Has anybody equipped their home gym? - advice please

[hmc]

We've had a large log cabin built at the bottom of the garden for this very purpose. I now need to equip it with a treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine and cross trainer etc...

I don't want cheap and cheerful but would like really good equipment that would be good enough to grace any membership based gym.

Obviously that is going to cost major spondulicks so I want to make sensible purchasing decisions - anybody done this themselves and have product recommendations and the like?

Cheers

Can't advise on brands for most things but for a rowing machine I would only consider a Concept 2 (model C, D or E). I got mine from a gym which was having a clear out but it is in great condition. They also have the advantage of being in demand, so quite easy to sell on again. Concept 2 do hire-purchase and sell some second hand machines, or have a look on ebay.

Will you actually use a treadmill and a bike and a rowing machine?

Don't forget some mats, maybe space for a gym ball and weights if you use those too. If you have space a mirror on one wall would be good and of course some way of listening to music or the radio while you train.

I have a corner of the cellar for my stuff, but a whole cabin sounds fantastic.

Only just seen this CardiCorgi - thanks for the advice with the rowing machine, it's this item of equipment I am least certain about since I haven't routinely used one at the gym.

Yep will use bike, treadmill (me) and cross trainer (dh) - so all bits needed. Have ordered Lifefitness equipment for these pieces since I am familiar with their stuff from David Lloyd. Haven't ordered rower yet but will check out the Concept models.

Cheers

I would definitely second the recommendation for a Concept 2 rowing machine. We bought ours second-hand about 10 years ago, and only recently had it serviced. They are so well built and durable and proper rowers seem to recommend them! We also have a second-hand Lifefitness treadmill which is excellent.

Excellent - well, that's me all sorted then. Thanks Cardi and fasicle

You're welcome. Yes, I'm a proper rower!
For cycling I have my racing bike set up on a turbo trainer - I prefer this to an exercise bike as i's my usual cycling position, plus the turbo trainer was fairly cheap and can be folded up easily for storage.

DH would say that no gym is complete without a sauna, certainly in Finnland it is essential and a sauna after training or racing is quite popular here in Germany too.