The top 5 fitness equipment for home workouts

15 Feb The top 5 fitness equipment for home workouts

Whether or not you are seeing a personal trainer or are a member of a gym, you may be looking to do some home workouts.

There are only so many body weight exercises you can do and you soon get bored of the same routine. At some stage, you will want to investigate buying some equipment to enhance your workouts and make them more interesting.

There are hundreds of fitness related equipment you can purchase, some costing thousands of dollars. So which ones are best for you? Well here are top 5 pieces of fitness equipment you should be using for your workouts.

1. Dumbbells

A variety of dumbbells (anything from 1 kilo to 5 kilos) will open up a huge range of weight exercises for every part of your body. With weights you can focus on your legs, butt, shoulders, back, chest, biceps, triceps and abs. Start with lighter weights – as you build up your strength you can get heavier ones. And remember, technique is everything! If you are not sure how to do certain exercises, talk to a professional.

2. Skipping rope

No need to buy an expensive running machine, a skipping rope is a great piece of equipment for cardio based workouts. It is super-affordable and takes up no space. And you can take it with you when you travel, so you can carry your home gym with you wherever you go.

3. Suspension Straps

Suspension straps can be hung from the ceiling, wall, or door – indoors or outdoors. They are adjustable, enabling you to perform assisted or unassisted pullups with the added challenge of instability. You can use them for a full-body routine as you pull, push, and press yourself through a series of movements. Only weighing a few kilos, they are one of the most versatile tools you can use for your workouts.

4. Kettlebells

Kettlebells have been around for hundreds of years and recently resurfaced as a trendy workout tool. They feature a bell-shaped lower half topped by a handle. The genius of its design is in its uneven distribution of weight – the bell weighs more than the handle, so as you lift, press, and swing the kettlebell, your body constantly adjusts to the changing pull of gravity.

Like dumbbells, kettlebells enable you to increase the weight you lift during exercises like squats, lunges, and shoulder presses, but they also provide you with a powerful cardiovascular workouts when used to perform swinging or ballistic exercises.

5. Mat

Granted, a mat isn’t a fitness tool like the rest of the items on this list, but it’s still an important purchase. You can pick up a high-quality mat to provide cushioning as you perform movements on the floor such as Pilates, Yoga, stretching or abdominal work. Mats are also great for taking your workout outside, enabling you to do pushups, planks, and lunges without worrying about sticks or stones.