At-Home Exercisers: What Does Your Gym Look Like?

I know I'm not the only one who prefers working out at home vs. going to a gym to work out, so I'd love to hear what your home gym consists of and what your workout plan is. 

My "gym" is basically my family/living room (the one with the tv and couch in it) and I have a fairly diverse collection of workout DVD's.  I also have 3-, 5-, and 8-pound dumbbells and some smaller inflatable balls that I bought for some reason (probably to do some ab routine on On Demand). 

[Speaking of Comcast's On Demand menu (Comcast is one of Indiana's main digital cable providers, in case you don't know what I'm talking about; "On Demand" is a collection of tv shows & movies that subscribers can play whenever they want), it has a section devoted to fitness and contains a TON of workout videos ~ for free!  I love it because if I'm bored with the workout DVD's I have on hand, I can always find something new on On Demand!  I hope I don't sound like a spokesperson...!]

I just purchased an elliptical machine that will be delivered tomorrow (what a nice Valentine's Day present!), so that will soon be added into my workout mix.  I need to purchase an exercise ball (the bigger ones you do crunches on), so that will be next on my list.  I exercise only 2-3 days a week currently, but I plan on getting up to 5 days per week.  I'm getting married in August and 2-3 days a week isn't going to cut it!

What exercise item could you not live without?  Do you use any ordinary household items when you work out (i.e. cans of soup as dumbbells)?

I have a corner in the basement that has a tv for all my workout videos, regular bands, weighted bands, a weighted bar, a ball, dumbells ranging is size from 5lbs to 20lbs. a chinup bar, work out bench and an elliptical machine.  I think all my workout stuff is equally important becaue without it I wouldn't have variety. 

I keep it sort of simple. I have a trampette, an abdo trainer, a Nintendo Wii (for the boxing, knocking down the bags in training mode gets the heart racing and the sweat flowing) and my darling hubby has just gone to buy me an elliptical trainer and an exercise ball. I don't do them all every day, as some days I go out walking and usually chose one other activity I do for 30-60 mins a day. I am going to get some wrist weights for when I am boxing on wii, and I wear my super heavy boots when I go out walking  

I meant to say I need variety to so I don't get bored doing the same thing!!

I use spare bedroom....

consists of treadmill, flat screen tv on wall, stereo system with heart pumping CDS, dvd player, satellite dish, computer, fan, 2 sit up balls, sets of hand weights, aerobics mat and bed for dog LOL  She has to always be in the room with me.....

I still go to the g ym 5 days a week and do other exercises at home when I get a burst of energy or whatever!!!!

~H~

I have two 8 lb dumbells (but I havn't used them in a while), an exercise ball, a yoga mat, some Tae Bo resistance bands, and a whole bunch of workout DVDs.  After the second piece of equipment I got that turned into a clothing rack, I decided to never get large contraptions/equipment ever again.

The exercise item I couldn't live without is my yoga mat.  Even if I don't have access to my yoga dvds, I can still remember and put together a good routine from memory.

Oh, and not exactly a "household item", but I have used my little boys as arm, ab, and leg weights (ages 7 and 5), but not both at the same time! 

That's cute that you use your kids as weights ~ I bet that is so effective!  I'm not a mom so I don't know how much lifting is involved in caring for a child, but I'm sure your arms & back get quite a workout.

I wish my fiance would get the Wii, just so I can use it for working out!  I think it would be so much fun and also something we can do together.  Alas, he likes his XBox 360 better...

Does you have a favorite workout DVD you recommend to people?  I'm always looking for new ones... I currently have the Women's Health "Wedding Dress Workout" & "Workout for your Body Type" DVD's and I'm very happy with them.  The "Body Type" cardio workout kicks my butt and it's only 22 minutes long!

Original Post by linzylu411:

Does you have a favorite workout DVD you recommend to people?  I'm always looking for new ones...

My favorite power yoga DVD is Rodney Yee "Total Body Workout".  For cardio, I really like Tae Bo - the Fat Blasting Cardio DVD used with the resistance bands is a great workout.  I have other Tae Bo DVDs, but the fat blasting one is what I use most often.  I've been looking at getting Turbo Jam because of all the positive reviews I've been reading here on CC.

Other resources for researching new DVDs:

www.videofitness.com

www.yourexercisedvds.com

I am the exercise queen....Let me rephrase that, I am the exercise (equipment) owner queen!!  LOL.....I have obtained over the years a whole gym worth of equipment, weights, videos, and gadgets......BUT none of them will do me any good if I don't use them.....Inversion table is the one I use the most for a back problem but hanging upside down will not burn many calories and it isn't exactly a cardio workout....Nautilus gym makes a great place to hang wet clothes to dry but isn't its intended purpose either.....elliptical, ab lounge, stationary bike, blah, blah, blah.....bottom line, find something you like - borrow from someone you know, join a gym for a month or two, or bye cheap on Ebay and find what you like to do and just do it.....I am most partial to my treadmill in the winter and the street in the summer; step aerobics in my bedroom or working in the yard (my favorite) and it keeps me on track.....would like to use that Nautilus soon for some weight training but still can't bring myself to do it.....Good Luck on whatever you choose....Lisa

a cambered bar and plates

dumbbells with plates

a resistance band (currently on loan to mom)

a yoga mat and blocks (very neglected)

a swiss ball (somewhat neglected - used as computer chair lol)

the floor

no dvd's no machines no game consoles none of that fun stuff~ i go to the Y often enough. workout videos and programs just make me feel lonely and foolish so i would much rather a class, hike or walk over cardio at home.

I have:

- a good-quality elliptical machine (in the office with the computers)

- a set of dumbbells where the plates are kind of nesting

- a floor mat

They all get used regularly.  I also have an inflatable ball, but it gets used more as a seat than for actual workouts. 

I've heard that using an exercise ball as a chair is GREAT for your core muscles.  My previous boss had one in her office & used it occasionally.  I really need to go out and buy one ~ saw some at Sam's Club the other day (came with a DVD & resistance bands) for about $15.  Good deal or not?

I  used to have a lot of equipment but now I find I get the most out of a set of handweights, a step and some resistance bands. Recently I purchased a medicine ball and I do own a fitness ball too.

I have an elliptical but to be honest I would rather do a cardio routine from DVD that involves many different movements. Something like Tae Bo or Turbo Jam or step.

I am an outdoors kind of man but, I do live in Canada and Ontario being one of the more snowy provinces to boot.  All my cardio is either done outdoors or away from home (aka "The Community Gym").  I have a very large room in my basement that used to house my dogs but when they passed on to another life I was able to convert this room into my gym.  I have free weights (barbell, dumbells and various sizes of weights ranging from 2-50 lbs) I also have the bench to go with it.  I have a chin up bar and a bowflex elite (which was given to me and hasn't really been used) and a trainer for my bike. In a section of my gym I have a yoga mat and a peaceful area set-up for meditation.  Oh yeah, I also have a stereo in their for my Muzzak.

 - Scott

I work out at home if I lack the ambition  to go to the gym(which is often). Here I have dumbbells in 15, 25, 30 lbs. I find those good for quick home workouts(doing lunges and such) An exercise ball as well It's great from abs and back exercises as well as playing dodge ball with the kids!

My road bike is up on a resistance trainer and I have a few of the Spinervals DVDs. They kick my butt. I try to do those twice a week.

I'd rather be outside than in the gym or working out in the cellar.Looking around my house though, I have a mountain bike , snowshoes (on the wall), x-country skis stacked with the alpine skis and snowboard in the hall, Road bike on the trainer in the living-room, hiking boots in the kitchen (the canoe and kayak are in the garage)...I know they are not "home workouts", but they're not the gym either!

I think I'll check out Netflix for the Total Body Workout, but I'm not sure yoga is my thing...I'd like to find a workout tape that has lunges and some upper body stuff so I have some company at 5:00am when I'm most likely to workout here at home. Any suggestions?

Geez my work out gym at home consits of 4 teenagers, a ball and 3 dvds. I love my yoga/ball exercises they reall get me moving and I feel it for two days after. But am happy to say that I can stay on the ball more now lol! My kids and hubby even try it from time to time as they think it is fun. I will have that 6 pack by summer!  Im looking at buying a mat and some resistent bands as my workout no longer makes me sore. Don't kick yoga cause it looks easy and slow lol trust me i did until i tried it!

matteau

I have turned my whole garage into a gym, I have a power rack and bench (flat/incline/decline) 350lbs worth of olympic weights, barbell, dumbells, lat pull down tower/tricep pulldowns etc.....

Elliptical, ab trainer, mats.

The only thing I'm missing is a treadmill but I tend to run outside and use the elliptical if it's too cold to do that!

 

 

I have a suggestion for a DVD (there's actually a whole set) that includes lunges & arms: Slim in 6.  The Slim in 6 series totally kicks my butt.  The first DVD (Start is Up) is only 25 minutes long (I think), but don't let that fool you.  Debbie Siebers is the instructor and she leads you through the routine, which I wouldn't completely classify as a cardio routine.  There are portions of the routine that are clearly cardio (i.e. kickboxing moves), but there are other portions of continuous calithenics (i.e. the "lunge series"; and the seemingly never ending standing chest presses).  She combines upper body movements with lower body movements (i.e. lunges with bicep curls), which really get your heart rate up.  There are 2 other DVD's included in the Slim in 6 series (Ramp it Up; Burn it Up), but to be honest I haven't done those workouts, yet.

Interestingly enough, before I bought the Slim in 6 series, I bought a Slim in 6 "Advanced" set of DVD's that were supposed to come AFTER you have mastered the first 3 Slim in 6 DVD's.  I paid no attention to that warning and headed straight into the advanced workouts.  Wow, was I in for a shock.  Both DVD's are 1 hour + long and involve hand weights throughout the entire workout.  My fiance (who lifts weights regularly and is pretty strong) could barely make it through the workout using 5 pound weights.  I used 3 pound weights (which normally feel too light), and had to drop them close to the end of the workout because I just couldn't take it!  Both advanced DVD's are similarly structured as the first 3 DVD's, but just more intense.  My fiance and I did the advanced workouts for a few months, but quit doing them for one reason or another after that point in time.  They are the hardest workouts I've ever done, hands down.

So if you're looking for a challenge, I strongly recommend the Slim in 6 series (3 DVD series or the 2 DVD advanced series)!  I plan to encorporate them back into my workout once I get bored with the Women's Health DVD's I just bought (which are also good, but not nearly as intense as the advanced Slim in 6).  I need variety!

1. Powerblock Dumbbells (www.powerblock.com) - Expensive, but probably one of the best purchases that I have made in my life.  Saves room in my small apartment and makes switching weights very fast which makes me more efficient.

2.  Trek SU200 Hybrid Bike - can't wait to start riding outside in a month or two, too cold and icy right now in Nebraska.

3. 1-Up USA Bike Trainer (www.1upusa.com) - Again, expensive, but well worth it for an extremely high-quality piece of fitness equiptment.  I really don't like ANY trainer all that much, but this one provides a smooth, stable ride (and has a lifetime warranty if I should ever have problems.  Keeps me riding in the winter.

4.  Weighted wrist weights - used in conjunction with my Powerblocks in 1 lb. increments.

5.  Gold's Gym Exercise Ball

That's really about all I have.  I've probably spent about $1000 on just these 5 things, but I really do use them all and would buy them again if I had to.

My "home gym" is pretty basic. I have a stability ball (which I cannot live without... I'd take it with me to a deserted island), an 8 lb medicine ball, a set of 5lb dumb bells, three resistance bands, and a chair. My son pretty much has the run of the living room, and his toys are in decorative "baskets" all over, so my gym equipment fits nicely!

 I've added circuits as my strength training, and anyone who's ever read my posts knows I'm a crazy advocate for them. In about 20-30 minutes, I can work out a complete body sweat, and have that awesome soreness the day after. And all I use is my own body weight and my tools!!

I currently have a Schwinn Airdyne, Needak Rebounder, Healtrider, Stability Ball (which doubles as a home office chair) :), and a number of exercise tapes.  I am in the process of replacing the Healthrider with an Elliptical machine.  I just never got into the healthrider, just isn't the right equipment for me.
Take care,
Mary.