Some people love the privacy of working out at home but are not to sure about what equipment they need, if they have enough space available to workout, or if the cost will be too high. Here’s a guide to what I feel is needed to have a well rounded home workout.
What should I purchase?
- Suspension trainer. A suspension trainer is a system that allows you to do a series of body weight exercises through a number of different planes and angles. This can be used by someone new to fitness up to a professional athlete. TRX is the most popular suspension trainer on the market. Jungle Gym also makes a good suspension trainer. I actually have purchased a both TRX and Jungle Gym suspension trainers and while they have their differences, both are very effective and I would recommend either. This is a great piece to have if you travel and want to workout on the road. Suspension trainers range from $50-$200.
- Adjustable dumbbells. If you are working out of a garage or you have a lot of space you can definitely purchase individual dumbbells, but an adjustable dumbbell set will save you a ton of space! There are a number of different adjustable dumbbell sets on the market. The most popular are probably Bowflex and Powerblock. They are both very user friendly and the standard set goes up to at least 50lbs. I personally use Powerblock due to the option to purchase add ons that can go up to 125 lbs. Although both Powerblock and Bowflex are a little pricey they are definitely worth the money. Powerblock (up to 50lbs) is about $299. Bowflex (up to 52.5lbs) is about $250. Other brands (weight plates with clam 50lbs) are around $100.
- Resistance bands. Bands can be used for a variety of exercises and the intensity can be adjusted based on the amount of tension you want you use on the band. You can purchase different band resistances to help challenge yourself. Also a great item to throw in your luggage and take on a trip. Price: $20-50 each.
- Stability ball. Wonderful piece of equipment to help with core stability and strength. Price-$20-30.
- Yoga mat. Get a mat that has a good length, is non slip, and has decent padding. Most yoga mats fall into this category. Price-$30-50.
- Jump rope. Good cardio tool that can help if you enjoy doing HIIT workouts. Price-$10-20.
- Foam roller. Foam rollers are a great tool to help increase blood flow, improve your movement patterns, and improve your recovery time. Price-$10-25.
How much space is needed?
With the basics listed above you will only need about 50 sq ft of space, something to anchor your suspension to, and a place to store your equipment. With most of the pieces being very small in size, storage usually isn’t a major issue. To anchor your suspension trainer, you can mount it to stud in the wall or use a door frame attachment that sometimes comes with the unit. The door frame attachment is great to have when you want to travel with it.
How much?
Some of these items can be purchased used. Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, and other online platforms have a lot of used equipment for sale. I would purchase resistance bands, stability balls and yoga mats brand new as they do tend to wear a little faster and can tear easier than some of the other items. With that being said, buying everything brand new will cost between $240-675. If you are able to find an adjustable dumbbell set and suspension trainer for a good price this will lower your cost substantially.
