The where is important.
Much of initial and general strength training needs a barbell and platform. A typical session is 45-60 minutes 3-5 times a week when you’re not in season. Of this you’ll spend about half on a platform with a barbell. If the gym has a poor ratio of platform to members you’ll spend your time waiting more than training. Not only is this frustrating but chances of you disregarding strength work becomes ever more likely. Low cost gyms with 24 hour access sound great on paper but are based on volume of people not quality of experience.
These gyms are colloquially called commercial or Globo gyms (shoutout for dodgeball reference). They fulfill a purpose for many people, but unless you have to train late at night training (shift worker) or poor transportation means these are your only options, I’d look elsewhere.
Smaller independent gyms are usually slightly more expensive and have shorter hours. These are considerations if you’re time poor or have limited training funds, but if they have the equipment you need and logistically it works it’s a no brainer. I tried to come up with some minimum numbers to various bits of equipment for a guide but it depends on the gym’s membership and occupancy across the day.
However, a question to ask is: How did the gym spend its money?
Gym equipment is expensive, without big investment funds as a gym owner you have to make some tough decisions on what to fill your meager space with. The array of equipment signals the clientele you expect or want in your space, it’ll also somewhat indicate what the owner is comfortable training themselves and what they see as relevant training. This is not a hard rule but a good indication of the culture you can expect from a space. Lots of fixed axle machines and a big dumbbell area? you’re likely in a bodybuilding focused space. More than a dozen CV machines and a big class space? Not a lot of barbell strength training going on there. Is it a big space with a bit of everything? Probably a high membership place trying to capture as many markets as possible.
All the examples above are valid training space but unlikely to give you the optimal training environment you’re looking for. If you have the time, try out a few places that offer day passes. Maybe using the open gym of a crossfit box is the best for you or the dingy vibes of a powerlifting dungeon. At the end of the day, if training feels like a chore it’s less likely to happen. Find the best environment you can for it and you’re chances of success only go up.
IBEX Performance 