6 Tips to Find the Ideal Gym

So, you've decided to join a gym!

That is a great start to a fit future. The decision as to which gym to join, however, is likely to determine whether your exercise ambitions grow wings or fall flat on their face. Choose the right gym, and you'll be able to flourish with as much support and guidance as you could ever wish for. Choose the wrong one, however, and you're likely to be left feeling isolated, out of your comfort zone, and way short of your fitness goals.

In this article, I'll lay out seven tips to make sure that you find the gym that is the best fit for you.

For the first couple of weeks, your new gym motivation will get you to your workout regardless of how long the commute. When the novelty wears off, however, a gym that is too far away from your home is going to be a problem. Imagine struggling through a long day at work, only to have to sit in traffic for another hour to get to the gym.

With that prospect in mind, you're likely to ditch the whole idea.

In your search for the top rated gym, look for a gym that is either on your route home or that is within a few minutes from where you live. Just go to Google and type in "top rated gym near me."

Every gym has a vibe that permeates the place and affects the training atmosphere. If that vibe doesn't resonate with you, you are going to struggle to feel at home. Some gyms cater mostly to general fitness trainers who want to perform cardio and resistance training on machines. If you're a bodybuilder, you are going to feel out of place in a setting like this.

If you want to train in a beast mode hardcore gym, joining a middle-of-the-road, general fitness facility won't work for you. So, when doing your research, look for signs of the gym's demographics. Check out their website. What sort of people do they feature in their training images - seniors with 5 kg dumbbells or athletes pushing a weight sled? When you check out the gym in person, ask what type of trainers mostly work out there.

Most gyms will offer at least one trial workout of your gym routine. Be sure to take this free trial at the time that you will usually be going to the gym. There's a big difference in how busy gyms are at 11 am and 5 pm. If you turn up at the time that you plan to be regularly training, and you can hardly move, you will probably want to look elsewhere.

You can expect the gym to be busy during the peak times of 6:30-8:00 am and 4:30-7:00 pm. But that shouldn't mean that you have to wait around endlessly for equipment to become available. If they do not have enough gear to cater to their clientele, they don't deserve your business!

While you are going through your trial training gym routine, check out how proactive the gym instructors are. Are they sitting behind the counter staring at their phones, or are they moving around the gym floor, keeping an eye on how people are going? Do they leave people to butcher their exercises, or do they kindly intervene with the guidance to set them right? Do the instructors talk to members (beyond their 'bro bunch'), or do they ignore them?

A gym with instructors who show signs of personal interest in every members' gym routine and progression is worth its weight in gold. Unfortunately, they are few and far between. If you find one, all else being equal, cling to it!

If you are after a top rated gym that allows you to get in, get a hardcore gym routine in, and get out, then you probably won't care about the extra services that are offered by the gym. However, if you are interested in getting the most benefit from your gym membership, you will want to carefully compare the extra services that are offered by the various centers you are comparing.

Many gyms will offer a full complement of fitness classes. They will differ, however, as to how those classes are paid for. Ideally, your membership fee will include at least some weekly classes. You will need to check also whether class times are going to fit with your schedule.

If you are a parent, you may benefit from a gym that provides a childminding service. You will have to pay to have your child looked after while you're working, but most gym childminding fees are extremely reasonable. Other extra services that you might expect from a top-rated gym are massage, nutritional consultation, and physiotherapy.

A workout you should try:

When you take a tour of the gym, pay attention to the changing facilities. Above all, they should be clean and hygienic. There should be a cleaning board prominently displayed that lists the last time the bathrooms were cleaned. Average-sized gyms should provide at least half a dozen shower stalls and the same number of toilet cubicles. There should also be lockers and heaters in the changing area.

The gym floor itself should also be clean and orderly, with weight racks for every barbell or dumbbell. There should be plenty of room to move between exercise stations and benches. Check that the gym has a full range of free weight, cable, and machine exercise options. You should see paper towels and spray bottles liberally spaced around the gym, along with signs encouraging members to wipe down the equipment after use.

All equipment should be well maintained. Take note of any equipment that has an out-of-order sign on it. Book in for your trial workout a few days later. If the out-of-order sign remains, it's a pretty good sign that equipment maintenance isn't being taken seriously.

Before you sign up for a membership, make sure that you know what their cancellation policy is. If you end up moving or have to stop attending the gym for some other reason before your membership expires, are you able to cancel the contract? Do they allow you to sell your remaining membership? There are plenty of horror stories online about Australians getting stuck in gym contracts that they can't get out of. Know what you are getting into upfront, so you don't become one of them.

Taking the time to do your homework when shopping for a gym will pay off for you big time. When you find your ideal gym, you will have the foundation to propel you to a lifetime of fun and fitness. Follow our half dozen tips to make the smartest choice.