Gym or buy own equipment

munsterkerryfan

Hi,

I am new to this forum and am hoping some of you could give me some advice.

I was relatively fit up until about 2 years ago but due to a combination of work/laziness, I am now approx 2.5 stones overweight. About 2 months ago, I decided I needed to do something about this so I started some road running and tried to improve my diet.

The road running is going pretty well (I have slowly built it up to approx 30 mins 3 days a week and am trying to get as far as 45 mins a day by the end of the summer). My diet is slowly improving too but it is not perfect. I am lost weight quickly in the first month and I am slowly getting fitter but the effects seem to have eased off recently.

I think to take it to the next level, I need to start doing some weights. At the moment, a gym which is convenient to both home and work is available to me for €300 for 12 months. It is a good gym which rarely has queues for equipment.

I also have a spare room in my house which could potentially be used to house weight's etc. I would be interested in buying the equipment if I thought it was cost effective and I could get a good programme which I could use.

Has anybody any opinions on this - which would be better - join a gym for the year or buy gym equipment for approx 300euro???

rubadub

Are you going to just use equipment for 1 year and then give up? if not then plan ahead to see the real savings. 4 years would be €1,200 which would get you a very good setup. I workout at home and if I got €300 I could probably kit myself out from scratch again. Ideally I would have a powerrack, but I get by with gymnastic rings, standard weights & a few bars, dip belt, dip station, chinup bar -and I could probably get that for €300, esp. if you look on adverts & buy&sell for weights.

Some people like the motivation of the gym, and could get training or advice. I far prefer to workout at home, and reading that annoying gym thread puts me off even more -the only pervert in my shower is me!

It really depends on yourself, I have only worked out in a gym once in my life, a hotel gym and it is not for me, I have gotten a fair few free trials in gyms but never bothered to go.

47

It`d probably be bset join a gym unless you are willing to pay a small fortune for a home gym. The investment wil pay off and it is better to train at home imo no ques no feckers hogging equipment and no travel time. I found I trained more when I set up my home gym. However it is expensive I spent 4 thousand euro on my equipment.

Colm_OReilly

Four thousand? What did you buy?

47

Power Rack,eleiko barbell and weights up too 300 kg,a full set of dumb bells up 40 kg and then went a got more up too 70 kg, a bench, a trx, floor mats,some strongman equipment and a few other bits, I`ve been blessed with plenty of space in my garage lol a freind of mine also uses my gym with me and he`s buying more equipment for it. Must post a pic when I get a chance

Brian?

47 wrote: »

Power Rack,eleiko barbell and weights up too 300 kg,a full set of dumb bells up 40 kg and then went a got more up too 70 kg, a bench, a trx, floor mats,some strongman equipment and a few other bits, I`ve been blessed with plenty of space in my garage lol a freind of mine also uses my gym with me and he`s buying more equipment for it. Must post a pic when I get a chance

That sounds brilliant.

OP, If I had the space for a home gym I'd set one up, I doubt I'd spend 4 grand on it though:

http://www.irish-lifting.com/power-rack-pe-197.html
http://www.irish-lifting.com/140kg-olympic-set-pe-259.html
http://www.irish-lifting.com/doorway-gym-pe-270.html
http://www.irish-lifting.com/flat-incline-bench-pe-164.html

For a start, plus some DB's and extra plates.

d'Oracle

47 wrote: »

Power Rack,eleiko barbell and weights up too 300 kg,a full set of dumb bells up 40 kg and then went a got more up too 70 kg, a bench, a trx, floor mats,some strongman equipment and a few other bits, I`ve been blessed with plenty of space in my garage lol a freind of mine also uses my gym with me and he`s buying more equipment for it. Must post a pic when I get a chance

Damn, sounds sweet.

Edwardius

I agree. 47, I heard all that equipment you got was defective. You're gonna have to send it to me for safe disposal :P

47

Dead Ed wrote: »

I agree. 47, I heard all that equipment you got was defective. You're gonna have to send it to me for safe disposal :P

lol :cool: nice try

smcclaw

47 wrote: »

Power Rack,eleiko barbell and weights up too 300 kg,a full set of dumb bells up 40 kg and then went a got more up too 70 kg, a bench, a trx, floor mats,some strongman equipment and a few other bits, I`ve been blessed with plenty of space in my garage lol a freind of mine also uses my gym with me and he`s buying more equipment for it. Must post a pic when I get a chance

I'd say the Eleiko stuff easily ate up half the 4k. Must be a joy to train there.

47

Yeah the eleiko gear was very steep but worth every penny. Ah yeah I love my little gym I made some serious gains in it both strenght wise and aesthetically and had some of the best workouts of my life.