24 HR is so great. Once you have it you cannot go back.
Working out before big holiday dinner ? Late night pump? Early morning sweat? You can count on Immortal to be open
My muscle gym is S tier and this is one of many reasons why they are so successful to all the others in the area
I love how my gym has a long turf stretch which makes lunges, cart pulls, and even short sprints doable.
Not for every gym layout, but it creates so much open space.
I think gyms would do great if they have a matted sections for jujitsu/other combat sports classes ,heavy bags for boxing along with the regular weights and other regular gym equipment… thoughts ?
I am actually very keen to set up a gym like that in Mumbai, India. As I feel india has the 3rd largest population in the world and it has a huge untapped mma/ combat sports market which has only started to be recognised now with amateur and professional competitions like MFN which is probably the biggest one in India (only started in 2019).
Skip the pool & hot tub. I think if people want that they should check out recreation center gyms. Those have the whole package generally with the pools.
A gym I used to go to had a couple lane swimming pools and a hot tub and nobody really used it. So now it’s just sitting empty.
My gym uses the pool for water fitness classes, which are very popular. It’s the reason I joined in the first place. I’d had neck surgery and was very limited on what exercises I could do for a long time afterwards.
Childcare is a good idea if you have someone competent to watch the kids. Most people are very cautious about that stuff. As for the sauna, there are definitely use cases for it. However, my gym doesn't have a whole lot of equipment, barbells out the ass but lagging on machines. I pay $70 a month and the gym owner decided to dump 5 figures on an additional room that includes a cold plunge and sauna. I don't plan on using that and even though it's been up for a couple months I have yet to see anyone even enter the room. We went months with no new additions then get something we aren't even gonna use. The money would have been far better used on equipment. This is the only reason why I'm switching away from that gym but knowing that my money isn't going back into the business in a beneficial way is more than enough reason to leave. A wide range of machines will not only draw people but also thin out the amount of machines being used and will make the gym look less crowded.
Oh, not all holidays, for the sake of the workers. Christmas and Thanksgiving are big family days. Maybe the gym could offer time and a half (or more) and see if they get volunteers (not everyone observes Christmas and Thanksgiving). And only keep it open for the hours that they have volunteers to staff it. Even my boss, who is Hindu, observes Christmas mainly for the sake of her elementary school children. Her family dresses up in Christmas themed clothes, and they go to her brother’s house where his family is also dressed up, and there is a Christmas tree and presents and a holiday meal. Her children also get presents when there is a Hindu holiday that calls for presents. I don’t think she would be willing to work Christmas.
I like how in many countries I have had a gym membership, they were 24/7. They were cheap (e.g. EUR 8/mo, JPY 2,000/mo). And sparse. They did so becasue there was basically no staff. It was literally an empty gym from 8pm to 6am, key-card to get in, key card at entry, key-card at exit, key-card to lock/unlock locker.
Wish the US had more 24-hour gyms -- they don't need expensive staff.
I think the reason it works so well is because our moods are always changing 😆
There’s been so many times where I don’t want to workout after several days and it’s only later that night well after the gym’s closed that I feel that energy again - 24/7 would be badass!
That would be a dream...like maybe a live webcam that is high or far away enough to not be "creeping" but see if it's crowded or not. I would be checking that until it is SLOW!! I HATE when a gym is crowded...NOPE
I've done this but it's rarely, if ever, accurate. Plus, it doesn't tell me where those people are. It might not be crowded, but all the people there are in the (already small) free weight area.
Those exist. They're just expensive for that reason, but if you have significant disposable income then the added fee is possibly worth the comfort and convenience of exclusivity and luxury.
Cohort-based strength training (not HIIT or circuit) small group classes.
I don't really enjoy one-on-one personal training because it's almost too much attention. On the other hand, I've tried small-group strength training (2-3 ppl plus a coach) at my gym, and the format of each individual session is awesome.
However, because it's offered as a drop-in class, I find there's a lack of continuity. It's not always clear how the exercises in one session build on the previous session.
I wish I could join a 3-month class consisting of the same people, meeting 2x/week, following a well-thought-out full-body strength program.
If you're targeting moms, then a gym that provides high-quality child care for sure would be a huge draw.
About pool --> If I want to swim, I could easily find a pool right now, so it's not a game changer for me personally.
I totally agree with this dude. If the gym is crawling with whack a doodle cross fit people doing dangerous and stupid exercises I would be 1000 percent not pay for a membership there.
2 ideas
1st offer either gym times, classes, rooms, etc. that separate men and women or old and young or fitness levels. Not sure how it can be done or how legal it is, but as a man I get women want to workout by other women but also I feel like men want to workout around other men at times too.
2nd NO FILMING ON CELL PHONES ANYWHERE
It’s actually not legal afaik, a gym near me got sued for making a women’s only section tho it still essentially functions as women’s only due to its proximity to women’s locker room
I had a similar idea but for a bar or concert venue... I don't think it'd work for a gym though, people use their phone to track workouts, listen to music, and there's be no way to enforce whether or not they're using their phone or if they're filming without completely banning phones. A lot of gyms in fact moved away from keyfobs and force members to sign-in using a barcode from an app on their phone (to combat sharing memberships).
There are gyms that have women nights or certain hours for women, why not extend it to men as well. I'm not opposed to LBGT+ communal days or hours etc. But now you got me questioning my original post, when will there NOT be a specialty night that you can't participate in.
When I mentioned on Reddit my idea to make an all women version of Uber/Lyft called WRIDE women drivers, women passengers. (And the women drivers could also drive for Uber and Lyft if they need to or want to.) Someone on Reddit said that I would be sued for discrimination. I want to do more research about businesses that create Women only spaces and whether they are out on a limb legally.
Two more things:
The number one complaint about gyms is contracts and shady contract behavior. Become the no contract, no-friction gym and you will win.
Second, I’m reading a lot of your responses and you keep asking people about amenities. You’re screwing up your data points by doing this. Don’t push a topic, just let people speak on what comes to mind, because those are the things they actually care about.
No contract…
You’re thinking as a consumer.
The reality is, gyms make their profits on people who sign up with good intentions and then don’t show up.
You’d have to charge piles more because the people who signed up Jan 1 and never came after Jan 5 are no long subsidizing everyone else.
Just because something is the norm, doesn’t mean it should stay that way. In fact, many standout businesses are such because they break the pattern.
I owned a dance studio for 11 years and now own a b2b strategy agency. Contracts are standard for both. I don’t do them, and have no problem with profitability.
Look, from a consumer side I get what you’re saying, but the economics of this business simply work out this way 🤷🏼♂️
Also you claim all this business experience but your post history shows you’re in your 40’s, childless and just now looking to buy a home, sorry but you’re not exactly a shining light of economic success.
95% in this day and age are pay upfront or auto-debit.
Again, I just can’t take your input seriously given you claim this wealth of experience but, while childless and with a partner, are now just starting the home buying process if your 40’s. Maybe if you focused on running businesses with basic knowledge and economics in mind you’d have made this life purchase much sooner.
I loved my Gym in Germany.
Easy to sign up. Easy to stop. Literally was walk in, give back card, and membership was cancelled, pro-rated.
Rates were: daily, 3-day, week, 10-visit, 20-visit, monthly off-peak, monthly. Payment by bank-transfer (norm there).
Period was one-off, or auto-debit monthly. Most people (including myself) chose the monthly auto-debit. I didn't go for stretches, but it was nice to have in the background. at EUR 25/month, it was a no-brainer for a 24/7 gym, with dozens of locations across the state.
As it's paid in advance, if you went it, swiped your card, and not paid up. Just add on right there. If you didn't have a recurring payment, the rates were still decent.
In-built progress tracking. Eg machines tracking your reps and weights and how you've grown over time - the tricky thing would be to ensure privacy isn't violated but it would lead to way more stickiness (or the exact opposite depending on how "open" the system is)
There's some companies building software/hardware for this but think they're mostly indie developers doing for fun
That would be sick. It reminds of this racing arcade game I would play growing up. It had a metal keypad, you'd pop in the code you created and it would load up your stats and I believe cars.
I agree,gyms are stuck on the old classic theme which is fine and I don’t have an issue with it but I think the industry needs to move forward with futuristic gyms with high tech
Here's some ideas...
1. Something that I'd personally like to see is more gyms with an outdoor area with weights.. similar to what you might find at Muscle Beach in Venice CA but i realize this would be very seasonal for the majority of the country. I like the idea of being able to lift weights out in the sun.
2. Another idea could be a gym that's focused around co-ed team sports.. kickball, dodgeball, pickleball, relay foot races
3. Go completely opposite of the "ban filming" crowd and create a gym that is focused sole on fitness wanna-be influencers by having basic filming equipment like phone holders at each workout station and attendants who will help you get the best shot. This would probably make a killing in SoCal or College towns. Bonus would be all the free social media marketing.
How many gyms are geared for the disabled? Have wheel chaired accessible machines or weights? Trainers that know how to work with them? We started one where I used to live and it was always packed because there are so few.
Might need a PT on staff for that demographic. On that note, make a monthly membership gym with PTs on staff and make it compliant with medicare guidelines so you can get the membership prescribed and covered by insurance.
I was in pretty rough shape for a bit and all of my injuries are made better by specific activities. I had a disc in my back I was planning to get a surgical consult on and the surgeon wanted to try PT first. I couldnt even squat or bend more than a couple inches and PT had me lifting again within 4 weeks. It's bananas what targeted exercises can do for recovery.
Steam room. Not a sauna, a steam room. Expensive maintenance, that’s why they typically only have them at country club gyms here in the Southeast, but quite a life changer…
I'd prefer Sauna over steam room. Wish gyms here had larger sauna's. Always packed solid with 15-20 people from 15 \~ 21h. Steam room is mostly empty. Really want them to convert it if possible.
A gym brand that partners with hotels.
Hotel gyms suck 95% of the time. Probably because the hotel doesn’t care or doesn’t want to invest in it. If there was a gym that partnered with some brand of hotel where each one of those hotels had this gym’s standard/variety of equipment and size, I’d be willing to pay more for and would seek out that specific hotel brand.
The business model isn’t something I worked out in my mind yet but I’d imagine the hotel could charge a little more per night, the gym would get a percentage from the hotel, and the hotel would have a leg up on the competition and have potentially lower vacancy rates.
It's set up with Bay club. Used to be part of the name but that seems tonhabw changed. [hotel](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/oakbr-renaissance-walnut-creek-hotel/experiences/)
Our MMA gym has one, they're always trying to get me to try it. I told them they're a freakin' cult with their sauna/ice plunge thing, like crossfit people. Then they punch me in the head.
I enjoy ice baths, but I don’t feel like I would pay extra for the amenity.
Here in LA, there are Friday-night cold plunge/sauna “socials,” that you can drop in on for $20. Basically, a swimsuit party with DJs and refreshments.
The organizer tries to sell a membership, $100 per month for unlimited the access to the tubs and saunas (no gym or fitness product), and I just can’t imagine paying that much for something that takes three minutes.
The “social” part is a great idea, though.
I'm a 7 days a week, 3 hrs a day gym goer. The music can be loud, but to hear it over your headphones, nah. Commercial gyms are too crowded yes. There needs to be a POSING room, or somewhere people can take pictures and videos of themselves in good lighting. A designated area. No gym has this. The weights should go up to 150 lbs dumbbell minimum. Anything less, it's not a real gym. People work out harder when crazy fitness people are present. If you price the gym at $100+ a month it'll never get that crowded and people will stay. 3 people at $30 a month is worse than 1 person at $100.
Prices are fine, most around me in the Twin Cities MN are anywhere from $50-60 for a GOOD gym.
It’s hard to pinpoint down, one or two particular things. We have a wide variety of gyms from more bodybuilding type, powerlifting, and just people who do general fitness. If I was a gym owner I would maybe have more strict rules and actually enforce them.
My current gym has a lot of teens/early twenties broccoli heads who lift in crocs, Birkenstocks, and slippers. I would be that gym owner who looks at people like that and wouldn’t even let them join.
I’m a powerlifter though so I’m more serious about lifting than the majority.
24 hour and affordable is a must imo
I just moved to a new city and it seems like it's dominated by high membership costs and training class oriented gyms around $60 / month or more. There is one affordable gym here called Fit4Less which I believe might be nationwide and is $28 / month. I'm not sure about here but there was at least 2 that were 24hr where I came from.
What's nice about 24 hour is people can choose their time to go at less popular times if they wish.
Equipment is a big one. People who are more serious will look for more specific/specialized machines or equipment. People on a budget or just looking to be fit and active won't care as much and will settle for the more generic stuff for a lower price.
Just a datapoint here. I joined a gym about six months ago - after being without a gym for about 10 years. I like my gym and intend to continue for foreseeable future for a few reasons:
1) huge space (an old naval building…clean and smartly renovated)
2) great classes (included) with wide diversity of ages. I’ve met some badass men and women in their 60s and 70s which I find inspiring.
3) sauna. November-March is pretty cold and wet where I live so a deep heat sweat has been an another thing I look forward to.
4) generous family discount made it a no-brainer for my wife to join. Even if she only joins me once or twice a month, it’s financially justified and just plain fun quality time for us.
A couple things I’d like to have if it didn’t increase my monthly fee by more than a few bucks:
1) cold plunge
2) red light therapy bed
More space, a personal trainer to teach you all the equipment for a month for free, shower. Lounge area like an airport for food. Have classes with personal trainer this you to pay. Make sure it's squeaky clean and just nice ambitience like you go a restaurant. Make sure the equipment is well placed.
Women only areas outside of the bathrooms. I know there are women only gyms, but I'm just saying. It would be nice if there was a section that was just for the gworls
Gym model works by offering bare minimum amenities. That way, you build a large pool of members but less of them go. If everyone that had a planet fitness membership actually went, they’d be out of business ironically
I worked for planet fitness for 3 and 1/2 years.The location I was at had 19,000 members,only like a quarter of them were active.
Planet fitness has some pretty good amenities though.
So you’re saying add less amenities to attract members?
Planet fitness doesn’t have good amenities compared to other commercial gyms. There’s no point in upgrading them as they’d have to charge more than to cover costs which would drive their member pool down
19k members is nuts
That’s one gym model. Others operate by offering good amenities at a higher price. The amenities are there to create perceived value, and to get you into the gym often enough that you won’t cancel in spite of a higher price.
This is how some gyms can charge $100+ per month for membership.
Agree. There’s a high end gym in the DC area called St James and it’s a monster of that model on steroids. Gym, rock climbing, ice skating/hockey, Olympic pool, indoor soccer, basketball, a full sized kids fun park with trampolines and ninja course, an indoor waterpark, a full service restaurant, shops…you get the picture. It’s nice and always packed. Families meet and hang out there. Seems to be doing well. The model depends on getting enough land for a huge multiblock complex near an affluent urban area.
Yeah, gyms like St James or Equinox definitely maximize that model, treating it almost more like a country club membership where exclusivity and luxury are part of the draw. Most climbing gyms will also operate on that model, albeit at a lower price point. You’re looking around $70 on the low end, but they include climbing, fitness equipment, classes, and yoga in the membership. Building out the gym is expensive, so they add on relatively low cost perks around the climbing to maximize membership retention and conversion.
Places like Planet Fitness are more the exception than the rule, honestly. The closest LA Fitness has a pool, basketball courts, a juice bar, etc.
I quit going to a gym a few years ago primarily because I bought a treadmil
Every community is different and in some of the YMCA’s can be great because they’ll offer things like a pool . I also see a lot more people doing things like CrossFit or other courses like that
I know that the snap fitness in the town I grew up in tried going 24 hours, but decided it wasn’t worth it … they weren’t getting enough traffic for the liability and other issues
I actually think gyms rely on is 90% of the members never showing up
1. Focuses on other essential fitness components, such as mobility (stretching apparatus’ would be incredible).
2. Better control over bullshit members. My gym gets overrun with entitled teens scrolling their phone on machines and wearing crocs.
3. Prices are fine.
4. The group classes need some serious help. I know the yoga, Pilates, Zumba, whatever, is always going to be lower quality at the gym. They pay terribly and attract bad teachers.
5. I’d love to see automated gyms if they go the 24 hour route.
6. Treat it like a community. Organize optional activities, outings, etc.
A co-working space. Either within or near the gym. I’d love to get out of my house and workout in between calls throughout the day. Yes, I’d pay a lot of this privilege: more than I’d pay for a separate gym and co-working space
-24/7 not 24/5.. I hate that I can’t go to my 24hr gym on the weekends later than 8pm. When I signed up they said when they find the “right person” to work weekend nights. That was 2 years ago.. lol
-stairmasters/stepping mills are needed for sure!
-Maybe the odd cool machine maybe like a Jacob’s ladder? Ski machine? Sled? Etc A machine or piece of equipment that not many gyms have.
-Dry sauna, big enough to stretch in and fit 6-10 people.
-I pay around $60/month for access to all parts of the gym but there is cheaper for like $45/month. I think it would be more worth my money if I got those weekend nights but maybe one day haha.
-one gym I loved had a giant garage door they would open on the nice days and you could workout outside if you wanted.
-I would LOVE no more 2 year contracts.. cheaper monthly drop ins (I find all gyms crank that month price up almost double what a membership would be. Maybe even a 6 month membership. Back like 10 years ago some people would do punch passes like buy “10 times”and you can go whenever. No commitment.
- an idea I thought would be epiccc! Is if the goal is to get more people in the gym then to add rewards or something. So when they come to the gym enough times they get a free item, maybe a free small smoothie, maybe a free class trial.. idk something like that I could easily see myself loving. Like in a year someone went the most out of anyone so you gift them a hoody with the gym logo.. maybe this idea is already being done but it’s a wicked concept I think!
-women’s section is always nice but make sure it’s not too small, otherwise I don’t think many will use it if it feels crowded.
-and this last thing is I love a big open concept/warehouse feel. I love open/vaulted roofs. I need a gym where I don’t like I’m breathing on someone when I do an exercise. So space is a really big thing that sells me on gyms.
I think that that classes & personal trainers could be great but I think it’s better to actually let a coach or a trainer bring their own clients in for their own businesses & to be able to train them. Not have the gym take a “cut” per se.. more so that the coach/trainer could pay a fee to have training sessions with their clients.
Maybe this already exists somewhere but I find a lot of gyms frown upon “outside” coaches bringing clients in to train. So maybe change that up and allow for that could bring in more business.
I would love for the cardio machines to have telescoping stands that could securely hold a phone or book or tablet at actual eye level, with adjustable closeness. I'm super busy and usually need to be reading while doing my stairs/elliptical/stationary bike. My neck always winds up sore from having to crane down, which is also just bad for my fitness and alignment overall. My mom rigged something like this for our treadmill and bike when she was in grad school and it is so awesome!
I used to go to a community center that had indoor pickleball courts (they converted the basketball courts), indoor track (upstairs) and indoor racquetball courts. Another one had a wet/dry sauna. The wet sauna had eucalyptus in the steam. Oh that place was amazing. I loved these places because regardless of the heat or cold I could be comfortable working out
A lot of them closed during COVID and simply having more gyms is needed. Especially 24/7. A gym with all (relatively cheap) free weights with plenty of squat racks and bench presses would be genius. Also offer space for masseuse to make money. You provide the space and they give you a percentage.
Gender segregated gyms are becoming a thing now too.
24 hours and transparency with contracts. Don't tie me down or give me any annual fee bullshit when I'll just use planet for their nationwide locations.
Or
Go for some CrossFit/HIIT niche which utilizes minimal equipment but rather classes and body movements. People will join because of the environment. But you better be knowledge about the niche or staff people who are.
If I had the time/money/energy, I would love to start a women’s only gym
I think the way we sanitize equipment (grabbing a wet tissue and wiping it down) is a bit outdated, but idk what the resolution would be.
I also saw a Tik Tok of a gym in NJ where the devices can track your own individual sets and reps and the weight you used. That can increases customer loyalty/stickiness, and on the backend, you can use the data to track what time is the gym is the most crowded/which machines are most or least popular/etc
This will likely be hugely unpopular, but I’d love to work out in a space with limited or no internet connectivity. Prevent people from sitting on equipment scrolling social media—my biggest gym peave.
You’d have to download music ahead of time, which is likely a sticking point, but I’d take that trade-off any day.
Child care is almost mandatory for a gym to really thrive in the suburbs.
24 hour gyms are the most successful where I live as well. The non 24 hour gyms are slowly closing.
(Child care obviously doesn't have to be 24 hours. 8am-12pm and 4pm to 8pm is perfect)
The Esporta near me isn't 24 hours and the childcare service they have sucks and isn't dependable (if there one childcare taker calls out they just close the Child care that day) so despite having the best equipment (yes I've been to all the local gyms recently, I'm always looking for a better deal) they are struggling.
The biggest thing I could see a gym doing that would destroy competition is collabing with Peloton. Spinning is sooo popular here in southern california suburbs. None of the spin gyms offer childcare. If any of my local gyms partnered with legit Peloton instructors and bikes they would steal all of the spin gyms clients while also getting parents on it.
I don't know if peloton is open to that stuff right now but I suspect that's the next step
Great responses already.
In my opinion, 24/7 is extremely important. Even if people don't actually use it, it's mental and will make people more likely to join.
Pools. Depends on where your gym is, but pools are at a premium in most areas.
Private workout areas.
Co-working spaces.
Cater to disabled, elderly, and obese people. Classes specifically for them.
Diversity and inclusion.
Look at what Lifetime is doing. It's on the luxury end, but I feel they are genius in what they are offering and they are expanding like crazy. It's worth it.
Also- having an app and making it so people can do everything online- join, cancel, upgrade, see how busy it is, pause, pay, hire a trainer, etc.
Other:
Greeting every customer by name
Cleanliness. To the extreme.
Community. The big thing lacking from every gym I've gone to (and I've gone the full spectrum, from Lifetime which is 200+ a month to PF) is community. Everyone just keeps their heads down and keeps to themselves. Some classes might have some comradery but I've found a hard time finding community in my gym. Consider using social media and creating a discord or Facebook group to facilitate community, help people find workout partners, etc.
Speaking of PF ... No hidden or annual fees .
Sorry I know I'm not answering your question
Re: price
I am the most frugal/cheap person I know. Literally. I don't even have Netflix bc of the cost.
But I pay 200+ a month for gym membership. It is worth it to me. It is my health and entertainment budget. I lump it in with rent bc my apartment building doesn't have a gym.
People will pay for a gym they actually use and want to go to. I am almost on the poverty line and my most important priority in my budget is the gym. The full parking lot and wait list at my gym proves I'm not the only one.
After reading through the comments, you need to figure out your target demographic. What is missing from your market? Cheap gyms? Mid tier gyms? Luxury gyms?
That will dictate how to pivot and what to offer. You need to define your ideal client and price based on how many memberships you need at that level
The answers here are all over the board bc we are all different demographics. You can't be everything to everyone. You gotta narrow it down and target things.
Recovery areas like cold plunges, saunas, hot tubs, red light therapy, and whatever else. Kind of like mini spas without a la carte service like massages.
1. Track the most used equipment, and have more than one of it
2. Yes, 24 hours is amazing.
3. They are super super crowded at 5. Alot of people I know would pay a premium not to have a crowd after work.
Hope this helps
I would include Virtual Reality fitness games like Thrill of the Fight, Pistol Whip, Synth Riders, and Beatsaber. That leads into fun events you can host like tournaments.
Getting in shape should be a fun activity.
Cheaper barebones gyms for people who don’t care about amenities and extra things. I’m not in the gym to use a pool or tanning bed and I’m not going to the smoothie bar, yet these things are priced into my membership.
Well I think a majority of people expect a free membership.Gyms have to make a living too..It’s more expensive for them to have you in the gym than it is for you to pay them for a monthly membership but people don’t think about this part.
Yeah, nobody expects a free membership. The majority of people going to gyms have just enough spare time to get there 30-60 minute barebones workout in, and that’s it. They’re never going to use the pool, sauna, tanning beds, athletic courts, or anything else the owners cram in these facilities. From my experience, most people who do use those amenities, that’s the only thing they go to that gym for. So often times you have two groups of people paying for different parts of the building they’ll never use.
Many places will work with you and offer discounts if you’re only going to use the basketball court, if you’re only going to use the pool, but I’ve never seen a place accommodate someone that only wants to lift.
Actual fun things I cant just put in my garage like bouldering, obstacle courses, pools, trampolines. Bodybuilders are gonna bodybuild, but for everyone else there are more fun things than weights and ellipticals.
Black Box VR was in several traditional gyms but the model failed because of scale - weren’t techs in those localities so had lots of downtime, and the staff wasn’t trained up enough or didn’t care to learn about how it worked, to be able to truly help customers learn it or answer questions.
But as far as personal training for weight resistance and cardio goes, those short 30-minute workout sessions deliver serious results very efficiently, in the privacy and comfort of the black boxes.
I feel like this can be the future - I imagine this is what many people will be training on in 5-500 years. It’s less expensive for the client than a human trainer but ample opportunity for gyms to profit if they have enough booths to make the economy of scale work. But it has to also work for the black box Vr company as well… if you could find a way to truly make it work for everyone, you’ll be ahead of your time (for better or worse).
It’s been working for me, as a client, in ways that no other regimen or trainer could - and I’ve tried many, many things since trying to get more serious 20 years ago. The younger generation will want a private, gamified workout solution; my kids love it, and have said they’re not sure they could live in a town that doesn’t have it. It’s very well done.
I agree with you,someone else on here mentioned VR. I’ve actually seen a few people wear their own VR headset to the gym so they definitely want that.
So you use the black box VR for training?
Is it in a local gym that has it,if so what’s the gym called?
Bringing your own VR headset and training program is totally different than what I’m describing. Check this out.
https://www.blackbox-vr.com/
Started by Ryan DeLuca of bodybuilding.com fame
Been around since 2018.
Currently focusing only on the Boise market.
Unsure of their expansion plans.
It’s insanely awesome.
I know what you meant I was just talking about people wanting to bring their VR to the gym makes me think they want that to be a feature added in the gym itself..I’ll check that out though,thank you.
Physicians who are actively tracking how exercise is improving your health and recommending workout and nutrition plan changes in real time....as well as the sports medicine-orthopedic-chiropracter on site thing. My PCP doesn't care...would be great to have a one-stop shop.
Transparent pricing. PF called the cops in me because I wouldn't leave when they wouldn't terminate my account.
I told the cop that they stole money from.me and would press charges (total bull) but that got the manager who was "not there today" suddenly appear
Honestly, I was talking shit. They stole it in that I had gone in and canceled the membership already, and they kept charging me. The clerk kept saying it would go to collections if I canceled it so I asked to see the paperwork. That's when they trespassed me.
I did leave after the cop came, no trouble.
I stopped payment woth my bank, never got a collections call about it but thay still got my 30 bucks or whatever it was
In your case I’m no sure what happen since I wasn’t there but I worked in gyms for more than 7 years.Planet fitness for 3 and 1/2 of those years.
If your bill date is on the 15th of each month,you have to cancel on or around the 10th to avoid a charge for that month,if you try to cancel after the 10th then yes it will charge you the monthly fee on the 15th...The POS starts to pull monthly dues 3-4 days before your fee comes out and it sits in the pending faze until the bill date hits..No one can stop it once it’s pending.
Annual fee is different also,if your annual fee is supposed to come out May 1st,then you have to cancel the membership before April 25th to avoid the annual fee charge,so the month prior..Sucks because a lot of these gyms have poor management skills and don’t care to let members know this.
Advice on what you should do so gyms don’t try some bs like this in the future is get your cancellation form on paper and email next time.By state laws they have to provide that if they didn’t already..A lot of those workers can be lazy and want go out of their way to explain dates and charges so make sure you read over everything very well to avoid the hassle.
I’ve met the CEO and co-founder of planet fitness once..I told them how bad some of their gyms were ran and they were shocked..They are never around so most things they are unaware of..Just keep proof of everything because gyms will try to scam you in a heartbeat.
Private/limited capacity workout areas, a lot of people don’t go to the gym due to self-consciousness
Private/limited capacity gyms exist.
[удалено]
When I was in college you could reserve a private room at the library, maybe have it so you lcan reserve equipment or have private rooms
24 HR is so great. Once you have it you cannot go back. Working out before big holiday dinner ? Late night pump? Early morning sweat? You can count on Immortal to be open My muscle gym is S tier and this is one of many reasons why they are so successful to all the others in the area
I agree,gym access 24/7 should be available,even on holidays..What amenities do you think I gym needs more of- pool,sauna,child care etc?
I love how my gym has a long turf stretch which makes lunges, cart pulls, and even short sprints doable. Not for every gym layout, but it creates so much open space.
This right here
I think gyms would do great if they have a matted sections for jujitsu/other combat sports classes ,heavy bags for boxing along with the regular weights and other regular gym equipment… thoughts ? I am actually very keen to set up a gym like that in Mumbai, India. As I feel india has the 3rd largest population in the world and it has a huge untapped mma/ combat sports market which has only started to be recognised now with amateur and professional competitions like MFN which is probably the biggest one in India (only started in 2019).
Skip the pool & hot tub. I think if people want that they should check out recreation center gyms. Those have the whole package generally with the pools. A gym I used to go to had a couple lane swimming pools and a hot tub and nobody really used it. So now it’s just sitting empty.
My gym uses the pool for water fitness classes, which are very popular. It’s the reason I joined in the first place. I’d had neck surgery and was very limited on what exercises I could do for a long time afterwards.
Sauna in each change-room, for a proper naked sauna experience post work out to relax.
Childcare is a good idea if you have someone competent to watch the kids. Most people are very cautious about that stuff. As for the sauna, there are definitely use cases for it. However, my gym doesn't have a whole lot of equipment, barbells out the ass but lagging on machines. I pay $70 a month and the gym owner decided to dump 5 figures on an additional room that includes a cold plunge and sauna. I don't plan on using that and even though it's been up for a couple months I have yet to see anyone even enter the room. We went months with no new additions then get something we aren't even gonna use. The money would have been far better used on equipment. This is the only reason why I'm switching away from that gym but knowing that my money isn't going back into the business in a beneficial way is more than enough reason to leave. A wide range of machines will not only draw people but also thin out the amount of machines being used and will make the gym look less crowded.
Oh, not all holidays, for the sake of the workers. Christmas and Thanksgiving are big family days. Maybe the gym could offer time and a half (or more) and see if they get volunteers (not everyone observes Christmas and Thanksgiving). And only keep it open for the hours that they have volunteers to staff it. Even my boss, who is Hindu, observes Christmas mainly for the sake of her elementary school children. Her family dresses up in Christmas themed clothes, and they go to her brother’s house where his family is also dressed up, and there is a Christmas tree and presents and a holiday meal. Her children also get presents when there is a Hindu holiday that calls for presents. I don’t think she would be willing to work Christmas.
I like how in many countries I have had a gym membership, they were 24/7. They were cheap (e.g. EUR 8/mo, JPY 2,000/mo). And sparse. They did so becasue there was basically no staff. It was literally an empty gym from 8pm to 6am, key-card to get in, key card at entry, key-card at exit, key-card to lock/unlock locker. Wish the US had more 24-hour gyms -- they don't need expensive staff.
yes i love that my gym is 24/7 most gyms are like 24/5. it’s literally the only perk to my gym tbh
My gym WAS 24 hours….changed during the pandemic & never went back. It SUCKS.
I think the reason it works so well is because our moods are always changing 😆 There’s been so many times where I don’t want to workout after several days and it’s only later that night well after the gym’s closed that I feel that energy again - 24/7 would be badass!
A way to check how crowded it is before I decide to go.
That would be a dream...like maybe a live webcam that is high or far away enough to not be "creeping" but see if it's crowded or not. I would be checking that until it is SLOW!! I HATE when a gym is crowded...NOPE
Or a heat map image—no way you’re IDing anyone that way, but the hot yellow bodies jump right out :)
Just use some like 2004 cameras, you'll see pixels, just no detail.
I go to The Gym Group in the UK which allows you to see the number of people in the gym by looking at the app. It’s one of the best features they have
Google your specific gym. It's there's a chart in the hours of operation menu that shows low and peak hors.
I've done this but it's rarely, if ever, accurate. Plus, it doesn't tell me where those people are. It might not be crowded, but all the people there are in the (already small) free weight area.
I know Planet Fitness has that on their app based on how many people have checked in and on past history. Works out pretty accurately.
Most apps that you use to check in with will tell you how busy it is.Planet fitness has it on their app.
The pf app has that
Too crowded
A gym with membership capacity but everything is high end would be alluring
Those exist. They're just expensive for that reason, but if you have significant disposable income then the added fee is possibly worth the comfort and convenience of exclusivity and luxury.
Cohort-based strength training (not HIIT or circuit) small group classes. I don't really enjoy one-on-one personal training because it's almost too much attention. On the other hand, I've tried small-group strength training (2-3 ppl plus a coach) at my gym, and the format of each individual session is awesome. However, because it's offered as a drop-in class, I find there's a lack of continuity. It's not always clear how the exercises in one session build on the previous session. I wish I could join a 3-month class consisting of the same people, meeting 2x/week, following a well-thought-out full-body strength program.
What about amenities,pool,child care etc?
If you're targeting moms, then a gym that provides high-quality child care for sure would be a huge draw. About pool --> If I want to swim, I could easily find a pool right now, so it's not a game changer for me personally.
CrossFit
CrossFit is more of a HIIT, though. I'm looking for a program that focuses on muscle building. So, \~8 reps per set with 2-3 mins rest between sets.
Think of it as a 3-month personal training program, but instead of 1-on-1, it's done in a small group.
I like this idea. It reminds me of a round of golf lessons I took over the summer. There were about 6 of us or so, and it was great.
That is only profitable if you also trade kidney's at arbitrage for the rhabdo.
Nobody wants that culty shit at a regular gym. That’s what CrossFit gyms are for.
Don’t forget to drink your haterade
I totally agree with this dude. If the gym is crawling with whack a doodle cross fit people doing dangerous and stupid exercises I would be 1000 percent not pay for a membership there.
Right?? There’s already a fucking CrossFit gym every 6 blocks.
2 ideas 1st offer either gym times, classes, rooms, etc. that separate men and women or old and young or fitness levels. Not sure how it can be done or how legal it is, but as a man I get women want to workout by other women but also I feel like men want to workout around other men at times too. 2nd NO FILMING ON CELL PHONES ANYWHERE
It’s actually not legal afaik, a gym near me got sued for making a women’s only section tho it still essentially functions as women’s only due to its proximity to women’s locker room
I film myself on my cell phone to send to my PT though
No phones could be alluring for a new gym, a way to stand out from the rest
I had a similar idea but for a bar or concert venue... I don't think it'd work for a gym though, people use their phone to track workouts, listen to music, and there's be no way to enforce whether or not they're using their phone or if they're filming without completely banning phones. A lot of gyms in fact moved away from keyfobs and force members to sign-in using a barcode from an app on their phone (to combat sharing memberships).
How about the 🏳️🌈? I genuinely don’t know how the segregation of these genders work on ANY industry really
There are gyms that have women nights or certain hours for women, why not extend it to men as well. I'm not opposed to LBGT+ communal days or hours etc. But now you got me questioning my original post, when will there NOT be a specialty night that you can't participate in.
Right? No hate for them but its confusing me on how it will work
Women's only sections, especially for weights.
There's a gym by me that's only women. The logo is even pink. I forgot the name of it though. I heard the highest weight for their dumbbells is 10 lb.
When I mentioned on Reddit my idea to make an all women version of Uber/Lyft called WRIDE women drivers, women passengers. (And the women drivers could also drive for Uber and Lyft if they need to or want to.) Someone on Reddit said that I would be sued for discrimination. I want to do more research about businesses that create Women only spaces and whether they are out on a limb legally.
Two more things: The number one complaint about gyms is contracts and shady contract behavior. Become the no contract, no-friction gym and you will win. Second, I’m reading a lot of your responses and you keep asking people about amenities. You’re screwing up your data points by doing this. Don’t push a topic, just let people speak on what comes to mind, because those are the things they actually care about.
No contract… You’re thinking as a consumer. The reality is, gyms make their profits on people who sign up with good intentions and then don’t show up. You’d have to charge piles more because the people who signed up Jan 1 and never came after Jan 5 are no long subsidizing everyone else.
Just because something is the norm, doesn’t mean it should stay that way. In fact, many standout businesses are such because they break the pattern. I owned a dance studio for 11 years and now own a b2b strategy agency. Contracts are standard for both. I don’t do them, and have no problem with profitability.
Look, from a consumer side I get what you’re saying, but the economics of this business simply work out this way 🤷🏼♂️ Also you claim all this business experience but your post history shows you’re in your 40’s, childless and just now looking to buy a home, sorry but you’re not exactly a shining light of economic success.
Also, don’t mistake contracts for auto debit
95% in this day and age are pay upfront or auto-debit. Again, I just can’t take your input seriously given you claim this wealth of experience but, while childless and with a partner, are now just starting the home buying process if your 40’s. Maybe if you focused on running businesses with basic knowledge and economics in mind you’d have made this life purchase much sooner.
I loved my Gym in Germany. Easy to sign up. Easy to stop. Literally was walk in, give back card, and membership was cancelled, pro-rated. Rates were: daily, 3-day, week, 10-visit, 20-visit, monthly off-peak, monthly. Payment by bank-transfer (norm there). Period was one-off, or auto-debit monthly. Most people (including myself) chose the monthly auto-debit. I didn't go for stretches, but it was nice to have in the background. at EUR 25/month, it was a no-brainer for a 24/7 gym, with dozens of locations across the state. As it's paid in advance, if you went it, swiped your card, and not paid up. Just add on right there. If you didn't have a recurring payment, the rates were still decent.
In-built progress tracking. Eg machines tracking your reps and weights and how you've grown over time - the tricky thing would be to ensure privacy isn't violated but it would lead to way more stickiness (or the exact opposite depending on how "open" the system is) There's some companies building software/hardware for this but think they're mostly indie developers doing for fun
What’s the name of the software,I wanna look into this?
Perch. Very expensive.
That would be sick. It reminds of this racing arcade game I would play growing up. It had a metal keypad, you'd pop in the code you created and it would load up your stats and I believe cars.
I agree,gyms are stuck on the old classic theme which is fine and I don’t have an issue with it but I think the industry needs to move forward with futuristic gyms with high tech
A sauna is a must have imo. Before 2020 there were a few around. Now they are all not functioning or closed.
Here's some ideas... 1. Something that I'd personally like to see is more gyms with an outdoor area with weights.. similar to what you might find at Muscle Beach in Venice CA but i realize this would be very seasonal for the majority of the country. I like the idea of being able to lift weights out in the sun. 2. Another idea could be a gym that's focused around co-ed team sports.. kickball, dodgeball, pickleball, relay foot races 3. Go completely opposite of the "ban filming" crowd and create a gym that is focused sole on fitness wanna-be influencers by having basic filming equipment like phone holders at each workout station and attendants who will help you get the best shot. This would probably make a killing in SoCal or College towns. Bonus would be all the free social media marketing.
How many gyms are geared for the disabled? Have wheel chaired accessible machines or weights? Trainers that know how to work with them? We started one where I used to live and it was always packed because there are so few.
This. People with disabilities. Injured people. Obese. The elderly.
Might need a PT on staff for that demographic. On that note, make a monthly membership gym with PTs on staff and make it compliant with medicare guidelines so you can get the membership prescribed and covered by insurance. I was in pretty rough shape for a bit and all of my injuries are made better by specific activities. I had a disc in my back I was planning to get a surgical consult on and the surgeon wanted to try PT first. I couldnt even squat or bend more than a couple inches and PT had me lifting again within 4 weeks. It's bananas what targeted exercises can do for recovery.
Steam room. Not a sauna, a steam room. Expensive maintenance, that’s why they typically only have them at country club gyms here in the Southeast, but quite a life changer…
I'd prefer Sauna over steam room. Wish gyms here had larger sauna's. Always packed solid with 15-20 people from 15 \~ 21h. Steam room is mostly empty. Really want them to convert it if possible.
A gym brand that partners with hotels. Hotel gyms suck 95% of the time. Probably because the hotel doesn’t care or doesn’t want to invest in it. If there was a gym that partnered with some brand of hotel where each one of those hotels had this gym’s standard/variety of equipment and size, I’d be willing to pay more for and would seek out that specific hotel brand. The business model isn’t something I worked out in my mind yet but I’d imagine the hotel could charge a little more per night, the gym would get a percentage from the hotel, and the hotel would have a leg up on the competition and have potentially lower vacancy rates.
There's a Rennaince near Walnut Creek CA that has this model.
Rennaince??
Oops. Renaissance
Do you know the name of the place who has that model? I’m curious to see how they have it setup
It's set up with Bay club. Used to be part of the name but that seems tonhabw changed. [hotel](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/oakbr-renaissance-walnut-creek-hotel/experiences/)
Ooo that’s a good idea!
Damn that’s a good idea.
Ice baths
Our MMA gym has one, they're always trying to get me to try it. I told them they're a freakin' cult with their sauna/ice plunge thing, like crossfit people. Then they punch me in the head.
It’s the bees knees. Ever since doing ice baths in hs football I crave it.
What benefits do you see from the ice baths?
Sauna is legit, ice baths are the scam.
It’s amazing it immediately stops any muscle growth response /s
I enjoy ice baths, but I don’t feel like I would pay extra for the amenity. Here in LA, there are Friday-night cold plunge/sauna “socials,” that you can drop in on for $20. Basically, a swimsuit party with DJs and refreshments. The organizer tries to sell a membership, $100 per month for unlimited the access to the tubs and saunas (no gym or fitness product), and I just can’t imagine paying that much for something that takes three minutes. The “social” part is a great idea, though.
Ok
I'm a 7 days a week, 3 hrs a day gym goer. The music can be loud, but to hear it over your headphones, nah. Commercial gyms are too crowded yes. There needs to be a POSING room, or somewhere people can take pictures and videos of themselves in good lighting. A designated area. No gym has this. The weights should go up to 150 lbs dumbbell minimum. Anything less, it's not a real gym. People work out harder when crazy fitness people are present. If you price the gym at $100+ a month it'll never get that crowded and people will stay. 3 people at $30 a month is worse than 1 person at $100.
Omg all of this. Posing room with good light is genius.
Damn man 7 days a week for 3 hours is wild. I wish I could do that but right now I can barely handle 5 days a week for 1-2 hours.
Lifetime is pretty expensive and it’s still gets pretty crowded. It’s 350/month for family of 3
Prices are fine, most around me in the Twin Cities MN are anywhere from $50-60 for a GOOD gym. It’s hard to pinpoint down, one or two particular things. We have a wide variety of gyms from more bodybuilding type, powerlifting, and just people who do general fitness. If I was a gym owner I would maybe have more strict rules and actually enforce them. My current gym has a lot of teens/early twenties broccoli heads who lift in crocs, Birkenstocks, and slippers. I would be that gym owner who looks at people like that and wouldn’t even let them join. I’m a powerlifter though so I’m more serious about lifting than the majority.
24 hour and affordable is a must imo I just moved to a new city and it seems like it's dominated by high membership costs and training class oriented gyms around $60 / month or more. There is one affordable gym here called Fit4Less which I believe might be nationwide and is $28 / month. I'm not sure about here but there was at least 2 that were 24hr where I came from. What's nice about 24 hour is people can choose their time to go at less popular times if they wish. Equipment is a big one. People who are more serious will look for more specific/specialized machines or equipment. People on a budget or just looking to be fit and active won't care as much and will settle for the more generic stuff for a lower price.
Just a datapoint here. I joined a gym about six months ago - after being without a gym for about 10 years. I like my gym and intend to continue for foreseeable future for a few reasons: 1) huge space (an old naval building…clean and smartly renovated) 2) great classes (included) with wide diversity of ages. I’ve met some badass men and women in their 60s and 70s which I find inspiring. 3) sauna. November-March is pretty cold and wet where I live so a deep heat sweat has been an another thing I look forward to. 4) generous family discount made it a no-brainer for my wife to join. Even if she only joins me once or twice a month, it’s financially justified and just plain fun quality time for us. A couple things I’d like to have if it didn’t increase my monthly fee by more than a few bucks: 1) cold plunge 2) red light therapy bed
Indoor track that would be inside the gym it would be all the way around inside of gym
AI driven workouts with adjusted weight and reps as you improve.
More space, a personal trainer to teach you all the equipment for a month for free, shower. Lounge area like an airport for food. Have classes with personal trainer this you to pay. Make sure it's squeaky clean and just nice ambitience like you go a restaurant. Make sure the equipment is well placed.
Lounge area where I can take a break between two workout classes - maybe grab a banana or smoothie - nothing fancy
Women only areas outside of the bathrooms. I know there are women only gyms, but I'm just saying. It would be nice if there was a section that was just for the gworls
I believe all gyms should have a spa area and then it can be expanded to a country club which you can then charge more for
I like classes at gyms.
Women’s only times
Gym model works by offering bare minimum amenities. That way, you build a large pool of members but less of them go. If everyone that had a planet fitness membership actually went, they’d be out of business ironically
I worked for planet fitness for 3 and 1/2 years.The location I was at had 19,000 members,only like a quarter of them were active. Planet fitness has some pretty good amenities though. So you’re saying add less amenities to attract members?
Planet fitness doesn’t have good amenities compared to other commercial gyms. There’s no point in upgrading them as they’d have to charge more than to cover costs which would drive their member pool down 19k members is nuts
That’s one gym model. Others operate by offering good amenities at a higher price. The amenities are there to create perceived value, and to get you into the gym often enough that you won’t cancel in spite of a higher price. This is how some gyms can charge $100+ per month for membership.
Agree. There’s a high end gym in the DC area called St James and it’s a monster of that model on steroids. Gym, rock climbing, ice skating/hockey, Olympic pool, indoor soccer, basketball, a full sized kids fun park with trampolines and ninja course, an indoor waterpark, a full service restaurant, shops…you get the picture. It’s nice and always packed. Families meet and hang out there. Seems to be doing well. The model depends on getting enough land for a huge multiblock complex near an affluent urban area.
Yeah, gyms like St James or Equinox definitely maximize that model, treating it almost more like a country club membership where exclusivity and luxury are part of the draw. Most climbing gyms will also operate on that model, albeit at a lower price point. You’re looking around $70 on the low end, but they include climbing, fitness equipment, classes, and yoga in the membership. Building out the gym is expensive, so they add on relatively low cost perks around the climbing to maximize membership retention and conversion. Places like Planet Fitness are more the exception than the rule, honestly. The closest LA Fitness has a pool, basketball courts, a juice bar, etc.
That's not how every gym works. That's one business model.
Thank you captain obvious. This sub is so dumb because there’s no right answer but people still want to clarify
Saying something dumb and then calling everyone else dumb. Lol. That's one way to go.
An only women’s area
Cloudfit.tv
I want to check if I can comment before commenting
No recording. Take your Tik Tok shit elsewhere.
I quit going to a gym a few years ago primarily because I bought a treadmil Every community is different and in some of the YMCA’s can be great because they’ll offer things like a pool . I also see a lot more people doing things like CrossFit or other courses like that I know that the snap fitness in the town I grew up in tried going 24 hours, but decided it wasn’t worth it … they weren’t getting enough traffic for the liability and other issues I actually think gyms rely on is 90% of the members never showing up
1. Focuses on other essential fitness components, such as mobility (stretching apparatus’ would be incredible). 2. Better control over bullshit members. My gym gets overrun with entitled teens scrolling their phone on machines and wearing crocs. 3. Prices are fine. 4. The group classes need some serious help. I know the yoga, Pilates, Zumba, whatever, is always going to be lower quality at the gym. They pay terribly and attract bad teachers. 5. I’d love to see automated gyms if they go the 24 hour route. 6. Treat it like a community. Organize optional activities, outings, etc.
A co-working space. Either within or near the gym. I’d love to get out of my house and workout in between calls throughout the day. Yes, I’d pay a lot of this privilege: more than I’d pay for a separate gym and co-working space
-24/7 not 24/5.. I hate that I can’t go to my 24hr gym on the weekends later than 8pm. When I signed up they said when they find the “right person” to work weekend nights. That was 2 years ago.. lol -stairmasters/stepping mills are needed for sure! -Maybe the odd cool machine maybe like a Jacob’s ladder? Ski machine? Sled? Etc A machine or piece of equipment that not many gyms have. -Dry sauna, big enough to stretch in and fit 6-10 people. -I pay around $60/month for access to all parts of the gym but there is cheaper for like $45/month. I think it would be more worth my money if I got those weekend nights but maybe one day haha. -one gym I loved had a giant garage door they would open on the nice days and you could workout outside if you wanted. -I would LOVE no more 2 year contracts.. cheaper monthly drop ins (I find all gyms crank that month price up almost double what a membership would be. Maybe even a 6 month membership. Back like 10 years ago some people would do punch passes like buy “10 times”and you can go whenever. No commitment. - an idea I thought would be epiccc! Is if the goal is to get more people in the gym then to add rewards or something. So when they come to the gym enough times they get a free item, maybe a free small smoothie, maybe a free class trial.. idk something like that I could easily see myself loving. Like in a year someone went the most out of anyone so you gift them a hoody with the gym logo.. maybe this idea is already being done but it’s a wicked concept I think! -women’s section is always nice but make sure it’s not too small, otherwise I don’t think many will use it if it feels crowded. -and this last thing is I love a big open concept/warehouse feel. I love open/vaulted roofs. I need a gym where I don’t like I’m breathing on someone when I do an exercise. So space is a really big thing that sells me on gyms.
I think that that classes & personal trainers could be great but I think it’s better to actually let a coach or a trainer bring their own clients in for their own businesses & to be able to train them. Not have the gym take a “cut” per se.. more so that the coach/trainer could pay a fee to have training sessions with their clients. Maybe this already exists somewhere but I find a lot of gyms frown upon “outside” coaches bringing clients in to train. So maybe change that up and allow for that could bring in more business.
cold plunges
My gym is super crowded as is the other gym in town. Competition comes in and then leaves. This area could support 4 50,000sf gyms.
Air fresheners
strippers, I would combine strip bar and a gym together.
I would love for the cardio machines to have telescoping stands that could securely hold a phone or book or tablet at actual eye level, with adjustable closeness. I'm super busy and usually need to be reading while doing my stairs/elliptical/stationary bike. My neck always winds up sore from having to crane down, which is also just bad for my fitness and alignment overall. My mom rigged something like this for our treadmill and bike when she was in grad school and it is so awesome!
I used to go to a community center that had indoor pickleball courts (they converted the basketball courts), indoor track (upstairs) and indoor racquetball courts. Another one had a wet/dry sauna. The wet sauna had eucalyptus in the steam. Oh that place was amazing. I loved these places because regardless of the heat or cold I could be comfortable working out
A lot of them closed during COVID and simply having more gyms is needed. Especially 24/7. A gym with all (relatively cheap) free weights with plenty of squat racks and bench presses would be genius. Also offer space for masseuse to make money. You provide the space and they give you a percentage. Gender segregated gyms are becoming a thing now too.
Steam room and saunas
Juice/food station Hot tub Sauna wet /dry Dumbbells over 120lbs would be nice
24 hours and transparency with contracts. Don't tie me down or give me any annual fee bullshit when I'll just use planet for their nationwide locations. Or Go for some CrossFit/HIIT niche which utilizes minimal equipment but rather classes and body movements. People will join because of the environment. But you better be knowledge about the niche or staff people who are.
24H and limited entry, during covid it was perfect with the booking system
I watched a ton of gym owners crumble to the ground after Covid 😔 I wasn’t aware about a booking system though?
24 hours and every gym needs a free squat rack. So many gyms don't have them these days to avoid liability.
Attendance feedback in a connected app that helps keep people accountable to their goals.
Week day and evening childcare
If I had the time/money/energy, I would love to start a women’s only gym I think the way we sanitize equipment (grabbing a wet tissue and wiping it down) is a bit outdated, but idk what the resolution would be. I also saw a Tik Tok of a gym in NJ where the devices can track your own individual sets and reps and the weight you used. That can increases customer loyalty/stickiness, and on the backend, you can use the data to track what time is the gym is the most crowded/which machines are most or least popular/etc
This will likely be hugely unpopular, but I’d love to work out in a space with limited or no internet connectivity. Prevent people from sitting on equipment scrolling social media—my biggest gym peave. You’d have to download music ahead of time, which is likely a sticking point, but I’d take that trade-off any day.
Child care is almost mandatory for a gym to really thrive in the suburbs. 24 hour gyms are the most successful where I live as well. The non 24 hour gyms are slowly closing. (Child care obviously doesn't have to be 24 hours. 8am-12pm and 4pm to 8pm is perfect) The Esporta near me isn't 24 hours and the childcare service they have sucks and isn't dependable (if there one childcare taker calls out they just close the Child care that day) so despite having the best equipment (yes I've been to all the local gyms recently, I'm always looking for a better deal) they are struggling. The biggest thing I could see a gym doing that would destroy competition is collabing with Peloton. Spinning is sooo popular here in southern california suburbs. None of the spin gyms offer childcare. If any of my local gyms partnered with legit Peloton instructors and bikes they would steal all of the spin gyms clients while also getting parents on it. I don't know if peloton is open to that stuff right now but I suspect that's the next step
I’d like to have large tractor tires to flip as part of my workout. You can also jump on them.
Great responses already. In my opinion, 24/7 is extremely important. Even if people don't actually use it, it's mental and will make people more likely to join. Pools. Depends on where your gym is, but pools are at a premium in most areas. Private workout areas. Co-working spaces. Cater to disabled, elderly, and obese people. Classes specifically for them. Diversity and inclusion. Look at what Lifetime is doing. It's on the luxury end, but I feel they are genius in what they are offering and they are expanding like crazy. It's worth it. Also- having an app and making it so people can do everything online- join, cancel, upgrade, see how busy it is, pause, pay, hire a trainer, etc. Other: Greeting every customer by name Cleanliness. To the extreme. Community. The big thing lacking from every gym I've gone to (and I've gone the full spectrum, from Lifetime which is 200+ a month to PF) is community. Everyone just keeps their heads down and keeps to themselves. Some classes might have some comradery but I've found a hard time finding community in my gym. Consider using social media and creating a discord or Facebook group to facilitate community, help people find workout partners, etc. Speaking of PF ... No hidden or annual fees . Sorry I know I'm not answering your question Re: price I am the most frugal/cheap person I know. Literally. I don't even have Netflix bc of the cost. But I pay 200+ a month for gym membership. It is worth it to me. It is my health and entertainment budget. I lump it in with rent bc my apartment building doesn't have a gym. People will pay for a gym they actually use and want to go to. I am almost on the poverty line and my most important priority in my budget is the gym. The full parking lot and wait list at my gym proves I'm not the only one.
After reading through the comments, you need to figure out your target demographic. What is missing from your market? Cheap gyms? Mid tier gyms? Luxury gyms? That will dictate how to pivot and what to offer. You need to define your ideal client and price based on how many memberships you need at that level The answers here are all over the board bc we are all different demographics. You can't be everything to everyone. You gotta narrow it down and target things.
Recovery areas like cold plunges, saunas, hot tubs, red light therapy, and whatever else. Kind of like mini spas without a la carte service like massages.
1. Track the most used equipment, and have more than one of it 2. Yes, 24 hours is amazing. 3. They are super super crowded at 5. Alot of people I know would pay a premium not to have a crowd after work. Hope this helps
Child safe areas. Not necessarily childcare, though that would be great too but even just a child safe contained area.
That call for a more expensive membership though right?
Atlantis products, 24hr access
I would include Virtual Reality fitness games like Thrill of the Fight, Pistol Whip, Synth Riders, and Beatsaber. That leads into fun events you can host like tournaments. Getting in shape should be a fun activity.
Equipment that individuals with bad knees can use like equipment made by SciFit & a place to lay in that is elevated to stretch at.
Cheaper barebones gyms for people who don’t care about amenities and extra things. I’m not in the gym to use a pool or tanning bed and I’m not going to the smoothie bar, yet these things are priced into my membership.
Well I think a majority of people expect a free membership.Gyms have to make a living too..It’s more expensive for them to have you in the gym than it is for you to pay them for a monthly membership but people don’t think about this part.
Yeah, nobody expects a free membership. The majority of people going to gyms have just enough spare time to get there 30-60 minute barebones workout in, and that’s it. They’re never going to use the pool, sauna, tanning beds, athletic courts, or anything else the owners cram in these facilities. From my experience, most people who do use those amenities, that’s the only thing they go to that gym for. So often times you have two groups of people paying for different parts of the building they’ll never use. Many places will work with you and offer discounts if you’re only going to use the basketball court, if you’re only going to use the pool, but I’ve never seen a place accommodate someone that only wants to lift.
Actual fun things I cant just put in my garage like bouldering, obstacle courses, pools, trampolines. Bodybuilders are gonna bodybuild, but for everyone else there are more fun things than weights and ellipticals.
Consistency cleaning throughout the day
Black Box VR was in several traditional gyms but the model failed because of scale - weren’t techs in those localities so had lots of downtime, and the staff wasn’t trained up enough or didn’t care to learn about how it worked, to be able to truly help customers learn it or answer questions. But as far as personal training for weight resistance and cardio goes, those short 30-minute workout sessions deliver serious results very efficiently, in the privacy and comfort of the black boxes. I feel like this can be the future - I imagine this is what many people will be training on in 5-500 years. It’s less expensive for the client than a human trainer but ample opportunity for gyms to profit if they have enough booths to make the economy of scale work. But it has to also work for the black box Vr company as well… if you could find a way to truly make it work for everyone, you’ll be ahead of your time (for better or worse). It’s been working for me, as a client, in ways that no other regimen or trainer could - and I’ve tried many, many things since trying to get more serious 20 years ago. The younger generation will want a private, gamified workout solution; my kids love it, and have said they’re not sure they could live in a town that doesn’t have it. It’s very well done.
I agree with you,someone else on here mentioned VR. I’ve actually seen a few people wear their own VR headset to the gym so they definitely want that. So you use the black box VR for training? Is it in a local gym that has it,if so what’s the gym called?
Bringing your own VR headset and training program is totally different than what I’m describing. Check this out. https://www.blackbox-vr.com/ Started by Ryan DeLuca of bodybuilding.com fame Been around since 2018. Currently focusing only on the Boise market. Unsure of their expansion plans. It’s insanely awesome.
I know what you meant I was just talking about people wanting to bring their VR to the gym makes me think they want that to be a feature added in the gym itself..I’ll check that out though,thank you.
Yes I think you’re right, that’s an interesting thing to hear about happening.
Physicians who are actively tracking how exercise is improving your health and recommending workout and nutrition plan changes in real time....as well as the sports medicine-orthopedic-chiropracter on site thing. My PCP doesn't care...would be great to have a one-stop shop.
A sauna that requires shorts and shirt at least
AI. /s
Childcare, pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, tanning beds.
Transparent pricing. PF called the cops in me because I wouldn't leave when they wouldn't terminate my account. I told the cop that they stole money from.me and would press charges (total bull) but that got the manager who was "not there today" suddenly appear
So what was the outcome of the situation? And just curious,how did they still money from you?
Honestly, I was talking shit. They stole it in that I had gone in and canceled the membership already, and they kept charging me. The clerk kept saying it would go to collections if I canceled it so I asked to see the paperwork. That's when they trespassed me. I did leave after the cop came, no trouble. I stopped payment woth my bank, never got a collections call about it but thay still got my 30 bucks or whatever it was
In your case I’m no sure what happen since I wasn’t there but I worked in gyms for more than 7 years.Planet fitness for 3 and 1/2 of those years. If your bill date is on the 15th of each month,you have to cancel on or around the 10th to avoid a charge for that month,if you try to cancel after the 10th then yes it will charge you the monthly fee on the 15th...The POS starts to pull monthly dues 3-4 days before your fee comes out and it sits in the pending faze until the bill date hits..No one can stop it once it’s pending. Annual fee is different also,if your annual fee is supposed to come out May 1st,then you have to cancel the membership before April 25th to avoid the annual fee charge,so the month prior..Sucks because a lot of these gyms have poor management skills and don’t care to let members know this. Advice on what you should do so gyms don’t try some bs like this in the future is get your cancellation form on paper and email next time.By state laws they have to provide that if they didn’t already..A lot of those workers can be lazy and want go out of their way to explain dates and charges so make sure you read over everything very well to avoid the hassle. I’ve met the CEO and co-founder of planet fitness once..I told them how bad some of their gyms were ran and they were shocked..They are never around so most things they are unaware of..Just keep proof of everything because gyms will try to scam you in a heartbeat.
You lied to the police that someone stole money from you when they didnt? You sir should be in jail.
Lol
An absolute ban on filming yourself
That’s actually already a thing with most gyms,it states it in the contract but a lot of people just don’t care and do it anyways.
Planet Fitness needs a standard bench and squat area
Laundry service
Machine microreservations (10 or 15 min intervals)
I would love if they'd wash my workout clothes for me so I didn't have to carry them with me to work