For someone brand new to working out and gyms, buying a gym membership can be a bit daunting. Making matters worse, I've found that gym salespeople can be just as bad as used car salepeople. For example, a co-worker just signed up for 10 personal training sessions and had the salesperson run her credit card number while she worked out. When she went to sign the bill, she noticed she was charged for 12 sessions, not 10. It was the second time they tried to overcharge her at that particular gym.
Yes, this could be an honest mistake but I've found it beginning to be a common trend in my experience. So, below are a couple thing to consider when you choose a gym. This is by no means an exhaustive checklist but it should get you thinking about the crafty gym sales pitch that'll be thrown at you like a 90mph meatball.
How to Choose a Gym Consideration #1: Timing Your Gym Tour
Want an accurate depiction of how busy the gym is? Book your appointment for Monday evening at 6pm. Why? Monday is by far the busiest day at the gym. Not only is it the universal day 1 of a 3 day work out program, it is also the day people feel most guilty about their weekend eating/drinking binges. Monday evening will show you how busy the gym’ll be at peak workout times and how available popular machines (i.e., treadmills, elipticals, benches, etc.) will be. It's great if they have 20 treadmills but that doesn't matter if there are 30 people there to use them.
Can't make it on a Monday? Tuesday and Wednesday are probably your next best bet. Either way, make sure it is between 5pm and 7pm - that's the peak workout time, right after people leave work. DO NOT book an appointment on Friday/Saturday/Sunday if you want to really know how busy the gym gets. Few work out on Friday and people are scattered throughout the day or Saturday and Sunday.
Of course this doesn’t matter if you don’t plan to workout evenings. Then just make sure you book an appointment around the time you would most likely be working out.
How to Choose a Gym Consideration #2: The Type and Quantity of Gym Equipment Available
The second gym I ever bought a gym membership with hadn't purchased new equipment in over 10 years. That meant a lot of rusted machines, ripped padding and awkwardly thin benches – I was 16 and it was the cheapest membership I could find...
The first thing to take notice of is does the gym have multiple pieces of the same equipment. In other words, are there lots of treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, workout benches, work out seats and weights? No point going to the gym if the equipment isn’t available to use.
Really take note of the dumbbells because the 15lbs – 40 lbs ones are really popular and you want to choose a gym that has 3 – 4 sets of each weight increment. Also, if you’re touring the gym at 5pm – 7pm, you’ll know if the equipment is enough for the peak demand.
How to Choose a Gym Consideration #3: What music is the gym playing?
Do you like Country Music? Think you could work out to it? I have and it sucked. Don’t make the same mistake. Ask the salesperson how they choose their music (i.e. do members have any input), and do they mix it up depending on the time of day (i.e. can you work out at a different time if you don’t like the music).
Of course the other option is to bring in your own music. Though that won’t help if the gym plays their music insanely loud… just take notice and be sure to ask the question.
How to Choose a Gym Consideration #4: Cancellations
The million dollar question you should always ask: “How do I cancel my membership?” A lot of salespeople will say you have to commit to a year but that is crap, most if not all will offer monthly payment plans. Why do they want you to commit to a year? Because they know most people quit working out after the January rush (New Years resolutions is probably the #1 best seller of gym memberships).
How do you convince them to let you pay biweekly without a full year commitment? Tell them their competitor has offered you no annual commitment with a biweekly payments. Once you get past that hurdle, ask them how much notice is required to cancel a membership. Often they will need one month notice (meaning you pay an extra month) so be aware. I’ve also seen gyms that wanted as much as six months notice so don’t let them get you on that if they let you get away without a years commitment.
Some other minor considerations to think of when choosing a gym:
• What are the other members like? Is it all strippers and roids, retirement home or a mix?
• How far is the gym from your house / work? The further it is, the less likely you’ll be to go and work out.
• How long have they been in business? If you did commit and pay for a year upfront, you don’t want the gym to go belly up in February.
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