Working out at home is the best way to stay on track with your fitness goals and avoid any injuries that could keep you off your feet. It’s also convenient, it saves money on a gym membership, and it gives you more flexibility in terms of scheduling your workouts.
But when you’re beginning to build up a home workout regimen, it can be tricky to know which equipment is best for each exercise. To help you out, we’ve compiled this list of the best at-home workout equipment:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Building an at-home gym can be an effective and convenient way to achieve your fitness goals. |
| There are many different types of at-home workout equipment available, including resistance bands, dumbbells, and exercise balls. |
| Working out at home can offer several benefits, including cost savings, convenience, and privacy. |
| You can get an effective workout at home without equipment by doing bodyweight exercises and incorporating cardio exercises. |
| Staying motivated to work out at home can be challenging, but setting realistic goals, finding an accountability partner, and varying your workout routine can help. |
Dumbbells
Dumbbells are a staple in any workout, whether you’re lifting for fun, for sport or to get stronger and fitter.
The benefits of using dumbbells include greater range of motion, increased muscle activation and better overall workout quality.
With so many different types of dumbbells on the market today ranging from the classic cast iron to popular plastic varieties choosing the right pair can seem daunting at first.
But with some guidance from an experienced fitness professional or salesperson at your local sporting goods store, you can find exactly what you need at an affordable price point that fits within your budget.
Once you have your new weights in hand (and hopefully stored safely), here are some tips on how to use them:
Resistance bands are a versatile and affordable addition to any at-home workout routine. Our guide on the best resistance bands provides you with all the information you need to choose the right resistance bands for your fitness goals and how to use them effectively.
Kettlebell
The kettlebell is a cast-iron ball with a handle that allows you to swing it around. You can use it for exercises such as squats or deadlifts.
These types of exercises are best used in combination with other equipment, like barbells and dumbbells. Kettlebells are versatile tools that can be used for cardio workouts and strength training alike!
The weight of your kettlebell will depend on how much space you have in your home gym and how strong you are physically you might want to start out light if this is your first time using one!
There are different sizes available, so choose something that feels comfortable for you when doing certain exercises; for example if you’re doing lunges then make sure the weight isn’t too heavy because otherwise it might cause injury when trying out different variations (such as walking lunges).
The weight limit should always be written somewhere on each individual product sold online; if not then call customer service before purchasing anything new off Amazon etcetera since they usually offer return policies without any questions asked.
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| Kettlebell Swing | A full-body exercise that targets the hips, glutes, and core. |
| Goblet Squat | A lower-body exercise that targets the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. |
| Kettlebell Clean and Press | A compound exercise that targets the shoulders, triceps, and core. |
| Turkish Get-Up | A complex exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, including the shoulders, core, and hips. |
| Kettlebell Snatch | A high-intensity exercise that targets the shoulders, back, and core. |
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are a great way to get a full-body workout, and they’re especially good for strengthening and toning muscles.
Resistance bands are adjustable, so you can increase or decrease the amount of resistance as you work through different exercises. They’re also useful for rehabilitation, core strength training and improving mobility in joints that might otherwise be stiff.
Many people think of resistance bands as being used only for physical therapy or rehab work, but they’re also great at home because they can be used for any number of exercises that promote strength and muscle tone throughout the body.
Working out at home doesn’t have to break the bank. Our guide on creating a home gym on a budget offers practical tips and tricks for finding affordable workout equipment that won’t compromise your fitness goals.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is a great way to burn calories and improve your cardiovascular health. It can also help you improve your coordination, agility, footwork and more.
(1) Jumping rope helps improve cardio fitness by increasing the heart rate and causing an increase in blood flow throughout your body.
It’s an excellent workout option because it burns more calories per minute than most other exercises while still being easy enough for beginners who haven’t been exercising regularly.
(2) Jumping rope also increases flexibility due to its dynamic nature you’re constantly jumping up off the floor with each hop!
This helps keep muscles stretched out so they stay limber over time, which helps prevent injuries while also preventing muscle soreness after workouts (or during them).
Jump Rope Workouts
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| Basic Jump | A simple jump rope exercise that involves jumping with both feet together. |
| Single-Leg Jump | A jump rope exercise that involves jumping on one foot while keeping the other foot off the ground. |
| Double-Unders | A high-intensity jump rope exercise that involves spinning the rope twice for every jump. |
| Criss-Cross | A jump rope exercise that involves crossing the arms in front of the body while jumping. |
| Side-to-Side Jump | A jump rope exercise that involves jumping side to side instead of jumping with both feet together. |
Sliders
Sliders are designed to allow you to do exercises in the comfort of your own home by providing a smooth surface on which to move.
They’re made of rubber or plastic and can be used on hardwood floors, carpeting, or anywhere else that doesn’t have a slick floor.
Sliders are especially useful for those who have trouble getting up and down from the ground due to joint pain or mobility issues.
They also provide more stability than doing exercises on bare floor surfaces (though it’s still possible to fall!).
When picking out sliders for use at home, there are several things you should take into consideration:
- Type of workout equipment (how many pieces are included)
- Durability (can it stand up against wear and tear?)
Exercise balls are a fun and effective tool for a full-body workout at home. Learn more about the benefits of exercise balls and how to incorporate them into your workout routine with our guide on exercise balls.
Medicine Ball
A medicine ball is a weighted ball that can be used for training exercises. They’re useful for building strength and improving coordination, as well as being able to perform a variety of exercises.
Medicine balls can be used in place of dumbbells, kettlebells, and resistance bands, depending on the workout you’d like to do.
In addition to using them for traditional overhead throws (like shot put), medicine balls are also great for building explosive power through various weighted squats and lateral throws/catch-and-return exercises that will improve your explosiveness on the court or field. For example:
Medicine Ball Slams – Hold your medicine ball above your head with arms straight out; then drop it down towards the ground between your legs while bending forward at the hips until hands touch floor; quickly stand up with arms extended overhead to catch medicine ball again before returning back into starting position where hands were holding onto ball initially.
Seated Squats with Twist – Sit down holding weight in front of chest; raise up onto toes keeping knees behind feet then bend over until parallel with floor then twist torso downward toward knee on same side before rising back up again.
Front Throws – Stand holding weight behind head just outside shoulder height; lower into squatting position while rotating both arms outward until they’re level with shoulders then throw weight forward over head so that bottom half travels out directly behind you while top half travels forward past face before catching bottom end again before returning back upright into standing position
Pull-up Bar
A pull-up bar is a great way to work your back, shoulders, biceps and core muscles. It’s also a versatile piece of equipment that can be used for many variations of the pull up exercise.
In order to get the most out of a pull-up bar, it’s important to have good form and use the right grip for different muscles involved in each move.
Ab Wheel
The ab wheel is a great way to strengthen your abs, and you don’t need much space to use it. The more advanced you get, the more challenging this exercise will become.
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands holding onto the handgrips of your ab wheel. Lift both legs off of the ground while keeping them straight by pushing down into your glutes (butt muscles).
With control, slowly roll out until only one foot is touching the ground under your bodythis is called a plank position before slowly rolling back in again until both feet touch the floor.]
How to use it: As mentioned above, lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor; hold onto either side of an ab wheel as if you were going to do bicep curls but keep arms straight instead of flexed at elbows as usual.
Lift both legs off of ground while keeping them straight by pushing down into butt muscles before slowly rolling out until only one foot touches ground under body before rolling back in again until both feet touch ground.
This movement strengthens many different muscle groups including those in core area known as obliques which run diagonally across abdomen from ribs along lateral sides toward spine where they meet internal oblique muscles which run vertically inside waistline just under the external obliques where they meet rectus abdominis.
Can be used in conjunction with other equipment such as low pulley cable machine located next door at our gym for added resistance when using basic form.”
Dumbbells are a classic piece of workout equipment that can be used for a variety of exercises to build strength and tone muscles. Our guide on the benefits of using dumbbells offers insights on the advantages of incorporating dumbbells into your at-home workout routine
Ab Wheel Exercises
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| Roll Out | A basic ab wheel exercise that involves rolling the wheel forward while keeping the core engaged. |
| Knee Roll Out | A modified version of the roll-out that involves keeping the knees on the ground while rolling the wheel forward. |
| Plank with Ab Wheel | A challenging exercise that involves holding a plank position while rolling the wheel forward and backward. |
| Standing Roll Out | A more advanced ab wheel exercise that involves standing and rolling the wheel forward while keeping the core engaged. |
| Oblique Roll Out | An ab wheel exercise that targets the oblique muscles by rolling the wheel diagonally to the left and right. |
Stability Ball/Exercise Ball
Exercise balls are used for core exercises like planks, crunches and leg lifts. They can also be used for balance training and stretching. Exercise balls can also be used for strengthening and toning muscles in your arms, legs and back.
There are different types of exercise balls available: inflatable, solid or dual density (insides have different densities).
The inflatable ones are generally less expensive but may lose air over time; the solid ones offer more stability but require more space to store; dual density types offer the best of both worlds — they’re easy to move around with little effort but still provide good stability while doing exercises on them
TRX Suspension Training Equipment
TRX Suspension Training is a whole body exercise that can be done anywhere. It uses your own body weight as resistance and works out your upper body, lower body, core and even your inner thighs.
For the TRX Suspension Trainer itself (which is included in each set), it’s important to know that there are two different versions: the original TRX and the newer TRX Pro model.
Both offer an intense workout for all fitness levels but if you have limited space in your home or apartment then maybe opt for something smaller like this foldable pulley system from Amazon instead!
Foam Roller
A foam roller, like the Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller, is a cylindrical piece of equipment that you can use to massage your muscles. Most people think of them as just another kind of massager, but their versatility makes them so much more than that.
Foam rollers are used for self myofascial release (SMR) training, or foam rolling for short. SMR is an excellent and often overlooked way to reduce muscle tension and improve flexibility without having to go to the gym.
It also helps relieve soreness from exercise or injury by breaking up adhesions within muscles and fascia tissue (the connective tissue between muscles). A good foam roller will help do all this and at home!
How do you use a foam roller? You simply lie on top of it with your body weight supported on one side while applying pressure against either end until you find a spot that feels tight or knotted up in your target muscle group.
The motion should simulate a similar feeling as if someone else were rubbing out those knots manually but without anyone else actually needing to be present during this process.*
Yoga Mat
Yoga mats are used to protect the flooring of your home, provide padding for your knees, elbows and other joints during workouts and create a barrier between you and the equipment or floor.
If you want to use it for yoga or pilates, make sure that it’s not too slippery. You don’t want to slide out of position while in downward dog!
Find one that has plenty of cushioning if you’re going to be doing high-impact work like running on top of it. This will help prevent injury over time as well as pad your joints from impact damage caused by hard surfaces such as concrete floors (or even just hardwood!).
Looking for the best workout equipment to use at home? Check out our guide on 15 must-have pieces of at-home workout equipment for a comprehensive list of equipment that can help you achieve your fitness goals without leaving the house.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has helped you find the right equipment for your needs. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. In fact, we think some of our favorite workout items are simple and affordable like a jump rope or TRX straps!
There are so many options out there that it can be overwhelming to decide which ones will work best for you and your situation.
But don’t worry: with all these great tips in mind, we guarantee finding the perfect fit will be easy as pie (or at least close enough).
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you with your at-home workout routine:
Healthline: The Best Home Gym Equipment of 2021 – This comprehensive guide provides an overview of the best home gym equipment available in 2021, including treadmills, rowing machines, and resistance bands.
CNET: Best Home Exercise Equipment for 2021 – This article reviews the best home exercise equipment for 2021, including stationary bikes, ellipticals, and adjustable dumbbells.
Forbes: The Best Home Workout Equipment For Every Type Of Fitness Enthusiast – This guide provides recommendations for the best home workout equipment for every type of fitness enthusiast, from beginners to advanced athletes.
FAQs
What are the benefits of working out at home?
Working out at home offers several benefits, including convenience, cost savings, and privacy. It also allows you to exercise on your own schedule and without worrying about gym memberships or equipment availability.
What are some essential pieces of equipment for an at-home workout?
Some essential pieces of equipment for an at-home workout include resistance bands, dumbbells, exercise balls, and a yoga mat. These items can help you achieve a full-body workout and improve your strength, flexibility, and balance.
Can I get an effective workout without equipment?
Yes, you can get an effective workout without equipment by doing bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, and lunges. You can also incorporate cardio exercises like jumping jacks or running in place to get your heart rate up.
How often should I work out at home?
The frequency of your at-home workout routine depends on your fitness goals and schedule. However, it is generally recommended to aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
How can I stay motivated to work out at home?
Staying motivated to work out at home can be challenging, but there are several strategies you can use to stay on track. These include setting realistic goals, finding an accountability partner, and varying your workout routine to keep things interesting.
Hi, I’m Hellen James! I’m a fitness enthusiast who has used her own experience to help others get fit and stay fit. I’ve been writing about home fitness for years, and now I’m finally putting together my own blog.