More Advanced Home Fitness Equipment
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
We've looked at the basic fitness equipment for a home workout. If you're ready to take your home workouts to the next level, there are a couple of additional pieces of equipment that will help you to make the jump.
If you’re getting tired of body weight workouts, or want to get into some more advanced weight training exercises, then there are a couple of additional pieces of equipment that will really help to improve your workout routine.
As much as I enjoy doing a day of hundreds of pushups, I prefer to have actual weights in my hands when possible. Additionally, I only like so much plyometrics/jumping workouts a week as it’s really hard on the knees, and it is likely not possible if you have any leg injuries.
The following pieces of equipment will help to increase the variety of activities that you can do for your workouts at home, and really open up a lot of exercises that wouldn’t have been possible before.
Dumbbells
This is by far the top recommendation I’d have as you’re working to build out a home gym. Dumbbells can be used in a lot of different ways and have tons of activities you can add to your routines.
Now, if you have the space, then a full set of dumbbells is definitely your best option. You can quickly move between them, they won’t be too awkward when lifting, and just overall provide the best experience.
Unfortunately, most people won’t have space for a full set of dumbbells. Fortunately, the number of options for adjustable dumbbells are quite abundant out there. Adjustable dumbbells replace a full set of dumbbells from 5-50+ pounds. I have had my BowFlex SelectTech dumbbells for 10 years, and have never had an issue with them. I’ve never tried any others.
I use my adjustable dumbbells 4 times a week with my routines, and while I’m careful with them, they feel solid to me. The other dumbbells that I’ve considered heavily are the PowerBlocks, namely for the heavier weights. I’ve never tried them though, so I can’t speak to how good they actually are.
Regardless of the brand you go with, a good pair of adjustable dumbbells can replace a large set of standard dumbbells in a fraction of the space. Pick up the ones that you think are best.
Kettlebell
I have a single kettlebell that I use a couple of times a week for part of my routine. A kettlebell can be used for a variety of different exercises. If I had more space, I’d pick up more of these.
Kettlebells are great for swinging around (hang on tight) and to add weights to body weight exercises. I like to add them to my ab routines to add a bit of extra weight.
Exercise bike
This one won’t be for everyone. It’s worked well for me though. I have a fairly cheap exercise bike in my home gym, and it gets used a couple of times a week. I have plantar fasciitis (probably from too much jumping), and so I need something that I can use for my cardio days.
Now, the number of options for your exercise bike are huge. You can go for the top of the line models, or something much more basic. Unless you know that you love to bike, you should start with a cheaper model.
I have this cheap ProGear model that I bought for about $150 a few years ago. I haven’t had any issues with it, and while it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, it’s a great starter bike for indoor riding.
There are a lot of options for foldable bikes if you have less space, but I can’t speak to how good they actually are. Definitely do some research before jumping in on one of them to make sure it will work well.
Conclusion
Adding a few simple pieces of equipment to your workout routines will really increase the number of exercises you’re able to perform. If you have the funds, then I’d recommend adding the above to your arsenal.
