i don't like elliptical trainers either. gimmicky. low impact is not necessarily a good thing in and of itself. :-/ impact transmits forces to the musculoskeletal structure providing the stimulus for adaptation. becomes detrimental when excessive. nothing beats a barbell with the exception of certain machine with weight stacks.
The Crossbow, by weider is $599 i think. I own a bowflex. It is a good machine if you're going to use it regularly. I mostly use it as a coat rack now, because of the awkward workout positions. They have an excellent resale value though, so I'll probably ebay it.
I've been working out and training for a long time. LongShot is absolutely correct. These gimmick machines are maybe better than nothing but not by much. Don't underestimate the hassle factor of changing them for different exercises. For most of us, the most important areas of the body to train are the legs, back and abs. These just happen to be the areas that these home gyms are typically very deficient in. Leg training is best done on a leg press machine, sled or nautilus. Particularly if you're doing hip rehab, you want to get the best, safest piece of equipment. Ditto for back and abs. In checking out a gym, make sure it's designed for someone of your size and athletic ability. Some hotel "spas" for example have downsized machines designed basically for women. Nautilus and Hammer Strength are good names. One area I think you can do effectively at home is cardio training. Put a treadmill or stationary bike in front of the TV, and knock off 30-40 minutes while watching or reading the newspaper. I don't like to mix cardio and strength training sessions, so it's convenient to have cardio at home. Go to the gym for the main workout. Seeing others is also good motivation.
I agree on the stationary bike. I hop on mine 30 min/day and I can still watch my monitors, CNBC, and get some reading done to boot. As far as the weight training, I got 150Lbs of dumbells, which provide a lot of resistance with minimal weight (so you don't need a spotter) and you can work out most muscle groups with them. I also got an adjustable bench for inclines/declines, and an ab roller to work the stomach.
i started years ago with a shitty home gym thing and a few free weights. nothing beats a real gym. i don't usually do cardio at the gym, though. for cardio, i either do something outside or use a treadmill i have at home during the winter/rainy days. don't forget to eat correctly. be consistent, also.
yeah fruit cake but how much can you squat? :-/ The three Biggies... SQUAT! DEADLIFT! STANDING PRESS!
i don't keep track of one rep max. i just keep track of the weight i'm on for the number of sets and reps. maybe next time i do legs, i'll get a rough estimate for one rep max squat... you MAY be stronger than me if you're a naturally bigger person. imo, to be fair, a strength comparison would need to be made relative to body size. i'm no arnold schwarzenegger, but for my height and bone size, i'm tough to beat. i can run, too. in school i broke a 20 year record for the mile. but that was a few years ago. now, i pretty much just run for exercise, but i can still beat anyone i know in a race of any distance.
LongShot, without being able to judge you (just knowing myself), i would be confident in this bet: if we could equalize our bodies into some type of standard, i bet i would beat you in everything!!! what i'm saying is, if you had my height and bone size, i would bet you could beat me in nothing!
LongShot, here's an example...... for forearms curls... this exercise: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/WristFlexors/BBWristCurl.html i can do 3 sets of 8 reps @ 70lb + whatever the bar weighs.. NEXT TIME YOU GO TO THE GYM, TRY THAT! EVEN IF YOU HAVE A BIGGER BODY TYPE, I STILL WOULD BET THAT YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!
...and the ant can lift many times its own bodyweight (but nevertheless i wouldn't want to be that ant) :-/