There are plenty of us who are just as concerned with getting in shape as we are with losing weight. Choosing home gym equipment, however, means understanding what you are thinking about when you say you want to “get in shape.” When choosing the best home gym and equipment for the job, take into consideration what your ultimate goal is – do you want to tone the muscle you have, focus on strength training or work up to full-tilt body-building? What type of home gym and cardio equipment is best for you will depend on the answers to these questions.

If you are looking for a basic home gym and equipment to primarily tone muscles and provide a nice, steady workout for a wide range of muscle groups, it is best to focus more on details like the variety of exercises. If you are serious about bulking up your muscles and want to get into serious weight lifting, look for a Smith machine home gym with at least a 200 lb. stack weight.

One thing to keep in mind is that home gyms are all primarily for muscle workouts; for a really complete routine you should also consider cardio equipment such as a better treadmill or elliptical trainer as a way to vary your routine and give you a good cardiovascular workout.

Features You Shouldn’t Ignore When Comparing Home Gyms and Exercise Equipment

Home gyms are only worth the money if you get a good return on your investment. Since gym equipment can be quite complex there are several features you need to compare to find the best machine:

Adjustability – Can you target specific areas of your body or muscle groups?

Variety of Exercises – Any good home gym system should offer at least 20 different exercises. Some of the best equipment offers as many as 50; only you can say whether the additional ones are worth the extra money.

Instructions – This sounds simple, but even the best exercise equipment can cause injury if there aren’t clear instructions on how to perform your workouts properly.

Weight Range and Safety – If you are primarily doing toning, you can skimp on the stack weight and invest more elsewhere. If you are into body building or serious weight training, get a home gym with a pressing station that allows you to load the bar safely without having to make numerous adjustments.

Some will tell you that the more traditional home gyms are better than the newer “bow” systems that use weight resistance rather than pure lifting. Just as many will tell you the opposite is true. This is really a matter of preference about the “feel” that you like, and is not nearly as important as the quality of each individual piece of home gym and exercise equipment. Look for solid construction, a good warranty and safety features and you can’t go wrong. Soon you’ll be as buff as you want to be!