Home workout equipment can be hit and miss so today I thought I’d share my top picks. These are the pieces I go to without fail and know they will help deliver the results I’m looking to achieve. You don’t need to break the bank to outfit your home gym. Every piece below comes in below $120.
Bosu Balance Trainer
I bought this on a whim a few years ago out of curiosity and my Bosu became my absolute favorite piece of equipment. Because you’re working on an unstable surface, you have to engage the right muscles when using the trainer or else you’ll fall off. I use it to do squats, pushups, crunches, and more. It comes with a DVD and downloadable workouts but there are also plenty online that are fantastic. Right now the Bosu trainer is $120 on Amazon but is usually under $100.
Upper Body Workout Bar
This pull-up bar is ideal for an upper-body workout because it has three grip positions for pull-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups, dips, and arm and shoulder exercises. This one easily attaches to your door frame and is made of heavy-duty steel that supports up to 300 pounds. This bar has over 14K four-star reviews on Amazon and costs $24.
Kettle Bell
The first time I used a kettlebell during my workout I was terrified. I thought for sure I would lose my grip, it would go flying, and it would either land on my foot or go through a window. Thankfully that never happened and I credit my slower, controlled workout pace for that. This is the kettlebell I use every week for swings, deadlifts, and squats (there are a lot of workouts online). This one is encased in vinyl so it’s safer to store and won’t wreck your floors and won’t be noisy when you set it on the floor. Buy from either Amazon or Target for $40.
Weights
I use simple neoprene-coated dumbbells for my strength training workouts. While you can buy adjustable weights, they are incredibly expensive ($500 for good ones) and these perform the same. If you are new to lifting weights, this set from Amazon is a great place to start, with three different weights, starting at three pounds and going up to eight. Use these for all arm, shoulder, and back exercises. $94.
Pilates Mini Ball
If you watch me working out on my stories, you’ll frequently see my mini pilates or bar ball. Placed between my legs when doing squats, it engages additional muscles or it will fall. I use it for bar exercises, on the floor for pilates, and even to grip when doing plie squats (it engages my arms and shoulders). This Amazon version has over 4000 four-star reviews and costs $9.