Home Gym Experience

I love my home gym, I use it almost every day.  My husband uses it almost every day too.

I used to go to the gym frequently, then I started dating my husband.  We went to the gym together but he didn't like how much time it took to go there and stuff so we started building our home gym.  Now a home gym doesn't have to be anything fancy and you can build it up over time.

We started with some dumbbells, a step and a ball.  Also put an old tv and dvd/vcr into the room as well so we could watch whatever while we were exercising. 

We wanted a cardio machine so we added an elliptical.  (Life Fitness)

Added a few more weights but then started kettlebells so bought a few kettlebells.

I wanted a squat rack with pulleys and started looking for one.  Sadly, I couldn't find a home gym store with a full squat rack let alone one with pulleys.  I could order one online but I wanted to see it in a store first.  I found some smith machine type things but I had read smith machines aren't the best for you because you don't have to use your muscles to stabilize it and it can even cause injury.  We actually went with a Prospot gym which has a lat pulldown and a lower pulley.  I love my Prospot.  I can do all sorts of barbell exercises without worrying that I'm going to hurt myself plus it has free motion just as if I was holding a real barbell.  I love free weights and think they are the way to go for training.

 I also have a few other things like resistance bands, a bosu, and a mat.  When we got the bike trainer, we also plopped that into the home gym. 

Sorry to hit this thread late-

After many different home gym setups in many different homes over many years-

1. Buy a PowerBlocks set, stand, and an adjustable bench.

Pretty much sets you up for  anything.

BUT

I've added a TUFF-STUFF CXT-100.  And it is pretty much all I use now.  Low space requirements, nearly every muscle group, quick, etc.  Love it.

If you train for triathlons, you can lift by yourself.  

steve

We have a bowflex gym at home...we hate people, therefore we hate people that workout in gyms. Too crowded, too many posers standing around trying to get a date or yapping to everyone around them telling them about their past date while hanging off the machines. Home gym all the way, we turn on the music we like, workout at our pace and after, we can both enjoy the co-ed showers. Set goals for yourself and make penalties if you miss your goals. Make a challenge between you and your wife, if you win, she has to take you out on a date, if she wins, then you have to make her dinner....it's what we do and it works out GREAT!

Here's a picture of the work in progress.  We still need to add some mirrors and mount a TV on the wall.  The wall color was supposed to be "energetic" but it is a little more orange than we realized when we picked the color.  We also put rubber flooring down.  I've got my little routine figured out now and I like it much better than when we first got it.  You don't see it in the picture but there is a dumbbell set as well.  I will likely get a pullup bar in the next week or so.  BTW, the room is a little larger than what the pic shows.

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