There is a good chance that if you are reading this you either own, have owned, or are thinking of owning a piece of home fitness equipment. It could be an ab awing, roller, rocker, cruncher thing; or a Soloflex type of resistant training station using bands, bows, or hydraulic resistance; or a kind of aerobic walker, glider, bike or treadmill. Or perhaps something a little more extravagant such as a multi-use piece of weight training equipment, a power rack and some dumbbells, along with a full fledged gym quality industrial piece of cardio equipment. Indeed, the home fitness industry enjoys a burgeoning economy, even now when other economies are in the toilet. But are any of their products really worth buying? Studies show that most of you buy the stuff and don't really use it. It either doesn't work like it does in the commercial, or weeks pass and you don't end up looking like the guy in the commercial. Or for the motivated, you just end up realizing that for all the damn thing is supposed to do, it is simply far more effective to head out to a real gym.
This is not to say that the industry doesn't provide quality equipment suited for the home. It does and some people have very well appointed home gyms. My friend Ron Noreman, for example, has a gym in his basement that could rival any health club in providing the means for serious total body weight training. Unfortunately, the majority of the stuff made popular on late night infomercials (hawked as home fitness equipment) falls far short of what you can find in the gym. The term "home fitness equipment" has become synonymous with devices specifically geared to target popular problem zones such as butts, thighs and abs. There are also the so called "total body" workout contraptions that you can buy off the tube by having your credit card account charged $89.95 in seven easy installments. Falling for these ads is going to make you as disappointed looking in the mirror as it will looking at your credit card statement.
There are always exceptions and if you are going to delve into the ab roller genre of home fitness equipment, remember, the old adage that says you get what you pay for definitely applies here. Ab rollers are a testament to the axiom that laziness is the mother of invention. Sure, they make it easy to do lots of reps, but if you really knew how to work your abs, you wouldn't need to do so many reps. The other thing to keep in mind is that the guy in the commercial with the chiseled six pack didn't develop those abs with an ab roller, and that 85% (according to Mr. G) of the trick behind great abs lies in your refrigerator. If you're lying on the floor watching TV anyway, using an ab roller is a far cry better than using a bottle opener. Just don't forget to train your abs in the gym too. Some great routines have been printed on this very site, go back and look (Romano's Ultimate Abs).
As far as the rest of the butt and thigh stuff goes, great heed must be paid to the notion that some movement is better than no movement. Indeed, doing something is better than doing nothing, but in the case of most of this stuff, just barely. Tight thighs and butts are found in the gym. At the very least, treadmills and stairclimbers are a true alternative and the home market does offer some good quality equipment if you are willing to pay for it. However, the "in just three minutes a day" crap doesn't apply. Superior muscle tone, lasting fat loss and a relatively high level of fitness can be achieved on a treadmill or stairclimber by working up to 45 minutes to an hour with your pulse at 70% of your maximum (220 minus your age, multiplied by .70), five or six times a week. Stationary bikes, gliders and elliptical joggers are also capable, just make sure you go out and try them before you buy one. Try anything before you buy it - don't buy anything off the TV. If it doesn't work, doesn't fit you or it falls apart, it's a pain in the ass to send it back.
Your comfort and ability to get into a groove are critical factors when choosing a piece of cardio equipment upon which you are going to spend so much time. Is there enough travel built into the machine to give you a good stride? Is there enough even tension? Is the movement smooth? How much can it be adjusted? What about creature comforts: Is there a place for your iPod? Your water bottle? A magazine rack? Then more practical considerations: Will it fit in your apartment? Can you get the thing serviced where you live or are you expected to install replacement parts yourself? Are replacement parts even available?
Be wary of slick electronic add-ons such as digital readouts and computer actuated calorie calculators. Other than the timer and the level indicator, all else is trivial, too delicate, not sweat proof, or inaccurate. There is no machine on earth that can accurately tell you how many calories you have burned during your session. Everyone is too different and the variables in an uncontrolled environment are too vast to even come close to giving you a number of calories burned in just a half hour of cardio. Heart rate monitors are a good thing to have, but buy one separate from your workout equipment. You'll get more use out of it if you change up your cardio training. Spend your money on good mechanics and a well known brand that can be serviced in your area. Life Fitness, Stairmaster, Precor, and Lifecycle are but a few brands you know from the gym that offer reasonably priced home models. Most of these name brands can be researched on their manufacturer's web sites.
The "total body workout" can supposedly be accomplished these days on several different contraptions hawked on late night TV. They use a "revolutionary" combination of "power rods," bows, "power bands," hydraulic tubes and even your own body weight for resistance. They are promoted by a firm, silicone enhanced former super model, a buffed TV star, or some bricked dude and they all swear they built their bodies on the thing they are trying to sell. In reality, these contraptions are the future of high end clothing hangers because they are sold implying (some even guaranteeing ) results that simply cannot be attained using just that piece of equipment for "just 20 minutes," three times a week.
First of all, that buffed dude on the commercial didn't build his body on that piece of equipment he has been hired to demonstrate. How do I know this? In reality, he is an actor/model who spent months, if not years building such a body. I have been out on several casting calls while I lived in LA for commercials to demonstrate such equipment. In fact, I was a contender once for one of these commercials. Me and the rest of the guys vying for the job were all from Gold's gym - a gym totally devoid of bands, bows and rods. The marketing axiom in the fitness industry is simple: Build the body then sell the machine. Unfortunately, they are not selling the machine on which the body was built.
In defense of such equipment, I will say that anything which provides resistance can give you a good work out. That said, pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups would suffice. In fact, these simple exercises have been the back bone of physical fitness programs implemented from grade school to the armed forces for more years than I've been alive. The problem with the equipment on TV is that it is marketed implying that if you use it you will look like the guy in the commercial. What they neglect to tell you is that the majority of what makes the guy look good (apart from the muscles he built in the gym) is his lack of body fat. Even a very slightly muscled guy will look more muscular on TV devoid of body fat. Remember, the TV adds ten pounds and in some cases that can be a plus. The leaner you are the larger and more impressive you appear on the tube.
A Soloflex machine or other similar devise can be a good thing to have if you have become too busy to go to the gym. But to make this work you have to motivate yourself to stay on a weekly training routine, adhere to a strict diet, and have a good built-in-the-gym musculature to begin with. People who use home equipment with a gym background are usually those who already know how to train and diet and they are most likely to obtain results. The rest will more than likely lose interest and the machine will surely turn into a clothes rack. A more accurate inference to be made for this type of equipment is that combined with a healthy lifestyle, you can surly add to your overall level of fitness. Unfortunately, that is not a motivating enough factor to please Madison Avenue. Vanity, rather than good health, is what the manufacturers are banking on.
Finally, there is the real live plate loaded or selectorized version of multi use home gym equipment. This is the equipment that looks more like the machines you are used to seeing in the gym. This is also an area where cost is indicative of quality. Remember, one piece of single use equipment in the gym costs between $3,000 and $5,000. Any similarly constructed piece of equipment that is capable of torching all your various body parts is not going to be had for $199.99. Also, machines that are intended to work all body parts usually don't work any of them all too well. So, stay away from those flimsy, single weight stack, multi use gyms that are available at most sporting goods stores. They just don't work that well and are mass produced in China with little quality control. I once saw one being demonstrated at a big national chain sporting goods store that literally fell apart during the demonstration, nearly causing serious injury to the girl using it.
Unfortunately, a good home gym (meaning one you will be able to use frequently and one which will provide years of service) is going to be a serious investment. First, you need a room specifically dedicated to such a purpose. A spare bedroom, an empty garage or a corner of a finished basement are good places to begin. A piece of quality equipment is going to take up a good chunk of space and unless you are R2-D2, none will really match the furnishing in your living room. Whacking your shin against cold rolled steel is going to hurt, so make sure your training quarters aren't cramped.
Next, find a brand of equipment that you know from the gym, one you like and one with which you feel comfortable. Many of these companies - Body Master, Cybex, Hammer, etc, offer equipment suited for home use. Brief surfing of the net can also avail you to a whole slew of quality home gym equipment. National level health and fitness expos are the best places to look for and try out various manufacturers' wares. Look for sturdy construction, smooth operation, good adjustability, enough weight, and ease of changing its configuration to service various body parts. Usually, a single station designed to work the whole body is going to require some rigging to accomplish all it was designed to do. Make sure these reconfigurations are easy to do and don't require tools or a spare set of hands.
In reality, there are few if any (I've never seen one) good single pieces of home gym equipment that are really good for training the whole body with any degree of variety regardless of how imaginative you might be. Variety in training body parts is an important factor, not only to keep things interesting, but it also keeps your muscles in a state of confusion which is better for growth. I have seen home gyms equipped with, not one, but several pieces of pretty versatile selectorized equipment- high and low pulleys with different attachments, benches that adjust from incline to flat to decline and various stations that adjust in a variety of ways. Indeed these are expensive, cumbersome and take up an entire room, but as much of a commitment these applications may be, they certainly qualify as a serious gym for serious training. One guy I know with a rather elaborately converted garage full of custom made gym equipment uses it to run his personal training business while his Porsche sleeps under a car cover.
Sometimes, certain home equipment is a good adjunct to your gym membership, especially if your schedule precludes regular visits to the gym or you really want to improve a problem area. Even the bow band or rod powered stuff would apply here. For that matter so would a 20 pound dumbbell. Concentration curls in front of the TV are my all time favorite.
Remember, any movement on any contraption with any amount of resistance greater than lifting a potato chip to your mouth is better than doing nothing at all. But serious muscle building requires serious equipment, usually with a serious price tag. If that notion doesn't scare you and you have the room and you can stay motivated, a good home gym is a pretty cool thing. It can even increase your home's resale value. Unfortunately, for most this is not the case and your money will be better spent on a gym membership because anything you are going to buy for a couple of hundred bucks are not going to last or keep you going very long. There are always exceptions, but for most this is the rule.
For what it's worth, after training for over 35 years both in the gym and at home, I can tell you this: train in the gym and do your cardio at home. Buying a quality piece of home cardio equipment such as a treadmill, stairclimber, elliptical, etc. is money well spent. If you stay motivated and actually use it, it will provide years of fat burning and good overall fitness, plus, it's a great way to watch the news. Whatever you decide to do, remember that motivation is the key to doing anything at home; without it, any piece of home equipment - cardio or resistance, inexpensive or costly - will ultimately end up being used by the dry-cleaning.
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
