# MapYourGym Blog

Tips and insight from MapYourGym - gym confidence, training guidance for members, and member retention advice for gym owners.

- [How to use the My Gym tab](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/how-to-use-the-my-gym-tab) - Opening hours, the Wi-Fi password, who is on the desk and how busy it is right now. The My Gym tab is the practical stuff. _(Using the app · 29 September 2026)_
- [How to track your progress](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/how-to-track-your-progress) - Weight, measurements, photos and history all live under Me. Here is where each one is, and exactly who can see it. _(Using the app · 29 September 2026)_
- [How to find the right kit in your gym](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/how-to-find-equipment-in-your-gym) - The map, the exercise library and the equipment list. Three ways to find a machine and learn how to use it before you touch it. _(Using the app · 29 September 2026)_
- [How to log a workout as you train](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/how-to-log-a-workout) - The player is what you actually use on the gym floor. Warm-up sets, rest timers, drop sets, and getting back to a session you wandered off from. _(Using the app · 29 September 2026)_
- [How to build your own workout](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/how-to-build-your-own-workout) - Two minutes, and it is yours to reuse. Here is how to build a workout from scratch, including supersets and circuits. _(Using the app · 29 September 2026)_
- [How to find a workout in the app](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/how-to-find-a-workout) - Your gym has written sessions for you, and there are multi-week programmes too. Here is where they live and how to pick one. _(Using the app · 29 September 2026)_
- [What should I eat after the gym?](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/what-to-eat-after-the-gym) - You do not have thirty minutes to get a shake in. A beginner-friendly look at what actually matters after a session, and how much you can safely ignore. _(Nutrition · 25 September 2026)_
- [What should I eat before the gym?](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/what-to-eat-before-the-gym) - You do not need a special diet to start training. The answer depends less on what you eat than on how long you have before you walk in. _(Nutrition · 25 September 2026)_
- [10 pieces of equipment every gym should have](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/equipment-every-gym-should-have) - Not a wish list. The ten things that earn their square metres, judged on utilisation, queue pressure and who they let through the door. _(Gym owners · 25 September 2026)_
- [Do luxury gyms actually make you fitter?](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/do-luxury-gyms-make-you-fitter) - Does paying £90 a month get you fitter than paying £20? Sometimes - but not for the reason people assume, and not in the way the brochure implies. _(Choosing a gym · 25 September 2026)_
- [Frequently asked questions about MapYourGym](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/mapyourgym-faq) - Straight answers to what we're asked most - cost, ads, availability, whether it's suitable for children, and who's behind it. _(Using the app · 24 September 2026)_
- [Why a gym map makes for a better workout](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/why-gym-maps-make-better-workouts) - Wandering the floor between sets costs more than time - it quietly changes the workout you're doing. Here's what knowing your gym's layout is actually worth. _(Training · 24 September 2026)_
- [How to sign up to MapYourGym and what to expect](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/how-to-sign-up-to-map-your-gym) - Downloaded the app? Here's every screen you'll see when you sign up, what each question is for, and what's waiting on the other side. _(Using the app · 24 September 2026)_
- [Why choose a premium gym](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/why-choose-a-premium-gym) - Space, specification and time. What premium clubs actually sell, and how to judge whether it is worth it. _(Choosing a gym · 23 September 2026)_
- [Why choose a health club](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/why-choose-a-health-club) - Pool, spa, a full class timetable and somewhere the whole family can use. When the extras justify the price. _(Choosing a gym · 23 September 2026)_
- [Why choose a budget gym](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/why-choose-a-budget-gym) - Low prices, no long contract, 24-hour access and a big floor. What the budget chains do well, and what you trade. _(Choosing a gym · 23 September 2026)_
- [Why choose an independent gym](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/why-choose-an-independent-gym) - Kit chosen on purpose, staff who know your name, and a room with a character of its own. What independents do best. _(Choosing a gym · 23 September 2026)_
- [What to buy from a gym vending machine](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/what-to-buy-from-a-gym-vending-machine) - Pre-workout, mid-session and afterwards: what's worth buying from the machine, and what to walk past. _(Nutrition · 23 September 2026)_
- [What to stock in a gym vending machine](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/what-to-stock-in-a-gym-vending-machine) - What sells, how to balance healthy against popular, and why an empty machine costs more than an empty slot. _(Gym owners · 23 September 2026)_
- [Vending machine or staffed snack bar?](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/gym-vending-machine-or-staffed-snack-bar) - Opening hours, staff cost, range and floor space. How to tell which of the two your gym actually needs. _(Gym owners · 23 September 2026)_
- [Gym membership jargon explained](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/gym-membership-jargon-explained) - Off-peak? Rolling contract? Joining fee? What the words on a gym membership mean before you commit to one. _(Choosing a gym · 23 September 2026)_
- [Training and nutrition jargon explained](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/gym-jargon-training-and-nutrition-terms) - Progressive overload? Tempo? Macros? The terms you start meeting once reps and sets already make sense. _(Training · 23 September 2026)_
- [Improving member retention from day one](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/improve-gym-member-retention) - Retention is won or lost in a member's first few weeks. Here's how to support new joiners early and turn sign-ups into regulars. _(Gym owners · 16 July 2026)_
- [Gym jargon: a beginner's glossary](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/gym-jargon-glossary-for-beginners) - Reps? Sets? DOMS? A plain-English glossary of the gym terms you'll hear most as a beginner. _(Beginner · 9 July 2026)_
- [How to plan your first gym workout](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/plan-your-first-gym-workout) - You've joined a gym - now what? A simple framework for planning a first workout you can actually stick to. _(Training · 2 July 2026)_
- [5 ways to feel confident on the gym floor](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/feel-confident-on-the-gym-floor) - Walking into a gym for the first time can feel intimidating. Here are five practical ways to build the confidence to train like you belong. _(Confidence · 18 June 2026)_
- [What to wear and bring to the gym](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/what-to-wear-and-bring-to-the-gym) - Not sure what to pack for your first session? A simple, no-nonsense checklist of what to wear and bring. _(Beginner · 5 June 2026)_
- [Gym etiquette: the unwritten rules](https://www.mapyourgym.co.uk/blog/gym-etiquette-for-beginners) - Every gym has a set of unwritten rules. Learn them early and you'll feel like a regular in no time. _(Beginner · 21 May 2026)_