I used to love going to the gym.  The sounds, the smells, the grunts, the groans.  Nothing seemed more inspiring.  Then life got in the way.  I got busy.  Very busy.

Working with my fitness clients and athletes took up a lot of time, and frankly, I wasn’t too thrilled about taking the time to drive to the gym anymore.  I do have a life, you know.  Then there was the fight for parking not to mention the fact that I had to wait to use the equipment while someone else finished up their workout.  I didn’t really like the music they played so loud I had to shout over it so my training partner could hear me, and the sales staff was constantly hounding me for referrals. 

But I have to tell you about my new favorite place in the world to workout.  My home studio.  In fact, I like it so much that I train many of my clients there as well.  It’s got everything in it that I want, and everything that I need to successfully train my clients.  AND get this it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.

Consider this.  How much do you have to spend each year for a health club or gym membership?  Now add up all the years you’ve gone to the gym and all the years you will go to the gym for the rest of your life.  That’s a big chunk of change!  When you think about it, it makes total sense to buy your own equipment and do it at home. 

There’s no drive to the gym.  No waiting.  No annoying sales people.  You can listen to the music that you want to (or put a TV in the gym for cardio training).  Oh, and the best part is that it’s always open.  Want to get in a good workout on Christmas day?  You can!

Here’s the tricky part.  You can’t just go out and buy whatever equipment seems popular on TV or in magazines.  Do that and you’ll be unhappy in less than a month.  You need a plan to determine what you need in the way of equipment to successfully achieve your fitness goals.

The following 6 points are MUSTS if you want to save time, money, and maximize your success in a minimum of time.

1.  Define your personal fitness goals as specifically as you can.  For any fitness-related goal there are a number of methods you can use to be successful, but first you have to know where you’re going.  Do you want to get stronger?  Do you want to build muscles?  Lose weight or reduce your body fat?  Increase endurance?  Reduce stress?  Are you preparing for a sport?  All the above?  Without knowing that you could end up spending more money than you need to on equipment that you’ll never fully utilize.  Not to mention you may fail in your attempts to achieve your goals.

2.  How much space are you willing to devote to your home gym?  If you’ve only got a 5 x 5 space at home, you’re really going to have to be efficient.  Don’t expect to fit large pieces of fitness equipment into such a small space.  Be realistic.  Maybe it’s time to clear out the room you’re using for storage or that corner of the garage that is just wasted space.  Maybe you’ve got some space, but you’ll need to make your gym a little more portable so you can store it away when it’s not in use.

3.   Familiarize yourself with your options on types and brands of exercise equipment.  Find out what you’ll be comfortable with.  Would you invest in a house or car without looking at several options or a test drive?  Remember, this is an investment in you.  There are all types of equipment from treadmills and crosstrainers, to selectorized weight equipment, to barbells and dumbbells.  Check out equipment on the Internet or in catalogues.  Stop by the exercise equipment retailers and actually see it and even try it out before you even consider buying.  Believe me this is time well spent.  When the time comes to discuss equipment with the appropriate person, be it a salesperson or a fitness professional, you won’t be completely in the dark when it comes to determining your wants and needs and end up buying something you hate or won’t use.

4.  Consult with a fitness professional.  Take advantage of a professionals “in the trenches experience” and educational background when it comes to matching your fitness-related goals with selecting the appropriate equipment for you.  Again, this saves you time and money by preventing you from wasting money on useless or poorly designed equipment.  You may also find that your fitness professional may have relationships with fitness equipment retailers which will allow you to buy your equipment at a discount.