Though gyms and fitness centers have become more and more sophisticated over the years, these aren’t the only places that you can get a total workout. As gyms have grown in popularity for the masses, so has home gym exercise. Along with the advancement in fitness equipment for gyms is a parallel advancement of equipment made specifically for the home. Exercise in the home gym has never been easier. Take a look at how you can put together a system that makes sense for you and your home.
In the past, most home setups were limited to crude barbells and dumbbells that required tedious and cumbersome changes of weight plates. It seemed that only the most dedicated weight lifter had any kind of home exercise arrangement. Now, there are so many choices open to the consumer, just about anybody can customize their own home gym.
A great way to gather ideas for how you want your home gym set up is to exercise for a month or two at one of the larger gyms in town. Get comfortable with all the different machines (cardio, dumbbells, barbells, weight machines, etc.) and find out which ones works best for you. While you are familiarizing yourself with all the equipment, try to imagine what would fit well within the confines of your home space. Once you have gotten a good idea of what you want for your individual needs, there is no reason why your home workout should be substantially different from your pro gym workout.
Before you launch your master exercise plan for the home gym, do a little comparison shopping. Give yourself ample time to use all the available resources to see what is for sale and at what price. With a little creativity, you can get the best without breaking the bank.
Along with the increased demand in exercise equipment for the home gym is ever improving product lines. Previously, the home gym workout suffered because the equipment was so inferior to its commercial counterpart. Now, the quality of made-for-home exercise equipment has gotten to the point where it often mirrors that which is found in fitness centers. Check out some of the multistation gyms made by Marcy and Weider, among others to help you get started on putting together your own gym.
Some of the commercial equipment brands also make semi-commercial machines and equipment for home use. Look at the ratings on brands like Precor, Star Trac, Life Fitness and Cybex, to mention a few. These brands often put out a parallel line that is top-notch in quality, but not made for the constant use and abuse that occurs in the large scale fitness centers. Shop around and don’t be afraid to enter the used equipment market for some real steals.