There’s never been a better time to set yourself up with a home workout area.
But what equipment should you choose?
2020 has shown us that we can’t rely on gym access!
If you want to stay consistent with your workout routine, it’s best to have a home gym (or at least a few bits of exercise equipment).
There are so many options for good quality, cost-effective home gym kit that suits your needs and packs away neatly if necessary.
What You Need From Home Workout Kit
I’m a huge fan of HIIT workouts, which are ideal for home training because they are short and don’t need a lot of kit or space. But regardless of your preferred style of training, your home gym should cover all the bases.
- Resistance/strength: to build and maintain muscle, support bone density, and increase your metabolic rate
- Cardio/conditioning: to burn calories and fat, support good heart health, and get a good sweat on!
- Stretching/mobility: for good posture, injury prevention, and to promote relaxation and recovery
Home Gyms For Small Spaces
Not everyone has the space for a “garage gym” style set up. Whilst that would be nice to have, you don’t need it.
All you really need is enough room to press weights over your head, lunge forwards and backwards, and jump!
As you’ll see from my YouTube workout videos, most of my sessions are done in a small space.
Add some smart choices of equipment, and you can have a functional fitness space without disrupting the family home!
If I was setting up a home gym today, this is the equipment I’d choose…
5 Key Pieces Of Home Gym Exercise Equipment
1.) Adjustable Dumbbells: You need some free weights in your home gym in order to get that resistance stimulus. Adjustable dumbbells are the best choice if you don’t have room or budget for individual dumbbells. They’re a great space saver and very versatile.
2.) Assault Bike: If I could have one piece of cardio equipment, it would be this. You can get an awesome workout in a short amount of time, and it is friendly on your joints. Check out the assault bike HERE.
3.) Resistance Bands: Very useful for lighter resistance work on smaller muscle groups, or for assisting with mobility and stretching. Resistance bands can also be used for your warm-ups, to help you with pull-ups, and even to add extra load.
4.) Kettlebells: I love kettlebells for their versatility. You can do so much with just one kettlebell, from strict strength work to conditioning workouts and HIIT cardio.
5.) Weighted Vest: Add a weighted vest to your home workout kit as a simple way to increase the load during bodyweight movements, and to burn more calories during walks.
*Bonus Kit: A pull-up bar (wall-mounted or portable). If you’ve got space for a pull-up bar, get one. Having a pull-up bar means you’ll be able to add lots of upper body pull (back) movements which are great for building strength and improving posture.
Are you setting up a home gym?
Feel free to contact me for my advice about equipment, brands, and places to buy.
Stay healthy,
Coach Joseph Webb.
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’
