home gym

monkeyhead · Post by **monkeyhead** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:24 pm

been thinking about starting to hit some weights, but i dont have all that much time. a home gym would help cut some time off the workout.

Ive been looking at this bowflex system Bowflex Blaze

Its their low end system, but it seems it would have enough of what i need.

Anyone use a home gym? Or does anyone seriously contest against it?

Thanks for the help

Comtrad · Post by **Comtrad** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:35 pm

Free weights are the way to go, but I have used Bowflex before, and found it to be a very good workout.

koldchillah · Post by **koldchillah** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:44 pm

I don't use it as often as I should, but I've got the Bowflex Xtreme and it's a nice machine. I got rid of 90% of my free weights once I got used to the bowflex.

Easto · Post by **Easto** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:23 pm

If you want to buy a bowflex or nordictrak always look for a used one. About a million people a year buy them and then realize they're not going to use them and sell them cheap. Check you local paper.

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:33 pm

you will not work out properly at home...too many distractions

sito · Post by **sito** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:52 pm

I'd start out simple with a couple of iron weight dumbells that you can adjust from 10 to 50 pounds. There are a ton of exercises you can do with 2 dumbells and a simple bench. All cheap.

After a couple months of doing the basics, consider buying a home gym or join a gym. This way if you abandon it, you won't have a home gym turned clothes hanger or be paying money to a gym you don't attend.

I'd also recommend getting a book on weightlifting such as Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. It covers everything from diet to technique and programs to follow at different stages of fitness.

I've started up again since the new year with 2 dumbells and have already seen a change in my body and energy levels.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:25 pm

Gixxer wrote:you will not work out properly at home...too many distractions

You must have only visited an all male gym then.....

Take Esto's advice. If your going the Bowflex route, get a used one and save some cash and headache putting it together. If you decide that a home gym isn't working out for you, you can sell it again and not be out much of anything.

I know you see the advice that free weights are the way to go but in the end, it's all still resistance training.

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:33 pm

downhill wrote:You must have only visited an all male gym then.....

.

no, but when you put the effort to pack a bag take your supplements and drive somewhere you are more apt to keep your eye on the prize and not the pooty

Mutch · Post by **Mutch** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:51 pm

Waiting in a line to use a machine is fun!

Go home gym.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:16 pm

Easto wrote:If you want to buy a bowflex or nordictrak always look for a used one. About a million people a year buy them and then realize they're not going to use them and sell them cheap. Check you local paper.

monkeyhead · Post by **monkeyhead** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:06 pm

love the feedback so far, thanks, keep it coming....

as for home gym vs a membership, the distractions would probably be at the gym. but more importantly, time is the issue, i believe "packing" for the gym, the drive back and forth, and any waiting time for a particular exercise will be time wasted.

Mutch · Post by **Mutch** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:33 am

I use to go the gym all the time and it was a pain in the ass, get there have to get changed, wait for every single piece of equipment, drive home all sweaty and nasty.

Been buildin up a home gym and its 100 times better, work out when you want, workout in your boxers if you want. Never have to wait for anything, take the breaks you want. etc etc etc.

Gixxer · Post by **Gixxer** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:04 am

[quote="Mutch"]Waiting in a line to use a machine is fun!

QUOTE]

unless you are there with a plan and others you can do in the meantime ... if you have to "wait" on a machine, then you do not have enough excercises and different parts of the body you need to work on

Mutch · Post by **Mutch** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:12 pm

Gixxer wrote:
Mutch wrote:Waiting in a line to use a machine is fun!

QUOTE]

unless you are there with a plan and others you can do in the meantime ... if you have to "wait" on a machine, then you do not have enough excercises and different parts of the body you need to work on

Um.. Have you ever been to a gym before? 80 percent of the guys there sit on machines talking to girls...

Bottom line if you want to workout at your own pace buy a home gym, if you want to have to wait go to a gym.

Dont argue saying oh if you go there with 20 arm exercises you wont have to wait because guess what, you still will.

Comtrad · Post by **Comtrad** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:18 pm

Mutch wrote:
Gixxer wrote:
Um.. Have you ever been to a gym before? 80 percent of the guys there sit on machines talking to girls...

Bottom line if you want to workout at your own pace buy a home gym, if you want to have to wait go to a gym.

Dont argue saying oh if you go there with 20 arm exercises you wont have to wait because guess what, you still will.

lol, you been to a gym or just seen one on tv?

sito · Post by **sito** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:03 pm

They both have their advantages. As a general rule, if your looking to improve your strength, endurance, overall health and look, then a home gym is fine. I'd guess that's what 90% of people want, but you won't get the same motivation as you would at a gym and of course the machines are better and way more diverse.

In my opinion you do get a better work out at a gym, but for most people working out at home is fine, provided you have enough motivation to maintain your training.

I know countless people that start off all gun ho and do great for a month, then get bored or find an excuse to avoid it. Let's face it, there isn't much fun in the workout itself, it's the benefits of the workout we all seek.

No matter where you go, machines will always have line-ups, but if you can't workout because some jackass is loitering on a machine chatting with hotties, find a different gym. And yes I would exercise on a different piece of equipement until the one I wanted to use was free. Never see too many line-ups for the free weights, yet they're the best to use.

Be sure to buy a book to read up on weightlifting. It isn't just grunting and grinding and voila, people should know the fundamentals of what they are doing to their body and how to enhance their results. A very good book ---> Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

Mutch · Post by **Mutch** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:20 pm

Comtrad wrote:
Mutch wrote:
lol, you been to a gym or just seen one on tv?

Were you trying to quote me or the other guy? As for me yes I went to a gym for abou 6 months. Keep trying to argue when everyone knows Im right

sito · Post by **sito** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:28 pm

I'm certainly not arguing. I'm sharing my experience on what I know about the topic. monkeyhead asked for some advice and I'm telling what I know.

Dude work out at home or eat 50 fried egg sandwiches a day, I honestly couldn't care less.

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:31 pm

its 100% mental. there are distractions everywhere you go.

if youre not dedicated and focused enough to stay on track at home, its only a matter of time before you let bad practice or procrastination ruin the "going to the gym" program.

IMO the biggest help is a workout partner. someone you can rag on when theyre starting to lose motivation, and vice-versa. as long as you have equipment to get a decent workout on your different muscle goups, youre set. its not the location thats building muscle mass/endurance.

all IMO of course. different things work for different people.

*Edit* oh, and back to the original question..... ive always been a fan of free weights. gimma a 350lbs olympic set (with some extra quarters... always need extra quarters), a good bench, a squat rack, and a 10 - 60lbs dumbell set. if i wanna get fancy maybe a preacher curl rack and a curl bar. machines (again, IMO) only really show value when you dont have a partner/spotter.

ghettoside · Post by **ghettoside** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:05 pm

Gixxer, Mutch, Comtrad:

You guys are a riot!

monkeyhead,

What is it you want to do? Are you looking to strengthen specific areas or is this just gonna be a hobby to "get in shape" (and whatever you define in shape as)?

Personally I like free weights and a simple inexpensive bench w/ a few attachments.

ghettoside · Post by **ghettoside** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:43 am

whatever you do, don't take any weightlifting advice from this guy, he's a nut:

monkeyhead · Post by **monkeyhead** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:58 am

well ghetto, i am military and fitness is huge for us.... we do some kind of pushup, situp and run variation almost every day. that alone can keep you in shape, but wont help to improve.

so im looking mainly to work the muscle groups involved in pushups situps and running. i still want to work my whole body and tone up a bit, but thats my main focus.

i know if i subscribed to a gym, i will find excuses here and there.... more so than if i had equipment at home.

Mutch · Post by **Mutch** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:17 am

You have to work out all your muscle groups or you will end up looking like a light bulb.

Proportion is key.

You can find out a lot of different exercises just lookin on the net, I also bought this book called Strength Training anatomy by frederic delavier which shows some good workouts to do and also shows every single muscle being used in each workout.

vc_wannabe · Post by **vc_wannabe** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:32 am

Been is the best shape of my life by doing pylometrics and such. Basicly what I am trying to say is you can get in great shape (toned) without weights, and if you need some lighter weights fill milk jugs with water or sand 10+ lbs each...

Might save you money incase you get burned out or become too busy to work out.

chimdogger · Post by **chimdogger** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:12 am

I bought this and I love it.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... v=&browse=

299.99 at costco shipped!

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