Open Gym

Open gym is not a class and it is not supervised in the sense of somebody watching you. It is the room, unlocked, with a coach on the floor who is doing their own admin and will come over if you catch their eye.

What it is actually like

Quieter than the classes, usually four to ten people in a room built for twenty-five, and everybody doing something different. Headphones are normal. Nobody will talk to you unless you start it.

Everything is available: all six racks, all four platforms, every bar, the machines, the sleds, the turf. Nothing is reserved for classes during open gym hours and there is no waiting for a rack.

What the coach on the floor is for

Three things, and they are worth knowing because members underuse all of them:

A set of eyes. Ask someone to watch a set. They will, and they will tell you something specific about it.

A second opinion on your programme. Bring what you are running. You will get a straight answer about whether it is any good.

A spot. For bench, or for a squat you are not sure about. Ask. It is not an imposition and it is a large part of why somebody is on the floor.

Included, not an add-on

Open gym hours are on every membership including off-peak, and there is a membership that is open gym only if that is genuinely all you want. It is not sold as an upgrade and it never will be.