Choosing a Gym: Let’s Break It Down For You
Let’s face it, there are a million different gyms out there today and all of them are a little bit different. You have your Curves for the ladies, you have the Powerhouses for the powerlifters, you have the Gold’s for the bodybuilders, and so on and so forth. Choosing a gym can be difficult.
Finding one you feel comfortable with is key. If you join a gym where you are uncomfortable or intimidated, you will more than likely quit and give up. Therefore it is important to really feel at home when choosing a gym.
So think about what you want in a gym. Are you strictly there to lift weights? Do you want to take aerobics classes? Do you strictly want it for the cardio equipment? Do you want all of these things?
As you can see there are many options you need to think about when deciding what gym would suit you best. You need to think about what type of workout you want to get and go from there.
Let’s go over some basics of choosing a gym that fits you.
Questions To Ask When Choosing a Gym
- What are the hours of operation?
- When are the busiest times of the day?
- How much does the membership cost? Are than any option plans available?
- What do you have to do to cancel?
- What are the billing cycles or can you pay it all up front?
- Is the staff certified?
- Is the gym equipped and staff trained for emergencies?
- How old is the equipment?
- How often is the equipment replaced?
- What equipment gets used the most?
- Are the class sizes limited?
- Are there any extra fees involved or are all the services included in the price?
- Does the gym have child care? If so is it free or how much is it?
- Do you get shown how to use the equipment free or is it fee-based?
- Do they do any free body composition testing or similar?
Things To Consider
Location
Is the location of the gym accessible to you? You want to find a gym where you don’t have to travel very far and that you know you wouldn’t mind driving to. If the gym is too far and cuts into too much time of your day, more than likely you aren’t going to stick with it too long or not as often as you would like.
Consider finding a place that is close to where you work, so you can go there before or after work, or during a lunch hour. Look to see if there is anything close to your house. That will enable you to go to the gym whenever you want and you don’t have to worry about cutting into precious time during the day—especially good when you are looking for a quick workout or some cardio.
Hours Of Operation
Do their hours jive with your schedule? Can you comfortably get in a workout and not be pushed for time? You want to make sure that, if you are paying for a membership, your workout schedule is well within their hours of operation, if not, you will be wasting your money by not being able to fully utilize their facility and get a good workout.
Your best choice would be a gym that is open 24-hours per day. That would ensure you that no matter what time it is, you can go get in a workout.
Cost
This should really be at the top of your list. How much money will it cost you and will you get your money’s worth? It’s much easier to spend a little extra money on a membership with a gym that has top of the line equipment and that is more inspirational to be in, rather than a worn-down gym that looks like a cave.
You also need to realize what time of the year you are purchasing a membership. Gyms tend to have better deals during the high times of the year such as around New Year’s and in September. If you can hold off getting a membership until these times, you will surely end up saving some money in the long run.
Make sure you are paying for exactly what you want for that price. Don’t get coaxed into adding on services that you aren’t going to use or paying for things that don’t interest you. Many gyms will nickel and dime you to death, watch out for salesmen who run down a list of extra options/services that you could add to your membership.
Another thing you want to watch out for are gyms that make you lock in with a long-term agreement. These places will lock you into your contract for 1-3 years, and there is no way to get out.
Say down the road you don’t like the gym anymore or something happens which turns you off. If you are locked in you have no way of getting out of it. Now you are stuck paying for a gym that you won’t use, or you dread every day and have to force yourself to go.
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