HOME GYM EQUIPMENT

Home workouts can sometimes be intimidating because we are so used to working out in the gym, where all the equipment we need is available. On the other hand, some people, like me, want to workout in the comfort of the home, where we can save a lot of time and squeeze in an efficient workout. But can we actually make all this fitness gains and can we achieve our fitness goals without ever stepping into the gym? The answer is yes, we can.

Even though home gym is lacking in some bigger fitness equipments, you can still train effectively with some smaller and portable equipments, which are fairly cheap but they will last for a very long time. Some maybe forever. And if you can’t buy or don’t want to buy any equipments, then you can always train only with your own body as your resistance.

In my home workout programs and routines i am using the following fitness equipment:

• KettleBells
• Dumbbells
• Stability Ball
• Power Bands
• Jump Rope
• Yoga Blocks
• Foam Roller

KETTLEBELLS

KettleBell (KB) is an amazing piece of equipment for building your lower and upper body strength and it perfectly works as cardio as well. Currently i am using 8kg and 12kg KettleBell in my workouts, but you can go as heavy as your fitness level allows you. Perfect exercise with a KB is a KettleBell Swing, which will target your lower body, specially booty and hamstrings, lower back and abs. Plus it gives you an amazing cardio. You can use KB for any type of front squats such as Goblet Squat and also for strengthening your upper body, with KB Snatch for example. And there are tons of other exercises we will be doing in our workout programs and routines. This piece of equipment is worth to buy because it will last you a lifetime.

DUMBBELLS

Dumbbells (DB) are one of the most popular and most important pieces of equipment in any home gym. They are super versatile and durable and are very space efficient for apartments and small spaces. I suggest that you purchase DB with flat edges because they are more stable for doing Push ups on them or Plank Rows. Flat edges will give you stability you need and they will not roll away. We are using DB for resistance training for our upper body and lower body. DB are also amazing with developing a great balance capabilities and they are encouraging you to use your core more efficiently. I am currently using 3kg and 5kg DB. If i want to really challenge myself i will go for 10kg as well.

STABILITY BALLS

Stability balls (SB) have been around for many years and they were originally used in physical therapy. With the exception of free weights, there is probably no other training tool that can be used for so many different functions. A SB allows abdominal training to go through a full range of motion that cannot be accomplished from exercises done on the floor. If you don’t have a bench, you can simply do all of those exercises on a SB with the added benefit of core training. SB will challenge your balance as well. SB comes in various sizes and it is very important which size will be proper for you. The best way to measure the size is simply to sit on it. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your hips and knees should form a 90-degree angle.

POWER/RESISTANCE BANDS

The power/resistance bands (PB) have become my go-to item for home and travel workouts and one of my favorite pieces of equipment. They are very effective for training our entire body. They’re also excellent for injury prevention because they fire up one of the harder-to-target glute muscles, the gluteus medius. That is why they are also called “booty bands” and they are great for strengthening your hips as well. What i really love about them is they are portable, tiny, come in a range of sizes and tension levels, and work for all levels of athletic ability. They are not expensive as well. I would suggest you buy PB, which are wider and made out of softer material, with a rubber on the inner side. Those will stay in place and will not roll up while training. And this can be very annoying and painful as well.

JUMP ROPE

Who doesn’t like a good old jump rope? I think this peace of equipment reminds us all of an early childhood games, where everyone knew how to jump a rope. A jump rope  (JR) provides an easy, yet challenging workout with a significant cardio punch. It takes up no space, and you can easily travel with it. There are many awesome jump rope styles you can learn and once you master the complex combinations, you cardio will never be boring again. I usually combine jump rope with other strength exercises and i combine aerobic with anaerobic workout all in one. One of the most important things in jump rope is to adjust the proper height of a jump rope to your height. You can do this simply by stepping on the center of the jump rope and grab the handles with each hands. The upper part of the handles have to reach up to your armpits. If your jump rope is to short you may flip and fall. And if it’s to long you won’t be able to jump over properly. Jump rope is also great for a  warm up or for after workout fat burn. It is a cardio killer, i would say.

FOAM ROLLER

I purchased foam roller some time ago and i use it when i am extremely sore and i just want to help my muscles to heal faster. So how does it work? Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. It is a self massage, basically. It can help relieve muscle tightness, soreness, and inflammation, and increase your joint range of motion. It also helps to improve your flexibility and mobility. Foam rolling can be an effective tool to add to your warm-up or cool-down, before and after exercise. And the benefits of foam rolling may vary from person to person.

I will be adding foam rolling exercises to my Flexible Mobility routines and to my Interval Stretch & Tone routines.

YOGA BLOCKS

Yoga blocks are super light pieces of equipments and they give you the support and stability you need during your yoga sessions or any other workout session. They help you to modify poses, and provide extra support for holding a poses longer. Foam blocks are the cheapest and most common option, followed by cork and wooden bricks. They come in different sizes and colors.