3 Things to Consider When Searching for Your New Gym
You are busy. And you want to be fit. Whether it’s your spouse, kids, or work, you have life pulling you in all sorts of directions. But you are also looking in the mirror and wanting to look more toned. You want to wake up every morning without joint pain. And you want to have energy to make it through the day. You know joining (and actually going!) to the gym should be your next step. What gym should you join?
Here are four things to consider when searching for your new gym.
#1. Consider more than just price and location
When choosing a gym, price and location are often the deciding factors. In my opinion, a great gym with an awesome community and coaches is worth the extra 5 minutes on the road. Working out is a social activity. Every gym has a different culture. Find a gym whose coaches and clients connect with you.
A gym membership can be expensive. But guess what? It can also be cheap. You get what you pay for. If all you want is access to equipment without other services or coaching, then a lower-priced option may work. If you want to look better naked or have energy at 3 PM, then coaching and nutrition services are what you need.
#2. Consider whether your gym understands your goals
The most successful gyms understand the goals of their clients. The best gyms understand they are in the “results” business. The worst gyms believe they are in the “get-bodies-in-the-door” business. Your very first conversation at a gym should be about your goals. Do you want to lose weight? Gain strength? Get toned? Feel better in your skin? They should also show you success stories of clients who have achieved what you want.
#3. Consider nutrition coaching
Yes! You read that correctly! The best gyms offer nutrition coaching. CrossFit, Inc. defines fitness in 100 words:
“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean-and-jerk and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics; Pull-ups, dips, rope climbs, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstands, pirouettes, flips, splits and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc. hard and fast. Five or six days per week, mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.”
That was a lot to throw at you. Just note that the first 26 words are all about nutrition. In any health and fitness routine, nutrition is responsible for 80 % of the results. We see it all the time; clients who do nutrition coaching see 3.5 times the results of those who just exercise. People quit gyms when they don’t see results. If you want the fastest route to results, you need good nutrition and exercise. Why not find a gym where you can get both?
Inspiration for this article provided by Rob Connors at www.SignumCrossFit.com.