Equipment to create your own home gym

There’s always talk of joining the gym to work out, but what if you don’t have the time?

Do you prefer to train whenever you want, even during a break ?

If you don’t want to have to commute every time to have to train ?

In these cases, creating your own home gym is the solution for you.

Today we are going to see the main home gym equipment to take to train completely, without having to fill your home with objects that you will never use.

What do you say, let’s get started ?

Introduction

The gym equipment to buy depends first of all on the type of training you do or want to do.

For example, if you practice calisthenics there will be specific equipment for this discipline or if you love spinning, a spin bike becomes a necessary purchase for you.

A second aspect that you should not overlook is your level of experience.

If you’re just starting out and want to start training at home right away, this article is perfect for your situation.

If, on the other hand, you have been going to the gym for many years, you will have to adapt your board and buy the equipment you need.

Last point: always be followed by a professional.

Especially if you are a newbie, you might think about buying some tools and then take inspiration from the cards you find online on the internet or YouTube videos.

These sources are sometimes very reliable, but you need to be sure that you are doing the exercises correctly, not only to train effectively but also to avoid injuries.

It’s very important, pay attention to it.

So, to sum up, we will recommend generic equipment, useful for recreating a home gym. Then tailor these tips to your level of experience and needs.

What equipment do I need to start training at home? Let’s find out.

Barbells

The barbell is a steel bar to which you can add weight by inserting cast iron discs and securing them with clips to prevent them from falling off.

I’m sure you’ve heard of this tool. It is widely used to train muscles in the gym and increase mass, especially in the upper body.

Thanks to the barbell you can perform various multi-joint exercises such as squats, military presses, deadlifts, hip thrusts and many others.

If you decide to work out at home, having a barbell is a must.

But which one to take ?

The first thing you need to decide is its length. There are barbells of various lengths, the most common being 150, 180 and 220 cm. That said, let’s take a look at the main types of barbells.

Olympic barbell

An Olympic barbell is defined as any barbell with cylinders for plates that are 50 millimeters thick. It is therefore compatible with all Olympic plates with a hole of approx. 51 millimeters.

The Olympic barbell is more elastic than a powerlifting barbell. Its cylinders rotate easily and this helps you rotate your palms just as easily.

The Olympic barbell is more elastic than a powerlifting barbell. Its cylinders rotate easily and this helps you rotate your palms just as easily.

Powerlifting barbell

In this case we are talking about a stiffer barbell with little elastic energy, bad for Olympic lifts but perfect for squats, deadlifts (or deadlifts) and bench presses with heavy weights.

It has a central knurl, which is great for allowing you to better rest the barbell on your back during squats and thus prevent it from slipping.

Double marked barbell

The double marked (or double-marked) barbell is a hybrid barbell that can be used for both Olympic and powerlifting lifts.

It is generally the best solution when it comes to home gym equipment because it is the most adaptable.

Curved barbell

It is a barbell created to exclusively train the muscles of the back and arms and allows you to do many biceps and triceps exercises.

Why choose it over a straight barbell? Its structure is specially made to facilitate the grip and thus reduce the pressure on the wrists, avoiding possible injuries.

Among the various types of barbells, we recommend the double barbell for its flexibility. You only need to buy this piece of equipment to be able to train fully and have variety in the exercises, avoiding buying multiple barbells.

Remember to find a barbell with the stand or buy a suitable bench that has already integrated the frame for the barbell. We have already told you about it, so let’s talk about the second piece of equipment for your home gym.

Bench

The bench is certainly a necessary piece of gym equipment if you want to start training at home, not always the fitness mat alone can help you.

As you can imagine, there are different types of benches: there are the simplest ones that you can fold to take up less space and others that are more complex such as multifunctional benches. Let’s take a look at the differences and which one is best for you.

Folding bench

The folding bench is a simple and often purchased piece of equipment to start training at home and create a new healthy habit.

It is perfect for those who live in an apartment or have little space because you can fold it up and store it comfortably in a closet without it getting in the way.

Obviously, in order to move it, it must be light but not too light. To train safely, you need to be sure that you have a stable bench. 

Find the right mix of lightness and stability to move it easily and not have any problems during exercises.

This simple bench is perfect for strengthening the abdomen and training the arms, shoulders and chest thanks to the use of dumbbells or kettlebell.

Multi-function bench

The multi-function bench is more elaborate and offers you a more complete, complex and varied workout than the folding bench.

It definitely takes up more space and has a higher cost, in the end it is a small investment in your health.

Thanks to the multifunctional bench you can tone the whole body by training both the upper body such as the arms, back, back, abdominals and chest, and the lower body by strengthening legs and buttocks.

There are many types of multifunctional benches that differ in the functions they have, the exercises you can perform and all the accessories that make it up or you can add.

Between these two types of bench you should choose the one that best suits you based on the workout you are going to perform, if you want to invest a certain amount right away or if you first want to wait and see how you feel about training at home and from the space you have.

Let’s now discover the latest equipment for the home gym.

Kettlebells, dumbbells and small tools

In this part we are talking about small gym equipment, great for stimulating your muscles in a different way, giving variety to your workouts and avoiding boredom.

Kettlebell

The kettlebell is one of the most used tools, perfect for both toning and losing weight if combined with a correct and balanced diet.

There are kettlebells with different weights, you can go for example on 8 kg but also 26 kg. Which one to choose depends on your athletic preparation and how trained your muscles are. 

To avoid buying kettlebells that you won’t use because they’re too light or too heavy, we recommend that you go into a store, try out the various weights, and see which ones feel best suited to them.

Be transparent with yourself: buying a kettlebell that is too heavy and then you won’t use will only lead to you having to go back to the store.

Start with the right weight and then work your way up.

Modular handlebars

Modular dumbbells are a great tool to be able to increase with weights as you progress without having to buy a new piece of equipment every time.

They are perfect for creating a home gym without breaking the bank.

Dumbbells are very flexible pieces of equipment that you can use to vary your workouts and focus more on one muscle. Thanks to dumbbells, you can perform both isolation exercises and complementary exercises.

Other small tools

There are also a number of other pieces of equipment that you can decide to integrate into your home gym, such as elastic bands.

Elastic bands, also called bands, are great for creating more resistance during various exercises, thus bringing additional strain to the muscle. You can choose the elastic band you prefer by deciding its length, width, thickness, strength and material.

Another piece of equipment we recommend is gym gloves, perfect for helping you have a firm grip, especially when performing exercises such as Rope Climb.

Another useful accessory to preserve your hands, avoiding blisters and calluses, are the calluses; the choice of whether to use them or not will depend a lot on you: some people find them uncomfortable while others could not do without them.

Finally, the weightlifting belt becomes essential if you systematically perform squats and deadlifts to increase core stability and thus improve your performance.

Conclusion

Today we have seen what equipment to take to start training at home. We talked about barbells and benches and then moved on to kettlebells, dumbbells and other small tools.

We hope the article has been helpful to you in understanding how to build your own home gym and we wish you a good workout !