Basic set up bench cross squat rack couple hundred in iron chin up bar some dumb bells a curl bar a roman wheel..can do dips and cardio via my mad hybrid bike and thats home..gym membership at a small indy.24 hr joint that no one is about when im there for the big machines..never no distractions once commited.

That depends entirely upon the person, and their situation.

Unfortunately, one cannot very well try it both ways and see what works because to give that a fair trial, you need to spend a LOT of money at home. I am NOT saying that a person cannot work out effectively with basic, relatively inexpensive, gym equipment at home ... I am just saying that basic gym equipment at home VS an elaborate professional gym isn't a fair comparison.

Personally, I haven't trained in a professional gym in MANY years ... but I am a bit solitary by nature, self driven/disciplined, and I have a bunch of children that I have always enjoyed working out with. Like all my tools, I have always acquired commercial quality equipment ... I'd bet that my Randall StairMaster (the original) is older than most people reading this and it still works just fine. When I bought it, I paid more for it than some cars I have owned, but it has outlasted three or four treadmills.

I started with a Smith Machine, but matriculated to the Hoist system ... Commercial Grade, I think that was about $5-7K (Lord knows what they cost now).

Between all the various bars and plates, I guess I have more than 1000 pounds of iron/steel here, as well as speed and heavy bags.

Then there's the music ... I don't know what they play in the gym these days, but I like to choose and I don't want it pumped into my ears via head phones.

There's also the social aspect. While most of the people I have met in the gym have been fabulous, there are gym personalities that I'd rather not associate with, and it's nice to work out with the wife without knuckleheads coming on to her.

Mostly though, my home gym preference is a family thing. I do NOT ascribe to the notion that children should not work out. BASIC exercise is a good thing, far superior in my view to growing up via X Box. I have old pictures of my baby girl sitting on my chest counting reps for me, and my boys started out on the bench using bars I made out of wooden dowels from the hardware store. I guess I'll get some flames over that, but my children all continue to work out now as adults, military basic training was a walk in the park for them, and none of them has ever had issues with cigarettes, alcohol, drugs or law enforcement.

On the subject of children, the main thing I would say is, "Always encourage, but never push." To see my boys grow up to be nearly a foot taller than I am has been a hoot!

In sum, I guess I would say, start with a gym membership and see how that goes. If life, the universe and everything lead you to go the home gym route, don't buy junk. Commercial quality equipment isn't cheap, but you only have to buy it once.

Best of luck to you whichever way you go.

I have both. I train at home during the week, then travel an hour to train at the gym I want to train at on the weekend. My gym is my pride and joy. I've put a lot of money building it, and decorating it - flags, Arnold tapestry, awards, and bad ass metal sultpure/cutout of my gym's name (fuck yes I named my gym!) hanging from the ceiling. Atmosphere is important! I have a cage rack, and a squat stand, split level platforms for various shit, 1000 lb in plates, several straight and specialty bars, a bike, sand bags, logs, axles, you name it.

I crank the shit out of the death metal and smash fucking plates. Then on the weekend I go train with the boys. Best of both worlds.

I just switched gyms. I'm now in this hole in a wall, and I love it! I never worked with strive machines before and now that I have I tell everyone about them. I haven't seen more then 5 people in this gym at a time and they have over 3000lbs of free weights. Ever seen Ronnie Coleman 's gym? Just like it!

The right gym can be a big motivator. I love my gym and all of its amenities. I look forward to my workouts because I like being there and enjoying all it has to offer. The opposite is true about a bad gym as well. Having equipment at home is great from time to time, but overall, I like the whole gym experience.

Since moving into our new house weve put a pretty nice gym together in our basement, pretty much everything to do a nice full workout for every muscle group and enough to switch it up when the time comes but i just dont get into it for some reason. When i lift at home its like i cant wait to be done, it almost feels like a chore. At the gym its totally different, idk why maybe the people motivate me or something idk. But luckily we got everything for dirt cheap. Its good to have for snowy days or if I wanna hit a lagging muscle a second time just for a short session, but I definitely dont get the kinda workouts in at home as i do at our gym.

I think it's a double edged sword for me, the gym. On a positive I've met some great people over the years, people who I understand and understand me well purely due to our common love of lifting and carving out a stage worthy physique. The other side of the coin is I've also come across lots of dickheads, wannabe tough guys and just utter arse holes in gyms. Our sport attracts a lot of different types.

Train at home? Not for me. I could do it, I have the space but I've never seriously considered it. Having moved house I'm now training in a gym that I don't own which is, to be blunt, a dirty shithole that I'd be embarrassed to own. But guess what? I still like it, it's a place where I "fit in".

Merry Christmas Pege.

Agreed. I have tried home training on a couple of occasions. Purchased great equipment, and spent some time preparing the space. Both times it went well for a few months.....however eventually I lose interest and crave the atmosphere. Gym atmosphere helps motivate me. Even though I hide behind my headphones and train alone, I still enjoy being around the other folks workin out.

I have friends that do it at home and they'll never go back to the gym. To each their own I suppose.