Getting your lifts, nutrition and rest are the main priorities that every bodybuilder should know and think about.   Countless fitness sites have addressed these points ad nauseam, but there is something that pops up here and there that I feel needs more attention; where you workout.  Some people build amazing home gyms, while others lift a national chain of gyms, and others lift at elite gyms you have to be invited to.  Obviously, if the only place you can get to is Planet Fitness (or Kmart for that matter) its better than doing nothing at all but that “gym” isn’t designed to offer us what we need as far as equipment, and more importantly mindset.

Where to Go

Back before I met and trained under WB’s guidance, I did power lifting routines at home, yet my house didn’t have a garage or the clearance to put a power rack indoors, so I lifted outside.  Summer heat and winter freeze were a huge thing I had to deal with, but I managed. As I took bodybuilding more seriously, I realized I had to move into a proper facility.  I’ve read books by Arnold, Zane, Draper, and other bodybuilding greats, and they all suggested that the right environment was key to motivation and getting the best of your workout. Things like travel time, monthly fees, and equipment are all factors to think about, but you should also take into consideration what it is you’re trying to accomplish with your fitness goals.

Is this heaven?

Up until last week I was going to a privately owned gym that was an old Y that was bought and converted into a “fitness center.”  It is more geared to people losing weight and doing cardio, but it had enough of what I needed, or so I thought.  The place is small, dark and only has 1 squat rack and a few benches.  While you’re totally capable of making gains at a place like this, I recently joined a new gym.  The main people going here are here to lift and I was shocked at how different I felt after my first workout here.

At my old gym, not only was the equipment sub-par but no one there was really there to do bodybuilding or even serious lifting.  At the new place, I was instantly talking to some of the guys there (no winking went on) who were big as fuck, and also doing routines similar to what we do here.  I got in, used the absolute best equipment possible in a motivating environment for my goals, and left feeling great.  The open design and brightly lit gym was exactly what I needed. I’ll stay here until I make the next jump.

I want to say again that there is nothing wrong with using what you have available to you.  You can make serious progress with some plates, a barbell and dumbbell handles at home.  I would never discourage someone from lifting if that’s all they had access to, but there IS a difference when you’re in an environment that is catered to your goals.  I wouldn’t join a crossfit because I don’t do crossfit (and I have common sense but thats besides the point)

Let me know how your environment for lifting affects your workouts and why you work out where you do.

Trust The Process

-J. Nyx