Let’s get ready for a productive business trip with the plan of working out at a decent gym while traveling:

• Bags packed…check
• Favorite shirt…. check
• Favorite tie…check
• Laptop……….check
• 10 different cords for all your electronics…check
• Gym clothes…check

Hmmmm what’s missing?

An actual decent gym while traveling to workout in!

You’ve been lifting weights for the pass two months and want to continue your momentum.

But the problem is that the hotel you will be staying at doesn’t have any barbells, dumbbells or modern machines.

Not even a Swiss ball or yoga mat!

What’s a fit traveler to do!

Listen to Aaron Rodgers:

Yes, that’s right…R-E-L-A-X!

Your pal, Mr. Travel Fitness is here to help you figure out how to find a gym that will meet all your bodybuilding, powerlifting or barbell weightlifting needs.

Step 1: Visit the hotel’s website

Before the trip take a look at the hotel’s website. Look for quality pictures of the gym.

If all you see are the standard treadmill and elliptical pictures, you can assume there’s no real weightlifting equipment.

Step 2: Call the hotel

Yes actually CALL the hotel.

Despite our advance technologies we simply forget how important it is to connect with people. You can save yourself a lot of time and hassle by calling the front desk.

These people’s jobs are to serve and keep hotel guests happy. Call the hotel and ask them what exactly is in their gym besides what you see in the picture.

Pictures don’t always give you the true story. Most major brand hotels have strict policies and use the same stock photos on their websites.

Also always know that the cheaper the hotel, the cheaper the amenities.

One of the first amenities to get cut in cheaper hotels is the hotel gym. That’s why most budget friendly hotel gyms are so bare.

Step 3: Ask the hotel about local gyms

Now that you’ve got them on the phone, ask the staffer if their hotel has any agreements with local gyms. This is one of the most overlooked aspects of staying at hotels.

The majority of hotels understand that their hotel gym doesn’t meet fit people’s fitness requirements. They are in the business of making guests happy and making a profit.

An easy way to make guests happy is by making special arrangements with local gyms.

Most hotels will have a list of local gyms that their guests could visit.
A really good hotel will establish some sort of discount with that gym.

Some hotels go above and beyond and have specials where their hotel guests can use that gym for free if guests show their hotel’s room card key.

You would never know any of this information unless you TALK to the hotel staff.

Step 4: Do a Google Gym Search

As obvious as this choice is, I list it as the fourth step because you could save yourself so much time by doing the first couple of steps.

After speaking with the hotel staff, you now know what gyms they recommend and which one’s you could use for free or at a discounted rate.

This makes doing your Google search easier.

Additionally, you should have somewhat of an idea of where you will be spending most of the time on your trip. Knowing where that job site is, maybe there’s something on your way from work that would be convenient as well?

Personally, I would recommend whatever gym the hotel recommends and/or a gym that’s closest to your hotel. The reason I recommend those is that it eliminates the excuses.

Most of you will need to go to your hotel to change into your workout clothes. If you remembered to bring them with you to work, then you get a gold star!

But for those that need to go back to their hotel to change clothes, it gets easier to lose motivation to work out once you’re back inside your room.

If the gym you’re working out in is farther away, that excuse only get’s amplified!

Step 5: Visit the gym’s website

Take a look at the gym’s website and see what they’re all about.

What equipment do they have in there?
What hours are they open?
Do they have a locker room?

Remember that the reason you are going to a local gym is because you want more than what your hotel’s gym has to offer.

If there’s nothing special, then why go?

An additional reason to visit the website is because if your hotel doesn’t have a special agreement with this gym, you can check the website for a free guest pass or some other discount.

Step 6: Visit the gym’s social media sites

This is a small but significant step. Analyzing a social media page gives you an idea of what type of crowd goes to that gym.

If you see energetic people, expect an energetic place. If you see a dark damp cave, expect a dungeon like atmosphere!

Also pay attention to the gym equipment and how people are using it.

That will help determine if the gym will meet your needs.

The better the social media page, the higher the odds of that gym having a great vibe to it.

Step 7: Call the gym

Yes again, actually SPEAK with a person! There’s information you can gather from the gym staff that you can’t get from a website.

“What are your peak hours?”
“Do a lot of people use the squat rack?”
“Can I do deadlifts?”
“Could I take a class?”

Just tell them your story:

“I’m staying at X hotel for X amount of days and was thinking about using your gym? Do you have any specials for travelers?”

You never know what type of deals they have that’s not being advertised.

Gyms like to make money but they understand that a traveler is only going to be in town for a few days. A good gym staffer will tell you about a price that’s not advertised anywhere.

One of the gyms I use to work out had a cool work around for travelers.

One day passes were $10, one week passes were $25 and one month passes were $50.

But how much was a month to month membership?  Just $29!

If you told them your story (I’m in town for three days and would like to work out), they would sign you up for a month-to-month membership, charge you your first month, cancel your enrollment fees and then cancel your next month!

Something they would NEVER advertise!

Again, something nobody would have ever known unless talking with the staff.

Step 8: Make the decision

Now that you have all the information, it’s time for the easy part.

Make a decision!

Make sure that you analyze all of the important decisions like equipment, distance from hotel, hours it’ll be open, how long you will be staying at the hotel, and the types of workouts you will be doing.

Hopefully now when you travel, you’ll always have an idea of what to do when it comes towards finding a great local gym.