That time of year is fast approaching again. You know, that time of year where everyone, still feeling sluggish from the all the Holiday feasts, starts to reevaluate their health and fitness. Having worked in the fitness industry for over 10 years now, I’ve seen the New Year’s resolution health craze a time or two. Unlike most, I’m not discouraged or even disappointed that so many people try to start their year off on a healthier note. Any effort taken to improve someone's quality of life is a win in my book - even if it doesn’t make it past the first month.
Over the years I’ve seen many motivated individuals join a gym for the first time in their life (or for the first time in many years) to try and get back into the swing of making fitness a daily part of their routine. Without hesitation I can say that I’ve seen some make a change that really stuck and ended up changing their life for the better. However, I’ve also seen some that made an impulse decision and ended up joining a specific type of gym or fitness routine that didn’t mesh with their goals, meet their needs, or provide them the accountability they really needed. I don’t want you to make the same mistake. So, in an effort to make sure that doesn’t happen, I want to give you five questions to ask any gym you may be thinking about joining this new year or anytime in the future.
Question #1: How can you help me?
This is by far the most pertinent question you should ask any gym you are considering joining. The reason you’re thinking about making a change in the first place is because you’re not happy with where you currently are and you need someone to help you get to where you want to be. So it only makes sense that you would ensure a gym can help you meet your goals. If your goal is purely weight loss, then the gym that is best for you won’t be the same as the person who wants to compete in a Powerlifting meet. Or, one gym may be able to meet a variety of needs, but they do so in different ways. At CrossFit Laminin we have group classes for those looking for overall health, wellness, and fitness. For those who have more specific goals we provide personal training and for those looking solely for weight loss, we offer 1-on-1 nutrition coaching.
Trying to join a gym that doesn’t align with your goals will be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. If a gym can’t tell you how they can specifically help you meet YOUR goals, look for other options. No one can service everyone and the best gyms in town know this.
Question #2: How long has your coaching staff been here?
At first glance this might look like an odd question to ask when thinking about joining a gym. I included it because I think it speaks volumes about the health of the gym you’re talking to. A few years ago my wife and I moved into our first apartment after we got married. Within the first 6 months we had moved in, there were multiple changes at the front office and in management. Not only was this unbelievably difficult to deal with and get straight answers concerning billing, maintenance, etc… it also spoke to some underlying issues with the apartment complex itself. The high turnover was due to low wages and poor work conditions because the apartment complex was hurting financially. This obviously led to a poor customer experience on our part.
The same concept applies to gyms. Those that have healthy relationships with their coaches where they are taken care of, happy, and love their job are the places you want to be. After all, these are the experts you need to help you in your fitness endeavor and if they’re not happy or in a stable work environment, you will be the one to suffer.
Question #3: What makes your program different from others?
Every gym you talk to will more than likely have a different philosophy on training - especially those that have coaches/trainers who run classes or personal training sessions. Big gyms like Gold’s, 24/7 fitness, Anytime fitness, etc… not so much because it’s not their business model. It’s important for you to at least hear someone explain to you why they do what they do and how it benefits the people they serve. Even if you don’t understand all that goes into the philosophy and principles behind their methodology, it still serves to solidify trust in the program. Just like when someone goes to see the doctor and they explain their condition, one may or may not understand all the terminology and biology behind their explanation, but it builds trust in them as the professional and their reasoning and confidence gives the patient hope that what they prescribe is appropriate.
Every gym is different to some degree and that’s not a bad thing. It’s actually a really good thing. Because everyone is different, and so for gyms to serve the greatest amount of people, there needs to be variance among them. It's also important that you know how and why they’re different so you can make the most informed choice possible. After all, we’re talking about your health and well-being here.
Question #4: Can you show me someone with similar goals like mine, who has had success with your program?
This is the golden goose of questions to ask when looking for a gym. If you really want to know if you’re in the right place, look for evidence of results and benefits from those who already attend. To stick with the physician analogy, if I’m considering undergoing surgery, I want to know that the doctor performing the surgery has done this before. Not only do I want to know that they’ve done this before, but also that they’ve done it SUCCESSFULLY before. I don’t know about you, but the thought of being someone's guinea pig is a little unsettling. The same goes for a mechanic. If I’m having car trouble, I want to find a place that has fixed cars similar or identical to mine and with the same problem. If they haven’t, I need to look for somewhere else.
When thinking about this question, evaluate yourself first. Recognize your age, gender, fitness level, and goals. Then bring those things to the person in charge at the gym and ask if they’ve ever helped anyone in the same type of situation before. Most good trainers I know can off the top of their head recall names of people they’ve worked with even years past who they’ve helped reach their goals. They should be able to tell you, in detail, how they helped that person and how they can help you. Most will also have some really cool before and after photos to share as well that serve as proof their program works.
Question #5: How long on average does a member stay with your gym?
Again, this might at first glance seem like an odd question, but it can reveal a lot. For starters, if you ask this and the person you’re talking to doesn’t know the answer or looks at you like you like you’re an alien, start looking for another gym. What that tells you is that the gym doesn’t do much in the form of client care and accountability. More than likely all they care about is signing someone up for a monthly membership and making sure that their CC works. Not how happy they are or how they can continue to help people as their goals and stages of life change.
One of the main metrics I look at as a gym owner is how long on average a member stays at our gym. I know if they are staying longer, they’re being taken care of and they’re happy. If I have an average member lifespan of a month, it means I’m missing the boat and need to better understand how to serve those looking for my help. From a member standpoint, if you can find a gym where people have been there for 1+years, it shows you that whatever they’re doing is working and you can more than likely expect it to work for you too. It also shows you that the program is sustainable for a long time and that you can continue to see results for years to come.
As I mentioned previously, your health and well-being is vitally important. Don’t take it for granted and this year, if you’re in the market for a new gym, take these questions with you so that you can make the most informed decision possible. If you already know that you want to try CrossFit, schedule a free help session with one of our coaches so we can sit down and answer these questions from our point of view and tell you how we can help you reach your health and fitness goals.
Jake Naumcheff, CF-L1
Owner/Head Coach of CrossFit Laminin
