My wife and I are considering setting up a home gym.
We’re contemplating it for a couple of reasons. First, my membership at Better Body Fitness is up for renewal in a couple of days ($99 for 3 months). I always like to know I’m getting the best value for my money. Secondly, my wife decided to start an elliptical workout program to lose some baby weight.
So, we’re trying to decide: home gym or gym memberships?
Cost Comparison
A gym membership for both of us at Better Body Fitness would be $198 every 3 months or $792 $460.80 for 12 months. It has all the elliptical machines, treadmill machines, dumbbells, etc we could ever need.
While a home gym would cost more money upfront, I shouldn’t have to spend any more money for at least a few years assuming nothing breaks. We already have a cheap elliptical machine (by ProForm) in the house that we purchased a few years ago for about $350, but to be frank — it’s crap. I don’t think it’s ProForm (I’ve only heard good things), I just believe buying an elliptical (or any cardio) machine is a “you get what you pay for” kind of deal.
With that being said, if we did buy a new elliptical machine for a home gym we’d choose a more expensive elliptical model in the $750 range. It’s worth it.
Convenience
If convenience was the only deciding factor, we’d pull out the Visa with 0% for 12 months and hit Dick’s Sporting Goods tonight! My gym lacks any sort of childcare services, so that means either my wife or myself has to stay home and watch our daughter while the other goes to the gym.
That’s not very practical.
Space
A home gym, even a single elliptical machine, would take up a lot of room. We live in your typical 4-bedroom suburban house consisting of an office, baby’s room, guest room, and masters. While we could cram a small gym into our house, we certainly don’t have what you would call an abundance of space.
Privacy
My wife dislikes the lack of privacy in the gym. In other words, she dislikes the perverts. By talking to other females in my family, apparently my wife is not alone in this sentiment. While I don’t think this is a problem in my gym (we’re a bunch of good ole’ country folks), I honestly wouldn’t notice if it was.
Personally, I don’t need privacy. I’m a man. I could show up at the gym wearing nothing but my underwear, unshaven for weeks, and jump on the treadmill and start running. Men have no emotion or feelings.
Overall
Ultimately, I think my wife and I are going to workout separately. We’ll end up buying an elliptical machine to go into a small home gym and I’ll stick with Better Body Fitness. While my wife wants to concentrate on cardio, I know I’ll begin focusing more and more on building muscle — requiring a smorgasbord of free weights and machines. That’s how you get buff, afterall.
Where do you get buff every day?
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I get buff in a home gym at my house. We build a home gym about 6 months ago and the wife and I use it almost daily…
Kids are out of the house tho, so tons of room!
If I were in your position, I would worry about boredom. Eventually, you’re going to move beyond any one machine or routine (as you did with the elliptical), and a gym will have more alternatives.
Good call, Dr. Moron. I’m playing basketball more and more because of the monotony in the gym, so you’re absolutely correct.
Good call with the basket ball – I just joined a floor hockey league and I run more doing that then I EVER would on the treadmill.
Also, if you were looking at home-gymming it, take a look at the P90X system. I know it has an infomercial somewhere, but a trainer friend of mine swears it’s quality. It’s another investment, but would allow you to workout at home rather than commute to the gym. If your wife wanted to move on from the elliptical she would be able to use the system too. I’m planning on investing in it when my gym membership is up.
The elliptical would be a good investment, if she is determined to use it. I’m sure it would make her day a heck of a lot less stressful if she could exercise while the baby sleeps or something. If she wants more variety, she could try checking out workout DVDs from the library. Workout DVDs sound super corny, but they work and they get me to do more reps and a variety of things I would never do on my own. I would also recommend buying a set of weights: 3,5,8 and 10 pounds. They only cost me about $50 for the set and I use them all the time with the videos.
my husband and I gt buff everyday in our home gym. We built the home gym to cut the yearly cost of gym membership. Although ours was not nearly as expensive as yours, and it did offer childcare for your 3 littles, after weighing the pro’s and cons we decided to go with the home gym.
My husband has done a mix of power lifting and body building for years, so our gym required alot of olympic sized free weights, heavy capacity bench, olympic bars, a small smith machine, and heavy heavy dumbells. We also threw in some medicine balls, elastic bands, yoga ball, and lighter hand weights for variety.
We were able to secure most everything from craigslist, and from local school system auctions for less then $400.
For cardio we walk with the kids and the dog in the evening, and take turns running the dog 5 miles in the morning.
Going home gym was our best choice, we actually work out mroe now.
I find a lot of value in getting up and going to a place specifically to work out. It’s hard to motivate myself otherwise, except I’m pretty good about running outside when the weather is nice (which in Louisiana is 6 weeks a year).
I am starting a job Monday where I will work from home. I fear a more sedentary life because of a home office. I want to get a rowing machine for in the mornings. My gym still doesn’t have one.
Luckily at my current (soon to be previous) job, we had a $400 a year wellness benefit that would reimburse us for gym memberships…provided we go regularly. I’m hoping for the same at the next job. It’s nice to have about 6+ months of the gym payed for with it.
Bowflexes are actually fairly awesome. If you guys had the elliptical and a bowflex (and a couple freeweights if you really felt the need) you’re pretty much set. They don’t take up much room, have a pretty good warranty and if cost isn’t that much of a factor, which it isn’t if you’re considering a $750 elliptical, it’s good value for your money. They’re a difficult work out as you get used to the form and motion of the cables and there’s a lot of range in exercises and weight.
I’m a home gym-er. I’ve got a heavy duty weight bench and squat bar with about 300lbs of weight (no I don’t actually lift that much). I have dumbbell handles that you can put free weights on (they’ll hold about 90-100 lbs each). I’ve got a dip/pullup freestanding station, a incline situp bench and a treadmill. My wife likes Wii Fit and has a Gazelle glider.
With that said, I’m always thinking of gear I want to add. But the convenience is the best. I workout just about any time of the day. I also do a lot of running outside.
I can’t speak to the cost though because all of my gear was acquired slowly over time.
I workout at home. Work and home are close to one another, so I go home around noon, workout and then eat lunch. Not awake enough to do the workout before lunch and after work, I just never seem to get around to working out, hence why I go home at lunch.
I use kettlebells and sandbags. Occasionally bowflex and dumbells. I really like the kettlebells and sandbag, as the regimen is whole body – both cardio and strength. Also the workout is fast – 30 minutes four to five days a week.
i moved in with the in-laws and they have a home gym. treadmill, two bikes and a huge weight thing. thus i gave up my gym membership, which was fine because i only go to classes when i have someone to go with. i used the home gym for a while but i’ve mostly switched to running outdoors in the local canyons. i have to wait til later when it cools down, but thats no problem. often the husband and dog come run a few miles with me. otherwise i’m a huge kettlebell fan and like the 30 day shred workout videos.
i think you are making the right choice going to the gym for another 3 months. you are still in the middle of this lifestyle overhaul. i think once you have reached your weight goals you’ll have a better idea of what you want and need in a home gym.
My husband and I have vastly different fitness goals. He needed to drop a lot of weight while I was initially focused on becoming more fit. For a few months we used an elliptical machine in our basement. After a while, we kind of lost interest in the elliptical and moved on to doing kettlebells. The kettlebells allows us to train together and combine cardio with strength training. Since we have a busy house with kids, getting to a gym is just not an option for us. It works really well for me, but even more amazingly for my husband. If you’re interested, he expands in his online review of our trainer: http://www.yelp.com/biz/mc-beyond-fitness—marty-covault-san-francisco
First off, great site and congrats on losing all the weight!
My family belongs to our YMCA; we pay $72 a month and they have child care. Classes are free, and it is not a meat market. Plus, if you are on the road you can go to practically any YMCA for free or for a nominal fee.
Hope this helps.
I guess I am truly in the minority here. I don’t go to a gym at all. I walk and do various other exercises around the house, so I guess that kind of qualifies as a home gym. Personally, I would go the home gym route.
Craigslist. It has cheap treadmills and workout equipment that people are tired of using as clothes hangers.
I bought a treadmill & spin bike for days when I can’t get to the gym, or need to do a short workout at home. But I have a gym membership too. I’m also shelling out regularly for a personal trainer. I should have done this YEARS ago! It’s wicked expensive, but so worth it.
Home gym for me. When boredom strikes (and it will) sign up for a kickboxing class or something, run outside, etc. You can weight train at bome, just get a good set of weights & you’re good to go. I find there are fewer excuses for me when I park my butt on the couch and have this stuff staring at me. Good luck!
There is something about going to a gym that motivates me.
I contemplated doing both as well. I pay over 100 a month in the gyms I am a member at.
Well worth it!
I’ve been a member of some gyms, but they never worked for me. Here’s what does:
1. Martial arts – going to the dojo gets me working out, doing all kinds of crazy stuff, and provides a social outlet
2. As I progressed in martial arts, I needed to amp up my fitness, so I started running. Good shoes, an iPod with a mix of music with great beats, and a pair of sports earbuds with over-the-ear hooks, and I’m good to go.
3. Weights in the garage. We did have free weights and a weight bench, but my wife didn’t like me hoisting 150 lb. barbells, so we gave the bench away and got a Smith machine on sale.
Then it got tricky. I put on some holiday weight, went to the dojo and tried to crank it, and blew out a knee. Two partially torn ligaments, immobilized for weeks and hobbling for months, so I put on 30 pounds.
Now I’m working on getting the weight back off, going to private lessons at the dojo but not group lessons, running, and doing the weights in the garage. So far it’s working.
get a schwinn 731 elliptical. I got one 8 months ago and use it at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes, it’s in the $750 price range and definitely worth it over a gym if you can stick to using it
I have 2 gym memberships that I use and I have a home gym. I like to have variety…as you can see, I have a lot of it. Do whatever is going to get you fit. Having a “no-excuses” approach is most important to me.
After belonging to two seperate gyms and never going my husband and I decided to purchase a treadmill and weight bench. The weight bench thing was from Craigslist the treadmill was cheap from Walmart. The treadmill broke within months – so we got a better one that seems to work very well. We even got a tv and cable hookup for that room. The only problem is that I hate going on it, theres no ac in that room and the room is not very big so it feels cloisterphobic to some extent for me. My husband goes on it religiously everyday but I avoid it at all costs everyday. I have belonged to gyms in the past unsuccessfully too. I have not had any trouble working out over the summer at other gyms but at home its awful. I’m thinking of joining a new gym that just opened nearby my home. I feel very concerned that I wont go but I cant just give up. I must be the strangest athletic person out there. I’m so picky about where I work out. The fact that the new gym has bad tv channels on the treadmills really bothers me too…
I put mine together used from e-bay & Craigs list.
I have two elliptical’s (the first is a light duty mistake and the second a older star trac from a gym). For weights, a set of powerblock dumbbells w/home made stand and a bowflex. I don’t really need the bowflex and will probably sell it.
My advice is to spare no expense on the elliptical and/or find a top notch used commercial duty unit. Next, find a good dumbbell set, stand and bench.
I found a used star trac for $100 and spent about as much on a used powerblock dumbbell set.
all you home gym-ers- can you recommend a good (affordable, is possible) elliptical for home use?
thanks!
Hi I just was googling cardio equip. and came across your great blog! I too am seriously considering buying an elliptical. I need to lose at least 80lbs, but would be happy with 30 right now.
I have a Natulus treadmill, a old K Mart recumbant, but am dying for an elliptical. I believe I made a big mistake buying the treadmill. I cannot take the weight on my feet, but love the gym elliptical.
The “lowest model (Precor) home elliptical is under 2k, and really nice. The other elliptical I found was this new suspension elliptical by Vision. Just too much money for me right now.
If I were to buy my treadmill again, I would buy a better one, and not be so compulsive with the purchase. I bought it 5 years ago, and I got really taken. All in all, it IS a good one, it just has this plastic front console that tends to shake and make lots of noise. It just sounds cheap. I wish it was more solid.