If you’re new to GMB, you’ve probably got a lot of questions about how things work around here. Well, there are no secrets! Here’s some clear and helpful answers to the questions we hear most.
General Q’s about GMB
The Gist:
- GMB was founded in 2010 by Ryan, Jarlo, and Andy.
- We teach you to use your body well, without pain or limitations.
What does GMB Fitness stand for?
GMB started life as Gold Medal Bodies back in 2010. Over time that name stopped fitting us as well as it did at first, but once you’ve taught a hundred thousand or so clients, a full rename gets messy. So we go by GMB. These days we tell people it stands for Grandma’s Marmalade Biscuits, Give Me Bacon, or Gary Means Business, depending on the day. 😉
What is GMB Fitness and what do you teach?
GMB Fitness is an alternative to programs that expect you to reorganize your whole life around training. Our full-body, movement-based programs build your physical autonomy by widening your strength, flexibility, and motor control. We measure progress by how well you move and how good you feel in your actual life, not by the number on a scale.
We’ve written more about our founders’ backgrounds and the goals of our programs here, and about our concept of Physical Autonomy here.
How does the training actually work?
You log in, hit start, and follow the session for that day. The program decides what you train and when, so you’re not flipping through an index wondering whether you’re doing the right thing in the right order. Sessions are timed with count-ins, so you don’t babysit a stopwatch, and you choose a 15, 30, or 45-minute session depending on the day.
The experience is guided on purpose. Some people expect a video library to dig through. What you get instead is a path that makes the next decision for you. That’s the whole point of following a program rather than stitching together free videos.
Here’s a fuller overview of how GMB training programs work. If you’d rather learn in person, here’s our list of Certified GMB Trainers and Gyms.
How is this different from yoga, Animal Flow, gymnastics, or _______?
Our practice is built on the fundamental movement patterns that underlie most sports and physical disciplines, from dance to martial arts to acrobatics. Those basics have been used for centuries in just about every culture.
What we do differently is fold in modern physical therapy and training practice, then organize the whole thing into a systematic curriculum you can run on your own, without devoting your free time to one school or teacher.
Here’s how GMB compares with yoga and Animal Flow.
Will GMB get me jacked or help me lose weight?
Probably not the best fit if that’s your main goal, and we’d rather say so up front. Our programs build strength, flexibility, and control. You’ll likely notice bigger shoulders and arms, and you’ll feel stronger all over, but nobody gets bodybuilder-big or stage-lean from animal movements. If the scale is the whole point, there are better tools for that specific job.
What we’re good at is a body that does what you ask of it. Squat to the floor and stand back up clean. Carry the heavy thing up the stairs. Keep up on the hike.
Questions about GMB Training Programs
The Gist:
- We have programs for strength, mobility, and motor control, each improving your physical autonomy with different specialization.
- For almost everyone, the place to start is Elements.
What programs does GMB Fitness have?
Elements is our flagship. It levels you up no matter where you start, with a balanced focus on locomotion that improves everything from your squat to your handbalancing.
Integral Strength builds full-body strength without leaving you stiff and tight, which is where a lot of strength programs go wrong.
Mobility improves dynamic flexibility in every joint, pairing targeted joint work with locomotion to lock the gains in.
Those three will take you a long way. We also have a range of supplemental programs for specific needs. See the full curriculum on our Programs page.
Where should I start? Which program is right for me?
For almost everyone, the answer is Elements. It builds a broad base of strength, mobility, and control, and it’s where the large majority of clients begin. After a few weeks on it, most clients tell us they’ve never felt better.
If you already know your single biggest limitation is flexibility, Mobility is a fine entry point. If you train hard and want to toughen your joints, Resilience supplements that work, though it’s a complement rather than a starting program on its own. When in doubt, start with Elements and add from there.
Here’s a breakdown of how the programs compare.
How much do GMB programs cost?
Elements, our flagship, is $150. Mobility is $95. Most of our other core programs sit in the same range, and the supplemental programs are cheaper. You can see current pricing for everything on the Programs page.
You pay once and keep it forever. Every update we ship lands in your account free, and most clients run their programs many times over the years. Stack that against a single physio visit or a gym membership you half-use, and the math gets friendly fast.
Is this too hard, or too easy for me?
Elements meets you where you are, because it ships with three tracks. Basics starts gently, built for people coming back after a layoff or injury. General is the classic, right for most people. Accelerated moves faster with harder variations, for experienced trainees or anyone who’s done Elements before.
Strong, experienced athletes often find this type of training humbling, since it asks for control and range they’ve never trained directly. A twenty-year lifter and a returning beginner can both get a real workout from the same program on different tracks. You pick the track, and you can switch anytime.
What space and equipment do I need?
Almost none. Most programs need just enough room to lie down and move around, plus a mat if your floor is hard. A few advanced programs are more fun with gymnastic rings or parallettes, but you’ll make great progress without them. Ryan mostly trains in jeans in his living room, for what it’s worth.
My wrists hurt when I'm on the floor. Is something wrong?
Sore wrists early on are normal, especially if you’re not used to carrying your bodyweight on your hands. Modern life almost never loads your wrists that way, so they complain at first. It usually settles within a couple of weeks as the tissue adapts.
While that’s happening, turn your hands out or in to find a comfortable angle, drop to your forearms on certain movements, or run the easier variations until your wrists catch up. Sharp pain is your cue to back off and scale down.
Can I combine this with my CrossFit, BJJ, running, or lifting?
Yes, and plenty of clients do exactly that. The 15-minute sessions slot in as a warm-up, a cool-down, or a rest-day session without wrecking your recovery. People use Elements and Mobility as the connective tissue that keeps their main sport working.
One tip: know your top priority. That way, if the combined load starts piling up, you know what to scale back first.
Is there an app? How do I access and log in?
Your programs live in Praxis, our web app. It runs in any browser on your phone, tablet, or computer, so there’s nothing to download from an app store. Once you’ve signed up, log in with your password and every program you own is right there on your dashboard. Lost your login? Email [email protected] and we’ll sort you out.
How long are the workouts?
Sessions run 15 to 45 minutes, a few times a week. Short sessions don’t water down the results. They make it easier to show up consistently, which is where the results actually come from.
Is there a community and coaching support?
Yes. Our membership community, Alpha Posse, gives you direct access to our certified coaches plus a roomful of clients who share their training, swap advice, and join live events and mini-programs. The coaches provide personalized feedback, answer questions, and offer modifications and progressions so you get the most out of your programs. You can also reach us any time at [email protected].
Who can use GMB programs?
Are GMB programs suitable for beginners?
Yes. We focus on foundational movements that scale to where you are right now, and you’re shown exactly how to adjust them right inside the program. Elements in particular is built to be an accessible starting point for any level.
Are GMB programs suitable for older adults?
Yes. Our programs are built to adapt across ages, with progressive exercises that improve flexibility, strength, and mobility. We can’t account for every modification an older body might need, though. If you have trouble walking, or can’t safely bend down to pick something off the floor, check with your doctor first.
Can I use GMB programs with a previous injury?
Plenty of clients do, and many find the work helps. We’ve got people training for years on rebuilt shoulders, knees, and backs. It tends to go well because the movements spread load across your whole body, so the smallest joints stop carrying the heaviest cost.
Two honest caveats. If you’re in acute pain or recovering from surgery, get cleared by your doctor or PT first. We build training; your doctor handles treatment. And every movement has easier versions, so when something feels off you scale down and keep going.
Our co-founder Jarlo is a physical therapist with a doctorate in musculoskeletal management. He built the progressions to work around a limitation while you build margin around it.
Can GMB help with back pain and stiffness?
We can’t promise to fix your pain, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What we can tell you is that thousands of clients have written in, unprompted, to say their aches eased once they started practicing consistently. A few of their words: morning neck and shoulder stiffness gone after two weeks. Years of desk-job back pain gone after a few months of Mobility and Elements. The pattern shows up often enough that it’s worth a try, especially with the guarantee behind it.
Can athletes benefit from GMB programs?
Yes. Clients across martial arts, rock climbing, CrossFit, running, rowing, and dance use our programs to get better at their sport. The programs fill in the gaps your main training leaves behind, so you can express your skills with more freedom and fewer nagging injuries.
Can children or teenagers use GMB programs?
The programs are built for adults, but kids and teens can benefit with appropriate supervision. Some of our favorite emails come from clients training alongside their kids and having a blast doing it.
Are there specific programs for women?
As a company founded by dudes, we don’t have women-specific programs. That said, we’ve always had a high percentage of women clients and certified trainers, and they often tell us our programs feel tailor-made for them. We think that’s down to the emphasis on mindful performance rather than forcing yourself into one rigid idea of how an exercise “should” look.
How do the programs handle different body types?
Easily, by design. A lot of conventional training forces everyone into one “ideal” way of performing a movement. We disagree with that. Good form looks different from one person to the next, depending on their needs and proportions, so we coach you to (1) minimize injury risk for your body, and (2) use efficient mechanics that make the most of your available strength. You learn how to do this as you move through the programs.
The GMB Method and Its Results
The Gist:
- The GMB Method has delivered real-life results for over 125,000 clients and counting.
- Our programs are grounded in movement science and decades of practical coaching.
What kind of results can I expect, and how fast?
Most people notice something inside two to three weeks of consistent practice. Some specifics clients have shared: squatting to the floor with heels down and standing back up cleanly by week four. Touching their toes with straight legs for the first time ever, around week four. Stiffness they’d carried for years quietly fading.
Speed varies by person, but the through-line is consistency. Three short sessions a week for two months will take you further than six you can’t keep up. Fifteen minutes, a few times a week, is enough to start the clock.
How do GMB programs support long-term health?
We build a sustainable practice that fits your life and improves it. You’ll only stay consistent with training that matches your values and temperament, so we make that the priority. With consistency in place, the functional strength and mobility you develop become a durable part of your long-term physical health.
What's the science behind the GMB Method?
Our programs draw on the foundational principles of education, motor learning, and exercise science. Those principles are backed by current research and, just as importantly, by decades of learning from our own training and our clients’ results. We’re always testing, refining, and learning more.
Any dietary recommendations with the programs?
We take a genuinely non-dogmatic approach to food. No restrictive rules for 30 days or for life. If you want practical guidance, we’ve put plenty of it in our food guide.
Are there free GMB resources?
We’ve called ourselves an educational company masquerading as a fitness company, and we mean it. Start with our best articles and tutorials and our YouTube channel, which has hundreds of free video tutorials and routines.
Trust & Technical Questions
The Gist:
- For anything about your account or using your programs, email [email protected] and our team will get you sorted.
Is GMB legit? Are the reviews real?
Fair question, and you’re right to check around. We’ve taught over 125,000 clients since 2010, and you can read thousands of unfiltered reviews on reviews.io, plus find us on Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook. We even keep a page of our worst reviews, because the people GMB doesn’t suit tend to say so loudly, and that’s useful information too. If our approach fits what you’re after, the reviews will tell you. If it doesn’t, they’ll tell you that as well.
What is the GMB refund policy?
Give the program an honest effort, and if you’re not moving noticeably better within 30 days, email us and we’ll refund you so you can put the money toward something that fits. About 3% of clients ever ask, which is remarkably low for this industry.
One caveat: refunds cover the standalone programs, not memberships like Alpha Posse or All-In, since those include coaching access and we’re careful about who we steer toward them. Unsure whether a bundle or membership is right? Email us before you buy and we’ll tell you straight. Full details are in our guarantee.
Can I use this on my phone or tablet?
Yes. Praxis, our web app, gives you access to your programs from any browser on your phone, tablet, or computer. Nothing to install. Here’s a fuller overview of how GMB training programs work.
When do you offer discounts and sales?
We’ll usually offer a good deal when you first try our programs, and better value as you add more programs and services over time. Beyond that, we put our energy into giving the best value and service we can, year-round, rather than chasing sales. For Black Friday, we build fun new programs instead of discounting. It’s more fun and fairer to everyone, so there’s no need to wait for a sale.
⛑️ Support Documents
If you’ve got a question about your account or using your programs, we’ve probably covered it in our Support Section.
Still got Qs?
No problem. Use this form to shoot a note to our team, and we’ll hook you up ASAP.