Read This Before Your Next Equipment Purchase

When purchasing equipment for their club, should operators rely on one supplier or use a mix of manufacturers?

In my experience, I wouldn't tell every operator that they should exclusively use one manufacturer. I spent 17 of my 22 years in operations and have been sold to by practically every supplier during that time. Weekly. So, I could see how it could a daunting experience, making the right choice.

What I would encourage is finding a strategic fitness equipment partner, rather than simply a supplier. There are real advantages to working with one strategic partner, particularly when launching a new facility. It can simplify procurement, installation, education, and service. It can create consistency across the floor and, importantly, give the operator one organization that understands the overall vision rather than a collection of individual suppliers, each responsible for their own piece.

But exclusivity shouldn't become a constraint either. If another piece of equipment genuinely delivers something better for your member, your space, or your proposition, you should be able to have that conversation. A good supplier should be comfortable having that conversation.

What are the benefits of leasing versus buying?

This is really about cash flow, capital, risk, and the expected life of the equipment. Buying can make sense if an operator has the capital available and intends to keep the equipment for a long period. Leasing or other financing options can be attractive when preserving cash is more important, particularly for a startup, a growing operator, or a business that wants a predictable monthly cost.

But I would encourage operators not to look at this simply as a monthly payment versus purchase price decision. Think about total cost of ownership.

A piece of equipment isn't just an asset on a balance sheet. It is part of the member experience and therefore part of the revenue-generating engine of the club. The most expensive piece of equipment on the gym floor is the one constantly out of action and not in use.

We've seen an increase in strength training and less use of cardio equipment. How much market research should operators do when deciding the proportion of each?

I'd do more than simply follow the trend (or trends). Strength training is clearly having a huge influence on today's fitness landscape, and that's reflected in the way many operators are redesigning their floors and programming. But there isn't a universal strength-to-cardio ratio that works for every facility.

Your market is not my market. Operators need to understand the local competitive landscape, demographics, member expectations, pricing proposition, and, importantly, the type of behavior they want to encourage.

I'd also go deeper than demographics. Two clubs can have exactly the same average member age but have completely different training cultures.

Look at how people in the local market actually train. Visit competitors. Talk to potential members. Understand what is missing. Look at what equipment is consistently busy (especially peak usage times) and what sits unused. If possible, use data from existing locations before making assumptions about a new one.

And I wouldn't write cardio off. Cardio still plays an important role in health, conditioning, warm-ups, weight management, and general fitness. What may be changing is the way we deliver that experience.

What kind of service agreements for equipment repair and maintenance should operators seek?

This is an area where I think gym operators should ask much tougher questions before signing a contract. Don't just ask, "What's the warranty?"; ask, "What happens when something breaks at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday when my club is full?"

This is [a question] I used to ask all suppliers early on, and the answer does shape the buying decision more often than you think!

Operators should understand exactly what is included: warranty duration, parts and labor, preventative maintenance, response times, escalation procedures, engineer coverage, parts availability, and what happens when equipment is outside warranty—including upholstery.

I'd also look at downtime. A piece of equipment that is technically covered by a warranty but sits out of service for three weeks isn't necessarily delivering the experience the operator thought they had purchased.

Preventative maintenance is equally important, [as is] using available data to move pieces around the gym, especially cardio, to prolong the life of treadmill belts, for example. The best service strategy isn't simply reacting to failures; it's identifying potential issues before they become member-facing problems.

I'd also encourage operators to understand who is actually delivering the service. Is it the manufacturer? A local distributor? A third party? How much technical expertise do they have? What is their geographical coverage?

Service shouldn't be an afterthought. It should be part of the purchasing decision from day one.

Is there anything else that should be addressed in launching or growing a fitness business today?

Make this the first question to ask: “What problem are you actually trying to solve with your fitness business?”

Are you trying to attract new members? Improve retention? Increase PT revenue? Create a premium experience? Appeal to a younger demographic? Reduce intimidation? Improve training variety? Increase equipment utilization? Generate more revenue per square foot? Follow an industry trend that members are asking for?

The equipment is often the means to an end. And a great supplier can match your business problem, to provide an equipment solution. This is a long-term buying decision, so get it right for you and your business, and [don’t be] pressured into something that doesn’t quite fit the mix.

I've seen facilities with incredible equipment specifications that don't necessarily create an incredible member experience. I've also seen relatively simple equipment mixes work extremely well because the space, programming, coaching, and member journey have been thought through properly.

The fitness industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated. We're seeing more connected equipment, more data, and more integrated fitness ecosystems. But the fundamental question remains the same: “Does all of this make my member experience better and the business stronger?”