Home gyms are more than merely a trend. They’ve become the new normal, especially after COVID that restricted people to their homes. If you also have decided to set up a home gym for your exercise regimen, this blog can serve as a guideline. It discusses how to use home gym machines safely and effectively to achieve the desired outcome.
Tips to Use a Home Gym Machine – Beginner’s Guide
Using a home gym machine requires you to be extra careful, as you wouldn’t necessarily have a fitness trainer by your side, as you would have in a gym – unless you hire one. Nevertheless, here are some tips to get you started with your home gym equipment.
No matter your workout routine, ensure you include a nice and adequate warm-up session before beginning exercising. Warming up your muscles will help enhance blood flow, release stress, and prepare you for the workout session to follow. Begin with some light cardio exercises or stretching for around seven to ten minutes. While preparing your muscles for the set of exercises, will also help reduce the risk of injury while lifting dumbbells, bars, or even using cardio equipment.
Usually, home gym equipment comprises a treadmill and/or an elliptical (cross trainer), a set of dumbbells and barbells, and an exercise machine. Before you begin exercising, you should know every machine well, its functions, benefits, and how to use each.
For instance, if you want to use the treadmill, make sure you know how to use it and its various features and functionalities. Advanced treadmills comprise a range of features and settings that help you exercise effectively and push your limits.
For example, they include varying intensity levels in the form of incline settings. It is imperative for you to know them so that you set the intensity level appropriately – neither too easy nor very difficult. It will help you exercise effectively and achieve better results in the form of calories burnt, maintaining a proper heart rate, etc.
As mentioned earlier, you wouldn’t have a fitness trainer who would make all the decisions for you based on your comfort levels while exercising. You will be the best judge of what suits you and what doesn’t. Thus, setting a baseline and benchmark while exercising will be your responsibility.
Accordingly, set your baseline and benchmark with which you are comfortable. For instance, you can begin with lower weights and intensity levels and gradually increase them based on your comfort levels and your ability to push yourself to do more.
Remember, it could be tempting to begin with heavy weights, as you wouldn’t have anyone to monitor. However, going overboard with something may lead to an injury and distance you from a particular exercise.
Hence, be careful while deciding what suits you at a particular stage and what doesn’t. Begin with low-weight trials and see how your body responds to them. Make an informed decision based on your body’s response to stay safe and exercise safely.
Since you are the only one using all the equipment, you may want to use all the machines and perform each exercise every day. But stop! Refrain from doing it, as doing that may unnecessarily stress your body. The key is to set a workout schedule that targets all the muscle groups evenly. Accordingly, prepare a week or a month’s schedule that includes exercises targeting all muscle groups like the back, chest, arms, triceps, forearms, thighs, calves, etc. It will help you achieve holistic results without stressing or injuring any part.
Set your fitness goals. However, while doing so, stay realistic and practical. Your goals will depend on a range of factors like your existing health condition, your current exercising capacity, the intensity and amount of exercise you need at a particular stage, etc. Consulting a fitness expert can help you know what’s right for you and for how much in a week or a month should you target. The idea is to achieve steady and sustainable results without draining yourself and attempting to accomplish everything at once.
We hope the above helps you get started with your home gym machine. Connect with a fitness trainer for specific inputs and guidance. As for the choice of home gym machines, explore our extensive range and select the best-suited one for your needs.
