i’m glad i never joined a gym when i was thinking about it around a year ago. it’s literally cheaper to save up to buy your own equipment (you don’t need the big stuff, but even then you can get it secondhand or something). i don’t work out anymore but when i did, i used body weight exercises (push ups, pull ups, etc.).
I bought a used Bowflex on Nextdoor for like $200, a set of 10-90 lb adjustable Bowflex dumbbells with a stand for like $100, and a weight bench for ~$50. Retail on that setup is like $2k+. These things are large and cumbersome. A lot of people buy them then never use them and get rid of them for pennies on the dollar. I work out in my garage whenever I want to and I don’t have to worry about waiting for someone to get off a machine or work in sets with people. I get my workout done so much faster and I don’t have to go anywhere to do it. I will say the gym has a certain social element that you miss, but not having another freaking subscription is nice. Ya know what? I’m gonna go get a workout in right now.
I was part of this recall, bought the 552 back during the pandemic. So I only qualified for a $50 voucher towards a new model, which happened to release at the same time of this recall announcement. Looking further into the recall, it only affecting something like 2% of the dumbbells sold.
I’ll take my chances with these dumbbells I’ve been using for the past 5 years rather than them trying to upsell me on the new model.
Yep, go hunting for deals on Craigslist, Marketplace, garage sales, etc and you can get some great stuff for cheap. I don’t think I paid over $100 each (in some cases, alot less) for my treadmill, elliptical, weight machine, stair climber, or recumbent exercise bike.
I do quite well with a set of adjustable dumbbells, a foldable bench, and a 4x8’ area of floor. I do wish I had a cardio machine of some sort but I get by without it. Not sure about your situation but it doesn’t take a ton of space to work out at home. If you have room to lay down somewhere you can do a lot.
Burpees are great but I can’t just mindlessly do them for an hour just to burn calories like I can with a machine. I want something I can watch a video while I’m doing it and be able to zone out.
Yeah this is what I do currently (with a few other exercises mixed in as well) but it’s not as effective as I would like. My attention span shorts out and I find myself wandering off or fucking around with shit in my bedroom. For whatever reason I didn’t have the same problem when I had a exercise bike to use. I suspect it’s because the exercises take just enough coordination that I can’t switch off but not enough to not be tedious where the bike was basically “sit on this and kick your legs”.
4x8 feet is a whole lot less than 4x8m. That’s less than 1.5x3m if im remembering how long that cursed unit was correctly.
Still not a super small area to just have available, but probably more realistic for many people. I could probably arrange for that in my 40m^2 apartment
You don’t need that much space for a functional home gym setup. You can do a lot with just a set of adjustable dumbbells and regular furniture.
Even if you’re in an extreme situation, living in a barely habitable illegal rental, you can just take your dumbbells outdoors to a park or something. You can even skip leg day if you do that!
i’m glad i never joined a gym when i was thinking about it around a year ago. it’s literally cheaper to save up to buy your own equipment (you don’t need the big stuff, but even then you can get it secondhand or something). i don’t work out anymore but when i did, i used body weight exercises (push ups, pull ups, etc.).
I bought a used Bowflex on Nextdoor for like $200, a set of 10-90 lb adjustable Bowflex dumbbells with a stand for like $100, and a weight bench for ~$50. Retail on that setup is like $2k+. These things are large and cumbersome. A lot of people buy them then never use them and get rid of them for pennies on the dollar. I work out in my garage whenever I want to and I don’t have to worry about waiting for someone to get off a machine or work in sets with people. I get my workout done so much faster and I don’t have to go anywhere to do it. I will say the gym has a certain social element that you miss, but not having another freaking subscription is nice. Ya know what? I’m gonna go get a workout in right now.
Fair warning, Bowflex dumbbells are under an active recall. You should check and see which model you have.
I’ve had them 5-10 years (maybe more), but better safe than sorry I guess. Might as well give it a look.
I assume this is the one they mentioned. Just posting it in case other people come across this: https://www.bowflex.com/dumbbell-recalls.html
I was part of this recall, bought the 552 back during the pandemic. So I only qualified for a $50 voucher towards a new model, which happened to release at the same time of this recall announcement. Looking further into the recall, it only affecting something like 2% of the dumbbells sold.
I’ll take my chances with these dumbbells I’ve been using for the past 5 years rather than them trying to upsell me on the new model.
At that point my next set would be Power Blocks.
Are those like Mega Blocks?
They hurt less when stepped on
This product is dangerous and could kill you. We’re going to keep the hundreds and give you $50.
What a joke. $50
Yep, go hunting for deals on Craigslist, Marketplace, garage sales, etc and you can get some great stuff for cheap. I don’t think I paid over $100 each (in some cases, alot less) for my treadmill, elliptical, weight machine, stair climber, or recumbent exercise bike.
I don’t know where you live, but I have nowhere near enough space for exercise equipment at home.
I live in a 2 room (not bedroom, total rooms) apartment. I have no place for ANY exercising equipment.
Look at Mr. money bags who doesn’t shit in the same room they sleep
You dont need excercise equipment unless you wanna be a competitive body builder in which case gym is among the least of your expenses
Competitive body builders are basically just professional eaters who workout.
I do quite well with a set of adjustable dumbbells, a foldable bench, and a 4x8’ area of floor. I do wish I had a cardio machine of some sort but I get by without it. Not sure about your situation but it doesn’t take a ton of space to work out at home. If you have room to lay down somewhere you can do a lot.
Burpees are better than any cardio machine (unless you have joint problems then a bike or elliptical is pretty great I admit)
Burpees are great but I can’t just mindlessly do them for an hour just to burn calories like I can with a machine. I want something I can watch a video while I’m doing it and be able to zone out.
Just do squats and lunges in front of the tv, go as easy as you need to to focus on the tv
Yeah this is what I do currently (with a few other exercises mixed in as well) but it’s not as effective as I would like. My attention span shorts out and I find myself wandering off or fucking around with shit in my bedroom. For whatever reason I didn’t have the same problem when I had a exercise bike to use. I suspect it’s because the exercises take just enough coordination that I can’t switch off but not enough to not be tedious where the bike was basically “sit on this and kick your legs”.
Most don’t have 4x8 m² of floor space available
4x8 feet is a whole lot less than 4x8m. That’s less than 1.5x3m if im remembering how long that cursed unit was correctly.
Still not a super small area to just have available, but probably more realistic for many people. I could probably arrange for that in my 40m^2 apartment
TIL that a single ’ is a feet. but what’s a "?
Inch??
i hate the imperial metric system
Everyone who’s given metric a real chance does
You’re correct
You don’t need that much space for a functional home gym setup. You can do a lot with just a set of adjustable dumbbells and regular furniture.
Even if you’re in an extreme situation, living in a barely habitable illegal rental, you can just take your dumbbells outdoors to a park or something. You can even skip leg day if you do that!
“You can even skip leg day if you do that” BLASPHEMY!
Depends on goals and equipment needs really. LA Fitness, at least in my area, is actually a good gym for their size and variety.
You need space for a home gym. Most don’t have it.