I opened Evolution 12 months ago on €15,000.
My bank offered me €15,000 on a line of credit. I felt like I won the lottery.
Now, €15k is a lot of money but it isn’t much to start a gym. Most gyms cost at least 100 times that much (that’s €1.5 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 members spreading the word about Evolution. And that meant I had to get RESULTS for them.
So when I made my shopping list, I bought barbells. I bought big rubber bands. I bought four machines, skipping ropes, dumbbells, mats and a rower. I built two squat racks and a couple of medicine balls.
On the day the equipment arrived, I thought, “This is all I need.”
And it was. For 6 months with limited equipment, we got people VERY fit. No mirrors, no chrome, no stereo system.
These days, I can afford to buy more equipment. But what I buy is more of the SAME equipment: rowers, barbells, pull-up bars and boxes. You still won’t see pec decks or calf raise 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 Evolution 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 me, “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.
In hindsight, I’d buy less. The four machines I bought for Evolution 12 months ago now sit in our gym untouched, available but unused. Instead, under the bright LEDs, our clients are doing goblet squats and deadlifts; shoulder taps and smiling. They’re far more fit than they were back then. My coaching has improved tenfold. My equipment hasn’t changed at all. I do what works and I know how to get people results. Click the link below to book your FREE intro and lets have a chat.
David
Free Intro – Evolution (evolutiontralee.com)
