Work out in the gym or at home? Which option is better?

Where to start weight training, at the gym or at home? Well, let me tell you that before starting any bodybuilding process or training you must first take stock of your motivations and goals.

Many people who join a gym for the first time give up after just two or three months of training.

So, it is not surprising that some gyms have subscriptions of a few months or even a year; They know very well that the vast majority of those registered will not return after the high season, so this option ends up being very profitable for them.

So that this does not happen to you, I hope to show you the basics you should know about weight training regarding whether it is better to exercise at home or in the gym, for this we will analyze the pros and cons of each option.

Pros and cons of training in a gym

Advantages of training in a gym vs. Training at home

GREATER VARIETY OF OPTIONS: Completing an effective routine is much easier when you have many options to choose from. If you are a person who likes to do cardio on a machine, your options abound: treadmills, elliptical machine, stair climber, stationary bike, and more. Obviously, you also have options when it comes to lifting weights. There are machines, free weights, pulley machines, bands, and more.

ACCESS TO TRAINED PERSONNEL: There are always people in the gym, and if you ever need to answer a question or have a routine put together, in most gymnasiums there is someone to ask. This is crucial to maintaining your exercise safety and effectiveness while you train.
BIGGEST MOTIVATION: Paying for a gym membership can be motivating (at least you feel obligated not to lose the money haha), but there’s also the energy that rubs off from training with other people. You can take advantage of that friendly and competitive environment in which you will not train alone, and it will help you overcome your limits.
GREATER FOCUS: There is not much to do in the gym beyond working out, this can help you stay focused on your workouts. There are no children, family, or visitors, nothing to interrupt your routines.

Disadvantages of training at the gym vs. Training at home

THERE MAY BE MORE DISTRACTIONS: One usually goes to the gym to exercise, not to chat with other members. And for some, gyms can be a bit of a distraction, whether it’s from their training partners or other colleagues, keep in mind that socializing time in the gym takes time away from exercise.
LACK OF FREEDOM: You cannot do what you want in a gym, things that you would do at home that would embarrass you, such as yelling or grunting or other types of more personal situations.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR EQUIPMENT: Many gyms are very crowded on certain days and times, and those days and times may be the only time you can hit the gym. If you are applying techniques related to fatigue and short rest periods, imagine what it is like to queue to use the chest bench, this forces us to change your routine.

HYGIENE: For the most part, gyms are pretty clean. But I’m sure you don’t want to go all the way to the bank to find yourself a little puddle of sweat where his head is supposed to go. This is usually something quite annoying, and it happens because certain good gym customs are not established or respected.
THE LOCATION OF THE GYM: Sometimes the gym closest to you will not be that close. It is often annoying to lose 20 or even 30 minutes to get to the gym. Imagine if your daily tasks do not allow you to spend 1 hours in total, just to go to and from the GYM.

Now that we have the general advantages and disadvantages of training in a gym, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of training in a home gym.

Pro and cons of training at home

The advantages of training at home

YOU CAN DO AND BEHAVE AS YOU WANT: There is nothing like having your own gym, where there are no lines, no socialization, and nothing to hide. This is your domain. You can play your own music, curse as loud as you want, and even cry if necessary.
NO MEMBERSHIP FEES: Your home gym is your home gym, there are no monthly fees or extra expenses.
LESS CONFUSION, GREATER FOCUS: Those who work out in a gym and don’t have someone to set up a routine for them or tell them what to do, tend to get too entangled with all the different machines and weird pulleys, so much so that they’ll forget what they need to train too with free charges. When you exercise at home, your gym should consist mostly of free weights and weights, so you’re almost forced to use them, which is a very good thing.

YOU CAN MANAGE YOUR OWN SCHEDULES AND NOT TRAVEL. Your gym is open every day of the year, and that means you can exercise any day and any time you want. Gym closings for vacations, weekends, and renovations can be annoying and can put you out for a few days.

The disadvantages of training at home

THE EXCUSES: At first, when we exercise at home and have not yet developed the habit, we often make incredible excuses to skip training. If you don’t motivate yourself, you may find yourself avoiding workouts with stupid tasks.
THE SPACE AVAILABLE: you don’t need a lot of space to train at home, but if you want to add a machine or something large like a multigym type bench, space is obviously important and, in many cases, it is usually a limitation.

LOW MOTIVATING: It can be very demotivating to have solitary workouts all the time. There is no one there to pressure you into giving that extra rep, and no one to force you to get over it. This problem can be solved simply by finding a dedicated training partner with whom you can train at home.
IT CAN BE BORING: In the gym, you have a lot of things to distract you, and while it’s not ideal, sometimes we need a distraction. By training alone at home, you may get a little bored with your workouts.
LACK OF ADVICE: This is a disadvantage if you do not know how to put together your own routine, or do the exercises with proper technique. In this sense, not having an observer or someone to advise us can be dangerous. Being trapped under a heavy bar is literally deadly. So, if you are going to lift heavy loads, you know, find someone to accompany you for a moment to avoid these problems.

LOW MOTIVATING: It can be very demotivating to have solitary workouts all the time. There is no one there to pressure you into giving that extra rep, and no one to force you to get over it. This problem can be solved simply by finding a dedicated training partner with whom you can train at home.

When should you train at home and when at the gym?

If you are a person who has never been in a gym, or you have not had much contact with any sport, I recommend that you invest at least three months in going to a gym to learn the correct execution of the basic exercises, and if you arrive, the most difficult to do in terms of technique: such as squats, the deadlift, or the bench press for example.

In turn, during that time read and learn about all aspects of muscle training: bodybuilding, nutrition, muscle development, training techniques, even supplements.

Once you’re ready, you can start saving your gym fee and move on to training in the comfort of home.

However, if you are already an advanced bodybuilder, with specific muscle development goals, focused on your progress and with a clear goal, because in your case the only viable option is to go to the gym.

These goals can only be met with the wide variety of possibilities offered by a gym.

Now, this does not mean that you cannot exercise at home, the problem is that having the right options for your goals can be really expensive, keep in mind that you have to buy different equipment and a significant variety of loads of different weights.