Practicing workout routines to your best comfort and lifestyle is a key component to focus on. Now, there are many options out there to choose from. You can decide whether to train from the comfort of your home or join a gym in which you can have access to many different commodities as well. So which workout routines should be the best option for you? Gym or at home? Well, that’s a good question. It all depends on your personal goals and your own lifestyle. Let’s go through some of the pros and cons to choose gym workout or home workout.

Gym workout

Workout routines at the gym offers many facilities and accommodations to suit your needs. There are many types of gyms, here you will need to explore the services offered, fees, etc.

Pros:

• Variety of services: In a gym, you can find different types of options depending on your goals. The layout usually makes it comfortable for you to choose what types of activities to focus on. There you can find space for cardio, weight lifting, group lessons (dance, yoga, martial arts, etc).
• Trained personnel: In a gym, you will have access to the expertise and support of fitness professionals. They will be able to assist you and monitor your progress. You can have a personalized workout plan designed to fit your requirements and fitness goals. Apart from that, they will be able to keep an eye on you to ensure you are doing the exercises correctly. This will help to prevent any type of injury.
• Equipment: Working out at the gym offers the great advantage of having the equipment readily available. You will be able to enjoy using different types of machines. You can also vary your routines and exercises easily.
• Equipment price: If you are a person that does weight lifting, then it is more affordable to train at the gym. You won’t have to worry about investing  in equipment to do the required exercises. So, you save on your budget.
• Motivation: While you are at the gym, other people are training also to improve themselves. This is the most important part, especially when you are starting out, not only the trainers will be there, but you will be able to meet other pals and make workout friends.
• Schedule: Since gyms have an opening and closing schedule, you will be forced to fit into a schedule to attend for your routines. This is also true if you work on a 9-5 job. It is easier to accommodate working out at the gym before starting your shift or after your shift. 

Cons:

• Membership fees: This could be a disadvantage for you if where you live there aren’t any affordable gyms. If you are not into weight lifting and would rather enjoy outdoor running, then paying a gym fee may not something you are interested in.
• Making lines: Oh, this is the top con for me when it comes to a gym that is full. Since you have to share the equipment, sometimes your workout time could be extended. Waiting in line to use equipment is not funny at all, but that depends on how big the gym is and the time of day.
• Lack of privacy: If you are shy or very introvert, going to the gym for the first time may be a little awkward for you. You will have people around you, and sometimes making mistakes or feeling ashamed may happen. This should not be a problem, though, the main focus should be to work on yourself.
• Hygiene: Many people may be concerned of the public restroom services and showers. If you are delicate in that sense, you may prefer getting ready at home.
• Distractions: Depending on how you see it, you may get distracted at the gym. Knowing people or simply hanging out in a conversation can happen by being at the gym. However, this can be easily solved by carrying a pair of headphones!
• Location: Some gyms may not be located close by and you may need to travel to workout. Not every gym is around the corner. However, you can get around that by walking towards the nearest gym. This will help you warm up before you get started.

Home workout

Pros

• Comfort: Workout routines at home give you the comfort of doing the exercises you like, in whatever space you choose, however you want to them. You don’t even have to worry about the gear you are wearing.
• Schedule flexibility: This is a big advantage. You can even choose to exercise late at night or in the early morning if you like. There is no need to be rushing because the gym would close at a certain hour.
• No fees: This is also a great pro when it comes to saving money. You can find workout alternatives to do at home or outdoors, without paying monthly memberships.
• Privacy: You have the freedom to move around or do as you like without worrying of behaving a certain way in front of others. You can workout in a quiet setting or you can tune into your own music.
• No sharing of equipment, no lines: You have total control of your space and equipment. The best part is that you don’t have to be concerned about waiting.
• Hygiene: This is a huge pro. Here, you can shower or get prepared at the comfort of your home.
• Location free: There is no need to worry about leaving your home to start exercising, especially if your time is limited.

Pro tip: One thing about working out at home, is that you can easily adapt and perform your exercises with little to no equipment. And if you use them the right way, trust me, you’ll get results. I always use resistance bands when I workout at home. The ones I’m using for upper body, come in 3 resistance levels, and for lower body, I use the 3 level glute bands. I love these last ones because their material is so effective, they don’t slip and help to put more tension on your muscles. For my core workouts, I’m using Alta Fitness gear. You can get these below, from Alta Fitness. You’ll get a 20% discount on your purchase.

Cons

• No professional trainer: This is a huge disadvantage, as you will have to limit to simple exercises. Especially at the beginning, you want to make sure that you are not risking your health with any bad posture. You need to avoid injuries. You will be responsible to measure your own progress, and that is a huge issue if you want to take your results to the next level.
• No professional assessment: Besides having less safety and workout routines limitation, you may lack professional guide on how to maximize fitness results. Unless you have a personal trainer come over to your home, you won’t have that easy access of an early assessment and follow-up.
• Limited exercises: Another great disadvantage is that you won’t have specialized equipment at home. If you want to train for weight gains, bear in mind that investment will be necessary.
• Consistency: It’s usually more difficult to keep up with the consistency when training at home than at the gym. There are many factors: little or no investment made, home comfort, home chore distractions, kids, etc.
• Motivation: You will be your own cheerleader. You will need to make the time and daily effort to keep up with your progress even when no one is around you.
• You will need to research your own workout routines: There are resources online where you can find exercise routines. However, you will need to do your own research and make sure to find reliable sources. You also need to measure if those exercise tutorials are for you according to your condition and needs.

Finally: Which workout routines fit best?…

When making a decision such as whether the gym or at home workout routines, you need to gauge your own personal life. Another main factor to determine if a gym workout or home workout is for you, is to think about your goals. Why do you want to exercise for? Do you train for leasure, to maintain yourself healthy, improve your fitness results or take it to a competition level? Deciding which is your main goal is crucial to focus on the type of workout routines. Comment and share with your friends, let me know your experiences.

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