Home Gym Equipment That You Must Have

Essential Gym Equipment for Home Ownership

Looking to quit the gym or simply sub in some home-based workouts? What is the essential gym equipment you need? We dive into this interesting topic below.

Essential gym equipment you need

If you’re already a fitness buff, it might be best to look at a cheap power rack/cage, or if you have a bigger budget, you might want a multi-station setup. Usually, a rack is enough for all levels because you can do all the basic exercises if combined with a bench.

We also recommend checking the Best home gym equipment as a reference before you start building your own home gym.

If you are just starting out, there are things you will have to have before buying one of these big pieces of gym equipment. We are talking about dumbbells and bars that you can use in sitting, standing, or in different positions without the need for much more. Let’s look at them in detail.

Bars with plates

A barbell is the most essential piece of equipment you can have in your home gym. What makes bars one of the most important gym equipment?

1. They’re relatively cheap. You only have to buy the bar once and gradually add weight. You can’t say the same about those machines that have weight already built-in.
2. They are extremely versatile. You won’t find any machine that compares to all the functions you can give a bar. Plus, you can buy them for a quarter of the price.
3. They are effective for building functional strength and muscle.
4. Straps, cables, and so on break. However, steel lasts almost the entire life you will give it. You just have to be a little careful with the weights and you will never have to buy them again.
5. They allow you to move many pounds. We love heavy training, but when you go for it you only need one bar.
6. The plates themselves will be great for working out (you can pretend it’s a dumbbell).

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are the second most important option after bars in this hierarchy. If you prefer them to these (or you can buy both) they are the most interesting thing you can consider for your home gym.

They have many of the same advantages as bars: they’re cheap, versatile, functional, and last a long time.

They are great and I actually started with them, but personally, I consider them slightly less important than barbells. Mostly because, as I said, they are a little less practical for when you want to put a lot of weight on them.

If you train with fixed dumbbells it will be much more difficult to gradually increase weight, which is what you want to do after all. You also have the option of adjustable dumbbells.

What else do I need?

Before you continue with the article, you could honestly buy bars or dumbbells as we have suggested and set up a good home gym. Really, these are the most important gym equipment.

However, what we are talking about here are interesting elements if you have a little more budget.

Weight bench

A bench is always a good addition to your home gym. But in case money and space are somewhat limited, consider the first two mentioned above.

This one gives you a lot more options when it comes to lifting. In addition to this, you can also be more stable. I remember in my early days I used one of those inflatable balls and yes, I did put my life in danger a few times.

Squatting cage (rack)

This is certainly an investment, but it can give you a lot of flexibility and security if you’re ready to lift heavier weights.

With one of these cheap power cages, you have the basic exercises covered as long as you have weights and bars covered.

For example, having a rack doesn’t mean you’ll be trying to set personal records when no one else is home. It’s still dangerous and I’m definitely against it. But it doesn’t mean you can’t get close to it if you handle it well.

Other devices

What we’ve seen so far are the main ones that can help you work all of your muscle groups to their fullest.

Let’s look at some more gym equipment that people often consider.

• Medicine ball. What could be more functional than lifting 8kg above your head and bouncing it off the ground as hard as you can? And doing it over and over again. They’re perfect for developing explosiveness, plus they’re pretty cheap.
• Grips. I’m sure you’ve heard of accessories like Fat Gripz and so on. It’s just something you put on your bar or dumbbell to make it look wider. You have to open your hand more to grab it and it works your forearm more, but you can honestly make them at home if you want.
• Mirrors. They are ideal not only to see the good results you’re getting but also to check you are performing the exercises correctly. If your form is off, you’ll notice it right away.
• Music. Finally, this is something that can also be considered as part of your gym. In many cases, you will only have to have your files on the computer, but it certainly plays an important role when you need that extra motivation.

Advantages and disadvantages of the home gym

The biggest advantage of having all this gym equipment at home can be summed up in one word: freedom. Having all this at home gives you the freedom from the distractions of any commercial gym. No more people, noise, and so on. Just you and the steel.

You have the freedom to work out whenever you want, dress the way you want, scream as much as you want, turn on the music and work out without being judged.

Honestly, the only real disadvantage we can see is that you don’t have anyone to help you with those last few reps. As Spider-Man said, “With great power comes great responsibility.:

No one’s looking after you, so the only thing left to do is to train with your head.

Wrap-Up

Whatever you plan to do at home, make sure you do it safely. If you can’t do the moves safely, cross them off your list. Use your head!

Now go out there and build the home gym you’ve always dreamed of!