A great way to ensure you include fitness into your lifestyle is to put your own personalized gym in your home. What you include in your gym all depends on what type of training you plan on doing and your fitness goals. In addition, your budget will determine what pieces you choose to include. However, equipment that offers more versatility and allows you to perform different exercises is best.
Dumbbells
A home gym is incomplete without dumbbells in varying weight ranges. If you are limited to how much you can spend, you may want to start off with only a few sizes and then gradually add to your collection as you get stronger. If money is not an issue, shop around for a complete set of dumbbells with the addition of a rack to house them.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are great inexpensive pieces of equipment that you can take with you anywhere. You can purchase a set of five bands that offer different resistance according to color and thickness. Resistance bands are alternatives to using dumbbells, and they provide a unique workout for your muscles. Depending on your preference, you can choose from tubing with handles, stretch bands or continuous stretch bands.
Exercise Mat
Exercise mats provide a clean, cushioned and non-slip surface for performing floor exercises. Choose a mat that works well with your physique. Thicker mats provide more support when doing exercises such as crunches, push-ups or even stretching. If you incorporate yoga or Pilates into your fitness regime, you may want to purchase a mat that will accommodate that type of exercise.
Stability Ball
Stability balls are inexpensive and range in four sizes based on diameter. The most common size to use is the 75 cm. Stability balls allow you to do core movements, seated strength exercises and they can be used in place of a weight bench. This ball has a lot of versatility for such a small price.
Medicine Ball
Medicine balls are weighted balls that come with or without handles. Medicine balls are commonly used for core exercises, but serve as alternate options for dumbbells when executing strength exercises. In addition, med balls are also used for plyometric drills that involve throwing the ball against a wall, trampoline or to a partner. These weighted balls come in a wide range of sizes, but owning one or two will suffice.
Weight Bench
An adjustable weight bench is the best route, as it offers decline, flat and incline positions. This allows you to perform several different exercises, including variations of bench press, military press, bench dips or step ups. Moreover, when choosing which brand to buy, don't necessarily go the cheap route. Therefore, purchase a sturdy bench that will support you and the weight you're lifting.
Smith Machine
The Smith machine is your all-in-one fitness center. With the addition of a complete set of weight plates, you can perform several exercises, including squats, bench press, lunges, shoulder shrugs and calf raises. The greatest advantage of the Smith machine is that it provides a little assistance and safety for those solo workouts when you're lifting heavy weight. Smith machines are designed with notches that run along the entire base so that you can rack your bar at anytime during your workout.
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