by Nick Lorenzini

Created on: August 15, 2010

A question concerning many who are just now taking up a fitness regimen is, Should I workout at home or at the gym?

This is particularly pertinent in relation to weight training. With cardio you can run around the neighborhood, for abs you can do crunches on the living room floor. But with resistance training it’s a little different. Sure, you can do pushups or pull-ups, but for someone wanting real, tangible results from their strength training program, these are hardly enough.

They’re going to need to find a weight room.

But what if you can’t stand the gym? What if the generic gym user drives you nuts? What if you’re self-conscious? Or the dude flexing in the mirror makes you want to vomit? There are alternatives.

Like a home gym.

But can you get what you need out of a home lifting set-up? This depends mostly on what you want to accomplish. Are you just looking to beef-up a little, maybe look better naked? Or are you training for a power lifting contest or maybe a bodybuilding competition? If your goals aren’t all that lofty, then a gym may be superfluous; conversely, if you are aiming a little higher, a gym membership may be essential.

But there are other factors that need to be considered.

One major obstacle to someone who prefers the privacy and convenience of a home workout is money. Weights, benches, racks - these all cost money. Extravagantly, at times. A good squat rack can cost anywhere from $100 to $2000. A decent bench-press set can run you up to $800. And that’s not including weights or bars.

But on the other hand, a basic exercise bench won’t hurt your wallet much at $40. A new Olympic bar you can get for only $20. And don’t forget about EBay, Craig’s list and gym liquidation sales. But again, it comes down to what you want to do. A set-up for professional training could cost you into five figures, but a simple home circuit could be pretty near reasonable.

But at most gyms you get an entire weight set-up available to you for what is usually a workable membership fee. Looking around my area, the mean monthly membership cost is about $40/month, some with an enrollment fee up to $150. And that comes with all the other amenities: Cardio equipment, cable equipment, pool, hot tub, steam/sauna, tanning. Again, it comes down to what you need in order to accomplish your goals.

Finances aside, what about privacy? You may not want to hear all that grunting, or see the dudes flexing in the mirrors. You

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