Calmly, I walked over to the weight machine—and positioned myself facing in the wrong direction. Luckily, a kind soul rushed over and advised that one hard pull and my shoulders would be ripped from their sockets.
Trying to regain my dignity, I strolled over to the barbells and promptly overloaded one side and forgot to used collars. Nothing screams “geek!” like heavy metal plates crashing to the floor in a loud, echoing crescendo!
My point? We’re all beginners at some point. And I, Mike Mejia—currently a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine—was one of the clumsiest beginners ever. But since then, I’ve become a nationally recognized expert in strength and fitness—and learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t.
All of this has helped build my database of Home Gym articles and reviews where I lay out to you everything I have learned as I have bulked up and super-shopped the market.
That is why I started Home Gym Reviews. By building up these reviews, trying out new machines, and getting input from other bodybuilders we all win.
When first creating a home gym, you want to determine how much space you have available and what type of workout equipment you will be buying. Weight-training equipment can come in the form of free weights or one of today’s popular total trainer machines.
If you are simply wanting to get your feet wet and see if this is the right path for you, then buying a few sets of quality free weights may be the best way to get started. If you’re eager and know that a home gym is right for you, and you have the space, then a total trainer machine is your answer to home fitness.
Just keep in mind that your level of experience matters. When deciding on what equipment to purchase, the majority of exercises that can get you into shape and build muscle fast can all be done with basic free weights, which are a cheaper route than a machine. The biggest issue with that route, however, is that it takes a person with solid experience in weight training to do the exercises right using free weights. So, if you are a beginner to weight lifting, purchasing a machine will greatly benefit your workout experience.
Before getting started, you will want to check out some of the weight training equipment review sites such as RealHomeGymReviews.com. They cover total trainer reviews as well as free weight sets, and also give you valuable insight into pricing and workout styles.
As with other products, when purchasing a weight set there are brand names that emphasize high quality and you will want to go with one of these. Among them are Yukon, Titan, Body Solid, Bodycraft and Bayou.
The benefits of purchasing a brand name weight set over a generic one is the guarantee of accurate weight measurements, higher quality, and the fact that these manufacturers support their products with both DVD workout videos and plenty of videos available for free on YouTube to help you start your training.
When you are setting up your home gym, don’t forget that a good workout means more than just lifting weights. You will want to create a home gym environment that will keep you pumped up and hydrated while you work out. So include a small refrigerator to store bottled water, energy drinks and bars, and chilled towels. Keep a good selection of dry towels nearby. And get the right stereo or CD player so that you can have your favorite music when weight training.
Keeping fit in the middle of a tight schedule is not an impossible task for men, if they are willing to invest in a home gym. It’s also harder to say no to a workout when it’s a few steps from your living room instead of across town. So set up your own home gym and start getting fit the easy way today.
One of the things you really need to watch for as the owner of a Home Gym is overtraining.
Although having goals and being aggressive is great you can take it too far. The more aggressive your fitness goals…the more diligent you will need to be with your training, nutrition and sleeping patters.
Know when it’s time to hang up the gym clothes and give your body a rest, because if you push your body too hard….chances are you will be overtraining your body.
Recovering from over training can be detrimental to your workout regimen which can mean losing several days of workouts.
You will know right away if you have pushed your body too far because you just won’t have the energy to get through a complete workout, and you will feel completely exhausted all the time.
I’ve even heard of extreme cases taking several months to fully recover!
By all means…don’t hold anything back during your workouts. Go full throttle…but make sure you know your limits. Overtraining can set you back months on your fitness and body building schedule.
Weight training benches are at the center of any home gym setup. There are a large variety of different manufacturers of weight benches available to purchase online or on the high street. They fall into four main categories: flat, vertical, decline, and incline. It is crucial that you use the correct kind of workout bench so that you don’t hurt your body and still have an effective workout as well.
The one most often seen is most likely to be the flat weight bench. As the name strongly describes the flat bench is simply a long, narrow bench. This type of bench is appropriate for exercises such as the dumbbell press or bench press. The type of training bench helpful for exercises such as the shoulder press is the vertical bench. It helps the person exercising maintain the correct position by providing sufficient back support. Composed of two main pieces it looks almost like a chair.
The most suitable bench for people who are looking to increase the development of the lower chest muscles is the decline bench. This is most likely the least well known kind but is ideal in certain situations. As the name suggests the decline bench is an exercise bench that is sloped slightly downwards so that the upper half of the body is slightly lower than lower half.
Last of all is the incline bench which is quite similar in appearance to the flat bench, except that it is slightly raised. Usually, the incline bench is adjustable so that the person exercising can set the proper incline for the exercise being performed. This facility enables the user to target very specific muscles.
Each of the individual types of weight bench has its own strengths and weakness, which is precisely the reason why a weight training bench that can easily and quickly adjust to all four positions is the ideal bench to own.
Weight benches provide a stable object for a person to lie or sit on when lifting weights. The best ones are adjustable, allowing you to raise or lower one end of the bench so you can do incline and decline exercises.
Inclines and declines change the emphasis of exercises onto different muscle groups or different parts of muscle groups for a more complete workout potential. They up the options of exercises available.
Weight benches can be used to do a wide variety of exercises. Here is a typical seated workout using weight benches:
Home Gym Weight Benches Seated Workout Routine
Step one. Sit on the bench sideways with your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight and squeeze your abdominal muscles to maintain good posture and exercise form.
Step two. Incline the bench all the way up like a chair to relax against to do certain exercises if you want to rest your back or use the back rest for more support when lifting, if your bench is capable of raising that high. Do this by pulling out the pin underneath the bench and pushing up on the long part of the bench to make a seat with the shorter portion.
Step three. Do seated exercises with dumbbells such as bicep curls, hammer curls, seated triceps extensions, shoulder presses, bent-arm lateral raises or chair squats. Use heavy weights and rep numbers of less than six to build maximal strength. Do six to 12 reps with medium weights to make your muscles larger. Do 12 to 20 reps for increasing muscular endurance.
Step four. Work your upper body with overhead presses. Sit up straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows and raise the weights to shoulder height at chin level with your palms facing forward. Straighten your arms at an angle slightly forward at an incline and bring your weights together. Bend your elbows and return to your starting position. This exercise primarily works your shoulders, triceps and chest, with your biceps and back getting some work on the downward movement.
Step five. Bend your elbows and rest the dumbbells on your shoulders. Make sure your feet are hip width apart and that your feet are parallel to each other. Stand up and straighten your legs. Sit back down slowly with a controlled movement so that you do not drop back onto the bench. This action works your quads and glutes with some work for the hamstrings.
If you don’t have a weight bench yet you should check out the selection at a site like Home Gym Deals and get your home gym equiped.
Some people are mainly interested in gaining muscle mass for looks, but for most of us the real goal is overall fitness for our bodies. Too much of the time, health buffs overlook the health and fitness benefits that go along with serious weight training.
When you strength train with weights your muscles going to get stronger and you’ll also work the ligaments and tendons that are connecting bones, muscles, and other tissues. This reduces the chance that your body becomes injured when participating in other physical activities. Weight lifting will increase also your bone density and help ward off osteoporosis or stress fractures in the future.
Many people think running is the best exercise for increasing bone density, but running actually promotes muscle breakdown in the body, while weight lifting, which is an anabolic process, helps to promote the building of tissues and is going to be much better for preserving your bone mass.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that regular weight training can have a positive effect on health by reducing the rate of insulin resistance, blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and even some types of cancer.
Most immediately, weight training raises your metabolism and helps you prevent the buildup of fat, which everyone is interested in and which has enormous health benefits.
A solid weight training program does far more than people realize to make you health and keep you fit. The simple addition of a Total Trainer to your home gym can be the key to overall fitness that has been missing in your life.
If you are looking for a great Home Gym one terrific option is the Bodycraft Xpress Pro home gym. Just take a look at the fantastic workout you can get with the Bodycraft Xpress Pro home gym in this video below.
As you can see, the Bodycraft Xpress pro gym is a perfect workout companion for home fitness. You can perform traditional exercises such as bench press, lat pulldowns, bicep curls, leg extensions and rowing movements for a great total home gym body workout.
If you are an active guy—a golfer, a tennis player, or any fellow who wants to improve their muscles for power and performance in the upper and lower body this is the home gym for you. And, its compact size makes it ideal for maximizing floor space in your home gym.
Here are some simple and terrific dumbbell and barbell exercises for use in your home gym. Beginners will fine these easy to master.
To look at the different types of dumbbells I use for such exercises check out these choices at Home Gym Deals.
You won’t find better prices and faster service. You can also check out their barbell tower which I own and use for the first two exercises.
Exercise 1. Home Gym Standing Barbell Curls
1. Keep your feet a few inches apart and grab the bar with underhand grip hands about shoulder width apart.
2. Use biceps strength to slowly curl the bar up to your chin in a semi-circular arc.
3. Slowly lower bar through same range of motion, resisting the weight on the way down to the starting point.
Keep body movement to a minimum because it cuts down on the full range of motion. This exercise will develop overall size of biceps.
Exercise 2. Home Gym Reverse Standing Barbell Curls
1. Stand with feet a few inches apart, grasp a barbell with an overhand grip, down in front of you at arms length.
2. Curl the weight in a semicircular arc to just about even with your chin.
3. Lower the weight through same arc resisting on the way down.
4. Keep upper arms close to body to develop outside of biceps.
5. Keep thumb on top of bar.
Notes: This grip puts the bicep at a power mechanical disadvantage, so you will not curl as much weight. Also good for forearm development.
Exercise 3. Home Gym Dumbbell Preacher Curls
1. Find a comfortable position seated/standing behind a preacher bench holding a dumbbells.
2. Use an underhand grip, one arm at a time.
3. Lean into the preacher stand, firmly pressing the upper chest muscles against it.
4. Lift the dumbbell slowly upward in an arc until they almost touch the biceps.
5. Make sure to keep your upper arm on the pad and don’t let your elbow move off the pad.
6. Repeat using the other arm.
Try these great barbell and dumbbell exercises in your home gym and you won’t be disappointed.
The weight bench is one of the most important standard pieces of equipment involved in home gym weight training. Many of those who think they prefer the equipment found at fitness centers will eventually find working out on a weight bench in a home gym gets you the same benefits.
This is because there are so many exercises that can be done using the bench. It is a an essential piece of equipment for your home gym.
Weight benches provide a stable object for a person to lie or sit on when lifting weights. The best ones are adjustable, allowing you to raise or lower one end of the bench so you can do incline and decline exercises. Inclines and declines change the emphasis of exercises onto different muscle groups or different parts of muscle groups for a more complete workout potential. They up the options of exercises available.
Weight benches like those found at Home Gym Deals can be used to do a wide variety of exercises. Today I want to taske you through a seated workout using weight benches.
Home Gym Weight Benches Seated Workout Routine
Step one. Sit on the bench sideways with your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight and squeeze your abdominal muscles to maintain good posture and exercise form.
Step two. Incline the bench all the way up like a chair to relax against to do certain exercises if you want to rest your back or use the back rest for more support when lifting, if your bench is capable of raising that high. Do this by pulling out the pin underneath the bench and pushing up on the long part of the bench to make a seat with the shorter portion.
Step three. Do seated exercises with dumbbells such as bicep curls, hammer curls, seated triceps extensions, shoulder presses, bent-arm lateral raises or chair squats. Use heavy weights and rep numbers of less than six to build maximal strength. Do six to 12 reps with medium weights to make your muscles larger. Do 12 to 20 reps for increasing muscular endurance.
Step four. Work your upper body with overhead presses. Sit up straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows and raise the weights to shoulder height at chin level with your palms facing forward. Straighten your arms at an angle slightly forward at an incline and bring your weights together. Bend your elbows and return to your starting position. This exercise primarily works your shoulders, triceps and chest, with your biceps and back getting some work on the downward movement.
Step five. Bend your elbows and rest the dumbbells on your shoulders. Make sure your feet are hip width apart and that your feet are parallel to each other. Stand up and straighten your legs. Sit back down slowly with a controlled movement so that you do not drop back onto the bench. This action works your quads and glutes with some work for the hamstrings.
If you don’t have a weight bench yet you should check out the selection at a place like Home Gym Deals and get your home gym equiped.
Make sure you check out my article on the ab bench.
I’ve written before about my love for my Total Trainer DLX III but it isn’t until I have someone over to train with me at home that they understand the full versatility and range of this machine.
There is nothing wrong with the Total Trainer DLX but I’d recommend the Total Trainer DLX III to anyone starting or upgrading a home gym without any hesitation.
As both a fitness buff and a personal fitness trainer I utilize Total Trainer DLX for both myself and my clients. Frankly it beats most machines I’ve seen at the gyms and clubs.
It is a serious upgrade from the machine I had before. It has everything the regular Total Trainer DLX does, but it also has some additions I cannot do without, including:
The 11 levels of resistance.
The chrome plated glide rails (love those).
A curl and press bar and a bicep power flex.
The ball bearing rollers are Speed Tough.
The extra large (heavy duty) squat board.
You can take a look at the DLX Total Trainer and the DLX Total Trainer III here and compare:
Most people tend to think of biceps when they begin thinking of adjustable dumbbell workouts. However, adjustable dumbbells are also ideal for growing and strengthening other muscle groups.
The chest can get great results from lifting dumbbells in specific routines. Learning how to incorporate other parts of the body in workout routines will give you more impressive and efficient results.
For instance, one exercise which can provide impressive results for your chests is called dumbbell flyes. This requires you to lie down on a bench or exercise ball. With weights in each hand and arms stretched to the sides nearly straight, you are then supposed to lift them in a “flying” motion to a postion with arms straight out, hands above your chest. This puts the muscles in your arms, chest and shoulders to work and gives you great results.
Adjustable dumbbell workouts can be used to work a variety of different muscle groups and give you great results quickly. These are very appealing pieces of gym equipment because they are inexpensive, easy to transport, and can be upgraded to greater weights very easily.
You can simply add more weight rings to the ends when you decide you want to move up to a higher weight group.
Adjustable dumbbells give people who have a limited amount of space and who don’t want the expense, hassle, or crowd of a gym results that can equal any other type of workout.
It was my first day at the gym…
