Gym vs. Working out at home

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contingencyplan
contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've decided I'm going to be cancelling my gym membership as soon as my contract ends because having to go to a gym to get my workout on is just too much trouble. The fact that I can only make it in during peak hours when you're waiting to use most of the equipment doesn't help. Commuting to the gym makes the act of working out a lot more time consuming, and plus having to actually make the trip a lot of the time just doesn't seem worth the trouble when I have some home equipment, some videos, and can get my workout done in just the commute time to and from the gym alone.

Am I the only one who feels this way?
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Replies

  • JudyL5305
    JudyL5305 Posts: 215 Member
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    I do both the gym and at home working out. If it is taking too much time or not worth your while, you can totally get a good workout at home. Just don't give up keep at it.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Personally, I like the ritual of getting ready to go to the gym or my yoga studio. It's a separate place free of normal distractions (i.e. all the other things I could be doing at home) and it's a separate place for me to just be there for me. I have the option of usually going during non-peak hours though, so I don't find it much of a hassle to go, nor do I wait much because the gym I go to is so big. And my gym is 5 minutes from my house which makes a huge difference - in the past when I've had a 15+ minute commute to the gym, I didn't go nearly as regularly.

    Do whatever works for you, if working out at home is more conducive, then do that. If going to the gym is better, then stick with it.
  • ChangeIsADecision
    ChangeIsADecision Posts: 709 Member
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    I work out at home... and love it! I rent DVDs from the library, make up my own workouts, do videos off you You Tube or Fitness Blender... it's not worth the $$ to me to join a gym when I get a great work out at home!!! There are tons of things you can do at home and use the $$ for something else... Like NEW CLOTHES!! :smile:
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    If I had around 6000 and change laying around I'd work out at home.
  • RCIA
    RCIA Posts: 14
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    I love working out at home. I am more motivated to work out at home. Plus I am a person who likes to know my workout equipment is clean . Tried the gym thing just not me.
  • jaweiss1
    jaweiss1 Posts: 71 Member
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    Haven't been to a globo-gym in 10+ years. Stopped going to the crossfit box a couple of years ago. Home gym works best for me. I figure I save about two hours a week by not having to drive somewhere to work out. Not to mention that I never wait for equipment. Or deal with... well you know the people.

    Untitled-1.jpg
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    If I had around 6000 and change laying around I'd work out at home.

    Why do you need $6000 in equipment?

    To the OP: I work out at home. So far, the investment has been some DVDs and hand weights. I'm still looking around for actual strength training equipment (reading Starting Strength in the meantime), and should be able to start that without too much of an investment.
  • JHPlunkett
    JHPlunkett Posts: 20 Member
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    If I had around 6000 and change laying around I'd work out at home.

    You can get a good workout without that much money. Treadmills/elliptical can be had for $500 or so (probably less if you look somewhere like Craigslist). Weights, etc are not that expensive either. It adds up, but you can find a lot of it used, or substitute with things you already have around the house.

    I'm just a beginner, but I have a borrowed treadmill, a set of small hand weights and my computer hooked up to the TV for you tube exercise videos. Its plenty of work out for me right now!

    I can be expensive... but it doesn't HAVE to be!
  • 2012asv
    2012asv Posts: 702 Member
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    I agree 100%. Before I started this, I thought for sure I couldn't do this without a gym membership. I couldn't have been more wrong. I am WAY more successful without going to the gym. I workout better and harder. For me NOT going to the gym outweighs going by far. Especially the time I save traveling I get to spend with my family instead- can't beat that.

    In response to the $6000... I have spent a total of maybe $300 and I have everything I need from weights, resistance bands, a mini elliptical, pull up bar and a variety of videos. And even that was accumulated over a period of time.

    The most priceless thing I have is my willpower to succeed no matter where or what I have to work with.
  • ickarusx
    ickarusx Posts: 8
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    In my case is better workout at home because of my job, I have no time to go to the gym besides I have spent so far 280 Dls in equipment.You don't have to buy new stuff I found everything in kijiji.
  • cjpierce94
    cjpierce94 Posts: 11 Member
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    All you really need is a power rack and a adjustable bench.
    I got a power rack for 390, and a basic adjustable bench for 65. You can move the bench inside the squat rack for a bench, and squat is obvious, lol. plus, I got 345 pounds in weight with that squat rack. Thats all you really need.

    I worked out at home for a while. T'was nice. However, I enjoy lifting with my friends at the local LA fitness. Sometimes I need someone to motivate me and they help out a lot.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    The big killers for me are:

    1. The commute, about 20 minutes each way
    2. The fact that you have to pay to park at my gym (or any gym in my area)
    3. The fact that, because I can only go during peak hours, I'm almost always waiting to use the equipment I need which results in me spending about an hour and a half there to get a 30-45 minute workout done
    4. The fact that I'm paying a monthly membership fee is accompanied by a sense of obligation that ruins the emotional aspect of working out. It makes it seem like a chore to me whereas when doing it at home I would enjoy myself.
  • hwillia1
    hwillia1 Posts: 26 Member
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    I used to go to the gym but cancelled when I became pregnant. I have since had great success with working out at home. I do a Jillian Michaels DVD 6 days a week and C25K 3 times a week. I have been amazed at the results and I am getting closer to my pre pregnancy weight. You just need to get a few hand weights and motivation. I also try and get a few good walks in every week. Good luck
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I threw out 6000 as a bit of a random number. If I were to make a home gym I'd set it up in my basement. I like when things match so I wouldn't want to buy any used equipment. I already have a treadmill and elliptical that collects dust so I wouldn't need another one of those.

    Ideally, I'd like to outfit it like a crossfit box. I'd also want the option of working out with someone else so I wouldn't just want to own one set of everything. After all that, it'll probably cost more than 6000.

    Now of all I wanted was a DVD and barbie weights then I could do it for under $20 :smile:

    Also of course I don't NEED all that equipment, I just want it.
  • tavodu
    tavodu Posts: 2
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    We have a really nice gym for free at the school and it takes me about 4 minutes to get there, but I still rather working out at home, it will depend on what you want to do; If you're doing something like P90X, Insanity, TurboJam etc you don't need to spend $6000 on equipment. The problem is that it's easier (way easier) to stop working out or lose motivation while at home... The bed is there, the chair is there, the t.v. is just there, you get the point.
  • VWilson_Momoftwinsplus1
    VWilson_Momoftwinsplus1 Posts: 35 Member
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    My place of work has a gym (its a university). I use their gym but due to the lack of things to do, i have to switch things up and workout at home, or i work out outside. I get bored easily so I have to keep changing it up to stick with the routine of healthy living.
  • tripitena
    tripitena Posts: 554 Member
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    We bought a Nordic ET & x9i incline tread and I luv them. When I feel able to exercise I dont want to have to get ready, drive to the gym, put up with people :bigsmile: and all that. I just turn on a machine and go.
  • lil_bear0811
    lil_bear0811 Posts: 56
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    Personally, I like the ritual of getting ready to go to the gym or my yoga studio. It's a separate place free of normal distractions (i.e. all the other things I could be doing at home) and it's a separate place for me to just be there for me. I have the option of usually going during non-peak hours though, so I don't find it much of a hassle to go, nor do I wait much because the gym I go to is so big. And my gym is 5 minutes from my house which makes a huge difference - in the past when I've had a 15+ minute commute to the gym, I didn't go nearly as regularly.

    Do whatever works for you, if working out at home is more conducive, then do that. If going to the gym is better, then stick with it.


    I couldn't agree more. My gym time is my ME time and if I were to work out at home I would lose that. I would be surrounded by dogs, and cookie eating kids, and dishes that need to be done, laundry that needs to be folded, and every other excuse for me to not work out.

    I look at the monthly fee as a motivator, if I'm paying for it my *kitten* had better be there. For me that's motivation.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I have a mat, a pullup bar, a treadmill, and roads outside. Pretty much everything I need.

    Plus some resistance bands for mobility/prehab work.
  • jaweiss1
    jaweiss1 Posts: 71 Member
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    Ideally, I'd like to outfit it like a crossfit box.

    Look here to get started:

    http://www.roguefitness.com/equipment-packages/crossfit.php

    I spend about $1,000 to get started at home. Then I picked up the squat cage and bench together used for $400. The other stuff that you see in the photo of my gym above (additional metal weights, additional bars, flooring, mirrors, dumbbells, additional kettlebells, bands, ropes, balls, bike, foam rollers, bar storage, plyo box, dumbbell storage, etc.) was added over a couple of years. Already had the elliptical.

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