We are setting up our own home fitness centre (aka torture cell! LOL!). I am interested to see what equipment / arrangements other LBTers have at home.

Our idea is to make it a really cool, "set up" place to hang out in our home, that we can use during the week to supplement our existing exercise habits - gym/pool membership for me, field hockey for DH, cycle / walk for family on weekends. We figure we work hard enough during the week, that we deserve to have our own special, motivating exercise place right here at home to help make keeping ourselves healthy and fit just a little bit easier. Now, spending money on a LapBand is another reason to take this more seriously. Got to get a return on the investment!

We have the luxury of a newly carpeted and painted spare bedroom to use (3.5m by 3.5m or 12ft by 12ft), which this wekend I am going to clear out of junk (yipes!). When we moved in here 2 years ago we planned to set our fitness centre up, it's just taken longer to get the moving boxes etc out of the room, and to finish clearing up after our washing machine flooded the house a few months back.

We already have a York 2000 Home Gym, fit ball and yoga mat.

I thought I'd get a couple of 3kg free weights for myself, and some heavier ones for DH (the nice rubber-coated ones).

We also have a York 2000 treadmill, which we plan to upgrade to a motorised walking machine, or maybe a cross trainer - so that's going on eBay, unless someone on LBT wants it (you have to come and pick it up from my place - I am in Australia!). We are thinking of hiring for starters, as this would be a big investment, and we'd want to be sure first.

I am going to work with my fitness trainer from the gym to develop workouts that would be suitable for use at home. DH may do the same, or may do his own thing - that's up to him!

For motivation, I thought I'd put some exercise diagrams / charts on the wall, and some inspirational type quotes / pictures. For starters, I'll print some from the internet - any ideas where to start looking??

We'll add a small TV and radio for entertainment, and I guess away we'll go - anthing I missed???

Sounds great, I'd love the room for a weights station - I must be honest, I loathe free weights and I just dont think I'll ever get my arse in gear and stick with them. I have several good free weight DVD's though which I think add LOADS of fun to weight work - Gin Miller's Bella Strength, I have one of Jari Love's ripped series and you can also get a lot of ones from Cathe Friedrick - www.collagevideo.com or just google them out. I think they add up to a much more efficient workout. The ones I have rely on a barbell, they have great sets at Aldi at the moment for $89. You'd need a DVD player too I guess and an aerobic step to use as a bench.

We have a treadmill that we bought back in March, BEST thing we ever bought. I clock up miles and miles on it, I run with music, so it could be anywhere for me, but Doug likes the telly, so its in our family room, at the expense of the table and chairs. Of paramount importance when we move is finding a home for our treadmill, lol. If the treadmill wont fit, the house wont do. We bought a Nordic Track C2050 which was about $4,000 by some amazing miracle we were in Rebel Sport when they were clearing floorstock, and got it for $1600. Its awesome, has great programs, and is gym quality with a big wide running track and most importantly it has fans in the console so you dont sweat buckets when you're on it.

I swear the treadmill has made all the difference to me, I just could never stick with the gym although I love it, I just dont have the time and am hampered by the kids school routines and having a 3 year old home with me, odd lectures at uni meaning I couldnt go in the morning when the creche is open etc. I can fit in 45 minutes on the treadmill at whatever time of day when its just at home.

We have a weight bench that also includes preacher curls, a squat bar, and leg curls/extentions. Plus we have a few bars and dumbells and lots of free weight plates. We also have an excersize ball, a stationary bike, and we are getting a rowing machine and an eliptical machine.

Sounds like a great home gym.

We currently have a cheaper knock-off version of the Bowflex called the CrossBow, a recumbant bike, exercise ball, free weights, resistance bands, various work out videos/dvd's, and a mini-trampoline.

The hubby and I just today made the decision to set up our own little home gym too! We were going to join a gym, but I don't like working out at a gym by myself, and feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea of being the "fat lady" at the gym. With our schedules, I think it would be hard for us both to be at the gym at the same time. Plus, that would be one to two more hours out of the day that my kids would be at home while I am somewhere else.

We currently have a Proform Treadmill that is ifit compatible that I love and use all the time with the ifit.com workouts. We went online today and ordered the ProForm Elliptical Machine and Tony Little Ab Lounge Xtreme with Workout DVD from HSN.com. I am so excited for them to get here. We are turning our den into our workout room. I am also going to look at picking up some free weights as well.

We also have a York 2000 treadmill, which we plan to upgrade to a motorised walking machine, or maybe a cross trainer - so that's going on eBay, unless someone on LBT wants it (you have to come and pick it up from my place - I am in Australia!). We are thinking of hiring for starters, as this would be a big investment, and we'd want to be sure first.

Hi, a friend of mine is looking for a treadmill, can you email me the details, she may be interested, she lives in Langwarrin, which is not too far from here. TIA