Weight Training at Home on a BudgetJun 11 '01 (Updated Apr 07 '02) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line You can build a good home gym without paying a lot.
So you’ve seen popular home gyms selling for thousands of dollars, and thought you could never afford a decent setup for your house. Never fear, there are options that will fit your budget. Machines tend to be expensive, often costing several thousand dollars. You can do a limited number of exercises, and the moving parts may wear down over time. You also have to make sure that it "fits" your body size so it does not cause discomfort or injury. In contrast, free weights are cheap and durable, and adjust to your natural range of motion. It is also easy to add weight to your collection. For these reasons, I will focus on building a home gym with free weights. I will start with a very basic setup. You can stop at Purchase #1 if that is all you wallet allows, and you will have the equipment necessary for a full body workout. If you have the cash and the ambition, try out the additional equipment shown in the subsequent steps. Purchase #1 - $30-$50 The beginners equipment Buy an adjustable dumbbell or barbell set. They are cheap, require little space, and will adapt to your level of strength. Sets can be bought at sporting goods stores, or department stores like Sears and Walmart. You can find 40-60 lb dumbbell sets for twenty or thirty bucks. You will probably need additional plates, which cost 50 cents a pound or less. Upgrades: For about $50+, you can find sets that have a barbell, 2 dumbbell handles and over 100 pounds of plates. Don’t waste your money: Small neoprene dumbbells are often bought by women who begin lifting weights. They are relatively expensive, and the weights are so light that results will come very slowly. An adjustable set will challenge you more, and allows you to add weight cheaply as your strength improves. You can get a full body workout using dumbbells. Here are some sample exercises: Back: Bent-over Rows, Shrugs Chest: Dumbbell Chest Press, Flys Triceps: Triceps Extension, Triceps Kickbacks Biceps: Curls, Concentration Curls, Hammer Curls Shoulders: Shoulder Presses, Lateral Raises, Front Raises, Upright Rows Abs: Weighted Crunches Lower Back and Hamstrings: Dumbbell Deadlifts, Stiff Legged Deadlifts Quadriceps and Butt: Dumbbell Squats, Lunges, Step Ups Calves: Calf Raises Purchase #2 - $10-$15 The Doorway Chinup Bar Chinup bars provide a great workout for your back, shoulders and arms. Some people are not strong enough to do chinups, so you should test yourself before you decide to buy this item. You should check the box to make sure the bar you choose will support your weight. Purchase #3 - $20 If it wasn’t included in the beginner set, get a barbell A barbell can help provide variety in your workouts by allowing more exercises. They hold more weight than dumbbells so they are good for heavy lifts like deadlifts. Barbells are also good for people who have grip problems on heavy lifts – alternating grips or hook grips can be used to allow you to hold more weight. You could also consider buying a curl bar. This is a curved bar designed to make curls more comfortable on your wrists. Purchase #4 – highly variable cost A little more costly but definitely worth it – The Weight Bench Benches are designed to hold different amounts of weight. Make sure that you buy a bench that can support the weight you lift. When buying a weight bench, don’t choose the cheapest model. Most exercises that you can do on these, you could do by lying on the floor. You will get more use out of a bench that has extra features. Most importantly, you will want to have a bench with crutches (the supports that hold a barbell). You will not be able to do barbell bench presses safely without these. They will also be useful in positioning the bar for squats and other exercises. Optionally, you may want a bench that inclines and declines. This allows a greater variety of exercises. If you want to get really fancy, you can buy a bench that has attachments for other exercises. Instead of using a barbell or dumbbell, you can load plates onto the attachments. Some examples are leg press, leg curl, pec fly, or arm curl attachments. You will need to check whether the attachments hold olympic or standard plates. ------------------------------------------------------------ How do I choose which type of weights to buy? There are two major types of free weights: Standard and Olympic sets. Olympic weights are more expensive. Olympic plates can be identified by the large hole in the center (~2 inches). They are appropriate for commercial gyms, people who want high quality equipment, or people who lift very large loads such as powerlifters. Bars - The bars are larger at the ends, with a thinner area to grip the bar. Olympic bars are heavier (~45 lbs), higher quality, and can handle more weight than Standard bars without bending. Due to the weight, beginners may not be strong enough to use them for certain exercises. Plates - You have a choice between normal metal plates (the common choice), or the more expensive rubber plates designed for olympic lifts. Cheap rubber weights may crack when dropped, so if you need rubber weights it is worth the money to invest in a good brand. Standard weights are fine for most people. They are significantly cheaper than Olympic weights. They can be identified by a thinner, lighter (1-20lb) bar and plates that have a smaller hole (~1 inch). Bars - Barbells may be solid or hollow. The hollow bars are more likely to dent or warp even if you lift light loads (less than 100 lbs.) so I recommend buying a solid bar. Plates - Metal plates and filled plastic plates are available. Metal plates are recommended because they are smaller and more durable. Plastic plates are a little cheaper, but they are prone to warping and it is hard to find additional plates. ------------------------------------------------------------ Ways to make it even cheaper You can find used weights at garage sales or in the classified section of your newspaper. Exercise equipment is an excellent garage sale buy because it tends to be cheap and in good condition. A lot of people buy equipment when they make their New Years resolution, and are ready to offload it by the time summer hits. What not to do for the sake of saving money Don’t make homemade weights, such as jugs filled with water. They are generally too light to be useful, and since they do not have properly designed handles they are unbalanced and can hurt your wrists.  |
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