Building a Home Gym in the Garage

Having a home gym is very attractive idea for anybody who likes to regularly exercise at home. Home gym has many benefits when compared with commercial gyms. In the home gym, one can exercise whenever one wants, there is no time lost trafficking, there is no time lost waiting for some other guy or girl to finish, there are no gym fees, it can be accustomed to personal needs etc. On the other hand, home gyms require space and money to buy and maintain.
Money for home gyms many consider to be the main problem, but in the long run, you are actually saving money because you are not paying monthly gym fees, you don't spend any money trafficking etc. So, when building a home gym, consider purchasing equipment little by little, month by month or even quarterly or annually.

Cardio Equipment
Depending on your personal preferences, cardio equipment can be in the form of expensive, but durable and sturdy treadmill or elliptical, or if you have ordinary bike, you can purchase a bike stand for just a fraction of cost of good treadmill or elliptical.
Home foldable treadmills cost less, especially self-powered models, and they are great choice for people who prefer walking as the form of low impact, low intensity cardio.
If you have good, heavy rope for rope jumping (and enough high ceiling), you have all necessary equipment for good cardio workout. Ordinary rope can be purchased in any hardware store for cheap.
If you like Martial Arts, good punching bag will build your strength, stamina and burn fat tremendously. Punching bag can be used as warm-up, as main workout, or to burn extra calories after main workout. Note that if you have never used punching bag, it is highly recommendable to find someone to show you how to actually punch.
To save space, punching bag can be stored away and mounted when required.

Exercise Equipment
Pull-up bars can be wall mounted, ceiling mounted, part of dip station or squat cage, doorway mounted etc. Simple pull-up bars are cheap and reliable – fix them somewhere on the wall and use them for great back and biceps workouts with various pull-ups and chin-ups.
With just a few items – bike stand, rope, punching bag and pull-up bar – one can make great full body workout that will increase strength, stamina, increase muscle mass, burn fat etc. And in the case of circular workouts, even full-body workout doesn't have to last more than 60 minutes. List of exercises that can be done using such equipment is rather long: cycling, running, walking, rope jumping, bag punching and kicking, various push-ups, various squats, various pull-ups and chin-ups, burpees, various abs exercises etc. As one can see, plenty of these exercises are bodyweight exercises and even if you are gym rat, don't underestimate them.
Next piece of equipment that one should consider for home gym are dumbbells – variable or adjustable dumbbells with proper stand. Variable dumbbells save space and even money in the long run when compared with ordinary dumbbells, but their initial price is relatively high.
Note that with the pair of adjustable dumbbells only one person can exercise at one time – with modern variable weight dumbbells this is not great issue, since weight can be changed often in just a few seconds. Variable or not, dumbbells are great for many exercises and it is nice to have them.

Variable bench is often next piece of equipment to be purchased. This bench must be capable of several decline and incline positions and of course, flat position. When buying a bench for home gym, it is good to choose a bench which have a stand for barbell and extension for leg exercises (for quads and hamstrings). Such benches cost little bit more, but in the end, they are worth that extra money.
After bench, one needs good, solid barbell with some weights according to your needs. When considering weights, choose weight plates with rubber coating. Rubber coating prevents rust to occur, they are much quitter when used, protects walls and plates from getting damaged etc. Also, consider weight stand to store your weights and some rubber mats to put around your bench – your floors will last longer.
As one progress, squat rack is next to be obtained – it requires space and strong floors, but for various squats, it is a must have equipment.
On the other hand, if you don't have much room for various weights, bars, barbells, racks etc., and you just need 'something' to work out on, consider all-in-one home gym exercise machine. There are several types of them and most of them look like medieval torturing devices, but in the end, they get their job done. Just don't expect levels and type of resistance as if you are working out with regular weights.

 

Home Gym Maintenance
Maintaining a home gym is rather easy. Each exercise machine must be maintained as recommended by their manufacturer. This often includes lubrication, changing pulleys, cables, batteries and similar.
Good AC unit is required for keeping proper temperature and humidity levels. Be sure to regularly clean air filters on your AC unit, since filters decrease amount of dust and other airborne particles in the gym.
Strong vacuum cleaner with various cleaning attachments for reaching corners and tight areas is great thing to have. Such vacuums doesn't have to cost much and can be a general home vacuum, like ordinary Shark NV356e or any similar vacuum cleaner. Once a week, clean entire area and if you have time, clean the equipment with wet, disinfecting wipes. Maybe this sounds too much, but clean home gym is more pleasant environment for regular workouts than a dirty one.

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8 Exercises Every Woman Should Be Doing

Strength training is an important part of improving your overall fitness, and for women, it can mean much more. In addition to numerous health benefits, adding weights to your routine can become a form of personal development that builds strength in all areas of life. The purpose of this campaign is to celebrate strength training and the strength of all women, no matter their size or life circumstance.

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There are many reasons why women should regularly hit the weights, and the following exercises capitalize on those benefits. So get the girls together and try these female-friendly moves the next time you head to the gym.

LATERAL LUNGES

Why? Because women have wider hips than men, most of us have a wider “Q-Angle,” which puts us at increased risk for ACL injuries. Lateral lunges and other lateral movements help strengthen and stabilize the hips, thus decreasing the risk of injury to the knees.

How: Begin with feet in a narrow stance and then step to the right side, keeping the right foot pointing forward and the knee in alignment over the foot. Sink the right hip down and back while keeping the left leg straight. Squeeze through the hips for stability and bring the left leg in and step together.

Options: This move can be done traveling (i.e., moving across the room) or stationary (i.e., staying in the same spot while alternating sides). It can also be loaded with a medicine ball or unloaded with a TRX Suspension Trainer.

KETTLEBELL SINGLE-ARM SQUAT PUSH-PRESS

Why? Having strong shoulders and the strength and power to put a heavy object overhead is no longer just a man’s job. This functional move helps you gain upper-body strength and power so that you don’t have to ask for help.

How: Begin by holding a medium-weight kettlebell in your right hand next to your chest with the palm facing inward. Drop your hips down and back, then drive through your glutes and return to standing while thrusting the kettlebell into the air. Slowly return the kettlebell to your chest and repeat.

Options: This move can also be done with a dumbbell (with a modified starting position). Also, ensure you have proper squat form before adding a load and speed to it.

TRX LOW ROW

Why: Strengthening the muscles of the upper back helps improve posture, which leads to decreased risk of injury, better power transfer, and taller and more confident aesthetics.

How: Fully shorten your TRX Suspension Trainer and stand facing the anchor point. Keeping the body perfectly planked, walk under to an angle that is safe, yet challenging. Begin the row by retracting and depressing your shoulder blades and then follow through by pulling your body to your wrists, with wrists facing inward; don’t lose your plank.

Options: Can also be done under a Smith machine bar at varied heights.

PULL-UPS

Why: With higher levels of estrogen, women have the benefit of building shape through strength training without the extra bulk. Pull-ups strengthen and tone the back, which leads to a smaller-looking waist.

How: Begin your pull-ups in an assisted pull-up machine. Using an overhand and shoulder-width grip, contract your outer back muscles and lift your chin to your hands. Keep the body straight and tight as you lower down to the starting position with control.

Options: When enough strength has been established, try this movement on a pull-up bar with no assistance, but be careful not to swing or arch.

WALKING LUNGES

Why? Women make fantastic athletes and this functional exercise that targets the hip and knee extensors should be included in every athlete’s repertoire.

How: Step forward into your lunge stance, ensuring the front knee tracks just over the middle toes and both knees bend to 90 degrees. Keep the hips tight and shoulders down and back as you step together with the other leg.

Options: Perform standing body-weight lunges or unloaded lunges with a TRX Suspension Trainer.

BALL ROLLOUT

Why? This version of a plank helps realign and strengthen the spine, especially after giving birth. The instability of the ball leads to a full-body strengthening and stabilization from the shoulders all the way to the ankles.

How: Begin with your forearms on top of a Swiss Ball and knees on the ground. Keep the shoulders, hips and knees in a perfectly straight line and roll the elbows forward on the ball a few inches and return. As you progress, this movement can be done with your knees off of the ground, with your shoulders, hips and heels in alignment.

Option: If your hips are sagging during this movement, move your plank to the ground until you have gained enough strength to advance to an unstable environment.

RIP PUNCH

Why? Punching feels GREAT! And adding resistance helps improve posture, supports the back and helps us rotate safely for sport and life.

How? Hold the TRX Rip Trainer with both hands palm down in zones 1 (the end of the bar) and 4 (three-quarters of the way down the bar). Begin in the end range of motion with the punching arm fully extended and back leg pivoted. Slowly release the punching arm and then simultaneously pivot the back foot and push and pull with the upper body to punch with power!

Options: Before beginning this exercise, master proper punch mechanics off of the Rip Trainer. The grip on the bar can be varied to increase or decrease difficulty.

SQUATS

Why? Let’s face it. You want a better butt. The answer? Squats. And for those of you are quite satisfied with your hind quarters, squats, like lateral lunges, build strength to protect your knees and help you become the best athlete you can be!

How: With your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, lower your hips down and back, keeping the back angle and shin angle parallel. Choose a depth that is safe for your knees and hips, yet still challenging (this will vary from person to person). Engage your glutes and drive up from the floor.

Options: Squats do not need to be loaded immediately. Begin mastering your squat form with just your body weight or even unloading your weight using a TRX Suspension Trainer.

Of course, all movement is important for women and exercises should be regressed or progressed as appropriate for the person. By adding any resistance training to our workout regimen, we will have stronger bones, feel better and move better for longer—leading to a much more fulfilling life. Now go add some estrogen to that weight room! 

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