In today’s world, it can be expensive to train – particularly in the sport of powerlifting. If you’re serious about making gains, then you need to be training in an environment that has a large range of equipment as well as access to fitness experts and strength coaches.
Trust me, I get it. Having been involved with the International Strongman scene for years, I know that it’s not always easy to find the right training environment. That being said, I want to take a moment to address a comment that I recently received related to the pricing of my gym here in Cyprus. I’ve only just now cooled down enough so that I can talk about it and officially address the question: Is my gym too expensive?
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At my gym, I ask for 5-10 Euros per training session, which for many athletes is just one time per week. This is not a large price to pay, considering that many are willing to pay over $100 per month to go to a CrossFit gym. And yet, I somehow received criticism that my gym was just too expensive for some athletes to use in their training.
After considering this feedback, I have to wholeheartedly disagree – and I’ll tell you why. The range of training equipment and accessories that I have available for use is near-endless. I have a Monolift-type rack, a place to deadlift, 20+ bars (both for men and women), three different axels, and an SS Yoke Bar. I’ve got tons of knee wraps, elbow wraps, and a wall full of nothing but straps and bands. There are metal plates, kilo plates, bumper plates, giant dumbbells, and ropes. I’ve got a Viking Press, a Conan’s wheel, stones, logs, frames, and a Super Yoke. Truth be told, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
With so many training tools available, possibilities are infinite. What’s more, there is no one else in this particular region of the world that has my background and experience. With that, I ask you to remember that this gym is mine. This does not belong to a club or a group; this isn’t everybody’s gym. This is my space, in my building, for which I pay all of the bills and maintenance costs. If you were to recreate this kind of training environment for yourself, it would cost you a staggering amount of money. And so, please don’t claim that my gym is too expensive, when in reality it’s the cheapest gym in the country – especially considering everything that you’re getting for the price.
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In all honesty, I was fine before everyone else came here to train, and I will be fine after everyone else eventually leaves. Because, ultimately, I’ll be able to keep training in my space. For me, every week it’s always been “Strongman Sunday”, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s always going to be Strongman Sunday. That’s just me.
This is the bottom line: All I ask is for everyone to show up, have a good time, leave the equipment how you found it, and make a donation. It’s not too much to ask.
