You did it! You have made the decision that you want
to start working out at home! Congratulations! It is a very wise choice for a
variety of reasons. I am proud and excited to be discussing the particulars of
assisting anyone that has made the decision to workout at home and its
wonderful benefits. The benefits include but are not limited to the following:
1.
Save Money on:
a.
Gym fees.
b.
Monthly Membership payments and increases.
c.
Gas and car mileage.
d.
Save on childcare.
2.
Privacy:
a.
Alleviate anxiety, awkwardness, shyness, etc.
b.
Can build confidence
3.
Easier on schedule:
a.
Workout at any time.
4.
Save on dead time:
a.
Prep for gym/gym bag.
b.
Driving
to the gym and parking.
c.
Packed gym/don't have to wait on equipment.
5.
Help with childcare issue:
a.
Workout with your child nearby.
b.
Some people even workout with their baby.
6.
Multipurpose use for gym equipment:
a.
Can double to hang laundry on to dry. Just
kidding! (Not really...)
So now that the decision has been made where do we go from here? How do we
organize? What do we do about the space? What do we purchase? We will be
discussing these questions in two parts:
Part I - Organization and Budget
Part II - The Basic Equipment
Part I - Organization and Budget
Organization can be discussed in terms of size. One piece of
equipment, depending upon your needs can take up a whole room, leaving you with
room for nothing else. In first looking into an at-home gym, think about where
your equipment will be and the space you have. Is it one whole room or a small
space in your already cramped master bedroom? Are you leaving the equipment out
or are you planning on storing them away? This will dictate the most important
equipment to first purchase the physical equipment and the number of equipment
that will eventually populate the space. In moving forward, I suggest the
following:
Measure the Room/Space
When you are deciding to purchase equipment and are researching the options,
pay close attention to the size of the equipment and dimensions of the
equipment that look the most desirable to you. You will want to
definitely research space saving equipment particularly for modest sized
spaces. On a piece of graph paper, begin a rough sketch of your room labeling
the dimensions to visually see the potential layout with a variety of equipment
in the space. This is important because when it comes to gym equipment it is
better not to guess. You don't want to be building and disassembling equipment
to send it back or end up with equipment you can't use. You want to be
efficient and get to working out as soon as possible.
An advantage to this method is you can make the sketches first without even
clearing the room completely of furnishings so that you know for a fact that
you selected the right room to proceed with full confidence. If other options
exist, it is definitely a good idea to go ahead and to do rough drafts for all
of them and compare the possibilities. What you might learn may just surprise
you.
Physical organization of space
After deciding on the space, you will have to get started on clearing the space
and/or organizing it. Now would be the time to remove and/or rearrange
furniture so you can bring in your new gym equipment and accessories. Start
thinking about yard sales and donations to clear the space quickly. Also, a
yard sale can provide more money towards buying the gym equipment you want to exercise
with. Whatever you decide to do, start the process, and get going. In the meantime,
if you don’t have space at all, you could utilize your local gym until you have
space.
Once the space has been cleared, you can use painter's tape
to further help decide where the gym equipment should be placed. Also begin to
look at available closet space and organizers you already have that can be
re-purposed for your at-home gym. This will help in budgeting for things you
really need. Make note of any additional organizers you will need to bring in.
This is also important because you don't want to work out in chaos or in a
space where you can't find what you need quickly or put it back where you can
find it next time.
Budget
Cost of home gym equipment can range vastly from quite inexpensive to costly.
Luckily for the average person, a lot of affordable at-home gym equipment is
rather accessible these days. For the bare basics, I'd say between $100 and
$500 is a great beginning to start the process of procuring the most important
equipment on your must-buy shopping list. Also, please note that I did not get
all of the equipment indicated below all at once. I gradually purchased them as
I needed them over time when necessary. So as an example, if you find that all you
need is a pair of dumbbells, a mat and a bench then purchase those upfront and
then get the rest later when it is affordably comfortable for you over time. I
would set a pace of saving any where between $100 - $500 before making your
next set of purchases always prioritizing and assessing based upon your current
fitness needs and progress made.
Part II - The Basic Equipment
Please note that I am strongly for resistance training that
includes weights (dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, etc.). So, the suggestions
I make for an at-home gym setup revolves around prepping for lifting weight and
eventually lifting progressively heavier weights over time. Also, I purchased
the majority of my equipment from Amazon.com and my estimations are based upon
the prices at the time of the purchases combined with recent searches I made on
Amazon.com to write this blog article. You are most certainly not limited to Amazon.com
to purchase equipment and accessories. Please feel free to look into Walmart, Target
and other trusted superstores that sell solid gym equipment for an affordable
price. After the past few years of exclusively working out at home, here are
the equipment that I find are needed the most for an effective workout:
1. Dumbbells
Dumbbells are great for all levels of fitness expertise whether you are
beginner or advanced, they are a staple in resistance training. From the lightest to the heaviest, you must
choose these wisely because dumbbells can get very costly. Although you could
buy them a pair at a time, it could save you a lot of money buy them in sets,
or an adjustable dumbbell set (one set with removable plates). It is
recommended to get an adjustable dumbbell set because they are a great space
saver, better to store and the weight range may cover all the weight you'll
ever want to lift with a dumbbell.
v
Dumbbell Price Range: $15 - $450
v
Set of Starter Dumbbells: $50 - $150
v
Adjustable Dumbbells: $400 - $500
I suggest if you can’t afford adjustable dumbbells then buy a
starter set with three pairs. This way, you will be able to work out for a good
length of time before outgrowing this set. However, as you begin to increase in
strength, the dumbbell pairs become more and more expensive even grouped up in
sets. The heavier the dumbbells are the more expensive they get. It might save
money in the long run to just swallow the cost and get the adjustable dumbbells
up front. Again, because it is worth repeating and stressing, I consider
dumbbells to be one of the most important pieces of gym equipment you could
ever invest in but of course the choice is up to you.
2. Bench
A bench is certainly needed when beginning resistance training and can help
with maintaining good form and enabling a wide range of dynamic exercises to
add to your workout routine. They can assist you with upper and lower body
works, and core strengthening movements and exercises. It can also accommodate
all levels of fitness expertise from beginner to advanced.
v
Bench Price Range: $100 - $200
There are a variety to get from the simplest one like a flat
utility bench to an Olympian style one meant for bench pressing massive weight.
There are advanced ones too with attachments that can help with leg extensions
and leg curls. To begin with, choose a sturdy one that can fold easy for storage
and can be adjusted at a variety of angles. Personally, I like the ones that have
the contoured foam roller pads that help to hold your feet in place as you
perform a bench press. Advanced ones can be gotten at a later time because it
takes a while to build strength and correct form. The time and level of
challenge can be maxed out with a standard adjustable utility bench.
3. Resistance Bands and Circular Bands
These come in handy to help provide further variety in a set up that is already
limited. In the beginning, I utilized resistance bands to help build up
strength to perform squats with dumbbells and then barbell. For cable work,
like cable rows and lat pull-downs, resistance bands come in handy and are very
versatile to accommodate not only with exercises such as these but with others
too as well. Circular bands are a must for mat work and other kinds of
exercises to help build the core, glutes, thigh muscles, inner thigh muscles
etc.
v
Resistance Band Price Range: $20 -$40
Buy these in a set where they progressively range from 10lb
cords to 50lbs or more and have such useful accessories as a door stopper and
handles.
v
Circular Bands Price Range: $15 - $20
Buy a set of 3 to 4 that range in strength from light to
heavy. They range from stretchy cloth to rubber so choose a set that is of your
preference but know that no matter what the material is made up of, eventually
you will have to replace them periodically because they get worn and old
quickly from consistent use.
4. Mat
Mats are great for warm-ups, working on your flexibility, and core strengthening
exercises. The padding and cushioning help to protect your back from injury. If
you can’t get a bench, there are a lot of strength training exercises that you
can do on the mat. But I strongly suggest getting both a bench and a mat if
your budget permits.
v
Exercise Mat Price Range: $15 - $40
I have a variety of mats from ultra-thin ones to very padded
ones that I have purchased over the years. My preference is a very padded foldable
one I found at Target years ago. It wasn’t until recently that I replaced it
with a newer one just like it because I loved it that much.
5. Ankle Weights
Leg weight machines are very expensive. And until it is needed, do not spend
the money on it just yet. I do believe that they are worth it but all in due
time. In the meantime, ankle weights are a great and solid option to go with to
perform leg extensions, leg curls, glute kickbacks, etc.
v
Ankle weight Price Range: $18 - $30
An ongoing theme with me is the tendency to plan ahead when
purchasing weights. And, ankle weights are no different to me than dumbbells,
resistance bands, circular bands, etc. I prefer to purchase them wherein I have
multiple options to progressively increase the weights a few times before I
have to purchase more. In the end, it saves me time, money and will not stall
my progress. When I started out, I purchased ankle weights that were adjustable
up to 10lbs per ankle weight by 2lb increments. I was able to complete my
program the first time around without having to purchase another set or find a
different solution.
6. Step-up Bench (Optional but strongly recommended)
In building up the glutes, thigh, and leg muscles, an aerobic step-up bench in
tandem with ankle weights in a program can help with making workouts efficient
and effective at a wide range of fitness levels before it is necessary to
purchase expensive and bulky gym equipment. It adds variety and options for
cardio too.
v
Step-up Bench Price Range: $30 - $80
If you can’t get a Step-up Bench and a workout bench at the
same time, then get this step-up bench later. The workout bench if low enough
can be a stand in to perform exercises on that you were going to do with the
assistance of the step-up bench.
7. Smartwatch and fitness app (Optional but strongly
recommended)
Smartwatches help you to track your progress in regards to your nutrition and
fitness goals. It helps with refining your eating habits and analyzing the
effectiveness of your workouts so that when a plateau arises, you will be able
to adjust accordingly. Smartwatches completely changed my fitness journey for
the better. Had I not gotten a smartwatch to help me get past tricky plateaus
and assist with accountability for my eating habits, I would have never
improved and would still be struggling with the same issues. It is certainly
strongly recommended to purchase one of these at the beginning of your fitness
journey and get to know all of the various features and options attached to
your smartwatch.
v
Smartwatch Price Range: $50 - $450
Smartwatches can get expensive and may not even seem to be
worth it at first glance! And some are truly worth the expense depending upon
how far along you have progressed in your fitness journey. After the
experiences I have had, I would suggest buying one to start out with around
$100. Find a well-known company that has great customer service and a simple
google and/or YouTube search can provide excellent answers to your problems
quickly and a wide variety of tutorials when needed. Also, you will want one
that is very intuitive and easy to use. There are plenty of YouTube video
reviews on the topic so start your research there before you make your
purchase.
There it is! These are the basics you'll need in getting
together your at-home gym! Here is a PDF
for download that you can use as a simple checklist to keep you on track
with the organization of your space, getting you started with your budget, your
research and your purchases towards your equipment. As a bonus, I also included
a very brief list of optional accessories that you might want to consider
purchasing for weightlifting. You can download the PDF here!
Please feel free to check it out and don’t be afraid to
reach out to me and let me know what you think!
I’m always here for
you when you need me to be!
Until next time… Keep it Fired up Superstar!™
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