Think "Transformers" but for exercise.
A truck outfitted with fitness gear travels from place to place offering those who’ve booked it a full-body, outdoor workout anywhere they are — that’s AWATfit (that is, All Weather, All Terrain) in a nutshell, a mobile gym concept first launched in 2018 in New York. Trucks are currently serving The Hamptons and Port Jeff, and others are set to deploy to Austin and Fort Lauderdale this year.
But founder and CEO Richard Decker wants his next truck in Fort Worth, as part of the company's big plans to have 1,000 franchises nationwide over the next 24 months.
"It's affluent, it's young, and the climate [is beautiful],'" Decker says.
Decker describes the trucks as "something you see in 'Mad Max.'" Clients book online, then a 1500-size pickup truck arrives, and "within three minutes, all these racks and everything pop up, click into place ... then bam. You're set within three minutes, and you're doing a class," Decker says.
Trucks are capable of hosting up to 25 different workouts, including battle ropes, rowing, agility ladders, and gorilla bells. All ages and abilities are welcome; Decker says he’s worked with everyone from children to athletes to clients in their 70s.
He says the concept has thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic, as gyms closed and people began to gravitate toward outdoor, socially distanced activities. With AWATfit passed its startup phase, Decker figured it was the perfect time to scale.
"The World Health Organization and CDC took care of a lot of marketing," Decker jokes. "When COVID hit, unbeknownst timing and luck kind of collided for me."
He's currently looking for a franchisee for the Fort Worth truck. More information is available at awatfit.com.
