6 Must Have Items for Your Home Gym

Are you interested in taking your at-home fitness to the next level? Are you finally ready to build that dream home gym that you've always wanted to? If so, then you've got to make sure you have all the necessary equipment.

With everything that's occurred recently, it's made people invest in more home workout equipment than ever before. Now it's all about bringing your home gym ideas to life with the right home gym set.

See below for several items that you must have for your home gym. Be sure to purchase each one of these to complete the gym at home.

1. Barbell

No workout plan is complete without including the "big three" into your routine. That being bench press, squats, and deadlifts. 

These three lifts are essential for any fitness goals that you have. They work a majority of the muscles in your body (squats and deadlifts, especially), and are used to build muscle and shred fat. Who isn't trying to achieve those two things?

What do the three of these lifts all have in common? They require a barbell! Why you can perform them all with bodyweight variations, you need a barbell to get stronger. You can use them to increase your reps, weight, and sets to build more muscle and tone.

No home gym is complete without it. Make sure you purchase a barbell, as well as a variable amount of barbell plates to place on it.

2. Dumbbells

Of course, a barbell isn't the only necessary piece of weight-lifting equipment. If you want to work on muscle definition and getting more cut, you'll need a quality set of dumbbells.

Make sure that you have two of each weight set that you purchase. A typical rule of thumb, for those of you looking to save money, is to purchase dumbbell sets of 50 and below in increments of 5 pounds. 

That means that you want to have dumbbells that weigh 50-pounds, 45-pounds, 40-pounds, and down until 15 or 10-pound dumbbells.

Why? Because different exercises will need more or less weight. For example, you'll want to reach for the 50-pound dumbbells to do a farmer's walk but for the 15-pound or 10-pound dumbbells for shoulder flyes.

3. Jump Rope

Did you know that jumping rope is the most efficient form of exercise out there? That's right, jumping rope burns more calories than jogging, sprinting, walking stairs, or any other form of cardio. 

Better yet, it activates almost the entire body, giving you a more complete form of cardio than others while requiring less time to do so.

This can be a huge help for those of you looking to shred fat and burn more calories throughout the day. You can use jumping rope as a cardio boost before, after, or during your workout to elevate your heart rate.

4. Pull-Up Bar

Too many people that lift weights focus a majority of their workouts on push exercises. It is just as important to put your body through various pull exercises to force the muscles to contract.

The primary muscles used in a pull exercise are your biceps, hamstrings, traps, obliques, and all of your back muscles. Basically, any muscle that guys use to impress the ladies.

One of the most essential exercises is a pull-up. It offers the most rigorous exercise for your back muscles, adds more tone to your arms, and is considered a form of cardio as well.

Even with the name, there are plenty of other exercises that can be performed on a pull-up bar. You can do ab exercises like knee raises, leg raises, windshield wipers, and muscle ups for those of you advanced fitness guys and gals out there.

Remember, don't go too cheap on the pull-up bar. Buying a cheap pull-up bar can be somewhat dangerous since you risk it falling apart while you're performing certain exercises.

5. Bench and Squat Rack

Sometimes, these two can be purchased as a pair. In fact, they often include the barbell as well.

To perform the previously-mentioned "big three" lifts, you'll need a squat rack and bench. The squat rack is essential for racking your weights whenever you're done with your set.

It can be used for several different exercises such as good mornings, low pulls, bent over rows, arm culls, seated overhead press, bench press, and much more.

6. Yoga Mat

Of course, a dream of most avid fitness guys and gals is to one day achieve having six-pack abs. If that's a dream of yours, you'll want to spend some quality time with a yoga mat.

There are several exercises (not just for abs) where you'll find yourself laying on the floor. This includes glute bridges, floor presses, push-ups, and so on.

While some of you might consider just using the floor, the yoga mat is essential for providing more support and protecting you from germs.

The mat will take the pressure off of your knees, elbows, spine, or any other body part that's making direct contact with the floor while performing an exercise.

Boost Your Home Gym Experience With These Items

Now that you've seen several must-have items that you need to add to your home gym, it's time for you to get started!

Looking to build a home gym on a budget? Be sure to read this article for more info on how buying used fitness equipment can save you money.

For more inquiries, please be sure to reach out via our contact us page and we will be happy to assist you further!