The Value of Health: Why Gym Force Attracts High-Income Members
The average yearly income of members at Gym Force facilities is around $150,000. While many assume that these members join simply because they can afford it, we believe this is a misconception. It’s not just about the ability to pay; it’s about recognizing value. Our facilities attract a certain type of person—those who see the long-term benefits in what we offer. The coaching, camaraderie, and sustainable results are seen as a bargain, making cost a secondary factor in their decision-making process.
Many would be surprised by the large number of entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and other high-level executives who are members of these facilities. While they may be at a point in their lives where their income is comparatively high, these gyms also attract people who are very early in their careers—hardworking, smart individuals who may not yet have the same income, as well as first responders who understand the critical importance of health and fitness for their jobs. Though they have yet to realize the full earning potential of their more senior counterparts, these members also seem to possess the same long-term thinking mindset that drives their commitment to health and fitness.
Often, cost is seen as a barrier when choosing a gym, but we argue that it’s more a signal of quality than anything else. If you can't afford something, you can't afford it. But consider this: the business executive and the barista at Starbucks often carry the same iPhone. Both groups have found value in the product, regardless of income, education, or social status.
We believe that conventional wisdom, shaped by massive marketing efforts in a broken fitness industry, has conditioned much of our country to seek health and fitness through incentives that prioritize corporate profit over actual health improvements. This has also created confusion among consumers, who have been led to believe that a low-cost gym like Planet Fitness is simply a cheaper version of a quality CrossFit gym. In reality, they are entirely different products.
When shopping for a phone, choosing between a $1,200 smartphone and a flip phone, there’s no confusion—they’re not the same product.
It’s the same with gyms.
You might not be able to afford the same private jet as the 1%, but you can use the same phone—and yes, you can join the same gyms.
Disclaimer: We do not consider 'High-Volume, Low-Price' (HV/LP) businesses such as Planet Fitness to be in the same product category. In fact, we believe this business model is unethical, as it preys on our desire to make healthy changes, only to leave us feeling discouraged when it doesn’t work. This model often makes people feel like failures while payments continue to be withdrawn from their accounts, sometimes for years.
