Home workout or Gym?

[Jetsun Mila]

I want to get fitter again and man I just cannot decide if I should go for working out at home or to a gym nearby.

Speaking for home workout: I have enough space at home that I can use, even enough space for some equipment. Plus I got some basic stuff already and otherwise I don't have to pay for the gym. But I live alone and working out alone is not very fun. I also fear that I might train in a wrong, subefficient or even harmful way.
But I was in a Gym a few years ago and I just know that I'm more motivated there, plus I like being around others. But I may have to wait to train since it is pretty much full all the time. And the biggest flaw for me: I'm bound by contract for at least 12 months and I don't know if I can use that efficiently with work, friends and hobbies also taking lots of time. Plus it might even be that I move out within that year.

What do you think?

 

[ShiftyRat]

Motivation is huge when it comes to fitness. If you're significantly more motivated when you go to the gym, I'd try and make that work.

That said, I built out a home gym around four years ago and I love not having to drive anywhere to work out - especially since I have two young kids at home. I often find myself working out when I have a break between meetings (I work from home), or at night after both kids are in bed. I do sometimes suffer from lack of motivation, but I have a friend that comes and lifts with me periodically and that certainly helps on that front.

 

[Perkin_Warbeck]

After moving out to the suburbs during the pandemic, I tried to equip a workout room that would totally displace the gym. It didn't really work out for me. I used it some, but I wasn't applying myself nearly as hard. I still use it a couple days a week when I can't get to the gym for whatever reason, but I'm primarily a gym-goer once again. They also have a sauna at my gym now, which is real nice.

 

[Ojli]

If I had space for one, then a home gym would be my choice. But since I live in an apartment, gym is the way to go.

 

[Cocolina]

for exercise they're both supplementary and not either/or

I do home, gym and outdoor exercises all week

 

[Nothing Loud]

If I had space for one, then a home gym would be my choice. But since I live in an apartment, gym is the way to go.

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Tonal. Pays for itself. Costs less than most gyms and takes up almost no space.

 

[yogurt]

If you have the equipment and can keep yourself motivated then the convenience of home workouts is amazing.

Obviously the sheer range of stuff available at the gym is unbeatable, and I will admit I don't push myself quite as hard at home. But I feel like I make up for that by actually working out four times a week now that there's no commute to the gym.

 

[cartographer]

It depends.

Is there a month-to-month gym nearby to eliminate that concern? Does the gym actually have what you want? If you want to lift weights, does it have 1 squat rack, 1 bench and then 30 rows of cardio equipment? What would it cost to get what you want? Are you going to use it long enough to justify the likely higher initial cost?

I live alone and also work from home part of the time. For my situation and my personality, going to the gym is a nice, deliberate break from being home.

You sound more comfortable in the gym. I'd suggest looking for a place that's month-to-month, has a decent trial or has some short term program. If you're in a decently populated area there's probably something. Try it out, see if you stick with it. If you do, reassess from there what best fits your needs. If you don't. you don't have a contract or some giant paperweights in your garage to worry about.

 

[The Bookerman]

Just do it where you feel confortable and where you could push yourself to the limit.
A place you feel you'll be consistant.

That's all.

 

[Wrexis]

Home workout works for me. I took up rowing last year and lost 50 pounds. The biggest difference for me is motivation. With a gym, you've got to drive there, do your bit, then either go to work or go home. Whereas with a home gym it's right there and no excuses.

I am primarily interested in cardio though and a gym equipment's range is better.

 

[Sec0nd]

If you are anything like me the gym is the way to go.

It's so incredibly easy to take it easy or call it quits with the occasional workout I do at home. I mean, you are already home so you can do whatever. But if I'm struggling while in the gym it's a lot easier to motivate myself since 'I'm already here, so I might as well keep going'.

 

[Doggg]

I prefer the convenience of home. If I had to go to a gym to workout, I probably wouldn't be able to do it consistently.

 

[Voyager]

If you have the equipment and can keep yourself motivated then the convenience of home workouts is amazing.

Obviously the sheer range of stuff available at the gym is unbeatable, and I will admit I don't push myself quite as hard at home. But I feel like I make up for that by actually working out four times a week now that there's no commute to the gym.

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This. Exactly this. I get a great workout at home but the variety of equipment at a gym cannot be matched. I greatly prefer working out at home for the saving in time alone.

 

[Mesoian]

The gym is better, you can better focus on your workout.

Home gym is fine for Maintenace.

 

[Eidan]

If you can get the full gym experience at home, then obviously home. I live in an apartment. I can't deadlift on the 16th floor of my building. So I prefer the gym.

 

[Ojli]

Tonal. Pays for itself. Costs less than most gyms and takes up almost no space.

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Looks cool. However, it seems it doesn't ship to Sweden and costs as much as 13 years at my current gym. Hopefully I'll have moved someplace bigger by then and build something proper. I'm a big fan of barbell workout

 

[yogurt]

You can get the full gym experience at home, then obviously home. I live in an apartment. I can't deadlift on the 16th floor of my building. So I prefer the gym.

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EXCUSES

drop those plates and dare your neighbors to do anything about it

 

[Akileese]

If you are anything like me the gym is the way to go.

It's so incredibly easy to take it easy or call it quits with the occasional workout I do at home. I mean, you are already home so you can do whatever. But if I'm struggling while in the gym it's a lot easier to motivate myself since 'I'm already here, so I might as well keep going'.

Click to shrink...

Yeah this is how I am. I lift at home but when it comes to cardio, I really do need the accountability of being there and on that island sometimes.

 

[StreetsAhead]

Gym for me. If I had a house with a dedicated workout space with all the equipment I need then I'd do that but alas.

 

[Skyshark]

I voted home although based on your post, it sounds like the gym might be for you. However, some of the concerns you have in the OP regarding working out at home can easily be countered. You fear you might train wrong or in a harmful way? There are literally dozens of proven programs that you can pick from and countless youtube videos that show correct form. And every power rack worth it's weight (no pun intended) comes with safety bars. So this should be a non factor.

I get that the social aspect of a gym can make it more enjoyable, but you also have to take into account travel time, waiting for equipment, being forced to use ear pieces for your music or the gym's music, having to time your workouts around when the gym is not super busy, covid is still a thing, etc. At home, you can literally workout whenever you want, on your schedule, with your music, butt ass naked if you want.

All that being said, I'm by no means an expert. I'm 40 years old, have two kids and just started lifting two months ago. However, if I didn't have equipment at home, I wouldn't have ever started.

 

[nonoriri]

I admittedly do not have a space to really do a home gym (can't raise my arms over my head in my basement and I'm 5'5") but for me the gym is really motivating because I do class based workouts so all I gotta do is show up + it's expensive and if I don't show up it's like throwing my money away.

 

[Cruxist]

Gym for me. Even when I was doing something I could do at home, that mental switch on the way to the gym helps me a ton. I might feel differently if the drive was longer than 5 minutes, but it really works for me and contributes to my mental health just as much as my physical at this point.

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

Tonal. Pays for itself. Costs less than most gyms and takes up almost no space.

Click to shrink...

I love ours. One of the best investments we have made. It's constantly in your face so you have no choice but to use it. There have been numerous times where I've been tired but needed to workout and Tonal helped. Being that's in right here and there are tons of workouts that cater to any situation, I've worked out more than I ever have since getting it. I used to be a gym rat at the office.

 

[Menchin]

If this lazy bastard can get swole at home so can you, dear reader

While we're on the topic of reading, read up on proper weightlifting technique for whatever you're planning to do

 

[Soap]

Gym is better for me, but again, I believe whatever motivates you to stay fit (and stick with it) is the um answer to your question.

 

[Ploppee]

variety is the spice of life. home workouts are great for general maintenance but gyms offer a wider variety of exercises. also an outside run/walk/hike/rock climb/cycle never hurts either.

as a previous regular marathon runner i'd say doing a sole exercise may kill your spirit.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

It's hard for me to have motivation to workout at home so the gym has been my way to go

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

variety is the spice of life. home workouts are great for general maintenance but gyms offer a wider variety of exercises. also an outside run/walk/hike/rock climb/cycle never hurts either.

as a previous regular marathon runner i'd say doing a sole exercise may kill your spirit.

Click to shrink...

Nah man, Tonal is the real deal. I used to live in the gym at work and I think Tonal is a great tool. I do mix cycling and running with it so my gains are pretty damn good.

 

[cheebdragonite]

After doing home workouts with just adjustable dumbbells and resistance bands, I greatly prefer the gym. I'd prefer home workouts if I had more equipment.

 

[Jetsun Mila]

It depends.

Is there a month-to-month gym nearby to eliminate that concern? Does the gym actually have what you want? If you want to lift weights, does it have 1 squat rack, 1 bench and then 30 rows of cardio equipment? What would it cost to get what you want? Are you going to use it long enough to justify the likely higher initial cost?

I live alone and also work from home part of the time. For my situation and my personality, going to the gym is a nice, deliberate break from being home.

You sound more comfortable in the gym. I'd suggest looking for a place that's month-to-month, has a decent trial or has some short term program. If you're in a decently populated area there's probably something. Try it out, see if you stick with it. If you do, reassess from there what best fits your needs. If you don't. you don't have a contract or some giant paperweights in your garage to worry about.

Click to shrink...

A month-to-month fitness center is a pretty good idea, actually, haven't thought of that. I know that there is one that sells tickets for 10 uses but that of course costs a bit more and I have to drive 20 minutes. I think that's how I do it. What makes a yearly contract less attractive to me as well is that there are other activities I prefer to do in the summertime than staying inside in a gym, riding my bike or wall climbing or going to the "Gerätepark", which has some equipment, but it's all outside, but that makes only sense in the warmer months. For wintertime a gym would be more interesting.

 

[cHaotix]

I have a home gym. Gym is better for me because it has more equipment.

 

[Pirateluigi]

Nah man, Tonal is the real deal. I used to live in the gym at work and I think Tonal is a great tool. I do mix cycling and running with it so my gains are pretty damn good.

Click to shrink...

Tonal does seem cool but I just can't justify the price. It's more than double my monthly gym membership.

 

[Jetsun Mila]

There is also one other thing:
I did some home workouts a year ago when the gym was closed, and I had the feeling that I was more effective in the 30 minutes it took me to do the routine without equipment than the 60-90 minutes I usually spent in the gym. Like I was sweating much more and it felt more intense?
But what someone mentioned, a month-to-month membership or a 10er ticket might be a good idea for me especially since I prefer outside activities in the warmer months.

 

[Nothing Loud]

Tonal does seem cool but I just can't justify the price. It's more than double my monthly gym membership.

Click to shrink...

but you don't have to pay transportation costs to a gym or deal with other people or hygiene issues in a pandemic, and it's a smart gym that personalizes and tracks your metrics and progress. So it's got some benefits to being ~$60/mo for the machine and ~$45/mo for the service.

 

[Vagabond]

I invested in a home gym. Best decision I ever made. I moved my office into the guest room, and made it a library and home gym all in one. I do miss the Sauna (minus the people) so I will look at portable infrared saunas, but this is the best thing I have done for myself in a while.

Tonal and all that is fun, I used it a few times but I cannot justify the subscription. I picked up a set of Bowflex 90lb adjustable weights and some contraptions to make them also work as kettlebells and barbells for less than the price of a mirror, and spent a couple hours finding programs on reddit I liked and it seems a lot less stressful than Tonal's live classes. The only thing I need now is a mirror to check my form. I am sort of interested in the Peloton Guide when it comes out but I think I mainly want one just to 'belong' rather than take advantage of their classes.

 

[Guts Of Thor]

Do whatever works for you.

By the way is there an exercise era thread? I'm just starting to work out again and would like some tips but don't want to create a thread for it if one already exists.

 

[Advance.Wars.Sgt.]

Prefer home workouts. I've found in my experience I have a stronger commitment and consistency towards it when I don't have to travel to an extra place.

 

[CatAssTrophy]

I put home workout, but only for when there is enough equipment to facilitate the workouts I want to do.

I hate being in a public gym and waiting on equipment, or having to wipe things down, or something isn't working, or there's a bunch of unmasked people.

My ex had a bench in her garage and a full set of weights and other equipment. We'd work out twice or so a week and it was perfect. Now I gotta do the dance of figuring out when my apartment gym is the least busy and plan my days around that. I don't have enough room in my unit for equipment and even if I did, it would make noise for whoever is below me.

 

[yogurt]

Nah man, Tonal is the real deal. I used to live in the gym at work and I think Tonal is a great tool. I do mix cycling and running with it so my gains are pretty damn good.

Click to shrink...

Does Tonal have a camera/mic built in? Can you disable it? I'm leery of bringing any internet connected cameras / mics into my home.

 

[Roronoa_Zoro]

Home. Tempo has gotten me in the best shape of my life. Never could stick to a workout schedule due to an erratic work schedule but now just pop in the other room and it keeps count of weights used for the different exercises, what muscle groups were worked, and other things that just takes all the annoyance and time commitment out of working out

 

[Arttemis]

I have access to a gym for work, so both for me, but I have a workout bike in the guest room, and dumbbells and bench (with leg curl and extension function) with barbell rack for home use in the garage. I just need to find a used barbell and some weights now, lol.

I definitely prefer knocking out a 45-60 minute workout at home instead of commuting to a gym, but occasionally there are exercises that I just can't do at home.

 

[radioactivez0r]

Tonal. Pays for itself. Costs less than most gyms and takes up almost no space.

Click to shrink...

How does it pay for itself?

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

Does Tonal have a camera/mic built in? Can you disable it? I'm leery of bringing any internet connected cameras / mics into my home.

Click to shrink...

There are two circles near the top of the unit, one is a camera and the other a mic. They are turned off by default. They will be used later on IIRC. When you do live classes, the trainer can only see your handle and the goals that you have achieved during that workout. Like if your total volume reached during the live workout was 15,000 lbs, they will say it out loud.

Tonal does seem cool but I just can't justify the price. It's more than double my monthly gym membership.

Click to shrink...

In your case, I wouldn't do it if you don't have to. For my wife, myself, and kid, it is a lot cheaper than a gym membership. Our combined membership was over $120 per month.

 

[yogurt]

There are two circles near the top of the unit, one is a camera and the other a mic. They are turned off by default. They will be used later on IIRC. When you do live classes, the trainer can only see your handle and the goals that you have achieved during that workout. Like if your total volume reached during the live workout was 15,000 lbs, they will say it out loud.

Click to shrink...

Interesting. I suppose I could just tape over or disconnect them if I wasn't comfortable. I don't care about my workout stats getting uploaded to the internet, but a camera and mic pointed at my workout space at all times feels weird.

 

[SasaBassa]

I've had to gather some equipment during the pandemic, supplement it with YT for cardio during the winter... it's just not the same and it's showed for me.

Once things are a little safer I'm going on a 3month shred at the gym. I'll be able to undo 2 years of slowed damage pretty quickly I think. I just don't have the financial resource to replicate everything I need at home for my resistance heavy workouts.

 

[Red]

I recently bought a Tonal. It's magic. I prefer home workouts but always felt like they were compromised by a lack of equipment options. Tonal is the first device that's really wowed me with what it offers, and it solidifies my opinion that home workouts are superior (as long as you have the right tools available).

 

[Agamon]

Man, if I had to go the gym, I wouldn't bother. But I do work out at home every day.

 

[Shiloh]

Have a home setup, the drive to an actual gym is more of a deterrent than being able to put it off until after lunch

 

[JaseMath]

Gym.

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

I recently bought a Tonal. It's magic. I prefer home workouts but always felt like they were compromised by a lack of equipment options. Tonal is the first device that's really wowed me with what it offers, and it solidifies my opinion that home workouts are superior (as long as you have the right tools available).

Click to shrink...

Yup. It's a great machine and killed any desire I had of returning to the gym.