What do you really need for a home gym?
There is a staggering amount of gym equipment available. So much so that it can be overwhelming to get started building a home gym. Is it more important to get dumbbells and other resistance equipment, or should you prioritize cardio gear, such as a treadmill?

To help answer all your questions about putting together a complete home gym, we talked to fitness expert Judd NeSmith, founder of Serious Fitness. NeSmith has detailed two home gym options that provide a full-body workout: a less expensive option and a more expensive option.

What is a good workout?
NeSmith is a big fan of working out the entire body. This includes upper-body and lower-body resistance training and cardio. When creating the ideal home gym, you should focus on equipment that covers all of these needs.

“I’ve helped a lot of clients build out home gyms for 20 years,” NeSmith began. “So I’ll give you two versions. One is the least expensive version, and the other is a more expensive version.”

The least expensive home gym option
“I have clients all over the world,” NeSmith said. “This home gym is one I designed for someone on a really tight budget. You can get a heck of a setup that provides a full-body workout for under $300. My client had an extra room in their house that they were using as an office. I had her purchase a few pieces of equipment to turn that room into a gym.”

Stability ball
The first piece of equipment NeSmith recommended was a stability ball. A stability ball is also known as an exercise ball. It is the same piece of equipment that people sit on when they work. He recommended getting a burst-proof model for safety.

Exercise mat
An exercise mat gives people a dedicated workout space. It must be long enough and wide enough to fit your whole body. NeSmith advised, “It should be an inch or two thick for cushioning. Especially if you have hard floors. Even if you have carpeting, you need an exercise mat because you don’t want to get sweat in your carpet.”

Suspension trainer
“A suspension trainer is all the rage in the fitness industry these days,” NeSmith explained. “I like the TRX brand. It’s a great piece of equipment that helps you do a variety of body weight exercises. You can hang it over a door, or, if you have a strong ceiling, some models come with ceiling mounts.”

Loop bands
Loop bands are elastic bands that provide varying degrees of resistance that increase the intensity of your workout. For instance, you can wrap them around your ankles and use them for many lower body exercises.

Resistance bands with handles
“I recommend a three-pack of resistance bands with handles,” NeSmith continued. “You attach one end of the band to the door or some other sturdy object. The other end has a handle on it for you to grab. You can perform a lot of upper body exercises with resistance bands with handles.

Cardio options
To get your cardio in with an economical gym, you need to perform bodyweight cardiovascular exercises. There are many ways to do that, such as bodyweight squats, burpees, mountain climbers and more. Alternatively, you could run, ride a bike or perform some other sort of physical activity outside.

A more expensive home gym option
If you are interested in a more expensive home gym option, NeSmith said to start with all the equipment in the first option and add the following:

Adjustable dumbbells
“Adjustable dumbbells can be expensive,” NeSmith stated. “Buying a pair can cost $400 or more, but it’s worth it. Adjustable dumbbells have a mechanism that lets you select the amount of weight you want to use — usually anywhere from about 5 to 50 pounds, which makes them extremely versatile. NordicTrack makes great adjustable dumbbells.”

Weight bench
A weight bench is not essential since there are plenty of exercises you can perform without one. However, if you want the best home gym possible, you will want to add a weight bench to your shopping list. A weight bench is a fundamental piece of workout equipment that enhances the quality and adds variety to your exercise routine.

Cardio machine
“Here comes the kicker. If you want to go big, you got to throw in a treadmill. Either a treadmill, or if people don’t like running or walking for cardiovascular fitness, a Concept2 rowing machine. A quality stationary bike is a third option for a good cardiovascular workout.”

How to use the equipment
Getting the right equipment is only the first step. The second step is learning how to use your home gym. The best way is to work with a personal trainer, like NeSmith, either in person or online. Other options include downloading a personal training app that can customize a workout routine based on your needs, buying a book on the topic or looking up different exercises online. You also want your doctor’s approval before starting any new fitness regimen.

Whichever way you go, NeSmith advises striving for a goal of two to three days each week focusing on full-body strength training workouts because that will help you build, lean muscle, get stronger, move better and prevent injury. He also said to set aside two to three days each week for cardiovascular exercises to build heart health, burn calories and keep you leaner.

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