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At Home Gym Equipment Must Haves

  • Writer: Jasmine Minor
    Jasmine Minor
  • Sep 5, 2020
  • 6 min read

Updated: Oct 5, 2020

I am so bummed, because I wrote this entire awesome blog post the other day and when I went to schedule it for this weekend it got deleted! I was so annoyed and tried everything to restore it, but for some reason the universe felt like I needed to write it again so here I am 😊


Anyway, this week I wanted to take you through my list of most used at home gym equipment, because although I think most of us are already working out from home, I am still getting a fair amount of questions on which equipment is truly necessary and which things you can live without, so I wanted to take the time to collect my experience here…plus it probably isn’t such a bad idea to have all of my top suggestions gathered in one place for easy future access should you need it!


So without any further ado, here are my top/most used at home gym suggestions:


Yoga Mat

Now before you dismiss this one because it’s pretty gosh darn expensive for a yoga mat, give me a chance to rave about why you should absolutely consider investing in this one. I have owned many yoga mats and they’ve all been the traditional rubber ones that tend to peel, flake or fade over time and turn into a slip n slide the second you start to sweat until I stumbled across this one at Home Goods 3 years ago. This mat made by UGO is the absolute bomb! With one side featuring a soft fabric material and the other a non slip, rubber surface you truly get the best of both worlds with this mat. I can honestly say, even with all my sweat (and there’s a ton, trust me!), through hiit workouts and hot yoga, never once have I slipped on this mat. Both sides of the mat offer superb grip and the best part is that even after 3 years of washing it, my mat looks as good as new without a tear in sight! I promise I am not getting a dime for giving you this glowing review, the mat is just that good!


Long Resistance Bands

I currently own and use two brands of long resistance bands: Dynapro and Hope Fitness Gear. Both bands are made with top quality materials and I never have to worry about them snapping while in use…how scary are those stories?!


Let’s chat about Dynapro first…these bands feature adjustable comfort handles and come in three different resistance levels. I mostly use these for things like standing bent-over rows, bicep curls, tricep extensions, shoulder presses, etc., basically any free-standing move where longer bands and handles come in handy. I personally prefer to use the Hope Fitness Gear long loop bands for moves that mimic a cable machine, only because I don’t want to constantly have to adjust my Dynapro bands, but to each their own. You can truly replicate pretty much every dumbbell move with these handle bands and the padded handle makes these so much more comfortable to use than their metal counterparts.



Moving right along to the Hope Fitness Long Loop Bands. As I mentioned, I love to use these for any move that mimics a cable machine, such as lat pull downs, straight arm push downs, single arm rows, etc. and while they come in four different resistance levels, I find myself using the yellow and red bands the most often, frequently combining them for more resistance. If you find yourself getting the four pack, I would suggest using the heavier bands for things like good mornings, upright rows or sumo squats, unless you are strong enough to use them for lat pull downs, which I can’t say that I am quite yet.



Door Anchor

Now resistance bands really aren’t all that useful without the true star of the show, the door anchor. Although this is a small and relatively inexpensive piece of equipment, this little guy will make your at home back workouts so much more effective! By hanging the butt of the anchor over a door and holding onto the strap as you shut the door (make sure the strap is on the side of the door that allows you to tug against the frame rather than on the door itself), you are effectively creating an at home cable machine. Whether you are using the Dynapro or the Hope Fitness Bands, looping the bands through the strap of the anchor will allow you to perform such moves as lat pull downs, face pulls, single arm rows, etc and tax those hard to work back muscles. If you have the means, I suggest ordering two anchors, allowing you to work through your workout without having to move the anchors between sets.


Booty Bands

In addition to the door anchor and the long resistance bands, booty bands are probably my next most used gym buddy. While many brands feature rubber bands, I really recommend you invest in a fabric version, which will prevent the band from sliding up or down your leg as you sweat, as well as prevent you from losing leg hairs according to my husband 😉 I personally have the fabric band from Hope Fitness and can’t recommend it enough! This little beauty comes in three sizes based on body weight, so be sure to order accordingly if you decide to go this route.


Hope Fitness Gear Booty Band: https://hopefitnessgear.com/collections/shop-hfg/products/booty-bands-hip-circles (Use Code FF20 for 20% off)

Dumbbells

In a perfect world we would all have a large supply of dumbbells or those fancy adjustable ones, but considering we are in the middle of a pandemic and weights are hard to come by, perhaps just a small collection will do. My collection of weights is scavenged from garage sales, gym closures, second hand sports stores and Walmart and I currently have 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30, a range that seems to work well for my current fitness level. When I want a heavier weight to do sumo squats or deadlifts with, I resort to using my husbands ammo can and let me tell you, that puppy works perfectly! If you are unable to get weights at the moment, don’t beat yourself up about it, grab some heavy water gallon jugs, paint cans, etc and get to work…awkward resistance is better than no resistance or you can also grab your resistance bands and replicate the move using those instead.


Nice to Have, but Not Necessary


Kettle Gryp

I kind of feel like this piece of equipment is much like the door anchor it that it takes another piece of equipment and allows it to have multiple uses. This handy little piece of plastic transforms your dumbbell into a kettlebell in an instant, snapping around the handle of your dumbbell easily and securely. The Kettle Gryp fits around standard dumbbells up to 50 pounds and works perfectly for things like kettlebell swings, snatches and more.


Step

Before taking the plunge and purchasing this step, I was perfectly content using a dining chair, pile of books, plastic IKEA boxes or whatever else I had available at home, but have to say this little gadget sure comes in handy for things like chest flies, chest presses, elevated lunges and more. I only have 2 risers for each side of the step and wish I had a couple more to create a higher surface, but that’s what chairs are for, right?


Stability Ball

This is definitely not a total must have, however I get dual uses out of this piece of at home gym equipment, because while I definitely use it in the gym for ab ball roll ins or hamstring moves, I also use it as my desk chair when I’m working on the computer. I have the 75 cm size and it works perfectly for both uses!



I hope this list was helpful in deciding what’s worth investing in for your at home set up and what you truly don’t need and remember if you ever have any questions regarding at home workouts, etc please don’t hesitate to send me a message on Instagram or via email as I am always more than happy to assist 😊

Have a wonderful weekend!

Note: As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases linked above.

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