Building a home gym is a fantastic way to invest in your health and fitness while enjoying the convenience of working out from the comfort of your home. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, having the right equipment is essential for an effective and enjoyable workout experience. In this guide, we’ll explore the best equipment to include in your home gym, catering to different budgets.

1. Adjustable Dumbbells

If you have the space for a full set of dumbbells, then go for it. However, they can get quite pricy and take up a great deal of your footprint, not allowing you to add additional pieces of equipment. Instead, I’d recommend a pair of adjustable dumbbells. If you’re on a budget or want to slowly build out your home gym, I’d start with the adjustable dumbbells as they provide versatility and enough weight to allow you to piece together a good workout at home. If you’re a beginner, I’d start with the 5-50lb set and then from there you can add additional weight. I have the 5-90lb set and love it!

• My recommendation: PowerBlocks

2. Cable Machine

Cable machines can get a bit expensive but they’re most definitely worth it! The tricky part with a cable machine is you want to make sure you have enough space for it, it has enough weight on both stacks, and it’s going to hold up. However, having a cable machine will allow you to complete just about any exercise you need to. Upper back pulldown? Check. Chest flys? Check. Glute kickback? Check. My personal favorite is the inspire cable machine. For the price, function, and weight stacks I feel you can’t find a better deal. If you’re a Costco member you can find this machine for a GREAT deal!

• My recommendation: Inspire Functional Trainer

3. Bench

Almost forgot the bench! A bench is not a piece of equipment I’d recommend being frugal about. It’s more of a safety issue than anything else. The last thing you want is to be performing an exercise on the bench while it collapses or a screw comes loose. There are many options for benches, however I’ve found that Rogue and Rep Fitness make reliable options. What are you looking for in a bench? Sturdiness, good width, easy to clean, and adjustable.

• My recommendation: Rep Fitness Benches

4. Airdyne Bike or Row Machine

Everybody loves cardio, right? I think having either an aidryne bike or row machine gives you a great option for a low impact cardiovascular workout. I’m not a huge fan of high impact exercises such as burpees, squat jumps, etc. Personally, I prefer the airdyne bike as it takes up less space and provides an absolutely amazing workout.

• My recommendation: Airdyne Bike

5. Squat Rack

This is a piece of equipment that I don’t think is necessary, but depending on your goals, might be important to you. If you plan on barbell squatting, barbell bench pressing, barbell shoulder pressing, etc. then investing in a squat rack is a good idea. However, if those don’t interest you, a squat rack is NOT necessary.

• My recommendation: PRx Folding Squat Rack

6. Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are versatile and great to use for warmups or for some high rep finishers at the end of your workouts. Obviously, bands are not limited to just warmups and finishers and can be used for a wide variety of exercises. Cheap and versatile, it’s a great way to start to round out your home gym setup. Again, due to safety reasons, I would not be frugal about the bands you purchase, as you do not want one to snap while using it.

• My recommendation: Rogue Resistance Bands

7. Medicine Balls

Medicine Balls are fantastic for high-intensity workouts, adding power and strength training elements.

• My recommendation: Prosource Slam Ball

8. Battle Ropes

Another low impact option for cardio, battle ropes can help provide you the option for some fun exercises while taking up minimal space.

• My recommendation: Battle Ropes

9. TRX Suspension Trainer

An awesome piece of equipment that provides you the opportunity to train pretty much any body part, TRX straps are relatively cheap and fun and will help round out your home gym. They also take up zero space and can be stored away when not in use.

• My recommendation: TRX Straps

10. Flooring

High-quality gym flooring is crucial to protect your floor and equipment and provide a stable surface for workouts. Flooring certainly isn’t necessary, however I think it’s important to make sure you’re working out on a safe and stable surface so you don’t risk injury. You have many options here, some more expensive than others. I believe this is personal preference but below I will link two options that are popular.

• My recommendation: Rubber Tiles or Horse Stall Mats

This list is not a comprehensive list and can include many other options such as a landmine attachment, bumper plates, trap bar, foam rollers, etc. I simply tried to provide equipment that provide the most value while also thinking about the space they take up. You can obviously add more equipment and also consider different brands of equipment. The equipment I linked to is based off of my experience using them, there are many other brands to consider such as titan fitness, rogue fitness, and rep fitness amongst many others.

You also do not have to buy everything brand new! I can’t stress this enough! Most of my equpiment is purchased used off of facebook market place and craigslist, you can find some great deals on there!

Creating your own home gym is an investment in your health and fitness journey. Consider your specific needs, available space, and budget when choosing the equipment that’s right for you. With these recommended pieces, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your fitness goals in the comfort of your home. Happy training!

After you finish building your home gym and need some guidance with workouts, consider our online training platform that we offer!