The Essential Guide to Setting up Your Home Gym

It’s a new year and a new you. We have all said this phrase as some point in our lives. We finally make the promise to that this is the year you dust off those running trainer cobwebs, eat some green stuff and finally reach your fitness goals.

You buy a gym membership and all is going great until life gets in the way. Fitting in the time to haul yourself to the gym suddenly becomes secondary to everything else you’ve got going on, where the only thing getting any thinner is your purse.

So instead of going to the gym, bring the gym to you. This is the essential guide to setting up your very own home gym, whilst not breaking the bank but still giving you the essential tools necessary to get the body you desire.

Cardio

I love cardio. For me personally, there is nothing better than the feeling after you’ve gone for a run or worked up a sweat cycling. The feeling of productivity, positivity and a sense of accomplishment. Therefore for me, investing in a good-quality piece of cardio equipment is essential to any home gym.

 

 

Exercise Bikes

There are quite a few options at hand to different cardio machines you can purchase. When it comes to exercise bikes, I recommend either the Roger Black Folding Magnetic Exercise Bike or the Opti Folding Magnetic Exercise Bike.

Both exercise bikes offer you a variety of tension control settings, meaning you can decide how hard you want the resistance to be, in order to really get your legs pumping. They both come with adjustable seats and pedal straps, as well as being quite whilst in use, so you can exercise at any time of the day that suits you.

Furthermore, both models have console feedback with all the essential metrics, such as time, distance, speed and calories. One of the main benefits of both bikes is how they are foldable for easy storage. This is particularly useful if you are looking to save on space. You can’t go wrong with either bike, where one of the main differences is one has AA batteries and one has AAA. The choice is yours.

Treadmills

If cycling isn’t your thing and you fancy yourself as a bit of a budding Mo Farah, then a treadmill is a great addition to any home gym. Treadmills can vary quite a bit in terms of size, functionality and price, so make sure you know what you are looking to get out from a treadmill before purchasing. An excellent all-round starting treadmill is the Reebok One GT40S Treadmill. At a very reasonable price for a sleek, stylish and high quality treadmill, the Reebok One GT40S Treadmill offers users 12 levels of incline, as well as a max speed of 16kph, meaning you can mix up and vary your types of workouts.

This treadmill is one of the more lighter models at 70kg, but I would still recommend 2 people are on hand to assemble and move the treadmill. If you’re looking for a slightly more versatile treadmill, then I would recommend investing in the Reebok Jet 300.

This treadmill has a wide running surface compared to other models, measuring L150cm by W51cm, which really gives you the gym-quality treadmill running experience. It also comes with 15 levels of incline and a max speed of 20kph, which appeals to more advanced runners and the 27 programmes allow you to really push yourself to achieve your goals.

Cross Trainers

Recently I have become a bit of a cross trainer convert. I wanted to mix up my cardio workouts and decided to give the cross trainer a go and now it has become a part of my regular routine and part of my at home gym furniture. Similar to treadmills, the price of a cross trainer can vary greatly.

If you’re happy to splash out a bit more on a cross trainer, then I recommend the Reebok GX40s One Electronic Cross Trainer. It comes with 32 level tension control, 12 user programmes and a large 5 inch LCD display, so you can keep track of your workout progress. If you are looking for more of a starter cross trainer, then I would recommend the Opti Air Cross Trainer.

This is a slightly more compact cross trainer, excellent for those who are looking to maximize space saving. It has all the essentials you want from a cross trainer with variable tension controls, console feedback and comfortable when in use.

Weights

Getting a sweat on and pumping those muscles doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You can get bulging biceps, shredded shoulders and a toned torso using a few pieces of simple equipment, which can be used from the comfort of your own home.

Weight Set

You can do a variety of upper and lower body exercises using a simple set of dumbbells and a barbell. The Opti Vinyl Barbell and Dumbbell Set comes in both 35kg and 50kg forms, meaning it is suitable for a variety of user levels.

The bar sits comfortable in your hands and the spin locks allow adjusting the weights to be easy and simple. The dumbbells are perfect to perform a range of exercises including bicep curls and tricep extensions to really pump those guns. Perform side and rear raises with shoulder presses to target those shoulders and make sure you don’t skip leg day by adding weight to lunges or squats.

You can use the barbell to perform a chest press to your workout and include an upright and bent over row to target your back and really fill out those t-shirts.

If you really want to diversify your workout, I recommend investing in a workout bench, such as the Opti Utility Training Bench. This bench conveniently folds for easy storage and has adjustable incline levels for different exercises, allowing you to really hit different parts of your body.

The Opti Utility Training Bench also comes with high density support foam, to support your body, whilst still remaining strong and durable.

Accessories

Exercise Mat

A good quality exercise mat is a must have for any at-home gym, especially if you’re like me and have hard floors. Trust me, your lower back with thank me later.

I recommend either the Opti Basic Exercise Mat or if you’re looking for a slightly thicker exercise mat then I would get the Men’s Health Exercise Mat. Essential for stretching, Yoga exercises and core workouts, just make sure you don’t fall asleep when you lie down.

Gym Ball

A gym ball helps develop overall body muscle, balance and co-ordination. The Opti Purple Gym Ball is anti-burst and the pump is included.

Ideal for training, toning and strengthening your core muscles, as well being suitable to use for a variety of upper body exercises to help pump and tone your arms and chest. Incorporating a gym ball into your workouts can really improve your balance and co-ordination.

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