Opening a gym takes more than just leasing a property and waiting for the people to start flowing in. If you’re going to run a successful gym, you need to make sure that you’re offering your members the types of quality equipment that they’re looking for. After scouring the internet and Google, we’ve put together this list of the five most essential items that every gym needs to have. If you have any other ideas that we didn’t list, add them in the comments at the bottom of this article.

High Quality Free Weights

Let’s get down to business. What’s the number one most important piece of equipment at any gym? Weights! After walking into some gyms, you’d think that they feel like the quantity of mirrors is the most important piece of equipment (that or the stereo system). I think most gym goers will agree, but there’s nothing worse than walking into a gym that only has mechanical machines. There’s nothing wrong with doing some chest work using the inverted row machine, but you gotta be kidding me, I’m not going to do bicep curls with on a machine. Purchasing high quality free weights is going to be one of your biggest investments, but also one of your best invests. Don’t skimp on cheap equipment.

Easy Clean Rubberized Floor Workout Mats

Every now and then, your members are going to need to get down on their back and do some ab or leg work. This can be doing some crunches, or working on doing resting back lifts. Whatever it may be, they’re going to need some floor mats to exercise safely. That said, make sure you purchase at least 10 cleanable rubber floor mats that your members can use to do their floor work. Doing crunches on the floor without a mat both hurts your back and also gets you filthy. You can either buy the kind that you rest against the wall, or you can also look into purchasing the kind that have the little hanging holes already pre-build into them. Either way, do your members a favor and purchase some cleanable gym mats.

Keyless Entry Lockers for Personal Items

How many times have you arrived at the gym only to realize that you still had your work phone or house keys in your pocket? Now, if you’re at a upscale gym, there’s almost a guarantee that they have lockers for you to use. However, most new gyms think they can skimp on this and just ask that their members trust everyone to not steal their bag from the unsecured lockers at the front door. Sorry, but this isn’t kindergarten anymore. I don’t leave my bag in the cubby hole at the start of class. Don’t put your members in a stressful situation by making them have to constantly check over their shoulder to make sure their purse or briefcase is still where they left it. Purchase some lockless lockers, secure them to the wall, and you’ll have much happier members.

High-Speed Water Bottle Filler

You never really think about how long it takes to fill up a water bottle at a drinking fountain until you’re awkwardly waiting behind someone at the gym while they slowly fill their giant Nalgene to the top. The easiest remedy to this solution is to install the dual-purpose water fountains that already come equipped with high-speed fillers. It’ll keep your members happy because they won’t have to wait in lines to fill their bottles, or worse, try to force their water bottle underneath the sink to fill it up. If you’re looking to really spoil your members, go out and purchase 50-100 screen-printed reusable water bottles and give them to your members they they going your business. You’ll get some free advertising out of it, since they’ll be using your water bottle at their job, work, park, no name it. And they’ll be happy with your gym for helping them quit use plastic bottles.

Cleaning Supply Wall Racks

Last but not least, make sure that you have an ample supply of cleaning supplies and that they’re easily within reach of your members. Everyone knows that one guy who goes to the gym, sweats like a horse, and then doesn’t wipe off any of his equipment. Even if you scold this guy, he’s dumb as a box of rocks and will not change his ways. That said, make sure you have cleaning supplies at the ready for your members.