My Top 5 Home Gym Essentials for Effective Home Training:
Building a strong, resilient body at home doesn’t require a garage full of expensive gym kit. In fact, with just five essential pieces of equipment, you can cover all your strength, mobility, and functional training needs - and build an awesome body that’s built to last.
Here’s what I’d choose if I could only have five:
Disclaimer: I’ve picked these five pieces with two things in mind: keeping the cost down, and keeping the total space usage minimal.
1. Dumbbells (two sets)
I recommend one lighter pair and one heavier pair - for me, a pair of 10 kg and a pair of 20 kg works perfectly. Adjustable dumbbells are an option, but they can get expensive. Two fixed sets cover most exercises pretty well, especially if you adjust other variables like tempo or exercise variation slightly, so you can make a 10 kg feel as challenging as a 15 kg would be.
Hips Elevated Dumbbell Chest Press
2. Mid-Weight Kettlebell
A kettlebell is actually more versatile than most people think. In many cases, you can use a kettlebell the same way as a dumbbell… and more - think swings and carries. I often recommend a mid-weight kettlebell because: 1) it fits perfectly between your light and heavy dumbbells, and 2) most kettlebell-specific moves, such as swings, can be done really effectively with a mid-weight bell.
Kettlebell Gorilla Row
3. Large Gym Ball
Gym balls are great for core training, mobility, and even stretching. They’re also handy for adding variety to bodyweight exercises like push-ups, planks, and hamstring curls. They sometimes get the reputation of being only used in yoga, but trust me - they’re awesome tools in a resistance training environment too.
Gym Ball Hamstring Curl
4. Suspension Trainer
Suspension trainers (like TRX - although there are much cheaper options) let you perform a very wide array of exercises. They’re compact, adjustable, and perfect for regressing or progressing the challenge of a movement.
Suspension Trainer Rows
5. Tall Parallettes
Tall parallettes are a bit of an “out there” recommendation, I know - but definitely a valid one, especially if you’re relatively strong with your own bodyweight already. Exercises such as dips, rows, and knee raises can be taken to the next level using tall parallettes. They’re also inexpensive and quite compact.
Bodyweight Dips on Tall Parallettes