Are you planning on opening your own gym studio but don’t know how to go about it, from the gym equipment to everything else? well, I’m not saying I’ve totally got you covered, but I can help you with some tips on choosing the right gym equipment and some 101 on the types of equipment. Not to worry, you might need one in your home, so, read on.
For you to know the kind of equipment to go for, there are some basic things you need to know, like the categories of equipment and some recommended equipment that you should consider.
Strength Equipment:
As I said, there are categories of gym equipment you need to know. The Strength Equipment is one of them. Just as they are known as this equipment helps to build strength. They help you harness body weight (mass), external eight, gravity, tension amongst other things. prices range from size and the particular one you are going for. You have the expensive professional equipment for those that are about to start a gym studio of their own, and of course gym equipment for home use which is usually portable models, but hey! if you have a deep pocket you can go for the professional equipment for your personal use.
You don’t have to rush things if you are just entering into this industry, you can start with the little equipment such as hand weights, tubes and resistance bands, dumbbells and kettlebells. But the major strength equipment includes
Hand Weights:
You need to consider your current weight, that will help you know the kind of equipment and weights to consider, if you don’t know, you can always start with 2 pounds, 5 pounds, and the 8-pound hand weights. As you grow in strength, you can always add the dumbbells with the padded center bars, these sorts of weights are always easy to hold. And if you have the weighted band, you can always add this to spice things up.
Tubing:
Don’t know what Tubing is? Well, they are bands (resistance bands), they are sometimes referred to as the great democratizer in the exercise world, they are termed ‘great democratizer’ because they cost about the same as subscribing to a gym studio for a month.
Now, there are levels of bands out there in the market, you’ve got the light to the very heavy and are designated by color.
This equipment is used for a full-body strength workout. They come with interesting features such as portability, easy to store, lightweight, and the fact that it is cheap.
According to a Work Out trainer that I met, he talked about the fact that the measurement of challenging the resistance just by how many repetitions of the kind of exercise you can do: he said if you were able to do less than eight, it means that the resistance is too high but if you do more than 12, it means the resistance is low.
Exercise Mat:
This a popular one, but you still need to go for a non-slip, well-padded mat for your floor exercises. It makes doing exercise comfortable as you won’t need to place your leg or another part of your body on the floor (which for me can be totally uncomfortable).
Ankle Weights:
These ones are optional, you’ve got the hip extension and side leg raise. You need to look for comfortably padded ankle cuffs with pockets designed to hold half – pound, 1-pound weight bars, you can add these as you progress in your exercise. You have 5 to 5 pounds to choose from, depending on the one the exercise you are planning to do.
Cardio Equipment:
Even if you don’t consider the ones that I have listed up there, this equipment usually helps burn calories and overall keep you in shape. They are usually built to look like a stationary bicycle, they simulate three modes of movements, from walking, running and cycling.
Like the Strength Equipment, the price usually varies, you’ve got some going for a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending on the size you are going for. You have machines that measure Calories, heart rate and time spent, hey! I’m not saying this reading is always right, but I can assure you that they are closer than you think, the major reasons why the digital displays were added is to encourage you to do more. Here are some of the equipment you will find under this category include:
Stair Steppers:
The stair steppers offer a low impact work out that measures climbing flights of stairs, it has several modes, one of which has levers with handgrips to work your arms. I won’t advise beginners to make use of this machine as it is usually difficult and stressful, tried it once and it dealt with my knees, I couldn’t work for minutes.
Treadmill:
The treadmill is unarguably one of the popular cardio equipment out there. What it does is it provides you with a platform where you are able to walk without having to go outside, I will always go for the motorized treadmill anytime. So, when you want to get yourself one, look for one with a very strong motor, a strong machine means it will surely last, an emergency stop device, a sturdy frame that has front side rails for safety and a belt that is long enough for your stride.
Elliptical Trainers:
Elliptical trainers offer a circular up and down motion, see it more like a device that is stuck between a stair-stepper and ski machine. You get workouts that are mild on your joints. And the grade and Resistance can be automatically or manually adjusted on some models.
So, the next time you want to go for an equipment, you will definitely know what to go for. Remember, it is great to have some of this equipment in your home. Cheers!
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