There are several reasons why people choose to train at home and several reasons why other people choose to train in a commercial gym. If you are just embarking on a new exercise routine, you may not be sure which is the best option for you. Here are some things to consider, contrast, and compare before deciding whether to invest in a gym membership or equipment for your home:

Cost:

Gym memberships can be expensive and this would be an ongoing expense as all gyms have monthly membership dues. Decide if you can afford the registration fee and the monthly fee. Find out if that monthly fee is fixed for the life of your membership or if it is subject to an increase in the future. Keep this in mind when determining your budget limitations. If you decide to go for the gym membership, do some price comparisons before committing to a membership. If you like the gym and want to join but the price is out of your reach, it’s okay to ask for a discount, and if the answer is no, ask when their next big promotion will be and buy then. If it is still out of your reach financially, don’t hesitate to walk away. There are other gyms out there, and they likely offer some kind of incentive for you to buy their membership rather than go elsewhere.

Home equipment can also be expensive and possibly an even bigger investment up front. However, once you are fully stocked with the items you need to work out in the most effective way for you, this cost comes to a complete stop (barring minor repairs or replacements when equipment wears out or breaks). So this can be a much more cost effective way to improve health and fitness than a commercial gym. Definitely look for the gear you want. Prices can vary widely, especially for larger equipment like treadmills. Be careful though: the quality of fitness equipment can also vary greatly. It’s true what they say, “you get what you pay for”.

Functionality:

Commercial gyms often have a lot going for them in this area. They are generally well supplied with all bar weights and sizes in the free weights area, many benches including supine and incline, and in most commercial gyms you will find many different brands of weight machines and types of cardio . machines. You won’t be short of ways to add variety to your workouts with all the equipment at your disposal.

Workouts at home, on the other hand, can also be well-equipped, but that’s entirely up to you and what you buy for your home gym. If you don’t buy a lot of equipment for your workout space, or you don’t have room for a lot of equipment in your space, you may find yourself quite limited in variety. Be careful that you can change your routines often even with your limited equipment, fitness rules dictate that you can change your routine from time to time to avoid stagnation and stagnation.

Convenience:

To work out at a commercial gym, keep in mind that you have to make time to drive to the gym and come home. You may also find yourself in lines waiting to wear your favorite gear if you are exercising during peak hours. It is not so convenient for some.

In your own home gym you don’t have the daily commute, nor will you have any equipment waiting, it’s all yours! Very convenient in most people’s minds!

Privacy and camaraderie:

Here’s a big one. Some people prefer to exercise among many other people who also exercise. They find that they can feed off the energy of other people and feel inspired or motivated by those around them simply by being in the same space.

However, some people prefer to exercise in private. They may feel that they are ‘not in good shape’ to be seen in sportswear and prefer to move on without anyone else looking at them. For these people, the home gym scenario works much better. Oh, and by the way, for those of you who think that, keep in mind that everyone is in the gym for the same reason: to work out … and hardly anyone is looking at them. Everyone has their own workouts to focus on.

Assistance:

Many people choose the commercial gym for their workouts strictly because of the help they can get by exercising, among others. Spotters, trainers, or simply observing others’ techniques are all ways to get help in a commercial gym. For those who lift very heavy weights, a spotter is a must. Bench pressing under a bar without a helper can cause serious injury if the lifter becomes trapped under the bar or drops the bar on himself.

In your home gym setup, you need to be very careful with your weights. I would recommend not using a barbell at all for movements like the bench press (use dumbbells instead, then if your muscles fail you can at least drop them to the side without getting caught under the bar). There are also no trainers available and no other people you can turn to for technical advice when exercising alone at home. However, there is always the Internet! You can watch YouTube videos for those kinds of technical tips, or find a trainer online to replace a gym trainer. Still, you can’t get an internet watcher, you still need a real person for that.

Hopefully, these comparisons will help you determine if a home gym setup or commercial gym membership is the right direction for you.

Good for you for taking the step towards a better physical shape. You can do it!