Choosing a Gym by Brand
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There are many things to consider when deciding which gym to join. You probably want to
choose one near either your home or workplace, or somewhere in between the two. Then you
want clean amenities and a friendly training staff. For some people, the existence of a
swimming pool or availability of yoga or Pilates classes is most important. Still others
require babysitting arrangements. You might value a high volume of treadmills over more
spacious showers. Someone might choose the club with the preacher curl machine that most
reminds him of the one he had in his basement as a teenager. Someone else might decide
against joining a gym that keeps its thermostat just a tick too high. Or you can’t find
enough paper towels and antibacterial to rub down the benches. Or there’s a shortage of
lighter weights. Whatever your reasons, you can often find a way to differentiate one gym
from another. But what if you can’t? In this age of increased personal health |
consciousness and unmatched gym competition,
just about every health club strives to make itself the best option your money can buy.
They all want to boast the newest equipment, cleanest amenities and friendliest staff.
Many will even match prices of their competitors. You could very well find yourself
with three health clubs an equal distance from your home and nary a discernible
difference among them. So what should you, the judicious customer, use to make your
final decision? It might come down to gym reputation and history. Perhaps you’re drawn to Gold’s Gym because it purports to be the largest co-ed gym in the world. Or you would get a kick out of pumping iron where Arnold Schwartzenegger once trained for Mr. Universe competitions. Visitors to 1-2-3 Fit might be attracted to what they call the country’s most efficient 30-minute total body workout. New Jersey residents might choose Wow! Work Out World because it boasts the |
number-one ranked personal training staff in the
country. More mature fitness enthusiasts might join Bally because their gyms
were licensed to them by Jack LaLanne, the still-active 93-year-old often
referred to as the godfather of fitness. You could opt to pump iron at
Powerhouse Gym because it affords you the opportunity to purchase a shirt with
the famous muscle-bound man that adorns the Powerhouse logo. Or, if you’re not
the type to flaunt your weightlifting prowess, you might join a Crunch, which
has a reputation for a welcoming and non-competitive environment. Maybe you’d
get a kick out of training at Fitness Formula Club’s branch at Union Station,
housed in the former Chicago Mercantile Exchange. One particular health club is more than likely to attract your attention and get you to join. But if you can’t differentiate between the gyms in your area, then history and reputation may very well be your deciding factor. |
