Must-have Home Gym Equipment
A home gym is a real asset to have in any home. You can save yourself some money on a gym membership and instead will have everything that you need from the comfort of your own home. You can even put a TV in your home gym and watch your favorite shows as you work out. Not only that, but you won’t have to deal with traveling either.
Of course, building a home gym isn’t the simplest thing to do. It can cost some money to buy the right equipment – though it’s certainly worthwhile in the long run. In the short term though, you will want to make sure that you are buying the right products to minimize unnecessary expenditure. From Cushioned treadmills to the best ellipticals, there’s so much choice out there that it can be hard to choose what will be best for your home gym. That’s where we come in. Here’s some of the must have equipment that you should have for your home gym.
A Good Barbell
Cardiovascular fitness is essential for health and wellbeing. With that being said though, you will get much better results if you are combining your cardio with your strength and resistance training. For that you will need a high quality barbell. It’s almost impossible to effectively weight train without a barbell in your arsenal. Make sure that you’re getting something durable with a decent weight capacity. This will be essential for many compound lifts, including squats, overhead presses and bench presses.
A Squat Rack
Where do you put your barbell when you are done lifting? Back on the squat rack! You don’t need to spend a fortune on one either. Just make sure that you have something with the adjustability that you need. If you don’t have one of these bad boys then you may have a tough time trying to press any higher levels of weight. Squat racks sometimes come with pull up bars built in too, so it’s great for a comprehensive, whole body workout.
Weight Plates
Most barbells weigh around 40 lbs. If you’re new to lifting weights then this may potentially be adequate when you start out, but what about when you start becoming more experienced? That weight simply isn’t going to cut it if you still want to get results. That’s why you need to get some weight plates that are compatible with your barbell. With these, you can add extra weight for your workouts and continue to develop your strength.
A Weights Bench
How are you supposed to do things like a bench press or a seated press when you don’t have a weight bench? The short answer is that you can’t. Not only that but a weight bench is good for when you just need five minutes to sit down and relax between workouts. This is a necessary piece of equipment for your home gym, so make sure that you get one!
Treadmill
Resistance training is important, as we have already established, but you don’t want to miss out on some good old fashioned cardio. A treadmill can be very beneficial for your workouts, since you can use it to warm up and then cool down once your exercise session is over. It can also help you to get your steps in. You can get all sorts of different treadmills too so you’re sure to find something that works for you. Some of them are cushioned, and some of them are even compatible with your fitness tracker!
Elliptical Trainer
You don’t really have to get an elliptical trainer and a treadmill, but an elliptical is a good choice if you want to minimize the amount of strain on your legs while you do cardio. You can even get versions that fold up if you are limited in space.
Dumbbells
A barbell is great for compound workouts that can target pretty much all of the muscles in your body. If you want to target specific muscles, however, then getting some dumbbells is a good choice. Make sure that you get some dumbbells that are durable and match the weight that you need in order to have an effective workout. If you are limited in money but want to maximize your options, then it’s definitely worthwhile to opt for some adjustable dumbbells instead. Whatever the case, you can add a lot more versatility to your workouts when you have some free weights at your disposal.
Kettlebells
Kettlebells are generally most known for kettlebell swings, but they are far more versatile than being used for just one move. They work very well when used in conjunction with barbell workouts. You can use them for farmer carries, kettlebell swings, bent over rows and so much more. It’s best to get some kettlebells that are made of cast iron. As with dumbbells, you can also buy adjustable kettlebells that can help you to save not only a lot of space but also a lot of money.
Yoga Mats
Yoga mats may not seem necessary for your home gym, but they are actually very useful! They can be used for your warm up stretches, for a yoga routine and so much more. It’s always better to have one of these available than it is to be standing barefoot on uncomfortable flooring.
Resistance Bands
If you don’t want to buy lots of different dumbbells, then resistance bands can be a good choice. These things will work at the level of tension that you put them under, so they’re great when you want a more challenging workout. You can get a pack of these for a very affordable price and they work for so many different moves. They’re also great for ensuring that you maintain proper form and posture when you are exercising.
Weighted Jump Rope
Want to combine cardio and strength all in one? A weighted jump rope is an excellent choice for that. Jump rope is a fun way to exercise and it burns a lot of calories. There are even jump rope exercises on YouTube that you can follow if you want to switch it up. It’s just as effective as a 30 minute jogging session.
Medicine Ball
The medicine ball is yet another versatile piece of exercise equipment that you are sure to appreciate. These things can be thrown, slammed or lifted as you choose in order to add an extra layer of intensity to your training sessions.
Sliders
If you want a great ab workout or a more intense pushup challenge, you should get some sliders for your home gym. As the name suggests, these will move across the floor while your feet are on top of them, creating a more intense workout.
Weighted Vests
If you’re going to be running on the treadmill, you may want a more intense workout every once in a while. It’s a good idea to get a weighted vest for this. This will make your running sessions much more difficult. You can even use them on hikes to burn more calories, or when you are doing push ups. You can get them at a weight that will work best for you.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the things that are great for your home gym! Naturally, what you choose will be largely based on your own personal workout tastes. If you prefer cardio then you may want to have more cardio machines, and the same goes for weight lifting. These are just a few ideas to help you to build the home gym of your dreams!
