I found out how to get a gym for only $5 a month!

[The Money Monk]

I few years ago I decided to build myself a home weight room instead of paying for a membership to a gym. I did the math and over a ten year period (if I sold my gear at the end for a 50% haircut) I would have spent less than $5 a month.

That's even cheaper than planet fitness, and I have a squat rack and can sweat and grunt all I want!

If you guys are interested in the breakdown of the equipment I have and the cost, you can check out my blog post here:

Shameless plug!: http://secretoftheinternet.com/2015/05/21/build-the-ultimate-home-gym-for-less-5-a-month/

[big_slacker]

Love it, nice iron dungeon!

I can't really squat or DL anymore (back injuries) but I've gone even cheaper. Pair of gymnastics rings, some bands for warmup/prehab and a KB.

[Bajadoc]

Sounds like you are both physically and mentally fit. Nice gym.

[KungfuRabbit]

I actually don't agree with MMM on the home gym concept.

I have a gym that has top of the line equipment, pool, sauna, group classes, and I pay ~$1 / month 

A ton of health insurance places offer gym rebates if you go 12x / month. Coupled with a cheap gym it's free. I call it $1 / month because I usually miss a month 12 times if I'm traveling or crazy busy.

[The Money Monk]

I actually don't agree with MMM on the home gym concept.

I have a gym that has top of the line equipment, pool, sauna, group classes, and I pay ~$1 / month 

A ton of health insurance places offer gym rebates if you go 12x / month. Coupled with a cheap gym it's free. I call it $1 / month because I usually miss a month 12 times if I'm traveling or crazy busy.

yeah i don't think there is a wrong answer. It's about finding out what you want and finding the most efficient way to do it.

If my goals were more bdybuilding oriented I would probably want a more equipped gym and just a weight room (stuff like full dumbbell set, cable machines, chest fly machines, all that stuff. ) My goals are mostly strength so I focus mostly on the big compound lifts that can all be done with a barbell (deadlifts, squats, bench, overhead press, rows, etc)

Also I have done it as much to avoid standard gyms as I have to save money. I hate hate HATE when it is crowded or when I can't find a rack that's empty. Besides, many gyms won't let you do olympic lifts at all. the spotter thing is a pain, but only on bench. nothing else I do needs a spotter.

[The Money Monk]

A ton of health insurance places offer gym rebates if you go 12x / month. Coupled with a cheap gym it's free.

How do they know if you are going or not?

[The Money Monk]

Sounds like you are both physically and mentally fit. Nice gym.

thanks I am working on it. I inspire myself by watching youtube videos of 130 lb women who lift more than me :(

[Flashwit]

It's also good to point out for the people who aren't into weights that you can still get a good workout for incredibly cheap by doing bodyweight exercises at home.

I live in an apartment that has no room for lifting, the building's gym is garbage and frankly dangerous, and the nearby gyms are tiny, overpriced, and packed.

I bought myself a pullup bar years ago and it's still going strong. Combine that with the floor and a couple chairs and you've got everything you need to get a great workout. I've build a good amount of muscle just in the last couple months and it makes it super convenient to bust out small sets whenever you wander past the bar.

[The Money Monk]

It's also good to point out for the people who aren't into weights that you can still get a good workout for incredibly cheap by doing bodyweight exercises at home.

Wait...what?

Do they even lift, bro?!

[Thornto_zqa]

I do yoga. It costs me nothing and provide ultimate fitness.

[cerebus]

I've struggled with this one but for now I think the gym is still the best option I have until I can make plans to do something better. I get a pretty steep discount from the health insurance, it's downstairs from my office, and it has a swimming pool that's clean and I can take the kids there to learn how to swim. I can't find another good solution for the family to stay in shape.

However, if I take the budget that this blog posted, say R10k for a fully equipped basement setup, versus the R350 that we currently pay, it's a little over 2 years to see the cost saving and from then on you have an ideal setup, so I totally get it.

[forummm]

Pump it up!

[The Money Monk]

I've struggled with this one but for now I think the gym is still the best option I have until I can make plans to do something better. I get a pretty steep discount from the health insurance, it's downstairs from my office, and it has a swimming pool that's clean and I can take the kids there to learn how to swim. I can't find another good solution for the family to stay in shape.

However, if I take the budget that this blog posted, say R10k for a fully equipped basement setup, versus the R350 that we currently pay, it's a little over 2 years to see the cost saving and from then on you have an ideal setup, so I totally get it.

Yeah, I mean even if you are paying $50 a month that's still only a few grand every decade. Great if you can lower it, but most important is that, whether home gym or regular gym, we're actually using one lol. Most people aren't at all.

[cerebus]

Yeah, I mean even if you are paying $50 a month that's still only a few grand every decade. Great if you can lower it, but most important is that, whether home gym or regular gym, we're actually using one lol. Most people aren't at all.

I mean the amount of utility I get from it is enormous. I no longer shower at home in the week, even if I have an off day I use the gym to do my showering because I bike in. Sometimes I just go down and use the sauna to unwind. That plus as I say, the swimming times with the boys. I know gyms get their money by people who sign up and then hardly use it so I'm trying to offset their profits.