Part 2 – What you need
At this point, you made up your mind and you decided you really want to get some gym equipment for your home.
What should you get? You could get one machine for cardio exercises, such as a stationary bike, a treadmill, an elliptical or a rower. My favorite in this group is the elliptical, with the resistance wheel in the back. I shred a large part of my excess pounds on the elliptical. Later, I added a rower with water resistance. I love my rower, but I have a hard time doing any more than 10 minutes on it so I always go back to the elliptical with its various preset training programs.
Then you will need some equipment for strength training. You do not need any elaborate contraption for this. Free weights and kettle bells are perfect. You can start with a few small weights and purchase heavier weights as your performance improves.
One day last summer, while being at a park with my sons I joined them on the monkey bars and realized that for the first time in my life I could hold myself on the bars. That revelation gave a large boost to my motivation and I started looking into door frame supports to train and develop this newly found ability. After some research I opted for a more elaborate setup, a standalone pull-up station. This requires some floor space but I am pleased I got that.
Another item I love and use often is a BOSU ball. The name stands for BOth Sides Up, in reference to the multiple ways the ball can be positioned. This is a half ball, with a flat side. It looks like a stability ball cut in half. The BOSU ball is excellent to strengthen the lower back, especially when used with weights on your chest or behind your head.
One last word of advice on buying gym equipment: there are great deals in the used marketplace. Instead of buying an entry level version brand new, for the same price and often even less you could find a commercial grade equipment.
One Fit Geek 