Home Gym Guide 2.0
Before 2020 I would have never considered myself a home workout person, now I don’t know if I’ll ever get a gym membership again. I love the flexibility and efficiency that come with completing my workouts in my own home. There’s no time wasted commuting, using the locker room, or waiting in line for popular equipment. If you have the resources and a small corner free in your home, a dedicated exercise space in your home is a great long term investment.
What if I don’t have the space or money right now?
You can get a great workout without ANY equipment. I did this for the first few months of quarantine! I went from deadlifting 100s of pounds to bodyweight workouts and actually maintained my strength effectively without equipment. Check the list of home items to look for at the bottom of this blog, head over to my Instagram for free minimal equipment workout ideas, consider purchasing my 30 days of bodyweight workouts for $35 (it comes with unlimited access to me for help!), and definitely check in neighborhood forums and FB groups to see if anyone might offer you older items for free or cheap!
What I’ll Cover Here
Where to look for items during a pandemic! It’s harder than ever due to high demand for popular products like benches and free weights. Luckily, you all can learn from my mistakes and endless hours spent searching every fitness equipment site known to humankind.
Which items to prioritize - both categories and exact products that I recommend.
How to get a good workout with your new minimally equipped gym.
Items to look for in your home.
Post limitations and where to go for those questions.
Strategies for Finding In Demand Items
Getting equipment can be tough (especially right now), but if you’re on top of it you CAN find it. Major sites like Rogue actually restock popular items weekly. Turn on stock notifications and be ready to order at a moments notice, check used sites, and ask neighborhood groups. I love following the instagram account @asmanyreviewsaspossible. The majority of his posts are stock notifications for high quality products. He also might familiarize you with some lesser known high quality brands.
Sites and stores to monitor
There are so many other brands too like Vulcan strength, American Barbell, Titan Fitness and Wright Equipment.
Used options
If you’re open to used items, remember to check Craigslist, Marketplace, and OfferUp at least once a day each! This is how I found affordable deals initially. It’s a time commitment but you can definitely find some good stuff.
Post in neigborhood groups on Facebook, Buy Nothing community groups, and Nextdoor too! A lot of people that aren’t into strength training have an old pair lying around.
Be flexible with your choices - maybe you can’t find dumbbells but an find a nice kettlebell! That said, dont just buy ANYTHING that’s heavy. Consider whether you’d actually feel comfortable lifting it first (I have some pretty heavy medicine balls lying around that I never use).
Home Gym Equipment Priorities
When building your home gym, prioritize efficiency by choosing versatile, multi use items that you will personally use frequently. I’ve listed items in order of importance so you can start with the most essential items and build from there.
Cost effective items are also a must -we want high quality items, but we don’t want to pay a huge markup. Exercise equipment is already expensive as it is.
#1 priority - Dumbbells
Dumbbells are the first item you should get if you’re interested in strength training in your home regularly. Unfortunately, a lot of people agree and they’re hard to find.
Best space efficient option: adjustable dumbbells. These are a bit pricey, but they’re super versatile. Note that they are in high demands - check these sites for an idea of that the price should be for a new set, then check to see if there are fairly priced items at local stores or on Amazon, Craigslist, Ebay, etc.
Powerblocks. My personal favorite. There are both expandable (support up to 50 lb) and non expandable (24 lb each) options. People ask me about these constantly as I carry them around SF with me these days for park sessions.
Bowflex dumbbells. Another popular option with a smooth dial mechanism for adjusting resistance. They tend to be a bit pricier than Powerblocks. Nordic Track has a similar product.
Most popular option: two or three sets of dumbbells. Be strategic with your weight choice! Aim for a light pair (something you could bicep curl and shoulder press with) and a heavier pair (something challenging for squats and lunges). You can manipulate reps and use other tricks to get a good workout when your weight isn’t quite what you’d use in the gym.
You can find lighter ones semi regularly at Target and the other superstores listed above as well as more local places like Sports Basement in the Bay Area.
Amazon Basics makes great quality dumbbells, there’s really no reason to splurge on something more unless you prefer the look of more expensive pairs. They’re often on preorder but tend to ship pretty quickly (i’ve purchased all the available weights and had no real issue with timing). They come in just over $1 per pound and ship for free, which is rare for weights.
Check all your sites, monitor Craigslist and remember that you should probably not be willing to pay over $1.50 per pound before shipping, unless you’re really desperate or have a lot of cash to spare. I don’t think you need to be picky with the brand, all dumbbells basically work the same way.
Whatever type you’re looking for, post in non exercise related community FB groups, Buy Nothing, and sites like NextDoor. You’ll find many people that aren’t regularly exercising might have some older ones lying around. See if local studios are selling or loaning items out! This has happened a number of times in SF during COVID.
Alternative / Addition - Kettlebell(s)
You can use kettlebells for many things that you’d usually use dumbbells for, plus some great exercises that are better with kettlebells like swings and wrist/ shoulder stability work. They’re easier to find than dumbbells because fewer people think to buy them! Check the same sites as above, you’ll probably have better luck. Choose weights the same way you’d choose dumbbells. Try one heavier one that will challenge you on squats and other leg exercises, then a lighter one for things like shoulder presses.
Favorite professional grade kettlebells: These Rep Fitness ones or these Rogue ones. They have a similar price point and look almost exactly the same, so you can mix them together and they’ll look coordinated. I have them ranging from 9-53 lb.
Home grade options will do just fine - you can find them at superstores like Target, Dick’s, Big 5, Walmart and Decathlon. As you learn more moves and need heavier bells you might learn what you like in a kettlebell and get pickier, but it really doesn’t matter as much with lighter bells.
#2 priority - Resistance bands
Bands are a great accessory item if you already have a couple of heavy things to lift. They’re space efficient, affordable, readily available, and will come in handy for travel workouts down the road. They’re useful for some accessory strength exercises, as well as warm-up and activation moves like lateral banded walks, bridge variations, banded pull aparts for postural strength, and more.
Long loop bands. These bands are perhaps the most versatile type of band and what i’d recommend you buy if you’re only planning to get one set. If you’re using them for pull ups, make sure to get a pretty hefty one that will support you in the beginning - this one might also be a good option for leg strength! Also get a medium (about 1” wide) and a really small one (less than 1/2”) for incremental changes These can be used for assisted pull ups, arms, warm-up movements, and even some light leg work. Garagefit bands are a great affordable option. If budget isn’t an issue try the professional grade bands I use in studio from Rogue.
Long handled bands: Long handled band are ideal for upper body warm-up movements and strength exercises. If you can’t do pull ups and don’t have a cable machine, they’ll allow you to do pull-down LIKE movements like banded pulldowns, although you can also do these with the longer loop bands. I recommend these Spri bands. Bands are one place where it’s important to stick to reputable brands with good reviews.
Glute loop bands. These can be useful during lower body strength, knee stabilizing movements, and glute activation exercises. They can also come in handy when you need to increase the intensity on leg movements but don’t have heavier weights at home. I’d recommend most poeple pick these fabric Victorem bands up. If you’re really petite, you might opt for plastic ones like these jfit ones - they will stay put on smaller legs.
#3 priority - exercise Bench or step
While you can get away with doing most of your exercises on the floor or along the edge of a sturdy couch or chair, a bench makes things nicer so you can focus on working hard and perfecting form rather than adjusting a makeshift set up. Versatile aerobic steps can also serve as good substitutes for a bench and will also open up options like deficit lunges and uneven push-ups.
My personal favorite home bench: BC STRENGTH bench ($$). I love that this bench can be used on two different sides! The lower side is great for elevated bridges, hip thrusts, low range of motion box squats, and balanced focused moves where you need a larger surface area. It’s super light but rated for 1200 lbs so you can easily move it to store on any of it’s sides.
Favorite aerobic step: Reebok Aerobic step ($) or a similar adjustable incline aerobic step ($$). These aerobic steps are great for increased range of motion leg exercises, cardio conditioning sequences, and can be used as a bench for upper body exercises.
Classic entry level exercise bench ($) if you have space! You really don’t need a fancy bench to start! Gyms need more industrial strength pieces since they are shared by 100s of people, but you’re the only one using it so it will last a long time even if it isn’t industrial grade.These are the most affordable option.
#3 alternative/Addition - Plyo box
A multi level plyo box can be a great addition OR alternative to a bench. A plywood plyo box is an affordable option for step ups, step overs, half supported row and pressing variations like a half supported chest press (especially if you drape a squishy mat over it!). These boxes have multiple levels so they’re very versatile and can be shared by people who are different heights.
Basic plywood plyo box ($). This comes in multiple size options too!
Foam plyo box ($$) This one might be worth the investment if you actually want to work on box jumps, or see yourself doing a lot of hip thrusts (those can get uncomfortable on a wooden box).
Additional accessory items to consider
Over the door pull-up bar. This is an affordable, space efficient piece that’s great if you want to work on pull ups! It will also make your bands more versatile as it can serve as an anchor point during exercises like banded pulldowns, banded face pulls, banded chest flyes, and triceps pressdowns. Do not get one like this that looks like a shower rod.
Foam balance pad. I love using this as a tool to keep people honest about their range of motion during lunges, split squats, and more. If your knee doesn’t touch it, it doesn’t count! It’s also nice for making incremental height adjustments to your box or bench if it isn’t quite the right height for the exercise in question (think box squats).
Exercise ball (cheap, but not space efficient). I love the exercise ball for wall squats, ab exercises, hamstring curls, and more. You can always use it as your chair when not exercising!
Jump rope (cheapest cardio!). Jump ropes come in under $10 and can make for a great cardio workout. They’re great for training coordination and building strong joints and ligaments. Don’t be too picky about the brand if you’re new to jump rope.
Get the most out of your minimally equipped gym
Vary repetitions. While you can’t vary the weight used as much, you can reach fatigue by adding reps! Perhaps it will take you 5-10 more reps to get there with lighter weights, but it’s possible.
Stick to strict rest breaks. Rest is necessary between sets, but don’t go overboard! Set a timer.
Add 1/4 reps to certain movements in order to increase total volume lifted. I have a whole Instagram post on this here.
Slow the tempo. Slow your reps to 2-3 seconds, especially during the descent. Faster is not better for strength.
If you’re my client, ask me for access to my Exercise Index. This sheet is searchable by muscle group, specific exercise, and equipment type! You can get ideas for whatever items you’ve purchased with videos and detailed text instructions to help you do the move right.
And, of course, follow a well written structured plan (by me?). All jokes aside, if you’re just beginning you can find plenty of free or cheap templates online that will cover the basics.
Items to look for around your home
Benches, ottomans, chairs or side tables that might serve as stable surfaces for rows, half supported chest presses, step ups, elevated bridges, and more.
Short steps including the bottom of a stair case or a sturdy step stool
Neat storage so your items can be on hand - you’ll be much more likely to work out if you don’t have to dig everything up every time you plan to exercise. Mats and dumbbells can fit under the couch or in cubby style storage shelves, and some of the more space efficient steps and benches might slide under your furniture too.
Find heavy items like water bottles, backpacks, bags of grains, plants, and more. You might have a bit more trouble with form using awkward objects, so be careful.
Post Limitations - Versatile Home Furniture + Large Equipment
This post didn’t discuss home furniture.Home decor is such a personal decision thats affected by house size, taste, budget, and more. You can search for clever home gym ideas on your favorite furniture store (example search:”Ikea home gym storage” or “Pottery Barn Home Gym”) and find blogs published by individuals and retailers for inspiration - there are a lot.
This post also did not cover bigger items like cardio equipment, squat racks, barbells, etc. It’s meant to be a guide for those just starting out and with minimal space to spare. I do know a lot about this, so let me know if you have questions! I think everyone should try a barbell, but it’s a big investment as you’ve really got to buy plates and some sort of rack if you’re going to get a lot of use out of it.