The Forum Athletic Club beginnings is a buddy story turned family venture. It began when two NFL Detroit Lion rookies, Dan Owens and Roman Fortin became fast friends, and reconnected when they both found themselves playing for the Atlanta Falcons. From Atlanta, the Owens and Fortin families are intertwined whether it be BBQ’s, spending Holidays together, or eventually going into business together.
The Forum’s concept, now with two very busy locations in Buckhead and Ponce City Market, is a gym within a gym within a gym. Members enjoy all the traditional workout equipment, group fitness classes, and then they can add-on the infamous Fast Twitch class.
Developed by Owens in the Summer 2002 Fast Twitch is a program that was originally meant to train other athletes, but they couldn’t keep their Forum patrons out of the classes. The initial room was small and located near the cycling and group fitness room, but when Fortin began to run the Fast Twitch classes, the attendance began to swell. They upgraded to a bigger room in 2009 bringing with it an even more advanced circuit class, and finally moved into the current room in 2012, which enabled them to incorporate a turf field into the program. As the creators, they continuously come up with ideas and new equipment to keep the class fresh.
Even with all those eager members and capacity classes, Forum has managed to keep it a family affair. Currently half of the 2nd generation of the Owens-Fortin clan is working in some capacity at the gym locations. One of Fortin’s sons is a trained FastTwitch instructor, and cousins are even known to help out with the venture.
Just like the packed classes, the UberPrints tanks and sweatshirts that the Forum produced are super popular. They sold out completely at the Buckhead location and have just a few cozy hoodies left at Ponce City Market.
How can your gym do the same thing?
Start with what your members already wear to your gym. For most fitness businesses that's a tank or performance tee for class and a hoodie for the walk to the car. Pick one of each rather than five styles nobody can decide between.
Then keep the design to one or two ink colors. It'll look more like retail merch, and it keeps your screen printing cost down (our money saving tips explain why). If you want a head start, the custom workout clothes page has designs built for gyms, studios, and fitness challenges, and the sports templates are all editable with your name and colors.
How long does a gym merch order take?
Most gym orders are 12 pieces or more, which means screen printing. Screen printed and embroidered orders are guaranteed to ship within 7 days, and most ship in 4–5 business days. Standard shipping is free and takes 1–5 business days. Need it faster? Rush delivery is guaranteed to arrive within 7 days.
Ordering fewer than 12? Digitally printed orders are produced in 1–2 days, plus 1–5 business days in transit. No minimum. Full details are on our shipping and delivery page.
Ready to make merch your members will actually buy?
Start with our custom workout and gym shirt designs, add your gym's name and colors, and you're most of the way there.
Related guides
• January Gym Challenges Hit Harder With Custom Gym T-Shirts
• Tips for Making Your Company's T-Shirts for Promotion, Workwear and Merchandise
• Success Story: How The Toy Department Uses Custom Tees to Boost Their Brand
FAQ
What apparel sells best as gym merch?
Tanks and performance tees for training, and hoodies or crewnecks for before and after. Members buy what they'll wear to the gym anyway, so a wearable basic in your brand colors outsells a novelty piece almost every time. One tank and one hoodie is a strong starter lineup.
Should a gym sell merch or give it away?
Both work, but selling tends to make the shirt mean more. Forum sold out at one location. A common approach is to sell the main line and use free shirts for milestones, like finishing a class challenge or hitting a membership anniversary, so the giveaway feels earned.
How many shirts does a gym need to order?
Screen printing starts at 12 pieces per design, and the per-piece price drops as your quantity grows. If you're testing a design, you can order fewer than 12 digitally printed pieces with no minimum, then move to a screen printed bulk order once you know what sells.
Can I mix tanks and hoodies in one order?
Yes. If the design is the same, bulk pricing can apply across mixed styles and colors on a screen printed order. Just ask customer service when you place it. Keep the artwork identical across pieces so every screen gets reused.