Five Must Have Items for Your Home Gym

Frequently I am asked “What is in your gym,” and “What do I need in my home gym if I want a good workout?” The answer is simple…NOT MUCH! You can outfit a room or corner with little money, minimal space demands, and get a solid workout day after day. In fact, most of my clients have more equipment than they need. They choose my services because they just don’t know how to put it all together into an effective program for their lifestyle. So, let’s take a look at what I think every person should consider owning to get good results in both cardio and strength conditioning.

1. Dumbbells: If you are new to weights, start with 3, 5, and 8 lbs. If you are a accustomed to weights, start with 8, 10, 12, 15 and maybe 20’s. Dumbbells are cheap, easy to use, and versatile. Check your local Craig’s List or used sporting goods store for deals. Most major stores like Target and Walmart also carry them.

2. Step Bench with Risers: Cardio intervals, bench presses, lunges, push-ups and step videos just to name a few can be done on a step bench. For less than $50 you can have a great piece of equipment you can store under your bed or in a closet. I would buy a step bench before buying a real bench anyday.

3. Resistance Tubes: Get a couple of these that have different resistance levels. Tubes give an added demension to your workout for fatiguing the muscle and they travel well. Tubes weigh next to nothing and are easily stored in a suitcase. With a little creativity you can take your strength training program on the road with you. 

4. Stability Ball: From ab work to leg work, the stability ball can serve as an uneven surface to perform many exercises that involve stabilization. It challenges your core muscles and can also be deflated and travelled with just like the resistance tubes.

5. A Soft Floor Mat: This is often overlooked for a home gym because many people have carpet. But, if you do enough push-ups and crunches on a hard floor you will hate yourself and your workout. A soft mat just makes your exercise life a little more comfortable. Aditionally, stretches are done more often when you don’t have your tailbone digging into the floor.

That’s it! With these pieces of equipment you can outfit yourself with a great home gym for about $100.

If you need help developing a custom training program, please check out my online training services page for information regarding packages and cardio/strength calendars.