If you are like many fitness-minded people, finding time to train while juggling a career, family, and other responsibilities can be a huge challenge.
For that reason, and with the average number of homeowners in America increasing, it is becoming more common for people to dedicate part of their house or apartment to a home gym. However, with limited space and funds, it makes sense to buy only the equipment that is necessary for maintaining a healthy body. Here are our five recommendations for the type of fitness equipment every home gym should have.
- Bumper Plates:
Bumper plates are great because they have rubber around the diameter of the plate so that users can drop them, if needed, without damaging either the plate or the floor. Of course, you would not want to drop it on the hardwood, but concrete, which most people have in their basement gym, is absolutely fine provided you put down some rubber matting. Most people buy weight plates at a big box sporting goods store, but they rarely carry bumper plates. So you will have to go online to a place like Vulcan to get bumper plates and have them shipped to your home, which is a lot easier than trying to let them around in the back of your trunk from a store. - Kettlebells:
kettlebells are one of the most underrated pieces of exercise equipment out there. They have long been popular in Russia, and have only been making their way into the American market in the last five years or so. CrossFit has helped to make them popular, but because they are so versatile, allowing users to do everything from shrugs, squats, curls, overhead presses, and more, it makes sense to have at least one kettlebell that is light, and another one that is heavier so you can alternate between high and low rep workouts. - Elliptical/Rowing Machine/Treadmill:
It does not matter which one of these you get, but you should remember to train your cardiovascular system in order to be in peak health. Weight training is a fantastic way to build muscle, bone density, and strength, and while it can give you a cardio workout, nothing beats using a treadmill or rowing machine to strengthen your body and improve circulation and endurance. - Weight Bench:
The ideal weight bench should be adjustable and allow you to do incline, flat, and decline movements. Some benches have the ability to extend the support bars high enough to serve as a squat rack, so look around because the more your bench can do, the more versatile your workouts will be. You want to ensure it is padded and wide enough to support your back while you lift. - Dumbell Set:
Barbells are great, but it is possible to cheat from time to time by relying on stronger muscles. Dumbbells, on the other hand, force you to be honest in your lifting. They also allow for a greater range of motion and will allow you to adapt pronation and supination into your workout, which you cannot do with the barbell. Some manufacturers make adjustable dumbbell sets so that, with the turn of a knob, you can switch the amount of weight up or down depending on your requirements.
We hope this brief article helps you in deciding what to purchase for your home gym. Of course, there are other worthy candidates to include, but starting with $1500 or less, the above will give you nearly everything you could ever need for building and maintaining a superb physique.
Kane Williamson is a legal expert and writer with over 30 years of experience in the field of law. Throughout his career, Kane Williamson has worked on a wide range of legal cases. He is passionate about educating people on their legal rights and helping them navigate the complexities of the legal system.
