Equipping a women only gym: concept, machines and budgets

A women-only gym is not a mixed club with softer colours: it is a different equipment brief, and the glute zone is the single line most often undersized. The segment has grown steadily across Europe since 2018, from the established circuit-training concepts to contemporary formats: glutes-only studios, premium women’s cardio and strength clubs, and wellness spaces combining Pilates and yoga. This guide covers the concept, the equipment that actually differs from a mixed floor, and realistic budgets by format.

Three segments, three briefs

The historic circuit segment runs 30 to 45 minute sessions on hydraulic or pneumatic machines, at mid-range membership pricing, and is a mature market. The contemporary boutique segment covers glute-focused studios, women’s Pilates and post-natal fitness, at premium pricing with a strong design experience. And a growing number of mixed mid-market clubs answer the same demand with women-only hours or a dedicated zone, without a segregated positioning.

The reasons members give are consistent: psychological comfort, equipment adapted to their build, targeted programmes (body shape, post-natal), and an atmosphere and design that a standard mixed club does not offer.

What actually differs on the equipment brief

Lighter increments: 2.5 kg or 1.25 kg steps on selectorised machines, against a 5 kg standard on a mixed floor. Fine progression is the point, not the maximum load. Lower maximum loads: an 80 to 100 kg stack is ample, against 120 to 150 kg in a mixed club. Adjustments for a 1.55 to 1.75 m frame, with proportionally shorter leg lengths and narrower shoulder width. A posterior chain and glute focus, which dominates 60 to 80% of strength floor time and must be reflected in the machine mix. Low to moderate impact cardio, with bikes, cross trainers and treadmills dominating, and fewer rowers and air bikes outside a specific HIIT concept. And Pilates and postural work as a central part of the premium offer.

All machines should be EN ISO 20957 class S, the studio and commercial class. Class SP does not exist in the standard, despite appearing in some supplier literature; class H is domestic and has no place on a commercial floor. See equipment standards and compliance.

The five zones

Zone 1, glutes and lower body. The most used zone, typically 35 to 45% of usable area and 40 to 55% of the strength budget. A hip thrust machine with a pelvic pad is the reference station: the Etenon R5508 plate-loaded hip thrust is 3,990 EUR excluding VAT, and the selectorised Lexco LPS-124 is 5,500 EUR excluding VAT. Add glute kickback or multi-hip, abductor and adductor machines, seated and lying leg curl, leg extension, a light-increment 45 degree leg press, a hack squat (the Bodytone Solid Rock is 5,480 EUR excluding VAT), a Smith machine for supported hip thrust, squat and lunges, and a cable column with ankle straps.

Zone 2, upper body. Less central but necessary: chest press, lat pulldown, seated row, shoulder press, pec deck, triceps extension and biceps curl, all selectorised with 2.5 kg increments.

Zone 3, cardio. Cross trainers as the reference machine for low impact, upright and indoor cycling bikes, recumbent bikes for comfort, accessibility and post-natal use, treadmills with moderate top speed and strong incline capability for incline walking, and a stair climber, which is heavily used in this segment: the MAX 10 stair climber is 5,850 EUR excluding VAT and the Bodytone EVO Climber is 9,900.50 EUR excluding VAT.

Zone 4, group exercise studio. Yoga, mat and equipment Pilates, barre training, short-format HIIT, stretching and mobility, dance fitness. Individual mats, wall mirrors, a sound system, air conditioning and a suitable shock-absorbing floor.

Zone 5, wellness and services. The central differentiator in premium formats: a stretching and recovery space, sauna and steam room, and depending on positioning a smoothie bar, beauty cabins or a hair and beauty area.

Design is not a secondary budget line

Unlike a standard mixed club where equipment and performance dominate the aesthetic, a women’s gym is fundamentally a design project. Four axes carry it: a colour palette in soft or statement tones (dusty pink, terracotta, sage, navy, warm neutrals) rather than the hard blacks and industrial contrasts of a mixed floor; materials and textures using pale timber, copper or brass metalwork and real planting; warm lighting at 2,700 to 3,000 K, zoned and dimmable, with natural light prioritised; and deliberately photogenic spots, since member-generated content is the leading acquisition channel in this segment.

Typical configurations and budgets

The economics of the segment

Average revenue per member runs higher than a mixed mid-market club: 60 to 120 EUR a month in a boutique format against 30 to 50 EUR in mixed mid-market. One caveat on published figures: some sources quote a boutique band of up to 150 EUR a month. The 60 to 120 EUR band is the one that recurs consistently, so treat anything above it as a specific premium positioning rather than a segment norm.

Retention is longer, at an average of 18 to 30 months against 12 to 18 in a mixed club. Ancillary revenue from beauty, nutrition, clothing and personal training represents 15 to 30% of turnover. Seasonality peaks in September and October and again from January to March, with a summer trough. The full method is in gym investment, ROI and payback.

Four project mistakes that recur

Undersizing the glute zone. It is used far more heavily than in a mixed club. Plan two to three times more glute stations than a mixed floor of equivalent area, or accept permanent queues on hip thrust, leg curl and abductor machines.

Specifying stacks that are too heavy. A 150 kg stack on a chest press is never used in this setting, where the heaviest user typically reaches 50 to 60 kg. Matching stacks to real demand, 60 to 80 kg maximum, saves 10 to 15% on machine cost.

Treating design as decoration. A women’s club fitted out like a standard gym loses its positioning and does not attract its target audience. Design is the differentiator, not a finishing touch.

Underinvesting in changing rooms. They rank among the top three selection criteria alongside equipment and atmosphere, and dwell time is longer than in a mixed club, so capacity must be sized above mixed-club norms. See our changing room specification.

Frequently asked questions

Does a women-only club need different machines, or just different settings?

Both, but the settings matter more than most buyers expect. Increment size, stack weight and the adjustment range for a shorter frame are specification choices on standard commercial machines. The genuinely different part is the mix: far more glute and posterior chain stations, fewer heavy pressing stations.

Are hydraulic circuit machines still relevant?

For the established 30 minute circuit format, yes, and the budget band reflects it at 30,000 to 65,000 EUR for a full club. For contemporary boutique positioning they are not, because the demand is for progressive loading on glute-focused stations, which a fixed hydraulic circuit does not deliver.

How much space should the glute zone take?

Thirty-five to forty-five per cent of usable strength area, against roughly a sixth in a mixed club. Apply the density figures for plate-loaded and selectorised stations from our density guide: 8 to 12 m2 per plate-loaded station and 7 to 10 for selectorised.

Can a mixed club serve this demand without a separate site?

Often yes, through women-only hours or a dedicated zone, and it is far cheaper than a second site. The equipment consequence is the same: the dedicated zone needs the glute station density and the lighter increments, or it will not be used.

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