Fitness is a game, and the right gym helps you make the moves that lead to long-term success.
Game theory usually gets brought up in the context of politics, economics, or negotiating billion-dollar deals. But once you understand it, you start seeing it everywhere, including in physical training. Especially in places like Jiu Jitsu or CrossFit.
It’s really just about making decisions when other people’s decisions also impact the outcome. In Jiu Jitsu, that’s the entire point. You try a move, they respond. You set a trap, they bait you back. Every roll is a constantly evolving game where you can’t just rely on one trick. If you’re predictable, you lose. It’s not just about strength or toughness. It’s about strategy.
CrossFit works the same way. You walk into a workout with a plan, but your plan changes once the clock starts. You think about pacing, breaking up reps, energy management. Sometimes you ease up early and hit the gas at the end. Sometimes you go too hard too early and pay for it. You learn from it. That’s a strategic decision. That’s game theory too.
When it comes to video games, you can't play unless you pick up the controller and turn the thing on. In real life, it starts with the decision to walk into a real gym instead of dropping money on a new treadmill or falling for the latest gimmick that promises change without effort. Most people already know that doesn’t work.
The best gyms aren’t like that. The ones we feature at Gym Force aren’t filled with NPCs (Non-Player Characters) - someone who’s technically there, but not really doing anything that affects the outcome. In real life, you’ve probably seen NPCs in big box gyms, going through the motions, eyes glazed over, headphones in. The great gyms aren’t like that. They’re full of actual people who, in the end, may become your training partners, your friends, and in a lot of cases, even your future spouse. That doesn’t happen at chain gyms or from a screen with a fake bicycle in your living room. That only happens in the right kind of gym, run by real coaches, where the people around you actually care.
What we’ve found is that once people get into one of these gyms, they stop seeing working out as a chore and start seeing it as more of a long-term game with infinite lives. They don’t quit when life gets in the way. They keep showing up because they want to get better. And they're also having fun.
None of us beat Mike Tyson the first time we played Punch-Out!! Gen Xrs, amiright? And there's not a chance in hell you'll make it through the early stages of BJJ or CrossFit without some struggles early on. Gym Force knows that and wants to help. Our goal isn’t to sell you a dream, but to help you find your path to lifelong health and to somehow enjoy the ride.