The advantages and disadvantages of a home gym
If you are torn between building a home gym and going to the health club, here are a few things you need to consider about the advantages and disadvantages of a home gym:

• Convenience


• Easy access


• Privacy


• Cost effective compared to monthly membership dues

Disadvantages:

• Cost. You need to purchase the equipment upfront versus in a monthly payment plan.


• Limited space compares to a health club


• Motivation isn't as great since you don't have a personal trainer or instructors to help you.

An exercise program needs to be comfortable and fun for the person exercising. A health club offers great socialization and provides you with numerous options for your fitness program. Home gyms can offer the same benefits if you find a workout partner and can have the right equipment in a large area. If you have decided you would like to set up a home gym, you need to consider the types of equipment you would like to use.

The benefit to a home gym is that you can design it to be anything you want. For many people they include a treadmill or elliptical machine and free weights. For others, it can be a complete `home gym' compact unit of equipment that is designed to allow you to perform many exercises at one station. They are typically referred to as a `multi-gym' or `workstation gyms'. A multi-gym is designed to provide all the different strength training exercises in your home. These compact units are usually small enough to fit into a spare room in your home or in a small area.

When you begin shopping for a home gym, you need to evaluate your fitness goals. Are you looking to increase your muscle mass, fitness level, or are you just looking to tone up? You also need to evaluate which muscle groups you want to strengthen.

Home gyms have a wide price range usually between $300 up. A high quality home gym will run at least $2,000. Many people start with a small home gym unit and evaluate the results they get from it. Once you have decided if you even like the home gym, you can move up to the next unit size. Always try multiple machines before you purchase one. Many stores will allow you to try the equipment for a few minutes, but this doesn't give you adequate time to really evaluate it. Try getting a trial membership at the health club so you can try all of their machines and evaluate the results you get.

You should always do your research before you purchase a home gym. Your health care provider can give you excellent advice when it comes to purchasing a home gym. Since your health care provider knows exactly what your health needs are they will tell you if hard cardiovascular exercise should be combined with strength training. The internet is another great place to refer to for home gym recommendations. Your local health club or gym can also give you product recommendations.

When you are shopping for a home gym, you need to look for the following:


• adjustable bench for sitting or reclining


• stacked metal weights with pin selection for weight load


• pull down bars mainly for the lat pull down back exercise


• press bars for pushing and pulling, for shoulders, arms and back


• leg extension system for quadriceps muscles of the thigh


• leg curl system for exercising the hamstrings at back of the thigh


• Seated cable row system for back and arms exercise.



Most home gyms focus on the strength training. If you want a cardiovascular workout you may want to purchase a treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bike. You can also create a home gym with free weights, toning cords, and weight benches. If you plan to have multiple users, you will need to purchase a home gym that allows more than one person to exercise at one time. You should plan on spending at least $2,000 or more for a nicer home gym that will accommodate multiple users.

Your home gym should be easy to assemble and come with at least a one year warranty. Some home gyms come fully assembled and only require you to put together a few bolts. Other gyms are not assembled and will take awhile to set up. If your home gym has free weights like dumbbells and barbells, you need to be sure you have taken all the necessary safety precautions. Always have a spotter when you are lifting more weight than your muscles are used to. Check for product recalls to be sure you don't have faulty or dangerous equipment.

Always plan your budget and your exercise goals and test several different home gym models before you decide to make an investment in one. With all the different styles of home gyms available, it is wise to do a lot of research before you just fork over the money for a home gym. Determine how much space you have available in your home before you purchase a home gym that is too big to fit in the room you have set aside for your home gym. Check with your health care professional before beginning an exercise program. If you are a serious weight trainer, check with your coaches and trainers before you purchase a home gym.

Since there are so many options available with a home gym, you need to take a serious look at your current fitness needs. Are you a beginner or light trainer? If so, you will want a nice setup that will provide variety and flexibility. Nice home gyms start at about $500 up. For a beginner, a unit costing $500 to $1000 will be plenty for your fitness needs.

If you are an intermediate user, you should plan on spending a little more, at least $1,000. Most intermediate users tend to focus on muscle development and strength training. An advanced trainer is considered to be a serious weight trainer or body builder. Typically, you will already have a gym and a personal trainer and any work you do on a home gym is simply to tone the muscles. Most advanced trainers use free weights and a weight bench. Always take safety precautions when you use free weights as they cause most accidents in the gym.

Some of the most popular home gym systems include; Bowflex, the Total Gym, and Weider home gyms. The Bowflex home gym machines use a combination of polymer rods to create constant resistance or tension. The Bowflex uses circular plates that contain coiled straps around a cam which can interlock in place of the polymer rods. Bowflex home gyms range from $899 to $2,299. Bowflex home gyms do not require much space and they are easy to use. Bowflex also make treadmills, elliptical machines, and other exercise equipment.

Even though you should avoid infomercials, there is one piece of exercise equipment that is effective, the Total Gym. The Total Gym has been around for about 15 years now and has undergone several remodels to accommodate for the changing workout world. The Total Gym is a great addition to your home as it provides a way to build muscles using your body weight. It is meant for overall fitness versus weight training. You can find a Total Gym for $160 up.

Weider home gyms have been on the market for several years and are quite popular among personal trainers. Weider home gyms allow for multiple users, weighing up to 440 pounds. You can find a nice Weider home gym for around $400 up. The downside to Weider home gyms is that they come with a 90 day warranty. You should consider purchasing an extended warranty, just so you don't have any problems. A beginner Weider home gym will come with at least 65 possible exercises. Weider home gyms typically don't take up a lot of space and provide a great overall body conditioning workout to the user.