pay this membership fee or build a home gym?

[iCY]

i got an offer at ballys, 39$ a month for 2 years. 3rd year is free. so thats $936 for 3 years and i can use the gym anywhere.

should i do that or should i just get weights at home. can i really get the main equipment for around that price?

[smokeater]

Get the gym membership. Compare what you get for the dollar value. $900 of equipment won't equal what you'll get in a gym.

[super D]

The gym membership will allow you to understand the different machines and so on....and hopefully you will meet people to help you learn technique and valuable info to help you build your physique.

Once you obtain some knowledge and map out a plan around within your life-style....maybe then, you can decide to stay with the gym or build your own gym.

What I found out is that I was only using maybe 20% of the equipment at the gym. So for me I decided to build my own gym...but without the help of good people at the gym, I would have never known what equipment I needed at home.

So thumbs up for now on the gym membership to help you decide and learn the 'ins and outs' of weight training and body building.

[John_Clark]

I find it funny... the local gym where I am costs around 2,000 a year. 2,000 dollars can buy quite a lot of home equipment!

Guess which path I took. ; )

[RickyBoxler]

Jesus, I have an awesome 24 hour gym with tons of equipment, sauna, pool, boxing area, basketball courts, large aerobics room..for 274 dollars a year, and often throughout the year I get friends to sign up and theyll give me a few months for free.

Xsport/Xtreme fitness in Chicago

[jamilz28]

i paid $690 for a gym and i hate it. they have weights that are way off and there stuff is getto

[iCY]

yea im not a complete noob so im thinking of going with a home gym. and the person before was right, you only need like 20% of the equipment

ALL you need are free weights. the rest are just luxuries........

so bench, barbell, squat rack, and a dumbell rack(dumbells included)

anything else i'm missing? i can do pullups on the squat rack

only 2 things actually..........a cable for lat pulldowns and tricep presses(personal favorites =[)

[Just_Pet_It]

I think the gym membership is your best bet unless you want to put some more money into some nicer gym equip. I see too many people say " well, my gym membership cost around 400-500 bux a year" and think they can go out and buy a treadmill, power rack, db's, 300lb set, adjustable bench, etc etc for under a grand. You get what you pay for and if you like the stuff at the gym I would by the closest thing to it or as much as your budget will allow, plus a bit more. Stick with the Gym membership!!

[smokeater]

Originally Posted by John_Clark

I find it funny... the local gym where I am costs around 2,000 a year. 2,000 dollars can buy quite a lot of home equipment!

Guess which path I took. ; )

$2k for a year? There is nothing cheaper? I'd say the market is right for somebody to come in there and steal away a lot of business from them.

[AZIronMine]

Started lifting at home as a teen 35+ yrs past. Been a member of several gyms over the years. Met some good lifters / builders, but hated everything else. Pretty common story. Can't find a matching pair of dumbells to save my life because someone was too lazy to re-rack 'em. Need to schedule my workouts around gym hours and travel to/from.

Spent years collecting equipment for my garage gym and am quite happy with result. Combination of purchased (new and used) and home built (welded). Would like a few more items like a pec deck, ab crunchy machine, calf raise machine, and of course - a power rack, but I am out of room.

I have...
6500 lbs Oly plates
1800 lbs standard plates
Pro-style dumbells 5lbs - 75 lbs, lots of doubles - racked
Bench (flat / incline)
Lat pull down / Tricep press down / Seated cable row
Leg extension / Leg curl
Hip sled (Leg press / hack squat)
Standing preacher curl
Seated preacher curl
Lat row bar
Dip bars
Roman Chair
Lots of bars - various types
Lot of attachments

What do I miss ? Occasional training partner. Having my wife spot for heavy benches is not the safest technique.

Other than that, its ideal. My schedule, my workout, my music (or quiet if I want), no interference...

http://groups.msn.com/TheIronMineGar...ehomegyms.msnw

[Chowboy]

Things I love about gym memberships:
1. Waiting to use the squat rack while some moron is doing bicep curls in it.
2. Wiping off somebody elses sweat with my gym towel
3. Tripping over a dumbbell because no one reracks 'em.
4. Picking everybody elses weights because there mother wasn't there to clean up after 'em.
5. Listening to the same krappy music again, and again and...

And don't get me started on the germ factor

I guess you can tell that I have a home gym

[AZIronMine]

Originally Posted by Chowboy

Things I love about gym memberships:
1. Waiting to use the squat rack while some moron is doing bicep curls in it.
2. Wiping off somebody elses sweat with my gym towel
3. Tripping over a dumbbell because no one reracks 'em.
4. Picking everybody elses weights because there mother wasn't there to clean up after 'em.
5. Listening to the same krappy music again, and again and...

And don't get me started on the germ factor

I guess you can tell that I have a home gym

Exactly ! I couldn't have said it any better...