“Setting Up A Home Gym”

November 10th, 2009

If you are a beginner or light user of gym equipment interested in setting up a home gym so as to improve general fitness, flexibility, manage weight and increase muscle tone while preferring not to become a member of a public gym you should give the matter some thought before just going out and buying the first few pieces of home gym equipment that you see or that is offered to you.  Remember a bargain in home gym machinery is not a bargain if the product is not perfectably suitable for your own needs.  Consider the following products and thoughts for starters before setting up a home gym.

- An arobic machine (step, elliptical, treadmill, bike)

- Dumbbells-light for overhead lifts and side lifts,
Heavy for lunges and squats

- An adjustable multi purpose home gym bench

- A fitness ball

- An exercise mat

- And of course sufficient space for doing stretches

Multi-gyms are growing in demand in home gyms for beginners. There are prices to suit all pockets and you probably get a home gym instructional book which is a good incentive. Multi gyms for the home can be compact and take up less space may. The most likely price range would be somewhere between 500-1000.

More experienced trainers are require more serious strength building, focusing on muscle development in the home gym.  So one would move on to

- A full set of dumbbells

- A collection of barbells and plates

- A stronger exercise bench with attached barbell rack

- A more advanced multi-gym-or cheaper option used along with free weights above.  The most likely price range: 1500-2500

Advanced home gym trainers are into more serious body building exercise and require even bigger and better home gym equipment.  This level of exercise and training will occasionally be combined with public gym sessions in addition, for the benefit of more experienced trainers and coaches.

- Large more complex multi-gym

- Advanced free weights and bench Usually 3000 upwards

Think of the space you have for your home gym carefully. Some machines are designed for corners, but others have large extension ranges.  So don’t buy sight unseen or from a photo.  You need to consider all the options as you will regret purchasing the incorrect home gym equipment unless you are lucky to realise your mistake soon enough to be in a position to exchange for the correct equipment.

Be sure to measure any possible measurements and angles, including for all possible attachments. If you are one of a group of people that wants to exercise at the same time, a good multi-station means that more than one person can work out at once using different components.

Be carefull how you transport equipment like the dumbbells, bar
plates, or the free weights. They can be very heavy and may do serious damage if insufficient care is taken when transporting home gym equipment.

Posted in Home Gym | No Comments »

“Christmas Is coming And The Goose Without The Home Gym Is Getting Fat”

November 10th, 2009

Indeed pre Christmas is a big time for home gym equipment purchases.  Home gym equipment is a safe bet as a Christmas gift for any keep fit at home enthusiast or fanatic. 

If you know anybody that uses their own home gym, then what about a Christmas gift of a new piece of exercise equipment or gear.  There are lots of stores in every city and most every town with a good selection. 

One tip when purchasing home gym equipment for somebody else is to arrange with the sales person that the product can be changed if the person already happens to have that piece of home gym equipment.  It is also very convenient to purchase home gym equipment using the internet.

Just try to do some under cover work in advance by getting a look around the home gym or else asking someone else that would know what equipment the particular gift recipient could do with as a good addition to their home gym.

Posted in Home Gym | No Comments »

“Home Gym – A Financial Investment For The Future To Build On”

November 9th, 2009

You have heard of the old saying, you get what you pay for, this sure is true with home gym equipment. That does not necessarily mean that it is all high priced madness or else very low quality.

In normal circumstances when buying a home gym the more expensive the home gym equipment the longer it will last and the stronger and more hard wearing it will be. Unless you want a heavy duty body-building home gym, very high quality home gyms may be a waste of money.

Finding your own compromise between quality and affordability gives you the value for money that suits your pocket. The normal way in choosing home gym equipment is to start up somewhere in between $500-$1500 or €300-€1000 and get something with as much training variety as possible, and think about your longer term life plans and training prospects.  You can decide on further buying of home gym equipment as you get more experience.

Will you always have space for your home gym equipment storage?

If not, then paying extra for foldaway equipment will be worth it.

Is your home gym equipment for specialized body building?

As you gradually get stronger and heavier, the more you can lift or press on machines. So cheap gym equipment will wear and tear under applied stress for which it is not designed.  Making the correct choice as to better quality at the beginning if it can be afforded leads to a better investment decision for your future finances.   Purchasing the correct quality home gym equipment at the beginning will mean having equipment that will never let you down.  Good quality equipment can last for your lifetime if it is looked after properly.

Will there always be enough variety to keep your interest in training in your home gym to keep you properly fit into the future?

Remember that effective exercise is also about cross training with different exercises and training as many muscles as we can in a variety of different ways. Moreover, boring exercise means less inclination to carry on.

Are you the only person who’ll be using the home gym equipment?

Home gym equipment that is good for you may not suit your partner, child or even your brother. Home gym equipment is an investment that requires some thought, both financial and for suitability.

Talk with home gym equipment sales people and family and friends who already have experience of home gym equipment, and narrow down possible requirments before you finally decide on a purchase.  Of course one can buy used home gym machinery, but remember you have no guarantees.  You may be taking on someone elses problems.

Posted in Home Gym, keep fit | No Comments »

“Home Gyms – Growing Trends”

November 4th, 2009

In the year 2005 exercise equipment sales were over $4.4 billion, and then increased to $4.7 billion in year 2006. Gym equipment suppliers are copping on to the fact that home gym users are completely new business.  And a high growth market it is too.

The home gym is no longer relegated to a dusty old corner or basement. But now, fully fitted custom designed home gym rooms are becoming a must-have in normal trendy peoples homes.

By far the greatest reason for this is convenience. Having one’s own home gym means that there is much less hassle to the day. No longer any need to turn your nose up at sweaty gym gear from a bag that you forgot to change. You can now work out when you get home to your own home gym.

With today’s fast moving lifestyle, time is really precious. Not to mention our money. Although a home gym may be a large initial outlay but it can save you a lot of money down the track.

Gym fees, personal trainers, fuel costs, to name but a few of the savings. And certainly the huge amount of competition in the market today is making quality home gym equipment so much more affordable by the day.

Moist buyers for home gyms are people who have already worked out in public gyms, and also have a knowledge of safe workout techniques.

Of course that doesn’t mean that beginner’s aren’t in on the purchasing of home gym gear. Beginners are more likely to try and buy one home gym machine that will do it all, or else to buy too much home gym equipment for their actual skill
level.

The bottom line here is, if you do have some knowledge regarding working out and you have the space in your house, then a home gym is a super option. And of course do remember, if you are just starting out with keep fit endeavours, then do consult a doctor for advice, and also get specialist fitness advice and start with basics in your new home gym.

C.

Posted in keep fit | No Comments »

“Home Gym – Get Fit – Keep Fit – Look Good – Feel Good”

October 31st, 2009

Public Gym or Home Gym? 

Why should we train at home as opposed to doing the grind with a group of like minded members at the public gym?

Here are a few good reasons why:

Expense: A public gym membership annually can be costly against buying equipment on the long term.

Privacy:  If you are currently not that fit it can be more advantageous to train in the privacy of your own home.

Time restraints:  Busy lifestyles may mean unsociable hours training, which may often not fit public gym opening hours.

No pressure:  Watching other public gym members training at a higher level can sometimes put much pressure on us to perform more before we are physically ready.

Less complex:  Often, entering a public gym can seem overwhelming what with trying to work out what machine does which exercise and where to start.

No waiting:  With your own home gym at home you never actually need to wait for your gym equipment to be free.

Convenience:  No travelling or packing gear.  No shared amenities or forgotten water bottles or gear.

When you do start to exercise do also take care to eat properly and get advice on safety from those with experience.  Starting out with a home gym can be low scale, and then gradually build up the equipment and space needed.

Don’t ever start out blind without a tried and trusted training plan, and correct technique. If you do cause yourself an injury or don’t get the planned results, some effort will be wasted, and that can knock you back, but persevere.  If you are overweight or have not trained for a while, a routine medical checkup with the doctor is advisable.

A Home gym offers many positive benefits, provided that you get proper advice before starting out. Do buy good home gym equipment, or else be prepared for cheap home gym equipment not to last so long.  If you can afford good quality home gym equipment, it can last  for a lifetime if looked after sensible.

One of the main advantages for setting up your own home gym is that you never need to worry that the gym may be over full when you get there.  This fact alone is one great reason for building your own home gym.  In fact having your own quality home gym is a very inexpensive luxury.  

Colm.

Posted in keep fit | 1 Comment »