Who said you can’t stick to your fitness plan during the pandemic? Even if your gym is closed, that is no valid reason for you to slack off your training hours. If anything, this is the perfect opportunity for you to transfer your gym into the sanctuary of your own home and cut down on wasted time, costs, and energy spent in the gym. Don’t know where to get started?
Here are the 9 most essential things you’ll need to create a perfect home gym.
1. Space
First and foremost, you’ll want to designate enough space to satisfy your training needs. If you’re a gym veteran, then you must have an established routine already in mind. If this is your first time on the fitness road, you may want to do some research first before getting any equipment. The space you’ll need will depend largely on the kind of exercises and machines/equipment you’ll use, so setting a training regimen in advance will help you down the line. In case you have limited space in your apartment, you may want to get more creative with storage.
2. Quality Headphones
If there’s one rule to training hard, it’s putting your headphones on and shutting the whole world out. You just can’t get into the mood without quality headphones helping you move to the beat and pushing you up one more time every time you feel like quitting. The sound quality of the headphones is one thing, but you’ll also want to choose one that doesn’t fall off your head once you get sweaty or as soon as you start jumping around. It’s better to choose over-ear headphones instead of on-ears, but make sure to get substitute ear pads to avoid accumulating sweat or bad odor.
3. Yoga Mat
In order to complete a well-structured exercise routine, you have to warm up with active stretching and cool down with static stretching. When doing static stretches, you’ll want a solid, non-slippery floor to effectively stretch your muscles while avoiding injury, and that’s where a yoga mat, or its alternatives, will come to your aid. However, its uses aren’t limited to post-workout stretching; you’ll need a good yoga mat to assist you in various on-ground exercises as well. Needless to mention, you’ll definitely need a yoga mat for your yoga training as well.
4. A Cardio Machine
It’s about time to get into the technical aspects of the home gym, isn’t it? The first machine you’ll want to get is one that helps you with cardio training, but your options are diverse in this area. Many people prefer getting an indoor bike to get their heart beating and their lungs breathing. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the options in the market, then perhaps an expert’s opinion can help. Thanks to the Flex Master General review on this site, you have your options narrowed down to Nordictrack and Peloton. While both brands offer supreme user experience, your decision depends on your budget and preferences. On the other hand, other fitness enthusiasts prefer using a treadmill to go for a jog whenever they feel like it, without leaving their home. Again, it boils down to your preferences.
5. Jump Rope
Short on budget or space? No worries, you can still manage your cardio training with nothing but a jump rope. In fact, you should probably get a jump rope even if you get a cardio machine. Jump ropes are one of the best and most effective tools you can use to log in your cardio training stats, and you can alternate between various forms of intensity as you desire. You can use the ropes for a quick warm-up, for low-intensity exercise intervals in your HIIT routine, or for intense cardio training. It’s versatile like that!
6. Free Weights
No training regimen will be complete without the element of resistance training. While you can go by doing bodyweight exercises, sometimes you just want to feel the bump that comes from using weights. To satisfy the carvings of your muscles, the most practical option comes in the form of using free weights. We say free weights because you can choose to get adjustable dumbbells or opt for a set of kettlebells. You can also use the tonal home gym. You can learn more about it here.
7. A Barbell Corner
Did you take notice of the corner part? That’s right; if you’re going to add barbells to your home gym, you’ll need to designate a full corner for those long steel rods. While you can use a barbell on its own, that’s never really the main goal of barbell training. You’ll need to get a few accessories as well, and that means various weight plates, a rack, and an adjustable bench. This corner alone is enough to do a full-body exercise that targets all your major muscle groups. You can even choose the rack with handles for pull-ups, chin-ups, and dips.
8. Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are versatile tools that can completely transform your workout structure. You can keep doing the same kinds of exercises you’ve always done, but witness an incredible change in results once you start adding resistance bands. These bands can be implemented in resistance training to add more muscle tension, increase your endurance, and maximize your gains. They can also be used instead of weights to shape up and strengthen your muscles, as is the case with Pilates training.
9. Foam Rollers
Do you often feel sore and rigid following your workouts? Then you should definitely get some foam rollers to release the tension building up in your muscles. While it’s normal to experience Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in the 48 hours following your muscle workout, that doesn’t mean you should just leave it be. The first thing you should do is keep constant on your stretches, but you can take your stretching a step further and use foam rollers to release muscular tension.
In order to create the perfect home gym, you’ll have to take a step back and identify what perfect means for you. After specifying your training regimen and exercise preferences, you’ll get an idea of the machines and tools you’ll want to include in your gym. With everything in place, you don’t have any excuse stopping you from getting that beach body you’ve been dreaming of.
