Gym Vs. Buying Equipment

SayLiLIG · February 2011

I need some opinions...

At home I have a bike and a 100 pound weight set.. Have I used them in the past month??? No.

So... Im thinking of joining a gym. But I could also buy more equipment...

What are the benefits of a gym...vs having equipment at home???

What is your personal experience with gyms vs having equipment at home???

I sure yall get what im asking... lol

Thanks

rks6902 · February 2011

At home I have an elliptical, recumbant bike, weight bench, punching bag, incline bench for sit ups, an aerobic step and a TV, DVD, all in my basement. I like having a home gym for the convenience, can work out in my jammies, can watch a movie of my choice while riding my bike and do laundry at the same time.

The company I work for provides an onsite full gym (but no pool) and I have been using that for the last month. The advantage to using the gym is the higher quality equipment. I asked the trainer there and the treadmills are close to $10K and the ellipitcals are $3500. So the machines are a much better quality than the average person including myself can purchse for use at home. Plus the morning news at the gym is on the local channel that I like the least.

So both can be good depending on your preferences and what is important to you. It is nice to work out right after rolling out of bed and just stumble down the stairs, but that darn elliptical at the gym glides so much more smoothly. So I guess my answer is that I like both for different reasons.

NOLAdy · February 2011

Having one at home has it's pros and cons. At home you can get distracted easily. But, you also have the freedom to workout whenever you feel like it. If I had an extra room, or a big garage I'd get some equipment.

homepl8279 · February 2011

LiLi,

I recommend a gym membership/home equipment combination. The gym gives you quality equipment, a great and encouraging atmosphere, and the option to get away from whatever it is you might want to get a break from at home. Also, think about the cost. The gym I belong to is only $10 bucks a month...very reasonable. If I get there 5 times a week, it cost me fifty cents a visit...not bad at all.

Then what you do is "treat" yourself to some fitness equipment that you really like doing and have it ready and available at home. For example, I love my perfect push-ups...so even if I cannot get to the gym on a given day, I can bust out a good workout from the comforts of home. Maybe you like a certain DVD workout or maybe a certain ab gadget works really well for you. Grab one of those for your home...

This way you have no excuse not to get some type of physical activity in during the day. Hope this helps and keep up the great work.

Best,
JB

pedhed · February 2011

LiLi - as NOLady says gyms have pros and cons. Personally I've started going to a gym again - it will always have more variety of equipment than a home gym and there are people there to ask for advice and tips. If you can, try and join a gym with a friend or work colleague - it may gave you (both) inspiration to be healthy!

Another thing to consider is that you don't have to exercise inside - outdoor exercise can be just as good for you as well. Walking or jogging...........why not cycling? Cycling is low impact and good for the heart as well!

SayLiLIG · February 2011

Thanks for all the replies... Im thinking about joining a gym with my boyfriend. Now its just a matter of choosing which one to go too... Im reading up on Anytime Fitness, and ive heard good things about it...just not in my particular city. I also think im gonna invest in EA Active for the Xbox Kinect.. I think that would help me out because I already play a few kinect games and love them!! I get so down working out at home, because i dont see results as quickly as people that go to gyms do.. It sucks lol

Shamrock40 · February 2011

So funny you mention Anytime Fitness and EA Sports Active. My husband goes to AF about 4-5 days a week. I have EA Sports Active and LOVED it ... until my Dr. told me to stop doing high-impact aerobics. EA is cool because (at least for the PS3) it comes with the heart-rate monitor and two other monitors for your other arm and right leg. There is no cheating allowed! Your "trainer" stays on your *kitten*! The nice thing about that is that there are, literally about 100 activities with low-med-high intensity. You can customize your own workout selecting exercises that you prefer, or use the workouts it offers. There's a 3 week cardio kick-start, or a 9 week program, or you can just choose a different workout every day based on time or calories burned, or whatever. It's awesome.

Personally, I wouldn't mind joining a gym, it just doesn't really fit into my schedule at this point. I have two little ones and they're home with me during the week except for about 1 to 1.5 hours a day. Doesn't leave me a lot of time to drive back and forth and get my workout in, so my husband and I are looking into purchasing some home equipment for me that I can add to the walking and yoga (low-impact stuff) my Dr. suggested.

NOLAdy · February 2011

nd, SayLiLIG, you can definitley get results at home. I go to the gym because I'm trying to add muscle and need the bigger weights that I just don't have room for in my house. I see people there every day that are doing things they could easily do in their home. Some of them I've never seen on the "machines". Get some dumbells, 3 or 5 pounds depending on your current strength. Jillian Michaels makes some good DVD's for a little under $10. She's does some great, basic, moves. Just gradually add higher weights as you gain strength. Your library most likely has a few DVD's also. I rent them a lot. I can say right now that Denise Austin is a freak! LOL Jillian is crazy about working out (you'll know what I'm talking about if you do a video) but, Denise Austin looks insane. It's funny. Anyway, my point is, you really don't need the equipment at all if you're just trying to stay fit. It is a good motivation for a lot of people to be in a like minded enviornment, but you can get results at home.

Gym Vs. Buying Equipment

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