Five easy pieces to a bodybuilding lifestyle - part one

If you're ready to get in shape and stay fit here's the first of five easy steps to begin a bodybuilding lifestyle. I'm in the middle of a Jack Nicholson Movie Marathon. Hence the "five easy pieces" reference.

1. Equip yourself with a home gym.You don't need a lot of space for this, certainly not a whole room. I workout most of the time in my living room which is about 10 x 10 feet and my actual floor space is about 7 x 4 feet. One tip, get compact equipment or a gym that's portable and easy to store away.If you’re a beginner, or haven’t done resistance training in a while, start with a resistance band or a set of bands.

If you have the money purchase a set of pro-grade Beach Body bands starting at $29.95 for a set of 6 bands. I’ve owned several other brands over the years and theirs are the best quality I’ve found. I’ve actually broke two sets of Richard Simmons bands. If you buy only one band make sure it’s challenging enough that you can only perform 8 to 12 repetitions per set before feeling a burn in your muscles.

Other excellent products to start your home gym are adjustable weight dumbbells. I own and recommend Bowflex SelectTech 220 Dumbbells. a pull up or chin up bar, push up stands. I own and recommend BodyRev Perfect Push Ups,and if you can afford one, a portable gym like MyGym, Total Gym, The Bean Flex 10, or Bowflex.

One of the best workouts you can get requires no free weights, bands, or portable gyms. Use your body weight for resistance. You can build a great physique with isometrics and calisthenics like squats, push ups, pull ups, lunges, calf raises, chair dips, and more. Power 90X relies heavily on these moves and I've achieved my best results with it.

For an inexpensive solution for aerobics workouts buy several exercise videos. Variety will keep your workouts fresh and you'll be less likely to quit. For video recommendations read my recent article on the best exercise videos for beginners.