What makes a good powerlifting/strongman gym?

[inkxaviary]

My boyfriend and his buddy are going to be opening a powerlifting/strongman gym next year. I was just wondering what exactly makes a good facility? What kind of an atmosphere should the gym have? Prefered equipment? Hours? Any advice is helpful!

Also, I think in order to make a profit the gym should also be accessible to the average person. Is this true/a good line of thinking? If so, any advice on maintaining a good balance between the serious lifters and joe guy?

Thanks in advance!
Holly

[gunzandwheelz]

Quality equipment stuff you will not usually find @ your yuppy gyms. Along with all your quality weights, benches, dumbbells and such you need reverse hypers, glute ham raises, back attack, 45 degree back extension, monolift, specialty bars (cambered squat bars, safety bars trap bars chain bar, bow bar....), quality power racks, deadlift platforms with thrusters, box squats, bands, chains, kettle balls, Conan's wheel, log trainers, steel logs, sleds, farmer's walk, stone platforms...The list can go on foreever this is just a quick list off the top of my head. I think you can make, in the right location, a powerlifting/stronman gym a success. If I was to open one I would not pander to the "average" guy or gal. They are going to go to Bally's, 24 hour fitness, Gold's, b/c those are the "pretty" fitness facilities. Honestly you can not compete with the LA Fitness' unless you are loaded. They are selling pools, basketball courts, 30 minute circuit training, and sexy aerobic instructors. That doesn't mean that the average person won't join you will just get the ones that want to suceed. The ones that have already failed at the fitness facilities. What do you have? A hardcore attitude with knowledge, honesty, and a real belief in what you are doing. That is what you sell. I would drive 50 miles to train at a gym like that, so would my brother. I think there is a niche now b/c hardcore is coming back.

[tjoe]

If you are looking to make money, you are looking in the wrong direction. Those type of gyms thrive because of the people in them. Those people create the "atmosphere" you are talking about.

However if that is what he is going to do, he will need all of the major equipment.
Log lifts
Stones
Perhaps a monolift (for powerlifters)
Competition bench press (like the one at elitefts.com)
Deadlift platform
100lbs. plates
Truck load of chalk and stick um
Pulling harness for pulling large vehicles (don't forget a tow strap)
Giant tires to flip around
Perhaps the "stone circle" aparatus
equipment for the farmers walk

Good luck!!

[ssmla123]

Definitly not a big money business. You can turn a profit pretty easy, just not that much of one. The best power lifting gym I've been to is Eagle Gym in St. Louis. It doesn't have a lot of the stuff listed above...but it had a great atmosphere. The way I look at it, if you get a number of loyal gym rats odds are if they really want something specialized they will buy/make it themselves to be shared by the other members (any idea how easy it is to find chains lying around, or make farmers walk weights, etc) so don't bother trying to buy everything. Just let people do their own thing and don't try to make up a bunch of rules (no chaulk, no grunting, no deadlifts, etc) that keep them from doing what they feel is necessary to achieve their goals. Keep the facility small, no need for all the crap at the regular gyms (locker rooms are a luxury item). That about does it.

[ZachG85]

If you have the following, you're set:

1) PLENTY of plates. Including two 2.5/5/25/35 plates PER BAR, and FOUR 10 pound plates per bar. Minimum.

2) An open space for deadlifting/oly lifting. Preferably enough of one so two people can do it side by side. Trying to pull in front of a squat rack or something is annoying as ****.

3) Dumbbells. Duh.

4) A GHR and Reverse Hyper if possible.

5) No friggin' Hammer Strength, Cybex, or Nautilus machines. They take up space, and I've seen many many gyms that have these monstrosities and no one uses them, meanwhile all the freeweight equipment is in use.

6) Benches with minimal padding. Benching on top of a pillow sucks. Shoulders can't hold.

7) A squat rack that lets you put the support pins anywhere from floor to head height. None of those goofy racks with the angled line of support hooks. It should be the cage type.

8) Monolift, sure.

9) Bands, chains, boards, a chalk box, and maybe some old belts. Security might be a problem here, granted.

That's all I got here. Easy list, I think.

[Perceptionist]

way too many factors to consider...any good business person would know that...also any good business person wouldn't come on bb.com for advice.

[Titania]

If someone was to start a gym like that near me, they'd gain me as a lifetime member
For now, I'm just collecting as many strength training oddities as I can for my gym

[inkxaviary]

In reply to perceptionist, why not ask the powerlifters and strongmen what kind of a gym they want to see ESPECIALLY when the gym would be targeted towards that demographic? Makes sense to me. I'm not asking these guys to write my mission statement and present my business plan to financial backers, but input from people who like to lift heavy is important when you're looking to sell to people who lift heavy.

Secondly, way to put into question my ability to run a business and the value of others' opinions ON A BOARD YOU BELONG TO! Any good business person knows to ask what the people want and they CERTAINLY know not degrade their opinions and advice. Scratch that, any intelligent person knows those things.


To those of you who aren't being jackasses, I thank you for your advice. Also, we aren't in it to eventually dress like Monty P. Moneybags and drive around in matching aston martins, but we want to be able to pay bills and the mortgage doing something we love and care about and not have to answer to someone else. So big profit not needed, didn't say it wasnt welcome though ;D

Realistically we expect to work our asses off day and night for quite sometime to make it work. But it will be 1000 times more satisfying than working for a company where you're of more value as a work unit than a person...

[Titania]

inkxaviary,

I wish you all the best of luck and wish you were my neighbour. I'd love to get involved and help out

[Titania]

Have you watched any of the Worlds Strongest Man comps? You may get some decent ideas from them for equipment

[inkxaviary]

I've been to a few strongman comps in my area, and just recently have started going to powerlifting comps here. I'm trying to get ideas from anywhere I can right now. We hope to start the place next year in the spring, and untill then I'm going to look anywhere and everywhere to make the place as unique and serious as possible.

[Titania]

I've been to a few strongman comps in my area, and just recently have started going to powerlifting comps here. I'm trying to get ideas from anywhere I can right now. We hope to start the place next year in the spring, and untill then I'm going to look anywhere and everywhere to make the place as unique and serious as possible.

Cool Where are you setting this up?

[NoMo]

I wish there were gyms like that over here!

[MattPL]

One thing that no one mentioned so far on the equipment side is thick barbells and dumbells esp a loadable inch replica.

[Nuno_AlveS]

Space for training and equipment....

[Perceptionist]

In reply to perceptionist, why not ask the powerlifters and strongmen what kind of a gym they want to see ESPECIALLY when the gym would be targeted towards that demographic? Makes sense to me. I'm not asking these guys to write my mission statement and present my business plan to financial backers, but input from people who like to lift heavy is important when you're looking to sell to people who lift heavy.

Secondly, way to put into question my ability to run a business and the value of others' opinions ON A BOARD YOU BELONG TO! Any good business person knows to ask what the people want and they CERTAINLY know not degrade their opinions and advice. Scratch that, any intelligent person knows those things.

Sorry if I was being blunt, but why not ask better sources? People that have opened up powerlifting/strongman specific gyms? Why come to bb.com where you'll get obvious general answers from such a generalized question. To give thoughtout specific answers we need a lot more detail. I'm sure your boyfriend and buddy of his must know at least something about powelifting and strongman. Well I hope they do. I and I'm sure many other people here as well can come up with the design of a dream powelifting/strongman based facility, but would it be realistic for you to open such a place? I have no idea without the specifics. Anyone can say well you get this and that and this and that and blah blah blah, but how much will it actually help you guys?

Your question is very general and non-specific. It's like somone coming on here and saying hey i'm interesting in powerlifting what routine should I do? yeah okay how do you answer such a silly question. Another example is when people find out i'm a RD, they immediately ask me what should I eat to lose weight? that is the one question I hate more then anything else. You give me a silly generalized question, I'll give you either a silly answer or a serious blunt answer.

anyway this is just the internet, I hope it goes through and does well. we need more gyms to cater to our sports.

[HHenzler]

1 word- ATMOSPHERE..
People make gains in commercial gyms, but those gains can be exponentialy increased by a good partner/crew to train with... Bottom line

[amt4331]

Paint the walls a dark color and tell the members to bring in any music they like to hear while lifting. That will get the atmospehere "hardcore"

[dirtpool]

yeah make sure you get a good speaker system installed in the place before you open, hook it up to a decent stereo with some music that appeals to everybody (just don't play some pop or smooth jazz, that stuff has it's place but they play it at 24hrfitness and it's ****ing annoying)
don't play that gay "hardcore" screaming metal either that some people on here like

just some good mainstream rock/ metal

[ArnoldsPupil]

My partner and I are opening a Powerlifting / Bodybuilding gym in Douglasville GA in 6 weeks.
Not many around withing 25 to 50 miles, mostly fitness clubs.
We have had great response so far and got much of what everyone wants from BB.com
2800 sq ft
Below is a list of opening equipment we have ordered, more specialty items coming soon
Initial investment is $40,000

All brand new Oly quality equipment.
NO TREADMILLS or lockers or showers.
Use chalk, scream, grunt, deadlift (of course)
Good luck but luck is not needed just provide a serious atmosphere for serious professionals and it will bring in quality.
Will get more equipment as patrons let us know what the want / need



Qty. Model Description price
*Red Frames with Black padding on all LEGEND Equipment*
2 3100 Utility Flat
1 3101 Incline Utility
1 3102 Decline Utility
1 3104 Multi-purpose
2 3105 Olympic Flat
2 3106 Olympic incline
2 3109 Olympic Decline
1 3110 T Bar row w/ chest pad
5 3112 Plate holder
1 3114 Preacher Curl
1 3124 Smith Machine
1 3130 Glute Ham
1 3133 Powercage
1 3136 Lat / Low Pull
1 3137 Olympic Bar Holder ? 6 pair
1 3143 Squat Stool
1 3162 Sissy Squat
1 3163 Horizontal Bumper Rack
1 3204 Oak Insert Platform(2 sides)w/Dbl sided ? cage #3155
1 Irondawg Monolift
1 GDCC250 BodySolid Cable Crossover
1 T Bar row w/ chest pad
1 Trap / Deadlift bar
2 500 Lb. CAP Bumper plate sets
4 500 Lb. Standard Cast Iron sets
1 5 ? 50 Lb. Hex Dumbell set w/rack
1 55 ? 120 lb. Hex Dumbell set w/rack