At the time of writing, we’re staring down the barrel at 2022. You might be thinking about getting into a new fitness routine, and a new gym membership might be a part of that.

It might seem prudent to pick the closest gym to your home or workplace, but there’s so much more to finding the gym that suits you best.

Here’s a list of what to look for in your new gym.

This one may seem obvious, but the equipment in your new gym will have a major influence on what workouts you can do. It is well worth thinking about your training plan before signing up to a new gym.

Tips

• Gyms that are full of resistance machines and treadmills may seem like a safe place to start your training due to their ease of use. But keep your eye out for other challenges that you can progress towards as you gain confidence.
• Free weights tend to attract a very passionate crowd. Make sure there are enough dumbbells and barbells available – especially if you’re planning on squatting at 6pm on a Monday. If your gym only has one squat rack, you will definitely be disappointed. If you can, have a trial of the gym at the time you’d usually expect to train, to see how busy it gets.

A personality quiz is a great way to pass the time. That’s especially true as the weather gets colder and the days get darker. But when was the last time a personality quiz taught you something about your training? More importantly, when was the last time someone used Halloween monsters to talk about your training?

Well, look no further. This short quiz will delve into your training habits to see which Halloween monster you have the most in common with. Not only that, but each answer tries to pinpoint the area of your training you could stand to improve upon to unlock that next level of training goodness.

If there’s one thing that I think most people are missing from their training, it’s the inclusion of one short workout per week.

I think it’s fair to say that most of us visit the gym for around one hour or more. Whether this is because this number matches with our lunch breaks, or because it feels like a length of time that makes the trip “worth it,” this is a pretty standard length of time for a workout.

However, you can reap a host of extra benefits from doing shorter workouts, too. I’m not going to claim you can get everything done in 15 minutes of training, but adding one to two 30-minute workouts into your week could be a game-changer. This could come in the form of an easy workout at home, a quick trip to your local gym, or walking with a friend (if you’re not sick of those by now!).

If you’re training to build strength, sooner or later you will need to deload. The aim of a training deload is to reduce the amount of training stress whilst preserving enough of a training stimulus that you still get results.

The combination of relatively heavy loads, big ranges of motion, and consistency will take its toll over time. This can manifest in tiredness, decreased strength performance, or in an overuse injury. However, if you deload too much then you can end up bored, and may even lose progress. Here are some pointers on making the most of your training deload.