Gym Vs Home

[TypewriterMonkey]

Hi all, so lately I've been paralysed by choice.

 

Reading around on NerdFitness, I've read a LOT of articles about Body Weight training. However most articles have been prefaced with something along the lines of "Want to get fit but don't have a gym membership?" which has lead to some confusion.

My goal is simply to lose weight and build muscle. I have a consistent schedule, as a student and I can make time to go to the gym for 30-60 minutes 3/4 times a week. I also don't have many weights at home (Although I have a pull up bar and have all I need to easily do both the Beginner and Advanced workouts)

 

So I guess my question for the Nerd Fitness community is:

Which choice is optimal for losing weight and building muscle? The gym, with free weights or at 'Home' with Body Weight circuits?

 

 

(Sorry if this has already been covered or I simply didn't get the point of some articles)

[I-Jo]

either can be done efficiently at home or at the gym.

I do a LOT of body weight only/cross-fity/bodyrocky style stuff.  I recently started seriously lifting- but have been doing intense training that didn't require much weight at all (most of my work outs used a 25 lb plate weight)

 

I did all of them at the gym.  Only because I refuse to work out at home- not so much refuse- but reality is I won't.  I'm honest with myself- it just won't happen. I also dance and I use their aerobics room (wood floors and mirrors) so it can't be beat. 

plus I'm a total gym junkie- I love the environment and the people I'm okay with all it's faults and scuzziness LOL

 

 

So do what makes you happy- if you KNOW you'll work out at home- and be consistent- then go for it.  But if you want to hit the gym- do so.  it's totally okay. 

[StuffofDreams]

If I were you, I'd pick the gym even if it's not as convenient. The gym will have heavier weights and you'll have a harder time maxing out your weights. Lifts such as dead lifts and squats can be more difficult to do at home or you'll quickly use up all your available weight.

 

Also, I agree with I-Jo. It's easier to get into a "I'm going to go work out" mentality if you have to leave the house. Your house is filled with time sucking boobie traps and excuses. Having to get outside and go to the gym makes you more likely to complete your mission.  

[Photobrandon]

I have a love/hate relationship with not having a gym membership.  Either way can be effective, and both have their pros and cons.  As said before, whichever option you'd most look forward to is in the end probably the right choice.

For me the Pros of working out at home are:
1.  Convenience.  I'm lazy, and if I had to take the extra time to walk to and from the closest gym to me I'd probably skip lots of workouts.  I love being able to come home from work, take care of the dog, change, and hammer out my workout.  Or do it before work.  Or whenever the heck I feel like.
2.  Value.  I bought all of my weights second hand through craigslist or thrift stores, paid about the price of a month's membership at a decent gym.  My pullup bar is probably the only thing I bought new, and even that was only $20 online.

3.  No stupid people.  I don't have to hear any snide comments about the skinny guy trying to bench, don't have to wait for people to finish curling in the squat rack, can just pick up my weights and go.  I am slightly self-conscious about working out in public as well, which plays a factor in there as well.

Cons of working out at home:
1.  Limiting.  As StuffofDreams said above, it is easy to run out of weights at home, especially for the big lower body lifts.  Of course depending on your circumstances you may have the space and means to continue progressing indefinitely.
2.  Space.  Storing equipment takes up space.  For now we have extra space in our office but should we ever need to downsize to a single bedroom this might not be an option.  I also only have one room with high enough ceilings to lift overhead, so I'm constantly moving weights back and forth which is a bit of a hassle. 

 

That is again just from my perspective from working out at home.  Everyone is different, so I say find the environment that motivates you best, and stick with it until that is no longer the case.  Also, you really can go a long ways with bodyweight exercises, so don't feel like you need to pick up weights or go to the gym to lose weight (mostly diet) or get stronger.  Best of luck to you!

[jfreaksho]

Honestly, I feel like I've gained a lot from both.  I gained raw strength from weights, but I've gained the ability for semi-impressive feats from bodyweight stuff.  The bodyweight stuff complements the weights pretty well- my form for rows was terrible, until I started working bodyweight rows into my routine. That taught me a lot of the correct muscle activation and my barbell rows got better fast.

 

Also, due to time, or changing circumstances, understanding the principles of a workout, and how to accomplish your goals with both bodyweight and barbells will allow you to adapt and continue progressing, regardless of the situation in which you find yourself.  When I have the money or opportunity to use a gym, I love to lift, but my gym membership is one of the first things to get cut out- I'd rather do krav than lift, and I know that I can be pretty strong with just bodyweight. 

 

I also know that I have no excuses for not working out, no excuses for not being strong.

[Raikas]

 

Reading around on NerdFitness, I've read a LOT of articles about Body Weight training. However most articles have been prefaced with something along the lines of "Want to get fit but don't have a gym membership?" which has lead to some confusion.

 

The reason for that preface has little to do with one being superior and everything to do with the generic "I can't afford a gym membership/I don't have a local gym" excuse for not doing any training at all.

[JakeJoh10]

You can be successful with both, but I would lean towards the gym.

 

More variety, more opportunity for progressive overload. Yes, doing bodyweight stuff at home is very convenient time and money-wise, it's not convenient when you're having trouble progressing to new variations.

 

There's value in both, and I still do a ton of bodyweight training along with having access to a gym.

 

Jake

[shortstuff]

Ask yourself this, what is the one you enjoy most and mostly stick to?

[StuffofDreams]

Keep in mind that if you're overweight, doing body weight exercises is a lot harder. You're more likely to stall out quickly. 

 

I'm 5'8'' and 230 pounds. I was doing Convict Conditioning and very quickly hit my peak simply because I couldn't lift my body weight. But now I'm in the gym and doing StrongLifts. Been having steady progression every week. 

[Waldo]

The idea that you can run out of resistance at home without weights is a myth perpetuated by people who don't know what they are talking about.  Should you even come close, some moderate sized DB's is all you need, but those are best to close gaps between exercises I've found.

 

I started out at home without a gym, just doing what I could until it was reasonable for me to join a gym.  I always made sure that I knew where I could find more resistance, and stayed one step ahead of myself physically with the mind.  Now more than a year and a half later, and two efficient bulk cycles later, I know that I will never run out of resistance with my BW and a few DB's.

 

Really embracing it, the realization that working at home without heavy weights was limitless and could meet any strength or mass goal I may have was a key point in my development, it allowed me really break free of conventional dogma and boundaries. 

 

Problem is that true believers are so rare, even amongst BW folks, that the signal is drowned out amongst the noise.  It is a point people love to argue about, as it is so hard to grasp and understand for so many.  It is a subject that one could write an encyclopedia about.  In the end, results speak for themselves.

 

Many people seem to think that a standard pistol is the hardest BW leg exercise.  LOL, not even close.

[jfreaksho]

Many people seem to think that a standard pistol is the hardest BW leg exercise.  LOL, not even close.

 

What would you put as the next few steps past pistol squats?  Seriously, I'm curious, as I'm at the point where I'm just cleaning up my form a little bit and would love to have a plan for what is next.

[StuffofDreams]

The idea that you can run out of resistance at home without weights is a myth perpetuated by people who don't know what they are talking about.  Should you even come close, some moderate sized DB's is all you need, but those are best to close gaps between exercises I've found.

 

I started out at home without a gym, just doing what I could until it was reasonable for me to join a gym.  I always made sure that I knew where I could find more resistance, and stayed one step ahead of myself physically with the mind.  Now more than a year and a half later, and two efficient bulk cycles later, I know that I will never run out of resistance with my BW and a few DB's.

 

Really embracing it, the realization that working at home without heavy weights was limitless and could meet any strength or mass goal I may have was a key point in my development, it allowed me really break free of conventional dogma and boundaries. 

 

Problem is that true believers are so rare, even amongst BW folks, that the signal is drowned out amongst the noise.  It is a point people love to argue about, as it is so hard to grasp and understand for so many.  It is a subject that one could write an encyclopedia about.  In the end, results speak for themselves.

I'm always on the look out to increase my knowledge. Can you point to some resources where I can read about the types of workouts you do? 

[Waldo]

What would you put as the next few steps past pistol squats?  Seriously, I'm curious, as I'm at the point where I'm just cleaning up my form a little bit and would love to have a plan for what is next.

Leg out in front is the easiest BW squatting variation. Holding your leg perfectly parallel makes it harder. Moving your hands to your shoulders makes it harder. Moving your hands behind your lower back makes it significantly harder.

Leg to the side and leg out behind you are both harder. Elevating the foot is useful to add ROM to the leg behind variation, holding the leg makes it harder, especially 2 handed. Foot elevated both hands behind the back holding the foot behind you is the hardest BW variation I'm aware of. It does not exist in youtube to the best of my knowledge.

But the foot behind the back variation is easy to load to super high resistances. Ben Bruno's skater squats (very similar to shrimp squats) with the front foot elevated can be loaded to astronomical proportions, to pro athlete+ levels.

[HierophantJ]

I'm a total introvert, so I feel much more comfortable working out at home (For general fitness, that is)
I know I shouldn't worry about what people think about me, but it's just ingrained in me at this point and being in a crowded gym makes me uncomfortable. Let's not even talk about how annoying the locker rooms are.

If you are not an introvert like me, then the Gym is your best bet. Otherwise do like I do and drop those bills on some home equipment

[UberTumbleweed]

I believe that answering which is better has more to do with your personality and likes than with the actual exercises.

 

I started at home, but found strength training really hard to maintain at home.  When I started strength training with barbells at the gym, I was able to stick to it more.  When I'm at home, my brain would rather chill out and relax than work hard.  So the gym has been way better for me.

 

The exercises aren't better, but the fact that I'm actually doing them is better.

 

Wherever your personality leads you to doing the work most consistently is what will be best for you.

[rybo]

Both can be optimal if done correctly. I am firmly behind Waldo's stance. I've spent over a decade in a gym, then got away from any real strength training for 5+ years, now I am doing all body weight stuff and you can ALWAYS find a way to make it harder. Doing "only" body weight does not mean you are going to top out soon. I still have tons to learn, but I am loving the journey and so far making great improvements.

[DasBoot]

I found my best opportunity for exercise is at work, during my lunch break. My family life is far too busy to get to the gym, and I'd never get through a session if I were exercising at home. As a result, I spend my lunch break every day doing BW exercises, supplemented by a couple dumbbells I keep in the car. The gym is too far away from where i work to get there with time to exercise, but there's a local park I go to which works well. By going at lunch every day, it stops me from gorging on crappy food during lunch (I eat smaller meals during the day). It also ensures that I have a dedicated, uninterrupted block of time to get exercise into my day. 

[MariahSnow]

I really love the idea of working out at home and I followed Bodyrock-style workouts for a long time (like 6 months). And I barely ever saw any improvement. It sucked and it was demotivating. My pushups never got better, my squats never got better. Maybe I just wasn't challenging myself enough? Maybe I wasn't pushing hard enough? I don't know.

 

Since January I've been at a gym and doing strength training. My squats are better, my pushups are improving. I've never been happier with my body in both the way it looks and the way it performs. So for me, the gym is where it's at simply because of weights.

 

I should mention that I'm crazy skinny and would probably be considered a hard gainer. 

 

TL;DR version:

It depends on your body and your personality. Try everything and figure out what works for you.

[Amazon Grimm]

I would be all about the BW workout if me doing BW workouts  wasn't the equivalent of starting BW work wearing a 200lb weighted vest...

[Wolfhorde]

Yeah, I definitely agree that it depends and definitely also on what you can actually afford (depending on your location). I mean, I exercise with partly "unconventional" EQ like kettlebells and indian clubs, my body weight workouts are include things like hindu pushups, climbing, parkour exercises, hiking up a hill, running back down and so on.

So for me it's a couple of things: A) Budget, gyms here can be a lot more expensive than in the States. B ) I enjoy EQ/exercises that can be used in a variety of ways, which is the case for me with the aforementioned. C) I can blast my workout music without problems. D) Nature's all around and there are many opportunities for working out. At certain times even parts of the village might be useful.

 

But yeah, it always depends. If you're struggling with motivation - depending on where it's coming from or there are a lot of annoyances at home you can't let go of a gym might be better. It's circumstantial, really. Do what you like.

[Anivair]

Literally the BEST thing you can do to lose weight and gain muscle is as follows: 

 

Eat right

Walk

Lift weights

 

Bodyweight exercises are great for supplemental stuff and they're fun, but they're never going to help you build muscle the way free weights will.  

[I-Jo]

Waldo might disagree with you.

[Waldo]

Bodyweight exercises are great for supplemental stuff and they're fun, but they're never going to help you build muscle the way free weights will.

LOL.

Then again, the same could be said about eating primal/paleo.

 

Waldo might disagree with you.

 

Yep.

 

Weights are unnecessary.  Especailly big weights.  And especially for "building muscle".  One could at least make a good argument for strength in some areas (quads/calves), but muscle building?  No way, those areas respond best to higher reps anyway.

 

I use external load for leg squatting strength work and peak pull strength work (my DB's and vest are plenty of load really forever), but my primary size workout is to beat my legs to smithereens doing rest-pause BW pistol squats a la 20 rep squats/dogcrapp/myo-reps.  Works like a charm, and its MUCH safer than doing it with a barbell, since failing while doing a BW pistol ain't no thang (well don't try it on concrete), and because its single legged, cardio fitness isn't as much a factor.  It'll leave ya walkin funny.

 

I bulk extremely clean compared to most.  If anything that is an indication that BW work is actually MORE effective at muscle building.

[Anivair]

I won't argue with results, but IMO nothing beats a heavy deadlift for overall effect.  It's about the only thing I ever go into a big gym for (not a lot of good ways to do it without weights ... though fallen trees come close). 

[andygates]

Fight fight fight!  Regardless of the double-holy-war (one more for the trifecta, go on!)...

 

1) The act of "going to the gym" sets me up mentally to train.  No cat to get underfoot.  

 

2) I just enjoy heavy stuff.  Bodyweight variations can definitely be as challenging as you like, but I just get a huge grin from a bending bar loaded with noisy plates.  And the grin is important.  If you get a huge grin from bodyweight stuff, do that. 

 

Enjoyment breeds consistency, and whatever you do, consistency breeds results.  So try it all and see what you like!