What follows are my picks for anybody starting a new home gym or looking to expand the one they have—whether that means a corner of your bedroom or a full-on garage-based weightlifting paradise. I’ll start with space- and budget-friendly items, then move on to some bigger-ticket buys.
Kettlebells
If I had to put together a home gym from scratch, I think I would start with two kettlebells: one light enough to strict press or snatch, and one heavy enough to make swings and goblet squats challenging. For a beginner, that might be a 25-pound kettlebell and a 50-pound kettlebell; if you’re stronger, obviously go heavier. The basic cast iron type is usually cheapest, while the colorful competition style kettlebells feel a bit nicer. By the way, I have a guide here to buying your first (or next) kettlebell.
If I had a smidge of extra cash, I’d buy them as adjustable kettlebells, like these here, so they could get heavier as I got stronger. Competition-style adjustables are by far the best kind, since they keep the same smooth shape no matter what weight you load them to. This lets you do cleans, presses, and snatches, rather than limiting you to swings.
Dumbbells
After securing your adjustable kettlebell, I’d move on to adjustable dumbbells. Dumbbells are a great way to lift weights at home. They’re smaller than a barbell, less specialized than a set of kettlebells, and you can do a ton of different workouts with them.
As with kettlebells, you’ll need to decide if you want to get a few pairs at specific fixed weights (cheaper to start) or go for a pricier adjustable set. Rubber hex dumbbells are the best bet if you want a selection of dumbbells you can just grab and use without adjusting. But if space is at a premium, be sure to check out this adjustable dumbbell roundup.
(You’d be hard-pressed to find a « best home dumbbells » list without these PowerBlocks near the top. The futuristic cubic design isn’t just for show—these dumbbells really are compact, which is the whole point of going adjustable over a traditional rack of individual weights. The only real drawback is the frame design: You have to place your hand inside the dumbbell’s structure to grip it.)
A pull-up bar
Pulling exercises are some of the hardest to improvise outside of a gym (although if you took my advice about kettlebells, you could do rows with those). A doorway pull-up bar like this one barely takes up any space, but it opens up a ton of possibilities. If your doorframes don’t allow you to wedge in a doorframe bar, try a pull-up tower like this one.
A spin bike
Cardio is good for you. I keep telling myself this, and I’m almost starting to believe it. With a spin bike, you can do intervals or steady-state work while staying comfortably indoors when the road outside is dark, or wet, or icy. The price range of options here is wide. You can splurge on a top-of-the-line Peloton—but first see these hacks every Peloton user should know, and this rundown of power zone training, which is hands down the best way to use a Peloton. Or you can go for one of the budget bikes (like a Sunny) that are less than a fifth of the price.
