Thinking about creating a home gym? You don’t need to spend a ton of money on a bunch of fancy equipment and you don’t need a lot of space. You can get a great workout at home with a one-time investment of $400-$1000. Here are my top picks for your home gym:
Manduka Pro Mat $90 Don’t forget a pair or 3″ or 4″ blocks $20. You’ll never buy another mat again! This durable mat provides the right amount of cushion for your joints without the instability that comes with thick exercise mats.
Core Ball$15 You’ll love the challenge this small, inexpensive piece of equipment adds to your core exercises.
Stability Ball $18 How else are you going to do hamstring curls?
Thera Bands (2 packs) $20 Improve your posture and help alleviate neck and upper back pain with these bands. Don’t forget these door anchors for your bands!
Monster Bands Light (orange) $8, Medium (red) $13, Heavy (black) $18 Perfect for strengthening the lower body and back and for deep stretches. Stay on your routine while travel by packing these lightweight, yet powerful bands.
Mini Bands $11 Knees bothering you? Add banded clams and lateral band walks to your routine to strengthen the outer hips and protect the knees.
I’ve had my 2lb Weighted Pilates Balls for years. They’re perfect when you need a light weight. And the shape makes them great for grip strength.
Foam Roller $12 Don’t forget LAX ball $8 With all your hard work in your new home gym, you’re going to need to roll away the tension.
Step Bench $70 with extra Risers $30 If you don’t have a sturdy bench or chair, get this square bench. It’s perfect for tricep dips, step ups, and hip thrusts.
Gliders $10 These work on carpet and hard floors. Eliminate the impact on your joints and increase the work to the thigh muscles with exercises like glider lunges. Work your core and get your heart pumping with glider mountain climbers.
Jump Rope $12 If it’s right for your space and your body, jumping rope can be a great warm-up or part of a full-body circuit session.
Splurge Items
If you have a bit more to spend on your home gym, check these out:
A heavy Kettlebell. Check here, here, here, here, here, and here. How heavy? If you’re going to be swinging the bell, it needs to be too heavy for your arms to lift (KB Swings come from the hips and legs, NOT the arms). If you have a good strength base, females can start with 20-25lb (8-12kg) and males can start with 25-30lbs (12-16kg).
BOSU $100 or a Balance Pad $24 The BOSU is a cool piece of equipment that can add a fun balance challenge to traditional exercise like lunges, pushups, planks, and burpees. It can also help make crunches and sit-ups more comfortable on your back.
Adjustable Dumbbells $256 If you want to use weights but don’t have space to store them all, these are perfect. They adjust quickly and easily.
TRX $169 I absolutely love TRX. It’s perfect for everybody. You can modify exercises if you are a beginner and you can really challenge yourself if you are a pro! No installation required. It hangs over the door with the included anchor. If you want to install TRX to a wall or ceiling, use this.
Now that you have everything you need to get started on your new at-home fitness routine, what are you waiting for? Don’t know what to do with your equipment? I can send you workout programs to help you reach your health and fitness goals. Email me today!
Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one. She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email Alicia@AliciaCrossTraining.com.
A heavy Kettlebell. Check here, here, here, here, here, and here. How heavy? If you’re going to be swinging the bell, it needs to be too heavy for your arms to lift (KB Swings come from the hips and legs, NOT the arms). If you have a good strength base, females can start with 20-25lb (8-12kg) and males can start with 25-30lbs (12-16kg).
