Why a matrix beats a gut feeling
Tours are persuasive. A striking lobby or a sauna can stay in your memory longer than the number of squat racks, even when racks are what you need. A matrix makes you compare like with like, and decide in advance what each facility is worth to you.
RPM's facilities page walks through one club's areas in order, from the training floor to the grooming hub. Fill RPM's column from it and from your tour, the same way you fill the others.
Set the weights from your goal
Give each facility a weight. Use 3 for what you will use every session, 2 for what you will use most weeks, 1 for an occasional extra, and 0 for anything you will not use. The table suggests starting weights for common goals, which you can adjust to your own week.
| Goal | Weight 3 | Weight 2 | Weight 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength and muscle | Free weights and racks, plate-loaded machines | Cable stations, changing area | Cardio, recovery rooms |
| General fitness | Cardio, machines, classes | Functional area, changing area | Recovery rooms, grooming |
| Conditioning and HYROX-style training | Functional area with a sled lane, cardio | Free weights | Recovery rooms |
| Pilates | Studio and apparatus, instruction | Changing area | Grooming, cardio |
| Privacy-led training for women | A women-only section with its own equipment | Studio, female coaches | Recovery rooms, grooming |
The comparison matrix
Score each gym on each line: 0 if it is missing or not in your membership, 1 if it is there but limited, 2 if it is good, 3 if it is excellent for the way you train. Multiply each score by the weight and add up the column.
| Facility | Weight | Gym A | Gym B | Gym C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free weights and racks | ||||
| Plate-loaded and selector machines | ||||
| Cable stations | ||||
| Cardio | ||||
| Functional area | ||||
| Studios and classes | ||||
| Women-only section | ||||
| Recovery rooms | ||||
| Changing area and lockers | ||||
| Grooming area | ||||
| Weighted total |
Score what you can actually use. A recovery suite that your tier does not include scores 0 for you, however good it looks.
A worked example
Take a reader who trains for strength after work and likes an occasional sauna. Gym A has a striking lobby and spa-style recovery rooms but few racks at peak. Gym B has a plainer finish and more racks.
| Facility | Weight | Gym A: score, weighted | Gym B: score, weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free weights and racks | 3 | 1, 3 | 3, 9 |
| Machines | 2 | 3, 6 | 2, 4 |
| Cable stations | 2 | 2, 4 | 3, 6 |
| Cardio | 1 | 3, 3 | 2, 2 |
| Functional area | 1 | 1, 1 | 2, 2 |
| Recovery rooms | 1 | 3, 3 | 1, 1 |
| Changing area | 2 | 3, 6 | 2, 4 |
| Total | 16 raw, 26 weighted | 15 raw, 28 weighted |
Unweighted, Gym A wins by a point. Weighted for this reader's goal, Gym B wins, because it is better at the thing done every session. That is the whole job of the weights.
Where the scores should come from
Score from the strongest evidence you have, in this order.
- What you saw and touched on a tour, using the walk-through checklist.
- Answers the gym gave in writing, especially about which tier includes what.
- Recent visitor photos and reviews.
- The gym's own photos, which show the space at its tidiest.
- Website claims, the weakest evidence of all.
Before a tour, you can draft a column from photos alone. The guide to what gym photos should show explains what they can and cannot prove.
Lines people forget to score
- Access by tier. Many gyms split facilities across membership levels, so score each gym on the tier you would actually buy.
- Availability at peak. A studio that is booked solid at your hour is worth less than its photos suggest.
- Parity in the women-only space. Compare its equipment with the mixed floor, not with nothing.
- Upkeep. A machine that is often out of order scores lower than a plainer one that always works.
- Suitability of heat and cold. Saunas, steam rooms and ice baths are not right for everyone. If you are pregnant or have a heart condition, ask your doctor before giving them any weight.
- Air conditioning in summer, especially in functional areas and studios.
Convenience is a separate question with its own worksheet: see comparing gym location convenience.
Filling in RPM's column
- Free weights and machines: the photos show racks, benches, dumbbells, fixed-weight barbells and plate-loaded machines, with multi-station cable towers alongside.
- Cardio: treadmills, cross-trainers, an upright bike and spin bikes.
- Functional area: a turf lane with a sled, plus kettlebells, battle ropes, step boxes and heavy bags.
- Ladies section: its own strength and cardio equipment, and the Pilates studio where reformer classes run. Women only.
- Recovery suite: a Finnish sauna, an aroma steam room and an ice bath. Ask which tiers or passes include it.
- Changing and grooming: keypad lockers, and a grooming hub with a vanity area, hairdryers and products.
Which of these your membership covers depends on the tier, Floor, Engine or Atelier, so confirm it with the team before you score. Men train in the Mixed section, and the Ladies section is for women only.
Questions, answered.
Should a sauna or ice bath decide between two gyms?
Only if you will use it often and your membership includes it. For most people the training floor decides, and recovery rooms break a tie.
How do I score a facility I will not use?
Give it a weight of 0. It then cannot help or hurt any gym, which is the honest result.
Is more equipment always better?
No. Two well-kept racks that are usually available beat a row of crowded or broken ones at your hour. Score what works for you at the time you train.
Can I compare facilities without visiting?
You can draft the matrix from photos and written answers, but score it properly only after a tour. Photos rarely show wear, crowding or what your tier includes.
What if a gym will not show me an area?
Score it 0 until you have seen it or had a clear written description. An area a gym will not show is not one you can count on.