Must cancel gym membership...Home fitness success stories?

SNLover87

I've lost 68 lbs and never been to a gym. I used the Jillian Michaels DVDs when I first started, but I've graduated to designing my own circuits and those are one part of what I do now. I also go walk/run at a track near my house, I bike on the weekends, and I play Zumba on my wii. And I do yoga.

The equipment that I use at home consists of a 20 lb kettlebell, 10 lb weights, 2 lb weights, a jump rope, a yoga mat, and an ab wheel. Across all of that I doubt I spent more than $30-40.

All that being said, the reason I lost 68 lbs was 95% due to my change in eating habits. But still, I much prefer to workout at home, and I've had great success in increasing my endurance and my strength by doing so.

maryjay52

just because you have a gym membership does not necessarily mean you will use it any more than you will work out at home ... you can do all kinds of activities and working out without the cost of a gym. i workout at home and at a gym but at home i create mini obstacle courses , use the stairs , run, powerwalk and jog outside .ect ..i got all my equipment for an inexpensive price at garage sales and even for free from people who didnt want their stuff any longer..turned my diningroom/livingroom into a gym because i never ever use that space otherwise..tjere are always parks too ..pick up a basketball and shoot some hoops.. go hiking somewhere ..all kinds of things you can do... the down and dirty of it is..do you want to work out? if you do then y ou will find a way.

gmoneycole

I bought a cheap elliptical and it broke recently but it lasted about a year. I started out in October at 245 lbs and did my exercise all at home up until about 3 weeks ago when I joined Planet Fitness. I've got my weight down as low as 197 and my goal is 190. I'd say this is a great home fitness success story. Only hitch is the broken elliptical. The weather is better now so I'm running outside to replace what I used to do on the elliptical and when weather is bad I go to the gym.

I do cardio (elliptical or run / walk), circuit training and work out with weights (also have at home).

Best of luck to you meeting your goals and living a healthy lifestyle!

AsaThorsWoman

You can research Primal Movement, Parkour, or just walk/jog.

They all require no equipment.

Fit4_Life

I bought a used elliptical machine that works great! I have a new treadmill and a Bowflex, along with free weights as well. I also use my BeachBody dvd's (Insanity, P90X, Focus T25 and just received the 21 Day Fix). I just finished the T25 and lost 21 lbs and 9 inches. I am a Beachbody Coach. :flowerforyou:

RyanDryFly

I've lost a ton of weight working out at home. I started walking then running and am the fittest I've ever been. I decided to train for a half marathon and have since ran two of them. The weight just started to fall off once I started really focusing on exercise. Here's some pictures of my first and second race with before and after photos. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1224840-from-half-marathon-to-full-running-machine-lots-of-pics

Best of luck

LULUREBEL

I work out almost entirely at home. I hit my 20 lb loss today. I use Jillian Michael's workouts - Kickboxing Fast Fix and the 30-day Shred. I use a small set of handweighst and I paid about $5 for each dvd. I also walk outside, weather permitting. I used to pay a hefty gym fee and it wasn't worth it for me I never had the time to go! Working out at home is so much easier for myself.

amy8400

I'm impressed by how many posters here have done it all at home! For me, I work at least 10 hours a day in my home office (it's half of my bedroom) and there's no way I could faithfully work out at home. I'd feel like a hermit more than I already do!

I have a Planet Fitness $10/month membership with no contract and it is perfect for my limited budget. I have resistance bands, a set of 8 lb dumbbells and two sets of wood steps at home but I only use them as my back-up when I can't get to the gym. Honestly, I use them very little because I'm so gym-focused but I'm glad to have them. When the weather is bad or you have a lingering dry cough after a cold, working out at home is a great option.

People are doing a lot of spring cleaning for garage sales and Craigslist so now is a great time to pick up work out equipment. Just make sure working out at home is in your mindset and that bargain elliptical and treadmill won't become a clothes rack.

bethlaf

i had a gym membership, Canx it for EXACTLY the same reasons, i lost my first 30lbs without it , lost nothing while i had it , because it was - to me a PIA to go ,
personally i do "guilty pleasure workouts" i have some shows i love to watch , i have an EXTRA long headset cord to listen to them
and i put it on my lap top screen, one show without commercials is a 45 minute workot, i dont feel like i am "working out" but i know I am i can feel it in the tired muscles and heavy breathing while i am working out, and the awesome feeling afterward.

i do stretching, bending ,old school calesthenics, because hey, anything is better than sitting
small free weights LOTS of body weight exercises, which are a great place to start, and a LOT of WIP leslie sansone, and jillian michaels,befit channel from You tube
SyFy episodes too

_lyndseybrooke_

I started off doing a lot of FitnessBlender.com workouts, and I still use them exclusively for cardio. It's free and a lot of the workouts require no equipment. They do have strength videos that require dumbbells or a kettlebell if you're interested, though. They've got kickboxing, HIIT, Tabata, yoga/Pilates, etc.

I recently stopped going to the gym because I hated it. I bought a bench with a squat rack and a 300 lb Olympic barbell set. It's all I need for the StrongLifts 5x5 program, which is what I'm doing now. So far it's been awesome lifting at home in as little clothing as possible instead of getting in my car and driving to the gym, waiting for benches to free up, etc. I only spent about $400 on all of my equipment because the barbell set was used.

If you don't lift heavy but would like to incorporate strength workouts into your routine, you can always start with a cheap set of dumbbells from Walmart. FitnessBlender would be good for that, or you could just do your own routine. I have this from Walmart that served me well for awhile: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Marcy-40-lb-Vinyl-Dumbbell-Set/11151696. It's just $35.

And then of course there's going out and walking/jogging/running, if you're into that. I'm not - I hate cardio, so I try to get as many calories burned within 30 minutes as I can. Walking ain't gonna cut it and running is a miserable exercise for me. HIIT keeps it interesting.

beastmode_kitty

I lost my first huge amount of weight at a gym, but last fall when I got married my husband and I used part of the money we received to purchase a treadmill as well as a home bowflex system. I've also bought a olympic barbell, and a few others. Now I love working out at home, and i'm still continuing to lose the weight. You also don't have to fight others for certain machines

ThatSoundsHard

I've never stepped foot inside a gym and have lost around 40lbs in the past year.

I use picked up a few sets of dumbbells, although, I've used gallons of milk, bags of flour etc and I love my resistance bands. I've made due pretty will with various free websites (here's looking at you nerd fitness), youtube, and some borrowed workout dvds (crazy amount of Jillian Michaels nonsense). I don't know if it's helped at all but it certainly hasn't hurt but I also walk everywhere and try to do a decent amount of yoga. So yeah, it's totally possible to be successful working out at home.

JoRocka

I would personally use that $64 a month and put it into an awesome home gym. Craigslist is great and you can get a barbell and weight for about $100. That should be enough to get you started in strength training. After a couple months, it more than pays for itself and you can always add on if you want.

If the OP is trying to cut back and get rid of a $64 expense, what would be the difference between using the $64 for a gym membership and using it to make a home gym except that now OP will have to find a place to store all the equipment?

I have had little success with exercising at home - too many distractions - but I did have some success walking/jogging around the neighborhood when I lived in a neighborhood with side walks. If you want to add a little upper body resistance, use weights (when walking - weights aren't recommended for jogging.)

really? I'm not even sure how that's a valid question.

The difference between setting up your OWN home gym vs paying a gym membership- pretty obvious.

Power Cage + Barbell + Weight set range between 100-500 used. So even if you go with 500.
64$ a month = 768$ a year.
The set pays for itself in less than a year.

Kind of a no brainer.

I don't workout at home- so spending money on a gym- is NOT a waste of time for me- sure I could purchase a set for home- but I woulnd't use it- I LIKE going to the gym. So just because it's a waste of money for some people- doesn't mean it's a waste for others. To me: Starbucks- is a waste of money- getting my nails done- is a waste of money.

To other people- that's their bread and butter and it makes them VERY happy- they probably would think my sewing projects are a waste of money- but it's important to me- so it is what it is.

The ultimate answer is NO you do not need a gym to lose weight OR to get in shape.
That being said if you aren't working out on your own- and the gym is a solid way for you to workout- it might be an option - working out at home takes diligence and self discipline- more so for me than just dragging my fat butt to the gym- to me that's easy- working out at home- is hard.

So in that respect- the 25$ a month I pay- is well worth it for me- so you just have to prioritize and figure out what's really goign to get you what you want.

Check out Waldo's site:
Strength Unbound-
he started from pretty much middle age man who had atrocious balance and is now a complete bad *kitten* of body weight workouts.

You can do what you want if you put your mind to it- and that's pretty much all there is to it.

Holly_Roman_Empire

I had access to a gym the entire time I was in the military, and I got fat because I refused to use it. (I am not a very social person, and although I don't get anxiety at a gym, I prefer to work out completely alone and in silence.)

See my profile and my profile pic. All completed using equipment at home.

Leadfoot_Lewis

If you are disciplined enough to workout and have the appropriate equipment to do so, then there is no reason you can't get as good if not better of a workout at home.

That said, I have always worked out at home. Just not a fan of working out at gyms (for numerous reasons)

timg760

I would personally use that $64 a month and put it into an awesome home gym. Craigslist is great and you can get a barbell and weight for about $100. That should be enough to get you started in strength training. After a couple months, it more than pays for itself and you can always add on if you want.

Like others, this is what I did... works great. I use my basement for almost all my workouts. You might also be able to get a treadmill or elliptical this way, and watch your favorite TV shows on Netflix or DVD or something.

sportyredhead01

http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/
Has helped me tremendously. :happy:

Also look at auctions and estate sales.
I got a really nice adjustable dumbbell set with stand and 2 benches for $60 at an auction.
If I had bought it all new it would have been about $400. So yeah, secondhand is the way to go!

Good luck to you! :happy:

MscGray

I think really it boils down to..are you going to put in the work? If you're committed to weight loss/gaining health then there are plenty of things outside of a gym that can be done for free, nearly free, or are covered under something your already paying for (ie: internet, cable, etc). You tube has a ton of work out videos...if you have cable w/ on demand there may be a exercise on demand channel, walking/running, yard work, "disco" house cleaning dance party.....the possibilities are ENDLESS!

shano25

I gained 45 lbs during both of my pregnancies and I lost all the weight without a gym membership. I used workout videos, youtube, wii dancing games, walking.

I workout 30-60 minutes a day at home right now doing P90X3 and a couple of other videos and am noticing a good difference in muscle.

neandermagnon

I started working out at home because I lived in Saudi Arabia where women's gyms are technically illegal (although there are one or two that operate in Riyadh, but Riyadh was hundreds of miles away)

Anyway, yes it can be done. I've continued to work out at home living in Bahrain as well, because my work schedule is weird and gyms are expensive.

I bought the equipment bit by bit, as in buying new plates when the amount I can deadlift goes up enough to need to buy new plates. If money's an issue you can look up online to see what used equipment is available locally. You may be able to pick up some bargains.

nmncare

Bump. Some amazing ideas in here!

Awesomers

I have lost 30 pounds without a gym membership.

My routine consists of various FitnessBlender.com exercises (4-6 days a week), walking, and running. I am slowly building up a home gym by buying gently used weights from a used sports equipment store. You don't get access to fancy machines, but I have found it to be very effective.

itsnojokeanymore

dvds and the wii and get a dog to walk

jwdieter

I started with a pull up bar ($20) and some adjustable dumbbells at home. Lost ~8% body fat. Some pretty decent bodyweight fitness achievements for a ~40yr old. 5x30 strict pull ups. 5x100 push ups. But ultimately I wanted to incorporate more weight in the lifts and work on a different strength model. Progression is so much easier and enjoyable with barbells.

My gym is free with my employment, and very convenient, but if I didn't have that, I'd look into a power rack at home.

Anyway, point is you can get fit with a very low investment and bodyweight.

bcattoes

I have never had a gym membership, yet I've been healthy my whole life (52 years and counting). In 2011, I decided I'd let the weight creep up enough and lost 27 lbs exercising at home or outside. Over the years I have done many things to keep fit outside a gym.

DVDs - Zumba, Turbo Fire, ChaLEAN extreme, Jane Fonda, Tai Bo, Bodies in Motion, various others I can't remember right now (and yes, some of those were VHS. I'm old)

Home exercise equipment - treadmill, eliptical, stairmaster, free weights, resistance bands, thighmaster, step (for step aerobics), universal weght machine, jump rope, hula hoop, Wii Fit

Outdoor exercise equipment - hiking boots, walking shoes, running shoes, bicycle, roller blades, basketball, softball, frisbee

Indoor/outdoor equipment - my body. I do a lot of bodyweight exercises, both strength and cardio - squats, lunges, wall sits, pushups, tricep dips, bridges, burpees, mtn climbers, russion twists, yadda, yadda, yadda

I have enjoyed most of these, and all have improved my fitness. But my favorites are those that use nothing by me and some sort of shoes. You don't need to spend a single penny to be fit, but a good pair of shoes is helpful.

JemS_21

I don't go to a gym, in fact I hate gyms! Having to share equipment, listen to other people, wear flip flops in the shower so I work out at home.
I rotate Jillian Michaels dvds - 30 day shred (level 1 is free on youtube) & ripped in 30 (these are also free on youtube) or you can buy the dvds on amazon like I did if you don't have great connection or can't be bothered to strain at a small laptop screen. (I'm in the UK - the dvds were about £5 inc delivery so maybe $8 [depending on the link you find!])

I also found absolutely tons of great workouts on Youtube - most of the ones I use are between 20-40 mins and are great at mixing things up for circuits and full body workouts or you can find lots of videos targeting specific areas. I subscribe to BeFit (it's free!) and use Jillian Michaels arm workouts to try and build my pathetic upper body strength.

Add some walking/light jogging 3 x a week especially now the weather is getting warmer and it's lighter till later, you've got nothing to lose! You'll feel great for working out - you can still do this with your partner and best of all it's free! You don't need much equipment for home workouts - usually only a yoga mat and some weights (again I'm sure you can pick these things up pretty cheap anywhere - walmarts or car boots or I don't actually know any other stores in America but you get the drift) they're cheap but damn good investments and as you get stronger you can up the weights

It's sitll working out and being healthy but without the high expenses, travelling back and forth and wearing flip flips in your shower
And if you're like me where you get paranoid that people are going to stare cause you look a joke trying to lift something heavy, then it's perfect because there's no one else around.

I usually find that I leave my dvds next to the TV in the sitting room - that way if I sit down to chill and I haven't worked out - i feel guilty because the dvds are right there staring at me - so I do workout!

I've lost nearly 18lbs just working out from home, eating healthy and using the great outdoors to walk/jog and clear my lungs!

Ps. here are some links to the workouts I use online:
Ripped in 30 week 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh_VDd5288g
Ripped in 30 week 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htc91eokuM8
Ripped in 30 week 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6MkEnXw2tM
Ripped in 30 week 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAcqECJZj9s
30 Day Shred Level 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pc-NizMgg8
Arms & Shoulder workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZDCKmgNNyE
Abs Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b7dSQSeEsE

These are just a few of them - there are literally 100s on BeFit so look about until you find ones you like and then just save them to your favourites so they're easier to find the next time
(I sometimes find their voices annoying so i do the moves with the volume on mute and put my own music on! Another perk of working out at home - no need to worry my headphones will keep falling out as I don't need headphones!)

jmv7117

I have done all my work-outs at home body weight, inexpensive equipment, apps and an elliptical. I don't think a gym membership is necessary and in my case it wouldn't be practical.

rrrbecca11

Pay to work out?? I've never really grasped that concept. My whole life is my workout.

geebusuk

I try and cycle when ever possible.
Did getting on for two and a half hours earlier to pick up a few bits.
Due to town centre being busy, road works on the more open road and so on I reckon I'd have only saved half an hour in a car and it would have been less flexible - I'd have had to find somewhere to park to wander around the market, for instance, so probably wouldn't have bothered.

As for weights, much prefer having my own setup - no waiting for the squat rack and inbetween sets I can do work and so on.
I'm actually working away at the moment, but that hasn't stopped me...

.
(I've got a home made proper 'power cage' where I normally am, as well as punch bag, tread mill, cross trainer, exercise bike, multigym and so on.)
Total cost for everything would still be less than a year's membership of your gym!

WorkInProgress323

Home workouts are my favorite (and my children's too) I have worked out at home since the early 80's... yes I'm old. Between my stationary bike, treadmill and DVD's (with weights)... although they were VHS tapes back in the day. Some were so good (The Firm) I had them converted into DVD's.

I had gym memberships and It was a waste of money for me. One of my favorites is Chalene Extreme. I had great results with that back in 2009 I'm starting to use it again. But you'll have results with any workout if you eat right.

Good luck!