January is usually the busiest month for sales in the fitness equipment industry. People set up goals of getting in shape, losing weight, and giving themselves a sense of physical well being. The next step is to figure out what and where this physical activity will take place.

There are 3 options to choose from.

One is the local gym, many members, good equipment, personal trainers to help, and people that have working out in common. Another is the personal training studio, similar to the local gym, but much smaller and run by a trainer usually more qualified than the local gyms. The equipment may not be gym caliber, but the instructions are top notch with a success rate much higher, to go along with the higher price tag. The third option is to train at home. While training at home may not give you equipment that can compare to the gym, you can certainly get your money’s worth if you choose correctly. Never go cheap on any equipment. Good home equipment comes with longer warranties, are stronger, weigh more, better built and will last many years. Always go to a specialty store, where the knowledge is much higher than a hardware store, or a department store.

Deciding to train at home may be a good decision on many counts. You get to chose the music you like. Many times, I’ve trained in different gyms, going up to the counter and asking them to change the music, turn it up, turn it down, etc. It’s never right and it interrupted my workout often.

Another downer is waiting for equipment. When you work out, you have a certain timing you adhere to. You may have to wait till the person ahead of you finishes his sets, or you might be rushed by someone waiting to use the equipment. Another thing that makes me upset is other people’s sweat left on the equipment. Many people don’t clean up after themselves or bring a towel. Now I have to get a paper towel to wipe down someone else’s sweat.  And then, there’s the so called expert who wastes your time by telling you how to train, while he doesn’t even know how to tie his shoes!! Or the constant talker next to you on the treadmill…no wonder people use walkmans and Ipods!

At home, you train when you want, not when the gym is open. you play your kind of music, never wait for equipment, workout at your own pace, and don’t have to clean up your own sweat. (I suggest you do anyway!!) You can workout with your wife or girlfriend, a friend, your kids, and never have to worry about a salesman trying to sell you on a personal trainer.

To start, you must figure out the kind of workouts you want to accomplish. If it’s cardio and weight loss, then choose between a treadmill, bike or elliptical. If you want endurance training, look at an elliptical, rower or stepper. If you want to increase muscularity, tone what you have, or increase your metabolic rate,then choose a gym that will suit your goals. For cardio, chose a room that is well lit, with abundant fresh air, as in close to a window for spring, summer and fall training. Also, cardio can be rather boring after a while. It’s very repetitious and can make you quit halfway through your workout. Either a tv or music will help, so make sure you set up in the recreation room or near a tv. Also, never set any cardio equipment over a hardwood floor without some kind of carpet. Never put cardio equipment over ceramic or marble tile, even if covered by a carpet, as they will crack, given the chance.

For weight training, the choice is made by the goals you want to achieve. A multi gym is good for couples or the person that likes simple fast pace workouts. For the serious trainer, benches and weights are more their style. Make sure that you have plenty or room to walk around and will not hurt yourself bumping into equipment. Again, the room should be well lit so as not to look like a dungeon and cut the workout short. Music is generally better than a tv in this case as music will have a beat and help keep the heart rate elevated.

Last, but not least. Traveling time is non existent when working out at home. If the weather is bad, you don’t have to drive in it. You can be at home babysitting the kids while working out. You can workout in your pajamas if you like!!! No one telling you what to do.

All that’s left is to come to a store like Fitness Superstore that will help you make the right decision on what to buy.