Home gym basics
/A home gym is a worthwhile investment if you have the budget and the space. In this article, I will delve into the pros and cons and the basics of equipment you could consider.
Benefits:
The gym is the most convenient it will ever be for you to make use of and remain consistent.
You can invest a little or a lot into which equipment you select.
No more travel time and cost getting to a commercial gym means no excuses to get your allotted weekly training sessions done.
No more waiting for gym equipment in a packed gym or having to share machines during peak hours.
Limitations:
The space you have available at home may be relatively small.
Equipment choices will depend on budget and space.
The amount of variety of equipment will likely be less than a commercial gym due to the above.
Home gym necessities:
If you proceed with investing in a home gym you need to build it around either a squat cage or a squat half rack (with support arms/slings), with a good quality barbell and a range of either iron or bumper plates including microplates. If you intend to bench press then a stable flat bench will also be required as a foundation. The rationale for the aforementioned equipment is it facilitates all the important barbell movements such as the squat, overhead press, deadlift, bench press, chin-ups/pull-ups and variations of these too. Whether new to strength training or a seasoned lifter, these are your biggest “bang-for-your-buck” exercises. A lifting platform underneath the squat rack is also recommended, but you could get away with a hard concrete floor or rubber-type material. However, carpet and timber floors should be covered with a platform to both provide a stable base for squats, deadlifts and overhead presses and protect the flooring. A platform can be home-made with recycled materials or purchased from various online vendors.
Equipment such as cable machines, specialty bars and dumbbells are secondary and would depend again on budget and space. A dumbbell rack with a set of multiple pairs of different weights is also not a necessity because there are “quick-change” dumbbells nowadays which look and feel like the real thing.
Plate loaded or pin loaded machines would be tertiary to all of the above.
You can take your strength, physique, general health and fitness a very long way with just the primary equipment I have mentioned. And it will likely outlive you! If you are interested in online training and have some or all of the equipment mentioned (or even if you train at a commercial gym far from Mount Colah) and you want support, guidance and accountability then message me for a complimentary phone consultation.