Which gym to choose?

[Lowenna]

I cancelled my membership to my old gym because I was very very broke and it was really quite expensive. The plan was not to have a gym at all and just run outside and do bw exercises at home however... after nearly a year of being horrifically broke I have got a job and the student loans company have decided that they actually should have been giving me money for this year *sigh* so after May 2nd (the day the SLC will give me monies) I'm not only going to be solvent but quite well off (by my standards) So I've decided that I'm going to join a gym again.

I won't be going back to my previous gym b/c 1) very expensive 2) focused on cardio and 3) poor selection of free weights.

The plan is to still run outside but I'm hoping do some weights in the gym, maybe scaled down versions of Crossfit WOD.

The question when choosing a gym which equipment is needed?

I'm thinking barbell + weights, heavy dumbbells, pull ups bar, kettlebell (if possible). I know that crossfit asks for gymnastic rings and rope for climbing but nowhere near me has those and crossfit usually have an alternative is you don't have access.

[MarcTheEngineer]

If I were to go looking for a new gym the # of squat racks and Olympic Barbells the gym has would be top priority for me.

oh and having a track because running outside when it's -40 out is a pain in the ass and the treadmill works very poorly for doing periodic full out sprints.

Why not just sign up for a Crossfit gym (or are there none in your area?)

[Lowenna]

Unfortunately my nearest Crossfit gym is 25mi away, which might not sound like much but when cycling is the only option it's not really practical. Also they tend to be quite expensive and money is still going to be an important consideration.

-40 doesn't tend to be much of a problem round here. Gets down to -10C/14F at worst. I think I can man-up and take that. If it gets icy I can use the outdoor track at uni b/c they always keep it clear.

[67alecto]

Ultimately, the best gym is one you're going to go to. The gym will burn you out mentally sooner than it will physically, so you need one that has a hook that keeps you coming back (especially when you have to take a few days off for rest, recovery, vacation, etc). I picked one that removed as many excuses as possible:

It's close to my house (I can get there in 5 minutes)

It's on a road that runs right between my neighborhood and my job (I can work out on the way to or from work)

It's open 24 hours (I can go when it's convenient for me).

My advise is to figure out the workout you want and make a checklist of equipment you want and need. Free weights, squat rack, cable machines, dumbbells, pullup bars, exercise balls, dip bars, locker rooms, tanning, pool, etc...whatever. You'll most likely be committing for at least a year, so find one that has

a good mix of what you NEED as well as what you WANT.

Be sure to check out some of the small ones you see in strip malls. I go to Anytime Fitness, and from the parking lot it's a cardio/nautilus apocalypse. But there's an entire other section way in the back with a full set of dumbbells, two pull-bars, a massive cable machine, 2 freeweight sets, multiple olympic and ez-bars, a smith machine (hey...they are for inverted rows), and a full-on squat cage. You'd never know it was there from the front. Since the fitness industry is built on treadmills and ellipticals, 90% of the people who join use those or the machines, so the excellent equipment in the back is rarely more than a set or two away from being available.

[joshua.m1001]

+1 to the repairman 67alecto