Business lessons from the best gym in the world
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Das Gym is a strength gym based just outside Vienna on the banks of the river Danube. The owners, brothers Andreas and Alex Pürzel, are smart, friendly and always working to improve the facility. They have a single goal: for Das Gym to be the undisputed best gym in the world.
What they have built is an impressive gym in its own right, but also a global brand and a very successful business. The owners remain humble, insisting that the facility is only 50% there and knowing there’s so much more they want to do.
I spent April training at Das Gym. Here are five lessons I picked up from a month of talking to the owners and experiencing the place for myself, which businesses of all shapes and sizes can apply:
- Lay the foundations
Most businesses are not overnight success stories, even when they appear to be. When Das Gym opened its doors in April 2016, 400 members joined that very day. Three years later, the gym has 1200 members.
Prior to this, Andreas and Alex had written three best-selling training manuals. They had amassed readers and a following of their teaching and methods; a following which translated to people through the door as soon as Das Gym was ready.
Andreas had used his Instagram to document every stage of the gym’s journey, from the moment he got the keys to the day they opened the doors. The audience had been sufficiently warmed up, they were eager to be a part of the new facility and its success.
Building the foundations, a reputation and a network took time but it paid off. Thinking long term and sticking to the game plan is the lesson here. Too much too soon and the quality suffers. Too slowly and you’ll get overtaken. Too little communication and you’ll be forgotten.
2. Protect your brand fiercely
Das Gym also operates under the brand “Intelligent Strength,” which adorns apparel and signage throughout. It also underpins the philosophy the gym instills in its members. Building strength and size, as well as your longevity, is a science and an intelligent approach is the best way to achieve your goals. Their slogan is ‘NO BULLSHIT’ and this is also emblazoned across various merchandise and paraphernalia. Apparently, it translates across multiple languages!
As Das Gym has grown in reputation, the owners have been approached countless times by others wanting to franchise their brand and open a similar facility in another location. But the answer is always no. Why? Because the goal is to build the best gym in the world, not hundreds of mediocre facilities.
The owners understand their mission and they know that everything else is a distraction. If an offer doesn’t contribute towards their mission then they’re not going to take it. They’re also well aware that if they aren’t there to oversee and check everything, the quality will suffer. That’s not something they are prepared to see happen.
If aspiring gym owners want to visit, have a tour and get some advice then that’s absolutely fine. But the Das Gym name? No way, man! Reputations and brands can take years to build and minutes to be ruined. Be careful whose hands you put yours in.
3. Quality wins in the long run
The most important part of any gym is the kit it holds and how it’s arranged in the space. Das Gym has everything a powerlifter, weightlifter, strong(wo)man or regular gym-goer would need. Ample places to squat, bench, deadlift, clean and jerk, use yokes or atlas stones. Upstairs is cardio, calisthenics and crossfit-type kit with space to push prowlers around and there are separate rooms for mobility and stretching and other cardio including steppers.
The neat stacks of weights in the gym are from quality suppliers all over the world and you get the impression that the brothers have put a lot of time and money into making this place a contender for the best gym in the world. Not only that, but the members care too much to leave their weights out. You won’t find a single passive-aggressive sign on the wall. They don’t need them.
Whereas a commercial gym might focus on buying cheaper to expand profit margins, this place chooses the best equipment that will make members the happiest, or just be cool to have around. It’s designed with the next 100 years in mind, not the next year’s accounts. How could you apply this sentiment to your own business?
4. Love your customers
Customer experience is prized above everything else. The owners remember your name, your sport and what you’re working towards. They create a welcoming atmosphere and they are never too busy to say hello. A friend came to visit Austria on her birthday. When I told Andreas, he couldn’t do enough to make her birthday special at his facility. The result: A raving fan. Repeat this enough times and you’ve got one hell of a business.
Not only is the kit at the top of its game, the pre and post-workout experience is there for customers to love. The gym has a coffee bar with a range of snacks, drinks and meals to make you never want to leave. The coffee is sourced from Fenster coffee in Vienna and the team has been trained by professional baristas, so they always make the perfect espresso or melange. The nutritional information of each dish is displayed so they suit any diet and each time you order, the dish will be the same. Consistency and customer experience extends to the food here and meals are courtesy of Mama Pürzel, the mum of the brothers.
The gym comes fully fitted with a library consisting of all the best books in anatomy and physiology, strength and conditioning, as well as some business and lifestyle reads. It has a common room complete with pool table, more sofas and areas to relax after a heavy session. They also hold regular seminars, to encourage continued learning, understanding and development of its members.
The brothers know that the more the gym becomes part of someone’s routine, the more they will get from the experience and the more likely they are to become a raving fan. You could have all three meals here and train, read and chat in between. In an ideal world, you never leave. Even more than that, you would be welcomed throughout the day by the team.
The owners love their members so much that the names of the 400 that signed up on day one are inscribed on a plaque that’s displayed proudly in the hallway. How much do you love your customers? How could their experience with you be even better?
5. Live and breathe it
Each time you walk around Das Gym you spot something new. The walls are adorned with strength and aesthetic athletes and memorabilia from their films and competitions. Even the toilets have funky seats, and TV screens that show Rocky films. The fridge is covered in postcards sent from fans all over the world and the complete gym floor plan is presented near the entrance. This place wasn’t an accident; it’s a carefully and thoughtfully planned masterpiece.
The team working at Das Gym have been brought on board with the vision. You won’t spot a sulky intern scrolling their phone behind the counter here. The team members are laid back enough to leave you to it but interested and knowledgeable enough to start talking to you. Most of them have been with the gym since it opened and they speak very good English — but they won’t be offended if you give your questionable Deutsch a spin!
Are you obsessed with continually improving your business and knowing your industry inside-out? Is your team on board?
For other gym owners, people working in the fitness industry, or just those looking to up their own business game, Das Gym is a great example of how a business should be run.
I fully believe that the owners didn’t set out to make a fortune. I believe they set out to create a facility that was loved by its members and known amongst athletes everywhere. I believe that they don’t fill the gym with exceptional kit because they’re working out the ROI of every barbell. I believe that they make a lot of money as a by-product of their goals.
Chasing money leads to a career of boredom and unfulfillment. Chasing quality, enthusiasm, impressing members and stunning guests with attention to detail make lifelong fans, and the rest takes care of itself.
