Workout At Home With Your Very Own Home Multi Gym

Do you want fabulous abs and chiseled body, but do not have the time to head to the gym in your neighborhood?

Are you thinking of losing weight but you feel too shy or insecure among people? Are you unable to find any gym that completely caters to your needs, and more importantly, makes you feel like home?

Isn’t it tiring, to spend hundreds of dollar bills behind gym membership fees and still not get satisfactory results?

Gyms can make all the promises they want, personal trainers can shout all they want, but if you are not happy with them, it is pointless to travel a distance to head to the gym.

How about bringing the gym right at your footsteps? As crazy and appealing as it sounds, it actually is a solid idea. Believe it or not, many people have set up gyms right in their home environments. This is especially true for working people.

Waking up early in the morning, heading to the gym, freshening up and heading to work is just not possible with groggy eyes and a tired body.

Also, waiting in a queue for various exercise equipment in the gym is too much of a hassle. It is time to think smart. Set up your own home multi gym and stay fit and healthy like you were meant to be.

Choose Where Your Home Gym Set Will Be

Before you get any exercise equipment, you should decide how big you want your gym to be. What kind of equipment do I need? Which room will they be in?

Based on the answers to these questions, you can design your home multi gym with a few necessary accessories. First and foremost you’ll need a clock! How else would you time your exercise sets and repetitions?

Gym setup is no easy task. You’ll need to get calendars to and marker so that you can keep a daily record of your training sessions.

You can also display motivational pictures and inspiring quotes. Your home gym should be personalized in such a way that whenever you enter your home gym, you won’t feel like giving up on the intense routines.

You’ll also want to pick up some wall mirrors to observe your workouts, such as when you are using rowing machines. A corner for music can also be added in case you want to do aerobics.

Gym Setup 101: Strength Training Equipment Ideas

Now that you have a training space up and ready, it is time to get the exercise equipment. Before you bring any equipment in, I recommend that you spend some time talking to a fitness expert and a medical advisor.

These people will help you to understand what workouts will work great for your body type. They will also tell you what type of exercises would be beneficial for you based on your health conditions and medications, and if there are any risks involved.

You should buy exercising equipment according to their guidelines and also follow their diet tips. Lastly, you should consider your budget, although building a home multi gym is not as expensive as you might think.

I now present to you a list of awesome fitness equipment that will carve your body in a shape that you will be proud of.

Kettlebells, Dumbbells And Barbells With Weight Benches

These are simply yet effective home gym equipment for working out. These are used mostly for weightlifting purposes. For a more comfortable weightlifting experience you could have adjustable weight benches.

Weight benches are essential since weight training exercises on the floor could lead to injury. For powerlifting purposes you will need barbells. Barbells can be tough for beginners. Start with regular exercising two or three days a week and then you can increase the intensity, number of sets and repetitions.

Using barbells can also improve body posture (depending on the exercises). Once body posture is fixed, you’ll see that using all other home gym equipment would be much easier for you. You can use second hand weight benches instead of new ones to save some money!

Stability Balls For Balance

Don’t go with the looks. This ball is not for bouncing around! It is an extremely versatile piece of equipment that allows you to strengthen your core and balance.

Stability balls can be used to build pillar strength, particularly the hips and shoulders. There are a number of exercises which you can do on the stability ball. Most importantly, they are not so expensive and have less chances of causing injury.

Ab Machines For Chiseled Abs

Ab machines make sure you get those swoon-worthy six packs or eight packs! This machine creates a streamlined movement to provide the appropriate amount of crunches on your abs, making you look like a Greek god in a matter of weeks! It is one of those very few pieces of equipment that provide a full range of motion. It is also comfortable even if it does not look like it. Using it regularly will prevent neck and back pain. Although they are easy to use, getting the crunches in the right way in the right muscles will take time. Practice makes perfect!

There are many kinds of ab workouts that you can do with ab machines. Get your creative side on and try to increase number of sets, starting from 25 sets. Many people go beyond 50 sets once they get the hang of it. There are specific kinds of diets that help your abs to get that flawless look, but your nutritionist can give you sound advice on that.

Racks For Workouts

Racks are quite big and also the most expensive equipment. If you have a space issue you do not need this, but using this can help your workout to reach the next level.

Racks are great for holding your weights, assisting you with your suspension trainer (covered next), giving you the ability to perform pull-ups, squat, and so much more.

Suspension Trainer

Suspension trainers are cool pieces of equipment that actually don’t take up much space in your gym. If you have a rack you can easily fit in a suspension trainer.

These accessories can help you work on your core and also improve your functional range of motion which is not available with just weight training. Suspension trainers are great for they only require a place to attach it and your bodyweight.

You will now find the suspension trainer in most gyms which proves this piece of equipment is valued by fitness professionals.

Gym Setup 101: Cardio Equipment Ideas

When people hear about cardio workouts, the first thing they think of and talk about are treadmills. Sure, treadmills are great for cardio workouts but there are other, easier pieces of equipment which you can use for cardio sessions.

You won’t need to do so much running to achieve weight loss transformations. If you really want to run so badly, just head outside the house, breathe in some fresh air and run!

If you are not a fan of running, you can simply get these awesome pieces of equipment which can give you cardio workouts far better and quicker than a simple treadmill.

Bear in mind that these equipments are additional and you should only get them if you have adequate space and cash.

Spin Bikes

Riding bicycles outside is surely fun, but when the weather is horrible you just don’t feel like taking a bicycle ride outside. That does not mean you get to sit around at home lazy!

Recumbent bikes and upright bikes are beneficial, but if you want an improved cardio workout, spin bikes are the real deal. It is a heavy piece of equipment so make sure you are careful when you bring it in. With a spin bike you can adjust the seat level and move it forward and back. You can also adjust the handlebars. There would be a screen which would indicate time spent on the bike, calories burnt, distance covered and how many times you spun the bike. Place a water bottle in the front to keep yourself hydrated.

Pedaling spin bike for an hour will help you lose around a thousand calories. It helps you to tone your core, your muscles, buttocks and back. Spin bikes are ideal for increasing heart pumping capacity and body metabolic activity. The first week might be tough and you will be initially slow. You’ll get the hang of the speed within a few weeks. Best part is, even when you are sleeping, your body will continue to metabolize, because the basal metabolic rate has increased.

Low Impact Elliptical Trainers

Elliptical trainers are great exercise machines for home gym purposes. The elliptical motion actually helps reduce stress and strain on the legs. Since your feet stay put on the pedals, you will feel like you are walking in mid air. The movement is similar to walking, running or jogging but in a more comfortable manner.

You can do weight-bearing exercises easily with elliptical trainers. Even the best home workout equipment cannot do what elliptical trainers do, which is working equally on lower and upper body parts. These exercises help to reduce more calories in a short period of time which tones your body muscles.

Using elliptical trainers with more advanced options such as hill climbing options or measuring heart rate is beneficial, similar to treadmill workouts. Also, elliptical trainers need little maintenance.

Punching Bag

While not your typical piece of standard gym equipment, punching bags are of real help if you are having a bad day or want to release your stress somehow, and not to mention they give you one hell of a cardio workout.

You’ll need to have enough space to punch around and you’re not going to be limited to just stress relief, you can use it for highly intense workouts, as long as you have the space to accommodate one. Thankfully you can buy a punching bag rack to help with setup.

Punching bags not only allow you to get in an intense cardiovascular workout, you will also rapidly increase your strength in addition to this.

Rowing Machine

Rowing is actually a really good way for toning those body muscles and for cardiovascular health. Rowing is also a great way for increasing endurance and stamina, Seniors particularly like this equipment because it is very easy to use and has lower stress impact on the body.

For weight loss and fast burning of stubborn calories, rowing machine is essential. It has been shown that rowing machines can lower chances of heart disease and stroke with regular use. You can also adjust it to the level you are most comfortable with. When you will start the stroke, the back muscles, hamstrings, calf muscles and quadriceps.

When the stroke continues the ab muscles, chest, triceps and wrists work hard and once the strokes finish, the obliques and biceps tense up. Rowing machines are relatively cheap and compact, so you can bring one whenever you want. Look for rowing machines compatible to your size and has more advanced levels. Most home gym equipments are relatively affordable. Even if some are expensive, those can be bought second hand. Since rowing machine is low impact and could be in frequent use, it will have more wear and tear, thus more maintenance is required.

Stationary Bike

If you love cycling, then you should get yourself stationary bikes into your gym. There are many kinds of bikes available, but the most common ones are the upright bikes and the recumbent bikes. The difference between these two bikes is simply the positioning of the user. Users comfortable in sitting in an upright position would go for the upright bikes. Users with joint problems and health issues should use recumbent bikes. The reclining position would put less stress on the back and legs which makes use of recumbent bikes very comfortable. However, if you prefer going the extra mile over comfort, choose upright bikes.

The Bottom Line

For a home gym, you can get as much equipment as you want. Try and experiment with various equipment and observe which ones you are comfortable with, which ones are actually working on your body and also see if you are developing pain problems or not.

You do not need to use your home gym alone. You can use it by inviting your friend or colleague over, or a family member. Group workouts are always enjoyable and allows for more experimental exercises. You can also set up a separate space for other kinds of workouts.

Aerobics is really fun in groups. You can set up space for yoga or Pilates, hula hoops and simple freehand workout exercises. Always stay hydrated and have a diet specified by your dietician. Remember, diet is just as important for burning calories as working out is.

By getting any of these pieces of equipment and accessories, you can have a multidisciplinary home gym without paying extra fees and traveling long distances! Use your home gym to have workouts that can help you achieve your fitness goals, get toned legs, flawless abs and a beautiful healthy body.

About Shannon Clark

Shannon holds a degree in Exercise Science and is a certified personal trainer and fitness writer with over 10 years of industry experience.