Training at home....home gyms??

[TheOriginalName]

Hey people,

So i've been training for about 4 months now in a karate based MMA. Loving every second of it and am finding it infiltrating every aspect of my life.

What i've found though is my general fitness level is not where i would like it to be - whilst it's improving with my training i would like to do more outside of the dojo to assist.

So i've been thinking about starting to create a "home gym" type of arrangement but really have no idea of what i should do.

I need to lift my cardio: so am thinking either a treadmill or bike.
I'm not really sure which one would be more benificial to me.

I'm also thinking to start with getting one of those self standing boxing bag things (not really sure what they are called) just so i can practise my punches and kicks.

Besides that, room for push ups and situps - perhaps even a pullup bar eventually.

I'm just looking for peoples thought and ideas - as i say, i'm only relatively new to the MA world so figure i should learn from others who have been in my situation.

Cheers one and all

 

[MJS]

Hey people,

So i've been training for about 4 months now in a karate based MMA. Loving every second of it and am finding it infiltrating every aspect of my life.

What i've found though is my general fitness level is not where i would like it to be - whilst it's improving with my training i would like to do more outside of the dojo to assist.

So i've been thinking about starting to create a "home gym" type of arrangement but really have no idea of what i should do.

I need to lift my cardio: so am thinking either a treadmill or bike.
I'm not really sure which one would be more benificial to me.

I'm also thinking to start with getting one of those self standing boxing bag things (not really sure what they are called) just so i can practise my punches and kicks.

Besides that, room for push ups and situps - perhaps even a pullup bar eventually.

I'm just looking for peoples thought and ideas - as i say, i'm only relatively new to the MA world so figure i should learn from others who have been in my situation.

Cheers one and all

There is a wide assortment of equipment out there. I have something like this. Bowflex has alot of nice stuff, although its a bit more on the pricey side. You could go out and buy a bench that'll adjust so you can work the different areas of your chest, a set of dumbells, and you can get a great workout. With a set of dumbells, you can hit just about every body part.

The machine that I have suits my needs at this time. I also have a treadmill. I prefer that over a bike, as it lets you do more. You have the option of walking, jogging, and running, as well as various preset programs. Of course, like the exercise equipment, depending on how much you want to spend, you'll have more options. When I went out looking for a treadmill, I walked into one store and the cheapest treadmill I saw started at around $2,000, heading upwards of close to $5,000. Again, depending on how many 'bells and whistles' you want, you'll end up paying for it. The one that I have is a little under $2,000, which I bought at Sears.

Mike

 

[Drac]

If I had the money I'd own a Bowflex...

 

[MJS]

If I had the money I'd own a Bowflex...

Whats funny, is that I see those infomercials all the time with the Bowflex. Interestingly enough, the only thing you see is exactly what you first see when you click on that link I posted...as low as $14/month. They never mention anything else. So, one day, when I was online, I went to their site. Needless to say, my mouth almost hit the floor when I saw some of the top end stuff.

I'm sure their stuff is good but for some of that stuff, you need some deep pockets.

 

[bobster_ice]

I remember reading something on ross enumaits website, he has a book on how to build your own home made gym, I think it is only $20 or something like that,

Hope this helps

Bobby

 

[Flying Crane]

Personally, I find that I get very bored when I try to incorporate too much weight lifting and such into my training. I just drift away from it and don't keep it up.

You can fill these other needs, cardio and strength, thru your regular martial arts training. I would suggest you set up your home gym to maximize your martial arts training. You can build cardio thru heavy bag training, and thru forms, if you do any, or just get some running shoes and go for a run evey day. Repetion in training will also build strength, but not like a weight lifter. You build a useful strength instead of just excess bulky muscle that you might not really need. I also do a limited number of pushups and stomach crunches, but that's about it for me. Otherwise, it's all martial arts, that's what I love, so that's how I spend my training time. I don't like to spend valuable training time lifting weights and skipping rope, altho sometimes I do enjoy swimming.

In that light, I have a heavy bag and some open floor space where I can practice forms and techniques. I also mean to get some floor mats to practice falling and throwing, but I haven't put that together yet. I would like to get a wooden dummy, but I would need to visit my wing chun sifu and relearn that aspect again. I don't know if I could convince my wife to sacrifice some more space to set that up either.

I do have some dumbbells and a small amount of weights for those times when I try to add some limited weight lifting, but it usually doesn't last long. But at least the dumbbells don't take up a lot of space like a full weight set, or a bowflex or something.

 

[Drac]

I'm sure their stuff is good but for some of that stuff, you need some deep pockets.

Knew a girl in Fla that had one, and it IS excellent..Expensive as all get out but worth it..

 

[OUMoose]

I need to lift my cardio: so am thinking either a treadmill or bike.
I'm not really sure which one would be more benificial to me.

I'm also thinking to start with getting one of those self standing boxing bag things (not really sure what they are called) just so i can practise my punches and kicks.

The easiest and least expensive idea I have for cardio is the massive machine called "outside". I'm trying to take my own advice to heart and get out and walk after work. Depending on where you live, I'd imagine that's not always an option, so as others have said, give places like Sears a shot. Their stuff is not bad, and usually comes with a solid warranty. I'd shy away from the "fitness equipment" stores, at least to start. They'll probably have stuff that's much more than you need and MUCH more pricey.

As far as the free standing bags like the wavemaster, meh. I don't really care for them because I'm prone to knocking them over, but I know some who really like them. As an alternative, I'd look into one of the other 'humanoid' training dummies out there. You're not supposed to him them as hard, and you can work on your targeting a bit more.

Just my 2 cents. hope that helps!

 

[Drac]

Check newspapers too..Especially the ones that deal with used merchandise..You can pick up some excellent deals..

 

[baron]

for cardio i use a schwin airdyne bike and jump rope. i use weighted handle rope and a ballbearing rope. i also use a total gym and dumbells. i also went to the flea market and found a bullworker if any one rembers them. i like to check out stores that sell pre used equiptment.

 

[tahuti]

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=rossenamait&p=r