Choosing the Right Gym to Achieve Your Fitness Goals
Now by this point if you are you find yourself averting your gaze from the bulge peeking out of your shirt, let me play out a likely scenario. You have decided it is finally time to get in shape, and as you scan the cardio machines, and weight benches galore on your tour of the gym, finally you think have you’ve found the place to mold your body in to perfection. “What have I got to lose?” you think to yourself once you learn of their low rates for summer, and so you quickly seal the deal.
Eagerly you rush to the gym the next morning in order to kick start your day, only to find the empty gym floor and machines replaced by long lines of people just like you. “I will just come back after work” you tell yourself, only to find the same scene repeated once again several hours later. This goes on for days, and then weeks, and frustrated and discouraged you finally give up all together.
As a personal trainer, I have watched this scene play out in gyms across the country, and have labeled it the “two week” syndrome. Every year this syndrome afflicts thousands of fitness wanna-be’s in the months of January and June, when spurred on by New Year’s resolutions and summer trips the the beach, they commit themselves to the gym and quickly quit in frustration. This is great for the gym, but for the committed, it creates the annoyance of overcrowding and personal conflict.
Luckily by paying attention close attention to these trends over my years as a trainer, I have compiled these simple guidelines to help you choose the gym that is right for you.
Playing the Devil’s Advocate
Now lets step back for a moment to the point where you have toured the gym, and agreed to sign up for a membership. While first impression may be lasting in most areas of life, this is no way to go about choosing a gym. Perhaps the equipment looks great, the staff is friendly, and there is ample space to move around, great, but still keep in mind there is no way to accurately assess the gym in one visit. Most gyms offer a free trial to prospective members, so rather than signing up right away, ask to work out for a few days to judge the atmosphere for yourself.
This is your time to be a detective, so look, listen, and chat up other members about the quality of the gym. Do the gym’s peak hours coincide with your workout time? Do the personal trainers know the difference between a hack squat and a hack saw? Do you have permission to change the television channels while doing cardio? While these questions may seem silly, they are all fair game when determining an environment in which plan to spend a good deal of your time.
Keep an Eye on the Equipment
So perhaps you were impressed by the well kept extensive look of the equipment on your initial tour of the gym. The key word here is “look” because without sampling each piece of the equipment for yourself it is easy to fall victim to appearances. When dealing with free weights, I always take particular notice of the dumbbells as a mark of a gym’s quality. Do they go above 110 pounds? Are they tightened, and racked in order or laying all over the floor? This area of the gym (the dumbbell rack) is center of activity of any weight room, and the state of the dumbbells are a direct reflection on the way both club members and staff treat the gym.
When it comes to the machines (weight, cardio), be sure to test out the motion of each to make sure they are working fluidly. The presence of any strange sights or sounds, such as sparks flying from a machine, should be taken in to account. Question the staff about how often they are updated and cleaned, and also observe whether towels are on hand for members to wipe them off.
Investigate Your Surroundings
Finally to properly assess your workout environment, you must become familiar with it’s make up. While the gym floor may have passed your initial inspection, there are many smaller details which are often overlooked, but no less important. The advantage of visiting for several days is your able to observe the actual function of the gym during the busiest hours, when air conditioning, cardio machines, and obnoxious members inevitably begin to malfunction. And by observing these conditions at their peak, you will get a better idea of what to expect in a worst case scenario. Further relating to your comfort level are layout elements such as as high ceilings and the position of the locker room, which can prove vital to maintaining your concentration and a feeling of personal space when working out in a crowded gym. For example, I often find the walls of many gyms are lined with mirrors, resulting in awkward glances, and inevitable staring which can distract you from your workout.
Keep in mind each of these occurrences, as well as the staff’s ability to address them, are factors which will inevitably affect your workout. So choose wisely, and carefully.
Putting it All Together
So there you have it. All the elements you need to make an informed decision about the gym. I often advise my clients interested in joining a gym, to jot down a checklist generally based on three categories. Equipment, the category which determines whether all the equipment necessary for your workout is present. Layout, rating basic comfort factors such as air conditioning, equipment function, and space. And atmosphere, the category which rates the friendliness of other members, the reliability of staff, and your overall feeling of comfort.
On the day of your tour this list often struggles to fill a single page, yet by the end of your free trial you might find yourself left with a book full of notes. So with this in mind, it is often helpful to embark on trials at several gyms, in order to compare and develop a sense of what you are looking for. And regardless of your physical condition, half of the battle in fitness is developing a commitment to exercise. This will only occur in a place you are comfortable, and choosing the right gym can literally mean difference between success and failure. So don’t allow yourself to become a victim of the two week syndrome, take your time and choose wisely.
