Getting a daily workout in during a busy schedule is always a challenge. Between work, school, and family life, finding time to spend in the gym is almost impossible. But, since exercise is the most beneficial thing you can do for your health and is entirely within your control, you know you just have to find a solution.
One solution to this common problem is to work out at home. Creating a home gym is an effective and easy way to exercise daily when you struggle to find time and motivation. By working out at home, you take the extra time and stress of going to the gym out of the equation, saving time and money.
So make exercise easier and more obtainable by creating your own personal home gym. Stock your home gym with the appropriate equipment, and start enjoying a workout in your own home.
The Top 7 Best Home Gym Investments for Strength Training
A home gym is a perfect solution to the issue of not getting enough regular exercise, but it can be challenging to determine what equipment you should buy and which equipment you may not need.
Take a look at the top seven best home gym investments for strength training to help guide you toward creating the perfect home gym that is right for you.
Adjustable DumbbellsOne of the best investments for strength training exercises you can do from home is adjustable dumbbells. Adjustable dumbbells are relatively inexpensive yet so versatile that you can use them to work every muscle group in your body.
Another great thing about adjustable dumbbells is that they don’t take up much space. They are the perfect addition to a home gym with limited space since you won’t need as many different sets of dumbbells to account for the different weights you need. They are easy to use, and storing them is never a problem.
You can easily get a full-body workout with just one set of adjustable dumbbells. You can use the lighter weights for upper body exercises and core workouts and the heavier weights for lower body and back exercises.
DIY Homemade Dip Station
If you’re really strapped for cash and want something that you can build yourself, try creating a DIY homemade dip station for your home gym. Dips are a great workout for your triceps, shoulders, and back, but they take time to perfect. A homemade dip station would be perfect for gaining strength in your upper body and would fit nicely into a home gym.
To create a homemade dip station, you need wood, pipes, clamps, and screws. The best part of building your own home gym equipment is making it as big or small as needed to fit your space properly. Just be sure you have all of the pipes secured tightly with fitted collars to avoid potential injury from a flimsy pipe fitting.
A homemade dip station is also used for bicep workouts such as high pulls and pull-ups and can also work as a stability bar for performing other exercises that require balance.
Workout Bench
Another simple piece of equipment that is perfect for a home gym is a workout bench. Having a workout bench will make exercises easier to complete and helps keep your posture in good form. They are easy to install and often found in yard sales, garage sales, or various online secondhand retail stores like eBay.
A workout bench is excellent for completing workouts utilizing dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and standard core work. You can use it as a stepping stool for dumbbell step-ups, or if you’re working those glutes, a bench is a great workout tool for hip thrusts and split squats.
If you want to save even more money on your home gym, you can also DIY a workout bench. Use wood blocks, foam, and sweat-resistant fabric for the upholstery to create a workout bench that is perfect for your small space.
This is the perfect solution if you’re unsure if a traditional-sized workout bench would fit into your space since you can make it as big or as small as you’d like.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are perfect for quick, home workouts. They are easy to use, easy to store, and incredibly cheap.
Resistance bands are ideal for strength training those small muscles that tend to be difficult to grow because you’re creating resistance against the muscle. Still, the weight isn’t so heavy that you cannot work the muscle to failure, which is important for muscle growth.
Some other workouts you can complete with resistance bands include donkey kicks for your glutes, fire hydrants for your thighs, and overhead resistance band pull-aparts to grow your shoulder muscles and bicep curls. It’s amazing how many different muscle groups you can exercise simply using a set of bands.
When choosing the perfect resistance bands for your home gym, be sure to find a set that offers a few different resistance levels, and ones that are color coded for the different weights are also convenient.
There are also some with handles and some without. Resistance bands with handles are great for arms and upper body workouts, whereas booty and lower body workouts use bands without handles.
Punching Bag
Another great addition to a home gym that adds the opportunity for both cardio and strength training is a punching bag. You don’t often think of a punching bag as gym equipment, but you’d be surprised how many muscles you work when using one.
Punching bags are small in size, so they fit into your home gym easily, are generally non-intrusive, and are easy to install.
You can buy a punching bag at any local sporting goods store or make one yourself. Then, using wood, metal, or steel to hang the bag, you can simply install your own for a super inexpensive DIY version of a punching bag. Just be sure the bag is secure so that when you’re punching away, the bag stays tightly in place.
A punching bag is also a great way to incorporate cardio equipment into your home gym without taking up too much additional space, like an elliptical or a treadmill would require. Building muscle strength may be your initial goal, but cardio is also very important for a well-rounded workout program that will help keep you healthy for many, many years.
Virtual Personal Trainer
Another home gym investment that will help you increase your muscle strength while also keeping you motivated to reach your goals is a virtual personal trainer.
A virtual personal trainer will create workouts tailored specifically for you and the goals that you are looking to achieve. Of course, you can have all the gym equipment in the world, but what good does it do you if you aren’t using it correctly?
Investing in a virtual trainer will give you a goal-oriented mindset and add more value to the home gym equipment you have already invested in. Personal training in a gym setting is expensive and calls for a trip to the gym every day. In contrast, a virtual personal trainer creates workouts for you virtually that utilize only the equipment you have available to you at home.
Having a virtual trainer also helps to hold you accountable for the workouts and adds a bit more of a personal touch to your program. It’s also helpful when you’re unsure whether you’re completing the exercises correctly, and it can help reduce your chances of getting injured while working out.
Kettlebells
Finally, when discussing the best home gym investments for strength training, we would be totally crazy not to include kettlebells. Kettlebells, like dumbbells, are easy to store, come in a variety of different weights, and are incredibly versatile.
What’s more, you can use a kettlebell in place of two dumbbells in most cases, which is another reason why they’re great since you don’t need to purchase them in sets.
Kettlebells are also good investments because they have handles that are easy to grip and perfect for people with weak wrists. In some cases, you can purchase them in different colors or styles, so it’s easy to depict which kettlebell is heavier or lighter than the other.
Popular exercises that utilize kettlebells include kettlebell swings, lunge-to-arm presses, and teapot lifts, which are great for working your obliques!
Before You Go
Creating your own home gym is the perfect way to invest in not only your home but also your health. You can get an effective workout from the comfort of your own home while still building just as much muscle strength as you do in the gym.
The best home gym investments are things you can easily store to fit into a tight space, are versatile in their use, and can be made at home DIY for even more savings.
So, stock your home gym today with these pieces of equipment for a fun, new way to work out and start seeing those muscle gains.
