Are you also concerned about how the expensive gym memberships are draining your savings and making your workouts a struggle? What if you could achieve your fitness goals without draining your lifetime savings on gym memberships that you might not actually utilize to the fullest? Well, I hacked at-home fitness training with five simple and affordable pieces of equipment.
When I started with my fitness journey, I was also confused about what equipment I should buy for my home gym setup. I searched the internet for whether I should buy a treadmill for home or cross trainers, whether my space is enough for fitting these machinesāall things need to be considered.Ā
So, with today's blog, I'm going to share how I transformed my fitness routine with just 5 gym tools.Ā But first let's begin with why I choseĀ working out at home over gym workouts.
Why I Chose Home Workouts Over Gym Memberships
After spending a decent amount on an early gym membership that I couldn't use due to my busy schedule, I realized that I require a more flexible training routine that fits in my fast life. Here are a few more reasons that made me switch from expensive gym memberships to building a home gym.
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Workout Flexibility: The biggest benefit of having a home gym setup is workout flexibility. Instead of adjusting my work routine around my gym workout hours, having gym machines and an exercise mat for home would give me complete freedom to choose a workout time.
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Big Savings: In addition to making my workout schedule more manageable, the setup also helps me save big on expensive gym memberships that I cannot fully use due to other commitments.
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Consistency in Workouts: Another benefit of having gym equipment at home is that I can stick to my workout routine, and that too without losing energy on travelling to the gym, which makes fitness seem like a herculean task.
- Privacy and Hygiene: Lastly, I personally dislike waiting for machines or using them in a sweaty and dirty situation. Having equipment of my own at home gave me full control over my workouts, and I could maintain the hygiene of the machines according to my preferences.
5 Affordable Gym Equipment That Changed My Fitness Routine
Now let's talk about all the equipment I have in my gym setup at home. And discuss which are the top 5 and essential equipment that can deliver the best results for overall fitness.Ā
1. Adjustable Bench for Home Gym
While searching for equipment that can enhance fitness, the first essential that I came across was an adjustable bench for home. Weight benches are one of those versatile tools that helped me to engage in a variety of exercises with dumbbells. Some of these exercises are bench press, shoulder press, bicep curls, and step-ups.
This is one of those pieces of equipment that offers the most versatility and requires less space for storage. In total I see this equipment as equipment that can elevate your workouts and provide flexibility at the same time for gaining mass and support your body completely during exercises for better results.
Talking about adjustability and affordability, this machine fits the requirements of users across different levels with different preferences. With a budget of approximately ā¹8000 - ā¹15,000, you can get a decent and reliable bench for your workouts.
2. Weight Plate Set
I generally enjoy strength training exercises; thatās why I decided to invest my money in buying a weight plate set for home gym. Unlike dumbbells that usually have a fixed capacity, a weight plate is one of those equipment that can be used for strength training exercises and also for making other workouts challenging.
I have a set of PU-coated weight plates in my collection in different sizes. The biggest advantage of buying these machines for workouts is that I have been using them to make my everyday warmups, like squats and lunges, more challenging. In case you want to use these plates the traditional way, you can add a barbell rod to your set.
Overall, a good set of barbells and weight plates can cost around ā¹3000 to ā¹7000 per plate depending upon the quality and type of weight plate you choose for your workout. Because I wanted to keep my workouts basic, I have PU-coated weight plates that are easy to use and do not get rusted easily.
3. Pull-Up BarĀ
Another piece of home gym equipment that worked for Florida State for my fitness routine is a pull-up bar. This equipment is irreplaceable because it offers complete accessibility and versatility. I installed one of these pull-up bars in one corner of my house to engage in effective upper body exercises.
Beginning from basic chin-up exercises to performing hanging leg raises and standard pull-ups, I use this equipment in a variety of different ways to improve my upper body strength and get my M-shaped torso in shape. It also helped me build incredible strength for my back and body.
Think, this is one of the easiest pieces of equipment to install in your space. I really like this equipment because it is affordable and does not require a lot of effort for installation. If you are also looking forward to making your home gym setup versatile, you can get a pull-up bar that costs around ā¹2,000 to ā¹4,000.
4. Exercise Mats
An exercise mat for home is another essential that I build my core training routine on. I use the exercise mat for exercises such as stretching as well as other bodyweight training exercises. It helped me reduce muscle fatigue after every workout and enhanced my flexibility to another level.
One of the best parts about having an exercise mat at home is that you can use it comfortably. For any exercise starting from planks to burpees and yoga. I think it is a must-have home gym equipment if you are someone who likes experimenting with their workout forms. And has a mixed training routine with traditional and new-age exercises.
Coming to the affordability factor, exercise mats are a really budget-friendly option. You can buy a good branded exercise mat within a price range of ā¹800 to ā¹2000.
5. Foldable TreadmillĀ
Last but not least, The basic equipment that works best for cardio workouts is a foldable treadmill. Unlike the regular treadmills, the treadmill I have is very compact and helps with burning more calories. With its dynamic movement and flawless mechanism.
Even though this equipment is slightly more expensive than all the other equipment on the list, it is a complete game changer for fitness training. The modern designs of this machine make it perfect for home use and save you from all the hassle of going to a gym.
In terms of budget and pricing, you can get a good foldable treadmill in the range of ā¹30,000 to ā¹45,000.
In Conclusion
So, this was a complete overview of every piece of equipment that I have in my personal set up for comprehensive training. Your fitness goals might differ completely from my goals, so you can build your setup as per your preferences. You can have kettlebells, dumbbells, or even a squat rack for a home gym in your setup.
Pro Tip: To avoid going overboard with your budget, only choose equipment that caters to your fitness goals, and go for dependable product brands that offer quality products.
