Home gym vs. Golds gym

[Messenjah]

i've been workin out at home on a cheap bench set and a curl bar for he last year, i thought it may be time to move on so i got a membership at golds, after going tonight for the first time i was pretty dissapointed, aside from the cardio i didnt really like it, yea they had some nice machines but after my workout i realized i felt more worked after working out at home,

any similar experiences or comments?

[D&G]

If I had a power rack, adjustable bench, place for dips and pull ups and a bunch of weights I wouldn't go to the gym.
You'll need more than a bench and a curl bar if you really want to train to full potnetial.

[Messenjah]

i agree, granted my bench has alot of extra features like rows, pulldowns , dips, legs, chest flys, after thinking about it i will probably be sticking with golds

[Lou3]

You'd save a lot of money by going the home gym route, but I still prefer a public gym for the psyche factor. Exposure to other lifters helps to motivate you, you can almost always get a spot, and other eyes on you keeps you honest (it's easy to cheat here and there when you're alone). I remember a few times when someone pointed out a bad habit I'd developed in my form, which probably saved me from an eventual injury or improved my efficiency.

[smartkid]

I much prefer trainning at home. I only workout for 30 minutes max every 5 days (HIT) and getting to and from the gym took longer than working out. the bus used to take about an hour and while the bike was only about 20 minutes you get a bit tired going there and it's exhausting riding home after a workout especialy legs! Plus I hate waiting for machines. Plus people in my gym train like pussys and look at you funny if the exercises ar even making you tired let alone going to failure. At home there are no distractions so I can channel my thoughts and workout so much more intensely. Plus I can shout and scream. I have a york bench with leg curl and extension (cheap and basic) and a barbell and dumbbel set and also a chin up bar which hangs from the ceiling so my feet don't touch the floor. I can do most of the exercises I could before plus I prefer free weights and it's much cheaper short term and long term. The only problem I have is needing more weigh but I'll just go and by a big lot that should last me a while.

[Venumb]

I'm a few months from turning 32. I've been paying gym memberships since I was 17. Paying for my wife's mebership since I was about 19 years old. Now my 12 year old daughter is catching the fitness bug. I sat down one day not too long ago and did some rough math on what I've spent over the years on memberships. Needless to say, I dropped our memberships, cleared the basement, and now I'm aprox 9/10th's finished with my dream home gym stocked full of quality equipment (POWERTECH,NAUTILUS,YUKON,CAP). I spent about half of what my total memberships have cost me, but, I'll NEVER have to worry about paying for a membership again, not having access to a gym due holidays, or temp or even perm. closings. I can workout any time I please..no more waiting to use X bench or X machine...life is good ;-) .

[Blashy]

I have powerblocks with an adjustable bench.

I go to a "bodybuilding" gym 10 work outs, in the summer, just for a change of scenery and see all those steroid dudes walking around, I find it entertaining

But I much prefer at home, my music, less money, no waiting and best of all I can work out in my underwear and flash poses in the mirror . Its actually more comfortable.

[PRESS]

I work-out at home and love it!

All I have are two dumbbells, a bunch of plates, a Swiss Ball and a chin-up bar. There are almost no exercises that I can't do, and I'm making good progress.

When I leave home, i'm sure i'll invest in a home gym if it's financially possible.

Do you guys think this is enough equipment? Keep in mind i'm only 15.


P

[Blashy]

You only need dumbells. If you're do go heavy enough as you progress save up for powerblocks www.powerblocks.com

I'm starting to feel like a salesperson for the company LOL

[mrallnatural]

Originally posted by Venumb
Needless to say, I dropped our memberships, cleared the basement, and now I'm aprox 9/10th's finished with my dream home gym stocked full of quality equipment (POWERTECH,NAUTILUS,YUKON,CAP). I spent about half of what my total memberships have cost me, but, I'll NEVER have to worry about paying for a membership again, not having access to a gym due holidays, or temp or even perm. closings. I can workout any time I please..no more waiting to use X bench or X machine...life is good ;-) .

I was thinking about doing the same thing. Did you purchase all your equipment new, used or a combination?

Thanks

[xthematrix]

bump on what natural said

[MiloMan]

I'm so old, rocks have started calling me "sir". Seriously, I'm almost 40, and when I was in my early 30s, I was doing the spreadsheet thing; adding up my gym fees over the last decade or so. I had a dry basement that I barely used, and I decided to stop paying gym fees by way of building a gym in my basement.

I purchased a power rack, an incline/flat bench, a 300lb olympic set, a pair of olympic DB bars, an Oly DB EZ-curl bar and some tough no-pile commercial carpeting. For less than 3 years worth of gym fees, I was lifting at home. I now had a gym that was always open, always played my kind of music (trust me, gyms don't often play military marches, symphonies, and gregorian chant, and had my kind of crowd - just me, or me and one or two of my long-time buddies.

It's grown a bit over the past few years; a set of 5-120lb hex DBs (the expense was gradual, a couple of pairs a month, but it definitely was worth it), another Oly set (moving that single bar out of the power rack for deads was always a minor annoyance), a little fridge for drinks, some better lighting, some rubber mats, a better "Third World Briefcase" (a.k.a. "a boom box"). A little here, and a little there.

The latest improvement I'm working on is a "homemade hex DB rack-shelf" along part of 2 walls; we did a small test (one of my buddies used to be a bricklayer) with a short wall (three 8x8x16 inch concrete blocks, topped with a 2x12, topped by 2 pieces of long angle iron to solidly locate the DBs. We set the pair of 120s on it and it's solid as a rock, and now he goes at it with more blacks and mortar, then we'll finish up the top cap after the mortar cures. I almost bought DB racks a couple of times, but having them all on a "shelf' that is 2 feet off the floor will be even better. We will not permanently attach the 2x12 with fasteners or adhesive - to make it easier for a future homeowner to strip the wood off.

It's not a machine gym; I mostly like plain iron (perhaps I'm old fashioned, just like my music), although I do have my eye on a simple calf machine.

I guess the point of all this typing is that it's worth it to stop paying for gym fees, be master of your own domain, to lift in a gym that won't go out of business until you say so, that doesn't ever have anyone in it that annoys you, and doesn't ever play music that grates on your nerves, with a little bathroom and a stall shower right off to the side.