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Setting Up Your Home Gym

With the many ways of utilizing an entertainment room home gyms are high on the list. If you’ve decided this is the year you’re going to get in shape and stay in shape but you don’t like waiting in line for the treadmill or forking out high membership fees each month to a health club, then let’s get started on your own personal workout oasis.

Exercise equipment

Dumbells - the staple of the gym, and one of the first purchases you should make, is a good pair of adjustable dumbells. Dumbells are versatile, cost effective, and they take up very little space. Dumbells are a great solution for strength training and offer an unlimited number of exercises. By adding a weight bench and exercise ball you’ve got all the makings of an instant home gym. Manufacturers include Bowflex, Bayou, Hex, Powerblock, and Pro Style.

Elliptical Trainers – sometimes referred to as cross-trainers, are quickly becoming the most popular pieces of cardio equipment for home gyms. Determining which model is right for you might be confusing; there are now over 70 models to choose from. Here’s a list of the major brands: Eclipse, Epic, Horizon, Infiniti, Life Fitness, Lifegear, Nordic Track, Octane, Orbitrek, Precor, Proform, Reebok, Schwinn, Smooth, Sole, Stamina, Star Trac, Tony Little, True and Weslo. Models range between $300 - $5,000. Grab a cup of coffee and mull over this informative website Elliptical Trainer Buyer's Guide.

Swiss Ball – otherwise known as an exercise ball, is one of the best workouts for your abs on the market. A high quality exercise ball, like the ones used at the health club, is the most effective means you can use to get rock hard abs. Don’t settle for an exercise ball found at your local sporting goods store or mass market retailer, these balls are poor quality. You want a quality exercise ball that will endure prolonged use, handle larger users, and one that will allow you to perform strength training with dumbbells too. What you should look for in an exercise ball is a weight limit of 1000 pounds (opposed to 200 pounds found at the stores mentioned above) and a warranty of 3 years. Priced under $100.

Bodylastics Resistance Bands Home Gym – If you’ve seen this advertised on TV you may think they look a gimmic. They’re not. The Bodylastics resistance bands are a huge leap forward in resistance training compared to the old exercise tubing. What’s really great about this product, besides its compact size, is the resistance bands are color coded – each colored resistance band has a unique tension level. There are swivel clips at the end of each exercise band to facilitate quick changes in resistance, and they include a number of nifty attachments that make the Bodylastics a complete home gym that’s smaller than a breadbox. This product is a breeze to use, even for beginners. So, if you want a great workout, and a great value in strength training for under $100, the Bodylastics system is a bargain.

Exercise bikes – a popular choice for a great cardio workout. Exercise bikes are a little pricey but well worth it. Try out as many different models as you can before you make a purchase. You’ll want to make sure the seat is comfortable; remember, you’ll be sitting in the bike seat for long periods of time so you’ll want to make sure you’re comfortable. Good - A decent exercise bike starts at around $300. In this price range expect your bike to last a few years. Better - A better, mid-level model, like a Schwinn, will run between $300 - $500. In this price range expect a smoother silent operation, magnetic resistance, a more comfortable seat, many workout programs and heart rate control. Best - High-end exercise bikes run about $600 plus. In this price range expect push button resistance control, high tech led display console, a longer warranty, pulse driven workouts, adjustable handlebars, and many workout programs. Here’s a list of the major players: Cybex, Fitness Quest, Healthrider, Kettler, Life Cycle, Lifestyler, Monark, Nautilus, NordicTrack, Proform, Reebok, Schwinn, Stamina, and Tunturi.

Rowing machines

Rowing is one of the best workouts available. The motion of rowing uses your entire body and works every major muscle group; pelvis, thighs, arms, shoulders, back, abdomen, legs, hips, and torso without the risk of high impact injury. It’s great for muscle toning and development in areas of the body that can be difficult to work; back of upper arms, shoulders, and butt get a great workout. Also, great for weight loss – burn from 500 to 800 calories per hour. Rowing machine manufacturers include BodyCraft, Concept2, Kettler, Lifecore, LifeGear, Precor, Schwinn, Stamina, and Tunturi. For a novice user on a budget BodyCraft is a great choice for around $700. Kettler Coach is about the best rower on the market at around $1000. A rowing machine is best for people who need a low impact cardio and strength training workout but are bored with treadmills and cross trainers.

Smith Machines

There are so many smith machines on the market today it’s difficult to distinguish between them. Should you get a smith machine with bushings or bearings? A vertical smith machine or a 7 or 5 degree angled smith? Is a Jones machine better than the best smith machine? There are many differences in construction that you should understand before investing in a smith machine. You’ll want to spend some time researching each manufacturer to see what each one offers. Manufacturers include Bodycraft, Body Solid, Freemotion, Golds Gym, Hoist, Marcy, Nautilus, Parabody, Ultimate and Weider. A full functioned single station gym with a built-in weight stack, expect to spend a minimum of $700.

Stair climbers

Stair climbers, also known as steppers, are excellent machines for burning calories and working the major muscle groups of the lower body. Though they’ve declined in popularity in recent years, largely due to elliptical machines, there are still a few machines released each year. Priced between $2,000 - $4,000.

Saunas

After your vigorous workout you’re going to want to relax and wind down; what better way then in a sauna? After all you’ve earned it. Indoor saunas come in many shapes and sizes. You can customize your own sauna and have it built right into your home gym, or your other choices include portable saunas that are capable of plugging into a standard wall outlet, pre-built saunas that come in modular insulated panels that are assembled together to build your room, pre-cut saunas require that you frame up your own walls and provide your own insulation, and combination traditional & infrared saunas.

Perks - Many come with soft-touch control panels inside and outside of the sauna, CD stereos with remote control, recessed lighting inside and outside of the sauna. Pre-manufactured saunas usually seat anywhere from 2 to 4 people however, if you have limited space a one person sauna is available. Custom built saunas can accommodate as many family members or guests as you’d like.

Cost - Expect to pay around $2,000 for a one person sauna, anywhere from $3.000 to $5,000 for a two person sauna, and $5,000 + for a three or four person sauna

Game Rooms / Wet Bar / Home Gym