The Best Resistance Training Equipment to Get Jacked and Strong at Home

The home gym concept has exploded in popularity in recent years. It offers convenience, flexibility, and cost savings compared to traditional gym memberships. But where do you begin when it comes to equipping your home training space for effective resistance workouts?

Defining Your Needs: Setting Fitness Goals

Before purchasing specific equipment, define your fitness goals. Do you want to get stronger, improve your physique, or get better at a specific sport? Maybe you want to work out for the associated health benefits and nothing more. Clearly defined goals will help you prioritize the equipment that best suits your needs.

Optimizing Your Home Gym Footprint

Not everyone has a dedicated room for a home gym. Thankfully, effective resistance training can be achieved even in smaller spaces. Consider your available space and choose equipment that offers versatility and doesn’t require a large footprint. Here’s a breakdown of space-saving options:

• Free weights: Dumbbells and kettlebells are compact and highly versatile, allowing for a wide range of exercises. Adjustable dumbbells are a space-saving alternative, offering multiple weight options in one set.
• Resistance bands: These lightweight, portable bands come in various resistance levels, perfect for building strength and improving flexibility. They can be used for countless exercises and stored easily when not in use.

Equipping Your Home Gym

Now that you understand your goals and space limitations, let’s explore the most popular resistance training equipment options:

Dumbbells: A staple for any home gym, dumbbells allow you to target various muscle groups with exercises like bicep curls, rows, RDLs, lunges, and shoulder presses.

Kettlebells: These versatile weights offer a unique center of gravity, allowing for ballistic exercises like swings and cleans that engage multiple muscle groups. They are also great for core strengthening and unilateral movements.

Resistance bands:

If you can find a suitable anchor point, you can do a lot with a pair of resistance bands. You can emulate most of the machines you’d find in the gym and add extra resistance to popular bodyweight staples such as push-ups and squats. A personal favorite during the pandemic lockdown was a circuit of Push-Ups, Bulgarian Split Squats, Single-Arm Lat Pulls, Good Mornings, and Hammer Curls using resistance bands of varying thicknesses.

Bodyweight training equipment:

Pull-up bars: Doorway or wall-mounted pull-up bars allow you to perform pull-ups and chin-ups. Certain bars are also designed to be used for push-ups and sit-ups, making them a space-saving way to build upper body strength.

Advanced equipment (optional):

Barbells and weight plates: If you have dedicated space and advanced strength goals, consider a barbell and weight plates. This allows for heavier compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. However, ensure proper form and consider safety precautions like using a squat rack or having a spotter for heavier lifts.

Weight benches: These provide a platform for exercises like bench presses, incline dumbbell presses, and dumbbell rows. Choose a sturdy bench with adjustable back and leg support for optimal exercise variation.

Additional Considerations: Quality and Safety

• Quality: Invest in well-made equipment that will last. Look for durable materials like cast iron for weights and high-quality latex for resistance bands.
• Safety: Safety is paramount. Choose weights you can handle with proper form, and consider using safety features like weight plate collars when using barbells.

Building a Budget-Friendly Home Gym:

You don’t need to break the bank to create an effective home gym. Start with a few essential items like dumbbells, resistance bands, or a pull-up bar. As you progress, add new equipment or consider bodyweight exercises to build a well-rounded workout routine. Remember, consistency is key to achieving your fitness goals, regardless of the equipment you have access to.