Having an at-home gym is so convenient. You don’t have to travel or share equipment, and when you put the money into it you should be more motivated to use it :). I recommend everyone having at least a few basic pieces at home. Here are my top seven pieces that I would recommend getting when starting an at-home gym.

1. Dumbbells: This one is obvious, but many people ask me what weights they should purchase. Well, it depends :). If you are new to working out with weights, I would recommend buying 5, 8, & 10 pound weights. If you have been working out a bit and know the weights you’ve been using, go with what you know. You can usually omit the 5# and get 15# and maybe add 20# weights too. Just remember that you can add dumbbells as you progress, so don’t feel you need to get everything at once.

2. Mat: You don’t want to sweat on your carpeting or floors (you better be sweating!!), plus mats add a bit more cushion. You can find mats ranging in prices. Just remember, the cheaper the mat the quicker it will rip, and then you will be buying a new one. If you go to Amazon, just read the reviews and you should be good to go.

3. Stability Ball: These are wonderful to improve core strength, work your tush, plus much more. When choosing a ball, take your height into consideration:

   • Shorter than 5' 2" : 45 cm 

   • From 5' 2" - 5' 8" : 55 cm

   • From 5' 8" - 6' 3" : 65 cm 

   • Over 6' 3" : 75 cm 

4. Resistance Bands: These are great to work the whole body. You can always use these as weights if you are cutting corners on what to buy for your gym. I am partial to the bands with the removable handles. The best thing about these is you can add as many bands as you need for a heavier weight. Start with a kit and then add heavier bands when you see you need more. Looped bands are great for lower body workouts. I would recommend having a light, medium, and heavy band. You can usually get all three in a kit. You should also have a few straight bands for stretching. You can also knot them and use these as a looped band. I like the Perform Better Mini Bands. You can find them here. I bought my bands at Dick’s here. The handles are sold separately here.

5. Medicine Balls: I would recommend the softer balls with sand in them. Get either a 6#, 10#, or both. These can be used for abs, squats, slams, wall balls, etc. I purchased mine at Dick’s Sporting Goods. You can check them out here.

6. Workout Bench (optional): You can do most exercises on the ground or standing, but having a bench helps so your form is correct when doing certain exercises. Use a bench for these exercises: Chest press or chest fly, one arm rows, one arm tricep kickbacks, tricep dips, step ups, decline/incline push-ups, plus more. If your bench can be raised into an incline, you can do back supported and chest supported exercises too. Here’s the bench that I use here.

7. TRX (optional): This is my all-time favorite piece of equipment. It works the entire body using bodyweight only and takes up little space. This is not a necessity, but if you have a bit more money to spend, or want a great gift, this is the one to get. Check them out here.

Which piece of equipment do you enjoy using? Is there something you want to add to your gym? I’d love to hear about your at-home gym. Comment below and let me know if you have any questions.