Hey, so this isn’t just some post I’m putting up to promote my own gym - because I don’t have one, yet. Actually, I go to Motor City Barbell, one of the best gyms I’ve ever been to. The purpose of this post is to detail exactly what you want to look for when you go out to get your first (or any) powerlifting gym membership. If you’re a powerlifter, there are a few simple necessities you’re going to want to make sure your gym has before you even set foot inside of the door. Of these things, the most important are: platforms, plates (obviously), Barbells, Dumbbells, Racks, Some extra equipment).

Barbells

If you’re a powerlifter one of the most important things to you will be finding a gym that actually has barbells. Why? Well, not having barbells means that you won’t be able to do any of the movements that you’d need to do in competition - actually all of the movements you’ll be required to do will have need some variation of a barbell.

Variations of the barbell: If you’re in a really good gym you’ll actually find a wide variety of different barbells - each of which will serve their own purpose. For instance, the deadlift bar serves the specific purpose of being used for the deadlift and nothing else. The same goes for the safety squat bar and the trap bar.

Safety Squat bar

The safety squat bar is used primarily to help keep your spine vertical and to reduce the load on the lower back. The handles on the front of the bar also make using it a bit more convenient for those with a bad range of motion in their shoulders.

Swiss bar

I’ve personally never had much reason to use the swiss bar but, have heard and read that it’s great for building strength. It has a number of different grips that go from being angled to neutral. It’s been said that the bar is great for those who would like to take a bit of the stress off of their shoulders while still being able to lift a fair amount of weight. It also seems like it would make for a great assistance exercise for the bench press.

Trap bar

I’ve only ever used this bar for deadlifts and weighted carries and I can say from using it for both of those activities that the trap bar is a work of art. When I was having issues with my lower back on the conventional deadlift I simply switched to the Trap bar (it took a bit of the stress off) and the pain slightly went away. While the pain did only slightly go away the movement ended up being a great assistance movement for my sumo and conventional deadlift.

Log Bar

The Log isn’t really a complete necessity if you’re a powerlifter but it is a great bonus if you want to use one. I won’t lie to you, the first time I’d ever seen a log bar in person was at the gym I’m at currently. They take a bit of time to get used to, mainly because of the fat gripz, but they are pretty cool once your body gets used to the deadlift, clean, pressing motion you need to do in order to get the weight up.

Axle Bar

This is more of a strongman implement but, the Axle bar is great if you want to work on your grip. Again, I don’t really use them but I can say that they are challenging enough to have a carryover to other movements you try to perform.

Olympic bar

This is pretty much the standard barbell you’re going to use. They typically weigh 45 lbs and are usually referred to as a “stiff bar” in the gyms I go to.

Dumbbell

I mainly use these for assistance movements but, dumbbells are a complete necessity. Why? Well, it’s very difficult to work on muscle imbalances with a barbell only. If one arm is stronger than the other (and it probably will be) using a dumbbell will definitely show you which one it is. In addition to this, you also want to make sure that the gym you’re at has enough dumbbells to challenge you. Assuming that you’re serious about powerlifting you’re going to want to make sure that you’re able to advance. I say this to say that you don’t want to go to a gym where the max weight is 60 lbs on the dumbbell - you’re not going to get any stronger than that 60 lbs. They don’t have to have dumbbells that go up to 250 lbs but a good number to look for will be at least 150 lbs.

Plates

What’s the point of having bars if you have nothing to load them up with. Of course you’re going to want to go to a gym that has enough plates to get you through your workout - a good rule of thumb is that you don’t want to set foot in a gym that allocates 3 plates to each barbell and who don’t want you to load up the barbell past the 3-4 plates on either side. That's’ definitely a gym you likely don’t want to be at (yes, I’m throwing shade at a specific gym, lol). While we’re on the topic of plating you also want to make sure that the gym you’re at has plates beside the basic 5, 10, 25, 35, 45 plates - it always helps to see 1 lb and 2.5 lb plates.

Platforms

Gyms tend to get mad at you if you drop weights on their pristine, untouched floor (it can crack the foundation, I guess lol). To get around this many good gyms decide to place platforms under their racks that you can use to deadlift, row, etc. on. Nothing too special about this one - you just want to make sure that the gym has a platform like this so that you don’t have to worry about getting spoken to when you’re performing pulling movements like the deadlift or the row.

Racks

What are you going to squat, row, overhead press, etc. out of if the gym doesn’t have racks? Now, this is another topic that is slightly nuanced mainly because of the fact that you want your gym to have a few racks so that you’re not sitting around waiting if they just so happen to be filled up by others. There are also a few different types of squat racks gym will have but, mainly you’ll want to go to a gym that has the standard squat stands or power racks. Why? Well, the typical squat stand or power rack is versatile and can be used for a number of different movements.

Extra equipment

There are also a few extra pieces of equipment you can look for that will help you during your search for a powerlifting gym. Of these, the ones I’ve found to be the most beneficial are those that focus more on hypertrophy such as:

• Leg Press
• Lat Pulldown Machine
• Incline Bench
• Hack Squat Machine

Know what you want to do and what you need

We've gone over the type of equipment there is available to choose from in gyms, and the types of equipment that'll be needed to perform certain types of exercises. If you want a plethora of equipment and would like to focus on bodybuilding (without the gym having a focus on free weights) then you could honestly go to a gym like planet fitness (until you need equipment with heavier weight settings). If you need free weights, go to a smaller gym with a focus on total fitness (that has minimal machinery).

• Amenities: There are gyms out there that have certain amenities such as a sauna, massage rooms, etc. There are also gyms that offer childcare zones for parents who need to bring their children with them into the gym....search for gyms based on your needs.
• Feel and distance: A large part of going to the gym is not being so close to home for some people. If you are one of these people then you probably want to include the distance of the gym to your place of living in your decision of what gym to choose.
• Coaching/Training: Some gyms, even the most basic, include coaches or group training. Using these resources can help one get a jumpstart on their fitness goals and help one develop workout plans.
• Classes: Some gyms, as I mentioned above, offer fitness classes of varying intensities to their members. These classes can be anything from jazzercise, to dance-fitness, to boxing - it depends. If you're interested in taking part in a class offered by a gym make sure to check what they have available before you sign up.
• Know the rules: Some things are considered must-haves for before an individual decides on a gym. For some, it'll be being able to bring their pet into the gym with them. For some it'll be being able to make as many grunting noises as humanly possible during a workout....it just depends on the person and their needs.

Hours and Location

Consider where you'll be going to gym from. Meaning that if you'll be going to the gym from your job you'll probably want a gym that's closer to your place of business. Also consider the days you'll be going to the gym. If you'll be going to the gym on weekends and you don't work on weekends it can be a hassle for you to go to the gym on those days if both your job (and consequently gym) are far away.

Pick a gym that fits in with your own behavioral patterns. For instance, if you're one of those people who struggles to get up in the morning to go to work why would you pick a time in the morning to go to the gym when you know you'll likely start to skip going after a while.

Budget

Gym memberships can range from $9 a month to close to $400 a month. In the states a gym membership averages to $50.03 or around $600 a year. But this price doesn't stand for all gyms and varies with the area you live in and the amenities the gym offers. When you think about price make sure to remember that you usually get what you pay for when you pay for anything. The same thing applies to gym memberships. But that doesn't always mean you have to pay for the most expensive gym membership.

Also remember the costs that go into commuting to the gym. I won't go into detail but calculate the number of miles to and from the gym from either your home or workplace, wherever you'll be going to the gym from and calculate the amount you'll be spending on going to the gym.

Gym Types

• University Gyms: When you go to a university gym you usually get full access to their facility. In my experience I only got access to the school gym when I was a student at the school but I do believe that alumni can access the school's gym at a discounted rate though.
• Crossfit/Barbell/Weightlifting Club: This type of gym usually has a single room, with plates, barbells, benches, dumbbells, and pullup bars. They typically have a membership that includes classes and coaching, but they're also usually a bit more expensive and open for select hours during the day (some gyms give keys to allow members access to the gym when they want to go).
• Globo Gyms: These gyms (such as Planet Fitness) are usually widely known and offer cheaper memberships (like Planet Fitness, lol). They often offer perks like tanning beds and massage rooms, and good guest policies.
• Locally Owned Gyms: These gyms usually run in the $50 range and offer good equipment and free weight selection. They usually don't offer classes and don't offer amenities that are as nice as health clubs.
• Health/Sports Clubs/YMCAs: These gyms are similar to Globo gyms but usually offer a higher level of service. There will be a great deal of amenities offered, such as child care, televisions, and towel services. These gyms can be fairly expensive though, and will occasionally not allow certain types of training.

Contracts are usually signed (sometimes)

A major reason some people don't sign up for the gym is that they don't want to get into contracts (I've done this so I know). But, if you read everything and know exactly what you're signing up for then the contract isn't really that bad.

Things to look for in a contract:

• Out-clauses are usually needed in case anything happens on your end, such as you losing your job, or you decide to move. Sometimes you can get out a contract if you move far away from the club without incurring a fee. Usually any other item will include an early termination fee.
• Contract freezes
• What happens if the club closes down
• Membership renewal

Make sure to get anything that is promised by the sales person in writing. Also get a copy of the contract to take home with you to read before you actually sign it - them not allowing you to do that is a bad sign.

Gym contract usually include three costs:

• Monthly cost: Monthly fee incurred from using the gym
• Maintenance fee: A yearly fee, usually. A few gyms may have contracts that say "we don't have one now, but we could at any point, without telling you, add one."
• Activation fee: A one time fee required to join the gym

Look on the website before you go into the gym to see if they offer any deals, but make sure to ask the sales person if they have any deals first as they could be offering better in-person deals.

Don't fear negotiation as they often have a range of prices that they can sell memberships at, with higher commission rates for the most expensive ones. All they can really do is say no.

The activation fee can always be waived - they will usually tell you they can but 99 percent of the time they're lying or they simply don't have the personal authority to do so. Make sure to ask for someone who can - and don't fear walking out if they refuse.

Conclusion

That’s pretty much it - all of the equipment that you’ll want to see in a gym if you’re going to be a powerlifter. Of course, there are other pieces of equipment you’ll likely want to see in your powerlifting gym. And these are just the basics, there will likely be other pieces of equipment you’ll find to be beneficial in your powerlifting journey. For more check out the resources, I’ve included on the bottom of the article.

Resources: