As a personal trainer in London for over 20 years, I advise my clients to create their own home gym so they can do workouts between our PT sessions. Ideally you should train around 3 times a week for optimum progress, and most clients train with me once a week. Not everyone can afford to have a personal trainer three times a week, so it pays to get into the habit of training on your own as well.
Yoga Mat
The most basic piece of kit is a yoga mat. Choose one which gives you enough padding for comfort, and is big enough for your height. You can also make it more comfortable by laying a bath-towel over the mat, which will also soak up the sweat and keep your yoga mat nice and fresh.
Resistance Bands
This is a great option for adding resistance to your workouts without bulky dumbbells. It is also a far cheaper option than buying dumbbells. Resistance bands are colour-coded for different levels of resistance, so it’s worth getting a range of bands for different exercises.
Dumbbells
I have a range of chrome dumbbells at home for my own solo workouts, ranging from 2kg right up to 20kg. Although more expensive and bulky to keep in your home, it’s a one-off cost and they will last a lifetime. Chrome dumbbells look good too, although you may prefer less expensive options.
Weights Bench
It’s worth spending more to get a really good quality weights bench, so that it’s big and sturdy enough to enable you to work-out safely and effectively. Bigger and more expensive benches have better padding, last longer, and provide more stability. I recommend you choose a bench which you can adjust for different angles from flat to seated, to add more variety to your workouts.
SwissBall
A SwissBall is great for adding more challenge to your core workouts, both for abs and lower back. Pumping air into it when you set it up is a workout in itself.
BOSU
BOSU stands for Both Sides Up. It’s a half-spherical piece of kit with a firm base and a SwissBall-like curved side. You can use it for balance and agility, and also for adding difficulty to pushups. A BOSU is a fair bit more expensive than a SwissBall.
Kettlebells
Like dumbbells, kettlebells come in a range of different weights, and are a great addition to any home gym for resistance workouts and muscle-building.
Ankle-Weights
Great for adding resistance for lower-body workouts, ankle-weights come in different weights. Most common are 1kg and 2kg but they don’t offer much resistance. Buy a range of different weights to challenge yourself when the lighter ones get too easy. You can also add challenge by strapping two ankle-weights on one ankle.
Rowing Machine
The best brand of rowing machine in my opinion is the Concept 2 rowing machine. They are quite expensive, but good quality and should last a long time. You can also buy them second-hand, as many people buy a new one and find they don’t use it.
Exercise Bike
Great for cardio fitness and muscular endurance in the legs and glutes, exercise bikes are a good addition to your home gym. You can put it in front of the TV or computer screen and watch your favourite Netflix shows while you train, rather than just sitting on the couch.
Foam Roller
Very effective for self-massage of tight muscles, foam rollers are a worthwhile and inexpensive addition to your home gym.
The Best Retailers for Home Gym Equipment
I’m a big fan of PhysioSupplies, the online retailer. For more heavy-duty equipment, Fitness Superstore is a great online store. You can also buy through Amazon, but read the reviews carefully first.
Turn a Spare Room into a Home Gym
If you’re fortunate enough to have a spare room you can devote to exercise, you can increase the amount of gym equipment you have, without it getting in the way. One of my personal training clients in Hampstead turned his basement into a home gym. He bought a set of dumbbells, a weights bench, a rowing machine, and to encourage himself to work out, he put a large-screen smart TV in the gym and watched Netflix while he exercised. Whatever encourages you to exercise at home, do it!
(Dominic Londesborough is a personal trainer in London and an online nutrition coach)
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