Pumping Iron: At Home Or In The Gym?
By Chad N. Mitchell
Freelance Writer
Your Home Magazine

By now, you're either on track with your New Year's resolutions, or you have dismissed them as "good intentions" on how to change your lifestyle and enhance your mind, body and soul for the fleeing year.

But don't let your dreams of a healthier you become a dim memory from the eve of 2003.

For most Americans, the option for a healthier lifestyle begins with diet and exercise. And with strength training, you have two options. You either purchase the equipment for the task. Or, you invest in the time and commitment required for a fruitful health club membership.

"You have different types of people with home gyms," says Gayle Harbison, Membership Director for the Decatur Athletic Club, in Decatur, Illinois. "One individual is the person who purchases the equipment and never uses it. Then, you have the people who also join the club. [The home gym] is a stepping stone for them."

With 14 years in the industry, Harbison sees a lot of people who move from the home gym into the club after they develop their bodies and self-confidence.

"There's the misconception that people who belong to a club are a Barbie or Ken," says Harbison. "That's just not true."

Harbison continues, "The club atmosphere is much more motivating, but the home atmosphere is much more convenient."

Mary Hartman, a middle-aged wife and mother from Decatur who puts in long hours in a medical profession, began with a home gym and moved to the health club.

Hartman advises, "I recommend whatever is convenient for you. If you're going to drive more than ten minutes to a club, get the equipment. If you have the equipment at home, you're more likely to work out at home, rather than drive 15 minutes to go work out."

Hartman, who is a member of the Decatur Athletic Club, alternates use of her home gym and the club based on time and variety.

"We started out with a stationary bike, and that started the whole thing," says Hartman. "I just got hooked on it. After that, we bought a rowing machine, a stepper, and that really got us hooked. When we bought our house in 1989, we decided to dedicate one whole room to our gym. We just started adding equipment. We have a universal weight set with the pulleys. We added an elliptical trainer. Then, we added a weight bench, a Nordic track, and a recumbent bike."

Hartman admits that she and her husband, Randy, have invested roughly $2,000 towards the construction of the exercise room and $6,000 to $8,000 on equipment; however, the equipment purchases were spanned over 20 years.

Hartman adds, "When you buy good equipment, it lasts."

For one Central Illinois gym supplier, high quality products matched with an experienced staff promotes a valued relationship to the customer.

"We have the highest quality equipment in the industry," boasts Joop de Groot, Sales Manager for Body Quest, with various locations in Central Illinois. "We also get a feel for the customer and ask the correct questions. Basically, we match them up with the right piece of equipment."

Body Quest, which sells to about 65 percent home users and 35 percent commercial gyms, carries various cardiovascular equipment by manufacturers such as True, Life Fitness, and Vision Fitness, in addition to home gym systems by Vectra, Tuff Stuff, and Life Fitness.

"The hottest piece of cardiovascular equipment has been tread mills, but the elliptical trainer has been more popular over the past couple of years," says de Groot. "We have a lot of customers who say, 'I want to lose weight. What do I need?' Everybody walks, so we know treadmills are the best piece of equipment."

In fact, Body Quest offers the True treadmill system, which in addition to standard features, offers a highly sophisticated heart rate monitor which keeps the user at his or her target high and low heart rates.

"I would tell people with home exercise equipment to go to a specialty store and get educated," says de Groot. "You should know what you're buying and why."

But if you are still unsure regarding the cost of equipment versus maintenance, the Greater Decatur Y offers a unique computerized personal trainer program, called Fitlinxx.

"It is unique to the individual," says Jeff Rounds, Wellness Center Director for the rapidly growing facility. "The member comes in, logs in to the computer, it shows what their targets are supposed to be and their range of motion. It's basically like a little trainer sitting on your shoulder."

However, with the technology of the commercial gym, there are some trade-offs that relate to convenience and demand.

"The only bad thing about the gym is, there are only certain times you can go and get on the exact machines or benches you want to use," says Jonathan Hamm, a 19-year old Richland Community College student, who is a member of the Greater Decatur Y. "Whenever is most convenient for you is usually the most convenient for everyone else. I would rather work out at a club. But, I like the concept of the home gym, because you can pretty much do whatever you want, whenever you want."

Depending on your level of willpower and motivation, atmosphere sometimes makes the difference on whether or not your New Year's resolution comes to fruition.

"People who work with a partner tend to work out harder and longer," says Wendy Mundhenke, Manager of Fit Club South, in Springfield, Ill. "What people, young and old, need is weight training for muscle strength and cardio to keep their heart in shape."

But before you bench press your body weight or put miles on the treadmill, safety is first.

"One of the positives of our fitness center is, we orientate the user on how to use the equipment safely and correctly," says Mike Mulvaney, Assistant Manager of the Decatur Indoor Sports Complex. "We offer the social interaction with other people, but you are also going to get the interaction with a knowledgeable staff."

Is the jury still out?

Most home gyms in department stores can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,500. For consumer-grade equipment, Body Quest offers elliptical trainers from $1,299 to $3,999, treadmills from $1,499 to $4,999, recumbent bikes from $899 to $1,999, and gym stations from $1,099 to $4,999.

Membership fees from the commercial gyms mentioned range from $27 to $88 per month, based on age, access to various facilities, and individual or family status.

So now, do you remember that promise to yourself on New Year's Day? Whether you would rather enjoy the convenience of a workout in your home, or the camaraderie of friends in the gym, the year is passing. Will you greet 2004 with a renewed spirit?

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Reprinted with permission of Stone Marketing Images, Ltd. - Decatur, IL.