How to Find the Perfect Gym
Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced exerciser, the place where you work out can make all the difference in the world. Get-Fit Guy describes 6 types of fitness facilities and has 4 tips to help you find the perfect one for you.
Ben Greenfield
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How to Find the Perfect Gym
If you’ve ever done an online search for a local gym, driven through your neighborhood in search of an exercise facility, or visited a variety of health clubs to find the exercise setting that is perfect for you, then you’re probably aware that the right gym can make an enormous difference between enjoying your workouts and staying motivated, and dreading going to a place that makes you feel uncomfortable or self-conscious.
See also: How to Make a Home Gym.
So if you’re looking for the perfect gym, or you’re confused about the difference between a health club, gym, studio, community center, YMCA, Crossfit box or any other variation of an exercise facility, then this episode is for you. You’re going to discover the difference between the various types of gyms and get 4 tips to find the perfect gym for you!
Fitness Facility #1: Personal Training Studio
A personal training studio is typically a small gym that is staffed by a few certified personal trainers who work with you one-on-one, or work with you in a small group of people who have similar goals or fitness levels as you. Typically, when you join a personal training studio, each of your visits is supervised by a personal trainer, and you often can’t simply show up and work out on your own. At the same time, however, because each workout is supervised, you’re guaranteed to get fast results, experience very little guesswork during your workouts, and have the peace of mind that your training program is being overseen by an experienced exercise professional. As you can imagine, a private personal training studio experience can be expensive, but if you’re just getting started or you have lofty fitness goals, this can be one of the best ways to get what you need.
Fitness Facility #2: Circuit Gym
Circuit gyms are typically set up as a series of weight machines, workout gear, and cardiovascular equipment designed to work each of your body parts in a specific period of time. When you’re exercising at a circuit gym, you typically show up, do the circuit (which is often set for 30, 45, or 60 minutes) then leave. Some circuit gyms have set times during which you show up and complete the circuit as an individual or with a group, and other circuit gyms let you show up and do the circuit whenever you’d like. Examples of circuit gyms include Burn 60 and Barry’s Bootcamp – although many circuit “gyms” aren’t really gyms at all but simply boot camp style classes that take place in parks or other public meeting settings.
Fitness Facility #3: Women’s Only Gym
Curves is probably the most popular example of a women’s only gym (incidentally, it also falls into the category of a circuit gym). In 30 minutes, you work each of your major muscle groups as you go through a program of strength training, cardio, and stretching with a group of other women. If you’re a woman and a co-ed weight room is intimidating or annoying, a gym like Curves may be a perfect fit for you. TotalWomenSpa and LadiesOfAmerica are other examples of women’s only gyms.
Fitness Facility #4: CrossFit Box
CrossFit is a popular style of exercise that combines elements such as strength training, high intensity cardio intervals, and gymnastics in a workout of the day, or WOD. Most CrossFit gyms resemble a cross between a gymnastics studio, a garage gym, and a sports training facility. CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, and martial artists – so if you have a personal interest or participation in these type of athletic activities, CrossFit may be especially appealing to you, although it can certainly be quite intimidating if you’re just arriving on the fitness scene.
Fitness Facility #5: Garage or Warehouse Gym
A garage or warehouse gym is typically an inexpensive, no-frills place that often has no water fountains, no towels, no locks for lockers and offers very basic, inexpensive exercise equipment such as barbells, dumbbells, or a well-used exercise machine or treadmill. They often have limited hours and a very specific type of old-school, bodybuilding, or weightlifting focused clientele. It’s a very Pain and Gain atmosphere. However, these no-frills gyms are also the most economical option. If you’re just looking for something extremely basic and inexpensive, you may find this setting works well for you. Just be sure to shower well afterwards.
Fitness Facility #6: Health Club
From LA Fitness to 24 Hour Fitness to the YMCA, health clubs offer you everything from childcare to swimming programs to group fitness classes to frequently updated and new workout equipment. Many of the fancier clubs even have amenities such as spas, saunas, eucalyptus-scented towels, free WiFi, tennis courts, valet parking, and even dry cleaning, but you’ll pay a premium price for these offerings. My gym of choice is the YMCA, since it seems to have a more personal, family touch, but also offers many of the amenities of fancier clubs. Some purist, old-school gym rats scoff at the idea of a clean, pristine gym setting and may not be motivated by this atmosphere, but I’ve found that a health club seems to be the best choice for most people who want variety.
Now that you’re familiar with the gym settings you may find in your neighborhood or city, here are 4 quick and dirty tips to choose an exercise setting that is perfect for you:
4 Tips to Find the Perfect Gym for You
Tip #1: Geographical Location
One of my primary reasons for joining the YMCA was the fact that I can ride my bicycle there in 10 minutes. Convenience is key, and if you can find a motivating gym setting that is near your home or near your office, you’ll be far more likely to stick to your workout routine. Even though you may be able to find a slightly nicer gym somewhere else, it really doesn’t matter if you join the gym but never show up because it’s so inconvenient to get to!
Tip #2: Demographics
When you do a trial membership at a gym or spend the first few weeks exercising in a new facility, you’ll quickly discover whether or not the other members are people you get along with. For example, my local YMCA is full of moms, dads, highschoolers, and other family types. My wife and I are quite comfortable around this crowd. In contrast, my previous gym was mostly 40-year-old male bodybuilders and weightlifters. I wasn’t that uncomfortable lifting weights around these guys, but my wife didn’t enjoy the atmosphere quite as much. So make sure you’re comfortable with the people you’ll be exercising around!
Tip #3: Equipment
If you’re familiar with and trained in the proper use of free weights, then a gym that primarily has things like barbells and dumbbells may be just fine for you. But if you’re just starting out, and don’t have access to exercise machines – which help guide you through beginner movements – you may fight an uphill battle when it comes to getting fit! When you visit a gym, take a look around to make sure it has equipment that you know how to use, which is appropriate for your goals.
Tip #4: Staff
From the front desk staff to the personal trainers, you’ll want to make sure that you get along well with the employees and personnel at you gym. After all, you’ll be seeing them several times each week, and you may find it de-motivating if you simply don’t like the staff! Just like the demographic of the gym attendees, you’ll want to ensure that you feel comfortable around the staff too.
If you’ve identified the type of gym where you want to exercise, and used these 4 quick and dirty tips to find a gym that works well for your needs, you’ll be far happier during your workouts, more motivated to train, and less likely to feel like the odd-man-out at your gym setting. Once you find the perfect gym for you, you should also be sure to review my 10 Rules for Proper Gym Etiquette and my Tips for Finding a Personal Trainer.
If you have more questions about how to find the perfect gym, then join the conversation at Facebook.com/GetFitGuy!
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.