So you’ve leased a space and now you want to make it your own. Here are the 5 questions you need to answer when you are transforming your building into a dominating space for your members.
You probably already have an idea of the kind of gym you want to make, but prioritizing the most important elements will help while you’re going through the buildout process. Are you trying to cater to a niche audience? Whether it be a bodybuilding gym, a physical therapy space, athletic training, or other specific groups, you’ll want to consider these needs while laying out your space. How do you want each area to flow into the next? What do you need to accommodate?
Lighthouse Gym |
1st Phorm Headquarters Corporate Facility |
Prioritize your floor plan and your budget with the keystone features you’re wanting to have to drive people to your gym: childcare, tanning, saunas, functional training space, turf, group fitness, etc. Which ones are the most important to you and your business model based on the square footage you choose?
The community and culture where you are establishing your gym can sometimes provide inspiration for how you want to build your gym's brand. Some great examples of some of our gyms that have brought their local experience into their gyms are:
Your Life Gym- “Recognizing that one of the tactics he personally used for his own self-care and mental well-being was exercise, Jake [Luhrs] hatched a plan to launch a gym to impact his local community. He wanted to step outside the box and create a gym where his clients would feel loved, accepted, and empowered.” (“About Us: The Yourlife Gym: Lancaster, PA.” The YourLife Gym, 2023, www.theyourlifegym.com/about-us)
Jake wanted to create a positive change after seeing how the pandemic affected his community’s mental health. His mission was to fuse physical fitness and mental health to provide his members with unconditional support. So along with their gym membership services, they offer men’s and women’s groups to facilitate support and community.
The Dragon’s Lair - Flex Lewis took a lot of inspiration from Las Vegas and Bodybuilding when he built his gym. This was reflected in the artwork on the walls and the custom dragon scale powder coat on his machines. Flex is 7 time Mr. Olympia champion and he wanted to use his knowledge of the bodybuilding industry to create a space that would ultimately become an inspirational space for bodybuilding professionals and those pursuing their titles.
Las Vegas is also a great opportunity for traveling gym-goers. Many people visit Las Vegas, and the Dragon’s Lair offers a badass gym with exceptional facilities in what could be considered a “tourist town.”
Color selection, lighting, flooring and branding are all going to work together to create identifiable areas within the layout itself. Additionally, you need to decide what the overall feel of your gym needs to be. Bright and vibrant? Darker and moody? Modern? Traditional?
Decide and know who you are and make sure your visuals promote that. Once you identify this, you have established a huge part of your branding, which plays a huge role in marketing your business.
Hub City Fitness uses bright lighting, and light flooring, with contrasted black and blue equipment. This contemporary look is inviting to gym members and creates an appealing atmosphere. |
Fox Fitness created a facility to serve its community and provide an inspiring and fun atmosphere for its members. They used their signature orange color to promote their brand and provided multiple areas for group fitness and specialized training. |
Iron Vault Sono was the second location for the Iron Vault Gyms. They consistently use a dark and moody aesthetic to promote a "serious" training environment for their members. |
Once you have your brand established, look for walls and open areas that would serve as opportunities to showcase your branding. Some great examples of visual branding are
Backlit Logo Displays |
Murals/ Photo Ops |
Turf |
Well Organized Merch Displays |
Branded Backplates and Bumper Plates |
Custom Upholstery Covers |
The #TortureRoom at the Dragon's Lair |
The Dallas McCarver Posing Room at the Dragon's Lair |
Our team at Arsenal Strength works with gyms every day to build out inspiring facilities that give gym members an exceptional space to train. If you are working on building out a gym and need help with these questions, we can help. Check our Instagram to see our latest projects.
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