Cheap Home Gym Fitness EquipmentBuying
cardio exercise equipment for your home is a smart idea |
If
you're looking for inexpensive home gym
fitness equipment, this
is my list of essentials.
There are also ways to use the stuff you
already
own as equipment.But first, if you're on a
budget,
focus on getting the following:
| A
standard barbell set will include a 20 pound bar, 85 pounds of plates
and 2 dumbbell handles with collars. This will run about $100. All of
your basic strength
training can be done with this set up.A
chin up bar could be made out of any material that will support your
weight. You can find a decent chin up bar for $10-$40.A
Swiss ball will run in the neighborhood of $15 to $50.Jump
rope for cardio: $5 So,
for as little as $130, you can create a cheap home gym with fitness
equipment that will allow you to do a variety of full-body routines. |
Here’s
the free stuff you may already have access to:
Stairs
If
you have even a few stairs in your house, you can add a couple great
exercises. These are particularly good if you are doing any kind of circuit training.
They get your heart rate up:
| Lunge-
One of my clients called this move “the fire lunge”. Yes, because it
makes the rear thigh feel like it’s on fire. This is a standard lunge,
so be sure to keep the front knee from jutting out beyond the tip of
your toes. Perform these facing away from the stairs with the ball of
your rear foot on the first step. I imagine that it burns because the
rear quad, since it's up a little higher, is being stretched as it’s
trying to contract. Some people really feel this in the glutes too.Incline
and decline push up- If you’re not quite ready for an official push up,
place your hands on the first step or higher. This will make it a
little easier. As you get stronger, move toward a standard
give-me-twenty push up.Step up- The dreaded
step-up. Excellent cardio potential, especially when inserted into a
circuit. Place the right foot a couple steps up. Step up with the left
foot and do a kind of knee raise. Bring the left foot back down to the
floor. Keep the right foot planted on the step the entire time. Repeat
10 to 20 times then switch legs. If you need more, do a one arm
dumbbell shoulder press on the same side that you’re stepping up withCardio-
If you live in an apartment building, you guessed it: use the flight of
stairs for an aerobic workout. Bench
You
can use any bench for presses and one arm rows. Make sure its 2 to 3
feet wide and solid. A piano bench might work if it’s heavy enough.
Otherwise, a picnic bench works well. Be creative: you can also put
something under the front or rear to get an incline/decline effect. Yard
If
you have an enclosed backyard, you can always do basketball style
conditioning drills, like sprints and short intervals. It’s a good idea
to build up your joints and tendons with some slower, more controlled strength training
first to avoid injury. And while you're out there, if you have solid
walls, you could bounce a medicine ball. This is good for core
development and a high heart rate.
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