Gym memberships are expensive for a reason. Fancy equipment, pools, saunas, locker rooms, and staff all drive up costs that are passed on to consumers. But personal fitness is a function of mindset more than membership, which means that the core objective of any workout can just as easily be achieved in your living room or basement. With minimal investment in some home-gym equipment, there are nearly infinite ways to establish a routine that will tax your body instead of your budget. Here are three ways to get started.
Whether it’s stacked weights, springs, pistons, or bows, resistance training is the key to building muscle and maintaining body tone. Bow-type training machines are popular for the variety of workouts they offer, the smoothness of the load, and the ease of changing resistance to meet any individual’s training needs.
Training bands are highly popular with physical therapists because the resistance is fluid and exponential. They make it easy to target specific muscles and are less likely to cause or aggravate an injury due to sudden weight changes. Bands take up virtually no room, are portable, cost far less than a set of free weights, and allow you to train at your own pace. But don’t be fooled: Resistance bands are serious workout gear used by amateurs and professional athletes alike.
Your own body is the original free weight. Machines that convert the user’s mass to resistance can simulate exercises ranging from bicep curls to bench press, squats, leg presses, latissimus pulls-downs, and more. Increase resistance by changing the angle of incline and use gravity to build a personal workout routine in the comfort of your own home.
