Thinking of a home gym?

If you prefer working out at home or really do need to cut back, you can not only get by, but you can honestly get just as good a workout in at home as compared to the gym. And those working with me once or twice a week -you need those 3 workouts--so one or two are on your own!! Bottom line, you don't need an expensive home gym.


What do I need to get started?

As you know and may have experienced if you train with me, you can get an excellent workout with just your bodyweight. How many of you love bodyweight squats and lunges, other favorites you all love are pushups and Burpees---or as many of you say, those f** Burpees!!! The exercises are endless -but we all need variety and a workout change every 5-6 weeks.

So what if you want to purchase a few things to add to your home space. You can do this by purchasing just a few essential pieces of fitness equipment for under $100.

One of my favorites and most versatile pieces are dumbbells. They cost about $40 and you can literally work every muscle in your body with them along with your own body weight. You can also purchase sets of 5-25lbs to get started. If you have a few extra dollars to buy additional equipment I would recommend getting a stability ball, medicine ball, or abs mat if you don't have any carpets in your home for cushioning.

I have that equipment, what else would you recommend?

If you have the basics then there are so many other great pieces of equipment out there. First off I would say, "beware of the infomercial." If you see a piece of equipment being sold after Midnight, please change the channel and watch TVLand. Anything that claims fatloss and you only need "20 minutes, 3 times a week, think twice, and put your credit card away. Too many scams and it's BS. Stick to the basics and work hard!

If you want to expand your space.
adjustable bench
resistance tubing
kettlebell
I also love the ValSlide, these are similar to furniture slides (which some work), these things are great for butt, legs and abs -great little gadget. Celebrity Fitness Trainer Valerie Waters came up with this great product - check out her website http://www.valslide.com/

Now cardio is another story, one of the best pieces of equipment for fat loss and the least expensive is the old jump rope -but the toughest to do. If you can do 10 minutes non-stop, you'll burn a ton of calories.

So no more excuses, I can't get to the gym today. You don't need allot of space and it's not a major investment. The investment is in your health and well being. This is one investment in yourself that you'll be glad you made and the dividends will be noticeable with every workout.

To purchase -Dick's Sporting Goods has a great selection. Online -----performbetter.com is great.

here is a great fat-burning circuit that be done 2-3 times.

Bodyweight Circuit Workout Routine
Squat x 30 reps
Standard Pushup x 10 reps
Mountain Climber x 20 reps
Curlup -situp x 20 reps
Superman Backraise x 10 reps
Lunge x 10 reps each leg
Wide-width Pushup x 10 reps
Narrow-width Pushup x 10 reps
Oblique Twist standing knee to elbow x 15 reps each side
Opposite Arm and Leg Lift x 10 reps each side
Plank, hold for one minute
rest 2 minutes then repeat 1 or 2 times