Home Gym Workouts – The Convenience of Fitness Training at Home

Home gym workouts allow many people the convenience of fitness training at home versus commuting to a gym or health club, and losing valuable time in the process! This is the reason why home gym fitness equipment is a multi-million dollar business!

Why Train at Home?

The advantages of fitness training at home are obvious! You save time that you would ordinarily take to get to a gym or other training facility, and you to go at your own pace, in familiar and comfortable surroundings.

Some of you who are not in very good physical shape may feel self-conscious working out at a commercial gym with very “in shape” 20 year olds! Women are especially conscious about their perceived imperfections, and the last thing they would want is to be compared to that flawless 20 something working out next to them!

First aid for injuries, and icing a sore muscle or joint after training is much easier in your home. Post workout nutrition is also something that is easier to do when you are in your own kitchen and can whip up your carb and protein drink right after you finish training.

Downsides to Home Gym Workouts

There are of course problems that come with home training. The expense of buying home gym fitness equipment, as well as children, spouses, phone calls, and other distractions can make the trip to the gym a pleasant escape from the craziness of your household.

When training with weights it is often a good idea to have a spotter, someone who assists you and watches over you when you are using challenging weights.

As well another individual to motivate you during difficult workouts is always a plus, but is tough to get at home. A power rack with safety rods can serve to protect you if you are unable to lift a weight!

Most home gyms are a far cry from what is available in a commercial club, and you will obviously have to be a bit creative with your fitness training at home to get the same results you would get at a fully equipped gym, but it CAN be done!

Outfitting a Home Gym

Your choice of equipment will depend on the type and intensity of the training that you do. In general commercial grade equipment is not necessary for home gym workouts, because home gym fitness equipment does not get the abuse it would in a commercial environment.

You will want to make sure that the equipment is sturdy and of good quality, and there is plenty of good equipment available for even the most demanding home gym workouts. I will outline several approaches to outfitting a home training area.

Resistance Training

You can go with what is known as a multi-station such as the popular Bowflex machines seen on television. These are good for general fitness related resistance training, and convenient as they allow you to change exercises and resistance quickly. However, they are not adequate for serious or sports oriented resistance training.

Another popular home exercise device is called the Total Gym and uses a sliding seat to leverage your own bodyweight for resistance.

To increase resistance you change the angle of the seat. For fitness training at home, this is one of the most effective options.

Smith Machines are another possibility, as they provide a frame and sliding track for the weight, making it much easier to do the exercises in good form. These machines are limited, as they do not develop the balance free weights do. They are also limited in the exercises you can perform on them.