Home Gym

asliceofjackie

What are some of the things that you consider essential to purchase for the building of a 'home gym'. I'm not talking like, super big fancy machines 'cause I definitely don't have room for that in my small apartment, lol. But what are the essentials in order to be able to substitute the money for a gym card with a one-time purchase of your own equipment?

ltoaa1

Hi there. I would say a cardio machine (treadmill, elliptical or a static bike) and a pair of dumbbells/kettlebells, if you are low on space. You can always add a bench if you can fit it in your appartment and budget.

shadow2soul

If space is an issue than some simple items like:

Resistance bands
Resistance loops
Adjustable Dumbbells
Exercise mat
Core Sliders (if you can workout on a hard floor than a towel can work just as well)
Maybe a foam roller
Pull-up bar if you have a spot for it
Swiss ball

I also like exercise DVDs. I didn’t go to a gym in 2018. I used the above equipment with fitness DVDs and Beachbody on demand to make sure I was getting a well rounded workout. My endurance improved a ton. Early 2018 I could barely run for a few minutes and the other day I discovered that I can now run 17+ mins no problem.

christinars121

Like everyone else above said and you can also use Youtube. There are so many videos and great people to follow there.

asliceofjackie

Thanks for such good and fast answers! Some of these I hadn't consider, so I will definitely have to do that and see what I can put together in the end.

Thanks again!

rileyes

For me it begins with a sport or activity that I enjoy. My gym has the tools that can help me get stronger and faster as well as build endurance for my sport/activity. My gym expands as needed. That said, I like the Strong Curves program when training physique and strength. This program begins with a bodyweight program and progresses with various weights including dumbells, barbells, Kettlebells... As you get more advanced and space is limited, you could invest in a Landmine sleeve, barbell and a set of plates.

riffraff2112

If a decent bike or elliptical are not options (get your cardio outdoor or do some home workouts via youtube or fitness dvds etc) I would think you could get by with simple adjustable weights (dumbbells). Lots of body weight exercises work really well too but if you want to see strength gains, you can supplement with adding the dumbbell weights. I used to use a inflatable workout ball instead of a bench when I did bench press and shoulder press with light enough weight for it to be safe. Took ab strength to stabilize my core and it worked really well for incline pushups too,

hesn92

For a small space I'd probably just do adjustable dumbbells and resistance bands and loops. maybe a yoga mat depending on your floor. At my home I have a basement so I bought a barbell and a rack and a bench which is really nice to have... currently out of commission because we're finishing our basement I'm not sure if I'll get my home gym back or not I loved my little gym in the basement. So convenient and I can workout alone and not wait on anybody or worry irrationally that people are watching me.

It also depends on what you like to do though.

johngsprague

A nice home gym piece is a pair of gymnastic rings, if you have something to hang them from. I use the basement I-beam. They can give you a full-body workout with things such as pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, flies, dips, reverse push-ups, etc. All for $25.

feisty_bucket

You can do everything you need to do with (some)/(adjustable) dumbbells, _except_ for the pullup movement. That's the tricky bit.

There are contraptions that fit in the top of doorways (which may or may not destroy the doorframe). You can sometimes do creative things with beams which may be exposed in your household. Maybe you've got a nearby tree which luckily has an appropriate branch at the right height and angle.

Or you may have to just buy something. If you search for "freestanding pull-up bars" you'll see these tower things which start at about $100. There are tons of options with these and some are fancier than others.

lorrpb

Check out your local thrift shops and Goodwill. I've gotten a lot of home fitness equipment very inexpensively, and much of it is good quality.

estherdragonbat

asliceofjackie wrote: »

What are some of the things that you consider essential to purchase for the building of a 'home gym'. I'm not talking like, super big fancy machines 'cause I definitely don't have room for that in my small apartment, lol. But what are the essentials in order to be able to substitute the money for a gym card with a one-time purchase of your own equipment?

In my case, I had a glider from years ago. I started by investing in resistance tubes. Over time, I've acquired dumbbells in various weights (3-35lbs), a stability ball, a yoga mat, some weighted (medicine/slam/pilates) balls, resistance bands, and adjustable ankle weights. Also a cardio step.

anothermfpuser

Your "essentials" may be different than others. Think about what types of activities you enjoy and build from that.

That said, if it were me and I was limited on space, I would get: a good exercise mat, adjustable dumbbells, and resistance bands for inside and sneakers for outside (walking / running).

I would also get an outdoor bike and a bike holder that accommodates the type of space you have best which would allow you could carry in and out as weather permitted.

DylanBob101

It all depends on the space you have, your budget and the type of exercises you want to do, But you should have - a resistance band, skipping rope, a yoga mat, Ab roller, pull-up bar, tummy trimmer. If you want to weight exercises, you can buy kettlebells, dumbbells, suspension training system. Rest you can add as you require them.

neugebauer52

I have seen a few basic home gyms - usually they are used for 2 to 3 months - on an irregular basis. Then they are pushed into a corner and used for: drying underwear, towels, you name it. For plant hanging baskets, always an interesting addition for room decorating. Or changed into a cat scratching post and the cat sleeps on the saddle of course...

snowyne

The winters are long, cold, and dark where I live. I had trouble summoning the motivation to go outside or drive to a gym. Bought a SOLE brand treadmill in 2016 and it was the best money ever spent!! Maybe not feasible if you're limited for space, but the one I have folds up when not in use.

CharlieCharlie007

If you are going to get dumbbells I would suggest spending the $$$$ on powerblocks. http://www.powerblock.com/ expensive, but if you are committed, the best investment ever.

mojavemtbr

neugebauer52 wrote: »

I have seen a few basic home gyms - usually they are used for 2 to 3 months - on an irregular basis. Then they are pushed into a corner and used for: drying underwear, towels, you name it. For plant hanging baskets, always an interesting addition for room decorating. Or changed into a cat scratching post and the cat sleeps on the saddle of course...

When I see the words "home gym" I dont see it as a freestanding machine of any sort. I see a "home gym" as a room where you have collected a number of good basic exercise tools. My home gym consists of a flat bench, adjustable dumbbell handles with spin-lock collars and a number of weight plates for them, an easy curl bar, a TRX suspension trainer, a stability ball (a large number of stability and strength exercises can be done on one and it can be used as a bench too for dumbbell use) a bosu ball, a few medicine balls as well as a water filled ball( an awesome beast of an exercise tool), and a set of light, med, and heavy therabands.
The only machine in there is the elliptical my wife usually uses.
Everything else is portable and multi-use.