Why build your own home gym?
There are some pros and cons when you build your own home gym but definitely more pros than cons.
Pros:
- Save time – When my wife and I lived in Lincoln Park we were a five-minute walk from a Bally’s and a 10-minute drive from an XSport Fitness. I belonged to both and used Bally’s in the morning for easy treadmill cardio and XSport at night for lifting weights since my wife only belonged there. Fast forward to our move to Northwest Chicago and we were suddenly 20-30 minutes from the gym on top of our one-hour commute each way to work. Needless to say we didn’t have much time to work out once we did get to the gym. Then it was time to head home, eat, shower, and head to bed. Now we just get home from work, change clothes, and walk downstairs to either hop on the treadmill or grab a barbell in the squat rack or swing some kettlebells. My wife often doesn’t get home until after 7:30 P.M. so she still has time for a quick workout. Or if we’re heading out of town I can get in a workout before we leave.
- Better equipment – when it’s your gym you don’t have to worry about bent barbells or ripped benches or battered kettlebells that shred your hands, unless you’re an animal and don’t respect what you’ve spent hard-earned money to buy. And no more dreaded hex plates like they have at the gym, which are actually designed that way so you won’t deadlift.
- Your own music – no more will you have to listen to the
- Chalk – use it and love it.
- You can make as much noise as you want. You don’t have to worry about menacing looks from the cardio bunnies when you’re grunting and straining to get that last deadlift rep off the floor. Or getting the same menacing look from said cardio bunnies when you drop that last deadlift rep.