Life under quarantine is tough and even after the lifting of restrictions, community centres and major public gatherings are still not something in our sights. This is all due to the propagation of COVID-19 which has been so rapid that any loosening of restrictions before its time can result in a 2nd wave of outbreaks which nobody wants to deal with. So in short, for the time being, at least for our local community centres, theatres, and sporting events, we’re stuck at home. This category also includes gyms: both private and public. Everyone needs their physical exercise and many prefer to focus on building bone and muscle actively through an anaerobic workout (more weight-based training) instead of the lighter aerobic workout (running, swimming, cycling). Unfortunately, it seems that for this group, their options are limited, but there’s no need to worry.
Although gyms across the country are closed, companies that supply gyms with their equipment are not and are still up and operational even during COVID-19 times. And don’t think that buying equipment from these guys is something temporary until this pandemic subsides. After your one-time purchase of everything you need, you’ll never have to worry about getting in your car and driving to your local gym, finding parking, or paying for a membership. You can get all the benefits of a gym mixed in with all the benefits of a home in one. What can be the benefits of exercising at home you ask? You can play your favourite music, watch your favorite show and more at full volume without wearing earbuds or headphones. You can have your gym in a separate room of the house, you can have it in the garage or you can have it in the basement, wherever you want!
How much does a full gym equipment package cost?
The cost of your home equipment packages depend on how much you’re going to include in that package. On the lower end, you can purchase a package for about $1000 which comes with a power rack, a weightlifting bar, a bumper plate set, a medicine ball, and a kettlebell. For a budget purchase, this definitely doesn’t sound like a bad idea but the issue with this is the amount of muscle groups left out. On the other side of the spectrum, with the same equipment listed above as well as an additional wood rings-set, flat bench, rubber mat and pro-level material and hardware for $4500. It’s your choice to decide on whether to get one or the other for your gym equipment packages depending on how often you plan to exercise and thus bring wear and tear to your equipment.
It’s usually better to purchase several small gym equipment packages rather than trying to lump everything into one so you can buy everything you need while leaving out everything you deem unnecessary. But before making a decision, you have to remember why you exercise in the first place.
Benefits of Exercise
For one, if you exercise with gym equipment, your goal or at least one of your main goals is to increase your muscle and/or bone mass. That means for your arms: biceps, triceps, and forearms, for your back: your traps and laps. Your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps for your lower half and of course your shoulders, pectorals, and abs. It’s very important that you capture a good amount of your muscle groups since overworking one group while neglecting another can lead to overexertion. This is because you need to spread out your workout schedule for your muscle groups to get the most out of every workout session. Working out on the same muscle groups every single day can be ineffective since in most cases, you are destroying the muscle fibers that didn’t have time to heal from your previous session which doesn’t allow your muscles to grow as much or as quickly as they could.
On the other hand, the benefits are far greater than simply “looking sexy”. Anaerobic exercise increases your metabolism which is good for helping rebuild your lean muscles for the next workout. It also works out your joints which lowers your risks of injury in the future and the increased bone mass decreases your risk of osteoporosis later in life.
Separate Garage Equipment Packages
Let’s make a list of what essential garage equipment packages, home equipment packages or gym equipment packages, whatever name they go by, need.
- Training Bench: A very basic but incredibly multi-purpose piece of equipment which can be used for weight training exercises and sit-ups since you can adjust your backrest.
- Dumbbell set: They can range from light to heavy and can be used for biceps, triceps, pectorals, and back. Use the lighter ones to start off as a warm-up and then gradually go heavier while decreasing your number of sets and/or reps.
- Treadmill: A great way to start off and end your workouts, especially if you tend to focus on your upper half. Cardio exercise is very important for improving your blood pressure and lowering the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Barbell set: If you’re looking for heavier weight training, this is what you should be looking into. Barbells are the key for working out both your biceps and pectorals at the same time.
- Rowing machine: These are perfect for a calorie-burning exercise and they offer lower resistance than other exercises, which means a smaller chance of suffering an injury. The rowing machine is actually almost a full-body workout machine since it works your legs, back and arms.
- Balance trainers and resistance bands: these are some important accessories that beginners, athletes, and seniors all enjoy using on a regular basis. They’re inexpensive and portable and can be used to improve flexibility, muscle strength and balance.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best home equipment package for you is one with enough diversity to fulfill all your exercise needs while also not emptying your wallet. The quality of the equipment itself is also very important to keep in mind and should be a huge factor when purchasing based on how often you plan to work out. Remember, how you exercise is up to you and picking the best equipment is just like picking out and riding the best car to get you to your destination. So enjoy the journey!
