Have you ever thought about building a gym in your own home? It’s a tempting pursuit for many workout fanatics. Instead of traveling to your local gym whenever you want to lift some weights or fit some cardio into your day, you can head to the garage (or whatever room you use) and start exercising.
Of course, getting started can be a chore. Plus, some people find motivating themselves to work out from home tricker than they’d imagined. However, that doesn’t mean you should avoid the idea altogether; it just means you should consider whether a home gym is right for your lifestyle.
If you’re considering building a home gym, these are the pros and cons to consider first.
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Pro: You Can Workout from Home
The first benefit is obvious: you get to train from the comfort of your home. Many people build home gyms solely for this reason. Instead of sharing equipment and sweating in front of others, they can work at their own pace without waiting for the treadmill or weights.
Con: It Takes Time to Build
Building a home gym can be complicated. Sure, you could throw some gym equipment in a room and call it complete, but it wouldn’t provide a thorough workout as a standard gym would. To build a gym that provides full-body training, you will need to put a lot of time into it.
Some purchases will make the building part much more manageable. For example, getting specific gym flooring will give you a good head start. Place down the easy-to-install flooring, and then place your equipment on top of it. Not only will it protect the equipment, but it will also make working out safer and more productive. On top of that, gym flooring will help differentiate the gym part of the room/home from the rest of your home space.
Pro: You Don’t Have to Share Equipment
Unless you plan on sharing the gym with other household members, you will never have to share equipment once you’ve built a home gym. Want to mix up your workouts by doing ten minutes on the treadmill followed by 10 minutes of weights? No problem. Do you usually wait a while to get a chance on the rowing machine? With a home gym, you no longer have to. It saves time and means you don’t take unnecessary breaks during exercise.
Con: It Can Be Expensive
The initial home gym installation can be a little heavy on the wallet. Gym equipment is expensive, after all. You might need to spend four figures just to get started. For some, that cost is too high.
Pro: You Don’t Have to Pay for a Gym Membership
While it is true that setting up a home gym may leave you out of pocket, it can save you cash in the long run. That’s because you no longer have to pay for a gym membership. Once it’s all set up, the gym is free!
Con: You Miss the Extras of the Gym
The main reason for going to the gym is the gym equipment, which most people can replicate (at least somewhat) in their garage. However, the gym has certain extras that you might not be able to enjoy at home, such as a sauna and a swimming pool. So, if you are someone that makes the most of these amenities, you might miss them once you start working out from home instead.
Pro: You Can Squeeze in More Workouts
Going to the gym is a complete activity. The time it takes doesn’t just involve the workout; it also includes traveling to and from the gym. You likely won’t fit in a quick twenty-minute session when you get the chance.
That’s not the case for home gyms. Whether you have an extra twenty minutes before leaving for work or fancy a quick session before showering in the evening, a home gym provides more flexibility with workouts. You might even find that you work out more because of it.
Con: You Miss the Community Feeling of a Gym
For some people, going to the gym isn’t only about working out. While that’s a significant part, it’s also about socializing with the others there. They might go with friends, or they might simply enjoy seeing familiar faces around the space.
Working out from home doesn’t allow for this. You get the whole gym to yourself but don’t have anyone else to talk to. While that appeals to some, for others, the absence of socialization is a huge loss.
Pro: You Can Choose the Equipment You Love
A typical gym gets filled with standard equipment to suit everybody. That works well, as almost everyone that attends the gym can find a piece of equipment that works for their body and fitness goals.
Of course, when building a home gym, you have to be a little more selective than that. Unless you have an enormous basement, you likely won’t fit all gym equipment in your home! The good news is that this allows you to choose your favorite equipment. For example, if you love doing leg presses, you can invest in the best leg press within your budget. Not a fan of the treadmill? You can exclude it from your gym. It’s all up to you!
Con: You Have to Push Yourself
Many people enjoy going to the gym because it pushes them to work harder. When surrounded by other people working out, they feel inspired and motivated to reach their own goals. Of course, you don’t get that when working out from home. Instead, you have to push yourself and find discipline. Many people find this challenging and even stop working out because they can’t motivate themselves. However, others find it as easy as going to the gym.
If you want to make a home gym work for you, first, you must figure out whether you have the determination to push yourself even when you’re comfortable on the sofa or tired after work.