Tips on what to look for in a gym?

surgesilk

I have a couple of gyms near me to choose from. What should I look/lookout for? Ant tips, advice, caution would be welcome! Thanks in advance!

CMmrsfloyd

I think that depends on your budget, whether you have childcare needs, and your goals. If you give more info on your personal circumstances and goals, I bet some of the people here would have some great ideas of what to look for to meet your needs. :-)

SeaSiren1

More info is helpful. I look for clean and tons of free weights and squat racks, since that's my thing. If I ever found one with strong men equipment and allowed chalk I would be in heaven!

Others may want lots of cardio equipment or a gym which offers classes.

lakersfan4life

weights and excerise equipment, i suppose

PonyTailedLoser

The smallest amount of creepers possible.

RunLiftEat

Everyone looks for different things. I picked my gym because it has a pool and I like to swim. They have lots of cardio equipment to help me burn cals. They have classes which interest my wife. The weights section doesn't interest me much since I do my lifting at home. It is nice to use the machines for legs though. It is also well kept, friendly atmosphere. A little pricey compared to other gyms in the city, but well worth it to me.

ahamm002

There are a few main classes of gyms:

1. Fancy super expensive ones: these are great, but are expensive.

2. Fancy super cheap ones (eg., bally's, LA fitness): these look nice, but the only way they stay in business is by signing up huge numbers of people on long membership policies. Since all those people can't actually fit in the gym, 90% stop going due to the crowding. The other 10% just deal with the horrible amount of crowding.

3. Non-fancy moderately priced ones: there arent' that many of these around anymore.

If you can afford it, go for a nicer gym. You'll be 10x more likely to actually go.

surgesilk

Money isn't an issue and no kids. And my main goals are to add long lean muscle mass and secondarily to assist with my weight loss.

ShapeUpSidney

I'm a big fan of gyms with towel service. Also adults-only facilities

epona_mus

Must haves for me:
Clean and well-maintained
Has equipment/facilities I like to use (ie: if you don't like to swim, you probably don't 'need' a gym with a pool)
Has classes I'm interested in at times convenient for me
Instructors/PTs are trained/certified
Contract terms I can live with (cancellation policies, etc.)

BeeElMarvin

I look for gyms with hot chicks...jk

kmbrooks15

A lot of gyms will give a one or two week free pass to prospective clients. Maybe see if they offer that and try them both. That will help you figure out which one you like. I did that with Anytime Fitness near me before committing to a contract.

gtwin

A squat rack, a squat rack, and a squat rack. And no Smith machines don't count...

alyssamiller77

Make a list of the important features you're looking for in a gym before you even start to look at what they offer. Many people get sucked into joining a particular gym because once they see that it offers certain things that they never thought they'd need, they suddenly become "must haves" for them. So know what you want in terms of amenities (like pools, tanning, spa items, etc). Also, have an idea of what workouts you plan to do at the gym if possible. No gym has all the pieces of equipment that could be imagined so you want to find one that has the items that are important to you.

When you go look at the gym, pay attention to cleanliness. Also look at the equipment to see how well it is maintained. If cables on weight machines are broken, things are dented, or things just don't appear to be in well kept shape that's a sign. Usually poorly maintained equipment is pretty easy to spot. Also look at how much equipment they have. Do they have a variety of cardio and weight training items? Do they have multiples of the same stations (so that hopefully you won't have to wait for the pieces you need)? Also look around and see how well the place is staffed. Do the staff walk the floor or are they at least easily accessible? Especially if you're new to working in a gym, you want to make sure there are people that can help you out if you need it. Ask a lot of questions about the equipment as you tour the facility. Do this to try and gauge the knowledge level of the staff. Also check to see if they have any type of locker room/changing facilities. Some of the 24 hour chain locations don't always offer this.

Finally, look at convenience/value factors. What are the hours? How close to home/work? Do you get multiple locations or only a single location? Do you have to sign an annual commitment or is it a month-to-month membership? Can you bring guests with you? Obviously, also compare pricing in light of all of this other information and you should be able to figure out what is the best value for you based on your own needs.

questionablemethods

A squat rack, a squat rack, and a squat rack. And no Smith machines don't count...

This. I was just shopping around for a gym in my neighborhood and squat racks are ridiculously hard to find! Pilates studios galore though. Sigh.

(I did end up finding that is reasonably close by.)

Edit to add: I also really like locker rental. I'll pay a little extra to not have to lug my stuff back and forth (I don't have a car).

RunningRachel2012

Lots of space! There is nothing worse than being cooped up next to super sweaty people (I can't really talk - I get super sweaty too), it is nice to have your own space, with decent areas for weights and nice stretching areas. Also my gym allows me to attend all classes for free, it is wonderful!

alyssamiller77

Lots of space! There is nothing worse than being cooped up next to super sweaty people (I can't really talk - I get super sweaty too), it is nice to have your own space, with decent areas for weights and nice stretching areas. Also my gym allows me to attend all classes for free, it is wonderful!

Agreed on this point too. I recently did a 14 day trial at an Anytime Fitness. I was really excited that they had a lot of free weight equipment until I tried to use it. There were always 2-3 others working in that area and the equipment was jam packed into a small area. The end result is that we were constantly tripping over each other trying to move from one station to the next, or when trying to hang weights, or whatever. Overall it was pretty unpleasant.

The gym I did join has tons of space. The facility itself is over 15,000 sq feet and they've got a ton of equipment. It just feels so much better to be able to move around freely without having to worry about literally bumping into other users.

ritzvin

I don't have the attention span for machines/weights, so I choose based on the fitness class schedules and convenience of the location.

Barring that: adults-only facilities (or at least where they don't outnumber the adults) are definitely a plus (my closest gym w/ a decent class schedule is unfortunately the YMCA which always has the little brats running around the locker rooms after the pool which also makes the locker room smell like chlorine..since the start of after-work fitness classes coincides with the children getting picked up from school age child care programs).

Rae6503

squat racks!

susanofscottsdale

The best gym is one that you will go to. This is more important than the classes, training, equipment or services. You must be comfortable there - ensure this, then consider issues of convenience in hours, location and specific services of interests.

Personally I am more comfortable in a no frills gym with attendees of a range of ages and fitness levels. But this is not for everyone. What works for you? How do you feel when you walk around? Home or like a fish out of water?

andrea_marie3

I can tell you the reasons we left our last gym: They let kids run around and play on the equipment like it's a jungle gym, there were too many people in too small of a space so I spent at least 1/4 of my time waiting for machines, the machines were very old, and the facilities weren't well maintained. It was our fault because I had been a member at the same gym in another town, so I assumed I could expect the same experience from this new gym. Definitely see if you can have a week to test the facilities and talk to a few members to see if they're satisfied with the gym. They'll tell you the little things the employees may not mention.

jessicamckay13

hot trainers to watch.

only somewhat kidding.

SPACE. i hate walking into the weight area and fighting the guys for a little personal space.

andrea_marie3

Another idea: this may seem like a really small detail, but our new gym has personal t.v.'s in front of each piece of cardio equipment. Maybe it's just because I'm a little bit of a t.v. addict, but that has helped me make my workouts longer and it helps me keep my mind off a tough workout and get through it easier.

LisaMariaCallow

Take a tour of each of them, and ask to try it for a few days. Alot of gyms will give you a pass to try for up to a week (mine gives you a 2 week "buddy pass" if you bring in an unwrapped Xmas gift) That way, you can see what amenities are most appealing to you. When I first joined mine I was thrilled with the fact that they had a pool & water aerobics, now I use the pool occasionally but am obsessed with alot of the machines.

Good luck!

EricMurano

A squat rack, a squat rack, and a squat rack. And no Smith machines don't count...

I love you!

kraz4fun

I looked at the facility and the members that were there working out. I'm not a big fan of the flashy type gyms Ex: college kids just there to drool all over each other instead of actually working out or professional weight lifters. I am not comfortable in those situations therefore I knew I would not get the most out of my membership. I chose my gym because there were all age ranges there and they all seemed to be interested in getting fit and not making a scene. I do regret that I didn't think about towel service. What sold me on my gym was: attitude of the staff & members, clean, variety of machines, basketball courts, classes offered, locker availability (I live 30 miles from the closest gym), hours of operation, and location. Most importantly I did NOT have to sign a long term contract. I'm strictly month to month. If I want to cancel I only have to give a 30 days notice and there's no penalty when I come back. I typically cancel during the summer because I'm doing other activities. The other flashy gym in town requires a minimum of 2yr contract and their rates are more than double of what I'm paying now.

ritzvin

Another idea: this may seem like a really small detail, but our new gym has personal t.v.'s in front of each piece of cardio equipment. Maybe it's just because I'm a little bit of a t.v. addict, but that has helped me make my workouts longer and it helps me keep my mind off a tough workout and get through it easier.

I did like this at the 'more-frills' gym (that is no longer convenient enough for me to commute to)..it's the only way I can stand working out on the 'hampster wheels' (well, in my case it was the precor recumbant bikes) when there isn't a class I want to attend.

ritzvin

I looked at the facility and the members that were there working out. I'm not a big fan of the flashy type gyms Ex: college kids just there to drool all over each other instead of actually working out or professional weight lifters. I am not comfortable in those situations therefore I knew I would not get the most out of my membership. I chose my gym because there were all age ranges there and they all seemed to be interested in getting fit and not making a scene.

same here: of the 2 gyms closest to me with classes, one was a "flashy-type" gym full of cookie-cutter blond 20-somethings (it happens to be a female-only gym); the other is the YMCA with more varied women (at least in the fitness classes area) that I liked a lot more. On the other hand, the "flashy gym" offered more classes (they had 2 fitness class rooms instead of just one and neither was shared with spinning classes), a cleaner locker room, and nicer (and a lot more) machines.

ShapeUpSidney

What I learned from this thread:

If you're young and attractive, you're clearly not at the gym to work out. Obviously.

lexgem

Is it convenient for you to go there? If it isn't, you won't go after the first few weeks.
Is it clean? Are the trainers helpful (you can ask a few people this question when you go for your trial workout)?
Bells and whistles: my gym has a pool, sauna and jacuzzi. When I go when the gym is nearly empty, thanks to my atypical hours, I can get a relaxing "spa" experience It's nice. I do this about once a week for a good hour, and often after working out I pop in for a quick 15 minute soak. It's an extra I enjoy a lot.

Jeff92se

OP needs to think about what they want to do and see if the gym can accomodate that or not. Or what they might want to do in the future.