Getting a gym membership vs. Home Gym

[GLB]

I am asking about the advantages and disadvantages of getting a membership at a gym and having your own gym at home and adding to it when you have the money. I was thinking of starting to work out at a local gym but I have my own home gym and if it would be cheaper and better to just buy additional stuff to add to it.

[getgot211]

what do you have? if i had the space i would definitely invest in setting up a home gym

[The Real Deal]

yah gonna need to kno wat u have first.

tho i prefer a local gym since they'll have every piece of equipment and dumbell i'd need.

only bad thing would be if its crowded and u have to wait for equipment. and smelly ppl.

[odoreater]

I work out at home and here are some things to consider:

1. you need a lot of space. I happen to have all of my equipment in a really big garage where I have all the room I could possibly need. I have a power rack in there, an adjustable bench, and another bench with a squat stand (though i don't use this anymore 'cause i just do squats in the power rack) and a lat tower. I'm planning on getting a stand for a heavy/speed bag and a chinup/dip tower next.

2. I never have to wait for any equipment to become available because I'm the only one in there.

3. Whenever I do something stupid or embarrassing there is nobody there to see me.

4. My home gym is a hardcore iron dungeon.

5. I guess the only bad thing is that there isn't anybody there for spotting or support or motivation or anything like that.

[Shoulders]

I lift both at home and the gym but prefer going to the gym. I like it because it has more/better equipment and besides I just like to get and go somewhere rather than stay at home by myself. To each his own.

[need4muscle]

all you need for motivation is a radio. play your favorite song as loud as you want and it pumps you up!!

[pryme]

theres just no way for you to have the amount of equitment at home as there is at the gym.
plus,like the guy above said,getting out of the house and all is good. imo
also,theres the eye candy,now you can say your hard core and all and do pay attention,but every guy sneeks a peak or 20 at the girls lol.

motivation factor comes into play to,im much more motivated at the gym.

so i say gym,maybe a few things at home but 99% gym for me.

[FastStrongSmart]

now that its freezing cold outside id rather lift at home.

do both. get a gym membership while slowly building up your home gym on the side.

[getgot211]

Originally Posted by pryme

theres just no way for you to have the amount of equitment at home as there is at the gym

maybe, but its not needed...

power rack
bench
plates
barbell
dumbbells(you could even get adjustable)
pull-up/dip station

thats all you need, and you can add some accessories here n there. if you have the space a glute-ham bench, dip belt, box(s), bosu/swiss if your into the stability stuff, medicine balls, bands, fractional plates...and what a lot of gyms won't allow chalk, and chains

edit: and how many gyms have glute-ham benches?

[mike_d]

Originally Posted by getgot211

maybe, but its not needed...

power rack
bench
plates
barbell
dumbbells(you could even get adjustable)
pull-up/dip station

thats all you need, and you can add some accessories here n there. if you have the space a glute-ham bench, dip belt, box(s), bosu/swiss if your into the stability stuff, medicine balls, bands, fractional plates...and what a lot of gyms won't allow chalk, and chains

edit: and how many gyms have glute-ham benches?

exactly what he said. hell alot of power racks have pullup/dip station attached. personally I cant WAIT until I have a full setup at home. It will probably cost close to 1600CDN, but I'll buy it on credit over a year and have it for the rest of my life.

Right now I have this: 20lb, 30lb, 45lb, dumbbells x 2, (i HAD a set of 65's but some random homeless person STOLE them from my house last year )

What I need:
gym flooring for apartment
flat/incline/decline bench
power rack w/ pullup + dip stand
55lb db's
65lb db's
75lb db's
85lb db's
eventually 95 and 105lb db's
Olympic weight set (300lbs)
6-8 more plates as my deadlift goes up
exercise (swiss) ball
35lb and 54lb kettlebells

should cost around 1600 bucks for everything, all sturdy equipment. eventually i'll get a GHR machine, but until then I can do reverse hypers on a simple modification to the power rack.

plus my regular gym doesnt allow and powerlifting stuff, like boards, bands, chalk, and chains, not to mention the looks you would get doing floor presses and band work.

[aqua-beowulf]

Originally Posted by pryme

theres just no way for you to have the amount of equitment at home as there is at the gym.

Say what?

[mike_d]

awesome gym aqua

[Powers|ave]

until just recently i always worked out at home. we have a ton of equipment, but the gyms have Everything. i dont have enough weight at home for the real heavy stuff, legs were always getting neglected, and there wasnt much variation in my workouts.
i enjoy going to the gym because it becomes an event.by the time i get there im always super motivated and i always have superior workouts there, using anything i could ever need. until i started going to the gyms i didnt even realise how lax my home training was becoming. plus its cool to see the girls and the beasts, and the weak as hell people that make me feel like a monster in comparison lol.

[HomieStaysBuilt]

Originally Posted by aqua-beowulf

Say what?

damn, that's your home gym? Nice.

[The Real Deal]

Originally Posted by aqua-beowulf

Say what?

yah why dont u mention the $$ that it cost

[ryuten]

ur home gym sucks. just kidding. i wish i had that much room and space in my house for all that. but when i grow up to a billionaire, i'll have a gym on every floor of my house.

[RU4A69]

Originally Posted by pryme

theres just no way for you to have the amount of equitment at home as there is at the gym.

Although this is true, I have things my local gym doesn't (ROUND plates, trap bar, SUPER heavy dumbells). Also, you are forced to do only freeweight lifts (unless you have $$$$$$), which means you're going to have 100% functional strength.


Also-I can use chalk, as much as I want.

[MrSinister]

Originally Posted by aqua-beowulf

Say what?

hellllo


you should charge membership

[mike_d]

Originally Posted by RU4A69

Also-I can use chalk, as much as I want.

this right here is enough reason for me to train at home

now I just need to BUY the equipment

[Snausage]

If time is plentiful go to a gym. If its not go the home gym route. I have a home gym and wouldn't trade it for the world. Even if your gym is only 5 minutes away thats 10 minutes every day you could be lifting, plus you don't have to deal with waiting for equipment, New Years resolution newbies, 16 yr old kids, etc.

[jocularric]

I lift at home and work. Find yourself a job that has a decent weight room on site and have the best of both worlds.

[outbreak]

If you hate Joe Public as much as I do. Working out at home is bliss.

[DiamondDelts]

I STRONGLY prefer to train at home. I don't understand those who say they go to the gym for motivation and eye candy. To me, a serious lifter has all the motivation and drive he needs in his heart(if he's serious about this). All you need at home is a good power rack and the will to use it.

[deserusan]

I really do like the eye candy at my gym. There is nothing better than watching a hot chick chuggin along on a cardio machine. Even better is a hottie kneeling on bench trying to "tone" those tri's while some pervert like me is staring at her ass. Oh yeah, my gym has awesome equipment too.

[Zensuji]

i think home is the way to go. having the basics is great as you have to be more inventive, also everything is taylored to your needs.

opening times
lay out
music
colors
kitchen close by
cardio machines (the wife/gf or both lol)

alot of people say to me how can you be motivated to do it when its in your house. this makes no sense. the gym is in my house how can i not be motivated.

[aqua-beowulf]

Originally Posted by The Real Deal

yah why dont u mention the $$ that it cost

Ha, ha... Actually, I don't have that much invested in just the equipment... building the completely separate building was what cost so much, but that's not really a necessity. I trained out of my garage for years... but I'm older and more settled now, and decided I wanted a roomier, climate-controlled area to train. But you could set up the type of gym I have for around 3K or so if you had room in your basement or garage. And to be honest, I have some things I probably don't need... A power rack & bench (with dip handles), olympic plates and dumbbell handles... are the only things you absolutely need, in my opinion.

[FightFan]

I like to have both. I go to the gym every weekday and whenever I'm at my apartment I pick up my dumbells and go crazy on them.

[RockedUp]

It really boils down to whether you have a GOOD gym that you like your area.

I do and I love it.

I have picked up some many excersises/techniques just by watching others in my gym...THAT'S A HUGE ADVANTAGE....

and we can talk about all this serious lifters should motivate themselves crap until we are blue in the face...but true motivation comes from a VARIETY and MULTITUDE of different sources

...seeing someone else throw up big weight...seeing hot chicks who are serious about their workouts...having strangers walk up to you and compliment you on not only throwing up big numbers but having perfect form while doing so...etc...etc....etc...

we all get motivate and inspired differently...to each his own.

[THUNDERGOD]

I would say both, physically going to a gym (outside of your home) I think causes you work out harder, in that you drove yourself there you are going to make better use of your time since you put forth the effort to get yourself there. The home gym is great for convience, but it also makes it easier to blow it off. When you just cannot make it to the local gym... Hey do it at home.

[W8isGR8]

It cost under 1000, only because the treadmill was 600. I have a dip/pull-up tower, an adjustable bench w/separate rack(for squats), adjustable dbs, dip belt, stereo, and lots of pics of Arnold(for motivation)