If you think that you can only get results in a gym, think again. It used to be that I thought so, too, but actually, you can be more fit (and certainly more efficient) if you don't. By doing so, you can still get in a workout at least six days a week, if not more, and maintain those killer abs, too.
What are some things you lose (to your advantage) when you stop going to the gym?
1. Wasted time on travel and changing clothes
Well, you don't have to drive to the gym anymore, so that cuts out travel time. And, you're not changing in and out of street clothes into workout gear in the locker room, either.
2. Following the "sheep mentality"
When you work out in the gym, there's something called the "sheep mentality" that can actually be to your disadvantage. Most people who work out at the gym do so because they want to fit into what infomercials and fitness magazines say they must do. That means when you go to the gym, it's likely that you're going to do what everyone else does instead of what's truly beneficial for you.
Let's take an example. Instead of doing hours of cardio, you can do several minutes of intense interval training and burn fat on your belly, hips and thighs that simply seems permanent.
The guys are no better, because they might work chest, bicep or ab muscles to "look good," but they also take really long rests between upper body exercises. In other words, they could probably bench 300 pounds or more, but full range of motion push-ups using just their body weight is something they probably could NOT do.
Instead of doing what everyone else in the gym is doing, do something that really works. And, you can do this at home.
3. Waiting for your turn
When you're at the gym, it's likely that you spend a lot of time waiting around just to use a piece of equipment. In fact, 10 to 20 minutes of workout can be spent doing just that, when you could be doing something much more valuable. Not only is this bad for your workout momentum, but it actually is a detriment to your workout itself because you continually "warm up" and "cool down". In addition, you are continually on a "stop and go" basis, which is completely counterproductive because what you really want to do is a work to rest ratio with an alternating set format. This will help you burn fat and lose weight fast, which is what most people want to do when they work out.
So instead of doing that, try this at home: do 50 seconds of work, and then 10 seconds of transition and rest. Incorporate that into a five-exercise total body strength circuit. You can't do this in a gym, because there's too much wait time. But you can do this at home. So get yourself a couple of good pieces of exercise equipment you'll really use, and be in control of your own workout.
4. You can get sick at the gym
Let's face it. People carry cold and flu (and leave their germs all over equipment) to the gym just like they do anyplace else. Yes, gym personnel try very hard to clean up the equipment, but at the end of the day, there's only so much they can do and they can't keep the gym sterile. So a better way to stay healthy is to work out at home, where the only germs you are going to encounter are your own.
5. Nasty people
Let's face it. People can be annoying. You're in your zone, working out, and someone wants to talk to you. What kind of way to get results is that? For a lot of people, going to the gym doesn't mean "working out." It means "socializing." In addition, it's not entirely pleasant to have someone watching you when you're in the middle of your workouts. In fact, it can be downright irritating.
Worse yet is when someone asks you about your workout routine. If they're so interested, they can pay for a trainer themselves. Heck, they're even sometimes provided free with gym membership. So to avoid all of these annoyances, work out at home. It'll save you time and headaches, too. Best of all, you can do it in just about 20 minutes.
6. Membership expenses
Gym memberships can be expensive. How much better would it be to invest in some good quality equipment that you only have to pay for once and then work out for free (beyond that initial cost) for years to come?
7. Broken equipment, or equipment that doesn't do what it says it does
When you get your own equipment, you know it's going to work the way you want it to, and be best for your body. Too often, gym machines don't work the way they supposed to, or they're completely useless. They can cause injury because your body moves in ways that it wasn't designed to. Better to invest in some of your own equipment that you know Is going to work for you, and leave it at that.
8. No space to really train in
A lot of the time, gyms are filled up with oversized machines that take up all of the valuable floor space so that there's no space to do "body only" exercises like lunges. Yet another reason to stay home.
9. Dependence on the facility
Much of the time, a gym forces you to become dependent on them. If you're used to using certain machines, all of a sudden you're not able to work out when you travel or can't go to your home gym. Most people use that as an excuse to take some time off of their workouts until they get home, which can be killer for progress and consistency.
Instead, exercises that depend on your body weight let you exercise anywhere, anytime. You get the same results or better than those that you get at the gym, and you can do them anywhere.
10. Bad trainers
A lot of trainers really don't know what they're doing. Basically, agencies that may or may not be above board certify them. Typically, if you go to a gym, you're in a "fitness factory." The gym wants you to go in, stay a little bit, and then go out. They don't care if you reach your fitness goals and they don't want to build a relationship with you. They just want their quota, and you help fill that quota.
So instead of using a trainer that gets paid $60 an hour and who may or may not be truly qualified, invest in some good equipment and do the job yourself with just a little bit of "on-the-job" training.
More than that, though, you don't need a one-hour workout. Gyms (and trainers) simply follow that spiel so as to fill an appointment schedule. It doesn't have much of anything to do with fitness.
A better alternative is to join a boot camp for fitness in your area that'll develop your community as a fit entity in its entirety. And that's going to cost you probably about $20, as opposed to the $60 a personal trainer will charge you. If you can't be disciplined in your workout at home, you can look for trainers using Workout Muse. Change your body, and change your life in less than half the time you typically spend with a trainer, about 30 minutes. And, best of all, this fitness schedule will keep you burning fat for the rest of the day.
So instead of trying to get yourself to go to the gym, set up your own workout space at home for very little cost. If you are dedicated enough, you won't have any problem. If you need someone to help keep you disciplined, try working out with a buddy.
So avoid the gym, and start working out at home instead. You won't be sorry, and you'll see results very quickly, for very little money. No gym rats to be found. What could be better than that?
Train hard!
Dan Clay
