Home Gym 101

workout possible, it also saves a ton of room and money. Who needs a $1,500-plus treadmill or stairclimber when you can do intervals on the bag, letting out your aggressions and building total-body power at the same time? Try a 50- to 100-pound bag (Everlast is the gold standard in this department) and hang it on your power rack. You can take it down and roll it into a corner when you're done. Note: To protect your hands, you should invest in some boxing gloves, too. 100-lb heavy vinyl bag, $100, and 12-oz bag gloves, $80 @ everlast.com

9 | Flooring
When it comes to laying the groundwork for your gym, it depends what kind of floor the room has. If it's carpeted, you may be all set-but be prepared to pull out some Febreze, as months of sweaty workouts have a way of leaching into carpeting. If it's hard-wood, you'd be wise to lay down some rubber matting. It'll protect the floor from the damage of dropped weights and scuffs, as well as being easier on your body during floor-based exercises. Look for the interlocking square variety (easy to put together, even if jigsaw puzzles aren't your thing), which can be trimmed with a utility knife to fit the corners of your room. The worst criticism we've heard about this kind of flooring is that it can be permanently indented if you leave a weight on it overnight (hint: rerack your weights), and that it can buckle or pop up from its seams. In the latter case, simply apply some heavy-duty double-sided tape and stick it to the floor. Rubber flooring is relatively inexpensive, resistant to water and odors, easy to clean, and should last for years. Check out the flooring made by Mitchell Rubber Products. $5.49 PER SQUARE FOOT @ GREATMATS.COM

Joe Stankowski is the author of Create the Ultimate Home Gym, available at homeexerciseresources.com.