Does The Gym You Choose Matter?

There are several gyms popping up all over the country, your options by no means are limited when choosing where you want to work out. Whether you’re looking for just the convenience of an affordable membership, structured classes, or a gym that specializes in hard core bodybuilding there is a gym out there for you.   I recently moved to Long Beach, California and obviously my first priority was to find a gym! Unfortunately I went for convenience rather than doing a little research before hand to find out what other alternatives I had.  There is a Gold’s Gym walking distance from my house. How much more convenient can you get than that?! I know the gym itself pretty well, it was my job in college. Gold’s is known for their effective strength building programs and having exceptionally availability of free weights, expert personal trainers and innovative strength-building group exercise classes.  Well… they must have skipped all that with my particular location, but this specific spot is nothing how I remembered Gold’s to be.   Of course they have their free weights and an array of cardio equipment, so does the atmosphere of the gym really matter for your workout?  I say it does. Every time I go in there I am just frustrated and tend to lose my motivation. The gym itself is dirty; nobody re-racks their weights let alone has any gym etiquette. The atmosphere just isn’t what I was looking for.   Shortly after I signed up at Gold’s, I realized how close I was to the famous MetroFlex Long Beach gym! I went in to try it out, and instantly my mood and focused changed. I felt like I was at “home.” There is a reason why they say it is for “hardcore pit-bull warrior athletes. You work out at MetroFlex for one main reason – to reach your goals. Several hardcore bodybuilders, pro power lifters and several types of elite athletes train at MetroFlex.   So to answer my own question of “does the gym you go to even matter”, my answer is absolutely! Whether you are looking for a day spa, yoga classes, a great day care facility inside with an indoor pool, whatever it is, the atmosphere of your gym can change your entire workout!     Here are the top 31 gyms in America, did your gym make the cut?   #31 Mecca Gym & Spa – Austin, Texas #30 Las Vegas Sports Performance – Las Vegas, Nevada #29 Title Boxing Club – Various Locations #28 Snap Fitness – Various Locations #27 Life Time Fitness – Various Locations #26 D1 Sports Training – Various locations #25 E at Equinox – New York, New York #24 Sports Club/LA – Various Locations #23 Nike World Headquarters – Beaverton, Oregon #22 Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym – Syosset, New York #21 The Institute of Human Performance – Boca Raton, Florida #20 Anytime Fitness – Various Locations #19 South Carolina Barbell – Columbia, South Carolina #18 Athletes’ Performance – Various Locations #17 Peak Performance – New York, New York #16 Crunch – Various Locations #15 Drive 495 – New York, New York #14 Parisi Speed School – Various Locations #13 MetroFlex Gym – Various Locations #12 Quads Gym – Chicago, Illinois #11 DeFranco’s – Wyckoff, New Jersey #10 LA Fitness – Various Locations #9 Town Sports International – Various Locations #8 YMCA – Various Locations #7 Equinox – Various Locations #6 CrossFit Hardcore – Various Locations #5 24 Hour Fitness – Various Locations #4 Gold’s Gym – Various Locations #3 Reebok CrossFit 5^th Avenue – New York, New York #2 Super Training Gym – Sacramento, California #1 Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning – Massachusetts