International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development

This article seeks to explore the motivations of members of Basic-Fit gyms in Troyes through a mixed-methods sociological investigation. We employ Max Weber’s interpretive sociology as a theoretical framework, with particular attention to his reflections on types of rationality. The study combines questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observations. The results reveal a plurality of action logics—instrumental, value-oriented, affective, and traditional—that are often hybrid and socially situated. The central research question examines the rationalities driving gym-based sports practice at Basic-Fit and their variation according to social profiles. The study rests on the assumption that sports practice is socially situated and guided by multiple logics of action (instrumental, value-oriented, affective, traditional). The analysis highlights the complexity of motivations and the differentiated appropriation of a standardized space. We observe distinct patterns of use within a uniform setting, weak regimes of interaction, and the role of the body as a site for identity reconstruction.