Is the Gym Really Necessary?
Here in the US you can look around and probably find a gym in every town, and sometimes multiple ones within miles of each other. Rows and rows of machines/treadmills, body pump classes all day and enough free weights to go around. But is it working? Are all these gyms helping or hurting? Do you really need the gym or does it need you? I’ll share with you my own journey with gyms and you can see if you can relate to it.
I worked long hours in them
Before I was ever a personal trainer, I belonged to gyms consistently since I was 16 (I remember my first gym, the Jack LaLanne club). I would go 3-5x/wk to workout in some fashion using weights/machines. I also had a set of barbell weights in my basement at home that I used off and on as a teenager, but nothing overly consistent.
Later on in life when I was working as a full time trainer at the gym, that meant pretty much living there almost every day. Early AM clients, clients at noon, more clients at night. Back and forth all day long. It was my main home, with time to go home to get some food or go to sleep and repeat the next day.
But I hit a Wall
I had all the energy in the world when I first quit the corporate world and went full time as a trainer. I was following my passion of helping people after all. But after working many years of training I started to hit my own burnout wall.
I was seeing a gym so much that the last thing I wanted to do on my off time was workout in it (I wanted to get out of there!). This is when I started to explore more outside activities like mountain biking, running trails and even doing sprints at the local HS track. I needed something else in my life to keep me active as the gym was draining the life out of me. It was no longer motivating or fun to be there.
and Back in the Gym
I had to take a mental break (some time off) from full time training to explore other avenues of what else I wanted to pursue, as I was just not loving it anymore. I had to follow my own rule of “if you don’t love what you do…do something else”. From there I began to explore more online fitness consulting, writing (blogging) and coaching, as well as some other projects that stirred my creativity and passion once again.
A funny thing happened after that. I joined a whole new gym where no one knew me (so people would not ask for tips or want to chat with me all the time) and started to enjoy going to the gym again. I was focused and in and out enjoying my own workout.
Why a Gym may be Necessary
One can make the case of why a gym may be necessary, and I can attest to it. If you like going, then it’s going to keep you motivated. The days I could easily talk myself out of a workout, I still drive my butt to the gym and walk through the doors and then get a workout in. Once I am there, I put in the effort.
There was a while (during my gym burnout years) where I tried to keep a consistent workout routine at home with a barbell set and bodyweight exercises. They were good workouts, but the problem became that the consistency was not there for me. Seeing how I also work from home quite a bit as well (off a computer/phone), I was not getting a break from it (much like days of working in the gym).
I really needed to have that separate place for me mentally to keep my workouts going. I needed a place like a gym that got me out of the house, as the weights sitting around at home didn’t give me the motivation (as I could put it off for another hour, or two, or day…etc).
But Why I Do Not Need a Gym
Although I still do alot of bodyweight training with weights at the gym (squats, lunges, pushups, dips, pullups), in a sense I could also do this workout from home, the park or anywhere. I also keep a set of strong resistance bands at home to use on occasion as well (as you can work the whole body with a good set of bands…see the video below).
I enjoyed running group outdoor bootcamps for clients in the past with only bands and bodyweight. You don’t need all that expensive equipment to be healthy, lean and fit. For now, I still do enjoy going to the gym but I really use it for more of the movements (heavier squats/deadlifts) that I can not get with bands/bodyweight training. However, a gym is not a necessity if one can find the motivation to keep a solid workout program going outside of it.
Here’s a great video below from Mike over at Mode Athletics on how to use minimal equipment (bands), while enjoying the scenery outside as well (that amazing background is from Vancouver!). Who wouldn’t want to do that?
My Goals Have Changed Over the Years
Back when I was a teenager, I wanted to get a big bench (I mean, because you had to always answer the question “Whadda Ya Bench?” in high school).
When I went to college I did more bodybuilding workouts and loved working on the “guns” (go ahead, have a good laugh!).
Once I got into the corporate world I worked out pretty regularly with the same type of program, although more traveling made it inconsistent and not that motivating on the road.
As I worked as a trainer I would implement all sorts of new programming on myself just to see how it worked (so I could know what to do for clients). This was a phase of more training using bodyweight/cables and also bands (I rarely trained clients on machines).
Now as I get closer to 40, I look at my training for more sustainability of movement, performance and injury prevention. This means more bodyweight ROM, multi-planar full body movements, explosiveness and most of all keeping it fun and motivating.
Mark Sisson recently shared one of his training philosophies about just wanting to “play”…and I couldn’t agree more!
I spent a fair amount of my life training for grueling endurance contests (marathons, Ironman triathlons, 24-hour relay running events). Only just recently did it occur to me that I NEVER really had fun while I was competing or while I was training. Admittedly, I could sometimes get into “the zone,” but that’s really only a temporary zone of less pain. I did appreciate the valiance of my efforts and certainly felt pride in my accomplishments, but from the time the gun went off until I crossed the finish line, I never once could truthfully say, “Isn’t this fun?” In contrast, today I plan most of my (minimal) training around being able to participate in fun activities later.
So What is the End Result?
When dealing with clients and recommending workouts, I look at 3 main things…their goals, their lifestyle (how busy, what they do) and what is going to be the most “realistic” plan of attack.
It makes no sense for me to make complicated or gym based programming for people who may not even make time to go to the gym. While there may be others who may need that focus on going to the gym (as they wouldn’t do the workout consistently at home either).
But it is also very important for people to realize that workouts don’t have to be at the gym, because you can always do pushups at home or go for a walk around the neighborhood at any time. It is sad to see people who are out of shape, but they have a gym membership paying monthly and they never go (gyms love that by the way…in fact, they run a whole business assuming most will never show up).
Make Your Fitness Lifestyle Fit You!
So you have to focus on making whatever fitness lifestyle works for you. Figure out what will really keep you motivated, what you really will make time for and it doesn’t even have to be overly complicated.
- If you like going to the gym and workout hard there, then do it! Nothing wrong with that as long as you are seeing the results you want.
- If you have a gym membership but never go, time for a reality check. Start adding in more fitness at home when you have time (do 5 minutes of pushups….we all have time for that!). Think of the world as your gym, go out and play! You don’t need to start buying $1000 of home equipment (like everyone does around New Years), instead get a simple workout plan going with simple equipment like bands and your bodyweight. Build up from there first! (You can also read up on our past article on how to setup a simple home gym for equipment ideas/options.)
- Find more things you will enjoy doing such as individual or group based activities. It could be playing tennis with friends, walking your dog, taking hikes on the weekends or even maybe some dancing or martial arts classes. Find what you want to do and get out there and do it! Have an “active lifestyle” mindset, as I know plenty of people who drive to the gym to use a treadmill but won’t walk around their neighborhood!
- Get motivated in what you do through a support group around you (such as forming your own little neighborhood workout club) or measuring progress in what you do somehow (heavier weights at the gym, more rounds of a bodyweight circuit workout). Find a plan and use that as your motivational tool, don’t just “wing it” walking into the gym. Know what you need to do and get it done!
There are many ways to be fit, healthy and lose weight. Many different workout programs, many different types of equipment. But what you need is a plan that will keep you motivated and consistent. If it is not realistic or doesn’t fit your lifestyle (and you will burn out on it), then it is not of value for you. Most of all, have fun!!
What is your fitness lifestyle all about nowadays? What have you learned on your journey?
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Ohhh..great article. The thought process that you “have to go to the gym to workout” is very limited, especially if you are traveling and can’t get to a gym. You give the same advice I give my clients…open yourself up to other ideas about working out. Get outside…break it up.
Mike OD Reply:
So true especially for those who travel. Exercise should be seen as a lifestyle in whatever environment they find themselves in, not just something constrained to behind a gym door.
Absolutely correct! I would argue that people nowadays are LESS fit because they believe they have to go to a gym. I can’t lie, I love the ritual and consistency I had when I went to the gym; it was like church for me. But you can get that consistency (and much more) from intramural practice, scheduled pick up games, or martial arts classes.
People drive 20 minutes to walk on a treadmill while watching “The View” when they could be strolling through a park enjoying a real view. On a side note, in our current economy, State Parks’ funding are being cut. Hailing from Pennsylvania, a committee member just told me park funding was cut by 9 MILLION dollars-the most in state history! Imagine all the money spent on membership fees for big box, impersonal gyms when you could enjoy a jog through a nature trail?
***Gets off soapbox***
Mike OD Reply:
It is sad to see parks funding cut, but more people really need to start using them. Now with lines of treadmills with personal TVs, people would rather do that than actually find some quiet time in nature…and then we get exposed to more crap on TV/news and never find any inner time for our own peace of mind.
I can get a great workout at home with pushups, pullups, and my bowflex dumbbells. However, the one thing that gyms provide that I can’t get at home is extra motivation.
Looking at people who are stronger than me, have bigger muscles than me, or have better bodies than me, motivates me to to lift heavier weights and workout harder.
I just wish gym memberships weren’t so expensive here in Manhattan.
skustes Reply:
Motivation! Couldn’t agree more. I was doing my last set of the heavy day of Wendler’s 5/3/1 program yesterday for deadlifts. Goal was as many reps as possible of 420. I figured I’d crank out 2 and be good. Then I noticed a couple guys watching and cranked up the intensity….I cranked out 4 reps, the first two of which came up like they were 220. Something about those two huge cats watching motivated me to push harder. Had I been in my own garage, I’d have done 2 and been happy.
On the other hand, I love my track days when I can be outside enjoying the weather with no need for headphones to block out the other people around me.
Cheers
Scott
Mike OD Reply:
Motivation is the big factor. Finding a workout partner or group is one of the best ways out there. Get 3 or 4 of your friends and meet up for a workout outside a gym once in a while….or use the gym. Whatever works for motivation and consistency.
One of the advantages of training at a gym is even if you’re not in the mood to train that day you seem to get transformed as soon as you walk into the gym. You feed off of other people’s energy. If you’re really tired you should just skip the workout but on those days when you’re well rested but not in the mood, going to the gym could be a good idea. I’ve had some great workouts at the gym on days when I was not quite in the mood to train.
Best – Mike
Mike OD Reply:
True. If you have a gym where people are training hard, it inspires you to do the same. That and a small cup of coffee beforehand!
Ive been part of an outdoor fitness training group for the better part of two year and am loving it compared to the times I’ve attended a qym. I much prefer the outdoors to inside. Also I find with group training you get ample motivation from others in the group.
Mike OD Reply:
The outdoor bootcamp is becoming more and more popular for that reason alone, group motivation! Of course it all depends on where you live and the weather outside. As a trainer I’ve done them for clients, and it was more fun for me to teach them as well!
Clinton Logue Reply:
Very true. I guess I’m lucky to be living downunder (Oz). We have great weather nearly all year round. That and the fact that most of Australia has been in drought for the past 5-6 year so we’re not allowed to complain when it starts raining
My outdoor training group is also located at a great location were we have the use of an undercover faculty if the weather decides to play up.
[...] Why the gym isn’t essential to your level of [...]
I’m not a workout ascetic, only going to the gym at most for thirty minutes three times a week (with room for rainy days and laziness). However, when I *do* go, I tend to use the environment much the way the 19th century Impressionist painters did; as a place to specifically tune *out* the influence of other people. There’s something about testing your ability to make your own bubble of peace around yourself, ignoring how much other people lift, how loud they scream or what ballgames they’re watching on the screens over your head. Maybe it’s easier to have that perspective when you’re a small guy, pushing 40, and know you’ll never keep up with the beefier types who have been lifting since they were thirteen years old. True, I use my iPod to help me; I listen to lectures on medieval history, Latin language or just good music. But I don’t think I’d feel as “at peace” if I did the same thing with a workout at home. Sometimes, you have to test yourself. A trip to the gym and then keeping one’s mental peace against the clamor while there are ways I do that.
Mike OD Reply:
“There’s something about testing your ability to make your own bubble of peace around yourself, “…..I like that. I do the same thing to ignore all the people around me doing “stupid stuff” and rows of machines I don’t need to use, but rather just like to focus on what I need to do. It’s definitely a good mental exercise, knowing that you don’t need anywhere else to find “peace of mind”.
Can I get an Amen!!?? lol
I’m past ‘approaching 40 (I’m 43) and I think that I’ve FINALLY figured out what I need to do. High school – ‘what’s your bench’ workout. College got me into a powerlifting workout (which is hard when you are 6’1″ and have never weighte more then 200#s), but I got pretty strong. After college – went to the gym and did a less and less version of the college workouts. Then I got lazy.
I sit in front of a computer all day and about 5 years back my pants were getting really uncomfortable. I refuse to buy bigger pants. I started biking to work (20 miles round trip). Lost more the 20 lbs that summer. I would ride until it got too cold or there was ice on the ground then take off and do nothing. Then spring – get the bike back out and ride again in the spring. I was down to ~163 (remember that 6’1″ frame??) I wasn’t looking healthy.
Last year I found Crossfit (and zone then mostly paleo eating). This is not a commercial for Crossfit. I loved it!! The variety. The friendships. The competition. The difficulty of the workouts. But – I was overdoing it. At the gym 5x a week hitting it HARD every day I was there. Lasted a year and I was fit – but I was still pretty darn skinny.
This year – I’ve dropped down to 3x a week at the gym and try to get more sleep. Heavy lift followed by a short high intensity workout. Bodyweight is slowing going up and my pants are fitting the same. Weekends are left to me to do sprints or play with the kids or go for a run or do nothing that is a workout. Doesn’t bother me. That’s the trick. It doesn’t bother me to not workout every day.
Do I still like to lift heavy things? You bet! Am I keeping up with the 20something firemen at the gym? Yep – beating them every now and then. Do I see the sky as the limit for my potential? Nope. Getting stronger. Having fun. Looking good at the pool. Not a bad combination.
Mike OD Reply:
Sounds like you got it down just right Steve! Keep up the great work and yes the weight will come back on little by little (and that is the lasting kind). BTW, I am like you….6’1″ and suffered weight loss during an endurance/metcon phase many years ago (lowest I think was 172), also had a bad shoulder injury preventing me from lifting anything for the upper body for 6 months. Was not happy. Now back up to 190lbs, I do no real endurance stuff except for ice hockey games and occasional trail run/mountain biking.
Because of this website, I’ve invested in some equipment for body-weight workouts, but I’m afraid I may have to rejoin the local gym, even though I don’t like it and wasn’t going regularly. I simply can’t get enough cardio exercise. I’ve tried running in place or doing jumping jacks, but it’s boring. I attempted to do some intervals with an electronic, ropeless jumprope, but all those things are too high-impact for my back, which has been hurting for several days.
I like to walk in good weather, but it’s usually not exercise.
Mike OD Reply:
Finding how you will “realistically” break a sweat for 30 min a day is important. Maybe find a new trail to walk, or grab a partner for motivation. Use the gym on the days it is raining or bad weather. Try other activities as well. Variety will also make it fun, as doing the same thing daily will get boring.
If you prefer to train at home you can save time by not travelling to the gym. As well, you’ll save time by not fluffing around wondering what to do.
Variety is so so important…
I couldn’t live if my only physical activities took place in the confines of a typical gym setting. Outside activities like stair climbing, biking, sprint intervals really keep me sane.
Kudos to Mode for the video!
Mike
Sorry to break it to you dude but if I did burpees like that at our Crossfit gym, the trainer would ask me to leave. Full pushup at the bottom.
[...] To the gym, or not to the gym? Fitness Spotlight delivers a definitive post on the role the gym plays in Primal living. [...]
I agree that having a gym membership, and being inside one is a definite motivator for people to work out. I’m paying for the membership, I might as well use it! Having more “tools” in the environment also helps boost the desire to exercise.
However, I do not go to a gym and I do not have much equipment. The exercises and workouts I do do not require much equipment, and is free. It isn’t easy, but it is rewarding, and I enjoy exercising at home. It is fun; besides, I don’t necessarily like to exercise around others. I think everyone is different, and everyone has their preferences.
[...] finally, the guys over at Fitness Spotlight discuss whether a gym is really necessary or not. You be the judge. I still like my home [...]
[...] finally, the guys over at Fitness Spotlight discuss whether a gym is really necessary or not. You be the judge. I still like my home [...]
Mike-
The great outdoors is my favorite place to work out, so I agree with your suggestion to “think of the world as your gym.”
I think the best workouts are the ones where you don’t even realize you are working out:
-a pickup basketball game
-skateboarding at the local skatepark (an element of Steve Nash’s workout program, btw)
-a hike
-going for a swim
Mix and match a few of these activities every week, throw in 2-3 brief, HIIT bodyweight exercise sessions per week (10-15 min each), and tell me you aren’t in the best shape of your life!
-Ian