What are the most basic equipment you need to exercise at home?

picture: Tero Visalainen (Clash)

If you are building a home gym, We have suggestions on where to start and what to buy next. But what if you don’t want a lot of equipment, just the bare minimum to get a decent workout at home? First, Find out if there is a particular type of exercise you like to do. Kettlebells are often recommended for simple home gyms, but they’re also best used with exercise programs that include different sets of repetitions since you can’t increase the weight incrementally. Dumbbells, on the other hand, give you more flexibility with strength training, but you’ll have to buy several pairs of different sizes just to get started — or go with an expensive adjustable set.

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So, let al Move this back to the basics, so you have it Some options for each.

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You need a way to do cardio

As much as I love strength training, cardio is probably more important, so this is the first thing you should know. We should all have it At least 150 minutes a week from Some Some kind of cardio, even if it’s just a brisk walk every morning.

You’ll want to make sure that the position you choose for cardio is something you don’t hate. Which of those can you imagine doing for, say, 30 minutes, a few times a week?

  • Walking or running: yeswill need A suitable pair of shoesat least, as well as any clothes that make you comfortable.
  • Dance or aerobics videos: a A comfortable pair of shoes and room for videos.
  • Bicycling: bicycle or bicycle.
  • Rower: rower.

If you have another favorite cardio machine, like an elliptical or an inline skate machine, you get the idea. Whatever you choose, make sure you can try it out before you commit. A lot of cheap, space-saving cardio machines are flimsy and don’t give you much range of motion.

A way to do push-ups

Pushups are the classic pushup exercise, and you can do them at home with no equipment. amazing! Do variations, such as diamond push-ups or elevated push-ups, to make the exercise more challenging as you get good at it. For a different type of bodyweight push-up, consider a place to do dips. You can buy dip bars (they take up a lot of space) or a pair of rings.

But you may also want to build momentum in other directions, such as push-ups or dips. Weights really help here. A set of dumbbells will allow you to do bench presses, overhead presses, and more. You are can Manage the vertical push-up by moving up into the javelin press and handstand, but many people prefer the convenience of pressing a heavy kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells.

In general, when you buy weights, you’ll want something you can lift anywhere between 3 and 10 reps. As you get stronger, you’ll be able to lift the same weight for 12 or 15 reps, but if you need to go a lot further than that to feel like you’re working hard, it’s time to move on.

A way to perform stretching exercises

While you can do rows with dumbbells or water kettlebells, some of the best home stretching exercises are those that use your body as a weight. Pull-ups are the classic way, and if you’re not ready to do full-on pull-ups yet, you can do them with your feet on a chair for help. Banded pull-ups are another option, though I prefer the chair type.

To do pull-ups, you will need a pull-up bar. There are removable rails that you can install in the doorway, but I highly recommend the type that bolts to the door frame. (Yes, even in the apartment; Just Patch holes before you leave.)

Another option, if you don’t like withdrawals, is a file Suspension trainer like the TRX set. These exercises are great for a variety of pulling exercises, including the bodyweight class which is a great alternative to pullups. You can use the TRX in a door frame, or you can hang it from a pull-up bar. Gymnastic rings can also be hung from a pull-up bar, although you may want to find a space for them outdoors so that you have more room than the door frame allows.

A way to work your legs

This one is tough, because so are your legs strong. Air squats won’t keep you engaged for long, and one-legged squats tend to be tough on the knees. (MMaybe it’s just me, but I will I hate it To build an exercise program around pistols or shrimp squats.)

Heavy weights are really helpful here. You can take a large dumbbell or a squat kettlebell, or you can use a lighter weight for unilateral exercises such as Bulgarian squats (in which you have your feet on a bench behind you), lunges, or one-legged or Romanian deadlifts. Leg exercises from Hotel gym workouts It will be useful as an alternative to squats and deadlifts.

The biggest mistake people make when buying home exercise equipment, in my opinion, is being overly optimistic. A pair of 10-pound dumbbells or even 25-pound dumbbells might be fine For upper body exercises at first, but you will need to significantly increase the weight to work your legs. So consider saving up to 50-pound dumbbells or more, or the kettlebell equivalent. A 24 kg (53 lb) kettlebell can give you plenty of options. 32 kilos (72 lbs) would be better.

Another great option, if you can swing it, is a sandbag. Not everyone wants a big bag that can spill sand in a corner of their apartment, but consider getting one if you have a place to put it (and/or bought a good leak-proof bag). You can lift the sack, carry the sack, and even squat while hugging the bears.

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Everything else is optional, but it can be useful.

Resistance bands are great for pull-ups, which is a pull-up exercise that shouldn’t be you Just An option but this is great for giving your upper back some extra work. in the same vein, booty gangs It shouldn’t be the centerpiece of your lower body workout, but it’s great for walking in the band (where you step sideways or slalom with the band around your legs) as a warm-up or extension move.

The bench will be useful for those Bulgarian squats, and for pull-ups with the help of the foot, and for the dumbbell bench press. Having said that, you can substitute the regular chair for the first two, pressing the “seat” to the floor.

A yoga mat can be a nice touch in your exercise corner. If you have a permanent exercise area, consider getting interlocking rubber or foam mats to provide a comfortable base and to prevent dumbbells from clumping and rolling on the floor every time you put them down.

If you really like jumping rope, prof Jump rope It can add to your cardio options. If you want to challenge yourself with basic training, then this is the place for you ab wheel It might be right up your alley. And if you do a lot of yoga or stretching, you might appreciate the blocks, straps, and a pretty yoga mat.

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