The pandemic has forced more people than ever to workout at home.
Which brings us to the question, which is a better workout— home workouts or gym workouts?
Read on to find out.
What Are Home Workouts?
Home workouts refer to any form of exercise undertaken within the confines of your home.
More people are falling in favor of these types of fitness plans for several reasons that we will discuss below. We will also look at the disadvantages of working out at home.
Advantages of Home Workouts
Save Time and Money
In the long run, working out at home helps cut costs. You avoid paying expensive gym membership fees, and you will save fuel you could have consumed driving to the gym. This is the main reason why most people skip or avoid the gym.
Convenience and Accessibility
You don’t have to spend time and gas driving to the workout location with a home gym. You can jump out of bed and head straight to the gym. You don’t have to dress up and leave the house. Another added perk is increased accessibility. You can have your home workout at any time you please. No need to worry about peak hours and waiting times.
Hygiene
Equipment in your home gym is your own. It’s up to you to keep it clean. Luckily, since you are the user, it is easy to maintain by regularly wiping the machine down. Gym equipment is shared. And although most training facilities will try to maintain cleanliness, this is not possible in all instances.
More Freedom
You enjoy more freedom with a home workout compared to going to the gym. You can listen to whichever type of music you prefer and set it as loud as you want. No special dress-code either. You can wear whatever you want, even your pajamas. Feel free to grunt if you’re going to.
Privacy
There is more privacy working out at home compared to the gym. If you are conscious about your body (as many are), you can put aside the anxiety of people watching you while you exercise. At home, you can choose to be alone. You also don’t have to share other amenities like showers with total strangers.
Inspires Creativity
Since you are working out with limited equipment, you find yourself coming up with creative ways to optimize your workouts with what you have. Some devices can serve a multipurpose function.
Disadvantages of Home Workouts
High Equipment Costs
Depending on the home workout plan you follow, it may be necessary to purchase some equipment. Initial setup costs may be high. Gym apparatus like treadmills can be quite pricey.
No Professional Assistance
There are no gym instructors, trainers, and helpful staff at home. You have to educate yourself about fitness and execute your workouts by yourself. Unfortunately, there is no professional around to help with form. You may end up exercising wrongly. And in case you get injured during the session, there is no one about to assist.
Lack of Motivation
Home workouts can get lonely sometimes, which may drive you to skip a day or two. There is no one to push you on, no fit bodies to inspire you. At the commercial gym, the helpful staff or a gym buddy will try to motivate you. Fewer chances of quitting halfway through the workout
Distractions
There are tons of distractions around the house. The TV, the kids, or the lingering thoughts of incomplete tasks may hinder you from making the best of your home workout. You may be limited to working out when there are minimal distractions, which may mean waking up before everyone else or exercising after they have gone to bed.
Space Constraints
Some workout equipment takes up a lot of space. If you live in close quarters, you may lack adequate space to put all the machines you require for your workout. You may have to pick between a stationary bike or a treadmill as both won’t fit into the limited space.
Challenging to Scale Up
Workout regimes are very dynamic. There is always something new trending. You may have to update your exercise plan to continually avoid hitting that plateau, which means buying updated equipment to keep up with the trends.
Are Home Workouts Effective For Advanced Lifters?
On the flip side, if you are advanced, you already understand what is needed to achieve what you want.
Your diet and lifestyle reflect your commitment to exercise and fitness. If you choose to be a gym member, you will have access to a wide range of activities and equipment.
As a connoisseur to training, hitting a plateau is the last thing you want. Thus the availability of instructors and trainers is a huge plus. Not to mention, seeing other heavy lifters acts as a motivating force. You push yourself harder to catch up.
But are home workouts effective for the advanced fitness enthusiast? Well, the answer is yes. At home, you can schedule your sessions, making them last longer and more intense. Moreover, it is cheaper to own a home gym than to pay a gym membership in the long run.
Are Home Workouts Effective For Beginners?
If you are a novice, investing in a home gym may not be the right choice.
As a newbie, you have so much to learn. There are numerous categories of exercise and different techniques of working out. A gym membership will give you a better opportunity to know what works for you and what does not.
There is unlimited access to trainers. As a beginner, having someone to guide you through your workout makes the session enjoyable and productive. When you have the wrong form, there are spotters around to correct you and give advice. And in the event of injury, you are around people who can offer help or call for it.
In case you decide to stop exercising after a few months, you will have to terminate your subscription at the gym. There is no loss as you bought no equipment to set up.
However, as a beginner, beware of bad habits, you may pick up at the gym. For instance, if you are interested in bodybuilding, you could find yourself emulating people who lift with their ego. You risk ending up with bad form or undesired results.
You will also encounter gym enthusiasts who have worked out longer and are therefore more muscular. Most beginners are intimidated by this, causing them to shy off from some workout devices, like weights, for fear of looking like a fool.
What Is A Gym Workout?
A gym workout takes place in a large room, club, or building that contains special equipment.
There are modern gyms with steam rooms and smoothies; And old school ones with no-nonsense trainers.
You pick one depending on your preferences. Some people are all about keeping up with the trends. Thus, the new-age gym may be a perfect choice.
When it comes to finding a gym, there are numerous factors to consider. After all, you will be spending money, so you have to be confident that you will receive the best service to help you attain your fitness goals. Here are a couple of things to look for before you pick a gym.
Location
It may be an inconvenience if the gym is too far from your home or office. Traveling to and fro, the gym should not be a hassle.
Available Amenities
The services they offer should align with your goals. Do they have instructors, a sauna, or classes? Remember, some of these extras are an extra charge. Thus, inquire about costs.
Variety of Equipment
Make sure the gym has the necessary hardware for your régime. Are the workout machines in good working condition? If not, you will end up spending for no reason. They also have to be updated to keep up with ever-evolving exercise techniques.
Their Hygiene Standards
The gym should be clean at all times. No one wants to workout on sweaty and greasy equipment.
Trained Staff
The people employed at the gym must be well-knowledgeable and certified to oversee physical fitness.
Membership Fees
Can you afford to be a member? Find ways to cut costs. For instance, some gyms have lower prices for off-peak hours to take advantage of.
How busy is the gym?
If they are most engaged at times you would like to visit; you may waste a lot of time waiting to workout or use a particular machine.
The above criteria should help you narrow down your search for a gym that offers high-quality service. So, what are the pros of working out at a gym? What are the cons? Let us take a look below to answer these questions.
Advantages of Gym Workouts
Motivating Atmosphere
The gym is often buzzing with activity, and most people have visited for the same purpose – to workout. As soon as you step into the gym, the atmosphere changes.
There is motivation feeling in the air and from those around you. The sight of a well-toned bodybuilder working the weight machine is enough to motivate you to try and gain the same momentum.
Those trying to lose weight can benefit from being around fit people. You see people achieving their desired results within a few months. Their success experience is adequate to inspire even the most undedicated gym user.
Versatility of Equipment
Most gyms are made spacious to accommodate a wide array of fitness tools and equipment. You will most probably find the required apparatus to suit your particular workout. And in case you develop an interest in a different form of exercise, you can easily switch to the appropriate machinery.
Access to Professional Help
Gyms make a point of hiring staff that is gurus when it comes to matters of fitness. They realize the importance of having well-trained and certified employees to enhance the workout experience of patrons. Helpful staff will provide the right advice and offer tips to help you achieve your goals.
Avoid Setup Costs
A significant perk of paying for a gym membership is avoiding purchasing all the expensive equipment to set up a home gym. All you have to do is visiting the gym’s offices and pay to be a member.
And in the current day and age, you can finish this process with the click of a button. Gyms have recognized the importance of an online presence.
You can easily log into their website, check their prices, pick a suitable package, and pay. Some gyms will offer a free trial period, discounted first-time subscriptions, and subsidized lifetime membership packages to lure and retain customers.
Extra Services
Most gyms offer extra services such as steam rooms, massaging, tanning, free towels, or post-workout protein shakes. Some will even have daycare centers for nursing mothers. You may pay extra for these services, or they may be offered free of charge. They make the workout experience comfortable for some gym-goers.
Social Environment
The gym is somewhat of a social hub. A lot of people converge to workout and socialize. You will often find someone visiting with a friend or family coming to train together. Other than exercising, you can make friends at the gym.
Disadvantages of Gym Workouts
Lack of Privacy
There is a minimal level of privacy at the gym. You have to share changing rooms, equipment, and other amenities with strangers. You also have to work out in full view of everyone, which may pose a challenge to some.
Some people are self-conscious about their bodies or routines, and they may be uncomfortable working out in a gym setting.
Waiting Times
As with any other business, there are peak times when people prefer to attend the gym. Most will visit before or after work. The gym is busiest then, and it always seems like every machine is occupied.
You may have to wait in line to access equipment. And the waiting time increases when it comes to the popular apparatus such as the treadmill, dumbbells, weights, or the stationary bike.
Potential Exposure to Germs
Every machine in the gym is used by several people who dramatically increases your exposure to germs when you use them. Not all gyms observe strict hygiene rules. The showers may be dirty, the towels filthy, and the gym equipment sweat-ridden.
With the current pandemic, the COVID 19 virus can quickly spread from one person to another in such an unhygienic environment. Therefore, exercise caution and opt for a clean and well-maintained gym to minimize your risk of infectious diseases.
Location
The gym you prefer may be situated far from your home or place of work. You may have to drive a substantial distance to access a good gym, which may pose a challenge at times.
A variety of external factors also influence whether you can attend your workout session or not, such as the weather. When it snows or rains heavily, you may have to skip the gym altogether.
Distractions
As mentioned earlier, commercial gyms are hubs of social activity. You will probably run into someone who wants to chat during the workout session.
Or you may find yourself watching other people at the gym rather than exercising. Whichever it is, such distractions can interfere with your schedule and routine.
Instructional Videos Vs. Gym Trainers
Gym trainers will conduct fitness assessments to formulate workout plans.
Gym members have to follow this program for a couple of weeks while the instructor keeps track of their progress. The fitness expert will watch as you workout. They can correct minor mistakes to ensure you exercise in the right way.
On the other hand, thanks to the advent of the Internet, there are thousands of instructional videos you can watch online to help you monitor your form during home workouts.
Which Suits You Better: A Home Workout Or Gym Workout?
We would say your lifestyle dictates whether a home or gym workout is best for you.
For instance, a home workout plan may be most effective for a nursing mother. She can exercise and watch over the baby at the same time.
Research indicates that people with a home gym tend to stick longer to their exercise plans. What this means is that you are more likely to achieve your fitness goals with a home workout. In case your budget allows it, and you have the time, you can make the best of both worlds.
Combining the benefits of exercising at home and a gym workout can help you.
Bottom Line
Whether you choose to work out at the commercial or home gym, it all depends on you.
It is possible to get the best results as long as you adhere to your exercise plan. But in this time of the Coronavirus pandemic, exercising at home will ensure you remain healthy.
