Cancelling the Gym Membership and turning a bedroom into a Gym room instead? - Advice wanted
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Home gyms are the best! The garage sale idea is great, and discount stores like Burlington or Ross for random gym equipment. I splurged and bought the Nordictrack X22i and it changed my life. Incline training + weights + built in videos that you can follow along to ON THE TREADMILL is amazing. Good luck to you!0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I have mixed feeling on the matter...
We're actually house hunting right now and we're interested in finding a place that would have available space for a home gym as both my wife and I lift. On one hand, it would save us some money in the long run and we wouldn't have to go anywhere to workout.
On the other hand, there's just so much going on once we step through the front door of home that a lot of well intentioned things to do fall by the wayside and I'm concerned about interruptions from kids, chores, etc. When I go to the gym, it's gym time and I'm away from all of those other distractions so I'm not sure how it would work out.
I've also met a lot of great people over the years in the gym and I would definitely miss seeing them on the regular.
I'm not sure how old your kids are or where your home gym would be but I find it pretty easy to shut out the rest of the world even when training at home. There are days once in awhile when my daughter will interrupt me but they are rare. She pretty much knows not to do it unless it's very important and not to talk to me when I'm in the middle of a set. (She's 10 but the home gym started when she was 6.) If you are a family that often has people ringing the doorbell or stopping by without previous plans, though, I can see how interruptions might be a problem.0 -
I have Select Tech weights at home, they're a real space saver and I love the half pound increments. Resistance bands, a ball, a yoga block (or a tall, thick book), a floor mat. I actually subscribe to Beachbody on Demand, all of my workouts are home workouts unless I'm crunched for time and know I'm going to be out from very early til very late. That's the only time I go to the gym.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I have mixed feeling on the matter...
We're actually house hunting right now and we're interested in finding a place that would have available space for a home gym as both my wife and I lift. On one hand, it would save us some money in the long run and we wouldn't have to go anywhere to workout.
On the other hand, there's just so much going on once we step through the front door of home that a lot of well intentioned things to do fall by the wayside and I'm concerned about interruptions from kids, chores, etc. When I go to the gym, it's gym time and I'm away from all of those other distractions so I'm not sure how it would work out.
I've also met a lot of great people over the years in the gym and I would definitely miss seeing them on the regular.
I'm not sure how old your kids are or where your home gym would be but I find it pretty easy to shut out the rest of the world even when training at home. There are days once in awhile when my daughter will interrupt me but they are rare. She pretty much knows not to do it unless it's very important and not to talk to me when I'm in the middle of a set. (She's 10 but the home gym started when she was 6.) If you are a family that often has people ringing the doorbell or stopping by without previous plans, though, I can see how interruptions might be a problem.
My kids are 5 & 7. My wife and I have difficulty even holding a conversation without getting interrupted by one of them...usually the younger one. What should be a 5 minute conversation can easily go 15-20 minutes. They always need help with this or that or the computer won't turn on or they can't get the light switch to work in the bathroom or they don't understand what they're supposed to do with their homework, etc...it's a never ending barrage at the moment...
I also find that things that need to get done around the house will often distract me because they need to get done and I feel weird going to "play" when things need to get done...I don't feel quite the same way when I just stop by the gym on the way home from work...kinda like when you take time off, it's easier to relax when you're away because at home you're going to busy yourself with a bunch of projects that need done.
If we find a place that's big enough, we'll probably try it...we just don't have a particularly good track record of this in the past.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I have mixed feeling on the matter...
We're actually house hunting right now and we're interested in finding a place that would have available space for a home gym as both my wife and I lift. On one hand, it would save us some money in the long run and we wouldn't have to go anywhere to workout.
On the other hand, there's just so much going on once we step through the front door of home that a lot of well intentioned things to do fall by the wayside and I'm concerned about interruptions from kids, chores, etc. When I go to the gym, it's gym time and I'm away from all of those other distractions so I'm not sure how it would work out.
I've also met a lot of great people over the years in the gym and I would definitely miss seeing them on the regular.
I'm not sure how old your kids are or where your home gym would be but I find it pretty easy to shut out the rest of the world even when training at home. There are days once in awhile when my daughter will interrupt me but they are rare. She pretty much knows not to do it unless it's very important and not to talk to me when I'm in the middle of a set. (She's 10 but the home gym started when she was 6.) If you are a family that often has people ringing the doorbell or stopping by without previous plans, though, I can see how interruptions might be a problem.
My kids are 5 & 7. My wife and I have difficulty even holding a conversation without getting interrupted by one of them...usually the younger one. What should be a 5 minute conversation can easily go 15-20 minutes. They always need help with this or that or the computer won't turn on or they can't get the light switch to work in the bathroom or they don't understand what they're supposed to do with their homework, etc...it's a never ending barrage at the moment...
I also find that things that need to get done around the house will often distract me because they need to get done and I feel weird going to "play" when things need to get done...I don't feel quite the same way when I just stop by the gym on the way home from work...kinda like when you take time off, it's easier to relax when you're away because at home you're going to busy yourself with a bunch of projects that need done.
If we find a place that's big enough, we'll probably try it...we just don't have a particularly good track record of this in the past.
The plus side of the home gym is that you can workout before the get up/after they go to bed without having to worry about child care.
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I was a firm "don't need a gym membership" kind of person for a long time but I reached the limits of what I wanted to do with just dumbbells at home. I thought about a weight bench really carefully but ended up checking out local gyms and it just suddenly really appealed to me. I super like the variety of cardio machines, as one of my issues is boredom. I am all over the weight stations and free weights area now, I love it. My gym also has a separate room with a big old video system of guided workouts. I've been going 5-6 times a week since April and no regrets. Being out of the house also isolates the time as my very own, which I find I also enjoy.0
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Katiebear_81 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I have mixed feeling on the matter...
We're actually house hunting right now and we're interested in finding a place that would have available space for a home gym as both my wife and I lift. On one hand, it would save us some money in the long run and we wouldn't have to go anywhere to workout.
On the other hand, there's just so much going on once we step through the front door of home that a lot of well intentioned things to do fall by the wayside and I'm concerned about interruptions from kids, chores, etc. When I go to the gym, it's gym time and I'm away from all of those other distractions so I'm not sure how it would work out.
I've also met a lot of great people over the years in the gym and I would definitely miss seeing them on the regular.
I'm not sure how old your kids are or where your home gym would be but I find it pretty easy to shut out the rest of the world even when training at home. There are days once in awhile when my daughter will interrupt me but they are rare. She pretty much knows not to do it unless it's very important and not to talk to me when I'm in the middle of a set. (She's 10 but the home gym started when she was 6.) If you are a family that often has people ringing the doorbell or stopping by without previous plans, though, I can see how interruptions might be a problem.
My kids are 5 & 7. My wife and I have difficulty even holding a conversation without getting interrupted by one of them...usually the younger one. What should be a 5 minute conversation can easily go 15-20 minutes. They always need help with this or that or the computer won't turn on or they can't get the light switch to work in the bathroom or they don't understand what they're supposed to do with their homework, etc...it's a never ending barrage at the moment...
I also find that things that need to get done around the house will often distract me because they need to get done and I feel weird going to "play" when things need to get done...I don't feel quite the same way when I just stop by the gym on the way home from work...kinda like when you take time off, it's easier to relax when you're away because at home you're going to busy yourself with a bunch of projects that need done.
If we find a place that's big enough, we'll probably try it...we just don't have a particularly good track record of this in the past.
The plus side of the home gym is that you can workout before the get up/after they go to bed without having to worry about child care.
Yeah, we don't do child care. My wife trains at the gym once per week on Friday when she gets off work at 3:30 before she picks up the kids. I usually go straight to the gym from the office on Tuesday evening before I go home and then usually either Friday at lunch or Sunday morning.
My wife and I alternate morning cardio workouts during the week before the kids get up...I ride on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday mornings and then a longer ride on Saturday and my wife runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
After the kids go to bed would be a non starter...our kids eat earlier than us as my wife works 3/4 time so she gets them fed usually by 5 and then we have homework, play time, baths, etc...I'm not usually home any earlier than 6PM and often 6:30 or 7PM Once they're in bed, my wife and I have dinner and it's our opportunity for quality time and discussions of important matters, etc
I think the biggest issue for us will be not getting distracted by other things that need to get done around the house as we typically start addressing those things as soon as we walk through the door.0 -
Home gym is easy and cheap, I used to use weights but found they took to much space up in the room. So now I use my own body weight as in press-ups, crunches and the bridge to name a few to keep things simple.
Equipment wise I keep things small, resistance bands on a hook floor level, one kettle bell, one Abs Roller, a medicine ball and my newest toy a weighted travel bag. With all those I can vary my exercises for an entertaining and interesting work out session. Its important you keep things varied and interesting, exercise in the gym or home can get boring quickly unless you keep things spicy.
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[First: what are your goals? How big is your room (width/length), how wide/high is the door and how high are the ceilings? Second: What are your goals?
The answers to these questions will determine what type of gear you should get (goals) and what gear will fit in your room.
If you need/want gear that won't fit in your room, consider a different location in your house (the garage is most common) or just continue to go to the gym.
FWIW, I've got a full weight lifting set up in the single 10x20 space of my 3 car garage and every inch of that space is used.
Wouldn't be able to fit 1/2 the gear in a 10x12 foot room, let alone thru the door and there would be no headroom left for the 7' high rack even if it could be disassembled to get thru the door. The strength of the floor would also be a concern; not a problem in the garage.
Had to put the Concept 2 rower in my family room behind a 7' sofa because it has a 3x9' footprint. No room left in the garage and no other space large enough to accommodate it. Had to put the spinbike in the foyer.
These are just some of the practical matters you may need to consider when trying to install a gym in your home.
Good luck!
So my goal is to maintain my weight but also to keep getting better or lower in body fat. I don't even know what my body fat percentage is but in my middle stomach area it is not what I would prefer. Weight doesn't matter as I know now how to go lower and that is mostly a food issue. I want to keep all my muscle and keep my heart fit.
The room is only 10 x 10 foot with 8' ceilings. Door is just a standard single door. Garage is already being used as a wood shop for hubby and he would also be using the home gym to keep fit. Basement is already a family room and we have a small cape so from what I am hearing you say, we don't have enough room to successfully do this right?
I was thinking treadmill with incline, weight bench, bar with weights, dumbbell set, tv and music. And then hubby said something about needing a pulley something or other too and we were gonna have to see what could be done for that. I was thinking some kind of interlocking rubber tiles for the floor.0 -
My 'home gym' is squat rack/power cage with spotter bars and hooks adjustable for benching too.
It's straight out my back door. I bought it about 2 months ago and find I am using it about 3 times a week, even after 10 hour days on my feet at work. I'm having good results too as I'm back into lifting after a significant hiatus.
My almost teenaged sons are also enjoying the pull up bar.
Aside from barbell and about 100kg of assorted weights I also have a couple of kettle bells (one at a warm up weight and one at a working weight).
My next present to myself is going to be an Olympic barbell/set as I'd like to start working on cleans and snatches again.
I also run outside in the bush when I can.
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I really recommend getting some coaching or PT sessions of some sort so you know you are doing movements correctly if you plan to invest in a home gym.
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It's a pretty simple set up. I'm using it. It's working.
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We have a home gym. I use it 5-6 days a week, my husband not so much.0
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I have what I call exercise room !! 2 ellipticals (for my husband when he joins me) treadmill ,2different bicycles, and for my weights I use the total gym (have for years) I love it less chance for injury!! I get up and start my workout first thing before I have time to think about it !! Oh I also have a tanning bed!!
Good luck!!!1 -
My 'home gym' was a set of adjustable dumbbells, a cheap elliptical I got at an auction, and a speed jump rope.
It was fine when I was in a crunch working 2 jobs and couldn't make it to my gym (thankfully charge month to month so i could take 2 months off) and I found that my motivation dropped. I missed my gym environment. The gym I go to has a hardcore lifting atmosphere which is super motivating to me. I see my goals everywhere. At home, not so much. I was ecstatic to finally have time to go back.0 -
I don't lift weights, but I have a treadmill, a set of dumbbells, a jump rope, a step, and some dvds that I never use.
I definitely recommend a motorized treadmill if you plan on running indoors. I spent $1500 9 years ago on a Sole treadmill from Dick's and it has been worth every penny.
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I am lucky that all of our city gyms are accessible with $100 yearly pass (love va beach)...I guess it all depends on what motivates you. For me, getting out of work and getting to the gym on the way home is a commitment I keep to myself and hard to slack off when I am there and in my gym clothes.0
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If I was going to start a home gym adjustable dumbbells would be my first choice.
After that a good mat and if the floor can support it, a barbell and plates0 -
Skimmed the posts, you have a lot of good advice there. As far as the gym goes, it really depends what your goals are. If its to just lose weight and tone up, you need far less equipment than if you are wanting to bulk up.
I don't have a gym membership. My home gym consists of 2 x 20kg (44lb) adjustable dumbbell sets I got from K-mart (I'm in NZ) for $140NZD (Probably around $80-90 USD). I have an exercise mat. and that's it.
I do all my exercise with fitness blender. I have followed their 8 week programs for busy people, so only around 30-35 minutes of exercise a day with a mix of strength and HIIT. And I have recently started doing yoga. There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do that don't use more than that. I've lost around 35lb since January.0 -
love my "PowerBlocks"... adjustable weights... pretty reasonably balance. pricey at first but there's a bunch of Craigslist usually.. think mine new were about 250? also have a galvanized pipe across a couple of sawhorses for some Australian pull ups. home gym, done.0
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Free weights, bars, bells, bench, treadmill, pully set up etc is probably going to get pricey and take up a lot of space no matter how you swing it.
I've been checking out prices for a similar set up (I am specifically looking for- plates, bars, DBs, bench and cage, rower, glute ham bench, pully set up) and buying it all new will run me $5000+ and likely take up a good portion of the space in my garage. (You want ample room for barbell movements and loading) If I decide a home gym is what I want, I want all this equipment and I want it in good condition. (I've also been lifting a few years, and I know what I want at this point;)
Maybe you could get lucky and find a few used pieces in good condition, but trying to find all the equipment you're looking for used/cheap is a tall order.
For me, it makes more sense to stay at my public gym and hopefully save up so I can reconsider the garage gym in the future.0 -
Home gym here. I do have a membership to a rec center but rarely go. I mostly use it for an occasional special class and in order to get a discount on summer camp for my daughter.
For me, the ability to use my home gym at anytime is a huge plus. I don't have to worry about the time it takes to drive to a gym or childcare issues. I can run upstairs to turn on the oven between sets. My daughter can workout with me there. I can superset as much as I want without bothering others. I can try new things and make a fool out of myself in private. It makes me think creatively when I want to do an exercise but don't have the exact right tool to do it. It's great and I love it.
I have standard bars and plates. They max at 250 lbs, which is plenty for me. I use the same plates on the dumbbell handles I have. My other equipment includes squat stands, sawhorses I use as safeties, two benches, cinder blocks, an adjustable box, pull-up bar, various bands, an Airdyne, a very simple cable system that I use for lat pulldowns, pushdowns, face pulls, and cable rows, ab wheel, and a Swiss ball.
This sounds a lot like my home gym set up. I love it. My favorite part is not having to get dressed in anything special. Sometimes I just workout in the morning when I'm still in my pajamas. It's easy to get down there and workout without any childcare issues or excuses. Between sets, I'll usually do the laundry.0
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