Once you ve purchased your home gym, it s time to put into practice my most important tip of all: use it!
If you will, you re probably lifting that amount already and don t need my advice!
Construction. Here are five tips that will help you save money and get the best equipment for your needs.
Number of exercises. No standing in line at the health club, no membership dues, no smelly locker room!
The downside is that shopping for one of these machines can be as grueling as the exercises you could perform on them.
No matter the resistance method, a basic unit should include at least 200 pounds of resistance. Look for equipment constructed of tubular or rectangular steel, as these tend to be the most durable.
Plan on having enough space to maneuver around the machine, too. Having variety will keep your workouts interesting. Take measurements of the height, length, and width of the area in which you re planning to place the equipment, and keep those numbers handy while you shop. Although it s good to have the option to upgrade to additional weight in the future, unless Socks Knitting Machine you re training for a bodybuilding or power lifting tournament, it s unlikely that you ll ever need more than 200 pounds.
Most home gyms offer the capability to perform dozens of exercises.
Warranty
A good warranty provides 10 years of coverage for the frame, 1 year for moving parts, and 90 days for upholstery.Home gyms, or multi gyms, can be wonderful exercise equipment to own, providing the opportunity to enjoy a complete, strength building workout in the privacy of your home. How many exercises should each machine offer? Should you buy the extra attachments or weight plates? What should you look for in a warranty?
Buying a piece of fitness equipment as large as a multi station gym is a major investment, and the time you spend researching will be well spent.
A home gym is likely to require as much square footage as a wall unit entertainment center. I m not a big believer in paying for extended warranties, but in the current economic climate, you should be able to score an extended warranty for free from the salesperson, just by asking for it.
Bonus tip.
Don t be seduced into purchasing extra attachments at this stage. This is when you ll benefit the most from visiting a sporting goods store and trying out various machines yourself.
Consider your available space.
The frame should be sturdy, and shouldn t wobble.
At the minimum, the equipment should include a chest/shoulder press, high pulley, low pulley, leg extension, and leg curl/exercise attachments. Each type of resistance feels slightly different.
Resistance
The majority of home gyms offer fixed weight stacks, plate loaded systems, or rods. Get the machine home first, use it regularly for a few months, and only buy the add ons if they seem necessary at that time. There s nothing more annoying than bumping into walls and furniture while you re trying to work out or realizing that your designated area is too small for you to get in much of a workout at all!
If you can dedicate an entire room, side of your garage, or corner of your basement to your gym, that would work best.