T/S: Gym membership vs. home exercise equipment (also, s/d home exercise equipment)

Man, I'd love to have something at home and I think I'd use it, I just don't have the space (and wouldn't want to haul it around every time I switched apartments).

oh yeah, that's the other thing - we have the space now, but if we move that could change (of course we could sell it at that point and still come out way ahead of the cost of a gym membership)

I've been thinking along the same lines for myself, though my budget for equipment is somewhat lower.

Probably the best value of exercise / cost would be a rowing machine -- it's a good, full-body workout that hits both the resistance and aerobics components. Added bonus: they don't take up too much floorspace, and some up them can be folded up.

You could get a floor-mat for stretches, calisthenics, yoga, pilates, whatever. Perhaps some DVDs could help substitute for classes?

In my opinion, the big all-in-one home gyms are a swindle. Reconfiguring the machine to different exercises in the middle of a workout wastes a lot of time and lets your heart-rate drop. Much better to just get a simple bench and some dumbells, in my mind.

Yeah, we already have a mat too. I was thinking maybe a fold-up bench. We got an exercise bike free that recently crapped out on us. It never quite like a proper workout though.

stationary bike? or a trainer for an existing bike if you have one? pull-up bar? free weights? one of those balls you roll around?

Hurting, you can get benches that fold to different positions (upright, incline, flat, decline), but your needs depend on what exercises you plan to do, I guess.

a trainer for an existing bike if you have one

Hey Hurting, have a look at this thread on the I Love Bikes board.

elliptical machine - works arms and legs, low impact

I want to get one, as it's the only machine I ever use at the Y

can anyone recommend a pull-up bar that hooks up to a door frame? I'm terrified of breaking my apartment lol

The only time I’ve seen them be a problem is when someone swings on them (or does really shit swinging pullups), then they’ll crack the drywall.

if you have a doorframe of the right width, you can put this one up and take it down anytime:

https://www.prosourcefit.com/products/multi-grip-lite-pull-up-bar

do those things really not put undue stress on the frame? As a new homeowner who weighs 190lbs, I'm a little nervous about using stuff like that.

that's the type we had. it was fine.

Theoretically, all the weight load is supposed to be vertical up and down the door frame.

If there’s any wiggling back and forth, though, stick framed doors and walls are at their weakest.

Is there a good version of that that offers more varied grips? (angled, parallel, etc.)

I used to have one that offered all three of those. No idea on brand, I just bought it at a sporting goods store.

My only complaint with most I’ve seen is the foam cushioning. I’d rather have a hard surface.

I think there are lots of variations on the basic design made by different companies