Nowadays people are encouraged to start their own businesses and become entrepreneurs. It all starts with your desire to become one, and the right motivation. Maybe you want to make more money, help your community, or escape that 9-5 working routine with a gym – every reason is valid. When you start your own business, you control the working hours.
You can start early or late, finish whenever you want, take a vacation or a weekend off, or work overtime if that’s what you need. You will peruse your passion and the things that make you happy. No more bosses to report to, or someone telling you what to do and when. You make the decisions and rules on hiring and firing, where you work and how.
You can build your dream team that will focus on developing and organizing the business to build a big brand. If you don’t know where to start, there are always schools and courses you could take and start from there. Learn the essentials that will help you on this journey and be ready to take your life and future into your hands.
What equipment is essential for a gym?
Gyms are becoming more and more popular these days. A lot of people are starting to realize the benefits of being active and having some type of exercise, and gyms offer many options. This is why opening your own gym is a great idea. But before you do, you’ll need to find the right pieces of fitness equipment and the perfect location.
Free Standing Weights
People are now combining cardio exercise with weight lifting, so having a few free-standing weights can be a good starting point. They can be used for strength training, interval training and core work. You’ll have a lot of different people using them. There are a few types of free-standing weights:
- Dumbbells – they can vary in weight, starting from 5kg to a much heavier version of 50kg. Dumbbells are made from a cast-iron core and are protected with a rubber coating.
- Barbells – you can combine the barbells with a squat rack and a bench press or use them on their own. You can also make them removable.
- Kettlebells – these look like cannons with a handle. They can be as light as 2kg and as heavy as 80kg. You can swing and snatch them to increase the strength of your grip and make your lower back, shoulders and legs stronger.
Cardio Equipment
Every gym should have a couple of different cardio machines. They’re the essential fitness equipment people love to use. A good thing about cardio machines is that they can be used by people with different fitness levels and different goals (losing weight, gaining muscle mass, warming up or cooling down before exercising). Consider buying these three as a starter:
- Treadmill – treadmills are very versatile, and people can adjust them to their needs and preferences. They can start with walking, then activate the incline and do the walking that way, and speed up with light jogging or a sprint. It’s going to be one of the most commonly used machines for sure.
- Elliptical Machine – this piece of workout equipment increases stamina, burns calories and fat, works the upper and lower body muscles, and improves balance. Together with the treadmill, elliptical will be most frequently used.
- Stationary Bike – stationary bikes are a better alternative for a warm-up before exercising. Recumbent bikes are great for working on the lower part of the body, and upright bikes have many features like a heart monitor, calorie-burning monitor ,and distance calculator. These are great additions to the bike so people can track their progress in real-time.
Rowing Machine
Rowing machines could go in the cardio equipment category, but because they’re not that common they’re on their own. Purchasing one or two of these machines can be good for our business. You can put them out there for everyone to use, or store them in other rooms and charge extra for their usage.
They activate around 80% of the muscles and are pretty effective exercise machines. They are great for warming up or recovery exercises because they have a low impact on the joints. To use the rowing machine properly put a non-slip mat underneath it so it doesn’t slip and move around.
Every manufacturer has a weight limit on the machine so make sure you and your customers adhere to this limit for safe usage. Use it on a flat surface and leave a lot of room around it for movement. This type of fitness equipment assists with work on both the upper and lower body and the core at the same time. It helps build up muscles and significantly benefits the cardiovascular system.
Battle Ropes
Battle ropes are a simple, yet very efficient way to lose weight, gain muscle mass and strengthen your core. They make people feel powerful while using them as if they’re overcoming a big obstacle. They’re constructed of heavily intertwined ropes that come in various weights and sizes, that you whip in front of you.
Battle ropes give a full-body exercise, despite the popular opinion that they’re just for the upper-body like arms and shoulders. Because of the intensity, they burn the same number of calories in 15 minutes as you lose in 1h on the treadmill. They are portable and can be easily stored.
Surveys show that people are excited to use battle ropes in their workout routine. This is an important factor in completing their exercise goals because it’s something they enjoy doing. This means you’ll have a lot of happy customers that will keep coming back. Battle ropes also improve balance and stability and introduce new moves and positions people can use to make their exercising fun and challenging.
Suspension Trainers
Suspension trainers are a combination of endurance, core, and strength training in one machine. People can use them to activate almost every muscle in their body. They have a very durable and tough suspension system that combines the person’s body weight with resistance training. With regular exercise, the person will get stronger, more flexible and will build endurance.
In Summary
Buying the basic and essential equipment isn’t the only step, but it can be the first, and very important one, to get you started. Pick the machines carefully and from reliable suppliers so you don’t waste your money. Plan and prepare as much as you can. A good promotion and advertising of your business will do half of the job. Be prepared for different situations and the many problems you’d get to solve along the way.
