How
To Get A Great Workout At Home
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:
1) What are your fitness goals?
2) How often do you realistically think you will
use the equipment?
3) What fitness level do you expect to be at
in 3, 6, 9 months?
4) Will the equipment meet your needs as you
get more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?
5) Does the equipment offer enough variations
in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent
your body from hitting a plateau?
6) Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly
grow bored of them?
7) 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:
- Treadmill –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.
- Full dumbbell set 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.
- Fitness Ball –Provides exercise options for toning,
strengthening and stretching.
- Resistance Band –Provides another option for
strength training. Can alternate use with free weights
for a great
challenge that will help prevent plateaus.
- Step Bench –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, author and certified personal trainer, offers her
services online through WorkoutsForYou.com. Workouts For You
provides affordable online exercise programs to help even the
busiest of people lose weight, tone-up, build muscles, increase
stamina and more via the Internet. Let us guide you one-on-one
through your fitness journey. Visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com for
a free sample workout.
