Valentin Bosioc
Having a gym at home is awesome! You can work out whenever you want, you can stay as long as you like and there is no one to block your way or take your place at the treadmill. Perfect, right? Exercising tends to be difficult from time to time and we can all agree on that. But wouldn’t it be easier if you could exercise from the comfort of your home? You’ve set a few goals, but you hate the fact that you have to leave your home and deal with strangers and many other problems that are a direct result of numerous people exercising in the same room? If you want to know how to achieve fitness goals from the comfort of your home, you’ll appreciate what we have in store for you.
READ: How to Create a Home Gym
The perks of exercising at home
What does it mean to have a home gym? It means that you’ll most likely work out all on your own. We admit that some routines kind of require someone to help you, but this way you won’t get distracted. There will be no chit-chat and you won’t have to listen to something you are completely uninterested in. While buying the equipment and floor mats isn’t cheap, when you compare it to yearly gym membership fees you’ll see that it’s the lesser of two evils.
The equipment
This may be the most important part here. You have to know what pieces of equipment to buy when you decide to adapt a part of your home into a gym. Barbell and plate set are a must. We’ll just say it now, these two will serve as a foundation of pretty much all of your workouts. Now that you know the most essential parts of your equipment, we’ll leave a few suggestions of what exercises you should do for each part of your body. With a barbell set, you can do front squats, back squats and deadlift. These are extremely good for your leg muscles. Bench press (flat incline and decline) is great for your chest. If you want stronger shoulders, you can do military press and behind the neck press. Bicep curls probably go without saying for your arms and skull crushers and close grip bench press also do a hell of a job. Barbell row, power cleans and upright row are good for your back.
Keep it clean
Keeping your gym room clean is a must. First of all, you need to buy a proper floor mat. After a week of working out, you must mop the floor. Dust falls on the floor and as soon as you start doing jumping jacks it will start flying all over the place; and you don’t want to breathe in much of it. When you remove the mat, you should dry mop the floor. We’ve mentioned the dust, right? Well, it doesn’t only fall down on the floor but also sticks on your equipment. That means that you’ll have to dust regularly! You are already doing it around the house and it won’t be too hard for you to practice it in the gym too. Grime and dirt can accumulate inside of the gym machines so if you have those you have to be extra cautious. Be very thorough and reach the less visible places, detergent and a clean towel are essential here.
SEE: Essential Items for Working out At Home
Clean air, clean mat
As you probably know, gyms are full of moist air and your home gym won’t be any different. That moisture can cause indoor mold which mold emits toxins. Keeping a window open or buying a decent air purifier for mold should keep the air clean. Some plants can clean the air. Consult your local florist and see what type fits best the interior design. That way, you’ll get rid of the moisture and your gym will look nice. The second important thing here is the mat. Leaving it dirty can have detrimental effects on your skin. Sweep off the dirt and use a neutral pH cleaner and disinfectant before and after each use. Cleaning underneath the mat also has to become a habit.
You are now ready to work out at home. However, remember that there won’t be anyone to check on your technique or warn you if you are putting yourself at risk. If you feel unsure about some exercises from your regimen, please consult a professional trainer or hire someone for at least one session. Other than that, you should be okay. Just follow the program and the results will come.
