Home fitness equipment during Covid (and after)

[troutnut1]

My wife and I and our border collie have put over 4000 miles on our treadmill. But we couldn’t have done it with a TV on it. Even our dog “Agent Jack Bowwow” watches TV while he is tread milling. We all do half an hour a day minimum. Here is proof as most people don’t believe me:

https://youtu.be/Ss0Wm0O7WXg

Our gym trainer (until covid) also had us use dumbbells and a large blue exercise ball for wall squats:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08668HD9B/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_UJI.Fb7TVQXC5

And we did a lot of “planks” which require no equipment at all.

 

[Nemo2]

Even our dog “Agent Jack Bowwow” watches TV while he is tread milling.

When my Late Border Collie was around we didn't have to bother with Covid, but if we did I'm sure he would have used the time to get ahead with his chemistry & physics courses.

 

[2lhasas]

We have a huge basement and fitted out a pretty large space as a gym space. We have a squat rack, bench, dumbbells, bars and plates. For cardio we have a stationary bike, treadmill and rowing machine. My husband is a pretty hardcore runner, and tore up our old treadmill. There are several companies that resell commercial equipment from gyms and hotels that are closing or updating their gear. We bought a commercial treadmill and my husband loves it on rainy days.

We both do some martial arts, so we padded the rest of the room for grappling, but I mostly use it for yoga or video workouts like Insanity. We pay for the annual Beachbody streaming membership ($99) which gets you all the Shaun T (Insanity), Tony Horton (P90X) and a bunch of other trainers covering cardio, weights, yoga, boxing and everything in between. They'll probably pester you to buy their shakes etc, but I think it's a good value if you want a workout streaming platform.

We've collected equipment over years. If I was starting from scratch, I might go with a functional trainer cable machine in place of the various free weights. More compact and allows a lot of exercises for different muscle groups.

 

[FIREarly]

For home gym, where can we buy a great set of adjustable dumbbells (DBs) at a reasonable price?

 

[troutnut1]

For home gym, where can we buy a great set of adjustable dumbbells (DBs) at a reasonable price?

They don’t ever seem to be “at reasonable price” to me, but I’d first check with Kmart to avoid shipping costs which can mount up. Be aware they are usually sold individually and not in pairs. So if it says $20, that likely for 1. Of course they get more expensive as they get heavier. I would buy the fixed weights and not the adjustables which are a pain.

Most people only need a couple at a time, not a full set. My wife and I have pairs of 5’s, 8’s, 10’s and 15’s. And I’ll probably never need anything heavier cause I’m not Arnold. At first we only needed the 5’s and 8’s. It took a year to work up to the 10’s and 15’s for what we do with them.

 

[troutnut1]

This is what a “hex dumbell” looks like at Kmart:

https://www.kmart.com/weider-10-lb-hex-dumbbell/p-00615765000P?rrec=true

 

[Music Lover]

Hex dumbbells are nice but you need 2 of every weight you plan to use and that can add up....and take up space. The most cost effective solution is a pair of spinlock dumbbells and 2.5, 5, and 10 pound weights. Get four 2.5 pound plates, four 5's, and as many 10's as you need (in groups of 4). With that combination you can increase or decrease in 5 pound increments.

I sold my hex dumbbells and kept just one set of spinlocks with four 2.5's four 5's, and a bunch of 10's.

 

[Jamie1101]

Staying Safe

I have belonged and worked out at gyms and the "Y" for more years than I like to admit. COVID has me avoiding my old YMCA which is 500 steps from my house. Instead I broke down and purchased a Concept 2 rower. I was months on the waiting list. It was delivered in late August. I rowed with a masters rowing group on the water 2008-2013. Nothing can match rowing on the water but the Concept 2's are a good substitute.....Now I work out to youtubes with "Dark Horse Rowing" pretty much every day. Have lost 10 pounds and my maximum heart rate is getting into the 160's again. I enjoyed erging under the carport but now in the cold weather it is set up in my back study. Having a "personal youtube coach" has made all the difference in the world as far as improving technique and egging me on when I want to quit.......

 

[teachme]

Portion of my setup is as the usual (dumbbells, plates, rack, etc). Also a big fan of mutli-planar movements in my workouts and sandbags (Brute Force is good quality)

 

[FIREarly]

I broke down and purchased a Concept 2 rower.....Now I work out to youtubes with "Dark Horse Rowing" pretty much every day. Have lost 10 pounds and my maximum heart rate is getting into the 160's again.

+1

Suoer happy for you and glad you're down 10lbs and what is probably a reasonable weight for you. The Concept 2 rower is AMAZING... from using it at gyms. Wish there was space in the townhouse for it. We have a Peloton, great for DW, but its not a Concept 2 rower! Thank you for the YouTube vlogger. Might use one of their workouts at the gym.

 

[socca]

We have a huge basement and fitted out a pretty large space as a gym space. We have a squat rack, bench, dumbbells, bars and plates. For cardio we have a stationary bike, treadmill and rowing machine. ...

Thanks to the magic of osmosis you and DH get to live inside fit bodies without ever going downstairs to use the equipment.

I went online shopping for an elliptical machine last week, but couldn't find anything that I liked. Recalling that I actually got a more strenuous workout at the gym on a stepper than an elliptical machine, I've starting looking for a stepper for home use. I've got some promising leads but haven't yet bought anything.

 

[Nemo2]

I went online shopping for an elliptical machine last week, but couldn't find anything that I liked.

Did you look at Precor? Our old heavy duty one offers a challenging workout at the higher settings.

 

[G8tr]

Thanks to the magic of osmosis you and DH get to live inside fit bodies without ever going downstairs to use the equipment.

I went online shopping for an elliptical machine last week, but couldn't find anything that I liked. Recalling that I actually got a more strenuous workout at the gym on a stepper than an elliptical machine, I've starting looking for a stepper for home use. I've got some promising leads but haven't yet bought anything.

There's a difference between steppers (which have the pedals attached to air pistons) and step mills (which are like a down escalator). The latter burns more calories because you have to lift your bodyweight each time, while the former lets you use your bodyweight to push down and returns when you "step off the gas".

I looked at a step mill for home, but it requires a tall basement ceiling and costs $3,500.

 

[Retch The Grate]

anybody with a garage gym have epoxy on the floor? Considering sealing the floor to make it more pleasant, then will put rubber tiles down in the gym portion for impact protection. DW and I both like lifting so dedicating the back half of the garage in the new house to a proper gym is our plan, plus a cardio/dance room made in the room that has the laundry machines.

 

[Music Lover]

anybody with a garage gym have epoxy on the floor? Considering sealing the floor to make it more pleasant, then will put rubber tiles down in the gym portion for impact protection. DW and I both like lifting so dedicating the back half of the garage in the new house to a proper gym is our plan, plus a cardio/dance room made in the room that has the laundry machines.

Not a garage but I was originally thinking of epoxy for my basement which has a concrete floor. It has my gym, a sauna, rehearsal space for 2 bands, and a TV viewing area. But I've now decided to go with vinyl plank with a couple of area rugs.

I used to have 1/2" rubber mats in my gym area and didn't really like them that much because I work out bare feet/socks, so I sold them and my workout area is a scrap of carpet on cement.

 

[socca]

There's a difference between steppers (which have the pedals attached to air pistons) and step mills (which are like a down escalator). ...

The stepper recommendation webpages I have visited so far freely mix the two different designs. My gym has only stepper/mills. I've never used a stepper/piston but that's what I'm considering. The stepper/mills available for home use are bulky and expensive. Some of the stepper/piston models are minimalist and cheap, which is why I'm considering them. However, I'm not 100% convinced that I'll like the stepper/piston experience based on comments I've seen online. On the positive side, I won't have much at stake if I don't like the machine.

 

[Clover5]

My best addition to our home gym was our PowerBlocks. They look a bit unwieldy but frankly they are excellent. I have them up to 50lbs, would like to add at least another 10lbs though can ho as high as 90lbs I think. Highly recommend you get the stand as well, well worth it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265009657488

 

[Aerides]

For home gym, where can we buy a great set of adjustable dumbbells (DBs) at a reasonable price?

Dicks has some cheaper starting sets, but not for shipping.

 

[G8tr]

My best addition to our home gym was our PowerBlocks. They look a bit unwieldy but frankly they are excellent. I have them up to 50lbs, would like to add at least another 10lbs though can ho as high as 90lbs I think. Highly recommend you get the stand as well, well worth it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265009657488

Been trying to get some of these for a while. Unavailable from trustworthy stores, and when they are: (1) eBay vultures swoop in, or (2) Covid prices.

 

[Retch The Grate]

Not a garage but I was originally thinking of epoxy for my basement which has a concrete floor. It has my gym, a sauna, rehearsal space for 2 bands, and a TV viewing area. But I've now decided to go with vinyl plank with a couple of area rugs.

I used to have 1/2" rubber mats in my gym area and didn't really like them that much because I work out bare feet/socks, so I sold them and my workout area is a scrap of carpet on cement.

Hmm, I'm pretty used to the heavy duty rubber floor at most of the commercial gyms I've worked out at, do you think that's a taste thing or did you find that home gym it really didn't make sense having the rubber flooring? I like that I can buy it and form to fit the space...

 

[Music Lover]

Hmm, I'm pretty used to the heavy duty rubber floor at most of the commercial gyms I've worked out at, do you think that's a taste thing or did you find that home gym it really didn't make sense having the rubber flooring? I like that I can buy it and form to fit the space...

Just personal taste. When I had a gym membership I had no problem with them but I worked out in runners. At home I workout bare feet or in socks and prefer carpet.

 

[Clover5]

Been trying to get some of these for a while. Unavailable from trustworthy stores, and when they are: (1) eBay vultures swoop in, or (2) Covid prices.

Got ours on Amazon but that was pre Covid.

 

[G8tr]

Got ours on Amazon but that was pre Covid.

Yeah... I'm having to make do with what I can get right now. One thing I've realized during Covid is how much time I was wasting driving to the gym, changing clothes, etc... Then the reverse to go home. I plan to fully equip my home gym even after Covid passes. Also, my w@rk building has a really nice gym, so between that and home I'll be all set.

 

[Marathoner]

I've had a Concept2 rower for about 7 years but used bad form so it hurt my back. With covid, I decided to learn proper technique and begin rowing regularly. It's great! Concept2 has a tracker on their website and they hold challenges regularly which work to get me rowing even on a day that I might not otherwise. I need that external motivation, and it's great cross training since I also do a lot of running.

 

[socca]

Some of the stepper/piston models are minimalist and cheap, which is why I'm considering them.

I finally selected a stepper/piston model: the Stamina 40-0069 SpaceMate Folding Stepper. It's available from Walmart, Target, and Kohls but is currently out-of-stock at all three places. I will probably have to extend the handlebars somehow since I'm on the tall side. Anyway, at less than $100 there's not much at stake.