If you are opening a health club or adding a gym or weight room to a resort hotel, sports facility, school, apartment building or office building, you will be looking to stock your business with high-performance weight and resistance training equipment for all fitness levels, from serious athletes and weightlifters to beginners.

A gym should have both weight and resistance training equipment. Weight training equipment, also known as free weights, includes dumbbells, weightlifting bars, weight plates and weight sets. Weightlifters and exercisers use them to build up certain muscle groups on their body. Resistance training equipment, also known as strength training equipment, consists of machines that provide resistance to certain muscle groups. Most weightlifters, athletes and casual exercisers use both weight training and strength training equipment.

For your business to be successful, you will have to:

1. Be knowledgeable about brands, styles, new technology, and applications of a wide variety of weight and resistance training equipment.
2. Update your inventory with the newest and most innovative products to generate long-term patronage from beginning to advanced exercisers, athletes and weightlifters.
3. Keep your weight and resistance training equipment in top shape, and keep your machines and work-out area clean.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose durable weight training equipment: weights, dumbbells and weight plates

Weight training equipment is very effective in building overall muscle strength, tends to be inexpensive, is portable, takes up little space, and offers a wide range of intensities for all strength levels. Free weight training challenges muscles throughout their full range of motion, which applies both positive and negative resistance for optimum muscle development.

I recommend: Cybex International manufactures a durable and popular line of free weights as well as benches and racks for all strength and experience levels. They also carry a number of types of weight resistance equipment in both multi-station and modular varieties, as well as weight training machines. Ironcompany sells a number of recognized brands of strength training supplies, including their own brand of equipment. Fitness Factory Outlet is a weight resistance equipment supplier that sells a variety of free weights, racks and benches, and different types of resistance training machines.

Offer other weight training supplies to satisfy serious athletes and weightlifters

Not only do you need weights, weight plates and dumbbells, but you also need a variety of benches, racks, platforms, and weight stations and stands.

I recommend: Nebula Fitness Equipment not only sells a great selection of benches and weight racks, but also carries free weights and strength training equipment. Life Fitness manufactures the Hammer Strength line of benches and racks, which are heavy-duty racks and plate-loaded and motion technology selectorized machines. Legend Fitness offers a range of racks and benches, platforms and cages as well as weight plates, dumbbells and bars.

Choose from a wide variety of high-performance resistance training equipment

Resistance training machines use resistance to develop certain muscle groups through repetitions and increasing weight. Machines are considered safer than free weights, and because they offer structured movement, they provide users with the proper form and technique for doing certain exercises.

I recommend: TuffStuff manufactures a variety of commercial strength training equipment, as well as free weights and modular gym systems. Nautilus, Inc. carries both the Bowflex home gym equipment as well as the renowned Nautilus line of resistance training equipment. Nautilus also carries free weights and other weight lifting supplies. Bodycraft also manufactures a recognized line of weight and resistance training equipment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Cultivate relationships with the local fitness and weightlifting community. Consider sponsoring a fitness event or a weightlifting competition in your neighborhood or support a local athletic team. These connections will be important to growing your business in the long term.
• •  Offer personal training services to beginners. A big part of using weight and resistance training equipment is having the proper form; make sure you have trained and experienced personnel there to teach the fundamentals to those just starting out and interested in weightlifting.
• •  Keep the workout area clean and safe. Working with heavy weights can be dangerous; make sure your clients are monitored and that staff is trained in CPR and other basic life-saving procedures. Clean the machines and workout area frequently and with eco-friendly products. Consider placing TVs and fitness magazines around to inspire clients, and strive to provide a pleasant atmosphere focused on fitness and optimizing athletic performance.