jeff@nwfitnessportland.com

Sales Director

I talk to a lot of customers about how they can BEST set themselves up to succeed in an at home fitness program. There are 5 essential things to consider. Take these factors into consideration, and you increase your chances of sticking with your program incrementally!

1. Product Selection

People ask “What is the ‘best’ piece of equipment to get?” Unfortunately there is no single answer that fits all situations. To get a fully rounded fitness program going, you want to have the ability to work both cardio and strength. Cardio options include treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, and the like. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. In short, get what you like using. It really doesn’t matter if you burn a few more calories on one piece or the other if you don’t use it, so get what you will use! For strength, you can go as simple as a few dumbbells or kettlebells, or as elaborate as a full multi-station home gym. Again, determine the way you like to strength train and get the equipment that you are most likely to enjoy using.

2. In Home Placement

Many people think, “I’ll put it in the garage!” Nothing could be more detrimental to your success. In the winter time, the garage is almost as cold as going outside, in the summer it can be too hot! Since most people workout in the morning or evening due to schedules, the temperature of the garage tends to keep people from going out there to get their workout in. For best results, create a space inside the home that is climate controlled and inviting.

3. Entertainment

Get a television in your workout room! Whether you like watching sports center, the batchelor, or biggest loser, combining your tv time with workout time will give you the best chance of creating a habit. For me – it’s morning sports center while sprint training on the treadmill, followed by strength training on my functional trainer. If you are not a tv person, set yourself up to read or listen to music that motivates you to get moving!

4. Motivation

Track your workouts. There are many ways to do this from keeping your statistics in a journal to great apps that offer tremendous feedback. Monitor your heart rate and push yourself by making improvement a priority. Some of the new cardio equipment consoles have this technology embedded and automatically track your progress for you. If you need this technology to keep track of your progress, spend the extra money to get the features you need to motivate you. Another great thing to do is set up a contest or weekly check in with a friend or family member to review the last week’s workouts. Having someone to answer to will help motivate you to stick with it.

5. Buy Quality Equipment

Many people want to “just get something cheap on craigslist.” Nothing will kill your workout program faster than poor quality equipment. Unfortunately craigslist is full of junk! I study craigslist everyday to find QUALITY used products to sell at our store – 99% of the listings are the low-end products from sears or costco that people bought before reading this article. Low end machines are typically unstable, not smooth, and break down frequently with limited local support to repair them. If you are on a tight budget, it is better to buy a QUALITY used piece from a store like us – who will back it up with a service and labor warranty than guessing about whether something on craigslist is worthwhile.

Hopefully this will help you get set up for success in your at home fitness program. If you are in need of QUALITY equipment, contact us to work with our experienced sales consultants and determine the best products for your specific needs, space constraints, and budget. We will help educate you, allow you to try a wide variety of products, and help you put together a program for at home fitness success with no pressure!

jeff@nwfitnessportland.com

By Jeff Hahn
Sales Director

I get calls from customers everyday asking if we carry used equipment.  When I get this question, I say “Yes, but are you looking for ‘used equipment’ or ‘cheap equipment’?”  This is when the caller has to decide what they really want.

Buying used equipment can be a really good thing.  It can save you some money, and there are definitely some steals to be found if you know what to look for.  The problem is most people think Craig’s List or similar source would be the place to find these deals.  The truth is most of the equipment on those sources is really just “cheap & used”, not high quality used.

Why is Craig’s List littered with “cheap & used” equipment?  The answer is simple.  The equipment wasn’t good to begin with, and some poor soul spent $500 or more only to find out that it doesn’t perform like they expect.  After dragging it home and up the stairs, it worked fine for a while.  Then after a few parts failures, constant calls to an 800 number with non-english speaking tech support, and no real repair in sight, they decide to dump it on Craigs List.

Quality equipment is hard to find second hand.  Most people who buy high quality are going to use the equipment and do the research to make sure they are buying a good product.  They also have a better ownership experience with less breakdowns.  If they do have a problem, they call us, their local dealer and service center, and we get the problem solved.  Because of this, they tend to keep the equipment, and if they do decide to trade up to something new, we usually have the chance to refurbish and resell the equipment – with a labor warranty and financing options.

We offer new and quality used equipment.

So how do you get a great deal on a high quality used piece of equipment?  Come down to our store or check out our used page.  Sign up to follow us on twitter or Facebook and be the first to know when we receive something used.  Read our used equipment buyer’s guide.  Talk with our sales staff about which brands are quality and which are just junk.

Most importantly, don’t spend any amount of money on equipment that is junk.  If you are going to invest in equipment for you home, buy quality – you’ll be glad you did!

www.nwfitnessportland.com