Currently, the popularity of sports and a healthy lifestyle is higher than ever. Millions of people around the world visit gyms and fitness clubs, adhere to proper nutrition and do their best to maintain their fitness at a good level.
Specially equipped premises and trained trainers help everyone who wants to regain their former figure, or become the owner of the desired shape.
The question of which fitness center to choose very often arises before those who decide to change their daily routine, figure, and life in general. It is not so easy: to find the ideal hall that suits the price, quality, and attitude towards clients.
What criteria play the most important role when choosing a gym in the first place, and how do you still choose a good fitness center?
Fitness Goals
Determine your priorities and goals. For example: - tone yourself up; - lose weight; - gain muscle mass, pump up; — master or improve skills in some direction (for example, boxing, crossfit or tennis); — play for fun: volleyball, football, basketball, water polo, etc.; - just swim, etc.
An important question: will you work out in a fitness club on your own, in individual classes with a trainer, or in specific group classes? Most often, people combine things, but one thing stands out.
It’s worth taking all this into account when choosing a club. Some fitness club memberships are all-inclusive, while at others you'll pay extra for all or certain group classes.
Perhaps a fitness club is completely unnecessary: if you want to “tighten up” your shape a little and sometimes run for health, working out at home and running on the street are quite suitable for you. Or not an annual subscription, but less or instead of unlimited - for a certain number of classes per year.
Visiting hours
Discuss visiting hours with the staff that are convenient for you. If you plan your workouts during busy hours of other clients, when the club becomes quite crowded, then either reconsider your visiting hours or look for another fitness club. Of course, no fitness club guarantees the absence of people during peak hours, but perhaps it solves this through additional equipment and more spacious rooms.
You don't come to training to spend most of your time waiting for your machine or squat rack to be free. Such waiting not only “eats” time, but also negatively affects the effectiveness of the training itself. Therefore, pay special attention to this issue.
If it is not important for you what time to come to training, then you can not only train in a half-empty gym, but also save money by coming to classes at “unpopular hours”. Almost all fitness clubs give a discount if you choose hours that are off-peak.
When planning to visit a fitness club in the morning, before work, make sure that there are all the conditions to clean up after a workout (good showers, hair dryers, towels, etc.).
There are fitness clubs that divide visiting hours into “women’s” and “men’s” ones. If you are a shy girl and the views of the male half of the fitness contingent prevent you from concentrating on training, then such a separation can be useful.
Fitness clubs with such a division by visiting hours are very rare. Therefore, if you cannot find such a club, inquire about the possibility of group classes, which are available in almost every club. As a rule, groups are formed according to your preferences and level of training.
Convenient location of the fitness club
Most people go to a gym near home, work, or on the way in between. Spending extra time on the road is rarely justified, because there are probably clubs near you with a similar level of service and price.
Therefore, pay attention to transport accessibility when choosing a fitness center or sports club. If you are by car – travel time, whether the entrances are convenient, whether there is parking. If by public transport - distance from the metro or stops. Even if on foot - how many minutes to walk and are you really ready to walk this route all the time? . The location itself where the club is located may also have a slight influence. It is much more pleasant to go there if it is in a good area than in an industrial area.
The building itself also has an impact. If the club is located in a shopping complex, this is rather a small plus. After training, you can eat, buy groceries for home, and relax. Although there may be a minus if the transparent glazing overlooks, for example, a food court.
Which side of the window would you like to be on?
Gym equipment
We pay attention to the quality and quantity of simulators. There should be a lot of simulators and they should have different functionality. If you are just getting acquainted with the world of sports and beauty, then you will not always be able to understand what exactly this or that simulator trains. It’s okay, you’ll figure it out over time. Today I advise you to pay attention to their number. There should be a lot of simulators, and they should all be in good working order, function normally, not creak or growl. I think it's clear.
The number of weights should also be large: dumbbells should have a difference of a maximum of 2 kilograms, starting from 2 and ending with 40 kilograms, there should be a lot of pancakes. The hall should be equipped with parallel bars, horizontal bars, and it would be good if there were gymnastic mats. It is important that mirrors are hung along the walls. Mirrors are needed not to admire your beautiful self, but to see the technical correctness of the exercise.
Fitness club opening hours
Ideally, the fitness club is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. But this happens very rarely. And not many people need it. A good and most common option is from 7 to 23 hours on weekdays, from 9 to 22 hours on weekends and holidays. Sometimes it’s a little better - up to 24 hours on weekdays or on weekends the same operating hours as on weekdays. Sometimes it can be worse – let’s say, the option from 9 to 22 o’clock on weekdays is less convenient. But again, it all depends on your schedule. Some people only go to the gym during the day.
Call to the fitness club
If the fitness club's website doesn't list prices, you'll probably have to call them first. And 2/3 of the clubs in Moscow and 1/2 of the clubs in St. Petersburg do not write down their prices (but that’s why we have collected on our website FitnessTop.ru the cost of annual passes for all fitness clubs, with a convenient filter by price).
They do not specifically indicate prices in order to encourage customers to call. And there the manager will try to convince you to come to the club, where he will also persistently sell a subscription. Even if you ask a simple question about the price of classes on their social networks, in most cases they will ask you to leave a phone number or write your own. A strange and annoying sales technique, but it is used in all fitness clubs.
Moreover, you will feel the fullness of the clinginess after a while. Even after a simple call, they will usually call you back within a week to ask what you decided. And they will repeat it later, with less frequency. And sometimes - even if you immediately refuse them. The best tactic here would be to say that they violated the Federal Law “On Personal Data.” You did not sign permission to use them, and calling you based on the fact that they once had your number is a violation of the law. They may even face large fines if you take the time to write it all down and send it to the right authorities. Well, or just enter the number in the phone block, if there is such an option.
Instead of calls or in parallel with them, SMS spam may begin. Various promotions will be showered on your phone, and this can continue for years. You can, of course, write to them with a request to remove your number from the mailing list, but not everyone is lucky. It’s better to simply block receiving SMS from this fitness club. This is easy to do if the sender's number is visible. But even if there is a name instead of a number, you can block it through the operator in a few seconds, while simultaneously complaining to him about spam. Google short numbers on how to do this - each mobile operator has its own procedures (for example, MTS 6333 and 4424).
Therefore, resume - better not leave your phone number! :) Although this is not a guarantee, alas, if you called them yourself.
When talking with the manager, ask immediately what you need. Otherwise, they will take the initiative with questions like “what do you want to attend in the hall,” etc. And for a few minutes they will scatter advertising slogans in front of you and invite you to come to them, emphasizing “only now a unique promotion.” And they will definitely try to sign you up somewhere - it would be nice for a free guest visit to a fitness club, when you can work out, or even just to the managers.
An artificial excitement is created, a feeling that they are supposedly busy. In fact, at almost any time you can come and calmly inspect the club and conclude an agreement (except perhaps during peak hours in large clubs during promotional periods).
The goal of managers is not to help you, but to sell.
Club location
How to choose a fitness club by location? It is important to understand when and how you will exercise. If you have a standard work day, do you study before or after work?
If you prefer morning workouts, then it will be more convenient to choose a gym closer to home. This way you won't have to carry sportswear and shoes with you. On the weekend you will be closer to the hall. In winter, in snow and cold, you will quickly find warmth. And in general, it’s just convenient to study close to home.
If your workouts are in the evening, then you can choose a fitness room closer to work. This way, right after the end of the working day, you will get to training, without having time to think about the possibility of missing today’s class, because you are very tired. This option is suitable for people who feel sorry for themselves!
Clubs located near work have another advantage. You will be training while everyone is rushing home during the evening rush hour. After training, you can easily get home without traffic jams. Kill two birds with one stone!
Use the search for the nearest fitness club on our website: . Select your city, destination or even price range.
Basically, the best option would be to locate the club within a 20-minute distance from you, wherever you choose. Then the road there and back will not have time to tire you. It is also important to keep the range to 20 minutes due to the carbohydrate window.
The principles are simple:
- We got home and closed the carbohydrate window.
- You closed this window in the hall and within half an hour you are eating normal food at home.
- We drank a protein shake immediately upon arriving home, which turns out to be just before 30 minutes after training. After another half an hour, you can eat solid food.
This approach will keep all processes in the body normal. Results will be visible with regularity.
Visit to the fitness club
Viewing photos and reading reviews is only enough to decide whether this fitness club is worth considering for yourself. And the decision to purchase should be made only after a personal visit. Especially if you take an annual subscription, and it’s not the cheapest one. Half of the fitness clubs, even expensive ones, offer a free trial visit (look in the additional services filter on FitnessTop). Sometimes it can be negotiated individually, even if there is no such option.
This is what the fitness club looks like on your first visit
Fitness subscription duration
A big plus for a fitness club is the possibility of partial payment for a subscription, for the duration of a test visit for a month, with subsequent full payment... if everything suits you. Moreover, among good clubs, there is now a tendency to sell short-term season tickets for one to three months, without overpaying relative to an annual subscription.
In any case, if you don't want to buy an annual pass, you can usually negotiate. (Except for those cases when the administration does not meet its clients)
Before purchasing a subscription for two or three years (some fitness clubs offer such long-term subscriptions), you need to think carefully, even if there is a tempting discount. You must know and love this club for a long time in order to decide on such a long-term relationship.
Total area and number of halls
The more square meters, halls and their visual separation, the more freely it will be to study later. Large clubs have several rooms. There may even be game rooms or tennis courts.
Of course, everyone has their own idea of what a fitness club should be. But even in small fitness clubs there should be a standard in any case: a gym with a separate cardio zone and at least one, and preferably two rooms for group classes. As well as men's and women's locker rooms with showers and preferably a sauna.
Who goes to the gym
Ask around and find out who from your circle goes to the gyms you have chosen. If your best friend goes to the gym in your neighborhood, being able to work out together can be stimulating for both of you.
However, if your not-so-friendly colleague visits one of the venues you're considering, you might want to avoid running into him and cross the venue off your list.
Some people find unisex gyms more attractive because they make them feel more confident and concentrate better during their workouts. Others are motivated by visiting gyms where the majority of people are competitive athletes or those who are in great shape. Regardless of which gym you choose, signing up is a great decision and your first step towards a new fitness regime.
Quality and quantity of equipment
It’s worth walking through the hall and looking at what you need: strength training equipment (weight block, lever, cable, electronically controlled), cardio equipment, free weights, additional equipment for aerobics and other activities (mats, step platforms, body bars, jump ropes, weights, fitballs , rubber bands).
When making sales, the manager will talk about equipment from “well-known brands.” But the brand does not always mean the best, only the minimum guarantee. And even if it is really famous, it is worth assessing the condition of the simulators. And even more important is the quantity, so as not to stand in line for the simulator later.
Evaluate the dumbbell row: ideally from 1 to 10 kg in 1 kg increments, and then in 2-2.5 kg increments up to at least 50 kg. How many barbells, what kind of bars? There are Olympic ones with a smooth glass with a diameter of 5 cm, there are amateur ones with a diameter of 3 cm and a screw-on nut.
Look how many pancakes there are in the hall. Are there many racks? Are there benches with adjustable angles? Is there a weightlifting platform (useful at least for deadlifts).
In old halls, the equipment is often welded by hand, riveted together from bolts and nuts. And prefabricated dumbbells. Of course, the main thing is that it works, but some people won’t like it, and the risks during the work are higher.
There should not be a high density of exercise equipment. Treadmills, exercise bikes, and ellipsoids should be at least an arm's length apart from each other.
Training in critical conditions
Once again, looking into your wallet and thinking about how to choose a fitness club, oddly enough, you will come across clubs of this level that you can go to with a subscription. Most often, these are sports institutions of domestic formation and quite Soviet equipment, on the basis of all kinds of sports schools, sports complexes, and so on. Created during the union, which have existed to this day, but have fallen into disrepair due to lack of funding, these sports clubs provide an opportunity for everyone, as a rule, to join the old school of fitness and bodybuilding for a minimal fee.
The equipment in such halls is often hand-welded and riveted from bolts and nuts, with cables purchased from a nearby hardware store. The dumbbell row in this case will present approximately the same picture, where the step of the scales will be different, each pair of dumbbells will be individually assembled from improvised pieces of pipes and metal. Cardio equipment can easily be represented by domestic copies of “Sport” roller treadmills and “Health” magnetic exercise bikes. In some places, such establishments can look quite decent, but sometimes you can find peeling walls, rusty exercise equipment and flickering lamps, which, coupled with the suffocating smell of the basement, will create the atmosphere of a horror film. Sometimes, when there is no fish and no bleach, you don’t have to choose. In this case, just pay attention to the functionality of the existing equipment to make sure it is completely safe and only then purchase a subscription.
Now let’s imagine that for one reason or another, you want to study on your own. We know for sure that you will not go to the fitness club, so you will have two options. The first is that to perform the vast majority of exercises, for all parts of the body, you will only need collapsible dumbbells. Either you buy them, or find them and requisition them from friends. And the more weight that can be adjusted, the better for you. Dumbbells are perhaps the most necessary element of the training process, since they can be used to perform exercises for all muscle groups.
The second scenario is that to perform, again, a fairly large arsenal of exercises, you will need TRX loops. You can find information about what they are, what they are for and how to use them in the list of articles “Accessories” in the “Hardware” section in the “Instructor” catalogue. I won’t go on and on, and I’ll just say that the ideal option in this case would be to purchase both dumbbells and loops. In both cases, even in conditions of almost complete lack of equipment for training, keep in mind that with both dumbbells and straps you can easily build a training process with exercises for all muscle groups.
Schedule of group classes
Find out about the types and number of group programs at the fitness club. See if their schedule works for you.
It often happens that not all such classes are included in the price of the subscription. And if there are many paid groups, managers will try to hide this point when purchasing a subscription. Therefore, it is better to immediately ask to familiarize yourself with the schedule of classes at the club and other conditions. For example, there may be limits on entries into groups.
Be sure to check the class schedule if you plan to attend group programs.
What will the address be?
A modern person is so short of time that he simply does not see the point of spending it on moving. To avoid wasting precious minutes, we recommend choosing a fitness center that is located close to home or work. Of course, if the list of services does not suit you, then it makes sense to look for another option. Look for benefits and compromise. If you have your own car, getting to the complex’s location will be much easier. The absence of your own vehicle only means that in winter it will take more time to travel.
Condition of the main and additional premises
You will immediately notice the comfort of the gym and the quality of the renovation. But also immediately pay special attention to the ventilation systems, especially in summer. It is better if the ceilings are high - this is the only way to ensure high-quality ventilation of such a large and complex room as a fitness center.
It should be a little cool and fresh, especially in the cardio zone. Note whether the lighting is good. Too bright is tiring, but weak is worse and more dangerous.
Go to the locker room, look into the shower or sauna. Many reviews then complain about the lack of cleanliness there.
If the hall has a swimming pool, that’s a plus. The presence of hydromassage and Turkish hammam is also a plus. Although if you don’t need a pool, then this is rather a minus, since it is already included in the price. It is advisable that the pool be 25 m long - the minimum acceptable length for professional swimming pools. Very often there are only 3-4 lanes, not 6. Many reviews complain about the pool being full. If it is important to you, check immediately at the time you need how many people are there.
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.
Additional services
Individual lessons are available everywhere, the question is the quality of the trainers and the price. If you are definitely not ready to study on your own, look in advance at what kind of trainers work here and their qualifications. Do you have medical or sports education, certificates, or work experience?
Some people need a fitness bar, solarium or massage. Not all fitness clubs have this all. But usually clubs from middle level and above already have them. Expensive clubs may also have a doctor or nutritionist and test clients.
Parents will find it useful to have a working children's room. There are paid ones and with limited operating hours.
It is very convenient when the fitness center provides free towels and there are coolers with water and cups.
Some clubs give clients several free guest visits for their friends, which can be convenient.
It will be an additional advantage if the fitness club has a convenient website or application. All well-known online clubs have their own applications. There you can view the schedule of group programs, sign up for classes, and freeze your subscription.
You can download the application and check its operation and schedule without a subscription.
Even something as seemingly trivial as whether music is playing in the hall can be important. It’s better if it plays, but in the background – quietly, unobtrusively and actively. And under no circumstances is it radio.
You can try to evaluate the politeness of the staff. There are many reviews on the Internet that are negative about this. However, for now you only communicate with sales managers, and they will definitely be as courteous as possible before the purchase. :)
And this is what the fitness club looks like a month after starting there
Subscription cost
There is a conditional division of fitness clubs into economy, business, premium and luxury. But it is not always true. Often a club says one thing in advertising, but in reality everything is different. It’s easier to look at the price and compare it with the quality and volume of services.
An annual subscription to cheap fitness clubs costs up to 10 thousand rubles. in St. Petersburg and up to 15 thousand rubles. in Moscow. This will be a standard rocking chair, several cardio machines, plus several group classes a day. Usually this is aerobics, yoga, stretching, Pilates, and sometimes boxing. The total area of the club is often in the region of 500-2000 m2.
In such fitness clubs there is almost never free water and towels, a children's room, or massage services. There is not always a sauna, solarium and fitness bar.
Often in such clubs, some of the classes are not included in the price of the subscription and are paid separately. If you go to such a paid group (3-4 thousand rubles per month), then it is logical that it is more profitable to immediately buy a subscription to a more expensive fitness club, where all classes are included in the price.
Average price category – 20-30 thousand rubles. in a year. There is a larger area (usually from 1500 to 4000 m2, although sometimes more), better equipment and service. There is almost always a sauna, solarium and fitness bar.
Half of the clubs will have a swimming pool, usually even a sports pool of 25 meters, usually with 3-4 lanes. There are also more group classes – both in quantity and in areas. Although some of them may also be paid.
Unlimited yearly passes to expensive fitness clubs cost 40-50 thousand rubles. in St. Petersburg and 50-100 thousand rubles. in Moscow. In general, in Moscow the price tag for fitness is higher, this is especially noticeable in expensive segments, where the difference can be 3-4 times for a club of the same level in the same chain.
In such clubs there are 15-20 types of fitness areas and the same number of workouts per day. Usually everything is included in the price. In addition to many additional services, such a fitness center often has a beauty salon or body care service.
These prices are valid for Moscow and St. Petersburg. In cities with a population of over a million, prices will be slightly lower, and even more so in small cities. There, the best fitness club in the city can cost 15-20 thousand rubles. per year (and at the same time be of average quality compared to the capital).
In our opinion, more than excellent quality of services for sports can be found already at a price of 30 to 50 thousand rubles. Anything higher is, as a rule, an additional payment “for VIP”, and not the quantity and quality of fitness services. For involvement in the community of wealthy people, but not for fitness. Exercise equipment or renovations in the shower should be good and nothing more.
Gold toilets and a trendy, but often not the most useful exercise machine will not help you get in shape.
What to pay attention to
Location
How convenient is it for you to get to the gym? Find a gym that you don't have to travel far to and doesn't require much effort. If it's too far away or takes too long to get there, you're unlikely to make it a habit, or it won't happen as often as you'd like. If you don’t know the addresses of the gyms, then use the catalogs, for example, fitness clubs in St. Petersburg are collected here, there are definitely such portals in your city.
Find a place close to your work so you can go before or after work, or during your lunch break. Look for something close to home. This will allow you to go to the gym whenever you want without having to carve out time for it in your schedule, especially if you just need to stretch a little or do some cardio.
Opening hours
“It’s best if the hall is open 24 hours a day.”
Does their daily routine match yours? Can you easily get through your workout without feeling pressured by time? Make sure that if you pay for a membership, your training schedule fits well with the gym's opening hours, because otherwise it will be a waste of money because you will not be able to take full advantage of its services.
It is best if the hall is open 24 hours a day. This means that no matter what time it is on the clock, you can go out and get a good workout.
Price
This is what really matters. How much will it cost you, and will it be worth the money? It's better to spend a little more on a membership at a place that has nice new equipment and is inspiring to be in, than to go to an old, run-down gym that looks like a cave.
You also need to consider the time of year in which you are going to buy a subscription. As a rule, during the season when people are not in the mood for exercise, gyms hold promotions, for example, around the New Year or in September. If you wait a little and catch this time, you can save a lot in the long run.
Make sure you're paying exactly what you want at that price. Don't get carried away with extra services that you may never use or things that don't really interest you. Many gyms will bombard you with such offers to the point of insanity; make sure that the clever manager does not add a kilometer-long list of unnecessary additional options to your subscription.
Another thing that you should be careful about is the gyms that try to tie you to them with long-term memberships. It happens that you bind yourself to obligations for 1-3 years and cannot break them.
Let's say that over time you stopped liking the hall or something happened that turned you away from it. And you are already tied up and can’t do anything. And then you have to pay for a hall that you don't use or you're terrified of going there again.
Purity
How clean is it? Are there staff who wipe down the equipment every day? Do they ensure that visitors wipe down the equipment after use? Is there trash on the floor? Are the lockers in the locker room in order? All this needs to be taken into account when purchasing a membership.
If the room looks like a dump, you need to decide whether you want to visit such a place every day. For most people, a dirty gym is a mood killer. If the staff can't take care of the premises, can you expect them to take care of you?
Membership privileges and bonuses
Do you receive discounts on their products as a member? Do you have the opportunity to use the solarium and swimming pool for free or at a special price? Do they have massage therapists? Is there a place near the gym where you can take your child while you train?
Do they have a juice bar and energy bars? How much will you pay for them? Find out what bonuses you get with your membership and what you'll need to pay for separately. Are there any advantages that make it worth choosing this particular hall over another? Make sure you understand what is included and what is not included in the package before you sign any paperwork.
Equipment
Each gym should provide more than just a gym. For example, it could be a swimming pool, sauna, massage. But sometimes, this can only be found separately, like swimming pools in St. Petersburg; not all gyms have them. But high-quality exercise equipment should be everywhere.
The equipment you use must be in good working order without any operational problems. Look at what brands of exercise equipment are in the gym and make sure that this is exactly what you need. What about the free weights area?
Make sure that the dumbbells are not broken or that there are no missing or loose weights. Inspect the handles of the dumbbells; they should not be grasped until they are completely smooth, otherwise it will be unsafe to use them.
Look around and notice how visitors handle the equipment. Do they throw dumbbells on the floor? Do they slam the barbell on the floor after a repetition or when removing it from the rack? Do the weights on the machine clang when they finish a set and release the handle?
If something like this happens, it is better to treat the hall and equipment with caution. If you treat simulators this way, sooner or later problems and breakdowns will begin. Pay special attention to how staff react when situations like this occur. If they have good equipment, they will try to keep it in good condition. If the simulators are rubbish, then, obviously, that’s why they don’t look after them.
Clientele
What type of people train at the gym? Are they mostly men or women? Is there a division into zones for some and for others? It is important that you feel comfortable working out with the people you see in the room. Certain gyms are home to more brutal characters, such as powerlifting or bodybuilding gyms.
“It’s important that you feel comfortable working out with the people you see in the gym. Certain gyms are home to more brutal characters, such as powerlifting or bodybuilding gyms.”
If you feel uncomfortable or even embarrassed to train around such people, it is better to look for a place that you can safely call home. Remember: the hall, first of all, should suit you, and not someone else.
Atmosphere
How is the atmosphere in the hall? Invigorating or depressing? Find a gym that inspires you and makes you want to work out. There's nothing worse than coming to the gym to work out and feeling like you're stuck in Groundhog Day.
Find a gym that energizes you. Look around and see how visitors interact with each other. Are they friendly or snobbish? Comfortable coexistence plays a significant role in the place where you are going to thoroughly pound your muscles.
Care
There's nothing more frustrating than walking into the gym and finding out that the machine you always use is broken. How quickly is equipment repaired after a breakdown? Do you report a malfunction, come back a week later, and the machine is still not working?
Some trainers do take time to fix depending on whether a part needs to be ordered, but how quickly do they handle the situation? If the repair is delayed, this is most likely a sign that management simply does not want to spend money, and will delay it as long as they can, just not to do it.
Always do a trial lesson before purchasing a membership!
No matter what you see, always take a trial class before purchasing a membership. If you don't see what the gym looks like in action, simply wandering around and paying for a membership could be making a big mistake.
We may ask for a trial class, a guest pass, or something that will allow you to try out the room at least once. Most establishments provide such services; however, those that do not usually have a one-day pass that costs around $10.
Even in the case where you are required to pay, if you want to choose a hall, it is better to pay and understand whether you like it or not. It’s better to invest $10 than to give away $500 and then think every time why you did it. It's better to go to the gym at the time you prefer to train. This will give you an idea of how busy it is at the time you plan to be there.
When choosing a hall, ALWAYS read the contract before signing it!
When reading the terms of the agreement and the contract, you are aware of what you are signing. This includes how you will pay your membership fees, contract length, termination terms, and other relevant information.
Conclusion
We hope that the article will make it easier for you to choose a hall. When this moment comes, it is better to take all the things described in it into account. If you don't like something in the hall, it's better to look again.
The fitness industry has exploded over the past few years, with new gyms popping up every day. Make sure you understand what you are looking for, or better yet, make a list of questions before you go to a place.
And when you arrive, don't be afraid to ask questions. If at the reception your questions are avoided or answered in a way that seems to have been answered, but apparently not, cross out the item and move on. After all, a gym membership is an investment in your health. Good luck in your search!
Types of subscriptions
The subscription can be:
- for a certain time: a year, several months (usually 3 and 6), a month;
- for a certain number of classes (for example, 100 classes during the year).
It's worth finding out what's included in the price. In inexpensive clubs, very often group classes, all or only some, are not included in the price and are paid separately. And then the price of a subscription is 5 thousand rubles. will turn out to be a beautiful enticement if you definitely want to attend yoga or boxing classes.
Therefore, find out this moment in advance and count. Perhaps yoga alone is worth going to a specialized yoga studio. And if several areas are important to you, buy a subscription to a more expensive fitness club. There, all this will be included in the price, and as a bonus you will receive a higher level of service.
Card types: full, day, family, corporate, youth, pension.
The subscription can be with or without freezing. The better the freezing conditions, the cheaper fitness will cost you. The conditions include not only the period of freezing (usually about a month), but also the ability to split the freezing (for example, 7 days at a time - and not just 30 days at once), and whether this can be done remotely or retroactively.
It is worth finding out in advance whether there will be discounts on renewal. Usually, the longer a client goes to the gym, the cheaper the subscription costs him (up to 15-20%).
Nobody pays attention to the conditions for terminating a contract with a fitness club. And then it turns out that they will return to you not the part that you did not pay (for example, 50% for six months), but much less, since the contract stipulates the withholding of a large part of your payment. This is probably contrary to the Consumer Protection Law, but how many people will then go to court with this?
Cardio equipment
Every gym, I repeat - every one!, should have cardio equipment. Every athlete who has decided to throw in his lot with the iron world is required to periodically devote time to jogging and riding cardio equipment. Without this, bodybuilding will be incomplete. And you don’t need to listen to those jocks who mistakenly insist that running prevents them from gaining muscle mass.
In fact, running gives us many, many, many benefits. I won’t describe everything today; in the future I will publish a separate article about the benefits of running in bodybuilding. Today I will say that everyone should run or pedal at the beginning of the workout and at the end of the workout! So I ask you to draw your attention to the presence of a cardio zone in the gym; cardio equipment should be accessible and in abundance.
We are primarily interested in treadmills and exercise bikes.
Savings on a subscription
You can reduce the price for a subscription in the following ways:
- Don't buy a full subscription.
The day card limits visits on weekdays - usually until 17:00, rarely until 16:00 (usually there are no restrictions on weekends). If you almost always go only during the day, then why overpay? Moreover, during the day there are fewer people in the hall.
If you are a youth or a pensioner, and the corresponding subscriptions are sold, then everything is clear. :) Corporate (purchased on behalf of the company) and family subscriptions give a discount for wholesale. Although on the Internet you can find offers to purchase corporate fitness cards. Just make sure that they are not scammers.
- Discounts on promotions.
The discounts are greatest in summer. Sometimes the price can be 2 times less.
Some clubs offer promotions all year round. That is, first “the best prices only until August 1st!”, and then - “don’t miss the discounts until September 1st!” Etc., in a cycle. For buyers, this is, of course, a plus. Although there are two disadvantages. In such clubs, clients usually complain about how full they are. And secondly, it can be a shame to find out that a month after you someone bought a subscription even cheaper. :)
Preferential prices are always available for pre-sale, before the opening of the club. But let us warn you right away: the Internet is full of negative reviews about delays in opening times or even outright fraud. Including information about well-known network fitness clubs - “Zebra” or “Dr. Loder", for example.
- Compensation from work.
Some employers compensate their employees for fitness expenses. You should find out whether to any fitness club or only certain ones, and in what size.
- You can look for offers to resell season tickets online.
People sell them for less than they are worth. Usually they are already open and have less than a year left (of course, the price decreases proportionally). If you want to study longer, it is worth finding out whether it is possible for you to extend such a subscription at the same price. Sometimes they charge a fee for re-registration.
Equipment of the hall with exercise equipment
Naturally, technical equipment with exercise equipment is one of the main factors influencing the choice of a fitness club. The variety and quality of exercise equipment is a guarantee of multidisciplinary and safe training. A properly designed program includes training to develop various muscle groups. To ensure this opportunity, you need to choose a place that has the following types of exercise equipment:
- Cardio zone, which contains exercise equipment for increasing endurance, strengthening the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and for working on weight loss: treadmills and cycling tracks, elliptical, orbitrek, rowing machine and others;
- Strength zone: Smith machine, block exercise machine (with upper and lower blocks), butterfly and other exercise machines for different muscle groups;
- Free weights area, where you will find a wide range of barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells;
- A functional load zone with a set of various balls, rubber bands, weights, plyo boxes, etc., exercises with which will help develop a sense of balance, increase flexibility, speed, endurance and improve coordination of movements.
The answer to the question of how to choose the right gym is obvious: it must have all four listed zones. In such a gym you will be able to comprehensively work on your body and, if necessary, adjust the exercise program.
Checklist: how to choose a fitness club
- Read reviews about the fitness club on the Internet. When viewing, you will know the main complaints of visitors and what additional attention to pay attention to.
- Decide how and what you will do. On your own or with a trainer, in the gym or in groups. It will be clear what is important to you in the schedule and prices.
- The location of the club is an obvious but important criterion. The more inconvenient it is to get there, the less often you will go to sports.
- Try not to leave your phone number - otherwise you will get spam.
- Be sure to go see the fitness club in person. At a minimum, the sales manager will give you a tour of it. At the most, sometimes there is a trial lesson.
- It is better to come at a time when you can go yourself. Don’t look at the gym during the day if you plan to study during peak hours (from 18 to 22 on weekdays) - the number of people in the hall may then unpleasantly surprise you.
- Inspect the exercise machines and equipment you need - are there enough of them, what is their condition, are there any queues for them.
- Check out the group class schedule. Find out if they are included in the price of the subscription.
- The overall area and use of spaces in the club will be immediately obvious. But don’t forget to also note lighting, ventilation, music. Are there water coolers or free towels.
- It is worth looking into the locker room, shower, sauna, swimming pool. It’s free and clean there – or cramped and dirty.
- Evaluate the general atmosphere in the fitness club. How the staff behaves, how many coaches there are, do they look like professionals.
- Decide what type of subscription you need. You can save on a daily pass or not take an unlimited pass. Find out about the conditions for freezing and extension.
- During the discount period, fitness passes can be sold 20-50% cheaper. Most often in the summer.
- You can buy a used subscription cheaper. Sometimes they are sold in club groups on social networks.
- Ask the manager questions, don’t be fooled by presentation tricks. Many dissatisfied clients write in reviews that managers sometimes even deceive just to sell. Just look around yourself more actively, ask and check if possible.
- Read the contract. Incl. conditions for termination of the contract. Of course, they won’t rewrite it for your sake, but then there will be no surprises.
#2 Take a test drive
A regular tour will give you a superficial understanding of the fitness center. You are unlikely to visit the sauna, swim in the pool and test the strength of the exercise equipment.
If you're seriously looking at the gym, take a trial workout : it's free in many fitness centers.
This way you can learn about many things that are invisible at first glance. For example, about broken exercise equipment, freezing temperatures in the sauna, or destroyed lockers in the locker room.
If there are no one-time free visits to the hall, take the time to read reviews on review sites . Just type in the name of the hall and “reviews” into Google and read the results. You can also look at the club’s rating on Yandex.Maps. Users also leave reviews there.
