It is hard to go wrong with a multi-station home gym. Stations on the home gym are not the only variable to consider, others include the durability of the gym and the warranty that comes with it. Along with durability, stations, warranty and mechanical specs, one must take into consideration the amount of weight stacks that are on the gym. The number of weight stakes directly correlates with how many users can workout out on the gym at once. Make sure you understand these basic concepts before purchasing a home gym.

I’ve worked out in gyms and clubs off and on for the past six years, the “off” times due to illness, too much else to do, or frustration. (Who hasn’t gotten frustrated when they can’t lose those last five pounds?) Sometimes I needed an extra push, and instead of giving myself that push, I’d quit. But I always felt worse not exercising, found that the hour of working out, three times a day, did something more than help me stay in shape physically. It made me feel good about myself—that I had will power, that I was in control of my brain and body. So, I’m back to it now, have been for almost a year, and once again, I’m at that place where I need the extra push. Blogging might do it. If I say I’m going to do it, actually post it, I certainly better, right?

So, this is where I am now. 5’6, 141 lbs. Female. Good shoulders (I work on that, my vanity) I’m stronger than many my age—I can lift heavy boxes, hike up a hill, twist open the tops of jars when someone hands one over with that look of, “Well, I can’t do it, maybe you can.” So, I’m sort of where I want to be. (I could lose five more pounds. I’d love to lose five more pounds.) But to stay here, strong-shouldered and all, I have to keep at it.

I workout three days a week, at a gym, using the machines I wish I owned. (I’m saving for a treadmill, almost there—Kings of Cardio are going to give me a good deal.) But for now it’s the gym—and fast walking on the off days. (Oh, and eating healthy food, although I can’t resist bagels with cream cheese or a dark chocolate candy bar. Hersey’s bittersweet!) First I stretch, loosing up my calf muscles by placing one foot a good step in front of the other, leaning forward, bouncing slightly. Then all the other stretches—you probably know them, for my back and lats and arms. Five minutes. I always want to shorten this time, get to the machines, but they say that’s a mistake. (Like they say to make sure you eat in the morning—it triggers your metabolism, gets it going, otherwise it’s slowing down, worrying it won’t get fuel. Sumo wrestlers don’t eat until right before they go to sleep at night. If they ate regular meals, or even snacked in between, they’d lose weight!)

After the stretches, I head to the treadmill. I used to like the elliptical, and there’s nothing wrong with them, I’m just fonder, at the moment, of the treadmill. I can push myself harder, get up a full head of steam, so to speak. I work out on the treadmill for 33 minutes (I add a minute every week, that’s why I’m at 33 minutes, and my hour in the gym gets a might bit longer, too—but one minute a week makes it less noticeable, easier to do than you’d think.) I generally burn about 330 calories. I start off at a walk for 2 minutes, at an incline of 3% at 2.7 mph, then up the incline to 5%, and sped up to 3.7 mph, for three minutes, and then I increase the incline to 9%, at 4 miles per hour, for 25 minutes to get my heart beating. (Well, it’s already beating, but you know what I mean.) Then I lower the incline to 4% and slow down to 3.6 mph, for -3 minutes. (I’m no pro at all of this, so my terms are my own. Hope they make sense.)

Then it’s on the resistance training with the machines. (Might I ever really have a home gym? I’m hoping so. It’s my fantasy, turning my basement into a home gym. I always put on makeup to leave the house and fix my hair, which is plain nuts before a workout, but I can’t go out otherwise.)

At the leg press I set the weights at 134 pounds, so I’m pushing 268 lbs. I say push, but the workout is also about the control of the release motion. I do ten reps, three times, with a rest between them for 20 seconds. I started, last year, at 120 lbs on each side (total 240), so that’s how long it took to get here.

Next, hip-abduction, sitting back at an incline, pushing outwards with my thighs, set at 120 lbs. Ten reps, three times, that short 20 second rest in between. Then hip-adduction, the opposite of hip-abduction. I press inwards with my thighs, same weight levels. Once again, ten reps, three times. That seems to be pretty standard for most of the weight machines.

Then I workout my abdomen. This machine is not so much a machine but an angled bench that you can adjust. I lay on it with my head at the bottom, feet at the top and do sit ups. I can’t do three reps yet, just 10 sit ups, rest, then 7 more. I hold my hands near my head for momentum, though I’m not sure you’re supposed to do that.

Then there’s another machine for abs. This one you can’t adjust and it’s at a lower angle than the last one, with your abs lower, too, if that makes sense. On this I can do ten sit ups and three reps.

Next I use the compound Rower. I set the weights a little lower this last week because I hurt my shoulder at work. So, only at 70 lbs, pushing down 10 times, 3 reps.

For an aerobic workout before the free weights I use the step machine for about 10 minutes, which usually means I climb about 39 flights of stairs. (Great machine! Has workout stats—average heart beats, etc.)

I end with the free weights. 10 lbs in each hand, doing some arm exercises. Then I cool down with stretching and a warm shower, and make sure to drink some water.

That’s it. Kings of Cardio say that if I put this on their blog, maybe people will write in with their routines, and encourage me to keep up with mine. I’ll write back when I learn new things about exercising, or try a new machine. What’s your favorite?

Obesity has reached an all time high in America. This is due to poor eating habits, as well as inactivity caused by laziness. Exercise and physical fitness are typically moved to the back of the mind once people mature, become fully employed and have family responsibilities. However, one should realize, as we become older and we are less active throughout our everyday life, we must dedicate more time, rather than less, towards exercising and doing as much as possible to stay healthy and physically fit. Unites States citizens eat too much, don’t exercise enough and rely on pills for their well being, this has to change. People in America need to fully understand the importance of using gym equipment regularly, in order to reach optimal levels of health and fitness.

Parents have a great responsible to keep their children healthy and fit. Shopping for exercise machines excites people. They wonder how much better they could look and feel if in fact they used fitness equipment daily, or on a regular basis. All of us, especially those searching through fitness equipment stores, understand that being physically fit has tremendous upside, and the easiest way to stay in shape, is to have home workout equipment in your home, available to use at your convenience. Studies prove that families with home gym equipment such as treadmills, home gums, stair climbers, rowing machines, ellipticals and other gym equipment, are more likely to spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising than families without fitness equipment in their home.

Therefore, if you are serious about looking good and feeling great, put together a home gym package for yourself. Buying a piece of cardio equipment, such as a treadmilll or exercise bike, and a strength piece such as a single or double stack multi-station home gym, will make life easier when it come to squeezing in an hour a day to exercise.

The more technique you have, the less you have top worry about. From an athletic perspective, people who use superior technique, typically prevail over those who do not. Proper technique and form are the most important variables associated with lifting weights. Strength training can become an ergonomic nightmare for those who chose to neglect the fact that one must remain in a safe, sturdy and balanced position, at all times when using free weight equipment.

The classic line, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog” is as applicable to weight training, as it is to fighting. Inferior size and natural ability can be overcome by one who emphasizes technique and body positioning above all else. Practice through numerous sets and repetitions is only beneficial for those who do so with the correct bio-mechanics. For example, the annual hot dog eating championship, as seen on ESPN, always has a skinny winner, while the fat contestants stare in awe, as some 5’7, 138 pound, skinny as a rail 22 year old, crushes his competition and hoists the trophy for a contest that is expected to have an obese winner. Professional body builders use ergonomically sound, bio-mechanically correct form, while exercising. Maintaining balance and proper form while working out helps prevent injuries.

Poor form, although it may not feel painful immediately, can lead to significant discomfort down the road, for those who neglect the importance of exercising the right way. For example, many people like to arch their back when using the bench press. Arching ones back allows for more weight to be lifted and for more repetitions to be completed. Accomplishments are not genuine if one chooses to cut corners through the use of improper form to get there.

One step to making sure that you maintain proper form is to get a personal trainer to help you with your cardio and strength exercises. Nothing beats having a partner with you to push you to your limits while exercising. It is always optimal to have a friend or personal trainer with you while you exercise. Never underestimate the importance of having someone with you while you exercise with fitness equipment. In order to achieve maximum results,make sure you have an extra set of eyes and ears with you when you go to your health club or home gym.