Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

What do you guys recommend? I live in WI so the only gym I am close to is the YMCA and membership is like $150 a month? I was thinking about just getting something like a personal home gym because it'll be convenient. If I go that way, I'll probably get something like a bench press, treadmill and some other full, mainly upper body work.

Like always, I'm on a budget but I like to hear what your thoughts and personal opinions are on what I should do or get.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

I am a big fan of Lifetime, but if you are looking for a home gym, I have good things about Bo Flex.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

$150/mo is nuts! I think you had better double check the price. I doubt it is over $40/mo at a Y. Might me a membership fee though when you first start.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

Okay, I made a mistake. Price has been fixed. It's only about $40 a month with $116 downpayment. For some reason I thought it was $140. Oh yea, and I get a 10% discount through my job.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

Do anything except ANYTIME FITNESS.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

Ugh! Robbers! I won't bother going into the story but lets just say that if you think about becoming a member ask LOTS of questions.

It depends on what you want to do. If you are just going to use the weight room at the Y then you may as well get a home gym like the bowflex. (from the makers of the soloflex :P) But if you want to use the pool, play b-ball or other stuff you may be best going to the Y.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

more info on Anytime Fitness?

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

+1

I don't know about up North but Anytime Fitnesses are popping up at fast as they can open them down here.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

Like others have said, depends on what you would use at a gym. If it's just the basics, like treadmill & weights, I'd look into buying home gym equipment (if you have the room at home). Otherwise it's nice to get away and hit the gym. That's not a bad price either.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

Trust me you want to do a home gym. The girls are nice but in the end you will end up not going to the gym for one reason or another.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

My Anytime Fitness story (short version) goes like this:

I go in, look around, not much for free weights but I'll make do. I talk to the hottie working and she says they have a special that is running and she can get me in for about 42 dollars a month with 3 months of free tanning. So I decide to go ahead and do it. After about a month and a half or so, it starts getting so busy that an hour long workout takes 2 hours. Waiting for stuff sucks. So I finally get frustrated and tell the hotness I want out. She says she can't do it as I'm locked in for 18 months. 18 months! What the hell. The only way I can get out is if I move or I find someone to take my place. So I start swearing until everyone in the gym is wondering who the little angry man is. So basically I'm gonna go tell them I'm moving here pretty soon. :D

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

I'd start by getting yourself a good set of running shoes and then going outside and running (maybe look on the web for a good way to work up to being able to run AT LEAST three miles in one shot). If you find out you do it on a regular basis then look into a gym or home gym. If you're not motivated enough to get out and run, you'll probably give up on the gym as well. At least this way you're not out a bunch of money and if you do stick to it you'll be in better shape to start a regular work out at a gym (or home gym).

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

Ouch, 18 months would suck.

Right now we are both paying for year long memberships. I think I have been there 3 times since signing up this last jan.

I won't sign up for another one till I am out running on a daily basis and I've been telling myself I'd do that tomorrow for the past 2 months.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

That's funny, I've been saying the same thing. Sure is easy to find excuses isn't it. :D

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

Plenty easy. TV, sleep, drink beer. All things I'd prefer to make time for over working out. I think I will have a better chance at the whole running thing now that I'm kicking smoking again. 18 days and counting.

Re: Gym membership or personal home gym?
 

from my experience with home gyms.

i'd go for an gym membership. Three people I know have or had home gyms. Some elaborate, others just some dumbells and free weights.

same thing happened on all of them. They kept a workout routine for two maybe three weeks at most.
one of my friends bought a 1200 home gym that used free weights and a few pulley systems.

he used it three times, sold it to his brother for 150 bones when he moved.