The basic gym equipment you'll need for a great home workout.
There are countless exercise machines and gadgets. Some will work, some are ridiculous marketing gimmicks. Purchasing proven, quality equipment is the only way to insure that you spend your money wisely. Try different things to find what works for you. Changing your exercise routine often will help prevent boredom and improve results.
Your first purchase should be an exercise mat. Having a quality mat available will encourage you to stretch, a vital habit to prevent injury. Also abdominal exercises, such as crunches and leg lifts, are almost unbearable without a well padded exercise mat.
An adjustable flat bench is essential for weightlifting. It can be used for many upper body exercises, bench presses, chest fly's, and seated curls. Adding a leg attachment is a relatively inexpensive option. This can expand your routine to workout all major leg muscle groups. Before buying a flat bench be sure it is easy to adjust, no wing nuts or bolts. Also, only buy a bench with at least 1 ½ inches of foam, anything else would be uncomfortable.
Although a barbell with a stack of weights is a nice addition to a home gym, the cost can be exorbitant. Instead stick with dumbbells. You can perform all the same exercises as a barbell and more. There are two style of dumbbell to choose from, adjustable and fixed. Fixed dumbbells are preferable. You will save time changing the weights between sets and you will never have to worry about them falling off during an exercise. However fixed weight dumbbells are more expensive and take up more space. Adjustable dumbbells are much cheaper and you can set them up at smaller increments. Make sure to check that the collars (fasteners on the dumbbells) hold the weights securely.
A chin-up bar is an excellent tool for anyone that works out at home. This is an incredibly simple piece of equipment, usually a 1 to 1 ¾ inch diameter pole designed to fit in a door jam. Chin-up bars take up very little space and some are even spring loaded so they can be easily installed and removed. A chin-up is a very effective exercise for most of the major muscles of the upper back.
For cardio vascular exercise, consider a treadmill or stationary bike. Both are simple to operate and they take up little space (buy a folding treadmill if space is an issue). Most new models are equipped with computers that automatically adjust speed and resistance and keep track of your heart rate and calories burned.
The simplest exercise equipment is something we all own, our feet. Walking is the most fundamental exercise you can do. Running is even better. The benefits of walking and running are well documented. Increased cardio health, reduced blood pressure, and lower cholesterol are all benefits of maintaining a walking or running regimen. To increase the effectiveness of this exercise you should examine a heart monitor. A good monitor can tell you when you are exercising at the best level to reach your goals. In fact, sometimes a person will push themselves too hard resulting in over training and reduced performance a heart rate monitor will prevent this.
Exercising at home is cheaper than the gym and more comfortable. You can set your own time and you will never wait to use equipment. Keep it fun and you will see results in no time. Finally, don't forget the most crucial piece of gym equipment, the music system. It's your home you can listen to whatever you like not what the gym pounds into you.
