On a side note, I’m moving up to South Carolina in a few weeks and get to be the new guy in a gym, and potentially test out a few gyms.
For anyone looking for a gym, here are my criteria, yours may differ, but these work for me.
-Commute - on days when you’re feeling lazy, working late, pick your excuse - a closer gym is easier to make class at
-Class schedule - where can you make the most classes?
-Culture - if you’re a competitor/MMA fighter, pick a place that has fighters. If you’re a hobbyist, pick a place that won’t feed you to the wolves. Pick a place that’s fun to train for you.
-Level of instruction - some guys have awesome competitive resumes, and are decent teachers. Some guys are phenomenal teachers, but may not have a massive
competitive resume. Pick what fits you.
-Cleanliness - some guys are germophobes, and some think staph is a myth made up by the Big Soap Industrial Complex. Pick the gym on your side of the argument.