How to Pick a Gym Without Getting Burned

I've been coaching for over ten years and I've seen people get burned by gyms more times than I can count. Locked into contracts, ignored on the floor, hurt because nobody was watching. So here's my cheat sheet, and it works for any gym, ours included.

Take a free class or a trial before you sign anything. Any gym worth joining will let you try it first. If they want your card before you've worked out, walk.

Count how many people one coach is watching. Ten to twelve people per coach is about the max for real coaching. More than that and you're paying for a playlist. This is the big advantage small gyms have: I can't hide from your squat, and you can't hide from me.

Watch whether the coach actually coaches. Do they fix form, or just yell "let's go!" and start the clock? Cheering is nice. Coaching is the job. You want someone who'll tell you your knees are caving in, kindly, then show you how to fix it.

Ask about injuries before you're hurt. Say "I've got a cranky shoulder, what would you do with me today?" A good gym answers with a plan. A bad one says "just go light."

Notice who talks to you. Did anybody besides the front desk say hi? Did someone learn your name? In a small gym it's hard not to get noticed. That's a good thing. People who get noticed keep showing up.

Look for people like you. If every person in there looks like they're training for a competition and you're not, you'll feel it every single day. Find the room where you fit. (Competing is great. It's just not the only reason to be there.)

Read the contract all the way through. Cancellation terms, freeze policy, price lock. If they get weird when you ask, that's your answer.

Pay attention to how you feel walking out. Not how sore you are. How you feel. Do you want to come back, or do you feel judged? Trust your gut on this one. It's usually right.

Here's what I've learned after almost seven years of running a small gym: the programming matters and the equipment matters, but what keeps people around for years is whether anybody notices them. Small gyms win that one every time. We know your name, your kids' names, and which movement you secretly hate. When you miss a week you get a text, and it's not a sales text. It's because somebody missed you.