Welcome to my home gym! Today, I’m sharing how you can build your home gym under whatever budget you have: $50, $100. $250 and $500. Over the years, I’ve built (and rebuilt) my home gym, which allowed me to discover exactly what equipment is a must, what equipment is an “add on” and what you just don’t need!
HOME GYM + WORKOUT STYLE
First things first… your home gym will reflect the type of workout(s) you like to do. If you’re a runner, you would likely opt for a treadmill over the weight set up I’m suggesting. If you do yoga on the daily, I’m sure you’d invest in a high, quality mat first.
If you are like me and are all about the WEIGHTS, then this home gym set up is for you.
You’ll notice that as the budget increases, so does the amount of equipment… duh, Lauren. That just means that the 3 items under the smallest $50 budget are my absolute essentials and from there, it builds. You can get an idea of how I started my home gym to how it currently looks/what equipment we have.
PROS + CONS OF HOME GYM WORKOUTS
You’ve likely heard me say this before, I prefer working out at the gym. For some reason, when I leave my house, I can more easily flip the switch from life to fitness. And, at the gym, there is a greater amount of equipment to take advantage. Yet, I do workout 1-2 days per week at home. Because let’s face it… it definientely has its benefits.
PRO: TIME SAVING
I can save about 30 minutes in not commuting to the gym. It’s all the little stuff that adds up… packing a gym bag, scrambling to find they keys, running back in to grab my headphone, looking for a parking spot, etc.
PRO: NO EXCUSES
NOT a fan of the No Excuses concept because I have plenty of good excuses lol BUT the excuse “I couldn’t get to the gym so I couldn’t workout today” becomes extinct when you have a home gym. You can always find a way to sweat and move your body.
CON: FOCUS
For me, working out at home takes more focus. I have to be intentional about eliminating distractions (like not switching over the laundry in the middle of my workout). A few things that helps me with this: put your headphones in and ensure you have a space that is designated your “home gym” as opposed to working out in the living room. Even if your space has to be put away at the end, set it up somewhere that is not your most frequented room in the home.
CON: LESS EQUIPMENT
Because you probably do not have a full gym set up, working out at home may require just a bit more creativity and a few more modifications. No biggy! In fact, I like this challenge as it’s a good switch up.
BUILD YOUR HOME GYM UNDER YOUR BUDGET
Below are my home gym suggestions for each budget: $50, $100, $250 and $500 Under all of the graphics, I included links to the exact products I suggest – they all can be found on Amazon because does prime = life (not sponsored – none of these are… all items are actually what I use).
RESISTANCE BAND SET ($22 – here
): bands simulate a cable machine that would be found at a gym. The constant tension on the muscles is very effective. I like this particular set because of all the accessories/attachments and the door anchor!
10 LB DUMBBELLS ($20 – here
) – dumbbells usually cost $1 per pound. Oddly enough, if you click the pair it’s more expensive than buying 2 singles?! Anyway, if I could only have 1 dumbbell set, I find the 10 lb option to be the most useful for both upper and lower body exercises.
ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELL SET ($50 – here
) – without a doubt, this is the most useful option for dumbbells. You can build the dumbbells to be lighter ~5lbs up to ~20 lbs each dumbbell so it definitely allows for a greater weight training challenge at home. This is the brand I’ve used for years and love!
ADJUSTABLE BARBELL SET ($96 – here
) – an adjustable barbell set is something I got after a few years and it’s made one of the bigger impacts in my home gym. It allowed me to do a lot more exercises. I like the adjustability so I can do things like bicep curls and squats. Also, these adjustable options are lighter and shorter as compared to an olympic barbell, making them very versatile.
FYI – the set my husband got me for Christmas 2 years ago was both a dumbbell and barbell set for only $85. It’s not sold online, but I wanted to show where he got it (here)!
20 LB KETTLEBELL ($34 – here
) – a kettlebell isn’t something I use often but it is nice to have both for weighted movements and cardio. I find the 20lb option very useful!
ADJUSTABLE BENCH ($57 – here
) – a bench is very useful for a multitude of exercises like an incline chest press, step ups, weighted hip thrusts and so much more!
OLYMPIC BARBELL ($97 – here
) + PLATES ($54+ – here
) – if your budget allows and if you are more interested in heavy weight training, an olympic barbell is a big deal. When I first got mine not too long ago, I really felt as though I could do a gym style workout right at home, especially with bench press, deadlifts and squats! Tip – I suggest a 10 lb and 15 lb set of bumper plates (they’re made of rubber so more home gym friendly)
BENCH + RACK ($186 – here
) – the one I purchased was a combo. At this price, I can’t tell you how impressed I am with the quality. You may recognize this one because it’s the exact one I have and we’ve had it for 3+ years now. A bench allows you to use your olympic barbell for benching, squats and so much more!
JUMP ROPE ($8 – here
) – this most inexpensive, most challenging cardio I’ve done! A jump rope can be easily stored. You can take it anywhere! AND, it will kick your butt every time!
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