Day 178 - The Cost of Home Workout Programs

Whenever a discussion comes up regarding home workout programs, more often than not, folks seem to have issue with the price of working out at home.

I guess for me, I look at purchasing fitness gear as an investment. As cliched as it may sound, I purchase things as an investment in my health and fitness. Sure, exercise programs and equipment can be expensive, but they are purchased once, yet could potentially last forever!

When I purchased my first workout program (P90X) back in 2008, I didn't have a whole lot of equipment available to me, but I was still able to modify the program and do it the best I could. As the years have passed, I have made little investments here and there, picking up new equipment and other programs, which has allowed my collection of workout programs and equipment to grow!

The house I am currently in does not have a luxurious gym by any means, in fact, it is quite basic (refer to above video). But, one of the best things, in my opinion, is that it is my home and I feel comfortable there.

I get up in the morning, have a coffee, and head to my gym to workout. When I am done, I shut off the tv, the lights, and then head upstairs to have a shower, all in the comfort of my own home.

Folks who head to these big box gyms have to get in their cars, share locker rooms with others, share equipment with others, share showers with others, etc. Sure, there are definitely some benefits to working out at a gym rather than at home. Your traditional gym has a plethora of equipment. There are times when I wish I had a treadmill or an exercise bike so that for those days when I just feel like doing a bit of cardio, I can hop on my bike or treadmill.

To me though, the pros to cons benefits of working out at home far exceed what I would gain/lose from going to a traditional gym.

Here are a few tips/pieces of advice I have for anyone who wishes to workout at home:

1. Don't feel as though you need to build your entire gym from day 1. Start a program that interests you, and figure out what equipment you need for that particular program. It may take a little monetary investment from the start, but if you buy quality equipment, it should last you a long time, if not a lifetime! I keep adding to my hex dumbbell collection, for example. I purchase the higher-end rubber-coated hex dumbbells. These suckers will last a lifetime!

2. Backup your materials! I am never one to promote or condone piracy, but I believe you have every right to backup your workout programs. It may take a bit of researching and practice to get, but you should be able to 'crack' your workout DVDs so that you can back them up to your computer or an external hard drive. I have a lot of my workout programs backed up, so if for some reason my discs either break or get too scratched to work any more, I can make new copies for myself!

3. Take advantage of portable accessories. If you travel a lot for either work or leisure, take advantage of materials that allow you to workout on the road. Going back to #2, if you have digital backups of your workout programs, you can copy these videos over to your smart phone, tablet computer, etc. Also, aim to pick up a set of resistance bands so that you can just throw them in your suitcase for some resistance training on the go.

4. Make your home gym a nice place to be in! I see a lot of folks who build their home gyms in their basement or garage, where it is cold, damp, has a hard floor, etc. This is a place where you want to be spending an hour or more in every single day, so make sure it is a place you enjoy going to! I like to keep my gym at a nice temperature, I bought some softer flooring to cover the concrete. I put some motivational quotes up on the wall to keep me fired up. I put some big mirrors up on the walls so I can check my form, etc.

Again, it has taken me some time to build my home gym to where it is today, but it is an investment I enjoy making. I like to stay active and have a nice home gym for my wife and I to workout in, so in my eyes, spending money on building a home gym is no different than making mortgage payments, or paying for groceries, it is just something I have to budget for!

Quote of the day:
"Life is not about kissing a**, it’s about kicking a**!"

~ Unknown

Check out my new Website: tylerrobbinsfitness.com



Sponsored By: