Gyms are great. They offer their users the latest and greatest exercise gadgetry, well lighted spaces, wall-to-wall mirrors, and strategically placed TVs you can watch if you get tired of staring at yourself sweating.
For some people, gyms are also a place to meet folks and to enjoy camaraderie with fellow fitness buffs and fitness seekers. There are people there to spot you on difficult or potentially risky exercises, or to give you advice on the best ways to flatten a tummy or build bulging biceps.
If you can afford the fee--and, more importantly, if you have the commitment to actually go on a regular basis--by all means, join a gym.
I always advise my own clients, though, to begin their weight training program at home. There are several reasons for this:
Beginners, especially, are often self-conscious working out in front of others--particularly if those others happen to be better toned or more chiseled than they. This is not often a problem in one's own home (where you can even close the blinds if need be!).
At home, you can exercise practically any time of day or night. No need to forgo a workout because the gym is closed or it's inconvenient to get up and out the door to drive there.
Starting a workout program at home offers an inexpensive way to give weight training a tryout before committing deeply to it.
Although I happen to think that weight training is good for everyone, I know, realistically, that some individuals just aren't going to stick with it for more than a few weeks at most. It's better not to sign a gym membership contract until you know you're in it for the long haul.
Now, if you're just beginning weight training, and you're going to do it at home, please don't rush out and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on equipment. You can easily embark on your new workout adventure for less than a hundred bucks. I recommend the following:
A set of dumbbells. For most people in average condition, a good starter set would consist of two 10-pound and two 15-pound weights, with perhaps a couple of 25-pound weights to grow into. If you feel yourself to be weaker or less fit than average, you could get a couple of 5- or 8- pounders as well and use these lighter weights as you accustom yourself to the exercises.
An exercise bench. A basic bench (non-adjustable) will serve you fine, but if you can spring for it, get one that lets you vary the angle of the back piece. Some of the best exercises to help you rapidly build muscles require that your body be inclined while you perform them.
An exercise mat. On a recent visit to a Target store I found 6 different "exercise mats" and another 8 "yoga mats" (which will also work for our purposes). Try to find one that will accommodate your entire length when lying stretched out on it. It should also be reasonably comfortable. You won't be using the mat for your weights workout, but rather for doing supplementary exercises such as abdominal crunches and leg raises.
If you find yourself taking to weight training and decide you want to make it a regular part of your life for a long time to come, then--and only then--you can look at purchasing additional equipment, such as heavier dumbbells, barbells or a cable weight machine. Some people, of course, end up going all out and building an actual gym in their home.
Nevertheless, the basic equipment as outlined above should meet your workout needs for the first few months--and possibly for much longer.
Denny Waldarmo is a fitness coach who writes on exercise and diet topics. He is a proponent of weight training, particularly the system taught in "The Truth About Building Muscle." Denny's eye-opening review of this program is available on his web site: Solid-Gold.info/truth-about-building-muscle.html Solid-Gold.info/truth-about-building-muscle.html.
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