Question Period #1: Home Gym

Miss Shortcake said...

if you were trying to set up a home gym with very little $, what items would you recommend?

The truth is, all you really need is motivation!  Now you could go out and buy the latest bum, thigh or core blaster, and that is fine, they all do their job well enough.  But, just like how people get bored with their cell phones, they also get bored with their workout equipment.  We all need variety in our life, and that includes our workouts.

awesome picture found here

The key to building a home gym is getting good basic equipment that will allow you the widest variety of exercises with the least amount of clutter.

You also have to keep your goals in mind.  If you want to bulk up, an elliptical machine isn't going to help a whole lot.

Here is an example:

• Depending on where you live, having some form of indoor cardio is nice if the weather is lousy or extremely cold in the winter (as it is in Winnipeg for the next 5 months!). 

I would recommend any sort of cardio equipment that:

1. Is comfortable and doesn't aggravate chronic injuries (recumbent bikes are great if you have a bad back)
2. You will actually use (some strange infomercial device isn't worth 3 easy payments of |$49.95 if you don't use it)
3. Is effective (it actually gets your heart rate up and can get you sweating
4. Affordable

Stationary Bikes, treadmills, even elliptical machines are fine as long as they suit your needs, and can give you a good workout when the weather outside is frightful.

As far as other equipment in your home gym, I would recommend:

1. A yoga mat for stretching and numerous other exercises
2. An exercise ball that is appropriate for your size. You can do many exercises that will require extra amounts balance and core strength when done on a ball.
3. Some adjustable dumbbells and some plates that you can add-on as you progress.

With this equipment, you can work your entire body, with ease, get a some cardio and stretching in very minimal time!

• If you live in a tropical environment, and you can get the majority of your cardiovascular exercise done outside, I say "go for it".  Ride your bike, walk the dog, go for a run, you're very lucky, so enjoy it!

Also, make sure you have some sweet tunes to listen to while you train, I recommend the following:

 

 

I will provide a sample home workout next week. 

If you think anything else should rank higher in the first pieces of equipment to get, just let me know!