BEING A GYM ENTHUSIAST + A SOCIALLY AWKWARD PERSON IS THE DEADLIEST COMBO EVER!! Trust me, It’s hard to pick gym equipment this is why we’ve put together a list of home gym essentials. I’ve been through the struggle, and I know how it feels! You get too anxious seeing all those people at the gym that it kills your vibe and makes you sweat (it hits you hard that you’re sweaty because of the anxiety and not due to the workout, doesn’t it?)!
But fitness is your passion, and you can’t compromise on it either, so what do you do?! First of all, RELAX!
You’ll get that perfectly toned tummy and sexy body, I promise!! Where there is a will, there is a way! And what’s the way? BUILDING A HOME GYM! Trust me on this, building myself a home gym is the most exciting and empowering decision I’ve taken in my life! All the investments I made and all the energy I put in it are WORTH IT! I mean, what could feel better than working out intensely (just the way you want) IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME? Nobody’s watching you; nobody’s distracting you; there’s just you, your passion for fitness and calmness! The environment is cozy, and you’re at peace with your body. It’s no less than heaven on Earth; I’m not even kidding!
WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD A HOME GYM
So you’ve got the idea, and you’ve got all the motivation to execute it. Are you excited?! I’m sure you are!! When I first stumbled upon this amazing idea, I was equally excited, BUT I was confused as well. I didn’t know how to go about its execution, what to buy and what not to buy. The dos and don’ts of building a home gym weren’t known to me. And I wanted to know them! After all, setting up a home gym is a careful business. You wouldn’t want to invest your time and energy into something useless, would you? So, I did a considerable amount of research and successfully set up my home gym!
And I’ve good news for you: I’m gonna tell you all those tips and tricks that I learned along the way! In this way, you won’t have to waste time searching for them and be able to craft a decent home gym from scratch!! So, without further ado, let’s have a look at all the home gym essentials you need to get your hands on:
[NOTE #1]: I’ve compiled this list keeping in mind that you have adequate space in your home to arrange a home gym. Secondly, the equipment I’ve included in this list is all BASIC and is absolutely necessary to set up a perfectly functional home gym. There’s nothing fancy or extra on the list, so don’t worry, every penny you spend will be worth it! [NOTE #2]: There are advantages and disadvantages associated with buying both new and used. By going online to sites like FB Marketplace, Craigslist, and even eBay, you will be able to find great deals on pre-owned fitness gear. More often than not, used equipment will be significantly less expensive than new equipment, but it will have a lot more wear and tear unfortunately. New equipment, on the other hand, is just that—new! This means the only wear and tear will come for you. Moreover, there are even certain types of credit cards geared towards fitness junkies that will reward you for fitness-related purchases. The only downside here is that the price will be higher than if you were to buy the same equipment used.- A NICE BARBELL
This is hands down the essential thing you need for a home gym. This is one of the most important home gym essentials. Why? Because you need it for WEIGHT TRAINING, which is going to be the core of your workout regime. Weight training has to be the king of all workouts; it has too many benefits to be listed. And a barbell is necessary for the simplest of weight training exercises since you’ll be lifting weights by its support. And if you look closely, I mentioned a ‘nice’ barbell, which means a quality barbell. Well, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a single piece of a barbell, but it has to be of decent quality since your weights would be resting on it. Not only the weights but your ease of handling will also be affected by the quality of the barbell you buy. A low-quality barbel would corrode easily and damage your hands. So be careful while making the purchase. This is one of the most important
- A SQUAT RACK
Do you wish to experiment with lifting heavy weights without the fear of injury? Are you a fan of doing all sorts of squats and wonderful things with your weights? Well, you’re just one step away from it!! You’ve already got the barbell; now the only thing you need is a squat rack! I know this would need a pretty big investment, but it’ll be one of the smartest investments you’ll make. And it’ll last forever!! For this reason, it’s important to be careful while buying and looking closely into the quality of the rack. This is why we included the rack on our home gym essentials list.
- WEIGHT PLATES
Okay, so you’ve got the barbell and the rack, but WHAT would you use to weight train? The weights, obviously. All the 3 things I’ve mentioned up till now complement each other, but I mentioned them separately because each deserved a separate spot on the list. Talking about weight plates, there is a wide variety of plates to choose from (varying in material, types, and prices, obviously). The key is to buy the ones which suit your workout goals. Without the plates the barbell is useless. This is why weight plates make the list on home gym essentials.
- A BENCH
While this may sound unimportant, an adjustable bench can come into handy in unexpected ways. A solid, adjustable bench will allow you to position your body correctly for some of the more complex exercises. Exercises like the bench press, for example, require you to SIT somewhere stable and comfortable, and this is where a bench comes into play. Without the bench your workouts will be limited this is why the beach makes the list of home gym essentials.
- DUMBBELLS
If you love playing around with equipment and get bored with a monotonous workout, then I recommend you buy dumbbells in addition to the equipment mentioned above! Why? Dumbbells are very versatile and allow you to perform isolation exercises with great safety and ease! In fact, using a dumbbell instead of a barbell allows added benefits in many exercises. Also, you can adjust the weight of the dumbbells based on your workout requirements.
- RESISTANCE BANDS
Now, these are the simplest yet one of the most useful equipment to spice up your workouts. The benefits of resistance bands are amazing: They help you weight train with the minimum fear of injury, serve as a great warm-up tool, and can add a lot of efficacy to your weight training if you attach them with your barbell. They even aid you in doing difficult movements.
[Note # 2]: All of the equipment mentioned above are essential to get you started on an effective ‘resistance training’ program at home! If you want to add suspension training equipment, the best choice would be to add gymnastic rings to the list.FINAL WORD
You can effectively craft a home gym by investing in the 6 basic items mentioned above, and rock on AT HOME!
If you need some help getting in shape with your new gym visit us at www.onthegofitnesspro.com for a free personal training session.
