What is your favorite piece of exercise equipment to have at home?

[SunsetRunner]

I am looking to expand my home gym and buy some pieces that are rather versitle as well as inexpensive.  I dont want to buy a complete home gym as i dont have the space.

What types of equipment do you use? what could you not go without? what type of equipment works well in small spaces?

Of course we all have our fitbits on so walking and running and such are great exercise tips.  Looking for other options

Thanks

[shanibug]

Hi there,

I've got a set of kettle bells 5, 10 & 15# as well as some dumbbells 5-20 lbs and a 25# disk weight that I use to do crunches/sit ups with.  I also have a variety of workout DVD's to choose from so I don't get bored.  My favorite piece of equipment is my road bike, great calorie burner and it doesn't pound on my joints.

Have fun adding to your collection!

[PamelaHazelton]

We have a Bowflex (an older one with the tension rods - you can probably find one on Craigslist), a treadmill, and we're seeking a pre-owned elliptical to decrease the boredom of treadmill walking.

[AgentTalon]

Not sure what you might already own but if I was going to put together a home gym I would start with a complete free weight set.  With a set of dumbells and a barbell weight set I feel like I could knock out just about evey excersise I would need.  

[bdaniels04 · Accepted solution]

@SunsetRunner

I have an adjustable aerobic step, assorted dumbells, a kettlebell, resistance bands, ankle/wrist weights, a stability ball, and a medicine ball that I really use. They are easy to store and don't require a lot of space.

[chrisxr2]

Weighted leather skipping rope, travels the world with me, essential equipment.

[RoseOOPS]

I have dumb bells 3lbs to 25lbs. kettle bells 10 and 15's, and a ton of dvd's. What I use the most are my gym shoes. I have audible on my phone, listen to a good book, dog gets walked, and I get in my steps. I love the state parks, They have good hiking trials, Smokey likes them too.

[DominicJ]

I've got

a sit up roller thingy

Metal Weights

Heavier plastic weights.

The sit up thing is pretty useful if your core strength is nill, other than that its useless

Metal weights are significantly smaller than plastic, but will wreck your floor if you drop one.

I want a boxing bag, possibly a "slam man" type thing, but thats been on my to buy list for a decade...

[Heybales]

---

@SunsetRunner wrote:

I am looking to expand my home gym and buy some pieces that are rather versitle as well as inexpensive.  I dont want to buy a complete home gym as i dont have the space.

What types of equipment do you use? what could you not go without? what type of equipment works well in small spaces?

Of course we all have our fitbits on so walking and running and such are great exercise tips.  Looking for other options

Thanks

---

Gotta have the door hanging pull-up bar - just too useful, and nice to stretch on.

Ditto's to dumbbells and free weights.

But for future possible expansion, suggest getting the olympic sized now, and that way down the road if you want to upgrade to 6 ft or full 7ft barbell, you got most of the weights already.

4 x 2.5 lbs, 5, 10 lbs should be enough for a bit. That's gives 40lbs per hand (weight of handle if 5lbs). Or heavier if doing single arm stuff and you need it.

Decent incline/flat bench.

You can make your own power cage for squats, bench, OHP, when you get the barbell down the road.

And mine built for the 6ft olympic bar, with weights hanging off it, takes up very little space.

[geager]

Smash ball!

[MRose]

Don't forget about Craigslist! I see free, almost-new exercise equipment on there all the time!!

[backlash79]

At home I have KB's and DB's of various weights, sandbags, ruck sacks that I can vary the weight from 10 to 40 pounds, jump rope, heavy duty resistance bands like ones used to powerlifting, a TRX military version, many different types of foam rollers, a few medicine balls, parallettes, gymnastic rings (but I never use these at home since I have no place for them, TRX is way more useful).

[kelfran]

I agree that you should get a door-hanging pull-up bar. It doubles as a foot anchor for sit-ups and as handles for push-ups. 

[art435]

I too have a small area.  I do have a bench - not large but adjstable.   Weighs, both free and bar.  1 straight bar and 3 curling bars.  Dumbbells 8 to 40 lbs   Do have a treadmill, but really prefer running outside. (3 to 4 mornings a week)  It's got to be pretty bad out there to get me to run inside.  Also I have a stabliity ball, but prefer bench for weights..    KBs have 10s & 15s - usually use for warm ups

One piece I couldn't do with out is "WorkHorse" Pull up bar..  Look it up on line.  It gets added into most of my work outs.   Also I like my ab roller.   For a quick workout, 15 weighted crunches, 15 push ups, 15 pull ups (WorkHorse), 15 ab roller.   3 to 5 sets deprending how much time I have and if I'm planning to add to the work out with weights.  

Also use bands quite a bit