6 Keys To Getting Maximum Results In Minimum Time With Your Home Exercise Equipment (and save money!)

 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 his or her 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 recommend that everyone 

train at home if a gym membership isn’t up your alley.  It’s got everything 

in it that I want, and everything that I need to successfully train.  AND 

get this it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.

Training at home has been so successful for me and some of my clients, I’ve 

set up an online facility that will allow me to personal train anyone in 

their home.  You can give it a look at www.thebodymatrix.com.  The greatest 

part about it is you don’t even need equipment if you don’t have any.  

Bodyweight workouts are phenomenal for conditioning and weight loss.  

Obviously, if your goals are more specialized, some equipment may be necessary.

 

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-

elated 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. 

 

5. Always buy top quality equipment from a reputable retailer.  Yes, it costs more 

money, but as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for”.  This is so true when it 

comes to exercise equipment.  Avoid the temptation of trying to save a couple dollars 

by buying equipment that may not be up to your required standards.  Buying top quality 

equipment will last you a lifetime.  If you have any doubt, compare how much you have or 

could have spent on gym memberships over your lifetime with the cost of your new fitness 

equipment.  I have no doubt that you will always spend less money on your home gym than 

you ever would by purchasing a lifetime of gym memberships.

6. Utilize local retailers as much as you can.  While it may seem logical to save money 

by purchasing equipment online or via a catalogue, shipping charges on fitness equipment 

can be outrageous.  You end up spending more than if you shopped at your neighborhood 

retailer.  There is also an issue of maintenance.  Even the best equipment can experience 

the occasional breakdown.  Try getting a mail-order company to service your equipment.  

It’s not easy.  Your local retailer can usually resolve your problems in no time at all.

There you have it.  These recommendations will help you tremendously.  Please keep in mind 

that it’s just not as easy as it seems, but it is worth the extra time especially when you’re 

making such a serious investment in yourself.  That’s why I encourage you to seek the help of 

a fitness professional.

If you’re sick, you go to the doctor.  If you’ve got a tax problem, you see an accountant 

(or an attorney!).  Have a toothache?  You’re off to the dentist.  Leaky pipes result in a 

call to the plumber.  So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and 

fitness problems without consulting an expert?  I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you 

to make the investment in yourself – in your quality of life – by hiring a qualified 

professional to educate you and help you get started.

If I can be of any assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to call me.  I’m happy to speak 

with you and give you my recommendations without any sales pressure (I hate it when people 

try to “sell” me, so I wouldn’t try that on you).

Please visit my web site at www.personaltrainingfitness.com and subscribe to my newsletter, 

or call me to schedule an appointment at (775) 224-7155 to obtain any additional information 

you may need.  Thank you.

Yours in good health,

Tom Storms, CPT, 

Personal Trainer, Fitness Consultant

www.personaltrainingfitness.com

(775) 224-7155

info@personaltrainingfitness.com

P.S.  If you would like a FREE consultation to determine your fitness equipment needs don’t 

hesitate to call me.  I’d be happy to help you.  If you purchase some home fitness equipment, 

I’ll also give you a FREE consulting session to introduce you to your new home fitness equipment.

NOTE: This publication is not intended for use as a source of medical advice.  You should obtain 

medical advice from your private healthcare practitioner.  Before beginning any exercise or dietary

program, consult with your physician to ensure that you are in proper health and that this or any 

exercise or dietary program will not put you at risk.