Sisters gym lends nearly $100,000 in equipment to clients

'It was just going to sit here and do no good here,' owner Ryan Hudson says

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The coronavirus has caused Central Oregon gyms to look a little different lately. Instead of shutting his doors completely, though, Ryan Hudson, owner of Level 5 CrossFit in Sisters, has found a unique way to keep his clients active in quarantine.

“You know, this gym used to be packed with members, packed with equipment,” Hudson told NewsChannel 21 Thursday. “We’d have about 200 people a day come through here.”

Level 5 CrossFit normally has stations complete with barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, plates, rollers and much more. Now, the full setup has moved from Hudson’s gym to people's homes, where members have recreated the CrossFit experience.

"So everybody got some equipment to take home, everybody has daily workout programs to do, so everybody could continue using the gym remotely," Hudson said.

Hudson has taken nearly all of his $100,000 worth of equipment and put it in the hands of his clients. That's a lot to trust his members with, but Hudson said it was an easy decision.

"Most importantly, it's getting put to good use,” Hudson said. “It was just going to sit here and do no good here."

Julie Tadlock, a Level 5 member for six years, is one of those clients who’s borrowing equipment. She now calls her garage the "Level 5 Annex."

NewsChannel 21 asked Tadlock what she’d be doing if Ryan didn't allow people to take home workout equipment.

"Dude, I wouldn't -- I'd be running a lot of miles and it would – No, I can't even go there. No fun," Tadlock said.

Not only does Tadlock’s gym have workout equipment, but it also has motivational quotes on the wall, similar to the one's in Level 5 CrossFit.

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you,” Tadlock said, reading one of the quotes in her garage. “We're very challenged right now of how we're going to respond to all that's going on around us. I hope that for me personally, it's also changing me for the good."

Hudson said 60% of his clients took home equipment, but around 80% are still paying membership fees. That's because Hudson is also posting three workout videos a day on an app called ‘Beyond the Whiteboard’ for members to watch.

It’s service that's normally $15 a person, but Hudson is covering the cost for everyone. He’s doing the same with the ROMWOD yoga app, which also costs $15 per member.

"As the CrossFit founder said himself, the best way to prevent this virus is to get off the couch, get off the carbs and move," Hudson said.

Hudson also mentioned a Bruce Lee quote hanging in his gym that he said sums up how he hopes people will respond to the unusual climate we’re in. It reads: “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”