My Dream Home Gym

Who wouldn’t love a luxury dream home gym that has every piece of equipment that you could ever want? The reality for most of us is that is never going to happen. Who has the space for everything they could ever want and still have room for all the junk that clutters up their house? You know you could turn that junk room into a home gym right?

Most of us could use a spare room or a little corner in the house to set up a small home gym, but we have to be really picky with the equipment we choose and make sure we make the most out of the space we have.

I had a gym membership for a couple of years whilst I was losing weight, but I began to realise quickly that I didn’t need to pay for a gym membership. I could put that money I was spending into slowly building up my own home gym and that is what I have been doing. I don’t need to get up even earlier in the morning, to get ready and go to the gym, work out for an hour and then come home. I can literally just wake up, throw my workout clothes on, workout and get sweaty and then be in my own shower an hour later (no one likes gym showers, do they?).

I realise home gyms are not for everyone and some people need to be paying out every month to motivate themselves to actually workout so they don’t waste money. But for me, the motivation is knowing that I can workout at home and save myself a lot of time that can be spent doing the other things that I love. I do still have a gym membership (after cancelling it for a year, I signed up again), but this is because I am still saving up for heavier weights, so in the mean-time I hit the gym.

So, like I said before, if you are going to have a home gym, you need to make the most of the space you have. I thought it would be good to write about my “must-have” gym equipment if I was creating my own home gym. Some of these things I do have and I wouldn’t be without, but other things are on my wish list when I finally get round to clearing out some junk to make room for it. It might seem like a lot of expense, but think how much you spend on gym membership. You don’t have to buy everything all at once, just a little at a time until you have everything you want. You can get a lot of good deals from Powerhouse Fitness – I have my eye on a rowing machine that is on offer at the moment. Home gyms are also great if you have kids and don’t have any one to watch them whilst you go to the gym and a treadmill comes in handy when it is too cold or dark to run outside.

My dream home gym would include:

• Folding treadmill – You know how much I love to run, so this is a must for me. I can spend 30 minutes doing some interval training and get a good cardio workout done. The added bonus of this is that it is folding, so you save a lot of space.
• Rowing machine - I think rowing machines are really under-rated. My husband hates using them and finds them boring. Whilst I admit they are not the most exciting machine (although I have used ones with computer games built into them where you can race the person next to you), I really feel it in my lower abs, arms and shoulders the next day. So it must be doing something.
• Kettlebells – This is my number 1 must! Since using kettlebells, I have really noticed a change in the definition of my arms and shoulders. They have just made me feel so much stronger and there are so many exercises you can do with them (lots of tutorials online), that you won’t get bored of them. I recommend the Bob Harper kettlebell workouts.
• Dumbbells- Another really versatile piece of equipment that has changed my shape more than cardio by itself ever did. Women are so afraid to lift heavy, but they shouldn’t be. You won’t bulk up and look massive – so don’t worry. Start off small and then work your way up.
• Punch bag - Kick boxing is one of my favourite exercises. Not only an amazing stress relief, but a hardcore workout if you really push yourself. Turn your favourite fast-paced music up and start kicking and punching. I would recommend going to a class with a qualified trainer first just to make sure you have good form.
• Medicine Balls – My husband and I have an awesome 2 person medicine ball workout that we do twice a week. I have never ached so much after a workout before. But a good kind of aching. The kind where you know that you really pushed yourself.
• Skipping Rope – This one is a really simple one, but very effective. I do 5 minute bursts of skipping in between weight training for a great circuit routine.

What is your favourite piece of gym equipment?

What would be in your dream home gym?

Photo Source: Designing Your Perfect House

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