To Gym Or Not To Gym?…That Is The Question

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Do you have to go to the gym to become a bodybuilder? Is there a greater drive or mental focus if one works out at home, in the great outdoors or in a gym? This article will look at different aspects of bodybuilding in relation to public and private activities and their responses to successful bodybuilding results. The traditional image of a bodybuilder is that of the pumped-up man looking at himself in the mirror whilst pumping iron.

It might make some people want to re-appraisal their desire to even contemplate bodybuilding. However, some people might find that form of public display a driving force to begin and continue bodybuilding. What this article wants to discover is whether environmental attributes are important in bodybuilding results.

Let’s look at the details?

 

Body building from home – What you need?

If you decide to workout from home you will need weights – there is no way you can try to build serious muscle mass without some weight to help tone-up. So, let’s start with dumbbells – Google Shopping has a 10kg dumbbell set with free delivery for £12 – to help you start building muscle. Then next item will be a bench – again Google Shopping has an adjustable bench with free delivery for £48. The bench will be the foundation of your home workout regime. Finally a barbell set – Google Shopping has a 20kg set with free delivery for £ 30. Little pieces like mat, gloves and supports add another ten pounds.

This means you can have a nice compact home bodybuilding centre for £100 – good luck finding a gym with similar annual membership fee!

 

Bodybuilding from home – What to do?

You can plan your workout regime perfectly – there’s no waiting around! So remember to plan breaks and mix it up with some cardio activity once or twice a week – a 5k run would do the trick. Then think about the reps you can do with barbells and dumbbells – the rows, curls, extensions and raises. Research undertaken by scientists regarding home versus gym-based bodybuilding claims the positive effects of home bodybuilding are “based on the psychological security of home-based physical activity in terms of positive mentalities” (Reid, 2000: p1188).

Therefore, you can quite inexpensively body build from home – there is no pressure which is a psychological plus. However, you and you alone are responsible for your workouts. Many people feel they must workout once they’re in a gym – this public humiliation thought-process is non-existent at home. If you want to give up who will stop you or say anything? So are you strong enough to fight the temptations?

 

Bodybuilding at the gym: What you need?

Always visit your gym first – don’t sign-up online because they have some offer or a special deal. Check the place out; ask for a taster sessions this way you can find out if the clientele is either nice and friendly or laddish and “yobbish”. This way you can find somewhere that suits both your needs as an athlete and your needs as a person. Money is a necessity as gym membership in the UK, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS, 2011), costs on average £ 38 a month. This means nearly five hundred pounds a year in fees. This does not take into account clothing, footwear and travel costs.

This increases the price further. However, for the money you get staff support – one to one assistance is always available. The instructors can help new bodybuilders create a plan or strategy. This kind of initial planning can be invaluable and to have the assistance of a trained professional is a big plus.

 

Bodybuilding at the gym: What to do?

At the gym you will have a larger selection of equipment – you’ll obviously have access to dumbbells, barbells and bench presses. However, you will have access to other equipment which will help create a full-body workout experience. The research conducted on gym bodybuilding success highlights “positive public displays of physical activity can help increase positive body imagery – whilst bio-mechanically performing cross-body training that achieves greater results” (Simpkins et al, 2000: p238). The importance of the gym mentality is mirrored in the etiquette and behaviour people outwardly display. This positive mentality can help create a more enjoyable bodybuilding experience because of the social mix – human beings are by their very definitions social creatures. The social link is one of the biggest pluses gyms have in their favour. We are social – either inward or outwardly – which means our psychology and behaviour will be challenged by public displays of activity.

 

Conclusion

You can successfully work out at home at the gym. The research illustrates that people have successfully gained muscle in gyms and at home. However, there are private elements that as an individual people need to recognise. Do you have self-control? Can you workout without public support? These elements are important in helping you to define what you want out of your bodybuilding experience.