A blog about my life, fitness and fun! (...and maybe a few cat pictures...)

A blog about my life, fitness and fun! (...and maybe a few cat pictures...)

Friday, December 1, 2017

Friday 5: My Home Gym



Hey all! I am linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 5 2.0!

Today, I'm going to share 5 things I use in my "home gym". I use quotation marks because I lug all my equipment into the sun room to lift. I don't have a space that is specifically for working out.

I normally lift 2-3 days a week, and this is the equipment I use:

1. Free weights. My dumbbells range between 8lb-30lb. It was expensive to accumulate these dumbbells as they cost $1 per pound! But the $216 I spent was worth every penny. It's a luxury to be able to lift at home.


2. Pull up bar and resistance band. The bar I use can be easily put on and off a doorway. My MIL got it for me a couple Christmases ago. I believe it was about $30 and it is still nice and sturdy a couple years later. Sometimes I use a chair for assistance, sometimes I use a resistance band, and other times I just do unassisted pull ups.


3. "The Perfect Push Up". My dad bought me these for $2 at a yard sale. They swivel so you can have your hands in many different positions while you do push ups. I love these because I can do lots of push ups without my wrists or shoulders hurting.

You gotta watch this one... Chrissy has a cameo!


4. Piano bench. We own a weight bench, but my piano bench works just fine if I rest my head on the couch. The piano bench is easier to get out and put away than the weight bench, which we keep in the basement.



5. Towel/foam toller.  I use my towel for a lot of my core and glute work. Then of course, the foam roller helps keep my ITB and hips in check! Stability ball is for a lot of core stuff as well!



That's what I have going on in my "home gym"! We also have a spin bike but I don't use it anymore since it bothers my knee. Paul uses it. We keep it in the guest room.


HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What do you have in your home gym?

30 comments:

  1. OMG this post reminded me that I need to buy a spin bike. I've just decided that's what I'm getting myself for Christmas!

    Since I had to stop running I've really gotten lax on lifting too. The other day I realized I haven't made any progress at all this year but today is the first day of December and a fresh start! Time to get to it!

    Chrissy looks so cute hurdling you :).

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    1. I think you will love having a spin bike. I could watch the Chrissy video over and over...

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  2. I have home equipment too, which I rarely use! Earlier this year, I bought one of those TRX-type devices but I have yet to set it up. The only thing I do at home, in the house is yoga. That should change.

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    1. I would love to have TRX so I could do inverted rows. Well Wendy, you actually get out to the gym and go to classes often so maybe that is just more your thing?

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  3. I really appreciate having a home gym as well. Those perfect pushups look like a great way to have better form. Creative use of the bench!

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    1. Oh yes, they really force you to use the right muscles for the push ups.

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  4. I really need to utilize my home gym more! I'd love to learn how to utilize the stability ball because all I use it for is to sit on it to eat dinner on nights we eat in the living room (I know, so bad).

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    1. I use mine for stability ball pull ins. Get in the up position of a push up and put your feet on the ball. Then bring your knees to a tuck position while rolling the ball in. It's a good full body workout.

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  5. Hmmm... I’ve never used a foam roller as part of an exercise! I’ve finally carved out a space for a home gym and am slowly setting it up. I found without a dedicated space, I was really good at excuses for not working out: that room is too messy to work out/I’ll mess up that room pulling weights out. But I think that says more about my struggle to keep a clean house than to work out!

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    1. Well I wouldn't say the rolling is exercise, but I will do it in between sets while my muscles rest. I can appreciate the clutter factor when there is no set space for a gym! The equipment does clutter up the back of the sun room!

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  6. I love your home gym! I am lucky that I have a treadmill in my parents basement and I definitely use that a lot!

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  7. I love that you have a home gym- perfect for days when you can't get to a gym and it saves time (don't have to drive). Also good if the weather is bad outside. We don't have any home gym equipment but I really want some kettlebells and am debating asking Santa for some!

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    1. Oh you should totally get some kettle bells! Yes I love that having the equipment at home saves me time. Plus, as you know, I like being at home.

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  8. I have built up a home gym in the basement, and since my treadmill arrived, I've been moving everything down there. I'll probably still do Pure Barre in the living room to use the TV, but I have weights, resistance bands, and a stability ball.

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  9. You have a pretty awesome home gym! My home gym consists of a kettlebell, that's about it! I love that your dad found the perfect push ups at a yard sale. I love a good yard sale find!

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    1. I know I can always count on my parents to get me something good at a yard sale!

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    2. I got a TriggerPoint roller at a garage sale for 75 cents! Deal!!!

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  10. We have kettle bells and the weights that go on the bar, and the pull up bar.

    You have all your weights ready to go!! I admire your dedication to the weights and workouts at home.

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    1. Thanks Ana! I enjoy it, but it also keeps me from running TOO much. I would love to have weights with a bar to do bench press.

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  11. Interesting - spin bikes (and regular biking) bothers my knee (just one) also! I thought it was just me that had those weird issues. Biking is supposed to be better on your knees than running, isn't it?? My hand weight set maxes out at 10 lbs. I asked Santa for a big girl set of 15 lbs & 20 lbs.

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    1. Yeah I hope santa comes through for you!!

      Oh yeah, I can't spin anymore. KILLS my ITB. I ran a 30k, ITB feels fine. If I spinned for 10 min it would ache for days.

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  12. I no longer have a pull up bar ever since mine broke a couple of years ago. We got a bench which I use more than I thought I would. Now Im trying to convince Rob that we need a treadmill!

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    1. Oh you should be able to convince him of that. :)

      I'm so scared of my bar breaking while I'm on it!

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  13. I claimed a partially finished room in our basement for my "gym". My heaviest weights are 20lbs. I remember wehn I bought them the salesman was afraid I couldn't carry them out to my car. :-O

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    1. Oh gosh! That would've annoyed me. I would've been like, DUDE I bought them to use!

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  14. I am so impressed you have a home gym. My "home gym" consists of a yoga mat and a foam roller - haha. I am afraid to invest in weights and stuff and then end up not using any of it.

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    1. I understand! I knew I would use the weights so it was okay.

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