I have worked out at home, I had done isometric and bands, and I have had the same gym membership since 1979. Since it was a lifetime membership, the renewal costs is 14 cents a day. $50 per year. Currently the gym is La Fitness, but it has changed owners a total of at least 3 times, when one club goes under it get bought by a more successful chain and my membership keep getting grandfathered in.
When I lived in Dallas I belonged to two separate gyms, Dallas Polo Club and I think the lifetime membership was called Bally Total Fitness at the time.
I joined the Dallas Polo Club because a small group of people at the company I worked for all belonged, they were several levels of management above me, and we all went together at lunch time. Networking and working out together. It was nice to work out with 3 other guys,one was an ex Vikings football player, one guy was built along the lines of schwarzenegger. They could give me tips about how they liked to work out.
La Fitness is 1.3 miles from my house, it would be easier to work out at home, but there isn't any good area at home to set up a gym. Besides it doesn't really make any sense because I am never giving up my $50 a year gym membership.
One good thing about a national gym membership, I have worked out in gyms all across the USA; Tulsa, SF, WashDC, Dallas, Houston, etc. If you travel at all, it works out well.
Being retired I tend to work out alone. It's easier to work out with friends if you have a common schedule such as work. If I go to the gym at 5:00 AM, there is group of people i know, I don't like to go so early.
While in Thailand, I worked out at these free outdoor gyms they have, kind of crude, any weights are concrete, they have various bars / parallel bars and a running track. You do get to meet the locals.
I usually spend about 1.5- 2.5 hours total at the gym, but work out time is really 1-2. hours.
Usually I do either weight lifting (free weights, machines / cable machines) or cardio, once in a while I mix the two. There are classes available, I don't attend. Once in while I swim laps, if the weather is good I bike a min of 1 hour. Sometimes I walk my dog a mile or two.
The only type of cardio I almost never do in the gym is biking and rowing. If I want to bike, I do it outside. I just haven't gotten into the rowing machines. A few gyms I have been to have climbing machines (versaclimber), they are rare to find and a little odd to use.
I liked computer controlled weight machines, you can program in a higher negative weight Vs the positive weight, and pneumatic resistance machines are also interesting to use. With the pneumatic machines, you can sometimes increase the weight resistance while using them.
So I have tried quite a few variations, there are a lot of ways to get a good workout, just go outside and run is an option. I have a set of dumbbells at home, 15, 25 and 30 lbs each, good for when you want to do something at home.
Most important is to do some sort of routine on a regular basis and stick to doing something at least 3 times a week year after year.