Staying in shape can seem like a very daunting task for a busy person in our modern world. You spend your whole day at work, have to run your errands, then come home to your daily chores around the house. It can seem very overwhelming to try and fit a workout into your already very crowded schedule, but your personal health is really not something that you should overlook that easily. Being in good shape and working out on a regular basis comes with a vast amount of personal benefits which include; increased energy levels, a stronger feeling of happiness, weight loss, reduced risk of chronic diseases, improved skin health, better memory, increased levels of sleep, stronger muscles/bones, and lastly improved brain health.
So, If you are eager to work out but are being held back by time constraints or simply because you do not feel comfortable working out in front of a bunch of people at the gym. Then a home gym is the perfect solution for you and can be a lot cheaper of an option than you may originally think. This article will highlight a few key pieces of equipment which can completely rejuvenate your home gym and provide you with everything that you need to stay in shape.
Dumbbells
Dumbbells are the centerpiece of any great home gym, they are the swiss army knife of workout equipment as they can literally be used to work out nearly every muscle in your body. The list of workouts that you can do with them is nearly endless as you can work out your legs with dumbbells by doing front squats, pistol squats, side lunges, walking lunges, step-ups, etc. You can also work out your chest and back by doing; bent over dumbbell raises, dumbbell press, alternating dumbbell press, bent-over rows, and dumbbell flyes.
You can then do shoulders and arms by doing upright rows, Arnold’s, rear delt raises, lateral raises, shoulder press, bicep curls, hammer curls, and skull crushers. Then lastly you can work out your core by doing renegade rows, Russian twists, dumbbell windmills, and finally dumbbell wood chops. In addition to being externally useful for doing a variety of workouts, dumbbells are also readily available at nearly any fitness store and fairly cheap as the standard price for dumbbells is about one dollar per pound.
Rowing Machines
An extremely valuable piece of workout equipment for your home gym is the rowing machine. It is a very useful piece of equipment as it has the ability to work out a variety of large muscle groups all while giving you a killer cardio exercise. The cardio workout which is provided by a rowing machine is also a very low impact exercise on your joints, this allows for people who are out of shape and who normally receive a lot of pain while running or skipping to get their cardio in without the discomfort. With so many benefits comes a lot of competition in the market for rowing machines, this requires you to stay vigilant when shopping for these machines, in order to find one that is not going to instantly break down on you.
The experts over at Ever Unfolding provide a great review of all the best machines on the market which is available at https://ever-unfolding.net/best-rowing-machine-reviews/. Taking this review into account to avoid the lemons can be extremely useful as the benefits of these machines vastly outweigh any potential downsides as they will allow for you to get in a workout that impacts your upper body, lower body, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular systems all in a very time-effective manner.
Resistance Bands
Sticking with the theme of versatile equipment that can work out a variety of different muscle groups, the next piece of equipment which I recommend that you get for your home gym is resistance bands. They are an extremely diverse piece of equipment that can be used to work a good portion of the other muscle groups which free weights fail to tackle. Resistance bands are also a lot easier on your joints than free weights, so anyone with a history of joint pain would most likely prefer using bands as an alternative.
A few good workouts that you can do with resistance bands include; lateral pulldowns on a wall, triceps extensions, external shoulder rotations, donkey kicks, fire hydrants, side plank leg lifts, and squats with side raises. The addition of these exercises along with your regular workout routine will without a doubt improve your muscular endurance and strength.
Medicine Balls
Medicine balls again stick with the theme of diverse and inexpensive training equipment. They differ from the other two options, however in the type of training in which they provide. Medicine balls allow you to build a lot more explosive power while you are working out and provide a fun alternative to free weights.
Some exercises that you can do with medicine balls to compliment the other workout routines you are doing and build a balanced body are; overhead slams, v-ups, crunches with a medicine ball, hay baler, ball fly, figure eights, reaching Romanian deadlifts, and lunges with a twist. Combining medicine ball training with resistance bands, free weights, and rowing machines will allow you to get a good full-body workout along with great cardio all from the comfort of your home.
It can be very hard to stay in shape and get a good workout in when you are living a busy life. However, It is very important to be in good shape as there are numerous health benefits associated with daily exercise. If you want to work out but do not have the time to travel to a gym or are too scared to work out in front of other people, then you should strongly consider starting a home gym.
Starting your own home gym can be a lot cheaper than initially expected as long as you follow the principles discussed above and look for affordable, diverse equipment that has the ability to work numerous muscle groups while still providing aerobic cardio training. I strongly recommend that you consider this while buying equipment and wish you the best of luck in your fitness journey.
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