Three ways to find
your perfect gym.
Iron Atlas has three modes, each designed for a different kind of gym search. Here is how to get the most out of each one.
Mode 1
Find by Equipment
Search by the exact equipment you need
Good for people who already know what they want. A specific machine, brand, or amenity.
Go to Find by Equipment
Click Find by Equipment in the navigation bar or on the homepage. You will land on the main search page with a map and a list of gyms.
Add your search terms
Click Add Equipment / Movement / Brand to add a search row. Choose a type from the dropdown, then type or select a value. You can add as many rows as you like.
Tip: Try combining terms. Hammer Strength + Flat Bench + Swimming Pool will show you gyms that have all three.
Filter by chain or area
Use the chain dropdown at the top to narrow results to a specific gym chain. The outlet dropdown lets you filter to a specific branch.
Read your match score
Every gym gets a match percentage based on how many of your search terms it satisfies. 100% means the gym has everything you searched for. Results are sorted by best match by default.
Switch to Map view
Toggle to Map view to see all matching gyms as pins on a map. Each pin shows the match percentage. Click a pin to see a quick summary and a link to the full profile.
Open a gym profile
Click any gym card or pin to open its full profile. You will see the complete equipment list, amenities, opening hours, photos, and crowd-verified machine conditions.
Tip: On the gym profile, you can filter the equipment list by muscle group using the Sort by toggle.
Mode 2
Train Mode
Find the best gym for a specific muscle group
Good for beginners or anyone who wants to know which gym is best equipped for a specific body part, without needing to know machine names.
Go to Train
Click Train in the navigation bar or on the homepage. You will see the I want to train headline with a row of muscle group buttons.
Pick a muscle group
Tap any muscle group. Chest, Back, Shoulders, Legs, Glutes, Arms, or Core. The page will instantly load and rank every gym by how well-equipped it is for that goal.
Read the score
Each gym card shows a large score (0 to 100) on the cover image. Green (80 and above) means excellent coverage and quality. Amber (60 to 79) means decent but with some gaps. Grey means limited.
Tip: The score combines coverage (does the gym have the right machines?) and quality (how good are those machines?). A gym with fewer but higher-quality machines can outscore one with more mediocre equipment.
Expand the breakdown
Click Breakdown on any gym card to see exactly which movements are covered and which are missing.
Sort and filter
Use the sort buttons to switch between Best Score and Nearest (requires location access). If results span multiple chains, a chain filter will appear.
Switch to Map view
Toggle to Map view to see gym scores plotted on a map. Each pin shows the score. Click a pin for a quick summary with covered and missing movements listed.
Mode 3
Directory
Browse every gym with its full equipment inventory
Good for exploring what is available or finding a gym in a specific area without a particular equipment requirement in mind.
Go to Directory
Click Directory in the navigation bar. You will see a paginated list of every gym in the database.
Search by name
Use the search bar at the top to filter gyms by name. Results update as you type.
Filter by chain or area
Use the chain and area dropdowns to narrow the list. Area options include Central, East, West, North, and North East.
Adjust page size
Use the Show buttons to display 5, 10, 20, or 50 gyms per page. Use the pagination controls at the bottom to navigate.
Open a gym profile
Click any gym card to open its full profile page with the complete equipment list, amenities, machine conditions, and photos.
Gym Profile
Reading a gym profile page
Everything you can find on an individual gym page.
Equipment list
Every machine the gym has, organised by muscle group or listed flat. Use the Sort by toggle to switch between Default order and By Muscle Group.
Machine condition votes
Each machine has a crowd-sourced condition indicator. Tap thumbs up or down to vote. The condition updates based on community votes.
Quality rating
Each machine has an editorial quality rating (1 to 5 stars) reflecting its biomechanical quality and commercial grade, not just brand name.
Location and hours
Address, opening hours, and a link to Google Maps for directions.
Photos
Cover photo pulled from Google Places. Tap through to the gym's Google listing for more photos.
Frequently asked questions
What does the match percentage mean?
In Find Gyms mode, the match percentage tells you how many of your searched items a gym has. If you search for 3 things and a gym has 2 of them, it scores 67%. A 100% match means the gym has everything you searched for.
What does the Train mode score mean?
The Train score (0 to 100) combines two factors: coverage (does the gym have machines for all the key movements in that muscle group?) and quality (how good are those machines, based on editorial ratings?). A gym missing a key movement is capped at 60.
How is machine quality rated?
Each machine model has an editorial quality rating from 1 to 5. This reflects biomechanical quality, build standard, and suitability for serious training, not just brand prestige. A well-designed machine from a lesser-known brand can outscore a mediocre machine from a premium brand.
What do the machine condition indicators mean?
On each gym's profile, machines show a condition status based on community votes: Good, Fair, or Poor. You can vote yourself and the status updates in real time.
How current is the equipment data?
Equipment data is manually verified and updated. If you notice a machine that is missing or incorrect, the gym profile page has a way to flag it.
Why does a gym appear under a different muscle group than expected?
Dual-function machines (for example a Pec Fly / Rear Delt machine) are listed under their primary movement. In Train mode, both movements are counted, so the machine contributes to both Chest and Shoulders scores.
Ready to find your gym?
Pick the mode that suits you and get started.