Gym or Home Gym?
Rangerfied
Posts: 93 Member
I currently have a membership for a local gym. I was starting to go on a regular basis when I was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma. I took a couple of months off work while going through treatments. Of course going to the gym came to a stop too. Now I'm really having a hard time getting back to the gym.
I've been looking at some home gyms like Bowflex, Weider and other brands. When I look at a lot of them they only have 150lbs of weight or 210lbs of resistance. My concern is this doesn't seem like much weight. When at the gym I was doing lat pull down around 105lbs. Not a lot too some I know but after regular workouts it doesn't seem like it'd take long to reach the weight resistance on these home gyms.
What have some of you experienced? Do you find the home gyms are actually good enough?
Thanks in advance.
I've been looking at some home gyms like Bowflex, Weider and other brands. When I look at a lot of them they only have 150lbs of weight or 210lbs of resistance. My concern is this doesn't seem like much weight. When at the gym I was doing lat pull down around 105lbs. Not a lot too some I know but after regular workouts it doesn't seem like it'd take long to reach the weight resistance on these home gyms.
What have some of you experienced? Do you find the home gyms are actually good enough?
Thanks in advance.
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Replies
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I've used a home gym almost exclusively and I think it's great. I have a cable-style weight machine from Pacific Fitness. The stack isn't as big as a pro gym set up but it fits my needs pretty well. I know I won't be lifting the big weights no matter where I work out. I find that saving the time I would have spent commuting to and from a commercial gym was more valuable than any coaching and reinforcement I might have gotten from a trainer. I virtually never miss a workout because, if I have to, I can break the exercises into separate sessions during the day so I can meet my other responsibilities at home.2
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BTW -- I also have a rack of dumb bells, a few iron weights, a weight bench, an elliptical trainer and a treadmill. I acquired them over the years and use them all to keep the workouts interesting.
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I had a gym membership for years and rarely went. Got a barbell setup in my spare bedroom and use it 3 times a week. If you have the space home gyms are worth it.2
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I go to the gym for running/swimming/rowing machines but I have a power rack + olympic weights + bench to do all the heavy lifting at home. I feel better because I have the music tune way up and I can grunt all I want, haha. >D1
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The best exercise is the one you will do consistently. If the home gym weights are too light, you can always slow the motion down. I home gym exclusively. It fits in with the rest of my life better than going to the gym.0
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I could never work out at home, too many distractions. Paying for a membership is motivation to use it. It is expensive but you get flexibility in how you train, better options for cardio and it's an investment in your health. I have owned a few really great home gyms years ago but they always left something to be desired in some way that caused me to wish I was at the gym.0
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I have free weights in my basement, along with a squat rack. Also have the Iron Gym that fits in a doorway for pull-ups and then use it on the floor for pushups. Cardio one day, then lower body barbell squats the next, then cardio, then upper body the next, etc. Doing pretty good for my age with squats using 190 lbs, dead-lifts with 228. The tv nearby provides motivation while watching the political bs! LOL Gym machines are not good as most are one size fits all and can actually cause injuries. Free weights force balance and involve more muscles as a result. Good luck to all..
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I like the focus of going to a gym and concentrating exclusively on my training session.
Also I enjoy using a wide variety of equipment which I couldn't possibly have at home.
I actually have two gym memberships, one at work (for lunchbreak workouts) and one near home.0 -
You have to decide for yourself. Some people thrive working out at home others find that going to the gym works for them. Other considerations for a home gym; available space, budget and goals.
I work out at home using a pull up bar, suspension trainer, a rack of dumbbells, kettle bells, treadmill and a dip belt (to add weight to pull ups and dips). If I went to a gym I would get stronger in a shorter time frame. I'm OK with slow steady progress given the convenience of having a home gym. Easy access has helped me stay consistent. But that's me, you have to find what works for you.0 -
I work out at home. I wake up get dressed and either go for a run or lift heavy things. If I had to take the 25 mile drive to the gym then I'd lose interest really quickly.
I also go straight to my workout so that I can't be distracted by other around the house stuff if I wait till late in the day I find that there are always 20 other things to fill my time.
I credit the bowflex with rehabing a badly damaged shoulder. The chances of you ever becoming a bodybuilder or powerlifter on it are very slim however you can get a decent workout if you actually use it as they suggest. Mine currently dries my sweaty running clothes and its spectacularly useful if overpriced for this task.1 -
I have a home gym and put it together to save money ($79 for a gym membership each month vs. $350 one time for used equipment) and time (15 min drive each way). I have a bench with squat rack and Olympic bar, dumbbells, treadmill, and free standing pull-up/dip station. I thin that covers all of the big exercises that I like to do. I'd recommend heading to a sporting goods store and trying a few of the machines you are looking at and seeing how the weight feels to you. If you are already starting close to the max for those machines then either go with a setup like mine or stick with the gym.0
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I've tried working out at home and there's just too many distractions with a wife and two young kids plus all of the stuff on the to do list. My gym time is me time and the gym is a place of solace. I only use it for lifting...I go Thursday nights after work and it's on my route home...then I go Saturday mornings. Otherwise, most of my exercise is on my bike.
I also don't have the space I would need for free weights, an Oly platform, power rack, etc...so that would be an issue...in that regard, it depends on what you want to do. I have a few friends that workout from home and do mostly body weight work because that's what they're into...a gym would be a total waste of money for them.0 -
I also prefer using a commercial gym. I do feel inspired by others at the gym. I have a set of kettlebells and an Iron Gym door bar at home, but I don't use them that often. I get distracted at home. My gym membership is $27/mo, and there is a small gym at work if I choose to use it.0
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A home gym can be as good or better than a commercial gym. Like anything, it just depends on how much $$$ you want to throw at it. I've spent about 10 years building up my home gym. I started with a set of Bowflex Select Dumbbells and a bench (which I still use) and have worked my way up from there - Squat stands, full Olympic barbell/bumper set, cable machine, GHD, etc.
Home gyms are a personal preference. Some people get motivation from others and need a gym for that; I personally find most people in gyms to be annoying (don't put weights back, hogging equipment they're not actually using, etc.) Something can be said about having a nice gym at your home which is at your disposal 24/7.2 -
For me ( & the hubs) we love our cable machine in our garage! It's cooler there with fresh air too. I can get up and dress how I want, don't have to do my hair or even wash it for that matter, or don't even put my contacts in yet! If I had to drive somewhere I'd not only have to put in the contacts but also a little makeup & do the hair etc so I could stop at the grocery store on the way home... I find all that so distracting that I wouldn't make it to the gym! Also being older (57) I can go at my own pace without feeling like someone's waiting for me to finish. Being in the garage is great too because I can bring my dog!0
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I want to echo what a lot of people have said, you have to come up with what works best for your DILO/WILO.
I have a home gym. Between work and my two small kids (4 & 2) I never find time to hit the gym. But I can find 10-15 minutes 3-4 times a day to head downstairs and bang out a couple of sets on the free weights, bench, dumbbells, or even hop on the spinning bike.
We have a family membership to the local JCC / gym which does have babysitting services one night a week. I usually just go sit in the locker room and read a book. That's my relaxing time when someone else deals with the kids.0 -
I have an inexpensive rec center under a mile from my house and a gym at my office about 100 feet from my desk but I'm setting up a home gym right now for several reasons.
The rec center is closed most government holidays, no wifi, one functioning tube TV that gets one station, is open limited hours, and has limited staff so I often end up putting away equipment and cleaning up after the 200 pound toddlers that lift in the evenings when I go in at the 5 am opening time. Plus there's always the occasional diptard that just gets in your way.
The office gym is free, beautiful, shiny, almost brand new and rarely used. But has ridiculous rules like absolutely no deadlifting and you must use a spotter when using the power rack (kind of defeats the purpose of having a rack...) So, that makes the work gym essentially useless for me unless I need to run on the dreadmill due to inclement weather.
So, after several months of trolling Craigslist I've put together a home gym that I am quite satisfied with. I can workout any time I want, have access to wifi, listen to any music or watch any TV station, deadlift my heart out and the only diptard that gets in the way is the Pug.
The only downside at home is staying focused. This morning I was taking a potty break, noticed the TP was empty, went to the Strategic Paper Products Reserve in the utility room (thanks, Costco), noticed it was a bit unorganized and next thing you know, my App is reminding me that it's been 5 minutes since my last set. But so far that's the only downside for me.1 -
The only downside at home is staying focused... next thing you know, my App is reminding me that it's been 5 minutes since my last set. But so far that's the only downside for me.
I've been using the countdown feature on my fitbit between sets, and hopping on my spinning bike. I've noticed that if I'm sitting around doing nothing I tend to get distracted easily.
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I have a home gym and love it! Its all stuffed into a tiny basement space. I have an olympic weight set, squat stands, and a FID bench. I've never used a bowflex-style home gym, but it seems limited at 150/210lbs. How would you train your legs? If you resistance train with a barbell, you can just get more plates whenever you need to.
I can usually figure out a way to mimic cable exercises with resistance bands. Not quite the same, but good enough. No lat pulldowns though. I do pullups instead. Then you can increase resistance with a dumbbell between your feet or use a dip belt with weights.2 -
Thank you all. I'm surprised at the number of people who do actually work out at home.0
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