How to Design a Home Gym?

Exercise equipment lasts a long time, takes up space, and serves a variety of purposes. Put some time and thought into creating your home gym. Keep in mind that this is a long-term commitment. You’re investing in a healthy lifestyle and a better quality of life for years to come. You want to create a space that you’ll enjoy and look forward to using regularly. This section deals only with weight training equipment; you need to consider separately any cardiovascular equipment, such as a treadmill or stationary bike. Shirley recommends that you purchase a jump rope for a great investment in cardio equipment. You can find one on sale for as little as $5 and it can last a lifetime. Jumping rope regularly improves endurance, agility, and coordination and helps keep bones strong while burning as many calories as cycling. Quite a bargain for a few dollars!
Before you purchase any equipment, consider the following questions.

• How much space do you have? If you have virtually no space for weight equipment, your best bet is a set of rubber exercise tubes that come with door handle attachments. However, we think that you build greater strength and size by using dumbbells and a weight bench, so make room for these gadgets if possible. Conserve space by buying clever dumbbell products such as power blocks, smart locks, or plate mates, which are all described in the “Nifty dumbbell products” sidebar in this chapter.
  
• What are your goals? Make sure that you buy equipment that helps you reach your goals. If you’re a big guy and you want to build some serious muscle, a couple sets of dumbbells aren’t going to cut it. In fact, you may need to buy a dozen pairs of dumbbells and purchase a free weight bench. Just make sure that your goals jive with the amount of space you have available: If you live in a tiny apartment but want to live in a body like Sylvester Stallone’s, you may have to get rid of your bed, coffee table, television, refrigerator, and stove in order to make space for your weight equipment. (We know people who’ve done this.) If your goal is to develop moderate strength and muscle tone, your best bet is to buy an adjustable weight bench and several pairs of dumbbells.
  
• How much money can you spend? The cheapest (and smallest) weight training gadget you can buy is a rubber exercise band, which sets you back about $5. But your development of muscle strength is limited to the price of a McDonald’s Happy Meal. On the other hand, you don’t need to raid your retirement account in order to build a firm, strong body. For $200 to $500 you can buy an adjustable weight bench and more than enough dumbbells. You may be able to find equipment at an even cheaper price if you search used sporting goods stores or shop on eBay. If you have an extra thousand or two lying around, go ahead and purchase a multigym for variety. By the way, if you’re tight on money, don’t even think about buying any weight training gizmo off of the TV. Most of the gadgets are gimmicks that don’t offer any training advantages over traditional equipment.
• Will you be using videos or DVDs? If you plan to use weight training videos or DVDs, we suggest that you invest in dumbbells and an adjustable weight bench (or at least a step aerobics platform, which doubles as a bench). Many videos and DVDs also use rubber exercise bands, ankle weights, barbells, or stability balls. So when you buy new tapes or DVDs, make sure that you have (or are willing to buy) the necessary equipment.