Setting up a small home gym will make sure you have no excuse to keep up with your fitness and weight loss goals. Even if your days are super busy, and you feel like you are always swamped, you can find at least 10 minutes to walk over to your small gym area in your home and do an intense (even if its short) workout.
The best part is you can turn it into a lifestyle habit. Since your in your own home, you can print off a few new workout routines to keep it interesting and post them up on the wall. Make short time blocks throughout the day where you set aside enough time to do one workout routine, and continue with your day.
Building a home gym can doesn't have to cumbersome or expensive. You can do so for under $100 and still have a gym that can work out every part of your body. Here are some of the best items to start with.
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A Set of Dumbbells
A good set of basic dumbbells are essential. Although the adjustable ones are pretty handy too! With dumbbells, you can work out nearly all of the muscles in your arms and back, as well as use them to do weighted squats to give your your lower body a good work out too.
If you want to build muscle endurance as well as strength, be sure to get weights that can go as low as 2 pounds. Many people don't realize it, but plyometric exercises using high rep, extremely low weight dumbbells are great for building up endurance.
You can get a great set of inexpensive, high-quality dumbbells here. They even come with a stand, so that your dumbbells don't end up all over the place.
A Pull-Up Bar
A pull-up is another great addition to your home gym. It takes up very little space and can help you work out your arms, shoulders, backs and even abs. It can be used in the doorway for typical pull-ups, but you can use it on the ground to change up the muscles used during other exercises.
As you get comfortable with it, you can adjust the difficulty of your workout by propping a foot on a chair in front of you to do your pull-ups. This will help you build up to full pull-ups. You can get this pull-up bar inexpensively here.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands can be used to create a wide variety of workouts. You can stand on the bands and pull up to work out your biceps. They can also be used to work out your back and triceps by holding one behind you and pulling it forward. You could also simulate pull-ups using resistance bands. You could even use them to help you advance on more difficult yoga poses.
Unlike other types of exercise equipment, resistance bands are adept at working out your abs and your lower body. You can use them to add resistance to squats or leg lifts, as well as help you work out your abs.
Jump Rope
A jump rope is a fantastic piece of equipment for getting an aerobic workout at home. They are very inexpensive, and you may even have one laying around the garage somewhere. Using a jump rope can help you to warm up your body before doing a more intense exercise. Although, if you really push yourself, jumping rope at a quick rate for a longer period of time is a pretty intense workout in and of itself.
If you really want to try and push yourself, do 5 sets of 2.5 minutes of intense rope jumping. You'll feel the burn very quickly!
Exercise Ball
An exercise ball can be an excellent way to add variety to your workouts. It allows you to work your core muscles in all kinds of different ways. It also allows you to vary the intensity of your squats, as well as do a multitude of arm exercises.
We have a great core workout that involves an exercise ball here.
That's all your home gym really needs. A simple dumbbell set, a pull-up bar, resistance bands, a jump rope and an exercise ball. All available on Amazon or for under $100. While your at it, make sure to get our free fitness planner! Plus we'll send you a bunch of other free goodies to help you lose weight and get fit straight to your inbox.
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