The Ultimate Home Gym Guide: Everything You Need to Know

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Building your own home gym is a big decision — which is why you’re probably feeling overwhelmed trying to choose the right equipment and find a space for it.

You might be thinking: Where do I even start? Do I declutter first, then look up home gym equipment? How can I make sure that I’ll stick to it and not end up with an unused acquisition?

Well, if you’re looking for answers, you’re in the right place!

We created this guide to building the ultimate home gym, which includes everything you need to know before building your own. Let’s delve right in. 

Are Home Gyms Worth It? Pros and Cons

Let’s begin with a straightforward answer: Home gyms are worth it. Why? In a nutshell, they help you improve your fitness levels and live an active lifestyle. They’re convenient and available. 

We all know that exercise promotes a better lifestyle and helps improve brain function, which is why home gyms are proven to be a good investment for everyone who cares about their health.

Now, let’s navigate our comprehensive list of the pros and cons of building one. 

The Pros of Having Your Personal Gym:

• It helps you save money; a home gym is cheaper than joining a traditional gym in the long run. 
• There’s no pressure of looking good in front of other people or bumping into someone you didn’t want to meet.
• You can work out at your own pace without having to worry about occupying a piece of equipment for too long.
• No crowds waiting in line to use the equipment, as you have the entire gym to yourself.
• Save time by commuting less.
• A home gym makes it easier to stick to a fitness routine as it’s more accessible (fewer excuses) and available for you 24/7. 

A lot of people think that personal gyms are only useful if they want to work out on their own without any interaction from other people around them. 

However, they can offer a great fresh start to anyone looking to begin their fitness journey. They can also benefit those who are well-versed in the fitness industry and want to continue practicing on their own.

The Cons of Having Your Personal Home Gym Space:

• If you’ve never had experience with a home gym before, it may be hard to figure out how much space it will take up in your home (we’ve got some tips and tricks for that below).
• It can cost you more than a month’s worth of a gym membership when you first set it up (that’s if you opt for paying it upfront instead of setting up a monthly recurring payment for your equipment).
• Without a group atmosphere, it can be harder to motivate yourself. However, if you really want to achieve your goals, the motivation is already there. 

Home gyms do come with some cons, but hear us out. If you’re ready to commit to your fitness plans and you’re no longer taking no for an answer, the benefits outweigh these by far.

If group training is one of the reasons why you might consider spending more money on a classic gym, try opting for on-demand classes or live classes online.

The internet offers remarkable possibilities like on-demand workouts, progress groups, or even getting a personal trainer to guide you on your own terms and schedule. 

Full Body Workout At Home Using a Classic Home Gym Equipment (The Bowflex Revolution)

When it comes to creating a full-body workout routine, a piece of multi-gym home equipment offers plenty of options to choose from. Take the Bowflex Revolution for example.

It is an amazing piece of exercise equipment that will allow you to perform over 100 different exercises and up to 400 variations. 

If you’re looking for a complete workout, here are some tips on how to use this home gym machine effectively:

1. Start with the lower body exercises first. These will warm up your muscles and get them ready for more intense workouts later in the session.

2. Use lighter weights for these exercises, but focus on getting as many reps as possible during each set. The goal is not necessarily to lift heavy weights, but rather to work out your muscles and increase flexibility.

3. After working out your lower body muscles with squats, lats, or other leg workouts, move on to upper body exercises like bicep curls or triceps extensions using heavier weights (as much as 20 lbs). For these exercises, focus on getting 1-2 sets per exercise with 5-10 reps per set – this should take no longer than 10 minutes!

4. Repeat this process two times per week by alternating between lower body days (one day) and upper body days (the next day). 

Why Home Gyms Are a Budget-Friendly Gym Membership Alternative

Home gyms are a budget-friendly alternative to joining a commercial gym because they offer all of the equipment needed for an intense workout without requiring any additional costs (such as monthly dues). 

Contrary to popular opinion, they’re also great for people who want something more than just cardio training; if you’re going to get fit, gain muscle, and do some strength training, then getting a home gym is the way to go! 

Here are some budget-friendly workout equipment ideas if you want to build a compact home gym:

• Barbell and weight plates
• Power rack
• Pull-up bar
• Resistance bands 
• Traditional dumbbells
• A weight bench
• A fitness mat (yoga mats are great options) 

Naturally, these options vary from individual to individual. It all comes down to your personal needs and how you want to train. 

Most of the equipment required for these workouts can be found at local retail stores and online retailers at affordable prices. Therefore, buying a home gym doesn’t mean breaking your budget; instead, it means saving money while keeping up with your health goals!

Building a Home Gym: What To Look For Before You Make a Purchase

First and foremost, make sure that the equipment you get is of exceptional quality. You don’t want to be stuck with junk equipment that breaks down after a few sessions or that doesn’t give you the results you’re looking for. 

Secondly, think about how often and for how long you plan to work out. If you plan on working out often and for extended intervals—or if you have multiple people in your household who will be using this equipment—then it might make sense to invest in high-quality gear so that everyone can get their money’s worth out of their workouts.

Thirdly, research. We know that there are plenty of sources and popular brands online that offer home gym equipment.

However, it can be challenging to find out the right place to start, especially if you don’t have the time to look up everything on the web. 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one home gym resource with honest reviews and reliable advice, check out USA Home Gym! 

What is the Most Effective Piece of Home Gym Equipment?

With so many options out there, it can be tough to determine the best home gym equipment. The first thing you need to determine is your fitness objectives in relation to your time availability.

Here are the three questions you need to ask yourself before choosing a piece of equipment:

1. How many hours a week can I spend working out? 
2. What is my budget?
3. What are my fitness goals? (E.g. losing weight, toning, building upper muscle, training leg muscles, bulking, etc.)

Let’s consider this example: You’re a young male looking to build muscle and get in shape. You’re working a 9-5, so you’ll likely going to work out during the evening or on weekends. 

Now, how many hours a week are you willing to dedicate toward personal training? If you’re going to work out three to four times a week, you may need complete package equipment with key features that can deliver results. 

Keep in mind that you don’t need to buy everything at once. However, the sooner you get to build your personal workout space, the better!

Here is an example of a budget-friendly home gym machine that can help you grow muscle and increase strength: The KingKang Multi-purpose Bench. However, to get the most out of your workout, you should look for a cable machine with a pulley system and integrated power rack.  

If you’re not one to skip leg day, you’ll need a leg press too, or a magnetic resistance bike.

If you don’t have much time but want to get a quick workout done every day, perhaps you should be looking for a simple, yet effective complete setup: 

• A dip bar
• A lat pulldown system
• Resistance bands (find the best resistance bands here)
• Lift weights
• Two ankle straps and a yoga mat

When time isn’t in your favor, you must get your workout done fast, so consider implementing bodyweight training (like the traditional push-up or squat sessions) in your routine. 

Conclusion

Assembling a home gym is an exciting process, and once it’s up and running you’ll appreciate the extra motivation you get from working out in the comfort of your own space.

We know that some exercises are more difficult to perform than others, and that body weight is sometimes not enough to get the most out of your fitness training. Therefore, we hope that this guide we’ve put together will help you get a better idea of what steps you need to take to start building the gym of your dreams. 

Try to aim for equipment that targets all the necessary areas of improvement for your needs and the desired outcome, instead of getting just cardio machines or large single-use pieces. 

If you want to get the best out of your home gym, learn how to properly use the equipment, and dive into an all-in-one resource to help you get started, check out USA Home Gym and build a fitter lifestyle starting today!