| Selecting the proper gym equipment is critical as it is a | | | | Gym equipment needs to be rugged. If you are a |
| big expenditure. If you make the right selection you will | | | | devoted weight trainer you will be training up to 5 times |
| get years of satisfying training with great results, all in | | | | a week and lifting heavy weight. Your gym equipment |
| the convenience and comfort of your own home. If | | | | needs to reflect your commitment. A cheap and flimsy |
| you get it wrong you will waste valuable training time | | | | home gym will simply not last. More importantly it has |
| and money. | | | | that cheap feel which doesn't beg you to train hard. |
| Before buying a home gym you will need to consider | | | | I have seen it so many times; people try and cut |
| the following points: | | | | corners when buying gym equipment and the following |
| 1) Functionality - will your home gym have the right | | | | happens: |
| exercises that get the best results? | | | | 1) The passion for training fades. Training on equipment |
| 2) Quality - will it go the distance with years of solid | | | | with a cheap feel does not get you coming back for |
| training? | | | | more. Good quality equipment will hammer you and |
| 3) Space - work out your footprint for your gym | | | | have you coming back for more punishment. |
| 4) Budget | | | | 2)They neglect key body parts like legs because they |
| Functionality for Home Gym Equipment. | | | | do not have satisfactory exercises to work those |
| In my opinion the most important aspect of buying a | | | | muscle groups effectively. |
| gym is that if you train hard on it, plus eat well and look | | | | 3)The gym falls to pieces and is used as a piece of |
| after yourself, you will get results. If your gym does not | | | | contemporary art in the spare room. |
| allow you to do the major compound exercises like | | | | 4)The cheap gym is sold and a quality gym is |
| squats, bench press, lat pull downs, rows etc then you | | | | purchased. |
| are not only wasting your money you are also wasting | | | | Although quality gym equipment seems expensive it is |
| the time you have spent training. Isolation exercises are | | | | actually a good investment. Buy the right gym and it will |
| great for shaping existing muscle. But if you don't have | | | | give you a lifetime of training plus great results. Plus |
| muscle there to begin with you need to concentrate | | | | you will save a heap on gym fees. |
| on doing compound exercises to build your base | | | | A top quality leverage gym allow you to do many |
| strength and muscle mass. | | | | exercises safely like cable home gyms. The |
| You now have to work out whether you want to go | | | | advantage that good quality leverage gyms have over |
| the free weight or machine home gym path. When I | | | | cable gyms is that they are plate loaded and have |
| refer to free weights I mean training the old fashioned | | | | decent weight capacities so they will accommodate |
| way with a power rack, barbells and dumbbells. In | | | | your strength gains. Instead of growing out of the gym |
| regards to home gyms, you will have to choose | | | | you will grow into it. They are not limited by a weight |
| between a traditional cable style gym or a leverage | | | | stack. |
| multi gym. | | | | Space |
| Before you decide on whether to go free weight or a | | | | Unless you live in a mansion you are going to be limited |
| machine, you will need to think about what you are | | | | by space. There are two factors that you need to |
| trying to get out of your weight training. If you just | | | | consider when choosing your gym equipment. |
| want to be fit and healthy and are not too fussed with | | | | Firstly you have to work out how much space you are |
| dramatically improving your muscle mass and strength | | | | willing to devote to your home gym. Once again you |
| a home gym will be the best option. If on the other | | | | will have to determine how dedicated you are to your |
| hand you want build strength or bulk up then a power | | | | training. Remember that you will be training regularly so |
| rack will be ideal. If you want to build strength and add | | | | it might worth sacrificing your collection of crap in your |
| muscle mass but can't stand free weight movements | | | | garage/spare room that has not been touched in |
| then a leverage home gym is the best bet. | | | | years. |
| In recent years there has been a tidal wave of cheap | | | | Parking the car on the street may also be be |
| cable home gyms hitting the market out of China. | | | | considered. But in reality for most the amount of space |
| While certain exercises like lat pulldowns or seated | | | | will be determined by the missus. Once you have |
| rows are great in cable format most of the exercises, | | | | determined how much space you will have for your |
| and in some cases all the exercises on these budget | | | | home gym you will need to work out what gym |
| gym are just rubbish. Many times these gyms are just | | | | equipment you are going to purchase. The biggest |
| replicated from photographs by factories where the | | | | mistake people make here is that they try and cram |
| people building them don't have any interest in weight | | | | too much in and the weight training workout soon |
| training. It may look like a home gym, but the exercises | | | | becomes an obstacle course. Sometimes less is more |
| feel weird and can sometimes been down right | | | | when fitting out your home gym. Take into |
| dangerous. Forget about cheap gyms, they are not | | | | consideration that you need to focus on your |
| worth the risk! | | | | compound movements to get results. |
| There are very good quality cable home gyms on the | | | | Budget |
| market but they are nearly always restricted to the | | | | I mentioned previously the investment aspect of buying |
| weight stack that is on the gym. Some gyms only | | | | a home gym. I hate using terms like that because |
| have 200lb or 90kg stacks. Many gyms have a | | | | everyone seems to use it these days. But as I have |
| mechanical advantage - the arrangement of the | | | | said many times before if you train with weights |
| pulleys mean that you can lift 90kgs of weight with | | | | consistently you will get benefits. Training at home is |
| only 60kg of effort. That might impress your buddies | | | | much more convenient for most people so it will help |
| when you show them how strong you are but sooner | | | | with your consistency. |
| or later you will get on some proper gym equipment | | | | It is important to work out how much you will be |
| and look like a prize goose! | | | | spending on gym fees in the future to put your home |
| Good compound exercises are also absent from | | | | gym expenditure into perspective. |
| cable home gyms - even the higher end ones. In | | | | As above you will most probably need approval from |
| particular a flat bench press or squat. Upright presses, | | | | the wife or girlfriend - good luck. |
| pec decs, leg extensions and leg curls are good but | | | | Conclusion |
| are no substitute for bench press and squats. Cable | | | | Hopefully this article has given you some ideas on your |
| style home gyms are perfect for the person looking to | | | | home gym. Take the time to have a good think about |
| save time with their weight training. You just pop the | | | | the direction you want to head with your weight |
| pin into the weight stack and away you go. Yeah it | | | | training. If you plan your home gym right you will have |
| may save time but are you getting the results? | | | | years of great training ahead! |
| Home Gym Quality | | | | |