Find out which equipment should appear first in your home gym for an effective workout.

Getting started with the home gym can be quite a challenge if you approach the issue in a big way. According to the equipment of the venue, three classes can be identified:

1. Premium Class – equipped with all the equipment and exercise equipment you need for a comfortable workout. It is quite evident that setting up such a hall will require you to make a serious financial investment.

2. Medium class – Equipped only with the equipment you need and allows you to do a quality workout.

3. Budget class – minimum equipment and use of improvised (such as pull-up bar, bench and barbell) means to increase the class’s effectiveness.

If you’re not strapped for cash and space, a premium lounge is a way to go. For most athletes, a medium-sized gym is OK. The budget class can only be targeted when the financial situation is weak. Let’s take a closer look at each home gym class for training.

Building a premium home gym

In almost any flat, you can find a place to create a gym. But if you plan to furnish it to the max, you’ll need quite a lot of space. Today we’re talking about the 5 must-have items for training at home gym and by looking at each of the classes, you’ll be introduced to them.

As far as the premium class is concerned, the amount of sports equipment and implements needed may be higher. When choosing a location for your own gym, a well-ventilated room should be used. It is also worth taking care of high-quality lighting. Scientists have proven that strength training in low light conditions is hugely detrimental to the eyes.

The minimum distance between the simulators and the walls is 30 centimetres. If small children or pets live with you, you should limit their access to the room to minimise the risk of injury. To ensure good soundproofing, the walls should be covered with cork panels. However, this recommendation only applies to a room used as a gymnasium.

We recommend changing the floor covering as well. Carpet or taffeta flooring is best. If possible, it is also worth increasing the cushioning qualities of the floor. However, you will need specialists and additional financial costs to deal with this issue. There should always be one full-length mirror in your room.

With mirrored wardrobe doors, the hall can be arranged close to the wardrobe and thereby save money. Below we’ll talk more about the essentials for training, but you should also take care of the little things like wristbands, jump ropes, weights, etc. 

There might be not enough space to store the equipment in your existing cupboards and pantry. In such a situation, additional shelving or shelves are essential. A wooden box under the bed can serve as a substitute.

For maximum enjoyment, it’s worth thinking about aesthetics. Dark and harsh colours should be avoided when choosing a colour scheme for the gym. They can cause discouragement, and in such a situation, training cannot be as practical as possible. After preparing the room, you can also think about the choice of sports equipment.

If your aim is to adjust and then maintain your weight, cardio machines are the way to go. The most popular are treadmills, elliptical trainers, steppers and exercise bikes. When one sets out to build muscle, strength-training machines are the way to go. But you can’t do without barbells and dumbbells anyway. It is these two projectiles that will help you solve any problem.

If you want to know what the 5 must-have items for your home gym are, a barbell and dumbbells are definitely among them. Even if there are no problems with finances, more than one gym can be afforded only by people who dedicate an entire room to the gym. The most compact of these is exercise bikes and steppers. Although there is a wide range of sports equipment on the market today for home use, making it as compact as possible is not always possible.

The mid-range gym at home

This is the option that suits most athletes. On average, it costs 10,000 to 20,000 roubles to furnish such a room. When preparing the space, attention should be paid only to the most important aspects:

* Floor covering.

* Light and access to fresh air.

* Availability of a mirror.

We haven’t mentioned safety precautions, because it’s understandable as it is. You will definitely need three items to create a space for intermediate level classes.

Dumbbells

We recommend you buy two sets of weights: 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5 kilos. This will be enough to provide an entire training session at an entry-level. In the future, if you decide to continue to progress the load and grow, you will need to buy heavier discs: 10 to 15 kilos. Cast dumbbells are also an option, but they will require more storage space.

Barbell

If you want your home training to be as complete as possible, make sure you buy a barbell. You will find several types of bars in sporting goods shops. However, you should aim for a straight line with a diameter of 2.5 centimetres and a length of 1.8 metres. It’s pretty evident that without the discs, the vulture would be useless. There are options here too, and we recommend looking at rubberised pancakes.

They do not make a strong sound when dropped and will not leave dents in the laminate flooring. You should choose these pancakes carefully. The coating must not be excessively soft or crumbly when pressed. When choosing the weight of the barbell weights, be guided by your capabilities. There is no need to have a large number of discs at once. You can limit yourself to two 5kg and a few 0kg weights at first. Then you can buy more if necessary.

Bench press

The third item and 5 must-haves for training at your home gym is a bench for the bench press. We recommend using equipment with a standard width of 23 to 25 centimetres. This is reasonably sufficient for doing the splits. The benches’ length should be chosen according to the size of your gym and your individual anthropometric measurements.

Among other things, pay attention to the height of the bench. Most often, 40-45 centimetres is enough. The final criterion for choosing this type of sports equipment is the filling material. It is best to use complex types to avoid putting stress on the spinal column.

We recommend getting a power frame, which you can make yourself. It will make it safer and easier working with weighty weights. Of course, this type of sporting equipment may well not fit into the interior of your room, but if you take your training seriously, a weight frame is worth buying. Other essential items worth mentioning are the barbell and the pulling block.

Budget-friendly gym: 5 workout essentials

Talking about such a hall would be meek, as it would not require much equipment to equip it. Dumbbells and barbells are a must. And they don’t have to be new. If you are on a tight budget, second-hand sports equipment is also acceptable.

The kettlebell is also functional. There will probably be no money allocated to purchase a bench press, much less a power frame. Three stools can be used as benches. A chair with a backrest wrapped in soft material is a good imitation of Scott’s bar. If you’re planning to create a budget gym, you’ll have to get creative with the items at hand.

What gym equipment can girls use to train at home?

Girls can also create their own lounge in the flat. They will need considerably fewer shells to do so. If you can, you should consider getting a cardio machine. As a reminder, the stepper is the most compact and affordable. 

Most girls exercise to optimise their body weight and keep it up. As a result, they can easily do without the barbell and the bench press. Dumbbells, on the other hand, should not be discarded.

Fitball

Fitball is a trendy piece of fitness equipment among women and worth buying for training at home. Its main advantage is its high functionality. While you’re on a break or not exercising, you can use the fitness ball as a chair. And it can also be a workout because unlike a chair, sitting on a fitball is more complex and you have to balance and make your muscles work.

Skipping rope

It’s a piece of equipment worth buying for men, too. In the absence of a cardio machine, a jump rope can be an excellent choice. Not only will you be able to tighten your leg muscles with a jump rope, but your metabolism will also be boosted. Don’t think jumping rope is easy. The recommended length of a beginner’s jump rope exercise is about five minutes. Gradually bring this time up to 0.5 hours. You can use the jump rope as a warm-up and warm-up before the central part of the workout.

Pilates ring

Pilates is extremely popular with the weaker sex today. It is believed that the prototype for this projectile was a metal ring from a beer keg. In creating the sport, Joseph Pilates was forced to use improvised materials to build various sports equipment. Of course, modern isotonic rings are much more convenient to use and highly functional. You can use them to work out almost every muscle group. There is no risk of injury during these activities.

Latex tape

Of all the sports equipment reviewed today, this is the most straightforward and most accessible. Only a jump rope can compete with a latex band. The tape, on the other hand, is better in terms of functionality. It can be used to strengthen the muscles in your arms, back, legs and torso. There are three colours of ribbons available, by which you can determine the resistance of the projectile. For beginners, a blue one is sufficient. The stiffest is the lilac one, which is suitable for experienced female athletes. If you have an intermediate level of training, we recommend the use of light green latex tape.