Zumba, CrossFit, S&C, kickboxing, spinning, rowing, dancing, yoga, stretching, animal flow, pilates, calisthenics. The list is endless. The only industry that puts mine to shame is the hospitality industry. But at least there, clients have the good sense to know what not to order and what items on the menu might be too much of an adventure. You know the pizza in Anand Bhavan is unlikely to turn out well. Nor is a filter coffee in Starbucks likely to be value for time or money spent.

THE PROBLEM

There is too much on offer. While this strategy works to keep people entertained and sweating, does it produce  the long term outcomes we need? (Healthy joints, strong muscles, robust heart health, ability to move fluidly without hurting oneself).

There is also a lack of conviction on display here. Instead of using the best cheese, flour, starter, water, oil, tomatoes, basil and garlic to whip up a great pizza. My industry says I’ll give you onion sauce on bread with melted cheddar and esoteric over-cooked vegetables on it. But I’ll also give you 30 other options, in case you don’t like the ‘pizza’ on offer.

TAKEAWAY

Find a gym that doubles down on getting one thing right. I bias to strength and conditioning since it has the most versatile toolkit (machines, free weights, leverages, different contractions). The ‘what you do is what you adapt to’ is as straightforward as it gets when it comes to cause and effect.

Regardless of what you do, stick to a quality setup that focuses on depth and competence of service and also don’t drink the filter coffee at Starbucks.