Gym vs Videofitness

[nyskier]

This is so much a matter of personal preference. I think a gym is good if you find a really good personal trainer who shows you proper form. After that, you can do the exercises on your own. I have seen good and bad form, both at the gym and on dvds. The best dvds for me have been P90X, Atletica and some by Cathe (Gym Styles, STS). I am not a personal fan of CLX. I did not like the form or moves in those, and I traded the series.

If you want to try a gym, take the advice above and shop around. They all have different feels to them. Find one you will be comfortable with.

[JezthePuff2]

I can only speak for myself, but I don't believe the gym is for me. We have several gyms that would be convenient for me to go to, but still not as convenient as working out at home. DH and I have invested a lot of money in our workout room, and I want to spend my time here. Also, so much of fitness is about diet and about consistency. I'm going to be much more consistent if it's convenient.

DH has a BioForce machine, which he loves. I have a treadmill which I like, though I gravitate to my videos. As far as videos go, I have too many to count. But I love the variety. Right now I'm doing a lot of Firms. But I have my "puke in a bucket" type workouts (i.e., Cathe), and I have my easier workouts (i.e., Leslie). The workouts like Leslie's are also what keep me consistent. I cannot do Cathe (or even The FIRM) every day. And I certainly don't need anything MORE intense than Cathe. She's plenty hard for me.

In addition, I don't like to dress up to work out. My workout clothes are NOTHING I would wear out of the house. Also, I don't want to wait for equipment, touch equipment that isn't clean, or listen to the noise in a gym. And frankly, I don't want to socialize. I have people at me all day. I like to zone out and focus on my workout.

So, for me, I'd say I would get better results at home simply because I like to workout at home.

[Indy]

Whatever setting makes you exercise - then that place it is the one to use. I have friends who have done nothing but use the gym. I mostly work out at home.

There are advantages to both - at home, I'm comfortable, I don't feel the need to wear anything but my old, hole ridden t shirt, there is no travel involved - my house never closes, it is less expensive, Its private . . .

There is something about a gym atmosphere that is motivating, equipment and new methods are always available, there are experts around to ask questions, meeting new friends, no space restrictions etc.

I have worked out at home and attained amazing results - I really believe if you are consistent with healthy eating & exercise - then it doesn't matter where you are. i really don't believe that one is better than the other.

[Jewels5]

Originally Posted by Indy

Whatever setting makes you exercise - then that place it is the one to use. I have friends who have done nothing but use the gym. I mostly work out at home.

There are advantages to both - at home, I'm comfortable, I don't feel the need to wear anything but my old, hole ridden t shirt, there is no travel involved - my house never closes, it is less expensive, Its private . . .

There is something about a gym atmosphere that is motivating, equipment and new methods are always available, there are experts around to ask questions, meeting new friends, no space restrictions etc.

I have worked out at home and attained amazing results - I really believe if you are consistent with healthy eating & exercise - then it doesn't matter where you are. i really don't believe that one is better than the other.

Ditto what Indy said! Whatever setting makes you exercise is what is best!

I have been lucky to be in "shape" for the most part, but I didn't actually see a change in my body until I started working out at home, using videos. Perhaps because I'm able to do it more often? It is also a timesaver not having to drive back and forth, not to mention the time spent socializing before and after workouts, but I kind of miss that. I do agree it's great if you can use a personal trainer to get the proper form down, then take those tips home with you if you prefer working out at home.

I wish I could say I've saved money no longer having a gym membership, but when making fitness purchases I'm always justifying by saying, "Well, I don't belong to a gym anymore!". LOL

[Sophie]

Originally Posted by JezthePuff2

In addition, I don't like to dress up to work out. My workout clothes are NOTHING I would wear out of the house. Also, I don't want to wait for equipment, touch equipment that isn't clean, or listen to the noise in a gym. And frankly, I don't want to socialize. I have people at me all day. I like to zone out and focus on my workout.

So, for me, I'd say I would get better results at home simply because I like to workout at home.

Jez! that's the main thing keeping me from joining the gym! I like being able to work out in my crappy stuff - and the gym at work is by no means a fashionable kind of gym - actually, many people wear crappy stuff. I just don't want to remember to pack mine up, bring it along, shower there, bla bla.

It is noisy and that does get on my nerves. I have to teach activity labs in the gym setting sometimes and by the end of the day I am on my last nerve because of the noise. I also don't want to socialize. The most convenient gym to me is at my workplace, and I know *everyone* there. I do not wish to speak to them. Heck, it's bad enough having to speak to my family during a workout.

I do think that in general, it is great having access to equipment and personnel - but I balk at from the noisy, clangy atmosphere, at least at this point in my life. It could change.

[dela]

I recently joined a gym again and signed up for a 6 week 3x/week class, I do 2-3 workouts at home in addition, and I have had better and faster results now than I have seen in years. I think for me it's best to have both.

When I started working out years ago, it was gym only, I hired a trainer, stayed with him for a course of 2 years, first year no breaks from the trainer at all, 2-3 times/week with him, and then cardio on my own at the gym. I completely changed the shape of my body doing a relatively traditional weight lifting workout with moderate/heavy weights, increasing weight along the way. The weights made me more condensed and strong looking. Actual definition without flexing may never be in my future, but I just had an overall leaner and stronger look.

Then I moved on to at home workouts mainly with Cathe weights and cardio, and when I committed to doing about 6-8 hours/week of at home workouts I finally made more progress that was noticeable.

My next set of improvements came from combining Cathe weights with CKO kick boxing classes for cardio.

But even if I was 100% certain the gym will give me better results, it still comes down to the fact that I will only do the workout if I want to do it. Sometimes, I just can't deal with the whole gym environment and sometimes I really enjoy it. I just go through times where I don't want to be around other people when I am working out.

Although I think I have even confused myself, seems like the answer for me personally is to have a mixture of ways and places to workout.

[goldillocks]

I don’t think it is a matter of one being more effective than the other but a question of which one you prefer and find more enjoyable. The one you find the most enjoyable is going to be the most effective for you.
Personally if I were to choose between the gym and home fitness dvds I would definitely chose the gym but I would certainly miss my home dvds.
I also love working out to dvds but I use them to complement my gym workouts instead of replacing my gym workouts.
For example I mostly use the gym for the weights and resistance training and use my dvds at home for ballet and barre and dance workouts which are not offered at my gym.
I think generally most gyms attract younger and single people who are looking to socialize and find a partner as well whereas most stay at home moms and married working women tend to prefer the privacy of their own homes.

[cristinalatina]

Now that my friend has said goodbye and is on her way back home, I will read through all of your great ideas and suggestions!

I dread the question about my personal preference. I have never been to a gym for a reason...I do not like it! I enjoy walking outdoors and doing home workouts, not exactly gym-style (I prefer barre and pilates), but I have never seen great results. My friend was slimmer than when we were at College, for God's sake! I want the same results!

On the other hand, I did also notice that not only she ate very clean, but also very, very little. I was waking up at night out of hunger! I am 5 feet 5 and weigh 132 lbs, she is 5 feet 1 and weighs 105! I was hungry! She brought me "clean" chocolate chip cookies though...I will post the recipe at the recipe box if it turns out well, they were really yummy!

[JezthePuff2]

Originally Posted by cristinalatina

On the other hand, I did also notice that not only she ate very clean, but also very, very little. I was waking up at night out of hunger! I am 5 feet 5 and weigh 132 lbs, she is 5 feet 1 and weighs 105! I was hungry! She brought me "clean" chocolate chip cookies though...I will post the recipe at the recipe box if it turns out well, they were really yummy!

My opinion is that her results are more from diet than the kind of workouts she does. And your height/ratio isn't all that far from hers. I would be very happy at your height/weight!

[Kyra]

I think the best place for YOU is where YOU will do your workouts. For me, it's the gym and the road, although I think videos are a fun diversion. For other people the gym is too intimidating/inconvenient/unappealing/whatever and videos/home workouts are the way it has to be.

As for you - if you've never been to a gym, you don't know what you're missing, for good or for bad. If you're curious, go. If you're happy - you're happy. If you're not getting the "results" you want, it may or may not have anything to do with whether you use a gym or videos - the gym isn't a magic fitness bullet, any more than a video system is. It's all you, baby!