Soon it’ll be 2020, and it’s no surprise that many people will be flocking to the gym. For some, it can be scary finding a gym. My goal is to help you find a gym and to help you expect the unexpected of having a gym membership.

1. Not all gyms are created equal. Some gyms only have cardio equipment like treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals. There’s nothing wrong with that, but why invest in that? Unless it’s your only option, look for gyms that have a good mixture of cardio and WEIGHT LIFTING equipment. As good as cardio is for the body, weight lifting could be just as good, if not more. Lifting weights helps develop muscle and increase metabolism. Doesn’t that sound neat? You need dumbbells and barbells to do that. That’s why you should look for gyms with both cardio and weight lifting equipment. Some other things to consider are the extras such as showers, sauna, tanning, etc.

2. Ask for a tour. Most gyms will allow you to walk around and check it out. After doing some online research, and you’ve seen some photos of treadmill and dumbbells, it’s time to go see the gym in person. The gym I work in gives tours. If you walk into a Crunch Fitness gym, front desk receptionists will take you on a tour to highlight group fitness rooms, the cardio equipment, the weight equipments, location of bathrooms and tanning rooms, and etc. After establishing that they actually have what you want, it’s time to observe other qualities of a gym. It’s okay to tell the tour guide that you need to look around on your own. Look for how current members clean the equipment (if they do at all). Check out the bathrooms to see if it gets cleaned. Imagine yourself working out and ask yourself if you would be comfortable with the current members you see in the gym. After you’re done looking around and feeling good about the place, you can sign up with the gym if it is to your liking.

3. What to expect: gyms will probably have hidden costs. Sometimes it’ll come in the form of maintenance costs or something like that. It’s typically an annual one time fee after the first month. Ask if your gym has costs beside the monthly rate. Also, there probably is an option to pay for a years worth of membership in one transaction. If you ever find yourself frustrated at the gym, keep in mind that most workers are just workers who are following what the managers want them to do. Be nice and they will most likely be nice back. If you’re in a small gym out in the boonies, you probably wont understand what I’m talking about in this post. But for those near the city, gyms are an investment in your health. It’s a place where you should go 2-3 times a week (minimum) to exercise.

4. I signed up, what now? Get your booty in the gym and make those gains!! Typically you’ll have to sign in at the front desk with a card to get in (or some other version of that). If you’re completely new, ask a personal trainer for some guidance . Some places may even offer one free session for their members. Take advantage of it to learn. Also, understand that personal trainers will do their best to please you. Their job is to help others accomplish their fitness goals, so if you’re someone who sees appeal in that I suggest you find one and invest in one. If you’re someone who doesn’t have access to a personal trainer, I suggest weight lifting if you can. Do variations of squat, bench press, shoulder press, bent over row, pull ups, and other compound lifts. You can google them and teach yourself if you’ve never done anything like that. There’s a ton of free resources out there to use. One that isn’t free but very informational is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding encyclopedia. I have learned a lot from that and I suspect that you could too.

One last thing: Don’t set yourself up for failure if you think coming into a gym to workout is no bueno. Reframe your mind to rethink coming into the gym is beneficial and fun. This could be done by doing what’s comfortable and/or bringing a friend along with you.