My Home Gym Essentials!
- Annie Cavalier
- Mar 28, 2022
- 4 min read
If you haven't jumped on the home gym train yet, I can't recommend it enough. It's no surprise that more and more people have started to work out at home. With the pandemic, most of us were forced to create some type of home gym if we wanted to stay active and some people have kept up with it instead of returning to public gyms.
Even with restrictions being somewhat lifted (no more mask mandate in gyms in North Carolina, at least), I have continued to work out at home. I've done this for a lot of reasons but the biggest one being...convenience. The likelihood of me doing a workout at home is far higher than the likelihood of me packing up my gym or work clothes and driving 10+ minutes to the gym closest to my house.
Reasons why I work out at home:
Easy commute (5-10 steps from my living room)
No waiting for weights or cardio equipment
No need to clean the equipment before/after
No worrying about people staring at your butt or creepy dudes trying to talk to you
I workout way more consistently
Linked below are all of my favorite home gym essentials, as well as a few other things I intend to buy in the future once I have a little more space!
1. Yoga mat
I am going to link a couple here. I personally use the Peloton yoga mat. It was $75 but worth every penny. You really should splurge on a thicker, grippy yoga mat. Otherwise, you'll just get annoyed when your hands and feet constantly slip. This first one seems to be a close alternative to Peloton because it has a textured side as well.
Heathyoga Non-slip Yoga Mat - $39.99
Gaiam Yoga Mat 6mm - $29.99
Peloton Reversible Yoga Mat - $70
This is the one I use and it's awesome!
2. Padded mats/flooring
I decided to get the padded gym flooring because I wanted to protect our floors and also expand the available workout space beyond the length of my yoga mat. I also knew I was going to get the treadmill so I wanted something under that. I will link a couple options below. The first link is the one I have.
ProSource Puzzle Exercise Mat - 24 square ft.
I purchased four of these for my 9x9ft home gym space, and had a few tiles left over (about $100 total).
Amazon Basics Foam Exercise Gym Floor - 24 sq ft.
3. Dumbbells
We have reached the expensive part of this post... because dumbbells are not cheap. Somehow, as almost everything is, dumbbells are WAY cheaper on Amazon. Just last week, I went to Dick's and Target and was shocked at the price difference compared to Amazon. Which weights you will need entirely depends on your fitness level and you'll likely need to increase over time (or you just splurge at the beginning for a one time purchase of the Bowflex adjustable dumbbells). At home, I have a set of 5s, 10s, 15s, and an adjustable set of dumbbells that go up to 20 lbs each (linked below). This has worked pretty well for me so far, but I have a set of 30lb dumbbells and a 50lb kettlebell in my cart right now to try and step up my leg days.
Amazon Adjustable Dumbbell Set (38lbs)
Bowflex Adjustable Dumbbell Set - $399
Yes, these are expensive. But they would probably be the only set you'd ever need. Each dumbbell goes from 5 lbs all the way to 52.5 lbs. I really want to get these and am saving up for them!
Amazon Basics Dumbbell set with stand and Kettlebell - $78
This is honestly an awesome deal... and I'm bummed I never found it until now. Could've saved a lot of money. I love to have a kettlebell for swings, goblet squats, and sumo squats.
4. Bench
I've had two benches in my home gym in the past. The one I have currently was slightly more expensive but worth it for the versatility. They're both below! The first one is definitely harder to assemble, but you can use it for incline presses, decline ab work, upright exercises, and more. The other one is basic but still useful for things like step-ups and tricep dips as well as chest press/flies.
Marcy Multi-purpose Utility Bench
Amazon Basics Flat Weight Bench
5. Kettlebell
Really great to have a kettlebell for swings, sumo squats, goblet squats, windmills, and unilateral exercises. The one I have now is only 15lbs and I need something heavier. About to get the 50lb one linked below. If you're more of a weight-lifting beginner, 25-30 lbs is a good weight to start with!
Amazon Basics Cast Iron Kettlebell
6. Bands
I recommend 4 different sets of bands - elastic bands, loop bands, cloth bands, and resistance bands. Elastic bands (or booty bands) are the stretchier type of band, ideal for abduction exercises, booty kick-backs, and even some upper body exercises. Cloth bands are great for increased difficulty and added resistance in lower body exercises like squats, hip bridges, etc. Loop bands are incredibly for travel and are super versatile (plan to put out a blog post soon with a banded workout guide!). And lastly, resistance bands with a door anchor. Sooo many uses with these!
Resistance Bands - $12.99
Canway Pull-Up Assistance Bands (Loop Bands) - $29.99
Te-Rich Fabric Bands - $14
Tribe Fitness Resistance Bands (with handles and ankle straps) - $22
If you need to buy these things gradually instead of all at once, I would definitely start with a yoga mat, the adjustable dumbbell set (up to 38lbs one), and the tribe fitness bands. Then you can add the bench, kettlebell, and other bands over time!
Hope you enjoy! :) Feel free to post any comments/questions below!
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