I would choose Option 2 because I would not be willing to bike or drive to the free gym.
There will be occasions where the weather is bad, or you have limited time, and the next door gym would allow for a quick workout.
Thanks for the response! That is what I am leaning towards as well.
The best gym is the one that you will go to. If you consider that biking that far is a workout in itself, you'll save a bit of time on cardio at the gym, at the expense of taking more time to get there. Have you calculated the difference in travel time?
I would say since you already have the free membership and you're already planning on biking to and from work anyway, you may as well try biking to the gym too. If you find that you aren't going often enough, or that the time it takes to bike is too long, you can always switch to the gym near you later, but give it a shot first.
Well said! It would take about 25 minutes to bike to the free gym and 10 minutes to drive.
I like that idea of trying it out. Nothing to lose.
The one next door, hands down. I find, as an avid gym goer for many years (typically 5-6 days per week) that I will not go out of my way to go to the gym, even with a strongly ingrained habit of gym-going.
That is what I am afraid of. I have been lifting on and off for about 10 years now but consistently for the past 2. I don’t want to lose what I have gained both physically and mentally.
I've been going to the gym and lifting for 6 years straight now and I would say hands down #2. The more convenient your gym is and the less of a hassle it is for you to and from the gym, the more likely you are to be consistent. I've joined various gyms over the years and the periods I was the least consistent were when I joined a gym that was far away from me. This is why I am a big advocate of home gyms assuming you have the space and financial ability to do so (unlikely in your case I know). If the expense was significantly higher I could be persuaded to do the biking option, but for $26/month, I think it's absolutely worth it to go to the gym you are likely to be more consistent with.
In addition, how much is your time worth to you? To me saving the whatever 30-45 minutes each workout of traveling back and forth to the other gym would be well worth $26/month.
Good point. As far as how much my time is worth to me, I’m actively trying to fill the hours of the day with meaningful activity so I don’t think that the commuting time would bother me.
It depends on your goal.
If you want to get into shape and lose weight, I'd bike to the gym. 5 miles is an easy 20 minute ride and by the time you get there you're already warmed up so you really only lose about 10 minutes from the workout. Do an efficient 40-60 minute barbell session, then tag on another easy 20 minutes of cardio on the way home. Rinse, repeat three or four times a week and you'll gain strength, endurance, burn a lot of calories, and will feel great.
If your goal is to compete in a powerlifting tournament or something, then no. If you play another sport and are solely trying to improve your power by lifting weight, then no. If you are motivated by spending money (some people are . . . I spent 50$ I'm damn well going to get my money's worth), then no. If you hate cycling, and wouldn't go to the gym because of the bike ride . . . then no.
Thanks for your response!
My goals are to stay fit, both physically and mentally. Lifting has done wonders for my mental health.
I am overweight but am pretty muscular (5’11” 255lbs) and would like losing some fat but am not actively dieting.
I love riding my bike but fear that the fire inside me to consistently ride that far to the gym might burn out.
I would give Option 3 a shot if you aren't so busy that a little bit more biking would overwhelm you. I've personally never worked out in a gym more than three days a week. If you hit the gym Mon, Wed, Fri, you are only adding a few miles to the daily commute on those days. As PoutineLover said, try biking to the free gym first, and if that becomes too much of a hassle you can try one of the other options.
That sounds like a good idea. At the moment I’m not busy at all after work so time isn’t the issue.
Thanks for the response!