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About how to choose a gym for fitness, bodybuilding, etc.
In order to exercise effectively in the gym, we will need:
- good special equipment
- the mood (desire) to take care of yourself (after all, if you don’t have the mood (desire), you understand...)
Often, expensive gyms are overloaded with useless or ineffective exercise equipment, with an almost complete absence of free weights, which are much more effective than those same exercise equipment.
How do you still choose a suitable training room?
The best choice is through friends and acquaintances.
Ask around, even if you don’t have friends who regularly engage in fitness or bodybuilding, don’t despair, perhaps your acquaintances will have friends who do and can advise you something.
If there are none, then make a list of gyms that are located near your home, and then walk through them (see what’s there and how (at the bottom of the article I’ll tell you in detail what a good gym should have) and try to understand where it’s more convenient for you everything, where you feel more comfortable, more pleasant, etc., etc.
Look at the prices for the passes you need and be sure to compare them with each other (the price should correspond to the quality and convenience).
Look at the coaching staff (their appearance, neatness, etc., talk to them, ask them about their training experience, specialization, etc.) because experienced coaches play a huge role in a sports club.
You should not trust your body and health to those people who are not even able to look after their own.
Basement rocking chairs
There are very few of these rare halls left, but they still exist. In basement rocking chairs there is no show-off, pathos and other vices inherent in prosperity. But often there is no shower or toilet.
Once upon a time, in the days of crime and Coca-Cola, these were the only places where pumped-up healthy men with steel biceps came out. Such halls were made by the future jocks themselves. Most exercise equipment in basement gyms are homemade, but they are well designed.
I myself began my acquaintance with bodybuilding in the basement. I will say that the main difference between the basement and modern fitness centers is that iron sports fanatics gather there, and there is always a warm, friendly atmosphere.
Training in basements is usually very cheap and has a number of disadvantages: little weight, old uncomfortable equipment, dampness, lack of a shower, toilet, and sometimes even a locker room.
Glamorous fitness centers
The main difference between glamorous rooms is their high cost. In large cities, the price of one training session can reach $100, and a monthly subscription can sometimes cost up to $1000. The only people who work out in such centers are majors who, even in choosing a gym, strive to show their status.
Expensive fitness centers include a huge number of various services: solarium, swimming pool, sauna, massage therapist, personal trainer and God knows what else.
Large halls, varied in functioning, are a competent pumping of finances. In my opinion, these gyms are simply not worth the money. But again, if there is a goal to show your high status wherever it is possible, why not.
Advertising and Marketing
A new establishment definitely needs advertising. In order for it to start working faster, about a month before opening your gym, you need to start promoting it. To do this, it is recommended to use the following methods:
- placing advertisements in local media;
- distribution of leaflets and flyers in places where the target audience gathers;
- installation of billboards, banners, signs;
- creation of a website with detailed information and its active promotion;
- hidden marketing on city forums, third-party sites and social networks
It is important to make a beautiful, noticeable sign and hold a noisy opening with an interesting entertainment program and prize draw.
In addition to direct advertising of the hall, it is recommended to use some marketing techniques that will help create a competitive advantage and ensure the creation of a permanent customer base. Among the offers attractive to visitors are:
- A month of free work with a personal instructor as a bonus when purchasing an annual subscription. This option works in two directions – it attracts regular customers and encourages them to continue paying for individual training.
- Availability of a loyalty program and discounts for regular customers. This is beneficial for them not only materially, but also ethically, since it allows them to feel attention and care.
- Taking into account the wishes and complaints of clients. To do this, you need to select a notebook in which visitors can indicate what needs to be changed in the work or arrangement of the gym. It is not at all necessary to react to everything at once, but it is advisable to eliminate critical moments.
- Competent pricing policy. The most in demand today are well-equipped gyms with affordable prices, so the cost of services should not be too high. It is better to increase the payback period, but ensure a stable flow of customers.
- Selling products popular with the target audience. If you offer visitors soft drinks, high-quality sports supplements, inexpensive clothing and accessories, literature and video course recordings, you can not only attract more visitors, but also increase your own income.
The gym as a business is very popular, so you need to fight for every client. This requires both competent trainers and a variety of equipment, as well as additional methods of attraction. You should not save on discounts, bonuses, or other methods of material and moral stimulation. However, you shouldn’t get too carried away with this either. Everything must be economically justified and calculated.
Gym location
I think I won’t discover America if I say that it’s convenient when the gym is located close to home. This will allow us to quickly get to the gym, and also quickly rush home after training and eat properly. Plus - it's very convenient!
To get started, I would recommend surfing the Internet, talking to people you know, and making a list of all the existing gyms in the area. Sit for a while with the map, see which ones are most convenient to get to. If you plan to get there by car, it would be useful to find out whether there is a guarded and illuminated parking lot. Make a list of the most convenient ones and call them one by one. The next question that should concern you is the ratio of price and quality.
Place
Where to rent a room for a gym depends on the format of your club. If you are opening a premium gym, then it is better to locate it in a prestigious area. Most likely, the city center is already occupied by competitors, so it’s worth considering places near elite villages and residential complexes, the main thing is that there is enough population there. In the absence of suitable areas free from rivals, you will have to carefully think through a concept that will greatly distinguish you from them for the better, and invest more in promotion.
If you are planning to open an accessible hall, then a residential area with a large number of young active residents will do. Again, there should be no competitors of a similar format nearby, although it would be quite profitable to be located next to an expensive fitness club. Those who cannot afford a subscription for several hundred thousand will come to you.
Both premium and budget gyms should be located conveniently for visitors: close to main streets and with ample parking space. Getting there should be easy and comfortable.
With limited funds and dense buildings, even in the basement with good ventilation, you can create excellent conditions for training and there will be no end to clients.
The rent or purchase price of the building or part of it should also be within your means. Carefully work out your business plan and calculate the maximum amount you can pay for the premises.
Every whim for your money
When the question arises of how to choose a gym, the issue of price will be important.
Before we are ready to shell out our money for training, we need to find out what they are giving us in return for our money. Do not hesitate to ask the administrator by phone in detail about what is offered to you at the selected gym. Is it possible to pay for one training session, for a month or for a year at once? Is it possible to transfer unused workouts to the next month? What additional services are there? Are there discounts and special offers? What form of payment? Is there a trial lesson? Is the stay in the gym or the number of workouts limited by the proposed subscription? All this is important!
Regarding additional services, there is no need to be afraid of seeming like a greedy person; you need to find out what is included in the price, what you need to pay for separately, what and how much it costs. It often happens that the price of a subscription may include, for example, a sauna, swimming pool or solarium. If you don’t want to overpay, I advise you to ask if you can get a subscription without these services. Well, if for some reason there is no such opportunity, then it would be appropriate to cross this room off the list. Well, or fork out
