HOME GYM ESSENTIALS: MUST HAVES FOR EVERY HOME GYM
If you’ve decided to set up your home gym – then congratulations. Having a space to exercise in your home is truly a luxury.
Creating your own home gym is a fantastic investment if you’ve got the room. No longer will you need to drive for miles to the gym only to wait ages for your turn on the equipment because everyone seems to have the same schedule as you. Forget about all that hassle – it’s time to move forward.
Establishing your gym lets you be as efficient as possible with your workouts. Our lives are hectic. Finding time for fitness can be a challenge between work, family, and social obligations.
Having a gym at home means you can get in and out quickly. No, we’re not suggesting you rush through your workouts – it just means you won’t waste time waiting for equipment to free up.
It also means you can seize any available time slots during the day. Have you got 45 minutes before meeting up with friends? Well, that’s more than enough time for a brief workout session!
Today, we’ll guide you through the most crucial and somewhat less crucial gym essentials
everyone needs for the ultimate home gym.
HOME GYM ESSENTIALS
Our list is straightforward. First, we have the Must-Haves. These are the essentials, the items we need.
Next up, we have the High-Priority items. It would be nice if we had the budget and space for them.
Finally, we have the Wants. These are additional items that are optional but would be nice to own.
MUST-HAVE GYM EQUIPMENT
BARBELL AND WEIGHTS – MUST-HAVE NUMBER 1
It is starting strong with arguably the most crucial piece of gym gear – the barbell and weights. It’s simple yet incredibly effective.
Its versatility is unmatched. With just this one piece of equipment, you can work out every major muscle group in your body. Here’s how:
- Chest – Floor Presses
- Back – Bent Over Row, Deadlifts
- Legs – Squat, Deadlifts, Lunges
- Shoulder – Military Press
- Arms – Barbell curl, Skull crushers
- Glutes – Hip Thrusts
We won’t list every exercise, but you get the idea. A barbell covers all bases.
If you’re familiar with our content, you’ve likely heard us stress the importance of progressive overload. But for those new to our blog, let’s quickly cover it.
Progressive overload is a training principle in which you gradually make your workouts more challenging. This constant progression forces your body to adapt and grow stronger. With it, your progress will continue.
There are many ways to implement progressive overload, such as increasing reps sets or reducing rest times. However, the most effective method often needs to grow more resistant. This is because building strength usually leads to muscle growth.
The barbell is a prime example of how easy it is to apply progressive overload. Initially, the weight of the bar itself may be challenging enough. But as you grow stronger, you’ll need to add more weight to keep pushing your limits.
This continuous improvement keeps us motivated and closer to our fitness goals.
ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS – MUST HAVE NUMBER 2
The second essential on our list is the adjustable dumbbell. It’s a relatively recent invention that has gained popularity in the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. Once again, it’s straightforward yet incredibly effective.
You might notice a pattern here. You don’t need fancy, all-in-one gym machines to achieve your fitness goals. For decades, barbells and dumbbells have been staples in gym routines for a reason – they just work!
Like barbells, dumbbells offer a wide range of exercises. Here are some examples:
- Chest – Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Fly
- Back – Deadlifts, Single Arm Row, Bent over row, pullover
- Legs – Squat, Deadlifts, Lunges
- Shoulder – Dumbbell shoulder press, Lateral fly, Rear delt fly
- Arms – Bicep curls, Concentration curls, Triceps extensions
- Glutes – Hip Thrust, Donkey kick, Lunges
The list goes on. We could spend all day listing the various dumbbell exercises available.
Adjustable dumbbells, like barbells, are excellent for progressive overload. Start with a weight that challenges you, and as you get stronger, gradually increase the weight. Stick to your desired rep range; over time, you’ll see improvements in your body composition, especially if your diet is on point.
The adjustable feature of dumbbells means you don’t need multiple sets cluttering your space. In the past, if you needed different weights for different exercises, you’d have to buy several sets of dumbbells or settle for large-weight jumps. Now, you can easily adjust the weight as needed, and it’s convenient and efficient.
And if space is a concern, adjustable dumbbells take up minimal room. Just pull them out when you need them and store them away when you’re done.
Essential Gym Equipment
Now, let’s talk about the crucial gym equipment. While not mandatory, having these items in our gym can significantly enhance our workout experience. If you have the space and budget, consider investing in the following pieces:
- Top Priority: Squat Rack
The squat rack is essential for advancing our lifts safely. Our strength increases as we progress from beginners to more experienced lifters, making once-heavy weights feel lighter. We must gradually increase our weight to keep challenging ourselves and reaching our fitness goals.
During lower body workouts, exercises like lunges, squats, and good mornings require placing the barbell on our back. Initially, using just a barbell suffices, but as we lift heavier weights, lifting it over our heads onto our backs becomes unsafe.
A squat rack or power rack makes loading the barbell safely hassle-free. It allows us to push closer to our limits, knowing that safety bars are in place to catch us if we fail a rep.
Moreover, many squat racks offer additional features like integrated pull-up bars, which are excellent for building back muscles. Some even come with pulley systems for a variety of exercises.
The squat rack maximises our efforts in exercises such as bench presses and shoulder presses. Adjust the safety bars, and we’re ready to set new personal bests!
2. Essential Weight Bench
I am moving on to the next crucial item: the Adjustable Weight Bench. This bench provides a comfortable surface for chest and shoulder presses, eliminating the discomfort of lying on the floor.
Using a bench for chest presses allows for a broader range of motion since the floor doesn’t restrict the elbows. This increased range of motion enhances muscle activation, aiding in muscle building.
Moreover, the adjustable feature of the bench enables targeting muscles from various angles. For instance, adjusting the bench to a 30-degree angle during chest presses emphasises the upper chest fibres, which might need to be addressed in previous exercises.
Exercises like Bulgarian split squats, hip thrusts, and dumbbell rows require a stable platform, which the bench provides perfectly. A proper bench is essential for hip thrusts, where you need a soft surface to support your shoulders while lifting heavy weights. Previously, makeshift solutions like using dining chairs didn’t offer the stability required for safe exercise.
3. Top Priority: Weight Plates
Next up on our list of must-have items is the Weight Plates. You might need extra weight plates depending on whether you went for the basic or advanced barbell set mentioned earlier.
If you chose the Advanced Barbell set, you’re covered, as it already includes 255 lbs of weight plates, which should suffice for most users.
However, if you opt for the Beginner barbell set, the initial weights become too light after 6-12 months of training. As you get stronger, those once-heavy weights start feeling easy.
It’s crucial to keep challenging yourself by gradually increasing your weight. Failure to do so might lead to a plateau in your progress.
Remember, if you’re buying additional plates for the Beginner barbell set, ensure they fit the 1-inch bar diameter.
Final
In conclusion, these essential equipment are vital for improving performance and sculpting the body you desire in your home gym.
While a plethora of gym equipment is available, the items discussed today are the top 5 essentials we recommend for any home gym. They offer countless exercise variations to target every muscle group effectively.
Anything beyond these five items is a bonus. You’ll be well-equipped to reach your fitness goals with just these essentials.
