Home Gym kit suggestion - Smith / Multi functional etc

[aero93]

So I have decided to invest in some gym kit at home but with no previous experience I am not sure what to purchase. I thought smith machine would make sense but it seems a lot of advice is to avoid these, I noticed cable machines, power racks and multifunction devices and not sure where to begin etc.

Budget is about £1,500 but could go up to £2,500 if it was really worth it.

40ish, about 3 stone overweight and main goal is to lose weight and change body shape (already have a treadmill). Suffer vertigo and balance not great so this is a consideration.

Edited by aero93 on Tuesday 2nd March 14:33

Edited by aero93 on Tuesday 2nd March 15:02

[Taita]

You could get a squat rack, bench / supports and some free weights for that, which would give you pretty much the full body workout. Supplement with a rowing machine or run outside

Job done

[joshleb]

You got any goals in mind?

Have you been to the gym much before?

Good base level of fitness, and what age are you?

[Radec]

Get a vertical climbing machine if you want cardio/lose weight, they are only a few hundred quid, no resistance but 10/15 mins on one will have you on your ass.
Really good machines.

[aero93]

joshleb said:

You got any goals in mind?

Have you been to the gym much before?

Good base level of fitness, and what age are you?

Ive added a few edits in post. 40, below average fitness these days. ParkRun 5k in about 35mins etc. Never used free weights, used to use some machines at the gym but not racks/smith machines etc. I am thinking more machines than free weights due to vertigo and balance.

[MC Bodge]

aero93 said:

Budget is about £1,500 but could go up to £2,500 if it was really worth it.

Save a fortune:

Skipping rope
A couple of sandbags (army kit bags with sacks of sand from B&Q)
medicine ball
A couple of kettlebells
Dumbells with various plates
TRX/suspension trainer
a crate/step for step-ups
Rucksack (for putting weights in)
Press up bars
Steel mace
Indian clubs

You can do a lot with the above. Buying expensive kit won't mean that you use it or get any more benefit from it.

Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 2nd March 15:20

[worsy]

I bought a Vectra Online 1600 weights machine off ebay for £500 quid. Then added a Proform HIIT machine with an Ifit subscription for £1000. A few weeks later added a Proform 750R Rower, again integrated with iFit which was £800.

5 months later am almost 3.5 stone down, and all my clothes need replacing

For me the iFit integration was key as I now compete with myself for distance per week, calories burned etc.

[gregs656]

MC Bodge said:

Save a fortune:

Skipping rope
A couple of sandbags (army kit bags with sacks of sand from B&Q)
medicine ball
A couple of kettlebells
Dumbells with various plates
TRX/suspension trainer
a crate/step for step-ups
Rucksack (for putting weights in)
Press up bars
Steel mace
Indian clubs

You can do a lot with the above. Buying expensive kit won't mean that you use it or get any more benefit from it.

Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 2nd March 15:20

I'd tend to agree. You wouldn't even need all of that initially.

I would add a pull up bar.

[aero93]

MC Bodge said:

Save a fortune:

Skipping rope
A couple of sandbags (army kit bags with sacks of sand from B&Q)
medicine ball
A couple of kettlebells
Dumbells with various plates
TRX/suspension trainer
a crate/step for step-ups
Rucksack (for putting weights in)
Press up bars
Steel mace
Indian clubs

You can do a lot with the above. Buying expensive kit won't mean that you use it or get any more benefit from it.

Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 2nd March 15:20

It would save a fortune but I am not so sure with my vertigo and general balance I would be able to use the majority of those items safely.

[MC Bodge]

aero93 said:

It would save a fortune but I am not so sure with my vertigo and general balance I would be able to use the majority of those items safely.

Ok, but it might be worth trying to work on your balance and body control before anything else. Can you use a skipping rope?

[TheThing]

gregs656 said:

MC Bodge said:

Save a fortune:

Skipping rope
A couple of sandbags (army kit bags with sacks of sand from B&Q)
medicine ball
A couple of kettlebells
Dumbells with various plates
TRX/suspension trainer
a crate/step for step-ups
Rucksack (for putting weights in)
Press up bars
Steel mace
Indian clubs

You can do a lot with the above. Buying expensive kit won't mean that you use it or get any more benefit from it.

Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 2nd March 15:20

I'd tend to agree. You wouldn't even need all of that initially.

I would add a pull up bar.

Agreed. Pull up bar, rings, few kettlebells and a skipping rope. All you need to get yourself in shape.

[MC Bodge]

TheThing said:

Agreed. Pull up bar, rings, few kettlebells and a skipping rope. All you need to get yourself in shape.

I use a pull up bar, but not everybody can make use of one, especially when they are starting off, hence my suggestion of a TRX



Pressups:
start with inclined, moving down to the floor, and then onto feet raised raised

Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 3rd March 10:11

[AJB88]

Your food nutrition will sort the 3 stone over weight bit without forking out all of that money.

[Animal]

Honestly?

- good trainers
- 2-3 kettlebells (12kg, 16kg and maybe 20kg if you're feeling fancy)
- TRX if you've got something to hang it from
- yoga mat
- couple of exercise bands (one light and one a light-medium tension)

The majority of any fat loss is going to come from diet. You can do an awful lot with just a treadmill and the floor (walking lunges, running intervals etc on treadmill), pushups, crunches. I've been using the Nike training app and its got tons of workouts of varying difficulty that require absolutely no equipment. I only wear trainers and use a yoga mat for comfort!

Make sure you're comfortable and well-supported and maybe buy a couple of bits of equipment and then stick the rest of the money in the bank for later when you want to buy more stuff.

[MC Bodge]

Animal said:

Honestly?

- TRX if you've got something to hang it from

A door anchor is all that is required, preferably pulling it towards closed, rather than open....



Spending £1000s probably won't get you fitter, just more equipment.

Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 3rd March 10:49

[TheThing]

MC Bodge said:

TheThing said:

Agreed. Pull up bar, rings, few kettlebells and a skipping rope. All you need to get yourself in shape.

I use a pull up bar, but not everybody can make use of one, especially when they are starting off, hence my suggestion of a TRX



Pressups:
start with inclined, moving down to the floor, and then onto feet raised raised

Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 3rd March 10:11

I get what your saying. I suggested a pull up bar to hang a set of rings from. You can use them the same as a TRX but have the added benefit of being able to do pull ups and dips from them. Rings at £10 a set are also a fraction of the cost of a TRX.

[MC Bodge]

TheThing said:

I get what your saying. I suggested a pull up bar to hang a set of rings from. You can use them the same as a TRX but have the added benefit of being able to do pull ups and dips from them. Rings at £10 a set are also a fraction of the cost of a TRX.

I have some rings, but nowhere decent to hang them. The chin up bar is in a narrow doorway.

I bought a TRX "tribute" for about £10.

[TheThing]

MC Bodge said:

TheThing said:

I get what your saying. I suggested a pull up bar to hang a set of rings from. You can use them the same as a TRX but have the added benefit of being able to do pull ups and dips from them. Rings at £10 a set are also a fraction of the cost of a TRX.

I have some rings, but nowhere decent to hang them. The chin up bar is in a narrow doorway.

I bought a TRX "tribute" for about £10.

Its a bit of a faff but when I used my rings in the house I used to hang them from my loft hatch. I layed a length of 4x4 timber across the ceiling joists in the loft to spread the load and hung the rings from the 4x4.

[MC Bodge]

TheThing said:

Its a bit of a faff but when I used my rings in the house I used to hang them from my loft hatch. I layed a length of 4x4 timber across the ceiling joists in the loft to spread the load and hung the rings from the 4x4.

That's a good idea.

Our substantial wooden loft ladder would get in the way.

[gregs656]

I hang my rings off the pull up bar.