No Comments

What Fitness Equipment Should I Buy For My Home Gym?

Posted by admin on Nov 22, 2019

Hey guys! For those of you who are new here, welcome to my Blog! My name is Raz Petrea, I’m a Personal Trainer with Proactive Fitness Solutions and today I want to answer one question that a lot of my clients ask me.

What fitness equipment should I buy for my home gym?

Let’s face it! Going to the gym can be time consuming. You have to get dressed, you have to get in your car, you have to drive to the gym, you have to park, you have to check in, and you might need to change again before you actually start working out. If it’s crowded, and most gyms are during peak times, you have to wait in line for equipment. After you finish the workout, you have to shower, change, get back to your car and drive back home. That can easily take 2, maybe 3 hours, depending on the distance you need to cover and traffic.

Think about how much time you would save by training in your own home gym. This is one of the reasons most of my clients train in their home. It’s convenient! That’s one of the reasons I’m building my home gym as well.

So, let’s get down to it! What should you buy?

First, you want to start with the space itself. Based on how much space you have available for your home gym, you can decide how many pieces of equipment you can fit comfortably in that particular area. Most people use their garage to set up a home gym, but again depends on the size of your house or condo and overall layout.

The second thing you need to figure out is your budget.

Based on that, you will know what you can afford to buy. Maybe you can start with a few pieces of fitness equipment and add more to your gym as the time goes by. Maybe buy everything at once, set it up and get it over with. Again, you can decide based on your budget.

Most home gyms have 3 parts: a cardio area, a stretching area and a weight training area.

In this article, I will go over the cardio and stretching areas.

The first thing I recommend you buy is an Elliptical Machine. I’ve been using Ellipticals for a long time myself. I always use the Elliptical Machine before I workout with weights as a general warm up. Somedays, I use it just to do my cardio. What I like about it, is that it’s easy on the joints. I’m a big fan of low impact aerobic exercise. The motion itself mimics jogging and it’s a great way to warm up or do cardio exercise.   You can buy one from Amazon HERE.

The second piece of equipment I recommend you buy is a Recumbent Bike. I usually use the Recumbent Bike as a specific warmup before I train my Legs. Very easy to use and again very easy on the joints. Sometimes, I use it to do my cardio. You can buy a Recumbent Bike using this link: Cybex 750R Recumbent Exercise Bike

The third piece of equipment I recommend you buy is a Treadmill. I usually use Treadmills to do my cardio and I like to mix it up. Sometimes I might go for a walk up-hill on a 7.5 incline and 2.5 maybe 3 mph speed. Sometimes, I might go for a jog or a little sprint. I prefer to do my own workout on a Treadmill, but many Treadmills have preset workouts that you can choose from. You can buy a treadmill by clicking this link: CLICK HERE

I usually do lower intensity aerobic workouts for a longer period of time (no more than one hour) except when I work the Boxing Bag. Boxing is a high intensity workout and I keep it shorter in duration. I usually do 3 Rounds of 3 minutes each.

The fourth piece of equipment I recommend you buy is a Boxing Bag. A Boxing Bag is a fantastic training tool that I’ve been using myself for a longtime. It’s a high intensity workout that is action packed. Get ready to sweat! I prefer to use a Heavy Boxing Bag that weighs 250 lbs. I feel this the weight that I need in order to develop some real power in my shots. 250 lbs. might be too heavy for you so I would suggest you buy a bag that weighs 150 lbs. You can ask someone to hold the bag for you, if it moves too much when you hit it. If you don’t know how to use a Boxing Bag, I suggest you hire a Boxing Coach to teach you how to use it. There is a certain technique and rhythm that you need to have in order to maximize your efforts and prevent injury. I see a lot people hitting the bag too hard and with improper form, mostly because they don’t know how to use it. You can start with one or two rounds if you’re a beginner and work your way up. You can buy a Boxing Bag by clicking this link: Buy Boxing Bag

Now that you have a Boxing Bag it’s time to buy some Boxing Gloves. I use 16 oz. gloves in sparring, so I prefer to use the same size when I train on the Heavy Bag. There are many brands out there, but I prefer buying Rival Boxing Gloves. The quality and craftsmanship is absolutely fantastic. I used many brands in the past, but nothing compares to Rival. I recommend you the Rival Boxing RB11 Evolution Hook and Loop Bag Gloves. You can buy Boxing Gloves by clicking this link: Buy Boxing Gloves

Now that you have Boxing Gloves, it’s time to buy some Hand Wraps to protect your hands. Boxing has a pretty high impact on your hands, so you want to protect them as much as possible. You can buy hand wraps by clicking this link: Buy Hand Wraps

The last piece of cardio equipment you should buy is a good jump rope. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment that will give you an amazing workout. Sometimes, I use it to warm up for a few minutes before I train with weights or to finish my cardio workout. The jump rope goes well with the Boxing Bag. You can warm up for a few minutes with the Jump Rope, then you can do 3 or 4 Rounds on the Boxing Bag. A short, crisp, dynamic workout that you can do in 30 Minutes. You can buy a good jump rope here: buy Jump Rope

Now, you have everything you need for your home gym as far as Cardio Equipment. Cardio is something you can do everyday so now you have a lot of options to choose from. For instance, Monday you can train on the Elliptical, Tuesday you can ride the Bike, Wednesday you can walk or jog on the Treadmill, Thursday you can use the Jump Rope and Friday you can hit the Boxing Bag. I’m a big fan of mixing things up in order to avoid boredom and keep my workouts fresh and I suggest you do the same thing.

Again, you can start with one piece of equipment based on your space and your budget and add more to your home gym as the time goes by. Now that you took care of the cardio part of your gym, it’s time to focus on stretching. Flexibility is a huge component of Fitness and you can stretch every day.

The first thing I recommend you buy is a Pull Up Bar. You can attach it to your ceiling and grab the bar with a shoulder width grip and hang there for about 10 seconds. I have days where I drive a lot and hanging helps me decompress my spine. Also, it’s a pretty versatile tool because you can do certain exercises like Pull Ups, Chin Ups or Hanging Knee Raises. I usually stretch on the bar after I warm on the Elliptical, but you can stretch on it anytime you feel like it. You can click here to buy a Pull Up Bar: Buy Pull Up Bar

The next piece of equipment you should buy is a Stability Ball. It’s a great tool not only for stretching but for various exercises as well. You can watch a YouTube Tutorial on how to stretch on a Stability Ball. I usually stretch on the Stability Ball after I hang on the Pull Up Bar, but again, you can stretch whenever you feel like it and you can do it daily. You can click here to buy a stability ball: Buy Stability Ball

The last piece of equipment I recommend you buy is a Yoga Mat.
There are different stretches you can do on a Yoga Mat along with certain bodyweight exercises like the Plank. By the way, “The Plank” is the number one Ab exercise in my Ab exercises arsenal. I recommend you give it a shot! You can watch a tutorial on YouTube and learn what kind of stretches you can do or take some Yoga classes. To buy a good yoga mat, use this link: Buy Yoga Mat

Now that you have all these pieces of equipment, your home gym is almost ready. In my next article I will go over what equipment you should buy for the weight training area of your home gym. But until then you can start training and work on your cardio and flexibility.

If you need more help on how to use the equipment you can hire a Personal Trainer and work with him until you’re comfortable on your own.

Until next time, I just want to let you guys know that I (Razvan Petrea) am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to https://www.amazon.com/

The product links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on the links and buy something, I will receive a small commission. If you found value in this article feel free to share the article with your friends and family and also leave me a comment or question in the comment section below.

Feel free to connect with me on my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ProactiveFitnessSolutions/

Also check out some of my videos on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChampionMindset

For any specific questions or if you’re interested in one on one Coaching, you can reach me at: razpetrea@gmail.com

Until next time, Get Out There, Attack The Day And Make It Happen!

                  

Tags: , ,
Posted in Cardio Exercise, Weight Loss Tips, Weight Training Tips by Razvan | No Comments
No Comments

Make Fitness a Top Priority!

Posted by admin on Aug 12, 2019

Hey guys! For those of you who are new here, welcome to my Blog, my name is Raz and today I’m going to go over two things that a lot of people ignore: TIME and HEALTH.

The most precious assets that you have are your TIME and your HEALTH! The thing with time, is that it waits for nobody and once it’s gone, it’s gone! That’s why you have to use it wisely and make the most out of it.
Same thing with your health, once it’s gone, it’s gone! That’s why it’s your responsibility to take care of it and preserve it.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY!
The body is the vehicle that takes you through the journey of life, but even the best car in the world, if you don’t take care of it, you don’t do the proper maintenance, you don’t wash it, you don’t change the tires, eventually is going to break down.

Same thing with your body, if you don’t take care of it, you don’t go to the gym, you don’t eat healthy, you don’t stay hydrated, you don’t sleep enough, you don’t take enough time off, you don’t manage stress, you don’t go to the doctor to do your annual check-up, you’re abusing your body with drugs and alcohol, you eat junk food, eventually your body is going to break down. And again, once your health is gone, life will never be the same.

That’s why, it’s your responsibility to take care of your body. So, if you want to have a high quality of life and really enjoy your time here and make the most out of your journey, you have to stay on top of your health and fitness!

Don’t confuse life span with health span! There is a big difference!
IT’S ABOUT THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE NOT QUANTITY!

That was my message for today, thank you guys for reading, feel free to check out the other articles as well and let me know what you think, and until next time, GET OUT THERE, ATTACK THE DAY AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

If you have any Health and Fitness related questions or want more information, please contact me at 561-503-5765!

Posted in Weight Loss Tips by Razvan | No Comments
No Comments

Stress Management Techniques

Posted by admin on May 24, 2019

Stress Management 3Hey guys!

For those of you who are new here, welcome to my blog, my name is Raz and today I want to go over some STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES!

You see, we all have stress in our lives, but how we manage stress, makes all the difference. And it’s very important that you keep your stress level in check, because too much stress it’s not good for your health.

WHAT I RECOMMEND:

  • The number one thing I recommend you doing is GO TO THE GYM! After the workout, the endorphins “the hormones of happiness” get released into your brain and you’re going to feel more energetic, more upbeat and you’re going to have a more positive outlook on life.

 

  • The other thing I recommend you doing is SPEND AS MUCH TIME IN NATURE AS POSSIBLE! It’s such a great way to decompress when you really connect with nature! When you really connect with your environment! Go to the park! Bring the bike with you and go for a bike ride! In the evening, go for a walk in the neighborhood! If you live close to the beach, catch the sunrise in the morning or go for a walk in the evening! If you have a garden in your home, spend a few hours taking care of the plants or maybe just enjoy the view and read a book!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is GO FOR A MASSAGE! Once a month go for a Swedish Massage or Deep Tissue if that works out for you! Also, I’m big fan of the Reflexology Massage! Such a great way to relax your body and your mind and charge your batteries.

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is YOGA! There are so many health benefits to doing Yoga! So find a teacher that you like and you’re comfortable with and DO YOGA ONCE A WEEK!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is TAKE A BOXING CLASS! It’s such a great way not only to get in shape but also to release tension and channel negative energy. I remember when I used to take boxing classes, nothing bothered me after the class:) I felt so peaceful and calm and light, because all of that tension and anger and frustration I left it in the gym, so definitely give boxing a shot!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is PICK UP A HOBBY! Find an activity that you like and you have fun doing and do that every week! Try fishing, or take a dancing class or a tennis class and make that part of your weekly routine! Great way to keep that balance between work and play!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is TRAVEL and travel as much as you can! Every three or four months take a week off, once a year take a month off if you can, go see a different country, try new activities, try different foods and beverages, try to connect with different people! It’s so important to change the scenery, to change your environment every now and then and unplug from your day to day routine! You’re going to come back with your batteries charged, fresh, upbeat and because of that you’re going to be more productive as well! I get some of my best ideas when I travel and definitely when I come back my drive and motivation levels are all the way up!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is SOCIALIZE! Get together with a group of friends and do a barbecue together once a week or play a game or just hang out, have a beverage and have a good time! We are social beings and it’s very important for our health to socialize and connect with one another!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is WATCH COMEDY! After work, come home, open Netflix or YouTube, pour yourself a beverage and watch a comedy special or a funny movie or go to Improv in the weekend and watch a Stand-Up Comedy Show! And just laugh and have a good time! Loosen up a little! I feel laughter is the best medicine! So definitely LAUGH EVERY DAY!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is MEDITATE! Ten minutes in the morning or ten minutes in the evening, put some nice meditation music, maybe take a hot bath and practice gratitude! Appreciate all the blessings that you have in your life! A lot of times we tend to focus on the things we don’t have instead of appreciating all the good things that we have! So definitely make meditation part of your daily routine!

 

  • Another thing I recommend you doing is PICK UP A CAREER THAT YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT!
    I feel that it has to be more to it then chasing a paycheck and if you wake up in the morning and you’re going to spend a big portion of your time working, you should be engaged in something that you’re passionate about and brings you a sense of fulfillment. So if your job is stressing you out, consider reinventing yourself and do something else. Make a career change!  I remember, when I used to work in the restaurant business I wasn’t a happy camper in that environment! I didn’t enjoy what I was doing, it was stressing me out, my sole motivation was the paycheck and I realized it just wasn’t for me! And as soon as I changed careers and started working as a Personal Trainer I was very excited to start my day and go train my clients and make a positive impact in their lives! I had a passion for Fitness, and it showed, I had a sense of fulfillment and even to this day, after eleven years of working as a Trainer, I’m still excited to wake up in the morning and go train my clients!

So, you definitely have a few techniques, to add to what I call Your Stress Management Toolbox!

Feel free to comment below and let me know what techniques workout for you and until next time, GET OUT THERE, ATTACK THE DAY AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Posted in Weight Loss Tips by Razvan | No Comments
No Comments

Benefits of Weight Training

Posted by admin on Jan 21, 2016

Many individuals who exercise or are new to the fitness world feel strength training is only associated with more experienced athletes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There are too many physical, health, and mental benefits to leave strength training out of your workout schedule.  Here is why and how you should include this important piece into any training program:

> Not only does strength training increase your physical work capacity, it also improves your ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL’s).  You will be able to work harder and longer with the proper weight training activities.

> It improves bone density.  One of the best ways you can control bone loss as you age is to add strength training into your workout plan.

> It Increases the strength of connective tissue, muscles, and tendons. This leads to improved motor performance and decreased injury risk.

> It improves your quality of life as you gaining body confidence.  Strength training will not only make you strong, but will also help with managing your weight.

How You Should Get Started:

Making an appointment with a personal trainer or fitness specialist is a great first step when starting weight training.  These professionals will be able to show you proper form, explain the basics, and set up a weekly program.  For experienced athletes, these professionals can explain how to overload the body so you keep achieving strength and endurance gains.

The basics of setting up a program:

– Start slowly. This will decrease your chance of injury and soreness.

– Start with single sets and work your way up to multiple sets.

– Use the correct weight amount.  Using too much weight will increase your chance of injury because your form will suffer.  Vice versa, by not using enough weight your muscles will not be challenged and you won’t experience the desired benefits of weight training.  How do you know you are lifting the correct amount of weight? It should be hard to perform the last few repetitions without comprising your form.

– Give your muscles time to rest and recovery.  You should wait at least 48 hours before you train the same muscle group once again.

>  Burning more calories throughout the day.  Your body works harder to maintain muscle over fat.  Strength training can boost your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day.

>  Weight training doesn’t have to be boring.  Switching up your routine to keep your body guessing is the perfect way to receive strength gains and to decrease boredom.  Switch up your routine by using machines, free weights, bars, bands, and even your own body weight.

Also, change your routine as much as possible.  You can do this by switching up the number of sets or reps, time between sets, choosing different exercises, and varying your speed are just a few suggestions.

It is important to understand the basics of strength training and why you should incorporate this activity into your training program.  Once you know all of the benefits you will receive from these exercises, you will want to start right away so you can improve your quality of life and burn those extra calories.

Make strength training part of your routine. Give us a call or stop by in the gym and we will get you started.

Posted in Weight Loss Tips by Razvan | No Comments
No Comments

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO EXERCISE?

Posted by admin on Aug 19, 2012

Motivation plays a major factor in staying consistent with your fitness program.
Regardless of your fitness goals before you start on this journey you need to figure out why getting in shape is important to you.

Here are a few reasons why people workout and eat healthy:

– Being a role model for their children. Having the energy to play with them makes a huge difference in the quality of time spend together.

– To stay healthy you have to take preventive measures. The body is like the best car in the world. But even the best car breaks down if you don’t do the proper maintenance. Same with the body if you’re not taking care of it by managing stress, exercising, eating healthy and living a balanced lifestyle it will break down. We call it “getting sick”.

– Stress management. Exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress. Stress is a normal part of life. How you manage it is up to you. When you workout you release the stress that accumulated in your body throughout the day. That’s why many people feel “Lighter” after working out.

– Look better. The way you look has a huge impact in the way you feel and interact with others. Confidence, happiness and energy are great benefits of being in shape.

– Find one activity that you enjoy doing and get’s your body moving and stay with it. Get a workout buddy and start working out together. A workout partner can encourage, challenge, pace you, and can make working out more fun.

– Understand that your body is your vehicle that you traveling with in the great journey of life. Taking care of yourself plays a huge role in the quality of your life now and later in your retirement years.

– Nothing motivates like results. Once you stay consistent with your eating plan and exercise regimen results will start to show up. Losing 15 lbs and keeping them off will make a huge difference in the way you look and feel. It will give you the motivation that you need to stay committed to your health and fitness goals.

Find the answers to your questions and start working out. Today! Do one thing! It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just move your body! Take a walk! Ride the bike! Play tennis or basketball; Swim or take a dance class. But whatever it is MOVE YOUR BODY!

Yours in Health and Fitness,
Raz Petrea
Founder Proactive Fitness Solutions

Posted in Weight Loss Tips by Razvan | No Comments
No Comments

MYTHS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE AND WEIGHT CONTROL

Posted by admin on Jul 20, 2012

MYTH: Aerobic exercise is all the exercise you need to effectively control your weight.

FACT: A review of the available data strongly indicates that, in general, combining a conventional aerobic exercise program with a calorically restricted diet does little to help you preserve lean body mass during your weight reduction efforts. It is important to keep in mind that the lower your lean body mass is, the lower your resting metabolic rate (i.e., the calories expended by the body to maintain life and normal bodily functions such as respiration and circulation) will be.
As a result, it is more likely that you will regain some or all of the weight you lost.

On the other hand, if you engage in an exercise program that is designed to improve your level of muscular fitness and weight loss, you enhance the likelihood that you will be able to maintain your level of lean body mass. Accordingly, the optimal exercise prescription for sound weight management is one that combines aerobic conditioning and strength training. Such a prescription will allow you to expend a relatively large number of calories, while simultaneously preserving or increasing your level of lean body mass.

MYTH: You can burn fat from specific regions of the body by exercising those areas.

FACT: Contrary to what anyone may want you to believe, the “phenomenon” of spot reduction has absolutely no factual basis. When you exercise, you utilize energy produced by metabolizing fat from all the regions of your body – not just the specific muscles involved in the exercise. Performing sit-ups, for example, will not trim the fat off your abdominal region any more rapidly than off your buttocks or thighs. The exercise may firm up the area but will not make it disappear.

MYTH: Losing weight is extremely difficult.

FACT: Statistics indicate that during any given time period, approximately one quarter of all men and one half of all women in the United States are dieting to lose weight. For the majority of these individuals, losing weight is not the problem. Losing weight, for most people, is relatively easy – keeping it off is their ever present challenge. Estimates indicate 75% to 90% of all dieters who lose weight can expect to regain all of the weight they lost within one to three years of “completing” the diet. The tendency for weight regain among dieters is not only demoralizing, it also can be very hazardous to your health (weight cycling has been associated with increased risk of heart and gallbladder disease). Your weight control efforts should therefore include not only a sensible plan for getting those pounds off, but for keeping them off.

MYTH: Muscles will turn to fat when you stop exercising regularly.
FACT: Muscles cannot turn to fat. Muscle and fat are two separate and distinct tissues. They simply do not have the physical capability to change from one type of tissue to another. In reality, muscles have the unique property of “use it or lose it”. If you don’t use a muscle, it will literally waste away (atrophy).

This process is perhaps best illustrated when someone has to wear a cast on a broken leg. When the cast is eventually removed, the relatively unused leg muscles are considerably smaller than they were prior to the injury. If muscle could turn into fat, you should see a veritable “fat ball” when you take the cast off an injured limb, not a significantly atrophied set of leg muscles.

Posted in Cardio Exercise, Motivation, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips, Weight Training Tips by Razvan | No Comments