By: Ryan King, Founder of Fresh-N-Fit Training
I know what you’re thinking. How can a few pieces of equipment give me the full garage gym that I’m looking for? Well, the truth is, it won’t. But what it will do is give you a great base at a great price and you can utilize all of this equipment in a variety of ways. My company focuses on all aspects of fitness, not just strength training. So it is only fitting that I would recommend equipment to give you the most variety possible. Of course, you can always upgrade or add to this list, but to get the best bang for your buck and have a dynamic gym, I highly recommend investing in these 10 items before all else.
Space: if you’re going to lift you need space. Following this list of items will lead you to realize your upstairs bonus room just won’t do for a gym. You’ll need the garage or a shed. This space should be at least a 10’x12’, and at least a 10’ ceiling. You should also look into flooring for your space but for now, concrete will suffice.
Exercises: All floor exercises, Plyometrics, Yoga, Pilates, Stretching
Bowflex Dumbbells: Now I don’t usually encourage paying through the nose for name brand items. However, the Bowflex adjustable dumbbells can be found for about $300 with weights ranging from 5 to 52.5 pounds. A dumbbell collection would consume 10x the space and costs $1.30/pound. Crunch the numbers. The dumbbells come with a rack that allows you to add or reduce weight with the turn of a dial. Not to mention the Two-Year Warranty. You should also note there are cheaper options but not many I would trust like this item.
Exercises: Bicep Curls, Tricep Extension, Shoulder Exercises, Bent-Over Row, DB Bench Press, the list goes on forever.
Kettlebell: Kettlebell workouts are about as dynamic as dumbbell workouts except they’re specifically made to be “carried” instead of “held”. With a moderately weighted Kettlebell, you can begin training dynamic movements around your body and working on your hand-eye coordination as well as stability. Entire workouts can be designed with a single kettlebell at the correct weight but a thorough explanation of exercises may be in order. There is also a cheaper option like the Kettle Gryp where you can turn your dumbbells into a kettlebell like option.
Exercises: KB Swing, KB Curls, KB Snatch, KB Clean, KB Get-Up, etc.
Power Rack: This equipment is important because you need a specific type of power rack to make this a multi-dimensional piece of equipment. First, it needs to have a cross-bar for pull-ups. This will allow you to save money on unnecessary pull-up equipment and gives you options to attach bands for other exercises. Next, it needs to have safety bars for when you fail at a lift and you’re home alone. Lastly, the rack needs to have an adjustable height capability. Specifically, one that is easy to adjust without having to halfway disassemble it. This equipment will be critical for moving into heavier weights later in your programming. A sturdy steel rack is ideal not aluminum or plastic so when you connect bands to the posts it won’t shift under no weight. If you can find one with weight racks attached that will save you from having to purchase plate storage equipment. I found mine for $285 on Amazon from HulkFit.
Exercises: front/back squats, assisted push-ups, pull-ups or any bar work, rack-pulls, shrugs.
Adjustable Bench: Good quality benches can range from $100 to $1,000. I have such a hard time deciding on a bench I almost want to sit on them before I buy one but the best deals will be found online. Look for something with a sturdy/wide base, two wheels and a handle for easy movement, adjustments to include flat, decline, and multiple inclines, to straight up. I found my personal bench for $250 and it works even for flat bench press.
Exercises: Bench Press Exercises, Fly’s/Reverse Fly’s, Single Arm Row, Dips, Assisted/Decline Push-Ups, etc.
Barbell & Plates: Not everyone uses barbells but if you plan on strength training, you will need more weight than your 52.5 pound dumbbells. For a normal squat/bench/deadlift person, a simple bar from Academy Sports for $45 should do just fine. If you’re into Olympic Lifting, not only will you need to visit an online store but you’ll also want a platform instead of bare floor. The Facebook Marketplace found me a Rogue Barbell for $200 and 150 pound bumper plate set for another $125. Prices for plates are similar to other weights, usually between $1.00 and $1.30 per pound.
Exercises: Barbell Bench, Back/Front Squat, Overhead Barbell Press, Inverted Rows, Barbell Rows, Bicep Curls, Assisted Pull-Up, etc.
Plyo Box: This is a great addition because you will save the life-span of your adjustable bench (the padding and bolts) when loading weight. To be dynamic, I would recommend a 4-sided wooden box rather than a “box” with only a flat surface on the top. Investing in a “rectangular prism” box if you will, gives you two heights to choose from for exercises and neither of which will ruin your adjustable bench. Many companies sell this piece of equipment.
Exercises: Box Jumps, Dips, Assisted Push-Ups, Step-Ups, Squat Lower-Limit, Up-And-Over’s
TRX: A TRX is undoubtedly one of the best pieces of equipment to take anywhere with you or incorporate in your home gym. The suspension training system allows you to master rowing, push, and core exercises before moving onto the heavier weights. Few pieces of equipment can compare to this one for less than $100 depending where you find it.
Exercises: All Rows, All Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Overhead Pulls, Fly’s/Reverse Fly’s, All Shoulder Work
Resistance Bands: A good set of resistance bands will do you well if you know how to use them. There are lots of exercises for rehabilitation and warm-ups or even supersets that bands can be used for. Understanding how to use them will be key but you can get a variety pack of 4-7 for between $45-$90.
Exercises: Pull-Aparts, Resisted Push-Ups, Assisted Pull-Ups, Bicep Curls, Tricep Extension, Shoulder Work, Resisted Air Squats, Hip Thrusts, etc.
Medicine Ball: This could probably be concluded at 9 pieces of equipment but I’m going to round it off at 10 with another piece of functional equipment everyone is familiar with. In a pinch, your dumbbells will suffice for Russian Twists, and all of those exercises you do with the medicine ball. But when you use it for its cardio exercises, you don’t really want to slam a dumbbell on the floor. So I’m going to recommend investing in a 20-50 pounds medicine ball for HIIT workouts. Prices are still the same as other weighted equipment.
Exercises: Med ball slam, Over-Shoulder Throws, Power throw, Wall-Ball, Weighted Ab Exercises
So what’s this all come down to? Let’s be honest with ourselves, the reason we want a home gym is because we are serious about our fitness but not serious about driving or the hours of most gyms. So let’s recap our investment in this home gym, shooting for mid-range on all of these prices.
Space: Free
Adjustable Dumbbells: $300
Kettlebell: $50 – different if you buy the attachable handles to dumbbells
Power Rack: $350
Adjustable Bench: $250
Barbell & Plates: $400
Plyo Box: $50
Resistance Bands: $50
Medicine Ball: $50
Total: $1,500
That’s not bad at all for a starter gym! I used higher end prices as well just to give room for those who don’t feel like bargain shopping. This number could easily drop to about $1,000 if you took your time shopping.
I hope you enjoyed this blog! For more reliable information about lifting and programming, visit my website www.freshnfittraining.com and follow me on Instagram @freshnfittraining.
