All In One Bodybuilding Equipment for Beginners

As I discussed in my last post about home bodybuilding for beginners, many people are opting for a home solution instead buying a costly gym membership.  Of course if you take this route you will need to purchase some kind of home gym machine or equipment.  A popular choice is some for of all in one system.

These systems will allow you to combine several different pieces of bodybuilding equipment for beginners into one machine.  The benefits for a home gym are obvious, with an all in one system taking up less space than the individual pieces would.  This combining of equipment also saves you money as the all in one home gym is often less expensive than if you were to purchase all of the individual exercise stations individually.

When first looking at body building equipment for beginners, it is helpful to have a clear understanding of what your goals are and what you want the machine to do for you.  Knowing what you want the equipment to do for you will help avoid making a purchase that you will regret later.

If your goal is to build muscle by lifting weights, there are several types of good quality all in one home gym systems.  You have probably seen them advertised in magazines or on late night infomercials, by companies such as Bowflex and Total Gym.

Bowflex is unique in that it doesn't employ traditional weights but instead uses a variety of bows that bend with resistance.  This is a very popular all in one system frequently used for bodybuilding by beginners.  Their equipment is flexible and is catered towards all levels of budgets and needs.  It can easily be adapted to a multitude of plans.

If space is a concern the Bowflex system is very compact and accommodates tight spaces very well.  It can even be stored under a bed.  The high end systems are very competitive and hold their own against professional equipment found in commercial gyms.  The beginner bodybuilder can expect to get a thorough workout on all targeted muscle groups.

Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley advertise Total Gym, another late night infomercial mainstay.  This all in one system uses gravity and resistance apposed to traditional plates, but it is less expensive than Bowflex.  It also gives a quality workout.

While the above are among the most popular home bodybuilding equipment for for beginners there are certainly others in this field.  Take your time and do your research and where ever possible, look for testimonials from other bodybuilding beginners to find out what there experience was.

Begin Bodybuilding at Home or a Gym?

The first step in bodybuilding for beginners is to decide where you are going to carry out your training plan. You can choose to join a gym and begin your regimen their or you can opt to work out at home. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages.

Bodybuilding at home has several advantages. Gym memberships can by quite costly. In addition to avoiding the cost of a gym membership their are lots of sundry expenses that can be avoided as well. For example gas or other transportation costs for travelling to a gym. Also, let's face it, their are additional expenses for clothing etc, if you workout at a gym. A gym is a social environment and very often members feel compelled to dress a certain way, in more expensive, name brand apparel.  When you train at home, you don't have to worry about any of these superficial distractions and get right to work on weight training and building muscle mass.

Beginner bodybuilders training at home are not completely off the hook as far as financial outlay goes.  You obviously need to purchase the necessary weight training equipment.  You may be tempted to cut costs by buying less expensive inferior home gym equipment, but you run the risk of this choice yielding poorer results.  The home gym equipment may not provide a full range of exercise targeting all the muscle groups.  Additionally your risk of injury may increase.  The equipment maintained by established gyms is normally top quality and well maintained.  There is also often a better selection of machines.

Exercising at home as a beginner offers you privacy as you are getting started bodybuilding.  If you would feel self conscious about how you awkward you may look as you are getting used to the equipment and learning how the exercises are done properly, you may be better off beginning in a home gym.  If you are going to be embarrassed when attending a gym, it is too great a risk that you will find excuses to not go and derail your training plans.

There can also be long wait times for specific exercise machines at the gym.  When you body build at home you don't have to worry about this.  Nor will you feel pressure to get off of a machine before you are ready.

Of course a gym membership may offer amenities that you just can't replicate at home.  A swimming pool is one example.  Swimming is a great source for cardio and if this is something you enjoy, the advantage shouldn't be overlooked.  A running track is another example.  Treadmills are fine, but they are not the same as actually running around a track.

Gyms also have the advantage of having more experienced bodybuilders handy so that you can ask for help or advice.  If you are social in nature this can really give your new bodybuilding routine a big boost.

Like most things, the choice of where to begin bodybuilding will be personal and reflect what is important to you.  The deciding factor, all other things being equal, is which choice is most likely to ensure that you follow through and stick with it.