Selecting the Right Weight Training Equipment for You
Weight training equipment can range from $100's to $1,000's.
Choosing the "right" equipment for you can save you significant money and
disappointment in picking equipment that doesn't meet your needs.Below you can find a guide to the different types of equipment you can use, there
strength's and weaknesses, and how you can save money on your choice.
Weight Training Equipment - Good Results for a Little Money
Getting started using resistance exercise to tone and develop your body can be as simple as
buying a used workout bench and pair of dumbbells from a garage sale.
Along with a bench and dumbbells, an exercise ball can be a great investment. It can allow you to
do exercises that a traditional exercise bench can not, such as: dumbbell squats, exercise ball
crunches, and calf raises. For help choosing the right exercise ball for you,
please click here
Strength's of This Weight Training Equipment:
- Cost - you can get a used workout bench, pair of dumbbells, and exercise ball for less than
$100 (or new for less than $200).
- Good versatility - it will enable you to do a variety of basic toning and shaping exercises.
Weakness's
- Limited resistance - with a limited amount of weight, some exercises maybe too easy for you.
- Basic exercises - though this set-up will allow you to do a fair amount of exercises, it can
become limiting as you become more fit.
Our Recommendation
If you've never worked out at home before, this could be a good way to "get your feet wet."
After a few weeks or months of consistent exercising you can reward yourself with a more
feature-rich piece of equipment like adjustable dumbbells/bench, or a home gym.
Money Saving Tip
Depending on your taste, you can find dumbbells and workout benches for under $100 at sporting goods stores or even garage sales.
Weight Training Equipment - Greater Variety through Adjustable Equipment
For more exercise variety and variable resistance, investing in adjustable dumbbells and an
adjustable workout bench would be well worth it. Along with an exercise ball, they can enable
you to do both more exercises and increase the effectiveness of exercises you may already be
doing.
Strength's of this Weight Training Equipment
- More exercises to choose from
- More resistance - you'll find you can use more resistance for certain exercises than others.
And in time you will also become stronger.
Weakness's
- Cost - the Bowflex Select Tech dumbbells can cost $200 - $400, and an adjustable workout
bench can be $100 - $250
Our Recommendation
If you enjoy working out with dumbbells, having a adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable workout bench can
add greater
variety to your workouts, and more importantly, greater results.
Money Saving Tip
Finding a used pair of Select Tech dumbbells on eBay could save you $100's. Look for a pair that you can “pick up locally” to save $20 - $50 on shipping.
Weight Training Equipment - Home Gyms
For the greatest exercise variety, resistance level, and convenience, a home gym can be a great
choice.
Weight training equipment like Bowflex, Total Gym, and weight stack home gyms all have strength's and
weakness's, but for the extra investment they can offer you tremendous benefits.
Bowflex
Strength's
- Tremendous variety - up to 100+ exercises and 410Ib of resistance
- Movability
- Quiet
Weakness's
- Price - range from $649 all the way up to $2,499
Our Recommendation
Bowflex offers great exercise variety and versatility along with resistance upgradeable to 410Ib.
The combination makes Bowflex a great choice for beginners, intermediate, and most advanced
exercisers (for exceptionally strong individuals, Bowflex may be limiting).
Money Saving Tip
Shop around on the internet to find the best deal. Most 3rd party venders will offer - at the very least - free shipping, which will save you $150 - $200, plus whatever discounts they offer.
For more detailed information about each Bowflex model, please click here
Total Gym
Strength's
- Ease of use - no cable changes
- Exercising of core muscles - the Total Gym uses your own body weight for resistance. When
you exercise your body moves up and down the rails of the machine so your body must work to
stabilize itself.
- Invisible - you can fold it up and put it under your bed
Weakness's
- Price - Total Gym offers a $399 model that doesn't have a good reputation for quality or
usability. The TV advertised model (the XL) has a very good reputation, but at $1,599 (16
payments of $99) it could be a big investment
- Exercises - certain exercises you can do on the Total Gym such as the bench press, chest fly,
and biceps curl, come at odd angles. The exercises feel strange at first, but after a while
they feel fine
Our Recommendation
Total Gym would be a good choice for beginner to intermediate exercisers who want an
"invisible" home gym that gives them good resistance levels for toning and body shaping. Also
people who love unique exercises and doing Pilates would have fun with this machine.
Money Saving Tip
First, we don’t recommend buying the $399 store model, it may be “affordable”, but they don't work very well.
To save money on a Total Gym using eBay to find a local seller would be a great way to save $100's. If you can buy it with “local pickup”. If you need it shipped, please look out for excessive shipping charges from the buyer. Veteran eBayers use this trick to list their items at a lower price and rake you over on the shipping.
Weight Stack Home Gyms
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