@@gracefool He means save up and buy equipment. That way you don't have to pay a monthly fee for something that's not yours.most people pay around $20/month or more. That's $20x12 on the low end. You have $240 that you could spend on a dip/pull up platform, a sandbag, bands, dumbbells etc
ah ok. He was talking about his pro gym... But yeah I have a home gym myself :) A pair of rings is really all you need (and some calisthenics knowledge), but I like barbells too.
@@HurricaneGaming509 where's someone who can't afford an extra 20 dollars a month going to put that stuff? If you're worrying about 20 bucks a month I'm guessing you probably rent not own your own housing and I'm guessing it's not a place with a garage or sufficient space that you can turn into a gym. I love this podcast and jocko gives some amazing pieces of advice and wisdom. This wasn't one of those pieces.
make a business plan, find 40+ people interested in your area, get a loan from a bank, rent an empty strip mall place, start the gym. now you have a place to train and... you own the gym
@JockoPodcast I worked out at a local gym for several years and got to be friends with the owner. Life happened and I got divorced and all the sudden i was dead broke just trying to save my house and keep from going bankrupt. One day I went in and sat down with my friend the owner and told him I needed to cancel my membership and he asked me why... I think he was hurt a little. I explained my situation and how financially tight things were for me. I will never forget this. He got up and walked out for a couple min and went to the front desk and when he came back he told me. I put your membership on hold for as long as you need to get back on your feet. You let me know when you think you can pay again and that will be fine. In the meantime, you come and workout whenever you need to... he told me how his lifelong training partner had gone through a similar situation and he knew how much it meant to him to have been able to come in and train. I came in regularly and took advantage of that opportunity and after 6 months or so when things got better I went back to him and let him know how much I appreciated the grace and that I was ready to carry my own again.
Probably helps that gym memberships are predatory in nature. Your monthly dues are a drop in a bucket compared to the hundreds who pay and never work out. He wasn't losing anything.
not bad advice actually. In some areas you could buy a storefront for cheap and start your own private local bank. Best part is your private bank wouldn't have to be FDIC insured so you could charge way more than 5% monthly interest on a loan, or just sell the loan to a big bank or investor for more money. Winning!
Endless Ambition well in all fairness he did mention finding other people to invest more or less and, credit depending I guess, they could get a business loan. But you do have a point, it is kinda funny lol
@@Jeff.Peters Yeah, because the first thing investors, or loan officers are looking for, are people who can't afford a $50 a month bill. Jocko is great, but his answer here is shiite.
I went to My gym in SOCAL. Talked to the owner and told him I’ll help clean and whatever else needs to be done around the gym he let me train for free after that. Humbled me real well!
@@IRidez for sure it is great advice I just really wanted to joke with your name lol. Thanks for the response and keep up that positive energy and good work.
Im broke and can't afford Jiu jitsu cla.. *Jocko: START YOUR OWN GYM* Me: but i- *Jocko: DISCIPLIN !!!* Me: i work at mcdonalds an- *Jocko: WAKE UP AT **4:00** !!!!!!!*
playswith squirrels I mean it’s possible, just need the plan of how to make it work and pitch it to a bank and see if they can accommodate the overhead to open up your own gym.
Josue Chavez I hear your point. But buddy just wants a membership. I love boxing, but I ain’t opening a gym just cause I wanna train for the cheap. I’d rather focus on other aspects of life.
John Heigl bro offer up has everything cheap, I got dumbbells with interchangeable weights, thinking of buying 4x 25 plates. For 70lbs on both dumbbells, I wanna try it.
@chubbyurma Thing is that he actually walks the walk. He believes it because he's done it; he's not just sideline coaching your life, he's telling you what has worked in his and pushing you to try it in yours
My best friend couldn't afford his BJJ gym membership and did exactly what Jocko said. Before long he was actually getting paid to clean the mats and help with day to day operations. As he moved up in belt rank he was teaching classes and eventually reached black belt using this route.
Honestly, I had this problem when I was down on money in the same situation. I went to gyms and offered to help them clean the mats, gym, and equipment at the end of the day. The legit ones that want people to learn will not turn you down. They were very happy to have me help clean the gym and go for free.
From a man fighting every day to survive. Jocko you're an inspiration. Your mentality on starting your own gym is the right mentality.... The comments saying the opposite is the problem in our society. Keep speaking the truth and do you.
Plus if you give up cable, meals outside... For jiu-jitsu and gym, it means you will be better able to defend yourself and your family and set a good example for your children.
You need a buddy and RU-vid. You can literally watch beginner level technical jiu jitsu skills and you guys take turns baby stepping through the process of achieving a submission until you each feel comfortable and competent with that move in that position. Theirs no limit to the number of different youtubers who will all show their interpretation of what is key for hitting a specific move. I recommend Eli Knights RU-vid channel. Anything by Dean Lister and John Danaher is also golden knowledge.
Does that really work? I always assumed that to really learn something physical you need an instructor present so they can teach you by the way something feels, not just by the way it looks
Derek McGowan You won’t become a black belt from watching RU-vid, it’s more for developing martial skills than martial arts. It won’t let you acclimate to a violent encounter but you can become competent in say hitting a kimura from every possible angle. I can’t say that it will definitely work for every single person, but it is how I initially developed my jiu jitsu and it made training at a gym feel very organic. I did have a Muay Thai and boxing background growing up though, so that could totally play a factor in how i perceive the technique and drills when they were presented to me. You shouldn’t watch one video and go try something because that could lead to someone getting injured, but watching 4 different instructors explain how to do the same submission with their perspective and twist on what works best gives you a broad spectrum of knowledge to baby step through, and allows you and your partner learn what to look for when say hitting an arm bar. And once everyone involved feels comfortable in their knowledge of how to execute, you move on to how to escape from said move and once that’s common place we learned counters to those escapes than on to the next submission. Rinse and repeat this process for 6-8 weeks and you will have enough knowledge and competence that you and your partner(s) can start rolling (sparring) with one another and that’s when you start to get into flow states and learn how to really string moves together.
@@DanA-wv3bu I joined a Fraternity, but that’s not everyone’s cup of Tea. If you practice any other sciences it’s usually really easy to find someone that’s green to grappling but interested in learning something without having to pay for another school or class. You can also convince your girlfriend it’s for play and get a few submission drills out of that, only chokes though, as soon as you go for a wrist lock she’ll know somethings up.
@@amiracleone2803 if you can’t afford a membership in the first place I’m sure you’re not sporting a great credit score and even if you are if you go the bank with the intention of getting a loan in a field you have no clue about they’re gonna decline you unless you have assets they can take when your business model or lack of one unravels before your eyes
No that's not how life works. If you want to test this just do an experiment with your 2 hands. First want so badly in one hand then sh#t in the other. Let me know wich hand is full first. I so badly want to save the world make my life a better place to be haha. Unfortunately I am dying and cannot get off the ground 20 hrs a day. How does this happen did I not want to live happy and healthy enough? O so want had nothing to do with what is o ok we got it boss.
What I love about Jocko is he makes me realize my family members are excuse members. Positive thinking and positive attitude go a long way and in my view are more important than aptitude. People discover abilities they never knew they had with a positive attitude. I say this because I'm struggling with addiction withdrawal and mental illness in large part because my attention span is fried from too much computer/TV time and drug abuse. I haven't exercised in several months.
You can always afford whatever your priorities are. Amazing how we are so thrifty with what will make us more wealthy, successful and happy; yet so free to upsize a meal or buy a soda at the checkout. The driven man always finds a way to get where he's going.
Honestly this is true, my current problem is time. Work 60 hours a week and straight nights (4-4) and watch my son in the mornings. Not a lot of free time, hope is once my sons old enough we can go together.
"Your actions are a statement...of what you believe." Gold nugget in a hilarious discussion. That's why what you do matters, actions show what you believe more than any amount of words ever will.
Totally agree with you Jocko, I just went in and talked my way into the gym, got the pricing at lowest what law enforcement gets with no fees! Just talk to them
I did that too, I’m not even in LEO anymore but have a KCPD cert still , I had today wondered if I can keep going but I think I can. This changed my priorities I know money is hiding somewhere
When I was a kid me and many of the neighborhood kids couldn't afford to train at a gym so we pooled our money together so that one of us could train at Carlson Gracie in Chicago and come back and teach us everything they learned. it was easy to come up with 15 bucks a month.
People making fun o Jocko saying that you could open your own gym, but what he is saying is true. If you got an itch, probably more people do, you could create business there. He also gave a more simple answer, he said if you have to choose paying to lift X paying bjj, choose bjj, because you could do cheap and free stuff to lift. Great advice!
My Jiu-Jitsu instuctor closed down his gym a few years ago because he was losing students and couldn't make monthly rent for his gym. So now some of us would train in one of my teamates bedroom. He basically lift his bed up and put it to the side. Then we would lay cheap puzzle mats down we bought from walmart and start training. If there is a will there is a way 😎.
This is a rather simple question really. Similar to what Jocko said. You dont need a gym to get in shape. You can do a lot of training at home for little to no money. Doing any form of martial arts at home is going to be much more difficult.
Just bought a 10' x 10' mat for the basement. Got Gracie Combatants dvd set. Train with my son. Something is always better than nothing. Local gyms are outrageous with their pricing and the nearest one is 40 miles away.
Not many - but with all the subscription services it's going full circle back to the price of cable anyways. Most subscriptions are around $10/month. Most people have several of these and probably half a utilization rate of
I sail the high seas and pirate any tv show I want to watch. Although I still don't really watch that much, you only have to pay for internet this way.
I can see the point to some of the criticism to the advice, however in my personal experience a lot of people I encounter when they say they do not have money for a gym, they have money for booze, pot, bars, and parties. Its on social media, then when the membership dues bounce they say " times are tough"
100% Most people I know who repeatedly say they are broke, own an expensive smartphone with a big plan, a fast internet plan with no bandwidth limit, a Netflix subscription, buy overpriced coffee on their way to work instead of making some at home, and eat at the restaurant or order food regularly. .... That is not being broke. That is living luxuriously to the point of using all of your funds. I feel like the vast majority of people who claim they cannot afford something relatively inexpensive (like a gym membership), really just don't want it very much.
gosh i frellin luv you m8, not only did you give great advice you encouraged us to not find excuses by suggesting to open and create our own gyms that fit our needs and our friends needs, it's crazy because when said out loud it sounds so simple as it is simple but our human minds and daily constraints or family commitments build barriers or obstacles that stop us from doing the things that we should be doing when really it is ourselfs that bog ourselfs down with daily things, so i just want to say thank you Jocko and echo thank you.
Lmfaoo, I saw all the comments and thought they were overreacting… 2 minutes into the video I laughed so hard when he said “build your own gym, that’s what I did!” 🤣🤣🤣
I have my first free class tonight, I am hoping I enjoy it and I am currently seeing what I can cut out to ensure I can afford a membership… the harder part for me is the closest gym is 20-30 minutes away so I need to factor in fuel costs as well.
I had the same problem. Money was running low and had to do some cuts. Got a deal at bjj just by asking and made a sort of a home gym. 150lbs sandbag, some cheap Powerbands and thats it
Where I'm from there aint no no-gi jj ( that I believe is the best because it's the most realistic and dynamic). So I bought a small mat and train with some friends at my garage. We watch techniques on RU-vid and try to learn every detail. Just yesterday I rolled with a brown belt in judo and tapped him twice even him having a 18kg advantage. So yeah, if you really want to, you go after it.
My problem is time. I work full time as a closer at my job. Most of my shifts are from 1pm-10pm. Currently I'm lucky if I can make one or two classes a week. Kinda sucks because if it were up to me I'd be in the gym every day, but Bill's are a thing
Everyone can afford it. It’s giving up things, for things you want. My Gracie jiu jitsu gym costs 160 a month. That’s 40 a week, I broke down my spending. I cut out 40 that I spend every week, took that and made sure I can train.
Me cruising youtube, then I watch this video. 90 min later I did 10x hill repeats outside with about 20min of the workout at peak heart rate. Legs are jello, runners high, moving on to the next item on the list for my day off. Thank you Jocko!!
For a few hundred, a barbell and some plates is a fantastic gym. Rows, floor presses, deadlift variations, hack squats and jefferson squats are done from the floor. You will be strong. Landmine exercises with a towel in the corner. Add in upright rows, rear delt rows and barbell curls if you want to look jacked in addition to being strong. If you can clean or snatch the bar, you can also do overhead presses or presses behind the neck. Then get an ab wheel for $10, do side planks, pushups and add a pullup bar when you can. Do barbell complexes if that’s your flavor. Or just run 2-4 miles a couple times a week. This “gym” takes up no space and you’ll never have to wait for a bench press ever again!
Or better yet, when I was a kid you could buy martial arts books for 5 bucks in the ads in comic books like archie. Where did you get so good at ninjutsu? The library on southend.
Big tip for coffee addicts: 64 oz thermos is $40 at most, you can get a 16 CUP coffee maker for $20 at target, then buy bulk ground coffee. Well worth it in the long run, I make a pot in the morning, fill my thermos, bring the thermos and a metal mug to with me to work (metal so that I can throw it in my car/toolbox without it breaking), and im drinkin as much coffee as I want for like $1 per day. Saves me SO MUCH MONEY! Never realized how much I was spending until I started tracking it, but now that money is all back in my pocket
I feel like many of these comments are made by people who stopped at 00:45. He literally spends 2 minutes on "owning" a gym and the rest of this clip is all about finding ways to do both on the cheap. Others calling Jocko a "blockhead"... really? lol... Dude is a retired Navy SEAL, best selling author, owns multiple SUCCESSFUL businesses, and a popular podcast... but yearh... he's got to be stupid... too funny. Truth is, it actually DOESN'T take all that much to start a functional fitness gym... there is MUCH less up-front equipment costs than traditional gyms. Jocko always "thinks big"... and once he decides he does it... why NOT think big?
Because it's hilarious. "I can't afford to workout and do BJJ" Response: "potentially put yourself in financial ruin and cut out your cable, internet and anything that makes life worth living because your life should only be about F I T N E S S" it's a fucking meme and he unironically thinks this way.
dcard228 you talk like someone who doesn’t want to accomplish much in life. Jocko is 💯 righ, you don’t need all that junk and if the guy really wants to do it, I’m sure he can cut things and find a way
@@dcard228 One of your top priorities in life should be fitness, and there are many ways to achieve that goal. He doesn't say that's the only way, and also says you can start small in your garage by sharing with some buddies. Your life shouldn't only be about fitness, but if it isn't one of your top priorities then that is the problem. Exercises' benefits on mental health are also backed by tons of medical science, just one article for reference www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/. So being fit and exercising regularly literally do make your life worth living, much more than the frivolous activities we waste our days on. There's definitely a spot in life for entertainment, but it is a lower priority than physical and mental health.
My mother works at a library, and she told me this library has movies as they come out on DVD and Blu-Ray. I have to wait, but now I watch any movies I want free.
You just overpay. In which state do you pay $20? In most places it's way lower ($12 - $14 or so). Except if you include popcorn and other shit that's not mandatory...
Huge point on the budgeting. I once did a study in college for a class about the frequency the average collegiate student eats out. On average, in 2010, most male/female students spent between $50-120$ a week on food alone. Not even adding in the gas to drive to fast food. There's always something to cut, start with laziness!
In the city where I recently moved (close to Naples, Italy) the CHEAPEST gym membership is 45/50 euros, so from 50 to 55 bucks. Those aren't even big gyms. Then going to the gym implies a lot of other things, maybe hiring a PT, gym clothes, gas for the car ecc ecc. I'd say 60 dollars every month is the price. The advice that I would give is to buy a pair of rings (30 dollars on Amazon) and slowly build you home gym. Rings give you a lifetime Worth of exercises. There's literally no human being that can say "I have nothing to do anymore on rings." But ring only lightly hit the lower part of the body, what about quads and hamstring. How do I train them? Check for second hand weights and barbells and you will be have everything you need to train with under 700 dollars. on Amazon you can buy a rack (tiny one ofc) for less then 100 dollars...
Step 1- Reevaluate all your expenses, cut out all unnecessary spending and look for cheaper providers- Cheaper car insurance, cell phone providers, try to find a more affordable place to live, get some room mates, sell your car and get a bike etc. Step 2- Reevaluate your job, try to find one that pays better or has more upward mobility. Step 3- You make time and money for what is important for you. Figure out what is important to you.
I know a lot of people talk shit about planet fitness (for good reason) but in college I used to go there because it was only 10$ a month and I still could afford good food and kenpo classes
I just signed up for jiu jitsu today and it is kinda expensive. But I agree with Jocko, if want it you will make it work. I usually just find some side hustles on weekends when I need extra cash. Things like, mowing, power washing, painting, yard clean ups, general handyman stuff, splitting and stacking firewood, etc. The point is, it’s not impossible. “Seek and you will find”. There’s always a way.
I see a lot of people focusing on one example Jocko gave and ignoring all the other pertinent advice he gave. This issue is purely about priorities. It’s not a binary decision. Jocko said you can make a pull up bar for less than 10 bucks, you can do push-ups and body weight squats. You can also cut out coffee and save up for a squat rack. Even in a two bedroom apartment you can put it up in your living room where the TV Used to be. I got a starter squat rack on amazon for $75.00. A free bar off Craigslist and a full plate set for 100.00 off the letgo app. You can build a flat bench or a squat rack out of scrap wood if you really want to. Stop making excuses, put on your big boy pants and learn to use the potty. Then get after it.
The BJJ gym I just joined has kickboxing and a small gym that has everything you need. But I typically get up at 4:30 and work out at home with kettle bells, dumb bells, a heavy bag, and a jump rope.
one of the my friends is functionally homeless and sleeps on friends couches. he has no regular work for variety of reasons. he still trains (and teaches) martial arts regularly. it's about discipline and goals and eliminating obstacles.
I think the core of what Jocko is saying is similar to that Tony Robbins TED talk about being resourceful. So the person asking the question should prioritize jiu jitsu and figure out a way to do it. It sounds like people in the comments think of ways something won't work.
I live in NYC and the good gyms with self defence and sport bjj is like $200 to $250 a mouth and i only finded one thats a boxing and sport bjj for $150 mouth.... NYC is not cheap to live in
@Dustin Dyer It's alive 24/7. Easy to blend in and out. Observational learning via human nature. Cultural immersion. Near endless escape routes for the physically capable & just as many options in terms of distraction. If you're well off wealth wise, it's probably top 5 greatest places to live for the tactically minded. At least if you're a travelling person. Like most places, it can be a classroom if you allow yourself to view it as such.
The local BJJ gym is $144, and in order to balance everything and school it just wasn't possible as something was going to get neglected in the process. I just decided that I will look for an avenue that lets me do BJJ eventually. Also if you are like me you probably have other things that you want to train in...but if BJJ is your priority then Jocko has some solid advice.
Exactly if you want to thrive on something positive you need to let go of something negative. everything has a cost and not everybody accepts cash. I bought a door frame pull up bar and rings each cost £45 in total started couch to 5k I was 95kg of fat 8 weeks ago I could bairly do a pull up and not run for 10 mins straight. Now I can run for 40 mins and do 3 sets of 8 reps on pull ups, ring dips, L sits. I'm 90 kg now and about to get back in to muaythai Love the podcast and advice you guys give much Respect.
He actually answers the question properly at 2:28. Prioritise learning Jiu Jitsu. You can still exercise and train cheaply while you're still gaining knowledge at a school.
Occupy Edge exactly my point if you’re too poor to pay for a gym membership how are you supposed to create your own gym... there’s no logic in that response from jocko
