My Home Gym, your thoughts

EdgarAllenPoo

Due to a complete lack of fitness and extreme self consciousness I've decided to buy some home gym equipment (rather than join a gym I'd never have time to go to).

I'm not too interested in getting bigger just improve my tone and fitness.

What do you think of the following;

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000801&productId=1500104471&Trail=C%24cip%3D1500008202.Sports%2Band%2Bfitness%3EC%24cip%3D1500008243.Home%2Bgym%2Bequipment%3EC%24cip%3D1500008251.Treadmills&categoryId=1500008251&clickfrom=name
http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000801&productId=1500116041&Trail=C%24cip%3D1500008202.Sports%2Band%2Bfitness%3EC%24cip%3D1500008243.Home%2Bgym%2Bequipment%3EC%24cip%3D1500008249.Multi%2Bgyms&categoryId=1500008249&clickfrom=name

davyjose

You get a better workout by jogging than you would by running on a treadmill, for that reason I wouldn't waste my money on it. Maybe you could buy just the cross-trainer.
As for the "power rod gym", a set of dumb-bells would set you back an awful lot less, and TBH I wouldn't know where to begin on that yoke. Looks very much like a fad to me.

mikemac

Excellent idea.
I'd ditch the expensive aerobic equipment. Buy a good pair of runners so you go walking or jogging and a decent bicycle too. It's good to be outside
A lot of the more inexpensive aerobic equipment can be very cheap and nasty.
A rower might be a good idea though.

Also a good quality bench and weights should be enough for most people. Not sure about the quality of the weights machine.
Argos do have an excellent selection of free weights.

NoQuarter

sure ger we'll be bangin out the weights between classes in griffith in the gym in the college!

rubadub

GDM wrote:

I'm not too interested in getting bigger just improve my tone and fitness

Well a good way to get "toned" you will need to lift weights and lose fat- lifting weights will help shed a lot of fat too. I seriously doubt you will get "too big", if you did you just lift less, or sell the weights (which have a high resale value)

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000801&productId=1500119829&clickfrom=name

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000801&productId=1500092543&clickfrom=name

EdgarAllenPoo

king-stew wrote:

sure ger we'll be bangin out the weights between classes in griffith in the gym in the college!

True but I'm sure a lot of other people will have the same idea. So we'll be beating them off with a stick to get near anything decent.


Speaking of Argos, does anyone actually buy those silver sweat suits they sell. The only reason I could think to buy one is if you're going to a costume party as an astronaut.

NoQuarter

yeah one of the lads i know used to put on a sweat suit and sit in the sauna with it on! im not certain but those suit only help ya lose weight through losing water which cant be a good thing! surely they dont help burn fat!!

crotalus667

king-stew wrote:

yeah one of the lads i know used to put on a sweat suit and sit in the sauna with it on! im not certain but those suit only help ya lose weight through losing water which cant be a good thing! surely they dont help burn fat!!

as far as I know they are mainly used for meeting a weighin target , and to dehydrate the body before a bodybuilding competition (mainly by the guys that don’t prepare properly) I remember seeing a thing on the telly before about a guy who was entering a teenage competition in the states any he tried driving half way across the states in one of the suites , it ended up with him passing out behind the wheel .

NoQuarter

ha yeah im not surprised, my mate used to come out of the sauna lookin like an oversized raisin! yeah i knew they help boxers and such make a weight but as for permanent weight loss i reckon there a no-no!

rubadub

king-stew wrote:

ha yeah im not surprised, my mate used to come out of the sauna lookin like an oversized raisin! yeah i knew they help boxers and such make a weight but as for permanent weight loss i reckon there a no-no!

yes just water is lost, the dehydration is not healthy either, no point to it at all unless you are trying to be in a weight division, all you are doing is fooling yourself.

If you really want exert less force on a scale then it is easier just to turn the dial down before you get on, or hold onto a handrail while weighing yourself. Either way you are only fooling yourself.

Smidul

I box. I run on the road for training so if you are thinking of losing fat that is the way to go - or to gain fitness.The first day of running is the hardest you will be stopping constantly but you get used to it. Ran the Relay of the marathon last year (could'nt run the whole thing , cant lose my weight for boxing).

If you have a good amount of fat but not too much i recomend you do weight training (if you want to look muscular or you need it for a combat sport) and then run the excess fat off.

EdgarAllenPoo

I've decided not to bother, I'll just use whatever's in college plus I plan to take up rugby once I start college so hopefully that will keep me fit.

NoQuarter

good choice
i havent done weights in a while now so gonna start gettin back into them soon so we'll pump zee iron hardcore!

EileenG

Decent bench, an adjustable set of barbells and dumbells and you've got the basics. A swiss ball is useful, and a squat rack or a power cage would be wonderful. I personally get a lot of use out of an old workman's toolbox, which I use as a step for step-ups, a box for box squats, and for dips or decline press-ups.

A skipping rope is great for HIIT cardio or warm-ups, and a boombox with some heavy duty rock is essential.

Personally, I reckon the best bit of cardio kit is a bicycle.