From Gym-goer to Garage Athlete

My fitness journey was profoundly shaped by incredible coaches and a vibrant community at my former gym in San Francisco (@unitedbarbell).

If you’ve ever high-fived someone after a brutal WOD, you know what I’m talking about.

But did you know that 97% of people globally, and 81% in the US, don’t have the luxury of a gym membership?

Whether it’s due to cost, distance, or the demands of daily life, for many, training at a gym isn’t always feasible.

If you find yourself in this no-gym majority, fear not — your fitness journey doesn’t have to hit pause just because you’re solo.

A Journey from the Gym to the Garage

Back in 2017, life threw my husband and me a beautiful curveball — our 3rd child arrived. Suddenly, balancing family life and work demands with gym time felt impossible.

So in 2018, we reluctantly transitioned from our beloved gym community to a garage gym setup. We had a single set of kettlebells at the time.

It wasn’t just a change of location. It forced a shift in our fitness philosophy.

We still deeply value and miss training in a class environment. The camaraderie, the shared sweat and struggles, and the direct feedback from coaches are irreplaceable.

Yet we’ve also come to appreciate the effectiveness, efficiency, and flexibility of training on our own schedule. Not to mention the convenience of no gym commute.

Here are a few principles we’ve honed since committing to the home gym lifestyle (which, by the way, we’d take with us if we ever re-joined a gym):

Establish a Non-Negotiable: 1 Hour a Day

Set a specific time each day for your workout. Mornings are great for fewer interruptions and lots of other reasons, but the key is consistency. Find a time that works for you and stick to it.

Treat this dedicated hour as sacred. It’s your commitment to maintaining and enhancing your health.

Embrace Efficiency

Time is precious. If you’re training at home because of limited time, here are some tips for making the most of your hour:

• Set out your equipment the day before (you’ll be less likely to skip your workout if you do this, too… to avoid the feeling of cleaning up equipment you didn’t use!)
• Show up knowing the workout you’re doing (don’t waste the first 15 minutes of your hour trying to figure out what to do)

P.S. Don’t wing it with random workouts. Following a structured program (rather than picking your own daily workout) eliminates decision fatigue and ensures you maximize your workout time.

If you know, you know. But there’s way more that goes into effective programming than most athletes have been taught.

A smart program helps you maximize the benefits of that hour, while avoiding burnout and breaking through plateaus.

Seek the Human Element

The community aspect of fitness is crucial for most of us.

If you’re training at home, find ways to make it social. Invite a friend, your partner, or a neighbor to join you for a workout.

(or at the very least, join our fitness community on Discord).

If you are a gym-goer who trains in a class environment, you’ve got the best setting for in-person interactions and motivation. Enjoy it!

Be Adaptable

Whether at the gym or at home, adapting workouts to fit your needs and achieve the intended stimulus is essential.

That can mean scaling the WOD for your current fitness level. At home, it might mean modifying movements to fit your available equipment.

Bottom Line

Training in a class environment at a gym with great coaches who care is an unbeatable experience that we cherish and respect.

And for those who can’t make it to a gym, we’re here to show you that with the right approach, home workouts can also be incredibly effective at developing exceptional levels of fitness.

And you can’t beat the convenience of a garage gym.

Let’s celebrate fitness wherever it happens — whether in a bustling gym filled with familiar faces or in your living room with just you and your favorite playlist.

Stay strong,

Coach Lisa
WODwell | Co-Creator