Home Gym Advice

[Mendoza]

Hey guys, need some advice on home gyms.

I currently have a membership at 24 hour fitness, but its gotten to the point that i can only get a ride to it once or twice a week, and its not worth the 35 a month i pay for it.

I have a treadmill and ive been doing some extra cardio on a heavybag, but i have no weights. I need to keep my strength training going to keep having weight loss results so ive decided to go for a home gym.

I have very little to spend, and even less space in my room, which is the only place i can put the home gym.

These are the two that im looking at. They both seem to have decent reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Weider-Total-Body ... 293&sr=1-1

Also this one

http://www.amazon.com/Total-Gym-C14050- ... 330&sr=1-1

The price of this is actually lower at the sporting goods store and does come with the foot plate not shown in the amazon pic.

Free weights would be nice, but I just don't have the room, and transporting them would be a headache.

Any opinions or suggestions for a home gym machine?

[flojocabron]

I sold some of these a few years ago.

they're ok. Your own bodyweight adds to the resistance.

You just have to take care of them, make sure the wires dont mess up or get damaged.

I couldnt tell from those pics, but some of these guys can take some weights on the sides.

Depending on how tall you are, the board may not be very comfortable when you use it.

with any workout routine, just make time each day to use it. Some people buy exercise equipment and use them for about 2 or 3 months and then give up.

[Para]

Buy free weights, an exercise ball, and a bench.

Thats all you really need. You don't even need a treadmill since its not really like running anyways and its really bad for your knees.

You can workout 90% of your body with just dumbbells and a ball. And they are 10x cheaper than buying home gym type equipment.

[Hobie-wan]

See if you can score some free weights off craigslist or a garage sale. There are always people who buy them and then stop using them after a few weeks.

[gtmtnbiker]

Do pushups, pullups, and situps.

[J T]

I have the Total Gym. I like it because you can do a lot with one machine to work out different areas of your body. It's also pretty fun to use, actually. Throw a picture of Cookie Monster on it and you could convince a kid that it's playground equipment. I also recommend some dumb bells to go with it, like others have said. I combine those with my Total Gym workout and do a few curls, flys, and chest presses. I just use my total gym like a bench. It's not well suited for that really,because the bench is always at an angle and can slide, but if you're not straining yourself with the dumbbells, it does the job.

I will say though that the Total Gym is mostly a get fit/stay fit kind of machine. The resistence is all created by your body weight and the pulley system and angled inclines make it so you are always dealing with weights well below your own body weight. For me, that's all I want, but if you want to really build some serious muscle, you'll need to find your way into the gyms again and work with the weight set ups they have there.

Also, it's really long. It took up more space when in use than I thought it would. I guess I should have realize that since it needs to be long enough for you to fully stretch out from your hands stretched above your head down to your toes. Just make sure you know it's complete lenght along with your room space and keep a few extra inches for some breathing room.

[Luke]

Do pushups, pullups, and situps.

This, and jogging. Stretch, warm up, work out, then cool down. Weights aren't really even necessary.

[Mendoza]

I have the Total Gym. I like it because you can do a lot with one machine to work out different areas of your body. It's also pretty fun to use, actually. Throw a picture of Cookie Monster on it and you could convince a kid that it's playground equipment. I also recommend some dumb bells to go with it, like others have said. I combine those with my Total Gym workout and do a few curls, flys, and chest presses. I just use my total gym like a bench. It's not well suited for that really,because the bench is always at an angle and can slide, but if you're not straining yourself with the dumbbells, it does the job.

I will say though that the Total Gym is mostly a get fit/stay fit kind of machine. The resistence is all created by your body weight and the pulley system and angled inclines make it so you are always dealing with weights well below your own body weight. For me, that's all I want, but if you want to really build some serious muscle, you'll need to find your way into the gyms again and work with the weight set ups they have there.

Also, it's really long. It took up more space when in use than I thought it would. I guess I should have realize that since it needs to be long enough for you to fully stretch out from your hands stretched above your head down to your toes. Just make sure you know it's complete lenght along with your room space and keep a few extra inches for some breathing room.

Which model do you have?

I'm just trying to keep losing weight.

I use a treadmill for cardio, but i know i need resistence training to keep up. Basicly the only reason i use the gym at all is for the weight machines, well and its well air conditioned unlike my room.

[BoringSupreez]

See if you can score some free weights off craigslist or a garage sale. There are always people who buy them and then stop using them after a few weeks.

The weeks after New Years are great for that. People make resolutions to work out and get in shape, and then discover they like Doritos and the couch better than that $500 weight set.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Do pushups, pullups, and situps.

This, and jogging. Stretch, warm up, work out, then cool down. Weights aren't really even necessary.

Exactly. I'm in great shape, and haven't spent a dime on any weights (although I did get a treadmill for the winter months)