When I want to work out, I want to do it anytime and in my own comforting home. I already work from home as a freelance writer, so having a home gym next to my home office makes logical and financial sense. I am also introverted, which you might be also, which encourages working out in privacy.
Seeing others work out is not fun for me either, and therefore I have created my own home gym. In the process of using hotel gyms and public gyms, I picked up a lot of brands and pieces of equipment that I like to use when I see these–or for my dream home gym! See which ones I’m talking about in this ultimate list for home gym accessories.
1. Start Your Fitness Journey With Walking on a NordicTrack Treadmill
Running is the fastest–no pun intended–way to get into complete shape. Boost muscle and bone density, improve your cardiovascular capacity, and excel with weight loss through this one activity. Choose a treadmill for your home gym as the centerpoint if you want a total body workout.
The best treadmill for a home gym continues to come from NordicTrack, a leader in gym equipment. Sure, these are high priced pieces of machinery. So keep a budget in check and use up the greatest portion on the treadmill.
I recommend setting aside 25 percent of your budget for a home gym on a treadmill.
Whether you find a $200 fold up compact treadmill that is more affordable or go with the big hoss by NordicTrack that ranges from $2,000 to $4,000, you can use a treadmill for walking, jogging, and running. This allows for the greatest range in cardiovascular exercise in the shortest amount of time. As a diehard treadmill user, I have run many miles and lost many pounds while using a treadmill.
It is also the only way I can run long distances safely. You avoid breathing in smog and getting bit by insects, or dogs, while running indoors on a treadmill, too.
2. Simple Stationary Bicycle Versus High-Tech Peloton
The next best way to get into shape is through riding a bicycle. Stationary bikes are one way to go and for a home gym, you cannot beat these. I recently added a stationary bike I found online to my home gym.
You can buy a stationary bicycle quite cheaply from many stores. However, there is one stationary bike that rules them all–the bike by Peloton. If you crave interaction and want to join spin classes, but want to have a home gym more, try the Peloton brand.
This bicycle company provides a high-tech stationary bicycle with a direct link to a real-life bicycling class instructor. You sit alongside hundreds, or maybe thousands, of Peloton spin cyclists all connected through the internet and a touchscreen digital interface attached to the bicycle handlebars. Yes, the Peloton bicycle is expensive, and yes it takes up a lot more space compared to the less expensive battery powered stationary bikes that fold up.
However, if you plan on riding a stationary bike a lot for exercise, or wish you could really ride in a group setting, this is a better deal for you.
3. Easy Does It On an Elliptical All Body Workout Machine
Bowflex is a leading name for elliptical machines. These all-in-one exercise machines are easily $2,500 or more depending on the level of technology that goes into the unit. Bowflex wins on brand imaging, stirring up the idea that your arms will become as tight as bows and flex like champions.
Choose the elliptical to work out the upper body with arm strengthening movements, along with your lower body with a cross country skiing motion. This will burn calories and help you maintain both the upper and lower halves of your body in a quick amount of time. You also free up your hip flexors and arm joints when working with an elliptical workout machine.
4. StairMaster Goes Up, Up and Then Back Down Again
The StairMaster available at the Fitness Outlet online is available to ship for free today. This is a bargain way to bulk up your home gym. If you love the booty boosting benefits of climbing stairs but live on a single floor, having your own small staircase is a score.
You simply walk up an inclining or declining set of rotating stairs that move constantly. Save space and get the cardiovascular and muscle toning benefits of having stairs with the use of an official StairMaster.
5. Row, Row, Row Your Way All the Way to Health With a Rowing Machine
Next up is an exciting piece of exercise equipment that is going to remind you of being outdoors. If you love the lake but lack a lake house, this is the ideal solution–a rowing machine. Best Buy, interestingly enough, sells rowing machines.
Brands of rowing machines you could buy at Best Buy include ProForm, NordicTrack, and Hydrow. Get on board with these digitized pieces of equipment that have screens where you can watch videos of simulated waterways. Row yourself to health with a great arm and upper back exercise with one of these units.
6. Barbells, Dumbbells or Hand Weights? What’s the Difference
The easiest piece of equipment to buy for starting any home gym is a set of dumbbells. What is the difference between a set of dumbbells and hand weights? Here you have hand weights that are covered in a plastic-like coating and usually brightly colored.
Sold in one, two, and five pound sizes most often, hand weights will be the smallest weights–and the ones you want to start with when lifting for the first time. From there, dumbbells are the next step up in terms of size. These come in a wider range of weights, going from one pound to 25 pounds or more in individual sizes.
You will also notice that dumbbells are almost exclusively made from silver or black metal. Dumbbells are like hand weights, but made from plain metal and cannot be screwed off easily from the bar. A barbell is a type of weight with large plates that are circular around and with a hole in the center.
A metal bar is inserted and allows for more than one weight plate to be added at a time safely to be lifted by a weight lifter. In order to use this type of equipment, you need to have a weight bench.
6. What’s Up With a Weight Bench for Home Gyms…and Should I Get One?
A weight bench is a long board that is padded on the top with a smooth surface. There will also be a grooved area in the neck region of the weight bench. By neck, I mean the part of the bench where your neck is located when you lay down on the bench.
That’s the thing with a weight bench. You are going to need to use one of these to lay down when lifting heavy barbells. A weight bench is designed using a metal framework and a hard surface to allow the least amount of resistance between you and the weights of the barbell.
You can easily lift a set of barbells up into the air and set them on a rack that is made to accessorize a weight bench. Therefore, if you are lifting barbells or using dumbbells, it is advised that you include a weight bench in your home gym. But what if you are like me and you don’t own a set of barbells or even dumbbells?
If you are not into weight lifting, the use of a weight bench might sound redundant. However, in terms of gym equipment, you can get on board a weight bench and sit there while using any number of pieces of freestanding equipment. This includes kettlebells, resistance bands, medicine balls, and stability balls, which I’ll talk about in a second.
If you want somewhere to sit while working out with equipment that allows you to rest your lungs, consider adding a simple weight bench to your home gym. The weight bench signifies that you do have a home gym and can help tie the look together. At a glance, a weight bench serves as a sofa or loveseat for this area of your living space.
It just makes sense to have at least one for a home workout studio. Make sure to choose a material that matches the color and style of your home gym aesthetic. Also, look into a microbial material that will reduce the growth of harmful bacteria following those heavy and sweaty workouts.
7. Snap Into Shape With a Set of Stretchy, Rubber Resistance Bands
Rubber resistance bands are long and stretchy and tend to be in bright colors. Here you have a piece of workout equipment you can tuck into your pocket. Super small and compact, make sure to store your resistance bands somewhere that is easy to access so you don’t lose them.
Set up a resistance band workout. This type of workout allows you to take these long, stretchy bands and use them to stretch out your muscles. Use these for a pre-workout stretch and to stretch your arms and legs after running on your treadmill.
8. Stability Balls for Sitting While Working With Other Exercise Balls
A stability ball is a size and type of exercise ball that is large and full of air. You can sit on these and, in fact, that’s why a lot of gyms have these balls. Sitting on a stability ball while working with the following two items will help you burn calories and shave off inches through whittling your back and waist areas.
You can also find stability balls sold as chairs or yoga balls at stores. Pump these up with a small handheld air pump like you use for bouncy balls or bicycle tires. These balls can stay inflated, but you can deflate them and fold these balls away when they are not in use.
This saves you storage space since an inflated stability ball can measure 21 to 24 inches in diameter.
9. Medicine Balls that Weigh More Than Stability Balls and Do Not Contain Actual Medicine
A medicine ball is similar to stability balls in that you will see them in a lot of gyms. The size of a medicine ball is more comparable to a basketball. You hold a medicine ball in your arms without problems, which is not the case with a stability ball.
Medicine balls also weigh a lot more than a stability ball. That is on purpose so that you can lift a heavier weight that is round and does not require a tight handhold like dumbbells or barbells. Here you have a ball shape that you hold with the forearms and upper body more evenly.
Exercises with medicine balls include picking up and tossing them in the air. You can have more than one size of a medicine ball to use for weight lifting. This typically ranges from 10 pounds and goes up to 40 pounds or more in weight.
10. Kettlebells That Do Not Involve Eating Kettle Chips Even Though You Might be Hungry Now
A kettlebell is a cross between a dumbbell and a medicine ball. The base of a kettlebell is a large round ball made from metal. Think of a medicine ball made from the metal used to make a dumbbell.
From there, a handle is attached to the ball using the same metal material. This handle is in the shape of an upside down “U” and looks like it is a magnet attached to the ball.The way to use a kettlebell is that you hold it with both hands and lift it with your upper body.
You cannot break the handle off of a kettlebell as this device is made from solid metal. There are additional exercises, as explored with the Combat Fitness Test used by the US Army. This test requires the use of kettlebells weighing 40 pounds that are used for a standing power throw, leg tuck, and strength deadlift, among other challenges.
If you want a good workout, using the kettlebells can be a way to rotate your joints and develop muscle control without overdoing it with machines.
11. See How High You Fly With Jump Ropes
Grab a jump rope and hang it up somewhere on a wall in your home gym. Now you have almost completed your entire ultimate home gym! A jump rope is not only eye-catching in a home gym, but you can also get a great cardio workout from using one for exercising.
Jumping or skipping rope is a heart-pounding activity that any age can enjoy. You can also get into a group exercise with two people holding a rope so that at least one other person is jumping into it.
12. Jump Around and Beat Yourself Into Shape With Punching Bags
One more very exciting home gym accessory that will amp up the energy in the space is a punching bag. Configure a way to hang a small punching bag and a larger, heavy, full body punching bag from your home gym ceiling. This will increase the flexibility of your gym by offering you a way to exercise using your own body without relying on equipment or machines.
Sometimes we just like to jump around and hit things to relieve some aggression and tension, too! With a punching bag and a set of boxing gloves, you can transform your home gym into a Fight Club or at least a loud and raucous ring for one. Stand around the punching bag and give it all you’ve got to develop great physical strength and self-defense skills.
You will be able to practice punching and boxing moves, which can help you if you ever want to step foot in an actual boxing ring or take martial arts. In fact, if you are planning on taking karate or kickboxing, having your own punching bag will be the best investment.
13. Cover the Floors With Safe and Effective High Density Mats
To help create a more stable and safe workout space, invest in high-density mats. These are made for working out and doing aerobic moves. Your body is cushioned if you fall and you can avoid extra injuries with these mats.
Also, if you are standing on your feet a lot while working out, such as when lifting weights, it helps to have added support. The cushioning of the high density workout mats supports your body, as well as the flooring beneath the home gym equipment. Look for mats that are in the color and design that fit your aesthetic.
You also want to find anti-bacterial and waterproof mats that will save you time and energy for keeping your home gym clean. There are many sizes and styles to choose from, allowing you to use different high-density mats in various areas of the home gym.
14. Yoga Mats are Your Home Gym’s Best Friend!
A yoga mat is one of those items that you might have already but haven’t thought about incorporating it into the home gym space. However, having yoga mats and foam squares for balancing will be a win if you plan on doing yoga in your home gym. Give yourself every opportunity to work out, and you will be more likely to carry out the exercise!
Go with a variety of sizes and thicknesses of yoga mats, as well as colors and prints. See what yoga mats work well for your personal vibe before spending any money. Also, grab a heavyweight cotton blanket and a small travel pillow to add to your yoga equipment stockpile.
These items are quintessential to good yoga practice when in a yoga studio–especially your own.
15. Drink Station and Snack Fridge for Protein Drinks and Healthy Foods
Adding a small countertop refrigerator to your home gym takes your space into the 21st century. For less than $40, you can buy a Frigidaire large enough to hold a six-pack of protein shakes. You can store your face oil, muscle creams, face masks, and healthy snacks in this small fridge without spending a lot on energy costs.
Everything you need to keep cool in your home gym as part of a whole wellness experience can be easy to access and kept in the same room. This will help you stick to your diet or eating plan while working out, too. You can grab a healthy snack right after you finish a workout, when you are not quite thinking clearly and might really want to eat an entire pizza.
The accessibility aside, this compact refrigerator looks super trendy and will amp up the style and decor in your home gym.
16. Fans Send the Hot Air Flying…and Insects and Noise, Too!
For the final items you should buy for your home gym, I present fans. Having ceiling fans, box fans, handheld fans, electric neck fans, and rotating tall fans will help you stay chill for sure. Plus, you save money without having to invest in an air conditioner–if you are using a room that does not have AC.
Even in cooler climates, when you work out, you get hot and overheating is never fun. Fans also work as a source of white noise. This will drown out background sounds and other noise pollution that causes you to be distracted when working out.
If you live in a building or on a loud street, having fans in your home gym will be a winning solution when someone starts jackhammering the concrete. You can also use fans to blow away flying insects, such as black flies or gnats. This is a great eco-friendly solution to bug control.
It may allow you to work out with the window open even if you don’t have a screen on it to keep the insects out.
