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It’s 7:30 am and you’ve got exactly 90 minutes to work out, get cleaned up and clock in. You breathlessly pull into the parking lot and—there are no spots left. Once you’ve ditched your vehicle and get inside, you see that it’s very crowded, the machines are all in use, and the only treadmill that’s available is not working. Does this sound familiar?

You’re not alone. But here’s a word to the wise: setting up a small gym in your home is one of the easiest and wisest things you will ever do.

Before we get into the actual training benefits of a home gym, let’s discuss your peace of mind. Your own home gym is always going to be right there for you—open 24 hours a day and even on holidays. You’ll never have to wait to use a piece of equipment. It will always be clean (provided you keep it that way). You don’t have to pay a monthly membership fee to use it. And that’s without mentioning that you won’t have to deal with any of the typical gym drama. No more obligatory small talk when all you want to do is work out and tune out!

You may not need any more incentive to head home, but that’s not all.

Your simple gym will actually better allow you to get a full-body workout. You’ll only need a few simple, inexpensive materials, like a bench, free weights and stability ball. And that’s it! Sticking to the simple stuff means greater functionality.

While machines are good for some exercises, they typically only allow you to target specific muscle areas, so getting a thorough, all-body workout is more challenging.

Just the opposite happens when using free weights. During free-weight exercises (dumbbells or bars and weight plates), you are forced to balance the weights, which in turn forces you to use more of your muscles.

Let’s look at an example: a chest press on a gym machine, while seated with your back supported. This chest-press machine does little more than just work your chest muscle. On the contrary, when you do the chest press with dumbbells lying on a stability ball, you also have to balance the weight in each hand, causing you to call on the supporting muscles like the shoulders and triceps. You will also use your core (abdominal muscles and low back) and your legs to help keep you balanced on the ball.

Which way do you think will give you more of a workout?

Looks like the free weights to me.

Remember the chest press is just one example. This applies to a lot of other exercises as well. And while you certainly could do free weights at the gym, as I mentioned earlier, you also run the risk of getting stuck in traffic on the way, the gym being very crowded, running into that girl that always wants to chat, what have you.

Why not get all the benefits of a great functional workout that will get you the results you want in the comfort of your own home?

It’s simple to get started. Head to the sporting good store with a shopping list in hand. The first thing you need is a bench (preferably one that inclines and declines). You definitely need a few pairs of dumbbells. A stability ball is also a great piece of equipment to have. This can be used for lots of exercises and you should look for a ball that is right for your height. This info is usually listed on the box of the ball. Last on the list of staples are exercise bands. These bands are color coded and can be paired together to add tension and make the exercise harder. Check out Bodylastics.

Once you’ve gotten more advanced and are looking for more diversity or a little more of a challenge, you might want to consider purchasing a weight bar and weight plates. You can find a nice bench/weight bar combination "home gym" on sale for under $200.

The other things mentioned are all relatively inexpensive. Stability balls are around $30 and exercise bands are about $50. Dumbbells might be the bigger cost item, but prices do vary depending on style, weight and brand. Once you’ve hit the sporting goods store once, you can leave those monthly membership fees behind forever.

Next time you get stuck in traffic on the way to the gym or spend more time in line than exercising, why not take a detour over to the sporting goods store and set up your own home gym? I’m betting you’ll find it’s the real place to be.

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