Community Gyms Are Awesome!

Like this outdoor gym in Envigado, Colombia. This is my local neighborhood gym, a 5 minute walk from the house.

It’s my new favorite gym in the entire world!

Here’s what I love about it:

• It’s got a raw feel that gets you into beast mode quick! There are barbells made from rebar and empty paint cans filled with cement.
• It’s free
• It builds community
• It’s eco friendly: No electricity, no plastic bottles, just objects to lift and play around with
• Exercising outside in the sun is a double bonus!
• It has a lot of bars, which is perfect for me because I set a goal earlier this year to be able to do 20 pullups in a row (currently at 16)

Having an outdoor gym like this also promotes better health in the community. Thousands of cars drive by every day, and when you see people exercising and being healthy, that has to rub off and inspire right?

I think it would be cool to start an organization, or campaigns for existing organizations to build more community gyms like this. These are beacons of positive energy and an excellent alternative to paid gyms.

Perfect Timing

This year I got into calisthenics bigtime, and this is exactly the type of gym that is perfect for that.

The major inspiration for me was Barstarzz, and this video is the one that kicked it off for me:

Level Up

Hah I’m not on these dudes level yet, but after focusing on calisthenics and body weight exercises most of the year, I’m feeling strong, flexible, and fluid.

The bars also make working out super fun, like playing a sport – there are skills and progressions to learn… but you don’t need teams or an organization.

I hope the calisthenics trend continues going huge, it’s such an amazing way to workout and especially you can do it outdoors and with little equipment.

Vamos al gymnasio aire libre!