Private vs Commercial Gyms: Are Private Gyms Worth It?

If you’ve made the decision to seek out a gym and make it your muscle-building sanctuary, you’re in terrific company. In the United States alone, 72 million people held gym memberships in 2024, meaning about one third of people who are of an eligible age at least have access to a communal training facility on a regular basis.

But now you need to consider the price tag. A commercial gym like Planet Fitness starts for around $15 a month, with full access to that gym alone, while a Black card membership provides you with access to any Planet Fitness location for around $25. So with this established as the low-price baseline to training at a commercial gym, the question should be asked, what is the benefit to acquiring a membership to a private gym?

Limited Access

As much as some people hate to admit it, sometimes the reason for paying a higher price tag is primarily for the purpose of not having to contend with the people who are paying the lower price tag for commercial gym access. 

This isn’t necessarily about class or social status; private gyms are less likely to experience a swell in memberships and userships caused by new year’s resolutions, whereas those who are testing out the gyms during the first months of the year are likely to test the waters with the low price tag gyms first. That way, they don’t have to deal with the sudden inconvenience caused by too many people using the squat racks, or a surprising shortage in the number of available showers.

Specialty Training

A private gym is likely to offer equipment that isn’t available at commercial gyms because that equipment is considered specialized. Some gyms are tailored to appeal to competitive weightlifters or powerlifters, or simply those who prefer to train like them. These choices mean that some private gyms superserve a special type of trainee, and necessitates the presence of platforms, chalking stations, and features that are intended to attract that sort of an athlete.

Similarly, some private clubs may cater to CrossFitters, masters swimmers, racquetball players, and other adult athletes with features that are simply unavailable at commercial gyms. So if you need to ensure that you’re swimming at least 2,000 yards each day after completing a few heavy sets of power cleans, the price tag of a private gym will undoubtedly be worth the higher price.

Specialty Trainers

There are plenty of elite trainers in the world with crossover experience in the fields of strength and conditioning, competitive weightlifting, powerlifting, and other sports. However, chances are you won’t be finding them plying their trade in a commercial gym. This is because commercial gyms tend to be locked into a corporate protocol and can’t offer these trainers the freedom they need to reach their full potential, or to hone in on the clientele that is willing to pay extra for the elite trainer’s expertise.

As a consequence of this, if you’re looking for an elite-level trainer, and especially an accomplished trainer who also excels in an additional area of fitness or athletics that you wish to gain more knowledge in, you will probably need to acquire a membership to a private gym just to have access to that specific trainer.

Remember, if you know what you’re doing, you can train yourself into outstanding shape in just about any fitness setting. Then again, if you want to get fit in a very precise way, and without having to wait to use the equipment you require, a private gym may very well be with the higher price.

Summary:

1. Private gyms can be more expensive than commercial gyms for several different reasons.

2. Private gyms tend to have fewer members than commercial gyms, reducing competition for certain pieces of equipment.

3. Private gyms often have specialized equipment that caters to specific types of trainees and athletes that require it.

4. The trainers at private gyms tend to be more experienced, accomplished, and specialized than trainers at large workout facilities.