Your Guide To Buying Used Fitness Equipment and Setting Up a Home Gym
Rather than always going to the gym to take advantage of the fitness equipment they have there, you could set up a mini home gym and save money by purchasing second-hand equipment, such as free weights, benches, plate weight machines, treadmills, stepper machines and so on. This article is going to be a guide on what to be mindful of when buying used fitness equipment and setting up a workout space at home.
Take the Time To Work Out What You Need
If you’ve had previous experience working out in a gym, you’ll have a fair idea already of what gear you want and need. If not, it would pay dividends to do some gym workouts for a few weeks first to become familiar with the gear and what would be a good fit for you and your home gym.
You could start out by listing the equipment that you consider to be essential gear. Then, create another list of gear you might like to have but don’t necessarily need to have. The second list could serve as items you can add to your home gym over time as space and your budget allow.
Where To Set Up Your Home Gym
This will vary depending on your individual circumstances but one thing’s for sure, you won’t want to rush out and buy a bunch of fitness gear if you really don’t have the space for it somewhere in the home.
Some people utilise a spare bedroom to transform it into a small home gym. If you have a garage with some unused space, then this can be a prime location as well.
Of course, a home gym doesn’t have to be limited to the indoors. For example, if you have a spacious patio area that’s undercover so the gear is protected from the weather, then you could set up an outdoor gym, where you get to breathe in more fresh air.
Alternatively, if all you’re planning on buying is a treadmill, for example, then this could be located somewhere within the living room or the bedroom.
Work Out a Budget For Your Gym Equipment
While you could go out and buy brand-new fitness gear if you have the finances, you can save a lot of money by purchasing equipment that’s used rather than new.
Before getting started on your hunt for the right gear at the right price, first, work out a budget to determine what you can afford to spend on gear for your home gym. Go online to research some approximate prices for second-hand fitness equipment similar to what you would like to buy. Keep in mind the condition of the gear when determining prices.
While you’re searching for used rather than new to save some coin, you won’t want gear that’s so worn out that it’s practically unusable or perhaps even dangerous to use. Used gear in good to excellent condition is what you’ll ideally want to aim for, particularly with benches and weight training machines. With barbells, dumbbells and free weights, the condition of the gear is not as vital.
Choose Well-Known Brands
When buying used fitness gear, go for the good stuff and select brands you know and trust. Once again, if you’re not sure about this point, do some online research to discover the names of trusted brands in the world of gym equipment. Although you’re buying second-hand, purchasing known brands can save you even more money in the long term, as there will be less chance of equipment failure or the need to replace shoddy gear regularly.
Where To Buy Used Fitness Equipment
Although you could purchase used free weights online or take the chance on purchasing something brand new over the internet, generally speaking, avoid making online purchases for used fitness equipment, as you can’t see it and test it out before making the purchase. However, you can make use of online sources to make real-world purchases, such as searching for gear for sale online that are located in your area.
Let’s quickly list some options regarding where to buy used fitness gear:
- Local Gumtree listings
- Closing down sales
- Newspaper classifieds for your area
- Spread the word on social media
- Garage sales
- Second-hand goods stores
- Local auction houses
- Facebook Marketplace
- Refurbishers and wholesalers
Try Before You Buy
Before even trying out the gear for yourself, first do a check for excessive wear and tear on the equipment. Look for cracks, rust, worn-out pulleys, frayed rope and any other defects. If the equipment is electronic, such as a treadmill, are all the electricals working properly? While you’ll expect used gear to show signs of wear and use, you’ll want to purchase gear that’s still in excellent working condition.
Once you’ve looked over the gear and decided it’s up to par, then test the equipment out for yourself to see how well it performs.
The Takeaway
Buying used fitness equipment and setting up your very own home gym is a fantastic step towards reaching and maintaining your health and fitness goals. Follow this guide and save a bundle on purchasing quality used gear for your home gym.
https://www.verywellfit.com/should-i-buy-used-fitness-equipment-3120237
Ashley writes the articles and posts for MyMedici and other websites. He has a background in digital marketing and provides services through www.websitestrategies.com.au and www.ashleybryan.com.au. He lives on the Sunshine Coast, QLD with his family.