Joining a gym can be a scary experience. You never know exactly what you’re getting into until after you join. Unfortunately, many gyms try to obscure broken equipment, shady liability waivers, and other inherently dangerous things about their gym until after you’ve paid your dues. To add insult to injury, it’s often easier to walk on water than to cancel your membership. Here’s how to avoid some of the more obvious perils lurking at your average gym.

Check For Broken Equipment

Broken equipment is very common in many gyms across America. In the 1970s new machines were being invented which were supposed to make it easier for average folks to work out. However, as gyms bought into these machines, they realized there was a lot of money which had to be tied up into maintenance. Some gyms chose to forego the maintenance and instead let gym-goers figure it out on their own.

Fast-forward to today. That same attitude permeates many gyms because sometimes it’s just plain easier to and cheaper to replace you as a member if you leave than it is to fix the broken equipment.

Most gyms let you have one free workout before you commit to a membership. Take them up on the offer. However, don’t work out as you normally would. Try out a bunch of different machines. Shake them, rattle them and inspect them.

See if you can find any serious wear and tear. If you do find something, bring it up to the management and see what they say. Often, they’ll tell you they will get it fixed soon (that’s not always true). Confirm it with gym members on the floor. If people are telling you a piece of equipment has been broken for 6 months, and the manager just told you he’ll get it fixed tomorrow, that’s a red flag. He’s probably lying to you.

Look Over The Contract Before You Sign

One of the unfortunate aspects of working out is the seriousness of work-out related injuries.

Most gyms have a standard waiver of liability you must sign when you join the gym. An accident during a training session will not be considered the gym’s fault. In fact, most gyms will ask for a summary dismissal if you take them to court.

Fortunately, you can sometimes get around this if you can prove gross negligence. But, it’s best if you can avoid signing the waiver in the first place (this is usually impossible but you should try anyway).

Talk To Current Members

Talk to current members about their experience with the gym. Ask them if they’ve accomplished their fitness goals using the gym’s equipment and training, and what they like and don’t like about the facility. You’ll probably get the most honest answers about the place from people who don’t work there.

Pay In Advance

This sounds unintuitive, however if you’re reasonably sure you like the gym, pay in advance. Why? Because when a gym puts you on a monthly billing cycle, they often force you to sign an agreement which is very difficult to get out of. In some cases, you have to go through a convoluted process to quit.

There are an almost endless number of horror stories on the Internet from people who’ve tried to quit gyms, but the gym kept billing them, sometimes years after they quit. And, if you cancel the card, they send you to collections, and try to ruin your credit. All this over a silly gym membership! Paying in advance avoids this because the gym won’t keep your credit or debit card on file and won’t auto-enroll you for another year.

Avoid Trainers

Don’t use trainers. Even when an individual presents you with what looks like credentials, many trainers only take a multi-week or multi-day course on how to train clients. If you want professional fitness training, hire a professional coach. They will cost you more than $400 per month. Sometimes, it will cost you $100-$200 per session.

Professional coaches also tend to stay away from machines (unless they are Nautilus), and gravitate towards barbell training, since it is uncomplicated and a proven way to get strong and fit.

Stick With Simple Gym Routines

One of the best gym routines can be found in the book Starting Strength, a strength training guide for beginners. Stick with simple workout programs that focus on core movements and basic strength training. If you do, you probably won’t get hurt, you’ll see measurable results, and you won’t spend hours in the gym wasting time.

Check Accommodations For Children

If you have children, check to see if the gym has a daycare or facilities for children. If they don’t, that will probably be a deal-breaker.

Be Wary Of Add-On Services

Some of the salesmen at gyms talk so fast they have you saying “yes” to services you don’t really want or need. Before you join a gym, you absolutely need to have specific goals for how you will get in shape. That not only includes what type of workout program you will use, the equipment you will need, but also the services you’ll need to meet those goals.

Too many people “wing it” and end up being completely ignorant about the process. They pay the ultimate price in fees and inconvenience when they want to leave or are unsatisfied with the staff and the gym itself.

Don’t sign up for any extra services that aren’t truly necessary for accomplishing your goals. Tanning sessions, onsite chiropractic care, and massages might seem “cool,” but you can usually get these at a much better price elsewhere, and work with professionals that aren’t “tag alongs” to a gym membership.

Judge Anthony P. Calisi (ret.), has a strong background as a personal injury lawyer. He has spent over 30 years of his life helping people. Judge Calisi is a former chief felony prosecutor, and spent over a decade as a Municipal Judge in Collin County, Texas.