Thinking of Opening Gym on Rt 196

[tsafa]

Hi guys,

I am thinking of opening a gym somewhere along 611 and 196. I have a few places I am considering... since there are quire a few vacancies.

I would like some feedback from you guys.


First my idea of a gym is a basic dungeon gym that you pay $200 a year. I would give people the option of paying $25 a month instead of the $200 up front.

The gym I am envisioning will be a free weight gym. It will have a few necessary machines (leg curl, leg ext, lat pulldown) and 5 cardio machines.

The equipment will be cramped into about 1,200 sq/feet. No showers or locker room. Just one or two basic bathrooms.

The main goal here is the keep the membership at $200 a year.

I have been lifting for about 25 years, so I know what equipment is really needed (not fancy, pretty stuff).

I don't plan on running the gym like a neatness-nazi. Plates and dumbbells will be all over the place. I will allow people to reasonably drop dumbells (that does not mean intentionally throw them up in the air just so you make a loud noise). I can't stand fitness centers that are anal though about dropping stuff or putting weights back on racks. I don't like fitness centers, I dungeon gyms and feel that the atmosphere is more conducive to a hard workout.

What do you guys think of this? Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

[Exbiker]

First to you have 18 months of living expenses and gym bill money saved? Do you already own equipment or are you going to buy it and how? A loan to add to your debt service?
Honestly the bread and butter isn't the hard core lifter, it's the guy that buys comes a couple dozen times and then you rarely see him. Insurance can be expensive. Competition is fierce. Yearly fees require posting a bond now.

It's not as simple as it sounds. In the 80's I owned Northwood Nautilus.

[tsafa]

The money side of this I have worked out. It is a question if people around here will be happier in a dungeon gym or they prefer to pay more money for a fitness center.

[run silent run deep]

The only question I have, will there be GRUNTING allowed. Believe it or not there are gym's where it is not allowed.

[tsafa]

The only question I have, will there be GRUNTING allowed. Believe it or not there are gym's where it is not allowed.

I almost can't believe you...

Grunting is will be highly encouraged... especially from female remembers

I draw the line at spitting on the floor though

[coble]

who wants to go to the gym Now an indoor range. That's what ya need.

[Exbiker]

300 members at $300 a year is 90K. 300 members would be a lofty goal for the first year not to mention with an extremely small floorspace it will be crowded even if only 30% show up to workout at prime time. Disposable income around here is at a premium.
There are a ton of expenses to take out of that 90K. I lived for almost a year without being able to take a dime out for myself.

[giantdad]

Isn't there a gym on 611 near the Martz bus station?

[tsafa]

Isn't there a gym on 611 near the Martz bus station?

Yes. My understanding is that it is a $600+ a year gym. My thought is that some people might be willing to accept less comfort in order to save $400.

The way this Dungeon Gym idea came to me, is that was shopping around for a local gym for myself and found out that my only option was to pay them $600+ a year. No WAY.
I was going to spend a few thousand dollars and fill up my basement with some power-lifting grade equipment... and then I decided that it was just a small leap to move the next level of just opening up a small gym.
That way, nobody can bitch at me when I drop 75 lbs dumbbells when doing seated shoulder press. There really is no other way to safely put them down.

I am told that there use to be a $300 a year gym around here, but that closed down due to some insurance fraud related issues. So the market seems to exist for an economy gym.

[camper]

Keep in mind that the policy of not throwing weights and mandated cleanliness might be a requirement to keep insurance at affordable levels. Or the requirement of some other health and safety codes.

camper