a lot of good guys in the MMA/wrestling world who I’ve leared quite a bit from as well. That was worth all the money that I did spend. But I still would not pay $100 a month. No way.
I have paid as much as $150.00/month while I was living in DC. The instruction was pretty damn good, so it was worth it. Met some quality people there, as well. But as Jtrinsey said, and Miss P backed, pay for the coaching/environment. Be a quality coach. Maintain a quality environment free of egos. When the day arrives where I open up my own space, that’s one of the biggest things I’ll be insistant about. No egos. Just my thoughts.
Thanks for the posts. It really helps. It’s tough to find a medium, the cross fit gyms generally offer structured classes and don’t allow lifters to do their own thing, while generic gyms don’t offer the type of equipment or coaching desired. So from what you’ve all said, it seems a gym needs to be designed to offer both group classes, individual coaching, and also the ability for members to come in as the please to perform their own workouts.
FightinIrish, I’m not a cross fit supporter, but do like some aspects of their training. I am curious as to why you would say don’t go near it if you want to fight, it seems like a good routine to increase stamina, but I am open to hear your words on their training methods. I myself like to incorporate a lot of different styles into my train as I’m sure most do.
cross fit - does have cool toys but the lack of plan does suck.
here in the big city- shit is spendy.
Renzo Gracie is over 200 a month just BJJ- no real weights or gear etc.
But the higher belt classes are stacked full of talent and fantastic coaches.
the weight gyms here with the good shit- GHR ,Bumpers etc- are very private
and usually 200 or more a month.
Of the gyms I have been to Over Seas- both in Cuba and in the Czech republic
only have a Matt and shit that we would have thrown out here.
they are bare bones have leaks and are fucking cold as hell
have low ceilings and dark.
should tell you something about gyms with Camo swain matt or flashy Rings
and a ‘pro’- juice and smoothie shop.
most of the true elite facilities in the states- are not open to the public and are heavily subsidised
things like NYAC and the OTC are funded and if you are there your not paying for it.
Same can be said for most good MA schools that after a while you are paying less-
much less then the newer students the longer you work with or go to one place
or group of places, the less you would pay- do to your involvement or longevity with the school
lots of good training really goes on - in basements- and for 99% of the people reading this
that is fine its ok to be a hobbyist