Investing in a home gym is like investing in the S&P 500, it’s always a good idea because it always pays off.
Well, maybe not in the last week or so, but let’s not try to think about that.
The point is investing in a home gym is just that - it is an investment. One that pays incredible dividends. You like that, right? - another stock market reference.
You are for sure going to see the (capital) gains when it comes to funding your account, I mean home gym. Okay, I’m done - no more finances.
While we’ve put out tons of content about what home gym equipment should go in your space, what flooring is best, how to build a home gym on a budget, and many more, we’ve never really done a deep dive into why you should invest in a home gym.
If I’m being honest, maybe it just seemed obvious. Do I need to be convinced to eat steak for dinner? How about to bench press weekly? Or even celebrate Christmas? Of course not. These things are some of the most wonderful things in the world, no debate.
Well, investing in a home gym (for a gym lover) feels just as obvious. Who wouldn’t love a gym but at home?!
But honestly, maybe you aren’t sure, or maybe you have genuinely never considered turning that half-used garage into something truly magical - I mean, I feel like a home gym is kind of like a grown-up version of Disney World, the most magical place on earth.
Okay, if you can’t tell, I love a good home gym. I think it is an incredible investment. However, I don’t want to sit here and talk finances and Disney World - let’s get down to it. Here are the top 5 reasons to invest in a home gym.
#1) It is a good investment.
I was going to name this one “You will save money;” however, that feels a little bit misleading.
Instead, I would look at a home gym as an excellent investment.
Think of it more as the rent versus own debate, especially when it comes to music. Okay, this is an example that will hit home with Generation Y and the old folks in Gen Z. Think back to the old iTunes, you know the kind you had on an iPod Touch or iPod Nano. Back then, buying music was expensive. I mean, to buy an album was $20,+ and everyone remembers the distinct price of a song - $1.29.
Fast-forward to today, and almost no one listens to music this way. Based on the old model, I have thousands of dollars of music on my iPhone currently. Apple Music for the win, right?! I don’t want to hear it from you, Spotify folks.
The only key factor we are missing in the new versus old music debate is this: what happens to all the music on your phone if you stop paying Apple (or Spotify)? Bye-bye. However, in the old model, that was your music after paying. You get to keep it regardless of future payments.
Now, there are pros and cons of both, no doubt. Same thing with home gym versus commercial gyms.
If you are in this gym thing for the long run, investing in a home gym system is the move.
There are two primary ways you are going to save money.
First, on membership and fees. Gym memberships can run from anywhere between $15 and $200+ per month. Now, obviously, this is a huge range; towards the bottom end, we are looking at gyms like Planet Fitness, Crunch Fitness, 24/7 Fitness, etc. Honestly, these are solid gyms, especially for the price point t get your strength training in. Towards the upper end, we are looking at more specialty gyms - CrossFit, yoga memberships, etc.
Let’s just assume your membership is $100 a month. That’s $1200 a year. For $1200, you can build a pretty sweet compact home gym system. After four years, $4800. For $4800, you can build a home gym paradise.
That is going to add up.
This is why I said if you are in it for the long run, you will save money, however, it won’t be immediate.
You are also going to avoid the annoyance of fees and membership increases. Most gyms are going to have some sort of annual fees, and of course, membership rates typically don’t stay the same forever (some gyms do have grandfathered-in rates). All of this to say, the additional fees add up as well.
The second way you will save money is that you only pay for what you want - just like with the old iTunes store. You don’t want to pay for an old Billy Joel album - don’t. You only like Luke Combs, buy every album he’s ever made.
In the same way, your gym membership fees go towards funding the entire gym, which, if you're being honest, you only use 20% of the equipment at most. When’s the last time you’ve used the 2.5 or the 105 lb dumbbells? How about the ab rotation machine or bosu ball? Instead, put your money directly toward the pieces you use the most and own them.
Plus, even if you move, your home gym system goes with you. This is especially cool for anyone looking to move farther from the city. With housing prices going crazy, you may be considering purchasing a house a little bit “in the sticks”. Well, whether your house is in LA or LA (that’s Los Angeles or Louisiana, of course), your home gym investment can go with you.
Honestly, most of the home gym equipment is built to last a lifetime - especially barbells, power racks, dumbbells, kettlebells, weight plates, etc. all with little maintenance needed.
Not to mention, if you ever change your mind on a piece of home gym equipment and decide you just don't use it enough, home gym equipment is one of the easiest things to resell on Facebook Marketplace. Oftentimes, mainly because it just lasts so long, you can recoup most of the original purchase price - especially with things like weight plates and dumbbells.
One bonus way to even make a little bit of money is to train others in your home gym. Now, this requires you to know what you are doing, probably a good idea to have some sort of certification and insurance, but with your own space, you can train others. This will have your investment not only saving you money but making money as well.
Again, will you save money initially? No. Will the investment pay off if you are consistent? Absolutely.
Alright, let’s look at the second reason.
#2 You will save time.
This is BY FAR the biggest reason to invest in a home gym.
And this is a definite one.
You are busy, there’s no doubt about it. We all feel this business is taking a toll on us. You go from kids to work to practice to recital to family time to church to this to that and on and on. Squeezing in gym time can feel impossible some days. But, if you are anything like me, you need that hour at the gym.
No matter how important you believe the gym to be for your short-term and long-term health, there are some days it just feels impossible - I mean, unless you are David Goggins, but even then, there are only so many sustainable 4 am mornings you can pull off.
I know for me personally, working out early is the best thing for me. There is something about knocking it out when no one is going to bother you. If you boss needs you at 5:30 or 6am, you either are likely making big enough bucks for a sick home gym or need a new job.
Or maybe you prefer to train after work. Well, you probably get off at 5 or 5:30 if the meeting runs late. Well, now you can either choose to work out at 6 or have a social life.
The point is, making it to the gym takes some serious commitment, and while it is certainly doable, there’s an easier way. A way that makes consistent gym-going possible.
A home gym makes training that much easier. You have access to all you need just a few feet away. Imagine a world with no excuses. You can carve out 45 minutes, 5 times a week. You can make serious progress with just 4 hours a week.
The problem is that 4 hours can easily turn to 6 with commutes to the gym and back home. Shoot, it may even be up to 7 when you include waiting on equipment at the gym, stopping by the locker room, etc. Moving your gym to your garage, basement, or spare bedroom helps you stay consistent.
The biggest predictor of success in the gym is simply consistency.
You can have the perfect gym plan or fitness routine dialed in for your major muscle groups and the perfect commercial gym to attend with the perfect pre-workout and the perfect gym buddy,, but guess what? If perfection only happens once a week, it won’t cut it.
Life happens and gets in the way. Punch life in the face and invest in a home gym.
Too aggressive, yeah, my bad, but hopefully you get the point.
Even a 15-minute commute to the gym turns into 30 minutes a day. That’s a huge potential time savings.
Two down, three to go.
#3 It’s for the kids
If you have kids or hope to one day, I think this is probably one of the most underrated reasons.
There is a huge difference between mom or dad going to the gym and seeing mom or dad workout.
While we joke a lot about big pecs and biceps, the most important reason to train is to stay healthy for the ones we love most. The second most important reason is big pecs and biceps - the only two major muscle groups of course.
In all seriousness, strength training has been shown to consistently be one of the biggest predictors of longevity and health. Strength training directly correlates to quality of life as you age.
Now, will your kids understand this? Probably not. But let’s look at a home gym from their perspective. What do they see?
They see mom or dad working hard. Sure, you work hard all day at work, but kids have almost no concept of what that looks like. I mean, think about when you were a kid (or even now); you really aren’t sure what your parents probably do all day at work. Sure, you have an idea, but hard work at their jobs is something you probably couldn’t describe well, especially at a young age. Let them see you not only chase fitness goals but also prioritize your fitness goals.
Now, hard work in a home gym? That is easy to see.
Heavy breathing, sweat, grinding through RPE 8 and 9 sets - these are things that are clear for kids to see. Kids certainly learn through seeing. It is one thing to tell your kids to work hard, but what about showing them? Let them see mom or dad working hard in your home gym. Make that a norm in your family, that we are a hard-working family. There is something about physical exertion that is different than any other type of hard work. I truly believe once you’ve consisenlty experienced hard physical work (like that in a gym), it translates to all areas of your life - everything else becomes easier. Your own home gym makes this possible, unlike anything else.
When appropriate, include your kids. What kid doesn’t want to be like mom or dad? They see you doing push-ups or dead hangs on a pull-up bar or planks - let them join. Teach them in these moments the value of pushing and working hard. Of course, this doesn’t have to be “living vicariously through your kids.” We aren’t over here pushing them to be NFL linebackers at 7, but we are teaching them the value of working out from a young age. We want our kids to be good at math, science, and reading, but we shouldn’t forget to allow them to train their bodies and learn to move.
Now, there is no way a commercial gym is letting you bring a 7-year-old with you. It’s just not realistic. However, I’ve seen plenty of videos of kids SAFELY enjoying playing in their own home gym. Notice, I said playing. That’s because it should feel like play.
Some of my favorite memories are from training with my dad. From my pre-teen years, he included me in his workouts, whether it was running or lifting weights. He never pushed me, but allowed me to push myself. It cultivated a love of health, fitness, and sports performance that I still have 15 years later.
Simply put, a home gym allows your kids to see hard work and learn to move and exercise in a safe manner under your supervision. What better way to ensure you can workout than to include your kids and make it family time as well? Will your workout be perfect if your kids are there? Probably not. Will your kids want to be there every time? Likely no. But over the long run, you are giving them an awesome opportunity to join you in working hard.
On to number four.
#4 Your space, your way
We touched on this for a second earlier, but a commercial gym is largely filled with machines and strength training equipment you will simply never use.
Maybe the gym plays music you abhor; I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a commercial gym with good music.
Let’s say you are training to be a powerlifter or simply just enjoy the big three lifts. You can invest in a barbell, plates, a power rack, and some dumbbells and have basically everything you need. Well, except a folding chair to rest in between sets. Only kidding, please don't beat me up.
The point here is that you can create your ideal home gym space.
This even includes decor. Maybe you couldn't care less about decor, or maybe you are already envisioning it.
Whether it’s a Rogue flag, your favorite sports team wall art, the all-black look, or even a motivational poster of Arnold, it's your call. Want a TV in your own home gym, go for it. Find TVs distracting and unnecessary, leave it in the living room.
As for home gym equipment, maybe you never use machines, so don’t include them.
You only use machines; ditch the barbells. You think cardio machines are useless, and the road is all you need- perfect. You want three different types of machines, one for each day - go for it. Home gym equipment decisions are totally up to you.
One type of training that makes a lot of sense for home gyms is CrossFit. This is because membership costs are generally high. Now, of course, you are missing out on coaching and the environment/community, but with some home gym equipment - a rig, barbell, bumper plates, a couple of dumbbells, a box, rings, and a cardio machine, you can adapt almost any CrossFit full body workout to your space.
Having your own home gym is a lot like Burger King - you know, “Have it your way.”
Alright, rounding third and heading for home - except we are on number 5, and there are only four bases in baseball. Anyways, the last home gym pro is coming up.
#5 Peace and solitude
I think this is another huge reason people opt for home gyms.
I know, I personally love an empty gym. Most of my days revolve around people and conversations. So, an empty gym just makes my heart happy.
An empty gym means no waiting for machines, benches, or dumbbells. It means plenty of personal space, and it means no crowds to avoid.
Well, with a home gym, you are guaranteed an empty gym EVERY SINGLE TIME.
This is your space and your time. Honestly, the gym, for many people, is their time to decompress and release stress, myself included. There is nothing better than doing this in an empty home gym. Turn up the music, add some weights, and chase the pump. This is a lifter’s dream.
Now, every once and a while, it is nice to have some company in your home gym, and you certainly have that option as well. Whether that is your spouse, your kids, or one of your buddies. You can invite others to join you, but again, that is up to you.
I think peace and solitude have to be some of the biggest reasons to invest in a gym for home.
There is just something so unexplainable about a quiet home gym to yourself that makes your full body workout that much better.
Now, with all this alone time, be sure you still take safety precautions - things like safety bars for squatting and bench pressing - in your home gym.
