Mark Threlfall: It's that time of the year again, time to get that gym membership and head to the
gym. That's always our intention, right? What holds us back? Why does our motivation dwindle?
Why do we stop going? Quite often, it's actually simply down to our gym choice.
Perhaps it's the location of the gym. Maybe it's simply just not right for you, so on and so forth.
Today, this January, I'm actually looking for a gym myself. I've got to be honest,
I haven't been to the gym all that much this past year due to the lockdowns, but I do have a lot of
experience here, so I thought I'd run through some of my key requirements when it comes to
choosing a gym. [music]
Now, I've got to be totally honest, gyms aren't normally my sort of thing.
I'm all about the outdoors, but that doesn't mean I don't go to the gym or I don't see the value in
them. They're fantastic for being able to work on specific strength and also just simply for
when the weather is awful outside. Whatever your reason may be, the key here is making sure that
it's quick and easy for you to access, finding a gym that you can quickly get to and access easily.
First things first, I'm looking at location here. Perhaps you want to choose one that's near to your
home, or as I'm doing, I'm actually looking for one that's near to my place of work. That way,
I can get a workout in in the morning, have a shower, and then head on into the office, or
vice versa. There may be gyms that are better that are further away, but, from experience,
the time that it takes to get there can be an overriding factor on those days when you are
lacking your motivation. Before you know it, it's August and you've barely been to the gym at all.
Hang on. Before we rush into this, there are still a few more considerations that we want to take in,
one of which is how busy the gym is, because some gyms can get overcrowded. Trust me on this one,
I have joined one before. Now, if you can look into this gym from the outside, then
I would suggest actually trying to swing by at a time that you would typically work out and just
simply see how busy it is. If you can see a line five deep for a certain bit of equipment,
it may be a good idea to look elsewhere. If you can't look in from the outside,
then you can actually get some free trial sessions at some gyms. Sometimes it's just one,
two, maybe a few sessions. Again, I suggest going along at a time that you would typically
work out. It's also an opportunity for you then to see if it has the equipment that you're after,
or enough equipment for that matter.
That leaves me nicely on, because, currently, I swim in one location, and then gym in another.
What I'm ideally looking for is a pool and a gym under one roof, close to my work.
I'm probably asking for quite a lot here, but I have actually, amazingly, found just that in the
middle of Bath, close to my work. Now, the pool isn't quite as long as I'm used to. To be fair,
I was swimming in a 50-meter pool before, so I'm going to use one of the free trials and just scope
out, check whether it's okay. That said, I just think the fact that it is all under one roof, it's
close to my work, just the ease of it may actually mean that I end up using it more, and therefore
get more out of it and end up swimming better. Are there any other requirements that you may
have? Perhaps you're after a squat rack, treadmills, bikes, Pilates room, sauna,
probably a shower. To be honest, I hope that most gyms have those. Either way, go check it
out or just check online first so that you know that it's got everything that you're after. This
next one may not seem like one that would spring to mind initially, but, given the sweaty nature of
working out in a gym, it is really worth checking the gym's cleanliness, now more than ever.
Do they have any cleaning stations to grab wipes? Do they have a compulsory wipe-down
policy with towels? Do they have staff that walk around and regularly clean the surfaces
and machines? What do the reviews say online? I know it sounds silly, but, again, trust me here,
there is nothing worse than working out on a machine and being able to smell someone else's
sweat or odor. Again, another thing to keep an eye of, and particularly in that trial session.
Then, there's the vibe or the culture. Now, some gyms attract this weight-lifting type that like
to grunt and throw weights around and intimidate each other, which is absolutely fine, of course,
but it's not for all of us. Equally, if you are one of these primal weightlifting types, do
be wary, not all gyms actually allow any of this grunting and dropping of weights. Now, quite often
you can figure this out simply from the image of a gym, and also the equipment that is carries.
For instance, if a gym predominantly has weight machines and very little cardio in it,
you can probably safely assume that it's targeted towards the weightlifters.
Personally, I look to a gym that has a nice mix of the two, it has a substantial cardio section,
treadmills, bikes, and so on, but also a good amount of weights and free weights.
Then, of course, we have the all-important price. Obviously, budgets will differ considerably from
person to person, but it's worth pointing out, expensive doesn't always mean better.
Even if it is, if it's not close to your home or close to your work, it could be wasted anyway.
Equally, don't just go for the deals. You might grab yourself a bargain, but if it doesn't tick
all those boxes that we've discussed already today, it could be wasted anyway. The cheaper
gyms now will typically have less equipment and possibly be less appealing on the eye,
or they'll be busier to make up for these cheap rates. That said, if you're incredibly motivated,
you may want to just be simply able to look past the surroundings and get the job done.
Now, as the rates do go up, you tend to see better or more equipment. The facilities and the look of
the place may be better too, which for some may be exactly what they need, exactly what
they need basically to get themselves to the gym and be motivated to go time and time again. Now,
there is one here, actually, that I like the look of quite a lot. It's got a nice café in the foyer,
with lovely deli food. I've got to say, it does sound quite nice.
Finally, something that you may not have thought of. That is, does your membership
give you access elsewhere? Now, some gyms and memberships are part of chains, so they may
have other gyms in your state, nationally, or even worldwide. Does your membership
give you access to some of these other gyms around the world? Because it's not always the case,
and it's worth looking into just to see, or seeing if perhaps you want to pay a little bit more,
so you do get that. Because if you ask someone that travels a lot, whether that's for work or
with your family, or what not, it can actually be really useful to be able to drop into a gym
and be able to have that equipment there and ready to hand, should you need it.
There we go, that is how to choose a gym. I hope you have enjoyed. If so, please do give
it a "Like." Please do feel free to drop any more suggestions in the comment section down below. I'm
sure many of you are well-versed in going to gyms and choosing gyms. Maybe you've had some horror
stories in the past. Please drop them down below. Don't forget to give GTN a "Follow" on social
media and give us a "Subscribe" just down below. [00:07:42] [END OF AUDIO]