The best home gym equipment for exercising on your own terms

So you have a gym in your home. Maybe it’s small, say a spare room turned into part office, part exercise area. Maybe a little bigger, a lavish studio with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and every size of bell imaginable. Or maybe it’s just a sitting room with the coffee table pushed to the side. Whatever it is, it is a space that you dedicate to sweating in. This dedication is half the battle. The other half? Make sure you have the right equipment.

There are three major fitness groups every home gym should try to incorporate (prevent amplitude) when considering equipment: cardio, strength, and recovery. For cardio, it could be a new spin bike, a standard treadmill, an OG elliptical, or even a sleek rowing machine. With strength training, we’re talking sturdy weights like water kettlebells, dumbbells, curling bars, a WundaCore ring, barbell bench, or squat rack—you choose what works for your fitness program. And finally, recovery. We love a high-quality yoga mat for stretching and percussion devices like a massage gun (hello, Hyperice), foam roller, and the list goes on.

Don’t take our word for it though. We also spoke with Thor Bradley, C4 Energy brand ambassador and professional fitness trainer, who gave us the lowdown on what to look for in your home gym equipment. “Three things come to mind when I think of a piece of home gym equipment,” says Bradley. “The amount of space the item takes up, the number of exercises you can legitimately do with the item, and of course the cost of the piece of equipment.”

The three Bradley criteria sum it up perfectly. We know you might not be looking to completely overhaul the equipment you already have, so we’re keeping it simple with the Top 10 Must-Know Home Gym Equipment for 2023. Get your fix this New Year.