I’m going to ask you a question…how did you choose your gym? Now I’m going to guess your answer…because it’s closest to your house/office, right? Hands up if I was right, come on I think I did quite well there.
A lot of people choose their gym due to location and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, if the distance is important to you then that’s exactly what you should focus on. But if it isn’t and you’ve just joined the nearest gym, well, for the sake of it then I’m here to help you today.
The Best Gyms Near You
Big Name Gyms
I don’t know where you live, so sadly I cannot sit here and say the local sports centre next to Asda over the bridge in Stockport is the best gym, but I can give you helpful tips and advice on how you can find the best gym in your area.
So first of all, is it a big name; Nuffield, Virgin, Bannatynes, David Lloyd, etc. Here’s why this is something to think about…money, yep, simple as that. The bigger corporations obviously have a larger backing and have built a hugely successful chain of gyms, meaning they’ve got money to pump into their facilities and equipment. It also sometimes means that the memberships can be slightly lower priced as they know they’ll get the footfall and don’t need to advertise the brand itself!
Facilities
When you think of a gym, you think of a weights section, cardio area, maybe a pilates room or two but do you think about everything else that a fitness facility can have, there are amenities that even if you’re just a gym goer you might need; changing room, lockers, showers. Then there’s your sauna, steam room, pool, jacuzzi, masseuse…do you want squash, badminton…what about cafes, vending machines…there’s too much to think about!!
You might think these things don’t bother you but actually, when it’s freezing cold you might want a spontaneous trip to the sauna or a dip in the pool if it’s warm, it’s about 32 degrees as I write this, and I would pay good money to have a swim right now! It’s definitely something to consider, your wants/needs might change and you don’t want to swap gyms every time you need more out of it.
Equipment
This one for me is very important, I’ve been into gyms where the equipment is sub-par and even as a personal trainer manoeuvring and inventing a workout based on a small amount of equipment available isn’t that enjoyable! If you’re going into the gym wanting a full body workout, you’re more than likely to need a few bits of equipment, if there’s only one medicine ball and it’s in use, you have to adapt and you actually shouldn’t have to. I like a big gym because I can almost guarantee I can use the bits and bobs that I want!
Another thing to consider is the make of the equipment, here are a few manufacturers that are very highly rated:
Rogue Fitness – Very big in the CrossFit sector
Technogym – Modern equipment incorporating technology to assist workouts
Precor – High-end fitness equipment
Life Fitness – Very wide range of equipment
Primal Strength – Top-quality strength equipment
Look out for these next time you check out a gym, a well-put-together machine can make a huge difference in the quality of exercise.
Contracts
Be honest, do you read contracts…no, I didn’t think so. Some gyms can have some quite stringent contracts; must pay for a year in advance, 3-month notice to cancel, no freezing and so on. Don’t get stuck, things change and you might need to start a membership somewhere else, you don’t want to end up paying for 2 gyms because you couldn’t get out of 1!
Number Of Members
Now, this might not bother some people but a busy gym can be a rough experience, every time you head to the squat rack someone else who’s been waiting half an hour slips in right before you and you have to do another 20 minutes of a slow incline walk!
This can be any gym…big commercial health clubs or your local personal trainers self-made gym…you can’t really judge if a gym will be busy or not until you go during the dreaded gym rush hour….between 5 PM and 6:30 PM. You could also ask the gym their member count. But definitely find out, this is a big thing and a lot of people overlook this. Having a tour at 11 AM is all well and good but you don’t get a true feel of the place.
Local Gyms
I want to talk about the stand-alone local gyms for a minute because you shouldn’t ignore these, they can be the most fantastic places going, and the community in a smaller gym tends to be really close. Building a gym off your own back is no easy task so you know whoever has started this venture has put everything they have into it, you’ll see and feel their passion for that building. It might not be your first choice but definitely don’t ignore your local gym!
The Best Gyms
Take this title with a pinch of salt, I cannot list all the best gyms in the country, sadly! What I can do is tell you what are some of the most popular nationwide gyms.
PureGym – They describe themselves as a no-frills gym (did anyone else think it was no-thrills, that just blew my mind). Good equipment, affordable memberships and classes too. They don’t have many extra amenities like pools/saunas but if you just want a good, fairly affordable gym, PureGym is a great option.
The Gym – Not too dissimilar to PureGym – nothing crazy, not expensive, easy. Slightly fewer sites and not many advances on the standard membership but they open 24/7 and always have personal trainers around if you need them.
Nuffield Health – Now this definitely won’t be your cheapest option but it’s your ‘all-in-one’; pool, sauna, physiotherapy, squash courts, etc. If you want more than a gym, Nuffield could be for you. Great facilities and equipment, just be aware you’ll be paying a little bit more.
David Lloyd – Definitely comes under the title of the leisure club, more like Nuffield. The gym itself won’t be too different to the likes of PureGym but again if you want to use an abundance of facilities like the spa and tennis courts, this might be your favourite. Again, not cheap!
The Next Step
This is all very subjective, I like a big cheap gym with extra amenities in case I want them, you might not! What you should do when looking for a gym is work out what’s important for you, whether that be location, size of gym, equipment, etc. Make a list and prioritise. Try and get a free trial at a few gyms and make sure you go at your usual time to see how busy it is. Try before you buy is a must when it comes to choosing your gym, you have to think if you go 5 days a week for an hour and a half, that’s a regular part of your life, you need to be comfortable.
Do your research.
Try before you buy.
Make sure you enjoy it!
