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Exercise equipment and workout space considerations-
I hear this all the time. Absolutely everybody who has ever wanted to train from home has had to wrestle with the issue of space and equipment. The most common mistake I see people make is overspending on some clunky exercise equipment that soon after proves to be neither practical nor enjoyable, and ultimately ends up masquerading as a clothes rack. Don't let yourself be seduced by newfangled contraptions that come with a 100% money-back guarantee and alluring promises of speedy results with zero effort either. If at all possible, plan to thoroughly try out the equipment before you buy. So don't be afraid to dress for the occasion. First, let's get this pressing question out of the way. Do you even need a single piece of exercise equipment to get a really great workout? Technically, the answer is no. You should know it's entirely possible to train safely and effectively without any equipment at all. Moreover, you can do so with a space no larger than about twice the length of your outwardly extended arms and legs-- a space roughly equivalent to 7 ft x 7 ft. How do I know this? I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Personal Trainer. I am also certified in post-rehabilitation fitness therapy and youth fitness training. I have many different types of clients, each with distinct needs. ...And I train them all from home. I have very little control over the kind of exercise equipment any of my clients may or may not have. As a professional 'in-home' trainer, I have to design a great workout with whatever is available. My job is to deliver results for my private clients. ...Here's where it gets a little tricky. The human body will eventually adapt to any stresses and forces imposed upon it. To continue making gains, you need to increase the stimulus over time otherwise the improvements you seek will stagnate. Two of the most important training principles are known as the Overload and Progression principles. These foundational principles always apply. Many fitness professionals simply combine the two together and refer to it as Progressive Overload. Either way, this simply means that you must apply a stimulus of overload, or greater intensity than your body is accustomed to. And you must increase this intensity progressively. The approach commonly used by most people is to increase the load or weight used in an exercise and, to do so progressively as your muscles adapt to the weight. So you can see why training without any home exercise equipment can eventually become problematic. In resistance training, also often called weight training, exercises performed without any equipment are known as calisthenics or 'bodyweight' exercises. These are exercises using only your body weight. Indeed, it's entirely possible to target all of the major muscles of your body without any equipment other than your own body weight. Examples of typical bodyweight exercises (though there are others) are squats, push-ups, chin-ups, lunges, calf raises, sit-ups, crunches, etc. Eventually though, your body will adapt to any exercise. To continue making improvements, you will need to increase the intensity. However, this doesn't mean you need to rush out and get yourself some home fitness equipment... just yet. For example, you can progressively overload the body by increasing the number of workouts per week, by adding exercises to your workout, by increasing the number of sets per exercise you perform, by decreasing your repetition tempo (the speed at which you perform each rep), by decreasing your rest intervals (the time to recover between sets and exercises), or through any combination of these and other methods. So technically speaking, it can be quite a while longer before you 'need' any exercise equipment. I've taken up quite a bit of space explaining why you don't need fancy exercise equipment to get a great workout from home. I also wanted to introduce you to a variety of approaches you can use to increase the intensity of your workouts other than the obvious- almost automatic- increase in load. However, to be totally truthful, I should tell you that I do carry some of my own equipment to my private clients' homes to help them train. This is obviously not the kind of expensive, stationary home fitness equipment that first comes to mind. Not only is it convenient and portable enough to carry with me in the back of my car, but with the exception of a treadmill, chin up station, and mini trampoline, it is also the only equipment I've grown accustomed to using in my own home. It's the kind of exercise equipment that really is ideal for home use. It takes up very little space, requires very little maintenance, provides sufficient overload, adds variety to your workout, and is relatively inexpensive to own. It's also the kind of exercise equipment I have no trouble recommending to my own clients- beginners and veterans alike - and, that I don’t mind sharing with you here...
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