Is there room for fun in fitness?

GPM · 09-09-2009, 04:15 PM

I'll admit, I am acting like an unabashed taker. I just recently found this site and I have gleaned lots of useful information relating to far more than just fitness, and now I have something to ask of you - allllllways taking. I hope that I will be able to contribute something at some point.

I am hoping that a few of you would be so gracious as to review the following and provide some feedback. I would be most appreciative.

Would varied outdoor exercise in a clean natural environment be desired if it was available? What would be the tipping point in terms of travel time from a metropolitan area?

I am a contractor, not a trainer of any sort, living in Southern Arizona where outdoor exercise is possible year-round with clothing & schedule adjustments. I live in a rural area where the people are few and the air is clean on a property that is 1/4 mile by 1/2 mile, largely undisturbed Sonoran Desert. Over the past 4-5 years, I have shifted my personal fitness activities to probably 95% outdoor activities and 5% in the home gym. I am not able to make any claims about fitness gains with this approach (although if I had to run for my life or the like, I do believe I would fare far better now due to the challenge imposed by regularly running, jumping, lunging, lifting on soft, irregular, yielding surfaces with all sorts of natural obstacles and the adaptations this has brought about) however, the gym workouts were something I did because I believed they were good for me ... like eating squash, whereas the outdoor activities are fun and engaging ....like eating ice cream - no motivation required.

The property has a sand wash running through it that provides opportunities for whatever you might do on the dry portion of a beach, albeit with a slightly less compelling view. There is a large pit 150 yards across by 30 feet deep with sloping banks that provide places for hill sprints, lunge complexes, etc. and includes a 100 yard hill sprint @ 15% with a 400 foot zip line to quickly get back near the starting point (great conditioning workout with a partner - winner zips back, looser jogs). Over the years I have developed: miles of single track running / mountain biking trails utilizing the existing terrain and flora, two motocross tracks that are also good for mountain bike sprints as well as using as obstacle courses; exercise areas utilizing monkey bars with cable pulley systems and rings / ropes / blast straps attached for suspension work , high bars, parallel bars, rope climbs, pole climbs, pegboards, balance beams, tractor tires to flip or drag, hurdles, adjustable plyometric stands; wooden platforms scattered amongst the trees that I use for calisthenics, stretching, jumping rope, kettlebell / dumbbell routines: a 40 x 80 concrete pad with a solid steel wall at one end for medicine ball, reaction ball, ab-wheel work, handstand walks / pushups.

I have adopted workouts that were inspired by the work of John Hinds (Monkey Bar Gym), Ross Enamait (Ross Training) & various challenges from Ninja Warrior. Fun, challenging, intense - they never feel like drudgery - at least to me.

My feeling is that the property is close enough to a metropolitan area (30 minutes, ½ freeway, ½ 2 lane country road with 2 stop signs) to make it worth the trip, but far enough to limit that trip to once per week for most, using conventional gym or home work to round out their programs. It also seems as though it would be best to work with one trainer so a consistent screening / assessment process could be established, but maybe involving several trainers each creating their own unique offerings would be more successful, for more exposure and a wider appeal.

In my area, people that do boot camps do them in public parks which are cheap & convenient. My property has exponentially more potential, but at higher cost and less convenience.
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Let me qualify the following question by saying that I fully realize that the percentage of people that seek to remain fit womb to tomb is pitifully small, and of that small group, not everyone would enjoy my facilities or be fit or competent enough to safely partake of the activities. Would you guess that number to be infinitesimally small, maybe because you all need more science and a controlled environment, or outside of athletics will it be difficult to find people willing to give up the comfort of a carpeted, climate controlled gym just around the corner and accept the increased risk of outdoor activities? Or is there a desire by the trainers and trainees for more variety and fun so as to be naturally motivating?

Sorry for the length, but this is not some idea that just popped into my mind which I decided to throw out and see if it sticks, I have developed this facility over many years at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars for the use of my family & employees, and have given a great deal of thought to the idea of opening it up to others (and truly, I left a great deal out for brevity). A little feedback prior to expending a bunch of time, money and potential liability would be most valuable

Comments, experiences, further communications would be appreciated. Thank You.

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rem1956 · 09-10-2009, 06:29 AM

Good morning GPM! and Welcome!

I can't speak for others, but I sure wish I could use this. It sounds fantastic. Please enjoy it for many, many years. If I ever make it back to your area, I would love to workout there. Gyms are way too stuffy and a natural, outdoor workout is the best , in my opinion.

GPM · 09-10-2009, 04:26 PM

Just my kind of person rem - an early riser - if the time tag is correct (or is it adjusted for my time zone? 4:29AM)

Thanks for the welcome as well as commenting. Obviously, I was hoping for a little more coverage of this issue. Perhaps in time.

I would hate to expend much effort if the only potential patronage was all the way on the other side of a great big country!

LisaS · 09-10-2009, 04:34 PM

I think you'd have more luck initially in making your space available to trainers who might bring out groups of their clients on a "one off" basis. By that I mean you might get someone who brings a group of 5 or 6 persons out on Wednesday nights or Saturday mornings more easily than getting 10 random individuals on their own to decide to come out and work with you directly, if you see what I mean.

Or, if there are existing clubs in the area for interests like hiking or rock climbing or mountain biking - they might be amenable to scheduling a club outing at your place. Who knows, you might get individuals out of it but it makes the first contact via a social group and environment that people are comfortable with rather than making a decision to drive out of town to meet a stranger for a wilderness workout. If you see what I mean.

GPM · 09-10-2009, 04:57 PM

Good points Lisa, thank you. I would like to negotiate the terms under which I would be free to use the phrase "wilderness workout"

I had created the post in word then pasted it then deleted a bunch so it may not have been clear that I am not a trainer. I had always intended on recruiting a trainer to assess participants and create programs. Preferably, one with lots of clients already because I believe that only a small percentage of regular exercisers would enjoy / benefit from my facility.

LisaS · 09-10-2009, 05:04 PM

You might want to target trainers who are already running bootcamps in the parks - they might be looking for a facility like yours to offer variety to their clients. Again, they already have a client base of people who are looking for something outside of the chrome+glass globogym. Once you have a relationship with one or two trainers I think the outdoors clubs would be a good source of people who might want a once-a-week or once-a-month at your place with one of those trainers as a guide/host. Just some thoughts off the top of my head answering the "when would I drive 30-45 minutes for an outdoor workout" question.

GPM · 09-11-2009, 07:37 PM

Lisa, it looks like it's all up to you. Thanks for applying yourself to this thread.

Any great ideas on how to contact the type of trainers that would fit this facility? When I called my insurance agent for my contracting company to inquire about the intricacy of obtaining liablity insurance for this venture, he actually gave me the name of a local trainer doing bootcamps in the city parks that one of his associates goes to. The letter to this trainer is where I cut and pasted this post from.

Despite several attempts via US Mail & e-mail, no response. I believe the facility is unique and needs those "outside the box" types, but where to find them? Go Daddy?