For some people, choosing a home based gym is like buying a car. There are compact home gym's, mid-sized home gym's and even the luxury options that require quite a bit of space but give you the ability to cross your arms and smugly tell your friends about your new home gym, "That there piece of fitness equipment is the exact same model you pay $100 a month to wait in line to use over at the gym in town."

How can you possibly navigate through the myriad options available without losing your mind? Unlike cars, where you can slip into the driver's seat, pull out onto the highway and take it for a comfortable spin, the right gym equipment requires more than a short sit-down to determine whether it is worth the investment. There is budget to consider, space, the type of workouts you'll be performing, and many other factors that will contribute to the choice between a $50 weight bench with some adjustable dumbbells and a cheap jump rope or a thousand dollar beauty that takes up the corner of your new "gym room or personal training studio" and has more exercises available than you have hours to try them out.

The best place to start sorting through your options is usually located in one your pockets - your wallet. Just as someone with a $10,000 budget isn't going to stroll onto a luxury car lot to seriously consider making a purchase, the type of equipment you will consider for home or commercial use will vary depending on the cash you have ready to spend. If you only have a few dollars to spend on fitness equipment, for example, you'll spend your time comparing inexpensive items like medicine balls, Swiss balls, ab swing, cheap dumbbells and perhaps a weight bench or step platform that can be tucked away in the corner. Those with a larger budget and more space will obviously begin to consider more elaborate fitness equipment that provides additional options and exercises.

At the lowest level of investment, your options are push-ups, sit-ups, and attending free prosperity seminars until your financial situation changes. Increase your budget a bit more ($20 - $100) to allow for a variety of options. For resistance training, you can consider light weight dumbbells, cheap weight bench, and even resistance bands. You can also grab one of those popular Swiss balls. These are great to store fully inflated in the corner of a room on your main level so that even if you're not serious about working out, your guests think you do.

Consider throwing a few hundred at your passion for fitness in the comfort of your own home, and now you can start considering more serious gym equipment that ranges from weight benches that adjust to incline and decline, a serious set of dumbbells (and maybe even weight racks to stack them on), or some of the newer systems that allow for a dozen or so exercises and then fold conveniently into a flat shape that often ends up forgotten and lost in the closet behind the tangle of work clothes and shoes.

A budget in the thousands is required to move into more of the top quality (and effective) gym equipment. This includes the weight machines that allow you to use cables, leg press, and heave large amounts of weights without the fear of it suddenly crashing and causing injury. This gym equipment can provide more exercise variety and is often more durable and has more safety features. It does require a little extra space, however.

Safety is an important consideration when shopping for fitness and gym equipment. Most people who train at home find themselves doing workouts alone. This means extra caution must be taken with certain styles of strength training, or you run the risk of injury or worse. There are several methods that can assist with these workouts, such as pins, racks, bars, and cables designed to catch the weight in the event your muscles stop working for you.

A common question that is often asked is, "What's the best - free weight or pin loaded?" My reply is often to ask another question: if you want to clear your sidewalk, are you going to use a shovel or a rake? The answer depends on the time of year. Shovels work well for snow, rakes work great for leaves. So how about your gym equipment?

Pin Loaded Fitness Equipment is great because it is often easy to configure (you typically just move a pin into a stack, sit down and go to work) and have built in safety. While they lock you into a range of motion, sometimes this can make the exercise safer. For example, a bench press on a pin loaded machine places less torque on the rotator cuff because it is not required to stabilize the movement. A machine can also have a "catch" to keep from crushing you with the weight. Pin Loaded machines are limited in their range and function, however, and sometimes might lock you into an unnatural range of motion. They also don't allow those important muscles called stabilizers to work and improve your coordination and burn more calories during the workout.

Free weights are fantastic because you are only limited by your imagination with the number of workouts you can do. You are able to manipulate the weight more and move through more range of motion. You have the opportunity to work unilaterally (one side at a time) or bilaterally and involved your stabilizer muscles. Free weight commercial machines do take more time to set up, may be riskier than pin loaded commercial machines because there is no mechanism to lock the weight from crashing down, and for someone with weak joints may create extra strain during the workout.

Your goals will determine largely whether you choose to focus on machines, free weights, or a solution that integrates a combination of the two. You want to consider what exercises you are planning on performing. If your regimen is limited, then basic fitness equipment might suffice. However, if you intend to train for a prolonged period and try out a variety of exercises, then you'll want strength equipment that adapts to your various needs.

If you have a specific favourite, consider this when buying. Many individuals prefer the leg press for training the legs, but most home gyms do not include this feature. If it's important to you, you'll either want a unit that integrates a leg press, or you will have to budget for a separate leg press machine as you build your home gym.

You'll also want to consider how far you're planning on taking your fitness program. For some, a starter set with a few basic weights will do the trick. Others may find themselves running out of weights. With machines, you are limited by the size of the stack so having a stack that goes heavy and haves more plates is obviously a more flexible option than a smaller stack with less graduations between the weights. For free weights, you'll also have to consider how many and what type of weight plates you'll invest in. The last thing you want is to break your personal bench press record and then hit a brick wall because there's no more weight to add.

If you're looking for a general solution that is compact and easy to use, a general rule of thumb is that it should allow for the basic compound exercises that work all areas of the body. These include (but aren't necessarily limited to) bench press (chest), rows (bent-over or cable for upper back), squats (front of the legs), squats with smith machine, leg press (front of the legs), dead lifts (back of legs) and optionally leg curls (back of legs), pull-ups (upper back), dips (chest and back of the arm), assisted chin ups, military press (shoulders), lat pull down (upper back), assisted dips (necessary if you cannot support your own bodyweight at first), triceps extensions (back of the arms), biceps curls (front of the arms), and abdominal and lower back (i.e. crunches, leg raises, hyperextensions, etc.).

If you're not sure about some of these, take this list with you and have the sales representative show how the machine can perform the various exercises (or, if you are one of the modern, savvy Internet buyers, send an e-mail and ask about them instead).

1. Choose your initial investment wisely. This isn't the place to sit on the fence. If you're going to go for a large piece of gym equipment, invest in one that is durable and lasting. Don't commit halfway and find yourself spending more time and money on repairs than you are on quality workouts.


2. Go for more features. Variety is a key element for successful workout programs, from both a physical and a mental perspective.


3. Avoid restrictive gym equipment. You want equipment that allows a variety of movements and ranges of motions. Try to avoid the purchase of gym equipment that only does one thing or that only works the muscle from one angle.


4. Consider your commitment to a new lifestyle. Will you buy gym equipment that is small and can get tucked away in the closet to collect dust, or would you rather have something fun with a variety of exercises available to keep you interested and focused on your fit lifestyle?


5. Don't forget the basics. Avoid gym equipment that may offer some interesting exercises but prevent you from doing the basics, like bench press, dips, or squats.


6. Shop for everyone who will be using it, not just you. Does the fitness equipment have safety features for your teenagers? Will your wife get to use the leg extension if she doesn't prefer doing full body squats every workout?


7. Invest for the long haul. A major piece of gym equipment should last a long time. Invest in your gym equipment knowing you will be able to use it for 10, 15 or more years. Consider the warranty and features and possibility for adding new exercises should you decide to grow your workout area.


8. Don't buy injuries. Sounds strange, but if you have a pre-existing condition, you'll want gym equipment that will help, not harm it. If you require back support, look for this in the gym equipment. If you have special exercises necessary for your knees, find something that will accommodate it!


9. Get assistance. No, I'm not talking about the sales rep you talk to at the store. I'm referring to safety mechanisms like spotting racks and pins, as well as exercises that counterbalance weight. If you can't perform a full pull-up or dip, gym equipment that uses a counterbalance to assist you with these can be incredibly valuable and take the place of having to have your neighbour come over to hold you in the air while you perform the routine.


10. Get noticed. Who cares about your gym equipment when it is folded away and tucked into the closet? You are proud of your fitness lifestyle and others deserve to share in the excitement as well. Have something you can be proud of and becomes the conversation piece when you give tours of your home. You never know who might be waiting for the right inspiration to begin to enjoy their own health!

The decision to invest in a home gym or commercial gym is not one to take lightly. It's about more than just a piece of gym equipment. This is an asset to your new lifestyle! Take the time to investigate exactly what it is you deserve, while you search inward and understand exactly what you are committed to do. With the right combination of willpower and equipment, anything is truly possible from the comfort of your home!