By far, the biggest advantage of creating your own personalized home gym is the massive and significant convenience factor. Your favorite machines and strength tools are right in your basement gym, or office space.

You don’t have to drive in weather conditions to your new gym. Additionally, there will never be a long wait for your favorite treadmill or elliptical machine, unless other family members are hogging your super-slick new home gym!

The perfect home gym should have all your favorite fitness gadgets and tools because you can create one using affordable exercise equipment or even gently used home exercise machines. After deciding on the major decisions – such as a bike or a treadmill as your mainstay machine, for instance, try exploring of the different weight accessories, mats and kettle bells to round out your perfect home gym.

Questions to consider before making a purchase:

What are my goals for the workout?

How much weight lifting experience do I have?

How much available room in my home/office/garage do I have?

What is my budget?

What exercises am I going to focus on more?

These are all huge, motivating  factors that come into play when you are deciding which home exercise equipment would be best for you, and anyone else in your active home.

Cardio Cross Training 

Treadmills are the most popular fitness machines in North America, and year after year but elliptical machines are right behind, and they are safer and easier on the joints of your lower body.

— Treadmill features we love: Incline settings that range from 3% to 15% uphill, a more compact footprint for tight spaces, and multiple settings beyond manual. 

— Elliptical machines, on the other hand, offer a safe, low-impact workout and the calorie-torching gliding motions allow you to work up quit a sweat without the constant pounding or jarring on your joints from running outside. Also, ellipticals lend themselves to multitasking, in case you are the type to watch the nightly news or even “Survivor” reruns while you break your seat.

— Rowing machines can help improve your fitness level in a variety of ways; they can build and tone muscles, strengthen cardiovascular function, and improve endurance. It’s a great way to burn calories. You may also try jump ropes, kickboxing or flow Pilates DVDs, and a heavy bag as other cross-training options.

Multi-Use Strength Station

Total-body gyms with adjustable rings, pulleys and bars are often suitable for the entire family and can work with all different fitness levels from beginners all the way to athletic training performance. Strength stations often fold up to provide you with easy and convenient storage We like the ones that come with leg pull accessories, squat stand, exercise feedback and a sturdy training deck.

Other resistance fitness equipment to customize a home gym:

Core training tools such as an Ab Wheel or an ab bench

Dumbbells, kettle bells and/or resistance bands and tubing

Stretching mats, yoga blocks and a pull-up bar

Sturdy Suspension Trainer or Cable Machine

One of the which is the most versatile, durable and cost-effective suspension trainers for home is the TRX Suspension Trainer that includes the actual lightweight trainer, a door anchor, a suspension anchor extender, a mesh carry bag, and a full-color 35 page workout guide to get started. The TRX sets up in seconds and offers a head-to-toe strength workout that will never bore you.

When you start choosing exercise equipment for your home, always keep in mind your overarching fitness goals, like weight loss or muscle building, or a balance of gym equipment for various types of high-tech workouts. Whether whether you’re looking to jumpstart your cardio endurance or come out of the winter season with a set of washboard abs, there’s something in every home gym that can help you on your way.

Try soOlis’ side-by-side equipment comparisons.

This is a simple “How To” video on searching for exercise equipment.  Look for more videos to come!

“How To” Search for Commercial and Home Exercise Equipment on soOlis.com