Remember how I said that when I like something, I really like something?
Well I really like ice cream…
And, apparently, I really like kabocha squash as well. So much so, that I decided felt compelled to go out and pick up another one after finishing mine off with last night’s dinner.
In my defense, however, I did need to buy a bit more than just a squash…
… like a couple of cantaloupes and some bananas…
… mushrooms, broccoli, cucumbers, bell peppers, avocados…
… kefir, almond milk, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, rice wraps…
… and possibly the cutest thing ever…
EeeeEEEee!
It just brings the mini spoon thing to a whole new level… and makes me crave eggs, which sounded like the perfect addition to the snack plate that I wanted for lunch…
Softboiled egg – Baked lentil chips – Yogurt mess with a peach and cereal – Cottage cheese and salsa.
A whole lot of yum.
Maybe it was the eggs, or the ice cream, or both, but I found myself with tonnes of extra energy this afternoon. Weekends are usually my rest days, but I felt like I would go crazy if I didn’t get a little bit of movement in, so I decided to throw in an unplanned workout. Hey, if I can take unplanned rest days, then why not an unplanned workout? It’s all about going with how we feel, right? Right.
But the thing was that I did not feel like heading to the gym. It was a Saturday afternoon, meaning the gym would have been packed, and I just wasn’t up for dealing with big crowds.
Solution? The home gym, in all of it’s glory…
Welcome to where I work out when I don’t feel like going out. A little dismal, perhaps, but it gets the job done. Some free weights, a stability ball, a mini rebounder, and a couple of mirrors propped up against a wall so that I can watch my form. Oh, and an unpictured treadmill and yoga mat behind me.
Nothing fancy, but extremely functional.
I don’t believe that you need an expensive gym membership to get a good workout in. Sure, it’s nice to have the extra motivation of the gym environment, and the fancier equipment isn’t anything to scoff at, but it’s not a necessity. My gym membership expires in a few weeks and I’m honestly not sure whether or not I’m going to bother renewing it.
Why?
Well, it’s pricey for one, and not exactly convenient for another. They say that finding the motivation to get your butt out the door is the hardest part of belonging to a gym, which is definitely true for me. Now, try finding the motivation to get your butt out the door when its -24 and your car is buried under half a foot of snow. Yeah. It’s gets quite a bit harder. My gym attendance declined last winter, and I’m assuming that it would do the same this coming one. Besides, the building that I’ll be moving into (in 19 days!!!) has an exercise room with some machines and free weights, and I’ll only have to walk down a few flights of stairs to get to it. Yay!
Finally, I’ve really been loving body weight workouts lately, which you only need, well… your own body for. One site that I’ve been frequenting quite a bit is BodyRock, and what I love about that style of workouts is that you can finish one in the time that it would take you to get dressed and drive to the gym, and still feel like you got a really good workout in.
So I don’t know.
To gym or not to gym, that is the question. And the answer will most likely be not to gym.
. – . – . – .
Do you prefer working out at home or in the gym? If you work out at home, what kind of equipment do you keep on hand. And do you use DVD’s, magazines, the Internet, your own routines, etc?
Have you done any BodyRock workouts? Do they whoop your butt like they do mine?
I like going to the gym for the classes. I can’t really do a gym membership on a student budget so I just work out at home. I do a ton of walking (I’m within walking distance of pretty much everything, so why not?), yoga, dance, weights etc. so a gym is too much an added expense right now.
Bodyrock workout? O.M.G.
Try the 600 reps workout. The plank lift off are killers.
If i had all of the things you have in your home gym i would probably not even have a membership! I would miss the classes but i could definitely work with a treadmill and all those weights!
hi Amanda!
i’ve recently stumbled upon your lovely blog & i think i remember you from .seek. 🙂
i love the way you write & express yourself here. it is so.. calm & eloquent.
looking forward to catching up w/ your posts now 🙂 lots of love!
That’s a tough question!! I lovee working out at home, but I love getting in the gym for some weight lifting and using the machines. Back home in California, I would have said the gym because I went to gym classes almost every day, but here the classes aren’t the same. 🙁 With all the stuff you’ve got to work out with at home though, I’d say home!
I just lace up my shoes and head out 🙂 I can only go the the gym a few times a week. Too many gym sessions make me feel weird for some reason.
Your home gym set-up is AWESOME!!! I am jealous:) Will you grocery shop for me…all of your food looks so so good:)
I’m one of those people that hates the gym. Absolutely hate it. I think it’s boring and I don’t like that they’re are other people around all the time and I just don’t like the bright lights and everything really.
I’m not really an outdoorsy person but I much prefer to be outside either running or walking.
I prefer the gym simply because they have classes which I’ve fallen back in love with recently. And I tend to work out much harder in the gym than at home. There are too many distractions here!
I love the look of the bodyrock workouts as they’re so short, but I haven’t actually tried any yet. I used to love the gym but I’ve definitely fallen out of love with it a bit, sometimes the thought of going is just…. eugh. I like going with a friend, but we don’t always get much actual working out done!
I really like ice cream too 😛 And that egghead is TOO cute!
I prefer working out at home most of the time. Or at apartment gyms that are walkable distance. The only reason I still drive to my gym is because of the classes. Otherwise, I honestly have no motivation to go.
If I were you, I’d definitely take advantage of that gym at your new building that you’ll be moving in to. And so soon!! 🙂
Lately I’ve been enjoying workouts at home that I find from magazines, books, and online (like body rock or tone it up). And I enjoy fitness DVD’s too. And yes, body rock whoops my butt. But in a good way 🙂
I like the BodyRock workouts that I have tried, but I do find myself performing them with really bad form which makes me think that I’m going to end up hurting myself if I do them too often. But they are definitely intense!!!
I have that same egg/cup holder thing. It is adorable!
I’ll take working out at home over the gym any day. I only wish I had more equipment/heavier weights.
Hihi, I love your new egg-cup and spoon! So cute! And your lunch looks really yummy!
I like your thoughts! It should be ok to add an extra workout if you feel like it. Exactelly like we should rest if thats what we feel like!
I prefere to run at the gym (I actually love the treadmill- so many people to watch), and do yoga at home.
Have a beautiful Sunday sweetie :**
I’ve been going to my gym for years, and it’s like a second home to me. It’s even where I met my fiance! He’s a trainer there, and I love all the other trainers that work there too. I’m definitely a gym exerciser, and I take full advantage of the awesome spin classes at my gym. With that said, I think in your situation it would make more sense to not have a membership. Worst comes to worst, you miss it, and become a member again. You don’t want to waste your money, especially when you can get an awesome workout at home! I haven’t tried any BodyRock routines, but I should check that out! I’m always looking for new workouts.
Oh, and I want that egg cup!
I’ve been doing BodyRock for close to 9 months now! 😀 They are absolutely amazing! I mean how can you not get motivated just looking at Zuzana haha. What I love is that I’m totally wiped out when I’m done and most of the workouts are super short. There’s always something different and new to do almost everyday, so it keeps me out of workout slumps. I can’t even say how much I love the website! The two of them are awesome 😀 Anyway, I have a gym membership too, but the place is a little far away and I can’t seem to get my butt out the door to go there. I’m thinking about not renewing it either because it’s kind of just wasting money.
Ok your home gym is WAY cooler than mine. Super jealous over here!! And that little egg spoon is totally cute. I love hardboiled eggs so so much, a few weeks ago I was eating one a day with hummus and ccrackers 🙂
I guess my workouts where and are when i’m better from my kidney crap is dance. I was a musical theatre student so we would dance everyday, ballet jazz and workouts. I don’t go to the gym outside of dance so i opt for a bit of a workout DVD at home…in my bedroom…privacy to sweat and look like a fool. Cheaper!
AND that egg and spoon is amazing!!
S. X
I WISH I could be as disciplined as you and actually make use of a home gym. Something about being at the gym pumps me up and makes me want to work out. Having a gym within a few staircases is such a blessing, you’re going to love that!
BodyRock is awesome, but I have the same issue of not being able to get the job done at home 🙁
Being at the gym pumps me up too. A lot of the time, I end up slacking when I work out at home 😉
I have never done bodyrock, but when I do my workouts at home, I always use exercise tv. They have such amazing workouts available, such as jillian michaels,jackie warner, and barre9. I also have some free weights, bands and a stability ball that I use.
All you need is a little space and your own body to get in a workout
I like working out a my “home gym”. It is not as nice as yours and I am stilling gathering equipment, but I still get a good workout every time!
Bodyrock really does master the idea of home training. I tried to do one the the videos one time, I didn’t realize it was a challenge video, and ended up collapsing half way through! I haven’t built of the confidence to try another “regular” workout video cause I don’t want to repeat my first experience! 😀 I love your photography with the ice cream cone! There are so many things in the picture but you managed to focus solely on the ice cream. Its my favorite photo of yours, hands down!
I prefer working out at the gym, but if I had equipment like yours I’d probably be happy at home! I have some weights and a yoga mat plus DVD’s but I never ‘feel the burn’ when working out at home compared to at the gym!
The concept of driving to a place to exercise always seemed a little bizarre to me (why not just run/walk that distance and save the money and gas?). I use my apartment complex’s exercise room, which isn’t fancy, but it does have the essentials. For me, it comes down to the money, as in I don’t have the extra to spend on a membership…
You have a pretty rocking home gym! I have a set of 5 lb hand weights and that’s it. 😛 So I pretty much have to go to the gym to get in a good workout. I like going though because being in that kind of environment really motivates me. But I definitely agree that it’s hard to drag my butt out the door when it’s the middle of our Canadian winters!
Shoveling snow is enough of a workout in the winter 😉
I have that egg thing but it’s in a pan form! It’s the perfect way to cook one or two eggs! It has the cute egg handle and all!
Right now I do have a gym membership but mainly because I like to swim. I do a lot of my strength workouts at home and we also have a treadmill at home that I can hop on whenever I find the urge. Some days I don’t have the time to drive over to the gym, change, and drive home. It’s just no convenient! But I use it often enough to justify my membership haha
I’ve never done bodyrock before but I’m definitely going to check it out because I’m in a huge exercise slump right now!
Aww that mini spoon is sooo adorable!! I’m such a sucker for cute mini things when it comes to kitchenware!
At the moment I can only workout at the gym because the apartment I’m in isn’t my own so I haven’t bothered to buy too much extra and I don’t think I’m allowed to put in any machines anyway! But back at home we have a full gym (I’m a lucky girl hehe) with a treadmill, elliptical, stepper, dumbbells and a rowing machine so whenever I go back home I have no need to go to a gym yay! 🙂
I’ve never done Bodyrock but I’ve heard that it’s really good sooo I may have to give it a go…
And eeeee sooo glad you love my fave food hehe!! 🙂 But I am incredibly jealous that you’re able to get your hands on them so easily. They had better start coming back in stock here soon otherwise I’m going to move country..
You’re always welcome to join us up here in Canadaland 🙂 But from the sounds of it, I think you fell in love with NYC 😉
I’ve had a free gym membership to the beast of a gym at my school, but I’ve rarely been using it since my arrival for the fall semester. To be quite honest, the only reason I’ll actually make the schlep is if I have a workout class to attend, but otherwise I’ll just settle with some Bodyrock in my room or a circuit workout in my apartment gym (which is really just a room with a treadmill & weights)
And YES, I’ve (obviously) tried Bodyrock and I’m a HUGE fan! The workouts are so intense, yet so short
It really depends, I like running and cycling outside, but I do like the different machines they do. I prefer the gym in the winter and to exercise outside when its summer. I tend to do more of the classes at the gym though, been doing an ab attack class, spinning, and body bump. I also like checking out the talent hehe
I just got so excited when I saw your little egg and spoon set because I have the exact same one! It’s amazing!
And, I do go to the gym, but in all fairness it is a half a block away from my building.
i prefer gyms FO SHO! i loveeee he atmosphere there- i wantt to work in one when im older- or start a whole gym business :)!!!! umm that spoon is SO CUTe
That spoon is too cute!! Aw you have featured my 3 favourite foods – eggs, ice cream and cantaloupe, yay. With a home gym like that, who needs a room full of grunting meat heads eh? 😉
I think most people don’t actually have a passion for exercise so like to workout away from their homes and their lives just to ‘get it out of the way’ and say ‘i’ve been to the gym’.
I sort of divide my time between the gym and home dvds and made up routines at home but when I’m in university dorms, I mainly use the gym because it’s cheap and my rooms too tiny to do the dvds! Your photography is amazing btw :0
Eeee!!! That spoon!!!! its sooooo cute!!!
I workout at the gym because I dont have any equipment at home,and I feel like being in that environment motivates me 🙂
Bodyrock workouts totally woop my ass! They’re great aren’t they? I think the fact that Zusanna is so ripped gets you to push through the pain in hope of getting abs like hers!
I can’t afford a gym, I never have been able to; I’ve been a BodyRocker for nearly two years, took a little break to do the Insanity program (loved it – even harder than BodyRock so I saw some brilliant and *fast* results there!), and now I’m back to incorporating them into my routine. Before that I did the Firm DVDs, before that Nell McAndrew DVDs, and before that various Yoga practices for a few years. I would still be a flabby blob if I waited to go to a gym! 😀