Simple Home Gym on a BudgetA simple home gym does not have to be complicated or expensive in order to provide and effective home workout. You can begin right away with a minimum of equipment and gradually add to your home gym as your fitness needs change and your budget allows. |
Getting Started with your Home GymIf you are not currently working out on a regular basis, you can begin by doing some simple callisthenic exercises as described in our article on Easy Exercise for Fitness. This includes some simple exercises to get you going the path toward what I like to describe as Practical Fitness. The cost of starting this way is zero – no special equipment required, but the rewards are you can begin to integrate some healthy habits into your lifestyle. You will feel better and this will provide you a foundation to build upon. Exercise Equipment - First ChoiceIf I could only afford one piece of home gym equipment, a simple set of adjustable dumbbells would certainly be my first choice. They are versatile and provide the basis for a full body workout. For further reading, please read our article Dumbbells for the Home Gym. I would suggest starting with a 30-pound or 40-pound set from York Barbell. You can probably find these locally for around $60. You really cannot go wrong with an adjustable set because they can grow with you as your needs change. It is easy to buy additional plates as needed. Exercise BallThe second piece of home gym equipment I would buy is an exercise ball. Again, this is a simple and economical, yet versatile addition to your home gym. Exercise balls go by several names such as stability balls and fitness balls. Distinguish these from medicine balls, which are smaller weighted balls. Exercise balls provide for a wide variety of exercises, the most common benefit being that you are always build agility and working your core whenever you exercise on the ball. Exercise balls also come in several sizes. I have 2 exercise balls, a 75 cm and a newer 55 cm. I really like the 55 cm burst resistant core stability ball from GoFit. It is heavier duty and the smaller size fits me better. Prices for exercise balls range from $15 to $30. Small adjustable Exercise BenchA small adjustable exercise bench is a nice addition to any home gym and many people would consider it a necessity. However, this warrants a word of caution, as exercise benches vary widely in terms of features and price. I suggest finding a healthy balance between versatility and economy. Look for one that is adjustable in terms of incline but works equally well for both upper body workouts and core abdominal workouts. In other words, find one on which you can do both incline dumbbell bench press and decline crunches. As I said prices range widely easily going from $50 to $400, but you can probably find one that fits the bill for $130. Additional Exercise EquipmentTwo additional pieces of exercise equipment for your home gym that you might want to consider are the Perfect Pushup handles and the Total Gym. We have specific articles dedicated to these products under Perfect Pushup Home Workout and Total Gym – Effective Exercise. |