The COVID-19 pandemic that has swept the world has caused a severe impact on all of our lives. To help stop the spread of the disease, we have all taken unprecedented steps to restrict our day-to-day activities. The fitness industry, in particular, has been significantly affected by this new way of life. Due to the strict social distancing guidelines, it has been impossible for gyms and fitness centers to operate until it is safe to do so. The orders to remain at home will have undoubtedly affected both the physical and mental health of millions of people. With that in mind, now is perhaps a more critical time to look after your physical health than ever before. Exercise will help keep you in good shape and improve your mental wellbeing. Gyms may be closed, but people of all walks of life have used the pandemic as an opportunity to practice home workouts.
PowerGym Fitness is a specialist when it comes to fitness equipment. As an online retailer, they sell a wide range of equipment right across the world. While PowerGym’s speciality is in supplying commercial equipment to gyms and professional facilities, they also have plenty of customers who have their own exercise setup at home. Over the past few months, PowerGym has seen a significant increase in demand for home equipment. In this article, PowerGym will talk us through some of the top products they have found customers purchasing between the lockdown period of March and June:
Top-Selling Fitness Products During Lockdown
Flat Bench Press Station
The Flat Bench Press has become one of PowerGym’s most popular strength machines over the last few months. The bench press is an excellent form of exercise for strengthening multiple areas. This type of workout can tone muscles, improve endurance and increase strength. The exercise is relatively simple in that it just involves lying on the bench and lifting weight. Different types of bench press stations provide support for various angles. The flat bench press, for example, allows users to work the upper and lower pectoral muscles at the same time.
Rubber Crumb Weight Plates
The Rubber Crumb Bumper Weight Plates are relatively new to PowerGym’s product range, but it didn’t take long for this product to become a hit with customers. Since March alone, there have been 200 of these weight plates sold. These weight plates are great for weightlifting exercises and can fit on any Olympic barbell with a 51mm ring. With Crumb Rubber technology, the weight plates bounce less, make less noise and reduce stress on the lifting bars.
7ft Olympic Bar
A weight plate is no use without a barbell! PowerGym’s 7ft Olympic Bar has sold out fast due to popular demand. The bar is made of a triple-coat chrome finish, protecting from damage such as rusting, chipping and scarring. It is 450kg rated and comes equipped with two free jaw collars. The 7ft Olympic barbell is an ideal weightlifting bar that is built to last.
Rubber Flooring
To finish us off, we have PowerGym’s range of gym flooring. Fitness equipment is an important consideration when setting up a home gym, but it’s easy to forget the environment itself. Wood flooring or carpeting simply isn’t suitable for working out. It can lead to injuries and make your workouts ineffective and inconvenient. That’s why flooring designed for exercise, such as rubber flooring, is an investment you should consider. PowerGym’s rubber flooring, for example, has received 117 orders since March. This flooring not only provides a safe material for workouts, but it also reduces noise and impact.
Working out at home vs working out at a gym
Are Home Workouts as Effective as Going the Gym?
So you’ve purchased a range of fitness equipment to improve your home workout routine, but is this more effective than going to the gym? At this moment of time, your options are quite limited. Current lockdown measures mean that gyms and fitness facilities are closed due to the coronavirus. However, with restrictions beginning to ease, it won’t be long until gyms can open their doors again. Now is a good time to consider what is best for you and your future fitness routine. There are several benefits and downsides to both working out at home and at the gym:
One of the biggest advantages to working out at a gym is the amount of equipment that is available. Unless you have a massive budget, it’s highly unlikely your home setup will be able to rival the versatile range of equipment that a gym can provide. As for finance, gyms are much more of a smarter option for spending money in the short term. Buying your own equipment can be costly for outright purchases but in the long run will save you money.
Convenience and privacy are two of the biggest factors that people admire when working out at home. There’s no need to deal with the hassle of packing essentials, commuting, and changing into your workout gear. Nor do you have to wait for equipment to be free or worry about judgement from others. There is the freedom to exercise when you want and how you want.
The process of setting up a home gym can not only be costly, but also time consuming and stressful. You will have to determine how much space is needed, which equipment is best, how to create an environment free of distractions, and so on. There’s also the added bonus of having to maintain your own equipment. In a gym, this is all taken care of you. Your responsibilities are simply to clean up after yourself, put equipment back and report any issues.
The answer as to whether a home workout is as good as going the gym really depends on you and what you want. While home workouts are convenient, they can be limited, repetitive, and even lonely, and are best suited for casual athletes. Commercial gyms have everything that a professional athlete requires to treat their fitness seriously. Combining gym visits with home workouts is the best way to set yourself well on the way towards achieving your fitness goals. Having the best of both worlds will provide flexibility and ensure you remain motivated.