There was a time when I used to pay $45 per month to go to the gym to get into shape. I used to think, well, my company pays for it so I might as well take advantage of their offer. Then, I would find myself going only 3 times per week. Down the road, I started going once per month and then not at all for the rest of the year.

Then one year, I was living right next to a gym (walking distance) – so I thought, it would be a shame to not take advantage of the proximity. I walked into Bally’s and found out that they were much cheaper than my downtown Adelaide gym – so I joined, for $300 per year (wow right?).

I was pretty good and went to the gym three times per week, every week, for 6 months. Then, I got tired of fighting for the Stairmaster, the treadmill and the time on the nautilus. And because that irked me, I started to notice other things that I was ‘tolerating’. Like naked ladies in the locker room – wet floor and that very ‘gymie’ stench we all get used to – that smell made of sweat, steam and well, blend of body odor.

It was then, I decided I was going to workout at home instead of waste all that money at the gym. I had proved it to myself that if I can go 3 x weeks to the gym, then I can certainly workout at home 3 xs per week if not more.

I had no idea what I was doing back then. My very first home equipment was NordicTrack Skier—yah, you know the one! Then came a small treadmill, Tony Little’s gazelle, the thigh trimmer and on and on. Ask me where those things are today and I will say I don’t know – in a very uncaring manner.

I can’t recall, but I don’t think that I was very Internet savvy when I was purchasing all these things. I knew computers, but the Internet was something that was still being built with valuable repository. In any event, if I had known then, what I know now, I would have been a proud owner of my very own home gym.

But, it is never too late to start all over again – no matter how old you are! I really got into building a proper gym when I bumped into Cathe Friedrich’s website (in 2002). She worked out in a room and had everything she needed without taking up too much space. Because of her workouts, I started to build, unintentionally my own home gym!

It started with 5 lbs weights and within 1 year I owned a pair of free freights from 1# to 35#. My sister already owned The Step, which she had purchased when they first came out (early 80s I think) and she never used it, so they were sitting in her basement, brand new! Sometimes I wonder if it was I who purchased them – my sister is not so much into workouts as I am so it sounds fishy that she had them and not I – but – who cares, I have The Step now!

Slowly, I started to collect equipment which now take up 4 ft of space in my home and gives me the freedom and luxury of a commercial gym.

You too can start your own home gym right now – and take advantage of the benefits of working out at home. Following is all I have, and it is enough. As you progress along, you might want to add other equipment that best suits your needs. But the essentials for a home gym include (and get this – it is so very inexpensive to have your own home gym!)

At home gym essentials

• Heart Rate Monitor – don’t workout without it! If you are a newbie then you won’t understand the benefits of owning one. But once you cross over to advance level, this heart rate monitor will be your guide and master to staying in your optimum zone!
• Yoga or any non slip mat
• Barbells and plates (if you purchase dumbbell handles then you can use plates for free weights)
• Free weights – start with lowest you can do 16 reps of and take from there. In Toronto, at fitness depot, it costs about $0.50 to $1.00 per pound per free weight. Because I have been collecting since 1990s, I paid maybe $2.00 for a 5# weight back then. So for a pair, you have to pay $4! Now how reasonable is that?
• In free weights, start collecting pairs from #1 (they are handy – trust me!!). You will also need barbells (which I also use as body bars in certain workouts)
• The Step and/or the High Step (buy enough risers so you can use your step as a bench when doing regular or incline bench workouts.
• Stability Ball
• Jump Rope (best cardio workout – ever!)
• Weight Lifting Gloves
• Wrist and Ankle Weights
• Resistance bands and tubing
• Pull up bar (I don’t have this, it is in my wish list because I don’t believe my doors are strong enough to hold one of these)
• And most importantly variety of workouts on DVD.

I know I don’t have to tell you that you need a TV and a DVD player as well as a mirror when you are doing free weights. But here you are!

It cost me less than $500.00 to collect all the equipment (DVDs not included) and I have been using most of my equipment for over five years now. That’s like $100 per year. As for the DVDs – depending on where you are shopping (like ebay or this website for used copies), you can get a great copy of preferred workouts for as low as $5.00!

And the great news is, that if you don’t do a particular DVD for a few weeks and return back to it, you will find that your body treats it as a new workout and starts showing you its gratitude by leaving your sore (in a good way) all over again!

If you have the room and can afford a quality $2K treadmill then by all means, add that too. Variety is the name of this game.