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The first and best decision you can make, to get the biggest bang for your buck, is to put your credit cards in the deep freeze and ask yourself these simple questions:
1. What are your fitness goals?What you hope to achieve has everything to do with what sort of workout program you should follow and what equipment you might need. Do you want to primarily lose weight and firm up? Do you want to increase your strength or do you want to really build significant muscle mass'2. How much experience do you have?Are you confident that you can design a program to achieve the goals you just outlined? Will you need help with this? Were you a regular exerciser in the past? Have you tried a variety of equipment and for long enough to really get a feel for it'3. What are the practical considerations of your intended purchase?How much space do you have? Do you plan to move any time soon? (Some equipment can be the devil to transport.
) How much can you afford to spend regardless of what you think you might need? Since the cost of some equipment could equal a three-year gym membership, is joining a gym out of the question?Now, considering the fact that simple is usually best, and that the fanciest and finest equipment will not get you in shape unless you use it, think about this:
Your goals dictate your exercise plan which in turn affects the equipment you may need. If you have only a little experience with exercise, consider a minimalist approach toward equipment. This will not compromise your progress.
Until you are in an exercise groove; until a lifestyle of physical activity becomes habit, statistics confirm that you probably will not stick with it. Why not create the habit of simply walking before buying a $1,500 treadmill that will likely end up in the garage collecting dust.
Let the success of your exercise program justify the expense, before you make your purchase. You may find that you don’t want a treadmill after all.
The same holds true for strength training. Before buying a multi-purpose home gym, try simple hand weights which are highly effective, inexpensive and all you need to get on track. Bodybuilders actually prefer “free" weights in most cases. If you choose to buy a gym later, you can still use the hand weights.
Once you have made some progress your goals might change. Quite possibly, you will find that your present workouts are all you need. If, on the other hand, you want to expand your exercise possibilities, consider joining a gym for a month or so. Maybe buy a few sessions with a personal trainer. Try out the different machines until you get comfortable. Pay attention to what “gym quality" feels like; some affordable home-style machines can be disappointing.
It is important to know what suits you, before you begin shopping. Without this experience, it is easy to make a premature decision after a brief “test drive" with a salesman breathing down your neck.
Get to know your stuff before spending your hard-earned money. You will know exactly what you need and when a particular piece of equipment feels right. After making an informed decision as to what is best, you can wait and look for sales and bargains.
Most importantly, you will avoid making impulsive decisions, emptying your wallet and ending up with a piece of junk or something you don’t really need.“Be Strong…. Be Lean" Howard McGarity “Coach Mac"
It is estimated that 80% of home exercise equipment is not used after the first year.
So, you're planning to buy a piece of home exercise equipment... and you have promised yourself that this time you are really going to use it!
Maybe you already have a collection of different exercise devices... but you are convinced that with this new contraption you will definitely reach your fitness goals.
Or you keep saying to yourself... "If I only had that fitness machine I would be motivated to work out".
Around 80% of home exercise equipment buyers said the same thing... and the equipment they bought is gathering dust in the corner somewhere along with their dreams of muscle tone, more energy, weight control and feeling great.
Don't part with your hard earned money before you make sure you will be one of the 20% that buys home exercise equipment and actually uses it, because as we all know... you are only going to get the physical benefits from the home exercise equipment you buy if you actually do the exercise.
Who Buys Home Exercise Equipment And Then Doesn't Use It?
According to Consumer's Union, it is the beginner, or inexperienced, exercisers that are most likely to purchase home exercise equipment and then not use it.
As a matter of fact... beginner exercisers don't use 2/3 of the home exercise equipment they buy.
Although buying home exercise equipment seems like the logical first step to improved fitness... it is the beginners that give up using the equipment more than people who already enjoy an active lifestyle.
Let's see why this happens...
Using Home Exercise Equipment Is An Exercise In Self Control
Most people over estimate their self control.
Even though they exhibit determination and enthusiasm when researching the home exercise equipment to buy, seeking out the best price, purchasing and installing the equipment in their home... most people just don't have enough self control to use the equipment in the necessary manner to reap the rewards.
Thinking about exercise, talking about exercise, researching exercise and purchasing home exercise equipment is not exercise.
There is no home exercise equipment that will completely transform you and help you reach all your fitness goals without an investment of time and energy.
As a matter of fact... the costs of seeking fitness are immediate, while the benefits are delayed.
Most beginners get frustrated putting in the time and energy necessary to reap the long term physical rewards using the home exercise equipment .
As a result, 2/3 of the home exercise equipment finds its way into garages, closets and basements with the closing comments... "That thing didn't work."
Prove Yourself Worthy Before Buying Home Exercise Equipment
Most beginners buy home exercise equipment because they took a good hard look in the mirror and didn't like what they saw... or they assessed their physical abilities and found them lacking.
Next step... buy a piece of home exercise equipment!
Well, hold on there... not so fast.
As I'm fond of saying... Fitness is a journey, not a destination.
The bodily changes and improvement of physical abilities you seek can only be obtained for the long term by incorporating consistent physical activity into your lifestyle.
Prove yourself worthy of the purchase of home exercise equipment by first adding physical activity to your lifestyle by using the effective, versatile and efficient piece of home exercise equipment that you already have... your own body!
If you are really serious about improving muscle tone and energy levels while controlling weight and feeling great... start by performing a workout program of bodyweight calisthenics exercises.
Bodyweight calisthenics exercise is the perfect method to use for the beginner, as well as experienced, fitness enthusiast when starting a physical fitness training program... and should remain part of a well balanced fitness training regime.
As a matter of fact... you should not start using home exercise equipment of any kind until you first have developed the ability to control the movement of your own body.
Once you have effectively added physical activity into your lifestyle... you can buy that piece of home exercise equipment to augment, vary and diversify your physical training with the confidence that you will actually use it.
In conclusion...
Bodyweight calisthenics exercise is the perfect place to start your physical fitness training program.
Properly done... bodyweight calisthenics exercise will develop a strong, lean and athletic body that actually performs as good as it looks.
Once physical training has become a habit... buy home exercise equipment to improve your already effective training.
The body and physical abilities you seek are not determined by the equipment you have at your disposal... but rather by your desire to improve and incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle!
Save yourself a lot of time and money by proving to yourself that you are not overestimating your self control... because if you fail to successfully add bodyweight calisthenics exercise into your lifestyle, you will most likely fail to use the home exercise equipment you buy.
So what are you waiting for?
Use your own body as your gym... and get started on your own personal fitness journey today!