When it comes to choosing a gym to train at, you'll tend to find that the very first thing people look at is the price.
And yes, while price is certainly important because it needs to fit within your budget, I'd actually argue there are more important factors in a gym membership than the price.
In fact, the things I'm going to talk about in this article can make all the difference in whether somebody is consistent and goes to the gym regularly, or signs up, uses the membership for a couple of months, and then stops going.
So let's talk about this in more detail.
#1 Convenience and Location (The Most Important Thing)
The very first thing, and the most important, is the location.
So is it easy for you to get there?
Is it in a convenient location?
And this can make all the difference between somebody going on a regular basis and somebody not, because if the commute is too far, it becomes much, much easier to talk yourself out of going.
In an ideal world, there would be a gym on every single street, so a gym would be a stone’s throw away from your home or your workplace.
But the world is far from ideal, and often you will have to commute.
So what you want to do is make that commute as short as possible.
Before you join any gym, you need to ask yourself this simple question:
Is it easy for me to get to this gym on a regular basis?
If the answer is yes, then that is a massive tick.
#2 Know the Opening Times, Know Your Schedule
Before you sign anything, you need to know your schedule and the opening hours of the gym.
For example, in the UK there are gyms that are open 24/7.
And for somebody who does shift work, or who works unpredictable hours, a 24/7 gym might be better because it offers more flexibility.
On the other hand, if you work 9 to 5, you might be fine joining a gym that opens at 6:00am and closes at 10:00pm.
So you need to know your schedule and the gym’s opening hours before you join.
While on the topic of time, it’s also worth talking about peak hours.
Because the problem with training at peak hours is that it can be very difficult to get a good workout in, because there’s too much traffic (too many people).
During the week, Monday to Friday, you’ll tend to find that the peak hours are between 6:00am and 8:00am. These are the people getting a workout in before work.
Then it peaks again between 4:00pm and 7:00pm, which is the after-work crowd.
At the weekend, the peak hours tend to be between 9:00am and 11:00am.
This is something to just be mindful of.
#3 The Culture/Environment
This is so important because you have to like the place.
A good way to look at it, right, is that you’ve put money down on a gym membership, so obviously you intend on going there on a regular basis.
The environment and the culture has to be right for you.
I’ll give you an example:
I’ve been to gyms in the past where I’ve walked in and certain staff members who have been on reception haven’t even greeted me.
This is actually laughable, because it takes no more than five seconds to look at somebody, smile and say hello.
It’s just poor customer service.
All I can say here is go off your gut instinct.
Ask yourself, what is the energy like in this place?
What I mean by this is, what are the people like that go there?
What are your fellow gym members like? What are the staff members like that work there?
Then think about the atmosphere.
Ask yourself, is it to your needs? Is the layout right for you? What about the lighting, and the music playing in the background?
Can you tolerate it?
At the end of the day, right, you have to feel comfortable and motivated to train in that environment, because if you don’t, you won’t go.
The beauty of most gyms these days is that you can often get trial passes and test drive the place before you commit long term.
I would highly recommend that everybody does this, before they sign a long-term contract.
#4 Costs and Contract
So now that we’ve got the most important things out of the way, let’s talk about price and cost.
Because let’s be honest:
Price and cost are important.
The gym has to fit within your budget, and you have to be able to afford it, so this is something to be mindful of.
A good thing to do here is compare prices with other gyms in your chosen location. Compare the monthly cost, but also look at the yearly cost, because many gyms will give you a discount if you pay for the membership yearly up front.
Be mindful of contracts and things of that nature, too. A lot of gyms require a joining fee, so be sure to ask about that.
It’s also worth knowing about the cancellation policy, that way you’re not walking in blindfolded.
#5 Is Access to Special Features or Classes a Necessity?
This is definitely something you should be aware of before you join any gym. Let’s say, for example, you’ve got somebody who likes doing group classes.
Well, does this gym even offer group classes?
Do those classes line up with this person’s schedule, which I talked about in point two?
I personally know some people who will not join a gym unless it has a sauna, a pool area, and a steam room, so it all comes down to personal preference.
And when it comes to gyms, there are all kinds.
You’ve got your spit-and-sawdust bodybuilding gyms, which, from a cleanliness perspective, often aren’t the greatest, and the equipment can sometimes be a little dated.
But some people choose to go there because of the community, the culture, and the environment.
Then, on the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ve got high-end gyms. These are more like health clubs.
Some have tennis courts, squash courts, restaurants, and workspaces, so people who work from a laptop can get work done while they’re there.
Again, it’s about knowing what you want outside of the weight room.
#6 The Cleanliness of the Gym
You know what? I get it…
It’s practically impossible to keep any gym spotless because, at the end of the day, these places are full of people, with people coming and going all day.
But what I will say is that some gyms are better than others from a cleanliness perspective.
And to be fair, sometimes it’s not the cleaner’s fault; it’s the people who go to that particular gym.
For example, at the gym I go to, not so long ago, there was a guy drying his feet with tissues, and after he finished, he just threw the tissues on the floor.
The thing is, the bin/trash-can was right next to him. It’s things like that you need to look out for.
When it comes to inspecting the cleanliness of any establishment, not just a gym, a good place to look is the toilets, because cleaning habits are often revealed in how clean or dirty they are.
This applies to most public spaces, whether gyms, restaurants, hotels, and so on.
#7 Equipment Quality and Variety
In my opinion, every single gym should have up-to-date equipment because, let’s be real, faulty and damaged equipment can be dangerous.
Health and safety and all that.
Just imagine a guy lying on a bench, pressing a significant amount of weight…
If that bench is damaged, we’re potentially looking at big problems here.
Inspecting equipment is super important.
Also worth mentioning is the variety of equipment.
Because most gyms will have dumbbells, barbells, treadmills, and the basics, but not every gym has a sled, and a prowler track, and not every gym has sandbags.
So it comes down to knowing what you want, but more importantly, what you need.