Who needs to work out at a gym and spend thousands on gym memberships when you can build your own home gym?
You don’t need to spend hours at a gym to work out and enhance your body. The truth is, you can actually put up your own home gym that’s effective, safe, and can give you the results that you want immediately.
There are actually a lot of benefits when you work out at home. When you train at the gym, there are a lot of factors that distract you. Sometimes, people approach you and try to chat, you waste time waiting for your turn to use machines, and then there’s that loud annoying sound when someone slams or drops the weights. It’s difficult to concentrate on your program. When you put up your own gym, you get to decide on the equipment and design that you want plus, there are lesser distractions.
Here are some factors that you should consider before you put up your home gym:
SPACE REQUIREMENT
Space is a major requirement in putting up a home gym. Most of the time, people use the basement, attic, spare bedroom, or garage for their work out area. You must have enough space to move around, properly execute the routines, and fit the basic gym equipment. You also need to consider the type of flooring that you have. If you live on the second floor of a condominium or apartment building, setting up an area for weight lifting may not be a wise idea. Make sure that your home gym has enough windows so the air can circulate properly. It will keep you cool during the hot summer season and warm during the cold winter season (although in most cases, people use fans and portable heaters). Position your gym equipment in such a way that they’re not blocking the windows or vice versa.
INVESTMENT COST
It will cost an arm and a leg so think of it as an investment. Use it everyday, maximize the equipment and eventually, you’ll see that it’s more practical than applying for a gym membership. More than sparing yourself from hidden charges, you’re also free from transportation costs. This doesn’t mean that you can just splurge and buy any gym equipment. Set a budget and stick to it. Think of the problem areas on your body and find out what equipment will help you develop those areas.
You can start with the following gym essentials:
- Jump rope
- Stationary Bike
- Elliptical Machine
- Treadmill Adjustable squat stand
- Olympic barbell weight set
- Dumbbell
- Modifiable bench that can go flat, incline, and decline
You base your equipment on the space you have and the money you can spend. If you have a big space and enough money to burn, you can put up an insane house gym. You might even want to consider having some friends over to use your equipment for a fee. If you only have a small room and a strict budget, you can still put up a gym that will help you achieve your dream body. At the end of the day, it’s not about the equipment, it’s about hard work, commitment, and determination to go after what you want.
Once you decide on the equipment for your house gym, it’s time to shop. Look for quality but affordable equipment. You can browse articles and websites online to know what the most recommended brands are.
HOME GYM WORK OUT ROUTINES
Just keep it simple. The training program doesn’t need to be complicated to help you develop your body. With an Olympic barbell and a squat stand, you can already do a variety of work out routines. You can start with deadlifts, rows, squats, bench press, pull-ups, overhead press, and curls. Men used to train with free weights and the results were impressive. The secret is in being crafty with your gym equipment and in combining lifts and other work out routines while training.
A simple four-day routing for your home gym can be something like this:
Day 1: Push
- You can start with the following bench press variations:
-Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets with 8-12 repetitions
-Incline Barbell Bench Press –4 sets with 8-12 repetitions -Standing Overhead Press –4 sets with 8-12 repetitions
-Close-grip Bench Press –4 sets with 8-12 repetitions
- Pushups or dips (you will need two chairs for this) – 3 sets (do as many as you can per set)
- Lying Leg Raises – 5 sets with 12 repetitions
- Run outside the house for thirty minutes
Day 2: Legs
- Squats – 5 sets with 12 repetitions
- Deadlifts –5 sets with 5 repetitions
- Front Squats – 4 sets with 10-12 repetitions
- Stiff Legged Deadlifts – 4 sets with10-12 repetitions
- Standing Calve Raises with Barbell – 5 sets with 15 repetitions
- Crunches – 5 sets with 12 repetitions
Day 3: Pull
- Pull-ups(If you have an adjustable squat rack or a doorway pull-up bar, you can use this) – 3 sets (do as many as you can for each set)
- Barbell Rows – 4 sets with 8-12 repetitions
- T-Bar Rows – 5 sets with 8-12 repetitions
- Chin-ups (If you have an adjustable squat rack or a doorway pull-up bar, you can use this) – 3 sets (do as many as you can for each set)
- Barbell Bicep Curl – 8 sets with 8-12 repetitions
- Side Lying Planks –3 sets, 30 seconds on both sidesSkip rope for twenty minutes
Day 4: Rest Day
Make it a point to train at least three times a week at your home gym. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, or if your equipment is expensive. What matters is that you train, work hard, and commit to your goals. Good luck!
