Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: slayer on May 28, 2006, 12:18:48 PM
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discuss!
im consdering pa for some type of non franchise business with a low cost startup!
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Curves.
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Curves.
non franchise! curves is a franchise!
i mean hardcore type gym
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non franchise! curves is a franchise!
i mean hardcore type gym
My bad.
How about this:
Open up a topless gym. Hire women only as part of your staff (unless you want to appeal to Derek Anthony clientele). I guarantee your gym would be extremely popular.
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non franchise! curves is a franchise!
i mean hardcore type gym
a hardcore type gym makes no money.... stupid thread... hire a lawyer and a market analylist and then get someone to help you build a business model... WOGs (women's only gyms) are the IN thing these days
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discuss!
im consdering pa for some type of non franchise business with a low cost startup!
Hardcore gym CAN make money but the following things have to be done...
1. zero debt. don't borrow money to start a hardcore gym because the turnover is simply too low to service it.
2. buy used equipment. if you aren't borrowing money then you'll probably need to do this. America is full of good used equipment for very low prices.
3. cheap warehouse style building.
4. get a good drug supplier to service your customers :)
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im not looking to get rich, just pay the bills and have enuff profit to live modestly on!
i have the cash, so i wouldnt be borrowing anything.
id probally mix new and old equiptment.
oldschool style....not nyc or bally's, but enuff cardio area to attract some female members!
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im not looking to get rich, just pay the bills and have enuff profit to live modestly on!
i have the cash, so i wouldnt be borrowing anything.
id probally mix new and old equiptment.
oldschool style....not nyc or bally's, but enuff cardio area to attract some female members!
Man if that is your dream then do it... i've seen more general fitness gyms go bust than bodybuilding ones so long as you keep a lid on expenses you don't need to have a huge turnover to do okay.
what is your population and demographics like where you are? are there any other gyms around your area that cater to lifters?
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im not looking to get rich, just pay the bills and have enuff profit to live modestly on!
i have the cash, so i wouldnt be borrowing anything.
id probally mix new and old equiptment.
oldschool style....not nyc or bally's, but enuff cardio area to attract some female members!
A half way point is the best way to do anything in life. large chains are ALL about turning a profit so they swing heavily to the cardio end of things. Ultra hardcore gyms are all about being hardcore so don't give a shit about the cardio side of things. If you are not totally against cardio machines etc have a place with a great middle ground. Good accommodations if you are into cardio and also great accommodations if you are the hardcore type....
thats what I wish I could find anyway. Just not a place with one extreme greater than the other. I don't give a shit how "hardcore" you are. Lifting in a hot, rust filled shithole gets old after awhile. And on the latter hanging out with the treadmill/ circuit fags ain't so hot either.
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im not looking to get rich, just pay the bills and have enuff profit to live modestly on!
i have the cash, so i wouldnt be borrowing anything.
id probally mix new and old equiptment.
oldschool style....not nyc or bally's, but enuff cardio area to attract some female members!
if you plan on doing that then please consider a solid wall with a door seperating the "health club" weight lifting machines and cardio equipment from the hardocre lifting area. you can put in seperate souns systems and also avoid having dudes like me scaring old ladies off treadmills when i drop something heavy
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if you plan on doing that then please consider a solid wall with a door seperating the "health club" weight lifting machines and cardio equipment from the hardocre lifting area. you can put in seperate souns systems and also avoid having dudes like me scaring old ladies off treadmills when i drop something heavy
Word!!! cater to both crowds give options..... I would love to work out in a place like this. SOrt of like worlds used to be back in the day.... cardio was separated from the serious lifting equipment.
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Word!!! cater to both crowds give options..... I would love to work out in a place like this. SOrt of like worlds used to be back in the day.... cardio was separated from the serious lifting equipment.
yup... also if you include two olympic lifting platforms and a chalk bin I guaranty you will suck up the hardcore crowd... only allow chalk on the olympic platforms. peeps will use them for power-pulls, deadlifts and cleans... the benefit being that they absorb vibration & noise and protect your equipment
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All great ideas! And for the love off god include a pull over machine like the old school Worlds used to have.
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you know this already but location is important,if you open it to close to another already established hardcore gym it could be rough for ya,alot of guys wont just leave thier gym to go to another one.believe it or not hardcore gyms seem to doo better in the urban areas compared to the suburban areas cause alot of these dudes arent looking to get tied into long term cintracts but rather pay as you go type of deals,im not sure about the price to be honest as far as opening a gym but id get plenty of free weights as well as dumbells and throw in some nice hammer strength pieces and stuff,im sure you got that part figured out since you workout and know what the members like and what they dont like,good luck to ya if you do and i hope it works out,im sure youll enjoy it cause you like the bodybuilding scene and your not just in it for the profit
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well im planning on moving to pa, so it would be up that way! maybe allentown area...
it would mainly be a bodybuilding style gym
half free weight , half hammer and def. a place for deadlifts!!
i meant enuff cardio , so you wouldnt have to go somewhere else to do it!
pretty much like what im seeing in the appolan gym pics not very big, but big enuff(clean looking, but still hardcore)
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you know this already but location is important,if you open it to close to another already established hardcore gym it could be rough for ya,alot of guys wont just leave thier gym to go to another one.believe it or not hardcore gyms seem to doo better in the urban areas compared to the suburban areas cause alot of these dudes arent looking to get tied into long term cintracts but rather pay as you go type of deals,im not sure about the price to be honest as far as opening a gym but id get plenty of free weights as well as dumbells and throw in some nice hammer strength pieces and stuff,im sure you got that part figured out since you workout and know what the members like and what they dont like,good luck to ya if you do and i hope it works out,im sure youll enjoy it cause you like the bodybuilding scene and your not just in it for the profit
i used to work at powerhowse in avenel before it went out of business in the early 90's remember that hole?
its now a 7 eleven type store( the place had about ten machines and ten benches)
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i used to work at powerhowse in avenel before it went out of business in the early 90's remember that hole?
its now a 7 eleven type store( the place had about ten machines and ten benches)
lol,i trained their once or twice,like someone above mentioned about the pullover machine,i love that peice,get one just like the one yates was using in blood and guts,also id recommend the old school smith machine,you know which one i mean i think,the one where you got another bar on top of the bar your pushing,same one yates was using in blood and guts also.id get 2 leg presses and 2 power racks also,one pec deck should be fine imo.one hack slide should do the trick also,dumbells should go up to 180 to be safe imo,one heavy duty standing calf raise and the donkey calf machine is a great idea also,throw in some hammer pieces for back and chest and some odds and ends and youll be set,id be happy to train there with the stuff i just mentioned anyway,one more very important aspect,get a crankin sound system and get some metal music and some rap this way you keep everyone happy ;)
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well im planning on moving to pa, so it would be up that way! maybe allentown area...
it would mainly be a bodybuilding style gym
half free weight , half hammer and def. a place for deadlifts!!
i meant enuff cardio , so you wouldnt have to go somewhere else to do it!
pretty much like what im seeing in the appolan gym pics not very big, but big enuff(clean looking, but still hardcore)
yea, Apollon is where the hardcore lifters go in the area. I can still bring my PT clients there. Tell them don't worry, no one is looking at you, they are looking at themselves.
Serious grunting, music blasting, garage doors open. Even a bathroom on the lower floor for men or women to use.( I don't use it, the smell...)
More weights than cardio equipment. You go in, workout, go home. Lots of regulars and Manoli(owner) knows all of his members names.
Sandra
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yea, Apollon is where the hardcore lifters go in the area. I can still bring my PT clients there. Tell them don't worry, no one is looking at you, they are looking at themselves.
Serious grunting, music blasting, garage doors open. Even a bathroom on the lower floor for men or women to use.( I don't use it, the smell...)
More weights than cardio equipment. You go in, workout, go home. Lots of regulars and Manoli(owner) knows all of his members names.
Sandra
sandra is right in what she said,its nice
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IM not sure, I dont know how gyms work, how many memebers you need to be making money, etc...
From what im hearing, its tough to make money..id be afraid of losing your ass. also there are big gyms in allentown like LA fitness, and I thn ther eis a powerhouse out there too..
Where i am there is a few privtate gyms..the one i go to is the best, muscle inc. family owned.
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to be honest i love dorians temple gym,ive never been there but ive watched blood and guts many times and its a perfect gym for the hardcore trainer imo,it seems like every piece of equipment works awesome as far as taxing the muscle
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i used to blast slayer when i worked and all the black dudes were like wtf.... funny thing sal the owner was black and he loved oldschool metallica!
ya my sound system mite cost more then the equiptment!!!
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IM not sure, I dont know how gyms work, how many memebers you need to be making money, etc...
From what im hearing, its tough to make money..id be afraid of losing your ass. also there are big gyms in allentown like LA fitness, and I thn ther eis a powerhouse out there too..
Where i am there is a few privtate gyms..the one i go to is the best, muscle inc. family owned.
well if you rent a place and spend about 20 to 30 grand on equiptment, id say youll make at least enuff cash to pay rent, utilities , insurance ect,,. so worst casre scenerio you go out of business and sell the equiptment for hald of what ya paid for it!
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I would love to work out in a hardcore gym, but if I had to listen to blasted music that would inevitably involve either numetal or gangstarap I'd probably stop going.
And no, I don't think slayer is numetal, I'm just pointing out that so many gymrat wannabe hardcore losers are affiliated with numetal its hilarious.
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its better to try it and even if it goes under at least you tried bro,its better then going thru life not knowing what would have happened with the gym,if you do everything right i think youll be okay with the gym
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No matter what kind of gym you open be sure to have a Murphy Bed in your office. you will thank me many times over. Especially if you plan to have girls there and hot ones working for you.
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I would love to work out in a hardcore gym, but if I had to listen to blasted music that would inevitably involve either numetal or gangstarap I'd probably stop going.
And no, I don't think slayer is numetal, I'm just pointing out that so many gymrat wannabe hardcore losers are affiliated with numetal its hilarious.
In any gym you go to, there is a member time frame early morning....people who go to work at 9am...mid morning, stay at home moms, retirees, lunch time..workers getting in their hour workout, etc, etc, etc.
The music should reflect each segment. Manoli lets members bring in personal CDs, puts it in the changer and you get a cool mix of metal, rap, rock. Just heard Pink Floydd dark side of the moon this morning, followed by a song from the Matrix CD.
Also, what other things are you considering to bring in money besides membership fees?
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they threw my john denver cd out last week,i used to love to crank rocky mountain high on shoulder day,im depressed
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its better to try it and even if it goes under at least you tried bro,its better then going thru life not knowing what would have happened with the gym,if you do everything right i think youll be okay with the gym
So true , so true... :-\
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pictures of my small studio....
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Be sure to get a website for your gym ;)
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been open for 4 years
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dumbells go up to 140's
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i have a website
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i have a website
A very nice one!
I meant slayer, the guy who started the thread about starting a gym.
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Its ALL about location...If its a hardcore(good luck) but shoot for a college town...1/2 price for woman(talk to a lawyer on that one)...
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non franchise! curves is a franchise!
i mean hardcore type gym
I don't want to put you down...
But if you're in to make a living:
How about NOT open up a hardcore gym?
How about making sure non of the machines have weights that goes beyond 160 lbs, Db that goes above 60 lbs, et al.
You wanna make a living I suppose.
YIP
Zack
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I don't want to put you down...
But if you're in to make a living:
How about NOT open up a hardcore gym?
How about making sure non of the machines have weights that goes beyond 160 lbs, Db that goes above 60 lbs, et al.
You wanna make a living I suppose.
YIP
Zack
I disagree... why compete against the big chains by going all soft core since they have that market sewn up.
either go high class one on one the way vinny has or go basic freeweights like a metro flex.
so long as the overheads are really low (no loan, cheap rent, no aerobics staff to pay, clean it yourself etc) then you don't need to bring in mega amounts to stay afloat.
you will HAVE to be very cheap since you aren't offering anything extra but that can be your main selling point and also your main excuse when people complain about the hours not being long enough or having no daycare etc (what do you want for this price honey?).
One thing to perhaps do is really go overboard on the amount and the size of the dumbbell area. this wouldn't cost much to do but can be a real selling point since every gym is way too congested in the dumbbell area and could use more benches and multiple sets of the 30's to 80lbers
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idea-
I would spend a few weeks visiting gyms all over your area of the city/county/state. Take a few trips and get day passes. Bring a notepad, only instead of writing down your routine as you lift, write about what you like/dislike about the gym. Everything good, everything bad. Little things. Maybe steal a staff member if you need one and someone is perfect. Maybe even plan recruitment- how you could snatch up some of these members down the road.
Chat with ppl. Act like you're thinking about joining- see what they like/dislike. Same with the staff- Get all their prices and lowest deal offers. This way, when someone tries to BS you later "well, i can get it for $400 down at Golds", you will know if he is lying, and plan your negotiations accordingly. It'll also help you sell memberships better- You can point out everything you have that the competitors dont- "I'm the only guy in town with this cardio machine" to the fat lady, or "I have more squat racks than GOlds (3) and Worlds (4) combined! This line, you'd use on the PLer. Find a local pro or top amateur- and give him a free membership and some supps or a few bucks to train there exclusively. This will help sell you young guys "Hell, John Smith chose my gym over every other gym in town- so should you"
Also- Location usually means everything, jwb is very right about that.
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The best thing to do if you want a Hardcore gym is to find at least 15 people and pool your money to rent out a little space in a warehouse or a shop of some sort. One of the places I go is like this. I pay 50 dollars a month, I have a lot of good equipment (I do powerlifting so theres a power rack, deadlift platform, competition bench, reverse hyper, glute ham raise various benches, cable pulldown machine, dumbells, bumper plates etc.) We all have keys andI can play whatever music I want when I go there. I still go to a commercal gym as well because I think it is entertaining, but this is really the way to go if you are serious about lifting.
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well near a college or a highschool would be the main goal!
id def. go up to 200 lb dumbells
most health clubs go up to 80 lbs aroung here anyways...
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You might consider a "hardcore area" for your gym - so their is an area with good lighting, mirrors, powerlifting stuff, etc for the BBers. Then the regular members won't feel out of place when doing their thing. Make you money off the regular members (cardio and easy machines), but fuel that into the equipment for the hardcore area...
This is more common around here as a way to keep more members and not alienate them either...
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well if you rent a place and spend about 20 to 30 grand on equiptment, id say youll make at least enuff cash to pay rent, utilities , insurance ect,,. so worst casre scenerio you go out of business and sell the equiptment for hald of what ya paid for it!
20 to 30 grand will get you about a third of the equipment you need, regardless if its used or not. (even if its a small gym) and dont forget about the additional 15% that its gonna cost to ship it. if you want to research, go to www.globalfitness.com. they are the largest company in the world for selling used equipment
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looks good, nice gym
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Why buy used equipment. Impress your members and potential members and lease new equipment. You only need 10% down and the payments are relatively low. You won't have that huge nt to crack if you purchase the equipment outright. Plus, you'll get the full warranty and support. Some used equipment is good and a deal but why not get new if it will cost the same or less from the start. You want to keep your opening costs as low as possible. Once memebrships are generated use that money to buy more equipment and upgrade. Use as little of your own cash as possible. In fact compnies like LifeFitness will actually include your building costs of the gym into the lease agreement for the equipment. That way your actual dollars you put in of your own are minimal. Let them pay for the building of your gym.
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Do your homework...
Gyms are like bars, only 15% survivie the first year and then 50% of them close withing the next 2-3 years
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build you own customized home gym , train customers at home with a personal training certificate.