Picture this: a dude doing the bench press like an Insta fitness influencer, but he presses up wood and cement.
The gym “machines” in this DIY, outdoors gym located in a village in Nusa Penida, almost look like something out of The Flintstones, as the equipment are all homemade using cheap construction materials.
That includes dumbbells, barbells, cable machines and bars for calisthenics.
One particular video of local guys pumping it out, uploaded by TikTok account @aldigym in December, went viral recently and has amassed 8 million views per this article’s publication. The account consistently posts fitness-related content, mostly showing the men working out (with impeccable form, we might add) and, naturally, flexing their muscles.
@aldigym Sehat gak mandang usia #aldigym#tongkrongankami#workout#motivasi#sehatitumahal#fyp#foryoupage ♬ Dasar Kau Bandit – DJ Buncit
Sebuluh-based I Wayan Marlon Saputra, who uploaded the video, told Detik that the gym was built by the local community on a plot of land on a farm owned by someone that he only referred to as Pak (Mr) Aldi. To the locals, it has become known as “Aldi Gym.”
“We built these equipment step-by-step. The materials [we used] were cement, sand, stones, wood, iron, and ropes,” said 16-year-old Marlon, who had already begun working out at home when he was an 8th grader.
Marlon said to become a member at Aldi Gym, one is required to pay a monthly contribution fee of IDR10,000 (US$0.67), which will go towards making new barbells.
He added that the idea for the gym began during the pandemic and amid a downturn in tourism.
“We hope that with the gym, kids in our village will not be too focused on their phones,” he said, happy that the viral video has garnered more attention towards the gym.
