Fitness Success: Choosing the Right Gym

Thousands of people join a gym in the hopes of reaching their fitness goals, but so many fail to even come close.

There are many variables that can be the reason for this failure. One is highly overlooked… and that reason of possible failure lies within the type of gym you choose. It can be the difference between success and failure. And many people never even take this into consideration. How do you choose a gym that's right for you to help in your fitness success?

Here are some tips to help you in your finding the right gym.

Location: Convenience plays a major role in your success. If it’s not easy to get to the gym, it can be used as a daily excuse to go straight home after work rather than to the gym. Find a gym that is convenient and easy for you to get to. This will increase your success rate 10 fold. If you’re not going to the gym, you’re not getting results.

Hours of Operation: Different people enjoy going to the gyms at different times. Are you a night owl? Or do you like to wake up super early and hit the gym before work? Either way, some gyms don’t stay open super late nor do they open early in the morning. Depending on when you exercise, make sure the gym is open when you think that you’ll more than likely prefer to work out.

Gym Members: The best way to get a taste of the type of members in the club (or the type of members that you’ll be surrounded by when you’re in the gym), make sure you take a tour during the actual hours you will typically exercise to get a good feel of the members (younger, older, athletes, etc.) and how busy it is at that time. Many gyms have a variety of different personalities using their club at different hours. For example, the morning crowd may be completely different than the evening crowd. There are also different cycles during the day that are busier than others. This is need to know information. If you take a tour in the morning hours, but actually go to the gym in the afternoons, you may end up not liking the crowd or the amount of foot traffic.

Gym Staff: Again, you’ll want to go in at the time that you plan on using the gym to get a feel of the staff including managers, front desk workers, and personal trainers. The last thing you want is to tie yourself into a contract with people who aren’t friendly. If you do, chances are you’ll rarely show up. If you decide to work with a personal trainer, make sure they are educated and certified.

Cleanliness of the Gym: Make sure you check the machines, bathrooms, towels, etc. for cleanliness – health clubs are a sanctuary for bacteria. Join an unclean gym and expect your annual doctor bills to increase a good bit. Seriously.

Workout Equipment: Check to make sure all machines are clean and operating. Dust build-up, rust, frayed cables are all signs of neglect. It’ll be hard to reach your fitness goals if half the machines in the gym are broken half the year. Also check to make sure the type of equipment matches your training style. Do you prefer to workout with mainly free weights, plate loaded equipment, etc. Also, if you’re a heavy lifter, you may want to check the dumbbell and plate racks to make sure they have enough weight for you to train with. During busy times you may find yourself sharing much of the equipment. Results don’t come from standing around waiting for someone to get off your training station.

Aerobics Classes: Get a class schedule and ask if you can try out a class that you might enjoy. Make sure the classes fit into your schedule. Just because they have your favorite class, it won’t do any good if you can’t fit it into your schedule. And be realistic as to whether or not you can make it to class during the scheduled times.

Club Fees: Fitting exercise into your budget is important. Shop around to find a gym you can afford. Most gyms are competitive in their cost, so in shopping around, you’ll be able to find the gym that also fits your other requirements. Also, don't forget that medicare and some insurance plans cover gym membership fees. Ask your insurance company about their policies.

Todd Scott is a advisor to Men’s Fitness magazine and founder of the internationally best selling book http://AbStomper.com. To learn more go to the Abs diet homepage.