Once you have built a regular training programme and have either outgrown the usage of your initial gym equipment or wish to expand it further, you will require a more advanced level of exercise apparatus. Gym equipment tends to be extremely malleable as a rule, often coming with a variety of weights and settings that take you from beginner through to expert. So when you reach an intermediate level you should find the equipment that will challenge you to the right extent and also provide the right exercises to allow you develop through to a higher level.

Intermediate Cardiovascular Equipment

Once you have reached an intermediate level of fitness and you are looking to develop further you might look into purchasing a more advanced cardiovascular machine to aid your progress. There are dozens of permutations within the cardiovascular equipment range, both in the type of apparatus as well as in the features of individual models.

Bikes & Treadmills

Exercise bikes and treadmills are often two of the more popular choices of home gym equipment. As with most products the more you spend the more you get, in terms of features at least, but even our basic ranges offer a great specification. Both bikes and treadmills offer great cardiovascular workouts as well as huge potential for you to develop. With a variety of speeds, gradients and resistances you can choose to increase the difficulty of your workout as you become fitter and more proficient with the equipment, which gives them an exceptional enduring quality.

Other Cardio Equipment

Cross-trainers and rowing machines are also extremely popular cardio equipment for the home gym. The cross-trainer gives a fantastic all round workout, building both upper and lower body endurance, whilst the rowing machine simulates the rigors of rowing on the open waters in your own house. If the whirring of a fan rowing machine doesn't sit well with other members of the household, there are also a number of magnetic aided machines, which allow you to glide in near silence. But as with all cardio machines, the rowing machine is exceptionally good for building fitness and getting rid of unwanted excess body fat.

Increasing Your Weights

If you are looking to continue building and toning muscles, there are a number of excellent weight training options available. Whether you are looking to work on a particular part of your body or develop muscles throughout your body, you can be instantly spoilt for choice.

Upper-Body Strength

There are a couple of options for building upper-body strength, firstly there are dumbbells or free weights, which work on one arm at a time, which provide an alternative to weight bars that require both arms working in tandem. Dumbbells are a freestanding source of weight training; they can either be used individually or in unison depending on your workout preference. Whilst the equipment is relatively simple, the range of exercises is anything but. Dumbbells can be used to work on every muscle in the arm as well as other parts of the upper body, just be varying the workout routine.

Using Weight Bars

As with dumbbells, weight bars can be loaded up with as much weight as you require to workout safely. The weight bar is simply a bar on to which you can attach weight plates at either end. They come in a variety of shapes to suit a number of workouts; curl bars are particularly useful for forearm, tricep and bicep workouts whilst straight bars are ideal for bench presses. There are a wide variety of weight bars and weights available from Marcy and Gold's Gym.

In order to truly maximise their use, you may require a weight bench. A weight bench will allow you to lift weights safely at a number of angles allowing you to vary your workout. It can also be used in conjunction with a number of dumbbell exercises, again allowing you to work on muscles that you may not ordinarily be able to. Most weight benches will either provide cushioned bars to which you can add plate weights to do leg exercises, or static supports for doing sit-ups and other abdominal exercises.

Multi-Gym Workout

To stretch and develop a wider range of muscles, you may want to invest in a more advanced multi-gym set. A multi-gym offers weight training for the arms and legs, with exercises to stretch muscles throughout the body. As you advance further you can increase the weight to suit your capabilities, enabling further advancement. The multi-gym is an extremely versatile compact piece of home gym equipment, so for intermediate trainers they can provide an excellent all-round workout without needing to step foot in a gym.