Exercise equipment; your must have...
karijoeide
Posts: 103
Hi fellow MFP members, looking for your feedback. I am looking to invest in some good quality exercise equipment as the upcoming winter months in Minnesota get long and drawn out. I have free weights, I also do alot of DVD's, circuit training etc. What is your must have piece of exercise equipment, the brand and approximate price?! Thanks for your feedback!!
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Replies
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What are you goals? Hard to make good suggestions without knowing that, but speaking very generally I say:
- a squat rack/cage
- a flat bench
- barbell and plates
- a pull-up bar
- a dip station
- a good pair of running sneakers0 -
I say this in all seriousness: Wii gaming system! This is the thing that has saved my bacon since beginning my MFP journey! It has gotten me off the life sucking couch and into action. The Just Dance games are a serious cardio workout. And it's fun, doesn't take up much room (I have a VERY small house - no room for actual fitness equipment unless it could fold under a bed). The best part is I am about bored enough with my current regime to either add a game or brush the dust off of my other cardio DVD's I'm sad to say I have watched to see how difficult they were before I attempted them and put them back on the shelf! NOW I actually feel as though I could make it through one, and I'm only down 15 lbs!0
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What I would recommend as my "must have" home gym equipment is entirely dependent upon whether or not you have the luxury of being able to devote a whole room to converting into a gym. You can get by without the things that jacksonpt said (which are really only viable if you can afford to devote a whole room to turning into a gym), but it's not ideal and requires a lot of unorthodox equipment and training techniques.
That being said, four pieces of equipment I recommend to anyone regardless of goals:
Sandbags
Suspension trainer
Jump rope
Kettlebells0 -
PS just for common interest - I was born in Minnesota, grew up in Minneapolis! LOL Small world! I live in the high desert of Southern Utah no wand am an official desert rat, but still miss the seasons and greenery etc.!0
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dedication
everything else is secondary.0 -
What I would recommend as my "must have" home gym equipment is entirely dependent upon whether or not you have the luxury of being able to devote a whole room to converting into a gym. You can get by without the things that jacksonpt said (which are really only viable if you can afford to devote a whole room to turning into a gym), but it's not ideal and requires a lot of unorthodox equipment and training techniques.
That being said, four pieces of equipment I recommend to anyone regardless of goals:
Sandbags
Suspension trainer
Jump rope
Kettlebells
Agreed. Goals, budget, space limitations, etc all impact what is "ideal" for any individual person.0 -
I have a treadmill, elliptical and an exercise bike along with weights, and a hoist machine, dvd's etc.
I find the treadmill gets used about 3 or 4 times more than any other piece of equipment we have. I do prefer to walk or run outside but in WI it makes it a bit tougher. It is dark when i get home from work from now until spring and i am in the country so no street lights.
We have had ours for about 7 or 8 years and bought a good one at the time. I think it was around $1500. (i don't remember the name brand off the top of my head). I would not go cheap on one because they can last you a long time. (my elliptical and bike are cheaper though and work fine). You could always try to find a good used one too, there are plenty of them out there.
But whatever you think you will use the most is what i would get.0 -
Other than the TV, DVDs and free weights that you already have:
A good pair of hiking shoes - about $100 on sale (currently North Face, but whatever is comfortable for your feet)
Yoga mat - $10 (brand unknown)
A few good exercise bras - $25 ea (Moving Comfort Mia)
I have some other things, but these are the only things I consider 'must haves' and use regularly.
ETA: I just noticed you ask for brands.0 -
By the way, i do not devote a whole room to an exercise room. I put all my pieces of equipment in the family room in the basement. I always felt if i had to go in a room by myself i would not use it. It was put where the rest of the family likes to hang so i could be with them when i work out.
I tried to buy the quietest treadmill for this reason too but it is still kind of loud. They dealt with it ok though.0 -
What I would recommend as my "must have" home gym equipment is entirely dependent upon whether or not you have the luxury of being able to devote a whole room to converting into a gym. You can get by without the things that jacksonpt said (which are really only viable if you can afford to devote a whole room to turning into a gym), but it's not ideal and requires a lot of unorthodox equipment and training techniques.
That being said, four pieces of equipment I recommend to anyone regardless of goals:
Sandbags
Suspension trainer
Jump rope
Kettlebells
Agreed. Goals, budget, space limitations, etc all impact what is "ideal" for any individual person.
I concur with where these guys are going. Personally I always recommend kettlebells first, followed by sandbags and good quality resistance bands. *Make sure you get educated in their proper use for safety and effectiveness.
A good punching bag (think Wave-master style standing bag) can add another dimension, relieve the stress of being caged all winter, and can be easily moved into a corner when not in use.0 -
If I were to build a home gym and had the money, I'd invest in a JONES rack. Unlike a Smith machine, it's tracks move not only vertically, but later horizontally as well thereby following the natural motion of someones movement along with the safety of racking hooks.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
You can do a LOT with a good set of dumbells and a pullup bar.
The pullup bar will cost you $20 new, and the dumbells you can get on Craigslist for a fraction of what you'd pay new.
A jump rope is another great idea, as mentioned up-thread.0 -
Like previous comments, it really depends on your fitness goals.
I'm primarily a cyclist. With that being said I have the following in a dedicated exercise room:
Keep in mind that I started with only a trainer for my bike and couple of homemade sand bags, the only thing I have that was purchased new and not a "Yard Sale" find or a hand me down was the spin bike!
Spinbike
Treadmill
Bowflex Cross Bow
Olympic weights & bar (375 lbs)
Dumb bells
Pull up bar
Jump Rope
Huge green ball
Resistance bands
Flatscreen TV
DVD player0 -
My best piece of equipment I have found is my body weight, lots of determination and self-motivation. I have invested in much equipment (t-mill, recumbent bike, gizelle, basic weight bench, free weights, wavemaster bag for kickboxing, dvd's -I'm an infomercial dvd junkie). I do have a room dedicated to this equipment, but I rarely use most of it except the t-mill and the wavemaster (my newest toy). I like to change things up b/c i get bored so I like bootcamp style workouts where things change and the workouts are more physical. I have a home-made listing of different body weight workouts that I use to change up routines. I play workout dvd's (so someone else is working out too ..lol ), loud music, and do my own thing. On any given day my workout can be different. Hope this helps!0
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*My* must haves are a barbell, plates, a bench and a power cage, (plus dumbbells which is less of a must but a strong preference).
However, these are not everyone's must haves.
Yours should depend on what you enjoy (plus budget and space constraints).0 -
If I were to build a home gym and had the money, I'd invest in a JONES rack. Unlike a Smith machine, it's tracks move not only vertically, but later horizontally as well thereby following the natural motion of someones movement along with the safety of racking hooks.
** hijack **
Have you ever used one? We had something very similar from Hoist (both vertical and horizontal slides), but it never worked as well in reality as it seemed like it should have in concept. Just wondering if different brands/models do work well.0 -
I like my exercise bike, treadmill and weights.0
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Must haves:
Legs - walking
Treadmill - same plus a sad little jog that I do
DVD player - Hello there Shaun T (love his programs)
Free weights - I use them when I workout at home
Resistance bands - In love with these for leg lifts
Wii - I play Wii fitness and regular games with the kids. Nothing like a video game that requires standing, running, and dancing to get you going.0 -
The best exercise equipment you can get for yourself is something that you WILL use. Not might, not maybe, not this looks good, not this looks cute, but something that you can and will devote the time you set aside to exercise. You know you and your home and the rhythm of your home. The best equipment in the world is useless if it doesn't get used and a set of soup cans and old clothesline can be used to drop pounds and add endurance.
You, your mind, your imagination and your determination are the best things I can suggest.0 -
Shakeweight.0
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I have:
exercise ball~Walmart I think it's around $15 to $20
mat~Walmart~$10 to $15
jump rope~Walmart~$5 to $10
adjustable weight bench, $49.99 (Walmart online) Gold's gym
barbell w/weight plates, around $40 at Sports Authority (ETA-just the barbell)
dumbbells~ (Walmart and other types of sports equipment stores, $5-$100, the heavier they are the more expensive they are, this also includes weight plates).
Ankle weights~20 pds each, Walmart online, $19.99 a pair
Next thing I would like to get is a squat rack, they run $100 or more.
Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:0 -
If I were to build a home gym and had the money, I'd invest in a JONES rack. Unlike a Smith machine, it's tracks move not only vertically, but later horizontally as well thereby following the natural motion of someones movement along with the safety of racking hooks.
** hijack **
Have you ever used one? We had something very similar from Hoist (both vertical and horizontal slides), but it never worked as well in reality as it seemed like it should have in concept. Just wondering if different brands/models do work well.
I can tell just by looking at the design that it won't work as well in reality.0 -
Thank you for all your suggestions and feedback I appreciate it!0
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- a squat rack/cage
- a flat bench
- barbell and plates
- a pull-up bar
This would be my list, and in most cases a decent power rack will include a pull-up bar as part of the frame. I got mine on amazon for about $300, and you can get a flat bench on Craigslist for about $20 and an olympic weight set on Craigslist for a couple hundred usually.0 -
I am definitely asking for a kettle bell and a HRM for Christmas. lol, I believe that last year I just asked family members to all give me shoes.0
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I have...
"Dynamics Treadmill" - £600
"Dynamics Exercise Bike - £169
"Confidence Kettle bell 4 piece set" - £29.99
"York Women's Dumb bells " - £19.99
" ActivRoma HT Mountain Bike" - £369
Various other bits Like Yoga Ball, Tension bands,
Did have a Carl Lewis Row machine and York fitness x730 cross trainer < but changed to treadmill and X bike >
It does not really matter what you have, how much they cost as long as you actually use them!0 -
You can do a LOT with a good set of dumbells and a pullup bar.
The pullup bar will cost you $20 new, and the dumbells you can get on Craigslist for a fraction of what you'd pay new.
On a limited budget, definitely the above. Get enough plates for the DBs and it'll keep you going for a while. You can squeeze 6x10kg plates on a DB. Use two for Bulgarian squats and destroy your legs.0 -
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When I worked in VA, they had a Hammer Strength one and an actual Jones one at GMU. Both worked fine, however one of them stated that highest load could only be 500lbs.If I were to build a home gym and had the money, I'd invest in a JONES rack. Unlike a Smith machine, it's tracks move not only vertically, but later horizontally as well thereby following the natural motion of someones movement along with the safety of racking hooks.
** hijack **
Have you ever used one? We had something very similar from Hoist (both vertical and horizontal slides), but it never worked as well in reality as it seemed like it should have in concept. Just wondering if different brands/models do work well.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I don't have one "MUST" but some favorites/stand-bys over the years:
* Fitbit
* Kettlebells
* Jumpsport rebounder
* Treadmill0
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