What do you look for???

I don't go to one but if I was going to look it would be
1- decent price (under $40/month)
2- have decent amount of evening classes
3- maintained and decent equipment
4- be able to do body comp analyses on site
5- trainers/nutritionist/holistic med people available for a decent price

Equipment Equipment Equipment.

I know you asked for 5 things, but this is the end all be all. The more diverse and numerous the equipment the more you can keep yourself engaged and find an open machine.

You're not there to look at chicks/guys or pamper yourself. These things are nice, but ancillary. If you can find a gym with all the best of everything, then you wouldn't be here asking.

Make sure if you go to the gym you'll be able to leave feeling upside-down you're so tired. BAM, that is where you want to be.

I'm actually in the market for a new gym since I've moved, and I have two criteria: bumper plates and affordable. I want to be able to get my oly lift on for a decent price. It's surprisingly difficult to find ANY gym around here that's not a crossfit box that is set up for Olympic lifting.

An open squat rack.

1. Price
2. State of the equipment
3. How crowded is it

Childcare, racks, enough equipment, hot guys, and clean bathrooms.

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1. Squat rack
2. A lack of people that like to do stupid things in the squat rack (namely, not squatting).

1- FLEXIBLE MEMBERSHIP PLANS. I go on and off for various reasons - injury, travel, whatever. If I can get a month-to-month membership at a fair rate (i.e., the SAME rate as a yearly membership, just, for a month), and other requirements are met, I *come back*. In this economy, it might be a way to get people who wouldn't want to commit to a year.

Deals, too: I once checked out a gym that hooked me on a ridiculous flat rate deal for a summer. It had everything else I wanted + let me do month-to-month contracts. I stayed 2 years (left when I moved).

2- Location - closer to work/school = best (ie., not in a residential area - close to transit, etc)

3a- Cleanliness. Not just about paying good cleaners, but setting a standard. Have those spray bottles everywhere, like, next to every machine & bench. Make it really hard for people to mess up.

3b- Natural light & air. I do not want to feel like I'm in a prison, even though I'm maybe doing some of the things people there might do. Re fake lighting: please no fluorescent lights, also do not want to feel like I'm *at* work, or a 1980s mall. (Find good lighting. Ask a designer about this). Fans, good air circulation. Good structure generally (no mould! Not even in the ladies' washroom, please)

4. Injury-friendly gear: Cable machine gives people working around injury lots of options. Concept2s & bikes.

5. Glute & ham stuff (for GHRs, reverse hypers, 45 degree hypers)

6. A separate weight area for women with real-for-real weights. Yeah. Because I want to do hip thrusts & bridges without stressing out about it. (Not important if you want to open a gym that would appeal to already-fit people, athletes, Crossfitters. If you're shooting for 'anyone who might give me money', I guarantee this will help.)

7. Hire people who know what they're doing and are friendly. Don't make them do hard sells. Think long-term: if you offer a good product, and are fair, you will build trust.

ok those are 7 but yeah that's what I'd like.

8. If your target demographic includes newbies, you could have eg 'Intro to the squat & deadlift' workshops, for small groups.

9. I second late hours, up to midnight would be great.

**
this would be amazing: green stuff - plants, potted trees; rooftop workout area if your climate supports it. I really hate how gyms look. As much of an 'outside' feeling as possible would be fab. Mine now has lots of windows, & sun at most hours; it's also on two floors w a staircase in the middle & so has super high ceilings. I really appreciate all that.

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1. Enough squat and power racks so that I don't have to wait to do barbell curls
2. Clean mirrors so I can see how awesome I look with doing quarter squats with five plates on the bar
3. Bathroom clean enough that I would actually consider using it instead of cutting my workout short and going home.
4. Hot chicks. Smoking hot chicks. And in the free weight section. So awkward when I have to follow them to the classes and stare thru the glass.
5. Dumbbells that go up to 120 so that when I drop them you can be impressed by the noise from across the room

Omg.... LMAO!!!!!!!!!

I wouldn't go to a gym or fitness club at all. I have a treadmill, elliptical machine, 5 lb. and 8 lb. dumbbells, exercise DVDs, a hot tub, and a farm where I get to deadlift 40 to 70 lb. hay bales and 50 lb. feed sacks, and I don't have to drive the 12 miles into town or pay a fee. So no, a gym has nothing to offer me. I'd feel guilty to pay to use a facility that I'd only find time for once a month or so.

Then why reply at all?

LOL! To make us city folk who don't have all that wonderful natural environment jealous! Her set-up sounds great, and I'm envious! Wish I were still on the farm:flowerforyou: