# What Do You Look For in a Gym?



## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Lady O.W. Bro said:


> l'm not sure why Planet Fitness is ''judgmental'' (lol) but l also like gyms that are a bit more divided.
> 
> Sometimes at PF l l feel like l'm at Sam's Club or something, the equipment is placed in rows in a large open space with no distinction between anything.


Funny thing is I plan to join planet fitness soon enough lol. The only reason is it's cheap.


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## LadyO.W.BernieBro (Sep 4, 2010)

PowerShell said:


> Funny thing is I plan to join planet fitness soon enough lol. The only reason is it's cheap.


Hehe, yeah, l thought about just going with the 10 dollar membership when l renew but l want to keep my massage bed, etc.

l think it's an alright place and l like the approach they have, l can't speak for what kind of crowd it brings in but we have a lot of elderly people. Pretty taaame.


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

I NEED to have squat racks and deadlift platforms.

I like the gym I go to now, which is fortunate since it is the only one near me. 

Three downfalls, though - they only have one squat rack, the gym gets very crowded, and they don't allow the use of chalk.

I work from home and have a flexible schedule, so thankfully I can go around 10 or 11 am, and it usually isn't crowded then.

No curling in my squat rack, bitches! lol


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## Zombie Devil Duckie (Apr 11, 2012)

> Sometimes at PF l l feel like l'm at Sam's Club or something,








Welcome to Planet Fitness, I love you...


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## Azure Bass (Sep 6, 2010)

My health is something I value greatly thanks to over a dozen potential health problems I inherited, so I look for the value of a gym to me. It's down to price, equipment, community and space. Although my soon to be gym doesn't have the space I want, I can train outside for anything I don't need the gym equipment for since that's what I call for in my fitness journey (Parkour and weightlifting regularly for their respective strengths). My monetary cba puts it at about $2 a visit, the equation's this: ([Total amount per year / weeks] / use per week) = price per use.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

I'm very shy to workout in front of men so an women-only gym definitely attracts my attention. I'm actually in such a gym owned by the municipality I live in and it's nice (and cheap as hell). It has a good variety of machines, judging from some other gym I went to which was quite big, not many free weights except dumbbells and many exercise programmes such as yoga, pilates, zumba etc. 
Too bad it will close on the 15th June, but when it opens again in September I'm definitely going. It's 40 euro for 9 months and now I didn't pay anything because it was only for a month.


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## Agelastos (Jun 1, 2014)

Solitude. Which is why I work out at home or at my housing co-op's private gym.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

Agelastos said:


> Solitude. Which is why I work out at home or at my housing co-op's private gym.


why are you agelastos?


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## Agelastos (Jun 1, 2014)

Red Panda said:


> why are you agelastos?


I didn't realize this was the philosophy forum.
Or are you talking about the meaning of the name (Joyless/Unsmiling)?


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

Agelastos said:


> I didn't realize this was the philosophy forum.
> Or are you talking about the meaning of the name (Joyless/Unsmiling)?


no i was just asking why you chose it but it was not exactly a serious question for now, more like a spontaneous reaction on my part


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Lady O.W. Bro said:


> l think it's an alright place and l like the approach they have, l can't speak for what kind of crowd it brings in but we have a lot of elderly people. Pretty taaame.


The approach they have will eventually not be good when I get more serious. Right now I'm just looking to lose weight and do it quickly. Once I really start lifting again, I'll need something better. I was lifting back in Wisconsin and, even with taking a year or more off, I was still repping 90's for dumbbell bench and squatting around 350 pounds for reps. Eventually I'll outgrow Planet Fitness.


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## The Chameleon (May 23, 2014)

A pool.


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## Northcrest (Sep 21, 2012)

My neighborhood has a small gym that my parents pay for as part of the neighborhood fee we have. Its free so I can't complain. Has generally everything I need, just wish they had more machines that focus on legs and abs.


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## Cover3 (Feb 2, 2011)

Have only ever been to this one, but I find it has everything I find important:

-lots of weights, machines, benches etc
-extremely large(impersonal enough so that anybody can work out with relative anonymity, as alot of people like)
-fair pricing(as compared to comparable alternatives)
-close to home
-24 hour









What you're looking at probably barely exceeds 20% of the whole gym space.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Northcrest said:


> My neighborhood has a small gym that my parents pay for as part of the neighborhood fee we have. Its free so I can't complain. Has generally everything I need, just wish they had more machines that focus on legs and abs.


Free is always good. My apartment has a free gym that sucks but it's free.


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## CupcakesRDaBestBruv (Aug 6, 2013)

HAHAHA lol this.


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## Slider (Nov 17, 2009)

I don't need too much. Some dumbbells, a bench, a place to squat and deadlift. That's about it.

However, my current gym has everything: pool (indoor/outdoor), two full basketball courts, two squash courts, two racquetball courts, a rock climbing wall, etc.


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## Impavida (Dec 29, 2011)

I look for what my current gym has:

pool
Rowing machines
treadmills
squat racks
benches
Designated space for stretching
yoga classes
close to home
reasonably priced

Price is the least important though because my employer pays for most of it anyway


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## la_revolucion (May 16, 2013)

An extensive free weights section. Squat rack, bench press, dumbbells, barbell rack, curl bar station and etc. None of it has to be fancy either. But to have multiple of each is always a plus so I don't have to compete for each area when crowded. 

Also, a basic cardio area is good with elliptical and stair climber machines. A row machine is nice as well. 

Actually, one of my favorite gyms was one in Hawaii. It was partially outdoors with no air conditioning. Everything was all rusty but it was a BIG place. I felt like I was working out in a Rocky movie. Was totally awesome! All it needed was a pool. Would have been perfect! But oh! The ladies room actually had air conditioning (interesting...), was remodeled and immaculate. So having perfect restrooms would also have to be on my list of musts for a gym. :tongue:

EDIT: OH! Totally forgot! Any gym I am a member of has to have a large variety of strength/HIIT based group fitness classes included in the membership. I LOVE taking classes.


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## Squirrel (Jun 14, 2014)

- If there are times when it's not overly-busy
- the hours of operation (I prefer 24 hours)
- if there's an even number of women and men. I really prefer gyms strictly for women. I've been bothered by guys at the gym and it's annoying.
- if the gym has the fitness equipment I like to use


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## nádej (Feb 27, 2011)

Open 24/7.
Plenty of treadmills/ellipticals/other cardio equipment.
A large pool.
_Good_ yoga classes (and other classes!).
Clean.
Close to home.

Basically I like to be able to go swimming at 12am on those nights that I can't fall asleep, and I like never having to wait to die on a treadmill, and I like being able to go to classes most any time I want. I love my current gym and have been a member since 2007 (though the membership was frozen for like 6 years while I didn't live here). When I moved back here last year I was taking yoga classes at studios in the area, and while there is a studio I really like, it is incredibly expensive...Despite reservations at taking yoga at a big gym, I found that I love the yoga classes and instructors at my gym just as much, and they offer class frequently enough to fit it in my schedule 3-4 days a week, so I stopped going to the studios (except for workshops here and there and occasional drop-in classes) and saved a ton of $$$. Beautiful.

It can get a little show-offy, but I think I can get a little show-offy myself (oops), so it's not the worst thing in the world. The one thing I don't like is that there's a huge (and beautiful) hot tub in the same room as the pool, and a lot of times when I go to swim laps there are guys sitting in the hot tub that watch me the whole time and it's super uncomfortable.


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## Kyandigaru (Mar 11, 2012)

good ass central air, motivated people and less talking more moving,.


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## ENTJudgement (Oct 6, 2013)

I look for girls that look like this at the gym.


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## Paty (Dec 31, 2015)

free weight, dumbbells , a lotta space, cheap member-ship, a lotta plates, a lotta weight


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## Zster (Mar 7, 2011)

For me, good hours, a good variety of equipment/exercise options, cleanliness, well maintained.

My prior gym was only open until 5 M-Th, and closed at noon Fridays with no weekend hours. However, it was one of two places in town with the machine that works for my back (bulging discs). Also, there was so little equipment, I was guaranteed to have to skip some or wait. Since I could only go during work day lunches, waiting was out of the question.

The new gym is pushy and expensive, but has multiple locations, tons of workout options, great hours, and works for my teen aged son. Well worth the $.


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## DemonAbyss10 (Oct 28, 2010)

PowerShell said:


> I pretty much only do free weights. I don't see a point in using machines (maybe lat pulldown being an exception but that's about it). You get the maximum workout out of using free weights since all muscles are involved (including stabilizers). As far as being a hulk, not really. I'm pretty chunky right now and out of shape. I started lifting at a young age (for my 12th birthday I got a weight bench and I configured my bedroom to have the weight bench in my room). I lifted mostly through high school until I started working a ton. In college it did lift a bit but fell off the wagon until recently (I did do some on an off at the YMCA). I did retain some of my strength and I'm close to maxing out what a typical YMCA or Anytime Fitness (where I belong now) has. If I get serious about it again, I can easily see me maxing stuff out again.
> 
> I should start riding my bike everywhere. I know I got insane quads and when I was like 14, I put the max 255 on the leg extension machine and then had my buddy who was like 130 stand on top of the rack as I cranked out sets. Ironically, that same buddy that I've known since junior high will be my lifting partner again when I move 1300 miles to Austin, TX in a month. We both got sick of WI and he moved to Austin like 2 years ago and I'm coming down soon. If we lift like we used to, I'm going to turn into that hulk.


Beat me to it. Current gym I use, small name local one, not a chain, maxes out dumbells at around 200lbs. Used to use them for farmers walks. They currently have atlas stones on order since a few of us have been pestering for them.


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## dragthewaters (Feb 9, 2013)

I don't go to the gym anymore, but if I did, here's what I'd want:

*NO MUSIC. At the gyms I used to go to, they would play such fucking shitty music, so loudly that I could hear it even if I had my headphones on playing my own music. Honestly that was the main reason why I hated going there.

*Within walking distance of my house (I don't drive). Otherwise it takes all fucking day to go there and back.

*Has a pool.

*Not too crowded (all the NJ gyms are super crowded and sometimes you can't even get on the machines).

*Non-shitty wifi so I can watch true crime shows on my tablet while working out.

Since no gyms in my area meet all or even a single ONE of these criteria, I don't go to the gym anymore. Instead I'm planning to get a bike and I have some 5 and 10 pound weights at home. If I wanted any serious workout I could do one of those Youtube cardio videos for free or do the core conditioning exercises that I learned from high school track in my living room.


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## peter pettishrooms (Apr 20, 2015)

Pokemon.


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## puzzled (Mar 15, 2016)

Girls to sexually harass.


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## Notus Asphodelus (Jan 20, 2015)

It can be the most crappiest gym in the world but if it's not noob-friendly, it's worth nothing. People who seriously want to make a change for the better deserves to feel welcomed in the gym and return home with a knowledge or two about health and fitness.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

Do they serve pie?


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## strawberryLola (Sep 19, 2010)

I first and foremost look for a nice clean sauna, and clean steam room. Swimming pools are a no go. If need be, I wouldn't want a murky blue one with a slight hint of yellow.

Besides that, clean work machines and elipticals in good condition.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

tanstaafl28 said:


> Do they serve pie?



Planet fatness er fitness does serve bagels and pizza.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

PowerShell said:


> Planet fatness er fitness does serve bagels and pizza.


Not the pies we're looking for.


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## BraveOne (Apr 2, 2016)

A decent Pokémon Trainer to fight.


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## compulsiverambler (Jan 7, 2010)

The exit.


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## LegendaryBoobs (Sep 1, 2010)

I don't. Gyms are for hamsters. I prefer calisthenics and other forms of exercise such as martial arts (Capoeira and Krav Maga) and Rock climbing. An important aspect so many people fail to deal with is their diet. You can work out all you want, but if you're not eating balanced and healthy meals, then that work out isn't doing much but giving you a sound conscience.


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