Home workouts vs. the Gym

tenajh · February 2013

Been doing my own research, I have physical afflictions and am just getting into strength training and with my history - it would be best to join a gym short term and get the knowledge base that the personal trainers have. I would also like to be able to swim and don't have a pool anywhere near my farm. For me is all about knowledge base and not re-injuring my healing body.

LorinaLynn · February 2013

My pros for working out at home... no commute (felt like such a waste of time!), no wait, no monthly fees, no dress code or need to be clean before I exercise and get smelly again, no creepers, no locker room anxiety (a holdover from junior high), the ability to watch/listen to whatever I want, no worries that I'm making anyone else wait, able to multi-task (throw a load of clothes in a dryer between sets while lifting, counting walking the dog as exercise).

The cons for working out at home... limited equipment. I have weights and I run outside, but I don't have a squat rack (but then again, neither did Planet Fitness!) or chin up bar. I'd like to see what kind of numbers I can do on weight machines now, to compare to what I used to do. Sometimes the weather is just too bad to run outside... like when there's blizzards or hurricanes. I still wouldnt' want to use a treadmill, but I sometimes miss an exercise bike, just not enough to buy one.

But overall, I much prefer working out at home to the gym.

Moosiklaydy · February 2013

Working out at home can be too distracting because you can easy just quit early to go clean something or do laundry and such. The gym offers NO DISTRACTIONS.

NikkiSixGuns · February 2013

1) If I had to go to the gym to work out, I wouldn't.
2) At home I never have to wait for a piece of equipment, don't worry about strangers' germs on the equipment I use, and there are no creepsters giving me looks (except my dog)
3) The money I would spend on gym membership goes toward home equipment.
4) I can work out any time I want. My house doesn't have hours.
5) No commute.
6) I work far harder at home than I do that the gym.
7) I work out before work every day, and being able to shower in my own shower instead of the icky gym ones is a HUGE factor.

gfedex · February 2013

Gym for me. I live in a large city in a small, cluttered home (my housemate's stuff, not mine!) It's freezing outside. I don't have an extensive group of friends and I work freelance, so some weeks it's 14-hour days, and other weeks, nothing at all. Going to the gym gets me out of the house when I might normally be inclined to sleep in, watch tv and do nothing.

When it's nice out, I have no issue running outside (no treadmills for me), going for long walks and hooping in the park across the street. However, when I don't feel like going it alone, I attend a variety of classes at my gym- I'm there pretty much every day I'm not working.

Camille0502 · February 2013

I work out at home and prefer it. I have had gym memberships, though. I like a home workout because it is right there and I have no excuse. If I only have 30 minutes, I can still exercise. I also like it because only **I** have sweat on the equipment! Since I am female I like it that I have equipment for my size (weight plates in increments of 2.5 pounds instead of 10 pounds; 5 pound bar instead of 45 pounds, etc). I don't feel self conscious at home feeling like everyone is looking at me. I don't have to wait for any of the equipment and don't have to deal with people talking on their phones and hoarding equipment. No annoying "posers." Don't have to drive, don't have to park, Don't have to worry about the weather. If a person is motivated to work out at home, I think it is far superior. I have a great exercise DVD collection - so I have access to great instructors instead of so-so ones at a gym.

claritarejoice · February 2013

My vote is for working out at home. To me it's more motivating because I can roll out of bed in my pajamas, work out and then get dressed for work - no excuses. When I was a member of a gym I had to dress, drive to the gym, find and pay for parking, walk from the lot to the gym . . . it took too long and it made me not go. We also have a small one-bedroom apartment and my husband and I make it work - a corner of our living room has the weight bench, bar, plates, balance ball, foam roll, etc, so lack of space is not a factor to me. Of course if I had a house I would have more equipment including an elliptical.

amysj303 · February 2013

I have done home workouts and they are more convenient and affordable, also let crowded, don't have to worry about not getting a machine or what-have you.
But now I work out almost exclusivley at the gym, which was necessary to lift heavy and I just prefer having that dedicated time and space to fitness.
My gyms are close to where I work so they are not terribly inconvenient or crowded.

amyncrook · February 2013

I have never had a gym membership and only worked out in a gym 3 times. I am a mother of 5. Getting to the gym is my major problem with 2 kids still at home. I can workout at home doing aerobics, lifting weights, and walking at nap time and not worry about getting the kids to child care at the gym. It is much cheaper as well. I like being able to workout whenever I want to. I would like to try more of a variety of machines and exercises. I think a personal trainer would be great as well!

bluebug2013 · February 2013

I've worked out at home, in classes, in various sports clubs, in the local streets/park and at the gym over the years.

Working out at home:
1. More space restrictions
2. Limited equipment - I have no cardio equipment as I know it would be a clothes horse most of the year
3. Good for doing resistance exercises after working out i.e. running in the street
4. Efficient timewise as no need to travel somewhere else and can exercise while simmering food
5. Thanks to youtube and fitness DVDs I can have a variety of dance like, circuit training and body resistance exercises.

Working out at the gym:
1. Have to travel there so have to use a locker to store coat and valuables.
2. Have to wait for others before using equipment
3. Cannot have my own music choices playing in the room so have to use an MP3 player and fight with headphones
4. More choice of weights and cardio equipment for example rowing machines
5. I get bored even when I've used gyms where I know a lot of people as I simply don't like exercising staring at walls
6. When I've had sports injuries in the past the range of equipment allowed me to exercise the parts of my body that wasn't injured with ease.

GLR87 · February 2013

I think going to the gym pushes you to attend. You are paying so why not take advantage? Also there is plenty of "motivation" at the gym for both men and women to enjoy

I think certain healthcare plans will also pay for a portion of , or all of your gym fees if you prove to them you go.

albertjanetsky · February 2013

the only sexy woman I see at home is my wife...

dave4d · February 2013

With just a pull-up bar you can strength train the whole body without any extra equipment or use bits of furniture around the house.
I can take a bodyweight exercise routine with me anywhere: home, work, visiting family, travelling for work in hotel rooms etc.
It is more fun in my opinion to see how you can make exercises more intense without using external equipment, weights etc.
You could have completed your bodyweight exercises at work, leaving the evenings free.

I work at a plant that has beams, pipes, and rebar hanging all over the place. I am fortunate enough to have 2 pieces of rebar welded to a beam at the perfect height, and location for pull ups. We also have some hand rails that have been bent and are about the right distance for dips. The only problem is they are located in a respirator required area, so it makes it harder to breath while doing them. I will knock out a few pull ups, and dips when I'm able.

Home workouts vs. the Gym

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