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So what do you actually need to have at home to start weight training…
Planning on starting your strength training journey at home, but unsure what you actually need as a bare minimum to be able to successfully target full body?
Bodyweight workouts are great, but they can only take you so far. If you are reading this article, you most likely have either outgrown bodyweight workouts or you simply want to get serious and be well-prepared to start transforming your body and strength level.
Here is a short helpful list of items that I recommend as a fitness coach for someone who is just starting their strength training journey.
You really don’t need much more than this if you are an absolute beginner, these items will be enough for you to be able to undertake most full body style training circuits whether you wish to follow workouts from social media, workouts off an app or follow one of my structured beginner programs.
You can build up on it as you go over time, but for now, let’s keep it budget-friendly so you don’t feel overwhelmed with too much equipment.
Hex Rubber Dumbbells.
First and foremost, of course the absolute essential strength training item would be a few sets of dumbbells. I always recommend to get a pair of 3kgs for arms and a pair of 5kgs for lower body to cover all your basis to start with. Depending on your upper body strength level you might even need a pair of 2kgs for certain exercises like lateral raises for the shoulders.
I have tried many different types of dumbbells over the 15 years I trained my clients, but I always found that having hex dumbbells is the best due to the flat sides because you want to be able to place your dumbbells flat, trust me you will need this for some exercises so they don’t roll away, such as renegade rows or even certain progressions of planks and push ups. If you only have a few dumbbells you definitely want the flat sides type.
I have bought a few sets of these to train my clients with and myself so I can vouch for the quality on a budget.
TRX Suspension Trainer.
The next thing I highly recommend to invest in is a TRX suspension trainer, it offers various options of attachments, and if you want to build a strong back and toned arms and abs without a gym, this is a must have in my opinion. It basically substitutes cable machines at the gym.
There are many cheaper suspension trainer options, but beware the hooks can often snap due to being made of cheaply welded aluminium. This happened to me on my first 2 cheap trainers, so I learnt the hard way to invest in the well knows brand for a good reason.
Here is the one I have and recommend from Amazon AU.
Fabric Booty Bands.
The 3rd essential home gym item on my list is a pack of wide fabric style booty bands, these are the best because they don’t slip off.
With these bands glute activation is inevitable and this is very important, because our bums are lazy so many of us need a little extra help to activate them properly during exercises such hip thrusts, glute abductions, crab walks and even squats.
Resistance Loop Bands.
Last, but not least, a set of these can help you not only compliment your beginner friendly home gym, but also be super handy for travel. You can do so many things with them. The lighter, thinner options will be super handy for arm exercises and thicker ones will come in handy when you are ready to start practicing assisted pull ups. Don’t be intimidated by pull ups, these bands are magic when it comes to helping you learn the ropes towards the full proper pull up or chin up.
Here are the ones I bring to train my clients outdoors and at their home.
Exercise Mat - Thick and soft.
This is optional as frankly you can just perform your exercises on your carpet or a towel, but I like to have a good thick mat, not a thin yoga style because when you go down on your knees to do push ups, those poor knees feel the hard floor and it hurts, also when you do sit ups your tailbone can suffer if you don’t provide it with a little cushioning support.
So, this is the one that is most suitable for strength training style workouts.
More useful items that you might consider later on.
I will drop a few extra items that I don’t consider essential for absolute beginners, as I don’t want you to get overwhelmed by buying a tonne of items you don’t know yet how to use, but I find the below items super helpful when it’s time to take things a little more seriously at a home gym.
I use these items for many of my clients and even bring some of them with me to the park or my client’s home for PT sessions.
I also love having these pieces of equipment when I don’t feel like working out at a gym, but still want to get a really good workout by targeting all muscle groups and challenging myself.
Adjustable Workout Bench & Aerobic Stepper in one.
The main reason why I chose to buy this workout bench instead of a traditional gym-style bench. I wanted something that serves as a sturdy hard non-padded aerobic stepper for exercises like step-ups or box jumps.
Soft padded benches are not ideal for step-ups as you lose stability on a softer surface losing focus of the muscles worked while trying to balance. I wanted to avoid buying a separate workout bench and an aerobic stepper, so this was an ideal solution for me, two in one.
I take this bench to train my clients at the park or their homes as it can be folded flat and fit into my car easily and I have 115kg clients using it without any issues. It is super sturdy with its alloy steel frame.
I also have my stronger clients bench pressing up to 70kg barbells additionally to their own weight of around 80 kg.
I also wanted an adjustable workout bench so it can go up for shoulder presses and other arm and upper body exercises that can’t be performed on a flat workout bench.
This is why this was a perfect solution to cover all my needs in a smaller space and on a smaller budget.
You can’t go wrong with a bench and stepper in one for under $400 AUD.
Can hold up to 150 killograms of weight.
Adjustable Dumbbells.
A few of my clients bought these and are very happy with them due to their space-saving ability and ease of use. Simple to change the weight. Works well for the online program they are following. Note; the price on Amazon is for 1 dumbbell only, not a pair.
