Sure, you can get strong and healthy at any gym, whether it’s a garage, a playground, a franchise chain of million or a YMCA. They’re all great and we fully support and endorse training in any and all of those. But, you’ll get stronger and healthier at a garage gym.

You know why?

It’s quite simple. One word…HABIT.

I Hear It Already, “But It’s Cheaper.”

Yeah, with your naked eyeballs, getting a membership appears cheaper. You’re right. But I’m not here to bad mouth gyms of any kind. If I didn’t already make it absolutely clear, let me say it again. Fringe Sport LOVES all gyms. I don’t want to get into the nitty gritty, financial breakdowns of why gym memberships often equate to flushing money down the toilet. But if you want that kind of info, you’re welcome to it. I urge you to read the article anyways, as it’s an insightful read.

The best parts come from the readers when they chime into the comment section below. Brad Morris aptly points out that the article should be retitled to "Gym Memberships Are Only Worth It If You Use Them." He’s absolutely right. This is where habit comes into play. Most gyms count on you not showing up. Now riddle me this. How can you not show up to the gym, when it’s in your house?

Proximity = consistency, and consistency = $$$.

Let me explain. Brad pointed it out by saying “…if you use them.” It’s no big secret that in most cases, the closer you are to the gym, the likelihood of you making it a routine and forming a regular habit, increases greatly. The Wall Street Journal tells us that the average gym member travels 4 miles to the gym.

The same piece also reveals:

“Longer commutes are associated with fewer visits, the data found. People who go to the gym once a month travel a median distance of 5.1 miles. Those who go five or more times a month travel 3.7 miles.”

Proximity = consistency. Imagine the number of gym visits a month when the gym is in your garage! Now, how does consistency = $$$ you say?

Well, you can already calculate your savings on health care and hospital visits. Factor in a multiplier of 2x or 3x dependent upon your marital status and if you have children or not. You’re well into the thousands of dollars. We haven’t even figured out if you’re eligible for a fitness reimbursement program like this one, and if you can be getting hundreds of dollars put in your pocket.

Oh and I haven’t even touched on car savings. No more 8 mile round trip to the gym? How much do you save in gas, and maintenance on your car, having a garage gym? How much do you save in time, and how much is that worth to you?

You can see the dollar signs beginning to stack up in your favor.

Here’s the kicker. A peer reviewed journal study, conducted by researchers from University of California Berkeley and the London School of Economics, found that “…Approximately one-third of subjects formed a habit equivalent to the effect of a $2.60 per-visit subsidy…” Yes, they were studying habit formation and gym attendance. This means with your already guaranteed proximity, and probable, higher consistency rate, you have good chance of putting $2.60 in your pocket every time you use your garage gym.

365 days a year multiplied by $2.60 = $949. What are the odds of you going 365 days a year to a gym 4 miles away? What are the odds of you going 365 days a year to a gym 0 miles away? I’m betting that with a garage gym, you’ll make at least an extra $900, taking out a few days for holidays and such.

A garage gym makes you money.