Are home training workouts effective?

If you’re going to be training at home, can you get the same level of quality in terms of equipment and benefits from your training as you get from a gym? The answer is yes, but with certain provisos. Home training can offer many advantages over gym training but equally, it can be attractive to visit a dedicated facility to train, rather than carry out exercises in front of the TV or in a spare room.

Home training workout 1: Home training — for and against …

For home workouts

• No monthly gym fees required.
• Can be inexpensive (basic equipment such as an exercise mat, dumbbells and a stability ball can be purchased cheaply).
• Saves time by eliminating travelling to and from the gym.
• Convenience — your training facility is always available whenever you feel like exercising.
• No queuing to use your favourite piece of gym equipment.

Against home workouts

• Needs imagination to maintain interest in your training.
• Initial outlay can be high if you’re planning to set up a gym in your own home.
• It can become boring and de-motivating to continually train alone. At a public gym you’ll find:
  
  
  • More people therefore it is more social.
  • There is likely to be a greater range of equipment that you can't afford for your home gym.
  • Gymnasium equipment is constantly evolving so your local gym should be regularly updating the machines, whereas that may not be financially possible with a home gym.

Home training workout 2: What equipment do I need to train at home?

If you’re still thinking of a home workout, what equipment do you need? As with any activity, depending upon your available budget, you can create anything from a dedicated gymnasium facility to simply storing some dumbbells and other equipment and setting them up when needed. There is a huge variety of equipment on the market, the hardest part is deciding what not to buy. The following sections should help you decide what you can and cannot do without for your home gym.

Home training workout 3: The budget home gym

Armed with a budget of around £100 or less, you can buy enough equipment, which if used correctly, can train every muscle in your body. Additionally, it takes up very little room, so there is no need to sacrifice household space.

• Exercise mat — £5 to £20
• Stability ball — £10 to £20
• Dumbbells — £10 to £60

Further items that you might wish to consider buying:

• Heart rate monitor — £35+
• Workout bench — £20+

Home training workout 4: The dedicated home gym

The home training market is vast and there’s an extensive range of exercise equipment available. You can spend thousands on a single item and for that reason, prices are not included here. If you are looking to set up a permanent training facility at home, you might want to consider the following equipment:

• Free weights and dumbbells
• Dedicated weights machines, for example: chest press machine
• Cardiovascular equipment, for example: rower, treadmill, cross-trainer etc

Home training workout 5: Further items that you might wish to consider buying:

• Weights benches
• Heavy duty matting (to protect the floor from weights damage)
• Mirrors
• Sound and / or TV system

It is entirely possible to build an impressive physique without highly specialised gymnasium machines but equally, today’s modern gyms have excellent training facilities and equipment. The final decision is likely to be forced by your available budget, be it less than £100 or unlimited.