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Using Water to be Dry on Contest Day - by
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Getting Results - by Bryan Kernan
Back up your Bench - by Doug Daniels
Bigger Biceps for Beginners - by Kerry
Dulin
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Home Gyms
How to get the most from your Home Gym Equipment
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Home
Gyms. Ever see someone with a good physique who got it by working out on a
home gym? I have. I’ve even competed against people who became competitive
physique athletes (bodybuilders) by working out on a home gym. It can be
done. But if this is true, why do so few do it? Why do most people who
buy a home gym end up selling it in a yard sale?
I will tell you why. It is
for the same reason that most home businesses fail. They did not have a
plan.
Home gyms, similar to a home
business, require dedication, you may have all the desire in the world, but
if you fail to develop a plan, and then work it, you will never see results.
The following 5 steps have been developed to help you to get the most out of
your home gym. Follow these and your home gym won’t become a dust collector.
1. Write your goals
down. This is basic and is a good practice for any worthy pursuit. What is
it that you truly hope to accomplish by purchasing a home gym? Do you just
want to loose a few pounds? If so, you really don’t need home gym equipment
to do it. Perhaps a few small changes to your diet and walking a mile a day
will get you where you want to go. Maybe you want to tone up a bit? Now were
talking, home gyms are great way to tone up loose and sagging muscles, and
add a pleasing healthy appearance to your overall physique. Perhaps you want
to develop a good physique and are just too shy to go to your local gym. All
of these things are important and will determine the type of home gym
equipment that you buy. You will not develop large muscular arms on a
treadmill or strong thighs with an ab machine. Therefore, determine what it
is that you hope to accomplish with a home gym, and write it down.
2. Make your goals reasonable. The perfect bodies
and beautiful people that you see on all of the infomercials are not
reasonable goals. They are being featured in the commercial for a reason,
they are exceptional, and in fact, most of them did not develop their
physiques from the equipment that is being advertised. If your goal is not
reasonable, you are in for a quick disappointment. I’m not saying that you
should not set a lofty goal, but there should be legs in the journey. You
don’t eat a seven course meal in a single gulp. If for instance, your goal
is to loose 100 lbs, break it down into steps of 20 lbs at a time, and
celebrate each victory. If your goal is to add an inch to your biceps, don’t
measure them everyday. If your goal is to compete in the next Olympia,
forget it, you’re not being reasonable. Reasonable goals, taken in small
steps, will return the most quality results over time.
 3.
Do your research. Now that you have established just that it is that you
intend to accomplish with your home gym, its time to decide what home gym
equipment is going to get you there. As noted above, you will not develop
large muscular arms on a treadmill. If your goal is to loose a few pounds
and improve your cardiovascular health, than a treadmill, stepper, or rowing
machine may be just what the doctor ordered. If you have decided to tone up
a bit than you may find that a set of dumbbells is all that you need. You
would be amazed to know what can be accomplished with a set of dumbbells and
a little creativity. Your goals may be a bit more demanding, and a complete
home gym is in your future. Multi gyms as they are often called may be based
on free weights, pulleys, or tension rods, and offer the advantage of being
able to work different muscle groups, with minimal change over, all on the
same machine. My own home gym allows me to do lat pulls, seated rows,
incline bench press, curls and squats, all from one convenient machine.
4. Buy quality.
Quality home gym equipment will usually outlast their less expensive
counterparts and actually save you money in the long run. It will function
more smoothly reducing the risk of injury. It will require less maintenance.
It will have a more natural feel to it, and is far more likely to still be
in use a year from now.
5. Work your Plan! Quality results take effort and
time, but are worth the expense of both. When you have dropped another dress
size, you will not regret the half hour that you have spent every morning
exercising. When you are complemented on your biceps you will not regret the
multiple sets of dumbbell curls that got you there. When your abs begin to
show, you will not regret the diet, dedication and crunches that led you on
your way. My wife once told me that I am lucky to have a six pack. Perhaps I
am, but I have also found that the harder that I work, the luckier I become.
And so it is with you my friend. Recognize that this is going to take work,
commitment, and time, but that if you establish your goals, develop a plan,
purchase the right equipment and then stick to, you will wake up a year from
now ever so grateful for the sacrifice.
That’s it my friends, there
is no magic to it. Forget the diet pills and expensive supplements. A
quality home gym, weather it be a simple set of dumbbells, a treadmill, or a
multi gym, will take you as far as you want to go, but the commitment has to
come from you.
Till next time,
Kerry Dulin
Personal Note:
My own workout schedule, which bordered on obsession, insured a competitive
physique, but came at a considerable expense. My marriage was failing, my
relationships were suffering, my body couldn’t handle the relentless strain,
and yet religiously I marched into the gym determined to vanquish any sign
of weakness. Life though, can take drastic and unexpected turns as energy
seeks equilibrium. It began with my wife and I becoming separated which was
then followed by several unfortunate events. A moment of poor form in the
gym resulted in two herniated disk in my neck which forced me to reconsider
my competitive goals for the time. Shortly after, I lost my brother to
cancer. Having been a minister in my youth, I preformed his funeral service.
Not long after this, I lost my mother to emphysema. I preformed yet another
funeral service and reflected upon my own misguided priorities. Woven
throughout all of this was an illness and drug addiction which plagued
one of my children. The sleepless nights, wrecked vehicles, legal
proceedings and financial expenses continuously added to the already painful
burden.
I’m learning to be vulnerable. I’m learning that I cannot be superman
forever. I’m learning that some rewards are not worth the sacrifice. I’m
learning that it’s ok to not be the best.
This is all just my own, very personal note to say that I now have a home
gym and am learning that I can come home after work and still hit the weights while my wife tends to the flowers in
the garden. If you have the drive and dedication to achieve a competitive
physique at the local gym, you can do it at home with a home gym also. Its
up to you. Yes, there are a few things that are sacrificed by working out at
home but there are also many things sacrificed by long hours at the gym. The
choice is yours. Please do not however tell yourself that you can’t get a
good workout at home because you can. I offer the links and pages below to
give you an idea of the quality and affordability of home gym equipment and
accessories. Its working for me.
Kerry |
