Adding weights/resistance training

I am 4 months post op (Lap Band) and have been slowly adding exercise to my daily routine.  I currently do an hour on the recumbent bike (about 15 miles) and 300 - 500 ab crunches on a Body By Jake Ab Machine I "borrowed" from a friend.  I do push-ups against the bed frame or stairs as I cannot do them on the ground yet.  I have lost alot of weight but want to start building my chest & arms to fill the void where the fat used to be.  Does anybody have suggestions on the right kind of equipment to add to a home gym?  Free weights or machines?  I've been looking at stores and think the V5 by Hoist seems pretty comprehensive.  The weight stack is 210lbs.  I'm sure eventually I may outgrow that but wouldn't that be awesome if I did? I currently have a treadmill, exercise bike, balance ball, couple 10# dumb bells and an 8# medicine ball.  Any ideas, suggestions or feedback is appreciate. Mick

Hey Mick, Just my 2 cents... I've run into a lot of these machines at hotels and YMCA's over the years. They don't get a lot of use really. You'll find you'll be very limited as far as the variety of exercises you can do, expecially as you out grow it. (and I'm pretty sure you will) For guys like me...they are very uncomfortable for the amount of money they cost and not really built right from a proper exercise point of view. Angles and levers just aren't built for someone my height and size. If you have 3000.00 for a machine like this and the space, for that money you can build one hell of a free weight home gym with a few "good" pieces of equipment to fill in the gaps. I'd start with in order of importance. Set of Dumbbells, this can be 1 adjustable set or a rack...just whatever you have the $ for. Adjustable Flat/incline bench Olympic Bar and weights Some kind of squat rack, a good power rack can be used for everything from bench press to squats to chins to leg raises Situp board or decline bench Pulldown/low row cable machine Leg Extension/Leg Curl Leg Press machine I think if you have a Play it again Sports store or just look around the classified ads or even all brand new, you can set this up for a lot less than that Machine cost and get a lot more use out of it. Good luck. Earl

Earl- Thanks for the detailed response!  I really appreciate it.  I have been thinking of getting additional dumb bells and an adjustable flat/incline bench to start doing arms, back and chest.   What is the pulldown/low row cable machine?  Are you talking about a rowing machine? sorry if my questions are basic.  I have no experience with weight lifting. Mick

Hi Mick, A good lat machine can be used for a 1000 different exercises. The low row is just a way of hooking the cable to run from the bottom of the machine to give you even more options. I picked up my last one at a gym auction for 80 bucks and it had a 250 # weight stack with it. So you can pick up a used on a lot cheaper than new. New equipment is like buying a car. The value goes through the floor as soon as you take it out the door. So I always look for used equipment. Good weight equipment will last a lifetime. I was thinking something like this, it's just an example...but I've seen a lot of different machines that do basically the same thing.  http://newyorkbarbells.tv/4650.html