Which Is More Beneficial Training At Home, Or Training In The Gym?

**ravadongon** · 07-06-2005, 01:49 AM

Which Is More Beneficial Training At Home, Or Training In The Gym?

Many people enjoy the privacy of training in their own home gym. There is no wait to use a machine and they can play whatever music they want- and it's open 24/7. But some enjoy social atmosphere and variety at a gym.

Which is more beneficial, training at home, or training at a commercial gym? That is the question. Where can you make better results? If you choose to build a home gym, what should you get? All these questions and more will be answered in this article.

Commercial Gym

What is it?

A place where different pieces of strength training equipment are available, for members of the gym to use. Membership fees exist and the member must pay them monthly or annually. The member may only use the equipment during the opening hours of the gym (with the exception of 24hr gyms). Commercial gyms generally have greater quantity and variety of equipment than home gyms.

For

- Equipment

It’s very hard to purchase the range of equipment a commercial gym has. If you’re the kind of person who likes to use a variety of equipment, machines and free weights, then a commercial gym is the place for you.

- Motivation

Motivation is probably the most important factor in getting and staying fit. By choosing to work out at a commercial gym you have motivation all around you. Not only does the surrounding of people with common goals motivate you, but also the fact that you’ve just paid for a gym membership with your own money! You wouldn’t want to waste that money by skipping workouts, would you? So if you’re that person who isn’t the most self motivated, get to your local gym and get a gym membership!

- Make New Friends!

OK. A lot of people will probably say you go to the gym to workout, not to socialize, but what’s wrong with doing it after your workout, or even during your workout, by asking for a spot or helping someone out by spotting them or advising them on exercise form. These people have the same interest as you, keeping fit, and could well be people you could learn something from whether it be lifting related or not. Sure don’t go out of your way to befriend and help everyone in the whole gym, but be polite and respect other people, and you’ll get that in return. If you’re an introverted person that needs to break out of that shell, then go to a commercial gym, keep fit and make some friends while you’re at it.

- Safety

It can sometimes be terrifying when working out on your own, thinking of the prospect of a huge amount of weight falling on you when benching, or falling backwards and injuring yourself when squatting… If you’re ever concerned about this, don’t be concerned any more, get a membership at a local gym, and always ask someone to spot you when you feel at risk.

- No sacrifice of space

Gym Equipment can take up a fair bit of space, and often you’ll need to make sacrifices in order to create that space. If you want to avoid doing this, then get a membership at a commercial gym and keep that extra space for whatever it maybe!

Against

- Intimidating

For some people getting themselves into a gym can be quite a scary prospect and harder then the actual workout itself! If you feel intimidated, then you’re too self conscious. Whatever you do don’t throw yourself in the deep end straight away and go to a hardcore gym, where everyone’s a beast and no one’s total is less than 1500lbs! Go to a more welcoming fitness center, where there’s sure to be lot’s of people in your position, just starting out…You’ll feel much more comfortable. Don’t back away if you find it intimidating, conquer your fear. If you can conquer it, you’ll find you’ll be a whole lot more confident as a person.

- Waiting Que

How annoying is it when you want to use a piece of equipment and you find out that not only is someone using it, but others are also waiting for it. Most of the time however you should be able to get around this by doing an alternative exercise, e.g. switching from dumbbells to barbells, however if this continually is happening, let the owner of the gym know, and he’ll do something about it, hopefully.

- Privacy

If you like to have privacy when you’re working out then working out at a gym can be quite frustrating. You can’t listen to your own music, you have people talking constantly making unnecessary noise, while you’re trying to lift the most weight you can. It’s not exactly ideal for the majority of us. You can always get an MP3 player but that does cost a fair bit of money, which could be used in better ways.

- Fees

If you’ve chosen to go to a gym with good quality equipment you’ll more often than not find some incredible membership fees (in a bad way!) that you will be required to pay monthly or annually. If you’re not a big earner you’ll often find that you’ll need to make some sacrifices to pay the membership every month/year, not something that you want to be doing for too long.

Conclusion – Who is it for?

Commercial gyms are ideal for like to use a variety of equipment. They are also great for people who lack motivation as well as introverted people who need to break out of their shell. Extroverted people can benefit from a commercial gym, but if they are easily distracted then it would be best if they workout at home. So if you’re one of these people then you’re best bet is to buy yourself a gym membership, and start making some progress.

Home Gym

What is it?

A place in the owners house where different pieces of strength training equipment are available, for the owner to use. No membership fees exist (only the owner must purchase the equipment in the first place) and the owner is free to use the equipment when he wants. The quantity and variety of equipment is invariably less than commercial gyms.

For

- Convenient

Sometimes your hectic lifestyle and schedule can get the better of you. You end up finishing work only to realize that the gym is closed, so you’ll have to move today’s workout to tomorrow. The same thing happens again tomorrow and you find yourself in a position where you’re wasting money on this gym membership because you never have time to go there, and when you do have time, it’s always closed. If you’re this person don’t let this happen to you. Buy some equipment to keep at home for when this happens to you, it doesn’t have to be fancy, just a simple rack, barbell, weights and bench. That way you can always have time for your workouts no matter what the time!

- Privacy

Can you no longer stand those blabbermouths at the gym, who are always annoying and distracting you when you’re trying to get through an intense workout. If you can’t then get yourself some equipment and make a home gym, so you can workout in privacy and be able to focus at nailing those heavy lifts. As an added bonus you can put on your own music full blast, to further maximize your concentration.

- Cheaper (Long Term)

You might be shocked at first at how expensive some of the equipment for weight training is, but when you put things in perspective it isn’t really… Think of the cost of a years gym membership. You could be paying that for over 2 decades, and there’s no doubt the fees will continue to increase from where they’re at. Think of the cost of a power rack, barbell, weights, bench and other accessories such as adjustable dumbbells. When you add it up, purchasing your own gym equipment is much cheaper, so don’t wait if you’re considering purchasing your own equipment and you have the money, get in quickly get the equipment and save the money for your other needs and wants.

- No queues!

I’m sure everyone here hates waiting in line for something, whether it be for a piece of equipment at a commercial gym or the queue to purchase tickets to a football game. Well one of the great things about having a home gym is you don’t have to do this. This gives you the opportunity to get through your workouts a lot quicker, saving you time and increasing the intensity of the workout.

Against

- Distractions

It can be very tempting to go do something else between sets of an exercise. Sometimes you may have to workout while your favourite TV show is on and you may give into temptation and postpone your workout till tomorrow, or maybe you receive a phone call from a friend, and you end up talking for over an hour. Working out at home makes way for numerous distractions and if you’re that kind of person that is easily distracted, then training at home probably isn’t best suited for you.

- Lack of motivation?

The home gym is all ways there right? It’s not like you have to pay a membership or anything? You can always put of today’s workout for tomorrow…

This is another problem with home gyms… There’s not a huge incentive to workout even though you’ve paid money for it, it’s always going to be there and you can always do it the next day. This is NOT what you want to be doing, if you truly inside want to keep fit, but you lack motivation. If you’re that person then again, the home gym probably isn’t the best option.

- Unsafe

It can be quite a daunting prospect benching a huge amount of weight for low reps with no one spotting you. What if you miss that last rep? Who will be there to help you out….

I’m sure everyone you trains heavy and works out at home, has had this though cross their mind. Good news is you can avoid it from happening. You can do this by getting a power rack. Power racks are designed with safety bars so if you miss a rep the weight will drop on the bar, not on you, and when you’re squatting you can always drop the weight back if you can’t make a rep and no damage will occur to the equipment. If you wish not to purchase a power rack for some reason or other, then training with a friend or two would be a good idea, when lifting heavy.

- Range of Equipment (money and space)

Building a home gym with the range of equipment available in a commercial gym, for the average income earner would be impossible. Sure the majority of time we should be training with free weights, but some people like to add a little variety and train with machines every now and then. With a homegym this is very difficult, not only because of the money available, but also because of the space available.

So if you’re that person who enjoys using a wide variety of equipment then consider training in a commercial gym not a home gym.

Conclusion – Who is it for?

The home gym is an excellent choice for people who like to use the minimal amount of equipment . They are also great for people who cannot concentrate in commercial gyms due to their surroundings and busy people who find it hard to find time to workout. So if you’re one of these people then you’re best bet is to purchase some of your own gym equipment and start up your own home gym!

If you were to create your own home gym, what would it consist of and why?

Firstly I would choose a room free of and away from any distraction, and with plenty of space for equipment with room still to be able to move around. The equipment I’d choose to purchase would be:

Power rack (with chinup and dip attachment) – Takes care of all the major compound exercises e.g. bench, squat and deadlift, military press

Adjustable Bench – allows you to perform lying exercises at flat, incline and decline points.

Standard Olympic Bar (Elieko) – Allows you to perform all barbell exercises with a standardized bar.

Adjustable Dumbbells – Allows you to perform all dumbbell exercises

Bumper Plates – allows you to drop a loaded barbell without the plates shattering. Good for Olympic lifting.

Bands, Chains and weight releasers – powerlifting gear for developing max strength.

Reverse Hyperextension machine – great for strengthening the glutes, hamstrings and lower back, so you can up your deadlift and squat numbers.

Mirrors – so you can always maintain good form and avoid any nasty injuries.

Stereo – There’s nothing like working out to music that psyches you up for those big lifts.

This is only my choice though, however if I had to tell you the bare necessities for a decent home gym it would be, a barbell, weight plates, an adjustable bench, power rack (preferably with a chin up and dip attachment). This takes care of all the basic freeweight exercises, as well as their variations. So if you are going to invest in a homegym, remember those four.

07-06-2005, 01:49 AM	#1
ravadongon Audere est Facere Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 372 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 7	Which Is More Beneficial Training At Home, Or Training In The Gym? Which Is More Beneficial Training At Home, Or Training In The Gym? Many people enjoy the privacy of training in their own home gym. There is no wait to use a machine and they can play whatever music they want- and it's open 24/7. But some enjoy social atmosphere and variety at a gym. Which is more beneficial, training at home, or training at a commercial gym? That is the question. Where can you make better results? If you choose to build a home gym, what should you get? All these questions and more will be answered in this article. Commercial Gym What is it? A place where different pieces of strength training equipment are available, for members of the gym to use. Membership fees exist and the member must pay them monthly or annually. The member may only use the equipment during the opening hours of the gym (with the exception of 24hr gyms). Commercial gyms generally have greater quantity and variety of equipment than home gyms. For - Equipment It’s very hard to purchase the range of equipment a commercial gym has. If you’re the kind of person who likes to use a variety of equipment, machines and free weights, then a commercial gym is the place for you. - Motivation Motivation is probably the most important factor in getting and staying fit. By choosing to work out at a commercial gym you have motivation all around you. Not only does the surrounding of people with common goals motivate you, but also the fact that you’ve just paid for a gym membership with your own money! You wouldn’t want to waste that money by skipping workouts, would you? So if you’re that person who isn’t the most self motivated, get to your local gym and get a gym membership! - Make New Friends! OK. A lot of people will probably say you go to the gym to workout, not to socialize, but what’s wrong with doing it after your workout, or even during your workout, by asking for a spot or helping someone out by spotting them or advising them on exercise form. These people have the same interest as you, keeping fit, and could well be people you could learn something from whether it be lifting related or not. Sure don’t go out of your way to befriend and help everyone in the whole gym, but be polite and respect other people, and you’ll get that in return. If you’re an introverted person that needs to break out of that shell, then go to a commercial gym, keep fit and make some friends while you’re at it. - Safety It can sometimes be terrifying when working out on your own, thinking of the prospect of a huge amount of weight falling on you when benching, or falling backwards and injuring yourself when squatting… If you’re ever concerned about this, don’t be concerned any more, get a membership at a local gym, and always ask someone to spot you when you feel at risk. - No sacrifice of space Gym Equipment can take up a fair bit of space, and often you’ll need to make sacrifices in order to create that space. If you want to avoid doing this, then get a membership at a commercial gym and keep that extra space for whatever it maybe! Against - Intimidating For some people getting themselves into a gym can be quite a scary prospect and harder then the actual workout itself! If you feel intimidated, then you’re too self conscious. Whatever you do don’t throw yourself in the deep end straight away and go to a hardcore gym, where everyone’s a beast and no one’s total is less than 1500lbs! Go to a more welcoming fitness center, where there’s sure to be lot’s of people in your position, just starting out…You’ll feel much more comfortable. Don’t back away if you find it intimidating, conquer your fear. If you can conquer it, you’ll find you’ll be a whole lot more confident as a person. - Waiting Que How annoying is it when you want to use a piece of equipment and you find out that not only is someone using it, but others are also waiting for it. Most of the time however you should be able to get around this by doing an alternative exercise, e.g. switching from dumbbells to barbells, however if this continually is happening, let the owner of the gym know, and he’ll do something about it, hopefully. - Privacy If you like to have privacy when you’re working out then working out at a gym can be quite frustrating. You can’t listen to your own music, you have people talking constantly making unnecessary noise, while you’re trying to lift the most weight you can. It’s not exactly ideal for the majority of us. You can always get an MP3 player but that does cost a fair bit of money, which could be used in better ways. - Fees If you’ve chosen to go to a gym with good quality equipment you’ll more often than not find some incredible membership fees (in a bad way!) that you will be required to pay monthly or annually. If you’re not a big earner you’ll often find that you’ll need to make some sacrifices to pay the membership every month/year, not something that you want to be doing for too long. Conclusion – Who is it for? Commercial gyms are ideal for like to use a variety of equipment. They are also great for people who lack motivation as well as introverted people who need to break out of their shell. Extroverted people can benefit from a commercial gym, but if they are easily distracted then it would be best if they workout at home. So if you’re one of these people then you’re best bet is to buy yourself a gym membership, and start making some progress. Home Gym What is it? A place in the owners house where different pieces of strength training equipment are available, for the owner to use. No membership fees exist (only the owner must purchase the equipment in the first place) and the owner is free to use the equipment when he wants. The quantity and variety of equipment is invariably less than commercial gyms. For - Convenient Sometimes your hectic lifestyle and schedule can get the better of you. You end up finishing work only to realize that the gym is closed, so you’ll have to move today’s workout to tomorrow. The same thing happens again tomorrow and you find yourself in a position where you’re wasting money on this gym membership because you never have time to go there, and when you do have time, it’s always closed. If you’re this person don’t let this happen to you. Buy some equipment to keep at home for when this happens to you, it doesn’t have to be fancy, just a simple rack, barbell, weights and bench. That way you can always have time for your workouts no matter what the time! - Privacy Can you no longer stand those blabbermouths at the gym, who are always annoying and distracting you when you’re trying to get through an intense workout. If you can’t then get yourself some equipment and make a home gym, so you can workout in privacy and be able to focus at nailing those heavy lifts. As an added bonus you can put on your own music full blast, to further maximize your concentration. - Cheaper (Long Term) You might be shocked at first at how expensive some of the equipment for weight training is, but when you put things in perspective it isn’t really… Think of the cost of a years gym membership. You could be paying that for over 2 decades, and there’s no doubt the fees will continue to increase from where they’re at. Think of the cost of a power rack, barbell, weights, bench and other accessories such as adjustable dumbbells. When you add it up, purchasing your own gym equipment is much cheaper, so don’t wait if you’re considering purchasing your own equipment and you have the money, get in quickly get the equipment and save the money for your other needs and wants. - No queues! I’m sure everyone here hates waiting in line for something, whether it be for a piece of equipment at a commercial gym or the queue to purchase tickets to a football game. Well one of the great things about having a home gym is you don’t have to do this. This gives you the opportunity to get through your workouts a lot quicker, saving you time and increasing the intensity of the workout. Against - Distractions It can be very tempting to go do something else between sets of an exercise. Sometimes you may have to workout while your favourite TV show is on and you may give into temptation and postpone your workout till tomorrow, or maybe you receive a phone call from a friend, and you end up talking for over an hour. Working out at home makes way for numerous distractions and if you’re that kind of person that is easily distracted, then training at home probably isn’t best suited for you. - Lack of motivation? The home gym is all ways there right? It’s not like you have to pay a membership or anything? You can always put of today’s workout for tomorrow… This is another problem with home gyms… There’s not a huge incentive to workout even though you’ve paid money for it, it’s always going to be there and you can always do it the next day. This is NOT what you want to be doing, if you truly inside want to keep fit, but you lack motivation. If you’re that person then again, the home gym probably isn’t the best option. - Unsafe It can be quite a daunting prospect benching a huge amount of weight for low reps with no one spotting you. What if you miss that last rep? Who will be there to help you out…. I’m sure everyone you trains heavy and works out at home, has had this though cross their mind. Good news is you can avoid it from happening. You can do this by getting a power rack. Power racks are designed with safety bars so if you miss a rep the weight will drop on the bar, not on you, and when you’re squatting you can always drop the weight back if you can’t make a rep and no damage will occur to the equipment. If you wish not to purchase a power rack for some reason or other, then training with a friend or two would be a good idea, when lifting heavy. - Range of Equipment (money and space) Building a home gym with the range of equipment available in a commercial gym, for the average income earner would be impossible. Sure the majority of time we should be training with free weights, but some people like to add a little variety and train with machines every now and then. With a homegym this is very difficult, not only because of the money available, but also because of the space available. So if you’re that person who enjoys using a wide variety of equipment then consider training in a commercial gym not a home gym. Conclusion – Who is it for? The home gym is an excellent choice for people who like to use the minimal amount of equipment . They are also great for people who cannot concentrate in commercial gyms due to their surroundings and busy people who find it hard to find time to workout. So if you’re one of these people then you’re best bet is to purchase some of your own gym equipment and start up your own home gym! If you were to create your own home gym, what would it consist of and why? Firstly I would choose a room free of and away from any distraction, and with plenty of space for equipment with room still to be able to move around. The equipment I’d choose to purchase would be: Power rack (with chinup and dip attachment) – Takes care of all the major compound exercises e.g. bench, squat and deadlift, military press Adjustable Bench – allows you to perform lying exercises at flat, incline and decline points. Standard Olympic Bar (Elieko) – Allows you to perform all barbell exercises with a standardized bar. Adjustable Dumbbells – Allows you to perform all dumbbell exercises Bumper Plates – allows you to drop a loaded barbell without the plates shattering. Good for Olympic lifting. Bands, Chains and weight releasers – powerlifting gear for developing max strength. Reverse Hyperextension machine – great for strengthening the glutes, hamstrings and lower back, so you can up your deadlift and squat numbers. Mirrors – so you can always maintain good form and avoid any nasty injuries. Stereo – There’s nothing like working out to music that psyches you up for those big lifts. This is only my choice though, however if I had to tell you the bare necessities for a decent home gym it would be, a barbell, weight plates, an adjustable bench, power rack (preferably with a chin up and dip attachment). This takes care of all the basic freeweight exercises, as well as their variations. So if you are going to invest in a homegym, remember those four. __________________ My Weight Training Log - http://ironmass.com/forums/showthread.php?p=112673 For Full Journal visit - http://forum.athletes.com/showthread.php?t=2466 or http://charliefrancis.com/community/...ad.php?t=11822.

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