If time is at a premium to hit the health club regularly, but money is not, your best bet in the fitness quarters is to create your bespoke gym in the confines of your home. But even if money is tagged along with time in the meagre department, you could still manage to create a home gym with some calculated purchases and tips and suggestions from online experts who have rounded up economical gadgets to meet specific fitness requirements.
A quick review of the fitness gadgets available in the sports stores around you is the first step in getting there. Create a rough estimate of the budget that you could allocate for your gym and accordingly check out the prices of individual items in the stores, comparing with different brands to see which ones will give you the best deals for your money. What you need is a fully functional home gym, and unless so advised by your health or fitness consultant, you do not need to invest money on unnecessary cardio equipments or any of those specialist products that come with a huge price tag. Also, when you initiate your home gym project, remember that it needs to evolve over time; do not attempt to go about it all at once. It is only when you start with basics do you realise what additions will help you on your fitness road. And, while shopping, do remember that you need the right ambience in your home gym, so fill the space with items that will spur you on your fitness journey.
Gym Essentials
What you pick for your gym should depend on your target area of fitness. For example, if muscle gain and strength are your priorities, you only require a few key pieces and, of course, floor space for your exercises. Nevertheless, here is a quick roundup of what you would require to work out all your major muscle groups.
Barbell: Your home gym foundation begins with barbell – albeit a small one to fit into your gym space. With a barbell set you can do a variety of basic exercises, including squats (front and back), lunges, dead-lifts, barbell row, upright row, bench press, back beck press, bicep curls and close grip bench press, among others.
Dumbbells: You could opt for the regular variety of dumbbells or pick the adjustable ones, as both are effective in meeting your targets. However, if space is a concern and you are looking to optimise the situation, adjustable dumbbell is perfect to progress into different levels of workouts.
Kettlebells: Alongside barbells and dumbbells, what you require is a dynamic kettlebell for a all-around workout. Designed as a teardrop with its large handle, it provides an ease to do swings, presses and jerks, thereby giving you a total body workout. When buying, look for one with a secure grip and solid casting. There are also adjustable ones that can provide more flexibility to your workout.
Weight Plates: Weight plates are used in combination with barbells or dumbbells to create a bar with the total weight of your choice. To start with, you would need weights ranging from 2.5 to 45 pound plates, with more added as you get stronger.
Adjustable Bench:A bench that is adjustable or stationary will present several opportunities to work out your upper and even lower body. With a bench, you can include several dumbbell exercises too; an adjustable one will also provide versatility, as it can incline or decline. While a bench doesn’t cost much, it is best to opt for a padded one or even one with a simple covering to ensure uninterrupted workout.
Punch Bag: A punching bag may not seem like a fitness essential, but it is a great stress-buster and can also be a part of your high intensity workouts. What is more, it can easily create an ambience of a gym with its I-mean-business look.
Battle Ropes: One of the easiest additions to your home gym is a battle rope, which needs no permanent installation or a big shelf space. Yes, it does require a large workout space, but then you could move out of your dedicated gym room to any other larger room in the house to put it to use. It is effective in making your cardio exercises challenging, as you perform slams and waves and a host of other exercises.
Suspension Trainer: Suspension training system is classified as the ultimate body-weight workout. In recent times it has become a staple in most gyms, as they can meet the requirements of beginners at different strength levels. Besides, it is a space saving option, which is what you would be seeking in your home gym.
With gym options expanding, there are several equipments that can help you meet your fitness goals. And if you have the space in your home gym and money saved to spend on specialised products, you could also consider deadlift platform, power tower, rowing machine and fractional plates, among a host of endless products.
