How to pick the best gym for your needs

What is the best gym for you?

What is the best gym for you? One of the most interesting things I’ve found about the fitness world is that there are so many factors that go into us achieving our gym goals. From our diet, to our workouts, the music we listen to, and even the supplements we take or don’t. But one of the most important things that can make or break us with our goals I’ve found, that is so often overlooked, is the gym itself. In psychology, it is often spoke of that the environment we grow up in, shapes us in many ways into who we are at this moment. Why then would it not make sense for the same to be true of the environment of the gym? But how do we pick which gym is best for us? What if we don’t even need a gym, but a studio? Or a personal trainer? Free weights or dumbbells, creepers or no creepers? So many choices! Once again Body Spartan has got you covered with helping you choose the best facility to suit your gym going needs and desires. Whether you already have a membership, or are currently looking, here we go.

What are your goals?

The most important question you can ask yourself is just that. What exactly are your physical goals that you want to achieve? That will dramatically help narrow down your search of the best gym for you. If say, your goal is to become a bodybuilder, then Planet fitness probably isn’t the best for you. On the flip side of that, if you’re just looking for a nice quiet gym to put in some hard work but you don’t want to deal with the loudness of other lifters, then that type of gym might be perfect for you. Or perhaps you’re looking to get into cross fit or powerlifting? Well then you might want to look up gyms that specialize in those areas. Or maybe you just want to work on specialized training for a specific sport, well guess what, there are places for that to. What I’m trying to say is that no matter what your physical goals are, there is a facility that is right for you.

What is your budget?

The second most important question to ask yourself is what are you willing/wanting to spend for your membership? There are many gyms out there that charge an arm and a leg just because they can, which in my humble opinion, is ridiculous. High end fitness clubs around my area want your first born child and half of your soul before they’re satisfied. One of the best ways to find out a gym’s pricing is to scope them out on their website. A lot of times they’re running monthly specials to help ease the burden on your wallet. Some gyms may not require an initiation fee at sign up, although this is very rare. Another important question to ask yourself, is if you want a month to month or long term contract. Keep in mind that will influence the pricing as well. Some gyms may not be pricey, but remember you get what you pay for in regards to equipment, how well the gym is up kept etc. etc.

Look at online reviews/talk to people

One of the best ways to get honest feedback about anything is to ask others who actually go to the facility you’re thinking about going to. Sources like yelp are often pretty good at giving you general and real information, especially with issues a gym might not want known publicly. If you have friends or acquaintances that you know go to the gym, ask them as well! Hearing others likes and dislikes will help you better choose the place that is right for you to make your fitness home.

How far do you want to commute?

There’s a lot of give and take with the issue of commuting to a gym. How far away is it? What’s traffic like during rush hour? Do you want it close to your work or to your home, or both? The quality of the gym can influence this decision as well. I’ve know people who will drive forty-five minutes to an hour just because the gym is THAT good. On the flip side I know people who will skip the physically closest gym because the gym is THAT bad.  One thing you can do is use your phone or computer to find out just how far away the potential gym of your choice may be.

Visit the facility

So you’ve figured out your fitness goals, done your research online,  looked at reviews, measured out the distance, and you feel like it’s time to pull the trigger. The last best thing you should do is to go to the facility of your choice and ask for a tour. But before you even go to the front desk, look at the parking accommodations. Do you have to pay or can you get validated? How much space is there? I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to get to the gym only to have to park 2 miles away because the lack of parking. The general gym tour will consist of a giant walk around, looking at the equipment, the locker rooms, the training studios (yoga, spin, dance), and other accommodations. This is your chance to see the gym in action, see the types of people who work out there,  and get a feel for the overall vibe of the place. I would highly recommend preparing a list of questions to ask your guide so he or she can answer them! After the tour is usually when they’ll shift into contracts and pricing, but since you’ve done your homework you’re ahead of the game!

I have found through my years of training that the gym you go to can make you or break you in many ways. The energy and culture of a gym can be a wonderful thing or it can be downright soul sucking. Where you decide to go will greatly affect how quickly you achieve your goals and in what way. Knowing what you want, doing your own research, and touring local gyms is the first a best way to launch you into your fitness journey. Good luck, and go crush it!