Gym / Health Club - choice prerequisites

AdamAthletic

What are your personal prerequisites for a gym or health club to get you as a member?

For example, some people are happy to just be a member of a gym with a changing room and a simple workout area.

Some people want a fully functioning club, Inise the term ‘health club’ as an absolute - I go to Virgin Active Collection clubs in London and they sell themselves as being private members clubs.

I love the attention to details, nice extra’s, etc. Love using the pool and spa facilities and then there’s the business and relaxation rooms. Cafe. Etc. The list goes on.

Now, I realise that I’m probably the far end of the spectrum. I spend a huge portion of my life in the gym and my job requires me to answer emails and work remotely at time’s. So the club offering all the member areas is a huge plus for me.

What’s your prerequisites - and what puts you off a club?

For me, I don’t like rude staff. When I was looking for memberships - I always kept an eye open for how staff were dealing with current members questions and had a wander into the changing rooms - you can learn a lot from these areas.


Long winded into but - you get the idea!

Motorsheen

It has to be convenient - I needs to be a walk/run/bike (or a short drive) away.

It needs to be clean, very clean. A few years ago, I switched gyms because of this.

I don't care about pools, saunas, juice bars or sport courts.

If helps if the gym is D-Bag free, but that's becoming more and more of a challenge.

AdamAthletic

Motorsheen wrote: »

It has to be convenient - I needs to be a walk/run/bike (or a short drive) away.

It needs to be clean, very clean. A few years ago, I switched gyms because of this.

I don't care about pools, saunas, juice bars or sport courts.

If helps if the gym is D-Bag free, but that's becoming more and more of a challenge.

I'm with you on the place needing to be clean - it's actually what caused me to leave my last club (suprisingly - a very popular mainstream gym/tennis club.) Took its members for granted by the end of mymembership!

When I pointedthe build up of grime on the machines out to the duty manager, he basically just shrugged it off. My notice to leave went in that day!

johnbtay3

Pizza night and a smoothie bar next door

swclifton

I like a clean gym with great machines, free weights and classes in it with great, clean and tidy locker rooms. I prefer the whirpool and saunas be in the locker rooms. I also like for them to have a pool even though I don't use it much. Also like the showers to be very clean as well.

WorkMyGoals

It has to be open 24 hours a day. I sometimes don’t have time or the desire to work out until around 10 or 11 at night. It helps me sleep better later.
And have cleaning stuff by machines.

michael1976_ca

nice helpful staff and they have to offer classes and be clean

justinewillcutyou

It has to be clean, machines in proper working order, other patrons who don’t suck (i.e. the ones who won’t rerack their weights, leave their gym bags in the middle of the floor, chat at the squat rack..). It’s a big bonus if they have classes I like too.

Buttermello

Convienently located, open 24h, childcare center, sauna and/or steam room.

GymGoddessGoals

EXTREMELY Clean, Convenient, Affordable and a good variety of equipment. My current gym has hydro massage, tanning and sauna as well. A pool would be awesome but it's rare for a gym to have them around here any more.

I have no tolerance for rude or disconnected staff. And if my gym falls down on the maintence or cleaning, I contact the owners asap.

cwolfman13

Convenience is a big factor for me. I go to the gym after work usually and if I have to detour too far off of my route home, I end up not going. When I first got back into the gym we were going to a club like gym that had all kinds of awesome stuff...great weight room, great cardio area, indoor track, basketball/volleyball gymnasium, all kinds of classes including spin, pool, hot tub, sauna, child care, etc. We were pretty good about getting there initially, but ultimately it was way out of the way in regards to our commute and on the other side of town from our home.

Gave all of that up and tried out a few different gyms and ultimately I've been working out at a buddy's and his wife's gym which is a small studio weight room...basically a super awesome home gym. That has been great for the past four years or so, but I guess I'm getting old and I'm wanting a bit more than just a weight room. I still workout there on Fridays with his wife who is owner/trainer and my wife, but started up a new membership in January at more of a club like gym that I have to pass everyday on my way home anyway, so there's no real excuse not to get there.

I wanted to get back into spin and I didn't want to pay for a separate spin studio on top of my gym membership. At 45 I was also looking for some other creature comforts like sauna, hot tub, maybe access to a pool for occasional lap swim. This place has all that and more and is very affordable, so I signed up. It kind of sucks right now with the new year crowd as I have not belonged to a commercial gym in over 5 years, but I'm hoping it will chill out soon.

LoKoMi

Convenience, classes, cost

I mostly do dance fitness classes and treadmill/elliptical, and a few machines for arms

I go to my local YMCA, my entire family membership (5 adults) is less than the cost of weekly 1hr Tap classes for me alone at our former dance studio so it’s a good deal for us.

Motorsheen

A clear & unobstructed view from the smoothie bar looking into the women's yoga studio is definitely a plus.