When you are picking out the equipment that you are going to use to
build your new home gym there are several things that you will want to
consider.
First, you will want to decide how you are you going to build your home
gym. You can either buy everything at once and start off fully equipped
right out of the gate, or you can buy the most important piece and slowly
build as you go along.
There are arguments to be made for both methods of equipping your
home for your new exercise regimen. If you buy everything at once, you
may find that you are less likely to get bored and will find yourself using
the equipment more frequently because the variety keeps you
interested. However, it can also be fun and rewarding to buy a new
piece every six months until you have everything that you need.
As you consider which option may be best for your unique situation, it is
important to point out that your first 30 days working out at home are the
most important. If you stick with your new exercise plan for 30 days
consistently, you are likely to make it a part of your everyday life and will
end up sticking with the plan long term. Therefore if you only buy one
piece to start off, and you get bored, then you may never get around to
buying the other pieces. Whereas if you buy everything at once you
may find it more exciting and more interesting and may make it through
those first 30 days.
The main deciding factor should be your budget. If you can afford to put
in multiple pieces all at once, by all means do so. However, if you are
on a tight budget you should choose that first piece carefully and
actively save for additional purchases in the future.
It can be quite rewarding to anticipate a future addition to your home
gym, and it certainly will give a burst of energy to your workouts when
you finally get that additional piece.
When deciding which method is best for you, it is important to consider
your first 30 days of working out. If you feel that you might fizzle out and
become disinterested, then you should make the investment and buy
multiple pieces at once. If you feel that you are disciplined enough to
stay consistently involved with only one piece, than you should feel
comfortable buying only the single piece to begin with.
Buying a home gym is both a commitment and an investment. It is often
tempting to want to start out with only one piece to 'see if you will stick
with it.' I caution you on this mode of thinking because many times
people do not buy enough equipment to hold their interest and meet
their needs. When they give up on their fitness regimen, then they say 'I
told you I would not stick with it.'
If they would have spent the money on the equipment that would hold
their interest and meet their needs, then they would have made it
passed those first 30 days and would have incorporated exercise into
their daily lives.
Make sure your equipment purchasing strategy is one that is well
thought out and takes into consideration all of the necessary factors.
After all, the reason you are buying fitness equipment in the first place is
to reach your goal. The pieces of equipment are merely the tools that
you need to reach them.
Finding The One Piece That Is Right For You
If you are starting out with one piece, then you must chose that piece
carefully. Forget all of the research about which piece will get you the
best results. Most research only considers biomechanics and other
technical information. What you need to figure out is which piece you
are likely to use most often.
Even if you buy the best treadmill on the market, if you do not get on it,
then it did not do you any good. It would be a better investment to spend
$1,000 on a bike, than $6,000 on a treadmill if you are more inclined to
use the bike. It is that simple.
With that being said you need to figure out which piece you feel most
comfortable using. You will want to pick something that you feel is
natural and something that you can see yourself enjoying. You will
often find that you will have a gut instinct about which piece is going to
be the one that you will enjoy the most. Trust this instinct, it will not let
you down.
If you are buying one piece of equipment for multiple people to share,
then this process can become slightly more complicated. It is important
to not worry so much about the people who will only be using the
equipment occasionally. You do not want to invest thousands of dollars
on something that you personally will not enjoy, regardless of who else
will be using the equipment.
The biggest caution when trying to decide on a single piece of
equipment for multiple users is having the decision put on hold while
you contemplate what is the best investment. All too often couples
will talk for months about what piece of equipment to buy. This delay
keeps both of you from working out at all. It is better to take an educated
guess, or come up with some sort of compromise that allows you both to
start working out as soon as possible.
You do not need to start big, but you do need to start!
Tom Richard is the owner of Tom Richard Marketing and specializes in
helping the fitness industry better serve their customers. For more tips
on purchasing equipment or for Tom's list of trustworthy companies out
there please visit http://www.tomrichard.com for contact information.