The Best Budget In-Home Exercise Equipment
We all know that exercise equipment is expensive, and although we'd all like to have a complete gym in our homes, it probably isn't fiscally reasonable. Instead, most people turn to their local gym, which costs between $300 and $2,400 a year. I love gyms when they aren't crowded and are close to my house; unfortunately, that dream situation doesn't occur for most people.
Being a fitness coach for over ten years, I have done my fair share of in-home personal training sessions and have found that there are many inexpensive pieces of equipment that you can grab to get a complete workout in your home. Here are my favorites from least expensive to most, and you can get all of them for less than the price of the average one-year gym membership.
1. Sliders
Sliders or Gliders are one of the most underrated pieces of workout equipment out there. They allow you to do a host of challenging core exercises; they can make push-ups more intense and will enable you to increase the difficulty of a variety of lunge and single leg deadlift variations. Every trainer I know that works with clients in their homes has a pair of these. You can get a complete workout with just these, but you do need carpeting to use them. I have tried a lot of different sliders, and these are the best ones out there, coming in at $11.99:
2. Bands
There are essentially four types of workout bands. There are the small loops that work your glutes, the big loops that help you do pull-ups, the open pieces of elastic that are used for more physical therapy type exercises, and lastly, the classic ones with the handles for everything in between.
All are useful for your home gym, but I like to use bands for your booty, most people have trouble with glute activation (getting your butt to do the work when you exercise), and bands like these can force your booty to work. Getting your glutes to activate correctly can help relieve back pain, improve your squat form and make you strong as hell. Here is a high-quality pair for $18, I prefer the fabric kind because they don't snap or roll as easily:
3. Jump Rope
A jump rope is the most inexpensive piece of cardio equipment known to man. If you don't have space or the funds for a treadmill and want to train for running, a jump rope is by far your best option. Running is essentially a million little jumps, just like jumping rope. Jumping rope can make you a more explosive sprinter, improve your endurance, and is a fun way to workout. Once you've mastered the basics, there are a lot of steps and tricks you can try, most are good exercise, but all are good fun. Single leg hops, double-unders, and crossovers are my personal favorite. Be sure to grab a high-quality rope, and you'll never need to replace it, at 22.99 this one is worth the few extra bucks:
4. Pull-up bar
No workout room would be truly complete without a pull-up bar, even if an actual pull-up is not currently in your wheelhouse. A pull-up bar can be used for a variety of core strengthening exercises, actively hanging, and of course, pull-ups. Doing a pull-up is an attainable goal for most people; it takes a lot of practice, and often some weight loss, but it is achievable. Having a pull-up bar gives you access to a hard upper body exercise in the comfort of your home and a goal to work towards. If a pull-up bar seems way too ambitious, start with #6 on this list and hold off on this purchase. Although the beautiful thing about a pull-up bar is that it is only $27:
5. Parallettes
Parallettes are a mini set of parallel bars and are a popular training device among gymnasts and Crossfit athletes. Parallettes are perfect for dips, handstands, tricep push-ups, and a host of challenging core exercises. They look pretty cool too, which is a nice bonus for home decor. Parallettes are another item that could seem unapproachable at first, but you can find many beginner guides to parallettes online, and I assure you they are accessible to all. However, they aren't cheap. A nice pair will have wood handles and will be at least six inches off the ground. These are the ones I have and are $88:
6. TRX or Suspension trainer
A Suspension Trainer is the best piece of training equipment for one's home. It is lightweight, easy to set up, and allows you to do hundreds of strength movements in the comfort of your home. It is a total body workout that is challenging for beginners and athletes alike. You can use it on any door, but if you are serious about training with this piece of equipment, you are going to need to place an anchor in your ceiling. You can do plenty of exercises without the anchor, but this piece of equipment really shines when you can stand directly under it. There are a few different models out there, but all you need to start is the basic model for $99:
7. Kettlebells
At some point in your strength training journey, you are going to need some weights. Kettlebells are the most versatile weights out there and are a blast to use. Nothing makes you feel more like a badass than swinging a kettlebell or being able to flow elegantly from one strength movement to the next. Kettlebell swings and snatches are the two most efficient exercises known to man. Both exercises work your whole body in a dynamic and challenging way.
Kettlebells would be number one on this list if it were for one little thing…they are pricey. Usually about $2 per pound. You can start with only one, but you are going to want pairs and a variety of weights as you progress. I like to suggest competition kettlebells to most people because no matter what weight it is, the kettlebell will remain the same size. The two best kettlebell makers are Rogue and Kettlebell Kings, neither offer their products on Amazon. However, this company seems to provide a decent kettlebell for the price and is available on prime:
This list could go on forever if you keep upping the price, but these seven items could give you a good workout for the rest of your life.
