Home Gym & Home Fitness Equipment
Creating an effective Home Gym
by Lynn Bode
Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either
too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest
their money in a health club membership not realizing that
for the same amount of money (or even less) they can create
a very effective gym right in their own home.
For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little
bit of planning. Don't fall into the trap of purchasing
random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for
the latest infomercial fad or the great "sale" at your local
fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house
littered with equipment that's only use is as a clothes
hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the
equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly
loses its value because it doesn't progress with your
fitness level.
To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-
collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making
a purchase:
- What are your fitness goals?
- How often do you realistically think you will use the
equipment?
- What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9
months?
- Will the equipment meet your needs as you get more fit
(at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?
- Does the equipment offer enough variations in use that
you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your
body from hitting a plateau?
- Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly grow
bored of them?
- And, of course how much can you afford?
Once you have answered all of the above questions then you
are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how
much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can
actually purchase. Don't get discouraged. For as little as
$100, you can have a very effective total strength training
home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an
effective workout that will tone your entire body.
Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a
plethora of equipment options to consider. For building
muscles and/or toning-up you can choose from free weights,
selectorized machines, resistance bands, benches and even
no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running,
walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from
treadmills, to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond. So,
answering the previously mentioned questions is very
important.
To help make your decision easier, below are several
recommendations based on costs and needs, along with
benefits of the exercise equipment.
If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a
total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and
you have a budget of at least $1000, consider the following
recommendations:
The best option for cardiovascular equipment
because it can be used for running, walking, and even some
leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be
varied based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it
easily progresses as fitness levels improve.
with weights ranging from 5 pounds to
50+ pounds. – Great for light toning, to intermediate
strength training to building muscles. Less expensive
than selectorized machines and usually provides more
flexibility and variety in workouts.
Provides exercise options for toning,
strengthening and stretching.
Provides another option for strength
training. Can alternate use with free weights for a
great challenge that will help prevent plateaus.
Can be used for both cardio workouts and
strength training workouts.
If you want a home gym specifically for building muscles
(or just can't afford cardio equipment), and can afford at
least $100, consider the following recommendations:
- Dumbbell set
- Fitness Ball
- Resistance Band
- Jump Rope
Offers very challenging cardiovascular
fitness workouts at a very low price.
If you want a total body home gym but can only afford less
than $100, consider the following recommendations:
- Three dumbbells sizes (e.g. 5, 10 and 15 pounds)
- Resistance Band
- Jump Rope
If you are limited to purchasing just one very affordable
piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As
mentioned above, it provides many different exercise
options. With the ball you can get an upper body workout,
a lower body workout, very challenging abdominal workout
and a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get
all of this for around $35.
Also, don't underestimate what you can do with things that
are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs
and others. There are a lot of exercises that require no
equipment at all. For example, push-ups, tricep dips,
squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create your own
"weights" through milk jugs filled with water or sand.
As you can see, there are a lot of options available for
creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs
and will provide a lot of workout variety. Even on a
shoestring budget, you can still make a wise purchase that
will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and
healthy. And, you'll enjoy all the benefits of working
out at home.
What are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here
are some highlights:
- No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club
- No waiting in line to use the equipment
- Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the
health club is open
- No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term
contracts
- Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment
every day
Of course, you will need previous knowledge of how to use
your home equipment or you will have to be willing to learn.
But, it's not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic
instructions and a few sample exercises. You may want to
enlist the help of a professional to provide additional
exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get
the most out of your fitness equipment through every fitness
level stage.
For an affordable workout plan personalized to your individual
needs and available equipment, enroll in a WorkoutsForYou.com
online fitness program.
Lynn Bode offers her personal training services online through
her company,
Workouts For You provides even the busiest of people affordable,
personalized exercise programs (via the Internet)for losing
weight, toning-up, building muscles & increasing stamina. The
programs can be done on their schedule and in the comfort of
their own home (or gym or on-the-road). Membership includes
one-on-one fitness consultation, animated exercise demos and
much more.
Visit http://www.workoutsforyou.com for a
FREE sample workout. Featured Products
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