| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/13/2007 11:08:44 AM | Hi:
It is time for me to start working out again. I know a public/private gym is probably the best way to go but a lot of them seem to require long term contracts and at least in this neck of the woods gyms don't seem to last that long and go out of business. Also when I am in the gym I like to go from excercise to excercise pretty quickly. For a home gym I have been thinking about a bowflex model or something similar I guess the advantage at home is I can workout whenever I want and there is no wait time or parking issues. Any ideas here?
take care | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/13/2007 12:06:18 PM | | I have a treadmill and weights in my basement that I never use. I find that I have no motivation at all at home. So now I go to the gym and use the same stuff, and I do it everyday, something about it just makes me go. When I am at home I just find other things to do. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/13/2007 1:30:20 PM | | Yup, I had a treadmill. Sold it cuz I never really used it at home. I always went to the pool, but I'd habitually put off getting on the treadmill. I just find too many things to do when I'm at home that distract me. I go to they gym regularly, but never used the equipment I had at home. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/13/2007 2:26:55 PM | | Keep something at home for the days you can't go out but the gym is better because once you're there you don't really have a choice but to work out. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/13/2007 3:31:13 PM | | I do better in a public gym for some reason. At home, it would be too easy to slack off and not do what I need to do. In a public gym though, it's either work your ass off, or stand around with a dumb look on your face (which is my default setting). | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/13/2007 9:39:43 PM | I've always thought it was smarter to take the money you would pay a gym, and buy your own basic equipment.
I'm self motivated, and I would rather work at home and not waste my time driving back and forth to a gym.
Plus at a gym, you often can't do your sets in the time you want to because you're waiting for other people.
I have a power cage for doing bench press and squats, another bar for doing dead lifts and a curling bar.
I also can do parallel dips.
I've found if you work the main muscle groups doing basic things like parallel dips, curls, squats, dead lifts, bench press, and military press, you can get a good basic workout.
Add in some aerobic stuff like long walks in the beginning and working up to running, you can get in pretty good shape, and if you watch what you eat, you can drop weight pretty easily. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 12:00:36 AM |
I find that I have no motivation at all at home. So now I go to the gym and use the same stuff, and I do it everyday, something about it just makes me go.
This is something you can't fathom until you experience it. It defies logic, and most people want to respond by saying " Come on, the equipment is right in your house, if you didn't use it then you're just making excuses and weren't gonna work out anyway."
But it's true. I guess it's the same concept with people who hate carrying a lot of cash around, because it seems to spend a lot easier when it's right there in your wallet.
I'll take it one step further. I was at a 24-hour gym for a while, which you would think would leave room for zero excuses. But what I found out is that it made it way to easy to put off, one hour at a time, until I was too tired to go, it was too later to go, or something else came up.
I explain this to my g/f at the time, who swore I was full of shit. But working out pretty much my whole life, I knew better. I joined a gym that actually closed every evening, and sure enough, I magically started getting there. No way to convince yourself you're gonna go later if the place is closed. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 2:47:06 AM |
I've always thought it was smarter to take the money you would pay a gym, and buy your own basic equipment.
I used to think that way too. If I was to buy the stuff that I use at the gym, it would cost me more than a lifetime of memberships.
Nobody has mentioned it, but it is much safer to work out in a health club. If you do heavy weights, there is a chance you can get hurt. There are people at a club who will respond. Who is going to respond in your private home ???
I suggest the OP try the YMCA. They just require you to pay a building or initiation fee and then you can go monthly or else don't agree to year long contracts with private gyms, but you might have to pay more per month. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 5:52:17 AM | Depends on your goals and range of home exercise equipment. I personally LOVE my home gym but then I have a flat/incline/decline bench with preacher curl and leg extension, a squat rack, a pullup bar, 3 pairs of dumbbell handles, 3 barbells, an EZ bar, a hammer bar, and 400K+ of plates, so I can basically do exactly what I want when I want and not have to worry about waiting for equipment or not being able to superset or whatever.
If I only had a Bowflex I would rather join a gym. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 8:24:38 AM |
This is something you can't fathom until you experience it. It defies logic, and most people want to respond by saying " Come on, the equipment is right in your house, if you didn't use it then you're just making excuses and weren't gonna work out anyway."
But it's true. I guess it's the same concept with people who hate carrying a lot of cash around, because it seems to spend a lot easier when it's right there in your wallet.
I'll take it one step further. I was at a 24-hour gym for a while, which you would think would leave room for zero excuses. But what I found out is that it made it way to easy to put off, one hour at a time, until I was too tired to go, it was too later to go, or something else came up.
I explain this to my g/f at the time, who swore I was full of shit. But working out pretty much my whole life, I knew better. I joined a gym that actually closed every evening, and sure enough, I magically started getting there. No way to convince yourself you're gonna go later if the place is closed.
Scary thought...someday I want my own home gym because I hate traffic, parking, waiting on machines, and inclement weather. Perhaps I might re-think my theory. I do work out at home AND at the gym depending on the day and routine, but I do find that I am less motivated to do a 45 min session at home than a 2 hour session at the gym. Interesting about the 24 hour concept...I can see myself doing that, putting it off until it doesn't happen.
If I could find a gym like a block from my house, that would be good....it's only 15 mins or so, but I truly hate the drive at times. Once I am in the workout mode I want to get it done.
I am a people watcher and a half tho, and doing weird exercises in public doesn't bother me. The gym gives me that social element I would never get at home. Sometimes the view motivates me - and yes I'm a pig but at least I'm honest about it.
Also for me, the fact that I pay for it motivates me to go at least 3 times a week.
Once I make a ton of money and decide I want a home gym, it looks like I may have to hire a PT too to kick my butt and make me do it on days I have no interest. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 10:20:25 AM |
Also for me, the fact that I pay for it motivates me to go at least 3 times a week.
Good point. My membership expired a few months back, and due to series of unfortunate events, I really didn't have the money to spend $500 renewing my yearly (you can go month to month with a contract, but it ends up costing more). I found a way to get the money because it's important to me, but you can bet your ass that the sting of spending $500 on it when I was low on cash made me start going a lot more.
I am not saying home gyms are a bad idea. When you're especially dedicated, they're great if you truly can't get to your gym for a variety of reasons... it's a good supplement, I just feel I'd rather get out of the house where you know you're going to be forced to finish the work out.
You make another good point about the drive. The gym really should be close. I belonged to a really nice one-the 24 hour one I was talking about-and when I moved, it was 20 minutes away and on a ridiculously busy road that you had to fight traffic the entire way. I liked the gym, but needless to say, the drive and traffic were not really helping my motivation much either. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 10:35:39 AM | Most of the time I never have motivation problems with working out. And when I do, the reasons are really because I'm just so enormously stressed out I can't even think about it, so I wouldn't go to the gym even if I didn't have one at home.
The thing I love most about having a home gym is not having to wait for equipment. You can do supersets and tri-sets and stuff like that and not worry about someone else nabbing the weights you're not using, or feeling guilty for occupying a bench and something else at the same time.
I'm also a huge fan of having a home gym because it enables me to more easily use microloading as a progressive overload technique. When you have loads of 0.5K, 1K, 1.25K, 2K, 2.5K and 3K plates, it's easy to increase the weight you're lifting each workout by as little as 1lb, which is something I would always rather do than increase the amount of reps I'm doing. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 10:41:47 AM | ^^I agree, super setting (which I usually only do when I am low on time or don't feel like being there) can be a little tough if you're in a gym during peak hours. Tough to guard to machines at once.
But other than that, getting on equipment is not usually a problem if the gym is decent size, or you have another exercise you can do. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 10:51:36 AM | Good if you're innovative, but a lot of people stick rigidly to routines.
I personally like to make my own routines and try new exercises. For example, in the coming 6 weeks I'm planning on implementing the squeeze press and california press which are both lifts I've never done before, and I'm currently doing single legged squats for the first time. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 1:45:53 PM | | Muscle confusion is a wonderful thing, never let your muscles get use to what your doing. Always keep them guessing. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 9:05:38 PM | | I have an eliptical and stationary bike at home, as well as some other equipment. I have a gym membership, too. I think if you lack motivation the gym is better, but if you don't, the equipment at home is better. It is certainly easier to get to. Keep in mind you can just step outside and go for a vigorous walk or run. This is why I don't own a treadmill. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/14/2007 9:44:33 PM | The atmosphere of a public facility will do wonders for motivation to BEING there. I find what is relatively common place is that most people dislike the commute, but once they're there... everything is gravy.
I have a variety of dumbells, benches and was considering purchasing a power rack and while I was in highschool to use in my basement vs. paying for a gym membership... and I'm not lax at all when it comes to religious dedication, I train 4-5 times per week depending on my split and specific goals yet I can honestly say the summer where I trained at home I not only trained on a less frequent basis but the intensity was absent.
The public atmosphere is more so motivational for the basic following reasons:
(all my opinion, of course)
1) The sheer volume of other people particiating in the activity which pushes you... I find myself motivated by those who are in better shape than myself. Sadly, being at a Goodlife fitness in Toronto, this is not a common place scenario lol.
2) The opposite sex. No explination needed, whether you can embrace it or not it's biological... we all want to look good and thrive off of at least the prescence of them being around. Assuming of course you're not gay, and even if so, it still applies in the public setting
3) Once you are physically at the gym, there is no excuse. As formentioned, it's very easy to get side tracked with home equipement... the old 'oh I have cleaning to do better stop my workout early' etc. will constantly plague you.
The decision is less of a decision and more of commute you must be willing to make for your own sake as a progressive step in achieving the physique you desire and are capable of =) | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/15/2007 9:28:55 AM | I have a treadmill and stationary bike at home,and I also make regular visits to the gym.
If money is an issue,then invest in a stationary bike for home use.
But if you can afford a membership to a gym,then I think it's quite beneficial.
When you are surrounded by other people with a common goal,it motivates you more
to exercise on a regular basis.
Most people that invest money in a home gym regret it,because the equiptment tends to collect dust.lol
You can get a good stationary bike for under 200 dollars. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/15/2007 6:39:45 PM | Unless you have great motivation and are upbeat, I would suggest a public gym. Your paying to use all the free weights, treadmills, etc... while the gym is responsible for maintaining it and possibly adding new equipment at no extra cost to you.
I do a mix of lifting at the gym and at home and I do kettlebells, sprints(when its dry out), and/or boxing and jump rope.
Choose what will help you increase and stay on an exercise program. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/16/2007 4:04:35 AM |
Your paying to use all the free weights, treadmills, etc... while the gym is responsible for maintaining it and possibly adding new equipment at no extra cost to you.
To be fair though, if you have the money for the initial outlay of a decent home free weight setup, it doesn't require any maintenance. I mean, you're talking about iron discs and iron bars. Unless you happened to leave them in salt water overnight, no maintenance required. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/16/2007 4:12:01 PM | | ..i go 5 days a week,i like the public gyms, 2 reasons,they have a better vibe{ energy} and the equipment is better! and i gotta say,single or not,the scenery isn't bad! | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/16/2007 4:18:11 PM | i agree with dwight1055 the public gym is much more motivating. i tend to stop myself short when i go it alone. when people are there watching you its hard to stop after two minutes on the treadmill with your dignity:)
if you are competitive its also nice to go with a friend who can challenge you... | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/16/2007 11:35:17 PM | | haha what I need is a masochist friend that will BEAT me if I don't go. I enjoy my time at the gym, but hot dog, I get really lazy sometimes :/ I certainly wouldn't be able to sustain myself at home... alone.. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/17/2007 1:18:16 AM |
the equipment is better
Surely this depends on the gym and the home gym? If you've got a decent weight selection, a bench and a squat rack, you don't really need anything else. | |
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| home gym versus public gym
Posted: 12/17/2007 7:36:11 AM |
Surely this depends on the gym and the home gym? If you've got a decent weight selection, a bench and a squat rack, you don't really need anything else.
True, but then you need the space for a home gym. If I had the space for one Id be lifting only at home so my gym is 24/7 instead of fixed hours. When i get a house, I hope to have enough room for a home gym with a power rack with rubber weights for o lifts and a huge ceiling. | |
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