Home Fitness Equipment Buying Guide

Prioritize making sure that you can continue to complete the corresponding training for 3 months before placing an order. The equipment should not occupy more than 70% of the available fitness space in your home. Only buy models that match your current training level. Never pursue the "one-step" purchase of top-notch equipment.

Last month, I helped my best friend tidy up a rental house. The sight of the unused equipment on the semi-balcony made my head hurt: the internet-famous elliptical machine with an original price of 3,299 yuan had not been torn off, the salted fish hanging for 1,000 yuan had been hanging for 3 months without anyone asking, and there was also a complete set of barbell plates piled in the corner.

Nowadays, two opinions are quarreling on the Internet. One group says, "If you want to buy something, just buy the best one. It can be amortized over ten years and only cost a few cents a day." If you are just starting out and can't even do 30 minutes of exercise every day for 3 days a week, really don't touch the big stuff first, spend 30 yuan on a TPE yoga mat, and a 20 yuan medium resistance elastic band, and practice with the video for two months first - if you can practice 4 times a week without any problem, then it's not too late to consider adding other items, otherwise it will really add a big piece of garbage to your home.

Many people choose equipment only based on the product size on the details page, without considering the actual activity space used. The trap can go around the community three times. For example, when buying a bench press bench, you can't just count the 0.3 square meters occupied by the bench itself. You have to leave room for the dumbbells on both sides and when you lie flat and stretch your arms to lift the iron. You need to add at least 2 square meters to allow it to turn. I had a friend who rented a second bedroom of only 12 square meters. He suddenly bought a spinning bike. After putting it away, the closet door could only be opened halfway. Every time he used it, he had to move it to the hallway. After using it twice, it was too troublesome, so he piled it up at the door and used it as a clothes hanger. If you live in an old community or on a low floor, you have to consider additional noise and load-bearing. If you buy a 100kg barbell, and it bangs on the ground every time you deadlift, it would be strange if the neighbors downstairs don't come knocking on the door every day. This happened to my colleague before. In the end, he couldn't sell the barbell plate at half the price, so he replaced it with a pair of adjustable dumbbells up to 24kg, which was enough for him to build muscle for a newbie for more than a year.

If you have passed the entry period and want to increase your training volume in a targeted manner, don’t blindly follow the trend and go for Internet celebrity models. Let’s talk about rowing machines that have been very popular recently. The water-resistance model has a good appearance, and there is a splashing sound when you pull it up, which makes the atmosphere full. However, if you have a poor memory and forget to drain the water in the water tank after each use, a layer of green mold will grow in half a month. The sound of the water is not quiet, and you can hear it next door when you practice at ten o’clock in the evening. ； The magnetic resistance model is silent, but it does not have the smooth texture of a water resistance model when it is pulled up. Which one you choose depends on your situation: if you often stay up late to practice and are afraid of disturbing the neighbors, choose a magnetic resistance model; if you like the atmosphere and are willing to spend an extra two minutes to clean up after each practice, choose a water resistance model. There is really no one more noble than the other. There are also many people who only buy elliptical machines based on how good they look. The stride length is the parameter that most affects the experience. I am 18cm tall and bought an Internet celebrity model on the cheap. The stride length was only 32cm. When I pedaled, my legs curled up like a big shrimp. After practicing for 10 minutes, my knees hurt for three days. If you are taller than 175cm, you must choose one with a stride length of at least 40cm or more. If you can try it offline, it is best to try it first before buying it.

By the way, dumbbells with fixed weights are still adjustable. The fitness circle has been arguing for almost ten years and there is no conclusion. The fixed weight can be changed quickly and will not interrupt the training rhythm, but a pile of dumbbells can take up half a wall at home. ； It is adjustable and saves space. One can hold 10, but every time you change the weight, you have to twist the buckle for a long time, which can easily interrupt the training state. If you have a large space at home and are pursuing training efficiency, just buy a fixed one. If you rent a house and have small available space, buy an adjustable one. There is really no need to follow the bloggers.

Let me talk about a stupid pitfall that I have stepped into. Don’t buy that kind of multi-functional fitness equipment that is called a “decathlon”. It can train the chest, back, abdomen, and can be used as a horizontal bar. My family bought one on the cheap, and it cost more than a thousand. Except for the function of chest training, which I occasionally use, I still don’t understand the rest of the functions. I just dismantled it when I moved last year and used it as a shoe stool. It is really strong. There are also those small items that I can bring with me when I am shopping, such as grip rings, leg rings, and figure-eight pull-ups. I have seven or eight piled in my drawer. Except for taking them out to play with when unpacking the express delivery, I have never touched them again.

In fact, to put it bluntly, whether your fitness results are good or not does not depend on how expensive or complete your equipment is. If you insist on using it, a 9 yuan 9 yoga mat can still achieve waistline. If you don’t persist, a gantry worth tens of thousands of yuan is just a high-end clothes drying rack.