The best exercise equipment to fast track your weight loss must be practical, versatile, and goal focused. If a piece of fitness gear that you’re looking to buy does not meet these three qualifications then it’s highly unlikely that you will use it long enough to lose weight. So how do you determine what workout equipment will help you lose weight and keep the weight off for life?
1. Consider Your Workout Ratios
There are many types of exercise a person can do to lose weight and some exercises are better than others but one of the most important questions to ask yourself is what will you be doing most? The type of exercise that will dominate your workouts determines what you need to spend most of your money on. For example, if your weight loss workout plan will rely heavily on cardio workouts then a cardio machine, bicycle, running shoes, and/or jump rope should take up about 70% of your budget and the rest of your budget should be spent on fitness gear for strength and flexibility workouts. If 80% of your workouts will be resistance training then skip the cardio machines and spend evenly on weights, bands, balls, suspension trainer or pullup bar.
It may be tempting to buy a big machine that you can place in your empty basement or the garage but before you buy ask yourself if you will actually go spend time in that room exercising? If you’re not sure then test it out and go exercise in there for 30-60 minutes 3 times a week for a couple of weeks (a basic bodyweight exercises circuit will do). You may find that it’s not as appealing as you thought and that you would rather bike outdoors or train in your living room or bedroom. Test out any room in your house to avoid costly home gym mistakes and be sure to find an area that you will be able to spend time in several times a week then purchase the workout equipment that fits in that space.
3. Stick to Versatile Fitness Gear
Boredom is one of the top reasons people don’t stick to their workout plan and the best way to prevent boredom is to stick with gear that you can mix up as much as possible. For example if you’re working with a budget of $500 and you’re not sure whether to buy just one cardio machine, or spend less on a machine and also buy bands, bench, weights, and ball then think about what is going to work long term. You can always mix up your elliptical or treadmill workouts with bodyweight exercises, yoga, and pilates but if would rather mix up your cardio machine workouts with more traditional resistance workouts then a more affordable cardio machine might be a better option. Always stick with a variety of exercises that will keep you engaged. One machine or one piece of gear will work short term but if you’re planning on sticking with exercise long term then versatility is a must.
Get an affordable spin bike like the ProForm 290 SPX Indoor Cycle Trainer
and have enough left over to splurge on more versatile fitness gear
