If you are looking to incorporate weight exercise into your routine, there are only two viable options - home and commercial gyms. While working out at the park is great, and completely free, that is something most of us can't do on a regular basis, primarily because of the weather. And besides, the workout equipment you find in most parks is often times very limited, and won't allow you to hit every muscle group.

So it comes to home vs. commercial gym, and in this article, we will give you some pros and cons of building a home gym. Keep in mind that every advantage a home gym has is something a commercial gym lacks, and vice versa. Let's begin!

 

There's no place like home (gym)! Building your own Church of Iron in your garage or basement has some clear advantages, let's mention some:

No memberships - once you buy the fitness equipment for sale, that's it, no recurring fees. What's more, if you are smart enough to buy quality home gym equipment, it will not only last a lifetime, but also have a high resell value, and if you ever decide to move or upgrade, you will get a big chunk of your money back.

No commuting - and no excuses! You don't have to waste time driving or in public transportation. A home gym will save you a lot of time. You will not have to wake up super early in order to get to the gym, plus you will not waste time searching for a parking spot. You can use that saved time to train more.

Time-saving - if you own a home gym, you can put your whole workout in a giant superset. While this is possible at a commercial gym too, you will get the "look" from most bros if you decide to switch back and forth between the power rack and the bench press. No more queuing and fighting for equipment, it's all yours. And yes, at home, you can do curls in the squat rack.

Your own music - you get to decide what to play, and you can set the volume.

Hygiene - you will never have to wipe someone else's sweat off the bench, only yours, and only if you want to. (if you don't, it will greet you in the next morning, so please do!). And you can use as much chalk as you want without the owner complaining.

 

 

So far so good, but not everything about home gyms is great. Here are some flaws a home gym has:

A hefty investment - to build a home gym, you will need a lot of money. We have already done an article talking about home gym essentials.

More hassle - Unless you have a really thick pocket, you will have to make compromises when building a home gym, as you are likely to use the same plates both for youd dumbells and your barbells, for example. You will have to screw and unscrew the plates every time you want to switch weights. So unless you buy a full dumbbell weight stack, you will need to plan your workouts carefully so you can incorporate different exercises with the same weight one after another.

Maintenance - you are the gym owner. You need to keep your equipment in good condition, and you need to keep everything clean. So yes, although you saved some time on commuting, you will have to dedicate some of that time to regular maintenance.

Motivation issues - being able to work out anytime you want is a double-edged sword. Unless you are disciplined, you are going to be prone to procrastination. Also, when you are at home, your wife/kids/mother/neighbor/friend might bother you. The best approach is to make a plan, and stick to it - Mon/Wed/Fri at 9 PM, just when going to a commercial gym.

Not for everyone - with home gyms, your budget is not the main limiting factor - it's space. If you live in a small flat, the chances are you won't have enough room to make a proper home gym. To make it work, you will need an empty basement or a garage. In other words, a whole room dedicated only to exercise. That is a luxury not many of us can afford, so don't get ahead of yourself. No matter how cool it sounds, home gyms are not for everyone.

 

But remember, building a gym is one thing, exercising regularly is something completely different. For that reason, you should start working out now, so you can build the habit. And then later, you will get more exercises into your routine, and you will purchase more equipment along the way. No matter how high-tech your equipment is, it all comes to lifting weights, and it will never do the work for you!