We opened Oceanside CrossFit in 2007 on $7,000.
When we moved out of the garage we were approved for a business line of credit for about $20,000. It felt like a lot of money!
Now, $20k isn’t much to start a gym. Most gyms cost at least 100 times that much (that’s $2 MILLION). But the small budget was actually an advantage: Instead of focusing on the chrome and mirrors that attract newbies to gyms, I was forced to buy ONLY what worked.
I knew I wouldn’t have a marketing budget. I would have to depend on my clients spreading the word about Oceanside CrossFit. And that meant I had to get RESULTS.
So when we made my shopping list, we bought barbells. We bought kettlebells. We bought two rowers, medicine balls, some jump ropes, mats and a GHD. We also built some boxes and a couple of slam balls.
On the day the equipment arrived, I thought, “This is all I need.”
And it was. For nearly a year in a small warehouse, we got people VERY fit. No mirrors, no chrome, no stereo system. We made a lot of noise.
These days we buy more of the SAME equipment: rowers, barbells, pull-up bars and boxes. You still won’t see pec decks or cable crossovers or leg extension machines. Instead, you’ll see people doing squats and push-ups and pull-ups. Because that’s what actually works.
Very fit people know that a large variety of equipment is a red herring. Most gyms sell comfort: padded machines, oiled stacks, polished chrome. But truly fit people—or people who NEED to lose weight, perform, or are desperate to fix their bad backs—avoid that stuff. People with skin in the game know they don’t need more choice; they need more work.
Almost everyone who comes to Oceanside CrossFit has been to other gyms. And almost to a person, they say, “I just didn’t get anywhere.” They looked for the cheapest option. Or the largest. Or the one with the most machines. But eventually, when they decided they needed results, they went looking for a coach.
And coaches don’t use that stuff. Professional, career coaches, whose livelihood depends on getting results, use barbells. Boxes. Squats and push-ups and food plans. Forced to choose what works, professionals choose the basics.
Many new clients who book a No-Sweat Intro tell us, “This just looks like a lot of open space.” It’s true: You need space when you’re going to move a lot. And if you want to get fit, you’re going to move a lot. Fitness requires no chair, no padding, no seat belt.
Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.
No wasted space. No wasted time. No wasted effort.
Under the bright LEDs, our clients are doing burpees and snatches; climbing ropes and smiling. They’re far more fit than they were back then. Our coaching has improved tenfold. Our equipment hasn’t changed at all.
Inspiration provided by Chris Cooper at Catalystgym.com.
