At one point, having a home gym was considered a luxury, mainly during the pre-covid time. But when Covid started hitting the world, a home gym became a necessity
Health and fitness freaks rushed to get in necessary home exercise equipment in the home, regardless of the size of the house because gyms were closed. The extended work-from-home jobs are also a factor that contributed to the increase in demand for home workout equipment.
Now that you're quite sure of having a home gym, you must be uncertain about the home gym essentials you will need. For beginners, it is always a strain when it comes to the home gym equipment list.
As there is a vast range of equipment in the market, choosing the best workout equipment for home workouts can be a headache. If you are in such a situation, you are in the right place. This blog will help you finalize equipment for your home gym.
As a beginner, you do not have to spend huge amounts to buy equipment for your home gym. Some affordable equipment/accessories can help you set up your home gym that will serve your purpose
Resistance bands have to be a core part of every home gym. They are space savers and highly versatile and affordable. You can challenge yourself by choosing any range of resistance from light to extremely heavy. Weightlifting workouts are also possible with resistance bands.
They are a perfect example for maximum training in minimum space. It helps you gain muscle mass and tone your body with a few simple moves. It is also ideal for warming up your muscles before bigger workouts. You can even integrate them into yoga and pilates workouts.
A yoga mat is a mandatory thing if you are planning to do exercises at home. For intense exercises like plyometrics and core work, you can prefer a jump mat too. They are more cushioned than yoga mats.
When you choose your living room as your workout space, it is highly recommended to use a yoga mat. It is not extra-absorbent and comfortable but also keeps your floor clean. Make sure you place your yoga mat in an area that allows plenty of movements so that you can comfortably move your body.
You can do endless exercises with a set of dumbbells. They are extremely versatile and you will need them at some point in your workout, no matter what level you are at. It can be considered as a single piece of equipment that does so much. A set of dumbbells can be fixed or adjustable.
Fixed dumbbells come in fixed weight and cannot be changed. They are widely seen in commercial gyms and fitness centers. They need more space and are expensive than the adjustable dumbbells. The good side of fixed dumbbells is that they are more durable and easier to use. If you are opting for fixed dumbbells, choose the rubber-coated ones so that they protect your dumbbells and floor.
Adjustable dumbbells are the best for home use. You can change the weights as you wish according to your level. Thus you won’t need a lot of space as one pair of handles and the weights will do the job.
A treadmill can be a good purchase for those looking for home gym equipment that focuses on a cardio workout. As the pandemic has made it risky to go out for a jog or walk, a treadmill will help you do it in the comfort of your home. It is also a huge help when it is extreme summer or winter outside so that you won’t miss your daily cardio.
A treadmill provides numerous health benefits and versatility too. Most of the modern treadmills offer an expansive workout library to help you challenge yourself at your home. Treadmills take up some space and are on the expensive side, but they are worth the investment.
Want help to choose the right treadmill? Check out our Treadmill Buying Guide - Motor, Belt Size,Durability, and More Specs
Do not misunderstand that a pull-up bar is just for pull-ups. You can practice several basic gymnastic exercises with a pull-up bar. You can attach them to the door of your home gym and perform upper-body and core movements without any large exercise and costly exercise equipment. It is a portable piece of equipment and is very easy to install. You can easily do a pull-up whenever you pass by the doorway. They can strengthen your upper body and core.
A home gym won’t be complete without a kettlebell. Its size and functionality make it very useful in a home gym. They can very well support your cardio workouts. They are very simple exercise equipment yet allows you to perform many movements. You can use a kettlebell as a supplement to standard resistance training. You must have at least one kettlebell for a complete home gym workout. Kettlebells are perfect for a ton of workouts from goblet squats to swings.
Kettlebells are useful for warm-ups too as you choose a lightweight and perform a full range of motion without straining your muscles hard. They get your heart rate up and also train parts of your body that are usually neglected during weightlifting. Two or three different weighted kettlebells can help you have a full-body workout.
Even though Benches & Racks are mostly used for bench presses, a surprising fact is that a large number of exercises require a weightlifting bench. You will miss plenty of exercises if you do not have a bench in your home gym. Bench press, incline bench press, dumbbell press, incline dumbbell press, seated shoulder press, dumbbell fly, dumbbell row, etc, are some of the exercises that require a bench. Thus a bench is an opportunity for a wide variety of exercises.
Benches can be flat or adjustable. Flat benches will have padding and do not allow for position change of the backrest. They are suitable for exercises with fixed backrests but you cannot perform exercises that need a change in the position of the backrest. Flat beaches are cheaper than adjustable ones. Adjustable benches, on the other hand, allow you to change your backrest from 0 to 90 degrees. So you can do all the exercises in a sitting position with just a bench. An adjustable bench is a perfect option for a home gym.
If you have some extra space in your home gym for a must-have machine, a rowing machine has to be your choice. They are highly beneficial for your lower body, upper body, and core all at once. Even though they take up some floor space, they compensate for the benefits it provides to your strength and cardiovascular system.
If you have a low ceiling, a rowing machine is an ideal choice. It can be used under any ceiling you can stand up straight under. So if you prefer to have a home workout machine at home, go for a rower machine.
Jump rope is a skinny, portable, and flexible piece of equipment. If you do not have space for a treadmill or an exercise bike in your small space, a jump rope will serve the purpose of cardio. You can use it for getting your heart rate up between lifting sets or for warming up your body for a HIIT workout. It also works on your arms, shoulders, core, and legs. A jump rope is perfect for both beginners and advanced users.
Stationary bikes are best for cardio. You get them in a range of shapes and sizes and are equipped with a variety of unique features. It is an efficient and effective way that helps in burning calories and body fat. Stationary bikes strengthen your heart, lungs, and muscles. Another notable feature of this bike is that it puts less stress on your joints, yet gives an excellent aerobic workout. You can choose them if you want a small exercise machine that can fit your available space. 11. Weight plates Weight plates are usually used in combination with barbells or dumbbells to get the desired weight. They are affordable and do not take much space in your home gym. A set of weights are not only for lifting exercises as many people misunderstand, they are highly flexible and can be used for plank plate switch, chest squeeze press, squat press, plate push-ups, front shoulder raise, lateral raise, squat reach, side bend, overhead press, and halo. They are available in rubber, cast iron, and rubberized. Most popular among these are the rubberized ones. 12. Squat rack A squat rack is a good investment if you are planning to add some level of difficulty to your squat variations. You can safely tackle weighted squats with a squat rack. They are perfect for bench presses and pull-ups too. Squats without squat racks are dangerous too. Your shoulders may get injured if you do so. For those aiming for weight lifting, a squat rack is a piece of must-have equipment in your home gym.
Another notable feature of this bike is that it puts less stress on your joints, yet gives an excellent aerobic workout. You can choose them if you want a small exercise machine that can fit your available space.
Weight plates are usually used in combination with barbells or dumbbells to get the desired weight. They are affordable and do not take much space in your home gym. A set of weights are not only for lifting exercises as many people misunderstand, they are highly flexible and can be used for plank plate switch, chest squeeze press, squat press, plate push-ups, front shoulder raise, lateral raise, squat reach, side bend, overhead press, and halo.
They are available in rubber, cast iron, and rubberized. Most popular among these are the rubberized ones.
A squat rack is a good investment if you are planning to add some level of difficulty to your squat variations.
You can safely tackle weighted squats with a squat rack. They are perfect for bench presses and pull-ups too. Squats without squat racks are dangerous too. Your shoulders may get injured if you do so. For those aiming for weight lifting, a squat rack is a piece of must-have equipment in your home gym.
Medicine balls are very helpful in strength training to help build muscle mass while doing certain exercises. Holding a medicine ball during squats or lunges increases the intensity of the exercise and builds more muscle strength.
These are very useful for core exercises too. While performing moves like chest presses, bicep curls, dead bugs, or plank knee tucks with medicine balls, you can add some extra stability. They are highly affordable and handy pieces of equipment.
Many people think that heavy bags are just for boxers which is not exactly true. Heavy bags offer numerous workout options. It can improve your aerobic fitness, coordination, core stability, power, stamina, and also endurance.
You can also improve upper-body strength and strengthen bones and ligaments with heavy bags. They are a great way to maintain the shape of the body. They can help you have a high-intensity workout which gives you a cardiovascular workout.
Plyo boxes are the perfect platforms for plyometric exercises, such as box jumps or depth jumps. They are useful for a wide range of single-leg exercises like single-leg box jumps, step-ups, single-leg squats, and side step-ups. You can get them in a variety of heights for different ability levels. They are highly cost-efficient and versatile too.
These are not the only pieces of equipment you can use for a home gym. You can also buy other equipment according to your specific needs. But the above-mentioned products will be more than enough for a good start. It will indeed be hard for you to adapt to a home gym if you are a regular commercial gym person. But you will see the results, both physically and financially within certain months of workout in your home gym.
You can have more fun in your workouts when you make them more creative and interesting. So if you are stuck at home, you will have time to make your home gym workouts more fruitful and efficient.
Several people are still confused about the benefits of a home gym. They raise many questions before purchasing home exercise equipment. Let’s discuss some of them before discussing the basic home equipment for a home gym. .
It is not at all a bad idea to have a home gym or workout at home. It is a very good idea that saves a lot of money. If you have some basic home workout equipment at home, you can have an efficient workout session in the comfort of your room. It will make you fit without going to the gym.
A 30-minute efficient home workout can help you build muscles. Spending a whole day in the gym may not fetch your muscles or the results you dream of. Trying weight training for 20 to 30 minutes weekly twice or thrice can help you. You can gain a good amount of muscle even if you don’t lift heavy weights.
A home gym is highly recommended when you are working from home and also to stay fit during quarantine days because that is when you miss body movements. When this continues, it will affect your health in a very bad way. Your body requires certain physical activity and a home gym is the best solution for this. You can find a comfortable time and do workouts that will keep you fit even during your work from home.
This is a hard question as everybody has a busy schedule. Even though workout and exercises are vital for our health and well-being, it is difficult to find time for it. So the perfect time would be the time that fits in your schedule and is comfortable for you. What matters is that you find time to workout at least twice a week.
A home gym is a perfect answer for this. You do not need giant costly equipment to workout from home. Some basic home exercise equipment and the right equipment can fetch you great results.