Buying a home gym? A home gym can help you build muscle, produce an attractive body, rev up a sluggish metabolism and shave years off your age.

If you choose wisely, you’ll have all the tools you need to accomplish these goals (and more). But not everyone knows where to start or how to get the most from a home gym.

When clients ask me about buying a home gym, here are 5 things I tell them to get the most from their purchase:

1) Buy a Well Rounded Piece of Equipment:

Unless you have hundreds of square feet in your home to dedicate to multiple pieces of equipment, you should look for a home gym that covers all the major exercises (including the ones you don’t like), such as chest, back, abs, legs (hamstrings & quadriceps), shoulders, biceps and triceps.

2) Buy A Home Gym That Is Stable:

There’s a saying, “You get what you pay for.” Most of the inexpensive home gyms you buy from a local department store have very narrow bases, so they tend to rock when you use them. Stay away from home gyms that do not have a good stable base.

For a basic rule of thumb, look at home gyms that are more “square” or “as high as they are wide”. As an example, you won’t want a home gym that 10ft high x 2 ft wide x 2 ft deep, unless you are going to anchor it to a concrete floor.

3) Put Your Gym In A Place You’ll Actually Use It

If you leave your home gym in a room you normally don’t go into to, odds are high that you aren’t going to use it.

The more inviting the room where you place your equipment, the more likely you will use it (how many of us really want to work out in a dungeon?).

If there’s only one place you can place your home gym, then work on the room. Maybe add a coat of paint or put up pictures that inspire you.

Add a stereo system or a wall mounted television. By making the room inviting and inspiring, you’ll ensure that workouts will be enjoyable.

4) Make A Simple & Short Workout Routine

Don’t go using those “Mr. Or Ms. Olympia” home gym workouts. That’s the first big mistake that people make when they first get their equipment.

Instead, start by making a workout that is only 30 to 45 minutes long. Most people can do this and it will build your confidence.

Do this workout 3 to 5 days a week. Remember to work all your muscles (not just the ones you like) for optimum results. It helps to keep a record of your workouts on paper so you can see just how far you’ve come.

If you’re stuck on what to do, don’t worry. Many home gyms come with beginner workouts. But again, don’t go crazy and kill yourself over the first few workouts - start from where you are and build on it. Consistency is key for a killer body.

5) Write Down Your Workout Days On The Calendar

Like any important appointment, make an appointment with your home gym. If you’re really serious about getting in shape, you need to make the effort to put yourself, your body and your health first - especially at the beginning stages.

Experts tell us it takes 3 to 6 weeks before actions become habit. Once you’ve built the habit of working out, it will get easier.

To help you stick to your exercise appointment, get loved ones to encourage you and make you accountable. Once you get past the 8 week mark, you’ll feel (and look) so great you’ll wonder why you didn’t get a home gym sooner.

So those are 5 ways to get the most out of your home gym equipment. If you’re buying a home gym, taking the time to find the right equipment for you will pay huge dividends in the future!



Thanks to Kathryn Oneill for contributing this article to our Treadmill blog:

Best Elliptical Machines

Can you answer K’s question about Treadmill?:

I recently bought a Proform XP-615 treadmill. Like most other proform treadmills, it is the type that folds up. Since I live in a very small apartment, I usually fold it up between workouts so it doesn’t take up much space.

However, everytime I unfold it and start my workout, in the beginning there is a loud cracking sound when I put pressure on the belt up near the the front end (toward the console). It only does this once per fold-down, so it seems like it’s just something settling into place, but that doesn’t keep me from worrying that it might introduce wear and tear.

The assembly was relatively simple so I’m not convinced the problem is from erroneous assembly.

Has anyone else had a similar experience and did you find out what the problem was?

Epic T60 Treadmill

One of the best pieces of equipment to own for workout is the elliptical trainer. It’s used these days instead of the treadmill, because they bring workouts of lower impact and they are quite effective for anyone that wants to train.

Stop Injuries to the Joints

The effect of the elliptical trainer on your joints is something to consider when choosing the best option for you. Another thing is making sure that you will get the best cardiovascular workout that you need, to meet the training needs optimum for you.

The elliptical trainer can achieve that without having the need for other training equipment.

The price of the elliptical trainer is another thing to consider when making a choice. Keep in mind the budget and the maximum price you can afford and respect it. You can easily go too far when you want to buy an elliptical trainer, because you usually want the best option available.

But some elliptical trainers can cost up to thousands of dollars, so you should be sure that you can afford that. Unless you are training to become a bodybuilder or a marathon runner, most budget elliptical trainers should be more than sufficient for most people. Budget elliptical machines usually cost less than $500 and should be quite affordable.

When you review training equipment, you should make sure they have features like handles for upper body training, adjustable incline, quiet operation, adjustable resistance and a stride length of around 21 inch. It should also have warm up settings and cooling off period as safety features.

Elliptical trainers with handrails aren’t usually considered the best ones. This is because handrails can prevent the user from having the best workout overall.

A warranty is another thing an elliptical trainer should have when you buy it. A normal warranty should be 1 year for labor and up to 3 years for the parts.



Thanks to Ricky Lim for contributing this article to our Treadmill blog:

Elliptical Trainers Ratings

What Are The Benefits Of An Elliptical Trainer?

 

More than likely you have heard about an elliptical trainer.. You know what they are, you know what an elliptical trainer looks like, but how exactly does an elliptical trainer benefit you?  Many people can look at a it, but they really do not understand how the elliptical trainer can really benefit them. We will go over some key benefits of the many benefits that a elliptical trainer provides which will show you why they are becoming more popular then ever.

 

The biggest benefit of an Elliptical trainer is the time you can save by using this machine. There are many people who lead extremely busy lives and do not have a great deal of free time to spend exercising and keep their body in good health.

With an Elliptical trainer, you can eliminate the need to not only go to a gym to work out, but it will also eliminate the time, money and effort to join a gym. This machine is very convenient to use and it provides a full body workout in less then thirty minutes. This is very good news to hear for someone that has a very limited amount of time to schedule into their busy day for working out.

 

Another key benefit of an Elliptical trainer is that they have very low impact and do not require any specific muscular skill. Low impact basically means that you have the lowest risk of obtaining an injury form using the machine for your workouts. This is very beneficial when you compare working out with weights and other fitness machines. A elliptical trainer also does not require you to perform strenuous positions or have  strength requirement to use the machine.

You can be on any muscular skill level and still reap the benefits of an elliptical trainer. This is what makes an elliptical trainer a versatile workout machine for all body types and age groups. You can have one Elliptical trainer in your home and it can be used by your entire household to maintain a strong fitness level for everyone in your home.

 

A elliptical trainer also provides cardiovascular and weight loss benefits. A Elliptical trainer is proven to strengthen your heart over continual use which reduces your chances for heart problems in the future. This can decrease your chances of such problems as a heart attack, heart disease and strokes for the future. In addition to maintaining a healthy heart, by continually using a elliptical trainer, you also increase your metabolism. By increasing your metabolism, you burn fat calories much quicker, thus preventing weight gain and promoting weight loss throughout your body. This will tone your muscles such as your back, arms, legs, and stomach.

 

A Elliptical trainer can help you maintain a healthy body by using  a simple routine that can fit different age groups and body types. It is no wonder that these machines are becoming very popular and are in high demand. An elliptical trainer has many benefits that will cater to any of us while also helping us lead healthier lives through daily exercise.



Thanks to Beauty, Health And Fitness for contributing this article to our Treadmill blog:

Best Elliptical Machines