How To Set Up a Resistance Training Home Gym

There is no one way to set up a resistance training home gym and it does not have to be expensive. In fact, you can easily set up a resistance training home gym for less than $100, which is approximately the cost of two months of a gym membership.

The best way to set up a resistance training home gym is to choose resistance equipment that is multi-purpose. It is also important to choose resistance equipment that you you will be likely to use, so if you dislike lifting weights, you are not likely to use weights that often and your money could probably be better spent elsewhere. Below are some ideas of how you can set up a resistance training home gym that will work for you.

An exercise ball is a great inexpensive piece of equipment for your resistance training home gym. A variety of ab and leg exercises can be done on it. It also provides varying levels of resistance depending on where you sit on the ball. For ab exercises the more you are sitting on the ball, the easier the exercises are, once that gets easy, you can gradually sit less on the ball.

In addition to providing varying levels of resistance, an exercise ball is also great for people who experience back or knee pain. Some people find doing traditional abdominal crunches on the floor is hard on the back, but it is much easier on the back if you do them on the exercise ball, which still provides a great work out. The same is true for leg and glute exercises that are traditionally done where all your weight is on your knees, while you lift one leg at a time. By doing these exercises on the exercise ball, there is no weight on your knees and you can work both legs at the same time, which will also reduce your workout time. 

Back stretches on an exercise ball are absolutely heavenly and very effective. 

You can also sit on the exercise ball while reading, working on the computer or watching t.v. While this might seem passive, it will actually engage your core muscles since you will have to balance to avoid falling off the ball.

Bands or tubing are another inexpensive addition to your resistance training home gym that don't take up much room and are easily portable if you are travelling. Almost any exercise done with weights can be done with tubing or an exercise band, including exercises for your abs, arms, back, legs, and glutes. Bands or tubing also increase the resistance for exercises such as leg lifts that are done without equipment. By doing the same exercise, but with adding the band or tubing, you will increase the resistance of the exercise, making your muscles work harder, meaning that you should get better results in the same amount of time. Bands or tubing come in different strengths so you can start with the least resistance one and then work up to the bands/tubing with more resistance so that you can always challenge yourself.  I find using bands while doing Pilates to be particularly effective.

Many people will want to include weights in their resistance training home gym which are the traditional resistance training equipment.  In doing so, you will need a variety of different weights depending on the exercise you are doing, i.e. heavier for biceps, lighter for triceps and account for heavier weights once you begin to increase your strength.   A set of adjustable weights may be your best bet and take up less room than having individual weights of varying weights. 

It's also possible to do a variety of resistance training exercises with no equipment, but only using your body for resistance. The plank pose is very effective for working the abs, while push-ups work the entire upper body. Wall squats will work the lower body, while calf raises on a stair are also effective. While it certainly is possible to get a good resistance workout in with no equipment, you may find that having at least some resistance training equipment makes your workouts more interesting which means you will be more likely to stick with it and do it regularly.

As you can see, that while you certainly can spend thousands of dollars on a resistance training home gym, it is not necessary, a few simple pieces of resistance training equipment will do the same thing for a fraction of the cost and not take up as much room. 

 By purchasing a few different pieces of resistance training equipment, i.e. tubing, exercise ball and a few DVDs you can add variety to your resistance training and have a low cost resistance training home gym.