Gyms are expensive, noisy and crowded. They can also be intimidating to someone new to working out. And other times it’s simply not feasible or convenient to become a member. There are a lot of home gym equipment options out there, but these usually fall into three categories: free weights, little machines, and bigger machines.
The first category of at home gym equipment is simple free-weights. With just a few dumb-bells you can complete a variety of exercises with this weight training equipment. A standard “home gym” should have a few dumb-bells of different weight, an adjustable weight bench, a standard straight bar and a few weights to go on it. This whole set-up can be had for about the cost of a yearly gym membership. You can also supplement this set-up with non-traditional equipment like kettlebells which are good for cardio and strength training.
The next category of at home gym equipment is smaller machines. These are usually sold on infomercials. An over-whelming majority of these items focus on the abs and giving you a six-pack. What most people fail to realize is that you can’t spot train away the fat. This leads people to thinking the product is in-effective and rather than get on a realistic program, they just buy the next one! While these products can be effective with a regular work-out program that works everything, you can get similar or better results with simple body-weight equipment.
The last category of equipment is big machines. These are more tradition things like the bow-flex, or cardio machines like a treadmill, stair machine, or any cardio machine really. These machines are big and expensive and take up a lot of room in your home. However they work great when properly utilized and can make a big difference in your overall health.
Taking these 3 types of equipment into mind, consider your budget and goals carefully before making any purchases. While big machines like a bow-flex or treadmill can be great to work with, they may stretch out your budget when you can get by with some simple free-weights to begin with. Even more important is to make sure you’re dedicated and in for the long haul. Without dedication you could end up wasting a lot of money on a treadmill that you never use.