Joining A Gym? What Questions Should I Ask?

What questions should you ask before joining a gym? Let’s find out!

1. What type of atmosphere does your gym have?

Are you a beast that plans on getting bigger? Well, then, you don’t want to be working out with the Planet Fitness crowd. For you, joining a gym means surrounding yourself with other large bodies. It will motivate you to work harder. Plus, you will have more in common with the members around you.

2. Joining A Gym – What type of equipment do you have?

Plan on getting big? Then before joining a gym you need to make sure it has the equipment you need. Take a look at the heaviest dumbbells. Are there enough power racks and benches to accommodate everyone during peak hours? If you can’t train heavy, go somewhere else.

3. How old is the equipment?

Don’t join a gym that looks like it’s out of the 1970s. Like any other technology, exercise equipment is constantly changing. That means better equipment for you.

4. When is the gym open?

Before joining a gym, definitely check the hours. Make sure the hours work with your schedule. Visit at peak hours to see just how jammed it can get. Look at the equipment you plan to use. Make sure it’s not going to be super crowded. You won’t want to wait a half hour for a piece of equipment.

Then visit again at the times you’re most likely to work out. That way you can see the gym as it will be when you’re lifting heavy. Also take note of the parking when you’re there. You want to make visiting the gym as easy as possible. That’s especially true on those days you might be less motivated. You want to go in and work out, right? Nothing is worse than driving around in circles looking for a place to park.

5. Joining A Gym – Is a contract required?

Before joining a gym you may have in mind, is a contract required? If so, check out the terms carefully. Those wise words come from Joe Decker, co-author of “The World’s Fittest You.”

“Do not get roped into an extended contract,” he says. Decker speaks from experience. He’s the general manager of Level Fitness, a Washington D.C. – area gym. He still feels the burn from having three months left on his contract with another facility. “It’s not the money,” he says. “It’s just the point that I can’t get out of it.”

6. Will the club waive the initiation fee?

Before joining a gym, see if they charge initiation fees. These can be hundreds or thousands of dollars. But they often waive or reduce them. Especially if you’re shopping around and know what other facilities are charging. The initiation fee is there for them to barter with. Don’t just blindly accept it.

7. Joining A Gym – Do they offer a trial membership?

Try the facility before you buy, I would say two weeks is fair. This is the time to test drive the offerings that really interest you. Are there lines to use equipment? Are the classes that you want to take offered when you’re available to attend? When you try out the gym in real life conditions you will see how it is really like.

8. Are staff members degreed or certified?

Before joining a gym, make sure their staff members are certified. Some places will take a warm body and throw them in there. You don’t want a gym with no set standard. Look for certification from the American College of Sports Medicine. Also, look for  American Council on Exercise certification. Additionally, check for degrees in related fields, such as kinesiology, exercise science or sports medicine. And make sure instructors are also trained in CPR and first aid. If you find a place where everyone is certified or has a degree, it’s probably a pretty decent place.

 

 

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