How to Build an At-Home Gym!
And for Under $100!
Sure, gyms are great, and people love them for obvious reasons. Nice equipment, others there to push you and to help you out, a definitive place where you can go to work your body.
But the truth about fitness is that you do not have to go to a gym whatsoever to see incredible results.
With the current state of the world, there's never a better time to create and pursue a workout regime, and you can absolutely do this from the comfort of your own home. It doesn't take a lot of money and it really doesn't take a lot of knowledge, either.
With just a few simple pieces of equipment, you can easily target every muscle in your body, and with a little creativity, you can find that at-home workouts can provide your body with exercises of equal value to those that can be done at the gym.
And yes, some of the things that you are going to need and that you would want are of course unique to yourself. Some of us are looking to lose weight, others are looking to build muscle. But no matter what there are common grounds between both when it comes to building an at home gym, as a lot of the equipment is the same.
We're going to get into a few really simple setups to create an at-home gym for a variety of different kinds of fitness goals, and the coolest part about it is that you can do this all for one investment of around $100.
So yes, for the price of about two to three months of a gym membership you can create a workout routine that requires no driving, no monthly cost, and the safest and most sanitary of exercise environments.
At Home Gyms for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain
When losing weight is your main priority, you are of course going to be looking for cardio-based workouts. This means high rep, high intensity, but little weight; and so your at-home gym must be modified/created accordingly.
For gaining muscle, add more weight, and maximize your reps!
For both of these fitness goals, we got you totally covered with a collection of the necessary equipment to get you going.
And this is assuming you already have some super cozy activewear clothing ready to go, because if not then you absolutely need your own workout clothes. Not only is it important to look good while you work out so that you feel good, but the comfort and functionality of your clothing can directly impact your workout.
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Dumbell Set
If you are looking to lose weight, then a light dumbbell set can be a great way for some high rep lifting. Again, for weight loss lift more times with lighter weight and not less with heavyweight! Repetition again and again. You should be able to find a nice set of interchangeable dumbbells for 5-20lb varieties that you can work up to for not very expensive.
So then if you are looking to build muscle, you are going to want a heavier set of dumbbells. Something around 25-35lbs depending on where you stand in your fitness journey. Adding a set of dumbbells of this size might take you above the $100 threshold if you are trying to build muscle, but they are absolutely one of the most essential pieces of gym equipment for heavy lifting at home.
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Yoga Mat
All exercise areas need a yoga mat. A yoga mat provides you with a soft surface to perform all of your weight-loss focused exercises and strength training yoga sessions. Like protecting your tailbone during abs, a yoga mat will provide your body with just the right surface area to create your very own workout zone.
A yoga mat also provides you a place to rest any weights or other equipment so that your floor is not damaged, especially if you plan on setting up your at-home gym inside.
Yoga Blocks
Not only do yoga blocks help you to get accustomed to certain yoga poses, but they can also add a little spice to your at-home workout. That, and you need to stretch before any kind of workout anyways, so regardless yoga blocks are essential!
Learn some strength-based yoga poses after you have stretched out, and try doing push-ups or holding a plank on their surface to get the core burning.
Medicine Ball
Light medicine balls are a must-have for weight loss center workout routines. Adding the weight of the ball to your squats and sit-ups will increase calorie loss and muscle gain. Plus, medicine ball workouts can be a lot of fun!
Try throwing them back and forth if you have a workout partner as you squat for intense leg burn.
If alone, place the medicine ball on the ground, dip into a squat to pick it up, and lift it high above your head as you stand. When above your head, bring yourself down into one more big squat. This time as you stand, throw the ball as far ahead of you as you can using both your arms and the forward momentum of your legs.
For another variation of this, dip into a squat as you pick the medicine ball, but this time instead of using only one hand. As you stand, use your one arm to slam the ball on the ground as hard as possible. And absolutely use this exercise as a means to get some anger out.
Jump Rope
Jump ropes are classic and they are fun. But most importantly, they are a great asset to a weight loss based exercise program at home.
Considering you can burn 200 calories in twenty minutes of skipping rope, a jump rope is one of the cheapest yet most effective additions to a simple at-home gym. Simply place your feet shoulder-width apart on your mat and get skipping! A great addition to a workout routine but also a great way to break up the workday.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands offer you a variety of workouts that help you to lose weight and gain muscle.
They are great because they are not as heavy or intense as other standard weights, and (clearly based on their name) are built on providing resistance to certain body movements to create the workout. This means that you can bust out a hundred reps on a low resistance strength and burn a ton of calories!
Plus, with easy to understand diagrams and workouts, you will always be able to add new workouts and you will never get bored!
Kettlebells
Instead of standard dumbbells, if you are looking to lose weight, instead try a kettlebell! Kettlebells are awesome because they are a little bit heavy, which allows you to build muscle, but a lot of the workouts are built on consistent and flowing movements. This creates more of a cardio-based exercise with weight training.
If you take the time to learn specific kettlebell routines, you can lock into a session that will shed a ton of weight while making your muscles burn. They are really fun to do, and you'll also work on building balance and stability.
An all-around must-have addition to an at-home gym and for not very expensive!
Yoga/Exercise Ball
Redefine your average bodyweight workouts with the incorporation of a yoga ball. For losing weight, a cardio-based yoga ball routine will have you dripping in sweat.
The resistance and grip provided by the ball require you to work a little bit harder to complete full motion movements, thus increasing muscle burn and building stability. Like sit-ups where you hold the ball tightly between your legs. At first, what was just an ab workout is now targeting both abs and legs!
For weight training purposes, try lifting your dumbbells while sitting on the yoga ball. The dip of your weight will force you to lift the weights higher and with a lot more resistance, creating a more enhanced workout than the standard forms of lifting.
This article has been brought to you by your friends at Farm Brand.
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