It’s easy to have strong opinions on polarizing choices. For example, look at the age-old “cat people” vs “dog people” debate. Or the “hard egg” vs “soft egg” breakfast battle. And who can forget the great war of “Android” vs “iPhone?” One such polarizing opinion that might be a little more nuanced, though, is the question of “home gym” or “membership gym.” At Trojan, we’re solidly on team “home gym,” and we’re using this article to tell you why.
We know there are distinct advantages to both options, and those advantages vary for everyone, as exercise is a deeply personal endeavour. We think the benefits of a home gym are more significant and aciting, and that’s why we’ve created a range of products that will help you build yours at an affordable price without sacrificing quality. These are the reasons we think a home gym is the best solution for everyone looking to level up their fitness, from beginners to season workout pros:
- No monthly membership cost
A 12-month premium gym membership in one of South Africa’s leading commercial gyms could set you back over thirty thousand rand! This is a significant cost just to move your body, and though it may come with some fun-to-have amenities, that cost is far out of many people’s budgets.
The cost is also ongoing, and fees increase yearly. Yikes! When you set up a home gym, you’re incurring a once-off cost for unlimited use and you don’t have to keep feeling those debit order blues on the first of every month in exchange for meeting your fitness goals. Plus, those gym restaurants aren’t exactly budget-friendly. R38 post-yoga bottles of water really add up when you’re visiting the gym four times a week.
- Available 24/7
The most infuriating part of every perfectly-curated TV show about beautiful people isn’t how their makeup is flawless, even mid-tragedy. It’s that somehow, their morning routine always consists of a full workout, breakfast and an aesthetically pleasing mirror montage before heading off to work. How do they have time? Are they waking up at 3:30 AM every day? Were they not just at a cocktail party?
We know real life doesn’t work like that. Everyone who’s juggling a career, social life, family and wellness knows there’s no ultimately convenient time to take off in trading hours to get your body moving. Home gyms are available whenever YOU have a gap, meaning you don’t have to skip your workout because life got in the way.
- No wasted time commuting
Pop quiz: When do most people have time to go to the gym? Early in the morning and early in the evening. And when is traffic the most time-consuming, soul-destroying and anxiety-inducing? … you guessed it. Around the same time. There’s nothing to kill that post-training buzz like getting cut off 6 times in the 40 minutes it takes you to drive the 5km home from the gym.
Why stay on the roads during peak traffic when the only intersection you could encounter would be bumping into your cat in the short walk to your home gym? There’s no need to add extra stress to what should be a stress-relieving activity, and you can actively reduce that possibility by bringing your workouts home. Plus, with petrol at a wallet-shuddering high, staying put seems like the most frugal route to take.
- You don’t have to share equipment
Picture this: you’ve been waiting a full 15 minutes for the one leg press machine in the whole gym to free up from what seems to be the world’s most intense and laborious leg day. You’re about to finish your circuit and you really need to get this last set in. You walk up to the machine and there IT is. The dreaded sweaty butt-print. Not only did the person before you do more leg presses than you thought humanly possible but they also made the mortifying mistake of not wiping down the machine – and there’s no way you’re touching THAT.
With a home gym, you don’t have to worry about wasting time or coming into contact with unhygienic gym bros unless you purposefully invite them into your house, and that’s on you. You’ll also never have to deal with mangled weight racks and missing bits and pieces because you’re the only one using your space.
- Absolute focus and no time lost chatting.
For all the fun friends you can make and things you can learn when you start your fitness journey, at the core of the process is just one concept: optimising your body for your goals. That process takes focus, discipline, and willpower.
When you’ve crafted your own, distraction-free space, achieving that state of mind and pushing your limits becomes much easier. Your personalised, optimised space will become your temple of focus and your sanctuary during stressful times. Think of a home gym like your very own “Batcave” but instead of battling people in ridiculous clown costumes, you’re defeating the milestones you’ve established in reaching your potential. You get to be your own superhero, with your home gym as your fortress of solitude.
So, you’re interested in creating a home gym… what now?
Now that we’ve convinced you to bring your workouts home, it’s time to get moving, figuratively and literally!
If you’ve decided to try out a home gym (great choice BTW), visualise it first in our Thor Gym Builder, then take a look at some of these Trojan home gym essentials:
However you choose to move your body is a step towards health, just make sure you’re doing it with high-quality, pocket-friendly Trojan gear – all from the comfort of your lounge!
