SPEAKER_00 0:14

Welcome to Practically Fit, Real Fitness Over 40. I'm Jen Chamberlain.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

And I'm Alex Johnson.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

And today we are going to face off to determine once and for all which is better, a home gym or a fitness membership.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

So, Jen, can we officially call this a smackdown?

SPEAKER_00 0:30

We can officially call this this a smackdown, the first of many. We have another big smackdown that we're going to have eventually on running versus cycling, but it's our first smack down.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

All right. I'm excited about this debate.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Yes, yes. There's a lot of things we agree on, but this is not one of them. And also I think I think this is the perfect time to have this conversation because we're a couple of months into the year, and we know from our previous podcast that that's when New Year's resolution-driven gym membership starts to tail off a bit. So this seems like just the right time to talk about where to go from there.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Yeah, so I did a post on this for the newsletter right towards the end of the year as people were thinking about their New Year's resolutions. And it was one of the most popular posts we've had on Practically Fit. Got good readership, people coming in from Google searching for this topic. So I think people tend to agree with me that it's time to get rid of these fancy gym memberships and start building out their home gyms. I think the pandemic really changed things in that regard. So that's why I'm excited to talk more about this today.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Oh, I don't know about that. We have a long way to go to prove your point entirely. But um I will say in full disclosure that my own experience with a home gym has been less than stellar. So going way back in time, I once had a home gym of sorts. It was some gym equipment in a very sad little garage in my suburban home. And I will say I wanted this equipment. I asked for it, it was a gift. And then, like so many other people, it just ended up gathering dust in the garage until it finally met its untimely demise. So that was my home gym experience.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

So I want to clarify, you you had some home gym equipment. Like, what was this? Was this one of those like sad combo home, you know, weight machine things, or was it like you have the right time period, but I didn't buy a Boflex.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

I wasn't just, you know, watching late night TV one night and got sucked into the infomercial. This was actually a bench and some free weights, you know, and uh uh a barbell, that sort of thing. Like typical setup. But um yeah, I just didn't find it very enticing to use. I preferred going to the gym.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Well, let's see if I can convince you today and change your mind.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

All right. Well, before we talk about any more of our own personal stories, I think we should dive into the science as we always do. I found this enticing conference paper, which unfortunately was too expensive for me to read, but it was titled Research on Enhancing Long-Term Happiness, Gym Membership and Alcohol.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Now that's that's an interesting title. Enhancing Long-Term Happiness, Gym Memberships and Alcohol.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Yes, yes, indeed. So I'll I'll read you a little bit from the abstract. It said two products that may enable consumers to engage in leisure activities are gym membership and alcohol, both of which are affordable and readily available. This paper. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Leisure activities. So uh yeah, you keep going with this because I'm curious where it's headed.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Okay. So this paper explored consumer motivations for consumption of both product and the relationship between gym membership, alcohol, and consumer happiness.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Oh, but you couldn't afford this thing.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

No, I couldn't. Unfortunately, I really wanted to read the conclusions, but um it was $300 just to read the chapter, and I just didn't feel like ponying up for that.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

$300 because they're trying to make the money back that they spent on this study that no one would sponsor. So they're really desperate to get get their money back on this one. Although it based on the title, it sounds like something that would have been uh sponsored by like Lifetime Fitness and Mikcolo Baltron. Or we know it wasn't Boflex sponsoring the gym membership research.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

So yeah, exactly. You know, with a little smart marketing, they could have found some um sponsors for this study and wouldn't have to charge $300.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

But yeah, no kidding. Maybe that's what they were after. That's it that $300. Yeah, I can see why you wouldn't pay that, although I'm dying to know what this study fully said.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah, total deal breaker. But aside from this, um, I will say there was very scant research on the benefits of gym membership. There were some studies done during the depths of the pandemic that showed gym closures had a negative impact on people's fitness and well-being, which is not surprising. Um, I did find one 2017 study, though, out of the University of Iowa. It was titled Associations of Health Club Membership with Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health. And it found that people who belong to a health club or gym, they not only exercised more but had better cardiovascular health outcomes. And they found these benefits were even more significant if people belong to a gym for more than a year, which would go with our our talk about, you know, those gym memberships kind of tailing off if you get excited at the beginning of the year and then drop out two months in, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:27

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, so I didn't read this study. I know this is supposed to be a debate, but we don't want to like prejudge each other's arguments. So I'm just curious how they what the methodology was behind it. Like, if yeah, I mean, it's logical to me that people who are have a health club membership would be more likely to meet physical activity guidelines and have better cardio health. But the people who don't, like, are they active people? How are they filtering those folks out? I'm curious, I may have to dig into this more. Oh, well, I'm convinced.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

But wait, wait, you haven't heard the rest of it. So, according to uh Doug Choule Lee, one of the paper's authors, he said, quote, it's not surprising, as you said, that people with a gym membership work out more, but the difference in our results is pretty dramatic. Gym members were 14 times more aerobically active than non-members and 10 times more likely to meet their muscle strengthening guidelines, regardless of age and weight. And the results were similar for both men and women. So I'm pretty convinced by that. Um, did you find anything out there in Research Land to support your argument, Alex?

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Well, I'll get to that in a second. I'm looking at the conclusions from this study now, and it does note that, quote, longitudinal randomized controlled trials would be clearly warranted as cross-sectional data prohibits casual inferences. You know what that means.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Are you calling my inference casual?

SPEAKER_01 6:49

I'm calling I'm calling their inference casual, which they've called out in the conclusion of their study. This debate is off to a thrilling start. That's the exact point I was making. Because how like what assumptions are we making about these people who don't belong to a gym? Like, what if they're just not active people? Like you need to screen that.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Right. This is a good point about research studies in general. There's this, you know, this problem with um coincidence or correlation equaling causation, right? And so it's something you have to be careful when reading any research studies is the underlying factors were the people healthy to begin with. So fair point. Fair point. Well taken.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Yeah, and I see here the study was funded by 24-hour fit. No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

No.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

It might have been, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Also, I will make a point though. Also, something important to look at when you're reading research is who funded it.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Yeah, exactly. So I didn't, I, you know, I kind of looked around to see if there was anything definitive on home gyms versus gym membership. Um, the only thing I found was a 2017 study, interestingly, before the pandemic, um titled Gym-based exercise and home-based exercise with telephone support have similar outcomes when used as maintenance programs in adults with chronic health conditions, a randomized trial, which your study wasn't randomized, was it? Yeah. Anyways. And the other group did a home-based exercise program for 12 months with telephone follow-up. Although, like in 2023, this might be an app, right? Kind of interesting. So, based on this study, it actually said, quote, similar long-term clinical outcomes and long-term exercise adherence are achieved with the two approaches examined in this study. So basically, like actually, both the gym membership and the home-based exercise program were equally effective. Uh so I actually thought that was really interesting. Um, as we may talk about today, regardless of which one of these options you choose, there is the motivation factor. So if you're motivated, you'd be more likely to stick to your plan no matter if you're working out at a gym or working out at home. So I cite this all to say that based on this research, neither one is more effective in terms of long-term commitment. You need that motivation. And I assume, given that our audience is listening to a fitness podcast, that they either have motivation to stay fit or they're seeking motivation. So based on that, based on the fact that we have a listener pool that's probably already somewhat motivated, I think they should choose the home gym.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Uh, yes, you do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

How about that for an opening salvo?

SPEAKER_00 9:27

Opening salvo accepted. Um, you know, I will point out that your study really basically said that they were the same. So I'm not uber impressed, but Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

I'm I'm I'm keeping it real, is what I'm doing.

unknown 9:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

I'm not pulling out studies sponsored by 24 Hour Fitness or LA Fitness. Just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Um, I will also make a point about that study. You know, I do think motivation is a big factor. And, you know, going back to my sad home gym, I think what was really lacking for me was motivation because honestly, I don't love weight training or strength training. And having this kind of like sad environment just made me love it even less.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Yeah, that that makes sense. And just to correct the record after my jokes about your study, it was supported by the Iowa State University College of Human Sciences seed grant, and they have no competing interests. So joking aside, it was a legit. It was legit. But yeah, that motivation, that motivation is key. So we we started with our opening arguments here. Yes. Um so let's let's move in further to the debate. Jen, wh why don't you go ahead now and share uh with the listeners uh the reasons that you think having a gym membership is better? Maybe we can conversate about each one of these as you go along.

SPEAKER_00 10:43

Sounds good. Absolutely. I am up to the challenge. So, number one, my first reason is why have just some of the tools when you can have all of the tools? So let me use an analogy to make this a little bit clearer. So I'll make the analogy with home improvement, which I've also dabbled in with very limited success. And what I've found in home improvement projects is inevitably I get started and then I realize that the results would be so much better if I had the proper tools, you know, maybe like a bandsaw or the proper sanding for my drywall, etc. And that but then I think to myself, do I really want to buy a whole slate of tools for this one project? And that's exactly the way I feel about a gym. I like to go in and have everything at my disposal, all the different sizes of weights. You know, the world is my oyster in the gym.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Oh, that makes sense. Um I I like your home improvement analogy. That's really interesting. I've actually, when I first owned a home, I actually tried to buy all the tools. Oh, yeah. And I can tell you that the quality of my home improvement work did not increase with better tools. Interesting counterpoint. So I could have all those weights in the gym, but it doesn't mean I'm going to do a better workout.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

Ah, uh, good point. It may go back to motivation, which goes to my second point, which is that setting aside a dedicated time to work out really helps keep me accountable. And you may say to yourself, well, it's a gym. You can go whenever you want. And yes, some you can. Uh the particular gym I work out at is a boxing gym. And you actually have to sign up for open gym and you have a 45-minute block. Um, you know, also if I use a gym at work, I have a specific timetable that I can be there that I have to get in and out around my work obligations. So I find that that dedicated time really helps keep me accountable versus just having some equipment in my house that I may or may not use when I feel like it.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

That that makes a lot of sense. I think that's a really good point in favor of the gym membership. Um I think the way your boxing gym is approaching it is really interesting. I presume that's because there's limited space for the boxing, so they have to kind of regulate things. But uh that's an interesting approach. And yeah, I mean that's that's a great argument. I can't, I'm not gonna argue with that one. I think it's a great point.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

All right. Point gym. Um kind of a closely related one for me is that spending money on a gym membership also guilts me into going. So if I'm spending, you know, a monthly amount for the gym membership, I feel like I have to make it worth my while by going at least a certain number of times. And I have friends who are exactly the same way. Once they are paying for it, seeing it come out of their paycheck, then they feel like, yeah, you know, I better go three times a week. So that's another argument for me. Again, related to accountability and helping me be motivated to do something I don't really love to do.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

Is guilt a healthy motivation?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Hmm, hmm, that's a good question. That goes back to that motivation thing we talked about around New Year's resolutions, right? That it's that you're gonna have last more lasting motivation if it's positive versus negative, something like that, right?

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Yeah, yeah. It's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

I don't know. That's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

I'm just asking the question for our listeners.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

I think that's something people should ponder. Yeah. Um and then the last, and this is the most important argument to me, is that I live in San Francisco in a really, really tiny apartment. And um I I'll just give you like an actual anecdote about trying to work out in my tiny apartment. So the other day I I was here, I needed the strength to work out, couldn't get to the gym. So I decided to try to do this. I laid out my yoga mat, and I found soon that I was like having trouble not banging the free weights against like this arched like ceiling thing that's kind of low to like close to my arm level. So that was one problem. And then um the other problem was I didn't have a bench, so I was using my coffee table to do like um to do like shoulder presses and things like that. So yeah, it was quite a bit. Uh yeah, essentially. I didn't try standing on it, but I was using the coffee table as a weight bench and trying not to bang into like cabinets and walls and doors, and yeah, it's just really challenging.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

That's not ideal. You know, you could do floor presses too, where you lay on the floor and do the bench press. Just a side note for people who are trying to do a bench press in a very small area and they don't have a bench. But yeah, I mean, that I think is a fantastic point, a very conditional thing, right? Like, especially people who live in urban areas or places where they tend to have um, you know, smaller housing or apartments or things of that nature. Um, that makes a lot of sense. I mean, I don't think I'd want to be swinging a 35-pound kettlebell in a tiny apartment. Uh, it might end up going through my television. So that's true. And then or through my glass coffee table, which would be even better.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Yes, yes, yes. So before you get we get into your points, Alex, I did want to make another follow-on point about the coffee table specifically, which is that I would be really cautious about using your coffee table as a bench just because you know I don't really know what the weight limits are for coffee tables. So that might be something to consider. Oh, and I have another another thing to make too. Um, in terms of working out in apartments, you also have to think about the people who live underneath you. So, for example, I don't jump rope or do jumping jacks because I'm in a fifth story unit, and I think that could be pretty annoying. So that's another consideration.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Yeah, I I lived under somebody who was doing something all day long like that, and it was mind-numbing and after four months. So that was actually a contributing factor to me not being able to stand living in my apartment. So that's that's a very courteous point, Jen. A point for you on that. I do want to confirm that you were bench pressing on a non-glass coffee table, correct?

SPEAKER_00 16:28

Correct, solid wood coffee table, yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Okay, yes, good, solid wood. That's you know, okay, that's a little that makes a little bit more sense. I'm starting to be concerned and imagining like very horrific accidents. So don't ever do bench presses on a glass coffee table. That's yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

If you take nothing away from this episode, don't do bench presses on a glass coffee table.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

Lesson number one. Okay, so let's switch over in this debate and dive into my reasons. And I have three big reasons, one of which will have several sub-reasons, that I believe that working out at home is better than getting a gym membership. So let's hear it. Let's go for it. The first one, and we can we can debate this very straightforward. A home gym saves you money over time. Especially if you tend to have fancy taste when it comes to your gym memberships. You're like a big lifetime fitness person and you want to spend, you know, I don't know, what is it like over a hundred dollars a month uh for a family membership? I don't even know anymore. I bet I bet it's even higher now.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Uh it's higher if you live in San Francisco, I can tell you that.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Uh yeah, you know, planet fitness is one thing. Uh this argument might not hold up against Planet Fitness, I'll be, I'll be honest. But but some of these other gyms can get quite expensive over time. And depending on the level of gym that you build up at home, uh, you can definitely save money on the equipment versus paying those uh gym dues. And also if you want to factor in gas, that could also add in to your factor if you're driving to the gym or paying for transit. Let's not forget those costs when you could just do it right there at home and save your money.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Good point. When you look at it over long range, I have to say more than likely you're gonna, if you're committed and you continue using it, you're probably gonna end up saving money. And the other thing is uh inflation, right? I mean, the gym membership will possibly keep going up, whereas your gym equipment, it's that sunk costs that it's not gonna go up any higher. So you know what, Alex, I'm gonna give you that point.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

All right, and you know, the the one caveat to this is and I will say this is part of my personality. I love gear and I love new things. So um if you're like me, you know, and you like to buy new gear, uh, you know, it doesn't save you as much money, but it can be very cost effective. So just a caveat there, since you gave me that point, I'll put that little um aside in number two. Um I feel that working out from home can be easier to fit into your day from a time perspective. And I think this is applicable to you know different um types of jobs because the way that we work now has changed a lot since the pandemic for some people. Um, so regard regardless of whether you're um working on site somewhere in a job where you're you're at your location every day, or if you're working in a hybrid role, or even in a remote role, I think you can make this argument that it's easier to fit into your day from a time perspective. If you're a remote or hybrid worker, it's pretty obvious how that would be um, you know, more beneficial from a time perspective. You don't have to leave your house if you're remote ever, or on the days that you're working from home as a hybrid worker. Um, you could feasibly fit in a workout, like a 30-minute workout really quickly, somewhere when you have a break from work or meetings or whatever you're doing. Um, but I also think if you're working on site somewhere, I mean, it's just easier to go home and do things there as opposed to having to make another trip somewhere else to the gym and deal with the gym and deal with like, are you gonna shower there? Are you gonna change clothes, all that whole thing? You can just go home, be comfortable in your own environment, and be a little more time efficient, more time spent around your family. If I I just think there's a lot of benefits there from a time perspective in terms of the home gym.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

I'll give you half a point there. I think there could be, um, with a couple of caveats. A, you have to have the motivation, right? Because like I said, going somewhere gives me more accountability. And then the other thing would be, you know, um, some people who work full-time from home or even hybrid may want to get out of that space for a while. So I mean, you know, it depends on preference, but I could see the flexibility being a possible selling point.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Makes total sense. So final reason, and honestly, this is my big huge reason why I prefer working out at home uh over working out at a gym that you're a member of. And I talked a lot about this in that post that I did late last year, because it was a bit of a humorous post, but in humor there is truth. And for me, it's dealing with other people's annoying gym behavior. And like I said, I have subcategories here. So let's dive into these gym behaviors. I'm curious to hear you're going to gyms now. Like let's see if you've experienced any of these. So, number one under annoying gym behavior, people sweating everywhere, people sweating on weight benches and weight machines, people sweating on the weights, people sweating on the treadmills and cardio equipment, people sweating on the water fountain in front of me when then I go to get a drink and know that they've spilled their sweat all over the spout that I'm about to drink of. Just sweat everywhere. Some people not cleaning up their sweat, I'm now sitting down in their sweat when I sit on the weight bench unknowingly and feeling like I'm bathing in their sweat. I don't want that.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

Okay. Okay. Fair point. I'm not as bothered by germs, perhaps, as you are, Alex. That's another place where we differ, but I will say at the Boxing gym, you also have to deal with sweat basically flying everywhere just because of the nature of boxing. You see those like slow motion boxing videos where somebody takes a punch and the sweat just like goes everywhere. So that's kind of sometimes the situation at our gym during intense workouts. So there is that.

SPEAKER_01 22:17

I don't think I'd be a fan of like MMA workouts or jujitsu or people rolling. Like I don't well, like you're just like with people covered in sweat. Yeah, I'm I am a bit germophobic these days. Um and yeah, the sweat just and yeah, the sweat just it's just gross.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Okay, that's one pet peeve at the gym. I'll give you the sweat. What else you got?

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Yeah, absolutely. So this one is really, you know, sort of uh caveat. I'm a massive introvert. So I don't want to talk to people at the gym. And often at the gym there are people trying to talk to me, whether it's in the locker room, I don't want to talk to you while you're, you know, half naked putting lotions and oils and creams and powders all over your body. Um I don't want to talk to you while I'm working out because I'm actually focused on working out. I don't want people's advice on working out, even though it's kind of funny because we're doing a podcast about that. But like, you know, like have you ever had somebody at the gym like start to give you tips on you know why you should be doing something different? Or like, I mean, in this case, people are seeking out our podcast, right? Like, we're not just walking up to them on the street and saying, like, let me tell you what's wrong with your workout right now.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

Yeah, that would be pretty obnoxious.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Yeah, I mean, I just I just don't want to like I actually for me, fitness is a release and it's it's almost like spiritual, right? I I don't want to sound cheesy, but it's something that's really meaningful to me in my life. And so I want to share that with people that either I'm really close with or be in my own zone. That's really important to me. So yeah, for me, the people talking to me at the gym is a big downer. And I gotta say, you know, probably a large portion of our listenership is extroverted and they may enjoy that. But for those of us who are introverts, it can be challenging.

SPEAKER_00 24:11

Fair point. I'm gonna take away from this, Alex, that you don't like germs and small talk.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

Yeah, small talk is the worst. It's the worst. Like uh you go into the the the men's locker room and and you know there's always like ESPN on the TV, and you know, it's like, oh man, check out this amazing goal from the Guatemalan League, bro. Like, I'm like, no, I don't, I don't like I would like to see that goal actually, and I will watch it, but I don't want to have a conversation with a random person about that amazing goal.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

So okay. I'll I'll take that point.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

Okay, so sub bullet number three under annoying gym behavior, and that is the selfie revolution. Now, when we were younger, it was mirror posing. You would see like buff people posing in mirrors and checking out their muscles. And yes, we all do this at home when nobody's around, but really it's kind of obnoxious to do it in person, right? And now, and I want to I want to caveat this by if you're recording a video at the gym and you're doing something like informational, like you did a video about boxing recently. That was great, like that's not bothering anyone, that's cool. Right, it's just when you're doing like all these obnoxious selfies and poses and like you know, that stuff to me is is very annoying. So I just lumped that into a category of like um sort of obnoxious behavior in the gym when it comes to people's personal image. I don't know. Have you experienced that or seen that or been annoyed by that?

SPEAKER_00 25:44

Not so much in the gyms I've been to. I haven't really seen that. The mirror posing is funny. I guess I missed that whole era of being you know, because I wasn't really doing strength training back then. But uh no, I would say I've seen a lot of video shooting, but you know, typically it they seem to be for informative purposes, like you said. So yeah, no, that one doesn't really bother me. Or maybe I'm just oblivious. I'm not the world's most observant person, so that's a possibility too.

SPEAKER_01 26:07

Yeah, informative videos are awesome. I love watching people's informative videos, but it's just the it's more of like the vanity thing, I guess, that rubs me the wrong way. And um, yeah, I I bet I think the mirror posing would probably be more like big box gym, you know, circa 1990s, early 2000s, those big commercial gyms. And now probably it's transitioned into this selfie thing. So sounds like you have like a better atmosphere at your gym.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

I do have a better atmosphere at my gym, but it reminded me of something that I actually don't like about gyms, and I shouldn't say this because it's like actually building your case, but they can be really image conscious. And we did talk about this a little bit when we talked about toxic fitness culture, but I definitely have been to and never went back to gyms where it seemed like the whole purpose was to see and be seen, you know, like all about what you're wearing and that sort of thing. So yeah, that's definitely uh annoying to me too.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

Yeah, the gyms that pump out all the like techno and have all the cool vibes and uh yeah, I once saw a gym, they had like a canopy bed in the lobby, and I just thought, yeah, this would not be the gym for me.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

It was Wait, what? What was the point of that?

SPEAKER_01 27:16

It was very erotic. I don't know. A lot of like it was like going to the club and working out at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

It was really yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

A couple more under this uh this, you know, and I know I'm going on for a while here, but it's just I gotta hammer this point, I gotta win the debate. People camping out on the equipment. Again, I like to go back to when we were younger. It was people either reading books, like I would see people reading books or magazines and in between sets and sitting in wait machines uh or talking on the phone. Like are you doing like a billion dollar deal here? What is so important that you have to just sit on that bench press and talk on the phone for 20 minutes in a very loud voice, like about all the money that you're making? Like, come on, uh move along. You can come back and finish your workout after you're done with the phone call. But um, now obviously it's transitioned to texting. And this is just something that's annoying at the gym. And you know, a challenge with the gym, especially if you want to do something like a circuit workout or supersets or things of that nature, it's very challenging at a commercial gym because you're at the mercy of other people using the equipment. And again, I have no problem with people who are doing, you know, great workouts and doing things the way that they should be. But like when you're just camping out on equipment and you know, not respecting other gym members, that can be very frustrating. So uh anything you've seen there, how do you how does that strike you?

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah, the camping out on equipment is kind of is pretty annoying. Uh, I haven't seen it as often lately, you know, maybe in part because we have time limits at our gym, and that might be part of the reason that my particular gym put that in place. I know it started during the pandemic or during the depths of the pandemic, and maybe they just decided it's helpful to keep people moving along, you know, versus like you said, camping out.

SPEAKER_01 29:02

So yeah, absolutely. So last one uh unruly behavior. And so, and this is excluding the mirror selfies and all that stuff. So I would categorize several things into unruly gym behavior, uh, grunting very loudly when you're lifting weights, like you, you know, sounds like Monica Cellis during a tennis match. It's so unnecessary. Uh people just like leaving the weights out and treating the gym like it's their you know bedroom when they were 14 years old and they can't be bothered to, you know, you've left out like five different sets of dumbbells around the inclined bench. That's I mean, this stuff happens. Like, I'm not exaggerating. Uh people showing off, you know, which can actually backfire on them spectacularly. And also in this sort of unruly category, I mean, and this is we we mentioned this on the podcast a few weeks ago, uh, this thing around gym creepers. There's people creeping on other people at the gym. It's a trend lately for these people to get called out, and that's a thing that's old as time, right? Like there's creepers in the city. Absolutely, but yeah, at the gym, it's magnified because it's a place where people are, you know, dressed in athletic clothing and working out and sort of standing around, and there's like you don't want weird people staring at you, so uh, or even worse, right? So to me, like that whole unruly behavior is just another problem with gyms. And I do think that there are places where they try to, you know, weed this stuff out and be more of a welcome welcoming environment, which I think is really important. If you are going to seek out a gym membership, you really want to find a place that's a welcoming environment. It's it's not full of people who will make you feel uncomfortable while you're working out, which can be the case at commercial gyms.

SPEAKER_00 30:50

That's a really good point. Yes. Definitely if you take my advice and go to a commercial gym, I highly recommend you know trying it out a few times, doing maybe a couple of, you know, a trial week or something like that to get a feel for whether you're comfortable there because definitely different gyms have different atmospheres. And I will say on the last point about unwilling behavior, you know, unfortunately that's something that we deal with in a lot of aspects of life. There's been a lot written about female runners and some of what we have to put up with in terms of cat calling and sometimes being followed or harassed just because we're out, you know, trying to get a workout in. So that's just really kind of a sad aspect of our society, but definitely not what you want going to the gym. Okay, so you've heard our arguments, and we're gonna let our listeners decide who won the SmackDown. Maybe we'll have a little poll that you can tell us who won. What do you think, Alex?

SPEAKER_01 31:40

Yeah, if we're gonna do debates, we should we should poll the listeners on the side. Oh, we totally should. We'll find a very easy way to do the poll, and we would love it if you responded um to the poll. That would be awesome. Uh yeah. And there's no hard feelings here. Jen and I are best buds. We're not gonna get upset with it. And I hope that we were also respectful during the debate, unlike politicians in the United States these days talking over each other.

SPEAKER_00 32:05

We keep it respectful on this podcast. But yeah, we'd love to see what you think and sh you know, share with us your experiences. Maybe you have some even better reasons than we do why your um own workout is in the gym or at home. That aside, though, let's face it, I mean, there are gonna be times when you have to work out from home or in a hotel room, etc. So, Alex, what are some practical tips for building this home gym of your dreams without breaking the bank if people are so inclined?

SPEAKER_01 32:32

Yeah, I'm I'm excited to talk about this. So I did an entire post on this last year before we started the podcast over on Practically Fit. You can go back and find that. It's called How to Build an Awesome Home Gym. And I laid out in that post actual what I would call levels of home gym. So it's there's four different levels. I I really enjoyed writing that. So go check that out if you get a chance. But a couple of general tips I would provide, you know, outside of that post that went into the different types of equipment you can get is number one, just start simple. Um, so you could start with something as simple as a body weight setup. You a yoga mat, a pull-up bar that you put on your door, even if you have a small living space, if you have an open doorway in an apartment, you can you can find a pull-up bar that will fit in there. And you're set for a home gym, $50 to $75. So it can be as easy as that to get started. Uh, then maybe you add on like a kettlebell or a couple of dumbbells, like Jen has. You know, if you have room for a bench, it's preferable over a coffee table, but you know, you can get creative, you can you can do exercises on the floor and standing and so forth. So uh my advice is to start simple and you can really keep the cost down that way. Um a second tip would be to take a consistent approach to the way you build out the gym. So um if you're if you're building this out, especially like in a garage or a shed or somewhere where you have a little more space, I would I would try to build it out with a consistent theme. So, what I mean by that is if you're a barbell person, focus on building out your barbell options because again, things can get expensive the more you add to the gym. So you you might want like a squat, like an all-purpose squat rack and a good set of barbells uh in a bench, and you could have a really nice barbell setup. But build that out fully. Don't like buy one piece of it and then you know switch to something else. Or if you're a dumbbell person like I am, as I get older, I like the mobility, uh, the freedom of mobility that dumbbells provide compared to barbells. I think it's easier on my joints because I have that freedom of movement. So um I've been adding dumbbells to my collection slowly over time, and I've really focused on building that out in my home gym. Number three, research your equipment. Don't just buy things on a whim. Make sure the equipment has good reviews. And so don't just go off like Amazon reviews. Go out on the internet and do some research. Uh, find some good deals on the types of equipment you're looking for. You'll be able to find anything you're looking for on the internet in terms of reviews. I mean, I'll give you a great example. Um, speaking of Amazon, they do have um some basic dumbbells on Amazon in that Amazon basics collection that are really high quality, high quality dumbbells, reasonably priced compared to other brands. Uh, so that's something where, you know, I found that through a review, and I I've used that brand to build out my dumbbell collection. Uh, there's also low-cost equipment that you can buy, um, and you can find this stuff through research, but like great examples, an ab wheel, push-up handles, these things are under $10, and they'll give you great value on your home workout. So do a lot of research on the equipment before you buy something. I don't recommend just like running over to Target or Dixon buying the first piece of equipment that you see.

SPEAKER_00 35:46

Yeah, I think that's really good advice. You know, I I've heard though that your dumbbell collection is getting a little out of hand.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

Yeah, well, you know, it's uh I've stopped at the 55s for now, and uh the way that my shoulder is these days, I don't see going much beyond that in the future, but we'll see. Maybe, maybe I'll have a breakthrough on my shoulder mobility, which by the way, it's not good because of bench pressing with barbells uh back in the day. I heard it. Yeah, that's why I like the dumbbells now. But even as I start to get heavier, it's really hard. So yeah, yeah, my my wife gives me a hard time about the dumbbell collection. So um, my final tip is to make purchases that are utilitarian. And by that I mean equipment with that you can do multiple exercises. So, a great example from from my collection this year is I bought a set of adjustable uh resistance bands, an expensive set that I found uh through reviews, looked at different brands and pricing and found them on Amazon. Um, and they adjust from like a really light resistance all the way up to a heavier resistance band. And the great thing about those, very utilitarian. You can do so many different exercises with exercises with them. You can supplement your dumbbell workouts, your body weight workouts. Finding purchases like that where you can do multiple things with the equipment. Um, I talked about dumbbells. Uh, you can get adjustable dumbbell sets, those are very popular. There are some high-quality adjustable dumbbell sets, they're expensive, but they will save you money compared to having different weights of dumbbells, like separate dumbbells. So that's an option in terms of being utilitarian. And even something like parallel uh gymnastics bars. I have a pair of those. I can do really deep push-ups on them. I could do L sits. If you're really crazy, you could do like body weight handstands on them. Those are, again, a piece of equipment that can be used for multiple exercises. So doing some research again and then finding these purchases that are utilitarian, even things that you can take with you when you go places. So a kettlebell is very utilitarian. You can do multiple exercises with it. You can probably take it to the park. You can take your resistance bands, your yoga mat to the park if you're if you want to get out of the house. So utilitarian purchases will serve you well over the long run.

SPEAKER_00 38:00

Okay, those are some excellent tips. I will agree. And um, you know, you mentioned utilitarian. I will say, you know, I do occasionally have to work out either in my tiny apartment or on the road because I travel a lot. So um those things that are portable are super helpful. Um, my own key pieces of equipment are a yoga mat, uh 15-pound kettlebell. I don't really take that too many places because in addition to having a tiny apartment, I drive a tiny car and I I feel like even that weight would make a difference. But anyway, um, pair of dumbbells, some resistance bands, and a jump rope. I think that is a highly underrated piece of equipment. It's so portable I can stick it in my suitcase and get a little workout, a little cardio workout in wherever I am. So that and some resistance bands are like super portable and one of my go-tos for travel.

SPEAKER_01 38:46

Yeah, I agree. Jump rope is extremely utilitarian, extremely beneficial. I saw a really inspirational video the other day on TikTok by a content creator, and I I apologize off the top of my head, I don't remember his name. I've been following him. But he was talking about when he first started running, he's a runner now, and uh he's been competing in races and so forth. But the way that he built up his fitness was just starting with a jump rope. I thought it was so inspiring the way he talked about it. So that's a great piece of equipment as well.

SPEAKER_00 39:14

Wow, that's so cool. I'll have to look that up too. Um, the other thing I'll say in terms of practical advice if you are going to join a gym, um, like Alex said, research is really important. Read reviews. People are pretty um honest in their reviews of gyms. So that's something to um give you some insight. Also, try before you buy. Um, a lot of gyms will try to pressure you into you know buying a membership that you know perhaps auto-renews. And I would say, you know, push back on that, give it a good try and make sure you feel comfortable at the gym before you make a big financial commitment. It's really important. And um, like Alex said earlier, we should all feel comfortable where we work out. So those would be my practical tips for joining a gym.

SPEAKER_01 39:55

Yeah, and Jen, one other thing to mention, um, depending on your health insurance and where you work, um, a lot of companies are now offering discounts uh through their health insurance. So great. That's another avenue. And I I've seen now that many companies will provide these discounts on gyms, and you can basically go to any of the big box gyms. So check into that if you have um you know if you work for a company that has you know stronger health benefits, because that can be something that you may not even be aware of. Excellent point. All right. So there you have it. Whether you choose to join a gym like Jen or build your own home gym like me really depends on works, what works best for you and what's going to help you best meet your fitness goal. So really enjoyed debating this with you today, Jen. One thing I would take, yeah, one thing I would take away from this is some of it is conditional or situational, right? Like uh motivation is a key thing. If you don't have the motivation, neither one of these is going to work well. But you know, if you live in a tiny apartment or in a place where you're constrained, the gym membership makes a lot of sense. If you get a membership three free through your work, that makes a lot of sense. But also, if you're, you know, perhaps you're a remote or hybrid worker, that could be very beneficial in terms of having a home gym. Uh, maybe you just enjoy getting equipment at home. That's a fun thing for you. You could be a good candidate for a home gym if you're a gear person like me. So I really think there is a bit of conditional input into this decision, depending on, you know, where you are in your life and your work and your family and where you live and all of that. So it's really a fascinating thing to debate. We'll put up a poll and let y'all decide who won the debate.

SPEAKER_00 41:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

That's it for this week. Join us next week when we talk about the mental health benefits of fitness. This is a topic that's really close to Jen and I's hearts. It's something that's really meaningful to us. Uh, so we'll be talking about that next week on the podcast. As always, head out to practically.fit, sign up for our weekly newsletter. Uh, you'll get the podcast directly to your inbox. You can comment on the shows or on our other newsletter posts. We have a lot of great content out there. Please go check it out. The newsletter is growing. We really appreciate everybody who's subscribing. If you have questions, please again leave them on the website, or you can email me alex at practically. But until the next episode, remember fitness is for everybody.