You don’t need much equipment to build a home gym to give you everything you need for a complete workout. All you need is an adjustable, multi-purpose workout bench and free weights. Free weights are better than machines because they force you to use a wider range of muscles. They also help to strengthen your balance in the positions in which you train.
What I mean by an adjustable bench is one where the backrest raises and reclines to different positions. This will allow you to work more muscles and increase concentration on others. The multi-purpose aspect is a bench that you can use for free weight training and other things, such as abdominal exercises.
You don’t need barbell weights. Those are the weights attached to a 5-7’ steel bar. They take up too much room, and the number of exercises you can do with them is limited. I suggest that you use dumbbell-free weights. You hold this kind individually in each hand. There are adjustable dumbbells and fixed-weight dumbbells. The adjustable dumbbells allow you to add or remove plates to increase or decrease the weight. Fixed-weight dumbbells come in one solid piece in various standard weights. I prefer the adjustable dumbbells. They allow you to add weight to them as you progress or reduce it if needed. The dumbbells are used for almost all the resistance training exercises you’ll perform using this home gym.
You can get a full workout using just two (2) different weight amounts. It’s not advisable to do all of them using just one weight unless that weight amount is very low. There are benefits to using low-weight amounts. Low weights are good for improving tone and definition. If you want to increase the size of your muscles, you’ll need to increase the weight. Some muscle groups can handle more weight than others can. To streamline your workout and eliminate the hassle of changing weight plates, I recommend getting at least two (2) sets of dumbbells and plates of different weights for your home gym.
I got my workout bench and one (1) set of adjustable dumbbells at Walmart. (Current prices, product names, and colors may vary.) I got a second set of dumbbells at a garage sale. The advantages to this home gym are that it’s compact, inexpensive, and multipurpose.
Update – After eight (8) years, one of the welds broke on the front support leg of my workout bench, rendering it usable. Since it looked worn, I was ready to buy a new one anyway. I purchased a better one, as shown in the above image, from Walmart for, amazingly, the same price — different manufacturer. 😀
You might also consider power-grip gloves and a tiny MP3 player with a belt clip and headphones. The portable style and headphones will allow you to play the music as loud as you want without disturbing anyone else. It also gives you convenient access to the controls.
I recommend hiring a personal trainer and/or getting a few good books on using free weights properly to avoid injury and get the best results quickly.
Home Gym Machine
The TG is the best home gym machine I’ve ever used. It uses your body weight to produce resistance, which is more efficient and safer than iron weights.
Although the TG takes up more space and is more expensive than my current home gym, I recommend it over any other product.
Health Clubs
If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you know that a health club is a good place to learn how to workout properly and meet like-minded people. There are some disadvantages, however, that are overcome by having a home gym.
First, I’ll give you the advantages of a health club membership.
- Opportunity to meet other like-minded people.
- Access to state-of-the-art machines.
- Access to a wide range of free weights.
- Access to various fitness classes.
- Access to personal trainers.
- Motivation that comes from exercising with other people.
Here are the advantages of having a home gym (instead).
- Saves time and gas by not having to drive to the club.
- Eliminates the frustration of finding a parking place at the club.
- Don’t have to wait in line to use the equipment.
- Don’t have to touch other people’s sweat while using the equipment.
- Can avoid illnesses by not coming into contact with high-traffic surfaces.
- Can listen to the music you want and not what the club staff wants.
- Can work out any day and time that you want.
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It took me a while to get into the habit of using my home gym, but now that I have, I am training more efficiently and consistently. Having a home gym has strengthened my self-discipline.
If you want to become the ultimate fit man or woman, I suggest you do whatever is best for you now. If you need personalized instruction on how to work out with free weights properly or the inspiration of others exercising around you, then I would suggest purchasing a health club membership.
I learned a lot at the health club that I attended. I learned from the instruction I received from a club staff member and observing others doing their workouts. Eventually, I found that I had gotten everything I could. Once I canceled my membership and started using my home gym, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner. If you’ve got everything you can from your health club or want more privacy and convenience, I would strongly suggest that you consider investing in a home gym.
To your health and fitness.