If you have the space, I highly recommend investing in a home gym. Over the long term a home gym investment will cost much less than paying annual gym membership fees. In addition to cost savings, a home gym investment offers you the following benefits:
Cleaner workout environment
More frequent workouts
Time savings and flexibility
Listed below are my top recommendations and sources for an affordable home gym. I regularly use all of the listed equipment. If you would like to learn how you can build your home gym, or just want to discuss specific equipment, please contact me by clicking on the button below.
Glute Loop – I use the Glute Loop for focused glute strengthening exercises such as:
Lateral Band Walks
Banded Clamshells
Hip Bridges
Glute Loops come in a variety of resistance levels, and are more durable and comfortable than traditional elastic bands. For more info, click on the link below.
Foam Roller – Foam rolling is an effective way to start your workout to warm up muscles, increase joint mobility, reduce muscle tightness, and improve muscle tissue quality. I prefer the TriggerPoint foam rollers that cost $30 - $50. For more info, click on the link below.
Suspension Trainer – I use suspension trainers for exercises such as:
Inverted Rows and Presses
1 leg Squats
Core Strengthening
In my home gym, I use the Jungle Gym XT trainer which costs around $100. The TRX Suspension Trainer is another great option. For more info, click on the link below.
Bench – An adjustable bench is great for performing chest presses and hip thrusts. I recommend investing in a sturdy, adjustable bench if you plan to push heavy weight. Rep Fitness is my recommended source for benches. For more info, click on the link below.
Sled Trainer - A sled is great tool for building speed, power, and lower body strength.
I prefer using a quieter wheeled sled that can be operated on a variety of indoor/outdoor surfaces. I use the XPO Trainer sled from Armored Fitness. This sled includes a motor that resists force. The harder you push the sled, the more resistance, so you can use lower weighted plates to operate the sled. For more info, click on the link below.
Functional Trainer - I use my functional trainer for the following exercises:
Rows, Presses, and Pullups
Hamstring and Glute Strengthening
Core Stability and Dynamic Strengthening
One of the best investments you can make for your home gym is a functional trainer. Functional trainers offer dual adjustable cable columns making them extremely versatile. There are many high quality functional trainers available that are priced at $2,000 and below. Rep Fitness offers two functional trainers priced below $2,000. For more info, click on the link below.
Non-Motorized (Running) Treadmill - Treadmills are an effective warm up before strength training, and also for performing more intense cardio work. I prefer the non-motorized treadmills such as the Air Assault. This treadmill offers great training to prepare for hiking up Colorado’s high summits. For more info, click on the link below.
Interactive (Hiking) Treadmill - If you are seeking a more interactive treadmill that offers motivating instructor lead workouts from IFit, I suggest the Nordictrack Commercial Incline Treadmill series. These treadmills incline up to 40% allowing similar resistance to pushing a sled. For more info, click on the links below.
