If you’ve moved and are looking for a new gym to train at, you can’t really afford to make a hasty decision. While you do want to ensure that the gym is easily accessible, that it has the right equipment and experienced trainers, there are some other aspects that are equally important. These are the 3 things to consider when you’re looking for a place to train:
Choosing a place to train
#1 The culture matters
This is one common problem at most gyms. They tend to be so focused on making profit that they are more than willing to bring in any members, as long as they are able to pay the price they are asking. They don’t care too much about the kind of baggage these clients bring to the environment of their gym.
There are always people that have very poor attitudes and these people tend to impact the energy and environment at the gym, with all the negativity they bring in. Regardless of whether you realise it or not, the kind of people that train at the gym, impact your mood, enthusiasm and ability to train well. If the people there are complainers, fearful, whiners or slackers; before long you will find that you have started to behave like them too.
The minute you go to a gym that has people with drive, verve and ones that like to train hard, you will find that you become driven too. With this in view, it’s best to go to gym that has limited membership slots, and prefers to bring in memberships via referrals, rather than one that is highly commercialised and looks only to add a large number of members all the time. And so, the culture of the gym you go to, matters a great deal to how you will train.
#2 The equipment
Most people are under the impression that an excellent gym will be packed with gym equipment. We believe the opposite is true. If a gym has excessive equipment, you need to think again about whether you would actually like to train there. The simple fact is that getting big and strong has very little to do with the amount of equipment a gym has.
Hard-core fundamental lifting doesn’t rely on the excessive use of gym equipment and it’s more of a distraction rather than anything else. The equipment a good gym should have is a few power racks and a range of specialty bands, sleds, bars and heavy dumbbells. In addition to this, there should also be some strongman equipment such as kegs, log press, ropes and a yoke etc. With the right kind of training, even the basics will work wonders.
#3 The environment
To a certain degree, the environment and culture are closely linked. The kind of environment a gym has, dictates the culture; and only the right type of culture can help you train better and maximise your gains. Going to a swanky chain gym or a health club just can’t give you the grittiness and the kind of intensity required to train really hard. If you are serious about building muscle, you need to identify a place that isn’t complacent or restrained – it has to be able to breed intensity & aggressiveness.
We bring out the best in you
We also believe that you need to be a bit intimidated when you walk through the door of a gym. If you have that trace of fear in you, that can take you a long way. It’s very easy to be mediocre. But when you choose the right gym, it helps you rise above normalcy and will bring in distinct results and the best in you.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Schembri PT. You can send us an email to info@schembript.com or fill in this contact us form and we’ll reply as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading,
Schembri PT Team
02 9648 6405