Aug 09
26
Home workouts
So far I’ve only been talking about going to a gym to workout. But there are plenty of options for those that either can’t find the time to go to the gym or are otherwise unwilling. Now before you run out and buy a Bowflex, Ab Lounger, or anything else, let’s take a look at what you are really going to need.
Your basic home workout gear:
- Workout clothes
Wow! I think that’s the shortest list I’ve ever made! The only reason I even put the clothing on there was that you need to get in a certain frame of mind when working out, and when you are at home, it can be easy to slip out of that mindset. Don’t think you need a whole wardrobe; simply hit up Wal-Mart for a few shirts and a pair of shorts. (plus a sports bra if you need it) If you’re frugal you can set yourself up for less than $40!
More advanced home workout gear:
- Adjustable hand-weights/dumbbells
- Yoga mat
- Swiss ball
- Pull up bar
- Exercise video (2 or 3 is better)
Dumbbells
Still a pretty small list huh? Notice there’s no crazy machines, contraptions, or any other home shopping network piece of junk. That’s because exercising is about moving your body, weight training only adds resistance to that movement. There is no resistance to movement that those machines provide that can’t be duplicated with a basic set of dumbbells. As I mentioned in my machines vs free weights, dumbbells will actually give you the best workout too! So do your wallet a favor and skip the 6 easy payments.
Yoga Mat
The yoga mat is optional, even if you’re doing yoga. The mat is only there to provide some cushion. In our home we have carpet where we exercise, so the mat isn’t needed. If you have wood or tile, do your back and butt a service and pick a cheap one up.
Swiss Ball
If you’re not familiar with a swiss ball you can check one out here:
The purpose of the ball is to provide some instability while exercising and thus improving core strength. Any exercise you do can be modified to be done on the ball, and trust me; you will feel a big difference in your workouts!
Pull-up Bar
A good pull-up bar will offer you some variety of handholds and you can work nearly every upper body muscle! I can go on and on about the wonders of doing pull-ups, but I’ll save that for another time. The two main styles of home pull-up bars involve either screwing anchors into your door frame (which makes me nervous) or the kind that wrap around the frame and locks into place when you pull down on it. Like this:
This is the pull-up bar that I personally own, it easily supports my weight, and other people reviewing have hung upwards of 250lbs on it!
Exercise Videos
No I know that the second every guy reading this saw the workout video listed, they mentally crossed it from their list. PLEASE put it back on guys. These things have come a long way from legwarmers and spandex. There are a number of good ones out there… Remember the Tae Bo DVDs
On a final note, there are more options than I could ever list to workout outside of a gym. Go for a walk/run, hit the public pool, play with the kids in the park, go for a bike ride… The most important thing is just to start, let the rest grow naturally from what you feel comfortable with or enjoy doing.