AWATfit’s Roving Outdoor Gym
Effective exercises that can be done outside and away from others
Initially created in 2019 for those lacking the access or desire to visit a gym, AWATfit (Any Where Any Time Fitness) brings all the necessary equipment and a trainer to your driveway, the woods, the beach or wherever you fancy. The program centers on founder Rich Decker‘s truck, which he and a friend (a professional customizer) outfitted with 20 workout stations—bungee runs, TRX, Gorilla Bow, HELM, weighted ropes and balls, pull-up bars and more can be attached to offer countless exercises. At first glance, the AWATfit concept is relatively simple, but upon closer inspection, the truck contains a few surprises and Decker’s 20 years worth of expertise—years of indoor and outdoor workouts, private training, and owning gyms—reveals itself in spades.
Bars jut from the truck’s roof and a support system anchors speakers and auxiliary weights. Ropes hang from the tow hitch. Resistance bands and other accessories attach to the footsteps below the cab. Harnesses dangle from a beam providing opportunities for aerial exercises. This set-up is no accident; every piece of equipment is informed by Decker’s decades of experience. The 20 stations (and their correlating bodyweight and resistance exercises) address everything from strength to flexibility, stability, agility, and cardio vascular health.
Most appealing is ensuring that these workouts (available for one-on-one or group sessions) are done outdoors in the fresh air and all year long, away from other gym members. Decker says, “A lot of places try to copy outdoor workouts through temperature controls (hot yoga, cold fitness rooms, etc.) but nature is irreplaceable. It gives you a better workout and when you’re outdoors it improves your mood and ups your energy.”
AWATfit is soon launching its franchising opportunities, providing independent trainers access to the truck’s unique set-up. Given the forecast for traditional gyms, this arrangement could be the future of many professional workouts. “A lot of trainers are really good at what they do,” Decker explains. “But they aren’t set for the business side. We are a one stop shop for them,” he says about offering leases on the trucks, providing plans and materials for outfitting it, workout routines and POS system.
Group workout sessions can be reserved for $40 per person, though they are currently limited to eight people—a number that guarantees six feet of separation between participants. Under usual circumstances, Decker can host classes with 20+ attendees. Additional, recurring classes—from one to three a week—can be booked through a monthly membership which starts at $1,000.
Flexible fitness solutions like Decker’s, while developed prior to the pandemic, are clearly timely—providing trainers whose gyms may likely be closed for long periods an alternative income source and the opportunity to service clients more directly, as well as options for people to workout in a manner that is compliant with any local constraints and makes them feel safe.
Images by Kristen Gray, courtesy of AWATfit
