A Beginner’s Guide to Gym Equipment

So, you’ve been debating on whether or not to create your own gym. Whether it’s a home-bound gym where you can finally get the most out of your exercise routine or you’re feeling extra frisky and want to open up a commercial gym for everyone to enjoy, it’s quite a big step. You’re almost there, feeling ready to take on the challenge. 

Home gyms are great because you can finally have a designated place where you can do your workouts in peace whereas commercial gyms are a great way to interact with people that have the same interests. After all, you love training, so who’s to say that you can’t open a gym of your own? You can teach those youngsters a thing or two about the top exercises for beginners that will help them get the lean and bulky bod they’re all aiming for.

In any case, putting a gym together may sound easy in theory, but it needs quite a bit of work in practice. You need to be very careful about the type of gym equipment you choose to ensure everything goes as planned. With all the highly functional gym fitness equipment out there, you might find it difficult to decide which pieces are the most appropriate. Luckily for you, we’ve narrow down the options to help you along the way and provide a helping hand to kickstart your business.

What Gym Equipment Should You Use for Strength Training?

As you probably already know, there are different types of training regimes that are supposed to bring about various benefits to your body. For strength training, in particular, there’s a handful of gym equipment items that are absolutely essential to get the best results. Essentially what you do here is train your body to make it stronger and build muscle endurance against some type of resistance, or in this case, weight. So basically, we’ll be looking at weightlifting equipment.

Barbells And Dumbbells

In both cases, you’re lifting a certain amount of weight. The difference is in the execution. With barbells, you attach the weight on either side of a longer bar. The good thing here is that you can add extra weight as you progress through your training. Bear in mind that it’s important to get a good grip on the bar so that it doesn’t slip and cause any type of injury.

On the other hand, dumbbells are much smaller and more compact. In this case, a great thing is that you can use one in each hand for a more extensive and thorough workout. Unfortunately, if somewhere along the line you decide to up the amp and lift heavier weights, you’re going to have to get another set of dumbbells to accommodate your needs.

Training Racks

You’re probably going to need a rack to place all your weights on. Let’s be real here, you probably wouldn’t want to see them laying around at random places because that would look really disorganized. Either way, you need to have a general idea of how many weights you want to include in your gym so that you can shop for an appropriately sized rack.

What Gym Equipment Should You Use for Conditioning Training?

Also known as cardio training, the exercises that are used as part of this regime target your whole entire body. Basically, you’re shaping and toning each muscle to the max which, in turn, increases your speed and coordination. This is great for beginners who aren’t sure of what type of training they want to focus on just yet.

Pull Up Bars

This one focuses on your upper body, creating a full range of motion techniques and activating an entire set of muscles. Make sure you have a proper grip on the bar when pulling up to prevent muscle sprains and injuries. The main advantage, in this case, is that there are several variations of the pull-up exercise but the emphasis is always on your upper back, shoulders and forearms.

Kettlebells

In general terms, this is a heavy iron or steel ball which you can lift up using a handle attached to its top. Depending on the type of movements you make, you can use this little piece of gym fitness equipment to train your whole body and tone each muscle. You’re basically creating smooth, calculated movements to engage your core muscle groups and, as a result, improve balance and stability.

Training Ropes

This is basically a jumping rope. You’ve probably used it many times as a kid and you already know how you’re supposed to go about it. In terms of cardio training, the intensity may vary depending on how much work you’re putting in. Even though the main focus is on your calves and lower parts of your legs, it’s an effective way to increase lung capacity and endurance.

Additional Training Accessories

Now that you’re familiar with the essential fitness equipment, let’s have a quick look at some accessories that might make things a tad bit easier for you in the training department.

Massage Rollers And Bars

You know how you get muscle cramps after an intense workout session? Well then, massages rollers or bars are a literal life-saver. This is because they can instantly relieve any pain or discomfort so that you’ll be back on your regularly scheduled programming in no time. It’s all about working smart, not hard.

Training Mats

Sometimes you want to do an old-fashioned push-up or ab workout, you know? Why would you lay on the cold, hard floor to do so? There’s a much more comfortable alternative – a training mat. And no, mats like these aren’t only meant for yoga and pilates and all those fancy workout routines. They can be used in any way that you like.