Before you join a gym, READ THIS

Australia Supplements has put together some pointers to take with you next time you go to join a gym. Though what I suggest may seem amazingly obvious, be aware that clubs can trick you into joining before you have all the information you need. I suggest making a list of what you want from a club and taking that along to your appointment.

* Location: Is it important that the gym is near your home or work? Again, clubs hire professional sales people to make sure you don't leave their club without opening your wallet. What could start as an innocent look around could cost you hundreds of dollars if the facility isn't convenient.

* Price: Honestly, if you have the cash available and you are serious, pay for the year in advance. You will save hundreds of dollars compared to the debit facility and when it comes to renewal, most clubs offer further discounts. You may also be able to haggle the price with cash.

* Joining fees: NEVER PAY THE JOINING FEE. Unless the club is amazingly exclusive, refuse to pay the joining fee. It is simply a sales tool that gyms use to discount and use for seasonal marketing.

* Direct Debit memberships: Besides being far more expensive than paying your membership in full, direct debit memberships are a convenient and affordable way to budget your gym expense, however, if you do sign up for direct debit, understand the contract. Fitness Centers will call it an 'agreement', but it's a legal contract that you are obliged to honor. It may be convenient to have the $30-$40 debited each two weeks, but understand that if you wish to cancel within your contractual term you will have to pay an early exit fee. These are generally around $150.00. In this instance you may be better off transferring the membership to a friend or family member, where the fee is more likely to be around $50.00. Also, even at the completion of your term you still need to give 30 days advance notice regardless how past the term date you are. Also note that in most states your membership will AUTOMATICALLY RENEW at the end of your term. So don't think that even though your term has expired that the payments will stop. In Australia, different states have different laws, but to the best of my knowledge, South Australia is the only state that legislation states memberships must end on term completion.

* Membership holds/freeze: Find out about suspending your membership if you go away or you're unwell for a period. If you paid in advance the club should tack that time onto the end of your term. If you are using direct debit, most clubs will continue to debit your account while you are away and reimburse you in time once your term is up. It is simple to do and worthwhile.

* Child minding: OK, the club may have child minding, but make sure you see the area and find out who will be watching your child/children. Check the hours of operation etc. Don't take the 'salespersons' advice, they probably don't even have kids.

* Gym pool: Does it have one? Will you use it anyway? Does it cost extra? Most clubs that do have pools lack facilities in other parts of the gym such as cardio equipment and resistance machines, because frankly, pools are big and very expensive to maintain. Consider how often you will use it, if it is once or twice a week, you may be better off going casually to an aquatic center. That way you get the best of both worlds and it is probably cheaper.

* Group Fitness/Aerobics Classes: If group fitness is your thing, STUDY the timetable before you join, are the classes you want in the times you can attend? Are the instructors qualified and professional? Recall there are many gyms now all offering a wide variety of classes so choose wisely.

* Weight Training Area: Is the equipment maintained? Are the dumbbells heavy enough? Are there at least 2 of each dumbbell? (Trust me I've been to gyms where there were missing dumbbells) Are there adequate benches, pull up bars, dip bars? Is there a squat rack? Bodybuilders are NOT a gyms priority 9/10 times when they put together a floor plan. So make sure you look around, get a pass from the club to try it out when you want to train, if they won't give you a pass, pay the $20.00, it could save you hundreds if it isn't up to scratch.

* Initial Assessments: For the less experienced gym goer I 100% recommend you take advantage of the free assessments. Normally you will be paired with an experienced personal trainer even if he/she spends the whole time trying to sell you more personal training sessions. Regardless, have your questions and goals written down. Be specific about injuries or concerns. If you are considering taking on personal training sessions, their ability to acknowledge you initial queries and their general demeanor should give you a clear indication whether they have your best interest in mind. Which brings me too:

* Personal Trainers: To be honest, personal trainers generally aren't rocket scientists. These days you can be qualified to work in a gym in a few weeks. The industry itself is not heavily regulated so there are some 'trainers' out there that frankly couldn't guide you to tie your shoes properly. CHOOSE CAREFULLY. Some ways to pick who are the best trainers are to see who appears to be booked up? Speak to one of their clients that appears to have similar goals to you, check experience and qualifications. There is more to choosing a personal trainer than the one with the best backside. Besides the money, your health and safety are in their hands. I personally have seen personal trainers sending text messages while counting repetitions for their clients. So I say again CHOOSE CAREFULLY!

* Cardio Equipment: Is there enough? Are there machines with 'out of order' signs on them? Is the 'cardio theater' adequate? Again depending on your goals and what you enjoy doing, pay close attention to this area. Have a demonstration while you're being shown around. The beauty of the Cardio area is that this IS a priority for most gyms. This is the make or break area so much of the time this is where a large portion of their equipment budget is spent. All the same, check it out.

Other things to note:

* Do you notice water fountains?
* Does the gym have secure lockers?
* Are the showers clean?
* Does the gym have affiliates or sister clubs that you can use when you travel?

There you go. You had no idea that there was this much to know about joining a gym did you? In my experience, you have to know exactly what you want and what you're prepared to pay for it to truly get the most for your gym experience and of course, your money.

Happy hunting