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. Cleanliness. The gym I went to in Texas had people walking around cleaning. That was really nice. The last gym I went to we had to clean the equipment on our own.

2. It has to be roomy plenty of space. The last place I went too was really stuffy and small it was very uncomfortable and stinky.

3. The gym should have wide variety of equipment. I say this because when I had a trainer half the time we had to wait to use a machine because there was only one of each thing available and there were tons of people there always using them. It was a pain in the rump.

4. Nice bathrooms.

5. A selection of classes available for those who might want to do Zumba, spinning, etc. those are always good for business and people want variety as well.

I can think of a couple more but you said 5. So here is 5

The recent gym I joined I literally looked just for a squat rack.

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.