Has anyone gone from home gym back to commercial?

[leonard1]

Thanks for all the responses, definitely given me some things to think about.

I seem yo be noticing a trend though. The people who are saying "don't go back to a commercial, home gym is better" have incredible home gyms than I can neither afford nor fit. Also bear in mind that you're comparing your fully insulated and probably heated basement to my uninsulated and unheated garage.

The people who are saying "maybe a commercial is for you" seem to be the people with the same kit as me - the basics - rack, 300lb oly, bench etc.

If I could afford or fit one of your incredible gyms then my decision would be instant, but I can't.

I wonder if you guys saying home gym is the way to go would say the same if your home gym looked like mine


This is a few months old and some things have changed but gives a good idea as to what i'm working with.

With that space - I'd put down some stall mats, get a power rack that fit, bench, and one of those floor GHDs. For all other accessories and workout stations - I'd go with equipment that hung off the rack then stored on the wall or standing when not in use. For other storage, I'd anchor in to the bricks or put up some storage racks and hang from the walls. I think that space could work fine. You can do a lot of workouts just in the foot print of the rack.

But, there are also the many benefits of heading in to a commercial gym:

1. Sick people using the equipment and coughing and sneezing their way through their workouts. We can always use more rest days in the winter by catching an extra cold or 2.
2. Extra cardio by chasing down the 45's and 25's that are inevitably strewn across the gym.
3. People talking on their cell phones while parked on or in front of the equipment you want to use.
4. People not wiping down the equipment they use.
5. driving 45 minutes to get to a gym that will actually let you deadlift and has a decent rack.
6. Avoid over developed hamstrings, due to the almost complete lack of GHD's in commercial gyms.

It's really no contest in my mind.

[irongrandpa]

Op, most of us started out with similar setups and have built what we now have over the years. That said, I preferred working out at home then with minimal equipment and ,15 years later, I, still like working out at home with nicer equipment . As someone else already said , get a rack and bench that fits your space and then if space, budget allow, get other items you may want. You can do all the basics with that. the important thing is to use what you have.

[BuckeyeROC]

I have to use commercial gyms sometimes on my travels for work. Absolutely sucks compared to home gym.

[tanksoldier]

The people who are saying "don't go back to a commercial, home gym is better" have incredible home gyms than I can neither afford nor fit.

Nah man. This is mine:





Budget rack, CAP barbells and plates, Bowflex bench and adjustable dumbells that I got free from a neighbor.

Rowing machine we got from points and treadmill my wife picked up from a neighbor who wanted it out of their garage.

if your home gym looked like mine

You've got plenty of room to do anything you need to do. I'd ditch the Roman chair, move that shelf with the spray bottles and such somewhere else. Get a pair or 2x2 mats to put down under the plates when you lift outside of the rack. Get a rack for your weights and another for your barbells anchored to the wall.

You can squat, bench, press, do dumbell stuff... stand your bench up on end against the wall you can deadlift, barbell row, oly lifts like power clean and such in front of the rack.

Even if your ceiling isn't high enough to press standing you can do sitting presses. Anchor a chinup bar to the opposite wall.

I like the industrial brick. Add a stereo system and have at it.

[DVG93]

OP I dont blame you for wanting to go back to a commerical gym with that setup.

Get a power rack and some legit adjustable dumbells (ironmaster/powerblock), and some olympic rings. This will give you much more variety and will keep you better engaged.

[tanksoldier]

Nope! If you put together a decent garage gym, there is no need to go to a commercial gym.

...which misses the point that the OP doesn't have the space or money for all that crap.

...and the point that you don't NEED all that extra stuff to work every part of you body.

With rack, bar, bench and weights you can work every single muscle in you body.

Extra stuff is just that: extra.

[bcradio]

The gym I use when I am up in Ohio has 35 different Hammer Strength machines, full line of ******n, Body Master, Cybex, Strive, and a giant free weight area. Hard to match in a home gym. Nothing to even compare to it here in S. Fla.

Dang, that's it?

The commercial gym I go to has more than that with regards to Hammer Strength alone. Not to mention a full compliment of Technogym equipment (30-40pcs). It literally has 3-4 pieces of plate loaded equipment for every exercise (i.e. 1 technogym, 1 cybex, 1 hammer strength, etc.) and probably 4-6 machines for every exercise with weight stacks.

This is why I have a membership and a home gym... and my home gym is a extremely nice one as well. I probably split my workouts 50/50 between the two.

[urbanlifter]

This thread reminds me that I need to use up the last 9 months on my LA Fitness membership, which I honestly might renew because it's only $18 mo now and I get access nationwide. Nothing wrong with doing both if you have a cheap gym local, get what you need at home and then mix things up at the commercial gym when you feel stagnant (I'm getting there). If nothing else a membership will help remind you why you have a home gym in the first place, to avoid the gym idiots that f*ck up your routine.

[Fapadrol]

Nah man. This is mine:

We pretty much have the same sized area for our gyms, maybe mine is slightly on the longer side since it's a double garage, but I feel it's perfect for me, not too large and not to small.

My next purchase is a set of 25kg calib steel plates, but my wise head is saying no lol.

[dukenukem7777]

OP, your setup kinda reminds me of this video:

Hope I'm mistaken!

[bojadada]

I have. I got a power rack and adjustable bench last year, and was planning on doing Stronglifts 5x5 exclusively at home. I didn't like it because of the limited space (it's in a tiny room in my basement). Putting weight on/taking it off the bar is a pain in the ass when you're like 2 feet from the wall. Plus, I really just got it because my local gym only had 2 squat racks, and they now have 4 thank gosh. I'm thinking of selling my equipment on craigslist, I haven't touched it in ages.

[pbk3jg0]

OP, your setup kinda reminds me of this video:

Hope I'm mistaken!

Isn't that rack basically what you'd find in a powerlifting meet?
I'm surprised that the bar could slip through the safety. What a disaster.

[KyleAaron]

Nope. But then, my home gym is also my business. Having other people around to encourage me too is good, but even if my business went kaput I'm sure at least one of them would come and take pity on me and lift with me.

The only thing I miss from the big old gym is the 9:30am circuit class. Milfs galore.

[RestoringTally]

OP, your setup kinda reminds me of this video:

Hope I'm mistaken!

Isn't that rack basically what you'd find in a powerlifting meet?
I'm surprised that the bar could slip through the safety. What a disaster.

Yes, it is an old ER Equipment bench press bench. It is IPF approved for meets. But at meets there would be at least two spotters, one on each side.

When the guy in the video failed, he pushed the bar against the upright. The bar then slid down the upright in the gap between the safety and the upright. The safeties are designed to save the lifter if he drops the bar. Spotters would have stopped the lift before it progressed as far as it did in the video.

Unfortunately, the guy in the video decided to try to rack the bar instead of failing gracefully. He almost paid the ultimate price for his mistake. The lesson here is that when lifting by yourself, fail gracefully instead of hoping you can muscle it through.

[Jason2459]

Isn't that rack basically what you'd find in a powerlifting meet?
I'm surprised that the bar could slip through the safety. What a disaster.

It is and soon after that if not before that video they fixed that flaw in the design so that can't happen.

[Jason2459]

At least a good combo rack did

[MikeNick]

I wonder if you guys saying home gym is the way to go would say the same if your home gym looked like mine


This is a few months old and some things have changed but gives a good idea as to what i'm working with.

I have trained with equipment like that in the best years of my life in my basement with a couple of good friends. I have the best memories out of that time, maybe mostly of having training partners with the same passion. I joined some local gyms sporadically over the years but at the end I prefered working out alone at my place. My wife joins a fitness center and she likes that but I don't. Now, my son who is exactly your age, has started working out at the home gym using basic equipment and exercises. He doesn't want us to workout together, for the moment he prefers working out alone. I hope soon enough we will be training partners.

I understand you completely. Even if I had one of the best home gyms available, sometimes I feel I miss the machines and equipment of a commercial gym, but mostly the atmosphere and training partnership.

Now that I am older I still use my home gym that has seen many changes for the better but sometimes I would like to join a local commercial gym just for change.

So use what you have now at your garage and if you can afford a gym membership do both for a while. Only you will decide at the end what you prefer more (if you are lucky enough to have a friend as a training partner I believe you will not trade your home gym for a commercial one...)

[smokinHawk]

It is and soon after that if not before that video they fixed that flaw in the design so that can't happen.

no they didn't

At least a good combo rack did

that doesn't really fix it.
it has to do how the spotters are connected to the rack, they slid in, so if they slid out some (granted the EliteFTS rack has to slide out more) the bar can slip through.
that is how the ER rack failed, the spotters slide out some

[Jason2459]

7

no they didn't



that doesn't really fix it.
it has to do how the spotters are connected to the rack, they slid in, so if they slid out some (granted the EliteFTS rack has to slide out more) the bar can slip through.
that is how the ER rack failed, the spotters slide out some

I corrected myself in that second post.


And yes, I believe that flaw is corrected in a better designed combo rack. You don't. Ok. The first picture that doesn't seem to come up now is an Eleiko model. The arm would have to be bent or broken for the bar to go between now.

With the adjustable arms there's just enough play in that er rack not so in the elitefts or better designed one. It was the rack arms that pushed back. I've seen one a step better with the spotter safeties bolt behind the arm.

I still much prefer my power rack.

[Greybird2]

Dang, that's it?

The commercial gym I go to has more than that with regards to Hammer Strength alone. Not to mention a full compliment of Technogym equipment (30-40pcs). It literally has 3-4 pieces of plate loaded equipment for every exercise (i.e. 1 technogym, 1 cybex, 1 hammer strength, etc.) and probably 4-6 machines for every exercise with weight stacks.

This is why I have a membership and a home gym... and my home gym is a extremely nice one as well. I probably split my workouts 50/50 between the two.

Sounds like a great gym.

I like the variety too. Hammer Strength equipment is by far my favorite.

[Greybird2]

We pretty much have the same sized area for our gyms, maybe mine is slightly on the longer side since it's a double garage, but I feel it's perfect for me, not too large and not to small.

My next purchase is a set of 25kg calib steel plates, but my wise head is saying no lol.

What area do you work as a nurse?

[Fapadrol]

What area do you work as a nurse?

ICU, might be known as ITU or CCC in the states?

[smokinHawk]

7

I corrected myself in that second post.


And yes, I believe that flaw is corrected in a better designed combo rack. You don't. Ok. The first picture that doesn't seem to come up now is an Eleiko model. The arm would have to be bent or broken for the bar to go between now.

With the adjustable arms there's just enough play in that er rack not so in the elitefts or better designed one. It was the rack arms that pushed back. I've seen one a step better with the spotter safeties bolt behind the arm.

I still much prefer my power rack.

the ER rack doesnt have any play if the arm is pushed all the way in, but the way it slides in and out it can have play.
The eleiko and elitefts can have a gap if the arms are not pushed all the way in even with that extra piece, it is just the way it attaches. Look at the bottom, not the top of the spotter arms on how they go in. with enough force in the right direction it can knock them out.

[Fapadrol]

Good lord that rack is perfect.

[leonard1]

Yes, it is an old ER Equipment bench press bench. It is IPF approved for meets. But at meets there would be at least two spotters, one on each side.

When the guy in the video failed, he pushed the bar against the upright. The bar then slid down the upright in the gap between the safety and the upright. The safeties are designed to save the lifter if he drops the bar. Spotters would have stopped the lift before it progressed as far as it did in the video.

Unfortunately, the guy in the video decided to try to rack the bar instead of failing gracefully. He almost paid the ultimate price for his mistake. The lesson here is that when lifting by yourself, fail gracefully instead of hoping you can muscle it through.

I'd call that more of an intelligence test than a design flaw - though the design could definitely be improved.

[Jason2459]

the ER rack doesnt have any play if the arm is pushed all the way in, but the way it slides in and out it can have play.
The eleiko and elitefts can have a gap if the arms are not pushed all the way in even with that extra piece, it is just the way it attaches. Look at the bottom, not the top of the spotter arms on how they go in. with enough force in the right direction it can knock them out.

The failures that I have seen and can be seen in that video have to do with the uprights that get pushed back by the bar not the safeties moving at all as can be seen in that video.

[Katherin28]

Home gym plus membership crew

[sm1ke]

My home gym's footprint is only slightly bigger than yours.




I can do everything I need to with what I have, but I do also have a membership with my company's gym, mainly for access to a FT and a C2 Rower for $60 a year. If I had room for those two things in my townhouse, I'd be set.

[smokinHawk]

The failures that I have seen and can be seen in that video have to do with the uprights that get pushed back by the bar not the safeties moving at all as can be seen in that video.

uggh look down at the bottom, you can see them move out and back in when he bumps it.

[pbk3jg0]

Good lord that rack is perfect.

Hmm I wonder how difficult it is to remove the bench from this rack?