Need help creating a home gym after horrible gym experience

selanders

Sorry for the length! Today was a frustrating day!

I'm new to myfitnesspal and I’m posting for the first time to ask for some help making purchasing decisions. I’ve had lots of gym memberships in my life and usually my experience at the gym is relaxing and I get a great workout. Recently I moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere that only has one gym. Ever since signing up, I did not like this gym, but I had no choice because I don’t have the time and patience to drive 25 min away and back to the next nearest gym, 5-6 times a week. Issues I had with the gym were lack of space, no pool, no classes, old and worn out machines, and member etiquette problems not re-racking weights (I searched 10 minutes for the 20 lb dumbbells once, only to never find them – Yes, there I only 1 set of 20 lb dumbbells). I put up with all of this because of the low price per month and the lack of other choices.

Today ended up being the last straw, as my gym suddenly went out of business and was taken over by a new company. This gym, by the way, is a large and well-recognized chain, and it gave me NO WARNING about the fact that they were going to close 2 months after I signed first/last months, card fees, year-membership fees. New gym tells me to become a member, I have to pay all the fees again, totaling over $60 more dollars. When I called the first gym, they refused to acknowledge my membership and refused to refund any of my money. It was the last straw, and after 3 hours on the phone with several different company representatives, I went back to the gym and quit my membership rather then stay at a place that now only made me feel terrible to enter.
For context, I'm a (almost) 25 year old female who is currently overweight and trying to lose fat and gain back some of my former muscle strength. I have been athletic for most of my life and I do know my way around the gym and the proper weight lifting exercises and techniques. I primarily use dumbbells and am only lifting in the 15-20 pound range for arms and 40 pounds for leg exercises like squats and deadlifts. I know that I will quickly improve, but I'm not looking to be a body builder. I know what I like when I see it, but even after extensive research, I'm not sure the pros and cons of what I see online and at the store. For example, should I chose metal or neoprene? Should I get a large set of dumbbells, buy them as I need them, or buy an interchangable set like bowflex sells? Any advice about what kind of strength training equipment I need is requested! What are the best brands? What should I avoid?

On a separate note, I am also a fan of treadmills. I love to walk/run outside, but the treadmill gives me the chance to do more precise intervals, inclines (none around here), and track my progress. Also, the summer is hot and the winter will be cold and I know I will not want to go outside during those periods of extreme weather. Any advise on treadmills? Should I pay the high price for the high quality? Brands to avoid and brands to look into? I’m not necessarily looking for fancy add-ons, but I would rather pay for something that is sturdy and accurate than skimp and regret it later.

TL/DR – I quit my gym membership for good, and since there will be no way for me to get a new one until I move to a new town, I want to invest in a decent quality home-gym. I’m looking for advice and suggestions. Thank you for your help! Also, feel free to add me as a friend!

JamesBurkes

Well it sounds like you already know what you need. I'm in a similar situation to you (love walking for burning fat but it's often raining and/or dark here) and I prefer working out at home.

So in my home gym I just have a chin up bar (essential, IMO!) and a set of adjustable dumbbells. I have metal plates as they're smaller and easier to store.

Apart from that I also have an exercise bike which I use for slow and steady cardio and HIIT-style cardio (I "obtained" some Les Mills RPM DVDs from a friend - excellent fun way to work out using a bike).

So I'd say get a chin up bar (Iron Gym or P90X) and some adjustable metal plate dumbbells. I haven't used the Selecttech type, but they look bulky, I've heard they can break and obviously they're pricey.

As far as the treadmill, it might be worth posting a more specific question here, or browsing various forums/online stores for reviews.