The Home Gym

Welcome to this week's Fit Tip Friday! For the man in the pew carrying several responsibilities, investing your time and resources in building a gym at home will pay you dividends down the road in terms of time and money saved.  

With a home gym, you add value to your body-stewardship system by:

• Saving on time commuting to a gym

• Saving on annual fees and monthly payments for a gym membership

• Investing in equipment you can use for years

• Familiarizing your young kids with exercise equipment and providing them with resources they can eventually use

• Providing more flexibility on when you can workout

Home gyms vary in size, equipment, toys, and costs. But they do not need to be elaborate.In fact, if you build your routine entirely with bodyweight, you don't need any equipment at all! But if you want to add other methods beyond bodyweight, you don't need to invest thousands of dollars into recreating your local gym at home. Start small, and gradually build from there. Let's get into it! 

6 Home Gym "Must Haves"

These 6 home gym essentials have an upfront cost of *$153. The average monthly gym membership costs $38/month, some more and some less. But considering this average cost, in a year you would save ~$300 if you were to invest the gym membership money on starting your home gym. 1. 16kg KettlebellIf you have been a FTF subscriber for the last several weeks, it's probably no surprise to you that the kettlebell tops the list. If you want to move beyond bodyweight and into some form of weight lifting, the kettlebell is the most effective and versatile piece of home gym equipment you can invest in. However, if you don't want to spend any money on weights, then save yourself $60 and move on to the rest of the list. The kettlebell requires only a few square inches of space, it can go with you anywhere, and is relatively inexpensive when compared to purchasing dumbbells and barbells. You will need to scale up in weight over time, but kettlebells are hardy pieces of metal that with proper care will last for years. I recommend one 16kg KB to start (16kg for men, 12kg for women), and I have found Lifeline to be a blend of both quality and affordability when compared to other brands. A 16kg Lifeline KB will cost ~$60. As your strength improves over time, you will want to add more KB's to your collection, and if you do I recommend increasing to 20kg, then to 24kg. 2. Pull-Up BarThe Pull-Up Bar ranks #2 behind the kettlebell because there are other pull-up alternatives for you that you might not be taking advantage of. You can do inverted rows, a close cousin of the pull-up, on the side of your kitchen table (if sturdy). Your local park probably has monkey bars that you can do pull-ups on. Or, you could use the top of a door (if sturdy). Seriously. Check this out. But, if you don't want to use your table, monkey bars, or the top of your door, you could invest in a simple pull-up bar that can be mounted ontop of a door frame. I have used several variations of these types of pull-up bars over the years, and you can find different options at a retail price of ~$20. The pull-up strengthens the muscles in your back, biceps, core, and forearms, and is one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do. Adding a convenient way to do pull-ups to your home will be welcome option for your home gym routine. 3. HeadphonesChances are you already have a pair of headphones you can use. Listening to music, a podcast, or an audiobook is a great way to add more value to the time spent exercising. I tend to listen to music while exercising, and I am slowly creating a workout playlist with some of my favorites that you can find here on Spotify. I recommend investing in a pair of wireless headphones so you don't have to worry about tangled cords interfering with your movements. I have used the same pair of Mpow Flame headphones for the last several years, and their retail price is only $25. 4. Foam RollerA foam roller is a tool that helps with your flexibility training. It can be used both to warm-up your muscles before a workout and can be used in recovery as a part of your cool-down. I would recommend purchasing one that is at least 18" in length, and you can find one for this size on Amazon for ~$15. 5. MatIf you want to create a home gym in a garage, having a mat will make a difference for your feet and your back. If you noticed, I haven't recommended buying shoes. That was intentional; if you want to workout at home with a combination of bodyweight and kettlebell movements, shoes in my opinion are optional. You can find a variety of mats, but for my last two home gyms I have purchased some variation of this one, which will cost you ~$25. If you regularly sweep this mat before and after your workout, you'll find that these types of mats can last longer than the reviews indicate. 6. Jump RopeA jump rope, like the kettlebell, only takes a few square inches of storage, it can be taken with you anywhere, and it provides an effective workout. The jump rope will help you improve and train your cardiovascular fitness, and you can find one for ~$8 on Amazon.You can incorporate 30-60 second intervals of jump roping into your home gym routine to start. If you're barefoot, you will soften the impact and wear on your feet by jumping ontop of your mat. *All of the links above do not have affiliate links, and the prices reflect the retail value on March 15th, 2022. 

  New Recipe (Snack) 

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars: 

• 1 cup of peanut butter (or almond butter)

• 1 cup coconut flour

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

My wife made this snack last week, and it was a hit with both myself and our oldest daughter. It only requires three ingredients, and the preparation time is minimal. 

Instructions

:

Mix peanut butter and syrup together. Add the flour. Form the dough into a ball and flatten out on a preferred baking dish ontop of baking parchment paper. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes (longer if needed). Cut into bars and enjoy. Store the bars in the fridge.