What Equipment Do I Need for a Home Gym?

Chances are that you have less space for gym equipment in your home than a public gym has.

While it would be nice to mimic the diversity of fitness equipment you can find at your local gym, it will be both financially and physically difficult.

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of equipment that can easily fit into the home while still covering a wide array of exercise needs. Even with the minimum number or exercise pieces, you can still adequately accomplish both strength and cardiovascular training and negate your need for a gym membership while not filling your whole house with your personal gym.

Here is a list of home gym equipment that will fulfill the needs of most consumers. Starting with these and building your way up from there is the best bet:

  1. Treadmill – There is no more essential piece of equipment needed for cardiovascular exercise. Treadmills come with many benefits including the ability to measure your workout and stay consistent with your run.While there is certainly nothing wrong with a natural run in the great outdoors, people who have trouble running or even walking on uneven surfaces will find that a treadmill is a great solution to eliminating inconsistent running patterns and even correcting running issues like knew pain.
  2. Free Weights – No home gym is complete without the good old bar bell systems. While there many different types to choose from, those tight on space will want to take advantage of modular weights that allow for size adjustment. This will cut down dramatically on space by allowing tighter storage of the weights and eliminating extra bars and shelving.Free weights are essential because they allow for a wide range of strength training exercises. From arms to legs, curls, presses, lunges, you name it; free weights are an incredibly versatile piece of equipment. For sure, after a good training session, you’ll be left with little or no energy. Your body will ask for some caring, and for that, there’s nothing better than a pair of the best massage balls.
  3. Resistance Bands – Another very versatile and portable piece of equipment, resistance bands practically turn any space into a sudden gym. Bands allow you target every muscle group and are grouped in bands with different elasticities for a wide range in resistance levels. Moreover, you can add multiple bands together to achieve your desired resistance or weight equivalent.An added benefit of bands as compared to free weights is that the bands’ resistance increases as they become more taught, this adds an extra level of challenge to the workout. Furthermore, resistance bands are safer and do not require a spotter like many free weights do – allowing you to redline without the worry of seriously hurting yourself. Just make sure the bands are securely fastened to avoid any snapping back.
  4. Home Gym Weight System – Multipurpose weight systems are a staple of the home gym and provide the feel of a professional gym right at home.These weight systems allow for accomplishing several different fundamental muscle building exercises with one system. Home gym weight systems also allow for a wide weight range with the ability to add mini weights for specific weight.

    The weight systems are also safer than free weights and traditional weight benches. The weights and bars are all on a pully system and the weights themselves are placed away from the where the user sits or stands. Most gyms, like the Weider Pro 4950, also allow for multiple users at once so two people can work out together.

  5. Large Medicine Ball – After weight training and cardio are accomplished, don’t forget to focus on core exercises. A medicine ball will help you achieve a wide variety of core training and balance exercises.It is also beneficial to have a bare wall that you can throw the ball at or, if your ceiling is high enough, you can throw it into the air while laying on your back. Medicine balls are great for developing hand eye coordination and keeping your brain exercised along with the rest of your body.

There are quite a few options to choose from when it comes to this equipment. Be sure to compare equipment before you make a purchase by checking out reviews online. Sites like YourOwnGymZone.com provide detailed objective reviews for the latest home gym equipment.