How do you find time for the gym? To sell or not to sell my home gym?

[soflo352]

Whats up guys. So I wanted to ask everyone who has a busy schedule or kids, how do you find time for the gym? Around October or so, I started back up in the gym (bulking) trying to put on 20 lbs or so. I was consistent. 4-5 days per week. Was gaining some good amount of weight, filling in things like that. But I coach high school ball, so starting January I get busy as hell. And I have kids so when Im getting home, I focus on them. Heres a look at my schedule:

Mon-Friday, leave for work at 6:30am-3pm. Practices at 3:45-6:30pm if games I get home around 930 or so.
Saturdays I work a part time job, usually from 9am to 6pm. Sundays i do have off....

I have a complete home gym. Power rack, weights, bar, lat machine pulldown, tricep/dip station, dumbbell set from 10lbs to 55lbs, hex bar, and bunch of benches.

I havent lifted in 3 months or so. Already lost 11 lbs from not working out, eating right.

Should I sell everything and just get my $15 gym membership back when I get a schedule down pat? or what would you do?

Iv been working on my credit also and trying to pay off small debts here and there and was going to sell and use that $ to catch up on bills.

[Murser]

Can you use the school gym?

[cwcmac]

Whats up guys. So I wanted to ask everyone who has a busy schedule or kids, how do you find time for the gym? Around October or so, I started back up in the gym (bulking) trying to put on 20 lbs or so. I was consistent. 4-5 days per week. Was gaining some good amount of weight, filling in things like that. But I coach high school ball, so starting January I get busy as hell. And I have kids so when Im getting home, I focus on them. Heres a look at my schedule:

Mon-Friday, leave for work at 6:30am-3pm. Practices at 3:45-6:30pm if games I get home around 930 or so.
Saturdays I work a part time job, usually from 9am to 6pm. Sundays i do have off....

I have a complete home gym. Power rack, weights, bar, lat machine pulldown, tricep/dip station, dumbbell set from 10lbs to 55lbs, hex bar, and bunch of benches.

I havent lifted in 3 months or so. Already lost 11 lbs from not working out, eating right.

Should I sell everything and just get my $15 gym membership back when I get a schedule down pat? or what would you do?

Iv been working on my credit also and trying to pay off small debts here and there and was going to sell and use that $ to catch up on bills.

My weekday schedule:

7:15 - 8:20: get kids ready and take them to school
9:00-6:30 work and get home
6:30-9:30 dinner, play with kids, get them in bed
9:30 - 11:00: Catch up on work
11:00 - 12;30/1 - Work out in garage

Kids certainly change the equation so gotta go with time that works

[Aguisa92]

If you haven't got the time at the moment and think you can sell your stuff to catch up on bills then that makes sense.

I've been out of the gym for a few months/years at a time, and getting back on track doesn't take long at all.

In fact, we're in the process of renting our house out, with the gym still in the garage, while we get up to date with bills etc.

I plan on using these next few months to take a break from tracking calories, working out etc and just enjoy time with my family.

1) look after your family and spend time with them. If selling your gear and catching up on bills helps, then that's even better.
2) don't worry about getting back in shape - it won't take long at all.
3) use any time you do have i.e. lunch breaks etc to learn more about lifting and working out so when you return you have more knowledge to work with,
4) you will likely be able to buy the same kind of gear you sell for a similar price later down the line anyway.

These are my thoughts of what I would do, so hopefully this might help you a little.

Good luck.

[lift4life2020]

I know a guy with a similar situation to yours that goes to the gym at 430am .. no way I could do that

[soflo352]

My weekday schedule:

7:15 - 8:20: get kids ready and take them to school
9:00-6:30 work and get home
6:30-9:30 dinner, play with kids, get them in bed
9:30 - 11:00: Catch up on work
11:00 - 12;30/1 - Work out in garage

Kids certainly change the equation so gotta go with time that works

For sure.. I have 50/50 custody so when the kids are at my house, my attention is all on them. But when I come home after our games, I am literally beat....

[soflo352]

If you haven't got the time at the moment and think you can sell your stuff to catch up on bills then that makes sense.

I've been out of the gym for a few months/years at a time, and getting back on track doesn't take long at all.

In fact, we're in the process of renting our house out, with the gym still in the garage, while we get up to date with bills etc.

I plan on using these next few months to take a break from tracking calories, working out etc and just enjoy time with my family.

1) look after your family and spend time with them. If selling your gear and catching up on bills helps, then that's even better.
2) don't worry about getting back in shape - it won't take long at all.
3) use any time you do have i.e. lunch breaks etc to learn more about lifting and working out so when you return you have more knowledge to work with,
4) you will likely be able to buy the same kind of gear you sell for a similar price later down the line anyway.

These are my thoughts of what I would do, so hopefully this might help you a little.

Good luck.

I appreciate the advice. My kids are my everything for sure. I work at an elementary school, we start up at 7am I get home roughly at 3pm. I dart over to softball because I coach high school. We practice from 4pm to 630ish but on game days I dont get home until 930-10 sometimes. And what sucks, is I try to consume 3500 calories minimum per day when I lift, but when im that busy and got all that going on, its hard to even eat...

I got a STEAL on all of my equipment. I attached some pictures in my original post of what I got. I have MAYBE $500-600 in my entire gym lol. No lie... just found deals and wheel and deal a lot. My local gym I have a membership at, its $16 per month. Iv been paying it just havent been going due to my schedule. Once May/June hits, Im usually free from coaching until September.

[dagdafitness]

I have a newborn and work fulltime in a more physically demanding environment than most (construction) - 7-315 so I leave for work around 610. I wake up early enough to comfortably give me an hour to workout and then my normal amount of time to get ready. When I get home Im tired, have to help take care of the kid, have to get dinner ready and shower.

If I wait until after work, I wont work out. Ill have a beer and say tomorrow. If its important to you, youll make time. If you can do early mornings, do them, if not, try after the kids are in bed. No point in getting a gym pass.. If you cant motivate yourself to go down stairs, what makes you think youll go to a gym

[soflo352]

I have a newborn and work fulltime in a more physically demanding environment than most (construction) - 7-315 so I leave for work around 610. I wake up early enough to comfortably give me an hour to workout and then my normal amount of time to get ready. When I get home Im tired, have to help take care of the kid, have to get dinner ready and shower.

If I wait until after work, I wont work out. Ill have a beer and say tomorrow. If its important to you, youll make time. If you can do early mornings, do them, if not, try after the kids are in bed. No point in getting a gym pass.. If you cant motivate yourself to go down stairs, what makes you think youll go to a gym

I feel you. From January to about the end of April is when my schedule is busy due to coaching. Its 5 days a week minimum. Once the season is over, I have a lot more free time in the afternoons. My local gym where I have a membership at, they open up at 5am. That means Id have to get up around 430am to get there when they open...

My 5 year old goes to my school. So I have to get up and get her ready as well..

And I run a side business, so getting new equipment and money to fund things for it popped up in my head, but i dont want to regret selling my entire gym you know?

[soflo352]

I know a guy with a similar situation to yours that goes to the gym at 430am .. no way I could do that

That is insane. Id have to leave my house at 430, to get to the gym by 5am. And my kid goes to my school so that means id have to leave the gym go back home get ready and her ready and then leave....

If anything, it would probably make more sense to just get up at 515am or so and lift in the garage. id rather wake up a little early and go into the garage than down to the gym.

[dagdafitness]

I feel you. From January to about the end of April is when my schedule is busy due to coaching. Its 5 days a week minimum. Once the season is over, I have a lot more free time in the afternoons. My local gym where I have a membership at, they open up at 5am. That means Id have to get up around 430am to get there when they open...

My 5 year old goes to my school. So I have to get up and get her ready as well..

And I run a side business, so getting new equipment and money to fund things for it popped up in my head, but i dont want to regret selling my entire gym you know?

Seems a like you have a lot more going on that I do haha. Id say if you can sell your equipment for enough to be able to afford the same quality stuff in the future, go for it. The things I would keep are custom pieces or vintage/hard to get. I would have no problem selling my titan rack but if I had a nice commercial piece, it'd be a big decision.

[swimmer32]

If I don't workout in the morning before everybody else gets up in the morning, then I don't get a workout in. I'm not a morning person, but I drag myself out of bed 4-5 days per week to lift. I lift on both Saturday and Sunday so I can sleep a little in a little bit longer. Between the family and work, my days are booked once everything gets going.

[dragon360]

Hate to say it but You’re going to need to start loving early mornings some. Tried every sort of time slot and it’s the only guaranteed one for me.

[EricAtl]

If I don't workout in the morning before everybody else gets up in the morning, then I don't get a workout in. I'm not a morning person, but I drag myself out of bed 4-5 days per week to lift. I lift on both Saturday and Sunday so I can sleep a little in a little bit longer. Between the family and work, my days are booked once everything gets going.

Im always impressed by people that can work out so early. My body doesn’t work at that hour. I typically have to be at work by 7 but one day a week it’s 6.
My sweet spot is to get a work out in between 430p and dinner time. Sometimes I get home too late or I’m too tired from work in general. Activities with our children sometimes occupy this time. Some weekends I have to work and there is not time to work out. My goal is three work out days per week.
You have to try to make the time, but I completely understand how difficult this can be. If I did not have my home gym I would probably never work out. So to the OP I would say keep your home gym.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

Pretty sure having to find time to go to the gym rather than having it at home will be even harder and you will end up not lifting.
Can't much comment on the cash thing though, if you need the $ and you're not using it, makes sense to sell, but paying $15 a week doesn't make much sense to me when you have everything already.
Cool trap bar by the way.

[grubman]

That is insane. Id have to leave my house at 430, to get to the gym by 5am. And my kid goes to my school so that means id have to leave the gym go back home get ready and her ready and then leave....

If anything, it would probably make more sense to just get up at 515am or so and lift in the garage. id rather wake up a little early and go into the garage than down to the gym.

You’ll probably just brush off this answer, but...if you want it you want it, if you don’t you don’t. The actual investment in time to obtain a descent physique is so rediculously minor, it’s really just a matter of self discipline and desire.

One can only speak from personal experience, but I get up at 4 am, drink a pre and read my emails and this forum, and am in my home gym around 4:30. I work out every other day (but could just as easily do 3 gays a week) on a full body for 45 minutes to an hour and 15 (I do slight volume periodization). I’m leaving the house for work by 6:30.

3 hours a week is nothing! Getting up an hour early 3 days a week is not a big sacrifice...but the benifits are huge! With a home gym, it’s all right there, convenient, whenever you have the time! The early morning is time your kids youldnt even be awake!

[KyleAaron]

I coach high school ball, so starting January I get busy as hell. And I have kids so when Im getting home, I focus on them. Heres a look at my schedule:

Mon-Friday, leave for work at 6:30am-3pm. Practices at 3:45-6:30pm if games I get home around 930 or so.

This is the key part. You have got to choose: will I do something for my community, or do something for myself?

Sorry, but that's what it comes down to. A person only has so many hours in the day. Myself, I'd find some way to contribute to the community using less total hours, so that I had at least 2 days a week to work out. That's 100 workouts in a year, and good things will happen from that.

In first aid in the army we were taught - DRABC. Danger, response, airway, breathing, compressions. The first thing you do is check for danger, because you cannot help the casualty if you yourself become a casualty. Likewise, if you look after your health, you can better help others than if you don't. The kids - on your team or in your home - will get more out of a healthy soflo352 some 3 days a week than a sick soflo352 for 5 days a week. And that's what we're talking about in the long-term.

[radrd]

Pretty sure having to find time to go to the gym rather than having it at home will be even harder and you will end up not lifting.

Agreed. My approach in your situation would be to scale back workouts this time of the year, but not quit altogether. Sounds like you could reasonably lift before work a couple days a week and on Sundays.

[soflo352]

Seems a like you have a lot more going on that I do haha. Id say if you can sell your equipment for enough to be able to afford the same quality stuff in the future, go for it. The things I would keep are custom pieces or vintage/hard to get. I would have no problem selling my titan rack but if I had a nice commercial piece, it'd be a big decision.

For being 27, I sure do have a lot going lol. I work at the school grades K-5th. Then I coach HS softball. And run my own promotional business on the days I dont work.. even late nights. On top of that, 3 kids.

Whats crazy, is I also work a part time job at the used sporting good store in town. We sell a crap ton of fitness stuff. I pieced together my dumbbells and formed an entire set from 10lbs to 55lbs. I purchased about $2000 worth of equipment if not more, for $500 from an old lady it was in her storage. I kept what I wanted to use, but sold the rest... made a killing lol. So honestly for my entire home gym I have like $500 in EVERYTHING. So maybe I need to buckle down, wake up an hour or so earlier during the work week and make it happen. Im gotten so unbelievably skinny

[soflo352]

Pretty sure having to find time to go to the gym rather than having it at home will be even harder and you will end up not lifting.
Can't much comment on the cash thing though, if you need the $ and you're not using it, makes sense to sell, but paying $15 a week doesn't make much sense to me when you have everything already.
Cool trap bar by the way.

And its not that I NEED the $ now, its my mind thinking... damn, you're not working out. You're equipment is just sitting there. And you can have more $ to buy equipment for the business. I need to wake up and just LIFT and stop making excuses I guess.

[soflo352]

You’ll probably just brush off this answer, but...if you want it you want it, if you don’t you don’t. The actual investment in time to obtain a descent physique is so rediculously minor, it’s really just a matter of self discipline and desire.

One can only speak from personal experience, but I get up at 4 am, drink a pre and read my emails and this forum, and am in my home gym around 4:30. I work out every other day (but could just as easily do 3 gays a week) on a full body for 45 minutes to an hour and 15 (I do slight volume periodization). I’m leaving the house for work by 6:30.

3 hours a week is nothing! Getting up an hour early 3 days a week is not a big sacrifice...but the benifits are huge! With a home gym, it’s all right there, convenient, whenever you have the time! The early morning is time your kids youldnt even be awake!

Man I know I can do it. Its just having the will to do so. During the months I was working out, I had a buddy come over around 5am, wed kill an hour workout and then id jump in the shower. I think im going to start back up today, go grocery shopping get some good foods, get a good little chest workout in to get back into it and start setting my alarm at 445-5am. 15 minutes of warming up and getting up, be done by 615 and enough time to leave by 640.

[soflo352]

Agreed. My approach in your situation would be to scale back workouts this time of the year, but not quit altogether. Sounds like you could reasonably lift before work a couple days a week and on Sundays.

And that is what I should have done. Instead of just quitting 100%, I should have just kept working out as much as I can, when I can. Which is better than nothing. I was making good progress and all. But my metabolism is so fast, I lose weight QUICK. Around December time, I was 156. I currently weight about 145. Sundays I have off. Always. Saturdays I work another job until 4. I know I can work after I get home then. So thats 2 extra days that I normally use for rest. But during the week when I absolutely can't workout or forget, Ill just use those as "rests". Im going to try it.... well see how it goes.

[Murser]

https://images.app.goo.gl/f1MpZd4t83iFZ8ph6

[grubman]

Man I know I can do it. Its just having the will to do so. During the months I was working out, I had a buddy come over around 5am, wed kill an hour workout and then id jump in the shower. I think im going to start back up today, go grocery shopping get some good foods, get a good little chest workout in to get back into it and start setting my alarm at 445-5am. 15 minutes of warming up and getting up, be done by 615 and enough time to leave by 640.

That’s what I like to hear! Look, I more than doubled your reps for motivation!

[irongrandpa]

Soflo, sounds like you figured out what you need to do. Stick with it and don’t beat yourself up if you have to miss a workout occasionally.

[lsi1]

its not finding the time its making the time. I have to roll out of bed at 4AM every day to get my workout in. The first few weeks it was hard but now its just how it is.

[soflo352]

That’s what I like to hear! Look, I more than doubled your reps for motivation!

Yeah bro I appreciate you and everyone who have chimed in. I honestly thought I would get trolled and what not but everyones responses have been nothing but helpful. Im out cleaning the garage and taking crap to the dump now to get the gym set back up. Ill snap a picture here in a bit! lol

[KoolDJVader]

Timely thread since Ive been contemplating changing my weekday workout time to early morning ever since my gym made the decision to close an hour early.

I usually go to the gym anywhere from 2 to 4 times a week although if I go more than 3, it's to get in some cardio. My one consistent day for the last few years has been when the gym opens on Sunday...I can use anything I want as it may be the emptiest time of the week. Use to be 8am but they changed that to 7 which is good because its even emptier (I loathe most gym members ). So if I have a 2x a week program, that means I just need to find just one more time during the week to get into the gym.

[Rottweiler59]

Personally with regards to your equipment and I don’t mean this negatively but for I think you would sell it for used may not make to much of a dent in your debt so if it was me I’d actually keep,it. Even if you dismantle the rack and stick it in the corner or roof space out the way. You may get the bug again when your schedule settles down. Normally tight schedules are when home gyms are the perfect answer. My nearest commercial budget gym is about 13-15 mins away. In the travel time alone to get to it I have done half my workout.

[ampire]

I just workout every time I walk past my weights in the house. It all adds up over the course of the week. Only takes a couple sets per bodypart to maintain.