Make Your Own Home Fitness Gym

I know we all wish we had a huge room dedicated to our own personal home fitness gym, but not all of us can afford such an extravagance.  Most people have smaller areas that don’t allow for bulkier equipment, which is perfectly fine.  There are still tons of workout options available to you.

When I was in a similar situation in my first apartment, I discovered a product that helped me immensely.  The Iron Gym Total Upper Body Bar was an ideal and compact multi gym that kept me in shape when I was broke and right out of college.  It latches on to your doorway, taking advantage of that empty space.  Chin ups and pull ups can be performed in several different grips to allow you exercise your muscles more thoroughly.

At the bottom of the archway, it can assist in a variety of other workouts.  It can hold your feet in place while you are doing sit ups and crunches.  With your arms behind you, balancing on the bar, you can do dips to work your triceps and other muscles in your arms and shoulder.

Treadmill jogging is one the most popular home gym exercises people do.  Finding room for a treadmill in your home can be tricky, as they are one of the bulkiest pieces of gym equipment.  But many companies have begun to make more folding treadmills to free up more room in your gym.

It is important to keep in mind that not all space savers are the best and most long lasting products.  You get what you pay for, so if you buy a cheap folding treadmill, it may not be the best product out there.

You will have to weigh concerns of how much room you can allot against how much money you want to spend and then do some research about products in that range.  You may find that buckling down and getting a slightly more expensive and bulkier product will save you money and hassle down the line.

For creating a home fitness gym on a very limited budget, there is one inexpensive item that is essential: a resistance band.  While you could get a few of resistance bands of varying elasticity that replicate more weight in the resistance, one can do the trick to start.

There is a plethora of exercises that you can replicate using the resistance band.  For starters, stand with each end of the band in your hands and place the middle under your feet.  This starting position can lead to dozens of exercises.

Resistance Band

For an ab/core workout, simply lean back and forth isolating the muscles in your abdomen.  The band’s resistance helps to get rid of your love handles.

With your elbows at your side, you can replicate the bicep curls you would normally do with an adjustable dumbbell.  I like to connect the bicep curl with a shoulder press to combine workouts and save time.  With a door attachment, you can also use your resistance band to replicate any cable pulley exercises and chest presses.

To perform one of my favorite exercises, sit down and extend your legs.  Place the resistance band around your feet and pull back to perform a row exercise which is great for your upper back and shoulders.  From there, lay on your back while keeping the band on your feet.  While holding the resistance band firmly, press your legs up to do a great leg press exercise.

Another wonderful thing about the resistance band is its compact size.  You can literally bring it anywhere you want with ease.  Bring it to work for a quick exercise on your lunch break. If you are going on vacation or taking a trip for work you should definitely bring it with you to make sure you can get a workout into your schedule no matter what happens.

All in all, this piece of equipment is essential.  It is a great start to a home fitness gym and something that you will be able to use down the line no matter what.  As you become stronger and need something like an adjustable dumbbell, you can always use your resistance band to aid in stretching.

The best time for us to be conscious about our health is today, we are living in an age where everything seems to be so polluted and that people seem not to care about the kind of lifestyle that they are living. Thus, you need to pause for quite an interval and think of ways in order for you to protect your health. One of the best ways for you to stay healthy is by proper exercise. The use of some elliptical workout can indeed work best on you. It might require some of your time yet at the end of it all, you will feel good that you have done that.

Thus, you can also think of other equipment that you can use in order for you to really stay fit. The use of some used treadmills for cheap prices can be something that will be appealing to you and also for those who are health conscious. These two might not give you a dramatic change yet can give you all of the health benefit that you will need as you push through life. You need to understand that as you continue the quest in staying alive, you need to have enough energy to do so, and this energy can be taken from proper exercise.

The use of elliptical workout might be something that you needed for it is extra gentle that you would not feel at all that you are actually exercising. This is ideal for those who have been into something that is really tough. It can give you a form of relaxation but at the same time can give you the health benefit that you really need. On the other hand, used treadmills in cheap price can also be a great tool for you. This is ideal in keeping your stamina in its best condition. The problem with some of us is that we lose the energy in the middle of doing something which leaves us doing the same thing over and over again; it is indeed a waste of energy.

If you have been struggling with losing belly fat or trying to figure out how to get rid of love handles as they are affectionately called, then it is time to take a serious look at what it is going to take to finally lose the weight.

Losing belly fat, love handles, or a muffin top, regardless of what you call it, is going to mean changing some of the ways you have been eating. A low calorie diet aimed at fighting fat and increasing your metabolism will help you to lose weight as quickly as possible.

It is important to choose the right foods and that means getting rid of those that can actually encourage the body to store belly fat. Avoid any processed foods, especially those made with high fructose corn syrup as this ingredient has been linked to belly fat. Also, switching to whole grains can help fight fat by keeping you feeling satisfied, but also by actually burning additional fat. Whole grains have been shown to be excellent for heart health as well as providing many other health benefits, not it seems it burns fat too!

On top of a proper nutrition plan, it is important to start exercising regularly. Nothing will get your metabolism burning faster than good old fashioned exercise. Of course, many people have numerous reasons why they can’t get out to the gym or even outdoors for a long walk or game of tennis. Many of these reasons can be quite valid, but with some of the exercise DVDs currently available, anyone can workout in the comfort and convenience of their own home.

One extremely effective workout program is the Bar Method. This workout combines yoga, pilates and ballet movements to maximize each workout to deliver absolutely astonishing results. In fact, in just ten consecutive sessions, this program guarantees that you will see noticeable results; including a lifted rear, tighter abs, longer and leaner thighs and more defined arms. This DVD program can deliver results like this because each movement has been designed to maximize results for a strong, lean physique in a minimum amount of time.

Adding these elements to your home fitness gym will help shed those pounds in no time.

The great thing about have a gym at home is that you can personalize it to whatever your specifications are.  When you belong to a gym, you end up paying for so many services that you don’t even use.  Your home gym can be catered to exactly what you need.

The important thing is to really assess what you are looking to focus on.  If you just want to tone and keep in shape, some simple lighter items such as resistance bands, balance balls, and light dumbbells may be all you need.

But, on the other hand, if you are looking to lose a lot of weight, a cardio machine is what you need most.  There are several options ranging from a treadmill to a stair climber to an elliptical machine to name a few.  Or if you already have a bicycle, you could just get a bike trainer, which locks your bike in place and allows you to use it indoors.

If bulk is what you are after, you need to invest in bigger weights and a large barbell to go with your dumbbells.  Along with the exercise bar, you should also make sure your bench has an attachment to hold the barbell, allowing you to perform bench presses.

Now, if you are thinking of going even bigger than that, you have to worry about working out at home, alone and without a spotter.  Heavier weights become extremely dangerous, so if you the room you should buy some helpful workout equipment like a power rack or something like a smith machine to make sure you are being as safe as you possibly can.

There are also fantastic multi gyms out there if you have the money and room for one.  But it is more important to start small.   I have had so many friends feel momentarily inspired and spend thousands of dollars on home fitness gyms but then not use it at all.  By starting small and seeing how you feel when you work out home, you can judge better when you may want to expand down the line.  And if worse comes to worse, you can always sell our used home fitness gym equipment in the newspaper or on craigslist.com.

Before you jump in and start purchasing a ton of equipment to make your home fitness gym, it is important to consider where you are building it.  An ideal location is in a garage or basement to keep it tucked away, but anywhere will do really.

Something important to consider is not damaging the floor of your workout room and in return also not damage your equipment.  If you are working out with a concrete floor and you accidentally drop a weight, it might chip or damage the floor, never mind if you are working out in a room with hardwood floors.  The damage may be irreversible.

Before any sorts of damage can occur, it is important to protect your flooring.  The best solution is to get rubber mats to cover the area of your home fitness gym.  They are typically sold in large black square mats which can be cut to fit or smaller multicolored pieces that resemble a jigsaw puzzle.  Their interlocking edges make for an even floor that protects what is underneath.

Another solution is to buy some plywood and layer two or three sheets on your floor and then cover with a nonslip carpet.  Both methods are effective for protecting the floor and for muffling the sound of weights hitting the ground.

This is so important to take care of before you get larger pieces of equipment and have to go through the hassle of moving them.  If your exercise area is in an easily visible area, I would definitely recommend going for the colored interweaving rubber mats.  They are the most aesthetically pleasing choice from the lot.  The floors are also great for aerobic exercises like jumping rope because it reduces the shock and pressure imparted on your knees.

With the basics taken care of and the floor protected, let’s start moving in some bigger multi gym equipment.

Depending on your goals, there are hundreds of options for creating a home fitness gym.  Variables such as how much you want to spend and how much room you have can reduce your options, but it can still be confusing to decide what is important and what is not.  No matter what kind of home gym you are looking to build, there are still certain items that everyone should have.

A mat is an essential item for several uses.  First, many people neglect to stretch before and after their workout, but it is such crucial component of a healthy lifestyle.  Yoga is a fantastic way to stretch your body and improve your flexibility and also requires a mat.

Balance balls, also known as exercise balls, are also a wonderful way to stretch, particularly your back.  They are also fantastic for several other home gym exercises.  Working your abdominal muscles is more effective when done on a balance ball.  Even exercises like shoulder presses and chest presses are more effective if you incorporate the balance ball as the item you are sitting on or laying on.

To do those kinds of exercises, there are a few other important items required so you aren’t just lifting air: weights.  To start, though, you may want to consider getting a few sets of resistance bands of different elasticities.  They are one of the most versatile gym exercise equipment you can get because there are so many different uses for them.  Attach to your door and you have a mini multi gym.  In addition, since they are so lightweight and compact, they make a great travel item to make sure you are keeping healthy on vacation and business trips.

The last absolutely required item are dumbbells.  Resistance bands are great for toning, but to build muscle you need to bring out the big guns.  The two schools of thought on this topic are set weight dumbbells or adjustable free weight dumbbells.  The former is a bit more costly and takes up more space, while the other is slightly cheaper but requires you to take the time to change the weights between exercises depending on your intended weight.

There are also incidentals that you will need to get to be prepared for your workout.  First, you must be dressed for success.  Few people take into account how important is is to wear proper workout clothes.  You want comfortable clothing that can absorb well.  Be sure to have plenty of towels around as well to keep yourself as sweat-free as possible.

Keep your fitness home gym smelling nice by placing an air freshener somewhere in the room.  Don’t forget the water bottle (not plastic if possible) and be sure to keep hydrated.

Once you have all of these items, you are ready to tackle some bigger items such as home exercise gyms and home gym machines.