I want to train in MMA, but I can’t afford the gym membership

“I want to work out, but I can’t afford the gym membership.”

Well, then you really don’t want to train. So how about you close it? This annoying incessant refrain… people come in and ask a million questions about training, only to tell me after indulging them with an hour of my time, “I want to work out, but I can’t afford the gym membership.”

Please don’t get me wrong: I’m more than happy to answer questions from serious prospective students, but the key word here is “serious” and if you’re not, get out of my gym.

Over the years, you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard this: “I want to work out but I can’t afford the gym membership.” Statistics show that 99.987% of the time the person is full of shit. I mean, I’m not a statistician, but… Fuck statisticians, I’m right.

The only thing worse than wannabes are “almost changelings.” One guy told me that he couldn’t pay his tuition anymore because he bought an aftermarket exhaust system for his Harley Davidson. Now I’m sure this would have worked out very well for his landlord: “I can’t pay/do my rent this month, I had to buy an exhaust system for my motorcycle.” Than?

A contract is a contract. I’m not playing “MMA trainer”, this is how I feed my kids.

The thing is, we all know this guy. He would love to train, but he can’t afford the monthly fees. He has a long list of reasons: work, girlfriend, wife, car, mom, etc. But go out on a Saturday night to your local bar. You will see it there. Upload a tab, eat hot wings at 2am, flirt with a girl by buying her and all her friends a round of Vegas Bombs.

It all comes down to how serious you take it and how much you want it. If you want it, you make it happen. It seems difficult, but in reality, it is not. If I don’t know you (and because you have a friend who is the brother of a guy who is dating a girl who is the cousin of a guy who is training in my gym DOESN’T MEAN WE KNOW EACH OTHER… AT ALL), don’t come to me with a BS story about how times are tough and how the next GSP could be if someone just gave him a chance, i.e. let him train for free.

As a gym owner and trainer, I hear this story every week from someone. If you sign up (and pay), show me that you’re serious and I see that you have potential, then I might be willing to work with you.

Eventually, you could help out at the gym by cleaning the mats every day or work some kind of trade, but don’t ask for free training with nothing in return from the gym. And believe me, trust me, listen carefully, until you have proven that you have nothing I want.

No matter how sure you are that “you’ll make me famous and put my gym on the map,” I’m not going to buy what you’re selling. It costs money to pay for good instructors, utility bills, equipment, insurance… I’m not in the business of giving free training because you think you might be cool.

Most of the time, these guys only last a few classes, a couple of months at most, and are never seen again. I, like many gym owners, have been the victim of a sad story here and there only to be repeatedly disappointed by said student’s work ethic, heart, commitment, and lack of talent, and the list goes on.

Show me that you’re serious. Most of us have fighters that we let train for free because they fight for the gym, they clean the gym, they promote the gym, they support their gym mates, they love the gym, they love the team, and they love the trainers.

These guys… these guys, they’re pretty weird. So when I get one of them, I do my best to hang on. But if you’re not one of these guys, and before you insist that you are, take a good look at yourself because these guys eat, drink and breathe competition, if you’re not one of these guys, walk away.

If you’re just looking for a free ride, don’t ask for free training. You’re asking me to give you the equivalent of several thousand dollars a year for free and I’m like, “There’s a little ‘fight club’ down the street, wait a minute, let me find your number…it’ll fit right in.”