On the list of things you truly need (clean air, water, food, shelter), a gym membership falls pretty far down the line. "Oh, sure," you may reply, "That's easy for you to say. It's just sooo easy to work out at home instead." And to that my reply is going to be: a) You can put that can of sarcasm right back on the shelf where you found it; and b) It actually is easy to work out at home. Or, at least, it can be.
This is not your living room gym.
Nearly every modern commercial gym is built around the core elements of a cardio area, a weights zone, and a group fitness room. Paying more for your membership adds some amenities such as a pool or three, a yoga room, and live TV on every treadmill, but when you get down to it, there are a million ways to raise your heart rate and lift heavy things—and not all of them require you to shell out $75 or more a month.
Thanks to advances in technology, there has never been a better time to replicate, and improve on, the gym experience at home. We'll show you how to build the perfect high-tech home gym that's affordable, space conscious, and—most importantly—easy to use.
Pick a room, any room
Okay, I lied—not any room. Your first step is to pick a room, closet, back patio, or garage space for your gym. Think about what type of activity you're likely to be doing and what kind of space you have to work with. If you practice yoga, for example, you may prefer a room with hardwood floors. Regardless, you don't need a ton of space, but make sure you have enough room for any equipment you might need—and enough room to do Tae Bo without smashing a curio cabinet or ceiling light.
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