OT...OPENING A GYM...what would you want to see???

Steak Helmet · Dec 14, 2004

I am looking at a building that is 20,000 square feet and 2 1/2 stories high. I am curious what would you as hardcore lifters like to see and hear in the gym??

I thought about putting a wrap around mezz level and put all the cardio up there and have the main floor the weight room and a average size aerobics room. DAMN good sound system.

give me some ideas....thanks.

The facilities in this town are ran so f*cked up it kills me. they have no fitness smarts and the one main club should have closed down all the rest, but they do not know how to run a club.

huge-inc · Dec 14, 2004

gym

sounds good to me..used to train at ZAKS in conn. had same set up,was awesome...had clothing hanging from ceiling

Crowler · Dec 14, 2004

Steak you probably know all of the following but thought it MIGHT possibly help you a little.

Personally I would never go to a club like that but that is a GOOD thing for you. The gyms I go to are dirty old school places that don't make any money.

I have owned a number of gyms and health clubs over the past 20 + years Big differecnce between a gym and health club.

Sounds like you are thinking of a Health Club. As with most businesses LOCATION is the number one thing. With a health club it has to be close to the potential clients home or their work.

20,000 sq feet is going to cost a TON or rent per month, that is IF it is in a good location.

A mezanine surround in my area would cost about $75,000 if it is done to meet the codes. Figure cardio will run you about $300,000 and another $150,000K + for the weight equipment, or the place is going to be like a half empty warehouse.

I have followed your posts desiring to open a gym for about 2 years and wish you the VERY best of luck.

Crimson Ghost · Dec 14, 2004

Music is my #1 pet peeve with my gym right now.

They used to play classic rock which I got used to lifting to.

Now they are trying to become a "fitness center" and are playing seriously horrible elevator music. They play it so loud that I can hear it over my headphones if I bring my mp3.

The type of people there are starting to really piss me off too. We have 3 teenage dorks that train abs all night long and shadowbox with 2 and 5 lb DBs in their hands. We have little kids (guessing 8years old and older) that follow their parents around while they're lifting. Sometimes these kids get in the way and are loud. One of the little girls grabs 2lb dbs and does walking lunges around the gym. Everytime you turn around you almost step on her. There are groups of girls and sometimes 1 teenage dork and 3-4 girls that all come in together. They sit on machines and talk loudly and laugh and acts like freakin retards.

My gym used to be one the "hardcore" gyms in CO. We've always had large amounts of members but the owner must be getting money hungry. Now the gym is moving into a new building where they can have a pool and basketball courts. That is precisely why I left 24 Hour Fitness 7 years ago.

Now I will spend the $$$ to buy my own equipment and make my own personal gym. Always open, can listen to my own music and close by.

MrJuiceHead · Dec 14, 2004

if you want to make $$$$$$$ no one cares about the "hardcore section"

Good music helps my golds plays some really bad shit

good luck its a tuff bussiness

REA · Dec 15, 2004

posing room with good lighting for competitors

TooPowerful4u · Dec 15, 2004

REA said:
posing room with good lighting for competitors

Is it me or does everyone else on here love the way this girley thinks too.

vitor · Dec 15, 2004

Give me an email, I was in a health club startup 2 years ago, partners couldnt come up with their end, Powerhouse has a great startup package, I think you should look into a thomas plummer seminar, this business is so much more then putting a ton of free weights, some cardio machines and drywall,

Things like a Juice bar, pro shop, club owned personal training, maybe put a day spa inside, think less about what guys like us want because most of us dont spend a dime in the gym, we go we lift we leave, we have ECA at home, protein powder, dont need a trainer, as for gym members go we suck, we are always there, dont spend a ton of money, and scare off the tinys

Steak Helmet · Dec 15, 2004

Crowler said:
Steak you probably know all of the following but thought it MIGHT possibly help you a little.

Personally I would never go to a club like that but that is a GOOD thing for you. The gyms I go to are dirty old school places that don't make any money.

I have owned a number of gyms and health clubs over the past 20 + years Big differecnce between a gym and health club.

Sounds like you are thinking of a Health Club. As with most businesses LOCATION is the number one thing. With a health club it has to be close to the potential clients home or their work.

20,000 sq feet is going to cost a TON or rent per month, that is IF it is in a good location.

A mezanine surround in my area would cost about $75,000 if it is done to meet the codes. Figure cardio will run you about $300,000 and another $150,000K + for the weight equipment, or the place is going to be like a half empty warehouse.

I have followed your posts desiring to open a gym for about 2 years and wish you the VERY best of luck.

It has freeway visability an off ramp 1/8 of a mile away, and the rent is on .55 a square foot...YES 55 CENTS CRAZY SHIT

the building has been empty for about 18 months now. The front is covered in ceiling to floor windows. It is a bad ass location...main strip of road...close to the hospital...it is 1.8 of a mile from a major junction of freeway and highway.

I wish I had an investor...this place would do some serious damage in this community.

I have always wanted a gym....but I am looking into a nutrition store right now first....less overhead, and not so big.

Crowler · Dec 15, 2004

vitor said:
Give me an email, I was in a health club startup 2 years ago, partners couldnt come up with their end, Powerhouse has a great startup package, I think you should look into a thomas plummer seminar, this business is so much more then putting a ton of free weights, some cardio machines and drywall,

Things like a Juice bar, pro shop, club owned personal training, maybe put a day spa inside, think less about what guys like us want because most of us dont spend a dime in the gym, we go we lift we leave, we have ECA at home, protein powder, dont need a trainer, as for gym members go we suck, we are always there, dont spend a ton of money, and scare off the tinys

Thomas Plumer EXACTLY! VERY GOOD

Steak Helmet · Dec 15, 2004

vitor said:
Give me an email, I was in a health club startup 2 years ago, partners couldnt come up with their end, Powerhouse has a great startup package, I think you should look into a thomas plummer seminar, this business is so much more then putting a ton of free weights, some cardio machines and drywall,

Things like a Juice bar, pro shop, club owned personal training, maybe put a day spa inside, think less about what guys like us want because most of us dont spend a dime in the gym, we go we lift we leave, we have ECA at home, protein powder, dont need a trainer, as for gym members go we suck, we are always there, dont spend a ton of money, and scare off the tinys

Yeah I figure we find protein at the cheapiest places...we just get in there and out of there...

I looked into POWERHOUSE gym I even wrote a business plan for a POWERHOUSE GYM and FITNESS CENTER...the fitness center was put in to cater to the women in the community. If you want I can send it to you and you can look it over?

I also wrote one for the nutrition store which is getting looked at by the bank.
I spoke with RICK ROMEO(he no longer works there) about teh franchise and all that. The guy leased out the building I wanted(7000 square feet 65 cents a square foot), the equipment was 110,000, and the building ahd a wall that I could cut a hole in and make another room that was 7000sq/ft that would have been phase 2. Phase three would have been the nail salon that was inthe middle of the 2...buy them out and make an aerobics room.

alll these great ideas....BUT NO DAMN INVESTORS

STEAK

vitor · Dec 15, 2004

Hold on 55 cents a sq ft? What is the population size in a 5 mile radius, and the average family income. I mean with that rent, this is doable if their are people there. I know Lifefitness as well as cybex has some companys that will loan a very large sum for equipment, and thats including lockers, floors etc, Do you have a pro forma with numbers, estimations etc, I mean this almost seems like a no brainer except for your personal experience what do you do for a living,

ALot of banks will say to themselves,this is a good idea but Steak would you loan money to steak if you were us, How is your credit, ever been late, any assets? How much will you put into the project,

Steak Helmet · Dec 15, 2004

V,

the city is the second fastest growing in the state. The city 4 miles away from this location is the 3rd fastest in the state. I can send you pics from the freeway and from the front of the building.

Right now we have 45,000+ in this city the city 4 miles away has 31,000.
then the RITZY community is 2 miles north...POP 3700. This was the census repoort for 2000

Most things in this town are 1.00 to 1.55 SQ/FT. Like I sadi the building has been sitting for 18 months.

I would loan me the money...I ran a nightclub and a gym while going to school for 5 years. I brought the club and gym out of the RED. I know my marketing, management, and oraganizational skills are top notch. ALl the details are in the plan...well I need to revise it. I am not sure of the anual income...I am sure it has changed in 3 years...since i wrote the plan...

2 MAJOR COMPANYS are setting up their businesses here...e-mail me and I will explain it all. This area is growing so fast that we cannot keep up with the pop growth.

Nemesis79 · Dec 15, 2004

remember one thing..about personal trainers..you can have your own.or rent out space..and they can run their own busines..saves a lot of headache

Nemesis79 · Dec 15, 2004

also powerhouse is now Xsport..they want to be a health club and not a gym

Nemesis79 · Dec 15, 2004

bro we need to talk check your pm...sorry for the multipule emails..i'm tired and kept posting..trying to keep it short
later

bigdho · Dec 15, 2004

Keep after it bro. I opened my own gym this September, In fact Im typeing this post at the front desk. My gym is 7500 square feet, I bought freemotion, epic, hammer and nordic Track equipment. Thomas plummer is a good idea, go to one of his workshops, very helpfull. Just remember that its all about your market and who your selling to.

Another thing is dont over estimate how many members you will get and under estimate your expenses. Ive been open for almost 3 months and have 150 members, I thought Id be around 250-300 by now. Its harder than you think. Another thing that is a bitch is music. You will bet your self up trying to please everyone and you will still have people bitchin about it. The fact is 90% of your members wont like what we like to listen to and it will drive you nuts. What I did is right now between 9:00 - 10:30 pm we have power hour where we play loud hard music and people know not to be here if they dont like that. I played it off because Im the strength coach for the high school football and wrestleing team so I tell people that its for the kids, LOL.Theres so much to it I know Im missing things to tell you but if your serious and need some first hand advise pm me and Ill shoot you my gym phone number and answer any questions you have.

tbonus · Dec 15, 2004

Make the place as woman and family friendly as possible. Also, go to neighborhood associations and offer specials to all of the families in that addition. If its in suburbia, I think you can drum up a ton of business that way. Hit up all of the businesses close by and offer their employess the same thing. You might even be able to get some companies to offer this as a benifit. Just some ideas.

Armageddon · Dec 15, 2004

If you still want your HARDCORE section drywall doesn't cost all that much and a wall is easy to build. Section it off and away you go. That much space, divide it up and have a tanner, hair salon, nails, daycare, sports bar, nutritional store and get yourself a sirius system set up and pump in the music. That way it can be easily changed. Aren't you inthe upper west coast area?

Steak Helmet · Dec 15, 2004

bigdho said:
Keep after it bro. I opened my own gym this September, In fact Im typeing this post at the front desk. My gym is 7500 square feet, I bought freemotion, epic, hammer and nordic Track equipment. Thomas plummer is a good idea, go to one of his workshops, very helpfull. Just remember that its all about your market and who your selling to.

Another thing is dont over estimate how many members you will get and under estimate your expenses. Ive been open for almost 3 months and have 150 members, I thought Id be around 250-300 by now. Its harder than you think. Another thing that is a bitch is music. You will bet your self up trying to please everyone and you will still have people bitchin about it. The fact is 90% of your members wont like what we like to listen to and it will drive you nuts. What I did is right now between 9:00 - 10:30 pm we have power hour where we play loud hard music and people know not to be here if they dont like that. I played it off because Im the strength coach for the high school football and wrestleing team so I tell people that its for the kids, LOL.Theres so much to it I know Im missing things to tell you but if your serious and need some first hand advise pm me and Ill shoot you my gym phone number and answer any questions you have.

I did the same thing when I ran the gym for 5 years...after 9pm was power hour and bring in your own music.

Thanks I will probably be e-mailing you soon if things progress.