With businesses closing down and working from home becoming the norm, people are starting to re-think their home routines. At times it’s difficult to separate work from everything else in this situation, or to find some ‘me-time’ to keep your mind stimulated and your body fit. A good workout can help you achieve that by keeping your mind active and boosting metabolism to ward off diseases. With social centers off limits, and people being confined to their homes, it’s hard to maintain a routine or get some movement in. That is, unless you have a home gym setup to pencil-in workouts into your schedule or break a quick sweat at your convenience.
But if you don’t have one yet, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a guide that will answer some important questions before you decide on investing money in workout gear at a time like this.
Home-gym Considerations
Everyone is going to have a different approach in designing their custom workout space. However, most of your decisions should be based on the following factors:
Fitness Goals
Primarily, your ultimate fitness goal is what will decide the equipment you buy for your home gym. If you’re into some serious cardio and weight loss, then you’ll probably need a cardio machine. If your target is building muscle and toning up, then free weights or weight machines may be your answer.
Space Limitations
The amount of space you have is going to be another factor that helps decide the type of equipment you can setup. If you want to build muscle but don’t have enough space, get some free weights. Got more space? Check out barbells and multi-gym systems.
Your Budget
Allocating a budget will help you determine what you can go for and prevent over-splurging. You could go with a treadmill or a more space and budget friendly punching bag for cardio. Get a pull up bar or a barbell row if you have more to spend and focus on your strength training.
You can easily build an effective home gym with limited space and under a budget. You just have to focus on the essentials and get creative with your routines.
Home-gym Essentials
When setting up a basic home gym, you’ll want to buy highly effective, versatile equipment. However, being restricted to a budget doesn’t necessarily mean buying inferior quality products. Luckily, due to the range of gym products available in the market, you can get well-made gear at great prices. We recommend the following products to get you started on that gym setup.
Dumbbells
One of the most versatile yet basic tools, dumbbells are great for any home gym. Use them with squats or get them in some bicep curls, shoulder presses, deadlifts. As an alternative you could also add a body vest, like the RDX T1 Adjustable Weighted Vest to amp-up any workout.
Resistance Bands
The super-portable and easy to work with resistance band is a great tool. If used correctly, it could provide the same level of workout as intense leg and core workouts usually done with more complicated and heavy equipment.
Skipping Rope
An old school tool like RDX L2 Speed Skipping Rope is and easy and fun solution to your cardio problems. Added bonus – it improves hand-to-eye coordination and reflexes.
Speed Bag
Boxing provides a great workout for cardio and strength training. A speed bag would be a good alternative right now, with the social-distancing and closed-quarters situation going on. Just install it in an accessible place and get back to your boxing training.
Medicine Ball
A versatile tool. The 10-pound medicine ball can be thrown, lifted and incorporated into a number of movements for conditioning and building up strength. It is especially great for ab-building exercises.
Pull-up Bar
A pull-up bar is not only a great tool for targeting the back, arm, and shoulder muscles, but it can also be very effective for overall strength building. Our RDX X1 Pull Up / Chin Up Bar is one of the most durable and reliable tools in the market that gets you a firm and secure mount.
All of these combined makes for a pretty good starter kit for your home gym. Once you have everything setup and actually get down to it, you’ll find its actually really easy and enjoyable to #StayInTrainIn at home. Stay tuned for our next blog for in-door exercise routines that incorporate some of these tools and don’t forget to share your own routines, tips, and exercises by using the hashtag #FightTogether on socials to let us know how you’ve been keeping fit under the current circumstances.
