 By David Otto
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Building Your Own Home Gym
Sometimes the health club scene isn't for everyone. The other alternative: The Home Gym. You can workout when you want and don't have to worry about other people or wait for equipment. This won't be an article telling you what to specifically invest in but rather provide you with some guidelines as to making the best choices that will suite your needs.
Before I get started you need to understand that as human beings we are all the made up of the same stuff so what works to rid bodyfat from John Doe on the other side of the planet will be the same thing you will do in order to get rid of some of your own bodyfat. Conceptually speaking, you and everybody else must have a concern for the Synergy between The Right Nutrition, Moderate Aerobic Exercise and A Concern For Muscle if progress is to be optimal and ongoing. However the specifics that are individual to you may vary like your metabolism, activity levels, stress levels, strength levels, etc, etc. These specifics will also play a role in helping you find the right fitness equipment for you.
Before you make your investment into a home gym you need to ask yourself a few questions.
1. What is my goal?
You need to determine this first before anything else. Is it weight loss, tone and shape, bodybuilding, performance, etc. If weight loss is the goal then you will need some form of equipment that's going to challenge muscle and possibly some piece of equipment that's going to stimulate the cardiovascular system. If bodybuilding is the goal then you'll need the same thing but the specifics will be different i.e. the amount of weights and how much aerobic exercise you'll be performing. If your goal is weight loss then you may find value in purchasing a treadmill, elliptical climber or any other piece of cardio equipment along with some form of equipment that's going to challenge muscle like dumbbells, medicine balls, resistance bands, a home gym machine, etc. Getting the idea?
2. What's my budget?
Not only do you want quality equipment but you need to know what's going to produce optimal results given your budget and my next question: How much space do you have? I find that dumbbells are going to be your best bet economically, for space and for optimal results…pending you understand how to perform the right exercises with proper form and technique. Right now the best bang for your buck is the adjustable pair of dumbbells. They're two dumbbells that can be adjusted in weight by a pin, a dial or some sort of locking mechanism.
If you purchase dumbbells or any free weights a necessary adjunct is an adjustable bench. If money is an issue and primarily general fitness is your goal you can purchase a stability ball for $15-$60 or more depending on the quality and your fitness needs.
As far as the aerobic exercise component you should choose a piece of cardio equipment you're going to enjoy using. In reality the best piece of cardio equipment is the one you like best as long as you're stimulating the heart and lungs. It could be a jump rope or your own stair case for that matter.
3. How much space do I have?
Depending on your budget and goals you can have one heck of an elaborate home gym or one that is very compact with just a few dumbbells and a treadmill. Do you need a lot of equipment to stimulate improvement? No. Someone looking for weight loss won't have a need for some elaborate piece of equipment or home gym machine whereas a bodybuilder that chooses to train at home will need a much wider variety of equipment as well as the space.
Be sure to take into account your square footage, and where you will be actually putting the equipment. You wouldn't put a bench with a few hundred pounds of free weights in your living room if that's the only space you have. That would be quite an eye sore.
4. How long will I be living where I'm at?
If you're going to move soon you wouldn't want to purchase a power rack, 500 pounds of free weights and a treadmill would you? These take up a lot of space and if movers are moving your stuff then moving costs would be quite expensive.
Well there you have it. Pretty simple right? These are just guidelines so you can lay a foundation but the most important thing to take away from this article is that in order to stimulate positive change whether it's weight loss or weight gain you must have a concern for muscle and moderate aerobic exercise…oh yeah and the right nutrition. So you'll need to invest in something that suites both of those needs however the specifics will be different form individual to individual.
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