6 MUST HAVE HOME GYM ESSENTIALS

If you’re wondering ‘What equipment should I buy first for my home gym?’ then look no further as this is a list of the most essential items for any home gym and why.

There are many other pieces of equipment I would have loved to include in my home gym list however if I had to narrow it down to just 6 priority items, these are my choices.

1. Rubber Matting

A quality rubber gym floor can instantly transform a room from a dusty garage into feeling like a premium home studio. Don’t underestimate the benefits of quality gym flooring, and the nightmare cheap floor tiles can be. Not only will proper rubber mating protect your dumbbells and plates from damage but you will also save yourself the endless frustration of cheap shifting floor tiles pulling apart and slipping around.

I recommend getting between 20mm thick rubber mats in 1 by 1m square tiles or larger 12-20mm thick 6ft by 4ft pieces.

2. Dumbbells

Now that you’ve got something to stand on the first piece of workout equipment has to be a quality pair of adjustable dumbbells or a set of hexagonal dumbbells with a rack.

I’m prefer hexagonal dumbbells as they allow for a few extra exercise options such as renegade rows, jammer press and deficit push ups compared to standard rounded dumbbells. The only benefit I can see to rounded dumbbells would be then they are super heavy you could roll them across the gym instead of carry them.

3. Adjustable Bench

An adjustable bench is a must have item opening up a wide range of new exercises such as bench press, prone row, Bulgarian split squats and more. I can be easily moved into a squat rack for a barbell bench press set up or wheeled to he side of the room to make space for other exercises.

I think it’s worth paying a little bit extra for a quality, sturdy bench as this is something you will likely use every workout and in comparison to the price of some other gym kit is relatively inexpensive. Nothing worse than wobbling around on a rickety bench wondering it it’s going to hold itself together during a heavy set.

4. Barbell + Plates

Some people would have put a barbell and plates ahead of dumbbell and bench but I’ll stick to my choice and put this as a very close next in line. A barbell will open up a world on great compound lifts to add to your workouts and get your strength and power developed.

There are a many things you can consider when buying a barbell. Here are a some of the things to look at: Weight / Bar Length / Centre Length and Chrome Coating.

Weight

The two standard weights are 15kg and 20kg barbells. If you know you’re going to be pushing some big numbers go for the 20kg bar. For many though this 20kg bar without any plates on yet can be too heavy for some barbell routine especially if they include shoulder press, thrusters or bicep curls.

Centre Length

Hopefully I can save you some money by making the same mistake I have in the past. Make sure your centre (middle) length of the bar. That means the part of the bar you could hold from collar to collar is not shorter than the width of your squat rack or you will not be able to rack the bar. 131cm centre length should fit all standard racks.

Chrome Coating

This another one where you can learn from my mistakes. During a time when gym equipment was hard to come by I ordered some great looking cheaper barbells with chrome sleeves however after 6 months the chrome started to flake off and give nasty chrome splinters. Just make sure the sellers states that it has ‘hard chrome’ coating to avoid this problem. Alternatively purchase a Stainless Steel ,Zinc or Cerakote bar.

Plates are some of the most expensive items to buy in a home gym. Although I do not thing you need to buy top end price plates, these are some things I’d look to include in which ever ones you do purchase. Buy circular 45cm (IWF standard) diameter Olympic rubber bumper plates with a 2inch centre hole diameter. This will give you the standardised height to Deadlift off the floor or and also be less susceptible to rust like iron plates are (1.25kg & 2.5kg fractional plates do not need to be 45cm diameter but will still need the 2inch centre hole to fit your Olympic barbell).

5. Squat Rack (+ Pull Up Bar & Plate Storage)

Getting a squat rack will allow you to perform a barbell bench press and a heavier back squats and overhead press. As space is limited in most home gyms I recommend getting a rack that fulfils a variety of purposes such as an integrated pull up bar and plate storage.

If you want to maximise your available floor space for other activities such as deadlifts, olympic lifts or floor based workouts such as Yoga then I would look into getting a folding squat rack.

6. Cable Pulley System

One of the things I missed most about a commercial gym when training from home was a cable machine. These can be a pricey item for a home gym so these cable pulley systems are a fantastic budget friendly alternative that still allows you to do some great cable exercises such as Lat Pulldowns and Tricep Pushdowns.

BONUS – Heater

If you’re in a cold garage gym this could definitely nudge it’s way into the top 6. It can be hard enough after a long day of work to motivate a home workout but add in a freezing cold garage and all that equipment may just end up gathering dust. If you don’t want to end up skipping workouts prioritise making your home gym as desirable place as possible to spend your time.

If you’re looking for some help with your training check out my 12 week interactive E-book training plans designed specifically to work well in home gyms. Alternatively if you just want to get a great workout done, join my for one of my follow along YouTube workouts.