The difference between home fitness and gym

The core difference has never been "which training effect is better", but that the priority of adaptation needs, scene error tolerance, and requirements for exercisers' self-discipline are completely different between the two - there is no absolute superiority, only suitability.

I was locked at home for 8 months during the epidemic, and the annual pass I applied for expired immediately. At first, I was worried about not having the equipment to practice, but then I found out the way through the video: a pair of 20kg adjustable dumbbells, a sliding plate, and the horizontal bar in the community. I suddenly reduced my body fat from 22 to 17, and my arm circumference increased by 2cm. At that time, I was bragging to my friends that gyms would have to close down in the future and home fitness was the future. As a result, I went back to the gym for the first time after the lockdown. As soon as I got on the bench press, I was slapped in the face - before, I could push up to 16kg of dumbbells at home, and the empty bar in the gym was shaking like a sieve after I pushed it for three times.

Don’t think I am an exception. The fitness circle is already very noisy these days: many people who practice body weight training and street fitness don’t go to the gym at all. They can do well with the horizontal bar against the door frame at home and the yoga mat on the floor. There are also many people who have won competition awards.； However, powerlifting and bodybuilding enthusiasts basically stay in the gym. After all, they have to lift heavy weights. There are no squat racks, protective bars, or full-weight barbells. It is impossible to reach the threshold with the equipment at home, and it is easy to get injured if you push hard.

Think about it, if you work 996 every day, you can’t get up until 7:30 in the morning, and your commute still takes an hour, you can’t go out an hour early to catch up with the gym opening just to practice for half an hour, right? At this time, the advantages of staying at home are full. You don’t even need to change into pajamas. You can step on the yoga mat and follow Pamela for 20 minutes. After practicing, you can take a shower and eat directly. You even save time on the road. If you have social anxiety, you are afraid of being stared at when you wear tights in the gym, and you are afraid of being laughed at if your movements are not standard. You can do it slowly in front of the mirror at home, and you can do whatever is comfortable for you. There is no psychological burden at all. I used to have a female student who always felt like someone was watching her when she first went to the gym. She gave up after practicing for half a month. Later, she followed the live broadcast at home and lost 20 pounds in half a year. Now she can make her own training plan.

But when you are finally at the advanced stage, there are indeed many restrictions at home. Let’s not talk about the safety issues of heavy weights. In order to practice squats at home, a friend of mine gritted his teeth and bought a squat rack for his living room. It took up almost one-third of the space. After using it less than three times, his wife ordered him to hang salted fish. She said that the house was small and it would be difficult to even walk with an iron rack. Even if your home has enough space, if you live in an old community, Liu Genghong can come up and bang on the door three times if you jump downstairs, not to mention the clanging sound of putting a barbell on the ground after deadlifting. Even if the neighbors don't call the police, it's okay. And if you really need to practice to a certain level, progressive overload requires you to keep adding weight. A pair of adjustable dumbbells can only be 40kg at most. If you add more, a set of barbell plates and equipment will cost several thousand, and you won't have room to put it.

There is another very realistic point: for most ordinary people, it is too easy to give up on home fitness. Halfway through the practice, I wanted to lie down on the sofa and take a break. While I was resting, I took out my phone and watched short videos for half an hour. When I thought about it, it was time to eat. The gym is different. You put on your sportswear and go out, spend money and run away. You are surrounded by people who are pumping iron. There is a certain atmosphere that encourages you to do two more sets. Of course, there are also those who have extremely strong self-control. They set the alarm clock at home and practice at that time. They are unstoppable. Such people can practice well anywhere without having to worry about the venue.

In fact, there is really no need to argue about whether it is better to stay at home or go to the gym. I now spend two nights in the middle of the week doing core and aerobic exercises at home, and I go to the gym to lift heavy weights when I have time on weekends. I get the benefits of both. To put it bluntly, fitness is a very personal matter. If you just want to maintain your activity level and stay in shape, staying at home is enough. ； If you have clear goals of building muscle, preparing for competitions, and hitting weights, the gym can help you avoid a lot of unnecessary pitfalls. The best place is where you are willing to move and persevere.