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The home gym is a sanctuary. A place where you call the shots. Your fitness goals are the priority. The most valuable pieces of gym equipment you can introduce into your workout are going to be intensely personal to your own goals. This top five list of essential gym equipment aims to help you get the most out of your workout, regardless of your own personal goals by suggesting equipment that can be used on anyone’s fitness journey.
Cardio
Let’s start by getting your heart rate pumping. Whether your fitness journey is weight loss or weight lifting, cardio is so important for overall health and creates a foundation for a powerful workout. Running on a sturdy treadmill is the most straightforward way to lose weight and get your heart racing at the start of a workout in your home. Other alternatives to the treadmill are exercise bikes which are great for blasting your legs, cross trainers which are the friendliest on your joints, and rowers which provide an ultimate full body workout. You don’t need to have all of these in your home gym, but you should think about including at least one in your workout. Even something as simple as a skipping rope is enough to inject some cardio into your routine.
Resistance Bands
In a compact home gym environment a quality set of resistance bands is essential. They let you do just about every workout that you can perform with weights in a gym, only without the clutter. A set of bands even offers a huge, variable range of resistance, made even more versatile by how you perform each workout. What’s more, a set of training bands are also a great tool for rehabilitation and stretching.
A Deck
A bench is great. Even better with an incline. It lets you safely perform a lot of seated and flat exercises like the chest press. So here’s a hot pick for essential home gym equipment that’s even more versatile: The Deck. It’s a bench. It’s a step platform. Use it for weightlifting like biceps curls and shoulder press, or use it for cardio step routines and plyometric workouts. It turns into an incline bench and the feet are adjustable so it can be used for a huge range of exercises at variable difficulties.
Pull-Up Bar
Bodyweight workouts are amazing. They’re easy, they require limited equipment and space, and if you do them right they give you a solid pump. One of the most difficult muscles to target in a bodyweight routine with limited equipment is your back. The biggest muscles in your back that you work out at the gym (lats, traps, rhomboid) are all muscles that are used in pulling motions so it’s hard to get them going without something to pull. A simple pull-up bar could do wonders for your body weight routine not only targeting your back but also your core, shoulders, and arms. If you have the space available, consider instead getting a rack that not only gives you access to the pull-up bar, but also to squats and a number of other weightlifting exercises.
A Mat
It’s so simple, and that’s what makes it so essential. You won’t believe how often you’ll find yourself rolling around on the floor during a comprehensive workout. If you’re going to workout on the floor, the floor must be supportive and comfortable. Mats are great for Yoga, Pilates, body weight and weightlifting exercises, even just for stretching at the end of your session. The most obvious solution is a yoga mat, but if you’re working out in a big space, a set of floor guards is great for high energy floor routines, and they protect your floors.
One Last Rep
Your gym, your rules. The important thing is that you find a way to workout that’s right for you. These are our top 5 pieces of essential gym equipment because they’re so versatile and can find a place in any type of home gym workout. Find your own burn, but don’t forget the essentials.
