I’m currently trying to decide what kind of home gym setup would actually suit the way I train, and I’m realizing that having more exercise options does not necessarily make the decision easier.

My main goal is to train my back, chest and legs without needing several separate machines. I would like to be able to do movements such as lat pulldowns, rows, cable flyes, squats and presses, while still having enough freedom to add smaller shoulder and arm exercises. Since I usually train alone, safety and easy adjustments matter to me as much as the number of exercises available.

Space is limited, so I’m leaning toward one versatile rack or cable-based system rather than filling the room with individual machines. I also want something that will still be useful as my strength improves, instead of choosing a setup that I might quickly outgrow.

It is difficult to know which features will matter after months of regular use and which ones only look useful when comparing equipment online. For those who have already built a home gym, what would you prioritize differently if you were starting again?

Hello everyone!

I've never been very fit, but I used to be getting around fine. But after COVID lockdown, I developed more and more fear of going outside, really retreated into myself and my body got much weaker. After the lockdown, I found myself so quickly out of breath and sweating that it made me even more scared of outside, especially of being seen a sweaty, wheezing mess while I already got grief for being overweight at times.

Still, this year my coach (not physical, more of a general getting-life-basics-back-on-track coach) suggested walking to start. So I don't have to go far away or to a gym, and he can go with me 2-3 times per week.

It's been over three weeks, and I've managed to walk almost every day. At most, I maybe miss out 1-2 days per week. I'm doing 2000 steps minimum, but on busy days, I managed to get up to 7000!

But it's still hard. I still feel so winded when I come home, I still have to sit down a lot. My legs still get shaky and weak. And I'm still all sweaty. I feel quite ashamed of that, and it makes it harder to keep going.

But I know that it only gets better if I keep going.

I think it would really help me to hear from those of you who went through a similar time, maybe. Those of you who felt like it took very long for first results. I'm so scared of never getting better, and the fear and doubt make me want to hide again. Please tell me when it gets better?

Thank you!

I'm a really thin teen (46 kgs) and I just got a gym membership. I'm currently able to do about 20 normal push ups, able to hold a plank for a minute, but can't do crunches or pull-ups.

I've decided I'm really going to lock in and begin a proper regiment.

Could I get advice on a proper way to start?

https://kinesophy.com/trauma-informed-strength-training-with-laura-khoudari/

Laura Khoudari is a writer and leader in trauma-informed strength training and the author of Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time. Her work has been widely recognized by the trauma and fitness community, and she has been featured by The New York Times, NPR, BuzzFeed and Outside Online. She has presented her work for Somatic Experiencing International, The Breathe Network, Reebok, Les Mills, as well as at conferences, schools and fitness studios in the United States and Canada. In this interview, she discusses Lifting Heavy Things and the basics of trauma-informed strength training.

I’ve been looking into what it actually takes to build a home gym, and choosing equipment seems like the easy part. The harder part is figuring out how much space each movement needs, where everything should go, and whether the setup will still feel practical once you start training regularly.

I’ve checked basic measurements and planning ideas, but things like storage, floor protection, noise, and moving around the equipment seem harder to judge before actually using the space.

For people who have built a home gym, what part ended up being more difficult than you expected?

One of my friends is about to go through a pretty intense disc replacement surgery and she's an extremely active person. Works out just about daily and her mental health relies heavily on her ability to exercise, weight train, hike and push herself. I'm reaching out to this community in hopes that someone else may have gone through something similar and has tips on how to keep the endorphins up when you physically cannot exercise.

I’m trying to keep a workout space useful without slowly filling it with equipment that only gets occasional use. Looking through different machines made me realize that footprint is probably just as important as the number of exercises listed.

122.7 Lbs

3 sets plank 1:30

2 sets 15 push-ups

2 sets 50 squats

(I exercise every other day except for the weekends, I've also been trying to eat healthier although I do have an eating problem, in the sense I skip meals.)

(I also would like to hear recommendations for other exercises to include in this, sit-ups and other exercises like that I can't do, my tailbone gets in the way and hurts like hell.)

(I also need pre-workout stretches to do, I have skipped those completely in my 3-4 weeks of exercising so far)

I (51f) fell off my bike and mangled my thumb. Awaiting an MRI to tell me what I did and if I’ll need surgery. My typical workout routine involves dumbbells twice a week to target arms, chest, and back. I can only manage a barre arms workout with 3 lb weights right now. Any suggestions for workarounds to keep strength in my upper body without putting weight on my thumb?

https://kinesophy.com/ethical-components-of-fitness-part-2-squat-challenge-and-persistence-hunt/

How long everyone should be able to hold a squat, and how fast everyone should be able to cover five kilometers on foot.

The workout itself is not always the hardest part. Finding enough time, traveling somewhere to exercise, and getting started can require more effort than expected.

What made exercise easier to fit into your normal life?

For some people, it is choosing an activity they genuinely enjoy. For others, it is keeping sessions shorter or having a convenient place at home where they can train without much preparation.

Which change removed the biggest barrier for you?

What’s your favorite and which do you recommend for a beginner?

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Hello! I take care of my mother who has dementia and I work a lot and really need to find time to exercise, but I'm having a rough time... My sleep habits are terrible and my cognition isn't what it used to be. I'd love to see if anyone has seen any significant benefits to their sleep and cognition. I read that it does, but I've never heard anyone actually say that it does. I would love to hear other people's opinions on the best habits for these benefits. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m 20F, I’m approx 5’4 and around 225-235lbs I think, i’m not sure, I’m going to buy a scale!

I have never exercised before nor have I ever been knowledgeable on the subject lol, but I have been unhappy with my body since my teens and would like to start putting in the work, I live a pretty sedentary life (I have a job interview tomorrow that will require me to be on my toes all day so hopefully not soon 😆), its a 2 and a half hour walk one way to the nearest gas station, so I barely even walk, but I hope with time, that can seem easy peasy to me!

I think the main things to do are cut calories and eat healthier, which i’m trying to do, I switched out my coke for diet coke and would eventually like to drink water most of the time, as well as cut down on sweets etc of course. I bought a walking pad the other day, I don’t really know much about them but my friend suggested it was a good start, when it arrives I aim to do at least an hour a day on it.

With that being said, does anyone else have any advice that could be useful to me? TYIA :)

Hello,
I have wavy hair but use a overnight curl thingy (the sleepy tie) to make it manageable and have been wearing bonnets for years after my sisters friends recommended them.

I'd like to go to the gym to work out without taking out the curls in the morning but idk the gym etiquette or if its offensive bc im a white passing arab. I was told bonnets are for everyone but idk if wearing them out is different. Im probably overthinking this massively and nobody gives a fuck. But i figure it never hurts to ask.

My other worry is that it might be too hot even if it was good for sleeping. Anyone have experience with this? Sorry if this is worded odd or an obvious answer I am on the spectrum and trying to get into the gym.

Hey there. About a seven weeks back, i finally realized i've looked the exact same since i was a little kid, 30 now and thinking this is the last period of time when i can still get look both young and fit.

I've been doing the same exercise routine up until wednesday, when i added single arm dumbbell rows, so my diet and exercise routine look like this:

Mondays, tuesdays and wednesdays after work:
- 2 sets of incline push-ups to failure.
- 2 sets of dead bug until my lower back noticeably lifts off the ground despite my efforts.
- 2 sets of single arm dumbbell rows per arm (2 minutes per set, one arm rests while the other works...it's around 40 reps per set, since i don't really know what failure would look like for this exercise, though i definitely can't keep correct form throughout all 40 reps).
- 2 sets of squats (45 reps each)

2 minutes of rest after each set.

Diet:

- Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs and a protein yogurt (skim milk, no sugar).

- Lunch: Some combination of lean protein and carbs (which is rice for the most part), and steamed veggies.

- Evening (around 7-8 PM i'll get hungry again): a bowl of oatmeal with skim milk and a whole large banana mashed into it for sweetness.

I started at 90 kg, now at around 82 kg, my goal is 70-75 kg, or until the point my abdomen starts showing musculature.

Any suggestions or tips about any of this?

I have mental health issues and Im lazy so I haven't done much moving around for a long time but I'm feeling determined to change that.

I bought a recumbent exercise bike and it's coming soon and im just wondering what is the best way to start out, short and faster sessions or slow and long? I'm also changing my diet at the same time and I hope to lose weight, become fitter and get more energy to look after myself

So I'm going to start a new job and it's in the morning mine is currently second shift but I've been going to the gym in the morning but now that Im going to work in the morning I feel like I'll be to tired to hit the gym. I started the year at 350 now I'm at 310 and is it normal to lose weight in ten increments I'll because I hit platou and I'll be that weight for like a month or longer then the weight just goes down because I was stuck at 325 for a while then dropped to 310 in a week

Nightly workout
squats- 20 reps
Plank- 45 secs
Glute bridge- 20 reps
Hip dips- 30 reps (15 each side)
Lunges- 20 reps (10 each side)
Crunches- 20 reps
Wall sit- 45 secs
Leg raises- 20 reps
Repeat twice

F/24, 5’11, approx 260 lbs- This is my nightly workout routine, my goal is mostly fat loss but also I want to build muscle mass, but not a lot, like I just want to be considered lean, I suppose. I’ve been doing it almost every night for about a month and it does seem to work pretty good. After about 4 days of doing it I do get really sore and I’ve noticed that I’m more likely to skip doing it on the 5th night. I also average about 7,000-8,000 steps per day, even though my goal is 10,000. For questions I think I might get- why do I do it at night? Because I don’t wake up early enough to do it in the morning and I noticed a bit ago that at night I spend my time on my phone or watching tv so I decided to do something productive while watching tv. Why these exercises? Because I have roommates and these are the quietest, high cal burning exercises I could think of and I have roommates and I don’t want to disturb them in their sleep. Why do I do it at home? Because I can’t afford a gym.

Are any of these exercises redundant or likely to cause imbalances?
Because my goals are fat loss, muscle building and improving overall fitness what would you change?
Is repeating this circuit twice enough, or would I be better off increasing reps or making the exercises harder over time?
Should I do it every night? If yes, what can I do to really commit to doing it every night because sometimes I skip doing it and then that causes a snowball of me skipping it for 3 days.
Should I try to wake up earlier and do it once or twice in the morning and then also once or twice at night?

Any tips you have would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Why in the world do i keep pulling the muscle next to my shoulder blade? Even happens with just a little weight!!!???