January 1 is an arbitrary date. I mean that respectfully — the calendar flipping doesn't change anything about your biology, your schedule, or your likelihood of success. What changes success rates is how well-prepared you are before you try to change something.
Every January, gyms across Phoenix — including ours — get busy. People who've been meaning to start show up with genuine motivation, and within six weeks, most of them are gone. Not because they're lazy or uncommitted. Because they tried to build a brand new habit during one of the most crowded, most rushed, most visually overwhelming weeks of the gym year. The conditions for success in early January are actually pretty poor.
December is the opposite. The gym is quiet. Trainers have time. Equipment is available. And you have 30 days to build a genuine foundation before the resolution crowd arrives — which means when January hits, you're already a regular. The gym doesn't feel unfamiliar or intimidating. You know the layout, you know the equipment, you have a routine. You're not starting, you're continuing.
This is real and it matters more than people think. A crowded gym is actively worse for learning. When equipment you need isn't available, you make compromises. When you feel watched or rushed, you cut your sets short. When there's nowhere to put your bag, you feel like a guest in someone else's space.
In December, none of that is true. You can take your time on the machines you're learning. You can ask questions during staffed hours without feeling like you're pulling staff away from something urgent. Justin has more time for extended conversations with new members and can actually build a relationship, not just hand off a generic program.
I've been doing this since 2023, and the members who've lasted the longest are disproportionately people who started in quieter months — December, August, February. They built their habits without the noise of a crowded gym, and they were already embedded in the community by the time the seasonal rushes hit.
Justin treats December starters differently from January starters, and it's worth understanding why. December allows for a genuine foundation phase — slower, more educational, focused on building movement quality and establishing habits rather than chasing quick results.
Learning the major movement patterns with light weight and good form. Squat, hinge, push, pull, carry — these five movement categories form the basis of everything else. Spending two weeks getting these right means weeks 3 onward are genuinely productive rather than reinforcing bad habits under load.
Moving to a three-day-per-week structure with a real program. Now that the movement patterns feel natural, Justin adds appropriate challenge. The goal is leaving each session feeling accomplished rather than destroyed — sustainable progress rather than intensity for its own sake.
By January 1, someone who started this program in early December is not a beginner anymore. They're a month-in regular with real momentum.
Here's a pattern I see every single year. Someone resolves to start January 1. They come in during the first week, which is the most crowded week of the year. The gym feels foreign and overwhelming. They struggle to find equipment, feel lost without a plan, and the experience confirms a fear they had going in. They try again the second week. By the third week, they're making excuses. By February, they're gone.
None of this is inevitable. It's a setup problem, not a willpower problem. Starting in December eliminates the setup problem entirely. You're not a nervous beginner in an overwhelming environment — you're someone who already belongs there.
We offer a free 7-day trial to anyone who wants to test this out. No commitment, no credit card upfront. Come in during staffed hours — Monday through Thursday 9am–7pm, Friday 9am–5pm, Saturday 9am–1pm — and we'll walk you through everything. Or show up with your own motivation at any hour, because the key fob gets you in 24/7. Memberships start at $19.99 bi-weekly. Don't wait for the calendar to give you permission.
No credit card required. No long-term contract. Try Anytime Fitness Ahwatukee free for a full week.
Or call (480) 900-1616 · 4855 E Warner Rd Suite 24-28, Phoenix, AZ 85044