If you are like many millions of other people, the gym might just get the best of you. Even the most insane gym enthusiasts and fitness freaks don’t really want to have to deal with some of the nuisances that come with a private gym membership. A lot of the time, the stresses that can be associated with the crowds, distance from your house, and costs of gym membership tend to get in the way and people don’t end up going to the gym at all. One solution to this problem is not exercising. A much more desirable solution to that problem is to find your own workout equipment and build a home gym.
You are going to find it very difficult to make excuses and not exercise when you have a treadmill and a set of dumbbells in the basement. You will have more time to spend on your fitness, do it in a less stressful environment, and ultimately get the most out of your workout with a home gym. Because having a home gym is probably going to be new to you, these are some things that you should and shouldn’t do to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your home workout.
Don’t buy low-priced treadmills from discount superstores. They are low priced for a reason and are rarely of good quality. Like everything else in the world, you get what you pay for so make sure that you do a lot of research and read as many treadmill reviews as possible. These treadmills tend to be ones you see on craigslist for a tenth of what they originally cost because it quite simply is not a quality product and their owners only realized it too late.
Do buy a treadmill with a high continuous horsepower motor and a good suspension system. You have to remember that with every step you take, you are slamming 100 and some odd pounds onto a belt being driven by an electric motor. The stresses that a treadmill must ensure day-to-day would be absolute torture if it were a living thing so the durability of the suspension and a good motor go along way. You can decide as to which other bells and whistles you want, such as a heart rate monitor or the option of incline, but make sure that the product you are buying has great suspension and a dependable motor because without those two things, all your treadmill’s bells and whistles are completely useless.
Do discuss with an equipment expert as to what your individual goals should be and what you can do with the space you have. Because you are no longer at the gym, finding somebody to ask questions about your workout is going to be difficult. If you can find fitness professionals online, see what they have to say about your specific worker routine. Where you end up buying your equipment should also be another great resource for information but watch out for pushy salesmen trying to up sell you. You may not have room for large pieces of equipment but they will definitely be able to suggest something that can work for you. Purchasing the wrong equipment and using it incorrectly could mean that all your hard work amounts to nothing and there will be nobody there to correct your mistakes at home so make sure you know what you’re doing before you get into it.
Do take the time to try out different pieces of the same equipment so that you learn what best suits your needs. I found that different gyms in my neighborhood tended to have different equipment and it was a great way to benchmark certain fitness machines against each other. Gyms generally really just want to get people in the door so they rarely mind letting you work out for an hour even if you don’t have a membership. If you’re planning on buying a treadmill, try to go to a different gym three or four nights a week and try as many treadmills as they have. Directly comparing the different machines will give you a much broader understanding of the individual differences and little nuances each one has. This practice will help you make a much more informed decision on purchasing your own treadmill. The same goes for any other potential equipment you would buy for your home gym.
Do hire a personal trainer to help you out. Getting started will be the hardest part, especially if you don’t really know what you are doing. It is a personal trainer’s job to get somebody working out effectively and seeing as you aren’t at a gym, there probably won’t be any personal trainers walking around your house offering assistance. You should definitely spend some extra money and get somebody to go over a routine with you so that you can get the best out of your workout. Working out is going to be different for every single person so a personal trainer is an incredible asset to anybody’s workout and can often be the most important part.
Don’t buy used equipment without doing your research. A lot of the people who have their treadmills for sale on craigslist and other second-hand buy and sell sites usually bought that products and only learned about it after using them for a while. I wouldn’t recommend buying used for anybody who wouldn’t consider himself or herself an expert on fitness. If you do, however, really make sure that you do your research on any prospective models. If every review you read as positive and it’s a really good deal, make sure that you go for a run on the treadmill or take the rowing machine for a good 30 minute spin before purchasing it. You are going to want to make sure that this piece of equipment is going to last under your repeated beatings day in and day out.
With this info, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to create a lasting home workout routine that keeps you away from all the stresses associated with the gym. Knowing your equipment is of great quality and won’t be breaking anytime in the near future will be a load off you mind and you will finally be able to work out without any complications. Your workout will be more personalized and you won’t even have to leave home making your exercise a truly stress-free and relaxing experience.
