I know I must sound like a broken record, but I have to tell you how strongly I feel about building out your own home gym. You might use it religiously, or it might be a supplement to your gym training. Either way, you set yourself up for success when you have everything you need available to you.
Benefits of a Home Gym
I will cover these in greater detail below, but in a nutshell, here are some benefits of a home gym:
My home gym, my happy place.
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ease of use because of lowered psychological barrier
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saves time
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saves money *
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no sharing equipment
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no one else’s sweat!
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you get to pick the music
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you are entirely responsible for your pace (work:rest ratios)
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no gym manager oversight
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you can try weird exercises!
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you can maintain your equipment
Ease of Use
Your home gym will become easier to use because of lowered psychological barrier of time, traffic, commute, etc. Some days a quick 20 minute HIIT session is what your body needs, and it’s hard to justify the commute time to do 20 minutes. It’s worth it though, and easy to commit to when it’s so easy. It’s literally right there. Easy!
Saves Time
As mentioned above, you’ll save commute time, wear and tear on your vehicle. You won’t get caught in gym chit-chat (for better or worse, because sometimes those are great chit-chats). When life gets busy and you’re in a pinch, it’s a huge plus to have gym equipment close.
Saves Money *
Let go of your monthly gym fee! I actually really love gyms, so I usually end up paying a gym membership or two. BUT over time, you will recoup your investment for not having a monthly fee.
*Haha! Or, you won’t recoup it because you’ll fall in love with buying cool equipment and fun bars. Seriously, it’s more fun than buying shoes. Sorry, and you’re welcome. 🙂
No Sharing Equipment
Whether you are a germ phobe or not, there are definite benefits to having your own space and your own equipment. Like the next point:
No One Else’s Sweat
Enough said!
You Get to Pick the Music
What you enjoy listening to is probably not what the training staff has to guess is palatable enough for everybody. It took me time to recover from hearing it a trillion times, but I’ll always have a soft spot for Rihanna’s Please Don’t Stop the Music (holla, Gold’s Gym 2007 staff & friends!). When it’s your gym and your rules, play what fires you up!
You Are Responsible for Your Pace
This one is actually pretty crucial! Look, I appreciate the spirit of cooperation, truly. But when you have a plan and want hit it on all cylinders, it’s not fun to have to wait for someone who is doing one set per 15 minutes on the one functioning piece of equipment you need, but not re-racking the totally unnecessary 315 pounds between. Sigh. But really – when you are dedicated enough that you are working on a specific pace to induce a specific adaptation, the inconsiderate gym hogs are just in your way!
No Gym Manager Oversight
Most gym managers and owners are pretty cool, but they do get to set the tone. If you need to call all the shots, you need your own place.
You Can Try Weird Exercises!
If you are always learning and always trying new things, it’s nice to have your own space to do so. Nothing’s wrong with going off the beaten path, but sometimes it’s more enjoyable to explore without an audience. similarly, I like going for PR’s without an audience. I do better when I know it’s me and only me.
You Can Maintain Your Equipment
This is a big one! It hurts my heart every time I see someone abusing or mistreating gym equipment. You can bet that doesn’t happen at my home. You get to make sure your bars are straight, your plates face the right way (you know what I mean), and your bench upholstery doesn’t get torn up.
Start Your Home Gym!
If I can help you get start with your own home gym, let me know! Remember it doesn’t have to be fully stocked to start. You start with a pair of dumbbells or a band. If you need help decided what to start with, check out my suggestions for home gym essentials here:
Happy Training!
