Reader Q&A - Can a home workout be as effective as a gym?

Today’s post is a response to a question posed by a reader. Here’s an excerpt from his email:

My local gym had a trial month, and I enjoyed the wide range of equipment but the normal monthly rate is just too high. So instead I’ve been thinking of getting a cross trainer (around $200) for home and doing other exercises that don’t need any equipment. Does that sound reasonable or do you need all that special equipment the gym has to offer? Also, how does the use of a cross trainer compare to a home trainer? To jogging? To swimming?

Maybe I should mention that I’m mostly interested in:

• losing some weight
• becoming fitter (I haven’t done sports for 10 years)
• getting my back into shape (I’m sitting at a computer all day)

Let’s start by dealing with the top question.

Home Vs. Gym

There’s no doubt that the gym offers more options than any home could. You have a greater range of machines, weights and facilities at a gym which means you can work out different muscles in multiple ways. However, working out at home can be almost as effective. Will you get a workout at home that’s 100% as good as the gym? No, but you can easily get a great workout at home that’s very close to the gym one. I find that I can do about 80 to 90% of what I want to at home. In fact, the only thing I really can’t do at home is cardio, which this reader is going to address with the purchase of a cross trainer. The only thing I would add is a set of dumbbells. You can easily get a good set with a variety of weights for under $50.

Cross Training vs. Swimming vs. Running

First of all, a terminology clarification. Cross trainer is a word that’s usually used to refer to an elliptical machine. However, it can also be used to refer to one of those home gym sets that offers a wide range of weight exercises, like a bowflex. I’m guessing this reader meant an elliptical machine by the context.

If so, cross trainer is going to be used for a cardio workout. Compared to running, the cross trainer is better in that it’s much lower impact. Your feet and knees are safer on a cross trainer than they are jogging, especially if you intend to jog outside on pavement. However, the cross trainer is a bit lower energy than running, meaning you won’t burn quite as many calories on it as you would running. However, the difference is relatively small and for someone just starting out, I would recommend the elliptical cross trainer over running just because of the lower injury risk.

Swimming on the other hand, is about as close as you can come to a perfect cardio workout. The only problems with swimming are the equipment you need (do you have year round convenient access to a pool?) and the boredom factor (how long can you swim back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and forth without going a little crazy?) If you’re ok with both of these issues, then go with swimming. Personally, I do have access to a pool but I just can’t handle the monotony of swimming. I can’t listen to my iPod or watch TV in the pool, so I choose other forms of cardio.

Summary

I think this reader is off to a good start. I would recommend starting out easy. If you haven’t worked out for ten years, you’re going to find yourself very sore if you overdo things. Do a short weight routine followed by some light cardio three to four times a week. Make sure you adjust your eating habits as well, since exercise alone is not as effective.

Make sure to document everything. That means keeping track of how much you exercise, what exercises you’re doing, what weights and so on. Then, each week, make a small improvement. That could mean staying on the cross trainer an extra minute, adding some weight to a specific exercise or doing an extra rep per set. Just keep increasing things gradually and consistently and you’ll slowly start seeing great results. Remember, you’ve been out of shape for years. You’re not going to fix that in a week or even a month. They key is to gradually improve in ways that you can maintain for the rest of your life.

Related Posts

Ways to cut down on the costs of a gym

A variety of cardio options

Designing a workout, general details

Designing a workout, some specifics

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