Setting Up a Home Gym (Plus the Chance to Win a Home Gym Makeover Worth $3500 from Spirit Fitness) – The Question of the Week

Elena from North Carolina writes in to ask “My resolution is to start exercising. What do I need to outfit a home gym?”

Thanks for your question, Elena. The most important thing you need for a home gym is a safe place to exercise. It should be open enough for you to move around in without banging into furniture or walls. You don’t need an entire room devoted to exercise but, if you can carve out a comfortable place, even if it’s in your living room or bedroom, that gives you enough room to move, you’re good.

There are so many great On Demand exercise shows as well as fitness dvds on the market, a TV set and dvd player are also key. The variety of shows and dvds – from all forms of cardio to strength training to yoga – will help keep your routine from becoming, well, routine. Plus, a good program will teach you how to execute the moves properly. (More on this later … )

If you want to incorporate yoga or Pilates into your workout,  you’ll need a yoga mat to prevent you from slipping and to cushion your body as you go through the poses and moves, even if your room is carpeted.

Get some light hand weights. You can pick up inexpensive ones in three, five, eight and ten pound weights. (If you’re new to working out with weights, you can get the ten pound ones as you grow stronger. Before you buy, try out the hand weights in the store. You may want to start with one pound weights if the heavier ones prove to be too much to lift repetitively.) Some people say all you need are soup cans or gallon jugs of water to start a weight training program. I’m not a fan because these things are not meant to be held and lifted repetitively and may slip out of your hands. Hand weights are much easier to hold and lift and compromising safety is not an option.

Other things you may want in your home gym are an exercise ball for crunches, leg lifts, push ups and all sorts of other exercises. A ball offers great back support and just sitting on it and balancing works your core. Want a fun and inexpensive cardio workout? Get a jump rope. (Just make sure you have the ceiling and room clearance. You don’t want to do what I once did and whack the chandelier as you’re jumping.)

When you become more experienced, a bench, a weight stack and a barbell with light weights are great things with which to equip your workout space. If you have a dedicated space, consider putting up a mirror so you can watch yourself to ensure you’re exercising with good form. And that brings me to an important point: Before you even pick up a dumbbell and try to execute a simple biceps curl, learn the proper way to do it by researching on the internet,  reading a weight training magazine, or asking the advice of an experienced friend. So many people execute exercises incorrectly and they risk not getting the full benefit of the exercise and also of hurting themselves.

Before making the investment in an exercise bike, stepper, treadmill or exercise machine, work out at home for a few weeks to learn if a home gym is for you.

Ready to step up your game? Enter the Spirit Fitness Ultimate Stick With It Contest. One lucky winner will win the Grand Prize of a home gym makeover worth $3,500 that includes their choice of a Spirit Fitness treadmill, elliptical machine or fitness bike, plus a complete fitness accessories package to make sure they’ve got everything they need to stick to their fitness routines. For more information and to enter, visit the “Ultimate Stick With It Kit Contest” tab at http://www.facebook.com/SpiritFitnessProducts. Contest ends January 24th, 2012 at 4:59 p.m. CT.

Good luck – and have a great workout!

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