Seven Questions You Need to Answer Before Choosing a Gym

1. What are my fitness goals?

   It is important to establish goals early. According to Psychology Today, P.H.D  Marilyn Price-Mitchell, “Setting goals is linked with self-confidence, motivation, and autonomy”. Ask yourself: do I want to lose weight, build muscle, increase endurance, make a gym routine, or simply maintain my current fitness level? Now that you have identified your fitness goals, this information can be used to find a gym that aligns with them. “My goal changed from building muscle to becoming more explosive and getting better at basketball,” said Sama Ahmed, a 22-year-old fresh college grad from Northeastern University. “When my goals changed, I had to change my gym to one that offers tools and resources that allows me to reach them”. That is exactly how it is done! Do not be afraid to change gyms if your current gym does not fully support your fitness goals. If you are looking to embark on a new fitness journey and want to be introduced to new workouts check out bodybuilding.com. All you do is press the body part you are looking to work out and it will give you an entire catalog of workouts.

   Now that we have established our fitness goals, let's continue to the next question we must ask ourselves.

2. What is my fitness level and experience?

This is where it becomes hard to be truly honest with ourselves. You can work out for 2-3 years but still be a beginner. You may be wondering how this is. How can I be a beginner even though I have been working out for such a long time? The gym is such a versatile area that offers so much such as H.I.I.T (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts, weight lifting, and cardio workouts. Your experience is relative to not only your experience but your knowledge as well. For example, if you have been doing the same routine with the same weights and haven't seen the progress you'd hoped for, you can still be considered a beginner in terms of fitness levels. Another thing that is important to consider is that even though you have been doing something for a long time, it does not mean it's right. Former personal trainer Asad Khan emphasized that half his clients considered themselves  “intermediate”, sometimes even “advanced” gym goers weren’t advanced at all because the workouts they were doing for so long were actually being done wrong. So now you are probably doubting yourself and your expertise. Well, don’t just head over to this website to figure out your fitness level and experience!

3. What is my workout style?

Congrats you have made it to question three. You are almost halfway done with figuring out the perfect gym for you. Now you need to look into your workout style. Do you prefer working out alone or with a partner?  What setting do you excel in? North Central College Professor Tamarea Kadera, who specializes in Health Education emphasized how having gym partners has helped her stay true to her workout routine. “They motivate me to come every single day even when I don’t feel like it”. While some might like working out with partners, group workouts have taken the fitness industry by storm. Sean Grabowski, a former cycling instructor at Zenergy, exclaimed that “group classes are meant for everyone. It really brings out the best of everyone! I have seen people who never did group workouts before come back over and over cause they loved it so much”. Former personal trainer Asad implored that “Everyone must do personal training at least once in their lifetime. It really helps establish a proper foundation for working out”. Or you might be a lone wolf and enjoy working out on your own and at your own pace.  All in all, do not knock it till you try it! As the famous Canadian author Robin Sharma says, “The only failure is not trying”. 

4. What is my personality type?

Now is the most important part of the questionnaire, and the one that requires the most self-reflection: figuring out your personality type. Are you an introvert, extrovert, or an ambivert? I will be going into what each personality means and what exactly that means when choosing the best gym for you. If you do not know your personality type, head to this website and it will help you answer just that!

Introvert

An introvert is an individual who tends to be more reserved, introspective, and thoughtful. A setting that is preferred by an introvert is one that provides solitude and quietness, as they tend to shy away from social interactions. Although introverts can be incredibly social and outgoing in situations they feel comfortable and engaged in, they tend to find it difficult to maintain the same enthusiasm over an extended period. So what does this mean in terms of the gym?

For introverts a gym that provides a sense of privateness and quietness is ideal. What is not ideal is: a gym with an open floor plan, as this makes it easy for individuals to stare, overly loud music, makes it harder to focus, and lastly a gym that has a lot of members. Introverts at the gym “are more likely to focus on the internal experience provided by exercising and less likely to be concerned with external factors such as competition, performance, and so on”. If an introverted individual is new to the gym it is common for them to seek out trainers. If that is uncomfortable Northwestern Psychology and Biology Graduate, Osama Hassan, emphasized that introverts should practice knowing their workouts “beforehand”. “Introverts love being prepared and one way they can be prepared when it comes to the gym is by planning beforehand. This means knowing how to use certain machines and doing research on how to use these machines”. One website that is really helpful for this is bodybuilding.com. “It would also be helpful to have an understanding of the average personalities at the gym”. There are a lot of peculiar personalities and it would be very overwhelming to grasp every single one of them. Check this website out to get a general grasp of the average gym personality.

Now the gyms that provide a place for introverts to excel are: 

• Anytime Fitness

• MPG Fitness 

• Planet Fitness 

• Home Gym

Although these gyms do a great job providing a comfortable setting for introverts, it is possible these gyms can become very crowded and become detrimental for introverted personalities. Here are some tips for introverts at the gym:
Creating a Workout Routine

As said earlier, introverts can benefit from planning ahead and this is no different. Creating a workout routine gives introverts control of their gym and experience and avoids them from the stress of having to make decisions on the spot. 

Gym Hours

This requires a little trial and error, as all gyms are different but generally gyms are busiest early in the morning as it is for some people the only time to get a workout and between 4 PM to 7 PM which is the time most jobs let off their employees. All in all, get familiar with those timings when your gym is most packed and consider what works best for you. If any other time does not work for you “wear headphones and a hoodie and you will be just fine”  says North Central College Senior Luke Stodsgli. “It really allows you to create your own world”.  All in all, introverts can benefit from a gym that gives them more privacy!

Extrovert

An extrovert is an individual who tends to be outgoing, sociable, and energized by social interactions. They thrive in an environment that has tons of social interactions. “For an extrovert a gym that would best suit their needs is a gym that is with a lively atmosphere, has group classes, and community,” says Osama. “They are more than likely not only going to a gym for working out but also for socializing and networking”. Some gyms that provide this atmosphere are: 

• Gold Fitness

• Orange Theory 

• L.A. Fitness

Another thing extroverts should look into is gyms’ “post-workout” social settings. Gyms such as LifeTime Fitness and Equinox have set the post-workout atmosphere with bars, mini shops, cafeterias, and so on. These are ideal atmospheres for extroverts to excel in because again they provide a place within the gym to socialize and network. 

All in all, if you are an extrovert you should consider enrolling in a gym that provides a fun, outgoing social setting. 

Ambivert

An ambivert is an individual who exhibits traits of both introversion and extroversion depending on the situation. “They are adaptable individuals. Just like extroverts they do not shy away from socializing but much like introverts they are susceptible to feel drained after an extended period of social interaction” says Osama. So what is the ideal gym for ambiverts; it's a gym that provides both a balance of social engagement and solitude, a gym that offers both group classes and the opportunity to workout alone. Some things that ambiverts should ask themselves before committing to a gym are: Does the gym offer a diverse range of equipment, is the floor concept of the gym open, are there group classes offered? 

Some gyms that ambiverts would excel in are:

• LA Fitness

• Lifetime Fitness Center

• Equinox

  If you are seeking more of an in-depth analysis of the three personalities listed above check out this article written by Ealine Houston, a psychology researcher and writer!

Congratulations!

You have made it this far and from here on it’s smooth sailing. If you noticed all the previous questions were purposely reflective and thought-provoking. Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of yourself than you did before and should have an idea of what gym is an ideal one for your unique self. If you do not, don't worry there are more questions that still need to be answered and hopefully, that makes the choice easier!

5. Where is the gym located?

Is the gym located 5 minutes from where you're staying, or 45 minutes from your establishment? Finding the perfect gym means finding a gym that allows you to meet your fitness goals, your expertise, your workout style, and lastly compliments your personality. But what good is all of that if the location is not ideal? Time is limited and we are busy individuals who can dedicate only so much time to the gym. For example, if you only have an hour to workout and the gym is 25 minutes away it would not make sense because you would essentially spend 50 minutes getting there back, leaving only 10 minutes to workout. Another thing to look at is if the gym is located in a safe and accessible area. “Sometimes the only time I have to go to the gym is at night. And when I do go at night I go to Planet Fitness, that yes is a bit further, but I feel safer there because there are more lights” says Mia Thiel, a junior at North Central College. “As a female, I have to be aware of my surroundings at all times”. In conclusion, the location of a gym is a critical factor to consider when choosing where to go. 

7. What is my budget?

Although we would all love to attend the top gyms in the world, it is not always possible. Being a college student myself I understand the need to stay on a budget, and staying on a budget means making sacrifices when it comes to choosing a gym membership. Although I would love to workout in a premier gym such as Equinox, it is not viable at this time of my life, but hey if you could afford it read no further and move on to the next question…. But if you cannot keep reading, here are some tips for figuring out if the gym is worth its price point and if you are getting the most bang for your buck or if you are not.  

• Look at the Equipment

Is the equipment being offered at the gym new or old?

Do you utilize the equipment offered by the gym? 

• Cleanliness of the gym

You will be spending a lot of time here and in order to continue to spend a lot of time here you must be healthy, and not sick. So make sure to pick a gym that's clean… even if it means it's a couple of extra bucks. 

• Ambiance!Ambiance! Ambiance!

You are going to be spending a lot of time here. Sometimes multiple hours, but on average 48 minutes per exercise session. You want to be excited and happy to be here so make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck, and to do that start by scoping out the ambiance and atmosphere of the gym. 

All in all, this is difficult. “As humans, we always want the next best thing. It's how we are programmed” says Mr.Hassan. For now, we must stick to a tight budget, but as time goes on it's implored by many fitness individuals to invest heavily into something like the gym, because at the end of the day, health is wealth!

6. What are the timings of the gym?

Time is money. Time to keep the hot tubs running, sauna warm, music playing, TVs going and so on, it costs money, but if that time does not align with your time then your money spent on that gym membership is money not well spent. In order to take full advantage of your gym's offerings, make sure your time aligns with the operating hours of your gym!

Find that GYM

You now know what to do in order to find the perfect gym for you. Although, I would love to give you a gym recommendation on where to go, that would just not be possible because I do not know where you are reading this article from, what you could do is list out some gyms you are thinking of enrolling in and begin the process. Beginning the process includes looking over these attributes as well as self-reflection and honesty. Understanding your fitness goals, fitness level, workout preferences, and personality type can help you choose a gym that aligns with your values and preferences. It is important to remember that you might not find the perfect gym for yourself the first time, and something that works for someone else may not work for you. That is okay, just remember to stay true to yourself because when you do that you will find a gym that makes your workout routine enjoyable, effective, and most importantly sustainable!