Home gym must haves?

Kylieanne2013

Hey everyone! I currently purchased a portable building. I plan on making my own home gym! What are some must haves? I already have a weight bar and set of weight plates, kettle bells, a few small hand weights, jump rope..... any equipment that make things easier? I’m trying to lose weight and tone up.

h1udd

a rack / half rack / squat stands / benchpress stands WITH SPOTTER ARMS.

if you are lifting on your own, you might want to consider something to catch that bar when you fail

unless you are happy bailing the lifts without the spotters .. ie practice rolling a bodyweight+ bar off your chest and dropping a high squat bar off your back

stanmann571

Real estate.... Honestly. Floor space and wall space are super important. Make sure that the floor is stable and comfortable... not too soft, or slippery. or Hard or sticky. Rug/concrete bad. Gym mat/puzzle mat/yoga mat good

Definitely a safety rack and a pullup bar.

Kylieanne2013

Thanks! I’m def going to check into those things. I was already planning on putting a gym mat in the whole building. And I’m def lifting on my own Bc my husband is not into it like i am, and my 2 sons are way too young to spot me. My building isn’t huge and i am already going to have to give up some space in it to fix a closed in area for my 15 month old so she doesn’t get hurt. So i pretty much figured cardio would be best done just outside, inside will be for weights and lifting.

sardelsa

I think must haves are going to be different for everyone, and depending on programming and goals.

For me.. must have include a wide range of dumbbells, a long and short barbell, various plates (45s, 35s, 25s, 10s, 5s, 2.5s), bar pad, kettlebells, small/short bench, incline bench, cable machine, pull up bar, various bands. Things that are nice but not 100 necessary (for me,).. ankle weights, landmine, exercise ball, steps, EZ bar, TRX, a hip thruster, squat rack or stands (for many people this is at the top especially if you lift alone, but it would be more a luxury item for me)

Mike1804

+1 on the TRX recommendation. One of the best additions to my home gym was my waterrower. I've previously owned a treadmill & elliptical - barely got used. Nothing gives me a workout like my rower does.... and best of all, it takes up very little space.

cwolfman13

For me:

- power rack with safety bar that I can squat in, oh press in, and bench in...preferably with an attached pull up bar
- Adjustable Bench
- Oly platform
- Bumper plates and other assorted smaller plates
- Adjustable Dumbbell
- Kettle bells
- Rowing machine
- ab roller

ETA: most of my cardio is on my bike out on the road...but I struggle in the winter because it's dark and cold at the times I can ride so I'm usually on my indoor bike trainer. It gets old, so I recently bought a rowing machine to mix things up and I'm really liking it at least in terms of stationary exercise equipment goes. I've also noticed that it's been very beneficial for some of my back issues I get from sitting hunched over a computer all day at work and it's very complimentary cross training for my bike.

Azercord

Horse mats from tractor supply are great for the floor and you really just can't hurt them (plus they are cheap). Power rack is nice and I'll also throw a vote to the rower, I primarily run but the rower is great for those cold or rainy days.

Chieflrg

Rack, bench, barbell, & plates will do well for many years.

MikePfirrman

Since you said you're pinched on space (I love the Concept2 Rower and have one), I'd consider the newer Concept2 SkiErg. You can mount it on a wall and it takes up very, very little space. I'm pretty active among the online rower community and most of the serious Indoor rowers (that have one) love their SkiErgs just as much. It's an amazing whole body workout. Honestly, if you have a SkiErg, you don't need to do a ton of weights, it will pretty much destroy you every time.

Also, like the rower, no power required (which might be important). Just batteries and no motor.

goatg

Heh.
You clearly live in a house and not an apartment.

Necessity: close proximity to amazing gym.

Momepro

I'd definitelygo eith a good rower. Great cardio, and all over excercise.

canadianlbs

Kylieanne2013 wrote: »

I’m trying to lose weight and tone up.

i think you need to identify something you really like doing, and then build your equipment stash around that. it really doesn't work to just buy stuff in a scattergun kind of way. the things you're not into and don't use are just going to sit around gathering dust and taking up space.

start with one or two or at most three things at a time. 'fitness' is way too huge an arena to instantly know your own needs about, unless you intend to build something designed to cater to pretty-much-anyone's tastes.

gl though. it's pretty exciting to have a designated space and be making plans around it.

estherdragonbat

For my purposes, a mat, a cardio step, ankle weights, a stability ball, dumbbells, resistance tubes and bands, and a couple of medicine balls. As well as my book on strength training.

Lean59man

Barbell, bench, assorted plates.

With the above you can do flat and standing presses, rows and deadlifts, cleans, pulls, curls.

To those exercises you can add all kinds of bodyweight exercises. For cardio you can run, do burpees or jump rope.

Great physiques have been built with minimal equipment.

Some mats so you don't ruin the floor.

Those are the true essentials.

Eventually, you could get a power rack so you can do squats (and bench presses safely while training alone).

If money is a concern and you want dumbbells/kettelbells, get adjustable dumbbells and skip the kettlebells. They do the same thing with few exceptions.

Kylieanne2013

Thank you everyone!

deminimis

With just a pull up/dip/leg lift station (commercial quality), you could hit a lot of areas. Add a commercial elliptical, and you'd be well on your way. If unable to do dips/pullups/chinups, you could use bands to help get you going.