If you’re reading this and you’re stuck indoors and/or your gym is temporarily shut down, you’re left with the “home gym”. You know, the equipment you may or may not have neglected for a year or 10. That treadmill or elliptical that’s currently your glorified coat hanger is your saving grace.
Ah yes. Tough times are upon us.
However, if you’ve been training for a while, you’re probably not going to give up that easily. After all, “training” is far more than getting after it in the gym and working on your physical. The process in itself is also training your mind. The situation has changed. But YOU remain the same.
Now, looking around the house you may not have a lot of equipment. Or more like…no equipment at all. Well, there’s good news and bad news.
The bad news: If you need toilet paper, you’re probably going to run to the store and not find any.
The good news: gym equipment is likely still on the shelves!!!
Health and fitness are key to living a life of abundance and happiness. You’re simply giving yourself the ability to have access to many things life has to offer. Right now, tons of people are working from home. Some are advised to stay in completely given their particular situation.
If you know me, MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE. Because right now, strengthening/maintaining your immune system is far more important than ever. You see, training was never meant to be about looking good in your clothes or boosting self-confidence. It’s a real thing and yes, those things are BYPRODUCTS of living a “healthy” lifestyle. The truth is, training is designed to help you live longer. Along with getting adequate sleep and proper hydration and nutrition.
Let’s get nerdy for a sec.
There’s a thing called Telomeres which is responsible for keeping track of how we age. These bad boys protect our DNA. How can you tell how old someone is by analyzing their DNA? Peep the telomeres, son!
Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces.
Without the coating, shoelaces become frayed until they can no longer do their job, just as without telomeres, DNA strands become damaged and our cells can’t do their job.
Source: https://www.tasciences.com/what-is-a-telomere.html
So these guys shorten as we age AND can be shortened by things like stress, smoking, obesity, LACK OF EXERCISE, and poor diet.
So while they can’t grow back, we can certainly maintain what we have.
All that being said, some of you are working from home [with your kids around perhaps], dealing with current health issues and keeping yourself from new virus(s).
Stressed? Pfffft. Nahhhhh 😉
Okay, so you’re wanting to workout and want more options than bodyweight. I gotcha covered.
Here are some items I think are the best bang for your buck without breaking the bank. Now, if you have some of these, great! If you have none of these, you can do some serious work with even just 1 of these pieces of equipment.
I’m going to rank the equipment based on affordability, ease of storage and versatility.
So let’s get to it.
Home Gym Equipment #1: Yoga Mat
One of the easiest, inexpensive and versatile pieces of equipment you can have in your home. Simple and easy to clean, too. From yoga to pilates to strength training and perhaps the “no pants” party. The yoga mat is a foundational piece of equipment every residence should have.
Price: $12 and up.
Home Gym Equipment #2: Stability Ball
It’s inflatable therefore super practical to move around. Also called a Pilates ball, I’m a huge fan of this one. Primarily used for core exercises, this guy can toast your legs as well. Seldomly will I use these for upper body movements for my clients, but that depends on their current fitness level.
Its unstable nature presents limiting exercises. Meaning, if balance is an issue or limited strength you’re forced to work on your balance by doing pregressional. In other words, the stability ball is humbling AF!!
Price: $9 and up
Home Gym Equipment #3: “Super Bands” Resistance Bands
When it comes to improving the immune system, strength is king! You can legit get a full-body workout from head to toe with these.
In my opinion, they’re an accessible version of dumbbells or a barbell. In other words, the same movements using dumbbells and bars can be done with a band. You may need to hook it around something sturdy or close it in a door. This strength equipment is probably the best bang for your buck equipment on the list solely off of versatility.
Price: $45 (for a pack of 4). Bands these days come in backs and varying strengths. Another reason why this is a great buy for the home gym.
Home Gym Equipment #4: Kettle Grip
Now, I could talk about dumbbells and getting a set of them. Even the adjustable kind. That’s a no brainer. Now if you can get kettlebells, that would be a solid buy. However, kettlebells are NOT cheap. So, I’m going to meet you halfway.
Enter: The Kettle Grip
You can have a small dumbbell set AND with this, turn them into kettlebells. Genius.
Price: $34.99. Will you have to buy dumbbells first? Yes. At the same time, you won’t have to buy kettlebells!! BOOM!
Home Gym Equipment #5: Jungle Gym Suspension Trainer
Wrap it around a tree, a solid pipe in your basement, or even in your door.
But why not the TRX, Coach??!
The goal here is to get the best bang for your buck, right?? Well, the Jungle Gym Suspension Trainer is just as good, if not better. What is it? It’s a piece of equipment that you can have a total body workout with and “make the world your gym” (I think that’s TRX’s slogan, but whatever).
You can even hook it up to something like a sled or a plate and drag it. I’ve used it for many workouts in the hotel and even at the park. Suuuuuper versatile. Great buy. Good long-lasting materials.
Price: $69.99. Is that inexpensive? Well… a base TRX runs for $150. You be the judge.
Hey D, where can we find these items?!
Let’s be clear here. You can buy just about anything on Amazon. We all know that. BUT. I highly recommend you do your homework and search for local stores and support the small businesses in your area before looking elsewhere. It’s better to get it now, than wait till it comes in the mail for you to get started.
Well, that completes the list, folks. A super simple and inexpensive guide to building you a solid home gym. In case you haven’t noticed, practicality is my M.O. When you’re able to leave the house, you can take these just about anywhere you go.
When you’re ready to level up, hire you a coach or a trainer to build you a solid program for your particular situation. Here’s a link to my questionnaire to get you started.
Keep moving and be safe out there folks!