How to Buy a Home Gym – Read Before You Buy

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So, you want to buy a home gym huh?  Well, I have created this post to help guide you through exactly that process, how to buy a home gym.  There is a lot to consider when it comes to buying what might be a large piece of equipment to put in a room in your house.  In my case, one of the questions I have to ask myself, is “where is my wife going to let me put this?”  Well, our house is pretty neat and tidy, so introducing a home gym may present some challenges. Anyway, getting back on track let’s get right into this.

Working out at home has advantages

There are several advantages to working out at home vs. going to a gym. First off, you can save time with a home gym, as you remove the commute time.  You get home from a long day of work and sometimes the last thing on your mind is getting back in the car to make another trip.

You can also workout when it’s convenient for you. Workout in the morning before work, or right after you put the kids to bed. Most home gyms are pretty quiet, so you can get a good workout without waking up the house.

You can save money! This may seem a bit counter intuitive, but if you add up all the monthly fees you might pay for a gym membership, you could pay for a home gym.

These are just a few benefits to working out at home. If I missed something, be sure to let me know in the comment section.

Who will be using this machine?

This is a very important question to ask. Depending on who will be using this will help to determine what type of machine you will need to invest in.  Are you training to be an Olympian, a bodybuilder, or just trying to keep up with your kids?  Your fitness goals really play an important role in what kind of home gym you should consider purchasing.

If you want to pack on major muscle, you will want a much more beefy unit, than if you are just looking for 3-4 30 minute workouts per week.  So, figure out who will be using the home gym and let’s go from there.

What are your fitness goals?

As I mentioned previously, defining your fitness goals are really important when you are choosing a home gym.  You can spend a lot of money on one of these, so you really need to make sure it’s money well spent. There are great all in one gyms that come with everything you need.

How To Buy A Home Gym - Equipment

There are also gyms where you have to buy different pieces individually.  Some of the all in one version will also include some cardio training.  Are just trying to maintain your current state of fitness, add muscle, lose some weight, or tone your body?  All of these are things to consider.

There are many different choices, so defining your goals are important.  You will want to make sure you buy a home gym that will not only meet your current goals, but also a machine that will grow with you.  Whether that means buying something that you can later upgrade, or add weights to.  Or that might mean spending a little more money now, for a machine that you can grow into.

Where are you going to set up shop?

This is a key consideration, especially in my house.  Do you have space in your garage for your home gym?  Do you have a spare bedroom that no one is using?  What about setting up shop in your living room?  So many people don’t think about this when they buy a gym.

Some of my friends have a treadmill in the living room, or in the bedroom because they have nowhere else to put it.  It sounded like a good idea at the time.  I would really look at the dimensions of the unit you are considering and then actually map out the footprint with tape so you can see exactly how much space this is going to take up.

Now, of course, this really depends on the machine you want to buy.  Some of these machines will fold up and you can store them under a bed or in a closet.  That is ideal, but then you have to be disciplined enough to get the thing out of storage and actually use it.

There are some home gyms that will fold up to an extent, and can at least fit in a corner of a room also.  Some folks have a 3 car garage and plenty of space to set up.  Others will have this on the back patio, I have seen this too.  So my advice is to map it out and make sure you can live with whatever you end up purchasing.

When do you want to purchase?

I would spend some time looking at different equipment to get an eye on how much a home gym costs.  Not just any home gym, but the one you really think will suit your needs.  Then figure out when you want to buy it. So what I mean, is to keep an eye on prices. If you notice something will be going on sale in the near future, can you wait and get it for a better price.

A lot of retail stores even online will have sales around major holidays or events, like going back to school.  You can often times get a better deal on equipment at this time as well.  Sometimes a retailer will be trying to clear out last years model, so the end of the year or beginning of the year may be a great time to buy.  Of course, there are new years resolutions, so this time of year may also be great for that.

Why do you want a home gym?

Ah, the burning question.  We have covered a lot of this already, but it doesn’t hurt to reiterate this point.  Figuring out your goals is important.  Your plan for the future is also important.  The big question is why do you want this and are you going to use it?  You are probably going to spend a decent amount of money on a home gym, so don’t turn it into a clothes hanger.

Is your motivation to save time by purchasing a gym for your home?  Have you not worked out before, or it’s been a really long time and you would just feel more comfortable working out in your house?  Again, all things to consider.  Most, if not all of the gyms will come with some workout routines, so that will certainly help you achieve your goals.How to buy a home gym, person working out on trension straps

How do you plan to use the gym?

Are you a weekend warrior, or will you use this 5-6 times per week?  Figure out what types of exercises you want to do and then see what exercises the different gyms offer.  Some of the all in one machines offer over 50 exercises, maybe even more.

This will allow you to space out your work so you can do legs one day, upper body the next without taking a whole day off in between.  You can mix it up however you want to or need to.  A machine that doesn’t offer as much variety may limit you with how often you can workout because you don’t really want to do bicep curls or bench press every day.

Assembly

As I am trying to help you with buying a home gym, some other things to consider are that most of the gyms out there do require you to assemble them.  You can either do this yourself or hire someone to do it for you.  There are services that you can purchase when you buy the system.

If you do have to assemble this yourself, be prepared that the machine may come in multiple boxes and you may need some help to get the boxes in your house. If it will ultimately be built in the basement, or upstairs, you may need help moving the boxes to said location so you can put this thing together.

Paying for a home gym

One more thing…paying for the home gym.  If you have the cash on hand that is great, if not, there are often financing options available.  Some programs will let you make payments on an installment basis or other terms.  This is just something to think about before you take the plunge.

Conclusion

I hope this guide has been helpful.  There can be a lot of things to consider when purchasing a home gym and the process can be overwhelming. With a bit of planning you’ll be able to hone in on what will create the right home gym for your needs.

2 thoughts on “How to Buy a Home Gym – Read Before You Buy”

  1. Great information to think about before buying a home gym. Makes sense to think about where, why you want to purchase it vs going out to a gym. I’m one of those that had a treadmill and other equipment in my bedroom. When I was younger, I preferred going to a gym. Now I prefer working out at home. Thanks for a great article. 🙂

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