Going to the gym vs workout equipment at home

[jason207]

I've gone to the gym several times and find I can get a better workout at home and all I have is 2 barbells, 2 dumbells, a pull up bar, a push up bar, a weight bench, a total gym machine, an excercise bike and few other machines. Why does gym equipment suck?

[chazzy1864]

What is your definition of a good workout?


Reading what you have, I figure I'd be stuck doing cardio or circuit work and not get more than a good sweat going and an improved CVS.

[vincerich]

I don't know what equipment you're referring to, but I prefer working out at home as well. At home, I don't have to worry about annoying/distracting patrons, travel or monthly fees. Some people prefer to rent rather than own, and they like the variety/atmosphere that comes with a community gym. If your home equipment gets the job done, then keep your money and workout at home.

[TigerStealth]

honestly it is not even close, the motivation + more exercises + more weights = way better workouts at gym than at home

[TOS98SS]

honestly it is not even close, the motivation + more exercises + more weights = way better workouts at gym than at home

I would agree with this , except if I had wo equipment at home, it would be easier for me to have a set schedual . And I would like that .

[YoBigFatMomma]

I love working out at home. I don't have to travel and pay gas, I don't worry about having to hide chalk, I can blast whatever the **** music I want, and watch tv/surf the net in between sets. And if you buy squats stands, you can take your equipment to the park and train in the sun.

[v4lu3s]

I used a gym for 4 years, had some equipment at home, and then went a year working out only at home. I found that working out in my garage is easy when its winter, but when the temperature gets above 90 during the day the garage gets above 100. I also found that affording a power rack good for 300+ lbs is NOT cheap at all. I spent a few hundred on weights from craigslist, got a cheap cage, 2 Olympic bars, a curl bar, about 500 lbs of weights, a "lat tower" on the back of the cage, pull up bar on the cage, and an adjustable barbell bench that can incline and finally a small selection of the smaller plates with adjustable dumbbells. I worked out with that for near a year, but was not consistent and found the equipment to be flimsy compared to the stuff at the gym. When I left the gym by bench and row were at 315+ and squat at 405+, with that much weight i found that my cheaper stuff just couldn't hold the weight safely.

After a year off I am back at the gym, I work out every day except the 2 days a week I work 24 hour shifts, I am more motivated (especially to get my money's worth). If you can get a good workout at home, achieve your goals and so on then go for it. It doesn't work for me since I want strength then size...and what i have at home is good for general fitness only.

[AnthonyStark]

Your home gym does not have a leg press machine, hack squat machine, cable cross overs, iso-lateral machines for chess/shoulder/back, etc... you gonna need all those after a few months on a 'home gym". The comparison is not even close, to be honest.

[Xizel]

I don't get forced into self-consciousness at home. I sometimes get annoyed by the lack of space and slow weight changing, but the ability to work at your own pace without possible outside distractions is priceless. Besides, I could be sitting at a computer, then decide to get into the weight room less than 10 feet away.

Your home gym does not have a leg press machine, hack squat machine, cable cross overs, iso-lateral machines for chess/shoulder/back, etc... you gonna need all those after a few months on a 'home gym". The comparison is not even close, to be honest.

I was hoping the examples get better as the list continued, but I guess not.

[DJAuto]

I prefer a gym due to the variety. Unless you have a stellar home gym like Ironwill2008, a fully equipped fitness center is usually superior.

[allsweaty]

Well OP does have a total gym.

[Tyciol]

Yeah, that Total Gym is an anomaly of power. I mean, not only do your hands move through space, but your body does too. I don't know whether to call those movements closed or open chain.

[BombDonald]

I could do 99% of my training with just a power rack, so a home gym set-up would be easy for me to use.

But, there are hot chicks at the gym.

[drpcnow]

[QUOTE=

But, there are hot chicks at the gym.[/QUOTE]

^^this, extra motivation

[BartStare]

there are hot chicks at the gym.

There are hot chicks everywhere. If that's the only outside place you go, you could probably use the social interaction.

Home gym=train whatever time you want. On my current program a workout takes me 2 hours, if i had to share the machines with other people, i can't even imagine.

[lolbeast]

Honestly, with about 75 lbs in plates and 2 adjusttable dumbbells, I can emulate almost every excercise except deadlifts. For squats, I grab dumbbells and do pistols, although its nowhere close to the full body of squats. For bench, I do weighted pushups on my pullup bar with a backpack full of weights (goneu p to 30 lbs). This works the core really well because you have to keep your body straight while going all the way down with a wide grip on the bar.

Can also do shoulder press + dumbbell rows 1 arm at a time, not to mention pullups, and chairs + books for weighted dips.

But then I just go to my gym so I can consistently do proper compounds and I lift more with better form when theres people(girls) around who may be watching. Nothing like a natural test boost to help set PRs from college cardio bunnies. The pump from the gym is insane and the I lke the friendly and respectful atmosphere among people who work out.

[VoxExMachina]

I've gotten better workouts, by far, once I built and started using my home gym. With a power rack, barbells, 120# Ironmaster DB's, leg press, benches, and some other miscellaneous equipment, I'm all set.

No fighting the crowd at the gym.
No waiting for equipment
No annual fees
No crap music
No lunk alarms, nosy personal trainers, or deadlift phobia
No having to hurry a set because 8 people are in line for the squat rack (okay, that never happened)

That said, if you don't have enough space or equipment at home, you're better off sticking with a commercial gym. A set of perfect pushup handles and a bosu ball aren't going to get you anywhere.

[lolbeast]

I've gotten better workouts, by far, once I built and started using my home gym. With a power rack, barbells, 120# Ironmaster DB's, leg press, benches, and some other miscellaneous equipment, I'm all set.

No fighting the crowd at the gym.
No waiting for equipment
No annual fees
No crap music
No lunk alarms, nosy personal trainers, or deadlift phobia
No having to hurry a set because 8 people are in line for the squat rack (okay, that never happened)

That said, if you don't have enough space or equipment at home, you're better off sticking with a commercial gym. A set of perfect pushup handles and a bosu ball aren't going to get you anywhere.

sounds like a lot of money, how much?? where do you put it/how much space?

[VoxExMachina]

sounds like a lot of money, how much?? where do you put it/how much space?

It's not all that much, in the big scheme of things. Most items you can find on CL since people buy things as a new year's resolution and then don't want it after 6 months. For instance, I picked up a Leg Press for $200 that is about $1,200 new. You just have to look around and build it a bit over time.

A good power rack, bench, and 300 lb. weight set give you a pretty good start. A lat tower with high and low pulley are a big plus, too. You can then spring for some adjustable DB's (expensive) or just use standard DB handles and plates and build your own (takes time to adjust weight). After that, things like the leg press are just "nice to have" items.

I have a basement, so it all goes down there. Since I have the room, it's spread out over around 500 square feet, but I could make do with quite a bit less.

[Sprog]

I've got the powetec power rack with lat tower and bench package, 650lb weights, oly bar oly db handles oly ez bar. Pull up and dip bars came with rack and also lat bar and straight bar for the high/low pulleys. Also got for the bench add on leg accessories so i can add in extentions and leg curls to leg workout.

Nothing beats working at home

[ironwill2008]

Troll got himself banned. Such is life.

[Number_Seven]

I would much rather work out at home, but lack the equipment right now.

[Number_Seven]

Troll got himself banned. Such is life.

Was he a troll? Looked through his posts and can't tell if he's a troll or just dumb.

[lolbeast]

How do you guys bench hard without spots?

[BombDonald]

There are hot chicks everywhere. If that's the only outside place you go, you could probably use the social interaction.

Lol.

[ironwill2008]

How do you guys bench hard without spots?

Power rack.

[SuffolkPunch]

I don't use any extra equipment in a commercial gym compared to what I have at home - except sometimes the leg press. But I can front squat just above parallel as a good alternative for that

It all depends on what exercises you are planning on doing. One good thing about a commercial gym is the fixed dumbells. At home I have to fiddle with oly DB handles...

[chazzy1864]

How do you guys bench hard without spots?

Same way I would bench hard if i ever did actually use a spot?

[vincerich]

honestly it is not even close, the motivation + more exercises + more weights = way better workouts at gym than at home

While this may be true for some, I don't feel that way. I feel more motivation at home because I can workout as soon as I feel like it as opposed to having to jump in my car, drive to the gym, get changed and then workout. Having other people standing around when I lift doesn't add anything to my level of motivation. Most of the exercises that I'd be interested in doing, I can do at home (I don't need 400lbs of plates), and the "more exercises" part doesn't help me much because my workouts mainly consist of free-weight and body-weight exercises (which I can do at home).

[vincerich]

Your home gym does not have a leg press machine, hack squat machine, cable cross overs, iso-lateral machines for chess/shoulder/back, etc... you gonna need all those after a few months on a 'home gym". The comparison is not even close, to be honest.

You "need" a leg press machine, a hack squat machine and all of the other things that you mentioned? Most people here would agree that they'd rather have barbells and dumbbells.