Home vs. Gym $$$

[BendtheBar]

Have you spent more money on fitness equipment out of the gym (at home use), or more money on gym memberships and classes?

Also, tell us about some of the crazy things you've purchased that are collecting dust.

[BendtheBar]

I have spent far more money at home. Probably $5000 in my life. Gym memberships maybe $500-750.

Worst dust collector I've ever purchased was Dave Draper's Top Squat. The handles are wobbly at weight 275-315, and really needs improvement.

[glwanabe]

I've had one gym membership that cost me 700 bucks. All the other gyms I used were free while I was in the Army.

One of those gyms was my favorite, but it was more like a home gym in that few others used it. It was a very basic setup, not that far removed from what I currently use.

I've got about 800bucks in stuff right now for my current setup. Bought most of it on sale, or asked for a discount.

Biggest dust collector right now is my bench. Squat stands are used a lot. The thing I would miss the most besides a good barbell and weights is my power tower. I could do chins off a bar mounted from the ceiling, but I would then need a dip station, or I could hang my rings from the mounted overhead bar and do dips on those.


Home training is the place for me.



If I were to redo what I have I would do this.

The barbell set would be a good bumper plate set.
A good pair of heavy squat stands
Some dumbells
A chin, and dip rack
a utility bench
a good platform


This picture makes me want to lift.



This picture does nothing for me

[Squatter]

I have also spent about 5 G's on my JimGym. I just did some quick math, and I estimate I have spent about 7500.00 on gym dues over 20 years. So, I have obviously spent more on gym dues. However, I have only had the JimGym for a year. With that said, It was worth every penny as I have experienced more progression since having the jimGym than over the previuos 20 years at my old commercial gym. There are other factors as well, such as joining the forums here, that have impacted my training big time.

Collecting dust in the jimGym are these:



Mrs Squatter gave them to me for Xmas a couple years ago. LOL - I reckon she was hoping I would look like the hunky model if I used them.

[ricka182]

I had a home gym, didn't cost me much. The weights were a couple hundred though. Sold it all because I have a free gym at my work.

I didn't spend money on this, but it was a gift...the Perfect Pullup. What a joke. It's made for little men, anyone with shoulders close to the width of a door will have trouble. Not to mention, you have hold your legs back, or have 10 foot ceilings or feet drag on the floor. I also got the ab pull straps, but those are actually ok-ish. I still don't use them though, as I took the pullup bar down..

[Chillen]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Have you spent more money on fitness equipment out of the gym (at home use), or more money on gym memberships and classes?

Also, tell us about some of the crazy things you've purchased that are collecting dust.

This is the equipment I use:

Its pretty basic, and is all I need.

1. I have about 500 lbs (approx) of Olympic style cast iron weights (Gold's Gym, brand), and 6 pairs of 2.5/1.5 Gold's Gym cast iron plates.

2. Olympic stainless steel long bar (45lbs type), a short "S" bar (about 20 lbs in weight), a "tri" bar (about 15 pounds in weight), four stainless steel, DB's (about 5.5 pounds in weight). I don't use a lifting belt, but I do use a elongated pad on the LB for Squats (particularly used for Front Squats to save bruising of the front delts)

3. Olympic Style Bench which declines and inclines, and has a squat rack (which I highly modified). It also has a preacher pad, and a front leg extension device. I have never used the front leg extension device since I had this bench--dont like it much.

4. A mobile flat bench which inclines, declines, flattens, and can be put completely upright.

5. A upright recumbent bike with a back rest. It has a gouge for inputting one's age, wgt, etc. It will display heart rate, calories burned, and time in exercise.

6. A self made dip station, which I had used a lot, but not too much at the moment. My friend and I welded this together a few years ago, and it looks like a traditional dip station one would see in a catalog or on line.

Prior to this, I used a "Clothes Rack" for Dips within my previous goal attempts:

What's interesting here is that for many months I used a "car cloths rack" for my dips (we have to be inventive in our requests....HEHEHE ). I have been wanting to put dips in my workout for some time, but flat didnt have the equipment or money--at the time. One day I got of my car, and the "car cloths rack' caught me eye. I took it out and looked at it. Since it telescoped out, I was hoping it would come apart into two separate sections. It did. It was made of steel, and the only question was: Would it support my weight and the stess of sets/reps. I had 4 rather high jack stands in the garage. I gather you can figure out what I did-------"worked perfectly"!

For exercise it cost: Zero, LOL.

7. 2 Golds gym weight stackers on opposite walls in the garage.

8. A Swiss Ball, and my sons and I use it for trash can basketball outside the garage.

9. Several Stretch bands, at varying strengths

10. Wrist/hand hooks (mainly to get the last rep out, where I am focusing on a certain muscle/group, and my hand grip weakens out.

11. A lat pull-down attachment for my Bench, and modified the cable configuration. This doubles as a Triceps push down.

===============================================

The absolute worst thing I ever purchased was the: Ab roller it (at the very beginning when I first started) collects dust now, but I keep it around to remind me of my stupidity and keep me sharp in looking for Bull-shit.


One time investment. I do have to purchase new gloves as I wear them out regularly. I am asked why I wear gloves? Because I am interested in building/maintaining (dependent on goal) muscle, and not collases on the hand.


I train at home. I love it.

And bug, agitate, and piss my own ass off all the time.......

For some reason the iron still looks at me, and says: "Is this all you got?"

I love you for that, Iron.

Some costs are measured by efforts applied.

Having a home gym is cost effective in the sense that it eliminates........EXCUSES. And, eliminates other daily living problems that can prevent training. Such as weather and deciding whether to drive, cause it is real slick due to snowy weather, etc, etc.

[Pull14]

I've trained both at home and at gyms. At home, with a bench press w/adjustable uprights, a few hundred pounds in weight, and a couple stall mats, the cost in total is around $500. The cost of gym membership, free - unless you count school tuition.

Between the several locations, I'll always perfer training at home where anything goes and a lack of equipment does not hinder me. Within the next year I also plan on scrapping most of what I have for a new set of squat stands and a few hundred pounds of bumper plates. Price tag of about 1,200... but will be worth the expense.

The most expensive piece that does collect dust in my garage is my set of dumbbells which go from 15lb-70lbs. A few will be used on occasion, but have served primary as a place to hold my water bottle, hang my belt from, and let my sweaty knee sleeves dry off. I've also 150lbs worth of dumbbells at the base of my pull up/dip "station" which have not been moved in a few years. It doesn't hurt to much though... I have them if I ever need them and much of that weight was given to me in exchange for a cheap meal at a local pub.

[bamazav]

My home gym is invaluable. So far I have spent about $500 on equipment and would have exceeded that amount with one year at the Y or the local gym.

The only piece currently gathering dust is the ab bench, but I got it for free so no sad face here.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Squatter

Collecting dust in the jimGym are these:



Mrs Squatter gave them to me for Xmas a couple years ago. LOL - I reckon she was hoping I would look like the hunky model if I used them.

My wife gave me a Weider plate rack. It broke after a week but I didn't say anything. I didn't want her to know it was junk.

[Off Road]

I have always trained at home, never in a gym.

Best money spent, power cage.
Worst money spent, crappy lifting belt.
I've since bought a quality belt.