Pilates Home Gym

The ultimate Pilates home gym starts with the right reformer.  For those learning the basics it is fine to start with the simple equipment such as a mat, stretch bands, toning balls, and foam blocks/cushions.  However, when you are ready to get serious than you need to find the perfect reformer to build your Pilates home gym around.

The Ultimate Pilates Home Gym Reformer:

Enter the Stotts SPX Home Reformer.  This lightweight, most cost-effective Reformer is especially engineered for shared spaces in multi-purpose studios to accommodate personal private training and group training for the Pilates instructor working out of their home. Weighing only 100 pounds, stackable and easily stored, it offers a full complement of Reformer accessories to expand programming options. Now also upgradeable with purchase of a V2 Max Plus™ style Vertical Frame to allow more exercise options without sacrificing quality and stability while taking programming to the max. Giving you all the bells and whistles for the Pilates home gym.

When stacking, shoulder rests slide conveniently into brackets affixed to the frame and reinforced pulley bars detach and store for stacking without disengaging ropes. A rolling base is available for added convenience when storing stacked Reformers. There are three models to choose from: The basic SPX Reformer offers the best value (shown in picture). The SPX Max™ Reformer includes recoiling rope reels for additional carriage fluidity and Vertical Frame receptacles to accommodate a traditional Vertical Frame or the new V2 Max Plus style version. The SPX Max Plus™ Reformer comes complete with all the features of a V2 Max Plus Reformer.

Includes: SPX™ Max Plus Reformer, Maple Roll-Up Pole, Reformer Box, Mat Converter, Padded Platform Extender, Essential Reformer DVD, 2nd Edition and V2 Max Plus Programming DVD.

The Pilates Home Gym for the visual learners:

Pilates Home Gym Must Haves List:

1. Stott Pilates SPX Home Reformer Package
2. Cardio-Tramp Rebounder SPX®
3. Stott Pilates SPX Reformer Jumpboard (Large)
4. Stott Pilates Split-Pedal Stability Chair with Handles
5. Stott Pilates Rubber Pad
6. Stott Pilates Foam Cushion A
7. Stott Pilates Two Pack Toning Ball
8. Stott Pilates Flex-Bands Gift Pack (Blue and Green)
9. Stott Pilates Fitness Circle Lite
10. Essential Reformer Manual 2nd edition
11. Reformer Box (with Footstrap) – Professional, SPX®

The Power Lifting Home Gym

Are you ready to start building your own power lifting home gym?  There comes a time in a serious lifters life where they have to make a choice.  How strong do I want to get?  The reason it is important is that traditional big box gyms or chains do not like power lifters in their gyms.  A number of things lead to globo gyms dislike, but basically the grunting, screaming, chalk and especially the dropping of heavy iron ticks them off.  Also, it scares off the cardio crowd who like to make a circuit on the machines and then spend an hour on the treadmill.

So if you are committed to lifting ridicously heavy weight than you either need to find a gym that caters to you OR it is time to use your garage or basement to build your ultimate power lifting home gym.  The following picture will give you an idea of the basics that will get your home gym going.  The must-have, skeleton equipment to get you on your way to strong man transformation are a barbell, weight set, and squat rack/power cage.

The Power Lifting Home Gym

The Basic Power Lifting Home Gym Equipment

 The Essential Equipment List:
1. Bayou Fitness E-Series Power Cage
2. Valor Athletics Inc. DA – 3 Flat Hard Core Bench
3. Cap Barbell 1000 Pound Solid Test Bar
4. Olympic Lock-Jaw Barbell Collara>
5. 5 Pair Olympia Bumper Plate Set with Ader Plate Rack
6. 100 LB Rubber Plate
7. Olympic Dumbbell Handles with chrome Training collars a>
8. Powertec Fitness P-HC10 45-Degree Dual Hyperextension / Roman Chair
9. Supermats Solid Heavy Duty P.V.C. Mat for Home Gyms/Weightlifting Equipment (4-Feet x 6-Feet)
10. 4″, Leather Power Weight Lifting Belt Black
11. De Rigueur Dip Belt
12. Gym Chalk
13. Rubberbanditz Powerlifting Bands

The skeleton of home gym may be the power cage, but the feet are the well constructed lifting platform.  Head over to the local hardware store while you are waiting for your gym equipment to arrive and buy several sheets of plywood to build yourself an 8 foot by 8 foot lifting platform (no reason to destroy your concrete slab). 

Drop a comment if we missed any essential equipment for the power lifting home gym.

Otherwise, go crush it!

P90X Home Gym Equipment Essential Set Up

P90X: Your Gateway to Extreme Home Fitness

Unless you have been living under a rock or avoiding your TV than you have probably heard of P90X.  Why are all your coworkers raving about P90X?  Basically because it makes you look good naked.  There are plenty of review sites out there with images of success stories, but if you are wondering what the P90X home gym equipment will look like than look below.  The 12 workouts that take up less than 6 feet by 6 feet of space make it possible to work out just about anywhere.  The best part as you can see is there is minimal equipment required.  Truly all you need are a set of dumbbells (or resistance bands), a pull-up bar, and clear space. 

The idea of P90X excites some and terrifies others.  So depending which group you fall into than the following list is for you to pick up all the P90X home gym equipment you will need.  The list below will set you back the cost of an annual budget gym membership…the difference is that P90X gives you a plug and play program to change your body for the good.

p90X Home Gym Equipment

p90x Home Gym Equipment List:

1. P90X: Tony Horton’s 90-Day Extreme Home Fitness Workout DVD Program
2. Resistance Exercise Bands – ProSource 48-Inch Premium Latex Set of Five
3. Yoga Blocks – 2 Pack 4 inches x 9 inches x 6 inches
4. Pull-Up / Chin-Up Bar – ProSource Heavy-Duty Easy Gym Doorway Chin-up/Pull-Up Bar
5. Harbinger 340100 Durafoam Exercise Mat
6. Cap Barbell Rubber Coated Hex Dumbbell with Contoured Chrome Handle
7. Push Up Bar: Cap Barbell Definity Push Up Holder
8. P90X Plus: The Next Level for P90X Grads-5 New Extreme Workouts on 4 DVDs
9. P90X Results and Recovery Formula: 30-Day Supply, Tub
10. Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor
11. Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair)

All of you new to P90X or those experienced P90X’ers, please drop a comment if we missed an essential piece of P90X home gym equipment.

Yuppie Home Gym and an 1980′s Flashback

The yuppie home gym has a distinctly cardio and 1980′s aerobic feel to it in our mind.  Maybe it was all the 80′s business movies that gave us the idea.  The yuppie workout makes us think of images of guys in suits on the treadmill doing conference calls and barking orders to a permed hair assistant.  

The yuppie home gym would be a workout room with floor to ceiling mirrors on all the walls, a universal piece of resistance training equipment, adjustable dumbbells, a couple of cardio machines, and a gym mat for lots of ab work.  Since yuppies and the 80′s go together like peanut butter and jelly there would be a space in the home gym for the wife to get her aerobic fix on…step, vinyl dumbbells, and a quality thigh master.

The Yuppie Home Gym

Here is the Yuppie Home Gym Essential Equipment List:

 1. StairMaster SM916 StepMill
2. Suzanne Somers Thigh Master
3. Striped Sweatbands Set
4.  Neoprene Dumbbell – 1 to 30 lbs – Sold Individually
5.  The Step Original Health Club Step with DVD (Teal)
6. LifeSpan TR 1200i Folding Treadmill (2011 Model)
7.  Harbinger 340100 Durafoam Exercise Mat
8. Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym
9.  Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair)

 There was a little bit for both the Yuppie and the Mrs. so go get your step on!  Drop a comment if there was something we missed!

Functional Fitness Home Gym

What would you include if you were going to build a home gym based on developing functional fitness? Functional fitness training is not always the easiest to describe, but in essence it is training your body for real life situations. This might in a more rehabilaitive format or building strength in multiple planes of movement. No matter your level of training or deconditioning, functional fitness is something you should focus on.

The following items represent a solid set of equipment to meet the majority of your functional fitness training requirements.

The Functional Fitness Home Gym Must Haves: Functional Fitness PDF

The Functional Fitness List:

1. TRX Suspension Training Pro Pack
2.  Battling Ropes
3. Gymboss GB2010 BLACK SOFTCOAT
4. Pro – grade Kettlebells
5. Ultimate Sandbags
6. Lifeline USA Power Wheel II
7. All Purpose Exercise Bands
8.  BOSU Ball
9. Inspire FT1 Functional Trainer
10.  Cap Barbell Colored Medicine Ball Set with Rack

As always use the comments to let us know if we should something to the list.

The CrossFit Home Gym Essentials

Setting up the perfect CrossFit Gym at home may leave you scratching your head. The following are the base items you need for completing the WOD 90% of the time.  The equipment listed below will give you a solid home gym to raise your workouts to an elite level.

For all you CrossFitters working out at home post a comment if you think something needs to be added to the list.

CrossFit Home Gym Essentials

1. Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine
2. EXF Rings – Crossfit Gymnastics Fitness Training
3. Stud Bar Pull Up Bar
4. Dynamax Medicine Balls
5. PowerLine PPR200X Power Rack
6. Black Plyometric Platform (Plyo Box) Set: 12″, 18″, 24″, 30″
7. CFF Glute Ham Developer – GHD-GHR – Great for Crossfit – For Commercial Use
8. Black 5 Pairs Olympia Bumper Plate Set with Ader Plate Rack.
9. Cap Barbell 1000 Pound Solid Test Bar (7-Feet)
10. Pro-Grade Kettlebells
11. Manila 24′ Climbing Ropes

Don’t forget to build a lifting platform out of plywood and exercise mats (We like horse stall mats because they are heavy duty and cheap).