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Easy and Effective Home Workouts
by: Lynn Bode
Many people think that creating a home workout
gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest
their money in a health club membership not realizing that for the same amount
of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own
home.
For an effective home gym, all that is required
is a little bit of planning. Don’t fall into the trap of purchasing random
fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest infomercial fad or
the great “sale” at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads
to a house littered with equipment that’s only use is as a clothes hanger or
dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless,
poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn’t progress with
your fitness level.
To avoid having a basement filled with expensive
dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase:
- What are your fitness goals?
- How often do you realistically think you will
use the equipment?
- What fitness level do you expect to be at in
3, 6, 9 months?
- Will the equipment meet your needs as you get
more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?
- Does the equipment offer enough variations in
use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from
hitting a plateau?
- Will you enjoy the exercises or will you
quickly grow bored of them?
- And, of course how much can you afford?
Once you have answered all of the above questions
then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you
can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase. Don’t get
discouraged. For as little as $100, you can have a very effective total strength
training home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an effective
workout that will tone your entire body.
Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there
are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or
toning-up you can choose from free weights, selectorized machines, resistance
bands, benches and even no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g.
running, walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from treadmills,
to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond. So, answering the previously
mentioned questions is very important.
To help make your decision easier, below are
several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with benefits of the
exercise equipment.
If you want to create a gym that will provide you
with a total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and you have a
budget of at least $1000, consider the following recommendations:
- Treadmill – The best option for
cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and
even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied
based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it easily progresses as
fitness levels improve.
- Full dumbbell set with weights ranging from 5
pounds to 50+ pounds. – Great for light toning, to intermediate strength
training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorized machines and
usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts.
- Fitness Ball – Provides exercise options for
toning, strengthening and stretching.
- Resistance Band – Provides another option
for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great
challenge that will help prevent plateaus.
- Step Bench – Can be used for both cardio
workouts and strength training workouts.
If you want a home gym specifically for building
muscles (or just can’t afford cardio equipment), and can afford at least $100,
consider the following recommendations:
- Dumbbell set.
- Fitness Ball
- Resistance Band
- Jump Rope – Offers very challenging
cardiovascular fitness workouts at a very low price.
If you want a total body home gym but can only
afford less than $100, consider the following recommendations:
- Three dumbbells sizes (e.g. 5, 10 and 15
pounds)
- Resistance Band
- Jump Rope
If you are limited to purchasing just one very
affordable piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As mentioned
above, it provides many different exercise options. With the ball you can get an
upper body workout, a lower body workout, very challenging abdominal workout and
a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get all of this for around $35.
Also, don’t underestimate what you can do with
things that are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs and
others. There are a lot of exercises that require no equipment at all. For
example, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create
your own “weights” through milk jugs filled with water or sand.
As you can see, there are a lot of options
available for creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs and will
provide a lot of workout variety. Even on a shoestring budget, you can still
make a wise purchase that will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and
healthy. And, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of working out at home.
What are the benefits of working out at home?
Well, here are some highlights:
- No wasted time driving to and from a fitness
club
- No waiting in line to use the equipment
- Workout on your schedule, rather than just
when the health club is open
- No expensive monthly membership fees or
long-term contracts
- Motivation to workout as you pass by the
equipment every day
Of course, you will need previous knowledge of
how to use your home equipment or you will have to be willing to learn. But,
it’s not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic instructions and a few
sample exercises. You may want to enlist the help of a professional to provide
additional exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get the most
out of your fitness equipment through every fitness level stage.
For an affordable workout plan personalized to
your individual needs and available equipment, enroll in a WorkoutsForYou.com
online fitness program.
About The Author
Lynn Bode is dedicated to helping people get fit.
Through her website company, www.WorkoutsForYou.com,
she offers affordable online exercise programs to help you lose weight, tone-up,
build muscles, increase stamina and more. Custom programs for all fitness
levels. Vist the site for a Free sample workout.
info@workoutsforyou.com
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