Hi Gang,
I had a good email question last week from one of you who was wondering what equipment he would need to do workouts at home to help with his hockey – he was a right wing. I like getting this question because it does not take much to set up your own home gym and all for the cost of about 3 months membership at the local gym. So here was my reply to him with the three essential pieces of equipment for a home gym.
- Dumbbells – probably 2-3 pairs
- If you are around 14 years old probably a set of 10 & 15lbs dumbbells would be good to start. If you need lighter weights for some stabilization exercises like rotator cuff work, you can always use plastic bottles filled with water for those. A 2 liter bottle filled with water weighs almost 5lbs.
- If you are a little older, then you probably want 15-20-35lbs. I used to have ones like those shown in the picture to the right, they were a bit of a pain in the butt unscrewing the collars to add or take off plates, but they sure kept the cost down and I had a good variety of weights to chose from. You can usually get these weight plates for about $0.49 per pound.
- Stability Ball – the best one you can afford – it must be BURST RESISTANT
- If you are 5’5″ or above you probably want a 65cm ball. If you are under that then a 55cm ball might be better and if you are over 6’4″ then you are getting into the 75cm territory, but that is a pretty big ball.
- Resistance Bands – one light resistance and one heavy resistance
- These let you do some nice diagonal chopping movements, some rotational strengthening exercises and give you some nice variety for your pushing and pulling exercises. Don’t be spooked because they are resistance bands. Your body only knows that it is being put under load, trust me your muscles don’t care if that load is coming from a bright pink band!
- The bands I use in the Revolution Studio have a nylon sheath over the actual rubber resistance band. This way if the band ever snaps, it is contained and will not snap back and cause injury. If you do not use this type of band, make sure you inspect them each time you use them for any cracks or signs of wear. If the band has a crack or nick, you should stop using it and replace it immediately.
So for dumbbells, stability ball and a couple resistance bands. You are looking at about $100-130 for some good quality stuff, compare that to a year long membership at the fitness club – $540 if your club is a moderate $45 per month. Now add to that the time you are saving by not having to travel to the gym every time you want to workout. For some of you this may be a great solution!
Cheers,
Maria