Mick Rolton, owner of Gym Design & Supply, shares advice on what to consider if you’re thinking of investing in a home gym.
I often hear clients talking about getting fit,” says Mick, “but as a sports science graduate and former personal trainer, I try to get a deeper understanding. By focusing on what you’d like to achieve – whether toning up, building muscle or strength, improving cardio fitness, or enjoying the benefits of all-around health and fitness later in life, I can design a gym that’s going to meet your particular needs. I often see home gyms full of equipment that isn’t being used because this discussion about fitness goals hasn’t taken place.” Here are some reasons to consider investing in a home gym.
1. TO IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING TIME & TECHNIQUE
An indoor treadmill is a great option, allowing you to create and track structured programs that will accelerate your progress – and you can run whatever the weather. Supplementing this with some lower body strengthening work with free weights will help you take the impact off the joints as well as give a spring to your stride.
2. TO TONE UP
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a great all-rounder, firming up muscles while burning body fat. However, be careful with jumping exercises as although they burn calories and fat they can also wreck your joints, especially as you get older. Supplementing with resistance exercise offers continual muscle tension to help turn your muscles into effective shock absorbers. A combination of cardio and functional equipment such as a treadmill or spin bike along with core bags, kettlebells, medicine balls and dumbbells is one good solution.
3. TO BUILD STRENGTH & MUSCLE
Allowing space for an Olympic barbell and plates and a rack to use them with gives you a lot of muscle-building and strength options. Free weights, medicine balls and kettle-bells are a good start but cable machines offer a greater range of power, as the resistance tends to be similar through the entire range of movement. A quality dual adjustable cable machine can make a big difference to your sporting performance, as well as minimise injuries.It’s very important that you understand how much room you need to exercise, and to factor in space for activities such as yoga, Pilates and stretching. Most home gyms do not have the space for every single piece of equipment available, so look for machines that provide versatility. Barbells, dumbbells and cable machines are a good start. Peloton is a great brand but if you buy a Peloton machine, you are limited to the Peloton app. Is the whole family happy with this? Consider cardio machines that are compatible with not just the Peloton app but also other third- party apps including but not limited to Zwift,iFit, Les Mills and Sufferfest. Finally, make sure your gym is an inviting space. Although it initially costs more than a gym membership, you gain back time and it allows you to exercise more regularly than going to a standard gym.
Gym Design & Supply
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