Unconventional mode of training, a wide lush green landscape, a commercial truck, rugged heavy iron gears are some of the things that make ‘The Jungle Gym’ breaks the barriers of conventional gyms. The Jungle Gym is owned by Colt Colletti, a former American Footballer, now a full-time trainer who interestingly has transformed his garage gym into a full-range open-air gym where he trains his clients which encompasses from NFL and others. With someone finding it quite crazy to see people doing Jeep-resisted yoke carries, Colt assures all sorts of safety while conducting such drills in his backyard. Well, to know more about the JUNGLE GYM which comes with a statutory warning of ‘don’t try this at home‘, Abhinav from Sportz Business Insights talks to the CEO of the Gym, Colt Colletti and finds out more about this raw work outstation. Let’s demystify more about the new concept of garage gym, potential of such creative unique workout station in countries like Indian and another south Asian country. Edited Journey Below.
Q What catapulted you with this atypical concept? The journey of this garage gym and its USP?
Freedom of Soul! In the garage gym, I have the full freedom to design the programming and train the client as per their goals and potential without worrying about the time limit which is usually fixed to (01-hr) for conventional gyms. PT sessions unlike (standard regulation in most of the gyms) and stereotyped environment & machines, I have a full lush green landscape just outside my gym, which I use for sprinting. It is highly liked by most of my clients. Particularly, the athletes I train! In Jungle Gym, clients have full-freedom to experiment with new workouts considering their safety and fitness level. I believe, it is the trainer who acts as a motivation gear, never the environment or machine. A real trainer can give you the results with limited resources and limitations confronted by clients. So the USP for all the gyms is the trainer himself. It completely depends on how well he accommodates the needs of the clients. If machines alone can do it then trainers would have gone out of the job. Though, the value of ambiance cannot be completely ignored. It is again the duty of trainers to endow with a healthy and hygienic ambiance using his creativity and experience keeping the respective members frisky and help leverage them a better overall workout experience.
Q Facilities provided in and around the gym and what kind of workout sessions your clients prefer at your Jungle Gym?
The content of the workout program depends upon the level and goals of the clients. There is a wide range of programs conducted inside The Jungle Gym catering to the needs of Beasts enrolled under. For instance, the strength & conditioning program can be conducted for athletes to boost the endurance level, while the same program can be conducted for beginners to reduce weight while intensity level will differ. There is no limit inside The Jungle. My clients are exposed to real-time scenarios, ranging from dragging the commercial truck to sled machine. Also, there are many other kinds of training offered like calisthenics, weight trainings, Fartlek, Interval Training etc. My clients range from athlete level to chemo-patients.
Q Jungle Gym as the name suggests, is it just the ambiance sturdy and tough or the chaps hitting this unique gym undergoes some specific sessions and fitness regime?
As the name itself suggests, there is no limit inside The Jungle. You can expect the least expected inside the premises or its vicinity (as I take my clients to outside too). Here, one can witness that not just males but also my female clients are dragging the truck, hammer. The innovation level and intensity level is high here as there are no pre-defined boundaries. Even the simplest workout like pushups is performed with a n-range of creativity and tensions. The weighted pushups can be performed with living and non-living weights. The same is visible on my Instagram (IG) page.
Q Which kind of people comes to your gym and what in general is their sole objective?
As I mentioned earlier, my clients range from athlete level to chemo patients. Few known names are Cole Freeman (baseball Player), Odell Jr. Becham (Football Player) etc.
Q How do you see the future of such a rugged gym in other parts of the world especially in the Indian Sub-continent?
I possess thirty (30) years of extensive experience into this domain but my operations are limited to America. I have been running The Jungle gym for more than 25 years. I am planning to start my business in India soon. The concept of fitness is booming in India rapidly. The rugged gym is very beneficial for serious learners particularly who are into body building or power lifting or weight lifting or any other sports. In personal training studios, one to one dedicated sessions are provided to the clients. It is actually very good for those who want to work seriously on their bodies or strength.
Q What are the things you check before training someone?
Fitness Level, medical history (mandatory thing), the diet plan and the life style followed by them. These are the major checks that I prefer to know before I design any plan. There are other parameters too which are specific to each individual.
Q What is the business model of your Jungle gym and are you planning to decentralize the concept?
It is an individual unit. I own the sole proprietorship but I am planning to start providing franchises in other parts of world too. My next country is India due to increasing demand for fitness and sports.
Q Lastly, any big plans for 2020 amidst deceleration of fitness businesses due to Corona virus. Impact and way forward of Jungle gym?
My earlier plans were to execute boot camps in different states for all level of audience including children, women and men but the same got postponed due to the present problem. I am promoting my online training to reach to maximum number of people helping them to boost their immunity to fight against this virus. I have my clients who are more than 60 years old but their immunity is as strong as of youth. I also provide a diet plan to increase the strength and immunity level, apart from training. It’s time for all of us to be together and fight against this intangible enemy. I am sure, we will win!
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
