Home Gym vs. Gym Membership: Which is Right for You?

Since you’re reading this right now, it’s likely that either you’ve been training or are considering that you should start doing so. After you decide that you should, the next question is where should you do it? Your choices are either joining a local gym as a paying member or finding some room at your house to put together your own area. Believe it or not, this will be your first major decision as someone beginning a new fitness lifestyle.

By Roger Lockridge

Obviously there are pros and cons to both so let’s break down those aspects so you can make a sound decision on which way you should go.

Gym Membership

Joining a gym has several perks. You will likely be surrounded by active and like-minded people that are motivated and moving which can inspire you to do the same and push yourself harder. The gym will likely be bigger than the space you would have at your home so you’ll likely have more machines and options to train with. If any of those machines were to break down or have any issues, it’s the responsibility of the business to have them repaired and to maintain them. Also, you can ask experienced members or staff questions should you need help with something. The down sides? Well, it will be a line item in your budget so you have to prepare accordingly. Second, your access to train there is determined by their business hours. If you get off work at 9 but they also close at 9, then you’re out of luck. They will also likely be closed on major holidays. Of course if you have access to a 24/7 gym then these are non-factors. Remember those other like-minded members? They could also be distractions if you’re sociable and you might have to wait on equipment if they are using it.

Home Gym

Now let’s break down the benefits of staying at the house to train. First, you can train whenever you want. If you like getting up at 5:00 AM, cool. If you want to train at midnight, you can do that too. Second, you can control your environment. You can put whatever equipment you want in there, play your own music, and you can hang whatever you want on the walls. Also, there are limited distractions at home so you can stay focused until the training is done. As to what it takes for this to happen, it will affect your wallet as well because you have to buy the equipment and maintenance is on you. Second, while you own the space, I doubt you’re going to have as much space as a gym so you’ll be limited on what you can put in there. There is also the issue of convenience and how it can actually negate your motivation. This is why many people have cardio machines that double as a shelf for stuff they have nowhere else to keep.

So Which Do You Prefer?

While there could be other individual pros and cons of both memberships and home gyms, these are the most common factors to consider. Regardless of whichever you choose, make sure your decision puts you in the best position to succeed.