A home gym is a serious investment - but the good news is that there's never been a better time to buy - prices are low and value is high. But with so many choices on the market, it can get REALLY confusing. What do you choose?
This article will tell you 8 key things you need to consider when buying a home gym.
(If you need a basic primer on the types of home gyms available read our article on home gym types)
1) Space:
How much room do you have? Note the length, width and height of the room where you plan to place your gym. Some gyms may have a very high or large footprint.
Also, when you look at the footprint size of a piece of equipment, make sure you add at least 2 to 3ft on either side of it for room to move, and an additional 12 to 18 inches in height (if it has a stationary chin up/pull up bar).
Most home gym sales sites tell you the footprint of the gym but only a few mention the approximate workout space.
If the machine has a low pulley row station (particularly those gyms with plate stacks or free weights) and does not have a sliding seat (like some of the Bowflex machines), note where it is located.
If it’s located on the outside of the machine (so you are sitting away from the machine), you will need to add at least 6ft to that size of the machine for workout space.
2) Location:
Is your home gym going to be in an apartment/condo? Will you be working out late at night while others are sleeping?
If so, you'll probably want to avoid the plate stack machines and most free weight equipment, as dropping the weight makes a wonderful crashing sound (and won't endear you to your neighbours).
Also consider that if you are using a free weights or plate stacks, it would be best placing them in basements or garages. As you might be putting significant load (weight), and may also need to anchor some of the equipment.
If you want to place a significant amount of weight (plate stack or free weight machines) in other areas (first or second story rooms), it may be wise to have a civil or structural engineer confirm you can put that amount of weight on the structure.
3) Mobility:
Do you think you’ll be moving you equipment around? If so, you will need to see if the home gym is either foldable and/or light weight. Most if not all plate stack machines and free weight machines do not allow for this.
4) Number of Exercises:
When looking at equipment, keep in mind the number of exercises it can do. If you are a beginner, it’s important that the machine can give you a good total body workout (chest, shoulders, back, arms, legs), and the number of exercises isn’t as important.
But as you become more experienced, you will need to change those exercises and workout routines to prevent your body from plateauing (adapting to your training, and stop growing), as well as to fight off boredom.
5) Workout Routines:
Some home gym manufacturers provide complete workouts for beginners, intermediates and advanced.
As a minimum most of the manufacturer provide you a basic ‘How-To’ guide for each exercise. Some even add in DVD workouts to help you get started on their machines.
6) Weight Resistance:
If you are new to strength training, you may find a typical 200lb stack or resistance more than enough to train with. But as you become stronger, you will either have to increase the number of repetitions (the number of times you do a particular move) or increase the weight.
That’s why it’s usually a good idea to pick up the additional weight if a manufacturer offers it.
7) Cardio Station:
Does the home gym have a cardio station (usually a row station)? If you want a complete body workout (cardio and strength training), either make sure it has a row station, or look to adding either skipping, running, or a cardio session (kickboxing, etc) in your workout.
8) Warranty:
A good warranty gives you an idea of the quality of the parts used in construction. This is important especially if you have a lot of moving parts, or parts that might not be available easily.
Keep these things in mind when buying a home gym and you'll save time, money and LOADS of frustration.
For a list of the Best Rated Home Gyms, check out our Best Buys
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Was this information useful? This article on Buying A Home Gym is one of several articles to be found in our Home Gym Tips Section.
