Going to a commercial gym isn’t for everybody! For example, you’ve got lots of sweaty people, all using the same equipment, and germs are easily spread!

Other reasons for not wanting to train in a commercial gym are as follows:

Time – for most people, it requires travel time to get to the gym. That time could be better spent elsewhere – like spending time with your children or partner. 

Busy – if you’re like most people, you’ll have to train at peak times (6-8am or 5-7pm). The chances are you won’t always be able to get on the machines you want to use. 

Cost – it’s not uncommon for commercial gyms to cost between £50-£100 per month, put another way £600-£1200 per year!

Instead of putting up with all of the above, why not just set up a home gym? 

If you have space and can afford it… it could make your life a whole lot easier!

There are lots of reasons why people want to set up a home gym, the main one being that you can work out in the comfort of your own home, and can train more frequently. 

In this article, we will share some of the best equipment to get for your home gym. We’ll go down in numerical order from what we believe is the most important to buy. 

#1 Elliptical Trainer 

One of the best cardio machines you can purchase. The elliptical trainer is an excellent piece of equipment for warming up before a workout. A quick 3-5 minutes of low-intensity cardio is perfect for warming up your muscles, getting your heart pumping, and getting yourself in the zone for a productive workout. 

Before buying an elliptical trainer, make sure you do your research, for example, search for Elliptical reviews for 2020 and have a good look at what people recommend before spending your hard-earned cash. It may even be worth going into a gym superstore and testing out some elliptical machines before ordering one online. 

#2 Dumbells 

You can do hundreds of exercises with dumbells! For most women, 1-10kg weights are perfect, and for most men, 10-20kg. If you’ve got the space and can afford it, it’s best to buy sets of dumbells and a storage rack. That way you can set up circuits, where you do 3-10 exercises one after the other, for example, an effective weight loss circuit could be:

• Dumbell squats – 10-15 reps (10kg)
• Push-ups – 10-15 reps (bodyweight)
• Dumbell side raises – 10-15 reps (3kg)
• Dumbell lunges – 20 reps (5kg)
• Dumbell bicep curls – 10-15 reps (6kg) 

The above circuit would be excellent for burning calories and boosting fitness. You could do 3-4 circuits depending on how fit you are!

With dumbells, there are hundreds of combinations you could use. If in doubt, hire a personal trainer to create a routine for you. Your trainer may even come to your house and help you. Hiring a personal trainer in 2020 is a great way to speed up your results and boost your confidence when it comes to executing exercises correctly. You won’t regret it! 

#3 Weights Bench 

The perfect addition to dumbells is a weights bench. If you combine both dumbells and a weights bench, you can do even more exercises. With a bench, you can do the following exercises for specific muscle groups:

• Chest – flat and incline DB press, and DB fly’s
• Back – one arm DB row, DB pullover
• Shoulders – DB shoulder press, DB side raises
• Biceps – DB curls, Hammer curls, concentration curls 
• Triceps – close grip DB press, skull crushers, bench dips 
• Abs – DB side bends, oblique DB swings
• Legs – Squats, Lunges, calf raises, hamstring deadlifts

You can hit every single muscle in the body! 

#4 Rowing Machine

Both the elliptical machine and rowing machine are great for boosting cardio fitness!

The rowing machine targets the leg muscles, upper back, lower back, rear shoulders, and bicep muscles. It’s great for building both aerobic fitness (long-distance) and anaerobic fitness (short distance). You could, for example, use the rowing machine and do 3000-5000m, which would take some time to complete, or you could do sprints where you do 200m (as fast as possible) then rest for 30s, then go again! You keep doing this until you can’t go on any longer!

#5 Squat Rack 

If you can afford it, it’s worth spending money on an excellent squat rack. For an excellent squat rack, you’re looking at paying around £600-£1000, but it’s worth it because of the number of extra exercises you can do. With a squat rack (and barbell set) you can do the following exercises:

• Back squat 
• Barbell lunges
• Barbell split squats 
• Deadlifts (normal, sumo and hamstring varieties)
• Bench press (if you have a bench)
• Pull-ups (most squat racks have a pull-up bar) 
• Military press
• Bent over barbell rows 
• Barbell shrugs

And that’s just scratching the surface! There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do. 

Anything Else?

If you purchase all of the above equipment and select the right exercises, you are guaranteed to get results. Other additions to improve your home gym could include:

Gym Mat – so you can do ab exercises: plank, crunches, bicycle crunches, reverse crunches, sit-ups, etc

Skipping Rope – if you’ve got the ceiling height, why not pick up a jump rope? They are affordable and great for boosting fitness and strengthening the calf muscles. 

Medicine Ball – awesome for doing core work. 

Punch Bag – a fantastic stress reliever and an effective way to build power in the shoulders, triceps, chest, upper back, and oblique ab muscles. 

Music Speakers – there’s nothing better to get you in the mood for a workout than blasting out some feel-good music – it could be worth investing in a high-quality sound system.

Towels – buy a bunch of gym towels for that extra bit of home comfort.