Home Gym Vs Gym Membership and Budget

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  Seraphin7 on 23/10/2020 - 12:16

  +4

  Like anything, buy what you'll use. Buy cheaper stuff to begin and if it gets used, you can level up when it wears out. If you find you don't get the use from it, then you won't feel so bad if you're only $100 deep vs. $1,000, or whatever. To get started, most people wouldn't need anything more than a basic barbell/dumbbell set up, a skipping rope, and if they really wanted it a cheap exercise bike. After that, the focus should be on isometric/plyometric exercises that don't need any particularly specialised gear, with some running-based activity.

  There has always been a massive inventory of unused gym gear sitting in houses across Australia.

  Personally, I know I won't use most stuff as I prefer with outdoor running or cycling. Got some very limited other gear I got for cheap at Kmart which is fine, but so many people have hundreds if not thousands of $$$$ worth of stuff that effectively never gets used (mind you, there are plenty dropping ~$1k a year on gym memberships that equally see very limited use).

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  rawm on 23/10/2020 - 12:20

  +6

  Pure lifestyle choice OP.

  For me, the move to gym @ home has saved me 25mins per day (175mins) over the course of a week. Was an avid gym goer, 4-5 days per week. 35+ years old.

  Spent about AUD$500 on essential gym equipment (ie. Elliptical Trainer, Bench, Free Weights, Bar w' weights) as I bought before the lockdown via Gumtree (The day the pandemic was confirmed by WHO).

  Gym was great and all, but spent too much time there. Add wear and tear on the car, traffic, parking, $400 annual gym fee etc and it was a no brainer. Will not return.

  Are you committed to training without needing encouragement, social interaction? Do you have the space in your home?

  As said, it's a pure lifestyle choice and totally up to you.

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  87percent on 23/10/2020 - 12:32

  The weights is what kills an economical home gym (at least right now).

  • 

    CrypticM on 23/10/2020 - 13:57

    Surprisingly I see cheap weights from Kmart are on par with branded weights. May be time will tell.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 15/11/2020 - 23:12

      Not if you start lifting a decent amount. You're looking at thousands of dollars in weights when you hit the big boy iron.

  • 

    Zephyrus on 23/10/2020 - 15:48

    A cheap gym membership is ~$600 a year. $600 is a fair bit of weights.

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  AustriaBargain on 23/10/2020 - 14:13

  You're more likely to meet your future partner at the gym than at home. And they are more likely to be in shape.

  And some of us like any reason to leave the house, going to the gym is a good one.

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  Hugh G Rection on 23/10/2020 - 15:08

  i was going to build a home gym, but once I added up everything I got a gym membership. the cost of one machine is soooo much. and I can get all that at the gym. i would just get a dumbell set for the house for those times you just need to workout, but everything is at the gym for me.

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  Bargain Slut on 23/10/2020 - 15:25

  +1

  Depends what you actually use.

  I bought a squat rack, bar, 175KG weighs, 8 pairs of dumbbells, 2 kettlebells, FID bench and a rack. I shopped around but I'm out of pocket around $2,200 and knowing me i'll buy more shit down the line.

  Is it worth it in a monetary sense, perhaps not, but at least I own the gear. I can also take as much time as I want in the squat rack doing banded warm-ups and mobility work, play whatever I want on the TV and don't have to worry about a commute.

  FYI I had a family and friends fitness first deal that was about $12.45 a week so the pay back period is longer than someone paying an off the rack rate at a commercial gym.

  Also depends on what sort of a gym user you are, if you are a big user of machines or if you rate the socialisation factor etc. it might not be your jam.

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  iNeed2Pee on 23/10/2020 - 16:29

  +1

  Guy next door enjoys his home gym.

  • 

    JIMB0 on 23/10/2020 - 17:52

    +2

    Nothing better than being able to do deadlifts at 4am in your own gym.

    • 

      iNeed2Pee on 23/10/2020 - 17:53

      As the days and weeks have rolled by, its gone from an annoyance to a jealously factor 🤣

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  87percent on 23/10/2020 - 17:56

  I’m looking into getting someone to build me a calisthenics style gym in my backyard. Something like a pull up bar, dip bar. Then I’ll attach gymnastic rings on it

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  donga100 on 23/10/2020 - 20:31

  Home gym is way better. My old gym would never let me workout in only my underwear or change the music playing over the speakers.

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  Brodo Faggins on 15/11/2020 - 23:08

  As others have mentioned - it's personal lifestyle/social/ownership choice.

  If you are being more consistent purely by being at home, why would you shoot yourself in the foot and contemplate going back to the gym?

  Depending on the type of gear you're buying, the home gym would offsetted in no time against the membership costs (and associated non-monetary costs).

  And again, the type of equipment you buy is on you - what exercises do you like?
  * free weights + flexibility?
  * squat rack / bar bell for strength?
  * variation in muscle group exercises?
  * cross fit type workouts?
  * ground / body work?
  * machine?

  Can you afford buying a few basics and pimping out the home gym?

  For me I've bought dumbbell weights from Kmart, bought bands, already had a barbell, and DIY (yes) my own 2 x 20kg and 2 x 10kg with sand filled in empty 10L water containers.

  If I had my way, a solid squat rack would be all I needed.

  You get really creative when you have limited options :P