Your At Home Gym

With work, your wife, kids, errands, and trying to keep the rest of your life in order, its no wonder you can't make it to the gym. Add in the cost of a yearly membership plus the time it takes to drive to the gym and home, and you will agree that it is just not worth it.

For fitness and health buffs out there with a busy schedule, working out at home seems to be the only alternative.

But before you look at investing in a home gym, you must figure out what your fitness goals are, how much space you have in your home, and what your total budget is.

Fitness Goals
What you should purchase will depend on your overall goals for the gym. For those who are looking to build mass, free weights are much better than multi-station gyms. For those who are looking to tone down, a stepper, stationary bike, or elliptical machine may be exactly what you need. If you are just starting to workout, then a multi station gym may be better than free weights. If you are on a budget then free weights may be better than a multi-station gym. Try to overview what you regularly use when you are at the gym and make a list of what you will need and what would be nice to own.

Space
People usually reserve an entire room, the basement, or even the garage for their at home gym. Once you decide where you are going to put your equipment, you have to know the exact dimensions (length, width, and height) of the room. With weight racks, stationary bikes, and multi-station gyms, in one area, it may be hard to move about and therefore compromising safety. For safety sake, put your dimensions on a piece of paper and make the floor plan of where you are going to place the equipment to be sure that you have the necessary room.

Equipment Quality
When looking at equipment, you should thoroughly test and inspect each machine. When inspecting machines, think about safety first. Things that don't look like they are going to hold up can be dangerous if you have over 200 pounds in your hands. Second look at the design of the equipment and the quality of the material. Inspect all connections and see how the item holds up if you shake it. Any loose nuts, bolts or welds can become problem spots in the future. If you are a hardcore workout enthusiast you will probably be using the gym at least four to five times a week. You want to make sure that each machine can handle the 10 minutes you are going to spend on it every day for the next five years.

The Required Equipment
Dumbbells - Many people opt for the hex dumbbells. If you go this route, purchase dumbbells that range between 10 lbs and 80 lbs. The only problem with these dumbbells is that they take up quite a bit of space. If you are looking to save space there are also IronMaster Dumbells which take up less space and are quick to change.

Barbells - There are two types of barbells: standard and Olympic. The standard bar is thinner and holds less weight (up to 400 lbs) and the Olympic bar is longer and holds up to 1000 lbs. Many stick with the Olympic bar because of durability and the overall price. You can purchase a 300 lbs Olympic set for between $99 to $150 USD.

Benches - A free standing flat bench is a must when working out, but if you can purchase one that can incline and decline, you will be able to perform almost all of the required exercises you need to do. You will also have to purchase a workout bench that is attached to a frame and will hold your barbell. When buying this bench try to find a bench that will also incline and decline.

Swiss Workout Balls - Many people swear to these balls when working out. When using them you will be able to perform exercises such as flat bench press and crunches as well as other exercises. Using this ball helps with balance, flexibility, and posture.

Power Rack - A power rack with a lat pull down attachment and a low row attachment is the ultimate piece of workout equipment. You will be able to perform leg, shoulder, chest, back, and arm exercises. Now if you include your bench that inclines and declines and you will not have to bench that is attached to a frame since you can do these exercises using the power rack.

Cardio - For those who are doing cardio and do not have budget for it, don't worry, you can either run outside, or pick yourself up a jump rope. If you do have cardio equipment in your budget, a stepper, stationary bike, or elliptical machine may be what you are looking for. Depending on your space and your budget, options are limitless.