As a home gym owner and huge advocate for the movement towards home gyms, I often overlook the downsides of owning a home gym. However, there are a number of disadvantages to working out at home.
A recent thread on Facebook had users report their perceived disadvantages of building a home gym. We scoured the 500+ comments and condensed them into 6 main points and themes. We took it a step further, though. Below, we provide the disadvantages, and suggestions on how to overcome them.
Even with the inherent issues and disadvantages of home guys, we believe that home gyms are great for you and your family’s health.
Lack of Human Connection and Outside Energy
Easily the most common response to the thread centered on the lack of human connection that comes with having a home gym.
In commercial gyms, we get used to seeing the same people each time we go in. Maybe we start having some small talk or make a new gym buddy. Maybe it’s just a nod to each other in passing. Either way, there are familiar faces.
A busy gym can also bring some energy when you’re feeling down. Even if you don’t talk to anyone. The fact that there are people around and you’re all working on a similar goal – bettering yourself, can lead to an uptick in motivation and energy.
Strategies to Overcome The Lack of Connection:
We can overcome the lack of human connection and outside energy in a home gym by being intentional in two areas.
First, it is imperative that you create a home gym that fits your vibe, is welcoming and brings you energy. You want it to be wholly yours. This may mean special lighting (think super bright, a special colour, or dark and moody), special banners and flags on the wall, or motivational quotes. Your equipment choices and layout can also bring you energy.
Secondly, there are many ways to create a social circle in the home gym community. You could invite a friend or two to workout with you once a week to continue your social connection. Or, you could find the online home gym community. Some home gym Facebook groups have hundreds of posts a day about equipment, training, gym motivation and the like (we’re slowly building our FB group – you can join here). Reddit’s Home Gym subreddit is also a huge social network, with great weekly chats.
Easy to Get Complacent and Life Gets in the Way
The convenience of having a gym just steps away from your living room can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, we can walk to our home gym in seconds to start a workout. On the other, we can always do a couple more things before working out or work out ‘in a bit’.
It is easy for life to get in the way of training when the training space is so intertwined with your life.
Strategies to Stop Life From Getting in the Way:
The best way to stop life from getting in the way of your workouts is to build a schedule or routine that integrates your training and real life. This is how most people training at a commercial gym approach their workouts.
You may have to wake up early and work out before work. Maybe it is as soon as you get home. Or it’s your lunch break when working from home. Either way, set your schedule and make it known to yourself and those around you that you train at a certain time on certain days.
Make an appointment with yourself, for yourself.
Limited Space for the Equipment You’re Used to or Want
Commercial gyms are great because they generally have every piece of equipment you could want. You name it, they probably have it. You can cycle between 3 different bicep curl isolation machines if you really want to.
Home gyms require a lot more strategy when it comes to equipment selection. You’ll have limited space and a limited budget when you purchase equipment.
Often, we will sacrifice isolation-based equipment or speciality equipment for more general equipment in our home gyms. This doesn’t need to be a negative though.
Strategies to Make the Most of Your Space:
The best way to overcome a lack of space for equipment, especially specialized equipment, is by starting with a great plan. Determine your training type, preferred exercises, and goals and then go from there.
Plus, you’ll want to identify equipment that can serve more than one purpose. Things like functional trainer-squat rack combos, flywheels, and free weight options will be your friend when trying to maximize space and bang for your buck.
Most gym companies also offer small-space home gym solutions. Wall-mounted pieces, folding equipment, and easy to store offerings are game changers when trying to work in a confined space.
We built a guide on how to select your home gym equipment, you can read it here.
The Monetary Investment and Constant Upgrades
Like most aspects of life, social media has introduced constant comparison in the home gym community.
Though we can make friends in online groups, we also are bombarded with pictures of beautiful gyms. Keeping up with the Joneses is a real thing.
Many of us feel a need to consistently upgrade our gyms as a result. Our initial gym, which was budget friendly, may quickly become a money pit (at least in the eyes of our partners). We may walk into a spare room or garage and see hundreds or thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment sitting there. This can sting.
The never-ending cycle of new equipment drops and email marketing, plus the hobby of having (and upgrading) a home gym can be tough on the bank account. There’s always something that could be added for a couple hundred dollars.
Strategies to Stay Out of the Rat Race:
This really comes down to understanding what is “enough”. What amount of equipment is enough, what amount of energy spent is enough, what upgrades are enough…
Knowing your long-term gym plan will help you control yourself when you see a new product drop or sale. However, setting aside a bit of money each month and budgeting for your next purchase is a great idea, too. Some look at this as a ‘monthly membership’ to their own gym.
We also need to remember that the equipment we buy is an investment. We’re investing in ourselves and our future, and the equipment itself. Eventually, we can sell our equipment and get a portion back after (hopefully) many years of use.
No Change of Scenery
Switching into workout mode can be hard. Moving from your couch to the corner of your living room to work out can make it even harder.
Not having a change of scenery or environment when it’s time to workout is one of the big downsides of having a home gym. Some people like the commute to the gym because it allows them to unwind. Others use it to pump themselves up. Or maybe leaving the house just allows for some peace and quiet, and time for reflection.
Either way, getting out of the house and into a different environment can help flip the switch in your brain to ‘workout mode’.
Creating Your Own Change of Scenery
There are a few ways to create a new environment and switch into training mode. Physical and mental approaches will help.
First, try to create a physical barrier to separate your workout from the rest of your life. This can be as simple as walking out of the house and into the garage. Maybe, it’s shutting the door behind you as you walk into your basement or spare room gym. The physical separation reminds you that it’s time to work out.
Investing into your gym environment is also huge. Search through social media to get an idea of wall decorations and lighting that can help set the mood. Some people want their gym to be dark and dingey, others bright and spacious. Whatever you’re into is cool. The more this is tailored to your personal style, the more it will feel like entering a different world. It should lead to a mindset shift too. Remember to use music for this, too.
Finally, a warmup routine can help you switch gears. Even something as simple as walking on a treadmill or skipping rope and a few mobility movements can help you mentally prepare for your workout.
Losing Training Partners and Feeling Isolated
At the end of the day, training alone in your home gym can be a bit isolating. This is especially true if you are used to having training partners.
The friendly banter, support and spotting help is missed by many. Most great athletes and strength competitors train with a few others. Training partners can bring energy, and friendship through the struggle of consistently training for years.
Unfortunately, this is something I’ve struggled with over the last few years. I used to train with a group of athletes. We were always pushing each other, striving to do our best and created a great training environment where we were greater than the sum of our parts.
Overcoming a Lack of Training Partners
There are a couple of ways to approach the isolation and lack of training partners. The safety side of things needs to be considered, along with the energy and social components.
From a safety perspective, learning how to lift without a spotter is huge. This may include understanding how to set up your safeties on your rack and learning or practicing missing a lift. (You should do this at a low-ish weight, so you aren’t trying to figure it out at a near max). Keep in mind when you should and shouldn’t use collars – particularly when benching alone.
I use YouTube training videos and podcasts to provide the background banter/rapport/conversation side of the gym that you don’t get when you’re alone. Depending on the type of lift, I may watch videos from California Strength (weightlifting), Nick Bare (general training), or GCN (aerobic). I often listen to the Afternoon Snack podcast when I’m doing a long conditioning session.
Wrapping Up
Training at home is a great thing. However, there are certain parts of home gyms that leave some to be desired compared to commercial gyms.
Most of the drawbacks of home gyms center on the decreased social aspect. A few minor tweaks to your routine and deliberate strategies can help you overcome these issues.
At the end of the day, any type of training in any environment will have pros and cons. And the pros of a home gym will always outweigh any cons that may come with it.