Ever been in a dilemma of choosing between paying for a gym membership or sweating it out in the comfort of your home? If yes, then I might just be able to help you.
Personally I prefer working out at home! I am quite 'homely' in this context (probably the only area where my true Cancerian self actually reflects). However, I recall several incidents wherein I got looked at funny or people shot me the "Of course you do" look when I said I exercised at home. Just to clear it out now, home videos is not what it is made out to be (gimmicks). With a lot of work and discipline, working out at home may even be better and not to mention cheaper (if you do not get a personal trainer) than getting your butt kicked by a trainer in the gym. I have actually managed my first weight loss feat just by doing a boot camp right in my bedroom. It is very effective if you just stick to it and consistency is key.
Anyway, don't take my word for it. I promised myself I will not be biased in this post. Therefore I shall list down the parameters you should be considering in making the ultimate choice. After all, this could be very subjective.
First is Convenience. Convenience lays emphasis on the amount of time you can spare and the effort you can make to make your workout happen. I think everyone would agree working out at home would be far more convenient than having to drive/walk/go to the gym. So unless in your case: a. the gym is not too far away and/or b. your transport time is utilized as a pre-workout warm-up session, you could actually benefit from extra time you get from doing it at home to put in more reps or routines if you want to.
Personally I prefer working out at home! I am quite 'homely' in this context (probably the only area where my true Cancerian self actually reflects). However, I recall several incidents wherein I got looked at funny or people shot me the "Of course you do" look when I said I exercised at home. Just to clear it out now, home videos is not what it is made out to be (gimmicks). With a lot of work and discipline, working out at home may even be better and not to mention cheaper (if you do not get a personal trainer) than getting your butt kicked by a trainer in the gym. I have actually managed my first weight loss feat just by doing a boot camp right in my bedroom. It is very effective if you just stick to it and consistency is key.
Anyway, don't take my word for it. I promised myself I will not be biased in this post. Therefore I shall list down the parameters you should be considering in making the ultimate choice. After all, this could be very subjective.
First is Convenience. Convenience lays emphasis on the amount of time you can spare and the effort you can make to make your workout happen. I think everyone would agree working out at home would be far more convenient than having to drive/walk/go to the gym. So unless in your case: a. the gym is not too far away and/or b. your transport time is utilized as a pre-workout warm-up session, you could actually benefit from extra time you get from doing it at home to put in more reps or routines if you want to.
Second is Discipline. Discipline can be a strong driver in making this decision. How disciplined are you to follow your scheduled routine and how much, if any, supervision is required so you can perform better. For a self disciplined person, home workout videos or a home gym are great options. They allow you a lot of flexibility compared to gyms like in the sense of opening and closing time etc. However if you do not trust yourself with yourself, then you should definitely hire a trainer to come at home (a lot more pricey) or get a gym membership. I would advice fitness virgins to always pop their cherries in a gym to be able to build that self discipline and then gradually stick to working out at home!
Third is your Comfort Level. Ask yourself, how comfortable are you to sweat and make those fierce ugly faces while doing kinda weird poses in public? In simpler words, how comfortable are you to workout in front of strangers? Sometimes the biggest inhibitors to performance can be your shy self that do not want to get deeper into exercises because of the weird pose or the bulging fat that might show. This might not be a very big issue for many people, but I know some who are quite shy to sweat in gyms or just plain scared they might not do the poses correctly. Ridiculous, maybe, but true enough to get on this list. Although you should get out of your comfort zone when you work out, you can still do that in a place you are comfortable in.
Fourth is your Motivation. They say you lose more weight when you are motivated, absolute truth. Now where your motivation comes from is again another issue. Motivation can come either internally or externally. For the latter, one of the driving motivators is actually seeing your gym buddies workout, push themselves and get results. Working out in a group can up your chances of losing the weight easily. No this is not a proven study, or it might be (just google it). But its a pack mentality sort of a thing we humans do. I have read several articles where they say you should get your friends to join your fitness regime to motivate you to work harder. My point is why not make new friends who already have those goals. Easier to relate with them, right? So here definitely a gym would work best. But with the burst of several fitness communities, you can actually make fitness groups online and share your day's worth of fitness. Whatever suits you.
Third is your Comfort Level. Ask yourself, how comfortable are you to sweat and make those fierce ugly faces while doing kinda weird poses in public? In simpler words, how comfortable are you to workout in front of strangers? Sometimes the biggest inhibitors to performance can be your shy self that do not want to get deeper into exercises because of the weird pose or the bulging fat that might show. This might not be a very big issue for many people, but I know some who are quite shy to sweat in gyms or just plain scared they might not do the poses correctly. Ridiculous, maybe, but true enough to get on this list. Although you should get out of your comfort zone when you work out, you can still do that in a place you are comfortable in.
Fourth is your Motivation. They say you lose more weight when you are motivated, absolute truth. Now where your motivation comes from is again another issue. Motivation can come either internally or externally. For the latter, one of the driving motivators is actually seeing your gym buddies workout, push themselves and get results. Working out in a group can up your chances of losing the weight easily. No this is not a proven study, or it might be (just google it). But its a pack mentality sort of a thing we humans do. I have read several articles where they say you should get your friends to join your fitness regime to motivate you to work harder. My point is why not make new friends who already have those goals. Easier to relate with them, right? So here definitely a gym would work best. But with the burst of several fitness communities, you can actually make fitness groups online and share your day's worth of fitness. Whatever suits you.
Then there is the Cost. We all know that gym membership costs you a lot of money. However the cost-effectiveness of home workouts depend from person to person. Home workouts are generally more cost-effective: a. you only have a one time investment for the products and b. you even save on the cost of transport (this is a long term benefit). You may call me cheap but this is actually one of the major reasons I love working out at home. If you are willing to shell out more then definitely go for the gym because you do get more personal attention and most gyms actually draft a customized diet plan for you. Unlike the one-plan-fits-all diet plans most workout videos come with. But most gyms just give crappy diet plans so this should not be the dealbreaker for you.
After this post, I would still choose home workout over the gym even if I lose the opportunity to meet that cute ripped guy running on the treadmill I might get to chat with over recovery drinks. Wait. On second thought, where do I sign?
After this post, I would still choose home workout over the gym even if I lose the opportunity to meet that cute ripped guy running on the treadmill I might get to chat with over recovery drinks. Wait. On second thought, where do I sign?
Notes:
-For the purpose of this article, let us assume that we are using Home workout videos or self compiled routines that require minimal equipments such as dumbbells, resistance bands and maybe a yoga mat.
- I was kidding, I still workout at home. :D
- Results vary from person to person.
- Again, I am no authority on fitness, all opinions expressed here are my own based on experience and research.
- I would love to hear what you think. In the epic battle of Home vs Gym, which would you choose?
Motivation : least at home
Comfort: It's not supposed to be there when you working out!
Discipline:Will never come when we are working out at home .
Thumbs up for a great comparison, makes me want to workout at home but it doesn't work well with me 'SIGHS'
Appreciate it Adi. :)
I know it can be very tough to work out at home but if you are willing to push yourself all these three things will come too. Give it a week, you may just find it doable.
I will be posting a review on some videos that I have tried soon. Maybe try one of those :D
sure :)
Well, I came across this exactly when i was confused about what I should do! You are a lifesaver! :P
But, as Aditya posted, Motivation: ZERO @ home and discipline, ahem, let's not talk about it. It IS pretty simple if you have been doing it for a while because looking in the mirror and seeing your changed self does work constructively for people like me.
I think I would just start the home "thingy", just so that I can get some confidence, get rid of those bulges, save money and THEN join a Gym just because I can... :P
Thanks for a wonderful blog... :)