Time to round up some of my favorite home gym must haves! Working out at home is perfect for busy women and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Let’s get ya set up!
Let’s get your home gym set up and ready to rock! As a busy woman, when you make the transition from gym life where you hustle from machine to machine, pay an arm & leg for a trainer or maybe catch a class after a stressful day at work. To a home gym routine where you workout as your schedule allows, you don’t have crazy fees and you have a personal trainer in your home every day. You realize that working out at home isn’t what it was 30 years ago. You’ll feel free to try new things and you’ll find your body and mind changing in ways you never expected. This transition is going to blow your mind when you start getting better results in 30 minutes a day than you ever did roaming the gym for hours.
Let’s Set Up Your Home Gym!
It doesn’t take much to have a great, functional home gym that can give you variety and results. From interval training to toning to yoga and even dance cardio! The options are limitless, not only via the platform I’ll share with you, but there’s also this little thing known as YouTube. Oh, you’ve heard of it? Yea, a ton of exercise videos! I have over 100 videos on my YouTube channel, and 90% of them are moves from the various home workout programs I’ve been doing for years. (I’d love it if you’d support my channel and subscribe. 😉 Thanks!)
The name of the game is; keep it simple and fun! If we’re lucky we maybe get 30 minutes to do something for ourselves every day, you want to make the most of it. And that doesn’t always mean working out, 30 minutes of quiet self-care is just as important.
What Do I Need?
This is a pretty simple round up to get you started. These are all things that won’t take up much space, or budget! And all the products have affiliate links which simply means we make a little commission from the items you buy (without any additional expense to you!) through these links. This helps keep the blog running. So, THANK YOU for shopping our site and for all the support you give us here at FAL!
Let’s Start with Bands & Weights
One of my absolute favorite pieces of equipment is a set of resistance bands. Get a set that has multiple weighted bands so you can adjust as your workout needs change. You’ll want heavier bands for leg exercises and lighter for upper body. They are also perfect for traveling!
Now these guys may not look like much, but OMG. I started using them when I did Brazil Butt Lift (yes, it’s a funny name, but holy crap, it kicked my butt, literally!). I’ve gone on to use them in a few other workout programs, and absolutely love how they can intensify moves and help shape lean muscles.
Here are two starter weight sets for ya. These are great if you are at the beginning of your fitness journey. However, depending on your fitness level, they may not be quite enough. If you’re ready to lift more than 8-10 pounds, the best investment for your gym is a set of adjustable weights. These are the ones I have and my husband and I both can use them, which is awesome!
This is great little set of dumbbells and they come with a nice rack to help you keep them from being scattered in the basement or living room.
If kettlebells are more your style, then check this set out! Even if you have dumbbells, these are great for a number of exercises that only require one weight and a dumbbell can be a bit awkward using.
Mats and Recover Tools
Depending on where in your home you’ll be working out, having a surface that allows you be comfortable is key. When I first started working out at home, it was in our unfinished basement. So I invested in a set of rubber mats. I duct taped them together on the backside so the panels would stay connected as I moved around. You can also find these at most sporting goods stores.
Whether you’re going to hot yoga or doing a workout that has a good amount of floor work, a high quality yoga mat is key. As you know you can find mats pretty much anywhere these days. This is my favorite one from Lululemon. It is reversible and has extra cushion to give comfort to your hips and knees.
No home gym can be fully set up without this must-have recovery tool, the foam roller! I’ve been using the same one for about 12 years and it’s just to the point where I am starting to think about investing in a new one. I love a full size roller, and also think having a smaller one is great, especially if you have a little extra room in your travel bag. So, here are both options! The two-in-one from Lulu is the bomb!
Not sure why it’s important to use a foam roller as part of your cool down or off days? Check out this post on how to Recover From Your Workouts Faster.
No Equipment Necessary!
Last, but absolutely not least, it should have actually been option #1, is the home workout platform I use on the daily. In 2017, Beachbody launched their On Demand (BOD) platform that allowed customers to get access to EVERY workout they’ve ever produced! Not to mention all the deluxe workouts (that used to cost us more), a ton of live format workouts, and all the nutrition guides, recipe booklets, schedules, everything! Best part is, there are a ton of workouts that don’t require you to use anything more than your body weight, so if you don’t have the room for equipment or can only afford one thing on this list. This is the one thing to invest in!
Not sure if home workouts are for you? Check out my post with 10 FREE workouts that don’t require a membership. They’ll give you taste for the different trainers and program styles to
There ya have it gang! I hope these suggestions will be helpful as you begin setting up your home gym! If you have a favorite piece of equipment, I’d love to feature it in our next post. Leave me a comment!
xo, Tiff