You can’t get a good workout from home.
Ever heard this blatant lie?
I get so upset when I see fitness professionals or fitness Instagram accounts saying things like this. Because it’s just not true.
You can get a GREAT workout in at home with zero equipment. Bodyweight training can be extremely effective.
However, there is something to be said about being able to add a little resistance training. But that doesn’t mean you have to go spend thousands of dollars on a ton of equipment to have in your house.
So today I wanted to share my top 3 pieces of home gym equipment (plus one bonus!).
Jump Rope
The biggest issue people seem to have with home workouts is cardio. I’m the HIIT queen so I can totally show you how to get a good cardio session in at the same time you’re doing strength training.
I could also sit here and tell you to go outside for a run or a bike ride. But maybe you don’t have a bike. And maybe you don’t want to or can’t run. Running and cycling aren’t for everybody. And that’s totally okay.
A jump rope is a cheap piece of equipment that’s clutch for getting cardio in at home. And it takes up basically zero space.
I like to add jump rope intervals in between sets of various circuits to keep my heart rate up.
Now when you first start jump roping as an adult, the most important thing to remember is patience. Jump rope is not like riding a bike. What was super easy in elementary school does not feel easy when jumping (haha punny) back into it.
But don’t worry! Practice makes perfect and I promise it does get easier! But I won’t just leave you hanging. Here are some of my top jump roping tips:
- Keep your shoulders back and down and your elbows tucked into your rib cage
- The rotation is all in the wrist. Don’t make huge circles with your arms. You’ll burn your shoulders out quick. Small rotations at the wrist will allow you to jump much longer.
- Light on your feet! Think small, quick jumps. You don’t have to get very high off the ground. Jump straight up and point your toes down.
- Keep your legs long. Oftentimes I see people trying to bring their knees up towards their chest. Keep your legs long. Pulling the knees up is unnecessary and just wastes energy.
- Invest in a good rope. (I say “invest” but really they’re not that expensive.)
So what is a good rope? I always recommend speed ropes and the brand I use is called Double Under Wonder. Their ropes are custom cut to your height and you can even customize the color of the rope and the handles! They’re lightweight and they rotate around smoothly. I love my Double Under Wonder rope and highly recommend them! (not an affiliate, just love the product)
So go buy yourself a jump rope and start practicing! Start with a basic double foot hop and once you get that down you can start adding in some boxer skips, backwards jumps, and even double unders! (It took me like 9 months to get double unders down, but now that I have them I LOVE them for some GOOD cardio.)
Get your customized double under wonder rope here!
Parting jump rope words: Don’t get frustrated, get fascinated.
Mini Bands
Whenever people see these mini bands, they usually think of some booty burning work. But they are much more versatile than that! In my Strong with Becca program, we use mini bands for both lower body, upper body, and even some core work!
Mini bands are super cheap and are just an awesome way to add a little resistance on top of bodyweight exercises.
You can get the ones that I use right here. At only $12, you really can’t beat it. And yes, they will eventually wear out and break, but I’ve used mine for almost a year now without having to replace them so I’d say that’s a pretty damn good value.
And watch for sales on Prime day and Black Friday! They usually go on sale for half off so I always scoop up an extra set or two!
Want more info on Strong with Becca? Get all the deets right here.
Dumbbells
This is definitely the most expensive item on my list, but it’s an investment worth making. You can definitely get a few smaller weight dumbbells, but if you have the funds, I highly recommend going with the Bowflex adjustable dumbbells.
They range in price from $270-$350 depending on the retailer and if they’re on sale. Which I know sounds expensive, but I’ve had mine for about 10 years now and they’re still like brand new. And they are SO VERSATILE. Since each dumbbell goes all the way up to 52.5 lbs you can do a LOT with them.
They’re super easy to use and switch weights and will definitely allow you to take that workout to the next level.
When you break down the cost by year that’s $35 a year if you buy them at the high end and get 10 years use out of them (I think we’ll get more since I still see no signs of break down on them). Yeah, that’s way cheaper than a gym membership.
Probably the best investment I’ve made in home workout equipment.
Retailers I always price check:
Bonus: Pull-Up Bar
Not necessary by any stretch, BUT, if you really want to build those back muscles, this is something that’s invaluable. We bought ours about 10 years ago and it’s been fantastic. The one we have rests right in a door frame. I do recommend putting some kind of padding in between the bar and where it actually sits against the door frame. If you don’t, it will rip the paint right off and possibly damage the actual door frame itself. We just got some thick foam and wedged it in between the bar and the door frame and it’s worked really well!
Get your own pull-up bar right here!
Can’t do a pull-up yet? Don’t let that scare you off of getting the bar! There are lots of variations you can do to assist and build up to that full pull-up.
Need help? Shoot me a message about online training!
There you have it! My top 3 pieces of equipment to invest in for your home workouts!
Do you have any of this stuff at home already? Do you utilize it regularly? Anything you would add to this list?
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