Gym vs. Home Gym

July 14, 2009 | Elliptical Workouts, Treadmill Workouts

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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Best Cardio Machine & Workout

June 25, 2009 | Elliptical Workouts, Treadmill Workouts

I’ve used all of the popular cardio machines found in most gyms including the treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, and stairmaster.  I wanted to share the experience I’ve had with each one over the past several months and hopefully help someone find the best cardio machine that works for them.

Stairmaster Machine

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the stairmaster.  Logistically speaking, using the machine makes my water bottle bounce out of the cup holder (no fat jokes, please).  It doesn’t seem as if the machines (I’ve tried a couple at my gym) are designed “properly.”  Overall, the stairmaster seems like a gimmick.

It’s a treadmill.  Cut down the middle.

Stationary Bike

Cycling is a low-intensity workout (good for beginners) that burns few calories in comparison to its counterparts like the treadmill and elliptical machine.  It probably has to do with the whole sitting thing, but don’t quote me on that.

Kidding aside, cycling is really fun.  It may not burn as much calories as running on the treadmill, but after all, what does?

Treadmill Machine

It’s undeniable that you can lose more calories by walking/running on the treadmill than any other machine.  Unfortunately, it takes a lot of “practice” before you’re able to clock in a hard, long workout session on the treadmill.

I originally started on the treadmill when I weighed 344 pounds, but even walking on the treadmill for more than 10 minutes was a hard task to accomplish.  The elliptical machine on the other hand…

Elliptical Machine

I’m biased.  I used the elliptical machine to help me almost exclusively lose 90 pounds.  While I’m glad I eventually switched to the treadmill, the elliptical machine will hold a special place in my heart for a very long time.

I actually use the same elliptical for every workout at my gym.  I’m attached.

The elliptical is a great cardio machine workout if you’re new to the gym.  If you’re just starting gym cardio workouts (and are overweight) you should find the low-impact motion of the elliptical machine much easier to handle than walking or running on the treadmill.

Ultimately though, the elliptical machine will only provide resistance for so long.  One day, months or maybe years from now, you’ll reach a point of diminished returns, much like I did.

Once that happens, it’s time to get on the treadmill.

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Treadmill Running Tips for Beginners

June 23, 2009 | Treadmill Workouts

I’ve learned a lot since my first treadmill workout in the beginning of June.

The treadmill and running in general has a bigger learning curve than the elliptical.  I didn’t think it’d be something I’d need to “get the hang of,” but it’s not easy as just stepping on the treadmill and pushing the start button.

Here are a few treadmill running tips for beginners.

These tips shouldn’t be a revelation to anybody who has been running for any length of time, but if you’re new to the treadmill (and/or running) you should definitely take them into consideration.

1.  Just breathe. Maintain steady, deep breathing while you’re running.  It may seem basic, but sometimes when I’ve been running for more than 30 seconds and I’m concentrating on uh, running, I’ll forget to breathe.

And when you forget to breathe, running and functioning becomes difficult.

Inhale.  Exhale.  Repeat.

2.  Walk tall. Don’t slouch or curve your back.  It’s especially tempting to slouch and lean forward (a lot) when you’re going against an incline.

3.  Keep your feet low. You don’t want to scrape the bottom of your feet against the treadmill every time you take a step, but you also don’t want to take your feet a foot (feet a foot, what?) off the machine.  Just keep a low, steady, “piercing stab” so to speak with your feet and make fast, low, quick forward snaps with your feet underneath you.

4.  Swing your arms. Don’t use the handles on the treadmill machine.   By not using handles and swinging your arms you’ll burn more calories, keep your posture upright, and feel more natural.  While it’s hard enough transitioning from running on a treadmill to the ground as it is, a handle only creates are a larger deficit to overcome later down the road.

5.  Use the restroom first. This blog is all about full transparency, so here’s me living up to that promise.  Not only do you need to try to urinate before you step onto the elliptical for an hour, but you also need to try to rid your body of any flatulence.

When you start running, it tends to want to make an appearance.  Seriously.

6.  Look straight ahead. Sometimes I try to look around the gym while I walk and I start wobbling on the treadmill.  I also notice that if I look to the side while I walk, my posture deteriorates.

7.  Bend your knees. Don’t walk/run like you have a pirate leg.  Not only is it bad form, but it could cause serious injury depending on the speed you’re running at on the treadmill.

8.  Warm up and cool down. Don’t jump on the treadmill and immediately start running.  I stretch for about 5 minutes before I get on the treadmill.  And, once I do step onto the treadmill, I’ll start an extremely slow speed (like 2.0) and gradually warm up to my desired max speed.

The same applies to cooling down.

9.  Long socks. I know you kids these days like those low socks, but be careful – your heal could get eaten up by the back of your shoes in as little as 5 minutes.

I learned this proper shoe lesson the first day I went to the gym.  By the time I felt any pain, I already had a blister the size of a quarter burst and start oozing.

Then the stinging came.  Oh, how the stinging came.

10.  Have a good pair of running shoes. Gump had a good pair.  I have a good pair of running shoes.  So should you — your ankles, feet, and back will thank you after every workout.  That’s all I got to say about that.

What are some other good tips for running on the treadmill and in general?

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