• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Whey Protein
    • Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

10 Essential Items to Outfit Your Home Gym

If you have the space, and it doesn’t take much, a home gym can be a worthwhile investment.

Mindith Rahmat

Written by Mindith Rahmat Last updated on June 16, 2011

If you have the space – and it doesn’t take much – a home gym can be a worthwhile investment. We are all busy people and most of us are pretty adept at finding reasons to not get back in the car and drive to the gym. If we only have to make it to the garage, life suddenly gets a lot easier!

So, now you’ve made the decision to build a gym in your spare room or your garage, but what does this mean? How exactly does one “build” a gym?

If you have the space – and it doesn’t take much – a home gym can be a worthwhile investment. We are all busy people and most of us are pretty adept at finding reasons to not get back in the car and drive to the gym. If we only have to make it to the garage, life suddenly gets a lot easier!

So, now you’ve made the decision to build a gym in your spare room or your garage, but what does this mean? How exactly does one “build” a gym?

If I were your coach, I would emphasize exercises and protocols using free weights and a variety of movement patterns. We would incorporate strength and conditioning training while also working on flexibility and core stabilization.

So, what tools do you need to accomplish this? To get started on a great home gym, you should invest in the following 10 items:

1. Dumbbells

The exercises you can do with dumbbells are seemingly endless so they justify their purchase immediately. Look for hex shaped dumbbells with black rubber coating – these last the longest and are most comfortable for working out.

Get 3-5 sets in a range of weights to accommodate for different exercises and for the strength you will be gaining.

2. Kettlebell

A lot of people will tell you kettlebells are not essential. Many kettlebell movements can be done similarly with a dumbbell. Certain kettlebell movements are unique, however, and some movements just work better or are more challenging with a kettlebell.

I think they are a worthwhile investment for the variety they can add to your workout routines. Look for kettlebells with big smooth handles and without a painted coating.

3. Pull Up Bar

Pull up bars aren’t just for pull ups! There are a number of basic gymnastic exercises you can practice if you have a pull up bar installed at home.

While you can get pull up bar systems built for doorways, ideally you would have an archway or part of a wall where you could mount a bar. If you can’t yet do pull ups, you’ll also want to buy some resistance bands for assistance.

4. Rings

Great for the home gym or for traveling, rings are light weight and add another level to your bodyweight exercises. Rings also give you the ability to increase the variety in your workouts by adding a whole lexicon of gymnastic exercises.

When looking for rings, make sure you get a brand that is light in weight and easy to hang.

5. Jump Rope

If you haven’t jumped rope since you were a kid, you’re in for a surprise! Turns out it’s harder than it looks and it’s fantastic cardio. Jumping rope also works your coordination in a big way. If you are a beginner, just get a durable rope and don’t worry about details

If you have some jumping skill, look for either a wire lightweight rope to work on speed and timing or a weighted rope to work on strength.

6. Medicine Ball

A medicine ball is a great tool for plyometric exercises as well as core strength movements, a medicine ball is an essential purchase. Whether you are throwing it, carrying it, or doing abdominal exercises with it, a medicinal ball provides you with many, many options.

Look for a SOFT medicine ball so that it is forgiving when you do exercises involving throwing or catching it. If you are not sure about weight, err on the lighter side as many medicine ball exercises emphasize speed and power.

7. Plyo-Box

What’s more fun than having something to jump on? Boxes are a great item for building explosive power and quickness. You can also use them for squatting, for bench dips, and for other non-jumping exercises.

You may want to build your own wooden box if you have the ability, or hire a friend. In a pinch, you can also just go down to the hardware store and purchase an irrigation box.

8. Barbell

Your home gym, of course, would not be complete without a barbell. Barbells, like other free weights, are much better than the machines at the gym because of the stabilization and coordination aspects they bring to your workouts.

Look for a sturdy, not too cheap and not too expensive bar. If you have small hands, pay attention to the diameter of the bar and consider purchasing a “women’s” bar.

9. Weight Plates

Now you need to some weight to put on that bar! Buy a variety of weights – 2.5#, 5#, 10#, 25# and, if you are fairly strong, 45# plates. If you plan to train Olympic lifting make sure you get rubber bumper plates.

10. Stereo System

Seriously, you have to rock good tunes while you work out.

With these ten items and a little time spent on the internet, I am confident you could generate hundreds of excellent workouts for yourself. If you can’t see buying all ten at once, slowly start building your gym, one piece of equipment at a time.

If you’re on a budget, check the local classifieds or Craig’s List for great deals on exercise equipment. If you live near a college or university a great time to check listings is in the springtime when students are moving back home for summer and selling off their possessions.

Working out on your own isn’t for everybody. Some people would buy this equipment and never use it, because they actually find better motivation in group classes. Before committing time and money, check out these simple workouts and fun exercises that can be done at-home with makeshift or no equipment at all.

But for those of you who are under a time crunch and are self-motivated, remember this – even if the initial outlay is more, if investing in a home gym has you actually working out on a regular basis, it’s a better investment than spending monthly dues on a gym you never attend!

Mindith Rahmat

About Mindith Rahmat

Mindith is a born mover. She has spent her life exploring various athletic disciplines, starting with ballet and modern dance from an early age. She went on to become a E-RYT 500 certified yoga therapist and teacher and discovered CrossFit after the birth of her daughter.

Mindith coached CrossFit at a number of boxes near her home in Southern California, which lead to her involvement in Russian kettlebells and Olympic weightlifting. She has coached a wide variety of populations and cares deeply for women’s health, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum fitness. She is currently studying the principles of Natural Movement and Kettlebell Sport, and is working to complete an additional teacher training in the Taoist art of Yin Yoga with Master Paulie Zink.

Mindith founded Breaking Muscle in 2011. Over 5 million people a month have visited the site, hundreds of thousands of them follow Breaking Muscle on social media, nearly 2,000 coaches have written or appeared on its pages, and there are thousands of free, fully-formed training plans freely available. Breaking Muscle has won numerous awards in the industry and is recognized for pioneering new approaches to fitness and coaching techniques. In 2021, Breaking Muscle was acquired by Barbend. Mindith continues to devote time to her kids, pursue her doctorate in psychology, do research, and teach.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

A Strength Training Session Without Conventional Equipment
Method Man Incline Dumbbell Presses December 2022
Check Out Rapper Method Man Cruising Through 120-Pound Incline Dumbbell Presses for 10 Reps
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Leg Workout
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Crushes 5 “Monster Sets” of a Leg Workout
Michael B. Jordan poster for Creed III
Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors Look Like Shredded Boxing Stars in “Creed III”

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Justin Medeiros Walks Through a Full Tour of His Home Gym Before CrossFit Season

Powerlifter Jimmy Kolb Logs 612.5-Kilogram (1,350.3-Pound) Equipped Bench Press World Record

The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced

Strongman Legend Hafthor Björnsson Receives International Sports Hall of Fame Induction

Latest Reviews

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

Best Home Gym Machines

Best Home Gym Machines

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About