As SoGlos explains in this first look at the REP Fitness showroom near Stonehouse, buying a barbell or a rack from a website means trusting the pictures on the website and the specs in the online description – and it’s the little things you would notice in the first thirty seconds of using the equipment that are left out of both.
The showroom will be very tempting for someone new to home gym equipment. They will want to look at all of the equipment on display. I think it is better to visit the showroom with a specific weekly routine and test out the minimum amount of equipment to fulfil your requirements.
Trying kit first is the sensible start
The real value of a showroom is allowing customers to test handle all of the bars, weights and racks before purchasing. The feature is very valuable as equipment really does behave as a system and REP’s show room allows customers to truly test the home gym equipment before purchasing.
The official target sets the shopping list
Strengthening exercise using free weights, for example, should be done on 2 or more days of the week by adults to develop the muscle of the major joints and aid general fitness and health. UK Chief Medical Officers’ activity guidelines sets this out. NHS adult physical activity guidelines (as used in SoGlos’s feature) and UK Chief Medical Officers’ activity guidelines from 2019 recommend strength-based exercise on at least 2 days a week.
Choosing between fixed pairs and adjustable sets
Adjustable dumbbells are very space efficient, but they cost time. Changing weight every round of a circuit can be frustrating in supersets or in very fast circuits. Fixed pairs of dumbbells of course are instant but require a rack and a number of pairs of weights.
What to test on the showroom floor
First check the ceiling height of your intended gym space. Once you have established this you can test an empty barbell doing a few reps of presses etc. Knurling (the grip pattern cut into the steel) feels much sharper or smoother than it looks in the images online.
For the rack test, load up an empty bar and test it under weight as an empty rack does not give much indication of any wobble. Bumper plates are a lot louder than iron and in fact bounce differently too. This could be a problem on a hardwood floor and for neighbours.
A small setup that covers the week
Just write down 2 or 3 sessions of the sort of workout you plan to do in your home gym and you’ll find that a simple rack, bar, weight plates, bench and a few pairs of dumbbells will cover all your needs to work all major muscles twice.
Write a routine for your week or two of workouts before you go to the showroom. Then measure the room. Test the parts you need for that.
