What to look for in a decent gym

Get a free day pass, go at the time you’ll actually be training, and notice how busy it is. Everything else comes second.

Most gym regret comes from signing up without trying it first. The photos on the website look bright, the place is empty when you visit at 3pm on a Tuesday, and then it’s jammed every weekday at 6pm when you want to train. There are gyms and fitness studios listed across the directory, from 24/7 chains to independent strength gyms, and these are the things to check before you commit.

Visit at the time you’d actually train

Nothing else you do will tell you as much. Most gyms offer a free day pass, so use it at 6pm on a weekday rather than a quiet Sunday morning, and look out for:

• Queues for kit. One person waiting for a squat rack is normal. Three is a problem.
• How long people hog the cardio machines. Is there a time limit, and does anyone enforce it?
• Whether there’s anywhere to stretch. Plenty of chain gyms have shrunk the floor space to squeeze in more machines.
• Air con and airflow. Train once in a gym that feels like an oven in August and you won’t want to go back.
• How clean it feels. Look at the kit as well as the toilets. Sticky handles and dusty weight plates tell you how the place is run.

Check the contract before you sign

The monthly price isn’t the whole story. These are the bits that catch people out.

• Joining fees. Some chains charge £20 to £50 to sign up. Some will waive it if you ask, and some have a promo running that they won’t mention unless you push.
• Minimum contract length. 12 months is common, 3 months is better, and rolling monthly is best if you can find it.
• Cancellation notice period. One month is standard. Three months is taking the mick.
• Price rise clauses. Many contracts let the gym put the price up on renewal with very little notice, so read that part.
• Freeze options. Can you pause if you get injured, travel or change jobs? Some gyms allow it and some don’t.

Be wary if the staff can’t explain the contract in plain English. Good gyms give you a copy to take away, while the dodgy ones rush you through it at the desk.

Match the gym to how you train

A proper strength gym and a fancy wellness club are close to being different sports. Work out what you actually do, then choose.

• Barbells and heavy lifting. You want a proper platform, a squat rack you can load up, and enough heavy plates to go round. Some chain gyms run short once a few people are lifting.
• General fitness and machines. Most commercial chains are built for this, with plenty of cardio and pin-loaded kit. They’re usually bright and busy.
• Classes (spin, HIIT, yoga). Check the timetable before you sign up. If there are two classes a week at your preferred time and they’re always full, it won’t work.
• Swimming. Not every gym has a pool, and the ones that do often have family swim sessions that make lane swimming hopeless. Check the timetable.

Find one near you

The gyms and fitness directory has everything from local strength gyms to national chains, with Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol all covered. Shortlist three, book a free trial at each, and go at the time you’d really train.

The stuff that’ll actually make you go

Choosing a gym is half the job. The other half is choosing one you’ll keep going to, and that comes down to practical things the marketing never mentions.

• How far is it from home or work? Under 10 minutes from either is the sweet spot. At 20 minutes or more, attendance falls off a cliff by week three.
• Does the parking or transport work? Pay-and-display at peak times quietly kills a lot of memberships. Free parking or a handy bus route matters more than you’d think.
• Are the showers bearable? If you train before work, the showers are part of the kit. A cold drizzle from a rusty head and you’ll end up training at home.
• Lockers and storage. Free lockers, bring your own padlock, or a cloakroom: worth asking which if you’re hauling kit from work.

The short version

• Visit at the time you’d actually train, not when it’s quiet.
• Check the contract for joining fees, minimum term, notice period and price rises.
• Strength gyms and commercial chains are different beasts, so match the kit to how you train.
• A free trial is the best way to tell whether a place works for you.
• A 6pm queue for the squat rack will ruin your training faster than anything else.

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