Many people, because of schedules or weather, prefer to exercise at home at least some of the time. While getting motivated to work out can be painfully hard, outfitting a no-frills home gym is relatively easy. Before you dish out a ton of cash on exercise equipment, consider the advice of two fitness pros we interviewed.
I spoke with two experienced Washington, DC-based fitness experts: Anna Mackay, Healthy Life Stylist and personal trainer and owner of Moxie Fit in Washington, DC, and Earl Williams, trainer and owner of Definitions in Georgetown.
Personal trainers are well-versed in human frailty — and I'm not talking just about physical frailty. I mean the way human nature and psychology can often sabotage even the best intentions for becoming a stronger, fitter you. Luckily, the easy part is setting up the space. Anna and Earl concurred that no faddish equipment is necessary and that the fundamentals of a home gym are the same no matter what your budget.
The Key Elements to a Great Home Gym
Both Earl and Anna emphasized that you don't have to go nuts with expensive and complicated equipment to get a good home workout. If asked to design a home gym for a client with a moderate budget, the recommendations would be surprisingly straightforward.
Anna's Best-Bets For Building a Home Gym:
• A mat area
• jump rope
• bench
• bar + weight plates
• set of dumbbells
• pull-up/chin-up bar
• step or box for jumping and incline/decline exercises (eg, pushups, to make easier or more difficult)
• (TRX and kettle bells are a nice plus but not critical — and both require some instruction and practice)
• Someone to work out with! A workout partner (or personal trainer) is the ultimate addition to any workout space, says Mackay; research shows that working out with a partner, a group and/or with a trainer is far more effective than work out alone!
Earl's List of Must-Haves For Your Existing Space
• Earl says you should have enough space to move around in, whether it's existing open space in your home or makeshift space (e.g. you might have to move a table or a chair).
• Mat or a rug; something that will make exercising on your floor safe and comfortable.
• Dumbells, a couple of sets: light , medium, and heavy
• Adjustable bench or adjustable Step; something that you can lay on and step on.
• Exercise tubing and/or adjustable cable machine (you will need something to anchor the tubing, most tubing comes with a door anchor attachment).
• Some type of cardio equipment for those in areas where weather is problematic. "The best machine for increasing cardiovascular capacity is the one that you will use. In other words, make your machine choice based on the cardio activity that is most appealing to you and not what is advertised as burning the most calories."
Anna and Earl agreed that it is important to watch a DVD or visit a gym staffer or personal trainer to get instructions on using exercise equipment. Says Anna: "What equipment is easiest to use and least likely to be misused? The iPod. Seriously. Your average Joe/Jane misuses almost all fitness equipment."
Fantasy Home Gyms
Now, what if you had an unlimited budget and unlimited space? For Anna, "all the bells and whistles like hot tubs and fancy machines are a waste of money. Steam rooms are nice if you need to get dirt out of your pores but otherwise a bit expensive, and are not really going to help on the fitness score. I don't believe in the value of most machines, so there are none that I would rave about or recommend someone absolutely has to have. A state-of-the-art treadmill or elliptical would be nice, I suppose, and a 25-meter lap pool would be a fantasy!" Anna says any state-of-the-art gym would include:
• About 20' x 20' feet of space
• Ground level or above is preferable so there is plenty of natural light along one or two walls
• floor-to-ceiling mirrors (very important but not affordable for many)
• Wood floors
• Soft lighting
• State of the art sound system connected to a DVD/Flat Screen TV
Earl agreed but was excited to do a little fantasizing about seriously budget-busting work-out equipment, including:
1. Indoor Rock Climbing wall or a Treadwall (a small climbing wall that moves like a treadmill)
2. 50 yard (or meter) indoor track
3. Underwater treadmill — you get the benefits of running with minimal stress on your joints
4 XBOX Kinect connected to a 100 inch 3D/HD TV with surround sound
5. OSAKI zero gravity massage chair
6. Sauna
7. Whirpool/Hot tub
Anna's List of 5 Most Effective Exercises You Can Do ANYWHERE with NO equipment:
• Stationary lunges
• Squats
• Pushups
• Planks
A Killer 20 minute workout would involve a series of circuits (using the above exercises), done for 20 minutes straight, where you perform each exercise for 60 seconds, taking no breaks between each exercise, but allowing a 60 second rest between circuits.
If we're talking zero equipment, I would add sprints or stair running for an outdoor workout, and jogging in place alternating with high knees for indoors.
Images: (clockwise from top left): Cap Barbell Fitness FID bench from Amazon, $48.54; Nike weighted rope, City Sports, $20; Atlus Athletic dumbell set from Amazon, $41; Aurorae Northern Lights yoga/fitness mats from Amazon, $39.95.
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I really like working out at home and the best thing I ever bought is a Fluidity bar. A freestanding ballet bar, that is weighted. I use to dance and this allows me to do both stretching and strength training. I love it. It also folds up and can be put away when I need that space.
The other thing to invest in is a good pair of trainers... then get outside and walk. Free and almost every one has a sidewalk!
p.s. my fantasy set up would be a salt water lap pool. You would not need another thing..!
Looks like Earl's list is much more realistic and similar to what I have: an exercise bike and a rider machine in the garage with an old TV and a DVD player so I can watch Netflix movies while I exercise. I also used to do yoga in my sewing room/office because I have mirrors on the closet doors; just close the closet, put a mat down, and put a DVD in the computer. You don't need a lot of room or fancy equipment to exercise.
Burpees are great for indoor cardio. Even better-- no equipment needed! They're basically a combination of squats, push-ups and jumping jacks (google "burpees" for video instructions, I'm bad at explaining). 10 sets of 10 burpees will get your heart pumping for sure.
Bodyweight exercises are some of the best for those with little/no space for extra stuff. The book You Are Your Own Gym has some good ones. Before joining a gym I did a combination of bodyweight exercises, running, and yoga/pilates DVDs in my tiny, carpeted, poorly-lit apartment. The only equipment I had was a yoga mat. You don't need to recreate a full-service gym in your home to get a good workout!
Great Post!
I have been looking for a reliable and well made pull up bar that I could attach to a doorway. I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks,
Brian
The treadwall and underwater treadmill are crazy! Never knew such things existed. I definitely want a sauna or steamroom one day.
Seriously? Anna's list is deeply unrealistic. Who has a free 20x20 space? Lighting, sound system, and TV? Talk about extras! Mirrors would be nice for checking your form on things like squats and whatnot but a cheapy one from KMart would probably work fine.
I'd need a power rack, a bench, a bar and some weight plates. Oh, and a floor that wouldn't cave in if I dropped the bar. As you might guess, I'm much more into strength and power than endurance.
Burpees are a great exercise if you want to do interval training (they're EVIL, though, and horrible and very much in the "oh god, it hurts!" realm). Cycling is my preferred method of cardio; I ride my bike to the grocery store and other errands around my (small, flat but windy) town. But the best for cardio would be to pick up good hiking boots and a trail guide for your area. It wouldn't be an everyday thing, but man, what fun on weekends!
I also like Earl's list. The best thing I ever bought, gym equipment or otherwise, is a good quality treadmill. Mine was a floor model from a brand well-rated by Consumer Reports- and it's lasted 10 years so far. I know not everyone has the room for one, but for me it's meant being able to exercise no matter the weather, while the kids are still asleep in the pre-dawn hours of the morning. Between work and wanting to spend time with my kids, it's the only way I can think of to stay committed to exercise. Oh, and a 20 inch tv from Craigslist so I have something to entertain me as I run!
Earl's list is much more doable for an NYC studio! I do weights and yoga at home on my yoga mat. I don't have room for cardio equipment, but I try to walk in the park when I can. And YES! to the indoor saltwater lap pool. If we're going to talk unrealistic, let's do it with pizzazz!
Anna's list is not "no frills" --- it's almost nothing but frills. Wood floors? Floor-to-ceiling mirrors? State-of-the-art sound system? Come on! How on earth can those items be considered no frills?
Any trainer worth their salt can help clients get a great workout with a little floor space and their own body weight.
Author here. I think i misrepresented Anna's list a bit. She was describing how she would design a home gym for a client. She also pointed out (as shown later in the post) that a lot can be achieved without ANY equipment at all!. So it was really a failure on my part to define terms! Earl was focusing on what someone can do with the space they have whereas Anna was talking about designing a home gym for someone with a basic or moderate budget.
Catrin
Ok, readers. I got a wee bit confused but have edited to accurately represent what Anna meant in her list! All is good. Thanks, Catrin.
Ha, thanks Catrin. Yes, folks, I don't know too many people, including myself, who could afford to install an above-ground-level, wood-floored, studio with state of the art lighting, sound system and equipment! However, I will say that while "deeply unrealistic" for many of us, there are just enough people out there who can afford that kind of home gym because I've consulted on the projects :) And just for the record, my entire business is based on outdoor workouts with little to no equipment -- a decent pair of sneakers is just about all that's required!
Cheers,
Anna
I really wish I had read this last month before I bought a power plate machine. I've used it twice and what's worse is the fact that its so big it can't be "tucked away" anywhere in this flat. Sigh.
Check out sworkit.com - they have iPhone/Android apps too - but it's all exercises that you can do at home without weights. Randomized circuit training so you don't get bored. It has yoga too!